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

by Lexi Buchanan

  “Turn around, I’ll do your back,” he said.

  She turned around and he began rubbing the lotion on her back. He put it on her shoulders, back, arms, and started down her legs. When he looked up at the guy that had been watching her, he stared the guy straight in the eyes. The guy turned fast and walked away.

  “You don’t have to do my legs,” she said, giggling as he reached the back of her knee.

  “You don’t want to get burnt, do you?” he asked.

  He finished rubbing the lotion over her entire body from the back. Her skin was so soft and felt so good. He could only imagine what the rest of her felt like and what it would feel like to be on top of her with her squirming beneath him. Stop, he told himself. He didn’t want her to see for herself what he was thinking. If he didn’t knock it off, he would have been as hard as a rock in no time.

  “Do you want me to do your front?” he asked, smiling from ear to ear.

  “No, thanks,” she said, snatching the lotion bottle out of his hand. “Turn around and I’ll do your back, unless you already put some on earlier.”

  “I didn’t,” he said, turning around so she could see his back, as he pulled his t-shirt over his head.

  Becky rubbed lotion on his back, shoulders, and arms. He loved the feel of her soft hands across his shoulders and could only imagine her rubbing them all over the rest of him. He so badly wanted to grab her, throw her over his shoulder, and take her back to his room.

  “What about my legs?” he asked, looking over his shoulder with a serious look.

  She laughed and got down on her knees to rub the lotion on his legs. The second his legs were covered, he swung his body around to face her. She looked up at him and burst into laughter.

  “Very funny,” she said. “You can do your own front.”

  She squirt the lotion into her hands and handed him the bottle. As she rubbed her neck, chest, and stomach, he could not help but stand and watch her.

  “What are you waiting for?” she asked, with a grin. “The lotion isn’t going to jump out onto your skin.”

  He shook his head, threw the bottle onto her chair, and stood next to the pool. The next thing he knew, he flew forward into the water. Gavin jerked his head around at her.

  “Did you really just do that to me?” he said, pushing his wet hair from his forehead.

  “Oops. I slipped,” she said, walking around and climbing down the ladder.

  “No you didn’t,” he said, swimming over to her. “Do you really want what goes along with that?”

  “Don’t you dare,” she shouted, as he reached for her.

  He grabbed her and held his hand on the top of her head.

  “Say sorry or you’re going under,” he said.

  “Okay, okay sorry,” she laughed out.

  He let go of her and started to laugh. She was beautiful. He liked the way the water slid down between her breasts. It made him want to lick every tiny drip from her skin. She went under and when she came back up, she tilted her head back to smooth her hair. Why did she have to be so cute and innocent looking? He wanted to spend more time with her so badly. They swam to the side and sat on the ledge in the pool.

  “Have dinner with me tonight,” he said.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I saved you twice from that guy. See, he’s gone,” he said, pointing to where the guy was standing. “Go to dinner with me.”

  “I don’t know about that. We don’t even eat in the same dining room, do we?” she asked.

  “I want to go to the steak house. If you go with me, I won’t have to eat there alone,” he said.

  “You can go there with your friend, Heath,” she said.

  “He’s busy and can’t go,” he said.

  “Did you ask him?” she questioned.

  “No, just go with me,” he said. “I will be a perfect gentleman.”

  He gave her a sad, pouty look with his lips pushed out and sad eyes. She laughed and shook her head at him.

  “Fine, but only because you chased that guy away. After that we’re even,” she said.

  “Okay, I will be at your room at seven,” he said.

  She got up, climbed the stairs, and went to her chair to dry off. He was right behind her and wanted so badly to grab her ass as she climbed out of the pool. He grabbed her towel before she could get it and wrapped it around her.

  “Thanks,” she said, with a soft smile.

  They both dried off and grabbed their stuff to go back to their rooms.

  “I can just meet you at the restaurant,” she said.

  “Nope, I am going to come and get you. I won’t come in your room. I will stay out in the hallway, if that makes you feel better,” he said. “What’s your room number?”

  He typed her room number into his phone. He looked up and her eyes were wide.

  “You aren’t using your phone on the cruise are you? It costs a fortune to make calls or use data while on the ship or on the islands.”

  He let out a small laugh, but didn’t want to let her know anything about him.

  “Oh no, I have that shut off. I am just using it to keep track of time. I don’t have a watch with me,” he answered.

  He had to have his phone on in case his company needed him or if a client emailed him. Quickly he shoved the phone into his shirt pocket.

  “I’ll see you at seven,” he said, as he smiled and walked away.

  Chapter Five

  Becky hurried to be ready at seven. She wanted to make sure Gavin stayed in the hallway, and if she wasn’t ready that meant he would have to come in. It made her nervous thinking about him in her room. She was so attracted to him, but wanted to make sure they were in public and not private. She didn’t know him or what he was about. He could be some crazy man on a cruise, she told herself. Deep down she knew that wasn’t true. It was more like, she was nervous about being with another man. Her ex was the only man she had known in that way. They had been together for so long, and she had been comfortable with him. The thought of going to dinner with Gavin made her nervous. She had not been on date since her relationship dissolved, and could not even remember what it was like to date.

  She put on a little bit of makeup and a pink dress that came just above her knee. It was warm when she got ready to leave her room, so she didn’t grab a sweater or coat. She jumped when she heard the knock at her door. She was only going to dinner with him, she told herself. After that, it’s back to her room alone and won’t see him again after. Her hands were sweating as she reached out and pulled open the door to her room.

  She felt her eyes widen and her mouth drop open. He was gorgeous. There he stood in a black suit with a white shirt and pink tie. She hurried to close her mouth, hoping he had not noticed. If any man looked good with that tie, it was him. She wanted to grab him by it and pull him into her room. He was clean shaven, and whatever cologne he was wearing smelled amazing. She didn’t recognize the smell, but knew she was going to ask him what it was before the end of their dinner.

  “You look beautiful,” he said, cutting off her thoughts.

  “Thanks, you look really nice,” she said.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she replied, but her feet didn’t move.

  He reached out his hand for hers and she responded.

  “Do you have your room key?” he asked. “If not, you’ll have to go back to my room.”

  “Very funny, yes I have it,” she said, pulling her door closed.

  She walked with him all the way to the restaurant before she realized he had her hand in his. He looked so good in that suit, she thought. She was surprised that he went to all that trouble just to go to the steak house with her. He did say earlier, he didn’t want to eat there alone. Maybe he was just bringing her because of that. She could not believe how well his suit clung perfectly to his body. It almost seemed as if it was made just for him. She shook her head, to bring her back to reality.

  They were seated at a table right n
ext to a window overlooking the water. It was so nice to be able to watch the sun set from the romantic restaurant. There was soft music playing in the background, and the tables had candles lit on them. It was very nice. She could only imagine how much it cost to eat there, but there was no way she was asking. She already felt guilty enough for letting him take her there.

  He ordered a bottle of wine, but asked her before he had them pour her a glass. She nodded as they poured hers first and then his. She felt so special being there and she didn’t even know him.

  “It is really very nice here. You shouldn’t have brought me. We could have gone to the buffet or something. You should have saved coming here with your friends,” she said.

  “My friends don’t look nearly as good as you,” he said. “I really wanted to come here and thought you would like it too.”

  “Thank you!” she said. “I had no idea that they had a restaurant here. The food looks delicious.”

  They both looked over at the people closest to them. She could not believe how good their steaks looked. The waiter took their orders and checked to make sure they did not need anything else.

  “Do you play any sports?” she asked him.

  She wanted to break the silence and he looked athletic, so she started with sports.

  “I play baseball, basketball, and some soccer with my friends. I golf a lot as well,” he said. “I just play for fun mostly. I’m not on any teams or anything. My friends all play, so we get together when we have time. What do you like to do?”

  “I play softball and golf here or there, but that’s about it. I’m more of a home body. I read a lot and enjoy writing as well. I like being out in the sun and relaxing. I enjoy watching sports, I just don’t play them that much.”

  Their appetizers were delivered and she could not believe how nice everything was. The food looked like something out of a picture. She almost did not want to eat it.

  “Where are you from?” he asked.

  “Michigan,” she answered.

  She didn’t want to know where he was from because she didn’t want to get to know him. The more she knew about him, the harder it would be to stay away from him. He was too attractive as it was. She didn’t want to tell him where she lived, and since she had just moved out of Michigan, she wasn’t lying.

  Their steaks arrived and looked just as amazing. They were so good and each bite melted in her mouth.

  “This is so delicious. I can’t remember ever having a steak that tasted this good,” she said.

  She tried to keep their conversation about the cruise through the rest of their meal. Gavin poured them each more wine. They had each ordered different desserts. His looked yummy. It was a chocolate cake, but not just any ordinary chocolate cake. He put some on his fork and lifted it to her mouth for her to try it. She felt silly but it looked too good to resist. Becky let out a soft moan as she tasted his cake.

  “That is so good,” she said.

  He laughed at her expression and she smiled. She had a piece of cheesecake and put some on her fork for him. He put his hand around hers as he slid the bite off of the tip of the fork. She felt tingles across her hand and her shoulders shook.

  She knew she needed to stay away from him. There was something about him that she had never experienced before. Her ex had never sent a shiver through her.

  They continued talking about the two islands they would be at the following two days. After they had worn out their welcome in the restaurant, he stood up and reached for her hand. She put her hand in his as he nudged her to her feet. She walked in front of him, and he walked just behind her with his hand on the small of her back. They walked to the back of the ship to look out at the water and sit on a bench. He took off his suit jacket and put it over her shoulders. It smelled so amazing, just like his cologne. It had such a sexy, manly smell. She snuggled into it. They sat in silence looking out into the water.

  She could not believe the heat she felt as he put the jacket over her shoulders. It ran right through her. It felt so good to sit next to him. He seemed like such a nice guy, but she knew there would be nothing between them after the cruise. Would it really hurt to have a good time while she was there? He was incredibly sexy and she wanted to lean over and kiss him so badly, but the thought of being with him made her nervous. He had to have been with many women. How could he not? He was amazingly hot. She had only ever been with one man. How could she even compare to other women? Making herself even more nervous, she stood up.

  “I probably should get back to my room,” she said. “We will be in St. Thomas early in the morning, and I don’t want to miss a moment at the beach. I heard it is amazing.”

  He stood up and looked at her.

  “Okay. Let me walk you back to your room. It’s only three rooms away from mine,” he said.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that?” she asked, with a smile.

  “I wasn’t sure if you were going to be mean to me at dinner. I didn’t want you to know I was so close,” he said, joking with her.

  “Are you always a comedian?” she asked, laughing.

  “I try to be as laid back as possible. It’s not worth it to stress all the time. I keep things light,” he said, with a nod.

  When they got to her room, she opened the door with her key. Becky wanted to invite him in, but was not sure if she should.

  “Do you want to watch a movie or something?” he asked.

  She thought about it for a moment before answering.

  “Sure, come on in,” she replied. “Unless you want to go change into more comfortable clothes first.”

  “Do you mind if I run down and change?” he asked.

  “While I think that suit does good things for you, I am putting on sweats and a t-shirt,” she answered.

  He laughed as he took off out the door.

  She hurried to change her clothes as she turned on the television. How could she keep pushing him away? It seemed so strange that they kept running into each other over and over. Then to find out they were only three rooms away from each other, it was just weird. She almost felt like she was meant to meet him.

  Gavin hurried to change his clothes. Oh man, he forgot his suit jacket. Oh well, he would get it when he came back later. He wanted to hurry and get back to her room before she changed her mind. She seemed so sweet, when she wasn’t brushing him off. Dinner had been so nice, and he felt good to see her so considerate about how much each thing cost. There was a knock at his door and he thought it was Becky. He walked over, opened it, and was relieved to see Ethan standing there.

  “Did you see that chick in the room next to mine? I’m gonna get me some of that before this trip is over,” Ethan said.

  “What?” Gavin asked.

  “The girl in the room next to mine. I’m seriously going to get with her,” Ethan repeated. “She’s a little curvy and cranky, but she’ll cave in to me eventually.”

  Gavin knew he was talking about Becky, and he wanted to punch him in the face. He was so rude when it came to women. Sure, Gavin had his fair share of women, but he didn’t treat them like crap. He just didn’t get serious with any of them. When he was spending time with one, he never cheated on them. He just didn’t stick around long enough to make it long term. Most of the women were all about money. Ethan, he was different. He treated women like meat and moved onto the next one as soon as the first one left the room.

  “How many women have you screwed already on this cruise?” he asked.

  “Three, why?” Ethan replied.

  “Leave that poor girl alone. She seems nice,” Gavin said.

  He knew for sure, if he even mentioned liking Becky, Ethan would be all over her. There was no way Gavin was putting up with that. He didn’t know why, but for some reason he felt protective over her.

  “Ethan, I really want to get to bed. Have a good night,” Gavin said.

  “Come out and party with me. Don’t be lame man,” Ethan said.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m just t
ired,” Gavin answered.

  Ethan left and went into his room. As soon as Ethan’s door shut, Gavin quietly walked down and knocked on Becky’s door. When she opened the door he slipped in quickly.

  She was wearing sweats that hung perfectly from her hips and a white t-shirt that snugged her breasts. He could see her lacy bra beneath it. How was he going to be able to sit and watch television with her? She had her long brown hair up in a ponytail, exposing her long, sexy neck. It was the first time he noticed her beautiful green eyes. They were lighter than he had ever seen. He was mesmerized by them.

  “Do you want to watch something on television or I have some movies on my laptop?” she asked.

  “We can watch a movie,” he said.

  She got her laptop ready on the counter and they sat on the couch to watch the movie.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “No, are you?” she replied.

  “No, I just wanted to make sure you didn’t want anything,” he said.

  They sat back and began watching the movie. He looked over and could see her eyes slowly beginning to close. He leaned back on the couch and reached over to pull her closer, but she jumped.

  “I wasn’t going to do anything. I was just going to lean you back so you could rest your eyes,” he said.

  She stood up and paused the movie.

  “I need to talk to you Gavin,” she began. “I’m not looking to get into anything with anyone here. When we get off this ship in Florida, we will never see each other again. I know that. I was in a relationship for seventeen years that ended several months ago. I just want to have a nice vacation before I begin the next phase of my life. When I get home, I’m starting over. A new place, new job, and new me. Don’t get me wrong, I think you are gorgeous. You seem so nice. That dinner was so romantic and looking out at the water with you was even better. I don’t want to get caught up in you. I can’t. I have to be able to put my all into my new job when I get home, and I need a clear mind to do that. I am great at what I do, but I want my boss at the new company to know how dedicated I am. If I keep spending time with you, I’m not so sure I will have a clear mind. I don’t know if you are looking to just have a good time here, or if you are expecting something more.”