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I laughed.
I laughed from my belly. My body. My soul. I laughed harder with Alejandro than I had with any man in my past. His warm, charismatic ways softened my sharp edges, and I could almost feel my hardened armor being chipped away with every moment I spent in his presence.
Every smile, a little crack in my armor.
Every laugh, a little piece falling off.
And it felt amazing.
The only other people on the planet I felt this at ease with were the Wilder Widows.
We spent hours on that beachside laughing and sharing stories, and I couldn't believe how many hours had passed until I saw the last patrons from the bar filing out.
"Oops. Don't want to be 'those people' who make them work past close. We should get back, I suppose." He waved to the waitress to bring the bill.
I hated the thought of going back and leaving this little magical place with him, but I knew our night eventually had to end. "This was wonderful, Alejandro. Thank you for inviting me."
"All the tourists flock to the main attractions at port, but I like to find these little gems off the beaten path. The harder they are to get to, the more authentic they usually are."
"I like that. That's a great travel tip."
"Stick with me and I'll reveal all the secrets of the places we are going to explore."
Stick with me.
Excitement fluttered inside of me about spending more time with him on our cruise. Since the moment I had landed in his arms, I'd had no interest in any other man on that ship. And now that I'd spent a romantic evening with him, I had no interest in any other man on the planet.
We took the boat back to the dock, and we walked back onto the cruise ship together. When we got back to my cabin's deck, nerves he'd soothed with our talk crackled back to life.
Me? Nervous about going to bed with a man? Never.
But deep down, terror wound up inside me about spending the night with him. Unlike all my other trysts, I knew this would be more than just sex. And the scariest part? I wanted it to be.
But just before I took him back to my room, he slipped my hand in his and stopped me beside the rail of the ship.
"I love how many stars you can see down here. Don't you agree?"
I hadn't been paying attention to the stars, instead, my gaze was otherwise occupied admiring him.
I looked up. "They are beautiful."
"As are you." He turned to face me, slipping a hand across the side of my face.
The gentle touch of his fingertips sent a shiver crackling down my spine. I leaned my face into his hand.
"I had a wonderful time with you tonight, Alice."
"Me too." I breathed out.
We stood staring at each other, our electric connection crackling between us. Normally, I would take the lead, grab him by the face, and kiss those lips I wanted to taste, but I was too frozen in his gaze to move.
A warm breeze lifted my hair as he leaned down to me. I closed my eyes, the anticipation of his kiss nearly driving me mad. Finally, a soft brush moved across my lips, and I sighed as he captured my mouth with his.
The soft, sensual brush of his lips against mine deepened into an earth-shattering kiss that obliterated the thoughts of any man before him. My world tipped upside down as he pulled me against him, a strong hand embracing my lower back and holding me tight. I surrendered to the emotions swirling inside of me, begging to burst free. When he slowly broke us apart, I immediately felt the loss. For the first time in my life, I'd been the one left unsatisfied. One explosive kiss wasn't enough, and it might never be.
Breathless and wanting more, I stared at him as he rose back to standing above me. My lion looked more powerful than ever after displaying such prowess.
"Can I see you again tomorrow night?" he asked, his hand still on my lower back, brushing softly against me.
