Without consciously deciding to do so, Shawn began walking toward her. She glanced up, and the smile that bloomed across her lips made his heart warm. Was he seriously going for it? This was ridiculous. She was younger than his baby sister, Cassidy. A guest on the ship.
But somehow his mouth opened, and he said, “You look awfully lonely, sitting here by yourself.”
Natalie laughed, her raspy alto jumbling all rational thought. She patted the chair beside her. “Come sit by me, and I won’t be so lonely.”
He was crazy to even consider it. Shawn glanced around the room, but the Toujour guests seemed to be enjoying their evening. His staff had everything well in hand.
And Shawn desperately wanted to accept her offer.
He sank into the chair she’d offered, his stiff leg not quite wanting to bend. “How did you enjoy the belly flop contest?”
“Well, I had excellent seats, thanks to a very kind VIP Coordinator. The contest was every bit as entertaining as you promised it would be.”
“I’m glad,” Shawn said. The dim lights of the lounge reflected off the gold ring around her irises, making her eyes sparkle. Making his heart pound. He hoped she hadn’t enjoyed the contest so much because she’d been sitting next to Jase. He cleared his throat, feeling suddenly uncertain. “Thanks again for your help today. I appreciated it a lot, and I know Brooke did, too.”
She leaned forward, her head in one hand. So comfortable. So relaxed. “It wasn’t a problem. I’m glad I could help. Aside from that one blip, the cruise seems to be going really well. Everyone I’ve spoken with is having a great time.”
“Good.” Shawn couldn’t seem to stop nodding.
“Why is this cruise so important to you?”
The question startled him. He wasn’t used to people asking him about his plans. Ten years on a cruise ship had taught him how to be friendly to everyone while never actually becoming friends with anyone.
“If I’m prying, just tell me to buzz off,” Natalie continued. “But you said earlier that you need this to go well. Is it your first cruise as a VIP Coordinator or something?”
He laughed, the hundreds of cruises he’d been on over the years flashing through his mind. “Hardly. I promise Toujour is in good hands. I’ve been a VIP Coordinator for about six years, but I’ve worked on the Ocean Dream for ten.”
Her eyes widened and the hand supporting her chin fell into her lap. “You’ve lived on a boat for that long?”
He nodded, the easy conversation making him relax. “Since right after graduating from college.” He’d done it all online while living at home and being shuttled to Tulsa three times a week for physical therapy. For the first few years, he’d still held onto the hope that he’d make a full recovery and be able to enlist.
“Wow. Ten years ago I was barely starting junior high.”
So he hadn’t been mistaken about the age difference. He knew it should bother him, but Natalie felt mature—nothing like he’d come to expect from the college girls spending spring break on his cruises. “So that makes you, what? Twenty-two?” he asked. Had he just overstepped some invisible line? Women didn’t like being asked their age.
“Good guess,” Natalie said. “And you’re in your thirties?”
“Thirty-three,” he said.
Natalie’s hand stretched across the table, reaching towards his, before quickly retreating. She reached up, adjusting her headband. “Eleven years isn’t really that much. It’s funny how once you graduate high school, age differences don’t seem like such a big deal anymore.”
Shawn swallowed hard. “Yeah, I guess so.”
The jazz band started singing a fast paced swing song, and the energy in the room picked up. Natalie’s eyes flicked to the dance floor, and the question he was dying to ask burned in Shawn’s throat—want to dance? But then Natalie blinked, and the moment was gone.
“You still haven’t told me why this cruise is so important to you,” Natalie said.
“Oh. Right.” Shawn carefully stretched his aching leg, glancing around to make sure no employees were close by. Then he leaned forward and lowered his voice. “My boss has promised me a huge bonus if Toujour chooses our ship for future cruises. It’ll finally give me enough money to quit here and go back home.”
He’d never said those words aloud to anyone but his family. It felt strange to talk of life on land, but good, too.
“And what will you do at home?” Natalie asked. But there was no judgment in her voice, just curiosity.
“Open a travel agency,” Shawn admitted. “Sunset Plains isn’t a big town, but really, that kind of business is mostly done through the internet or over the phone, so I don’t think the location will matter much.”
“I think that’s fantastic,” Natalie said. “A travel agency. Wow. I bet you’ll be really good at it, since you’ve visited so many places. You’ll be like the cruise ship whisperer, making sure everyone books the perfect family vacation.”
He blew out a breath, not realizing how much he’d needed outside validation until he had it. “That’s what I’m hoping.”
“Sunset Plains—is that in the south somewhere?”
Shawn gave her a warm smile. “Are you saying I have an accent?”
She held up her thumb and forefinger so they were mere centimeters apart. “Just a little.” Her long eyelashes fanned against her cheeks as she looked down. “It’s kind of adorable.”
And he was kind of falling for her. Shawn swallowed hard, feeling the need to bring the conversation back around to a safer topic. “Sunset Plains is in Oklahoma, about an hour outside of Tulsa. My parents and little sister still live there. I’ve got another brother finishing up his masters degree in Texas.”
“So you’re the oldest. I can see that. You’re very good at taking charge. Not in a bad way or anything,” she hurried to add. “I just mean you’re good at making things run smoothly on the cruise.”
“Thanks,” Shawn said. He thought her cheeks glowed the faintest pink underneath the lights, and it made his mouth go dry. “So what about you? It’s just you and your brother, right?”
“Yeah. My parents just retired, and are talking about moving to California to be near Tamera and Wyatt. With the wedding coming, they want to be close for the future grandbabies. They’re trying to talk me into moving to L.A. after graduation this spring, but I’m not sure that’s what I want.”
“What do you want?” Shawn asked quietly. Their hands had gravitated toward each other sometime during the conversation and were almost touching.
Natalie brushed a strand of hair behind one ear and smiled. “I really want this job with World Traveler Magazine. I’d get to see the world and write about it. I can’t imagine anything better.”
“I felt much the same when I first started working on Ocean Dream,” Shawn admitted.
“But you don’t anymore?”
Her eyes were so earnest, so trusting. Shawn swallowed hard. “Now I want something more stable, I think. Something permanent.”
Their eyes were locked across the table, and Shawn’s heart was beating rapidly in his chest. The music change again, this time to something with a slower tempo. His entire body ached to pull Natalie into his arms and dance with her. When was the last time he’d been this attracted to a woman? He honestly couldn’t remember. There’d been flings with a few passengers throughout the years, and he’d tried the long-distance thing once or twice with a girl he felt more than the usual amount of attraction for. But nothing had stuck.
He watched Natalie swallow, noticed she’d curled her hands into fists. “Would you like to dance?” she breathed. Her eyes were wide and luminescent in the lamplight, and he had a feeling that if he rejected her now, he’d be shutting the door on any chance they might have.
Slowly, Shawn rose and extended his hand. “I’m not a very good dancer.”
A smile bloomed across her lips, and he had to look away so he wouldn’t taste them with his own. “I’m not either. It’ll still be
fun, though, don’t you think?”
“Definitely.” He took a deep breath, then clasped her small hand in his. It was warm and soft and sent sparks of electricity straight to his heart. “Let’s dance.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Holy freaking cow. Shawn was holding her hand. Shawn. Was. Holding. Her. Hand.
Natalie’s body couldn’t seem to decide if it was hot or cold. She clutched that strong hand, feeling the rough skin that spoke of hard work. Tamera would die when Natalie told her about this. Was that seriously this week? Only six days away?
Shawn led her to the dance floor, his limp more pronounced than she remembered from earlier today. She’d been so entranced by his strong arms and even stronger gaze that she’d nearly forgotten about his limp. Natalie couldn’t believe she’d actually asked him to dance. She’s scoffed when Jase made the suggestion, but the magic of the moment sort of stole away her better judgment. Right now, she was really glad it had. His hand felt familiar in hers. Comfortable. Like it was made to hold hers.
The dance floor glowed with the soft pink and purple lights of the lounge, and the saxophone and trumpets rang out over the piano as a busty middle-aged woman belted into the microphone. Shawn lifted Natalie’s hand high above her head, and she gave a twirl, laughing as the fringe of her dress slapped against her bare legs. Then Shawn’s hand was at her waist, and they were dancing.
Natalie’s stomach pooled with heat as he pulled her close. His warm, strong hand closed around hers and she rested her free hand on his broad shoulder. She could feel the muscles underneath, stretching and contracting with each movement. He swung her in a tight circle and she threw her head back and laugh.
She felt free. Safe.
Happy.
“I thought you said you couldn’t dance, Mr. Erickson,” Natalie said, keeping her tone teasing.
His lips brushed her ear as he pulled her close. “I can’t, but thanks for pretending.”
He swung her out in a circle before pulling her back in again. The jazz music was loud and catchy, and all around them couples danced together. Brooke must be pleased with how things were progressing. Natalie never would’ve believed someone could fall in love in eight days, but being on this cruise made her believe anything was possible.
“So, Miss James,” Shawn said. She shivered as his breath brushed against her cheek. “What does the travel reporter think of Toujour’s grand experiment with love so far?”
“You mean since we last talked about it this morning?”
Shawn chuckled, and she felt the low rumble beneath her hand. “I think ten hours on this ship is like ten days in the real world.”
Natalie glanced up at Shawn from underneath her eyelashes. “I think you’re right, because I swear I’m seeing real relationships form right before my eyes. These couples seem so focused on a relationship. I’ve never seen such serious dates. Usually when guys ask me out, all they can talk about is my brother.”
“I’ll admit I’m a fan of Wyatt James. I don’t think you can grow up in Oklahoma without loving football. But I’m much more interested in finding out more about his little sister.”
Natalie gasped as Shawn swung her out in a twirl before bringing her back to his chest. She let her fingers curl against his shoulder, fighting the urge to run her hand over his dark cropped hair. “What do you want to know?”
“Mmm. I guess what I really want to know is if you have a boyfriend.”
Her voice caught in her throat, and suddenly it was hard to breathe. “Not at the moment.”
“Good.” Suddenly he dipped her low toward the ground, then brought her back up. His eyes pierced hers, even in the dimly lit room, and she wanted to press herself close and taste those full lips for herself.
“What about you?” she stammered. “You’ve been on this cruise ship for an awfully long time and are still single.”
He smiled, pulling her closer. “No. You might say it’s hard to have a relationship when you don’t even have a permanent address.”
“That’ll all change soon, though.” As his eyes darkened with desire, she felt her cheeks glow red. “The address, I mean. You’ll be back in Sunset Plains before you know it.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I guess we’re kind of switching places. You’ll be traveling across the world, and I’ll finally be settling down.”
They’d stopped swaying and were simply standing in the middle of the dance floor, their bodies pressed close together and eyes searching each other’s for something. Natalie wasn’t sure what she wanted to find.
“What are we doing?” she whispered.
Shawn’s grip tightened at her waist. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I know that I want to find out.”
She couldn’t believe this was happening. That she was here on this cruise, with Shawn, feeling things she’d thought were the stuff of fairy tales. “Me too.”
His eyes were locked on her lips. Natalie locked her hands behind his neck, leaning into him. His head slowly lowered, and her eyes fluttered closed.
Someone stumbled into Natalie from behind. She pitched forward, knocking into Shawn. He stumbled backward, letting go of her waist. Natalie reached forward to grab him as the person behind them apologized.
But she was too late. Shawn was suddenly on the ground, his face contorted in pain. His left leg was splayed out straight before him while he knelt on his right.
“Shawn!” Natalie dropped to the ground beside him. His leg was splayed out at an awkward angle while he struggled to rise. She reached out a hand, her eyes roving him for any other signs of injury.
“I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth. Tiny beads of sweat had popped out along his hairline.
“You’re not fine,” Natalie said. She crouched beside him, ready to lift his arm over her shoulders. “Let me help you. We should get you to a medic.”
“No,” Shawn said, shaking off her touch.
The couple who’d bumped into them stared down at them, faces pale underneath the lounge lights. “I’m so sorry,” the guy said. “Let me grab someone.”
“That’s a great idea,” Natalie said, reaching again for Shawn.
“No. I’m fine, really.” Shawn ignored her outstretched hand and rose to one knee, grimacing in pain.
“It’s not a big deal,” Natalie said. She glanced up at the couple. Those closest to them had stopped dancing, but the crowd was so thick that most were oblivious to the incident. “The staff should have radios to call for help.”
“No!” Shawn repeated, his tone forceful and eyes dark with something she couldn’t quite understand.
Natalie blanched, the words like a slap. The couple seemed frozen, not sure whether to get help or not.
“It’s okay,” Natalie said quietly. “Go back to dancing.”
“We’re really sorry,” the woman said in a soft voice.
Shawn gave them a tight smile. “It’s not a big deal, really. I just need a minute.”
The couple nodded and disappeared into the crowd. Shawn grit his teeth and pushed himself to his feet, gingerly setting weight on his bad leg.
He was embarrassed—completely understandable, given the circumstances. But Natalie could tell he was really hurt. She tried to shrug off his attitude and reached again for his waist. “Here, let me help you.”
“Please don’t make a big deal about this,” Shawn said quietly. He ignored her help and limped off the dance floor, his uneven gait more noticeable than ever. “I really am fine. These things happen.”
Natalie stayed right by his side. “You need ice or something. Did you sprain anything? Break it?”
“No.”
The temperature in the room had dropped by at least ten degrees since his fall. Tears pricked at her eyes, and she blinked them back quickly. She didn’t know what had happened. What she’d done wrong. “At least let me help you to your room.”
He stopped and turned to face her, his eyes blazing. “I said I’m fine, Natalie. I’m a grown man and I can take
care of myself. Once I ice it, everything will be fine.”
The words stung like a whip. She froze, her entire body going cold. “Okay then. See you tomorrow?”
He gave a sharp nod and headed toward the lounge doors. Natalie stood in place, watching Shawn limp out of the room. He paused only long enough to speak briefly to a member of the crew before disappearing out the door. The crowd swirled around her and Natalie’s head pulsed painfully along with the beat of the music.
What had just happened?
A soft hand landed on her shoulder, and she stared up into the concerned face of Jase Larson, movie star extraordinaire. “Hey, is everything okay?”
Tears filled Natalie’s eyes and she quickly wiped at them, not wanting Jase to see her cry. “I’m not sure.”
“What happened?”
She shook her head as another traitorous tear rolled down her cheek. “I took your stupid advice, that’s what. I don’t know what I did wrong.”
Jase’s arm landed around her shoulders, strong and comforting, as he urged her toward the lounge doors. “Let’s go for a walk. You can tell me all about it.”
A few minutes later found them strolling along the empty upper deck. It usually boasted at least a few joggers and speed walkers during daytime hours, but the setting sun and brisk chill that accompanied it had apparently sent everyone inside.
Jase shoved his hands in his pockets and gave her a sympathetic smile. He looked Hollywood perfect with his crisp white shirt, black suspenders, and slicked-back hair, but Natalie couldn’t help thinking he wasn’t one-tenth as attractive as Shawn.
Why had Shawn treated her so coldly?
“Now, what’s got such a pretty woman crying on what should be an amazing vacation?” Jase asked.
Natalie wiped underneath both eyes, making sure they were dry. “It’s totally stupid.”
“Not if it’s making you cry.”
“I’m not crying.”
“Right. And I’m not on a cruise ship that will dock in Mexico tomorrow morning. I saw you dancing with Shawn.”
Match Me by Christmas Page 7
