Page 21 of Curves and Courage

Her words take my breath away, the truth of them hitting me like a tidal wave. I’ve been running from this, running from her, because I was afraid of what it meant. But now, as I look into her eyes, I know that there’s no running from this anymore.

“I love you too, Stella,” I say. “I’ve been fighting it, but it’s true. I love you. And I’m so damn scared of losing you.”

She leans in, her lips brushing mine in a tender, sweet kiss that sends a surge of warmth through my entire body. My scars tingle, like her touch, her listening, her words, they’re all healing me from the inside out.

“You’re not going to lose me, Samuel,” she whispers against my lips. “I’m here, Samuel. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

We sit there, holding each other, the silence between us filled with a new kind of peace. I look around, filling my lungs with a new, fresh breath of air that somehow feels lighter. The penthouse no longer feels like a cage. The luxury isn’t cold and isolating. Finally, I can see it for what it is, a sanctuary, a place where I can finally start to heal, with Stella by my side.

“I’m not perfect, Stella. I’ve got a lot of scars, a lot of things I’m still trying to figure out, but I want to be better. I want to be the man you deserve, and if you give me time, I can make you happy.”

She smiles, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “You already do, Samuel.”

For the first time in a long time, I kiss her with a sense of hope fueling my movements. I don’t know what happens whenwe leave this ship, but I know whatever happens, I want to face it with Stella.

I want to build a life with her, no matter what challenges lie ahead.

Chapter Nine

Stella

Ipull the swirly straw to my lips and suck, letting the golden juicy goodness of my Tequila Sunrise drench my tongue. The sun is dipping low in the sky, the warmth it’s provided all day, as I lay back in the Sky Lounge sipping cocktails with Samuel, starting to fade.

I’ve never been more relaxed. More at ease with my life.

It’s the final day of the cruise, and I’m totally not ready for it to end. This incredible journey, the vacation that I so desperately needed, has turned into something so much more. More than I ever could have imagined.

I’ve fallen in love and I know my life is about to change completely.

I glance to Samuel. He’s lying back on the lounge chair, sunglasses pulled over his eyes, ripped muscles glowing from a day spent in the sunshine. He has a beer in one hand, the other resting on my thigh. I smile as his thumb idly strokes my skin, his touch sending shivers through my entire body. It’s thesmallest of touches, but it’s the protective and dominant gesture behind it – I’m his. And nothing is going to change that.

“Can you believe it’s almost over?” I ask, taking another sip of my cocktail. God, I’m gonna miss day-drinking, that’s for sure. “Two weeks has gone too quickly.”

Samuel glances out at the horizon where the land is slowly coming into view. “It’s been a hell of a time. I don’t want it to be over.”

‘Neither do I,” I admit, my heart swelling with affection for the man laying beside me. “I wish we could just keep sailing into the sunset, never getting off.”

He turns and leans on his elbow, smiling across at me. “You wanna live in the penthouse forever?”

I shrug playfully. “Think you can arrange that?”

He chuckles and reaches for my hand. His fingers slide through mine and he gives a squeeze. “I’m not sure the military would like that too much. But… we don’t have to let it end, Stella.”

I’m careful not to read too much into those words, but my chest swells with a feeling of hope anyway.

“We don’t?”

“No, we don’t. I’ve been thinking, why don’t you come back to Falls Creek with me? I want you to see where I’m from, plus, I think you’ll really like it there. It’s not so different to a cruise ship, you know?”

I grin, my tummy bursting with excitement. “So day drinking isn’t frowned upon there?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Well, maybe a little different. But seriously, I want you to be a part of my life, not just on this ship, but after. Forever.”

Forever.

I take a second and just let those words sink in.Forever.This has all happened so fast, but nothing about it feels rushed. It’slike we’ve been destined to meet, destined to help each other. I can see the tension lifting from Samuel’s shoulders, and I like to think I’ve helped with that.

And he’s helped me too. Helped me see there’s more to life than working. There’s an entire world out there to discover, to live and to love.

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