Page 31 of Revenge Honeymoon

“So, breakfast,” she said, hoping to redirect the conversation to something safer. “Maybe we can find a table by a window.” Scanning the room, she saw one of the staff clearing a table for four right next to a floor-to-ceiling window that faced the glistening sea. “Look!”

“Why don’t I hold the table, while you grab some food,” Max offered.

What a gentleman.

As the boudoir photo shoot in her mind played on repeat, she sighed at what could’ve been. A heated touch on her thigh to set the silk just so. A command to jut out a hip or shake out her hair. An uncontrollable desire would grab hold, and he would scoop her up in his arms and carry her to his cabin, slamming the door open, and...

“Is that okay?” he asked, his brows raised and a questioning look in his eyes.

Emily snapped back to reality. “Oh, sorry. I must need coffee. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

“Great.” Max took a seat at the empty table.

Heading toward a tower of baked goods, Emily side-stepped couple after couple, love birds all, with heads together whispering couples-only secrets and pointing to the foods they wanted to try. The fact she was single hit her hard at that moment. Would she always be alone? Was she too unserious or too unattractive or too something else that made men run in the other direction?

In the beginning, her last boyfriend, Kyle, made her feel attractive and worthy. He’d been complimentary and generous, taking her out to the movies, restaurants, different events. But after they’d slept together, the interest had worn off. As if he’d only been pursuing her for the sex. Once he’d had a taste of what Emily could offer, he’d decided she was of no interest any longer.

But he kept it going for a while, until one day he broke it off without any real explanation. They were waiting in line for a Virginia Tech football game when he said it was over. He blamed it on her new business saying she didn’t have time for him anymore, which confused her.

The following weekend when she was deep into baking ‘break up’ batches of chocolate chip cookies, she ran into Kyle at the grocery store on a resupply run, and he was with another woman. A petite little thing with dark hair and heavy eye makeup and a frown when she heard who Emily was.

Kyle had only stayed with her until he’d found someone better, someone smaller, someone cuter. The memory stung.

As Emily headed toward the short order cook slinging out omelets and bacon, she glanced toward their table. She’d rather have a fantasy about Max than the real thing. The real thing hurt. The real thing was often made up of manipulation and lies. Look at what happened to Ruby. She’d thought Tyler was the ‘real thing,’ and he’d dumped her an hour before their wedding.

Then she caught sight of Sylvia, the cruise director, who approached Max with a broad smile.

What was she doing here? And why did she look so interested in Max?

Chapter9

Sylvia’s Claws Come Out

Emily confidently headed to their table, set down her food, and said to the attractive cruise director, “Excuse me, please.”

Sylvia blocked the chair next to Max where Emily had placed her tray. “I didn’t know you had company, Maxwell.”

“He does,” Emily said. “And it’s Max.”

Sylvia stepped back.

Emily yanked out her chair and sat. “Thank you,” she said in a clipped tone. “Your turn, Max. If you want waffles, you’ll have a long wait.”

“Sylvia was wondering if we had room at our table.” He smiled in that friendly way he had. “I told her that was fine, right?”

Dammit.

“Yes, I suppose that’s all right. If you don’t have anywhere else to sit—” Emily turned her head for a clearer view of the dining room. Surely there would be an open table, far away in a dark corner behind a plant?

Why did this woman have to ruin her one little moment alone with Max? It wasn’t fair.

“Great. Thanks.” Sylvia sat in the chair opposite Emily’s attractive breakfast date. “I only have a few minutes before I have to make the morning announcements and then there’s the first performance at noon in the theater. It’s faster eating up here than down in the employee galley, and I might not get another break until the afternoon.”

“Why don’t I grab a few things for you, then?” Max offered. Super-duper nice Max who didn’t owe Sylvia a dang thing was going to pick out her breakfast? “Sounds as if you’re going to be busy.”

Sylvia lifted a dozen tiny braids from her shoulder and swept them to her back. “That would be so considerate of you, Max.” She gave Emily a pointed look and then threw a white, wide smile at him.

“What would you like? Pancakes? Eggs?” He rose from the table.

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