Aboard the Wishing Star (2 page)

What could be better than a trip with her best friend?

"I'm ready to be pampered," she said to let Viv know she was trying.

"Me too."

On the door to their cabin a label with gold letters read Mrs. Kara Worth and Ms. Vivian Tate. The small room designed in peach tones comforted like an elegant cave. On the desk a card of heavy white stock announced the cabin steward's name and extension. Fresh fruit and bottled water stood beside it.

A knock sounded on the door and Vivian opened it.

"Good evening. I am Bertrand, your cabin steward. If there is anything you need ...?"

"Nothing at the moment," Viv said.

"Your life jackets are in the closet, and your muster station, where you'll go for the life boat drill, is on the Promenade deck. When the bell rings for the lifeboat drill the crew will direct you."

"Righto. We'll be ready."

He moved on to the next cabin and knocked at the door.

Inside the cabin, Viv opened the wall safe and put her wallet and jewelry inside. "I'm putting my watch in here," she said removing it. "We don't have to be anywhere on time this week, except dinner."

"Good idea." Kara took off her watch and handed it over along with her wallet and jewelry, setting them inside as well.

Her phone went off again and her face fell when she saw it was Daryl.

Viv grabbed it out of her hand. "If you don't tell that son of a bitch to stop calling you, I will."

"I can't tell my boss that."

Viv turned the phone off and locked it in the safe. "Well, you're not at work now. You're officially on vacation. Soon to be at sea, where cell phone reception is sometimes spotty. Whatever he wants, it can wait."

"Viv, I really should see what he wants. I can't keep avoiding him. What if it's something important?"

A bell sounded three short rings. "This is the captain. All passengers and crew report to their muster stations."

"I don't have time to call him back now," Kara said, as she looked in one side of the closet. "Where are the life jackets?"

Viv found the jackets in the other closet and handed one to Kara. "Atta girl. Plenty of time to deal with your boss later. Like when this cruise is over. Come on, let's go."

The crew directed them to their muster stations.

Kara stood in the evening sun eyeing the lifeboats. "They're such small boats for such a big ocean. I hope we never have to step into one because the ship is sinking,"

Oh God. What will I do if the ship starts to sink?

"Kara there will never be another Titanic. Ships today don't sink," Viv said.

"That's not true. Don't you remember that Italian cruise ship that struck a reef in the Mediterranean and all those people had to jump into the water?" Kara shivered.

"Stop it, Kara. This ship is not going to sink."

Kara bit her lip.

The officer in charge of their station paced with a clipboard, waiting for the last of the passengers. He tapped it with his pen, which for some reason made her more nervous.

Why didn't the passengers hurry? Hadn't they heard the captain? The ship couldn't sail until the crew accounted for all the passengers. An emergency would be just like this. They wouldn't lower the boats until everyone was here and counted. Passengers should take this more seriously.

The close crowd and the perfume of the woman beside her were overpowering as the evening sun beat down. Kara closed her eyes, hoping she wouldn't end up with a headache.

Viv had turned to the redheaded woman beside her to chat about Italian men, especially the officers onboard.

"I just love Italian men. And you say all the officers on this ship are Italian?" Viv's eyes lit up. "Isn't that unusual on an American ship?"

"This isn't the military, dearie. The crew is multi-national." The redhead laughed.

"Hey, Viv," Kara said.

But Viv either hadn't heard her or was ignoring her.

Kara fumbled with the orange life jacket. Her hands shook.

What if this was a real emergency?

She'd only just learned to swim two years ago in the timid non-swimmers class at the gym. Six months before Neil was killed, and she hadn't swum since.

No, don't think about the ship going down. Don't think about trying to swim in the ocean with a defective life jacket.

But the thoughts came anyway.

"Stupid life jacket," she muttered under her breath as she struggled with it. More passengers crowding into their area made everyone shift sideways.

A voice behind her said, "Here sweetheart, let me help."

Oh, that voice.

The back of her neck tingled.

Embarrassment flooded over her, making it harder to fasten the jacket.

Nate stepped in front of her, deep brown eyes looking down at her as he smiled and reached both arms around behind her back. "Hello again," he said and smiled deeper, his eyes gazing into hers. "We have to stop meeting like this." Then he winked.

His face was bronzed by wind and sun, and he projected a magnetic self-confidence along with a generous smile.

"Hello," she murmured, blushing as his scent, spicy and male, and his nearness made her senses spin. She felt dizzy. Between the heat of his body and the heat of the sun she grew warmer and more flushed.

"Your straps are twisted."

She watched his lips as he spoke and her pulse raced.

"Let me to fix them for you."

He towered over her. She had to look up to look into his eyes. Brown eyes that sparkled as he untwisted the straps.

She nodded. The blush spread across her face.

His hand brushed the small of her back as he untwisted the straps, sending a tingle up her spine. He was so close, yet the bulky lifejacket held her head up and covered her chest.

Yet it wasn't only the man's sexiness and the sudden attraction that nearly did her in but the tender way he administered to her. The way she felt cared for. Something she hadn't felt for a long time.

Her body came alive as if one touch had turned on the floodlights. And the part deep within her that wanted to be cared for and loved made her ache with need.

Pulling the straps together in front, he snapped the vest tight. "There, that's better."

She didn't look up into his eyes. Instead her eyes traced the stubble on his chin.
Who would have thought a man's stubbly chin could be so sexy?

She wanted to reach up and touch it.

Knowing she should thank him, instead she stood, frozen, bared to her soul. If she said one word she feared all the pent up loneliness inside her would come pouring out.

Now all the passengers were accounted for, and the captain's voice came over the loudspeaker, interrupting what either of them might have said.

Nate stood for one more brief moment looking down into her eyes, his teeth white against his tan, his intent brown eyes upon hers, before he winked again and stepped back behind her.

Kara was intensely aware of his presence though she tried to ignore it, to focus on the captain's instructions. It was important to pay attention. This information could save her life if the ship started to sink.

She glanced down at the small whistle and plastic light hanging from her vest like children's toys.

The light would act as a beacon. But how could anyone see that tiny thing in the vast ocean?

Don't think about the ship going down like the Titanic. Don't.

The evening sun beat down, and she longed to retreat to their cool cabin. Viv moved over next to her. "When the drill is over let's put on our swimsuits and try out the hot tub."

"That and a frosty pina colada sounds good."

Kara wondered if Nate had overheard and if he'd look for her later. She wasn't going to say anything to Viv after the way Viv flirted with him in the airport, but secretly Kara made one small wish. Viv had been after her to make one and they were, after all, sailing on the
Wishing Star
.

"How do I look?" Viv spun in a gold bikini.

"Stunning as always," Kara said.

"Stop tugging at your cleavage," Viv said. "You look great. Guys will come flocking. Just wait and see."

Kara looked in the mirror. "I'm too pale."

"Not for long." Viv pulled on a black mesh cover-up Kara could see her swimsuit through. "Come on, hurry. We don't want to miss the bon voyage party."

Kara tied the red and gold sarong she'd borrowed from Viv around her waist. They headed to the top deck to check the view and then went down to the deck below, where two hot tubs stood on each side of the pool. The pool had a bar at one end and a grill at the other. Waiters in Hawaiian shirts handed out umbrella drinks while a Calypso band played. Kara and Vivian reached the hot tub and Kara dropped her things on a chair and eased down into the warm, bubbling water, wiggling her toes while Viv went up to the bar to get two pina coladas.

Calypso music played as the ship eased out of the dock heading for open seas. She could see another ship in the distance, and a third a bit farther out, one following the other like ducks in a row. She was so busy watching, lost in thought she didn't notice Nate until he spoke.

"Alone at last." Nate's voice was resonant and sensual, and his words wrapped around Kara as she turned to look at him. He winked at her, climbed into the hot tub, and then sat, leaning his powerful, well-muscled body back against the hot tub. "Did they find your luggage yet?"

She tried not to stare at Nate's bare chest. "No."

"It could be down below clearing customs even as we speak."

"I hope so."

He glanced at her swimsuit.

The swimsuit that fit her all too snug.

"At least you have a swimsuit. What else do you need on a cruise?" He winked.

"Well perhaps a nice dress to wear to dinner."

"I'm sure your luggage will turn up soon."

"I hope so."

"So, we're sailing on the
Wishing Star
. Have you made a wish yet?"

Was he psychic?

She wouldn't admit she'd wished to see him again tonight.

"I made a wish. But I can't tell you what my wish is."

"Because you're afraid it might not come true?"

"No." She smiled.

"I'll tell you mine later if it comes true."

"I hope you get your wish."

"And I hope you get every one of yours."

He couldn't know she was full of unfulfilled wishes.

If she were honest with herself, she'd been making wishes for the past month. Whispered wishes in the dark.

"I hope so too."

Viv came back with two pina coladas, took one look at Nate, and practically purred. "Well, hello again."

"Hello," he responded with a polite smile as she handed Kara a drink. He returned his full attention to Kara, his gaze interested and warm "Kara and I were just talking about wishes."

"Well, tell her to hurry up and make one or she's going to miss out. She doesn't listen to me."

"I suspect she's already made her wish." He smiled.

Kara returned his smile. It was nice having him take up for her.

A man who resembled Nate entered the hot tub.

"This is my cousin, Adam. Adam, this is Kara," Nate draped his arm across the top of the hot tub behind her, "and you've met Viv."

"Nice to meet you, Kara." Adam nodded and moved over to sit next to Viv, who leaned forward displaying her cleavage and purred, "My pleasure."

Nate leaned closer, his brown eyes looking into Kara's. "Is this your first time on a cruise?"

Kara blushed. "Yes. This is my first time cruising."

When was the last time a handsome man had flirted with her?

She couldn't remember. But then she didn't get out enough to meet handsome men. She eyed the muscles of Nate's chest and arms and couldn't look away.

He must be a military man, either a Marine or a Navy Seal, judging from the tattoo of a parachute and a swimmer on the upper part of his right arm. She couldn't see the tattoo on his left bicep clear enough to tell what it was. He carried himself with the air of confidence of a military man.

He ran a hand through his dark hair and his bicep flexed. "This is my first vacation cruise too."

His deep and resonating voice made her want to melt.

Three other men joined them, and Nate moved closer to Kara, his muscular arm across the hot tub behind her, now close enough to touch as everyone scooted around, filling the tub. He put off heat and protectiveness from his body.

There was just something about him that made her unable to look away.

"Where are you from, sweetheart?"

Sweetheart. No one had ever called her sweetheart before. But maybe he was one of those men who called every woman he met sweetheart.

"Columbus, Ohio."

"A Midwestern gal. I've been there. Clean city. Cold in winter though."

"Yes. Very. It's nice to get away from the snow."

With those broad shoulders and well-toned body, Nate defined the term "rugged male." Sitting beside him made her feel fragile and yet safe and protected at the same time.

Nate's arm touching Kara's bare shoulders sent tingles down her spine. She slid down into the water until she was submerged to her chin, hoping the water would hide the telltale signs of the way he affected her.

He grinned and glanced down at her swimsuit as if he knew.

She tried to edge forward, but the slanted seat of the hot tub forced her to slide back again. As she bumped into Nate, their thighs touching, she shot him a sideways glance.

Did his grin deepen?

He cleared his throat. "So Viv said you won this cruise?"

"Yes." She could barely breathe, let alone answer. Her face flushed as the hot tub grew even warmer.

He was way too handsome and way too close.

Her pulse thundered. Maybe she'd stayed in the hot tub too long and her blood pressure had risen.

Maybe she should get out and cool down.

How long had they been in here?
She'd lost all sense of time.