The Billionaire's Christmas Cruise by Dakota Rebel (my reading book txt) 📕

I really wanted to touch him. He stepped closer to me, and I nearly got weak-kneed from his scent, undiluted by all the other bodies as it had been in the club. Dear God, how had I forgotten how good he smelled? He smelled like…Christmas and fantasies. Not overpowering but just right.

He glanced toward the sleeping area and frowned. “Yeah, that’s a mistake.”

“I’d say. That was quite an assumption to make—”

“I meant that it’s a mistake that there’s only one bed. It was supposed to be two. The ship only has single bedroom suites, but this one was supposed to have two beds in it. Let me call the porter.”

That disappointed me. Look, I never claimed my inner self made sense. I wanted him, and sleeping with him so soon would be wrong. Propriety and all that.

I crossed my arms over my chest, squashing the bit of hopefulness inside me. “What? He’s going to just wheel this one out and wheel in two different beds? I don’t see that happening. We’re adults. We can figure this out, I guess.”

“As tempting as that offer is, I don’t want to push you into anything.”

Again, I looked around. “Um, I’d say you’re a little late on that count. You manipulated me into taking a cruise with you. I mean…serious manipulation involving other people.”

“I was being romantic.”

Swoon. “Or a stalker.”

“That’s what my brother said.”

“Smart man.”

All amusement left his face. “You’re not frightened are you? Grand gestures aside, I just wanted us to have time to get to know each other. I promise you’re completely safe with me. I just used my connections to find out things about you.”

I coughed into my fist, saying, “Stalker.”

Chase shook his head and lifted the phone next to my beautiful flowers that I realized must be from him. “Hello, I’m calling from the Blake-Malloy suite. We have a small problem that needs to be corrected. I specified two beds and there’s only one.” He listened for a moment then glanced at his watch. “Yes, thank you. That will be fine. We have second seating so we’ll be out of your way.”

After he hung up, he turned to me. “Do you want to get ready for dinner? We have second seating today so we’ll need to be down there in about an hour. Marco will correct the bed situation while we’re out, so we should keep our things out of the way in there.”

“Marco’s going to…”

Chase took my hand and guided me into the bedroom. I mean, I should have been nervous, this strange man taking me toward a mattress, but I wasn’t. Maybe, I wasn’t as smart as purported.

To my surprise, he lifted the edge of the bedding and showed me the base of the bed and the latches holding everything secure. “The rooms come with one or two bed options, and all the beds convert.”

“Well, I apologize for calling you a perv.”

“You didn’t.”

“I thought it.” I shrugged and headed back out for my bag. “Thank you for the awesome cruise and all the excursion options. I’ll decide tonight what I want to do. I intend to make the best of all the money you must have spent on this. Wouldn’t want to waste your grand gesture when you could have just showed up and taken me to coffee.”

“Maybe we can choose some things together?”

“Well, sure, I guess.” If a hot guy who managed to lower my IQ by fifty points wanted to spend time with me, who was I to say no? Seriously, I could barely function while he was in the room. I should have figured out the bed thing without making accusations. I was a little embarrassed by that, but who knew it was a thing—besides Chase and the ship’s crew, that is?

“Wonderful.”

I dragged my suitcase over to the side of the sitting room and opened it to get my toiletries. Then grabbing my garment case I headed toward the bathroom. On the way, I paused and turned to face Chase.

“So…in the spirit of getting to know each other, and since we’ll be planning joint excursions, you should know I’m terrified of big bodies of water. Well, full disclosure, kinda small bodies of water, too.”

“Wait…”

I almost smiled, he looked so horrified. “Yes? You want the bathroom first?”

He shook his head, but I already knew that’s not what he meant.

“So…I gave a cruise to a woman who hates water?”

“Yep.”

“Shit.”

I closed the distance between us then went on tiptoe and bussed his cheek. Dropping to flat feet, I patted the spot I’d kissed. “Gotta bone up on those stalker skills.”

“Yeah,” he growled, and the self-annoyed sound raked across my senses. To my shock, I felt myself get decidedly damp downstairs. That had never happened before.

Well, except for in Vegas when he’d gotten me totally turned on by just standing there all sexy and intense.

“Anything else I need to know? Any other fears?”

“No, not really. I mean after my parents died in a boating accident, I was raised by my aunt, who passed away last year. But you probably know that about me.”

“Boating accident. I’m firing my PI,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m sorry.”

“I was pretty young.” I shrugged. I kinda felt bad for the guy, but he had crossed all kinds of lines to get me here so it wasn’t too sorry. “Don’t worry, Chase. We’ll figure it out.”

And I really wanted to. There was just something about this man. He drew me. Hell, he’d been drawing me for months. How many times had I looked at his pic on my phone? Too many. I couldn’t say with confidence that, if I had his clout, I wouldn’t have snooped into him, too. Though, I probably would have gone with the showing up for coffee option.

Chapter Four

~ Chase ~

I sat down on the bed and gripped my head in my hands. Her parents died in a boating accident, and she’s afraid of water. Well done, Chase. You moron.

How the hell was I supposed to fix this? I stood