Page 32 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

The boat stopped swerving and I wiped the tears off my face from my watering eyes, gasping for air. Behind me, the door swung open and Holden stepped into the tiny bathroom with me, holding a pack of Gravol.

“No,” I croaked, trying to push him out but he ignored me. “I just barfed, dude. You can’t be in here.” My stomach lurched again and my chest heaved. “Oh my god.”

Holden scooped my hair off my face as I leaned over and threw up again.

“Get out,” I gurgled at him. “This is gross.” I leaned over and barfed again.

At one point, someone knocked on the door and Holden barked something at them to make them go away while I gagged over the toilet. I could hear the music pumping through the ceiling from outside.

Someone pounded on the door. “Someonefound love!” A guy hollered from outside, laughing.

Ugh. Men were so gross. Like I would ever have sex in a boat bathroom. The tiny closet reeked of my barf. It was alsososmall. Holden had to stoop so he wouldn’t bang his head on the ceiling.

His fingers brushed the nape of my neck as he regathered up my hair and a shiver ran down my spine.

I wasnotthinking about having sex with Holden in a boat bathroom I had barfed in.

“Done?” he asked.

I drew in another shaky breath and nodded. He let my hair go, wet a paper towel, and handed it to me.

“You should go out there and find a wife,” I warbled, clearing my throat and wiping my watery eyes. My makeup was a mess.

“This is preferable.” He snorted hit the flush button to whoosh my barf into the ocean. He wet another napkin under the sink and handed it to me, watching as I dabbed my mouth like a lady. “Do you want a Gravol?”

I shook my head. “Not yet.” I wiped my smeared mascara away. “We’re never speaking of this again. Ever.”

“But they have another singles cruise next week.” His tone was flat.

I shot him a glare and the side of his mouth twitched.

“Hilarious,” I told him, opening the door. “I’m cracking a rib laughing at your jokes.” My mouth pulled into a grin as we ascended back to the main deck.

A minute later, Holden handed me a soda water and leaned on the rail beside me. The boat had docked in a harbor and music continued to pump from the speaker system while Captain Rina twerked.

“How’d it go with Liya?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “Fine.”

“Did you get her number?”

His gaze shot to mine before back to the ocean. “Yep.”

“Fantastic. Take her out for dinner.”

He stared at me for a second. “Do you think this is going to work?”

I tilted my head at him. “What do you mean?”

He folded his arms over his chest and rolled his shoulders, a flash of insecurity in his eyes.

Oh.

A funny sensation burst in my chest. Did Holden not realize what a babe he was?

“Hey.” I tugged on his sleeve and he sent me a side-long frown. “You’re a catch.”

He stared at me. “I’m a dick. You said so yourself.”

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