Page 25 of Ship Happens
“And that’s when she found me.” Eve peers around my head and gives Maverick a wave. “I get why you’re worried, honey. Jim’s little scavenger hunt makes this a dangerous game for all of us, but Frankie’s a big girl. She can hold her own without you babysitting her. In fact, she already has plans to attend the cooking class with me at lunch, so you can quit worrying. I’ve got her.”
Maverick glares down at me, but there’s no malice in his gaze. He looks concerned more than anything, but why?
“On second thought, maybe that room service doesn’t sound so bad.” I take a step toward Maverick, then turn to face Eve. “I’ll meet you in the galley for the cooking class, okay?”
“Suit yourself, but if his little White Knight act gets to be too much, you’re welcome to hang out in my room. I’m just down the hall.” She gives my arm a squeeze, then walks away with her coffee held elegantly to the side.
I don’t have time to process what just happened as I’m yanked into the cabin. Maverick closes the door behind him while gripping the towel above his hip. Considering the dangerous way that fabric dangles, I’m at risk of a peep show if he doesn’t maintain his hold.
I put some distance between us and step toward the bed before I turn to face him again. Part of me wants to air everything out right now, but I need to be smart about this. Eve mentioned something about Maverick’s White Knight routine. If he has that sort of complex, I can use it to my advantage. White Knights have one weakness...
The damsel in distress.
“I didn’t mean to worry you.” I bat my eyelashes and look up at him with what I hope are the most innocent doe eyes he’s ever seen. “You were just in the shower and...and I’m sorry.”
Instead of falling for my guise and comforting me, he adjusts his weight and appraises me. “You need to dress. And stop doing whatever it is you’re doing. You’re prettier when you aren’t pretending.”
Then he turns and steps toward the bathroom, leaving me feeling foolish. Minutes later, he emerges once more, having traded the towel for some pink board shorts and a neon-green tank top that the 80s would like back.
My lip curls. He wasn’t even alive for the 80s.
“Why aren’t you dressed?” He glances at the clock. “We have to be on deck in ten minutes for an event.”
“I figured I’d just stay here. Won’t I be safest in the room?” I have no intention of staying in this fucking cabin, but it won’t hurt to have him think otherwise.
He bends over, grabs my bag, and chucks it into my lap. “I said to drop the act. We don’t have time to talk right now, but we can skip lunch and have a much-needed conversation after this event.”
“The cooking lesson?”
His eyes close, and he curses under his breath. “After the cooking class, then. Just stick by my side and try not to talk.”
I make a zipper motion over my lips and turn my attention to my bag. Maverick definitely knows I’m a fed. There’s no question of that now. He plans to confront me after the cooking class, but why? And why not now?
Is it because he needs time to get Jim’s permission for the kill? Maybe he freaked out when he saw me in the hall because he thought someone else might snatch the opportunity away from him. Drat.
“Can I at least know what activity we’ll be partaking in?” I ask, trying to calm my nerves. “I kind of need to know how to dress.”
“Wear a bathing suit. We’ll be getting wet.”
“At six in the morning? Who goes swimming this early?”
“Who said anything about swimming?” He glances at the clock again. “I’ll be in the hall.”
With that, he leaves me alone to dress. He plans to confront me, and when that happens, I want to be sure I have my gun. He can’t kill me if I kill him first. Once the cooking class is over, it’s bye-bye Maverick.
Chapter Twelve
Frankie
When the morning event is canceled due to bad weather, I’m happy. When Jim encourages me to explore the ship a little, I’m ecstatic. But then my joy comes crashing down as Jim, Maverick, and I stand by the glass doors overlooking the deck.
“I think we’ll probably just go back to the room and get some more sleep,” Maverick says. “How does that sound, Frankie?”
It sounds like I don’t have a fucking say in the matter, but I just smile and nod. “Yeah, I’m still pretty tired. I can always explore the ship later.”
“Nonsense. Did you come on this cruise to sleep?” Jim rocks on his heels and smiles at me in that weird way that’s one-part comforting and two-parts creepy as fuck. “Go explore the ship, Frankie, and when you’re done, meet your new friends for the cooking class. I’d hate for you to miss it.”
The round muscles at the corners of Maverick’s jaw tense, and his hands clench into tight fists that leave his knuckleswhite. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, considering your littletwist, Jim?”
