Page 39 of Love Me Carefully
Leah knew he was sincere, knew that if it were the last thing in the world he did, he’d make sure she was safe. She could believe him with her whole heart because that was the type of man he was—loyal and protective to a fault. His protective instincts had carried over to her, and she knew that she could count on him. He’d given her something no other man had ever come close to—a feeling of security. She’d been so busy proving that she was independent she’d never realized she needed it so much. But now, in Terrell’s arms, she did.
“Sweetheart,” he whispered against her ear.
The endearment warmed her and she moaned her reply, “Mmmm.”
“It’s going to be okay. I’ll get you out of here. And then I’m going to make sure you’re never in danger again.” He dropped light kisses along her forehead.
Relationships started under high pressure circumstances never worked.Wasn’t that what the guy in that movieSpeedhad said? Maybe what they both seemed to be feeling was a result of their nerves being stretched too thin and the fear of dying. She looked into Terrell’s eyes and could swear she saw more there than just fear, but she couldn’t be sure. And until she was positive of his feelings for her, she wasn’t about to go putting hers on a platter for him to feast on. He thought she was upset about their predicament; she’d let him continue to think that.
“I’m afraid, Terrell.”Hell, I’m terrified of what you’re making me feel.“What if they just leave us here to die? Or if they’re upstairs and are going to come down and finish the job later?”
He wouldn’t admit his own fears right now, because his intent was to make her feel better. She seemed at her best when they were sparring with each other, so that was the route he’d take. “And what if pigs could fly?” His lips curled into a smile while she contemplated her response.
Only Terrell would say something so absolutely ridiculous at a time like this. Twitching to keep from smiling herself, she pushed against him with her body.
“Exactly,” he said, his voice growing a little more serious. “Who cares about what if? Now is what matters.” Brushing a piece of flyaway hair from her face, he stared at her, longing for another kiss, wondering if she had any idea how much she affected him. “So, like I was saying, if we can find something big then we can try to bust the lock on the door. They’re probably not up there anyway.” He lifted a hand to wipe the tears from her face.
She blinked once at his soft touch, then relaxed, accepting that this was simply how he was. “How do you know?”
“Because I heard them talking about the boat leaving from the Harbor. I assume they meant this afternoon or possibly tonight. Anyway, if we can get upstairs, then we can call the police, or we can just walk right out the front door.”
“Or we can just walk right into them, and they’ll kill us on the spot.” Instinctively she countered his plan.
“If they wanted us dead, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” He frowned. What had happened to all her optimism? When he’d originally come to her with his suspicions about Donald, she’d refuted every shred of evidence he’d presented to her, and now it seemed she was resolved to believe the worst.
Maybe because at this moment it seemed that they were experiencing the worst. Still, her despair worried him.
“I guess you’re right.” Shrugging, she added, “Continue.”
“Yes ma’am.” With a playful salute, he proceeded, pleased that she didn’t sound so desolate now. “I heard them saying something about catching a plane just before they opened the door to give us whatever it was they gave us to drink. Something in the liquid must’ve knocked us out cold, and now they’re probably already gone. The fact that they just locked us down here means that they don’t really want to kill us.”
He sounded confident of his assessment, as if he had all this information on good authority and there was no reason for her to doubt him. And actually, she didn’t. “Well, at least Donald doesn’t want to kill us,” Leah added. “On the other hand, his friend looked like he’d take us out without a second thought.”
“You’re probably right.” Terrell grinned, pinched her pert little nose. “I’m starting to get used to you being right.”
* * *
Rosie stepped up onto the ramp that had been extended for passengers. Her white tennis shoes were in stark contrast to the red carpet lining the steel plank. Craning her neck, she stared up at the massive ship she and Donald were now boarding. She’d never been on a cruise before. When the mega ships began leaving from Baltimore’s port, she hadn’t been in a financial position to go. And after a while she’d forgotten about it as a means for vacation, opting to drive down to Myrtle Beach and enjoy one of her weeks off from work there.
Now, she was in awe of the splendor. Entering the Promenade Deck, as the kind gentleman who helped her over the ramp and onto the ship called it, Rosie took in the luxurious surroundings. To her right was a magnificent winding staircase with royal blue carpeted steps. Beyond the customer service desk were signs pointing the way to Nautica Spa, High Rollers Casino, and Destiny Lounge.
Directly ahead of her was the Promenade Balcony, where it seemed all the passengers were momentarily stranded. A crewmember approached them pulling a cart with their luggage securely strapped on and directed them to follow him. Taking the elevator, they proceeded to their stateroom on the Verandah Deck.
“Are you okay?” Donald asked when they stepped off the elevator and Rosie appeared star-struck again.
“I’m fine. I’ve just never seen anything like this before.” Looking around, she noted that this floor, in bold contrast to the Promenade Deck, had been carpeted in bright canary yellow. The door to each room was painted a shimmering shamrock green, and the hallway glistened pearly white. “It’s all so festive,” she said.
“It’s a fun cruise. This is all I could manage on short notice, but I didn’t think it would be too bad.” Stopping behind Cliff, the attendant, they waited for him to unlock the door.
Once the door was opened, Rosie stepped in first. The room was decorated in more subtle tones—beige, rose and turquoise. Immediately to her right was the bathroom, which boasted a large tub and shower, a spacious sink and dressing table. Taking a few steps forward, she saw an oval-shaped bar with a twenty-seven-inch television hanging above it.
“We show first-run films in each room. There’s a guide over there on the table that will help you with programming,” Cliff informed them.
Continuing her survey of the room, Rosie moved to the foot of a king-sized bed with a mirrored headboard that took up one wall. Opposite was a sliding glass door opening onto a balcony that stretched the length of the room.
“So, what do you think?” Donald asked when Cliff left. He took off his leather jacket and tossed it across the couch.
“It’s a little overwhelming, maybe because it’s my first cruise.” Wringing her hands, she watched as Donald removed his tie and unbuttoned the top buttons on his shirt.
