Page 57 of Lust and Little White Lies

"What did I tell you? See, here we go again. If anything can go wrong, it will when I'm involved. Now, Jerry's so convincedyou're in here, he'll probably stake out my cabin the rest of the night."

"That's all right. I'll sleep here with you until early morning when I can sneak away."

"In that case, can we go back to bed? I'm ready for round two." Brittany grins at him, letting her robe slip from her shoulders.

Dane growls, his hands going around her waist. "You're such a vixen. I swear you're going to kill me with your…enthusiasm."

Brittany giggles and goes to the bed, slipping under the covers. She extends her hand to Dane to join her, a seductive smile on her lips. "Let's see what we can do to take care of my…enthusiasm, then."

Chapter Sixteen

Brittany

I'm wobbling as I struggle to maintain my balance while the floor moves underneath my feet. Setting my backpack on the shelf above me, I retake my seat next to Rose on the bus. Deep in thought, I cram the end of a Twizzler in my mouth. Even though I spent a gorgeous day in Salzburg, Austria, which included touring the Italianate Old Town and seeing Hagenauer House, where Mozart was born, I couldn't seem to take my mind off Dane.

Tomorrow is my last full day in Europe—my flight home the following morning. Torn and confused, I'm not sure what to do. Do I confess to Dane how much I care about him and see what happens? Or do I simply pack up and go home, kissing Dane goodbye and telling him I had a great time?

I sigh. The second option isn't what I want. Deep down, I know it isn't.

I want Dane.

But that isn't a possibility, and I know that too. There's no time in my life for a relationship. Not if I want the promotion and to stay on track with my career goals. My job comes first and always has. That's how I'm wired—duty and responsibility before self-fulfillment and gratification.

I take a bigger bite than usual of the licorice. Why can't I be more like Laurel? She can be selfish, greedy, and verbally brutal, putting her wants and needs above everything else. In her world, doing what feels good trumps doing what feels right, and she'd put screwing some hot guy over going to work any day of the week. That is, until she got bored or reached her fill of using his body, whichever one came first.

But I'm not Laurel, and my need is Dane—the man, not just the cock. Even though sex with him is mind-blowing, his personality, how he makes me feel, and our deepening connection are what's important. Dane isn't a play toy. He's a commitment—a relationship—and one I desperately want to explore.

But I don't know how to make it work.

Even if I try to juggle my job and a relationship with Dane—a real one, not one of convenience as I had with Troy—I don't see how it could thrive. We live on separate continents, and he's a self-professed workaholic, the same as me. When would we ever find the time to be together?

Expelling a frustrated breath, I shift in my seat and glance over my shoulder at Rose. She's asleep, our full day of touring and late night sneaking Dane into my cabin apparently having worn her out. Larry and Marigold sit in front of us, the two sharing a sweet companionship. I smile, seeing Marigold's head snuggle against Larry's shoulder through the gap between their seats.

I wish I could be as happy.

I lean my head back and close my eyes, trying to relax. We've already been on the road for thirty minutes, and it'll be anotherhour before we reach our ship, which remains docked in Passau, Germany. I can feel myself getting sleepy, thoughts of Dane still swirling in my head. It takes a while, but my mind finally slows. Then I feel myself drifting…

Startled, my eyes fly open, and I wildly look around. We're pulling into a parking area next to the ship, our bus back in Passau. I wait for the vehicle to stop, grab my backpack from the shelf above me, and exit with everyone else. Still groggy, I head down the gangway, then the middle-deck corridor, remembering to scan my key card by the reception desk this time.

Back in my cabin, I quickly shower and change into a black pair of slacks and a royal-blue silk blouse. Pulling my hair back into a ponytail, I wind it into a bun and secure it with a clip. Finished getting ready, I head to the dining room for dinner, joining the ladies and Larry at our table by the window.

The ladies are nicely dressed, their color palettes matching their names like usual—Iris in a lavender dress, Dahlia in black slacks with a yellow blouse and sweater, Rose in a pink dress, and Marigold in a patterned dress with an orange background. Their habit is both adorable and amusing.

We order dinner and spend another relaxed and enjoyable meal together, discussing the day's events and tomorrow's tour. Rose and Iris are animated and bubbly, and at this point, it appears their personalities don't allow them to be anything less. Marigold is smiling more than I've seen her do since I met her, and she and Larry hold hands occasionally underneath the table. Dahlia's countenance is as stern as always, although a hint of a smile graces her lips at times.

A wave of sadness washes over me, a tightness pulling at my gut. Our time together is soon ending, the ladies becoming something special to me in the week we've been together. And Dane? He's a dilemma I've yet to resolve. I've caught myself scanning the dining room repeatedly, looking for him eventhough I know he's upstairs in the lounge. But I can't seem to help myself, wanting him near me and feeling empty when he's not.

Luka serves our desserts, placing a crème brûlée in front of me as he works his way around the table. Sergei is helping him this evening and rejoins us with a bottle of wine and a knowing smile, which he's directing toward me for the umpteenth time.

Trying to still my melancholy thoughts, I turn my attention to the conversation flowing back and forth across the table and catch Iris devouring Luka with her eyes.

"I must say, you've gotten more and more handsome throughout the week," Iris says, taking another drink from her glass. "How is that possible?"

"It's called wine," Luka replies, gaining everyone's laughter. He motions toward Iris's half-empty glass. "Sergei, if you could, please? Maybe I'll be the most handsome man on this ship by the time the cruise finishes."

"Oh, my dear. You already are." Iris gives Luka a mischievous smile while she lustfully stares at him.

Although his cheeks flush from Iris's wanton behavior, Luka maintains his composure, pleasantly smiling as he sets the last dessert on the table. Watching him, I can't help but wonder once again if his customer service skills are a shipboard requirement, and humorously decide the company should offer hazard pay based on a crew member's appearance—the more attractive, the higher the wages. It would be a way to compensate the crew for passenger ogling, inappropriate comments, and an occasional booty pinch—if Iris had her way.

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