“And there she is! Time to park our car, darling, and get on board!” Wes said.
The ship was beautiful. They quickly discovered that two decks held pools, one that was adults only, and offered lounges right in the water as well as whirlpools, bars and plenty of friendly waiters.
There were five choices of restaurants for food, and since their cruise was on a luxury yacht, there were less than six-hundred people on board, including crew.
The rear deck offered an exceptionally scenic view of anything that the ship might pass.
“Really beautiful,” Wes noted.
They stood on deck with other passengers as the ship leftthe port, waving—as others did—and watching the shore shrink behind them as they headed out to sea.
They returned to their cabin.
In truth, Chloe thought dryly, it could have been one hell of an amazing voyage. They’d been given a balcony suite.
A small elegant parlor with a plush sofa and a spacious restroom were just inside from the hallway entry. Through a second doorway, one reached the bedroom, an extremely elegant place with a giant bed, television screen, stereo system, a dressing table and a closet larger than some of the cabins Chloe had enjoyed as a kid, cruising with her folks.
“This is really luxurious. Alonzo has set us up nicely. Maybe too nicely,” Wesley said, looking around. “All right, the sofa out here is mine—”
“That’s okay. I sleep well on a couch,” Chloe told him.
“No, no—”
“Hey, come on, we’re both agents! You don’t need to play the gentleman around me. I’m your coworker, your—” She broke off, wincing inwardly.
Equal.That was the word she’d been about to say. Which indicated, of course, that she assumed him to be a misogynist.
He grinned at her. “I totally respect beingequals,” he assured her. He shrugged. “I just don’t need a dressing table.”
It was okay. He made her grin. She hadn’t been that offensive.
“You’re suggesting that I do?” she inquired.
“Whatever,” he told her.
“We can switch back and forth,” she suggested.
“Whatever!” he repeated. “Right now... Well, the main dinner tonight is the captain’s welcome. And we’re at a reserved table—along with a few of our suspects. Good thing I’m hungry. So, dearest, do you need any repair—”
“You’re suggesting I need repair?” she teased.
“Just asking. Hey, come on.Idon’t wear any makeup!”
She laughed and headed along to the tour that was starting soon.
“Darling,” she told him, “don’t forget all the ads for the excursions we might take! We should definitely discuss those at dinner and find out what our fellow cruisers are doing!”
“Onward.”
He paused at their cabin door, looking back into the room.
He shrugged. “Nice. Sure. I can take the bed. You do wake at the drop of a pin, right?”
“Pretty much so. Why?”
“Because if an armed invader arrived, the person on the sofa will be the first to go,” he reminded her.
“And you?”
