Page 33 of Falling Overboard

Because I can wait until you’re not.

For a second I was afraid I’d said the last part out loud, but given that he hadn’t run from the room screaming, I figured I had managed to keep it inside.

“Not usually,” he responded.

My grip tightened. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

“If you’re asking if I’m dressed, then yes, I am.”

That should not have been such a disappointing prospect. I opened the door and he was standing by the closet putting a T-shirt on. I got one last glimpse of the perfectly sculpted muscles in his abdomen before he slid the material down.

“How was your first day?” I asked, my voice sounding strange to my own ears. Like I’d forgotten how to have a normal conversation.

“It involved more clothing than I’d anticipated.”

My stomach fell to the floor and my head was instantly woozy again. “Oh?”

Masterful response, Lucky,I chided myself.

He grinned at me. “I find most activities infinitely more fun the less clothing that’s involved.”

I wholeheartedly agreed with him. I closed my eyes and summoned up a mental image of Captain Carl to remind myself why nothing could happen here. There was a rule. I liked rules. I followed rules. Rules were important.

But when I opened my eyes and looked at Hunter, I couldn’t remember why rules mattered.

When I didn’t respond to his teasing, he added, “My first day was easier than I’d expected.”

“You should come work in the interior,” I said, grabbing some pajamas to change into.

He nodded. “I definitely think you all have it worse.”

I pointed at the bathroom. “I’m just going to—um, did you need to ...”

“It’s all yours,” he said and climbed up into his bunk and settled in. I hurried back into the bathroom and locked the door. I got ready for bed and tried to figure out what I was going to do when I returned to the cabin.

There was no way I would be able to fall asleep, despite how tired I was. It had taken me so long last night to finally drift off. I usually checked emails, scrolled through social media, and read texts from my sisters asking me for money. I didn’t think I’d be able to process what I was reading. My brain was being uncooperative.

I decided to watch one of my favorite musicals. Nonna had absolutely adored old Hollywood musicals and we had spent so many Sundays viewing them together.

They always made me think of her and tonight I could use some of her strength.

I reentered the cabin and put my dirty uniform into the hamper, then grabbed my laptop and headphones. I didn’t offer to turn off the lights because I thought the darkness might prove too tempting. I got into my bunk and pulled my covers up, then opened my laptop. I searched for the movie I wanted.

It wasn’t until the opening score blared into the cabin that I realized I had forgotten to plug my headphones in. I hurriedly tried to get the jack in but my fingers were not cooperating. It took a few attempts but I finally managed it.

Hunter’s head dropped down to my right and I gasped, startled. He said something, but I had the movie up too loud. I paused it. “What?”

“Are you watchingThe Court Jester?”

My mouth hung open. “How could you possibly know that?”

“I’ve seen it many times. It’s one of my favorites. Would you like some company?”

“I—” At this point somebody was going to have to take me to a hospital, considering the kind of heart palpitations he gave me. It probably wasn’t a good thing for it to be beating so hard so often.

I knew I should tell him no. But too many things had happened in rapid succession—dancing with him at the party, our earlier interlude where I was introduced to the marvel that was his chest, being held close against him while the ship rocked back and forth, finding out that he liked musicals and him asking to join me.

Honestly, I felt powerless to resist. And I didn’t want to. “Sure.”

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