Drew walked in behind her and made a little choking noise. Then he quickly walked to the bed and pulled apart the towels. He crumpled the sign and tossed it into the trash bin. He picked up the rose and glanced around, seeming to not know what to do with it.
Miranda shook herself. It was no big deal, right? Walt must have called them to set it up back before things went south. It was just a rose. She took it from him. “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”
He looked at her like he didn’t believe her.
“Let’s go explore the ship.” She tossed the rose onto the desk. It landed with a small thud. Kind of like her love life. Always landing with a sickening thud as she was left alone again. She grabbed Drew’s hand, determined to leave behind those thoughts. “Come on, I’m in serious need of some chocolate.”
***
Drew nonchalantly dropped Miranda’s hand as they walked toward the elevators. He didn’t want to make it obvious, but he couldn’t stand any more physical contact with her. What she’d said still rang in his ears.
Ew, Mom. It would be like dating my brother.
It was their first kiss all over again. He stepped forward and pushed the call button, trying to get the pain from that day out of his mind. Why had he thought it was a good idea to kiss her? What a stupid mistake that had been.
He’d been fifteen, and was convinced that if he kissed Miranda, she would fall madly in love with him and all his dreams would come true. Instead, as they sat on the couch and watched Star Venture, he should have left well enough alone.
He still remembered his pounding heart as he got up the courage to look her in the eyes. He’d moved ever so slowly closer, sure she could feel the same attraction. When he pressed his lips to hers, it had been magical. That is, until she backed away and laughed: “Well, that settles it. Never kiss your best friend. We’re so not meant for each other.”
At the time, he’d been too embarrassed to ask her why she hadn’t liked the kiss. Now, after having had multiple girlfriends who hadn’t given him that spark, he knew. Miranda just didn’t feel that way about him, and he had to accept it. Still, her words to her mother cut him.
They stepped off on the main deck and walked from stern to stern, checking out the shops and the restaurants. There was a swimming pool, several hot tubs, and a large open area that looked like it would be for dancing. A guitarist played music on the deck above as they walked.
Several people were dressed up as various aliens from the Star Venture world, with pointy ears and temporary tattoos. When they found a Star Venture costume shop, he went in and bought a Galactic Union uniform for tonight. Miranda had brought one.
After the safety drill, the loudspeaker announced their departure, and they leaned on the railing and waved. Miranda’s face lit up as they watched the buildings on the shore grow smaller. Then she turned and whacked his arm. “Look! There’s Zachary Dunham.”
Drew glanced behind him. Zachary was outside a candy shop, talking with the people walking by, a glass of champagne in one hand. “Do you want to go meet him?”
“Of course.” Miranda dragged him across the deck.
Zachary wore a plain t-shirt and jeans. His blond hair seemed to fall perfectly to the side, his TV-star smile taking over his face. “Well, hello there.” His British accent came through. He’d done a pretty good job of speaking with an American accent on the show, so it was weird to hear. Plus, he’d been a teen and now his voice was lower. He stuck out his hand to Miranda.
Luckily, she wasn’t as starstruck as she’d been talking to Peter Walker. Maybe because Zachary wasn’t all made up to look like his cyborg self. Miranda shook his hand. “Hi.”
Zachary’s gaze traveled over her, and his smile widened. Drew tensed. He didn’t like the way Zachary was leering at her. Miranda didn’t seem to notice.
“Aren’t you a pretty thing,” he said, his voice smooth. “What’s your name?”
A blush graced her cheeks. “Miranda.”
“Beautiful name.” The boat tilted and Zachary lost his footing, dumping his champagne down Miranda’s shirt.
“Oh!” His mouth opened in shock. “I’m so sorry, love. I didn’t mean to douse you with my drink.”
Miranda sputtered and wiped at her shirt. “That’s okay,” she said.
“Please, let me make it up to you. Come dine with me tonight, lovely Miranda.”
Wait, what? Was Zachary putting the moves on Miranda? Drew cleared his throat.
Zachary’s gaze flitted over to him. “Oh, I’m sorry, are you two together?”
Miranda laughed and waved her hand, barely glancing at Drew. “No, we’re just friends. I’d love to have dinner with you tonight.”
Zachary seemed surprised by this, but he recovered quickly. “It’s settled then. What’s your cabin number? I’ll have someone send an invitation.”
As they talked, Drew’s stomach lurched. Miranda had just broken up with her fiancé. She was vulnerable. Hadn’t she just made a resolve to not get involved with anyone? How could she accept the invitation?
Miranda turned to Drew, her smile so wide he didn’t have the heart to say anything. They walked away and once they were out of earshot she squealed and bounced on her toes. “I get to have dinner with Zachary Dunham!”
“Yeah. Cool.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to plaster on a smile.
He felt like throwing up.
Chapter 6
Miranda unlocked her door and picked up the envelope sitting on the floor; someone had shoved it under her door while she and Drew were exploring the ship. She plopped down on her bed and ripped it open. Inside was a white card with a handwritten note.
I’m so happy you accepted my invitation. Come to my cabin at five. I look forward to seeing you.
After his scrawled signature, he wrote his deck and room number.
His cabin? She’d thought she’d be sitting at his table in the dining hall. Going to his cabin was kind of weird. But maybe he just wanted to walk down there with her? She shrugged and looked at her phone. That was only fifteen minutes from now. She unzipped her suitcase and rifled through it, looking for something appropriate to wear. What does a girl wear when she’s going to have dinner with a famous actor? Nothing seemed suitable enough.
Frantic, she finally pulled out her favorite silk blouse. That was it. She slipped it on and buttoned it. She pulled on her favorite jeans and shoved her feet into her sandals. The last thing was a spritz of her favorite perfume. Not that she expected Zachary Dunham to be sniffing her, but if he did she didn’t want to stink.
She grabbed her clutch and slid her phone inside. One last glance in the mirror and she threw her shoulders back. She looked good. Take that, Walt.
His cabin was only one deck above her, so she just walked up the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. Nerves shot through her as she approached his cabin. She knocked, then wiped her hands on her jeans. Sweaty hands were the worst.
Zachary opened the door and she about swallowed her tongue. He had no shirt on. He smiled wide and motioned into his cabin. “Come on in.”
Miranda hedged, staring at his bare chest. Not that it was a bad thing to look at it. He had muscles in all the right places. But she wasn’t there to have some romantic tryst. How could he have gotten the wrong idea? They’d barely talked. “Um. . .”
He pulled her inside anyway, and grinned at her. “Does this make you uncomfortable?”
Her mouth went dry as she stared at him. “A little, yeah.”
“Then I’ll put my shirt on.” He walked over to the bed and picked up a t-shirt. Pulling it on over his head, his grin widened. “Better?”
The t-shirt was so tight, she could pretty much see all the same muscles. “Yes.”
“Room service should be here soon.”
Miranda stared at him, a little unnerved, but he didn’t look like he was going to pounce on her or anything. “Room service? Aren’t we eating in the dining room?”
He waved his hand.
“It’s too noisy in the dining hall. Plus, people will keep coming up to us asking for my autograph. No one respects privacy anymore. I’d rather stay in here and get to know you better.”
That made sense. He was a television star after all. And everyone on board was a huge Star Venture fan. They’d be mobbed if they went down to the restaurant. Plus, he had a nice deck attached to his room with a table and two chairs. “Okay, that’s fine.”
Zachary rocked back on his heels and shoved his thumbs in his belt loops. He gave her a smile that looked like it was practiced for the cameras. “How have you liked the cruise ship so far?”
From what she’d seen, it would be really fun. “Looks amazing. I can’t wait to try all the restaurants.”
“Right.” He glanced toward the door. “Hopefully the food will arrive soon.”
“What did you order?”
“Steak and potatoes for me, but I know you American girls don’t like to eat heavy food, so I ordered you a salad.”
She tried not to frown. A salad? She was starving. They’d missed lunch in all the bustle of boarding and was looking forward to a hearty dinner. “Thanks,” she forced out.
A knock sounded and Zachary moved past her. “Here it is, now.” He opened the door and ushered the man inside. “You can set it up out there.”
After the food was set up on the table, Zachary slipped him a bill and the man left. Miranda stepped out onto the deck. The light ocean breeze felt good on her skin. The view was amazing. She plopped down in one of the deck chairs.
Zachary sat and picked up his knife. “So, tell me about yourself. Where are you from?”
“Kansas.”
He nodded while sawing into his steak. Miranda stared at it. Looked like ribeye. Well marbled. The potato looked good too. A perfect dollop of sour scream with melting cheese. Her mouth watered.
“Lots of corn there, right?”
Miranda tore her gaze away from his meal and shoved her lettuce around with her fork. Why was he asking her about corn? “Yes.”
“Do you like living there?”
She shrugged, not having put a lot of thought into it. It’s where she grew up. Where her mother lived. It was home. “I guess.”
He stuck a juicy piece of beef into his mouth. “What do you do there?” he asked around his food.
“I eat meat,” she blurted.
Zachary blinked. “What?”
Heat rose to her cheeks. She hadn’t meant to say that. But now that it was out there, she couldn’t take it back. “Sorry. I’m not a salad girl.”
He grinned. “You want some of mine?” He pushed his plate toward her, his smile widening.
Great. Now she was stealing food off his plate. That was absolutely a dating no-no. But it did look really good. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Have some.” He handed her the knife, and she stabbed his meat, cutting off a slice.
It tasted as good as it looked. She held in a moan. Zachary was studying her as she chewed, his expression amused. “You’re different.”
Was that a compliment? She wasn’t sure. “Thank you?”
He chuckled and shoved his plate closer to her. “Take it. I’ll have another brought up.” He stood and left the balcony, returning a moment later. He eased himself back into his chair. “Tell me more about yourself, lovely Miranda who likes to eat meat.”
His smile was playful, and she relaxed. “I’m a statistician, which sounds boring, but I love working with numbers so I enjoy it.” Well, enjoy was stretching it now that she had a new she-devil for a boss. But she didn’t want to get into that.
“A carnivore who enjoys working with numbers. You intrigue me.” He pressed his fingertips together. “What brought you on this cruise?”
“That’s actually kind of a funny story. My fiancé and I booked this as a honeymoon cruise. But then he dumped me.” Once the words were out, Miranda couldn’t believe she’d said them. Why was she telling Zachary Dunham about Walt dumping her?
His eyes widened. “You’re the honeymoon girl?”
Oh, no. Why was he calling her that? “You’ve heard of me?” Her voice squeaked a little, and she cleared her throat.
Zachary nodded. “They told the whole cast to be on alert. They passed around your photo and everything. We’re supposed to make you feel welcome and celebrate the special occasion. I guess someone paid extra for the special treatment.”
Miranda wanted to sink into the floor. Walt. That would be just like him. He always wanted to be the center of attention.
His eyebrows pulled together. “So who did I see you with earlier?”
“That’s Drew. He’s just a friend. He and I watched Star Venture together as kids, so he came with me to get my mind off Walt.”
“Walt, the one who dumped you.”
Would her humiliation never end? Why had she even said anything? “Right.”
“Then there’s only one thing to do. I must help you get your mind off this pillock who left you at the altar.”
She laughed. “No, Drew came with me. I’d feel terrible if I ditched him to hang out with you.” After the words were out, guilt flooded her. Was that what she was doing right now? Oh, crud. What must Drew think of her?
He sat back in his chair and folded his arms. “Then bring him along. I want to get to know you. When I’m not working, that is.”
She was flattered that a TV star wanted to hang out with her, but was that wise? She didn’t want to jump into another relationship. “Maybe.”
He squinted at her, like she was a puzzle to him. “I can’t figure you out, Miranda.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to that. Maybe being blunt was best. “I just got out of a relationship. I’m not looking for anything like that.”
He smiled. “Neither am I, so that’s perfect.”
She took another bite, eyeballing him and trying to decide if he was sincere or not. “Maybe Drew and I can do something with you after the cast party.”
He nodded, leaning forward. “Sounds fun.”
Hopefully Drew wouldn’t mind. A knock at the door signaled the arrival of Zachary’s food. They ate and had surface conversation until Zachary looked at his watch. “I’m sorry, I have to get ready for work.” He stood. “Thank you for coming. It was a pleasure getting to know you. I can’t wait to hang out with you and Drake.”
“Drew.”
Zachary either didn’t hear her correction or ignored it. He took her hand and walked her to the door and out into the hall. “Have a lovely time at the cast party. Come find me afterward.”
“Thank you, I—”
The door shut, cutting her off. Miranda tried not to take it personally. He was a busy actor. Surely he hadn’t meant to slam the door in her face. She jaunted down the steps to her own deck, and through the doors to the cabins. She slid her keycard and opened her door. Drew popped his head out of the cabin next door. “Hey, you’re back. How was dinner?”
“Fine. Come on in and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Drew slipped out of his room and followed her. He sat in the chair at the desk. There wasn’t a lot of room between the desk and the bed, so his knees were kind of up by his elbows. She tried not to giggle at him.
“So, what’s he like?” Drew asked.
There was apprehension in Drew’s voice. Miranda plopped down on the bed. “He’s all right. A nice guy. Maybe a little cocky. What did you do for dinner?”
Drew shrugged. “I ate at our assigned table. We’re seated with another couple and two single ladies.”
Miranda raised her eyebrows. “Single ladies?”
Drew laughed. “They were nice. But tell me more about Zachary Dunham.”
It felt awkward talking to Drew about Zachary for some reason. But she couldn’t avoid it. He’d just keep asking until she spilled. “He opened the door and didn’t have a shirt on, and I assumed he had asked me there to sleep with him.” She felt her cheeks turn hot again. “But it was just a misunderstanding. He was the perfect gentl
eman while we ate.”
“He . . . he didn’t have his shirt on?” Drew looked like he had swallowed a bug.
“I guess he was in the middle of changing when I knocked. He didn’t come on to me or anything.” Well, at least, not until he said he should take her mind off of Walt. But even then she wasn’t sure that was a come-on.
Drew shifted, then stood and sat beside her. He looked so serious, his gaze penetrating into hers, that her heart started to pound. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair over her ear. “I hope this doesn’t come out wrong,” he said, his voice low.
She stared at him, not knowing why her heart was beating so fast, but mesmerized by the intensity of his gaze. “Go ahead.”
He leaned a little closer, brushing his knuckles over her cheek. Her skin immediately reacted, zaps of electricity springing to life. “You’re in a very vulnerable place.”
All she could do was nod. Drew was right. Plus, her throat was too tight to get any air through.
“I’m worried he’s not the kind of guy you want to be hanging around with right now.”
What was Drew saying? All she could think about was how good his cologne smelled. She nodded again, her gaze landing on his lips. Had they always been so soft looking?
Drew picked up her hands and ran his thumb over her knuckles. “Just be careful, okay?”
She finally came to her senses and tore her gaze away. “Yes. Careful. You’re right.”
He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head, like a brother would do. “I just worry about you. That’s all.”
Miranda wondered if Drew could feel the crackle of attraction she was feeling. Surely not. He was just being a good friend. If he felt anything near what she was, he would have kissed her. She stood to get away from the intense feelings. “Thanks,” she said, hurrying to the door. “You’re a great friend.”
She, on the other hand, was the worst person in the world. If she were to sit there much longer, she would have done something irreversible—and ruined their friendship for good.
Chapter 7
Her Big Fat Foxy Billionaire Best Friend (Billionaire Series Book 2) Page 4
