Circle in the Sand (Oceanic Dreams #3)

by Tracy Krimmer

  My heart raced as I tried to catch my breath. My leg started to itch, and I scratched it. Voices traveled outside my body, and I heard water splashing. No. This had to happen. I couldn’t wake up from this.

  “Look out!” I heard in the distance.

  Look out? No. Keep on coming, Asher. His lips were just about to touch mine when he spoke. “Really, there’s something on your leg.”

  What? My eyes fluttered open. I wasn’t in my cabin, and Asher wasn’t about to kiss me. He was nowhere in sight. Something was on my chair, though. A long, furry thing. What in the heck? Was that a ferret? It scurried across my leg. I hopped out of the chair as I screamed and stumbled backward. I couldn’t catch myself. Before I knew it, I landed in the pool with a big splash.

  Fully clothed. With my shoes on. I was soaked.

  “Oh my gosh.” A man came running toward me along with someone from the crew. “Are you okay?”

  I gripped the side of the pool deck and pulled myself up, the weight of my clothes trying their hardest to sink me back into the water. The man offered his hand, but I ignored him, using all my strength to push up onto the deck. I hoisted the rest of my body up and rolled over before I stood, my clothes a drenched mess. “I’m fine. Just a little embarrassed. And wet.”

  Another person ran toward me with a towel. “What was that that ran across your feet?” she asked. “It went so fast I didn't quite see it. I just saw the shadow of something.”

  “I don't know. I think it might've been a ferret.”

  “What is a ferret doing on the ship?”

  “I don't know. A service animal perhaps?” These days people had weird service animals. From peacocks to goats, a ferret wouldn’t be too extraordinary I guessed. I highly doubted it, though. Maybe the ferret was stowing away, running from a life of unhappiness and without love. That sounded familiar.

  I thanked the strangers for helping me, hoping I would not run in to them the entire rest of the cruise. God, I hoped no one caught video of what happened. The last thing I needed was this showing up on Facebook or YouTube or something.

  I needed to change. At this point, I didn’t care if that chick was naked on the bed in our room. I had to put something different on. Even after drying off as best I could, the water still squished beneath my feet as I walked back to the room.

  I didn’t hesitate this time when I opened the door, not giving one crap what I walked into. That woman wasn’t there, though. Asher was on the bed, only in his boxer briefs, his legs spread out as he lay on his stomach, his arms under the pillow and his head facing to the left. He snored lightly.

  I leaned against the door and watched him for a minute, thinking about my dream. No doubt if I told Charlotte about it she’d interpret it as though I had these hidden feelings for Asher. Pfft. In the words of Cher from Clueless, “As if.” Not once in my life had I even considered pursuing Asher in a romantic way. But why did I feel nothing but disappointment when that damn ferret halted that kiss? I wanted to finish that kiss. I didn’t know what to do with that feeling.

  I stood there, still wet, staring at him as my cheeks warmed, my heart hammered, and my stomach did somersaults.

  For the first time ever, Asher Boyd made me blush.

  Chapter Seven

  Day Two: At Sea

  Even though I first claimed the bed when we arrived on the ship, and despite being upset with him, I let Asher take the bed. I mean, he had passed out on it. It’d have been cruel to try and wake him. Besides, he appeared so content.

  So satisfied.

  I shivered at the thought of him sharing that bed—the one I’d be sleeping on later—with a stranger. That woman. When I considered what went on under, and possibly on top of, those covers, I reconsidered my stance on sleeping on the pull-out. I took it that night, but maybe I’d end up with it for the rest of vacation. For a sleeper sofa, it wasn’t too bad.

  I awoke with only a slightly sore back, and the kink in my neck worked its way out quickly. I stretched out as far as I could trying to breathe life into my body. Asher wasn’t in the bed, and I heard the shower running. A yawn broke through, and I stretched my arms out before sitting up and scooting my way to the edge of the mattress. I stood up a little too quickly and had to catch myself from falling back over. I hadn’t had anything else to drink besides the ones I had with Jack, but I sure felt like I had a hangover.

  As I opened the shades, the slivers of sunlight opened and brightened the room. As fast as I opened them, I shut them again. Too much light too soon.

  I touched my hand to my forehead and rubbed my fingers right above my eyebrows. Any buzz I had wore off the second my body hit the water in the pool, but I still felt the aftereffects.

  The shower turned off right as I sat down on the chair next to the French doors. I blew out a breath as I considered how to react to Asher when I saw him. Did we talk about how he pushed me into the situation with Jack and I really didn’t appreciate it? Did I confront him about what a jerk move it was to bring that woman back to our cabin? I didn’t want to start an argument, but both of those things were entirely his fault. He had to know that.

  Asher left me no time to rehearse anything because a few seconds later he stepped back into the main area of the room. In a towel.

  Only a towel.

  I covered my eyes with my hands so fast I almost gave myself whiplash. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m coming out of the shower. What's your problem?”

  I kept my hands pressed against my eyes. “You're in a towel. I can see your, your—”

  “My boobs?” He chuckled as he reached over and yanked my hands away from my face. Every time I went to cover them again, he pulled my hands away.

  “Stop! I’m not looking. You can’t make me.”

  “Fine. You don't have to look. But the question is do you want to look?”

  Was he being serious right now? Clearly I had no interest in gawking at him as he stood there with a towel around his waist, it barely holding on as streaks of water dripped down his chest, the edge of the cotton collecting the drips. I tried not to notice how firm his pecs were or how he could balance a mug of beer on those rock-hard abs.

  “Um, no?”

  “That sounds more like a question than an answer. Because you can look. You know, if you want to.” Asher egged me on, and my cheeks reddened. I couldn’t blush in front of him! I’d never hear the end of it.

  “It’s not like I haven't seen you in a bathing suit before. I have, and you’ve had your shirt off. I’ve just never seen you in only a towel. It took me by surprise, that’s all. I mean, get over yourself.”

  We’d been to the lake plenty of times. I didn’t know why I never noticed how fit he was before. Of course, I’d never been alone with him.

  While he was in a towel.

  After I had a wet dream about him.

  He didn’t understand the severity of the situation at hand. Asher Boyd stood in front of me with only a thin cotton towel wrapped so tightly around him I could make out the outline of his manliness. Before last night I probably would've teased him about that. I probably would've made some comment about the bulge in his pants, and we would've laughed it off together. Now I just wondered what would happen if the towel unhooked and fell from his waist, and I had to admit, the size of the bulge impressed me.

  What in the ever living hell was the matter with me?

  Kissing Asher.

  Picturing Asher’s junk.

  Imagining running my hands down his chest, curling my fingers under the towel, and pulling it off.

  Stop it, Isla!

  “So when you snap out of it and get over whatever is turning your face as red as a turnip, do you want to hit the casino?”

  Great, he’d noticed how flushed I’d become. My headache all but disappeared and light-headedness replaced it. My body weakened, and I was thankful I still sat on the pull-out.

  Get it together, Isla.

  I released my hands from my eyes and turned
my head to the left so I didn’t have to look at him directly. “You want to go gambling at eight in the morning? Is the casino even open yet?”

  In my peripheral vision, I saw him shrug. I couldn’t look directly at him as long as he stood there in that towel. If I told him to put more clothes on, he’d only tease me more.

  I picked up an informational packet sitting on the end table. “Oh. The casino only closes when we’re docked. Well okay then. I guess we’re gambling.”

  “We sure are. We’ll go to the casino first and check out the pool later.”

  I broke my promise to myself and made eye contact as I glared at him. “I do not want to go to the pool. I'm in no mood to go anywhere near the pool or any large bodies of water.”

  “You do realize we’re surrounded by water.”

  I tossed a pillow at him. He caught his towel before it fell off, and he tightened the wrap around himself once more.

  “Whoa, settle down. What happened to you anyway? I noticed your soaking wet clothes in the bathroom. Did I miss a wet T-shirt contest? Or did you and what's his face have an encounter at the pool? Do I need to kick his ass?”

  “Nothing like that.” Though I did appreciate his wanting to protect me. “I had a bit of a situation with a ferret.”

  “A ferret? I knew you wanted to hook up on this cruise, but don't you think that's a little ridiculous?”

  Without even a thought, I hopped up, took him by the arm, pulled him toward the door, opened it, and shoved him outside the cabin, slamming the door.

  “Isla, come on,” he pleaded as he knocked on the door. “I was kidding. Let me in. I'm in a towel out here.”

  I didn’t care. He deserved to be humiliated after having so many laughs at my expense. I’d never known him to embarrass easily, so maybe this would do him some good. If he stood out in the hallway long enough, he could experience embarrassment firsthand. That brought a revengeful smile to my face.

  “Are you embarrassed yet?” I asked through the door with a wide grin on my face.

  “Kind of, yes.”

  “It doesn’t feel good, does it, Asher?”

  “Fine. I’m sorry. Please let me in.” His knock became more persistent. “I’ll do anything.”

  Anything. That I found interesting. What exactly could I get him to do? Dance on the bar like Charlotte had? Howl at the moon for thirty seconds in front of everyone? Take a shot of pickle juice? So many possibilities were laid out before me.

  “Crap! Isla, I’m not kidding. Open the door now.”

  I lifted onto my toes and looked out the peephole. I gasped as I caught a shot of his bare butt as he picked the towel up off the ground and wrapped it around himself, holding it tightly with his left hand. I couldn’t help but giggle when a woman walked by and waved.

  “I’m so sorry. I’ll never say something like that again. I am so, so sorry.”

  I figured I had let him suffer enough and opened the door. He ran back into the room.

  “I only let you back in because you were crying like a baby.”

  “That was not cool.”

  I started to smile, and he couldn’t resist but smile too.

  “But it was funny,” I said.

  Asher grinned. “Of course, it was funny. I never would have expected you to do something like that.”

  I thought about that for a second and realized how true that statement was. Not only could I not take it, but I couldn’t give it either. Maybe all those years with Tim did that to me. My cheeks hurt from laughing so hard with Asher.

  Maybe this was what true happiness felt like.

  After Asher forgave me for locking him in the hallway practically naked and I washed myself of erotic thoughts of him in that towel, we ate breakfast and made our way to the casino. I still gave him flack about gambling that early in the morning, but considering how busy it was, a lot of other people had the same idea as him.

  The best part about the casino had to be the no smoking policy. Of course, the entire ship was that way, but any time I’d gone to a casino in the past, I hated that the non-smoking areas were just beyond the smoking ones. In order to have any relief (and in such close quarters it wasn’t a ton of relief), you needed to walk through clouds of smoke. By the time you left the building, you smelled like you smoked an entire pack even though you hadn’t had any.

  I didn’t know what to expect on a ship casino, and I found myself pleasantly impressed. It mirrored casinos I’d been to before with blackjack tables, slot machines, and keno. I even spotted a high rollers section. I wouldn’t step foot near that area. Slots were my specialty. I sucked at table games. Sure, more money could be won, but that also meant more could be lost. I’d stick to the slots.

  “Where do you want to start?” Asher asked, putting me in charge of our rendezvous.

  I reviewed the different options. As much as I wanted to play on a slot machine, I knew Asher didn’t. He’d be bored sitting on a chair pressing buttons. He wanted to be in the middle of all the action. Since I didn’t play these games, I didn’t have any idea where to begin.

  “Um, why don’t we head over that way?” I motioned toward the roulette table. Even though I hadn’t a clue how to play and didn’t think I’d be any good at it, I could still watch and maybe even learn.

  “Sounds like a plan to me. I like a woman who takes charge.”

  Asher winked at me. I thought so anyway. Did he mean that in a flirtatious way? We’d flirted in the past, more than likely, but this time I really picked up on it. After the dream I’d had and our encounter this morning, it was difficult not to. I ignored his wink, thinking possibly I misinterpreted it, and walked with him over to the table.

  “I’ve never played this. Have you?”

  “A few times.”

  People surrounded every side of the table as the wheel spun, the ball bouncing from number to number, color to color. I didn’t understand what was going on. “Can you explain it?”

  “The game is quite simple, really. The players choose a number and place their bets on the table. The dealer will spin the wheel and toss in a small ball. The ball will eventually land in a spot. Once the wheel stops, the number and color the ball lands on is the winner.”

  “That seems pretty easy.”

  “It is. It gets a little confusing, though, because there are seven different kinds of bets you can make. Obviously, the more numbers you bet on, the better chance you have to win. There's also an outside where you can place a bet on the numbered field.”

  I wondered how people chose what kind of bet to make with so many choices. Lucky numbers? Birth dates? Anniversaries? I watched as everyone played, excitement exploding on their faces every time the wheel spun. People clapped, made fists so hard their knuckles turned white. I noticed one woman biting her nails while she dug her other hand into the arm of the person next to her. Everyone seemed to hold their breath until the wheel stopped as though they couldn't breathe until they had a definitive outcome.

  Quite similar to how I felt with Asher.

  I watched him as the wheel spun around, making sure he didn’t catch me staring. I never realized the height of his cheekbones before or how his nose turned down slightly right at the end. I saw a scar next to his right ear I had never noticed before. Maybe I’d ask him about it later. So many tattoos were inked up and down both of his arms, each one bearing so much detail. I might not have known about his scar, but I knew the story behind every one of his tattoos—and he had dozens.

  “Asher!” A woman called out from behind us, and we both turned around. The blonde who attached herself to Asher yesterday and spent quality time with him in our room approached with a wave and a bright smile across her face.

  I shouldn’t but I hated how beautiful she was.

  “Helena!” Asher called out as a smile spread across his face. I despised seeing him grin at her presence, and I didn’t know why.

  She even had a beautiful name to match her beautiful face. When she stood in front of me, I caugh
t sight of her gentle brown highlights peeking out in her hair. Every part of her face was flawless like she’d stepped out of a makeup commercial. She very might well have.

  “How are you this morning?” She reached over and squeezed Asher’s arm like they were old friends.

  Asher and I were old friends. They weren’t.

  Her voice surprised me. For some reason I thought she’d have an accent. She was as gorgeous as Keira Knightley, so why wouldn’t she be British too? Everything about her, though, ticked a checkbox on why Asher would fall for her. I’d never win against her.

  Wait, what? Win what? I didn’t know why as Helena stood there with him I suddenly wanted to protect him, to keep him for me. The thing was, I knew Asher, and Asher fell so hard. If he liked this girl, he more than likely had already planned their wedding. That’s what he did.

  “Good. Helena, this is my good friend Isla. Isla, this is Helena. We went to grade school together.”

  “Oh. Wow. What are the chances you run into each other here?” He’d never mentioned a Helena before. Of course, I never told him all my friends’ names from grade school either. I probably wouldn’t even recognize any of them if I saw them.

  “I know! It’s so nice to meet you, Isla!”

  I went to give Helena a weak wave, but before I could stop her, she invaded my personal space and wrapped her arms around me. Apparently, we were old friends, too.

  “Asher said you’re turning thirty in a few days. Happy early birthday if I don’t see you on the actual day.”

  “Thanks,” I said to her, both appreciating the gesture and hating her kindness at the same time. “Are you here with anyone?” I assumed the answer to that was no since she spent last night with Asher.

  “My sister-in-law Abigail.”

  “Oh, so you’re married?” I asked, hoping to catch her in some sort of a lie and place her off the market for Asher.