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“Alexandra, darling, I didn’t think you were going to make it,” Karyanne cooed as she emerged from a small group to greet her two newest guests.

Alex forced a smile. “I wouldn’t miss an invitation of yours or Franklin’s.” The mention of her husband’s name was not Alex’s finest moment, but she wasn’t in the mood for her bullshit. Not tonight.

Karyanne’s icy eyes turned away from her and to Charlotte, who had let go of her hand, leaving it cold by the sudden exposure to the wind. “And who do we have here? Is this your newest—”

“This is Charlotte Castro,” Alex interrupted before Karyanne said more than she should. Her lack of tact was one of the worst things about her.

“Charlotte,” she said, extending a bony hand toward her.

“I’m Karyanne Thatcher. A pleasure to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you.” Charlotte smiled. “Great boat.”

Karyanne laughed. The lack of cackle quality dropped the temperature in Alex’s body. She knew exactly what Karyanne was thinking about Charlotte and what she wanted.

“I told Charlotte that dating me comes with the perk of lovely parties like yours,” Alex said with a wide smile and her eyes on Charlotte, who looked pleasantly surprised by the designation.

“Oh,” Karyanne’s energy dropped and her face hardened.

“How wonderful,” she lied. “Well, make your way around and have a good time,” she said, already starting toward the next couple making their way over the suspended walkway.

“What the hell was that about?” Charlotte whispered, her warm breath falling on the nape of Alex’s neck.

“The reason I hate social obligations,” she joked without explaining that Franklin and Karyanne were some of her first clients. They’d been the ones to teach her not to mix business and pleasure, but at that point the mistake had been made and she couldn’t completely stop attending their regular functions.

Charlotte’s eyes darted around the exaggerated luxury of the aft deck. With hardwood floors, several lounge areas, and a hot tub, it was beautiful. A grotesque waste of money, but beautiful. “If you don’t like her, why are we here?”

A fair question. One she found she was disappointed she couldn’t fully answer. “They’ve been clients a long time and refer lots of their wealthy friends my way.” It was true, even if she didn’t specify which part of her businesses she meant.

Charlotte grabbed two tall, bright orange drinks from a passing tray and handed her one. “I’ve never noticed her, but I guess I don’t really see a lot of people from my o ce.”

“Consider it a blessing,” Alex muttered before taking a sip of the sweet vodka concoction.

As they strolled o the deck and into the sprawling interior lounge, Charlotte bravely tried all the hors d’oeuvres that floated by them on silver trays. It was nice to watch her engage everything with unrelenting curiosity. This was a

chore to Alex, but Charlotte seemed to be actively enjoying herself.

When the boat pushed o and started toward open water, they barely felt the shift. Such a massive thing only rocked in significant weather.

Charlotte peered out one of the many windows tinted black to protect the interior from the punishing sun. “Do they live here?”

Alex slipped in behind her as Charlotte rested her leg on a long, padded bench built into the wall. Nearly everything on this ship was bolted down just in case the seas were rough.

“No,” she replied, noticing the high-end brand of her obviously new shoes. Had she felt compelled to spend money to fit in? “I don’t even think they use it more than a few times a year.”

Charlotte shook her head. The long hair she’d shaped into large waves moved softly over her back. Alex resisted the urge to run her fingers through it. Not only would she hate to break the style, but she couldn’t be sure how such a gentle touch would be received.

“I think I’d like to live on a boat,” Charlotte decided before leaning back against Alex’s chest. “Constantly traveling. Seeing the world.”

Alex reveled in the weight of her against her body.

“Wouldn’t you long for home?”

Charlotte turned around, leaving the evening skyline to gaze into Alex’s eyes. “Home is where you make it, right?”

Alex reached out for Charlotte’s hand, catching her wrist instead. Charlotte took a step closer, filling the air with her

perfume again. A scent Alex inhaled greedily as if she could take some with her for later.