The one question he did want to ask his grandmother was how she was able to get all of these single women on this cruise. But he figured he was better off not knowing and pushed the whole matchmaking scenario to the back of his mind.
He double-checked the note he’d made on his phone to remind him of Stasia’s cabin number. This was it. He’d just knocked on the door when it was jerked open a crack.
Stasia peered out at him. “You’re here?”
He frowned. Had he been so rattled today by his grandmother’s blatant matchmaking that he’d mixed up the time in his head? “Weren’t we supposed to meet at seven?”
“Oh. Is it that late?” The look on her face was one of panic.
He’d never seen Stasia anything but cool and collected—even at her husband’s funeral. Her eyes had told another story, but on the outside, she was elegant and graceful. He’d never known how she’d held it all together so well. If he’d been in her shoes, he’d have been a total wreck, inside and out.
He cleared his throat. “If you need more time, I can come back.”
She worried her bottom lip as though considering what to do. And then she shook her head. “You might as well come in.”
He wasn’t sure what he’d be walking into considering her worried expression. As she swung the door wide open, he took in the sight. On the bed was a pile of dresses that looked like they’d been tried on and then discarded.
“I... I couldn’t decide what to wear.” Her face bloomed with pinkness that looked totally adorable on her. “I haven’t gone to dinner with a man that wasn’t my brother since...well, since Lukos.”
Roberto nodded in understanding. “It’s okay. You can relax. After all, this isn’t a date. Right?”
The look on her face was not telling. “Right.”
“Do you want help cleaning this up?”
She shook her head. And that was when he noticed she was wearing a strapless black gown with a sequined bodice and a flouncy skirt. She looked... He struggled for a word that did her beauty justice.
“You look amazing.” His gaze met hers. The color in her cheeks intensified. “Shall we go?”
“I... I can’t. Could you help me?”
“Sure. Whatever you need.”
She turned around. “Could you pull up my zipper?”
He told himself not to, but he couldn’t resist the temptation of taking in the sight of her bare back. Her smooth skin had a warm bronze tone to it. And in that moment, Stasia had gone from being the sister of his friend to a woman that he desired. He swallowed hard.
He stepped toward her. He told himself that if he did this quickly, it would be all over. The temptation would be gone. And they could return to being nothing more than friends.
Stasia lifted her long hair and swiped it off to the side, revealing her long, slender neck. It was so tempting to lean forward and plant a kiss on the gentle slope where her neck met her shoulder. He wondered what her reaction would be.
“Roberto? Is there a problem?”
Yes! A great big problem. How am I to remain a perfect gentleman when you look so utterly desirable?
“No. No problem.” His voice came out deeper than normal.
Now he had to touch her and act like it was nothing. Otherwise, she would suspect something. And there was no way he wanted to risk their fledgling friendship. He told himself that their friendship was so important to him because she was his only true ally on the ship. Even his cousin was telling him to give romance a chance. Gaia was so happy and she wanted everyone to be just as happy.
He reached out for the zipper. In the process, his fingertips slid across the small of Stasia’s back. He noticed the ever-so-slight intake of her breath. So, it wasn’t just him who was uncomfortable with this intimate situation.
He grasped the zipper, but it wouldn’t budge. How could that be? He pulled harder. Nothing. Though he didn’t want to, he used his other hand to pull the material together, being careful not to touch Stasia’s back. He pulled again. Still nothing.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s the zipper. It’s stuck.”
“Stuck?” She attempted to turn around.