Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,147
vegan parmesan.”
The sight and smell of it makes my mouth water. After all, this is one of my favorite dishes ever. I’m sure Alex told the chef. There is no way he would’ve known himself.
Once the steward leaves, Alex is already holding his fork, ready to take a bite, but I remain patiently staring at him for an answer. “So? Why did he follow you and not Hendrik?” I ask again.
Alex looks up at me, holding his fork halfway to his mouth. “Because we both wanted the same thing—to build something of our own.”
“And how did your dad react?” I ask, before he can taste his food.
He heaves a sigh of annoyance. “Why are you so damn curious?” But he finally brings his fork to his mouth.
And I can’t help chuckle in return. “I’m just trying to understand how my dad ended up trusting you so much, leaving his mentor behind.”
He picks up his white napkin to wipe his mouth, and then drinks some of his water. “What about you?”
“Me?” I ask, blinking twice.
“Why did you end up trusting me so much?”
As I don’t have an immediate answer, I simply say, “Shouldn’t I?”
“Why do you trust me?” he asks again, our eyes locking.
I thought I’d need more time to find the right words, but no, my instinct already knows why. “Because you showed me I could.”
“See? You’ve got your answer.”
Chapter 36
Atlantic Ocean, October 29, 2020
Petra Van Gatt
Alex was right, and I hate him for that. I recall how the first day over breakfast, he’d told me I would get used to wearing a butt plug. Well, it’s impressive and terrifying what our bodies are capable of. But even though the size M has been manageable, I don’t intend to switch to the bigger one. Absolutely not. It looks terrifying to me. He hasn’t checked which one I have been using anyway. As I get dressed, regardless of his instructions, I again put in size M instead of the L. Then I put on a pair of comfortable jeans and a top, and head outside for our breakfast on the terrace. To my surprise, I find Alex and the captain talking in the living room. As their eyes alight on me, they both greet me, and Alex doesn’t waste any time announcing, “We will be arriving at our destination around five p.m.”
My lips twist into a smile full of excitement, and I can’t wait to see where we are heading. Then, as I reach the terrace, I feel a light breeze touching my hair and skin. And as I look around, I notice the sliding glass is wide open. The breeze is warm though, which is not usual. Once Alex steps onto the terrace, I can’t help but ask, “How come it’s so warm and sunny today?”
“Well, that’s the beauty of sailing. Yesterday was cold and gray, and today is the opposite.”
I pass by the table and chairs and cross the terrace to go out onto the deck. There, the strong sunlight beams on my face and on the deck floor. “It’s getting really warm outside,” I tell him, squinting my eyes at the brightness. Then I look ahead, seeing the frothy water the yacht leaves behind, and I wonder if the water is also just as warm.
After breakfast, knowing I’m running late for my online class, I grab my laptop and my iPhone and head outside to the main deck, where I lie on a lounge chair by the pool. The devices recognize the Wi-Fi provided by the satellite and connect immediately. Suddenly, though, a notification pops up on my iPhone with a new voice message. That’s weird though—no one knows my new phone number. Since I have zero contacts saved, I only see it’s from an American number. And without waiting any further, I press play and listen to it. The first sound I hear is a loud breath out in exasperation, but then my heart jumps, recognizing the voice.
“Petra, it’s Emma, I hope you are doing well and that you are happy and safe wherever you are.” A flow of emotion rushes through me at hearing Emma’s voice. She sounds worried and way too serious. “Um, your parents came to my house with your friend Matthew and his dad.” WHAT! They are insane! My heart can’t stop racing in apprehension. I swear, if they did something to her… “He’s the attorney general of New York, in case you didn’t know. Yeah… it’s pretty fucked up. Um, they asked