Page 72 of Rival Hearts

She blushed again. In the dim light, I could see her cheeks flush now, and I liked it when she was flustered like that.

“Well, it actually does. I mean, a rugged beard and some tattered clothes could work. But I don’t think they’d take you so seriously in your meetings.”

I barked a laugh. “No, they wouldn’t. It’s all about image out there, isn’t it? Sometimes, I wish I could just head into the mountains and disappear.” I ran my fingers over my chin, which had become stubbly. “Grow a beard, not worry about tailored suits and shiny shoes and using the right words so that the world doesn’t think we’re the bad guys.” I glanced at her. “Words like sustainable and eco-friendly.”

Charlotte shook her head. “I know I was wrong to call you out in the press release. I shouldn’t have done that. I wasn’t thinking.” She glanced up at me. “I’m sorry about that.”

“It happens,” I said. “I think it pissed me off because you were drawing attention to something I didn’t want the world to see. I mean, you weren’t wrong.”

She frowned.

“I’m planning to make changes, you know. That’s what I wanted to brainstorm with you about when I called.”

“What?”

“New yachts. Electric engines, maybe solar or wind energy… something that might change the emissions.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened. “That’s very forward-thinking of you.”

“And they say billionaires can’t change.”

Charlotte chuckled. “Do they say that?”

“I don’t know. I think I pretty much think that about us and our company, sometimes. Not in a bad way. We’ve just always done things one way, and we’re very serious about what we do and carrying forward the family legacy. The Blackwood name…” I thought about the company my dad had started and given to four children who weren’t related to him by blood. He’d given us everything, changed our lives, given us a shot at greatness when we didn’t deserve it. At least,Ididn’t deserve it. “It means a lot to us.”

“It’s so nice to have such a close family,” Charlotte said. “It’s rare, you know. Some families can be so broken and so twisted.”

“Yeah.” If anyone knew, it was me.

“Life is strange sometimes. What are the odds that you and me would end up here at an abandoned lighthouse together? The yacht manufacturer and the activist?”

I chuckled. “It sounds like the start of a bad joke.”

She laughed.

Or a good love story, I thought, but I didn’t say it.

The rain beat relentlessly against the lighthouse, but the lightning and thunder had moved further away.

Charlotte shivered.

“Are you cold?”

“Yeah.”

“Come on,” I said and stood. I held out my hand, and when she took it, we sat down on the tarp together. I pulled her tightly against me, the length of my body pressed against hers to warm her up. She shivered another time, but then she slowly started to relax.

It was intoxicating to have her this close, her warmth seeping into me. Her natural scent was incredible, and her body fit against mine perfectly.

I stroked my fingers through her hair.

I wasn’t supposed to get this close to her, but I didn’t want this to end. We were stuck here on a little island in an abandoned lighthouse, and right now, there was nowhere else I’d rather be and no one else I’d rather be with.

The world was so far away, on the other side of this massive storm, and it was just the two of us together.

I traced my fingers around her ear, slowly dragged a finger down her jaw, and cupped her cheek.

Charlotte tilted her head up to look at me, and in the dim light of the little lamp, her eyes were pools of brown, drinking me in. I brushed my thumb across her lower lip and looked into her eyes.