Once Upon A Night At Sea (5 page)

“When I started out, most of my clients were friends and relatives, but those jobs have generated lots of referrals, and business is pretty steady now.” She dropped her gaze to the menu. “What do
you
do for a living?”

Why did he sense a whole lot rode on his answer? “I’m the CFO of a growing company that turns recyclables into repurposed products. We make lawn furniture, decks and playground equipment out of old tires, plastics and other recyclables.”

“Oh,” she breathed out on a happy sigh.

Her radiant smile lit him up from the inside out. He arched a brow. “That makes you happy?” he asked.

Marin nodded. “I thought you were a lawyer because of the way you wanted to march into the coffee shop and demand recompense for the latte incident.” Her eyes met his for a second, then lowered to her menu again. “Not that there’s anything wrong with lawyers, but—”

“I was only teasing. I just wanted to get you back inside so we could spend more time together.”

“Really?” Her eyes widened in the most appealing way. “I didn’t get that. I don’t know you at all.”

“Would you like to?” he asked, staring into her eyes. “Get to know me, I mean.” The waiter returned just as Marin was about to answer.
Dammit.

“Would you like to start with a cocktail?” he asked, setting a basket of bread and a ramekin of butter on the white linen–covered table.

“We’ll have a bottle of the Chianti, please,” Jason told him. The supercharged moment with Marin had passed. How could he bring things back to that crucial question—the question he hadn’t even known he intended to ask? Come to think of it, he hadn’t known he intended to ask her out for dinner, either. The words had just slipped out as if put there by some unknown compulsion. The waiter nodded and left.

“Do you have brothers and sisters?” Jason took a breadstick from the basket.

Marin nodded. “Three older brothers. I’m the baby of the family.”

“Ah.” The youngest
and
the only girl. He imagined her older brothers looking after her, protecting their baby sister. He could picture them catching her when she was about to fall off her bike and skin her knees.

“How about you, Jason? Do you have siblings?”

“I have an older sister and a younger brother,” he said. “The company I work for is a family business. My grandfather started out in salvage, and we’ve evolved into this new venture. I have cousins who still run the salvage part.”

“I think it’s great that your company repurposes stuff that would otherwise glut our landfills. I’m impressed.” Her expression went all soft and warm.

Her appreciative look filled him with pride. He’d worked hard to get where he was and to help his family’s business flourish. The years spent in school and working long hours had been one of the reasons he’d joined SLS. Something was missing in his life, and when he’d turned thirty-one, still alone and single, that had been his wake-up call. He wanted someone to love, someone to share his life with. Not to mention wanting to be loved back. “Thanks. Do you see anything on the menu that appeals to you?”

“Everything. I think we’re supposed to choose an item from each of the lists.” She glanced at him. “The artichoke soufflé sounds amazing, but so does the calamari.”

“Let’s order one of each and share.”

“Perfect. Let’s do that with each course.”

“Agreed.”

Their waiter returned with the Chianti, uncorked the bottle and poured some into Jason’s glass. He tasted the deep ruby-red liquid, nodded, and the waiter filled their glasses. He and Marin gave him their orders, and finally, they were once again alone.

“Thank you for rescuing me from
almost
falling into the street today.” Marin bit her lip for a second. “I’m not a clumsy person in general. I’m just easily distracted. In fact, I was on my high school tennis team.” She sat up a little straighter. “I’m still pretty good at the sport.”

“I love tennis. Do you golf?”

“I do.” She sipped her wine. “Mmm. This is good. And… yes, Jason.”

“Yes?” He stared, confused by the sudden twist in the conversation.

“Yes, I’d like to get to know you better.” Her eyes darkened as she glanced at him through her lashes.

Pleasure surged, and an inexplicable sense of rightness followed in its wake. “Good.”

Their appetizers appeared before them, and Marin took a taste of the soufflé. “Oh, you have to taste this.” She pushed the dish to the middle of the table.

He took a piece of calamari and popped it into his mouth before doing the same. “This is good too.”

“So, tomorrow we’re going to Belize to see black howler monkeys in their natural habitat. I read up about them online. The sound an adult male makes can be heard from a mile away.” Marin dipped a piece of the calamari in the sauce. “Did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t. I’m looking forward to the howlers, and to our visit to the zoo.” The restaurant’s manager was circulating through the dining room, greeting guests and stopping to chat. He approached their table.

“
Buonasera!
Good evening,” he said in a heavy Italian accent.

Marin turned in her seat to greet him, her forearm heading straight for her wine. Jason lifted the glass out of the way just in the nick of time. She didn’t even notice. He grinned and set the glass back down… out of her way.

The manager introduced himself and told them what part of Italy he came from, explaining the great pains he took to ensure that his restaurant’s fare remained true to his roots. “I hope everything is to your complete satisfaction this evening?”

“Everything is wonderful, thank you,” Marin gushed.

Three courses and a shared dessert later, Jason leaned back in his chair. Conversation had flowed easily, and he couldn’t remember a single date he’d enjoyed more. “I’m stuffed.” He tossed his napkin on the table in defeat. “I don’t think I’ve ever eaten as much or as well as I have on this cruise.”

“Me either.” Marin giggled. “I just hope I can still get into my jeans for the trip home at the end of this week.”

I’d li
ke to get into your jeans . . 
.
He shook his head. He needed to take it slow, get to know her better. He didn’t want to rush into anything. He had enough sense to listen to his gut, and his gut told him to proceed with caution. Marin was not “cruise fling” material. She was the type of woman you took home to meet the family, and he wasn’t
there
yet. Why would he be? They’d just met.

“What?” Marin’s brow creased.

“Hmm?”

“You’re shaking your head.”

He shrugged. “Just thinking about how much time I’m going to have to spend on deck sixteen to work off all of these calories.” Sounded plausible, and much better than
I was
wonderin
g if you might be wearing matching bra and panties under that sexy dress
.

“Deck sixteen?”

“That’s where the gym is located.”

“That’s where the spa is too.” Marin rested her chin on her fists. “I’m having a massage on Friday. Can’t wait.” She reached for the napkin on her lap and set it on the table. “Well, we can start on the calories by taking a walk on the promenade deck. I did a few laps there on Monday morning. It’s nice. You have to go up a flight of stairs and down another to go all the way around the ship. Three laps is about a mile.”

“I wonder what it would be like to live on a cruise ship for months at a time?” he mused. “A variety of places to eat, someone cleaning your room every day, a gym, spa, pools… What more could you want?”

Marin grinned. “I’ve wondered the same thing. I’ve been having breakfast at different places each morning. It’s been a lot of fun to share a table with other guests. So far, I’ve met people from Germany, Japan, the US and Canada.”

Their waiter came to take Jason’s cruise card. “That does sound like fun.” He imagined Marin striking up conversations with fellow guests, total strangers. She had a way about her, warm and friendly, open. “I’ve just been ordering room service.”

“You’re welcome to join me. Since tomorrow’s an excursion day, I planned to head up to the lido deck for the buffet. It’s faster.”

“What time?”

“Seven. I’m an early riser.”

“I can do seven.” The waiter returned. Jason signed the slip and added an additional tip. The service and the food had both been exceptional. “Ready for that walk?”

“After this meal, it’ll be more like a waddle,” Marin said, sliding out of her place.

They strolled to the elevators, caught one right away, and Jason pushed the button for the promenade deck. Marin leaned against the mirrored surface, a satisfied smile on her face. “Thank you for dinner, Jason. That was an excellent meal.”

“I’m glad you joined me. I’ve never been into the club scene. I’d much rather spend the evening in a quiet place sharing good food and conversation than having my ears blasted by loud music. I don’t enjoy having to shout to be heard.”

“Me either, but lots of people like to dance, and it’s nice that the cruise ship has something for everyone.”

“Do you dance?”

“Only at weddings and anniversaries.” A dreamy look softened her features.

What was she thinking about? Some guy she’d danced with recently? His gut tightened at the thought. The elevator doors opened, and Marin stepped off before him. Despite her frequent near misses, she possessed a natural grace. He’d love to dance with her. Perhaps one night at Club Fusion might be nice if it meant he could hold Marin in his arms. He opened the door to the outside for her.

Marin sucked in a long breath. “It’s so nice out here.” She moved to the railing and swiped a hand over the surface. “Have you noticed the way the salt collects on the outside railings? I think it’s interesting, the way it coats everything out here. I read online that the railings onboard are the only remaining pieces of real wood. Everything else is fake. Wood’s a fire hazard.”

He laughed. “You really do like your factoids, don’t you?”

Grinning, she shrugged. “I guess I do.”

“Let me feel that salt.” He reached for her hand and rubbed his thumb over the tips of her fingers. “Huh. I hadn’t noticed.” Twining his fingers with hers, he led her along the walkway at a leisurely pace. Other couples walked along around them, and a few hardy souls in gym shorts and T-shirts were power-walking or jogging. “Nice night.”

“Perfect.”

They reached the aft of the ship and stopped to watch the water churning from the propellers. Once they reached the other side, Marin gasped. “Look at the moon!” She tugged him to the railing and leaned out to get a better look. “It’s full.”

Jason placed a hand on the railing on either side of her. “That’s really something.” The moonlight formed a wide path of ocean swells limned in silver, and a million stars twinkled overhead. He’d never considered himself a romantic man, but… “Marin?”

“Hmm?” She glanced at him over her shoulder, her eyes luminous.

“Is it all right if I kiss you?”

A shy smile graced her upturned face. “Under the circumstances… in this particular setting, it would be a shame for us not to… take advantage.”

Gently he turned her by the shoulders, intending only to brush her lips with his, but when she put her arms around his neck, his good intentions skipped away on the crests of the silver-tipped waves.

Drawing her close, he kissed her like he’d wanted to from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. Deeply. The tiny sounds of pleasure she made had him panting for more. She tasted of Chianti and the chocolate dessert they’d shared. Sweet. Rich. Heady. His heart pounded and his blood rushed. He wanted her.

“Get a room, you two,” an older man teased.

Jason ended the kiss and struggled to regain his shattered composure. Never before had a single kiss given him so much pleasure or aroused him so completely. “Sorry,” he called to the seniors walking hand in hand.

“Don’t be.” The woman shot them a knowing look. “You youngsters enjoy the night and that gorgeous full moon. Don’t let this old man stop you. He’s certainly stolen his fair share of kisses on one cruise ship’s promenade deck or another over the years. You see, cruises and romance go together like peanut butter and jelly.”

“Like crackers and cheese,” her husband added. “Just might steal another kiss right now,” the man said, catching his wife around the waist. “You open to a bit of advice, sonny?” he asked, winking at Jason. “If you want to keep things spiced up in your love life, just take that pretty lady of yours on a cruise at least once a year.”

“Sound advice, and I’ll certainly take it to heart.” Jason saluted the couple and turned back to Marin. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. They were sweet.”

Once again he threaded his fingers through hers, liking the way her skin felt against his. Loving that she didn’t pull away. “Shall we walk some more?”

“Definitely.”

“Do I get another kiss when I walk you to your door?”

“Maybe.”

Marin took her place in the semicircle around their guide. Jason hooked his little finger with hers, and a ridiculously giddy thrill tingled all the way through her.

Conway, their tour guide, held up a small yellow fruit with a dark brown apostrophe jutting out from the top. “Who can tell me what this is?”

“A cashew,” someone in their group called out.

“That’s right, and did you know that if you bit into this nut as it is now, your lips would blister?” Conway pointed to the cashew-shaped nut on the top. “We burn off the outer shell, and even then we must wear gloves to handle the nut if we don’t want our hands blistered.” He went on to describe the complicated method used to harvest the cashews. “Harvesting cashews is labor intensive, and that’s why they’re so expensive. You may have noticed the table out front as you entered the sanctuary. A few of our locals are selling cashew wine here today.”