When she looked at the ladder, she realized he had moved to the side to make room for her, only one foot and one hand keeping him in place.

Wanting nothing more than to have this experience behind her, she placed her left foot on the top rung. She felt a hand on her back, but she wasn’t sure if the newcomer was trying to hold her in place or give her a signal of encouragement.

“Now the other foot.”

She followed his instructions, her gaze now on her guard and the porter who stood on deck. The dark-haired man guided her down the first three steps, but when she reached the point where she had to let go of the railing, she stalled.

“You can do it,” he repeated.

Her knuckles white, her stomach churning, she whispered, “I can’t.”

“You can. Trust me.”

Before she realized what he was doing, his arms reached around her on either side, and her body was trapped between him and the ladder. The scent of man mixed with the ocean breeze, and the wall of solid muscle pressed against her back. His hand touched one of hers. “Let go with this hand. I’ll guide it to the rung.”

With his body holding her in place, she drew a deep breath and did as he asked. Her fingers found the top rung below the railing.

“Again.”

He guided her other hand, taking her a step lower.

One movement at a time, they climbed down, pausing twice for Cassie to regain her bearings and her courage.

“Almost there,” the calm voice said. “One more step.”

She lowered her foot, and suddenly, another set of hands reached out to steady her.

“Here you go,” Prince Garrett said, holding her arm until she gained her balance.

The man who had helped her leapt onto the deck, unclipped her safety harness, and signaled the yacht.

Cassie’s gaze darted from the larger vessel to Garrett, her anxiety rising again. Her guards as well as her sense of security were gone, and now she was in the care of people she barely knew.

“Your Highness,” the man said gently. “We need to get you below deck and out of sight.”

It took a moment for her to realize he was speaking to her. “Yes, of course.”

She didn’t protest when he took her arm and led her to the hatch. He waited for her to go first before following her into the berthing compartment.

He retrieved a bottle of water from the minifridge, twisted the cap open, and handed it to her. “I’ll be by the hatch if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” Cassie watched him ascend the stairs and close her inside. She lowered herself onto one of the couches that ran along either side of the room and stared at the stairs. Once again, someone had come to her rescue, and once again, she didn’t know his name.

CHAPTER 3

Levi hadn’t heard a peep from the princess for the past hour. He had expected her to be higher maintenance.