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Stasia sipped her wine. “And here I thought my brother was bad with his overprotective tendencies.”
“Xander just wants what is best for you.”
“Don’t start sticking up for him or I might have to rethink this whole arrangement.” And then she sent him a teasing smile.
Roberto held up his hands in surrender. “I have no interest in getting between two siblings.”
“Smart man. I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
They both smiled and the rest of dinner was filled with light conversation as well as laughter. By the end, Stasia had to admit that she hadn’t had this much fun in...well, in a very long time. And she hated to see it end. But she knew she couldn’t occupy all his time.
“Would you like dessert?” Roberto offered.
She shook her head. “I’m full. The meal was delicious. I must admit that I had my doubts about onboard dining, but they have most definitely put my worries to rest.”
Roberto set aside his napkin. “Thank you for joining me. This dinner was definitely the best part of my day.” His smile faltered and she had to wonder if he was recalling their kiss. “Would you like to do anything else?”
She best not press her luck. “Thank you for the offer, but I should be going.”
“Maybe we can share a meal again while we’re sailing.”
“I’d like that.” She would like that a whole lot—so much so that it scared her.
And with that, they parted company. She went one way and he went the other. She should head back to her cabin to start reading some of the self-help books she’d purchased. Some people would think that she was silly or perhaps frivolous for not having a clear path in life. But when your future was stolen away by cancer you had to regroup. That was what she was doing.
But she found that she was too wound up to concentrate on reading just yet. She told herself it was the lively dinner conversation and that it had absolutely nothing to do with that earth-moving kiss back in her cabin. Either way, she decided a walk around the deck might be nice.
She found that she wasn’t the only one wanting to enjoy the warm evening under the stars. But most of the people around her were coupled up. Some were arm in arm; others were stealing a kiss in the moonlight.
Stasia, in that moment, felt profoundly alone. There was no one waiting back in her cabin for her. Her thoughts turned to Roberto, but she halted them. She would be fine alone.
* * *
“There you are.”
Roberto paused in the hallway. “Hello, Yaya.”
“Did you have a good dinner?”
“I did. Thank you. And how was yours?”
She gave a nonchalant shrug of her shoulder. “It was nothing special. Marissa was sorry you couldn’t have joined us.”
Marissa must be another attempt at matchmaking. “Like I said, I had a prior commitment. And I didn’t want to cancel at the last moment.” He knew how his grandmother felt about manners—even when it foiled one of her matchmaking schemes.
“Perhaps tomorrow when we dock, you could make it up to Marissa.” His grandmother’s eyes twinkled with renewed hope.
“I have plans.” He was going to ask Stasia to go sightseeing with him. The idea had just come to him, but he liked the idea of spending the day with her. He liked it quite a lot. “I’m sorry, Yaya. I must go. I have to meet someone.”
His grandmother’s eyes narrowed. “Is this someone a female?” When he nodded, she asked, “The same one you dined with?” When he nodded again, she asked, “And you still maintain that you’re nothing more than friends?”
The answer to that question was more complicated than the last time she’d asked it. He drew in a deep breath as he considered his options. He never lied to his grandmother. He might not always give her full and complete answers, but never an outright lie.
He continued to meet her inquisitive stare. “It’s complicated.”
His grandmother’s eyes widened. “You have feelings for this girl?”
Ding.
He’d never been so happy to receive an email.
“I have to go. I have some business that needs my immediate attention.” The truth was that he didn’t know how he felt. That kiss, it had affected him more than he’d expected.
