Page 30 of Faking It at Sea

I mean, damn.

An apology tickled the tip of my tongue. For the way I behaved that night in the elevator. For the way I walked away. Could I have handled the situation better? Definitely, but I didn’t have room in my life for someone like Sutton. I was used to having my own space and my own time.

And I was perfectly happy being alone.

So, why was there a little voice in the back of my head wondering if letting him in would be worth the risk?

It was a foolish idea. In less than eighteen hours, we would both be off this ship and headed back to our normal lives.

And what did I really know about the guy? He lived in Colorado. He had a blue heeler named Finley. He also preferred beer over whiskey, hated dirt roads but loved the open road, and when he kissed me, he did it with his whole body.

It wasn’t enough to build a relationship on, but maybe I was expecting too much. I wanted him. He wanted me. Why was I making it more than that?

Maybe he could be my one and only one-night stand. No expectations. No strings. Just one night to get him out of my system.

“What’s got your gears grinding?” he asked.

“Who says they are?”

“The way you’re nibbling your bottom lip raw, for one. And the fact that you look like you’re trying to work out a complicated math problem in your head.”

He wasn’t far off. I took a sip of my champagne to stop myself from chewing on my lip, and for a little boost of courage. “Canwe go somewhere else?” I didn’t like the idea of having this conversation with so many people within earshot.

He arched a brow, then inclined his head the tiniest bit. “Name the place.”

Damn him.Why couldn’t he just say “sure” like a normal guy?

I downed my champagne and set the empty flute on a nearby table. Then I held out my hand. “Come on then.”

A hesitant smile played across Sutton’s face, and my hand faltered. Before I could take it back, the warmth of his touch seeped into my skin. He laced his big, scarred fingers through mine, and set his drink aside. “I’m all yours.”

Was I really doing this?

CouldI do it?

I led him away from the magic of the deck and around the corner to the bank of elevators on the other side. “Which deck are you staying on?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he tugged me closer, his sweet and smoky scent invading my senses. His hand slid up my arm like it did that first night, settling gently around the side of my neck as his thumb brushed my cheek.

“What do you want from me, June?”

I swallowed. Despite the way my mouth watered to taste him, my throat felt like it was coated with sand. “For you to tell me which button to push.”

Those blue eyes burned with an intensity that threatened to engulf me where I stood. “You know what I mean.”

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, but his gaze stayed locked on me like I was the only thing that mattered.

If he wanted the truth, I would give it to him. “One night.”

He flinched. It was a tiny reaction. If I hadn’t been locked in place by the gravitational pull of his gaze, I might not have even seen it. “That’s all?”

I nodded. “We don’t exchange numbers or emails. We get tonight, and tomorrow we’ll go back to our lives.” It sounded callous, but it was what I needed. And it was all I could give him.

“What if that isn’t enough?” he asked. There was no humor in the question. No gentle teasing.

“It’s one night or nothing.”

He closed his eyes, tipping his face up. The cords of muscle in his neck pulled taut, and I gave in to the urge to lift up on my toes and run my tongue along one of those hot lines.

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