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He shook his head, a silly grin on his face. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”
“What was your boat’s name?” Cassie took a sip.
He frowned for a fleeting moment. He took his glass and sat next to her. “Do you sail?”
“I’ve been sailing a few times with friends.” Weird. First, he wouldn’t tell her his name, and now he avoided answering the question about the boat’s name. “You still haven’t told me the name of this sailboat you owned?”
“Whitney,” he said with sharp emphasis.
“Who is Whitney named after?” She regretted blurting out the question, so she tried to lighten things up. “Mount Whitney? Are you a Whitney Houston fan?”
He glanced away and took a deep breath. Turning back, he gave her his full attention, his expression serious. “It’s not important. I sold the boat years ago. Forget I mentioned it.”
Whoever she was, Whitney must have been important enough to name a boat after her. She couldn’t get caught up in the details because the story behind it was none of her business. They agreed to one night together, and that was it. “I see.”
He inclined his head to her. “How was your day at the spa?”
She was relieved he changed the subject. “It was wonderful. Thank you.”
“I’m glad.” He got to his feet. “Now, let me get this boat out of the harbor.”
“Oh.” Cassie took another sip of prosecco.
“We’re going offshore to get more privacy.”
“Okay.” She wanted this, but it wasn’t like being in a restaurant. She couldn’t just get up and leave if she wanted to.
He came to her side, saying gently, “If you’d rather leave, I can take you back to the hotel. Or stay for dinner, and we’ll go back afterward. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
She believed him and her nerves settled. She did want this.
“I want to stay. I think it’s because I’ve never been on a date like this before.”
He brushed a few loose strands of hair away from her face. “I feel the same way. I think you’re used to being with men a lot different than me.”
That was the understatement of the year. Cassie had never met anyone like him, and she was certain he’d never been on a date with someone like her.
He gave her a gentle smile. “We’re drawn to each other for a reason.”
Her eyes flew up to his. Did he feel it too? “I feel the same way.”
“Maybe it’s fate.”
Fate played a role in how they met, staying at the same hotel, and the adjoining rooms. She wouldn’t be with him now if fate hadn’t guided them together. She needed to know if he was serious or teasing her.
“Do you believe in fate?” Cassie asked.
“I do,” he said with a firm nod. “I also believe we make choices for certain reasons. I don’t know how much fate has to do with making right or wrong decisions. I prefer to listen to my instincts.”
“My mother has been telling me that for years, but I don’talways listen to mine.”
He smiled. “You agreed to see me tonight, so I’d say you’re listening. Now, stay here and enjoy the view. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”Cassie pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.The motor turned on and rumbled below as Eros navigated the boat from the dock. Feeling much calmer, she took a deep breath of the ocean air and gazed at the changing colors of the sunset.
The boat cruised for a few miles. She kept an eye on the diminishing marina in the distance and relished the breeze. Eros must be wealthy to charter a boat this size for one date. It would’ve been easier to have dinner somewhere in townthan come out here. Who was he?
The motor stopped, and the anchor lowered with a metal grinding noise until it hit the bottom with a jolting thud. The boat rocked back and forth until it settled. Cassie looked over her shoulder but couldn’t see him anywhere. Acoustic guitar music came from a few speakers around the deck.
