Page 88 of Wicked Dares
She’s short and elegant, dressed in cream slacks and a pale blue sweater. Her silver hair is swept away from her face while she organizes fruit into a giant bowl.
She notices me, and her face lights up. “Good morning,” she greets me warmly. “You must be Piper.”
“Yes,” I answer. “I’m Piper.”
The woman smiles wider and wipes her hands on a dish towel. “I’m Marie. Levi’s head housekeeper.” There’s pride in the title when she says it. “I take care of everything around here.”
“Oh. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too, dear.” Her eyes soften as she looks at me. “Can I get you some breakfast? Coffee? I was just about to start.”
The thought of food twists strangely in my stomach. With everything going on, food is the last thing I want.
“No thank you. I’m not really hungry. Is Levi around?”
“Oh, he was.” Marie gestures vaguely toward the back of the house. “Today’s one of his mindset days.”
My hopes sink. I didn’t want to stay here all day before speaking to him. “When did he leave?”
“He should still be down by the dock.” She points toward the windows overlooking the water.
“The dock?”
She chuckles softly at my question. “He sails. Whenever he needs to clear his head, he takes the boat out.”
Somehow, that totally fits him.
“If you hurry, you’ll probably catch him.”
“Thanks.”
I turn and head for the back doors, feeling her curious gaze on me. I ignore it. I’m sure she has questions.
The salty ocean air hits my skin when I step outside, along with the warmth of the sun. Levi chose a good day to go sailing. It’s the perfect, lazy weather for relaxing. A breeze sweeps through my hair as I hurry across the stone patio behind the house.
The property stretches farther than I realized. Perfectly trimmed grass rolls toward the water, lined with swaying beach grass and pale stone paths.
I follow the wooden walkway leading down toward the shore, my pulse picking up the closer I get.
By the time I reach the end of the path, my pace slows. Then I see it...
The dock stretches out over the glittering water, and at the very end sits an enormous sailboat rocking gently with the tide.
My eyes widen.
Okay… maybeboatis an understatement.
I imagined something much smaller, a pocket cruiser or some little sailing boat.
This is a luxury sailing yacht.
Sleek white panels gleam beneath the sun while towering sails ripple softly overhead in the ocean breeze.
I step farther onto the dock, the wood creaking softly beneath my shoes.
The closer I get, the bigger the yacht seems.
I reach the end of the dock and see him.
