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“Is he on the board?”

“No, but he is very well respected and has made a name for himself at the company.”

“And Camry is his wife?”

“Yep. They just had a baby eight months ago. I wanted to introduce you two at the charity, but Bash ducked out early to be with her.”

“So, his commitment in all areas of life is locked in.”

“Locked,” Preston says before he’s called over to speak with the receptionist. I take that moment to look around the resort, only stopping when I see Marcus staring at us again.

I move closer to Preston, my arm brushing against his.

He doesn’t look at me or even ask why I’m getting so close; he simply wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer as he checks us in.

I know Preston dated that guy’s daughter, but that doesn’t give him a reason to be as creepy as he is.

He gives me a bad feeling, and I don’t like it.

Chapter

Nineteen

PRESTON

“I should have expected this,” Grace says when we enter our deluxe cottage for the next four nights. “One bed.”

“Yeah, we saw that coming.”

“Who booked the rooms?” she asks, walking deeper into the suite, her hair shining in the light that streams into the room from the full wall of windows. “Or cottages, should I say?”

The space is big, with a king-size bed in the middle of the main room and a kitchen area you have to pass through to get to the bathroom. The dining table sits just outside the double patio doors. Outside, there is also a seating area with oceanfront views, a private mini pool, and a cushioned loveseat for two that overlooks the entire resort. We are high enough that we have privacy out there while still enjoying the scenery, but there is a gate with a stone path on just the other side that lets us wander the resort. It also means anyone who is a guest of the resort could walk up to it.

“Wow,” Grace says, stepping up next to me and taking in the view too. “I might have to have you convince me to do this more often.”

“What? Go on business trips?”

“No, take a vacation. I know I went to LA a couple of weeks ago, but that wasn’t a vacation. This is a vacation.”

The smile on her lips makes my stomach flip.

Moments like this with Grace never seem to grow old for me.

“I see,” I say and empty my pockets. I plan to change into a pair of swim trunks soon and get outside. We aren’t expected to see anyone from the company until dinner, so I plan to relax before then. “And what is Grace Richford like on vacation?”

She pins me with a look that my brain can only process as flirty. “She is … I don’t know yet. It’s been a while since I took one, so I want to approach this one with zero plans. Outside of what is required, of course.”

I watch her as she moves about the room, taking it all in.

Why can’t I look away?

To say I’ve thought about Grace lately is an understatement. She’s consumed my every thought. Every choice I make, I think of her. Sure, we have to keep up the idea of a doting future bride and groom, but even when we are alone, she’s all I think about.

The faking part, for me, isn’t so fake anymore.

“Oh my, yesss!” she calls out from inside the bathroom.

Her joy right now is because of me. I like knowing I’m the one who has her walking out of the bathroom with wide eyes and her hands pressed together as she tries to hide her smile.