Page 30 of Cocky Cruiser

Cohen laughed. “Coming right up.”

Cohen ordered us a cheese board with a glass of wine for me and a beer for himself. We took it to one of the tables near the windows and sat down.

I popped a piece of cheese in my mouth and gazed out the window. “Now, this is something you don’t see every day.”

Cohen took a swig of his beer and glanced out the window, as well. “Definitely not.”

The view from where we were was hard to describe. It was surreal and beautiful all at the same time. Being so high up and seeing so much spread before you was calming to me for some reason. Like I was removed from the world yet still a part of it.

“This excursion was better than I expected,” Cohen remarked as he picked up a piece of cheese. “Even though it wasn’t my top choice, I’m glad we went with it.”

I smiled. “Me too. I mean this view and that behind-the-scenes experience with the sea turtle made it more than worthwhile.”

“Definitely better than a six-hour drive for some worms.”

I laughed. “Those worms can only be found here in New Zealand, so they are kind of special.”

Cohen shrugged. “I’ll live without seeing them.”

I shook my head with a chuckle, then took a sip of wine. “I bet there wasn’t any wine on that excursion, so I’m calling this a win.”

Once we finished our cheese board and drinks, we returned to the observation deck to meet the guide and our group.

The guide glanced at his watch. “We have time for a quick trip to the gift shop if anyone is interested.”

Several people wanted to go, including me, so we headed to the gift shop when we got to the lobby. Cohen and I perused the selection as I said, “I want to get something from every port to commemorate the trip.”

His brows furrowed. “But you didn’t get anything from the last port.”

I smirked. “Yes, I did. I took a shell from the beach we were on.”

“Smart. An authentic, one-of-a-kind souvenir.”

“And free,” I added.

“You know I don’t mind spending money, right?” Cohen asked, arching a brow at me, which I found so sexy.

“I know, but you barely know me. I feel like I’m taking advantage of a handsome stranger’s kindness.”

“I’d say we’re a lot closer than strangers,” he commented, waggling his eyebrows at me.

I laughed. “You know what I mean. You don’t just go spending money on people you just met. You work hard for your money, and I’m sure you have much more important things to spend it on.”

“Maybe,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “But I want to spend it on you and on this trip. I want this to be the best experience for us. And I have the means to do that.”

I started to protest, but he put a finger to my lips. “Don’t argue. It’s my money, and I can do what I want with it,” he said with a playful smirk.

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever you say, Daddy Warbucks.”

I ended up getting a little snow globe of the Sky Tower with Auckland's cityscape portrayed around it.

The shuttle picked us up and returned us to the port. Cohen and I went back to our suite to drop off our things before grabbing lunch at the buffet.

After we sat down and started eating, Cohen said, “So, we have three sea days ahead of us now before we get to the next port.”

A mischievous smirk curved my lips. “Whatever will we do with all that time?”

Chapter Ten

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