not the man she’d wanted him
to be. And she’d made a fool of herself by going after him. But there was one
thing that she was starting to think he hadn’t lied about. Because
she could see and feel the proof for herself. Maybe he’d pretended to be
interested in her as a person when all he really wanted was her body, but the
fact was he had wanted her body. She knew he hadn’t been faking that. So maybe
she wasn’t as homely as she’d always believed. Colin had seen something in her
that turned him on. He’d even pointed out that her only real problem was the
fact that she didn’t take advantage of the assets she did have. Perhaps it was
time she remedied that.
Colin was awake at dawn the next morning, but he stayed
away from the deck and the dining room. The last thing he was in the mood for
was facing up to Claire’s accusing eyes. She’d have spent the night crying. He
knew that much about her. By morning he hoped she would have refocused her pain,
turning it to hatred. It wasn’t her opinion of him that bothered him. He could
live with her thinking he was a bastard. What he couldn’t take was the worry
that it might actually make her draw even further into her shell. If she
thought everything he’d said was a lie then it could do the kind of damage that
she might never recover from. That wasn’t something he wanted to live with. Of
course there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Not now, at least. But
maybe he could try to make up for it later. After Palmer and his friends had
been dealt with, maybe Colin would find her and tell her the truth.
A nagging little voice in his head snorted. And then what? She’d forgive and forget and run into his
arms and his bed? Yeah, right. It wouldn’t matter why he’d treated her the way
he had. Claire wouldn’t understand it. She was going to hate him for the rest
of her life, and that was no less than what he deserved.
Claire was standing outside the entrance to the ship’s spa
and salon when the doors opened. She’d forced herself to leave her room and get
there early because she’d been afraid that if she let herself hesitate at all,
she’d lose her nerve. She was tired of being a pitiful shadow. It was time for
a change, and she was convinced that if she didn’t do everything at once she
might never do anything at all. So she made the decision that for herself and
no one else, she was going to take the ultimate risk.
The woman behind the reception desk gave her a perfectly neutral
smile as she walked into the salon. When she asked how she could help, Claire
found herself uncertain how to respond. She finally blurted out the first thing
that popped into her head, which was the truth, if not a particularly eloquent
version of it.
“I want a makeover.”
The woman didn’t even blink. She just nodded and opened up
the little book in front of her. “Hair and makeup?”
Claire nodded. “Everything. The works from head to toe.”
The woman’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, and Claire
found herself chattering to fill the silence. “I’ve looked like this for more
than twelve years and I’m ready for a change.”
The woman didn’t say anything for a moment, then she
dropped her gaze and scribbled in her little book some more. She finished the
rest of the registration without once looking up. When she was done she finally
lifted her gaze to Claire again, and this time Claire saw genuine emotion in
the other woman’s face. Her smile was warm and her voice soothing as she spoke.
“Okay, let’s get you started.”
She led Claire into the salon and introduced her to a young
man named Tom who assessed her from head to toe, then took charge. From that
moment on, Claire was caught up in a whirlwind unlike anything she’d ever
experienced before. They started her off with a full body massage that pretty
much put her in a frame of mind to allow them to do anything they liked with
the rest of her. She suspected that had been the idea,
to be. And she’d made a fool of herself by going after him. But there was one
thing that she was starting to think he hadn’t lied about. Because
she could see and feel the proof for herself. Maybe he’d pretended to be
interested in her as a person when all he really wanted was her body, but the
fact was he had wanted her body. She knew he hadn’t been faking that. So maybe
she wasn’t as homely as she’d always believed. Colin had seen something in her
that turned him on. He’d even pointed out that her only real problem was the
fact that she didn’t take advantage of the assets she did have. Perhaps it was
time she remedied that.
Colin was awake at dawn the next morning, but he stayed
away from the deck and the dining room. The last thing he was in the mood for
was facing up to Claire’s accusing eyes. She’d have spent the night crying. He
knew that much about her. By morning he hoped she would have refocused her pain,
turning it to hatred. It wasn’t her opinion of him that bothered him. He could
live with her thinking he was a bastard. What he couldn’t take was the worry
that it might actually make her draw even further into her shell. If she
thought everything he’d said was a lie then it could do the kind of damage that
she might never recover from. That wasn’t something he wanted to live with. Of
course there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Not now, at least. But
maybe he could try to make up for it later. After Palmer and his friends had
been dealt with, maybe Colin would find her and tell her the truth.
A nagging little voice in his head snorted. And then what? She’d forgive and forget and run into his
arms and his bed? Yeah, right. It wouldn’t matter why he’d treated her the way
he had. Claire wouldn’t understand it. She was going to hate him for the rest
of her life, and that was no less than what he deserved.
Claire was standing outside the entrance to the ship’s spa
and salon when the doors opened. She’d forced herself to leave her room and get
there early because she’d been afraid that if she let herself hesitate at all,
she’d lose her nerve. She was tired of being a pitiful shadow. It was time for
a change, and she was convinced that if she didn’t do everything at once she
might never do anything at all. So she made the decision that for herself and
no one else, she was going to take the ultimate risk.
The woman behind the reception desk gave her a perfectly neutral
smile as she walked into the salon. When she asked how she could help, Claire
found herself uncertain how to respond. She finally blurted out the first thing
that popped into her head, which was the truth, if not a particularly eloquent
version of it.
“I want a makeover.”
The woman didn’t even blink. She just nodded and opened up
the little book in front of her. “Hair and makeup?”
Claire nodded. “Everything. The works from head to toe.”
The woman’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, and Claire
found herself chattering to fill the silence. “I’ve looked like this for more
than twelve years and I’m ready for a change.”
The woman didn’t say anything for a moment, then she
dropped her gaze and scribbled in her little book some more. She finished the
rest of the registration without once looking up. When she was done she finally
lifted her gaze to Claire again, and this time Claire saw genuine emotion in
the other woman’s face. Her smile was warm and her voice soothing as she spoke.
“Okay, let’s get you started.”
She led Claire into the salon and introduced her to a young
man named Tom who assessed her from head to toe, then took charge. From that
moment on, Claire was caught up in a whirlwind unlike anything she’d ever
experienced before. They started her off with a full body massage that pretty
much put her in a frame of mind to allow them to do anything they liked with
the rest of her. She suspected that had been the idea,
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