Page 86 of Falling Overboard

I went back down to the galley to clean it, like I’d told her I would. As I started sweeping I thought about Rodney and his wife. Growing up, it had always been evident how much they had loved each other.

My heart painfully constricted in my chest as I realized that I wanted what he’d had. I wanted Lucky. But this thing with her was about so much more than just sex.

She and I could laugh and play and talk and chill. She was funny, adorable, loyal, sweet, and a million other good things. We were friends and she was retina-burning hot. I’d never really had something like that before with anyone.

These warm feelings that flooded into my chest every time I thought about her ... I suddenly realized what they meant, and it was like a semitruck had slammed into me going a hundred miles an hour.

My heart raced so quickly that I couldn’t catch my breath.

I was in love with Lucky.

I let out a groan because I had no idea what to do next.

Drop-off day arrived and I was glad to see Rodney go. He asked for Lucky’s cell number and promised to send her some of his wife’s recipes. He shot me a conspiratorial wink before he left, and I was grateful that he’d kept my secret. I had to figure things out before I spoke to Lucky. Part of me wanted to tell her everything and confess that I had fallenfor her, but my brain convinced me to keep quiet and try to go back to how we’d been before.

She needed me to go slow and I was willing to do that for her.

Rodney left each of us ten thousand dollars, and the crew acted like it was burning a hole in their pockets. They made plans to go out, and Lucky reluctantly agreed, probably because the captain had told her to unify the crew and she’d decided that drinking with them was the best way since they’d refused to show up for her planned activities.

We were in an upscale restaurant in Nice. I was nursing my beer because alcohol would loosen my tongue and I would tell her everything.

“Why hasn’t anyone passed that bread basket down here?” she demanded.

I asked Kai for it and then handed it to her. “There you go, my little carbivore.”

Whoops. I shouldn’t be calling her pet names. Instead I started telling her a story about the night me and my fraternity brothers had stolen a cow from a farm in upstate New York and had brought it to the second floor of our frat house. It had been a problem because apparently cows could go upstairs but not downstairs.

She nearly choked because she was laughing so hard, and all I could think about was how much I loved her.

I probably had a goofy grin on my face.

“Let’s go back to the ship and get in the hot tub!” Georgia yelled out, interrupting us.

Lucky in a swimsuit? Yes, please.

“Do you want to?” I asked.

“Sure!” she agreed enthusiastically, and my heart rate doubled.

I wanted to get back to the ship as quickly as possible.

“Is everyone ready to go?” Thomas asked the table, and we all started standing up.

Because I had to control so many of my urges, sometimes they would slip out. Like now, when I leaned over to her and said, “It is getting late. You should probably take me home with you.”

She shook her head but I saw her cheeks flush, her pupils dilate. Heard how she caught her breath.

I was playing with fire and didn’t much care if I got burned. I knew that I should worry.

But I just didn’t.

We poured out from the restaurant onto the sidewalk. Georgia had her arm looped through Pieter’s. Relationships could happen on the yacht, no matter what the captain or my dad said.

“See? I told you. Puns work,” I said.

Because despite her relationship issues and fear of loss and love of rules, things could work out between us.

I just needed her to give me a chance.

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