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Will reached out to Eddie with a gloved hand, and never mind Cinderella, he was Julia Roberts. Eddie was literally having his very own Pretty Woman moment. He took Eddie’s hand, lifting it to his lips and brushing a kiss over his knuckles. “I’m so glad you came.”
When Will’s other hand landed against the small of his back, all Eddie managed was a whispered, “Hi.”
Will grinned happily and tugged Eddie closer, and Eddie swooned. Lost for words, he grinned happily up at Captain Preston, sinking into his presence. The smooth rumble of his voice and that damn Australian accent had his insides doing cartwheels again.
Turning to the woman eying them from down her nose, Will added with a smile, “I see you’ve met Barbara.”
“Not formally, no.”
Will’s smile was charming. And fake as hell. “Well, allow me. Barbara, this is my date, Eddie. He’s one of our performers. Eddie, Barbara is on her fifth cruise with Dream Liner Cruises. First time on the Dreamcatcher, so a very special guest.”
“Pleased to meet you.” He nodded with a polite smile. Before conversation became too painful, Eddie looked around, spotting a waiter. He flagged them over. “Would you please have some champagne served to Barbara and her group, please?”
“Certainly, sir.” The waiter nodded and hurried away, and they excused themselves. Will guided Eddie forward with a hand on his lower back and leaned in close, bringing their heads together.
“She thought you were a waiter, didn’t she?” he asked Eddie in a whisper.
“Mmhm.”
Will snorted out a laugh, and Eddie grinned, leaning into the captain when Will wrapped an arm around him. Pulling back, he eyed his date from head to toe and licked his lips. Damn, the man was fine.
Dressed in a white uniform, the fitted jacket buttoned up to his throat, and his epaulettes proudly showed off his rank as captain. He looked stunningly handsome. His black and white hat, rimmed with a band of gold to match the stripes on his shoulders, sat casually under his arm.
He smelt amazing too. His touch was warm and affectionate, and the shy smile he looked down at Eddie with had him fanning himself. Eddie was sure he was blushing, but who wouldn’t? In casual clothes, Will was attractive as hell. Even in his everyday uniform, he was good-looking. But put him in a dress uniform that looked like every stitch had been hand-sewn to fit his spectacular body, and the end result was perfection. He was breathtaking. And that was only the top line in a long list of what made Will such a catch. Kind and caring, loyal and down to earth, yet incredibly intelligent, Eddie’s captain was a beautiful man inside and out.
Eddie was the luckiest person on the ship.
They joined a couple and introduced themselves. No older than their late forties, they held an air of intelligence and quiet confidence that drew Eddie to them, much like he was to Will. As long as Will kept an arm around him or hand on him, Eddie was content to listen to the guests’ opinions on just about anything from their walk around the island to where they lived and what they did for work.
It took nearly an hour before Eddie got a moment alone with Will. The Captain steered them to a dimly lit corner of the restaurant and hooked his finger under Eddie’s chin before pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss. “You have no idea how much I needed that kiss.” Eddie sighed dreamily. “You light up this room, handsome. I’m so damn lucky to be here with you.”
“You look dashing too. I’m so glad you could make it.” Will smiled, and Eddie’s heart somersaulted in his chest, soaring high at his words.
Eddie cupped his face, running his thumb over Will’s bottom lip, marvelling at how the beautiful man before him welcomed his touch. Knowing he was the first person Will had let close to him in such a long time—and at work no less—made Eddie especially grateful. He’d had barely anything more than a hook-up in the last few years, and yet, there Eddie was with him. Date number two and in his arms being introduced to people who, albeit they’d never see again, were important. Their opinions mattered, not because either Eddie or Will cared much about what they had to say, but because they could rock the boat, so to speak. Will’s professionalism could be called into question. He was taking a risk asking Eddie to be there with him at the dinner, and Eddie was determined to not let him down.
In fact, Eddie wanted to show him just how much of a privilege it had been to be on his arm that evening. Reaching up to kiss him again, he let his lips linger, keeping it chaste but hoping Will understood what it meant to Eddie that he’d gone out on a limb to extend his trust.
Reality intruded when the alarm on his cell sounded. Silencing it, he explained, “I have to leave early to get ready for the show tonight. Will you be able to be there?”
He sighed softly and leaned into Eddie. “My shift doesn’t finish for another couple of hours.” Will squeezed his hips gently and nuzzled his beard against Eddie’s smooth face. He fought to stop his eyes rolling back in his head as Eddie tilted his jaw to give Will better access and flat out purred when Will kissed along his jaw.
“Want to join me in the staff bar later?” Eddie asked hopefully. “I’m killer at air hockey.” He knew that if he met Will somewhere private, he’d take things too far too fast—he was stretched thin, gathering every shred of self-control just to hold back a moan from the warmth of Will’s breath against his cheek.
Will hesitated, then smiled warmly at him, and once again, Eddie found himself falling a little harder for his gentle captain. He couldn’t pull away from Will if he tried—he was like the sun, and Eddie was Mercury, orbiting so close that he’d go up in flames if Will reached out to touch him.
“I don't usually spend too much time in the common areas, but I'd love to if you’ll be there.” Will’s shy smile and Eddie’s corresponding grin left nothing to the imagination. Anyone looking at him would think he was as giddy as a teenager at a K-pop concert. Will kissed him again, just a press of their lips together, and stepped away from Eddie. “Go, or you’ll be late.”
Eddie laughed and walked out of the room on a high, his feet barely touching the floor. He was five minutes earlier than the deadline Katya had given him, but he didn't want to push the boundaries too far, especially when he was being watched like a hawk.
twelve
Will
Will waited for Eddie at the bar. He’d dressed down, hoping that wearing casual clothes would help him blend into the crowd more easily. No one seemed to be looking, but Will was crawling out of his own skin. He didn’t fit in there. He was at least a decade older than everyone else in the bar—or it felt like he was anyway—and he was obviously out of the loop on whatever mating rituals his staff and crew had. He could imagine himself narrating the scene like a David Attenborough special, except that he didn’t understand a lot of what was happening around him.
He sipped his lime and soda and kept an inconspicuous eye on the door. The laughter met his ears before he saw them. All the entertainers flooded in together, some with arms around each other and every one of them high off what he knew was a favourite performance.
The smile that lit up Eddie’s face when their eyes met was like the sun emerging from behind a cloud. It warmed Will from his belly through every tingling nerve ending to his fingertips and toes. It was exciting and fun, and Will grinned right back at him, enjoying the view of tight jeans and an aqua-coloured shirt with just the right amount of frill to look enticingly feminine against his lithe muscles.
