Page 30 of Sailor's Delight

“So, you didn’t go to the spa, then?”

Jenn looked down at herself. Trey’s eyes followed, taking in for the first time the mud- and dust-spattered sandals and hem of her skirt.

“No, Trey, I didn’t go to the spa.” Jenn’s hand went back to the door handle. “Was there something else? I’d really like to shower and get cleaned up.”

“You want any company in there?” Trey asked with a laugh.

“They’re a little small. I don’t think that’d work out very well.”

Trey took a tentative step forward. “I don’t know, we could probably squeeze in and figure things out, if you wanted.”

Jenn stared at him. Trey couldn’t quite decide what expression he could see behind her eyes.

“If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll shower alone.”

Trey hesitated. She was still very much upset with him.

“I—Okay. Uh, do you want to connect up afterward? What are you feeling for dinner and the evening?”

He heard Jenn take in a deep breath, then watched as she looked up and down the hall.

“Shall we go ahead and have this conversation in my room?”

Trey’s heart sank. This was not how he saw the trip progressing at this point. He nodded quietly.

Jenn stepped inside and held the door for him to enter behind her. He limped inside, trying and failing to hide the depth of his injury.

“What exactly happened there?” Jenn asked quietly as she closed the cabin door.

Trey sat on the bed, wincing as he accidentally tried to support some of his weight with his injured foot. He smiled through gritted teeth. “Just tripped on some stairs.”

“Sorry; it looks like it hurts.”

Trey shrugged. “It’s not great, I’m not gonna lie.”

Without a word, Jenn lifted her shirt up over her head, leaving her solely in her bra and skirt.

Trey swallowed.

“Was there something you wanted to say?” Jenn asked, turning her attention to her sandals.

“Yeah. I—erm…” Trey tried and failed to take his eyes away from Jenn’s cleavage as she bent down to unlatch her footwear.Mother of pearl, she was beautiful!

He coughed, finally succeeding in jarring his own thoughts enough to look away. “I’m sorry about last night.”

“Oh?” Jenn asked, stepping out of the sandals and tossing them into the bathroom. “What for, exactly?” She began to unzipthe skirt, making clear her intent to continue undressing. Trey turned to face the sliding door at the back of her room leading to the private balcony.

“You were obviously upset last night, after you—,” he glanced at Jenn, who had paused when he’d said, “you.”

“—When I…” His voice trailed off. He didn’t know where he was going from this side of things. He turned back to face her.

“You don’t know what you’re apologizing for, do you?” Jenn asked, her hands paused inside the waistband of her skirt.

Trey hesitated. This was clearly a trap, but he saw no way out of it. A false apology or an apology for the wrong thing would be worse than honesty.

He shook his head. “I really don’t, no. I kept us from fucking like wannabe porn stars in the public pool of a cruise ship.” His voice rose, and he could feel his face heat up. “I honestly don't see that as something requiring an apology.”

Jenn’s arms were crossed across the top of her chest now. It wasn’t the seductive, teasing crossing from the first night of the cruise. This crossing was all defiance and opposition. Jenn’s expression had gone from careful lack of expression to the steely gaze and clenched jaw of challenge.

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