by DRAYER, GINA
"I hear the couples massage package is great. Too bad you don't have a girlfriend Matt." Then a few minutes later. "Hey, why don't we go to the bar and do that game show. Darn. Tonight's couples only. I guess Matt wouldn't be able to join us."
Matt was over family time. The rest of the dinner went as smoothly as to be expected with only two spilled drinks, one bread basket on the floor, and a toddler meltdown. By the time the Carver family was winding down, the waiter had looked as ragged as Matt felt.
"I'm going to slip out before dessert," Matt said, standing up. "I still need to unpack and I'd like to get settled in." And just to give himself an added buffer he added, "I think I'm going to sleep in tomorrow, so don't look for me at breakfast. I'll meet you guys for the tour."
"But sweetheart…"
"Mom, there will be plenty of time for family meals. I promise. There are just a few things I'd like to do in the morning."
Jason shot him a wolfish grin and gave him a thumbs up. Figures Jason would assume that the things Matt wanted to do tomorrow morning was Beth. An image of her silky black hair spread across his pillow flashed through his mind. He fingered the keycard in his pocket. The idea did have its merits.
Bridget tilted her head and eyed her husband. "Is there something going on Matt?" she asked looking between him and his brother.
"I promise not to miss the tour." Matt crossed his heart. "I just want my morning free. I'm going to check out the fitness center and maybe go for a swim."
"Matt can keep himself occupied. Who knows? Maybe we'll have other things to do in the morning, too," Jason said and waggled his eyebrows.
"Jason." She shook her head and sighed. "Is that all you ever think about?"
Matt took this as his cue to slip away. As he made his way to the bank of elevators, he began to rethink going to Beth's stateroom. They could talk about this over the phone. Being alone in her room, seemed too intimate, especially after imagining how fuckable she'd be first thing in the morning. It would probably be better if they talk about this over the phone.
But, a little voice in his head hedged. She was the one who'd asked him down, and he wanted to respect her wishes. After all, she was doing him a favor, without expecting anything in return. It was the least he could do.
But even that didn't stop Matt from thinking about being alone with her in the small stateroom, with the bed. Or the way her lips tasted, and how nice her body had felt against his. Maybe it would be best to have her join him in the bar for a drink or maybe a walk on deck. Deciding to give her the option, Matt knocked on the door.
He heard a loud thud and a scream. Then Beth was shouting from the other side of the door. "Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit."
"Beth?" He pounded on the door harder. The swearing continued and then a loud crash. Something was seriously wrong, so he used the key she'd given him. "Beth? Where are you? Are you okay?"
He searched the room for signs of trouble. But to be honest it was hard to tell if anything was amiss. It looked as if her baggage had exploded in the room. There were clothes draped over every surface. Shoes and books littered the floor. Maybe she had been buried under the wreckage? Matt took a few tentative steps into the room, and the bathroom door swung open with a crash.
"Matt?" Beth stumbled out, dazed. "Thank God you're here."
Matt was speechless. Beth was wearing a white tee shirt and panties, and they were sopping wet. The thin cotton was plastered to her skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. Dark rosy nipples poked through the fabric intently, and drops of water trailed down her long tan legs. The whole image was a school boy's wet dream.
"I'll come back later," he said, inching his way out of the room still unable to break his gaze away from her body.
"Don't you dare leave. I need a hand with this mess." She grabbed a towel from a stack on the bed and tried to dry herself off, but it wasn't doing any good. As a matter of fact, she was making it worse. Watching her smooth the towel down her long legs was a special kind of torture itself. "I finally got the water shut off, but it's a disaster in there."
He peeked around the corner of the door into the small bathroom. Several inches of bubbles covered the floor and there was water dripping from the walls.
"What happened?"
Beth tossed the rest of the towels on the floor, trying, without much luck, to contain the torrent of suds. "I don't know what I was thinking. I thought if I sat on the toilet and stretched my legs into the shower; I would be able to shave my legs." She started to laugh and covered her face. "When you knocked, I slipped off the toilet and onto the floor. In the process, I spilled the whole bottle of body wash and"—she pointed to the broken hose hanging from the wall—"managed to yank the shower wand off the wall." She tossed her hands up and gave a graceful curtsy. It was a mess, but Matt couldn't help but laugh.
Beth lit up with a brilliant smile. It was the same smile just before she'd kissed him, and Matt decided it was time to make a hasty retreat before he did something he'd regret.
"You obviously have your hands full. My problem can wait. Why don't you call me in the morning and we can have breakfast?"
"Don't be silly," she said and tossed the towel she was holding onto the floor with the rest. "The water is off and look, I managed to soak up most of the mess with the towels. I'll call the steward and he can have someone fix it in the morning. You and I, on the other hand, need to come up with a plan or this little ruse you have going on will backfire."
"It's late and you need to change." He tried again. This time, taking a step backward. "Really. My problem can wait until the morning. I'm already asking a lot from you."
She looked down and pulled the soaking fabric away from her chest. "I do need something dry." Pushing the mound of towels away from the door, she closed the bathroom and walked further into the cabin. "We should talk tonight. The cat's already out of the bag and we need to get our story straight. Stay for a drink. I promise not to break anything else."
Beth waved Matt into the room. Assuming he'd follow her, she picked up the cabin phone and called customer service, telling them about the problem with her shower. Rummaging through the pile of clothing on the bed, she found a pair of shorts and slid them on. Then without even acknowledging his presence, she pulled the wet shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor.
She may have been across the room, but the cabin wasn't that big. Hell, he was close enough to see the water clinging to her back from where he stood.
"I should wait in the hall," he said, trying, and failing, to look at anything but her bare back.
"Don't be silly." Beth glanced over her shoulder before pulling a tank top off the small sofa and laughed. "It's not as if you didn't get an eyeful earlier. That shirt was soaked and completely see through." Dressed now, she picked up a bottle of wine and two glasses that sat on the dresser. "It doesn't bother me. Living conditions at most of my work sites are anything but private. I usually have to share a ten-by-ten hut with four other people. And then there's the lack of indoor plumbing. Modesty is the first thing you give up when you go into aid work."
Matt was still glued to the spot. She couldn't be serious. They hadn't even started this little charade, and he already felt like he'd lost control.
"Maybe this was a mistake."
Beth ignored him and opened the sliding door to the veranda. She sat down on the deck chair and proceeded to pour them both a glass of wine.
"If you want to call it off, that's fine," she said and patted the chair next to hers. "But there was a reason you asked. Why don't you come out here and tell me about it. We either need to come up with a plan or a creative story as to why you'd tell your brother I was your girlfriend." She took a drink, mulling over the problem. "Maybe I'm a stalker. I could have followed you on this trip? Playing a spurned lover could be fun."
She was right. He'd already said something to his brother, so he needed some kind of story. He took the glass she'd offered and sat down. She didn't push the conversation, and he
sat there sipping wine and enjoying the night breeze off the water. It was comfortable just sitting next to her easy stillness. And for the first time since leaving Chicago, Matt relaxed.
Beth watched Matt for a long time trying to figure him out. He was confident and charming, but he seemed uncomfortable around people.
She'd watched him tonight at dinner from across the dining room. He'd been more engaged on the plane with her. But with his family, the guy seemed to melt into the background. The sad thing was, no one in his family seemed to notice.
They were a loud bunch, that was for sure. And everyone, save for his brother, seemed to steamroll over Matt. So when he'd asked to be rescued earlier, she wasn't surprised. Now she wanted to know the why.
"So Matt," Beth said softly, breaking the silence. "I get the family thing. I have issues with my own family, but why the lie? If it's just about that girl your mom's trying to fix you up with, why not just tell her you're not interested?"
Matt sighed and put down the glass. "I love my family. They're just… a lot to handle. On top of that, I can't say no to my mother." He raked a hand through his hair, causing it to stand on end. It was a gesture he did a lot. "Mom misses us. This is the first time we've all been together since my brother's wedding a year ago. And Mom's medical issues are getting worse, so there's always that possibility that this will be the last time. Everyone is trying to make this trip nice for my folks. But it won't be if she tries to play matchmaker the whole time. She's worried about me. I get that, but God love her, she picks out the worst women to introduce to me."
Beth hid her grin behind the wine glass. At first blush, his ploy may have seemed selfish, but she had to give him credit, he was doing it for his mom. Matt was the real deal; a genuine nice guy.
"I'm in. It's not like I have much else to do." Beth slumped down in the deck chair and went limp like a four-year-old exhausted by the world. "You can't even imagine how boring it is to be on this ship alone. I've walked the ship twenty times already. And I'm stuck at a table with this elderly couple. The wife, Gladys, is hard of hearing and the husband, Charles, picks his teeth with his knife. With his knife! You're saving me from a fate worse than death."
That got him to smile. He was back on board with the plan and they spent the next hour hashing out their faux relationship. How they met. How long they'd been dating. Why she'd never met his family. Luckily most of that could be explained by her job. Since she was constantly traveling, she knew first-hand how hard it was to keep a relationship going. But for a fake relationship, it worked.
After several hours of talking, they'd killed off two bottles of wine and had a solid plan. "There's just one last thing," she said. She finished the remains of her wine before continuing. "I think we should talk about the kiss tonight."
"I was way out of line," Matt said, before she could continue. "I shouldn't have gone that far. You just caught me by surprise."
Now that was surprising. Beth had practically jumped him. She wasn't blind to the fact Matt was all kinds of sexy, but she also didn't want there to be any misunderstanding.
"Matt, that's going to be part of this arrangement, and I'm fine with that. I understand it doesn't mean there is anything else between us." Beth needed the reminder, too. Touching was just part of the role, but the thought of kissing him again made her insides go warm. Reaching over, she caressed his leg and Matt jumped away. She almost laughed. "How do you expect people to believe we're a couple if we aren't affectionate to one another?"
"I don't think that will be a problem. I'm not big on public displays of affection."
"If you want this to work, we have to make it believable. You can't jump every time I touch you."
"I'm not sure a repeat kiss is a good idea." He stood up and looked down to where she was still sitting. "I'm glad we worked this out, but it's late and I should go. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know when I need you to make an appearance." Without waiting for her, Matt turned and headed for the door.
Maybe she should have been thankful for the reprieve, but Beth was a little miffed by his sudden detachment. She couldn't help but feel dismissed by his cool tone, and she wasn't about to have that. She hopped out of the deck chair and caught him before he made it to the door. Matt stepped away, staring at her like she'd lost her mind. And maybe she had if the next thing she said was any indication.
"You might not like public displays, but two adults who've supposedly shared a bed should be comfortable with each other." Beth leaned close, getting into his space, and ran her hand down his chest. "You're not afraid of me are you?"
"Stop." Matt grabbed her hand and pressed in against her side. She'd been trying to make a point, but maybe she'd pushed him too far. Matt stared down at her and let out a long, frustrated sigh.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Beth thought they were darker in the low cabin light. They reminded her of the rainforest in Brazil, lush and dangerous. "Maybe you're the one who should be afraid."
He lowered his head and kissed her. His kiss was soft for only a moment before something more urgent took over. The world fell away, and the only thing left was Matt's lips pressed against hers.
He nipped her lower lip and then drew it into his mouth to suck it gently and soothe it with the tip of his tongue. Soon, he released her hand and slid his around to her ass, drawing her in closer. The shift in her center of gravity threw Beth off balance, and she found herself clinging to him.
At this point, she should have told him to stop, or at the very least pushed him away, but the urgent press of his hips against hers made all rational thought disappear. It had been too long, and her fingers had nothing on the feel of him pressed against her center. She'd never been kissed like this, and it left her reeling.
Now she had no choice. Her feelings had given her rational brain the boot and were now in charge. It was mutiny, plain and simple.
Matt moved his attention away from her lips, sucking at her jaw, down to her neck where her pulse was hammering out of control. She tilted her head, granting him more access. Obviously not needing any more signals, Matt slid a hand under her shirt and traced her bare skin.
Pushing the shirt up more, he bent, licking a line down her neck to her now exposed breasts. Beth drew in a sharp breath as he grazed his teeth across her nipple, and sucked. Evidently her voice was now on board, because she started to give him instructions. "Yes. Harder," she moaned. "Right there."
He looked up at her, green eyes molten now, and blew the wet nipple until it formed a hardened peak. Her whole body shivered under that look, and he rewarded her with a wicked grin. Maybe her body had the right idea. Beth yanked the shirt completely off and pushed him back toward the bed.
And then the universe poured a cold bucket of water on the whole party.
"Ms. Beth." Candido knocked on the door. "Ms. Beth, they said you had an issue with the bathroom. I can take care of that now."
The warmth in Matt's eyes was gone, and he took several steps back from Beth. "I shouldn't be here," he said and retrieved her shirt from the floor. He somehow managed to hand it back to her without touching her or making eye contact.
They'd been just a few seconds away from being naked on her bed, and now there was a cold distance between them. His sudden withdrawal hurt more than it should. "Matt…"
"I'm sorry. I overstepped. This won't happen again," he said and pushed past her to the door.
The knock came again, and Beth pulled on her shirt. "Matt," she called after him, but he was out the door before she could say anything.
Candido stuck his head in through the now open door. "Ms. Beth, I'm sorry to disturb you," he said, looking guilt-stricken.
Beth let out an exasperated sigh. Fuck. Fuck. And Double Fuck. "Come on in, Candido. I've made a mess of things." And she meant that in more ways than one.
Chapter 4
Modern Girl Tip #12: Family Matters—After a connection has been made, you might be tempted to
meet the people traveling with your fling. Don't. Nothing says "serious" like meeting the folks. Playful, not proper, is the name of the game.
Beth, more specifically the memory of her body, had haunted him all night. The situation was already a nightmare. The last thing he needed was to add sex to the mix. And it wouldn't take much to stray into dangerously personal territory, last night just proved that.
She'd just been trying to taunt him, trying to push him into staying, and he'd wanted to teach her a lesson. He thought if he called her bluff and kissed her, it would prove that getting physical was a bad idea. Unfortunately, the plan backfired. The second he tasted her again and she responded to his touch, it was all over. His rational mind left and his only goal had been to get her naked. Thank God they'd been interrupted or he would have done something that he couldn't take back.
He had tried to call her this morning; to apologize and let her know that he was calling the whole thing off, but she didn't answer. Not that he blamed her for avoiding him after the way he'd acted last night. And especially the way he'd left without a word.
There was something about Beth that made him forget himself. She had an unusual mixture of boldness and vulnerability, and when you added to that mix her passion, she was irresistible.
His head ached from lack of sleep and he wasn't up for a trip to the gym this morning, so he decided to head down to breakfast with his family. But that was a mistake. As soon as he sat down, his mom started in.
"So Matt, Kitty seems like such a nice girl."
Since he had no other option now, Matt decided to follow Beth's advice and just tell his mother to back off.
"Mom, I don't need help finding a date. And even if I did, Kitty wouldn't—"
"You two run in the same social circles and she's single. You never know. You should spend some more time getting to know her." She turned to Bridget and asked, "Is Kitty joining us this morning, dear?"
