Page 76 of Have To Be Mine

“Rich people can’t do anything normal, can they?”

We climbed onto the platform and settled in. We were far enough from any light pollution that the stars were spectacular. I lay on my back, and after a moment’s hesitation, Krista curled up beside me, her cheek resting on my chest.

I ran my fingers through her hair, careful and gentle. I couldn’t help but think about how the hell I’d gotten here. This was supposed to be a business trip. Instead, I was lying under the stars with a woman who’d somehow become the focus of my world in the span of a week.

How had this happened? When had it shifted from me trying to prove myself to my family to me wanting to prove myself to her?

Her hand rested against my chest, directly over my heart. I felt her take a breath, and then, so softly I almost missed it, she started singing.

The same song from karaoke. Torn.

Her voice was beautiful, all quiet and intimate and meant only for me. I closed my eyes and let it wash over me. It was like getting hugged and cradled at the same time. Every note was perfect.

I didn’t dare move or speak. I just held her and listened, committing every second of this to memory. When she finished, neither of us said anything. There was nothing to say that wouldn’t ruin the moment.

Then the first firework exploded overhead. Krista gasped and sat up, her eyes wide as the sky lit up in brilliant blues and golds. Another burst followed, then another. The explosions reflected on the water, each one brighter than the last.

“Did you set this up?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am. I had the crew do something special,” I said, pulling her back against me so we could watch together.

She’d probably seen fireworks a thousand times. But watching her react like a kid seeing them for the first time had me feeling all kinds of things.

“This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me,” she whispered.

I kissed the top of her head. “Good. You deserve romance, Krista. You deserve all of it.”

She turned to look up at me. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I want to. I like seeing you relaxed. Smiling.”

“You could have taken me to a comedy show if you wanted me to smile.”

I laughed. “Hell no. This is so much better.”

24

KRISTA

Ifelt like I was floating, and it had nothing to do with being on a yacht in the open sea. My insides felt just as sparkly as the night sky above us. Every nerve ending was alive, humming with joy and excitement. It was like drinking the strongest energy drink but without the jitters.

I didn’t want this night to end. I didn’t want to go back to reality that made him a client. All the boundaries and professional obligations and the reasons this couldn’t work. I wanted to stay in the bubble. Pretend I was a princess who’d found her prince.

But that was a bridge I could cross later. Right now, I was living a once-in-a-lifetime moment with a man who’d somehow managed to see past every wall I’d built and decided I was worth the effort anyway.

The fireworks had ended, but we stayed on the platform, neither of us willing to break the spell.

“Want to hit the hot tub?” he asked quietly.

I lifted my head to look at him. “The hot tub?”

“Yeah. The water’s only a little heated, so it shouldn’t mess with your sunburn. There’s champagne chilling next to it, and the view is going to be incredible.” He grinned. “No more fireworks, though.”

I considered it. The practical part of my brain pointed out that I should probably call it a night, go to my cabin, and maintain whatever shred of professionalism I had left. The other part of my brain—the part that had been singing and wearing dresses and lying under the stars in a man’s arms—told the practical part to shut the hell up.

“Okay,” I said.

His smile was devastating. “Yeah?”