Chapter Nine

Victor

The top deck was split into two levels. Each had two pools but only the top level had a bar on the edge of the pool that catered to those in the water. Barely three hours had passed since the ship had set sail and I thought everyone on the ship had wandered up here to check out the scenery. I'd never seen a field full of differing flowers, yet as I stared around at the bodies swarming like bees seeking nectar—the thousands of men—it was the only way I could describe it. Those who wore clothing came in bright colors. Those revealing more skin than I'd seen in a long time were carefree and unconcerned about body shape and size. It felt liberating and it gave me a bit of a confidence boost.

I tapped my foot in time to the music playing out of the huge speakers placed around the deck. The sound battled with the noise of hundreds of men who had all come to the meet and greet party. And it was a party. It was way livelier than I'd expected and thankfully Garrett had found a free table under a sunshade. A little overwhelmed, I sucked on the straw of the very strong cocktail that Denton had gone to get me. I was still reeling from the reality we were sharing. That he had actually been there, in my stateroom… naked.

Jeez, his ass was a thing of beauty.

So not where I wanted my thoughts to wander when I was in public, in shorts!

I gulped down a large mouthful of fruitiness and scoped out the crowd. There were obvious couples, like Garrett and Leeson, and I spotted a few throuple's amongst the throng. But there were decidedly more single men from the way many were behaving. Some had clearly dressed—or not dressed—to impress. I tugged at the hem of my shirt nervously, considering if I should take it off. I was pale skinned and blond, so I avoided the sun. Way too many men looked like they'd used tanning booths just to get sun ready. Golden skin glistened everywhere in the sunlight.

My attention got snagged on Denton—for what felt like the tenth time—when a golden skinned beauty swayed up to him. Pretty eyes batted long, dark lashes at Denton, whose grin was charming as he leaned in when the guy rose on his bare toes to speak directly into his ear.

He's into guys.

He likes guys.

Snickerfuckinfdoodle!

Sweating at that reality, my hand squeezed the stem of my glass as I watched the two men. Did the guy have polish on his toes? From head to toe he looked preened, plucked, and buffed, nothing like me. I sighed and sucked on the straw, waiting for the liquor to hit as the shine of the day got rubbed away when the dude stroked a hand over Denton's forearm.

"Stop staring, and go show Denny you're into him, rather than pretending indifference over here," Leeson hissed next to my ear.

I jerked, my drink splashing the back of my hand as I turned to Leeson, getting a whiff of the strawberry daiquiri he'd opted for earlier.

"I knew it!" I accused, understanding why Leeson had evaded me earlier and had done his best not to meet my gaze when I'd tried to pin him down. "You set me up. Does Denny know what you did?" I blamed the fiery ball of yellow in the sky for how hot I got at the thought of Denton figuring out he'd gotten set up with me.

Leeson shook his head, but I didn't miss the cagey look that flashed in his eyes. "No! What I did was give you the opportunity to get to know Denny away from work. From Nese." He nudged my shoulder with his, giving me a smile that was all innocence. "You're wasting it, sitting here pretending not to watch him. If you aren't careful, one of the other slick looking dudes showing an interest will skip right in and steal the opportunity. He's bisexual," he stated.

"Have you always known that?" I found myself asking, unsure if I was the only dumb one who hadn't listened to the gossips. But then Denton had never dated anyone other than a woman so how was I supposed to know it was true?

"Who are we watching, my love?" Garrett questioned as he appeared behind the sun lounger, his hands resting on Leeson's shoulders.

"I've only got eyes for you," Leeson replied, glancing up and fluttering his eyelashes, giving Garrett a coy look that got him laughing.

"Good answer, but I suspect you're up to no good." Garrett looked over their heads toward the group of men Denton was with. Garrett's friend Beckett stood on the periphery. Tall and commandeering, there was something about him that suggested approaching him would be a bad thing. Garrett's brow furrowed and there was a flicker of worry before he returned his attention to Leeson.

Back were the fluttering eyelashes when Leeson twisted to reach up and stroke the side of Garrett's face. "Who, me? I just want everyone to have a good time, is all."

Garrett leaned into the touch, his eyes softening in a way that revealed how much he loved Leeson. "I can see that with the pairing of our friends!"

The rumble of Garrett's voice got drowned out by someone who tapped at a microphone before a guy spoke. "Welcome to your Caribbean cruise…"

I half listened to what the guy was saying when I couldn't resist looking back at where Denton was standing. He'd turned to listen, and I got treated once more to his back view. The shorts he'd slipped on over naked skin weren't tight enough to display the firm, golden globes beneath, but the image had become firmly etched into my memory. His ass really was spectacular.

I shut my eyes and there it was in all its tight glory. The palms of my hands tingled with thoughts of how it would feel to get a grip. To sink my teeth in and taste that golden flesh.

A wave of desire overheated my skin and I quashed the image, eyes opening only to connect with Denton's stare. I recognized the quizzical look and had to resist fanning myself when more heat coursed through me.

My mouth dried and I worked to direct my thoughts and gaze away from the man who was filling my thoughts. Only all I could focus on was that Denton must sunbath naked at the lack of tan line.

I'd been to his home on more than a few occasions and he had an enclosed yard. Did he frequently lie out there nude?

I blew out a breath as my shorts got a little snugger at how I envisioned he'd look stretched out naked. My eyes betrayed me and darted back to Denton, who remained staring at me.

Behave! How is this better than thinking about biting his ass, I reprimanded myself and attempted to hold Denton's gaze this time. His head tilted to the side and a smile spread over his face, his eyes lighting in what seemed to be an open invitation to join him.

The polished dude who remained close gave me a narrowed eyed stare of warning.

I was into him way before you, matey, I projected right back. Up off my seat before I could register my intention, I cursed for not being sexy as he watched my approach. I waved my nearly empty glass at him, to use as an excuse when I reached him.

"Need another drink? I'm going to the bar," I asked with as much cheerfulness as I could muster, pretending I wasn't getting daggers from Mr. Polished next to him.

Denton slung a casual arm around my shoulders, coming in close enough I could smell sun cream along with his body wash. "Love one. I'll come with you."

He gave Mr Polished a grin that wasn't as bright as the one he'd given me—or that was how it seemed to me—then guided me through the crowd towards the bar that was furthest from the man and microphone.

"What's it gonna be?" Denton asked when he wedged us into a space a man had vacated a second earlier. It wasn't big enough for two, but I definitely wasn't complaining. He had to stand at a slight angle to fit in the space, which meant I got the chance to feel the side of his body pressed against my back and thigh. I had to fight hard to resist the urge to lean into him.

It took way longer than it should have to answer him when I noticed his quirked up brow and the glint of humor. With the liquor buzz I had going on and how it wouldn't take much for my willpower to slip from my grasp, I considered what the safest option was. "Maybe I'd be better off having a soft drink this time."

Denton didn't question my choice in any way, or push me, which I was glad of. Fighting the attraction was hard enough as it was. Add in the courage that liquor could give and I would never be able to resist the temptation to ask for what I wanted; a kiss. Denton's mouth on mine.

"Can we have two virgin cocktails," Denton asked the bartender when he came to serve us. The guy, like the other staff, wore a white T-shirt with the ship logo embroidered on to it, and black cargo shorts. Smart, yet casual. It gave a more relaxed vibe, which I was sure was the intended purpose. He was all flirty smiles, but Denton, if he noticed, didn't acknowledge it.

"Having fun?" I asked, for want of anything better to say and break what felt like an uncomfortable silence between us. Although that could have just been me resisting the urge to lean into him.

His lips brushed the rim of my ear as a hot breath sent shivers down my spine. "I am now. I was hoping you'd come rescue me."

Startled by the comment, my eyes widened as I shifted a few inches to look at him. "You wanted me to rescue you from Mr. Polished?"

He barked out a laugh, his body shaking against mine pleasingly. It stole my breath. His eyes gleamed with amusement. "Mr. Polished, is it? Suits him."

Blushing a hot pink that would definitely not suit my complexion, I groaned under my breath at how my thoughts had tumbled right out of my mouth at his proximity and the strength of the drink I'd had. "Sorry, that was rude," I murmured self-consciously.

"Don't be, I'm sure he'd be happy for someone to notice the effort he'd gone to, to look like that. He's probably a great guy, just not the kind I go for."

"He isn't," I gasped. The guy was beautiful and clearly looked after himself. He was nothing like me, unfortunately.

Denton's expression warmed in a way that made his eyes seem like dark pools that invited me in for a swim. Captivated, they held my attention. His finger grazed my cheekbone and although the touch was light, it resonated through my body. Through my heart, which beat a hard tattoo against my ribs, which, with our closeness, he had to feel.

Then he spoke and set off my heart at a thunderous gallop. "No. I much prefer blonds with pale, delicate skin that feels as soft as a petal."

I was gasping again—a new look for me—when his meaning sank in, his gaze never wavering from mine.

Was I wrong or did he mean… me?

As if he'd plucked the thought from my head, he nodded. "I'm interested in you…"

"Here we go. Two virgin cocktails, enjoy," the bartender said, sliding them towards us with a flourish.

When Denton glanced away, I felt, more than witnessed, his frustration. Where he'd been relaxed a moment ago, tension stiffened his body.

I parted my lips to say something, only for another person to push into me from behind. I glanced over my shoulder ready to snap, but found a tipsy-looking Ollie. His glazed expression revealed how he'd spent the last few hours.

I looked at Ollie with concern. He wasn't a drinker, or he'd never been in the time we'd lived together.

Ollie gave me a not-so-subtle nudge with his foot, pushing me toward Denton. "Careful," I murmured. "Maybe we should take you back to your room."

"With all that hotness in there, I don't think so," he said in a tone that suggested he thought he was whispering, but in reality was shouting.

Denton shifted so he was standing at Ollie's side, eyeing him with as much concern as me as he pushed the virgin cocktail into Ollie's hand. "Drink this," he encouraged, while I worked on figuring out what my friend meant.

Hotness?

Was the room too hot?

Ollie gave him a buzzed looking smile and two seconds later, offered back the now empty glass.

"More," he slurred, clearly two sheets to the wind and unable to notice it was alcohol free.

I lifted my glass and handed it to him, knowing it could help sober him up. "Have mine."

"Thanks, such a good friend." He swallowed my drink as fast as the other and gave me a slight cross eyed stare when he offered me the empty glass. "You're… my friend."

I nodded, unsure where this was going as he sounded drunker by the second.

"Swap with me… I'll share… with Denny," he hiccuped. "You haven't told him… how much you… wanna date him… yet?" he continued, making me wish we weren't having this conversation in front of Denton.

I broke eye contact with Ollie for a split second to look in Denton's direction. "He's… drunk," I stuttered, hating the fact Ollie had called me out right after the paused conversation. Problem was, Denton was grinning back at me in such a way it competed with the heat of the Florida sun.

"No, I's not," Ollie slurred once more.

For a brief second, I considered trying to reason with Ollie, then realized it would be pointless. "Let's go back to the room." I was careful not to point out which room, still unsure what his issue was with his room.

Ollie laughed and shook his head, then his expression morphed into a sullen look, his head lolling toward where everyone else attending the wedding part was. "He's watchin' me."

"Who?" I asked and tried to see who Ollie was looking at when he failed to respond.

Ollie slumped against me seconds later, moaning, "I'm gonna puke."

Damn it all to hell!