Chapter 859

It had been forever since Hayden and I shared such an uninterrupted, feel-good moment. “Isn’t it kind of a waste for just the two of us to hog this whole yacht?” I sighed after the kiss ended.

Before Hayden could answer, a familiar voice rang out. “We’re coming up! Hope nothing R-rated is happening up there!”

My jaw dropped. I spun to glare at Hayden. “You didn’t—”

“What better way to enjoy this view than with your favorite people? Besides me, obviously, that means Lena.”

By the time Lena appeared on the deck, Hayden had already set me down. I held out my arms dramatically. “Come here, hug me.”

“Whoa, what’s with the extra love? You trying to make your honey jealous?” Lena teased as she pulled me into a big, warm hug.

Behind her, I spotted someone else climbing aboard. Leaning closer, I whispered, “Your Uncle Aaron’s been glued to your side lately.”

“Has not!” Lena hissed, giving me a sharp pinch at my waist—my ticklish weak spot.

“He’s here because your honey invited him. We just came along for the ride. So keep your delusions in check,” she said, trying to sound scolding, but she couldn’t keep a straight face.

I burst into giggles, squirming as she tickled me on purpose. A second later, we were darting around the deck like kids. “Take it easy,” Lena called out after me, her OB-GYN mode kicking in.

The guys? They just stood there laughing at us. The sky stretched out in the brightest blue, the breeze warm and easy. For the first time in what felt like forever, the weight in my chest was gone. Hayden always knew how to lift me out of a funk.

“You’re glowing, Ms. Kay. Tell me, how can you look this happy?” Ron’s dramatic voice shattered the peace, and I couldn’t help but grin.

Right. My technically still-current boss. Not for lack of trying—I’d tried to quit, but he wouldn’t let me. And Hayden? He’d reassigned most of my work to Ron. So yeah, I could see why he was bitter.

“My wife isn’t allowed to smile?” Hayden drawled, his tone so chill it was impossible to argue with.

“She’s allowed,” Ron muttered through gritted teeth. Then he shot me a glare, muttering, “Capitalists and their spoiled wives.”

The last part was clearly directed at me. Lena, who had met Ron a few times before, laughed. “Look at you two bullying poor Mr. Shane like that. Shame on you.”

Apparently, that was all Ron needed. He beelined for Lena, flinging himself at her side. “Dr. Lane! You’re the only one who gets it. Tell me, what did I do to deserve this? Did I wrong them in a past life? Why do they treat me like this—like I’m… like I’m…”

He trailed off, probably realizing we’d twist whatever he said into another joke. “Pitiful,” he finally finished, grabbing Lena’s arm in a way that had us all cracking up. “Dz Lane, you have to protect me!”

Lena kept it together, patting his arm like he was a kid. “Don’t worry. You’re fine.” Her tone was so soothing she might as well have added a “sweetheart” at the end.

The whole thing was too funny not to document. I grabbed my phone and snapped a quick picture of them. While we were all laughing, Aaron’s voice cut in dryly. “Ron, maybe you should have Lena do a gender reassignment surgery on you. That way, Hayden might stop bossing you around.”

“Pfft!” I burst into another round of laughter. Lena didn’t miss a beat. “Mr. Shane, if you’re interested, I’ll even give you a discount.” Ron’s face twitched. He glanced down at himself, then took a giant step back from Lena. I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes, and when I wiped them away, I caught Aaron staring at Lena. His gaze was locked on the arm Ron had been clinging to, his expression tight.

“Your uncle’s jealous,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. And, of course, I said it loud enough for everyone to hear.

Dead silence. Every head turned to stare at me.