so personal. Or because it suggests he sees so much.
The sun feels warmer, baking me in my skin. I want to tell him he looks like he belongs everywhere, like he was born to rule the world. But of course I don’t.
If we were only bodies, everything would be simple. I’d drag him off into a cabin and bolt the door, finish what we started on Halloween night.
But we’re not. Our bodies had their moment. Now it’s time to use my head.
I give Adam a smile. “Come on,” I say. “Let’s join the others.”
Chapter 14
Adam
A s the boat leaves the harbor and moves into open water, we settle into a covered seating area and talk about the day’s agenda. The plan is to cruise to Catalina Island and drop anchor near Lover’s Cove, where we’ll have lunch. Weston, the captain, takes our orders right away so he can pass it along to his wife, Sandra, the chef.
This shouldn’t take long since there are only five of us, but Graham seems to want to download everything he knows about barbecuing, so our meal is nothing short of perfect. Vivian Quick rolls her eyes between sips of her drink until Graham notices.
“Problem, Viv?” he asks.
“No, Graham. But I think Weston knows how to grill shrimp, don’t you Weston?”
“Always willing to improve,” Weston says smoothly and excuses himself.
“See, Vivian?” Graham says. “He has the right attitude.”
Vivian takes another sip of her drink and doesn’t reply. Instead, she turns the conversation back to the LACMA fundraiser, going over the details with me, her eyes alive with excitement for the first time since I boarded. Graham interrupts every few seconds, giving me conversational whiplash.
Mia glances at me, clearly picking up on the tension between the Quicks.
Across from me, Alison’s face is cold, impassive. I can’t read her thoughts, but her fingers are clenched around her glass, and her pink-tipped toes grip the deck. She’s not happy about me seeing her parents like this. I want to pull her aside and tell her it’s okay. I know family dysfunction well. But I remember Rhett’s warning— eye on the prize— and force myself to focus on Graham.
With lunch ordered, he’s launched into a list of all the custom upgrades he made to the Ali Cat .
“Sorry,” I say, interrupting. “The name, Ali Cat ?”
The boat’s moving into choppier water, and we all pick up our drinks to keep them from spilling over.
“Alison and Catherine,” Vivian says. “Our daughters.”
I can’t help but smile. “Ali, huh?”
“It’s a family nickname,” she says as a blush creeps up her neck.
“Not just family, Ali,” Graham says. He seems to want to correct everything and everyone all the time. I’ll need to give his controlling nature serious consideration later. I don’t like being controlled. By anyone. “Philippe calls you that,” he continues. “So did Ethan.”
Alison’s eyes drop to the drink in her hands, and her mother frowns. Something just happened, but I’m not sure what it is.
“Speaking of Ethan,” Graham says, “I heard you had him as an intern this summer.”
It takes me a moment to realize they’re talking about Ethan Vance. But how do they know Ethan?
“I did. Quality guy. I hated to lose him to grad school, but I still see him socially. You know him?”
“Oh, yes. Great kid,” Graham says. “Smart and driven. Hell of an athlete, too. He was with my Ali for a few years in college. Shame it didn’t work out, but you know young love. Flash in the pan and all that.”
Oh, shit . That’s what this is.
Vivian sends him a warning look, but I’m more focused on Alison, who turns white, and Mia, who closes her eyes for a long second. She looks like she wants to teleport out of here—and why wouldn’t she?
Ethan and Alison dated in college.
And now Ethan’s with Mia.
And I brought Mia here.
Jesus.
Graham’s looking at Alison in a way that seems condemning somehow, and her eyes are becoming glossy.
“I had no
The sun feels warmer, baking me in my skin. I want to tell him he looks like he belongs everywhere, like he was born to rule the world. But of course I don’t.
If we were only bodies, everything would be simple. I’d drag him off into a cabin and bolt the door, finish what we started on Halloween night.
But we’re not. Our bodies had their moment. Now it’s time to use my head.
I give Adam a smile. “Come on,” I say. “Let’s join the others.”
Chapter 14
Adam
A s the boat leaves the harbor and moves into open water, we settle into a covered seating area and talk about the day’s agenda. The plan is to cruise to Catalina Island and drop anchor near Lover’s Cove, where we’ll have lunch. Weston, the captain, takes our orders right away so he can pass it along to his wife, Sandra, the chef.
This shouldn’t take long since there are only five of us, but Graham seems to want to download everything he knows about barbecuing, so our meal is nothing short of perfect. Vivian Quick rolls her eyes between sips of her drink until Graham notices.
“Problem, Viv?” he asks.
“No, Graham. But I think Weston knows how to grill shrimp, don’t you Weston?”
“Always willing to improve,” Weston says smoothly and excuses himself.
“See, Vivian?” Graham says. “He has the right attitude.”
Vivian takes another sip of her drink and doesn’t reply. Instead, she turns the conversation back to the LACMA fundraiser, going over the details with me, her eyes alive with excitement for the first time since I boarded. Graham interrupts every few seconds, giving me conversational whiplash.
Mia glances at me, clearly picking up on the tension between the Quicks.
Across from me, Alison’s face is cold, impassive. I can’t read her thoughts, but her fingers are clenched around her glass, and her pink-tipped toes grip the deck. She’s not happy about me seeing her parents like this. I want to pull her aside and tell her it’s okay. I know family dysfunction well. But I remember Rhett’s warning— eye on the prize— and force myself to focus on Graham.
With lunch ordered, he’s launched into a list of all the custom upgrades he made to the Ali Cat .
“Sorry,” I say, interrupting. “The name, Ali Cat ?”
The boat’s moving into choppier water, and we all pick up our drinks to keep them from spilling over.
“Alison and Catherine,” Vivian says. “Our daughters.”
I can’t help but smile. “Ali, huh?”
“It’s a family nickname,” she says as a blush creeps up her neck.
“Not just family, Ali,” Graham says. He seems to want to correct everything and everyone all the time. I’ll need to give his controlling nature serious consideration later. I don’t like being controlled. By anyone. “Philippe calls you that,” he continues. “So did Ethan.”
Alison’s eyes drop to the drink in her hands, and her mother frowns. Something just happened, but I’m not sure what it is.
“Speaking of Ethan,” Graham says, “I heard you had him as an intern this summer.”
It takes me a moment to realize they’re talking about Ethan Vance. But how do they know Ethan?
“I did. Quality guy. I hated to lose him to grad school, but I still see him socially. You know him?”
“Oh, yes. Great kid,” Graham says. “Smart and driven. Hell of an athlete, too. He was with my Ali for a few years in college. Shame it didn’t work out, but you know young love. Flash in the pan and all that.”
Oh, shit . That’s what this is.
Vivian sends him a warning look, but I’m more focused on Alison, who turns white, and Mia, who closes her eyes for a long second. She looks like she wants to teleport out of here—and why wouldn’t she?
Ethan and Alison dated in college.
And now Ethan’s with Mia.
And I brought Mia here.
Jesus.
Graham’s looking at Alison in a way that seems condemning somehow, and her eyes are becoming glossy.
“I had no
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