Page 17 of Lucky Shot
“Where have you looked?”
“Honestly, this is one of the first rooms I came across,” he says, grinning, though he doesn’t open his eyes. “I’m Roux.”
“Noah,” I say.
He nods. “Forgive me for saying this, but I don’t follow many sports. I barely even follow my brother. You play something?” His light eyes squint open at me.
I laugh. “Hockey. With your brother.”
Now his eyes open and he grins. “You on his team?”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “We play against each other.”
“Oh,” he says, shrugging. “I guess that means you’re in the same… zone?”
I laugh again. “No, actually. I’m in the Atlantic division and he’s in the Pacific.”
Roux huffs. “Figures.”
“If you’re not into sports, what brings you aboard the athletes’ vacation cruise?”
“My brother,” he says, grinning. “I just finished my first year of college and it was… a little rough. He thought I could use a break.”
"Bad year?"
He shrugs. “The usual. Heartbreak.”
“Oh,” I say, nodding. “Yeah, I get that.”
Roux meets my eyes. “You do?”
“Haven’t we all fallen for someone we shouldn’t? Been cheated on. They’re with you for… reasons that have nothing to do with whether or not they actually like you. As a person.”
Roux stares at me for a minute and then huffs. “So it doesn’t get any better, is what you’re saying. Not even for a rich and famous guy.”
Maybe it’s worse. I just shrug. “I think it goes with being human. Not everyone gets a perfect love story on their first try.”
“Or second. I’m having doubts about my third or fourth too.”
I chuckle and slowly float back toward the hotter water.
“Have you been to this Kala place?” Roux asks.
Nodding, I shift around until I’m facing him again. “Yep. This is my third time on the yacht. While I think many of the ports change from year to year, the Isle of Kala is a place they always stop. It’s a chance that we rarely get for true anonymity.”
Roux hums. “That sounds good. I’m hoping for a hot and sexy summer romance.”
I laugh. “Good luck with that.”
“I’m not naïve enough to think I’ll find a happily ever after. I’m barely nineteen. Those things don’t happen this young unless you live in a fairy tale. But I can still have a sexy romp, right?”
Grinning, I nod. “Sure. Choose wisely. For instance, stay away from Max Latham. You’ll probably end up on the cover of a trashy tabloid with reporters saying some unkind shit about you for years to come.”
Roux’s eyes widen. “Yeah, thanks. Who else?”
“Ethan, Creed, and Jakub are together. Larson is married to the little diva, Dylan. None of which are looking for more company. Otherwise, I think the rest of the guys aboard are a free-for-all. If you’re looking for athletes.”
“Oh,” he says, surprised. “I hadn’t really thought about someoneon board.Is that crossing some bro line because they’re my brother’s friends?”
