A knock at the door made her jump a foot in the air. She held a hand to her chest to calm her erratic heartbeat, then went to answer it.
When she opened the door, she found Elizabeth standing outside looking as fresh as a daisy. Her usual scent was stronger than normal, as if it had been freshly applied, and she had to resist the urge to drag her into the room and bury her nose in the crook of her neck.
“Whoa, what’s the matter? You’re as white as a ghost.” She pushed Billy back into the room and kicked the door shut. Taking her hand, Billy escorted her to the balcony and sat her down in one of the chairs.
“Sorry, I was a bit nervous waiting for you.” A glass of juice appeared in front of her and she picked it up and drank greedily from it. “I don’t know why I’m so out of sorts.”
Elizabeth took her chair and grinned at her over the dish covers. “There’s no need to be.”
When she regained some measure of control over herself, she poured them each more juice and cups of coffee. “I think it’s because I want to be completely honest with you about how I feel about kissing.” She sipped from her mug this time and sighed as the bitterness coated her tongue. “You see, to me, kissing is extremely intimate. I’ve never given myself completely to anyone who doesn’t understand that. Secondly, if you’re looking for a quick roll in the hay, then it won’t be with me. I’ve never been one to do one-night stands and I don’t intend to start now.”
“Billy, you’re an honourable person and I respect your straight-forwardness. I fully understand what you’re saying. I feel the same way about kissing. Honestly, I was a little worried that when I told you, it would put you off.”
Billy reached across the small table and captured her hand. She entwined their fingers and caressed the top Elizabeth’s hand with her thumb. “I’m glad we’re both reading from the same book, as it were. However, I won’t kiss you until the time is right. I want everything to be perfect for us. I hope that’s okay with you?”
Elizabeth squeezed her back. “As long as I can still kiss you on the cheek or hand, I can live with that.”
“Of course you can. This is just me being silly and stupid. But I love to kiss and I want the setting to be right so it will be something memorable, not something hurried.”
Elizabeth leaned down and kissed the top of her hand. “I think you’re the sweetest woman on earth and I can’t wait for us to get to know each other more.”
Billy let go of her and rose from the chair. With great theatrical flourish, she whipped the covers off the plates and bowls. “Let’s start over breakfast.”
They helped themselves to fresh fruit and Danishes. Billy placed a call down to the galley to have them send two portions of eggs benedict and extra toast to the room. Settled across from each other, they talked about their childhoods. Billy learned Elizabeth was thirty-four, originally from Reading, and an only child.
“It basically meant I had all of my mum and dad’s attention and hardly got away with anything.”
Billy laughed into her napkin. “I never got away with anything either and I’m the middle child of three. My mum misses nothing. Even now that I’m thirty-six, she still keeps up-to-date with what I have going on in my life by talking to Vanessa.”
She went on to explain that her family all lived in the village where she grew up and her brother and sister had children. When she mentioned Sarah, she saw the look of confusion on Elizabeth’s face. “I’ll tell you all about Aunt Sarah another time.” I’m still pretty raw. Please don’t ask me to explain more.
“Why wait?”
“It’s a long story, and it might upset me a little bit, which I don’t want to happen today.”
“Okay.”
Billy sighed in relief. The simplest of answers was all she needed to hear. Thank God she’s not going to press me further.
A knock rattled the door and Billy rose to answer it. A steward rolled a trolley into the room and placed three more plates on the table and cleared away what they’d finished. Once they were again alone, Billy retook her seat. She was shocked to find the plates uncovered and Elizabeth poised with her knife and fork ready to attack the buttery goodness before her.
“Sorry, I couldn’t wait. The aroma was driving me mad.”
“Go ahead.” She laughed loudly as she watched her attack her fresh eggs.
After the first mouthful, an erotic groan came from Elizabeth. “This is so good.” She waited for Billy to tuck into her own before resuming her line of questions. “So, where do you live?”
Billy scratched the back of her head bashfully and smiled. “I don’t have my own place. When I work, the organisations I’m hired by always pay for my accommodations. If I’m not working, I visit my folks and stay with them. I also have my own bedroom at Ness’s house.” Before she could ask any more questions, Billy laid a hand on top of hers. “Would you allow me to take you on a date tonight?”
Elizabeth nodded and smiled. She continued to chew the mouthful she’d taken.
“I thought we could go out to dinner, and afterwards we might check out one or two of the onboard bars or pubs.”
“I’d love that!” Elizabeth took a sip of coffee and cleared her throat. “Would you spend the day with me? I’d like to do some more exploring.”
“I’d love to. We’ll take the day as it comes and do whatever we find interesting.”
“Good idea. I’d kiss you right now for making this so easy, but I don’t know if I can be pulled away from my breakfast.” She shot Billy a cheeky wink, and Billy chuckled. “Let’s finish up here and get ready for the day. The sooner we get going, the quicker we discover what other delights the Princess Royal holds for us.”
Billy raised her coffee cup in salute before taking a sip. I think you’re the most delightful thing this ship has to offer.
Chapter Fourteen
Investigate and explore they did. Each floor held something new for them to fall in love with. One even had a soundproof room with a baby grand piano in it. Both of them hurried inside, and after tinkling with the keys and Elizabeth singing a scale, neither of them could stop grinning and each agreed they’d be making great use of it.
It was late in the afternoon when they returned to Billy’s cabin. She opened the door and gestured for Elizabeth to go first, then slammed the door behind them and slid the extra security lock into place with a loud clunk.
“Would you like a drink? I think I could use something.” She rummaged in the fridge and pulled out a small bottle of Talisker single malt whisky.
Her nerves were frayed. They’d spent the whole day together, laughing, joking, cuddling, holding hands, and learning more about each other. But right from the get-go something nagged at Billy. She couldn’t place what it was and concentrated her attention on Elizabeth.
When they found their way to the bow of the ship, she figured out what the problem was. The whole Titanic film cliché came to mind as she held Elizabeth in her arms, and they leaned over the railing to watch a pod of dolphins jump against the slight wave the ship created. It was a precious moment. That was, until she caught sight of Emma standing no more than ten feet away from them. Her phone was out and she was filming the dolphins. But when Billy turned away and then whipped back around, she realised her phone was in fact aimed at them.
Throughout the day, she kept catching glimpses of the woman. She’d tried to blend into the crowds of people on board but, was too easy to pick out. Her eyes were always on them, and her camera phone was never out of her hand. They’d passed her in a hallway when they realised they were heading in the wrong direction, and she had pretended to be taking a call.
She’d put a damper on the whole day. It was meant to be a day for discovery and new beginnings, but Billy couldn’t relax.
She dumped the small bottle in a tumbler and swallowed it back in one gulp. Her lips formed a tight line and she resisted the urge to cringe as a slow burn travelled up her throat.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Elizabeth put he
r hand on Billy’s arm and took the glass from her. “Something has been bothering you. I know you were trying to hide it, but I’ve come to recognise your body language when you’re happy. The rigid posture and straight back have been giving you away. Does it have anything to do with that ghastly woman from yesterday?”
“You saw her too?”
“Yes, but I chose to ignore her. The minute we show her any attention, she’s going to become worse.” She took two small bottles of vodka and orange juice from the fridge and passed Billy another whisky. “Sip this one.” When she’d poured her drink, she took Billy’s hand and led her to the small sofa. “It’s made me feel kind of dirty all day. I think we should ignore her and enjoy ourselves. Whatever we do, we’ll have fun. She’ll hardly be having a stellar time if she’s following us around all day.”
Billy took a sip from her glass. She sighed and relaxed into the supple cushion at her back. “You’re right. I’m just worried about why she’s doing this, and what ramifications it could have for us. I don’t trust her.”
“Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. I don’t want her to cast a dark cloud over our whole trip.” She stroked a soft trail down Billy’s cheek. “Come on, cheer up. We’re going on a date tonight and I can’t wait!”
The enthusiasm in her voice dispelled Billy’s discomfort, and she remembered the plan she had to give her date a romantic evening. She swallowed the last of her drink, put the glass on the table, and pulled Elizabeth into her arms so they could cuddle for a little while.
Vanessa would scream the house down with glee if she saw us like this. A devilish grin appeared on her lips as a sudden thought came to her. “How about we forget about Emma and have a little fun with Vanessa instead?”
“That sounds interesting.”
Billy searched around the room for her laptop. When she found it, she sat down in the tub chair near the desk and set it up.
“What exactly have you got planned?”
Her companion’s deer-in-the-headlights expression worried her. She reached out, took her hand, and leaned down to kiss her knuckles. “It’s nothing to worry about. Vanessa is the soul of discretion and won’t tell anyone you’re on the cruise. I thought I’d get back at her for all the teasing she’s put me through over the little crush I had on you…which is now a whopping huge one. I really want to see her face when she sees you.”
“Okay, but only if you pick me up early tonight so I can do the same with Jane.”
She was more than happy with the arrangement.
With their plans laid, Billy asked her to stay out of shot until she motioned for her to join her on the seat. A couple of clicks later, and a beeping tone sounded from the laptop to indicate Vanessa was waiting. She opened the screen and sat face-to-face with her friend.
Vanessa’s smile lit up the screen. “Hey! I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”
“This was a brilliant idea of yours, and thank you for getting me one of the best cabins.”
“You’re welcome. Now tell me: are there many bikini-clad beauties lining the deck checking you out?”
“Not really. I think they’re all sick or something. They don’t seem to notice me. But then again, I haven’t donned my bikini yet.” Her head snapped up and her gaze locked with Elizabeth’s when she heard a small groan from her side. A giggle slipped from her lips as she saw her sitting on the chair with her hands raised in prayer.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like a giddy schoolgirl?”
“I’m not.” She poked her tongue out playfully at the camera.
A couple of sniggers sounded from her side. When she looked over again, she saw Elizabeth biting her quivering lips to quell the no-doubt robust laughter she wanted to set free.
“Hang on a minute.” Vanessa moved closer to her screen and scrutinised her. “You’ve got that lovesick hormonal teenager vibe about you. Don’t tell me you’ve managed to snag a beauty by not wearing your bikini?”
She blushed at the description. Elizabeth lost her control and laughed loudly at the assessment.
“Hang on. She’s there with you, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is. Would you like to say hi?” She held her hand out to her side and invited Elizabeth to join her. When she was closer, Billy tugged her onto her lap so they were both in shot. “Vanessa, I’d like you to meet Beth.” She bit her lip and peered up at the ceiling. A questioning frown appeared on her face when she looked at Elizabeth. “I should say again, shouldn’t I?”
“Hello, Vanessa. It’s nice to see you…again.”
They both watched as Vanessa’s mouth flew open. She sat back in her chair, screamed, and kicked her legs in the air.
“Holy ever-loving crap! I can’t believe Elizabeth Knight is on your lap!” She laughed crazily but stopped as quickly as she’d started. “Hang on. I thought you said she was straight?”
“I got it wrong. Boy, did I ever!” She laughed and kissed Elizabeth’s cheek.
Elizabeth tightened her hold on Billy. “I thought she was straight, too.”
“Jesus! I can’t believe it.”
The silly grin on her face fell away when she turned from admiring the woman on her lap. “This needs to stay between us. We don’t want to be mobbed while stuck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.”
Elizabeth slipped off her lap and kissed her on top of the head. “I know you’ve just had two whiskies, but would you like a glass of wine?”
“Thanks, a small one would be nice.”
The sound of Vanessa clearing her throat drew their attention back to the screen. “It was nice to see you again, Elizabeth.”
Billy watched Elizabeth walk away from her before she returned her attention to her friend. “Oh, there’s one more thing that can’t happen. You cannot tell my mum. You know what she’s like with all things concerning Elizabeth Knight. Throw in a bit of gossip about my love life, and she’ll be having a heart attack or getting on the next flight to New York. I promise to tell her when I call her next. I need to reiterate the fact that she can’t say anything to anyone.”
“Holy fucking shit, Bill, I still can’t believe it!”
“I know. I’m a lucky girl.”
A snigger from across the room made Billy shake her head.
“I can hear you both, you know.” Elizabeth carried their glasses across the room and once Billy had hers, she sat back across her lap. “I think I’m the lucky one here. She’s amazing, Vanessa, and so loving and caring.”
“I already know that. I’m just happy she’s showing that to other people now.” She shook her head as Billy kissed Elizabeth’s cheek, then ran her fingers across her forehead. “If one of you comes home pregnant, I’m going to disown you both!”
Billy’s cheeks heated as Vanessa laughed hysterically. “Trust you and your warped sense of humour to ruin a lovely moment. Now that you’ve managed to embarrass me enough, I’ll sign off and call you again in a few days. Please let the others know I’m okay. Oh, and don’t forget, you can’t mention who’s in my room.”
“Will do and I’m sorry if I embarrassed you, Elizabeth.”
“Don’t worry.” She waved Vanessa’s apology off. “But remember one thing…payback is a bitch.”
Vanessa was staring dumbfounded at the screen. Billy grinned as she waved and then logged off. She looked at Elizabeth and, as one, they burst into giggles.
“That’ll teach her.”
They sat still and finished their wine, neither of them inclined to move and spoil the closeness.
“I can’t wait for our date tonight.” She placed a kiss on the soft, tantalising skin of Elizabeth’s neck, just behind her ear. “Romance is the theme of the night I have planned for us. However, I’d like for us to be able to dance together, so don’t get too dressed up. With the work we do, I think it’s time to let our hair down.”
Elizabeth took hold of her face with both hands and stared deep into her eyes. “That sounds perfect.” Her head lowered, and as their lips wer
e about to meet, she veered to the side and groaned. She placed a kiss on Billy’s cheek, close to the corner of her mouth. “I swear that if you don’t kiss me soon, I’m going to go crazy.”
***
It took Elizabeth an hour of rearranging her clothes to decide on the perfect outfit for their first date. After she took a shower, she dried her hair and styled it. Her makeup bag was open on the vanity table. She wanted her look to be subtle. Billy had already seen her dressed to the nines in her performance garb, so tonight she was going to show her a softer side.
A knock at the door stopped her as she was about to apply a thin layer of blusher. With the belt to her robe cinched tighter around her waist, she swept the door open to find a waiter with a cart behind him.
“Oh! Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” She blushed at her blasé attitude of opening the door when she didn’t know who it actually was. But it didn’t appear that the waiter minded.
“That’s quite alright, ma’am. I’ve been instructed to deliver this to your room.”
When she peered over his shoulder, she saw a large silver wine cooler, and the neck of a green bottle poked out from underneath a thick cream-colored napkin. She stepped aside and he wheeled it in and left it at the foot of the bed.
“Thank you.” She rummaged in her bag and pulled out a crumbled five pound note. After showing him out, she shut the door walked over to the trolley. Two glasses sat next to the bucket, along with a small piece of paper with the blue and white cruise company logo on it. Shit! He didn’t tell me who it was from. Hopefully it’s not from that bloody whacko Emma! She unfolded the note. A quick breath left her lungs as her shoulders lowered. Huh, I didn’t realise I’d become so tense. Her gaze landed on the last word on the page, and she licked her lips at the thought of the tall woman in the next cabin.
To be enjoyed before we go out. Don’t start without me! B xxx
Composing Love Page 13
