I saw the words hit Worth’s ears because his entire body tensed. He turned around and caught my eye. It was clear he realized Pres had sounded exactly like he himself had. “You know what? I think we’re good. If you’re happy with what you have, I’m happy. Let’s go.”
Lucas’s eyebrows creased in confusion. “Why’d you come in here if you didn’t need any shoes?”
I ignored his question and asked one of my own. “Where are you going to jog on a ship?”
Lucas looked up at Pres. “That’s what I asked him. Even the islands we’re visiting don’t have paved paths or roads. That’s why I didn’t pack my running shoes.”
Pres said, “I just know how important your exercise is to your mental health. That’s the only reason I thought you might like to have them.”
Worth stepped closer until I could feel his body heat against my shoulder. “We’ll be swimming and diving every day. That will give you plenty of exercise.”
I grinned at Lucas in hopes of helping him relax. “And if not, I’ll break out some dance music on deck at night and we can shake our booties till the wee hours.”
Lucas smiled back. “I do love to dance.”
“Perfect,” I said before turning to face Worth. “Now find me a pair of leather thongs quick so we can get back on the boat and change into my new swimmy ones.”
Worth’s face flushed as I shook my hips, and Lucas laughed. Within a few minutes, we were able to find a pair of shoes that worked for me. Lucas found a pair of leather boat shoes Pres seemed to find passably acceptable, and the four of us made our way back to the tender. Once on board the ship, Worth and I went straight to the stateroom to put our purchases away.
As soon as the door closed behind us, I whipped around and hissed at him. “Don’t ever make me shop again. That was excruciating.”
Worth rolled his eyes and set his shopping bags down on the long desk surface built in along one wall of the room. I noticed his laptop was set up which meant he’d probably checked his email or something this morning before joining us for breakfast. It reminded me that he had a life outside of this vacation. According to Kincaid, Worth was some kind of investment person, but I didn’t know enough about any of that to even pretend to know what his computer work would entail.
“Hardly. At that last place you got to sit and play social butterfly while I did all the work.”
I sat on the end of the bed and threw myself back on the soft duvet, stretching my arms overhead and making a snow angel on the cool cotton. The room had been cleaned in our absence, and I wondered who on board had that job. Probably Julo but possibly Freya. I didn’t feel comfortable having someone clean up after me, but I reminded myself they were cleaning up after their boss. I just happened to benefit from it.
I sighed. “It was hard work, but I muddled through. I think surviving it deserves a fruity drink.”
“You’re in luck. Julo makes a rum punch that’ll make you forget your own mother. He’ll break out the drinks and snacks when we get underway. Nat should be back with her friends in a few minutes.”
He sat down at the desk and opened his laptop, turning his back to me. I rolled onto my side and rested my head in my hand. “Do you think Prescott pressures Lucas to work out or something? What was that about?”
Worth’s shoulders tensed. “I don’t know. But the sooner Lucas sees what an ass he is, the better.”
I rolled onto my back again and studied the ceiling. “Your brother is super sweet and cute. He could do so much better than Prescott Resnick.”
Worth swiveled around to face me. “Like you?”
I deliberately misunderstood him. “I could do much better than Prescott too. Yes.”
He huffed and turned back around. “Don’t put the moves on my brother,” he warned in a low voice. “That’s not why you’re here.”
That pissed me off. “Fuck you, Jon. You think I’m going to fuck Prescott, sleep with you, and then try and put the moves on your brother? Jesus.”
“We’re not sleeping together,” he said with his teeth clenched.
“We are literally sleeping together. I just mean I’m not going to let Lucas think I’m with you at the same time I’m putting the moves on him and hoping Prescott puts the moves on me. Christ, it’s like one of those plays where the characters are running on and off stage and everyone is keeping a secret.”
He faced me again and yanked a hand through his hair. “So you are planning on putting the moves on him, just after some kind of etiquette grace period?”