“I’m sorry, babe,” Jules says. “Anything I can do?”
Stop asking me stupid questions!I fume internally. Outwardly, I press on one of my most convincing fake smiles.
“I’m fine, thanks.” At least I’ve learned something from the Warrens. “Just need a nap at some point. What’s on the agenda for?—“
“Good morning, Caleb!” Arthur shouts across the room, rattling my ear drums. I turn to see the offending party himself traipsing down the stairs.
“Morning, all!”
We’re past the butterfly phase, now—this time my body turns to full on spaghetti.
Please don’t come over here, please don’t…
Caleb saunters over to us and stands not five inches from me, his blue eyes glinting as if he’s had the most restful sleep of his life.
“How’s everyone doing this morning?”
He plants his hand down on the black granite counter just inches from mine and I pull my fingers into my lap, terrified they’ll develop a mind of their own. I can smell his piney aftershave from here: a scent that, just a few hours ago, filled my nostrils as his tongue slid down my neck.
I pull my robe up instinctively.
“Fantastic, as always,” Harry answers. “It’s hard to spend a bad day aboard the Vela Bianca!”
“Well, today’s no exception. We’re headed to a tidal sandbar for a burger cookout. Vegetarian burgers included, of course.”
Caleb looks at me, his direct eye contact accompanied by his signature right-leaning smirk. It’s the same one that lost me the trampoline tournament, only this time, the stakes areconsiderably higher. How is Caleb so calm and collected when I’m sweatier than an iced-tea on a hot day?
“Excellent!” Harry exclaims. “Girls, wait until you see this place. The beach is extraordinary—more shells than you can count!”
“We’ll be underway shortly,” Caleb tells us. “Should be about a two-hour journey to the bar.”
“Excellent,” Arthur says. “Thank you, Captain.”
Caleb nods to us before retreating down the hall. As soon as my heart rate returns to something resembling normal, I excuse myself as well.
“Stella, you’ve barely touched your breakfast!”
“Not hungry,” I tell Jules. “I’m saving myself for those veggie burgers!”
I make sure my collar’s sufficiently popped before I extricate myself from the stool and slip down the hall.
I don’t make it very far before something hooks me by the belt-loop and pulls me into the galley doorway.
“H—” I start, but I can’t so much as squeeze out a vowel before Caleb’s lips are on mine. He pulls me into an intoxicating kiss, eliciting a very ladylike squeak from me as he grabs the curve of my ass. I can feel him smiling into my mouth as he lets up, and I lean into his hands, sure that all my bones have actually been liquified.
Once I regain the faculty of speech, I push him back.
“What are you doing!” I whisper-hiss. “I think my sister suspects something. We need to be careful.”
“This wouldn’t be because you’re having second thoughts…”
He runs his hand around my waist to the front of my belt loop and gives it a teasing pull.
“No!” I protest. Second thoughts, third thoughts, hundredth thoughts—my head’s spinning with them. But they look a lotless like regret and a lot more like the brothel scenes from Game of Thrones.
“Definitely not. I just think we need to cool it for a day or two.”
Caleb nods.
