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CHAPTER 19
Doing her best to ignore the sting of the rejection, Rowan went back inside too.
She wasn't anywhere near done exploring.
Lysander had said he would have to work a couple of hours each day and there hadn't been much time for it this morning. They'd landed at a private airstrip outside of Los Angeles and then been driven to the port.
He'd spent some time on his phone in the car, but she was sure he needed some privacy to make calls and whatever else tycoons did to fill their work hours. Of which there were many.
Opening one door, Rowan found a small but well appointed bathroom with a shower. The next two doors, on either side of the bathroom revealed small bedrooms. Across the living area, there were only two doors.
She could hear the muffled tones of Lysander's voice behind one and assumed that was some kind of office. She doubted Ariston was any great shakes about taking time off from his mega empire either. The next room was a master bedroom complete with an en suite with both a full separate tub and shower.
This place wasbiggerthan her apartment in Athens, by a bedroom, an office and at least 50% more living space in the main room. There was no kitchen, but then on a cruise ship, she assumed there was no need for one. There was a small fridge and fully stocked personal bar area.
This place was set up to accommodate a family. Did Ariston and Chloe travel with their family? She didn't know much about the other Greek tycoon. Not even his age. For all she knew, their children were grown, but Rowan still felt a twinge in her chest when she thought about traveling like this with children.
It wasn't the opulence surrounding her that had her feeling wistful. It was the idea of having children. Something she hadn't wanted after the first year in her marriage to Cyrus.
What would Lysander's child be like? Willful and stubborn, for sure. She could see a little boy with his father's intense dark eyes in her mind's eye.
Pushing thoughts better left to old and buried dreams, Rowan strolled over to the dining table.
In the center of it, a platter of fruit and cheese tempted her. Sitting next to it was a bucket with a bottle of champagne chilling in the ice. She read the note beside it:
Lysander & Rowan:
Enjoy your trip. My staff has been instructed to get you whatever you need.
Ariston
Short and to the point, but a nice touch all the same.
Now, if only she had a lover to share the champagne with. Drinking bubbly on her own was not exactly Rowan's norm. Especially this early in the day.
She grabbed a bunch of grapes to nibble on and wandered outside again. The sounds of the cruise port were muted, but still discernable from her place on the top deck. The hot tub made a sound, like it was running a routine filtration cycle.
Hmm…nothing was stopping her from putting on her bikini and availing herself of the warm bubbly water.
She wanted to watch the ship leave port, but that would not be for hours yet. Who knew how many of those hours Lysander would spend holed up in the suite's study?
Putting thought to action, she hurried into the bedroom and opened her suitcase. She could unpack. That was probably what Lysander meant by settling in, but the hot tub beckoned. And unlike her temporary lover, Rowan was not a workaholic.
Unplanned, or not, this was her vacation and she meant to enjoy every minute of it.
A couple of minutes later, after changing into her swimsuit and pulling her hair into a messy bun, Rowan padded out barefoot to the balcony. Not wanting anything to impede her view, she pressed the button turning the glass back to clear.
The water was hot, but not too hot and Rowan let her body sink onto a seat under the bubbles. She had an unimpeded view of the harbor and watched boats coming and going. The suite was on the stern of the ship, so all she saw on the deck two stories below was an empty outdoor eating area.
When the ship was full, she was sure it was busy and was grateful for the option to turn the glass opaque. Maybe she was too spoiled by her lifestyle to truly enjoy a regular cruise with regular people, but the idea of being watched while she relaxed felt like nails on a chalkboard to her brain.
This was perfect though. And shedidwant to eat in the public restaurants. She wanted to play trivia with the other guests in the bar area. And take dance lessons on the pool deck. Rowan had read about all these activities and more when she'd looked into taking a cruise by herself.
She'd never worked up the enthusiasm to travel alone though.
Being here with Lysander was perfect. Well, it would be when he wasn't working. Which she wasn't going to complain about. Not even to herself. She wasn't about to become a vine and cling either. Not her style.
So, if participating in onboard activities meant doing it alone, that's what Rowan would do. She couldn't help hoping she'd convince Lysander to join her at least part of the time, though.
