Page 84 of Why Cruise

Not impossible, but definitely not smart.

I threw my leg over the railing. Not the best shoes for this kind of adventure, but there was enough architecture to find a toehold. The pipe felt damp, but it did have texture. I wasn’t going to worry about it.

Because why make smart decisions now?

As I came level with the next balcony, I double checked that it was empty. I found the balcony railing after that. I reached for it, ready to traverse over, when I realized the pipe ended abruptly just below me. Shit.

Hanging from the railing now, I looked down. Maybe ten feet to the deck. Less if I dropped from a dead hang. I’d jumped from higher bouldering.

I maneuvered around until I dangled from just my fingertips, arms fully extended. The deck wasn’t that far now. Maybe six feet. I took a breath, released my grip, and landed solidly on my feet with barely a sound.

The impact vibrated up through my legs, but I stayed upright. I flexed my hands, shaking out my fingers. That had been significantly less dramatic than I’d expected.

My key card let me off this level to the next. I stalked to the front of the ship. There were actually people about. Mostly couples looking like they were living their own romance novel moment, holding hands, taking selfies, soaking in the vibes.

My footsteps slowed. Theo stood alone at the very front, his hands resting on the railing. His blond curls caught the moonlight. I hesitated. Would this still be creepy and stalkerish?

Theo wasn’t appreciating the view. His head was bent, his shoulders tense. My feet carried me forward before I could think better of it.I should turn around. Leave him to his thoughts.

“Hey,” I said softly, but he jumped.

“Fuck. You scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry.” I kept a respectable one foot of distance between us and put my forearms on the rail. The moon was almost full, or had just been full, but it sat fat and happy looking in the distance.

“You didn’t…”

“I’m sorry that I…”

We spoke at the same time, then broke into a small laugh.

I sucked in a breath. “I am desperately trying not to say how much I missed you and Mackenzie at dinner. We didn’t technically make plans. I just expected.”

“Yeah, Mackenzie.” He picked at the edge of his thumbnail. Clanking bells and sirens started going off in my head. He took the same bracing breath I did. “Get this. Her ex-alpha is on the cruise. I know there’s 3,000 people here, but what are the chances?”

It was now DEFCON1 in my head.

“And they’re, I don’t know, talking it out or whatever. She seems thrilled about it but,” he hung his head, giving me a moment to pull back on the firestorm erupting in my head. “It just made me realize this cruise is going to end and I won’t have her anymore. We’ll stay friends, but it’s not like we’re packmates or anything.”

Fuck. It was hard to remember that they weren’t actually together.

“So,” Theo sighed and continued brightly, “How’s your night going?”

My internal database of witty lines just spun and spun like dialup that wouldn’t connect. I quickly scanned the deck, like I needed to make sure this conversation was private or it would end up in gossip mags. There were a few couples sharing their own intimate conversations.

“I fired my entire development team. All of them. Then I took a crowbar to my server room.” I absolutely should not be telling Theo this. “Apparently that’s not appropriate CEO behavior. My board thinks I’m having a breakdown. They might be right. This isn’t a vacation. This is my attempt to get my shit together before they fire me from my own company.”

Theo nodded. I couldn’t tell if this was shocking or upsetting news or he thought me a little crybaby alpha. He just nodded.

“Mackenzie…” my throat got tight like my own body was telling me to shut the fuck up. My mouth was editing what my brain was saying in real time.

She’s so fucking beautiful. I want to destroy everything in the world that doesn’t leave her spinning in circles and flapping her arms.

“…On the ATV tour…”

And you, I just want to hold you down and give you everything you want and let you beg for more.

“…She fell.”

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