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“I’m not on this cruise to meet anyone,” she continued, saving him from having to reply. “Like I’ve said, Ashley didn’t tell me it was a singles cruise and then she signed us up for speed dating. I’m just . . . I was already bad at dating before, and now I just don’t even think I want to.”
“Especially since your only options are overgrown man-children?”
A pink blush worked its way up her neck. “Yes and no.”
He waited for her to elaborate.
She rolled her eyes. “I briefly considered the possibility of a . . . hookup. Though considered is probably too strong a word. Entertained might be better. Anyway, while at the speed dating, I wondered if I could be compatible with any of the men there.”
“And you found us all lacking?”
Another eye roll. “You’renot on the list, Seth.”
Shock coursed through him. So he wasn’t an overgrown man-child? He wasworse? “I’m sorry, did you say I didn’t even make the not considered but entertained list of overgrown man-children?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I mean, yes.” She huffed out an exasperated breath. “I can’t hook up with you on a cruise.”
His mind went blank of all thought. Had she just said shecouldn’thookup with him? He could most readily assure her she could.
“Please explain,” he urged.
She sighed, causing her breasts to push against her strappy tank top. “You’re friends with Zack which makes you sorta friends with Ashley. You don’t have vacation hookups with your friend’s friend.”
“You don’t?” Too bad no one had ever told him that, he probably could’ve saved himself a lot of trouble over the years. “Why not?”
“Because I might see you again. You can’t do the wholewhat happens on the ship stays on the shipwith someone you might see off the ship.”
Fair point. “But why would it have to stay on the ship? Like what if it was so good, you wanted it to go off the ship?”
“Do you live in a rom-com, Seth? That doesn’t happen in real life. In real life, you have sex, and it gets messy. One person catches feelings and the other one doesn’t, or the sex is terrible but you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, or . . .”
“Or you’re a widow who isn’t quite ready and you don’t want to have to keep looking at what you did?”
Her face fell and her mouth dropped open.
“Too close to the truth?”
“You don’t know me, Seth. I already told you that.”
He nodded. “But I’d like to.”
She opened her mouth to protest, so he picked up another strawberry and shoved it between her parted lips.
“I’m not saying I want to have sex with you, Courtney.” Though God knew he did. “I’m saying I’m not looking to meet anyone either, and it looks like our roommates have already paired up. Whether either of us like it or not, this is a cruise meant for couples. If we don’t pair up, fate will find someone to match us with.”
“I don’t think that’s fate. I think it’s just the cruise directors.”
He spared her a blank look. “We could hang out. Possibly enjoy each other’s company and have a great cruise.”
“Without flirting or having sex or any of that?”
He ground his teeth to keep from bursting her perfectly constructed bubble of denial. “We won’t do anything you don’t want.”
Her gray eyes narrowed. Something told him that wasn’t the answer she’d been looking for. “Yes,” he clarified, hoping to ease her nerves. “We can hang out without anything romantic or sexual happening.” Though he knew if she didn’t want him, he could make it a lifetime without having sex with her, he highly doubted either of them could make it through the rest of this meal without flirting. Courtney wasn’t as outgoing as Ashley, but her subtle teasing and sweet smile were as effective at getting his attention as any over the top gesture.
“Fine,” she huffed as if crying uncle. “I guess it would be nice to have someone to hang out with while Ashley’s tongue is shoved down Zack’s throat.”
He chuckled. “Please tell me that’s an assumption and not something you’ve actually witnessed.”
