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“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pried,” Alaric said, sitting up and swinging his legs to the space between them. He placed his hand on hers and squeezed, sending thrills up her arms. “Forget I asked.”
She looked down at his large hand covering hers. There was something so innately comforting in that little gesture. With a deep breath, she smiled through her pain and sighed.
“He wasn’t always like that, you know. When we met, he was a struggling artist, just like me.” She looked up at Alaric, her eyes stinging. “We supported each other. Cheered each other on. He was sweet. When the singing competition became too much, he’d meet me at my hotel room door with ice cream and we’d just relax, letting our worries drift away. I thought it was love.”
Her throat tightened. It was still hard to talk about.
“When I won the competition, things began to change,” she continued, bitterness leaking into her voice. “I’m not sure if it was jealousy, or if the fame got to his head. But he started spending more time with his new celebrity friends than with me. At first, I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to be the controlling girlfriend type. But the tabloids already knew the truth. The public and I both woke up that day to find out my relationship was over and he’d moved onto the next girl. Gigi Weber Dumped makes a great headline, don’t you think?”
“Georgia, I’m so sorry.”
Alaric leaned closer, his lips parting with silent words. Sympathy wracked his face. He reached out and softly touched her cheek with the pads of his fingers. Flames broke out across her skin. She closed her eyes, allowing the sensation to sink in. It felt good to be touched in such a way again. She hadn’t realized how lonely she’d been.
The clearing of a throat made her snap her eyes open. Alaric dropped his hand from her face and they both leaned apart. Captain Finn stood just beneath the shade of the balcony, his white head of hair ruffling slightly in the breeze.
“Excuse the interruption, but I thought I’d come check on our passengers,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “The pool on the upper deck has been prepped, in case you desire a swim.”
Georgia inhaled sharply and looked at Alaric. “You have a pool on this thing?”
He gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged. “It’s not much bigger than a hot tub, but yes, there’s a pool.”
“Count me in!” She grabbed his hand and jumped up, pulling him with her. “Show the way, Captain Finn, if you please.”
“As you wish.” Again, the Captain’s eyes sparkled with humor.
He led them up a flight of white metal stairs to the top deck of the yacht, where a dazzling blue pool the size of her mother’s kitchen stood. She gaped at the sight, taking in the pool’s glass walls and majestic view of the Hudson River and New York skyline. She could imagine it lit up at night with elegant lanterns and candles. It would be a romantic sight.
It would be even more romantic if it were her and Alaric enjoying the evening — no cares or worries. Just them, the water, and the dark sky above. She blushed to think about it, trying desperately to make those thoughts disappear.
Captain Finn thanked them and then retreated back to his post. Georgia jumped from foot to foot, excitement bubbling up from her stomach.
“We have to go in,” she said, breathlessly.
“You go ahead.” Alaric dropped her hand and took a step back, a shadow passing over his eyes. He motioned to a nearby deck chair. “I’ll just sit here.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” She shook her head. “We’re doing this together.”
She wasn’t going to sit in the pool while he found something else to do. They were really starting to connect again, just like they had online. She could see a glimpse of the man she’d talked to for weeks before this whole deal began. She wanted to see more of him.
“Georgia, I can’t.” Desperation entered his eyes and he looked pointedly down at his prosthetic.
“Well, then, take it off.” She stepped back toward the pool, lifting her cover-up slowly up her hips. His eyes went wide as he watched her. She pulled it over her head and dropped it on the floor next to her, giving him a wink. “See? Just like that. Now, come on in. No more excuses. I’ll bet the water’s perfect.”
She didn’t give him time to protest. Walking down the stairs into the water, she sighed when the warm liquid enveloped her legs. She was right. The water was perfect. He would be missing out.
Giving him time to figure out what he was going to do, she drifted toward the far end of the pool and gazed out at the river. She tried to enjoy the sight for the beauty that laid before her, but all she could think about was Alaric standing just feet away. Why was she so eager to push him out of his comfort zone? And why did his touch seem to affect her so much?
Questions she didn’t have the answers to.
The sound of splashing water behind her brought a smile to her face. She turned to see Alaric holding onto the side of the pool, his legs immersed in the water. He’d left his prosthetic behind on a folding deck chair. Using his muscular arms to push his body forward, he approached her slowly.
“See now?” She smiled at him and sat on the built-in pool chair. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“You have no idea.” He didn’t stop until he sat right next to her, their bodies touching beneath the water. Leaning back against the wall, he stretched out his arms along the ledge and sighed. “I’ve missed this.”
“You know, you don’t have to cut everything fun out of your life,” she said, trying not to let his close proximity cloud her head. “You’ve paid your dues. And you’re not a bad guy, Alaric. I can tell. You’ve always been one of the good ones. You just got a little lost there for a while.”
He closed his eyes and for a moment, she was worried that she’d insulted him somehow. As she scrambled for a way to apologize for butting into his personal affairs, he let out a chuckle and his eyelids fluttered open again.
