Chapter Twelve

Dylan

The morning sun streams through the curtains, painting Caress’s skin in a warm glow. I trace lazy patterns on her back, savoring these quiet moments before our last day on the Infinity Voyager begins. Her steady breathing and the gentle rocking of the ship lull me into a peaceful trance.

“Mm, morning,” Caress mumbles, nuzzling closer.

I plant a soft kiss on her forehead. “Morning, beautiful.”

She lifts her head, a mischievous glint in her eye. “You know, we could just stay here all day. Skip the farewell party entirely.”

The temptation to do exactly that nearly overwhelms me. But I know we can’t hide away forever, no matter how appealing the idea might be.

“As much as I’d love to,” I say, “we should probably make an appearance. After all, we have a lot to celebrate.”

Caress’s smile softens. “We do, don’t we?”

The past few days have been a whirlwind of emotion, from the initial tension of our fake relationship to the explosive revelation of our true feelings. Now, on the cusp of returning to the real world, I find myself both excited and nervous about what the future holds.

We drag ourselves out of bed and get ready for the day, stealing kisses and lingering touches as we move around each other. It’s amazing how quickly we’ve fallen into this comfortable domesticity as if we’ve been doing this dance for years instead of days.

As we make our way to the Aqua Aura Pool Bar for the farewell brunch, I can’t help but marvel at how different things feel compared to our first night on the ship. The weight of pretense has lifted, replaced by a deep sense of contentment.

“Well, well. If it isn’t the happy couple.”

Trevor’s sneering voice cuts through the pleasant buzz of conversation around us. I feel Caress tense beside me, but before I can step in, she surprises me by squaring her shoulders and turning to face him.

“What do you want, Trevor?” Her voice is steady, none of the fear from our previous encounters present.

He leers at her, his gaze roaming over her body in a way that makes my blood boil. “Just wondering if you’ve come to your senses yet, baby. You know this little fling won’t last once you’re back on dry land.”

I open my mouth to retort, but Caress beats me to it.

“First of all,” she says, her tone sharp, “I’m not your ‘baby.’ Second, what Dylan and I have is none of your business. And third, the only thing I’ve come to my senses about is how much better off I am without you in my life.”

Pride swells in my chest as I watch her stand up to him. This is the Caress I’ve always known was there, strong and fierce and utterly captivating.

Trevor’s face contorts with anger. He takes a menacing step forward, towering over Caress. “You ungrateful little-”

I move to intervene, but once again, Caress surprises me. She doesn’t back down, instead matching his stance and lifting her chin defiantly.

“Go ahead, Trevor,” she says, her voice low and dangerous. “Man up or shut up.”

For a moment, tension crackles in the air between them. Then, almost imperceptibly, Trevor falters. His gaze flicks between Caress and me, uncertainty replacing his earlier bravado.

“You’re not worth it anyway,” he mutters, before turning tail and storming off.

As soon as he’s out of sight, I pull Caress into my arms. “God, you’re amazing,” I murmur into her hair. “I’m so proud of you for standing up to him like that.”

She melts into my embrace, a small tremor running through her body. “I couldn’t have done it without you,” she says. “You’ve helped me find my voice again.”

A throat clearing behind us makes us both jump. We turn to find Joel standing there, an unreadable expression on his face.

“That was… impressive, Cari,” he says, a hint of admiration in his voice. Then he turns to me, his expression softening. “Dylan, I owe you an apology. I was out of line the other day. I thought I was protecting Caress, but I see now that I went about it all wrong.”

Relief washes over me. “It’s okay, man. I get it. You were just looking out for her.”

Joel nods, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, well, it’s pretty clear she doesn’t need me to do that anymore. Not when she’s got you in her corner.”

I wrap an arm around Caress’s waist, pulling her close. “I promise you, Joel, I’m going to do everything in my power to be there for her, in every way I know how. She’s the most precious thing in my world.”

“I know,” Joel says, his smile growing. “I can see that now. Just… be good to each other, okay?”

As Joel walks away, I turn to Caress, overwhelmed by the love I feel for this incredible woman. “It’s true, you know. You are the most precious thing in my world. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I swear I’m going to spend everyday making sure you know how much I love you.”

Caress’s eyes shine with unshed tears. “I love you too, Dylan. More than I ever thought possible.”

We spend the rest of the day soaking in the last moments of our cruise, stealing quiet moments between farewell festivities. As the sun begins to set, painting the sky in brilliant hues of orange and pink, we find ourselves back on our balcony, reminiscent of that first morning when everything changed.

“It’s funny,” Caress muses, leaning back against my chest as we watch the coastline grow closer. “If you had told me a week ago that this is how our trip would end, I would have thought you were crazy.”

I chuckle, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Sometimes the best things in life are the ones we don’t see coming.”

She turns in my arms, her expression suddenly serious. “Dylan, what happens when we get back? With work, and… everything?”

I cup her face in my hands, making sure she can see the conviction in my eyes. “We figure it out together. I know it won’t always be easy, but as long as we’re on the same team, we can handle anything life throws at us.”

A slow smile spreads across her face. “Promise?”

“Promise,” I say, sealing it with a kiss.

As the Infinity Voyager docks and we prepare to disembark, I find myself filled with an overwhelming sense of anticipation. This cruise may be ending, but our real journey is just beginning. And with Caress by my side, I know it’s going to be the adventure of a lifetime.

Hand in hand, we step off the ship and into our future, whole-hearted and ready for whatever comes next.