He glanced over at Jorge, who was motioning the Zamboni off the rink. Shawn knew he should check in on the celebrity clients, make sure they had enough skates in the proper sizes, maybe check the trash cans to make sure they’d been emptied. But instead he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked toward Natalie, who was talking and laughing with Skye.
“I’m so glad you had a great day yesterday,” Natalie said to Skye.
“It was fabulous. At first, I wasn’t too excited about the ice show, but those skaters were so talented. And the men on this cruise…” Skye smacked her lips. “Positively yummy. I’d love to sink my teeth into Declan, but that man is so shy.”
Shawn wasn’t sure the men of Toujour—and especially Declan—would appreciate being regarded as a piece of meat, but maybe Skye behaved herself better when on actual dates. Or maybe the men were so enamored by her star power that they let the objectification slide. During his ten years on the Ocean Dream, Shawn had certainly seen his fair share of men and women lower their standards for the chance to date a celebrity.
He walked up to Skye and Natalie, putting his best cruise director smile on. “Skye, it’s so nice to see you again,” he said.
Her eyes brightened and she trilled a laugh, resting a hand on his arm. “It’s so good to see you again, Shawn.” She squeezed his bicep. “I don’t suppose I can talk you into skating with me, can I?”
Shawn glanced at Natalie, who appeared to be trying to hold back a laugh. “Unfortunately, my leg doesn’t allow me to skate,” Shawn said. “But let me show you to the shoe counter. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding a fine man willing to help you out on the rink. The sea’s pretty calm today, so skating shouldn’t be too difficult.”
When he found Natalie again a few minutes later, she had a wide grin on her face. “Thanks for saving me,” she whispered.
“Anytime,” Shawn said. He wondered if she could see how much he meant it.
Natalie flipped her hair over one shoulder, and he caught a whiff of her fruity shampoo. How was he supposed to focus on Toujour with Natalie constantly distracting him?
“So, can you really not skate?” Natalie asked. She nodded toward his leg. “I’m guessing it wouldn’t be a great idea for you to try with that leg.”
Shawn flexed his fingers, resisting the urge to brush them along her cheek. “Believe me, I would love to skate around the rink with you.”
She rested a hand softly on his arm. “It’s okay, Shawn. I get it.”
He gritted his teeth and hung his head. “Sometimes the accident shows up and hits me in the face when I’m least expecting it.”
“Hey.” She put her hands on his cheeks, and he stared into her soft hazel green eyes. “It’s not a big deal. Some men can’t watch chick flicks without cringing. You can’t skate. All things considered, I think you’re doing just fine.”
He laughed, pulling her hand to his lips and placing a light kiss in the center of her palm. “You always know just what to say to make me feel better.”
“I do what I can.”
The ice rink began to fill with couples making careful loops, laughing as they struggled to remain upright. The cruise ship was sailing smoothly today, but while the rocking motion was almost imperceptible while walking, Shawn had learned it became a lot more obvious to those skating. He saw what Luke meant about couples forming—a lot of the skaters seemed rather cozy.
Shawn looked away. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t skate with Natalie, because soon she’d be returning to her life in Arizona, and he’d be returning to his on the Ocean Dream. And he’d be stuck here another year without that bonus. Maybe longer.
Skates swished against ice, and Jase came to a perfect stop at the side of the rink, sending a spray of ice upward. Natalie leaned on the rail while Jase grinned down at her. Shawn’s blood instantly began to warm. Natalie had said she didn’t want anything serious—didn’t want to worry about anything beyond the cruise. Was it because of Jase? The two of them had seemed awfully chummy.
“What are you doing on the sidelines?” Jase grabbed Natalie’s hand and began tugging. “I’m a total third wheel out here. Grab some skates and get out here.”
Natalie laughed and pulled her hand free. “I thought you were too busy showing off to notice that you were the odd man out. Where did you learn to skate like that?”
“A movie. What else?” Jase shrugged as though it were no big deal. “Come on, Nat. Seriously.”
Nat? The blood in Shawn’s veins heated to a boil. He could see the war in Natalie’s expression—her desire to skate and have fun competing with guilt at leaving Shawn behind. He’d seen that same look in his friends’ eyes right after the accident. Eventually, they’d grown tired of the battle and stopped coming around.
But Natalie had said yesterday how much she was looking forward to this activity. She’d never been skating before and desired to have a good time with someone young and active. Someone like Jase. Not an old man with a bum leg who would never do anything but slow her down.
“Go.” Shawn motioned with his head toward the skate counter. “How many people can say they’ve skated on a cruise ship? You don’t want to give up that claim to fame.”
Natalie bit her lip. “Are you sure?
Shawn nodded, forcing a smile he didn’t feel. “Yes. I’ve got work to do, anyway. I need to go check on the lido deck and make sure everything is ready for the pool party this afternoon.”
“Okay then. If you’re sure.”
Shawn gave an emphatic nod. “I am.”
“Alright.” Natalie shot a smile at Jase. “Meet you on the rink in a minute.”
“Perfect.” Jase pushed off, making a show of waving as he skated backward.
Natalie placed a hand on Shawn’s chest. “Are you sure it’s okay? I won’t go if you don’t want me to.”
He knew it was unprofessional—that he was working right now and shouldn’t give in to public displays of affection. But he couldn’t help himself. He placed his arms on either side of Natalie, trapping her against the railing.
“You’re here to experience the cruise and have fun,” he said. “That’s your job. My job is to make sure there are enough lounge chairs on the lido deck to keep everyone happy.”
“Thank you.” She rose on her tiptoes, brushing a soft kiss across his lips. “I’ll talk to you later?”
He nodded and watched as she pranced off to the skate counter, her hips swaying with each step. A few minutes later she took her first shaky steps onto the rink. Jase was by her side in a moment, and the two of them skated off, laughing.
Shawn glanced down at his leg. The swelling had mostly disappeared, but the aching stiffness never went away completely. A thousand years of physical therapy would never help him regain the mobility he’d lost in that car accident. Some things—like ice skating—weren’t in his future.
Natalie stumbled and Jase reached out, his hands catching underneath her arms just before her rear end hit the ice. She laughed, struggling to get her skates back underneath her as he helped her stand.
Shawn walked away from the rink, his spine stiffening as another laugh burst from Natalie. He had work to do on the lido deck, and getting distracted by a beautiful woman wasn’t part of the plan.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Natalie tapped a finger against her keyboard, trying to bring the words to describe the Toujour cruise to mind. It wasn’t easy, with the pool party in full swing. A beach ball bounced around on the surface of the water while two couples engaged in a chicken fight at one end of the pool.
She stretched out in her lounge chair, the warm Mexican sun caressing her too-pale skin. She’d spent way too much time inside studying last semester, and it showed in her pasty complexion. She doubted her last semester would be any less chaotic. But once she graduated, she could spend all her work days like this.
That is, if she ever finished the darn article.
She glanced at the notes she’d made over the past five days. She
’s filled nearly an entire spiral notebook with her observations of Toujour guests. By all accounts, there were more than a few couples falling head-first in love. Natalie shook her head, reading over her conversations with one couple in particular who seemed to be on a one-way train straight to a chapel.
An image filled her mind of Shawn dressed in a black tuxedo, a smile on his face as he waited at the end of a long aisle. Sunset Plains was a small southern town. She imaged they had a picturesque chapel in the town square.
“This is stupid,” Natalie muttered. She tapped another nail against her keyboard. The air crackles with chemistry as flirtatious couples bat about a beach ball. Ugh. That was almost as bad as her other ten attempts at starting a new paragraph. She quickly backspaced, staring again at the blinking cursor.
What was it that made these relationships so accelerated? Was it simply the magic of the cruise? The ideal of spending another Christmas single? Or was it simply that each person entered the relationship with a determination and commitment to do everything in their power to make that relationship work?
Someone sank into the chair beside her, water dripping from his suit and onto the deck. Natalie glanced over and smiled at Jase.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey.” He motioned to her computer. “How’s the writing going?”
Natalie groaned and shut the lid on her laptop. She adjusted her sunglasses and leaned back against the chair. “Not great. I can’t seem to wrap my head around the whole concept of this cruise, and it’s making writing about it a beast. I got off to a great start, when it was all setting the scene and talking about couples flirting. But I can’t seem to find a way to believably write about how fast people seem to be falling in love.”
“Maybe you need to stop focusing on all the couples, and instead focus on just one.” Jase raised his eyes suggestively.
Natalie glared. “Stop it.”
“You and Shawn seemed to be getting along pretty well today.”
“Stop!”
Jase held up his hands. “Okay, okay. What specifically is hanging you up with the writing?”
Natalie tapped a finger against her laptop lid, trying to collect her thoughts. “I guess I’m not sure why people are falling for each other so quickly. Is it because both partners are actively searching for a committed, long-term relationship, or is it a byproduct of dating through a service?”
“Maybe it’s both,” Jase said. “They’re dating through the service because they want the committed, long-term relationship.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Natalie leaned forward, bracing her arms on her knees. Nearby, Declan cannonballed into the water, making the ladies squeal. Natalie was pretty sure she saw Skye give him a disgusted glare. But Natalie’s laptop was safely outside the splash zone. “What’s dating like in Hollywood?”
Jase blinked, pulling sunglasses down to shade his eyes. “Uh, that was kind of a subject change.”
Natalie lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “I’m just trying to figure out how Toujour compares to other unusual forms of dating. I imagine dating celebrities creates unique conflicts in a relationship. Is that why no one can stay together for more than a few years?”
Jase cleared his throat, looking a little uncomfortable. “I think a lot of it is jealousy between the couples. They’re competing for success in the same industry.”
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”
“It’s hard to date when everyone you meet seems to want something from you. I never know if someone is interested in me, my money, or my connections.”
“Exactly!” Natalie thrust out a hand, and Jase raised on eyebrow. “I mean, I understand. The last few guys I’ve dated have all only been interested in Wyatt’s career.”
“Ah. That explains it.”
“Explains what?” Natalie demanded.
“Why you’re so hot and cold with Shawn. He seems like a good guy, Natalie, and I think he’s really into you.”
She bit the end of her thumbnail, her stomach writhing uncomfortably. “But how can I ever be sure?”
Another splash sounded from the pool. In the corner, a musician played the steel drums, making Natalie’s head pound.
Jase leaned forward, turning sideways on his lounge chair to face her. “You can’t. At some point, you’ve just got to trust that he’s with you for the right reasons.”
She blew out a breath, making her bangs puff out. “That so isn’t helpful.”
“I know. And if I ever figure out how to successfully follow my own advice, maybe I’ll find a woman of my own to fall for.”
“He scares me,” Natalie admitted. “I’ve never felt so strongly for someone so fast. What are we supposed to do when the ship gets back to California?”
“I don’t know. But you’ve got less than three days to figure it out.”
For a moment, Natalie imagined telling Shawn she wanted to continue their relationship beyond the cruise. Thought about bringing him home to meet her family. Introducing him as her boyfriend. And it all felt so impossibly wonderful, but hazy too, like a dream she knew couldn’t happen in real life.
As though summoned by their conversation, Shawn entered the lido deck then, the breeze blowing his loose polo shirt against his chest. Natalie licked her lips, suddenly feeling parched.
“Speaking of the devil,” Jase said with a grin.
Natalie swatted his arm. “Stop.”
“Looks like he’s coming this way.”
Shawn was indeed heading straight for them, Natalie’s fingers curled around the edge of her laptop, heart hammering in her chest. “Hey,” she said, and her voice sounded embarrassingly breathy.
“Hey.” Shawn gave her a warm smile that made her insides turn to goo, then nodded at Jase. “Are you guys enjoying the party?”
“It’s great,” Jase said. “I’m heading back in the pool in just a few minutes. At first I wasn’t too sure about the salt water, but now I kind of like it.”
“It’s a lot easier to maintain than a fresh water pool, especially on the ship,” Shawn said.
“I’ll have to look into it if I ever decide to get a pool,” Jase said. “My place in California is pretty small. I spend most of my time on location filming.
“That makes sense.” Shawn grabbed a chair and pulled it close, sitting down. Natalie resisted the urge to reach across the space between them and grab his hands with hers. Shawn’s eyes were so warm as they stared at her. “You aren’t going to swim, Natalie?”
She laughed. “Uh, no. Can’t swim, remember?”
“It’s only five feet deep. The salt water makes it a little more buoyant, too.”
Panic crept up her spine as she considered climbing into the water. It would nearly cover her shoulders. She shook her head vigorously. “It’s still a nope from me.”
“Fair enough,” Shawn said. He stretched out his leg, the scar just visible beneath the hemline of his shorts. “I’m not a very strong swimmer anymore, but it helps when my leg hurts especially bad.”
“Does it hurt a lot?” Natalie asked.
Shawn gave a small shake of his head. “It’s not too bad anymore.” But she had a feeling he was downplaying the pain.
Jase rolled his eyes behind Shawn’s back, then mouthed, Figure out what you want from him.
Natalie glared, then quickly smiled when Shawn raised an eyebrow at her.
Jase rose. “I think I’ll get back in the pool now. It was nice talking to you again, Shawn.”
“You too,” Shawn said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to make this vacation better.”
Jase clapped a hand on Shawn’s shoulder, leaving the wet imprint of his hand on the fabric. “It’s been a pretty good trip so far, but I’ll let you know.”
Shawn nodded, and Jase jumped into the pool. He turned back to Natalie, his eyes uncertain and unsure. “I should get back to work.”
“Wait!” The word was out of Natalie’s mouth before she considered what she was saying.
Slowly, Shawn sank back into his chair. “Okay…”
Natalie gulped, brushing a strand of hair behind one ear as she scrambled for something to say. She didn’t want Shawn to leave, but she had no reason to make him stick around. Wasn’t even sure she should want him to do.
“Perla del Mar,” Natalie blurted out. It was the cruise’s private island, where they’d spend their last two days before sailing back to California.
“We should be there later tonight,” Shawn said. “About two hours after dinnertime.”
“I read in a brochure that there’s a Mayan temple on the island.”
“Yeah. It’s pretty spectacular. You should definitely visit it tomorrow.”
Natalie closed her eyes, gathering all her courage. “I was wondering if you’d like to visit the temple with me?”
Shawn’s eyes softened. He leaned forward, cupping her face with his hand. “I’d love to visit it with you. How about we leave the ship around eleven o’clock? I’ve got a few hours free then.”
“Perfect,” Natalie said.
Shawn glanced around, then quickly dropped a peck on her lips. “I’ll pick you up at your cabin. I’d better get back to work.”
“Bye,” Natalie said as Shawn walked away. She pressed her fingers to her own tingling lips.
She wasn’t sure if she and Shawn had a chance of making things work once they arrived in port. She wasn’t even sure if he’d want to try.
But she also wasn’t sure she could let him walk out of her life for good.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Shawn rested an arm around Natalie’s shoulders as the open-air bus made its way over the uneven dirt road to the Mayan ruins hidden deep in the jungle on the southern end of Perla del Mar.
“It’s so beautiful.” Natalie pulled out her phone and pressed her cheek against Shawn’s. “Smile.”
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