by Marie Carnay
“How’s Summer?”
Blake’s whole face lit up. “Great. She’s got another exhibit next week. You should come.”
Damon nodded. “I’d love to, but we’ll be on a cruise.”
Blake shot him a knowing look and Damon bit back a grin.
“Yeah, it’s a singles one.”
“I don’t know how you two keep it up.”
“What, partying for a week at a time? Come on, don’t say you’re too old.”
Blake shrugged. “Never been much of a partier, myself. Left that to guys like Ian.” He motioned toward the parking lot and they both headed that way. “Aren’t you sick of the single life? Don’t you want to settle down?”
More than ever. “It’s complicated.”
“You mean Tony doesn’t want to.”
Damon nodded. “He’s not into the whole relationship thing.”
“Doesn’t he know about this place? You two could be happy here.”
Don’t remind me. Damon had been on Tony for months to take a vacation in the Cove. If he could stop running for long enough to give the place a chance, he’d see they could have a life here. A future. “I don’t think he believes it’s true.”
“Well, tell him to come to the shop. He can meet Devin and Summer.” Blake gave Damon a shallow punch to the arm. “We’ll even be nice.”
“I’ll tell him.”
They climbed the stairs and piled the boards into Blake’s Jeep.
“You ever think about going it alone? I’m sure there’s a girl…”
Damon nodded. “All the time. I’ve been too busy with the cruise line this year—we added a few more dates and it’s been hell keeping staff. But after this one, we’ve got a month off.”
He walked around to the passenger side and hopped in. “If Tony doesn’t want to come here, that’s fine. But I’m not waiting around. I think this is the last cruise I’m doing for a while.”
Blake climbed in and started the engine. “Good for you. If you know what you want, you should go for it. Devin and I waited way too long. If I hadn’t been such a chicken shit…If we’d gone after Summer like we should have…”
Damon cut him off. “You guys are happy now. That’s what counts.”
“Yeah.” He backed out of the parking spot and turned onto the road. “You should tell Tony that.”
Damon nodded. In the morning, they’d be boarding the Stardust and setting sail for a week in the bright blue water. He hoped by the end of it he’d be taking a chance with Tony, not moving on without him.
Chapter 2
DAPHNE
This can’t be happening. Daphne pushed past a throng of tourists with cameras around their necks and checked her watch again. Five minutes.
If she didn’t haul her already-burning backside down the pier a bit faster, she’d miss the boat. Literally.
There was no way was she missing out on a vacation now. Not after Mr. Head Asshole treated her like a hostess at Hooters. He thought she was only good for shoving her boobs in reporters faces? Fine. Let him find some dude to take care of Swift for a week. She was determined to get some sun on the deck of a cruise liner.
The boat loomed ahead of her. Majestic and sparkling, it filled the whole end of the dock. Thank God. Daphne couldn’t wait to climb aboard and disappear. A chance to blend into the background and be a nobody for seven days? Play shuffleboard and tan and meet some retired ladies from New York? You bet.
But none of it would happen if she didn’t get there on time. The boat sounded another horn. Eek! She shifted her weekender onto her other shoulder and edged through a crowd of Hawaiian shirts and madras plaid.
“Hey! Watch it!” A man waving a map and a DLSR barked at her.
“Sorry!” Daphne couldn’t slow down or Rachel would never forgive her. Sweat beaded between her shoulder blades and her auburn hair clung to the back of her neck. She had given up graceful about a half a pier back.
At last, she hit the ramp.
“Last call! All aboard!” A man clad in a white ship’s uniform hollered from the deck, his face covered by a megaphone.
Daphne struggled up the incline, ankles wobbling in her wedge sandals, but she made it. Yes!
The crew member flashed her a grin. “Nice hustle.”
She managed a panting grimace as she gripped the rail. Her body heaved, hot metal digging into her ribs. I did it. I actually made it.
She closed her eyes and sucked in giant gulps of air until her breathing returned to normal. Note to self, add more cardio at the gym. She might be able to press out a mean bench, but running on a treadmill made Daphne nauseous. Too bad. If she couldn’t hustle her way down a boat dock, her workout needed a good kick in the pants.
As she wiped the sweat off her forehead, her bag buzzed. She fished out her phone and read the message. What?
Daphne swiped the phone open and called Rachel. “Tell me this is some joke.”
“Hey…Daphne.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Not exactly.”
She exhaled and focused on the pier in front of her. “This cruise was your idea.”
“I know. But you’ll still have fun! Have a margarita for me!”
Daphne’s fingers wrapped around the rail and she fought the urge to chuck her phone into the sparkling water far below. “I’m only on this cruise because of you. How many times did you plead with me? A million? You said you’d never survive without this trip. That I was the only person you knew that you could ask. What’s going on?”
The day Brian had broken Rachel’s heart, the woman had come bounding down the hall at work, mascara running down her face and a flyer in her hand. She’d shoved the glossy paper in Daphne’s face and begged her to come on the cruise.
I need to get over the bastard. I need you to come with me. You’re the only friend I have who’s single. Please?
Daphne ground her teeth together. Something was up. She could taste it. “Spit it out, Rachel. Why aren’t you here?”
Silence.
“Rachel?”
“Brian and I got back together.”
Oh, hell, no. “But… that asshole cheated on you!”
“He said he was sorry. That it would never happen again.” Rachel’s voice slipped into a whine and Daphne rolled her eyes.
“You don’t need him, Rachel. You can do better.”
“But I love him.”
This is why I have no friends. Daphne straightened her spine. “Fine. Whatever. But when he breaks your heart again, don’t come running to me.” She ended the call and shoved her phone back in her purse.
She’d weaved through rush hour traffic, used an entire week of vacation, convinced Bart to take the charity auction off her plate. She let out a squeak.
I parked in hourly for her!
Daphne pushed a damp lock of hair back and closed her eyes.
Inhale. Count to five. Exhale. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
She thought about it like a PR disaster. It wasn’t so bad. She’d wanted a vacation. With Rachel not there, she could do whatever she wanted and would have no one to please but herself.
Besides, she needed some time away from the office. After the press conference, it was that or give two weeks’ notice. Without another job, she couldn’t exactly quit. She had an apartment. A car payment. Only one bottle of wine in the fridge.
It’s a cruise. It’ll be fun. Daphne opened her eyes and turned around. What the…?
Half-naked people milled past her on the deck. A woman wearing a million beaded necklaces instead of a top smiled. A guy in a bright orange banana hammock winked at her.
Oh my God.
She spied the crew member with the megaphone still standing by the entrance. She hustled up to him. “Excuse me…I think there’s some mistake. Is this the…” Daphne fished the brochure out of her bag. “The Stardust?”
“Sure is.”
She shoved the brochure in his face. “It’s supposed to be snowbirds. You know, retired
people. Not…this.”
The crew member took the paper with a frown. “You read the dates wrong. This is the Lotus Cruise. It’s for singles.”
Daphne’s mouth fell open. “I’m on a singles cruise?”
“Yep.”
Oh my God. It was one thing to go on a scenic cruise around the Pacific. It was another altogether to go on some sex-filled booze fest.
Rachel couldn’t have known. She’d said it was mellow. Relaxing. Not…
A woman walked by in a dental floss bikini and Daphne stared at the playboy bunny tattoo on her left butt cheek. Definitely not this.
How could she stay on a singles cruise alone? If anyone found out… If her clients knew what she was up to… If the firm got wind of it…
She glanced down at her simple cotton sundress and heels. This isn’t the place for me. She turned back to the crewman. “I made a mistake. I need to get off.”
He raised an eyebrow and looked her up and down. “My shift’s not over until two, but if you’re desperate, there’s a broom closet around the corner.”
“What?” Ugh. “No, you asshole. I need to leave the ship. I’m not supposed to be here.” The ship lurched and she grabbed the rail. “What was that?”
“The ship leaving port. It’s too late to leave unless you want to make a jump for it.”
Daphne spun around as the ship angled away from the dock. Oh, no. “There has to be a way. Tell me there’s an emergency boat or something.”
The guy laughed. “Sorry. You’re stuck with us for seven long days. I’d relax and enjoy it.” He walked by her and patted her ass before calling back over his shoulder. “I know I would have!”
“I’m finding your supervisor!” She hollered out as his uniformed back disappeared in the sea of bodies. Oh my God. This is unbelievable.
She couldn’t be stuck there. From what she’d seen so far, this was shaping up to be one of those singles cruises that made those shady Hedonism Resorts look like bible study. Wasn’t the whole goal of these voyages to screw as many people as possible? She glanced up and a banner caught her eye. Naked dance contest at eleven. Bring your party attitude.
Daphne prided herself on being the only person in LA who didn’t flaunt her assets. Every move she made was for her career and everything she did was respectable and presentable. PR perfect. Her clients might make poor choices, but Daphne never did. It’s how she’d planned to get ahead and get promoted.
She would always be the conservative voice reporters could trust.
Now she was trapped on a boat with people who’d make her a spectacle. A scandal. After that press conference and what Mr. Hopkins said to her… She clenched her hand against her stomach.
“You okay? I can get you something if you’re feeling seasick.” A woman in the same crew outfit as the megaphone jerk stopped by her side. Her sensible braid and comfortable shoes said ‘normal’ and her smile was kind. Thank God.
Daphne exhaled. “I wish that’s all it was. I only came on this cruise because a co-worker begged me to. She bailed at the last minute.”
“Oh, that stinks.” The crew member held out her hand. “Samantha Anderson. You can call me Sam.”
“Thanks. Daphne Meadows.” She shook the woman’s hand and nodded at the water. “Any chance there’s a way to get me off this boat?”
Sam winced. “No? But it’s not so bad. I know it looks a bit crazy right now, but there are some quiet places, too. Come on, let me show you the pool.”
Daphne nodded and let Sam steer her down the deck and into a pool area.
“We’ve got four pools, five bars, three nightclubs, a casino. Basically anything you could ever want in a vacation.”
Daphne blinked. “All on a boat?”
“Mm-hmm. We’re a top of the line cruise, one of the best in the world.”
“Wow.” Daphne looked around the pool. Guests had already claimed chairs and cabanas and half a dozen were splashing around in the water. One couple were… “Oh my God. Are they…?” She gestured toward the couple at the edge of the pool.
Sam followed her gaze. “Yep. Looks like it. People don’t like to waste time the first day.”
She leaned toward Sam and cupped her hand over her mouth. “But they’re having sex. In public.”
Sam laughed. “It’s a single’s cruise. That’s what people do here.”
Daphne imagined Mr. Hopkins standing next to her and she shuddered. The Stardust was crazier than any corner of her imagination. “Who runs a ship like this? I can’t believe some giant corporation would approve.”
Sam smiled. “The ship is privately held. The owners are an integral part of the experience. They come on every cruise and make sure it lives up to their standards.”
“Who are they?”
Sam bit her lip. “We’re not supposed to talk about them. Sorry.”
* * *
DAMON
“I’m getting tired of this, Tony.” Damon leaned against the back of the couch, staring down at the pool without really seeing anyone. They’d been doing this for too long.
“I don’t understand what you’re so worked up over. We do this cruise every year.”
“That’s the whole point. It’s been what, seven years? When are we going to accept the facts?”
His business partner and best friend walked over and joined him by the picture window. At thirty-five, Anthony Gareaux had bedded more women than most men even thought about in their whole lives. With black hair and tanned skin and a look that said, I run this place, it wasn’t a surprise. But Damon didn’t understand the never-ending drive.
“I’m tired of living this life. I want something more than a fling. I want to wake up in the morning with the same woman, not some chick whose name I can’t remember or never heard in the first place.” He pushed off the couch and ran a hand through his blond hair.
He’d met Tony in college. Damon, Ian, and a handful of other guys had all hit it off. They’d dabbled in coursework, but mostly focused on living the life. Most of the them came from money—Ian included. But Tony and Damon had worked their way into an Ivy with scholarships and sports.
When Tony suggested they get into cruises, it had seemed perfect. A chance to get out and explore the world. They could have dinner in a new city every night and earn their own fortunes.
For years, it had been everything he’d ever wanted. But it had been a long time and the shine had begun to wear off.
He glanced up at his closest friend. “Aren’t you sick of it?”
Tony shrugged, a small gesture. “No. We’ve built an empire out of satisfying people’s fantasies. They come on one of our cruises, lose their inhibitions, and tap into that part of themselves they keep hidden.” He tilted his head. “But you’re not talking about the business, are you?”
Damon crossed his arms. “No. The business is fine. It can almost run itself. Don’t you want more than this? More than a week-long fling with some woman who looks at us like a trophy she’s won?”
Tony’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve always thought we get as much out of it as they do.”
Damon used to think so, too. He could still remember the taste of her lips. The intoxicating way she smelled like French perfume and vodka. They’d been on a weekend trip to New York City. The bouncy blonde sat between them at the bar, smiling and laughing. A few drinks later, hours of dancing, and the three of them tumbled into a hotel room together.
Her hair had fallen across his shoulder, her breasts had mashed against his chest, and she’d screamed in ecstasy when they both came inside her.
Damon would never forget the first time.
Ever since, it had been him and Tony and a temporary woman. Sometimes they’d find her at a club or bar, sometimes by chance at a gallery or an event. When they started the singles cruise, it had been like shooting fish in a barrel.
Hundreds of horny, single women ready for a week of debauchery and pleasure? One year they had to bring in security to keep them at bay. Too bad it didn’
t give him the same high anymore.
“I want more, Tony. Someone who stays after we dock.”
His partner stiffened. “Are you saying you’re done with this? With us?”
Damon exhaled. “Don’t you want something that lasts?”
Tony stepped closer to the window and peered down at the crowd. He stood in silence for so long, Damon thought the answer must be no. “Yes. I do.” He whispered it like a confession.
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I’m a realist.” Tony’s back tensed. “What woman would want to split her time between two men?”
Damon exhaled. He’d thought the same thing for years. Then Ian found Holiday and everything changed. “There has to be one out there for us. If we can make it work for a few days, we can try for more.”
He stepped up to the window and stood next to Tony. His partner’s shoulders held more than he’d realized. “I thought you talked to Ian before we left. It could work in Midnight Cove if you gave it a chance.”
“I wish I shared your optimism.”
Damon focused on the sea of people below them. Their empire. His gazed flitted over each woman lounging by the pool and standing in the corner.
Could one of them be the one? Could there be a woman out there who wanted more than a fling?
He chewed on his lip, silent and brooding, until a disturbance caught his eye. Hello, beautiful. A woman in a simple shift dress and sandals had her index finger shoved into a brawny man’s chest. Her auburn curls bounced around her shoulders and as she shouted at him, the guy backed up.
Damon snorted. Feisty, that one. “Check out the redhead by the pool. Two o’clock.”
Tony smiled. “Already there, my friend. I’ve been watching her since we started talking. She’s stunning.”
Damon nodded. Even with the dress covering most of her body, he could make out her shape. Slender legs, graceful arms. Tits he could worship. A pout he’d love to kiss into submission.
