by Box Set
“Let me get this straight, you’re paying for me to go on a cruise and hang out with Trish Brier?” Not that it didn’t sound nice, but had the woman lost her mind?
“It’s not a pleasure cruise, and don’t dare disappoint me.” She took another sip of coffee. “Make Trish fall in love with you. Do whatever you have to, say whatever you have to in order to convince her that the two of you are in love. If Thomas shows up on that ship, make sure Trish doesn’t give him a second glance.”
Rider snorted. “I can’t force her to fall for me, any more than your paranoia could make her sleep with your husband.”
“You’d better make her fall for you. If she isn’t safely off the market and your girlfriend by the time the cruise ends, with my husband realizing he doesn’t have a shot, I won’t just ruin you. I’ll plant information in one of Trish’s upcoming cases to make her look guilty of fraud and get her disbarred. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays away from Thomas.”
He wished he thought Mrs. Baker was full of empty threats, but he’d already witnessed how the woman had manhandled Trish’s sister and made Lucy give up a better position at the law firm. He had no doubt she’d do whatever was necessary to take him and Trish down if she wasn’t convinced he’d done everything possible to win the young lawyer over.
“Once I do this,” he all but growled, “you will give me anything you have on me, Trish, and her sister, and we will be done. I’m not working for you again, understood?”
“You sound like you actually think I’ll take orders from you.” Mrs. Baker laughed and tapped a long fingernail against the folder containing his tickets. “Don’t miss your flight, Mr. Stone. Have a safe trip.”
Chapter 5
Trish looked into the full-length mirror in her private balcony stateroom aboard the Charming Sunbeam. While guests other than the singles’ group were aboard the ship, the organizers for the singles’ portion had everything mapped out and planned in order to maximize the potential of meeting a romantic prospect. Or, from what Trish overheard while boarding the ship with the singles, meeting several romantic prospects—at least for one night of fun.
Everyone appeared to be here for a hookup. She wasn’t holding out hope for finding true love over the next two weeks, but she would keep in mind Lucy’s advice. Her sister recommended she let her hair down and have fun, a thing Trish had never mastered. Then again, always trying to be perfectly proper hadn’t gotten Trish very far in life. Maybe it was time to try things Lucy’s way. Her sister had definitely partied when she was single and then ended up married to an awesome man, one who would never cheat on her.
Puffing out a breath, Trish smoothed her silver dress against her hips and legs. “I can do this. I will let my hair down and have fun in the Bahamas.”
Figuratively speaking, anyway. For tonight’s meal, she’d pulled her brown tresses into a fancy twist against her head, holding it in place with crystal-studded barrettes. Luckily, tonight’s meet and great dinner was one of the only formal affairs on the fifteen-day cruise. It would be hard to relax and have fun if she had to get this dressed up for every meal.
Widening her blue eyes, Trish carefully applied another layer of mascara. Putting on makeup was quite a challenge when the boat occasionally lurched from side to side, despite its enormous size. Without maiming her eyeball, she finished and took one last look.
While not as racy and daring as something her sister would have worn at the height of her years of having fun, Trish thought the cocktail dress showed off her best assets. The thin straps draped down over a plunging neckline that made her cleavage appear larger than it truly was, and the floor-length dress had a split up the outer side of her right thigh. Lucy had assured her that brief glimpses of skin would entice any man Trish came into contact with.
Slipping her room key into a small clutch purse, Trish checked the map provided in her singles’ packet once again and then stepped out of her room.
Keeping a pleasant smile on her face, Trish walked sedately toward the elevator at the end of the hall.
A door in front of her flung open and the exiting man smacked into her, knocking her back against the far side of the hallway.
“Oh, shit! Are you okay?” He rushed across, taking her arm to steady her upright. “I’m such an idiot. I didn’t look where I was going.”
Although his suit fit him well and the man appeared wealthy, life hadn’t been kind to him in the looks department. The acne one expected on a teenager, not a thirty-something man, covered his face, and his nose scrunched into a perpetually pinched look.
“I’m okay,” Trish hurried to assure him, stepping away. “Are you late for something?”
“Going to be. I’m here with the singles and dinner starts soon.” He gave a wink that somehow looked less than flirtatious on his awkward face. “I know all the staterooms on either side of this deck have been reserved for our group. Can I assume you’re here to find love?”
Although ashamed of herself for being judgmental, she didn’t want to admit that she was here for romance to him. He was nothing like what she pictured for a cruise fling. What if all the singles were like him? She’d spend the entire time thinking about Rider instead of getting on with her life.
She shrugged, trying her best to appear sincere. “I’m here with the singles, but I’m not searching for love. Just new friends and cool people to explore the Bahamas with. I recently went through a pretty bad breakup.”
His pocked face fell a little, but then he shrugged. “I’m Tyson Chambers, from New York. I’m pretty much a friend to every woman I know.”
Struggling to maintain her smile, Trish stuck out her hand to shake his. “I’m Trish, from Northern Washington.” No sense telling him her hometown or full name, even if Tyson over shared. She had no way of knowing if people on the ship were psycho stalkers who might follow her home.
Trish walked beside Tyson to the elevator, tuning out his endless chatter about whatever he did for a living. Her thoughts turned, once again, to Rider Stone. Although he ended up calling a couple times in the middle of last week, Trish had sent his calls directly to voicemail. It made her feel bad, ignoring him like that, but she knew she couldn’t let herself see Rider again. Not until she had a few weeks to think over what had happened with David.
The very fact that she desired Rider so much made him dangerous. He could end up hurting her. Or she might end up hurting him. If she was going to have a rebound relationship, it should be something on the cruise ship that was meaningless and both parties knew it.
“Hello?” Tyson said, sounding grumpy. “Are you even listening?”
“Sorry, I’m distracted by this place. I’ve never been on a ship before.” Trish smiled as the elevator doors opened and walked into the already-packed car.
Tyson followed so closely that he pressed against her backside.
With nowhere to move away from him, Trish hoped Tyson enjoyed the feel he copped. As his hand brushed against her ass, she vowed it would be the last time he came anywhere near it. From now on, she’d take the stairs. She didn’t care if it was up seven flights to get to the dining area. He wouldn’t be her rebound fling.
Rider only paid partial attention to the conversation at his dinner table. Across the crowded room, filled mostly by the singles group, Trish chatted with her dining companions.
He’d thought she was smoking hot as a blonde, but this new look was even better. The saying about blondes having more fun was a lie if Trish’s transformation was any indication. Sexy, sophisticated, smoking hot brunette Trish looked to be having a great time.
Rider couldn’t believe how easy jealousy boiled just beneath his skin. When Trish laughed at something one of the men at her table said, Rider found it hard to keep himself composed. It was almost too much to handle when she leaned in and put a flirty hand against the man’s arm.
Stacy Baker was delusional. No matter how attracted to Trish he found himself, the feeling wasn’t mutual. Perhaps he’d m
ade a mistake at dinner that night when grilling her about being newly single. She’d definitely shied away after he closed the curtains and moved closer to her. Up to that point, he’d had her exactly where he wanted her, looking at him with admiration and maybe something more.
If only he hadn’t let the PI in him take over when she mentioned her breakup. It was a rookie mistake, letting her see how eager he was for the information. The biggest problem he’d had was the instant attraction he felt for her. It made him sloppy. Although he’d been half thinking about his job that night, he’d also been considering how great it would be to get Trish in his bed. The combination made him careless.
“Hello?” The pretty blonde sitting across from him, Carrie, waved her hand in front of his face, breaking off his line of vision to Trish. “Are you in there somewhere?” She rolled her eyes and leaned close to the other female at the table. “Looks like we got the table of duds instead of studs.”
The other woman giggled and flashed Rider a wink. “You still look studly to me.”
Scrambling to remember her name, Rider offered her a wide smile. “You’re a sweet woman, Diane.” She was old enough to be his mother, but the cougar seemed unconcerned about that. “Sorry I’ve been distracted, but I spotted a woman I know.”
The other person at his table, an insurance salesman from Wisconsin who simply said his name was Ted, let out a guffaw of laughter. “One who dumped you to go on this cruise, no doubt.”
“Actually, she kind of did,” he admitted.
“Oh, no,” Carrie murmured sympathetically, forgetting her prior scorn.
“Her loss,” Diane said with a wide grin as she ran her tongue across her lips.
He might as well play things up, get people on his side so that if Trish tried to ignore him, he’d have allies to help win her over. Besides the fact that he was honestly attracted to her, with Stacy Baker’s threats he really had no other choice. It wouldn’t matter if he ended up hating Trish before the trip ended, he’d have to find a way to make her fall for him. It was just a lucky coincidence that she was gorgeous, and he wouldn’t mind bedding her and claiming her as his own.
“We only went out one time,” he clarified, “but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her. I came on this cruise hoping to meet someone new and get over her after she ignored my calls, and now here she is.”
Carrie clapped her hands, her blue eyes bright with joy. “It’s fate. What are the chances of you both booking the same trip? She’s meant for you. Oh, we have to find a way for you to win her heart before the cruise ends!”
Although Diane glowered in the corner as she patted her artificially-tinted red hair, Rider was glad Carrie had the right idea.
“We’re here to find our own dates,” Ted grumbled. “Not help someone else.”
Diane’s face lit at that prospect as she turned a more favorable eye toward Ted. “I agree. Why don’t we discuss that in more detail back at my room, Ted?”
“Ummm...” Looking like a deer about to get plowed over by a semi, Ted could only shake his head. “We should get to know each other better first.”
Rider chuckled. This was getting him nowhere, but at least it was entertaining. “I should talk to her once dinner’s over.”
“Yeah, but you need to come up with a good line,” Carrie pointed out. “If you go in unprepared, there are plenty of guys here ready to take your place. Which one is she?” Carrie tilted to look the direction Rider faced.
“See the brunette in the silver dress over at that far table?”
She nodded. “Pretty girl, maybe a bit out of your league.”
“And here I was looking for help,” Rider said, shaking his head. “You don’t inspire confidence.”
“Well, I just meant she looks high class. We have to come up with something really good,” Carrie replied. “She’s looking awfully cozy with that man next to her. Better move fast. I don’t know if I’d wait until dinner ends. Go get your woman!”
Chapter 6
“That was delicious,” Sara, one of Trish’s dining companions, said. “They sure are taking a long time with our drinks, though.”
“I think we’re allowed to mingle with the entire room soon,” Trish replied. “They’ll probably bring cocktails to us then.”
The thin man sitting next to her, Ryan, brushed his hand against her shoulder. “I hope you don’t mingle too far away, Trish. Aren’t we having a good time?”
Trish grinned and nodded. Ryan might be nothing like Rider Stone—heck, he wasn’t even as attractive as her ex-fiancé—but the man was certainly interested. Unlike Tyson from the elevator, Ryan had been a gentleman, keeping any incidental touches strictly in safe areas. It was good to know that not all the men on this boat were creepy.
The last man sitting at her table gave a shrug. “We won’t have assigned seats for the rest of the cruise, so we’ll do a lot more mingling after tonight.”
Even beneath his fancy suit, it was evident how muscularly built Malcolm was. Trish had never been with a black man before, but she wondered if he could prove the rumors about their... endowments.
Almost appalled at herself for even considering sleeping with two different men on the same trip, Trish fanned her warm face and gave Malcolm a shy smile.
“You’re overheating,” Ryan said, charmingly attentive even if he didn’t understand what had Trish so hot and bothered. “Why don’t I go find a drink for you? What kind of cocktail do you like?”
“Amaretto sour, please,” Trish replied without hesitation. The almond liquor had a sweet, pleasant flavor, but it was also lower in alcohol content than other drinks and wouldn’t leave her impaired to the point she decided it was a good idea to do some of the racy things she thought about with these two men. “That’s really sweet of you, Ryan. Thank you.”
He beamed, the smile making the slightly-built man more attractive. “Anything for a beautiful lady.” Almost as an afterthought, he turned to Sara. “Anything for you?”
The forty-year-old ran a hand through her short black hair and fluttered her eyelashes. “I’m sure whatever you bring me will be fine.”
Even if Ryan hadn’t been looking at Sara much throughout the night, her flirtations definitely got to the man as he hurried from the table. Trish needed to remember the art of flirting since it had been so long since she’d needed to do so. Sara was a master, obviously. Trish could learn a lot from the older woman.
“I was hoping the ship would be decorated for Christmas,” Sara said, looking around the room.
Trish had to admit that although the honey-colored wooden flooring, bright chandeliers spaced at intervals, and white tablecloths gave a warm, inviting feel to the room, a few decorations to note the holiday season wouldn’t have been out of place.
“It’s still nearly a month until Christmas,” Malcolm pointed out. “Plus, we’re heading to the Bahamas. I’m in the mood for a summer vacation, not Santa and his elves.”
Sara raised an eyebrow, looking Malcolm up and down. “Summer vacation sounds nice, for sure. I can’t wait to see you in your swim trunks.”
Malcolm grinned. “Our first port isn’t for another day. Maybe you won’t have to wait that long if you’re up for a private showing.”
Sara fluttered her eyelashes, leaning into his shoulder and running a hand across Malcolm’s chest. “The question is, are you up for it?”
Holding in a sigh, Trish looked around for Ryan, hoping to spot him returning with her drink before things became too uncomfortable at the table.
She definitely wasn’t the only person thinking of having a fling. While she’d never considered anything like that in her entire life, apparently that was accepted on this cruise. Expected, even. From Tyson in the elevator to her dinner companions, everyone seemed ready for a private party with the first person they met.
If that was going to happen now, maybe she should have relented and taken Rider back to her apartment last week. Not that she didn’t like the men she’d been pa
ired with at dinner, but they weren’t her hero. Trench Coat had them beaten without a doubt. It wasn’t even close. Rider was the person she’d like if meaningless sex was on the menu.
For three years she’d been faithful to David, thinking they were headed toward wedded bliss and a life together. It had hurt when she caught him cheating.
Since meeting Rider, however, things were different. She’d hardly thought of David, consumed by warring with herself over her desire for him.
In hindsight, David had done her a favor. Considering he was so easily replaceable, the lying dog obviously hadn’t been the right guy. She could have fun on this trip, then spend time looking for someone who made her truly happy. She wouldn’t settle this time but would find the sort of love Lucy and Blake enjoyed. Maybe that man was Rider Stone. It was certainly a nice thought.
She finally spotted Ryan near the bar, a drink in either hand. At least he’d return soon. Malcolm and Sara had moved past their milder flirting, and Trish did her best to block out the sexually explicit discussion they were having. Those two would definitely be in a bed as soon as the mingling portion of the night started.
Momentarily losing sight of Ryan, Trish strained in her chair to rise above the heads around her and look at the bar area.
“That’s strange,” she murmured softly, spotting him on the far end of the bar with the drinks sitting on the counter.
He had something in his hand that he held over each glass for a moment before shoving it in his pocket and picking the glasses back up.
“That bastard!”
Malcolm and Sara startled, looking at her as though she’d grown horns.