Later, I woke alone. We’d gone back down to the bed, jet lag catching up to us. Confused, I sat up, trying to get my bearings. The yacht was moving, I could tell that, then I heard water running in the shower.

Getting out of bed, I stretched, smiling a bit at the little aches that came with a vigorous night of sex with Kade. He’d seemed insatiable, wringing orgasms from me even after I would have sworn I didn’t have the energy for it.

I glanced down at my hand, the ring sparkling. Kade had proposed. I was going to marry Kade. It seemed unreal. Untouchable, harder-than-nails Kade Dennon was marrying me.

Deciding to wait until Kade finished in the shower, I wandered naked to the windows, which were at eye level, and looked out. The sea was moving past, waves crashing against the sides of the yacht as it made its way through the water. The sun should have been blinding against the ocean, but the windows were tinted. I sighed, crossing my arms along the sill and resting my chin on them.

I heard the water shut off but didn’t turn. A few minutes later, I felt Kade at my back.

“Now this is a sight I could definitely get used to,” he said, his lips by my ear. His hands caressed my bare bottom before settling on my hips. I could feel the denim from his jeans against the backs of my thighs.

“Well, you’d better get used to it,” I said, turning to face him. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”

Kade’s expression was one I hadn’t seen before. A small smile played about his lips and his eyes were soft as they studied me.

“What?” I asked, smiling back. “What’s this face?”

“I’m happy,” Kade said simply. “You’ve made me happy.” He shrugged. “It’s a new feeling.”

My heart hurt a little at that and I stretched up on my toes to loop my arms around his neck. “And you’ve made me happy,” I said. “It goes both ways.”

Then my stomach decided to remind me that no matter how happy I was, morning sickness waits for no one.

“What’s wrong?” Kade asked, frowning at the sudden change in me.

“Bathroom!” I gasped, pushing past him. I made it in time and had the sense to lock the door before heaving into the toilet.

“Kathleen!” Kade called, twisting the knob. “Unlock this door and let me in,” he demanded.

I heaved again, though there was nothing in my stomach. God, I really hated it. I hated that nauseous feeling and the way my stomach twisted sometimes at just the wrong smell. Morning sickness sucked.

“Kathleen! Open this door or I will break it.”

I flushed the toilet and grabbed a towel to cover myself. A wet washcloth was on the edge of the tub so I grabbed it and wiped my mouth. Shakily, I leaned against the wall.

“I’m fine,” I called out, my voice weak. “Just—give me a minute, okay?” The last thing I wanted was Kade to see me sick . . . again. I’d just take a shower, brush my teeth, then I’d be more presentable. My current condition wasn’t so great.

There was a crack and a splintering sound, then the door flew open. Kade stood there, anger mixed with worry on his face.

“No, that is not okay,” he said flatly.

“Kade,” I whined, covering my face with my hands, “I didn’t want you to see me like this.” If I’d had the energy, I would’ve been pissed, but lack of sleep and the boisterous vomiting had taken it all out of me. And here I’d thought this part of pregnancy was finally over.

“Too bad,” he said, crouching down by me. He pulled my hands away from my face. “I do believe it’s ‘in sickness, and in health,’ right?”

“We’re not married yet,” I said. “And this is gross.” I wrinkled my nose.

The corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. “I’ll decide what’s gross,” he said, “and my bride, who carries our unborn child, is most decidedly not gross. Even when she’s puking her guts out.”

Kade helped me off the floor and started the shower for me. “Do you need help showering?” he asked. “Because I can wash your back. And your front.” His lips curved in another smirk.

I gave a huff of laughter and pushed him away. “I do not feel sexy at the moment. It’ll have to wait.”

“Fine,” he groused. “I’ll wait.”

I felt much better after the shower and wrapped myself in a towel before I emerged. Kade was checking his phone.

“Are you hungry now?” he asked.

I considered. “Yeah. I think the nausea’s passed.”

“Then let’s feed you,” he said. “Come topside when you’re dressed.”

He curved a hand around the back of my neck to pull me close enough for him to brush a kiss to my forehead before he disappeared up the stairs. I gave a contented sigh. I would never have guessed Kade to be the doting type, but I wasn’t complaining.

Something Alisha had said came to mind then. She’d been telling me how comfortable she was with her new boyfriend, Lewis, and how she’d never felt that way before.

“It’s like, you know how you’re with a guy and he’s driving you home or something, and you need to pass gas? Well, you hold it, right?” she’d said, all matter-of-fact. “Even if it gives you a stomachache. And it’s nice to date those kind of guys, but I’d rather find the kind of guy who’d just laugh and roll the window down. If I found a guy who made me feel like that, I’d marry him.”

I’d laughed at the ridiculous analogy, though I could admit she had a point. It struck me that morning sickness and pregnancy and all the things that came with that, all the changes my body was going to go through, none of it seemed embarrassing or beyond Kade’s ability to take it in stride. He’d seen me sick several times now, had stood by my side unflinchingly when the doctor had examined me, and hadn’t batted an eye or made me feel like I needed to hide anything from him.

Going to my suitcase, I pulled out a sundress and flat sandals, finding my brush, too. My hair would dry quickly in the breeze and I dug out my sunglasses and then headed up to find Kade.

To my surprise, a man was bustling around a table for eight that was set for two. He wore white pants and a white shirt. Catching sight of me, he smiled. “Good morning,” he said. “I’m Andrew, the chef. You must be Kathleen.”

My eyebrows climbed. Chef? “Um, hi,” I said, shaking his hand.

“Kade said you were hungry,” Andrew continued. “I have some fruit for you, but if you want to tell me what you’d like, I can prepare it.”

I felt a little out of my depth as Andrew clasped his hands behind his back and seemed to be waiting for my request. I scrambled to think of something that wouldn’t sound too demanding.

“Breakfast?” I tentatively asked, even though it was midday.

Andrew smiled. “No problem,” he said. “There’s coffee, if you’d like some. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Do you know where Kade is?”

“Sure, he’s on the upper deck.” Andrew pointed to a set of stairs leading up.

I looked around a bit before going to the stairs. The yacht was long, not like the typical white luxury yachts I’d seen in pictures. It had to be over half the length of a football field, the long honey-colored deck gorgeous in the sunshine.

I climbed to the top deck. The wind whipped my hair and I caught sight of Kade sitting on the couch where we’d watched the sunrise. I made my way toward him. He had his sunglasses on, shorts, and a white shirt, most of the buttons undone. His arms were stretched along the back of the couch, one ankle resting on the opposite knee as he leaned back, his face tipped up to the sun.

“So what’s the story with the yacht?” I asked, sitting down beside him. I kicked off my sandals and tucked my feet up underneath me.

Kade’s lips twisted as he lifted an eyebrow. “You like?”

I laughed. “What’s not to like? It’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Three huge sails billowed in the wind and I tipped my head back, shading my eyes with a hand, to gaze up at them. The couch we were sitting on was ivory. The whole decor downstairs, up here, and in the bedroom was in whites and ivories. “Another loaner from ‘a friend’?” Kade had access to odd things—nice things—from people he called friends, but who I suspected were really clients.