“Oh, definitely,” Natalie said, nodding. “That makes complete sense.”
Shawn looked away, brushing one hand over his mouth to hide the laughter begging to escape. The elevator dinged open and Shawn motioned for them to exit.
“So far, I’m not sure that I like this cruise very much.” There was a definite pout to Skye’s voice that instantly turned Shawn’s amusement to worry. “Declan and I were really making a connection, and then that stupid buzzer rang and ruined everything. Why can’t I talk to him for as long as I’d like? The whole speed dating event seemed silly. I’m going to give Brooke a piece of my mind later.”
“That must be very frustrating,” Natalie agreed. Her toenails were painted some bright pink color, and there was a white daisy with a jewel in the center on each of her big toes. He’d never realized how attractive women’s sandals could be.
“It’s infuriating, is what it is,” Skye said. “I’m paying to be here, aren’t I? All these rules and events are just dumb.”
“I don’t think Brooke meant any disrespect.” Natalie’s voice was so calm and soothing. Shawn could already see Skye’s shoulders relaxing. “She just wanted to make sure she was being fair to your other dates. Every guy here wants a chance to get to know you better. Declan seemed very nice, but I’m sure the other men are, too.”
“I guess I never thought of it that way. I didn’t mean to deny the other men my company.”
“I know you didn’t,” Natalie said, giving Skye’s hand a quick squeeze. “All I’m saying is keep your options open.”
“Very wise,” Skye said.
Shawn let out a slow sigh as they finally paused outside Skye’s door. “Here you are,” he said. “Your masseuse should be here any moment now. Please let me know if you need anything else. Ocean Dream wants to make sure your vacation is absolutely perfect.”
“It’s already looking up. Thank you so much for your help today, Shawn.” Skye’s voice was practically a purr, and she ran a long, red nail down his chest. Shawn took an involuntary step back, bumping into Natalie.
She covered her mouth, shoulders shaking, and did nothing to help him out of the awkward situation. Traitor.
“Maybe we can get together later,” Skye said. “Natalie’s right—I shouldn’t limit myself to just Declan.”
Shawn took another step back and cleared his throat. “I’m pretty busy today, but you should definitely attend the dance in the Liberty Lounge tonight. There will be plenty of men from Toujour for you to dance with.”
“Won’t you dance with me?”
“I’m really not much of a dancer.”
She put a finger to her pouty lips and frowned. Shawn took another step back toward Natalie as a slight woman with jet black hair walked toward them, a massage table folded over one shoulder.
“Ah, looks like Azumi is here for your massage,” Shawn said. “We’ll leave you to it.”
“Thanks for talking to me, Skye,” Natalie said brightly. “We’ll catch up with you later.”
Skye nodded and slunk inside, leaving the door wide open for Azumi.
“I guess that means she’s ready?” Azumi said in a low voice.
“Guess so,” Shawn said. “Don’t let her near the liquor cabinet, okay? She needs to dry out a bit before dinner.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Erickson,” Azumi said.
“Thank you.” Shawn let out a heavy sigh. Maybe he’d get though this cruise okay after all.
The door clicked shut behind Azumi, and Shawn let his shoulders sag with relief.
“She’s quite the character, isn’t she?” Natalie said.
“That’s one way of putting it. Thanks for helping out.”
Natalie paused in front of the elevator, her painted toes covering the rug that announced today was Sunday. It was easy to lose track of time and days on a cruise ship, but Shawn had adjusted over the past decade. He wondered if it would be just as hard to adjust again to life on land.
“I hope I was actually helpful and not interfering,” Natalie said.
“Definitely helpful.” Shawn folded his arms, unable to stop staring at Natalie. Her sandy blonde hair hung nearly halfway down her back in soft waves, and her hazel eyes held a wisdom that hinted at an old soul. All of his irritation with her from yesterday had completely disappeared, replaced with something that both exhilarated and frightened him.
“I’m surprised Toujour even signed Skye as a client.” Natalie shifted beside him, making the hairs on his arms stand up in awareness. The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside, still standing close together.
“I imagine it’s very hard to say no to Skye.”
Natalie laughed, and the sound was low and raspy, just like her beautiful alto voice. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It was probably less dangerous to accept her as a client than to turn her down. But Tamera said the interview process was pretty intense, and she joined before Toujour became a household name. I imagine it’s even more so now.”
The name sounded vaguely familiar to Shawn, but he couldn’t quite place it. “Tamera?”
“Yeah, my brother’s fiancée. She actually went on a date with Luke before he and Brooke ended up together. It was all over the tabloids.”
Interesting. He had the sudden urge to rush to a computer and find out all he could about Natalie’s family, never mind that internet on board the ship cost a fortune, VIP Coordinator or not. “I don’t remember hearing about that. But I don’t spend much time on the internet.”
“Too busy working? I imagine taking care of all these specialty groups takes a lot of time. Do you have to deal with a lot of people like Skye in your groups?”
The promenade slid past while the elevator descended to the lower levels of the ship, but all of Shawn’s attention was on Natalie. She brushed a lock of hair behind one ear while her cheeks glowed a delicious pink. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this comfortable with a woman. He’d dated a few crew members in the past, and even a guest or two, but it had never lasted long. Either long distance became an issue, or his job got in the way, or the chemistry just wasn’t quite right.
“There’s usually at least one person on every cruise that needs a little extra attention,” Shawn said.
“Well, that was really nice of you to give her complimentary spa treatments, especially after how she behaved.”
Shawn laughed. He was leaning toward Natalie, and she was leaning toward him. “That was purely self preservation. I didn’t want Skye upset.”
Natalie arched an eyebrow. “Really?”
The elevator dinged open and they both stepped outside, but neither of them made a move to leave. Instead Natalie leaned up against the wall just outside the banquet hall, her arms folded and attention fully on him. The air felt thick and warm. Shawn knew he should go check on Brooke, but he didn’t want this conversation to end.
“This cruise is really important to me,” Shawn said finally. “I need it to go well, so that Toujour decides to book future singles cruises on the Ocean Dream.”
“Ah.” Natalie absently wrapped her hand around the strap of her messenger bag. “Job pressure. That I can definitely relate to.”
“The article?”
Natalie nodded. She looked around, then took a step closer and lowered her voice. “The magazine’s editor kind of promised me a job if I do well on the article, so I’m trying to suck it up and pretend like I don’t think this whole thing is insane.”
It was definitely too warm in this hallway. He’d make sure to have Jorge check the thermostat. The laughter of guests mixed with the clank of tables and chairs told him that the speed dating event had ended and his staff were preparing for lunch. “You don’t think Toujour works?”
Natalie lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Maybe, but in eight days? I thought it was impossible when I boarded the ship yesterday, but I swear I saw some real relationships forming today during speed dating.”
His throat felt tight and his heart was beating too fast.
“Maybe it’s not about the length of time, but the commitment level of the couple.”
Natalie’s bag slipped off her shoulder and she fumbled to catch it. Her eyes were wide and a little fearful. “That’s what Kendra said. Have you been talking to the matchmakers?”
Shawn stared down into Natalie’s eyes. They were hazel, with a ring of gold around the irises that caught the overhead lights and made her eyes positively dance.
What was he doing? Natalie was a guest—an attractive one, sure, but that shouldn’t matter. He cleared his throat and took a step back. “I just think the whole idea of Toujour is interesting.”
“Oh, it’s definitely that. I’m just not sure it’s viable.” Her eyes stared up into his. “Do you think it’s possible to fall in love in eight days?”
The banquet hall door banged open, and a stream of laughing people emerged. Natalie jumped back, a mask falling over her face. Shawn took a few steps back, needing to put some distance between him and Natalie.
“Looks like speed dating is over,” Natalie said. “I should go get ready for the belly flop competition. I know it’s not an official Toujour event, but Brooke said she was going to encourage everyone to attend. Something about laughter bringing couples closer together.”
“Yeah, I should go, too.” Shawn jabbed a thumb over one shoulder. “I need to talk to Brooke about a few things before the competition starts.”
“You’re going?”
“Yeah. That’s where most of the Toujour guests will be.” Natalie would be there, and that was reason enough to attend.
Natalie walked backward, lifting a hand in a wave. “Okay then. See you later.”
“See you,” Shawn agreed.
But he didn’t go immediately back into the banquet hall. Instead, he watched Natalie hurry away, her long legs quickly crossing the distance to the wide staircase leading up to the promenade.
When she finally disappeared from sight, Shawn shook his head and headed into the banquet hall.
He was in big trouble. And he wasn’t sure that was a bad thing.
CHAPTER SIX
Natalie stepped out of the sliding glass doors and onto the lido deck, her sunglasses and floppy hat firmly in place. She blinked quickly, her eyes adjusting to the brilliant sunlight reflecting off the pool water, while her ears were immediately assaulted by the cacophony of cruisers enjoying their early Christmas vacation. The deck teemed with excited singles sipping frozen drinks or snacking on plates of food. People sat close together on the pool deck, their legs dangling in the water and shoulders shiny with sunscreen. Nearby, the hot tub overflowed with bare-chested men and women in bikinis.
A warm breeze played with Natalie’s hair as the sun’s rays warmed her skin. The warm temperatures said they were indeed sailing south. She never would’ve guessed it was December from the weather, but a large Christmas wreath with red-and-gold ornaments hung from the windows of the sky lounge, which towered above them.
Where was Shawn? Natalie craned her neck, searching the crowd. Anticipation made her stomach swarm like she’d swallowed a colony of butterflies. Had she really only met him yesterday? There was something about him that made her lose all train of thought when they were together. A magnetic pull between them she couldn’t quite name.
She’d thought she’d liked guys before, but if this was what chemistry felt like, she wasn’t sure she’d ever experienced it until now.
“Natalie.”
The single word drifted over the breeze, capturing her attention. She twisted in a circle, searching for the low voice that had spoken her name.
Shawn stood on the opposite side of the pool, one of his large hands raised in a wave. He motioned her over, and she raised her own hand in acknowledgment.
The insecurities hit as she began weaving her way through the crowd toward him. She’d changed into her favorite bathing suit, a cute hot pink one-piece with a floral sarong tied low on her hips, and spent way too much time freshening up her makeup before taking a deep breath and emerging from her room. But maybe she’d misread the situation entirely. Some guys were just friendly. Although that didn’t really describe Shawn, either. At least, not at first.
He’d changed as well, into a light green polo shirt and khaki shorts. She felt suddenly breathless. It wasn’t because he looked good enough to eat, though. That flat trek across a few yards of the lido deck had been quite the athletic feat. “Hey.”
“Hey. I’m glad you came. I was worried you’d changed your mind.”
What would he say if she told him she’d been primping in front of the mirror, hoping he’d notice her? His warm blue eyes were drawing her in. Making her consider all kinds of ridiculous things. Like how it would feel to kiss him.
She adjusted her sunglasses, glad he couldn’t tell she was staring. “I had to take care of a few things. I’m here now, though.”
“I’m glad. The belly flop contest is always a lot of fun.” He motioned to an empty chair right at the pool’s edge, with a perfect vantage point for the contest. Another empty chair sat beside it. “I saved you a lounge chair.”
Her heart gave a weak flutter in her chest, and Natalie swallowed hard. Maybe the second empty chair meant he was planning on joining her. She definitely wouldn’t mind his company. Already her mind was conjuring images of the two of them sitting side by side, their bodies angled toward each other and heads almost touching as they talked about who had made the biggest splash. “That’s so sweet. You didn’t have to do that.”
The grin he sent her way would’ve sent a weaker person into cardiac arrest. “I wanted to make sure you had a good view of the contest. For the article, I mean.”
“Oh. Right.” She deflated like a balloon as all hopes for a flirtatious hour spent watching the contest disappeared. Suddenly the laughter of the guests in lounge chairs surrounding them seemed obnoxiously loud. It was a belly flop contest, not the eighth wonder of the world. She probably shouldn’t even watch. Her time would be better spent working on the article.
Because that’s why she was here, and that’s why Shawn was being so nice. She was a reporter writing a story for a major travel magazine. He was a cruise ship employee, and he would want to make sure she had a great experience. Ocean Dream probably wanted her article to be favorable almost as badly as Toujour did. Not that Natalie had any intention of giving anything but a glowing report. She knew Brooke’s attention to detail would make the week practically perfect.
“Sit down,” Shawn said, motioning to the chair.
Natalie slowly sank into her seat. “Who’s the other chair for?”
“I told Jase I’d save him a spot. He should be here soon.” Shawn perched on the edge of Jase’s lounge chair, his attention focused completely on Natalie. He had a small scar that cut through one eyebrow. She hadn’t noticed until now. “So, have you ever watched a belly flop contest?”
Natalie blinked, mentally scolding herself for staring. Had he noticed? She pretended to readjust her sarong to give herself time to think. “A few. I did grow up in Arizona, after all.”
“Oh yeah, I think I remember hearing that in one of Wyatt’s interviews.”
The mention of her brother was like a bucket of water to the face. “Right.”
He ran a hand through his short dark hair, making his bicep flex and her mouth go dry. “Ever participated in one?”
Natalie couldn’t help it—she laughed, attracting the attention of a few nearby guests. The sound abruptly cut off and she felt her cheeks heat. “Uh, that’s a big fat no. I can’t swim.”
Shawn leaned forward, his arms resting on his tanned legs. She noticed another scar, this one thick and jagged, running alongside his knee. “You really can’t swim?”
“I can’t even doggy paddle.”
“But you grew up in Arizona. Doesn’t everyone there live in a pool during the summer months?”
Natalie shrugged, holding onto her hat as a strong breeze swept across the deck. They were surrounded by people, and yet som
ehow she felt as though she and Shawn were completely alone. “When I was four or five, I wandered out of the house while my mom was making lunch and fell into our pool. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital. It was kind of terrifying as a kid.”
His eyes darkened with concern, and he hands twitched. Maybe like he wanted to hold her hand? No, she was reading way too much into things.
“I can’t even imagine how scary that would be to a kid.”
The fear of that day was one of Natalie’s earlier memories, and definitely her strongest. She could still remember the panic that had her inhaling water as she kicked and struggled for air. “Yeah. After that, I pretty much screamed bloody murder anytime my mom took me near a large body of water. After a while, my parents stopped pushing the issue. By the time my fear got under control, I was too embarrassed to take lessons.” At least, that’s what she’d told her mom. The truth was, Natalie was still scared to get in water deeper than her waist. She glanced toward the pool. It was only five feet deep—definitely not deep enough to cover her head—but she knew she’d never go swimming on this ship since there was no shallow end.
Shawn looked around pointedly at the water that surrounded them on all sides. “Being in the middle of the ocean doesn’t scare you?”
“No.” Natalie had worried it might when Dana first gave her the assignment, but had forgotten all about her fears as soon as she saw the size of the ship. “I don’t plan on falling overboard, thank you very much. Somehow I don’t think being a strong swimmer would help someone much if they landed in the middle of the sea.”
Shawn stared into her eyes, making her insides squirm. There was a sincerity and depth to his gaze. It made her feel exposed. Vulnerable. Like he could see behind her walls.
“Hey, Shawn,” someone interrupted.
Shawn quickly rose, and Natalie blinked, the spell broken. Jase stood beside them, the baseball cap shading half of his face not quite managing to hide his large grin.
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