19. Pastries & Pretending
pastries & pretending
. . .
Cade
I hadn’t been touching Ellie when I fell asleep—not after she’d criticized my acting and priorities in life. But I’d woken up to find a fluffy unicorn tucked under my arm and snuggled against my side, sleeping soundly.
She was all warm and cuddly, and the intimacy spooked me enough to jump straight out of bed when my alarm went off.
But I’d slept great.
Again.
… Shit.
Not wanting to dwell on that, I went about my normal morning routine: coffee, emails, then to the onboard workout room for a swim, followed by a few work calls.
When I returned to our cabin to shower, Ellie was still curled up in bed, asleep.
But she’d moved over to my side, and she had a new cuddle buddy hugged against her chest—a blue-eyed cat who tracked my every move until I shut the bathroom door behind me.
The bed was empty when I finished showering, but the doors to the balcony were open wide.
Ellie stood at the railing—still in that ridiculous unicorn onesie, but with the hood pulled down so the ocean breeze played with her messy blue braid.
With a towel wrapped around my waist, I strolled over to the open door and leaned against the doorjamb.
Whiskey sat on one of the patio chairs, surveying the water with his tail flicking idly.
He looked adorably grumpy in an orange cat-sized life jacket Ellie must’ve brought for him.
The engines were silent, the waves lapping rhythmically against the hull. I took a slow inhale of salt air, welcoming its sharpness.
“I can’t believe I’m really here,” Ellie murmured before covering a wide yawn with her hand. She gazed out across the water, eyes on the horizon. “It felt like a dream to wake up on this beautiful boat with the ocean right here. I’ve never been this far away from home.”
I crossed my arms. “What’s stopped you from traveling before?”
“Traveling is a luxury I don’t have the money or time off for.” She spoke softly, her voice still hoarse with sleep. With a small shrug, Ellie turned and leaned against the railing, giving me a sleepy smile. “You sure are an early bird. Where’d you run off to before the sun came up?”
“Went for a swim,” I said, making her eyes widen.
She pointed over the balcony’s railing. “In the ocean?”
The corner of my lips twitched. “The gym on board has an Endless Pool to do laps in.”
She hummed, her gaze flicking down my bare chest. “So that’s how you have a body like that while working an office job. From swimming?”
“Every morning,” I said, amusement growing. “Didn’t realize you paid that close of attention to my body.”
A warm blush rose to Ellie’s cheeks as she shrugged. “I mean, it’s impossible not to when I was cuddled up against it all night.”
I frowned at the reminder. It was the last thing we needed to talk about.
“Shower’s all yours,” I said shortly, turning my back to her and heading for the closet to find clothes.
Hiding had nothing to do with it.
The shower was going when I finished getting dressed, so I sent out a few emails before heading to the main deck.
A few others were already gathered at the outdoor table—including Dr. Lovejoy, so I headed in the other direction to where Mac stretched out on a sun lounger with a fruity drink that had a little green umbrella and silly straw. His bright yellow Hawaiian shirt threatened to blind me.
“Remind me why I brought you along again?” I asked, frowning. “I don’t need a bodyguard this week.”
Mac shrugged and put on a pair of dark shades. “An all-expenses-paid vacation? Sun and drinks and a front-row seat to watch your half-assed plan crash and burn? You couldn’t pay me to stay away. So, yes, you do need a bodyguard.”
He sucked his drink through the silly straw, while my frown deepened. “It won’t crash and burn.”
Mac just hummed and continued slurping, making me scowl.
First Ellie had complained about the script last night, and now Mac was calling the plan half-assed.
Why did it matter if our story was boring if it was believable?
We weren’t here to win any awards.
“It’ll be fine.” I crossed my arms. “She’s a bit rough around the edges, but at least she hasn’t been arrested, right?”
The slurping stopped, and Mac cleared his throat. “Well, about that…”
My gaze shot to him. “You’re kidding.”
“The background check came through about an hour ago.” He winced. “Nothing violent, but she’s had a couple arrests. Once for being mistaken for a sex worker, though that charge was dropped. The other—”
“I don’t want to know.” I cut him off, pinching the skin between my eyes. “It doesn’t matter now anyway.”
It’d be fine. It had to be.
While I was rethinking my choices, Ellie showed up in one of the dresses Nate had bought—a white classic thing that hugged her petite figure. She fidgeted with the hem before shuffling over to us in her sandals.
I frowned at the familiar brown backpack she wore. “Are you going to bring that cat everywhere with you?”
“Only when Whiskey wants to explore. He’s an adventurer.
” She set her bag down and opened the top flap.
Whiskey popped his head out—still wearing his little orange life jacket—and looked around the deck while Ellie straightened the hem of her dress.
“Why are most of the clothes in that wardrobe white? Do rich people never spill food on themselves?”
“Like I said, crash and burn,” Mac muttered under his breath.
Ellie frowned at my head of security. “What is a bodyguard even doing on a trip like this?”
He grunted. “My boss is here, and I’m paid to protect him.”
“Well, sure. But we’re on an enclosed boat with staff who I’m guessing have been preapproved to be here.” She looked around with a shrug. “Who do you need to protect Cade from out here? A dolphin?”
She’d clearly meant it as a joke, but Mac’s unamusement was clear as day through his dark shades. “I’m not concerned about the sea life. You’re the real wild card.”
Ellie’s breath hitched, and I coughed to cover a laugh.
“You think I’d attack Cade? Me?” She looked between me and her slender pale arms. “What could I possibly do to him?”
“That’s exactly what a hit man would say to avoid suspicion.”
Ellie gaped at him. “A hit man?”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, while Mac hummed again. “Just know I’m onto you.”
“Mac,” I warned, opening my eyes to glare at him. “You’re not helping.”
Ellie’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly.
Whiskey leapt from his bag onto the lounger, making Mac flinch. “What’s he doing?”
The cat rubbed his furry cheek against Mac’s hairy foot, and Ellie frowned like he’d personally betrayed her.
“He’s saying hello,” she grumbled, crossing her arms. “He must like you.”
My gaze narrowed at the furball as he crawled over Mac’s ankles. “I thought you said he takes a while to warm up to strangers?”
Ellie twisted her engagement ring around her finger and avoided looking at me. “I guess Mac just has a way with animals.”
Mac snorted. “Hate to break it to you, but I can’t keep a goldfish alive for longer than a day. No matter how many times I’ve tried, they die. All of them.”
We both stared at him. Just how many goldfish had he gone through?
“Cade and Ellie, get your asses over here!” Harrison called from the table. “Time to eat.”
Ellie went to pick up her furball, but he darted away, up to the top of Mac’s lounger—and my bodyguard froze. “What’s he doing?”
She winced. “Um, he’s definitely taken a liking to you. If you walk to the table, he’ll probably follow. Hopefully.”
Mac snorted. “I don’t want any part of that couples retreat. This drink is my breakfast.”
“Oh.” Ellie chewed on her lip. “Is it okay if Whiskey hangs out here with you while we eat, then?”
Mac eyed the cat dubiously. “Will he behave himself?”
“Absolutely,” she promised. “You don’t even need to keep an eye on him, but I can put him in our room if you don’t want him around.”
Mac took a swig of his drink before answering.
“He’s fine,” he said, pulling a small paperback out. The cover looked like a spy thriller, and my brows rose.
“Come on.” I took Ellie’s elbow and steered her toward the table, leaning down to remind her, “Sit next to me and try to talk less this time.”
She smiled tightly. “You really give the sweetest pep talks, cuddle muffin.”
I shot her a warning look.
The table was quiet, and we found two seats next to each other.
Fletcher and Candace both looked hungover—reclining in their chairs, eyes closed, and sipping Bloody Marys while not talking to anyone.
Piper and Madison sat with Dr. Lovejoy between them, excitedly drilling her with questions.
Vlad stayed off to the side, nursing a clear drink and drumming his fingers against the table.
I was watching Ellie take her time studying and selecting not one, but two chocolate croissants from the pastries tray in front of her when Harrison slid into the seat on my left.
He nudged my side and moved closer to whisper. “You knocked her up, didn’t you?”
My head snapped around to him. “What?”
“I’m trying to figure out how you ended up engaged to the blue-haired fairy girl, and that’s the only reason I can think of. Is Ellie pregnant?”
I elbowed him in the side, earning a grunt.
“She’s not pregnant,” I bit out.
At least, she’d better not be. That wasn’t something I’d asked during our negotiations.
When Ellie took a sip of her mimosa, my shoulders relaxed. She didn’t seem like the type to drink while pregnant.
“Do you want any pastries?” she asked me, oblivious to Harrison’s question as she made heart eyes at her croissant.
I checked that my brother was distracted filling his own plate before I bent closer to her. “We don’t need to talk. Just look like you’re having fun.”
The croissant froze halfway to her mouth.
“Or maybe we could actually have fun?” she whispered back, wiggling the pastry and gesturing around the table. “We’re out on the ocean, it’s a gorgeous sunny day, and we’re having chocolate croissants with mimosas for breakfast. This is the definition of fun.”
My lips twitched, but any urge to smile died when Dr. Lovejoy got to her feet.
“Good morning, everyone!” She lifted both arms in that same hippie manner. “Welcome to your first morning of our journey together. Has everyone greeted the day with gratitude and open hearts?”
Madison and Piper nodded enthusiastically, while the rest of us gave incoherent answers.
“Today’s focus will be on reconnecting with the earth and each other,” Dr. Lovejoy continued, pushing up her glasses. “We take so much of this world and our partners for granted. It’s time to slow down and connect with both. Harrison, do you have anything to add before we break our fast together?”
Ellie—the only one who’d already taken a bite of food—immediately stopped chewing and dropped her croissant onto the plate.
My brother raised his glass. “Eat, drink, and be merry. The morning will be spent on board, then put your suits on after lunch because we have a beach day planned at grandfather’s private island!”
I frowned. A beach day? We weren’t five-year-olds.
Ellie’s blue eyes grew comically wide, and she leaned closer to me. “Your grandfather has his own island?”
“It’s more of an investment,” I said, leaving out that he also owned at least six others, “but he fixed up the beach for us to visit.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Your life is insane.”
A yelp sounded from Mac’s direction, followed by him yelling, “Ellie, your damn gremlin ran off with my drink umbrella!”
“Oops. I’ll be right back.” She jumped up and slid her sandals off before taking off across the deck. “Drop it, Whiskey! What did I say about stealing things? It’s very rude.”
The whole table watched her chase her cat around the deck in her very short dress, and I rubbed a hand over my face.
We hadn’t even survived a full day yet.