Something in my eyes must have tipped her off that I was losing control, because she didn’t insist. Her smile widened, and she went behind me, spreading the lotion on my lower back.
“Thanks for doing that.”
“It was my pleasure, darling,” she said in a sassy voice I hadn’t heard it before.
It was precisely at that moment that I realized she hadn’t actually just done it for my benefit.
“You wanted to maul me,” I concluded.
She laughed softly. “Took you long enough to catch on.”
“Damn, and here I was thinking you were worried for my well-being.”
“Well, I was. But I realized there were also benefits to giving in.”
I smiled, satisfaction growing inside my chest. I’d felt a bitguilty about roping Phoebe into this weekend, but not anymore. She was enjoying herself, and she clearly loved spreading that sunblock over every ridge of my muscles. Wasn’t that the whole point of this, to have some fun? Get her out of that funk she’d been in for months?
I thought she might be done after finishing with my back, but then she sprayed some more liquid on my legs. If I felt her hands anywhere on my inner thighs, I really was going to lose it.
“I’ll do this part,” I said. I barely recognized my voice.
“You really can’t play at your own game, can you?” she said as I spread it on my thighs.
“I didn’t realize you’d be so good at it,” I admitted.
“Oh, I didn’t think I was. But you’re making me discover new things about myself, Griffin, and I like them.”
Fuck me.
CHAPTER 13
PHOEBE
I was puttingon a good show, but I was on fire. Luckily, in case my cheeks turned beet red, I could blame it on the sun. Despite covering myself with sunblock, I always managed to get red in the face.
Griffin tilted his head, a smile playing on his lips. “I can see that. And I’m liking it too.”
I practically felt myself melt beneath his intense gaze. I looked toward the captain’s cabin again. Jude was showing Emma how to move the wheel.
Oh goodness, they really weren’t going to come out anytime soon. I hadn’t anticipated being alone with Griffin for so long. I could join them in the captain’s cabin, but I’d be a bit of a third wheel.
I dreamed of having a love like that one day. Seeing those two together, I realized Marshall and I never had that. How could I ever fool myself into thinking otherwise?
To give myself something to do, I went to the buffet. The setup was very professional, with a cooling mechanism to keep things fresh. Plus, it helped that the table was shaded.
I grabbed a plate and put some canapés on it. I had no ideawhat they were, but everything looked delicious. I’d just added some grapes when I felt Griffin behind me.
“Trying to get away from me already, Phoebe?”
I laughed nervously. “Is it that obvious?”
“Just to me.” His tone was playful. He came even closer and said, “I don’t want to make you nervous.”
I looked at him over my shoulder. “I don’t think you can help it, but it’s not a bad nervous.”
He narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
I licked my lips; he inhaled sharply.
