Page 41 of Dreamboat

They both mimic her movement by raising their hands in greeting, too.

As she disappears out of sight, Matt approaches me with open arms. He’s dressed much like Donovan is in dark blue pants and a button-down shirt. Matt’s is white. Donovan is wearing a light blue one that only serves to accentuate the unique shade of his eyes. It’s obvious that he’s shaved since we left the ship.

He didn’t bother doing that after we shut ourselves in his room so by the time the ship docked in Miami at the end of our journey, he was sporting the beginnings of a beard.

Today, he’s clean shaven.

“Delia, this is Donovan,” Matt introduces me to the man I can’t stop thinking about it. “He’s the guy who has made most of my career dreams come true.”

That hits hard and is an instant reminder of why I can’t go anywhere near Donovan again.

I feel like I was falling for him - hard. It was more than great sex. It was the beginnings of real feelings based on how much I enjoyed just hanging out with him.

Donovan extends his right hand. “It’s a pleasure.”

It has been a pleasure, and it can never be again.

I take his hand for a very quick shake before I drop it. “Hi.”

Matt looks at me. “You haven’t touched base in a while. Callum told me you had fun on the cruise.”

All I told my younger brother is that I appreciated the gift and used the time to enjoy myself.

I’ve never spoken truer words in my life.

“It was great,” I play it off because the man responsible for the good time I had on the ship is less than a foot away from me.

“Good,” he says as he scans the interior of the store. “It’s Carolyn’s birthday today so we need chocolate.”

“You came to the right place.” I turn my back to both men to face a wall of candy bars. Each is a distinctive flavor and I can personally attest to the deliciousness of each one since I’ve sampled everything in this store.

“Kita sells baskets of chocolate bars, right?” Matt rounds me to face me. “With a dozen different ones I think. Assorted types.”

“Yes.” I nod. “I can grab a couple of examples for you to check out.”

“Do you like chocolate, Delia?” Donovan asks from behind me.

“Yes,” I say again, but softer this time.

“You strike me as a woman with excellent taste, so choose what you prefer.”

Matthew nods. “She does have excellent taste, and I think that’s a smart way to go.”

“Follow me and I’ll ring you up,” I say to my brother.

“It’s on me.” Donovan moves into my view. “Why don’t I follow you so you can ring me up?”

“Sure,” I say just as my brother’s phone starts ringing.

He slides it out of his pocket. “It’s Faith. I’ve got to take it.”

Before I can beg him to stay, he’s headed toward the door he just entered.

“Alone at last,” Donovan whispers as soon as he spots my brother on the sidewalk in front of the store. “How are you, Delia?”

Lonely. Aching. Wishing the ship had veered off course for a year long journey around the world.

“I’m fine,” I say with a small smile. “How are you?”

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