Page 38 of Ship Happens

“Harper,” I warn as heat builds at the base of my spine. “I’m close.”

She doesn’t pull away, just increases her pace, her hand working with her mouth until I come with a groan that echoes off the walls. She doesn’t stop, swallowing, then rises to rinse her mouth under the shower-head.

“Efficient enough?” she asks with a satisfied smile.

I pull her against me, our wet bodies sliding together. “I think we could improve if we practiced often enough.”

She laughs. “I’ve created a monster.”

“You’ve awakened my curiosity.” I brush a strand of wet hair from her face. “I now have several ideas on how I can make Dr. Harper Bennett lose her composure.”

“Save your ideas for tonight.” She gives me a quick kiss, then steps out of the shower. “I have a meeting to get to.”

I watch as she towels off and dresses in yesterday’s clothes. There’s something intimate about observing her morning routine—the way she wrings excess water from her hair, her methodical application of the minimal contents of her makeup bag, the little adjustments she makes to her clothing.

“What’s your day look like?” I ask, wrapping a towel around my waist and leaning against the doorframe.

“Meeting with Environmental Officer Chen until around 10, then reviewing the waste management systems.” She glances at me as she fastens her watch. “You?”

“Conference call with the board at 9, then a meeting with the captain.” I step closer, drawn to her like a magnet. “Dinner tonight? The chef’s table does an incredible tasting menu.”

She hesitates. “We have that ridiculous ‘Love Under the Stars’ event at 8.”

“Ah yes, the mandatory couples’ stargazing.” I tuck a strand of damp hair behind her ear. “Dinner after that?”

“Maybe.” She smiles, but there’s a guardedness in her eyes that wasn’t there moments ago. “Let’s see how the day goes.”

“Of course. Good luck with your meeting.”

She gathers her belongings in a hurry. At the door, she pauses, turning back.

“Thank you for last night,” she says. “And this morning.”

“Harper,” I say before she can leave. “This doesn’t have to be complicated.”

“Doesn’t it? In two days, this cruise ends. I publish my expose. You go back to running Cole Tech. We return to opposing sides of an environmental war.” She runs a hand through her damp hair. “Seems pretty complicated to me.”

“Only if we make it complicated.”

“What exactly are you suggesting?”

“I’m not suggesting anything, yet. I’m just asking you not to overthink this because you’re worried about the future.”

“That’s rich coming from a CEO whose entire job is projecting future outcomes,” she says, but there’s a hint of a smile now.

“Fair point. Let me say it differently—I’m enjoying this. You’re enjoying this. Can we agree to keep enjoying it until we don’t?”

She considers this proposition. “I suppose that’s reasonable.”

“High praise indeed.”

This earns me a genuine smile. “You’re impossible.”

“So, you keep saying. And yet, here you are.”

“Yes, well.” She straightens her shoulders. “Even brilliant scientists make questionable decisions occasionally.”

“ Am I a questionable decision?”

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