“Oh god, I misread things, didn’t I?” She picked up her paddle. “Forget I said anything.”
“Wait.” He reached out and laid a hand over hers, holding her in place. “Just give me a damn minute. I thought you were going to say you’d had your fun and it was over now. It’s taking me a second to catch up.”
“Over now?” Kendall gave a rough laugh. “I don’t know what you were thinking when you were in that hammock with me, but I meant it when I said I can’t get enough of you. Like I said—”
“I feel the same way,” he blurted. “This isn’t normal for me, either.” Something flared in his chest, hot and uncomfortable and hopeful. He laced his fingers through hers. “I’m not ready for this to end.”
He hesitated, wondering if the universe would choose that moment to slap him down for daring speak that shit. It always had in the past. But nothing happened. No shark fin circled them. No tidal wave appeared to sweep them under. Kendall didn’t suddenly declare that she’d changed her mind and never wanted to see him again. He let out a slow breath.
“You really thought I’d say I was done with this?” She sounded so incredulous, he almost laughed.
Alex shrugged, though the move felt too tense to really pull off. “It’s happened before.”
She frowned, but then her expression cleared as understanding dawned. “They were idiots.”
Now, he did laugh. “They didn’t feel the same way.” Not after they’d gotten to walk on the wild side with him. He wasn’t that guy anymore, but some scars never quite healed right. He just hadn’t realized how raw they were until he spent time with Kendall.
Until he craved more with Kendall. More sex. More conversations. More time. Just more.
“What do you say we head back to the ship?” She gave a slow smile. “This really hot guy asked me on a date, and I want plenty of time to get ready for it.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice.”
Chapter 11
Kendall resented every minute she spent getting ready. She still couldn’t believe she’d gone for it earlier today with Alex, that she’d told him she didn’t want this to end. On the return trip to the ship, he’d held her hand and kept the conversation light as they exchanged anecdotes from their respective childhoods. Neither one of them had brought up the harsh realities about what might happen once this trip was over.
She didn’t care. She refused to let something as dreary as distance threaten her happy moment. Grace was right. With all the technology at their disposal, they could see each other daily if they wanted to. No, that didn’t substitute an in-person relationship—or sex—but it meant their living in different states wasn’t a deal breaker.
Everything else would work itself out one way or another.
She smoothed her hand down one of the two nice dresses she’d packed for this trip. She’d bought it for the corporate manager’s wedding a few years ago and had never worn it again. At the time, she’d felt like a fraud in the deep purple dress that skimmed her body from her breasts to her thighs before flaring out in a mermaid style. Now, knowing she’d see Alex in a little over an hour, she felt unstoppable.
She finished with her hair and quickly did her makeup. It was too warm to do anything too intense there, but she still went with a killer red lipstick that she’d bought when she aspired to be a bolder version of herself. At the time, it felt an impossible task to work up the courage to paint her lips that shade of red.
Tonight, she didn’t hesitate to use it.
She stepped into the hallway feeling ten feet tall. The sensation only grew when she caught sight of Alex walking toward her. He wore a pair of slacks and a button-down gray shirt. He missed a step and his gaze narrowed on her in a way that made her feel like she was the only other person in the world. He stopped in front of her and grinned. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“You look amazing.”
“Thank you.” She couldn’t stop herself from reaching out and taking his hand. “You look pretty good yourself.”
“I aim to please.” He slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and turned them to head away from her room. They held an easy silence as they made their way to dinner. It wasn’t until they were seated that Alex scooted his chair closer to hers. There might as well not have been other people at their table for how he acted, and she couldn’t help doing the same.
“I have to tell you something.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “I think your friend is hooking up with my friend, Benjamin.”
“Benjamin,” Alex repeated. He suddenly smiled, wide and happy. “Well, look at that. Good for him.” She must have looked confused, because he lowered his voice and explained. “Lucas doesn’t date a lot of guys, so I’m glad he’s getting out of his way on this trip.”