The expensive, luxurious mattress might have been comfortable, but Grace was groggy when she opened her eyes the following morning. They only widened when she realized where she lay and next to whom. Sometime during the night, she had shifted over to Chase, and his arms were wrapped warmly around her, holding her to his bare chest.

His even breathing told her he was asleep, and she really wanted him to stay that way. Beneath the sheet, her shirt had ridden up well past her hips, and her leg was tangled around his, his hips cradling her rear. A more carefree side of Grace said to go back to sleep and enjoy being held, so close to his heat and protected by his broad chest, but this wasn’t real, and the longer she stayed in his arms, the more her mind played the horrible trick on her that it could be if she really wanted it to be.

He found her attractive, that much was obvious by his smoldering gazes and the erection currently digging into her back.

Add that to the kiss he gave her last night, and Grace knew she was headed for trouble. At first, she thought it’d been a dream, him kissing her as he held her in his arms. But she didn’t remember leaving the chair before she fell asleep, consumed by the mountain of stress and grief falling on her shoulders, stone by heavy stone. The sensation of his lips on hers lingered in her dreams, and apparently, she wasn’t the only one. Chase had started on the opposite side of the bed, too.

Carefully, she slipped from under his arms and pulled her leg free, being sure to tug her shirt down as low as it would go before she stood and hurried into the bathroom. While the water in the shower poured over her body, Grace repeated that she could not get involved with this man. She was in enough trouble of her own, and dragging another person down with her was not an option. No matter how perfect, how protected being in his arms felt, even if he didn’t realize he did it.

Once she was dressed for the day in another dress—this one long-sleeved with a cut-out back and falling a little past her knees—she checked her makeup and hair before leaving the bathroom. Chase was awake, scratching at the stubble on his chin, and when his gaze found hers, they both froze. Grace’s heart fluttered, and her lips parted, remembering how his felt on hers, how those arms wrapped around her so easily in his sleep. Would it be so easy when he was awake?

“Morning,” he said roughly as he climbed out of the bed.

“Morning,” she repeated, unable to stop staring at the way his muscles rippled across his body as he stretched and walked towards her. Chest heaving, she thought for half a second he was going to kiss her again until he asked if she was finished in the bathroom. “Oh, right,” she said, hating that she blushed furiously as she hurriedly stepped aside.

She still needed to find her heels for the day, but his hand on her shoulder stilled her.

“Jesus, Grace, could your tattoo be any bigger?” he asked in awe as his other hand fell on her opposite shoulder.

She’d completely forgotten about it being visible in this dress and cringed. “Is it alright? Will your parents freak out?”

“No… no, they don’t care about tattoos and piercings. Mom actually thought your nose stud was cute. Wants to convince Dad to let her get one,” he chuckled. “How long did that sucker take?”

Grace’s focus was split between answering his question and not melting into his touch. Did he know what he was doing to her? “Three days total, five hours each,” she finally answered. “It was the worst and best time of my life so far.” That, sadly, was not a lie. The black panther with dark, amber eyes which covered her entire back was her personal totem.

“I have a feeling there’s a story behind it,” he hinted, but she pulled away from his touch gently, hating the loss of heat from his hands the second she did it.

“Yes, there is, but not one I’m willing to tell.”

He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours.”

She swallowed hard as his muscles flexed so close to her face. After licking her lips and watching him follow the movement, Grace took another step back. “I don’t need to know because I guessed right about you.”

“What do you mean?”

“That symbol on your chest? You don’t know what it means?” she asked, amused.

He glanced at it and shrugged. “It’s Norse, thought it looked cool. Matched the coin I’ve had for years.”

Without thinking of what it might do to either of them, she reached out and touched the tattoo on the left side of his chest. “It’s the Norse symbol for Loki,” she told him, and her hand slipped from his body until his reached out and caught it.

His eyes flared with desire, drawing her closer to him. “Is that right?” he said quietly.

“Yeah,” she answered breathily, remaining close to him.

“Well then, I guess that makes me your personal god of mischief.” He winked as he pressed her palm flat against his chest. “What should I do first?”

Grace’s breath caught and her knees shook, but a wave of anger took over and she stepped back quickly, removing his grip from her. “We’re not really a couple, Chase. Remember?”

“Can’t get onto a man for flirting with his fake fiancée,” he muttered, his eyes flaring. “I’ll be ready soon, but feel free to head out. Breakfast is probably ready on the upper deck.” He stepped backwards into the bathroom, and before he closed the door, he licked his lips, looking her up and down.

Hands shaking, her emotions cartwheeling between annoyance and arousal, Grace grabbed her navy pumps and left the cabin before he decided to do anything worse, like walk out of the bathroom naked. The way he stared at her, as if she was naked… How much had he seen last night when he carried her to bed?

* * *

“Grace! Good morning, dear,” Margot called. Grace glanced in her direction and saw her at the end of the short corridor, waving. “I was wondering when you two lovebirds would finally wake up.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we slept so late.” She beamed as Margot kissed her cheek. Why couldn’t you have been my mother? Then again, if you were, Chase would be my brother… She let that train of thought trail away quickly.

“Nonsense, my dear. Chase Senior hasn’t risen yet. He and Fredrick, his brother, were up until the wee hours this morning—reeked of cigar smoke, as always,” she said, shaking her head, and wiggled her fingers as if waving away the smoke.

“Chase was late coming to bed, too,” she told her, joining Margot on a walk along the lower deck.

“Men. They never truly grow up.”

Grace agreed with a grin, but in reality, she didn’t know much about men because she’d never really had a long-term relationship. Chase was the only man she’d dated in the past couple of years, and this wasn’t even really dating. She was acting. The other men in her life, besides Jimmy, were never reliable and usually left her more broken than before. Her dad had ruined her mom, and Mickey did his best to bring her down even more. Even her boss was an asshole and treated her talent like it wasn’t worth paying for.

“My, that is a lovely tattoo,” Margot exclaimed when she fell behind Grace so they could climb up the stairs. “Good gracious. Did it hurt?”

Grace laughed. “Yes, but it was worth it.”

“Why do you have it, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“No, of course not,” she stated, and they took a seat at one of the wicker table sets. A man walked over with two mugs and poured them steaming coffee. Grace thanked him and sipped the strong brew. “My best friend and I did this thing where you find out what your spirit animal is.”

Margot held her coffee mug and smiled gently. “I used to do things like that. And yours is a panther?”

“Yes, it is, and for some crazy reason, we decided to get them tattooed on our backs. The next day I didn’t regret mine, but he sure did.” She remembered Jimmy’s face when the full reality of what he had done hit him—that he would forever have a rabbit tattooed between his shoulder blades. “Needless to say, his was a little less impressive.”

“Sounds like you’ve had quite the adventures so far,” Margot mused. “I hope you’ve taught Chase to add some much needed fun to his days. For a while there, he was so angry and bitter, I worried he’d never get over it. If I’d known he was hiding you, I wouldn’t have bothered being so anxious.”

Grace perked up but couldn’t outright ask what she meant, so she nodded on a sigh. “Yes, I do my best to bring him around. Sometimes, it’s still hard, though, to keep him from those dour moods. Bit of a workaholic, and Tiffany hurt him deeply. He won’t say it, but I can tell.”

“She was horrid to him,” Margot said bitterly. “Used him for his money and tore his heart out.”

“I could tell that the first time I met him,” she answered honestly and hoped her face hadn’t paled. Wasn’t she using Chase for his money? But he’d offered it. The way he acted around her, he definitely wanted her, but his flirting was over-the-top at times—childish, like that morning in their room. The reality might be hard to admit, but Grace wasn’t sure she’d ever get him to open up to her, even if she did try.

“I wish he would get out of that office more, act like the twenty-seven-year old he is instead of the old man who runs a company,” Margot went on. “I knew his father retired too soon.”

“No, you two should have your time together,” Grace told her sincerely. Seeing Chase’s parents together and how happily married they were was something to treasure. She certainly would never see her parents like that. She doubted they would ever be in the same room again. “He just needs to find his way.” Ironic coming from you, considering how lost you are, a voice nagged in her mind.

“You’re probably right, dear. I should stop worrying. He has you now.”

“Yes, he does,” she agreed quietly.

A life with Chase was nothing more than a dream, a fairy-tale that could never come true. She settled back in her chair and listened as Margot talked about their plans for the day, hoping the unnaturally mild October weather held so they could continue to enjoy the day before the actual celebration that night. Grace was attentive, responding when needed, but had too much on her mind to seriously be a part of the conversation. Thankfully, the other women on board joined them not long after, and she let herself fade into the background like an extra in this play, all she would ever be in Chase’s life.

* * *

Chase took time getting ready, donning a more relaxed outfit of black jeans and a tight-fitting green sweater to go with it. He spent most of the time trying to figure out if he had dreamed about Grace being in his arms or if he had really been holding her. He had watched as her eyes narrowed on his chest as he held her hand, and the quick way she drew back. It had been real, and damned if he didn’t want to hold her again.

He left the cabin, determined to kiss her and flirt until he managed to get her in bed with him. From the amount of noise he heard on the yacht, everyone else was up and moving around as well. Even his dad staggered towards him, wearing sunglasses and complaining about the sun.

“It’s Seattle, we’re supposed to have clouds all the time,” he muttered.

“Yeah, but it’ll be a great day for fishing, Dad,” Chase told him as they walked to the upper deck for breakfast.

Grace was there, but she seemed lost in thought as the others talked around her. Whatever thoughts filled her mind made her absently twirl the diamond ring on her finger as she gazed out over the water. She’d been crying last night before he carried her to bed, but he told himself it didn’t matter. Her life and her problems were her own. All he wanted was to feel that body pressed up against his, see how perfect the rest of her was under that dress, and kiss every last inch of it.

When he reached her side, he rested his hand on her shoulder and kissed the top of her head, just like any fiancée would. “How’s it going, babe? Mom talk your ear off yet?” he teased.

Grace grinned, and her whole face lit up, but his mom shook her head. “That’s how you kiss your soon to be wife first thing in the morning? Come on, Chase, your father raised you better than that.”

Chase shot his mom a look, but Grace turned her face towards him, her eyes unreadable as he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. The second they touched, his hand tightened on the back of her chair and her lips parted in a sigh. He deepened the kiss and would’ve pulled her up into his arms if a loud whistle hadn’t echoed around them. Grace leaned away first, her cheeks flushed and chest heaving as she sucked in ragged breaths.

“Now that’s my son,” Chase Senior bellowed. “No better way to kiss your lady.”

Chase grinned and waited for Grace to glare at him, but she only picked up her coffee mug and sipped. “Ready to fish?” he asked her.

“Fish? You want me to fish?” she asked, her eyes widening in panic.

“Never been before? You live in Seattle,” he stated.

“No, I’ve never been,” she muttered. “I’m not sure you should trust me with a fishing pole. Remember what happened the last time you tried to teach me and I almost hooked you?”

He grinned at the fake memory, bending down until he was level with her. “Babe, you hooked me the second I laid eyes on you with that yoga mat,” he whispered. When her hands twitched on the table, his grin widened. “I’ll gladly let you hook me again, any time.”

Chase helped her to her feet as his dad announced it was time to drop anchor for some fishing. The others clamored towards the back of the yacht, but Grace lagged behind, tugging on his hand.

“Really, I can’t fish,” she hissed to him.

“You’ll do just fine,” he insisted. “And if not, then oh well. I get to see those hands wrapped around a rod as you try to reel one in.”

She glared at the obvious innuendo, and Chase wondered if he’d pushed too far. But she took it in stride and put on her best fake smile. “Fine then, teach me how to fish, Loki, but if I actually hook you, you won’t forget it easily.”

He knew he wouldn’t and accepted the challenge without a word, tugging at the coin around his neck. He played with fire, risking falling into the flames if he weren’t careful. Lust was all he felt, pure and simple, and he wanted nothing more than to sate it before he lost his chance.

Throughout the morning, as they fished, Grace surprised herself with a high-pitched squeal when she managed to snag a fish the size of her arm. Chase stayed close by her side throughout. His hands continually brushed against hers as he helped her reel the large fish in and cast out again and again. At times, she leaned back into his body before stiffening and stepping away, but he didn’t let her go far. After all, they were a couple, and if they didn’t act like it, his parents would get suspicious.

By lunch time, though, her demeanor changed, and her hand was slipping into his as they chatted about his current construction project with the theaters.

“It’s going to be great for the district,” Grace told Chase Senior, beaming at Chase beside her. “He really has vision when he wants to.”

His hand tightened on hers at the slight. “Yes, well, that’s all from you, babe.”

She seemed taken aback by his words, and when he kissed her sweetly, her whole body shifted to touch his. If they hadn’t been surrounded by people, he would’ve brought her into his lap and kissed her until she begged him to take her to bed. There was something else under that kiss, though, that made him frown when he broke it off. She glanced at him curiously, and he knew he wasn’t the only one to feel it.

During that kiss, he almost believed they had been together for a year and that the ring on her finger was placed there by him, not as an act, but in a reality of them being together. Thoughts crept into his mind, and Chase played with the coin, unwilling to look away from the woman who captivated him so thoroughly. Her acting was damn good if it could make him believe she was really his.

“When is the wedding?” Margot asked.

“Wedding?” Chase asked, eliciting a laugh and a smack on the arm from his mother.

“Yes, wedding. I’m assuming you don’t want to be engaged forever. I doubt she does,” Margot said, pointing at Grace. “The way she plays with her ring says she’s waited long enough, son.”

Grace’s hands quickly pull apart, and she tucked them into her lap. “Oh no, really, there’s no rush,” she said nervously. “Whenever we finally pick a date, though, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“I would hope so. If my only child elopes, he’ll never hear the end of it from her,” Chase Senior muttered, nudging his son’s arm.

“Are you living together?” Margot asked.

Chase and Grace answered at the same time, except they said the opposite and Chase bit his cheek. “What he means,” Grace said, her hand grabbing his, “is that it’s not official, but I stay at his place so much we might as well be.”

“Good, it’s always good to live together first,” his dad agreed. “Told you they were.”

Margot pursed her lips at her husband. “I wasn’t doubting you, dear, I was simply curious.”

“You could tell we lived together?” Chase asked, unable to hide his surprise.

“You’re crazy about each other, and the way you two move so effortlessly together, it’s easy enough to tell you understand each other’s rhythms,” Margot told him with a wave of her hand. “Honestly, son, you know what you two look like together. I’m not even sure we were that adorable when we were so young in our love.”

Grace squeezed Chase’s hand so hard he felt it crack. “Love?”

Margot smiled gently. “Of course, dear, I saw it the moment you two walked on board. It’s not a bad thing to show such strong feelings.”

“Right, course not,” she said, laughing to cover her surprise, and Chase hoped she recovered her outburst as his mind reeled. “Chase is a bit self-conscious about it.”

“He shouldn’t be, not with a woman like you,” Margot said with a wink. “Really, Chase, she’s a wonderful girl. I wish you would get married sooner rather than later. I’m not getting any younger, and one of these days, I’d like to see mini-Chases running around.”

Grace did pop his hand that time, though she laughed and Chase joined her. “Really, Mom? Grandkids?”

“Your mother’s been talking about it for weeks,” his dad whispered, his face scrunched. “Must be a hormonal thing.”

Margot pinched his arm. “No, it’s a getting older thing.”

Chase couldn’t believe how quickly the conversation shifted and wanted desperately to get it away from the topic of weddings and kids, for God’s sake. “Dad, weren’t you going to show me that new bottle of scotch you got?”

“Right you are, son! Come along, we must go do manly things now. Fredrick! Scotch?”

Chase’s Uncle Fredrick whistled, and the two men trotted off for the lower decks. Without thinking, he kissed Grace before he, too, followed his dad, and only when he was on the lower level of the yacht in the bar area did he realize what he had done.

“You know, son, a wedding would be just the ticket for the holidays,” his dad said as he pulled out a freshly polished bottle of scotch. “We could have it at the manor. Your mother would be thrilled.”

“As would your dad,” Fredrick chimed in. “Don’t let him fool you. Your old man is turning into a sap in his old age.”

“Is that right?” he quipped, hoping it would cover the other emotions running through him.

“Don’t tell anyone,” his dad warned. “But… Well, we would like to see you happy. With Grace, you’re smiling more than we’ve seen in a long time.”

“She’s been a good influence on me,” he admitted.

Was it true? Since seeing Grace in that play, his days were filled with more thoughts of her and less worry about his company or the new business ventures he was undertaking. Even the stress over the theater district renovations took a backseat, and all he wanted was to be near Grace.

“Just think it over,” his dad urged as he poured three glasses of scotch. “I’m sure Grace would be excited to know you’ve finally decided on a date.”

“I bet she would be. Cheers,” he stated happily and clinked his glass against his dad and uncle’s before taking a long gulp. A wedding… with Grace. Chase took another large gulp and tried to figure out what the hell was happening on this yacht.