She wouldn’t be able to go back to how things currently were. They’d lose everything they had. The late-night phone calls. Sharing an Air Heads while watching Star Venture. Playing video games until the sun comes up. She couldn’t lose Drew. He was her . . . everything.
She pulled back from him. “I’d never shut you out.” She ruffled his hair. “Squirt,” she added, forcing a smile.
He leaned back. “Are you feeling well enough to go to the music show? Or would the noise be too much?”
“Why, what time is it?”
“It’s almost five-thirty.”
“What?” She sat up. “I slept the whole day away?”
“Not the whole day. Just the middle part.” He grinned at her and her chest constricted. Why did he have to look so handsome? She wanted to go shove his glasses back on his face and imagine what he looked like before he got so toned.
She swallowed. “Sorry. I’m sure you missed the tubing excursion.”
He stood and shrugged. “That’s okay. I wouldn’t have had fun without you anyway.”
She wanted to hug his words to her chest and sigh. Why was she acting so silly? This whole thing was ridiculous. She wasn’t some schoolgirl with a crush. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the light. Luckily the light didn’t hurt her head like before. She picked up her brush and ran it through her hair.
Drew appeared in the mirror behind her, leaning against the door jam. “Is your headache gone?”
“Mostly.”
His gaze dipped to the floor. “Are you hungry?”
She turned around. He was probably starving; he’d stayed with her through lunch. He didn’t have to do that. “I could eat.”
He grinned. “A horse? Because that’s what I could eat.”
She whacked him on the chest. “You should have left and gone to get some food.”
He sobered and took a step toward her. “I was worried about you.” He raised his hand like he was going to brush his fingers over her cheek, but then put it down quickly.
She was touched. “Thanks.”
He gazed at her and she could feel the air between them charge with unknown energy. Something had changed between them. Something she couldn’t pinpoint, but standing there with him, the difference was there. She could feel it. Almost breathe it in.
He turned from her and broke the spell. “Let’s go.”
She nodded. Yes. She needed to get out of there and clear her head before she messed up everything between them.
Chapter 18
A knock sounded. Drew looked out the peephole at a man holding an insanely large bouquet of flowers. He opened the door.
“Miranda Moore?”
Miranda pushed past him. “I’m Miranda.”
The man thrust the flowers at her. “These are for you.”
“Aw, how sweet.” She grinned at Drew.
His heart sank. He hadn’t sent flowers. “Uh. . .”
She carried them inside and set them on the desk next to the teddy bear. “They’re beautiful.” She gave him another bright smile.
“I didn’t. . .”
Before the words were out, Miranda was reading the card. “I hope you feel better soon. Love, Zachary.” Her gaze snapped up to meet his. “Oh.”
He swallowed. “That was nice of him,” he said, feeling like the lamest guy in the history of lame guys. Why hadn’t he thought to send her something? Why was it Zachary, the loser who just wanted her in his bed? A surge of anger made him clench his teeth.
Her smile widened. “Yes. That was very nice of him.” She leaned over and sniffed the flowers. “They smell wonderful.”
Of course they do. Drew wanted to toss them overboard. How could he tell her about what he’d been told now? He tugged on his t-shirt and cleared his throat. “Do you need to water them or anything before we leave?”
She glanced at the vase already full of water, and he felt even more stupid. “No.”
“Okay then.”
As they walked to the restaurants, he tried to think of something to take his mind off how much of a dork he was, and how he had to get Miranda away from Zachary. They got their food at a pasta place, and he found an empty table out on the deck facing the setting sun. Miranda turned to him and smiled. “This is a lovely spot.”
They watched as the ship pulled away from the shore. Drew swirled his pasta around his fork.
Miranda tapped the rim of her glass. “I have a question for you, and you don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.”
Curious, he looked at her. “Okay.”
“Why didn’t you correct me when I mistook Shelly for your girlfriend?” She stilled, waiting for his response.
Drew took in a deep breath, remembering the phone conversation.
***
Drew patted the border collie on the head. The poor thing was skin and bones. The vet warned him not to let her overeat. He poured her food in the bowl and she devoured it. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. He reached into the grocery sack and opened the package of treats. He was such a sucker. He tossed a few on the tile floor and Shelly happily swallowed them. Did she even chew?
His phone vibrated on the granite countertop, “Ain’t No Sunshine” playing. Miranda. He couldn’t wait to tell her about Shelly. Miranda loved dogs. He picked up the phone and crossed his ankles, leaning against the center island. “Hello?”
Shelly peered up at him, her eyes pleading again. “No more, sweetie,” he said, holding the phone away from his mouth. If she overate, she’d just throw it up.
“Who’s that?” Miranda asked. “Did I call at a bad time?”
“No,” he said, fumbling with the phone. “Not a bad time. I actually have some news.”
“Ooh, so do I!” Miranda sounded like she was bouncing on her toes. “You go first.”
“Okay.” Shelly panted, her tail wagging. Drew reached into the paper bag and pulled out a dog bone. He ripped open the packaging and tossed it to Shelly. Feeling a little playful, he said, “There’s a new woman in my life.”
“Oh my gosh! I’m so excited for you! Drew, that’s wonderful. What’s her name?”
She’d fallen right into his trap. Perfect. “Shelly,” he said, grinning.
“Oh, that’s so fantastic. You have to bring Shelly next time you come. In fact, you can bring her to my wedding! Walt and I are getting married!”
Drew sucked in a breath and choked. He coughed until he could talk again. “What?”
“I’m getting married. Can you believe it?”
Miranda . . . married? No, he couldn’t believe it. He’d been hoping she’d finally see him as something more. His shoulders sank as he stared down at the floor. What did Walt have that he didn’t have? He glanced at his reflection in the glass of the kitchen cabinets. Walt was athletic. Drew looked like a stick figure in comparison. A really nerdy stick figure. “Yeah,” was all he could muster.
Miranda continued. “But I’m so happy you’ve found someone. I was getting worried about you out there all alone. Now that you have Shelly, I don’t have to worry anymore.”
Shelly gnawed on her bone, her nails clicking on the tile as she tried to attack it. Drew’s heart pounded in his chest. “Um . . . about that.”
“I hope you and Shelly can come to my wedding. I mean, I don’t have a date set yet, but we’re thinking soon. At least, I’m thinking soon. Walt’s kind of . . . well, we just don’t know yet. Things are up in the air. But I’ll let you know as soon as I know. Isn’t it exciting?” She squealed.
Exciting was not the word he would have used. He felt like throwing up. “You did say you wanted to get married before you turned thirty.”
“I know. All my dreams are coming true. But enough about me. You met a woman! I’m so thrilled for you. Tell me about her.”
Drew looked down at his dog. He should tell her he was just joking around. He had met a woman, but she was only two feet tall. Maybe she’d laugh and tell him how funny he is. Or she’d think he was pa
thetic. A loser with no girlfriend. No real life. Just a lot of money. He nervously tugged at his watchband. “She’s very friendly.”
***
Drew looked out over the water. Miranda waited for him to answer.
“I guess I didn’t want to admit that I was a loser. No girlfriend. No one in my life except a dog.”
Miranda got that oh-you-poor-thing look on her face, and she reached over and patted his hand. “You’re not a loser.”
“That’s what people say to their loser friends when they don’t want to hurt their feelings.” Drew shot her a small smile.
She whacked his chest. “You’re a billionaire. You have your own private jet. You live in a mansion in New York. Sorry, you’re not getting away with playing the sympathy card.”
He laughed, suddenly feeling lighter. She was right. He had a lot of things going for him, yet the only thing he wanted was Miranda.
She sipped her Coke and looked out at the water. “So, this whole year, you haven’t been dating anyone?”
He stabbed his green beans. “I’ve been on dates, if that’s what you’re asking.”
She squinted at him. “No one worth pursuing?”
He stared at her. She was the only one worth pursuing. But he couldn’t say that out loud. “No.”
Zachary suddenly came up to the table and sat down next to Miranda, uninvited. Drew gripped his fork tight. The things he’d heard about Zachary made his skin crawl.
“Did you get my flowers?”
Miranda smiled at Zachary. “I did, thank you.”
Zachary’s gaze traveled over her. “You look better.”
“Yes. The headache is almost gone.”
“Good. Then you’ll be up for a special surprise tonight after the show.”
Drew almost shot out of his chair, but he forced himself to remain. His teeth ached and he made a conscious effort not to grind them.
“Surprise?” Miranda raised her eyebrows.
“Yes. In my cabin.” Zachary ran his hand through his perfect blond hair. Drew wanted to throw up.
Miranda seemed to hesitate. “I don’t want to leave Drew.”
“I thought he and Angelica—”
“We broke up.” Drew didn’t mean for it to come out so forcefully; both Zachary and Miranda stared at him.
Miranda glanced down at his fist and raised an eyebrow. He looked down. His fork was bent in half. He dropped it on the table with a clang.
“Sorry, mate.” Zachary stared at the bent fork. “Guess you’re pretty upset about it.”
Miranda turned back to Zachary. “What kind of surprise is it?”
“Just something I picked up in Belize today. Why don’t you run by my cabin tonight and I’ll give it to you, then we can join Drew? Maybe we can play a game of miniature golf?”
“Sounds good to me. Drew?”
Miranda’s large, blue eyes peered at him. Great. What was he supposed to say? Drew couldn’t object, or else he’d look like the jerk. “Fine,” he finally said. “We’ll play golf.”
Maybe he’d accidentally knock Zachary Dunham upside the head with his club.
Chapter 19
Miranda knocked on Zachary’s door; he opened it almost immediately. “Come on in. The surprise is out on the deck.”
She wasn’t exactly sure what Zachary was up to, but she followed him anyway. The stars shone above, and the moon reflected off the ocean. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Here you go,” he said in her ear.
She took the little box from him. Why did he need her to meet him at his cabin to get this? He could have given it to her at dinner. Or at the miniature golf place later. She opened the lid and peeked inside. A ring?
Miranda lifted it out and stared down at the ring. The ugliest ring she’d ever seen. The fake diamond was so large that there was no way it was real. Zachary slid it on her finger. “Ah, it fits,” he said.
It looked gaudy on her hand. “Um, thank you,” she said, turning to face him.
A smug smile formed on his face. “I saw that and thought of you.”
She eyed the ring again before giving him a questioning look. “What about the ring made you think of me?”
He paused. “Um. . .” His gaze bounced around the deck. He looked stumped. “The beauty?”
She made a face. “You think this ring is beautiful?”
He cocked his head to the side as if trying to figure her out. “Don’t all girls think diamonds are beautiful?”
Surely he didn’t think this ring was an actual diamond, right? She looked from him to the ring several times, unsure of what to say. Since the ring was obviously costume jewelry, she finally just asked, “What diamond?”
He pointed to the ring, his cheeks flushing. “That big honker right there!”
The laugh was out before she could stop it. She clamped her lips together. When she was sure she wouldn’t let out another laugh, she tried again. “You think this is a real diamond? I hope you didn’t spend a lot on it.”
Zachary’s eyes widened. “Of course it’s real! What kind of guy do you take me for?”
She didn’t want to argue with him about the ring, so she just smiled. “Sorry. Thank you for the ring. It’s . . . big.”
He snaked his arms around her again. “You’re welcome.” His lips came down on hers before she could process what he was doing. The kiss was rough. Possessive. And he smelled of green peppers and vodka. As he kissed her, his hands wandered up her shirt.
Miranda shoved him away. “What are you doing?”
Zachary came at her again. “Nothing, babe. Just showing you how I feel about you.”
She backed up until she was against the railing. “Well, stop it. You’re moving too fast. I don’t want that from you.”
“What do you mean, too fast?” Zachary looked annoyed. “We only have two days left on this cruise.”
Her heart raced. What did he mean? “Two days for what?”
“Come on, you can’t be that stupid. Why do you think I’m buying you all this stuff?”
Heat rose to her cheeks and she reacted before she could stop herself. She slapped him. Hard. Her hand stung and Zachary staggered back. “You hit me!” Fury lit his eyes.
She pulled the ring off and shoved it at him. “That’s because you’re a pig.”
In an instant, all anger left him and he bowed his head before her, taking her hand in his. “Please, I’m sorry. Keep the ring. You misunderstood me.”
She jerked her hand away and started for the door. “I don’t think so.”
Zachary cut her off. “Miranda. Don’t go. We can make this work. I . . . I just wanted to get to know you better.”
She seethed. “Come at me one more time, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”
He took another step toward her.
***
Drew leaned against the railing, checking his watch. The sun had already set, the night sky stretching out over him. The lights on the deck shone bright, lighting up the golf course. Luckily it was a beautiful night.
Miranda had gone to Zachary’s cabin ten minutes ago. It was only supposed to take a second. Why hadn’t they arrived yet? His stomach felt like he’d swallowed a cold ball of steel. Was Zachary seducing her while he stupidly stood up here and waited for them?
He checked his watch again. Twelve minutes. What was he doing? Why was he just standing there? What if Zachary was kissing her? What if. . .
He shook his head. He couldn’t go racing to Zachary’s room. What good would that do, anyway? Miranda was a grown woman. She could do what she wanted.
A family climbed up on the deck and walked over to the desk to get started on the course. He watched as the little boy, just around four years old, grabbed his club and ball. He raced to the first hole. His sister showed him how to hold the club.
He shifted and looked at his watch again. Waiting for her was going to make him crazy. He shouldn’t have told them he’d meet them up here. He should have just gone with
Miranda to get whatever stupid surprise Zachary had. He should have. . .
Miranda walked out onto the deck, and his heart raced. He waited for Zachary to appear, but he wasn’t in sight. Miranda looked around, finally spotting him. She crossed the deck to join him.
He almost didn’t want to ask. “Where’s Zachary?”
Miranda huffed and folded her arms across her chest. “He’s not coming.”
“What happened?”
“He decided to show his true colors.”
Oh, no. His heart jumped into his throat. “What did he do? Are you okay?”
“Yes. His present was a ring. It was hideous, but he insisted it was a real diamond. Whatever. I guess he thought that gave him permission to put his hands wherever he wanted. At first, when I stopped him, he got angry, asking me what I thought he wanted in exchange for all the gifts he was giving me.” She rolled her eyes. “Pig.”
Anger surged in his chest. “Then what?”
“Then I told him if he came at me one more time, he’d regret it.”
“Did he come at you?”
“Yes.”
Drew waited for her to say what else happened, but she didn’t say anything. Just stood there with a strange expression on her face. “So?”
“Remember when my mom had me take that self-defense class?”
“Yes,” he said quickly, anxious to hear what had happened.
“Funny how the body can remember moves like that years down the road.”
“What did you do?”
“I flipped him over my shoulder and he fell over the railing.” She blushed.
“Wait, what? He fell overboard?” His gaze snapped to the dark water. He hated the guy, but he didn’t want him to drown.
“No. He fell to the deck below. Wasn’t even hurt. He was, however, really mad.” Her blush deepened. “Like, so mad he yelled up to me how he’d bet that he could get me in bed, and how he was out a thousand dollars, and how I was a stupid—”
Her Big Fat Foxy Billionaire Best Friend Page 12
