Page 49 of Revenge Honeymoon

Oh, holy hell no.

Sightless, practically naked, and in pain, Emily flailed for the bedding behind her. She pulled at the comforter and yanked it over her teeny-tiny underwear-clad body. Unfortunately, the two trays of plates, silverware, and glasses came along with it.

The crash could be heard half way across the Caribbean. Or at least as far as Deck Fourteen.

“Is everything all right?” Ruby asked from the shower.

“No,” Emily choked out.

“It’s me. Max.”

“Hi, Max!” Ruby called out cheerily. “We missed you at the pool today. I’ll be out as soon as I can dry my hair.”

Emily knew the tears were forming and couldn’t do a thing to stop it. “This is so embarrassing.” At least the tears soothed her cream-blinded eyes.

Plates clinked around her.

Was Max cleaning up the mess?

“I stopped by to apologize for this afternoon.” He tugged the comforter more closely around her body, making sure she was thoroughly covered. “The cruise director wanted me to take some marketing photos. I couldn’t say no.”

Wait. He didn’t break their date because she was a weirdo? “Oh?”

Then, a soft napkin dabbed at her eyelids. “Sit still.” Max carefully wiped at the cream that caused her vision impairment. “Looks like you got a little too much sun.”

“I should’ve bought the one-piece,” she mumbled.

He breathed in sharply. “Why?”

“Less area to sunburn.” Carefully, she opened her eyes.

Max stood a foot away from her, his green eyes dark in the low lighting. If she leaned forward a little bit, she could kiss him.

If she could find the courage. If she really wanted to.

He licked his lips.

Her nerve endings tingled

Oh, she really did want to kiss those perfectly sculpted lips.

He swallowed.

An electric-charged silence filled the space between them—at least for Emily it was—and he moved toward her. His mouth hovered inches from hers.

Emily tried not to think about the swath of sunburn cream covering her face and most of her body. Her pulse quickened. She wanted to run a hand through his marvelous wavy hair, but couldn’t because of the blasted cream all over her.

“What happened?” Ruby asked.

Max snapped backward.

Emily’s mouth gaped open, and she ping-ponged her gaze from Max to her best friend dressed in a robe.

Was he really going to kiss her? Or was that a figment of her imagination? She looked a fright. No, that wouldn’t make sense. Covered in cream, wrapped in a comforter, stomach stuffed full of delightfully sinful food. The least sexy moment in her life.

“She fell.” Max stood and stepped away from Emily.

Did he blush?

---