He knew the trip was going to be a lot of fun, but he also wanted time to rest. There had been so much going on with his business, and he wanted to clear his mind. When he went back to work, he wanted to be fresh and alert.
They walked out onto the lido deck and the party had already started. The music was loud and the drinks were everywhere. The guys found a waitress and their vacation was in full swing. Gavin waited for his drink and then walked over to the railing to look out at the water as the ship began to move.
The water was so beautiful. It made him think about his time in Hawaii at his Cousin Chris' house. He loved the blue color of the water and was looking forward to the beach.
He scanned the crowd and his eyes stopped on a woman sitting on a lounge chair, reading a book. Gavin chuckled to himself. There was a huge party going on all around her, and she sat there as if she were alone. How could someone read like that, he wondered? There was something about her. She looked nothing like any of the women he had ever been with.
Usually, women who came around trying to pick him up were dressed to impress. They had their hair, makeup, and nails perfect while they strutted in their designer clothes. Those women knew he had money, and that was all that mattered to them.
Gavin and his friends were from Pennsylvania, and the women around them knew who they were. It was nice to know that on the cruise, he would just be a regular guy. There would be no expectations of him from anyone.
The woman on the ship had on shorts and a t-shirt with flip flops on the ground next to her. She had long, brown hair tied back into a ponytail, a dark pair of sunglasses on, and no makeup. He liked the way the woman sat there by herself, doing what she wanted, not letting any of the noise and chaos affect her.
The ship moved slowly as everyone screamed and shouted. Gavin looked out over the water and felt a calm come over his whole body.
***
Becky sat back in her lounge chair, on the lido deck, reading her book. She loved the feel of the sun against her skin and the heat on her body as she relaxed. She was so happy to finally be on her vacation. Her things were put in her room, where she would spend the next seven days. She planned on visiting the beaches and reading on the lido deck, while relaxing every moment. It was loud as everyone partied around her. She liked being among all of the noise as the ship took its move into the beautiful water. She loved the thought of being on the open water with nothing to see for miles. Becky had splurged the extra bit so that she could get a room with a private balcony. She planned to spend a ton of time using it. Maybe she would sleep out there, with the breeze blowing through her hair.
She was alone on the cruise, and that was the best part. Becky didn't want anyone around to bother her. She planned on spending all of her time alone. Her life was changing, and the vacation was a present to herself to celebrate the beginning of her new life. She had recently gotten out of a very serious relationship and decided on a new start in a new location. Originally, she was from Michigan, but when she looked for a new job, to go with her new start, the best opportunity she found was in Pennsylvania. She had already made the move into an apartment and had everything in place. Her new job would begin just after her vacation was over. She was very excited about her new beginning and her trip was the perfect thing to kick it off.
Becky promised herself that she would not commit to another relationship for at least a year. That way she had time to live for herself, without having to be concerned with anyone else. She had too many things she was interested in, to tie herself down to someone else. She did not promise herself that she would avoid sex or one night stands, just no relationships. She didn't feel like dealing with any feelings for a long time. The cruise was the first thing on her list of things to do. Take a vacation by herself. If she had brought anyone with her, she would have to work around what they wanted to do. Being alone, it was all about her and what she wanted.
She loved reading. It took her mind off things and helped her to relax. Becky could read anywhere and never felt interrupted. The noise in the background was actually kind of nice. She could tell everyone around her was having a great time. Her face was in the book, but she could feel someone watching her. She looked up through her dark sunglasses to see a very nice looking man look directly at her. There was no way he could see her eyes through the glasses. He was probably wondering why she was reading, she thought. She knew if she kept her nose in the book, he would go away eventually. She continued reading and had forgotten all about him, as she laughed into her book. She loved when a book pulled emotions out of her, either happy or sad. When she caught herself laughing, she noticed the man was still looking at her. Move along dude, she thought to herself. It was pretty obvious that she was busy. A few moments later, she saw a shadow move next to her and sit down.
“Hello, I'm Gavin,” he said.
Why do I attract losers, she thought to herself? There were tons of women jumping around in bikinis already drunk. Why did this guy have to sit next to her?
“I'm Becky,” she said, not lifting her eyes from the book.
“How can you read with so much noise around you?” he asked.
“It's easy,” she replied.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked.
“No thanks,” she replied.
“Are you here by yourself?” he asked.
Seriously, dude go away. They hadn't even left port yet. She was in no mood for anyone's crap. Her relaxing time was being interrupted.
“It's much easier to read when nobody is talking to you,” she said, still not looking up from her book.
“Sorry to bother you,” he snapped, as he stood up and walked away.
***
Gavin walked back over to find his friends, grumbling away. What the hell was her problem, he asked himself? He was just trying to be friendly. She didn't have to be so rude. What was the chip on her shoulder? They were on a cruise. It should be fun and carefree, not mean and moody. He turned to look back at her, but she was gone. How did she disappear so quickly, he wondered?
He went to the bar and got a drink, as he spotted Ethan talking to a woman at the end of the bar. Gavin rolled his eyes, grabbed his drink, and got up to walk around. On his way past the crowd, he saw the other three guys talking to other people. He was aggravated by the way Becky had brushed him off and then disappeared. He could have many other women, so why was he even letting that bother him? Gavin didn't feel like hanging out and decided to go to his room and take his drink out on his balcony. Usually, he loved all the noise, but for some reason, he wanted to sit in quiet. On his way to his balcony, he sat his drink of the counter in his room and sprawled back out across his bed.
Chapter 2
Gavin opened his eyes and looked up at the clock. It was six o'clock in the morning. He closed his eyes and opened them again, as he focused on the clock. How did he sleep so long, he asked himself? It had been twelve hours. He never slept that long. Shocked by how long he slept, he realized that he had missed dinner. Why had his friends not come to get him? He threw on some shorts and a t-shirt and went to get something to eat. His plate was packed as he headed to find a table. He sat down with his food, coffee, and a book. He finished eating and was getting ready to leave, when he heard someone sit at the table behind him. He turned around to see Becky. She never looked up from her plate as she opened her book and started reading. He was surprised to see her again. There was something about her that attracted him. He stood up from the table and turned to her.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” she responded, not looking up from her book.
“Are you getting off the ship today in Nassau?” he asked.
“Yes. I am going to the beach,” she replied.
“Have you ever been on a cruise before?” he asked.
“No. This is my first one,” she said.
“Did you come by yourself or with a group?” he asked.
She looked up from her book with her lips pursed toget
her, as she rolled her eyes.
“No offense, but I am not looking to flirt or hook up or anything. I came on this cruise to relax, alone,” she replied.
“I was just making conversation,” he replied, letting out a loud breath as he moved past her.
Gavin shook his head. He saw her look up at him as he walked away. What was her problem? It irritated him that she was so cranky with him. He went back to his room, took a quick shower, and got dressed. He still had not heard from the guys, so he started knocking on their doors. John opened his door half asleep, and Gavin could see a pair of female legs hanging off his bed. Ethan never answered his door. Heath was up, dressed, and ready to go. Josh opened the door, but decided he was staying on the ship to get over his hangover. Heath knew Gavin wanted to go to the beach, so as soon as the boat docked in Nassau, they were on their way.
***
Becky kept thinking about the very tall, muscular, athletic looking hottie who she had seen twice. Why was he talking to her, she wondered? She knew she wanted to spend the week by herself to renew and relax before she started her new life. There was no time for flirting on her vacation. She definitely did not want to get caught up in some guy who would just break her heart. A little fun couldn't hurt anything, she told herself. She got ready for her day at the beach. Becky loved the beach and could only imagine how much more beautiful it would be than any she had ever seen. She had her bikini on under her shorts and t-shirt. Usually she wore a one piece. She knew she wasn't model material and had lots of curves, but this trip was about a new start. There would be no chance of her ever seeing anyone from the cruise again, so she was going to do whatever she wanted. Her bag was packed with her towel, sunscreen, and her digital reader filled with books. She had a happy bounce in her step as she exited the ship. It was going to be a great day.
A Love Rekindled (The Game of Love #1)
Chapter 1
Jessica
Jessica stood as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was Friday night, and she had been invited to a Christmas party. Her friend Linda, from work, was having all of her friends over for an evening celebration. Jessica had not been out in months. Her friends from work tried to get her to go out with them often, but she always turned them down. She liked being at home with her son. He was her everything. That was what she had always told them.
Her sister Renee talked her into going to the party. She knew Jessica needed to get out and have a little grown up time. Renee was two years younger than Jessica, and they had been best friends their entire lives. Anytime Jessica needed her little sister, she was there. Renee volunteered to watch her favorite nephew for the night, so that that Jessica would go out and be with her friends. Jessica didn't want to hurt her friend Linda's feelings, so she agreed to go to the party. She figured if she stayed for a few minutes, she could leave without anyone noticing.
The doorbell rang and snapped Jessica from her thoughts. She ran and opened the door. It was her sister Renee. She had her hands full of pizza boxes and bags.
“Where is my favorite nephew?” Renee called out.
“I'm right here,” a cute, little, brown haired, blue eyed boy shouted, as he ran up to hug her.
“I brought pizza, soda, popcorn, and candy,” she said. “We are going to have some fun.”
The little boy laughed and ran back into the living room.
“You better not feed him all of that stuff,” Jessica snapped.
“We are going to have fun. I don't get to spend as much time with him now,” Renee said. “Go get ready for your party.”
“I am ready,” Jessica said.
“You are wearing jeans a sweater to a party with your work friends?” Renee asked.
“I am not staying long. This is fine,” Jessica said.
“No,” Renee said, as she put the boxes and most of the bags down.
There was a dress bag wrapped around her arm. She held it out with another bag toward her sister.
“This is what you are wearing,” Renee said. “Go get dressed.”
Jessica blew out a sigh, took the stuff from her sister, and headed to her bedroom. What did it matter what she wore, she thought? There was nobody she needed to impress. She wasn't even planning to stay. Aggravated, she took off her clothes and pulled out the dress. It was beautiful, she thought. The dress was knee length and a very pretty red. Jessica put it on and looked into the mirror. She smiled at herself. It did look much better than jeans. The front was a little lower cut than she would have liked. Her sister always wore things more revealing than her, so she was not surprised. In the bag was a pair of heels, necklace, and very cute little round earrings. She put everything on and finished getting ready.
As she looked at herself, she started to feel a little better about going out. She decided to do her hair and put on a little more makeup. By the time she was done, she had a huge smile on her face. Maybe it would be a fun night after all. She would do her best to have a great time. It was the first time she had been out in months, and she was actually looking forward to it. She felt pretty.
Jessica walked into the kitchen and her sister let out a whistle.
“Now, you are ready,” Renee said, as she laughed. “You look beautiful. That dress was made for you. It shows all of your amazing curves, and your ass looks juicy.”
“Thank you,” Jessica said, as she laughed. “I am glad you approve of my ass. It is a beautiful dress. You have such good taste.”
“Of course I do,” Renee laughed. “Go have a great time. We will be here having fun. Please try to enjoy yourself.”
“I will,” Jessica said. “I feel weird that I don't have a date. I don't want to be the only single woman there.”
“I'm sure you won't be the only one without a date,” Renee said. “Maybe there will be a super sexy hottie there for you. If not you can always go home with John from work. He has been into you forever.”
“That's not funny,” Jessica replied. “You know I don't feel that way toward him.”
“Get out of here,” Renee said. “Don't do anything I wouldn't do.”
They both laughed as Jessica hugged her son and left for the party.
Chapter 2
Jessica
Jessica pulled up to her friend Linda's house. She parked her car as she thought about her life. Since high school, she had accomplished so much and was proud of herself. She had gotten a job in an office as a scared teenager. Seven years later, she had worked herself into management. She had become strong and confident. That scared little girl was gone. She owned her own home and had taken care of her and her son. Surely, she could get through a tiny party.
She let out a deep, nervous breath as she got out of her car. Only stay for a little while, and then you can leave. She had no idea why she was so nervous about going alone. Her friends at work knew she was single. It was not a big secret. She still felt weird about going into the party without a date. Jessica walked up the steps to the front door and froze. Maybe she should just go back home, she thought. Before she could turn around, the door swung open, and Linda reached out and grabbed her arm.
Linda pulled her into the house. There was music playing and laughter everywhere. Linda had her house decorated for the holiday, with cute things everywhere. Jessica was surprised at how many people were already there. The party had just started. Linda walked her to the bar area so she knew where to get her drinks. Then, she pulled her off to meet people. Jessica had no idea how she was going to remember all of the names Linda was throwing at her. She met so many new people. Linda was so proud of her party, and she was having such a great time.
Jessica laughed as she walked over to her group of friends from work. She was the manager in their department, but nobody would ever know watching them. They all got along really well. Tammy, Leslie, and John were already there. Their friend Heather would be there later with her date. A few more people were supposed to be going also. They were surprised to see her all dressed up. She felt beautiful for the first time
in a long time. John ran off and came back with a drink for her. He made sure to tell her how beautiful she looked. She took the drink and thanked him. He was very nice to her. She did not know why she had not given him a chance. He really liked her and was always concerned with her and how she was doing. It was not that he was not attractive. Many of the ladies at work liked him. He was tall and muscular. His hair was dark and his eyes were blue. He was very attractive. No matter how many times she turned him down, he still tried to get her to go out with him. He would laugh and joke about it, but she knew he was serious. She thought he was super sweet. Her sister thought she was crazy for not going out with him. Renee would joke about how good he would be in bed. Jessica would always tell her to be quiet. Jessica caught him looking at her several times during the party as they all talked. There was nothing wrong with him. If she was going to date, he would be her first choice. Jessica didn't care how many times he asked her out, she would always say no. Love was not in her future. She saw no reason to put her heart out there for someone to tear it up and throw it back at her. Her life was just fine the way it was.
Leslie grabbed Jessica's arm and pulled her off to dance. Tammy and John joined them as well. They all danced like crazy. Every few songs, they would stop to grab a drink and talk. Jessica was having an amazing time. It was nice to not think about stress for an evening. She was happy her sister had talked her into going. The night was turning out to be so much fun. A slow song came on, and John pulled her toward him. They laughed as he spun her and pulled her back in. She felt so pretty and confident. It was the first time she had really let herself go around her friends from work. They were shocked by how well she could dance. She agreed to let them take her out to a club one day. Jessica was actually looking forward to it. She continued to dance with John. Jessica heard the door bell and saw Linda bring Heather and her date in as John dipped her. She felt her body freeze as she heard Heather's date laugh. Jessica would know that laugh anywhere. He came into view and their eyes connected.
A Crush on Her Best Friend's Brother: Complete Box Set Page 15