She started to lie down when he pulled her into the nook of his arm and kissed the top of her head.

“Sleep, bella. Thank you for not kicking me out.”

“Too tired to kick anything.”

He squeezed her closer and she sucked in his scent. Maybe in the morning she could tell him that she didn’t do the sleepover thing with men.

Gabi woke to the ocean surrounding her.

She’d fallen asleep in Alonzo’s arms after a romantic on-deck dinner the chef had prepared.

She loved being on the sea. The vast open space felt safe on the yacht as gentle waves lulled her to a sense of serenity land couldn’t offer.

Alonzo had met her at the airport in Key West and swept her onto his yacht and out to sea within an hour. When she asked where they were headed, he didn’t say . . . simply handed her a glass of champagne and told her not to worry. Between the sun, the wine, and the amazing meal, she found herself falling asleep under the stars. They were both tired when they’d crawled into bed, yet Alonzo had made love to her with her eyes half-closed. The act was nearly over before it began but Gabi was too tired to care.

She woke groggy and found a bottle of water and two pills by the bedside. For your headache was written on a note next to the bottle.

How did Alonzo know she’d wake with her head cracking from the inside? Maybe it was the wine? Or maybe the sea managed to dig deep.

She took the pills and pushed out of the empty bed. She looked out the starboard and port sides of the ship and could tell they were in the middle of the sea. No land in sight.

The onboard shower was as luxurious as a yacht could offer. The water soothed her headache but didn’t completely wake her.

By the time she left the shower, someone had been in their suite and a white sundress, one she didn’t own, lay on the bed with another note. For my bride.

With a smile, she slid the linen dress over her head and turned to the full-length mirror. The fit was perfect and went to her toes. Even in the heat of the Caribbean Sea, the cloth felt cool against her skin.

She placed her hair in a knot on top of her head and tried to shake the sleep from her head as she left her room in search of her fiancé.

“Miss Masini,” the steward greeted her in the living quarters, pulled out a chair at the dining table. “Mr. Picano asked that you eat before your big day. He’ll be along shortly.”

“Coffee. I’d love some coffee.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The young man scurried away and returned with coffee and a bowl of fresh fruit along with a variety of muffins. She was halfway through the coffee and nibbling on a muffin when Alonzo walked into the room.

“There you are,” he said, kissing her on the head as he took the seat beside her. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a rock. Though a rock doesn’t sleep, does it?”

Alonzo nudged her nose with a knuckle and waved the steward over. Without asking, the attendant brought a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

“It’s a bit early for this, isn’t it?” she questioned.

Instead of saying anything, he winked and shooed off the help, leaving them alone.

He lifted his glass and waited for her to pick up hers.

“To us,” he said.

How could she say no to the smile that spread over Alonzo’s face? “To us.” The sweet, fizzling wine tickled her nose and rolled down her throat.

Before she set her glass back down, Alonzo was pouring more into it.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re headed?” she asked for the tenth time since he picked her up at the airport.

He moved around the table and sat beside her, pulled her close. “How about a honeymoon?”

The question sounded strange on his lips. “You want to talk about where we’ll have our honeymoon?”

He sipped his wine and encouraged her to join him. “Someplace away from everyone. We can make love for hours, come out only to eat . . . or have someone bring in food.”

That didn’t sound like him at all. The man didn’t sit still long enough for lazy fantasies like the one he described. “And what would we do the next day?”

He laughed, kissed the side of her cheek. “You know me so well.” He leaned against the back of the seat, placed his head alongside hers. “I’ve been so busy. I need you to ground me.”

Enjoying the feel of his arms around her, she settled beside him and sipped her wine. The thought of being the someone he needed in his life to make him complete left a warmth in her chest. In her life, no one truly needed her. Her mother needed Val, especially after their father’s death, but Gabi always felt like more of a burden than an asset. “It’s nice to be needed,” she confessed.

He nuzzled her neck. “I need you, Gabriella. More than you know.”

His lips sought hers for a brief kiss. When he pulled away, he lifted his glass. “For needing each other.”

She sipped more wine and felt it hit her head. Warmth filled her cheeks as she set the glass down.

“Marry me,” Alonzo said at her side.

She giggled. “I already said I would.” She waved her left hand in the air.

Alonzo set his glass beside her and knelt on the floor, taking both of her hands in his as he stared up at her. “Marry me now. Today.”

She blinked, pushed the fuzz out of her brain. “Today?”

“Yes. Today. I don’t want to wait. I want you to take my name today.”

“But the wedding—”

“We can do it all again later, dress, flowers, family. Let’s do this now, for us. No one even needs to know about it. Just think,” he said with a silly smile on his face. “Years from now we will tell our children how we eloped on the open waters on a summer day with a breeze off the ocean.”