Page 13 of Stranded

RONAN

Shit.

I don’t even have the option of lying, swallowing my misery a little longer to figure things out on my own. That’s what I would have done—before I made a promise to myself tonight.

Look after myself, even when that means asking for help.

Besides, the look on Alph’s face tells me that he knew the answer to the question before he asked it.

“Um… no.”

Alph nods. “Whereishome?”

“A student apartment. Converted house, downtown. My roommates are…” I sigh, scratching the back of my head. I sound like an idiot if I describe all the shit they’ve pulled with me lately. “Assholes. They’re the reason I’m stuck here.”

Alph scowls so hard at the mainland that I can practically see a thundercloud forming over his head. “You were trying to get out for the night?”

“Yeah. But not…outout,” I gesture all around us, at the great outdoors.

Alph nods slowly. He doesn’t ask the inevitable questions, or—worse still—wrap me up in pity. He just smiles at me and putsa hand on my shoulder. “How about we get off this ferry and grab a drink?”

Oh.

That was the last thing I was expecting. Relief rushes through me, and I smile at him. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that. In town?”

“No can-do. But I know a good place.”

“Is it yours?” I tilt my head, crossing my legs and rubbing my thighs. Just to keep them warm, of course.

“No,” Alph grins. He gets up and heads to the ferry cockpit. “Well… it kind of is. But not really.”

“What? Now you’re talking in riddles.” I squint at Alph. He just gives me a mysterious smile, so I roll my eyes. “Fine,” I huff. “Keep your secrets.”

He just grins at me. “You’ll find out soon. Now, there’s a catch.”

“Yeah, there is.” I smirk and rest my folded arms on one side of the three-sided plywood box surrounding the ferry cockpit. Then I make a point of looking Alph up and down.

Something tells me that I should push my luck and see what happens.

Alph gives me an amused sideways glance as he starts the engine. I wince, getting ready to cover my ears… but thank god, the rumble isn’tquiteas obnoxious as I expected.

“It’s a little loud,” Alph talks over the roar of the engine as the ferry starts moving. “I’m trying to convince my boss to go electric when we can’t fix up this old gal anymore. He says a little noise is a good thing, and he doesn’t want the passengers to hear the skippers fart.” Alph solemnly shakes his head. “I keep telling him to cut down on the beans.”

“Oh my god,” I choke with laughter. Something is twinging in my side, but even clutching it while I laugh doesn’t help.

Alph just cheerfully continues talking over the engine as he steers us for Sunrise Island. “So, here’s the catch. If I’vebeen drinking, I can’t take the ferry home. That means you’ll definitely be staying in my guest room.”

Then he glances at me a couple more times, like he’s trying to make sure I understand his meaning.

Oh. His guest room. He’s trying to make sure I know that we’re not going to share a bed.

Ugh. How respectful of him.

Alph isn’t like the kind of guys I’ve chased before. He strikes me as the kind of man with principles. Someone who won’t risk breaking someone’s heart if he isn’t sure he can be available for them.

I just want to climb him like a big, sexy, sturdy tree… but this tree has boundaries.

“Yeah,” I say at last, raising my voice so he can hear me over the engine. “Thanks.”

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