Page 31 of Total Ship Show

“Cheers!”

“Thank you, Grace.” I beam back at her. “And thank you everyone. Cheers!”

We all clink glasses and I turn to Aris just as he turns to me. I almost freeze in place because this is one of those moments where we should give each other a happy and chaste kiss. Clearly, it’s what any normal couple would do and I’m certain my friends would think it weird if I didn’t kiss him right now, but when he looks at me and cups my face in his hand, I gasp. He smooths his thumb across my cheek and connects his lips to mine and holy shit it feels much different than the kiss he gave me yesterday.

His lips are soft against mine, slow, but hungry. As if he wants to linger here for much longer than he knows he should. If this were just a swift peck, he would’ve pulled away by now, but he doesn’t. Rather than separating our lips, he brushes against mine a second time and then, oh, my God, a third.

Fuck. Shit. Dammit. Hell. Can I just take my clothes off now?

When I pull back, I lick my lips as if I’m tasting his kiss. I can tell he’s breathing a little faster than he usually does as he connects his forehead to mine, but holy hell, I’m finding it hard to control myself too. My face is hot, and I know it’s not the alcohol.

Oh, my God, this man can kiss.

He holds my stare and smiles that megawatt dimple producing, panty-melting smile and whispers, “Breathe, Ade. It’s just a kiss.”

Just a kiss? You mean, a kiss that makes me want to slip off my thong and throw it overboard proclaiming to the entire ship how much I want to jump Dr. Aris McElfry’s bones.

How the hell are we going to sleep in the same bed tonight?

I’m so totally fucked.

I swallow as hard as I can and give him the tiniest nod. “Yeah. Just a kiss. I’m good. We’re…” I take a deep breath and remember to smile to save face as everyone is watching us…two love birds in love. “We’re good.”

He strokes my cheek one more time and I turn myself back to the group, clearing my throat and picking up my menu. “So, shall we order?”

CHAPTEREIGHT

ARIS

I may have laughedwhen Adrienne mentioned wanting to change her outfit before dinner with my parents, but damn, this girl literally looks stunningly hot in anything. The red dress she chose for our late dinner makes me wish I was taking her on my arm to the Seattle Cares Charity Event. It’s a long red dress with silver sparkly stripes woven into the full skirt. There’s an open back, a plunging neckline, and the whole damn thing is only held on by a cinched elastic waist and two delicate straps.

“You look amazing,” I tell her

“Thanks. I just thought a fancy steak dinner is a far cry from a Mexican cantina, and I don’t want to come across like an immature party girl, or worse, a hooker.”

I laugh, but only because she’s being adorably ridiculous. “Adrienne I would never look at you and think ‘now there’s a hooker if I ever saw one’.”

“Yeah, well, that’s because you’ve seen my dildo collection. Your mother hasn’t so I feel like I need to make a good impression.”

“What makes you think my mother doesn’t have a dildo collection?”

Her eyes grow huge. “Ew! Does she? And how would you know that?” She steps back from pretending to be creeped out which makes me laugh even harder.

“I have no idea, but my family is not a prudish family. I’m sure my mom has owned some type of sex toy or another in her day.”

She opens the door of her stateroom. “Okay please don’t make me sit through this dinner with visions of your mom and a collection of dildos.”

“Okay,” I tell her, holding the door open. “We definitely will not be thinking about my mother using her Oblivion Super Soaker four-thousand.”

“OH, MY GOD, ARIS!”

* * *

“Tell me, Tayla, did you enjoy your stateroom last night?” My mom asks as she slips another bite of steak into her mouth.

At first Adrienne doesn’t look up and I fear she doesn’t remember that she’s not Adrienne when she’s here with my family. I nudge her under the table with my foot.

“Hmm?” She chews her food and nods a little too emphatically. “Oh yes. The stateroom.” She swallows her bite and pats at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “It was…amazing. And such a restful night’s sleep.”

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