Page 9 of Love on Deck

He shook his head softly. “Man, you really don’t like me, do you?”

I stared at him. Could his memory be that short? “I was under the impression the feeling was mutual.”

Jack’s eyebrows lifted. He slid his hands into his shorts pockets and looked far too good in that casual pose. “Well, then. I guess you won’t be helping me keep up this ruse all week, huh?”

Laughter bubbled from my chest, but his expression didn’t shift, his green eyes locked on me. I swallowed. “Oh, you were serious?”

He pointed back at the door. “We both know the first thing Sydney will do when she sees Amelia is ask her if we’re dating.”

“And Amelia will tell her we aren’t because she knows how much I can’t stand—” I cleared my throat. “How incompatible we are.”

His mouth turned up on one side in a half smile. “Nice almost save.”

The door beeped, and Jack jumped toward me, his arms going around my waist and pulling me close. He was like a romance ninja finding ways to get me into compromising positions in the blink of an eye. He tilted his face down to look at me, and my breath caught. He was so close I could see the varying shades of green in his eyes, smell whatever cologne he’d lightly applied. His breath was coming quickly, his hands stilling on my back. Despite the fact that I loathed this man, the way he held me now felt...really good. Like, far better than I would’ve ever expected it to. I almost couldn’t blame that waitress now for making out with my date when his touch sent so much warmth coursing through my body.

“Oh my gosh,” a woman said. Only, it wasn’t Sydney. My eyes widened, I tilted my face to better look at Jack, and my nose bumped his.

“Amelia,” I whispered. She must have been waiting for Sydney downstairs after all.

Jack swore softly.

“Sydney was telling the truth?” Amelia asked. “I didn’t believe her.”

I stepped back from Jack, but he didn’t release me. Instead we both turned to face Amelia with guilty expressions, his arms around me possessively.

“We can explain—”

“But should we?” Jack asked. “I mean, now that the secret is out, we don’t really have to hide anymore.”

I looked at him sharply. His eyes widened infinitesimally. He was practically begging me with just a look.

Kevin stepped into the doorway behind Amelia, laughing. His dark blond hair was cut close on the sides and styled on top. He had more muscle in his arms than I possessed in my entire body. But despite looking like a meathead, he was a softie. “You two? I never would have guessed. Especially not after y’all suffered through that terrible date.”

I laughed awkwardly, so unsure about the current situation. I owed Jack nothing, but his desperation made me feel for him a little.

Not that he deserved mercy after the way he talked about me after our date. Uptight. No fun. It’s no wonder she’s single.

That last one still stung.

“Why did you try to keep it from us, though?” Amelia asked.

“We didn’t want to steal your thunder,” Jack said.

She looked at me.

“It’s your wedding week,” I added, before I could think better of it. “It’s all about you.”

There was a beat of silence when she looked from me to Jack, then she sagged as though someone had lifted the weight of ten cozy mysteries from her shoulders—hardback editions. “Oh my gosh, what an utter relief! Now I understand why you were so weirdly okay with him being on the cruise when I called to warn you. I still thought this week was going to be a disaster with the two of you, but now I don’t have to worry.”

Excuse me? Disaster? My spine straightened. I was the most put-together twenty-eight-year-old on the planet. I was exactly the opposite of a disaster. But her relief was almost palpable, and something about that struck a chord within me.

“So you’re both staying in?” Kevin asked, slipping his arm around Amelia’s waist.

“Yeah,” Jack said. “I think I’ll hang back. Sorry, man.”

“It’s all good. Lucas is here, anyway. We’ll catch you later.”

They turned to go, but not before Amelia gave me another long look, tilting her head to the side. “I’m so glad, Lo. I really love this for you.”

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