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“That’s true about any gift you could give her,” I pointed out.
Adam shrugged. “I suppose.”
I hadn’t finished my thought. “But I don’t think that’s the point. You gave her something she’ll treasure for whatever time she has left.”
“I suppose.” He sighed heavily.
“Do you want a hug?” I shouldn’t do anything that put me even closer to Adam, but he looked so forlorn that I couldn’t help offering.
“Yeah?” He made it sound like a question. I couldn’t tell if he wasn’t quite sure about it or worried I didn’t really want to.
I smiled to put him at ease and edged a little closer on the couch. Adam put his arms around me, resting his hands on my waist, while my arms circled his chest. At first it was like hugging a statue, but then he relaxed. He smelled like mint, pine, and something else I couldn’t identify. I was just wondering to myself how long I could keep my arms around him before it grew awkward when I caught him sniffing my hair.
I pulled away to look at him. “Are you smelling me?”
Adam cringed. “Yes. Sorry.” He gestured to my head. “I like the scent of your shampoo. I noticed it while I put the sunblock on your back.”
“It’s fine,” I assured him. “Feel free to smell my hair any time.”
“Jenna—” Adam closed his eyes for a second, then reopened them. “Never mind.”
I was not about to let whatever that was go. “What?”
Adam rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable by altering the terms of our agreement, but when this cruise is over, would you ever change your mind about dating someone you work with?”
The answer was no, but that wasn’t what came out of my lips. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I’m developing a pretty strong attachment bond to you.” His tone was too earnest for a man who used such a clinical phrase to say he liked me. “And I find you really attractive.”
Despite his clunky speech, my heart swelled. “I like you too, Adam.”
I got a full smile from him, one that made him look every bit as sweet as the loving little boy Grandma had described. “So... is that a yes?” he asked. “You’d consider dating?”
I really couldn’t throw out my very hard-earned life lessons for a guy I met on an app after three days, but there had to be some way we could make things work. “Y—”
“Wait.” Adam held up a hand. “Don’t just say yes because you have a hard time saying no.”
I gasped in mock outrage. “I wouldn’t!”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, usually I would,” I admitted, “but not when it comes to dating.”
He pressed his palms onto his knees. “Maybe we should table this discussion until the cruise is over and you have some time to think.”
That would be the wisest course of action, to get some distance from him and a clear head before I made any decisions. “Okay.”
We sat there for a moment in awkward silence until I laughed nervously. “Guess I better actually go to bed now.”
“Yeah,” Adam agreed. “Me too.” He started to loosen his tie.
I stared unabashedly at him, unsure if he knew that action was universal catnip for women.
After he’d undone the top two buttons of his shirt and leaned back against the couch once more, I moved forward to hug him one final time before calling it a night. But then he looked back at me with a such warm smile that I threw caution to the wind and leaned forward to kiss him.
Adam met me halfway, like he’d been hoping for the kiss but holding back until he got a sign I wanted it too. His lips brushed the edge of mine once, a dress rehearsal. I touched his face and gently adjusted it until his mouth was centered on mine.
His kiss was eager, lips pulling at mine in a way that returned the butterflies to my stomach. His arms came around me, one hand cradling my elbow and the other on the small of my back. My hand slid up his starched white shirt, savoring the feel of the muscles I’d only observed the last few days.
