I have the day off. Want to spend it together? Wait for me here. Zachary
Yes. She didn’t have to think twice about that offer. If Drew was going to ditch her, at least she’d have someone to hang out with. And Zachary was cute. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea for her to get involved with someone right now.
She washed her face and re-applied her mascara. When a knock came at her door she smiled and opened it. “Hi.”
Zachary grinned at her. He wore shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. “Guess what I have?”
He maneuvered his way into her cabin and handed her two tickets before she had a chance to guess. She looked at them. A snorkeling excursion? “Oh no.”
“What, are you afraid of the water? Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure you’re okay.” He winked at her. “Get your swimsuit on.”
It mildly annoyed her that he was bossing her around, but she unzipped her suitcase and found her swimsuit anyway. “Alright. I’ll be right out.”
She stepped toward the bathroom. Zachary scoffed. “Why so shy? Nothing I haven’t seen before, babe.”
She glared at him. “Funny.” When she got in the bathroom she locked the door. He was joking, right? She sincerely hoped that was the case, or this relationship would be over soon. Guys who wanted to jump right into bed were disgusting.
She slipped on her swimsuit, checking out her back in the mirror. The top part of her scar showed. It annoyed her that she couldn’t find a swimsuit that covered it completely, but what could she do? At least her hair covered it. She slipped her t-shirt and jeans on over the top of her swimsuit and put on her sandals. Then she exited the bathroom. Zachary was sitting on her bed thumbing through her book. He gave her a cocky look. “You read trashy romance novels?”
She snatched it away from him, her cheeks heating. “That’s not a trashy romance.” She stuffed it back into her suitcase. Then she grabbed her backpack with all her beach gear and slung it over her shoulder. “Ready to go?”
“Of course, love.” He slipped his arm around her as they walked.
“Have you been snorkeling before?”
He chuckled. “Once or twice.”
He said it in such a way that made her feel stupid. Duh. Of course he’d been before. He came on these cruises all the time. He was probably bored to tears by it. “I’m glad because I’ve never been before,” she said to cover her embarrassment.
“It’s easy. I’ll teach you.”
They disembarked the ship, and Miranda drew in a deep breath as they walked along the wooden plank that led to the island. A light breeze carried the smell of saltwater and palm trees. The water was crystal clear, and suddenly she couldn’t wait to get in it, even if she had to ignore Drew and his perky girlfriend.
They walked along the sidewalk past locals selling t-shirts, jackets, wallets, and other touristy items. Zachary nudged her and led her around to the side of one of the stands. He pointed to a display of jewelry made from seashells. “A pretty necklace for a pretty lady. Pick one out. I’ll buy it for you.”
For some reason, Miranda got the impression he’d used that line before. How else would he have known the display was there? She shook her head. “No thank you.”
He shrugged. “Whatever.”
When they approached the snorkeling excursion point they joined the crowd waiting for the instructor. Miranda ignored the murderous stare Angelica sent her way. She was here with Zachary. No reason for Angelica to get her panties in a twist.
The instructor came out of a gear shop and waved at them. His skin was dark, and he had a smile that made you want to smile back. “Ready for an afternoon of fun?”
“Yes,” the crowd said in unison.
“Before we get in the water, let’s go over some safety rules. Then I’ll pass out the gear and talk about how to use it.”
Miranda stood and listened as much as she could while Zachary tickled her neck or poked her side and tried to make her giggle. “Stop, I’m trying to listen,” she whispered.
“I’ve heard it a million times. I’ll teach you what you need to know.”
“Thanks, but I’d still like to listen.”
When it came time to get into the water, Miranda stripped off her jeans and t-shirt. Zachary whistled. “Now that’s more like it. But you should have worn a bikini.”
She tried not to roll her eyes. He could be such a child sometimes. “Hush.” Yeah, the bikini thing was not happening. Ever. Not with a huge scar down her back.
She sat on the sand and put on the fins like the instructor had shown, making sure they fit tight enough not to come off in the water. After she adjusted her mask and snorkel, Zachary helped her stand. Walking to the water in her duck feet proved to be more difficult than she thought, and Zachary had to help her twice so she didn’t fall.
The other snorkelers were already out into the ocean, so Miranda hurried and stepped into the water. She was surprised at how warm it was. She walked with him until the water was waist-high.
“All the good stuff is out there,” Zachary said, pointing to where most of the crowd had gone.
“Okay, but I don’t know how to swim with these big things on,” she said around her snorkel mouthpiece.
“You just go under and kick your feet. Like this.” Zachary disappeared under the water. She waited for him to surface, but it took a minute before he broke through, closer to where the crowd ended up.
Gee, that was helpful. She took a breath and tried to do what Zachary had done, but maneuvering proved more difficult than she’d thought. She found herself flailing and kicking up water into the air. She didn’t move very much.
“Come on!” Zachary called, waving to her. Then he disappeared under the water.
Great. How was she supposed to find him if he was swimming away? She tried again, but her flippers seemed to work against her, slowing down her kicks and making it difficult to move. Her muscles grew tired quickly. Why wasn’t this working?
“Relax, you’re trying too hard.”
She turned to see Drew beside her. Where had he come from? Her heart jumped into her throat. How could he look so good in a snorkeling mask, droplets of water all over his chest? His very muscular chest. Dang. And why was she noticing? She swallowed and nodded at him. “I’m trying to swim, but I’m not used to the fins.”
“It’s okay, this is my first time as well. But I found that if I tried to kick too fast, it didn’t work. You have to use slower movements.”
Angelica surfaced and shot a death stare at Miranda. “Come on, Drew. The coral’s over there.”
“Just a second. Miranda needs some help.”
She huffed. “Fine. I’ll meet you over there.” She ducked into the water and swam away.
Drew put his hands on her waist, and her skin tingled with the contact. “Try kicking with just your upper leg muscles, like the instructor said.”
Yeah, she couldn’t hear the instructor because Zachary was talking, but she nodded like she’d been paying attention. “Okay.”
She tried it a few times and was amazed at how well it worked when she was going slower and kicking the way Drew had said. “Thanks, that helped a lot,” she said after she surfaced and blew out her snorkel.
Drew cocked his head to the side. “Did you put on sunscreen? Because your arms are looking a little pink.”
“Oh, no, I forgot.” She glanced back on shore, where her backpack sat. “It’s over there,” she motioned.
“Come on, we’d better get it. I don’t want you to repeat the summer of 2004.”
She laughed. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good. I was in so much pain, I could barely move for a week.”
He grinned and his dimple showed. “At least we had fun at the lake.”
She felt heavy as she walked out of the ocean and onto the sand. Memories of that summer flooded her mind. Fishing at the lake. Late nights with Drew in the backyard, roasting marshmallows and talking about what they’d do when they grew up. She thought she’d be friends with Drew
forever. She glanced at him and her stomach dropped. Maybe that wasn’t realistic.
When they reached her backpack she unzipped the compartment and pulled out her sunscreen. Drew sat on the sand beside her. “Let me. I can put it on where you can’t reach.”
Angelica waddled up the beach, her hands on her hips. “What are you doing? You’re missing all the fish.”
Drew looked up at her. “They’ll be there when we get back.”
Angelica scoffed. “Well, Zachary said he’d show me where there’s a better place for snorkeling.”
Drew put his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. “Okay. Go with him. Miranda and I will join you soon. I don’t want her to burn.”
A cold silence settled in the air. Angelica narrowed her eyes at Drew, then turned and waddled off toward the water.
Chapter 15
Drew popped open the sunscreen, ignoring the awkwardness that had come with Angelica. Miranda took off her flippers and turned her back to him. “You’re in trouble now.”
If only Miranda knew it was all to make her jealous. “I know. I’ll have to make it up to her.” He moved her hair out of the way and sucked in a breath. A jagged scar sliced down her back and disappeared under her swimsuit. “What’s that?”
Miranda stiffened. “It’s nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing. How far down does it go?”
“Not far.” Miranda’s words were clipped, like she didn’t want to talk about it. But he didn’t want to let it go so easily. How had he never known she had this? It looked like it had been bad.
“When did this happen?”
She sighed. “A long time ago. Please, just put on the sunscreen so we can get in the water.”
He wanted to question her more, but knew she didn’t want to be pushed right now. Maybe he’d ask her about it later. He rubbed the cream, warming it in his hands, before putting it on. She sucked in a little breath but didn’t pull away. He covered her upper back and shoulders, going slow, making sure he didn’t miss anywhere. Touching her made his heart pound, but he tried to ignore it. He shouldn’t be thinking about her in that way.
What was he doing? Why was he even with her? He should have gone off with Angelica. Miranda would have figured it out on her own. He was just torturing himself. His fingers grazed her skin, and his breath caught. Okay, sometimes torture was sweet.
“Turn around,” he said, his voice husky. “I’ll put some on your face.”
She turned and closed her eyes. He squeezed out more cream, then dipped his finger in it. “Don’t move,” he said as he applied it to her cheeks. He didn’t want to get it in her eyes.
He smoothed the cream over her skin, catching her forehead, nose, and chin. He looked down at her hands in her lap. “You’re trembling.”
She opened her eyes. “Must be the cold.”
“It’s eighty degrees.”
Her gaze flitted to the ocean. “Are you done now? We should get back in the water. Angelica will be angry if we don’t catch up to them, and I’m sure Zachary is wondering where I am.”
He flipped the lid closed. “I’m done.”
She hopped up and grabbed her fins. “Okay, let’s go.”
At the water she tried putting on her fins, but she almost fell over. “Steady,” he said, wrapping his arm around her.
She clung to him while she slid on a fin and secured it with one hand. When both were on, she looked at him. “Thanks.”
He walked into the water and secured his mask. She swam to the deeper part. “Last one there’s a rotten egg!”
Before he could get a chance to say anything, she dove under. “Hey,” he said, but she was already gone. He shoved his snorkel in his mouth and chased after her. Miranda was doing a good job working with her fins this time; she was ahead of him by several yards. He pumped his legs and tried to catch up.
She swam further out, but he was faster, and they broke the surface at the same time. He grabbed her. “You cheated.”
Her laughter rang out as she treaded water. “It’s the only way I could win.”
He took his mask off but didn’t let go of her. “You didn’t win. We’re not there yet.”
She lifted her mask until it sat on top of her head. “Well, then I still have a chance.”
Little drops of water clung to her eyelashes. He looked at her lips and wondered if they would taste salty if he kissed her.
She lowered her mask and pushed off him. “You’re gonna lose, squirt.” Then she dove under.
He grinned, not moving. He waited until she was farther out, then slipped his mask on and went after her. She caught up to the group just as he broke the surface again. “Guess we tied,” he said.
She whacked his chest. “Only because you let me get a head start.”
“What, now you’re mad I gave you an advantage?”
She giggled. Angelica swam up to him. “What took you so long?”
He ignored her whiny tone. “Sorry. Show me what you’re looking at over here.”
Angelica grabbed his arm and towed him over to the coral. “Don’t move the water so much and you’ll see more fish.”
He spent the rest of the time letting Angelica lead him around. The fish were beautiful and fascinating to watch. As he swam, he couldn’t help but sneak peeks at Zachary with Miranda, making sure Zachary didn’t get too handsy. He had no trouble hitting an actor in the face.
***
Drew entered the deck where they were having the Captain Crosby party. It was in the open area beside the pool, and twinkle lights were strung above them, the ocean breeze carrying the faint smell of algae and fish. Angelica rushed up to him, this time dressed up as a first officer. “You look dashing tonight.” Her gaze traveled over him, in a plain t-shirt and jeans.
“Thanks.” He tried to see if Miranda had arrived yet by nonchalantly scanning the crowd.
“She’s at the bar with Zachary.” Angelica frowned and folded her arms across her chest.
Drew silently scolded himself. “Sorry.”
“Look, I know you love her. But did she even say anything after that kiss you gave her on stage?” Angelica stared into his eyes. The sound of a guitarist playing on the deck above floated down.
“No.”
Angelica put her hands on his cheeks. “You need to forget about her. Give us a chance.” She gave him a slow kiss.
Drew pulled away and forced a smile. He didn’t want to be with Angelica. If making Miranda jealous wasn’t going to work, he didn’t want to keep up the charade. He opened his mouth to say something, but someone bumped into his back and he turned.
Brooklyn Scott, the actress who had played Captain Crosby’s daughter, stood there. “I’m sorry,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. Brooklyn was almost as tall as he was in her high heels. She wore a tight skirt and had a drink in one hand. The tabloids said she’d been in and out of rehab her whole adult life, which wasn’t long since she was still quite young. Maybe twenty-five.
Angelica smiled. “Brooklyn, I’ve been meaning to find you and ask. How did you get into acting?”
Brooklyn leaned against the railing. “My parents thought I had potential, so they got me an agent.”
“How old were you when you landed the role on Star Venture?”
They talked for a few minutes about Brooklyn’s acting career before Zachary walked over to them and put his arm around Brooklyn. “Hey, sweet cheeks. How’s the party?”
Brooklyn made a face and pushed him away. “You’re disgusting.”
Zachary winked at her. “You didn’t think so during season seven.”
Brooklyn scoffed and downed her drink. Drew couldn’t believe Zachary was acting like this as soon as Miranda wasn’t around. He narrowed his eyes. “Where’s Miranda?”
“Bathroom.” Zachary’s gaze fell to Angelica’s chest.
Drew silently dared him to do something. He wanted to punch the guy so badly his knuckles were fantasizing.
Angelica seeme
d to enjoy the attention. “Have you heard back from your agent about that part?”
Zachary shook his head. “I don’t expect to for a few days. Even with modern technology, these things in Hollywood seem to crawl.”
She lowered her lashes at him. “I’m sure you’ll get the part. You’re an amazing actor.”
Zachary slid his hand over her shoulder. “I’d love to stay and hear more about my amazing skills, but I’m still on duty. I’d better go work the room.” He glanced across the area. “And here comes my date.”
He left them and joined Miranda, taking her hand and leading her in the other direction. Brooklyn rolled her eyes. “He’s such a pig. I feel sorry for her.”
Angelica leaned against the railing and crossed her ankles. “Why?”
“Every cruise he targets a girl.” Brooklyn pointed at Miranda’s retreating back. “She’s the lucky one this time.”
Anger made Drew’s fists clench. “Targets . . . how?”
“He and Mark make bets. Mark thought she was a newlywed, so he bet that Zachary couldn’t get her to sleep with him. Turns out she was left at the altar, so chances are Zachary will succeed. You should have heard him bragging about it this morning.”
Drew’s gaze snapped to Zachary. His throat tightened and a ringing started in his ears. Angelica nudged him. “She’s a grown woman, Drew. She can make her own choices.”
“Wait, you’re the guy she brought on board, aren’t you?” Brooklyn eyed him. “You’re the one who went up on stage yesterday.”
Drew barely comprehended what Brooklyn was saying. “Yes.” He stared at Zachary and cringed when he touched Miranda’s back.
“What’s the deal with you guys?”
“We’re just friends.” The words came out as if on autopilot. That’s what they were, although it seemed like the friendship was getting strained. And how was he supposed to tell her about Zachary and his stupid goal of getting her in bed? Would that strain things even more? Would she even believe him? It sounded like some plot from a bad sitcom.
“I see.” Brooklyn and Angelica exchanged glances.
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