11. June

11

JUNE

"You look like a queen," Missy assured me, giving my hand a squeeze.

Running my free hand down the slinky black dress she'd bought me, I pulled in a bracing breath. "I think that makes you an empress," I replied.

She laughed. "Sweet June, always downplaying your own assets to lift others up. What if, at least for tonight, you accept that you are going to be the most phenomenal woman in that room?"

It was my turn to laugh, until her eyes narrowed.

Was she serious?

"Alright." I pulled my hand free and straightened my imaginary crown. "But only if we're both the most phenomenal women in the room."

Her lips curled up in a smile, and when I reached up to adjust her imaginary crown, she leaned in close and brushed a kiss across my cheek. "You are the best bestie a girl could ask for."

That was debatable. The best bestie would've noticed sooner how twisted up Missy was about her ex, but I was determined to make up for it. That included listening whenever she needed to vent, distracting her when the tears came, and, hopefully, not talking about Sutton for the rest of the trip.

The last part was easier said than done, especially since I'd spent a good chunk of our time at the beach fighting the urge to turn and stare back when I felt the weight of his gaze on me.

I wanted to march up to his table and explain why I'd taken off the way I had, but what was the point? We were little more than strangers. Two ships passing and all that. I doubted he would even remember my name in a week.

"Are you ready?" I asked, rolling my shoulders back.

"Let us greet our subjects," she said with a grandiose sweep of her arm, and I couldn't help but laugh.

We were both still giggling as we stepped through the doors into the open air of the Stellar Sky Lounge. It was a breathtaking space, more refined than the tropical luxury where I'd met Sutton for the Sunset Deck Party.

Between the blanket of stars overhead, the elegance of the plush seating cast in deep blue with glittering silver accents, and the warmth of the flickering fire pits, it was like something out of a very expensive dream. Instrumental music drifted on the sea breeze, provided by a small ensemble on stage. Even they seemed to play their part in the opulence, dressed to the nines in tuxedos and silky gowns, all in shades of blue and silver that blended perfectly with the decor.

"There are more people here than I expected," I said. And yet, for all the people mingling with crystal flutes and rocks glasses in hand, the deck wasn't crowded or obnoxiously loud.

"How about a drink?" Missy asked.

I followed her gaze to the server carrying a tray of sparkling champagne. It seemed like a fitting choice given the atmosphere.

Before I could discreetly wave the server down, Sutton stepped into view, and damn, the man knew how to wear a suit. The tailored black jacket hung from his muscled shoulders as effortlessly as any well-worn t-shirt, drawing the eye in all the right places.

When he plucked two glasses from the mirrored tray, a dull pang of longing rang through me. We had a connection. I wouldn't pretend that we didn't, but it wasn't like I had any claim on him.

I shook my head and turned to Missy only to find the space beside me empty. After a quick scan, I spotted her making her way across the deck toward the bar, her hips swaying with her confident saunter.

What is she doing? There were at least three more servers working the crowd with trays full of champagne.

Awareness tickled my nerve endings a half second before Sutton's familiar timbre sent a shiver through me. "You look..."

I pulled in a breath and turned to face him as his statement faded. "Stunning? Breathtaking?" I taunted. Which cliche would he throw at me?

And why was I being bitchy? He'd done nothing wrong, aside from getting under my skin.

"You look like a vision I would chase for miles just to keep you in sight for a little while longer."

I blinked. That wasn't at all what I was expecting.

I was still processing the compliment when he held up the bubbling nectar with a smoldering expression that would have put a few A-List actors to shame. "Champagne?"

Reaching out, I hesitated for a beat before taking the delicate glass by the stem. "Thank you?" I didn't know whether I was thanking him for the drink or the compliment, or just for his willingness to talk to me after the way I ran from him.

"It's my pleasure, June. I'm just glad I got the chance to see you again."

Words were not my friends at that moment. Between my name rolling off his lips like it belonged there, and the untamed heat coiling inside me, I was at a loss. If I'd known my body would react like this to seeing him again?—

I cut off the thought. I knew exactly what would happen if—when—I saw him again. That was precisely the reason I'd decided to keep my distance.

"I do appreciate the drink," I said, finding my voice. "But I came here with Missy, and I really should spend the evening with her." Except, when I turned, she was at the bar and she looked to be deep in conversation with none other than Brandon, Sutton's best friend.

Understanding dawned a second later, and I let out a sigh. "This is a set-up, isn't it?"

Sutton was studying our friends with narrowed eyes. "If it is, I promise, I had nothing to do with it."

"So, you didn't get all dressed up just to see me, huh?" It was meant as a harmless tease, but the moment the words were out in the world, I realized how much I wanted to be his reason for showing up tonight.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't hoping to run into you here," he admitted.

Missy and Brandon chose that moment to look our way, laughing conspiratorially. Yeah, we'd definitely been played. "When did they even have a chance to talk?"

"In Bimini, I would imagine."

There was a stretch there where Missy went to the bar for more drinks, but it wasn't like I tracked her every move. Not when it had taken all my willpower not to look back over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of Sutton.

"Did you sit in that little bar and watch me the whole time?" I asked.

He pinned me with a heated look. "Did you know I was there when you laid out your towel twenty yards from where I was sitting?"

Touche. And being that close, knowing he was there, had filled my mind with all kinds of inappropriate thoughts.

We stared at each other for a few brutally silent seconds. Golden flames reflected in his dark eyes, and the way he licked his lips...

I mean, damn.

An apology tickled the tip of my tongue. For the way I behaved that night in the elevator. For the way I walked away. Could I have handled the situation better? Definitely, but I didn't have room in my life for someone like Sutton. I was used to having my own space and my own time.

And I was perfectly happy being alone.

So, why was there a little voice in the back of my head wondering if letting him in would be worth the risk?

It was a foolish idea. In less than eighteen hours, we would both be off this ship and headed back to our normal lives.

And what did I really know about the guy? He lived in Colorado. He had a blue heeler named Finley. He also preferred beer over whiskey, hated dirt roads but loved the open road, and when he kissed me, he did it with his whole body.

It wasn't enough to build a relationship on, but maybe I was expecting too much. I wanted him. He wanted me. Why was I making it more than that?

Maybe he could be my one and only one-night stand. No expectations. No strings. Just one night to get him out of my system.

"What's got your gears grinding?" he asked.

"Who says they are?"

"The way you're nibbling your bottom lip raw, for one. And the fact that you look like you're trying to work out a complicated math problem in your head."

He wasn't far off. I took a sip of my champagne to stop myself from chewing on my lip, and for a little boost of courage. "Can we go somewhere else?" I didn't like the idea of having this conversation with so many people within earshot.

He arched a brow, then inclined his head the tiniest bit. "Name the place."

Damn him. Why couldn't he just say "sure" like a normal guy?

I downed my champagne and set the empty flute on a nearby table. Then I held out my hand. "Come on then."

A hesitant smile played across Sutton's face, and my hand faltered. Before I could take it back, the warmth of his touch seeped into my skin. He laced his big, scarred fingers through mine, and set his drink aside. "I'm all yours."

Was I really doing this?

Could I do it?

I led him away from the magic of the deck and around the corner to the bank of elevators on the other side. "Which deck are you staying on?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he tugged me closer, his sweet and smoky scent invading my senses. His hand slid up my arm like it did that first night, settling gently around the side of my neck as his thumb brushed my cheek.

"What do you want from me, June?"

I swallowed. Despite the way my mouth watered to taste him, my throat felt like it was coated with sand. "For you to tell me which button to push."

Those blue eyes burned with an intensity that threatened to engulf me where I stood. "You know what I mean."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, but his gaze stayed locked on me like I was the only thing that mattered.

If he wanted the truth, I would give it to him. "One night."

He flinched. It was a tiny reaction. If I hadn't been locked in place by the gravitational pull of his gaze, I might not have even seen it. "That's all?"

I nodded. "We don't exchange numbers or emails. We get tonight, and tomorrow we'll go back to our lives." It sounded callous, but it was what I needed. And it was all I could give him.

"What if that isn't enough?" he asked. There was no humor in the question. No gentle teasing.

"It's one night or nothing."

He closed his eyes, tipping his face up. The cords of muscle in his neck pulled taut, and I gave in to the urge to lift up on my toes and run my tongue along one of those hot lines.

Sutton sucked in a breath. "You're not playing fair."

I really wasn't, but I was tired of fighting my attraction to him, and tonight was my last chance to do something about it. I raised myself up a little higher and whispered in his ear, "Which deck, Sutton?"

"Eleven," he growled.

I dropped back down, hit the button on the screen, and waited an eternity for the elevator doors to slide open again. Then another eternity dragged as that small metal box took us down. With every floor we passed, the walls seemed to close in a little more. Sounds that shouldn't have even registered in my awareness grew until they drowned out my thoughts. My heartbeat. His breathing. The glide of my dress against my skin. The scuff of his shoes on the floor.

Between the need aching in my core and the excitement—or maybe it was terror—feeding adrenaline into my blood, I could barely breathe by the time the elevator stopped. Sutton led me down the passageway to his cabin and unlocked the door, cracking it open a few inches before he turned.

"Are you sure..." His words faded as he searched my face.

Yeah, I was sure. I pushed him against the door, wincing a little when it banged back against the wall.

Whatever. If I did any damage, I would cover the repair cost. All I cared about at that moment was finally sating the hunger that had been gnawing at me since that very first kiss in the bar.