3. June

3

JUNE

Am I really doing this?

I eyed Sutton. The guy was all kinds of eye candy. Tall, unruly dark hair, and a smirk that made me want to squeeze my thighs together. He had that broody air to him that twisted my insides into hot little knots, and intricate tattoos running up both arms.

Guys who looked like him were trouble. Just ask my mom about my biological father—the big, broody badass who'd bailed on her the second he found out she was pregnant with me. It was cliche as hell, but he was all the reason I needed to avoid the bad boys, no matter how gorgeous they were.

And Sutton was all kinds of sexy.

I glanced down at my drink. How much gin did Reggie put in this damned thing? More than enough to dull my inhibitions for sure.

A distant alarm pinged in my mind, but I muffled the annoying chime as best I could.

It wasn't like we would be dating for real.

The drone of the crowd swelled around me, and I pulled my half-empty drink closer, cradling it to my chest as if it were some magical ward that would keep me safe from Sutton's charms. "Maybe we should go somewhere quieter to hash out the details?"

The idea of approaching this guy and making my pitch sounded great, in theory. In reality, I was way out of my depth.

He raked one scarred hand through his hair. "There's a world-famous steakhouse on board. Can I buy you dinner?"

"You don't seem to understand the concept of all-inclusive." I meant it as a tease, but my nerves were burning right through my buzz, so it came out threaded with a little more bitchiness that I'd intended.

"I'll let you in on a secret." He leaned closer, his dark blue eyes seeming to glow in the ambient light of the busy martini bar. "This is my first cruise."

A relieved laugh bubbled out of me. "Same here."

"Good."

I quirked my head. "Why is that good?"

"It gives us a lot of exploring to do. What better way to make people think we're dating than to wander around this fine ship together?"

"A kiss would probably be easier." And more efficient. When I realized I'd said the first part out loud, a rush of heat flared up my neck. "I didn't mean..."

Sutton stood without a word and edged into my space. Even perched on the tall barstool as I was, the guy towered over me. He moved slowly, projecting his intent as clear as day. His big hand chased fire across my skin with a feather light touch that drifted up my arm and over my shoulder, until he held the side of my face in his palm. His thumb stroked a soft line across my cheek.

It was the most sensual touch I'd felt in ages, and my eyes fluttered closed.

"Something like this?" he whispered.

A ripple of goosebumps danced across my skin. I should have said no. It was too much. Too intimate.

Too tempting.

I swallowed and forced my eyes open. "I'll give you points for being convincing."

Without breaking eye contact, his hand reversed course, leaving a trail of delicious heat in its wake. He picked up my hand and brought it to his lips. "It's easy with a woman like you."

The kiss he pressed to my knuckles made my knees wobble, but that was nothing compared to the way other parts of my body reacted to his touch. And his voice. And the way he looked at me, like he wanted to devour me right there in the bar.

I was playing with fire.

My fake dating proposal was supposed to save me from a week of awkward greetings and stumbling conversations. Now, I had a feeling the real trick would be making it through the rest of this cruise without getting burned.

I wasn't oblivious to my mom's struggles growing up. She worked herself to the bone providing for me. While I would love her forever for being who she was, the last thing I wanted was to end up like her, a broken-hearted single mom scraping to get by.

Sutton was still holding my hand when he quirked his head. "Come to dinner with me?"

Right. The steakhouse. I nodded, but only because I didn't trust my voice.

Who the hell was this guy anyway? From the way he'd acted earlier, I thought he would be relatively harmless, but I was realizing Sutton Rafferty wasn't some scared animal in a trap. He was a wolf through and through, and I was the foolish bunny who'd asked him to come play with me.

He gave my hand a gentle tug, and I stood. "I should tell Missy..." I started, but the words faded when I looked out across the bar and saw her watching me with a mischievous smirk.

"I think she already knows," Sutton said.

"But I should still tell her where we're going."

"Of course." After a heavy pause, he released my hand. "I'll touch base with Brandon and meet you at the entrance?"

My heart was buzzing like a cicada in my chest. I nodded. Tried to breathe.

Sutton's responding smile was infectious, and I caught myself smiling back. Oh yeah, he was definitely trouble. Then he turned and headed across the bar to catch up with his friend.

Missy didn't waste a minute. She glided over, her heels glittering almost as much as her eyes. "Girl..."

I held up a hand. "We're going to dinner at the steakhouse. That's all."

She was clearly trying to hold in her excitement. It damn near bubbled out of her. "Pay attention to how he treats the wait staff."

"I've been on plenty of dates before. I think I can remember how to spot a jerk."

"And when exactly was your last real date?"

It had been years, but that wasn't the point. "Fine," I said. "Even though this is literally a first date on a cruise ship, with a guy I'll probably never see again, I will watch him. But you do realize he could be the picture of politeness just trying to impress me and still turn out to be an ass, right?"

In truth, I was kind of hoping that was how it went. It would make it that much easier to keep some emotional distance between us.

"Let's hope he's not, for his sake." That was Missy—bold, bossy, and never afraid to say what was on her mind. She'd lost some of her luster during the divorce, and it was nice to see her inner fire warming up again.

"If he turns out to be a jerk, I can always leave." I eyed the trio of men who were waiting on her. "Besides, you have your own suitors to vet."

She tossed a glance over her shoulder, her blond hair swishing with the move. "Those three? They don't stand a chance. Way too shallow, but they are fun to talk to." She leveled me with a serious look. "Do you have your phone?"

I nodded.

"Text me if you need me to save you or if you leave the steakhouse. If I don't hear from you in," she checked the imaginary watch on her wrist, "two hours, I will come looking for you."

"Yes, mom," I mocked, though her protectiveness was sweet.

"I know you're some big, tough disaster relief woman in real life?—"

"Emergency relief coordinator," I corrected.

She waved me off. "You're also the closest thing I have to a sister, and I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to you on my watch."

I opened my mouth to tell her nothing would happen but snapped it shut before the words slipped out. Tempting fate seemed like a bad idea in the middle of the ocean. "I'll be careful, and I'll check in." I traced an ‘X' over my heart. "Promise. As long as you promise to text me if you leave here."

Missy nodded once. "Deal, and afterward, I expect to hear all about your date."

Of course she did.

On my way out, I was stopped twice by guys looking to chat. The first one was friendly enough, though I could barely hear my own voice over the din when I told him I had other plans.

The second, on the other hand, seemed to take my very polite refusal as a personal attack on his manhood, going so far as to stand between me and the exit. All he managed to do was piss me off. I'd dealt with my fair share of assholes over the years, but the entitled ones were the worst. As if their mere interest in me meant I owed them my time or attention.

I was about to shove past him when a scarred hand landed on his shoulder and moved him aside. Rather than make a scene defending my honor, Sutton just stepped in front of the guy, wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, and pressed his lips to mine.

It was a chaste kiss by most standards. No groping or tongues tangling, but the possessiveness in it kicked my pulse up a few notches.

He pulled back, his focus entirely on me, as if the guy behind him wasn't boring a hole in the back of his head with that glare. "Are you ready?"

I nodded, because even if I'd found the words I wanted to say, I didn't trust my voice. He took my hand, laced our fingers together, and turned to lead me out without casting so much as a sideways glance at the jerk who'd been standing in my way.

Once the glowing sign for the Opulent Oasis Martini Bar was at our backs and the spike of adrenaline was fading, I pulled my hand free. "I could have taken care of that guy on my own."

"I have no doubt," Sutton replied.

"Then why did you kiss me?"

He paused to study me with a smolder that made the ache pulsing between my thighs that much worse. "If we're going to make this thing look convincing, I have to be me, and deep down, I'm a possessive sonofabitch."

Yeah, I'd picked up on that. "Next time, ask first."

He blinked a few times and straightened. The fire in his expression dimmed. "You are absolutely right. I'm sorry."

It was a genuine apology, but a twisted little part of me didn't really care. That kiss, that possessiveness, did something to me.

I liked it.

My inner diva wanted to preen over being desired like that.

None of the guys I'd dated in my past were even the slightest bit possessive, and that was my choice. I'd always been attracted to guys who looked like Sutton. Big, tattooed, bordering on frightening when you got close, but after seeing what my mom went through, I never let myself date them.

Guys like Sutton were my naughty little fantasy, a secret kept between me and my vibrator.

Out in the real world, I only dated good guys. The nice, dependable type.

Safe.

And safe wasn't a word that came to mind when I looked at Sutton.

"Next time," he said, his serious expression softening into a subtle smirk, "I will make sure I have your explicit permission."

I rubbed my lips together, fighting the urge to squeeze my thighs for the added bit of friction my body craved. "Good." Then I pulled in a deep breath, centered myself, and looked down the corridor. "Now, where can we find this steakhouse?"