Two chains lowered over the side, and another mighty cheer echoed off the top deck as the little boat was lifted slowly into the air. The entire party shifted to greet us when we arrived.
“Okay,” I muttered nervously, the closer we got to the main deck, “here’s the thing most men don’t know about high-heels—”
“I’m not going to let you fall,” Nick interrupted. My face paled in preemptive terror, and he flashed me a little wink. “Promise.”
True to his word, Nick leapt out of the boat first. Landing on the deck of the ship with the grace of a seasoned sailor, before opening his arms wide for me. I saw what he was going for just a second before it happened, and stepped off the railing into thin air—landing inside his arms.
Another cheer erupted from the crowd, as he dipped me down for a passionate kiss.
“Remember,” he said through a charming grin, “the whole point of this is to smile.”
My lips curved obligingly just as he leaned down and kissed me—covering them entirely with his own. The crowd screamed again as he lifted me up, and set me lightly on my feet.
I swear I was walking on air.
I soaked in every single moment of it. Fake or not. Being showed off like this was a great feeling. Maybe part of me longed for this. No matter how much I denied it. I was crazy about this guy and we had this amazing spark. His kiss made my heart flutter and my soul dance. I wanted to be his. I needed to be his. Because he simply brought my dead heart back to life. And that’s the kind of guy I needed in my life.
The crowd cheered.
“Thank you,” Nick said charmingly, “thank you all so much for coming.”
A waiter came out of nowhere, and pressed a glass of champagne into his hand. A second later, champagne was handed to me as well. There was no microphone for an impromptu speech, but such a speech was apparently expected, and Nick never failed to impress.
I could almost feel the eyes of the few reporters who had been allowed on board, boring holes into me as I clutched the crystal goblet. Wondering whether or not I would take a sip. Nick Hunter finally decides to settle down? The girl has to be pregnant, right?
I fully intended to down the entire thing right in front of them.
“I know this was rather short notice, so I just wanted express my sincerest gratitude to you all for coming.” Nick smiled graciously, gesturing out at the gathered people. “I’m not going to lie...it was rather short notice for Abby and I as well.”
A burst of laughter echoed through the crowd, and his arm squeezed around my waist. I could see Mitchell and several of his associates standing together in the back. Rigid and tall in a cluster of dark suits, nodding approvingly all the while. Like the horsemen of the apocalypse, come to see their evil plans take flight.
Take flight indeed.
Nick was good at this. As much as he hated it. As much he might rebel against it with every fiber of his being...he was a natural.
He held up his hand for silence, and the crowd grew suddenly still.
“The long and short of it is, this woman is no one new to me. She wasn’t a stranger who burst into my life without warning. We didn’t happen to run into each other in some strange twist of fate. She was a friend. A dear friend.”
His eyes softened tenderly, as they gazed down into mine.
“A dear friend, who I’m delighted to say...grew into something more.”
There was a hitch in my breathing, and for a split second, my heart actually stopped. I couldn’t be sure whether he was improvising or not. Whether he was just spinning tales for the benefit of the company, or whether there was actually some truth to his words.
Nick knew speeches, and he knew the average attention span of crowds. He kept it short.
“To the beautiful Abigail Wilder.” He raised his champagne high in the air, and locked me in his sights. “The woman I’ve
vowed to make my wife.”
The rest of the ship raised their glasses of one accord, toasting the happy couple. A chorus of happy voices echoed after his, ringing out over the cool ocean air.
By the time I lifted my own champagne, they were already drinking theirs. But I hardly noticed. I was mesmerized. Staring at Nick’s face, as he stared back into mine.
Wondering so desperately where the fiction stopped, and real life began...
Before I had even a hope of finding out, there was a sudden cry of trumpets, and the next thing I knew, the entire ship had started to dance. With a sparkle and pizazz that only Sir Harold Oates was able to produce, the band came out, the champagne popped, and the entire party turned into a swinging nightclub. A dazzling array of laughter and lights.