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“They’ll go soon enough.”
She laughed despite herself. “What would you know about it, hey? You, a veteran of one whole cruise.”
He ducked his head. Michaela was gratified to discover there wasn’t any of the tension she thought might be between them.
“Madam, sir, this way, please. A table has been prepared for you.” A porter had magically arrived and now guided them to a private outdoor table where a platter of fresh mango, pawpaw, and melon had been laid out. Michaela looked out over the sea at all the tiny islands stretching away under the tropical sun. The porter set up the canvas shade to their satisfaction and then melted away silently. She nibbled on a slice of succulent mango.
When they were on their own again, Michaela snuck a look at Dylan and discovered to her embarrassment that he was staring at her.
“Do I have fruit on my face?” She put a starched linen napkin up to her mouth.
“No.” He smiled. “I’m just glad to see you. You’re…” His eyes darted up and down the length of her. “You’re a wonderful sight for these sore eyes. I didn’t think you’d talk to me again.”
Michaela looked at the tablecloth, a smile teasing at the corners of her mouth. She’d taken an inordinate amount of time with her appearance this morning. After ensuring the passengers were all ready to go ashore, she’d rushed back to her stateroom, showered, and smoothed a divine cocoa butter over every inch of her golden skin. Her hair had never been something she did much with—she usually scraped it back into a ponytail or pushed it under a hat. But today she had twisted it into a French knot, holding the sleek pile of hair at the nape of her neck with a simple hair comb. She’d chosen to wear a dress instead of her usual uniform, and when she’d looked at herself in the mirror this morning she’d thought it the perfect shape for her fit figure. The long dusty-pink sheath tied behind her neck and left the expanse of her back bare, gently hugging the slender width of her hips before it fell all the way to the ground.
“Should I say thank you now or wait for your full compliment?” Michaela surprised herself with the flirtatious remark.
Go, girl. Time to show him you really are the boss.
“Pardon me,” Dylan said. “What I meant to say was that you look extraordinarily beautiful today.” He smiled again, and any sardonic reply that Michaela might have hoped to make faded from her lips.
“Dylan,” she began. “We should probably talk.”
He held up a hand. “You’re right, of course, but can it wait for just a minute or two? We have all day, don’t we?”
All day. The things they could get up to with a whole day. He was right, talking could wait. Better to live a little and enjoy whatever was on offer. There was something about him, though, something deeper. She felt a current of elemental pleasure in his company that she didn’t want to acknowledge.
She would ignore it. This was about fun, remember? Fun would be enough. It would have to be. Michaela reached out a hand toward his face but quickly redirected it to the fruit platter. She didn’t know if she was quite ready for the spark of contact just yet.
They chatted about nothing for a short time, eating the fruit, admiring the view and the quiet. It was easy being with him.
“May I show you to your suite?” The porter had returned, soundlessly arriving to whisk the empty plate away.
Dylan stood and held out a hand for Michaela, a heated look on his face. She nodded, ignoring the hand, and stood to follow the porter along a beautifully manicured path to a suite that rose out of the ocean itself. She felt Dylan’s eyes on her back and found her hips swaying provocatively as she walked.
Let him have something to look forward to.
But all thoughts stopped when they arrived at the sheltered entrance to the bungalow. “Oh, it’s beautiful,” she gasped and turned to give Dylan a huge grin.
“Enjoy.” The porter handed her the key, and she glanced down at it. When she looked up again, he’d disappeared.
“How do they do that?” Dylan asked. Michaela could only shrug.
Placing the key on a table, she walked around the room. Her beach bag had already been laid out, and a huge set of French doors stood open, making it feel as if the ocean had access to the room. The interior was all wood, which gave everything a warm and inviting feel. Clever hidden recesses held vases, water jugs, and fruit. The small veranda featured a tailor-made swing seat.
But the dominant feature by far was an enormous four-poster bed covered in hazy white fabric that blew tantalizingly in the warm Pacific breeze. As she stared at the bed, Michaela felt Dylan’s hot gaze on her neck, and she quickly headed for her bag. “The island is a marine reserve. I thought we could go snorkeling before lunch,” she said.
Dylan came up behind her and gently turned her by the elbow. “Sounds great,” he said. “Perhaps we should have that talk first, though. Come, sit with me a while.” He led her to an overstuffed white couch, placed to take in the spectacular views.
Michaela sat. “I’m sorry,” she said, wanting to apologize first. “I was so quick to assume it was you who had bragged about being with me, and I didn’t even give you a chance to deny it. But rather than giving up on me, you went and found out the real story and saved my entire career. I wanted to say thank you—thank you so very much for doing that for me.” She risked a look up at him from under her eyelashes, but he was gazing out at the ocean. Her confidence rose. “I guess I was a little scared.” There. She’d said it. “I was scared of losing control like that again. And I was scared of what getting involved with you could mean for everything I thought I valued.”
Dylan looked her full in the eyes. “You don’t have to be scared of me. I’m not going to lie to you a second time. I’ve never talked to anyone about my family before, and I appreciate that you listen—that you care. I hope you know that. We’re fully consenting adults, and what we do is no one’s business but our own.”
That wasn’t really what she’d meant, and she had to push aside the disappointment. She hadn’t expected a proposal, but after he’d shared everything with her about his brother she’d thought maybe there was something more between them.
It didn’t mean he wasn’t great to be with, though. “I haven’t told anyone about my background, either,” she said. “I mean, some people know about where I worked before, but not about my plans. My dreams.”
