tugged at his heart to see her so vulnerable lying there. Harmless.
“Hey there,” he greeted softly. So much for leading the charge against the enemy.
Her eyes flew open. “Hi,” she said, and arranged herself on her side, clutching the towel close to her body.
“How are you?” Liam pulled up a chair and sat down. The shape of her mouth, her misty blue eyes and the radiance of her skin didn’t do wonders for keeping his cock well behaved at the moment.
She covered her pink lips and yawned. “I’ve had better days. But what a day you’ve had, hmm? Congratulations on your speedy promotion from ship’s engine guy to Action Man.”
His cheeks warmed beneath his skin. “I tried to tell you this morning. It wasn’t a good time, obviously, but in retrospect, I should have introduced myself properly from day one, Evangeline. This cruise is one of several phases of my new role as captain, but I don’t take command until we reach Miami. I’m sorry I allowed you to think that I served in a different capacity.”
“It’s not all your fault. I drew my own conclusions, Liam. I mean Captain Rossi.”
“You’re free to call me Liam. You’re also free to leave.”
“Wait, what about the stolen purse? Don’t I deserve some form of punishment?”
“Like what?”
“Like a spanking?” she asked, hopeful.
Liam smiled. “We know who the culprit is, and it’s not you.”
“Will Maisy be punished?”
“I can’t discuss that with you, but I promise you everything is going to be all right.” He dragged in a breath. “Time for you to go.”
She rested her head in the palm of her hand, tucked a corner of her lower lip between her teeth, and stared at him. God help him…how he loved her blue eyes.
“You’d throw me to the crazies waiting at my door?”
If you stay, you’re asking for trouble. “One of those crazies thinks he’s your fiancé,” he said.
She lowered her lashes. “Eli had a memory lapse about that last night. But it’s all good. He’s on the verge of something special. Just,” she sighed and swung upright to sit, “not with me.”
The towel shifted. Her high-voltage curves moved around in all sorts of compromising, peekable positions. “And I’m not going to be the one who keeps him from the woman he spent the night with. Your ex-whatever.”
“Kerri and I lived together for a couple of years, but it’s been over between us for a long time.” Liam focused on her toenails, painted a glossy nutmeg color today. “So, everyone else gets what you came on board for.”
“It doesn’t mean I’m giving up,” she declared.
Liam shot up and out of the chair. Aggravated, he stalked to the mini-fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, twisted off the cap, and drank deeply.
“Evangeline,” he swung around. She now sat back on the massage table with her legs crossed, swinging them lightly. Her palms lay flat on either side of her thighs. “ Why are you doing this?”
“Because I want a man in my life.”
His snort mocked such neediness. Her eyes widened, then slitted, reading the thoughts behind his reaction. Her legs stopped swinging.
“If I may add my truth to what you’ve heard about me, Liam…I was married to my second husband for a year. I was his caregiver, the executor of his will, and his friend. He married me to make sure his family didn’t rip him off during his illness. And FYI? By year’s end, I’ll have been alone five years. I’m done with alone.” Her eyes glinted with frustration. “I’m ready for more.”
He battled the urge to take her in his arms, to tell her he understood her desires more so now, but touching her would weaken him. Undermine his ambition. His heart.
Yet he burned like wildfire for her. Still.
“I hear what you’re saying, Evangeline. But is it possible you’ve set your expectations so high for this cruise that they’re…unattainable, while other things are,” Liam pointed out reasonably.
Her eyes darkened. “I’m aware of
“Hey there,” he greeted softly. So much for leading the charge against the enemy.
Her eyes flew open. “Hi,” she said, and arranged herself on her side, clutching the towel close to her body.
“How are you?” Liam pulled up a chair and sat down. The shape of her mouth, her misty blue eyes and the radiance of her skin didn’t do wonders for keeping his cock well behaved at the moment.
She covered her pink lips and yawned. “I’ve had better days. But what a day you’ve had, hmm? Congratulations on your speedy promotion from ship’s engine guy to Action Man.”
His cheeks warmed beneath his skin. “I tried to tell you this morning. It wasn’t a good time, obviously, but in retrospect, I should have introduced myself properly from day one, Evangeline. This cruise is one of several phases of my new role as captain, but I don’t take command until we reach Miami. I’m sorry I allowed you to think that I served in a different capacity.”
“It’s not all your fault. I drew my own conclusions, Liam. I mean Captain Rossi.”
“You’re free to call me Liam. You’re also free to leave.”
“Wait, what about the stolen purse? Don’t I deserve some form of punishment?”
“Like what?”
“Like a spanking?” she asked, hopeful.
Liam smiled. “We know who the culprit is, and it’s not you.”
“Will Maisy be punished?”
“I can’t discuss that with you, but I promise you everything is going to be all right.” He dragged in a breath. “Time for you to go.”
She rested her head in the palm of her hand, tucked a corner of her lower lip between her teeth, and stared at him. God help him…how he loved her blue eyes.
“You’d throw me to the crazies waiting at my door?”
If you stay, you’re asking for trouble. “One of those crazies thinks he’s your fiancé,” he said.
She lowered her lashes. “Eli had a memory lapse about that last night. But it’s all good. He’s on the verge of something special. Just,” she sighed and swung upright to sit, “not with me.”
The towel shifted. Her high-voltage curves moved around in all sorts of compromising, peekable positions. “And I’m not going to be the one who keeps him from the woman he spent the night with. Your ex-whatever.”
“Kerri and I lived together for a couple of years, but it’s been over between us for a long time.” Liam focused on her toenails, painted a glossy nutmeg color today. “So, everyone else gets what you came on board for.”
“It doesn’t mean I’m giving up,” she declared.
Liam shot up and out of the chair. Aggravated, he stalked to the mini-fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, twisted off the cap, and drank deeply.
“Evangeline,” he swung around. She now sat back on the massage table with her legs crossed, swinging them lightly. Her palms lay flat on either side of her thighs. “ Why are you doing this?”
“Because I want a man in my life.”
His snort mocked such neediness. Her eyes widened, then slitted, reading the thoughts behind his reaction. Her legs stopped swinging.
“If I may add my truth to what you’ve heard about me, Liam…I was married to my second husband for a year. I was his caregiver, the executor of his will, and his friend. He married me to make sure his family didn’t rip him off during his illness. And FYI? By year’s end, I’ll have been alone five years. I’m done with alone.” Her eyes glinted with frustration. “I’m ready for more.”
He battled the urge to take her in his arms, to tell her he understood her desires more so now, but touching her would weaken him. Undermine his ambition. His heart.
Yet he burned like wildfire for her. Still.
“I hear what you’re saying, Evangeline. But is it possible you’ve set your expectations so high for this cruise that they’re…unattainable, while other things are,” Liam pointed out reasonably.
Her eyes darkened. “I’m aware of
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