What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7)

by Lexi Buchanan

  “I guess so,” she responded, walking over to him.

  She took the bottle from his hands and was grateful it was only his back she had to rub. He would not be able to see her from the back. After she squirt the lotion out, she rubbed it on him. His skin was so soft and smooth. She gently rubbed his back, shoulders, and arms. His shoulders were so hard and tone. She could not believe how amazing his body felt. He had so much sunscreen on by the time she was done, that there was no way he was going to burn.

  “Thanks, you didn’t have to use that much. Let me give you the money for it,” he said.

  “No, that’s okay. I just wanted to make sure there was enough on you. I don’t want it to be my fault you get burnt,” she said, with a small smile.

  “I really appreciate it. Why don’t you come out there and join us. The water looks beautiful,” he said.

  “No thanks. I want to relax in the sun for a bit. Maybe later,” she replied.

  He shrugged his shoulders at her and walked toward the beach. She sat back on her chair and watched as he found his friend and disappeared into the group of people.

  She leaned back and went back to reading. After a while, she put her book down, closed her eyes, and soaked up the sun.

  Gavin stayed in the water for a couple of hours. He could not help but think about how soft and amazing Becky’s hands felt on his back. It felt like she was going to rub him forever. He would not have minded at all if she had. What was so different about her, he thought? She seemed so quiet and calm. Her body was perfect. She had perfect breasts and perfect skin. Her bikini fit her so well; he thought he was going to explode just looking at her. He wanted so badly to run his fingers across her skin.

  He looked up at her from the water a few times. Each time, she was on her back. He figured she must have fallen asleep. He got out of the water to grab some money from his t-shirt pocket so he could rent a jet ski for an hour. When he got up to his stuff, he looked over at her. She looked so cute relaxing and sleeping. It would feel so good to run his tongue along her bikini top. He walked up next to her.

  “You might want to turn over,” he said.

  “Shit, you scared me,” she replied, as her body jumped.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. It’s just, you were snoring, so I wasn’t sure how long you had been on your back,” he replied, with a giggle.

  “I wasn’t snoring,” she snapped.

  Gavin laughed as he reached down for his shirt so he could get his money.

  “We are going to rent a jet ski for an hour. Do you want to go with us?” he asked.

  “No thanks. I like the sun more than the water,” she said, rolling onto her stomach.

  Gavin looked over to the left and could see two guys looking at Becky. He had seen them watching her while he was in the water as well.

  “Do you think I can use your sunscreen again? My shoulders are sore. I promise to make it up to you,” Gavin said.

  “Sure, it’s on top of my bag,” she said.

  “Will you do my back again?” he asked, smiling as she looked up.

  She stood up, took the bottle from his hand, and reapplied it to his back, shoulders, and neck. He wanted her to keep running her hands along his skin so badly. When she finished, she handed it back to him so he could do his front. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw her watching him. She got back onto her stomach.

  “Do you want me to put some on your back before I go?” he asked.

  She looked up at him and before she could say anything he cut her off.

  “I just don’t want you to get burnt,” he said, with a shrug.

  “Okay. It would really help,” she replied.

  The group of guys off to the side were still watching her, and Gavin was getting upset. He knelt down and squirted the lotion all over her back before he rubbed it in.

  It took all Becky had not to moan as Gavin rubbed the lotion on her back. His large, muscular hands felt so good against her skin. She was very surprised by her reaction to him. He rubbed the lotion on her legs as well. It felt amazing. Just as she was really beginning to melt into his touch, he got up. No, keep going, she thought.

  “You sure you don’t want to jet ski? You can ride on the back of mine, or you can get your own,” he asked.

  “I’ll pass. Getting that far out in the water kind of freaks me out,” she said.

  “You will have a vest on. I’ll make sure you stay on it,” he said.

  “No, thanks,” she answered, as she soaked in the feeling from his hands.

  As he walked away, she turned her head to watch him leave. His ass looked so good. She thought about how it would feel in her hands. The heat she felt when he had been rubbing her back was amazing. How could she be feeling that way? She had been with her ex since high school, and they had only broken up four months earlier. He was the only man she had ever been with. The thought of being with another man made her nervous, but every time she looked at Gavin, she wanted to touch him. Stop it, she thought. She went there for a relaxing vacation, not to end up with someone and complicate her life. How bad could a little fun be? What if she just had fun on the cruise? She would never have any reason to see him again once she was home. She wanted to be different and do new things. It was a new start. Maybe it would be good to have a little fun with a man she would never see again.

  Becky watched as Gavin and his friend took off across the water on jet skis. It did look like fun. She put her head back down to read.

  Gavin and Heath went back onto the beach to collect their stuff. They only had half an hour to get back to the ship.

  Gavin looked over and noticed Becky was asleep. He walked over to her and nudged her arm.

  “Hey, are you planning on making the rest of the cruise?” he asked.

  She jumped up and looked up at him.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You were snoring again. We only have half an hour to get back to the ship. Are you going or staying here?” he asked, with a grin.

  “Are you always so funny?” she asked. “I know I wasn’t snoring. I can’t believe I fell asleep again.”

  She got up, threw on her clothes, and got her stuff together.

  “I have to walk all the way over to the little boat area and be taken back to the ship. I can’t believe I waited this long,” she said, grabbing things and throwing them into her bag. “Thanks for waking me up.”

  “Why don’t you just go back with us?” he asked.

  She stopped and looked at him. He could not see under her dark sunglasses to see the expression in her eyes.

  “I don’t know about that. I can run pretty fast. I think I’ll make it in time,” she said.

  “Seriously, come on. We are getting a cab. You can even sit in the front next to the driver,” he said.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” she asked.

  “No, it’s fine. We have to get a cab anyway. It won’t make a difference, really,” he said.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Gavin walked over to tell Heath that she would be riding back with them and to be nice to her. He had already told Heath about her while they were in the water and that he was interested in talking to her. He was hoping his friend would behave on the ride back.

  Becky walked over to them and Gavin quickly introduced her to Heath as they went toward the cab. The ride was pretty quiet and did not take very long. Gavin was not sure if he would be able to run into Becky so easily again. Why did he want to talk to her so badly? There were tons of women on the ship that would jump at the chance to talk to him. Why didn’t he just move on? No matter how many times he asked himself these questions, he still wanted to talk to Becky.

  “What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked her.

  They would be at Sea all day and he was hoping to run into her again.

  “Sitting by the pool reading or spending time on my balcony,” she said.

  “Are you doing anything tonight?” he asked.

  “Sta
ying in my room,” she answered.

  When they got back to the dock, she opened the car door before Gavin could get out and open it for her.

  “Thanks again for the ride,” she said.

  Before he could say anything, she was gone.

  Chapter Four

  Becky let herself into her room, threw her bag onto the couch, and went out to sit on her balcony. Why was he trying so hard to talk to her? She tried not to be friendly and was keeping her distance from him. On the beach, she did not realize he was in front of her and felt weird moving away from him once she realized it. He needed to just move on and talk to someone else. She needed to keep her mind clear, so when she got back home, she could be amazing at her new job. Getting wrapped up in spending time with some guy would not do her any good. She needed to get her life in order before she jumped into another relationship. Actually, she wasn’t even sure she ever wanted another relationship. She had been with her ex for seventeen years and he felt he was not ready for a lifelong commitment. It was time she counted on herself.

  Becky ordered room service for dinner. When it arrived, she took it outside so she could enjoy the fresh air while she ate. It was very warm as the sun beat down off the water, but there was a wonderful breeze across the balcony. So happy that she splurged on the nicer room, she put her feet up on the ledge and leaned her head back. It was so peaceful. The only noise she could hear was the water moving against the ship. She could have stayed there forever and had even considered sleeping out on her balcony.

  The sun was beginning to fade into the night. She sat watching the most beautiful sunset she had ever seen. The water looked so amazing as day turned into night. She could see little shiny spots where the moonlight bounced off of the water. It was such a wonderful feeling to sit alone in the night.

  All evening, no matter what she thought about, Gavin kept popping into her mind. Each time she tried to avoid having contact with him, he seemed to push it aside and try again. He seemed so nice. She could not imagine what he did for a living or what his life was like. He kept coming into her thoughts.

  Comfy under her sheets, she thought about him as she drifted off to sleep. Who was he? Would it hurt to have a little fun on vacation? Maybe it would be nice to get to know a little bit about him. Could she just throw caution to the wind and enjoy herself? Once she stepped off the ship in Florida, it was on to her new life. She knew she would probably have to work long hours and would probably not have much time to herself, until she could prove what a dedicated worker she was. What could it possibly hurt to cut loose a little?

  Gavin woke up in the morning thinking about Becky. He had not seen her since she had jumped out of the cab and hurried away. He made sure to look around the different areas of the ship, hoping to find her somewhere. His friends were all flirting with women everywhere, which was the same thing he would usually be doing. For some reason, she was the only person he was looking for all night. He had fallen asleep fast, and before he knew it, he was awake and ready to find her.

  He got up, showered, threw on some swimming trunks and a t-shirt, and went to get some breakfast. He filled his plate and went to sit around the same area he had the day before, but there was no sign of her. John and Ethan sat down to eat with him before he was finished. They talked about the day before and the women they had met. He told them about his and Heath’s day at the beach. None of them had big plans for the day. It was a day at sea, so they were confined to the ship. They all pretty much planned to get some exercise, enjoy the pools, and go to the bars at night. When they were finished eating John and Ethan went to shower and said they would meet Gavin back on the lido deck.

  Gavin walked onto the lido deck and saw Becky sitting on a lounge chair reading. He was surprised to see a guy sitting close to her on the next chair. It was one of the guys that kept watching her on the beach. He could feel the blood rushing to his head and could feel his hands fist at his sides. Why was she so mean to him, but sitting with that guy? Whatever, he thought. There is no way he was going to let it bother him. He stood to the side and watched as she stared down at her book and the guy kept chatting away. At least she was giving him the same treatment, he thought. What was it about her? Why did he care to talk to her? Once they got to Florida, he would fly home and never see her again. Enough, he told himself. It is time to find someone else to talk to. He made sure he had his confident walk going as he walked across the deck.

  He saw her look above her sunglasses as he went to walk by and was shocked when he heard her speak.

  “Hey honey, what took you so long,” she said, looking up at him. “I saved you a seat.”

  She looked over at the guy sitting on the next chair and motioned Gavin over.

  He thought for a moment. Should he stop and help her out, or should he just keep walking. He wanted to keep walking, but for some reason, he felt himself walk toward the chair as he grinned over at her.

  “Can you let my boyfriend have his chair please?” she asked to the guy who had taken it over.

  “Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you were here with someone,” the guy said.

  Gavin put on his most serious face.

  “Yes, she is. Just like she was at the beach yesterday,” he said, standing directly in front of the guy. “I would really appreciate it, if you would stop staring at her.”

  Gavin pushed past the guy and sat down in the chair as he looked up at him. The guy had a nervous look on his face as he hurried off.

  “Thank you so much!” she said, looking over her sunglasses at him. “He has been here for an hour. No matter how many times I ignored his questions, he just kept talking. I don’t get it. I came on this cruise to relax and treat myself, not to be flirted with every moment. There are a ton of women he could be flirting with.”

  “There must be something about you he really liked,” Gavin said.

  “I am sitting here with my hair in a ponytail, with no makeup, in shorts and a t-shirt, while reading a book. I definitely was not friendly, so I have no idea what that could be,” she said, with a tiny giggle.

  “Maybe it was something special, who knows,” he replied.

  What was she talking about, he thought? She was so beautiful. There was something about her that was different. He saw it, so he was pretty sure other men saw it too. Not wanting to put to much thought into it, he knew he needed to leave her alone, especially after what she had just said.

  “Well, I’ll go and leave you to your relaxing,” he said.

  “Wait, I really do appreciate what you did. Thank you. Let me at least buy you a drink for getting rid of him,” she said.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, with a smirk.

  “Yes, what would you like?” she asked, waving to get the waitress’ attention. “To drink,” she grinned.

  “I’ll have a beer,” he answered, with a silly grin.

  “Can we please have a beer and a coke?” she asked the waitress.

  The waitress wrote down what they wanted and said she would be back with it shortly.

  “Don’t you want something else to drink?” he asked.

  “I don’t drink much. I might have a drink or two tonight, but I am not a big drinker,” she answered.

  “I don’t usually drink this early in the day,” he answered.

  He had only ordered a drink because he thought she was getting one. It wasn’t that he didn’t drink. He usually drank on the weekends when he had time off of work, but not during the week. His mind had to be on his job. He had worked too hard to mess that up.

  “You’re on vacation. You should enjoy it,” she said.

  “Really,” he said, looking at her. “So should you.”

  “I am. I enjoy relaxing,” she responded.

  “There are other fun things you could be doing too,” he said, just as the waitress walked up with their drinks.

  The waitress handed Gavin the beer, Becky the coke, and took Becky’s room key to charge the drinks to her room.

  “Thanks for
the beer. You didn’t have to do that,” he said.

  “It’s the least I can do for what you did for me,” she said. “I had no idea how I was going to get rid of that guy. I saw you standing over by the door watching him and was hoping you would walk past us.”

  “So you were watching me, were you?” he asked, smiling.

  “Don’t be so cocky. I simply saw you standing there. You were the one watching me,” she replied.

  “I was not. I was just looking for an open chair,” he said, laughing.

  “Sure you were,” she said, as she smiled.

  “Get in the pool with me,” he said.

  “Are you asking me or telling me?” she asked.

  He liked her cockiness. It was nice to be around someone that didn’t follow after him. He was not used to being challenged when he said something.

  “It was a request,” he said, with his eyes stern and his smile tilted. “That guy is still watching you over there, but he doesn’t know I can see him.”

  Gavin was happy that the guy looked over, so he could use it as an excuse to get her into the water with him. She let out a sigh and stood up. He stood up as well. She turned around and put her book on the chair and bent over to take her shorts off. Her butt rubbed against Gavin’s front as she slid her shorts off. He jumped as she rubbed against him.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said.

  Had she done it on purpose? Maybe she knew he was just using that guy as an excuse and was getting even with him. He didn’t care why and was hoping she would do it again. She lifted her shirt above her head and he wanted to reach out and take her into his arms, so he could feel her perfect skin against his. She had on a different bikini than she had the day before, and the new one was just as nice. She turned to walk over to the pool.

  “Don’t you need some sunscreen?” he said, reaching down and grabbing it from the top of her bag.

  He was not sure if the look she shot him was cute or angry. It was hard for him to see past her glasses. He was going to have to do something with those, so he could see her eyes. Before she could object to the sunscreen, he squirt it into his hands.