Page 35 of Revenge Honeymoon

“God, I’m sorry.” As he searched her face, his soft green eyes made her melt. “What a jerk you must’ve thought I was.”

“Eh, I’m used to it.” She waved it off.

“Used to it? What do you mean?”

“Not being noticed.” Couldn’t he see how incredibly boring and plain she was in comparison to other women her age?

“Why wouldn’t people notice a cute girl like you?”

Did he call her cute?

She wanted to clutch her chest and cry out for the Lord to take her home. Life could not be any better than this moment.

“You’d be surprised how many people don’t notice me.”

“I don’t believe that.” He poked her playfully in the arm. “I’ll bet back home the guys are falling all over you. In fact, I’ll bet if this were a singles cruise, you wouldn’t even be giving me the time of day.”

“Ha, ha.” Beyond the elevators, she noticed the ship stores opening for business. Her need for underwear shoved itself ahead of ‘flirt more with Max’ in her mind. “Oh shoot, I have to do some shopping before Ruby wakes up. But we’re still on for poolside, right?”

“Oh.” A bitter smile crossed his lips.

“Your jacket.” She turned toward the stairs. “We can still go get it.”

“No, no, that’s okay.” His fingertips brushed her elbow. “It really was my excuse for getting out of there.”

“I can bring it to the pool.”

“Sure. That’d be fine.” He lingered for a moment, his gaze meeting hers.

Emily’s heart thudded. That look had her reconsidering the boudoir photo shoot. Was it too late to revisit the topic?

Chapter10

Max the Photographer

Max flashed a smile that could melt a thousand icebergs and leave the whole of the world’s penguin population floundering at sea. “Noon. Pool Deck.” He fired off finger pistols. “See you there.” He looked down at his hands. “Did I just fire finger bullets at you? That’s embarrassing.” In a flash, he tucked them into the pockets of his well-fitting khaki shorts.

Emily mimicked being shot in the chest. “You got me.” She stumbled backward and ran into a honeymooning couple who didn’t find her antics amusing.

Max grimaced and mouthed‘I’m sorry.’

“Uh, oh, excuse me.” She regained her footing, shook out her hair, and apologized to the newlyweds. “I was fake shot.” She smiled and pointed at Max.

The woman, with hair piled high on her head and supported by a neck so thin it could possibly snap, curled her lip. “Maybe skip the mimosa next time.”

Her husband grabbed her by the elbow and steered her around the weirdo that was Emily. “Let’s go, dear.”

Emily brushed her hands together. “Zero sense of humor.” She winked at Max.

He held back a laugh until the couple rounded a corner and disappeared from view.

In her pocket, her phone vibrated.

Uh-oh.

That could only mean one thing: a text from Ruby in the cruise line's app.

She plucked it out and read the message. “Ruby’s awake. Sorry, Max, I have to run. Gotta grab a few things and then make sure she doesn’t need some Pepto or something.”

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