by Mlyn Hurn
Jack saw Ray opening his mouth and he butted in quickly. “No mystery, just a little mix-up and I needed to be bailed out.”
Gayle laughed. “Will I be able to tickle the truth out of Ray?”
Abruptly, Ray stopped laughing. “No, uh, honey. It’s not important. Now, what is everyone having for dinner?”
Seeing Ray discomfited made him smile for the first time that day. Taking a deep breath, he tried once more to stop thinking about Andy and what she was doing right now, and with whom.
* * * * *
Andy had one formal gown. It was an iridescent material, which looked like black satin most of the time, but every so often, with a certain move or change of light, the dress became a beautiful emerald green. In her ears were emerald, straight-line dangles, and her neck was bare. The dress was mid-calf length, strapless, and where it dipped low between her breasts, she wore an emerald green pin. The pin had been a present from the woman she had worked for as a companion, and the earrings she had splurged on after she sold her first book.
Her knees were knocking together when she stood outside the Queen Anne Suite at precisely seven-thirty. The door was immediately opened by a middle-aged man, dressed more formally than Henderson usually was. His bow was perfect.
“Good evening, Ms. Bond. His Grace is waiting. We are delighted you could join us this evening.”
“Thank you, Mr. uh—”
“This is Giles Fitzhugh, Andy. I call him Giles, but he is a stickler and prefers Fitzhugh.”
Andy held out her hand to Giles, but he looked at her hand rather uncomfortably. After a moment, he shook her hand.
Peter came forward, joining them. He patted the older man’s shoulder. “I’m convinced, Giles, that Ms. Bond is an American and used to a more relaxed way of doing things.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“I think that is a polite way of putting it. It is nice to meet you, Fitzhugh. Did you come with the suite like my Henderson did?”
Peter laughed, quickly coughing. “Giles has worked for my family for quite a few years.”
“Oh, darn. I’m sorry.”
“I take no offense, miss. Now, sir, if you will allow me, I will bring your cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.” With another precise bow, Fitzhugh departed.
Andy looked at Peter. “Well, I feel stupid.”
“Not at all, Andy. He’s the stickler for protocols, not me. Come into the sitting room.”
Andy gasped as she saw the wide vista of windows. “This is unreal. Are we at the front of the boat?”
“Yes, this is the ship’s fore, and your suite is aft.”
“That’s probably why I keep getting lost. This suite seems awfully big though.”
“I took both suites for this cruise. The dividing wall was removed, which gives the magnificent view. You should come back during the day when you can more fully appreciate it.”
“Halfway across would be pretty cool, but this whole—” she paused and gestured with her hand from one side to the other.
“Your drinks, sir,” Fitzhugh announced from behind them.
Andy turned and accepted one of the martini glasses. She took a sip and wrinkled her nose.
Peter took a sip and gave the butler a thumbs-up signal. “Perfection, as usual, Giles.”
“Thank you, Your Grace, but I don’t think Ms. Bond agrees.”
Andy flushed, feeling surprised her expression had been noticed. “I’m not much of a drinker…of any kind of alcohol. I lean towards Long Island Iced Tea, because it tastes like tea. Oh, and Kahlua is good, too.”
“Which would you like Giles to make for you?” Peter offered quickly.
“Please, don’t go to any trouble for me. I’m happy with a glass of water.”
The doorbell rang. Peter smiled, taking the cocktail serving tray from Giles. “You get the door, old boy. I’ll serve the drinks.” He added his glass to the tray.
Giles turned away to do his boss’ command.
“Did he just roll his eyes?” she asked quickly, keeping her voice low.
Peter grinned. “Yeah. He really hates it when I reverse roles. When I really want to get under his skin, I go out to the kitchen and start rumbling around. Drives him crazy!”
“Can I help with something?” Andy offered, laughing at the idea of the Duke and a sink full of dishes.
“Yes.” Peter nodded towards the glass he’d set back on the tray. “You can hold onto my glass while I serve the others.”
Andy nodded, picking up the glass.
“Oh, one quick sip before I face the troops?”
Andy laughed and lifted the glass to his lips.
He took a sip. “Ah, sustenance at last. That Giles really does make a good martini. Do you think I should give him a raise?”
Giles had just reentered the room, preparing to introduce the next guests.
Andy saw him lift his eyebrow at hearing the Duke’s question. She only took a moment to consider, but she winked at Giles across the room. “Yes, I really think you should. Double it even! He is most definitely worth his weight in gold.”
Peter coughed, glancing over at Giles. “How much are you paying her?”
“Obviously, the lady is not only bright and intelligent, she comes from good breeding, as well.”
Peter laughed, nodding his head. “On that point, we agree. Welcome, one and all!”
The doorbell sounded again, and Giles turned to answer it.
“Hello, John, Marisa. I’m glad you could join us tonight. Would you care for one of Giles’ delightful martinis?”
After that, Andy found it hard to keep up with arrivals, but finally she was sure all of the Duke’s guests had arrived. Peter returned and set her glass down and retrieved his. He offered his arm and took her around the room, introducing her to everyone. The Captain was very polite and quite dapper in his white uniform. She quickly learned his wife was traveling this time, since the date covered their wedding anniversary.
Andy was very happy to discover the Williams had been invited to the dinner as well. There was a lot of chitchat before dinner, but eventually Giles announced it was served.
Andy had never seen so many courses to a meal. She found the experience fun, strange and delightful. She kept making mental notes about certain things she wanted to remember for use in a future story. Only once did she reach for the wrong fork, but Peter, who was seated at the head of the table on her left, cleared his throat and picked up the correct one for her to see. She felt her cheeks flush, but he only shrugged.
After dinner, Peter announced they were having a traditional English evening. The ladies were to retire to the sitting room and the gentlemen would linger for a glass of port and a fine cigar. As Andy and the other women stood, Peter smiled and promised they would be brief.
In the sitting room, Andy ended up on the sofa in between Margrit and the Captain’s wife, Carol. She was surprised to find Carol was quite down to earth, and a grandmother. Right before the men returned, the Captain’s wife leaned over and invited both Andy and Margrit to attend the private anniversary party on the sixth night of the cruise. After they agreed, in less than two seconds, Carol told them they would receive the party particulars at their suites.
About thirty minutes later, the party broke up, with Ethan and Margrit staying behind at Peter’s request. Together they decided to walk to the Dungeon Party. Once inside, Andy knew she’d see Jack before too much longer. Suddenly, she knew her avoidance technique all day long might have worked during the daylight hours. But now she was going to have to face him, and she wanted to run in the other direction. Her excuses for accepting this dinner invitation with Peter suddenly seemed less important. The fact that it was an experience that most likely would never be repeated and served as great research only worked if Jack knew about her career. Now she regretted not revealing all to him.
Leaving wasn’t an option since she’d have to face him eventually anyway. More importantly, she tried to live her life facing her proble
ms, rather than running away, or burying them under food and fat. Stiffening her spine, she walked with the other three people for a short time, and then she excused herself. After refusing an escort, she hurried back to her suite.
Henderson arrived a few minutes after she did, to see if she needed anything.
“I’m stuffed,” she mumbled, half-seated, half-lying on the long sofa.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked, casually picking up the shoes she’d kicked off on her way to the sofa.
“I was Alice down the rabbit hole. I stuck my foot in my mouth a few times, but I only picked up the wrong fork once.”
Henderson chuckled. “I’m sure you did fine. I’ll take your shoes up for you. I’ve pulled down the bed and laid out a fresh gown.”
Andy saw a smile curl his lips, and then it was quickly gone. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
Henderson shook his head. “No, miss, not at all. Would you like me to draw your bath?”
“No, but you are spoiling me. How will I function back home?”
“Quite well, I am sure.”
Andy stood and took her shoes from Henderson. “You can go. I’m going to take that bath.”
“Do you want a wake-up call in the morning?”
“No, I’m going to sleep in. I’ll probably skip breakfast.”
“Very well, Ms. Bond. I’ll tidy up down here before I go.”
Andy smiled and started up the stairs. “Thank you, Rick. You really are a doll.”
“Thank you, I guess. And if you get hungry, I’ve left a few surprises in the refrigerator.”
“Ooh, now that sounds interesting.”
* * * * *
Rick moved about the downstairs, straightening cushions and making sure everything was in its intended spot. He checked his watch. From here, he was going to meet Amalie for a late snack. They were both signing over to the desk for the night so they could have some uninterrupted time together. It had been a long time since they had both been this busy on a cruise. He was nearly ready to go when the doorbell rang.
Opening the door, he found it hard to not smile. “Good evening, sir,” Rick murmured.
Jack glared, walking past him into the suite. “I think we’ve passed the usual pleasantries.”
“Yeah.” Rick agreed as he closed the door, turning to look at the other man. “Ms. Bond didn’t tell me she was expecting company.”
Jack stopped halfway towards the stairs. “She forgot. Did she ask for a wake-up call?”
Rick shook his head. He had two choices. He could try and stop the man determined to reach the woman upstairs. There was a chance he would win, but they both would end up hurting and bruised. And if ever he’d seen a man in love, this guy was it.
“No, no wake-up call. And there is some food in the refrigerator, if anyone gets hungry.”
“Thanks for not making this day from hell any worse,” Jack told him as he started up the stairs.
“I had a few days like that before Amalie straightened me out. Good night, Jack.”
Chapter Nine
Jack had removed his jacket by the time he reached the top of the stairs. As he entered the open bedroom, he could hear sounds coming from the bathroom. Water stopped running, and he heard the sound of the jets starting. It sounded like Andy must be using that great tub, which overlooked her deck. As he rounded the corner, he had shed the rest of his clothes and saw the bathroom was lit with a few candles.
Andy was already in the tub, her head back and eyes closed.
As quietly as possible, he crossed the room. For a minute he considered climbing in, but then he decided to sit on the side, facing her. Once he was seated, he made a soft whispering sound.
Slowly, as if waking from a sleep, Andy opened her eyes.
Even in the dim light, he could see she had not removed her makeup, which had run down her cheeks because she was crying. “Damn, honey! Are you okay? Did something happen?”
Andy shook her head, sniffling loudly and then gulping a little. “No…I-I’m fine.” She stopped as she started crying again.
Jack slid into the tub, pulling Andy into his arms.
“No…no…you shouldn’t do that.” She resisted, pushing against him, but weakly.
Jack shook his head. “Of course I should, sweetheart. Uhm, I am a little worried about that goop getting in your eyes. Do you have some kind of remover for it?”
Andy nodded. “Yeah.” She twisted away and grabbed a small jar. Taking some out she passed it back to him to close. Quickly, she smeared it all over her face. “You’ve probably forgotten what I look like without all the war paint.”
“No, I still remember.”
“You have to admit it’s an improvement.” She continued to work her fingers all over her face.
“No, I don’t have to admit that, Andy.” He knew immediately he had her attention by the way her fingers stopped moving.
“Don’t be silly, Jack. I thought men liked a pretty, made-up face.” Her voice was a little shaky when she replied.
He noticed she had not opened her eyes, or bothered to rinse yet either. “I disagree, Andy. A little makeup is okay, and for special occasions a lot seems to be required. But in general, and personally speaking, I like kissing a clean face.” Slowly he reached out with both hands and started to touch her face, removing the cream. Grabbing a washcloth, he wet it and gently dabbed at her eyes, working it all off carefully. Finally, he was done and her face was clean.
“As far as being silly, you will have to promise me you won’t tell a soul about this,” he paused, knowing she would open her eyes out of curiosity. She did a few seconds later, nodding her head in agreement. “Very well. I reached the height of silly this morning. When I woke up and you weren’t in bed, I thought I would be funny…well, I assumed you were downstairs. I put on your see-through robe, the golden one.”
Andy covered her mouth with her hand.
Jack could see the laughter starting to bubble over. He went on deliberately, knowing this would break down any barriers she had built during the day.
“I came sailing down those stairs, anticipating surprising you—”
The laughter came out. “Oh no! Oh my God, Jack! I’m so sorry.”
He held up his hand. “It would be hard to say who was more surprised. Needless to say, I’m sure that is why Henderson took pity on me tonight when I came banging on your door.”
“That’s awful. I am sorry,” Andy said again.
“It wasn’t your fault and it gets worse. I came back up here and called Ray to bring me some clothes so I wouldn’t have to walk through the halls…well, you get the idea. He got here faster than I thought, or I was daydreaming. Anyway, Ray came barreling up those stairs and found me…in my golden morning splendor.”
Andy shook her head, still chuckling. “You better have a big, bad secret to hold over his head or he is going to tell everyone.”
“It came close tonight at dinner, but he remembered at the last minute. Gayle was threatening to tickle it out of him. Ray won’t say a word.”
Andy moved back to sit beside Jack in the bubbling tub. As she leaned back, she thought she should warn him. “I hope you aren’t holding the belly dancer story as the threat.” By the way Jack started, she knew she’d guessed correctly. Turning to smile at him, she shook her head. Her hair fell forward and with wet hands, scraped it all straight back, off her face.
“Gayle already knows that one, but Ray doesn’t know that she knows. And, she doesn’t want him to know that she knows.”
“Wait, this is too complicated. I figured she’d be pissed.”
Andy shook her head. “I can’t tell you why because then I’d have to kill you. And if Ray breaks down, Gayle won’t talk.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because she doesn’t want Ray to know…this is confusing. You promise you won’t say a word?”
Jack held up three fingers.
“All right. We heard about the surprise for Ray�
��s birthday, and we set up you guys. I got Tony to call the number to arrange a dancer. A big guy I knew from Chemistry lab went as her bouncer and protector.”
“She thought she’d need someone to protect her from us?”
“You didn’t know it was Gayle. Anyway, that’s why.”
Jack cleared his throat. “Did she tell you what happened?”
“Just that she danced. She and I had taken an exotic dance class one semester together, and—”
“You know how to dance like that?” Jack knew his voice went up a notch, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t recall a whole lot of the dance but he did suddenly have a recollection of veils dropping. Arousal shot through him. This time when he spoke, his voice was much deeper and husky. “I would have liked to have seen that.”
Andy glanced at him. “Uh, you did see it. You were there.”
He saw her confused look as she spoke. Jack reached out and pulled Andy around to face him. As if she knew what he wanted, her legs parted and he eased her forward onto his lap. He shook his head as he pressed her against his hard cock. “No, Andy. I meant I would have liked to see you perform the same dance, back then.”
He saw the look in her eyes—doubt, arousal and then fear.
She pushed against him but he refused to let her move even a millimeter. She looked away as she stopped struggling. “Please don’t say things like that.”
“Why not, Andy? I’m not lying.”
“I heard all of you that night. I know what you thought.”
Jack threaded his fingers through her hair and tipped up her face. Finally, she lifted her gaze to meet his. “I’ve thought a lot about what you said, Andy. I’ve tried to recall that conversation, but other than bits and pieces, I can’t. I do know I volunteered to ask you out on the last night, Andy. I didn’t lose the draw, or anything else.”
“Pity,” she whispered.
“That’s not what I was feeling on the beach.”
She looked away, unable to hold his gaze.
He released the hold he had on her head, moving his hands down her back, stroking up and down, rubbing and caressing. “Whose idea was it to lose a piece of clothing?” he asked a few seconds later.
