“They’re gone?” I asked.
Alexis stood up from cutting my feet loose and blew hair out of her face. “Yeah, but they’ve been reported. Maybe they’ll be caught.”
“I doubt it,” Sam said.
A flurry of movement in the hall signaled the arrival of Cynthia and Nora, the spa attendant. Cynthia pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh, thank heaven.” She and Nora both started making reassuring noises. Alexis called Sophie on the phone. But I focused on only one thing—Sam’s warm hand holding mine.
“I’m taking Rose to her grandparents,” Sam said and then gazed down at me. “Okay?” he whispered.
I’d go with him anywhere. “Yeah.”
Thirty-Five
Rose
Dinner was pretty much a blur. Maybe I was still in shock. The doctor thought so, and she’d recommended dinner in my room with bed immediately after. And my grandparents agreed. But the moment I walked into my cabin, I knew it wouldn’t work. I had to be outside. Having four walls around me sent jitters rushing through my body.
My grandparents had caved, and we’d joined the Briggs family for dinner on deck, where Alexis and Sam told the whole story to those who hadn’t heard it. The only thing I added was how Clio had been coerced into the whole scheme. At that, Mr. Briggs raised an eyebrow as though he didn’t quite believe it.
A few other moments from dinner stood out in my mind. First, the weirdness of Marie stopping by our table to tell me how glad she was that I was okay. In brief sentences, but she really seemed to mean it. Then later Mrs. Stanton, aka the Sun Visor Lady, dragged me out of my chair and hugged me long and hard, mumbling about how she should’ve been watching out for me.
And then finally, all of Sam’s touches. He made sure I sat beside him, and when he wasn’t brushing my arm while he cut his food, he would rest a hand on my back when he leaned forward to talk to those at the other end of the table. And once we’d finished eating, he held my hand in his lap while people finished coffee and dessert.
By the time we were able to sneak away from everyone to the front of the ship, I was about to tear out my hair from needing to kiss him. He must’ve felt the same way because before I had the chance to even make an awkward comment about the wind, I was in his arms, and his lips were on mine.
He kissed me hard, the press of his mouth and sweep of his tongue almost desperate. I tightened my hold on his neck and, with heat swirling through me, slid my hands into his silky hair. My heart pounded viciously, like all it wanted to do was break out of my chest and go live inside his. An ache grew the longer we kissed. All we had was tonight and tomorrow. Our families had agreed to spend the day in Venice together once we docked. But after that, it would be over.
Sam lifted his head, still clutching me against him. “You scared the hell out of me today,” he whispered.
“I know. I’m sorry. It was stupid of m—”
He gave me a quick kiss. “No. I shouldn’t have encouraged you to go to the infirmary in the first place.”
I nuzzled into the open collar of his button-down shirt. “I’m just lucky you got away.”
“Clio let me. She deliberately left one of my hands loose.”
“I didn’t know that.” I kissed his neck, and he made a growly noise in his throat. “Guess she really was trying to help.”
“She should’ve reported everything right away. None of this had to happen.”
“She was being blackmailed.”
“I know, I know. Still, when I think about how nuts Nicky is and what she might’ve done to you, I practically go out of my mind.”
His expression had turned serious, so I said, “Let’s think about something else,” and then kissed him, long and slow.
When we came up for air, he said, “Definitely a better topic. Come over here.” He led me to a lounge chair where he sat and pulled me across his lap so that we were mostly reclining. He wrapped his arms around me and then buried his face in my hair for a long moment. “Have I mentioned how much I love your hair?” he asked, his voice rumbling through his chest under my ear.
“No.”
“Well, I do.” He sighed. “This is perfect. We can look at the stars and talk and kiss and talk and kiss.”
I smiled. “You already said that.”
“And talk and kiss. And we don’t need to worry about anything. Not what happens tomorrow or the next day. We can just be.”
A sharp pain pressed against me, making it hard to breathe. He didn’t want to talk about the future. Obviously, because he knew we didn’t have one. But so did I. His heart beat steadily beneath me, and I placed a hand on the spot, memorizing the feel of it, the warmth of him.
We kissed and cuddled. I must’ve dozed, because when my grandparents came to find us, I was too drowsy to be embarrassed by the situation. I’d face whatever was to come tomorrow.
***
The next morning, we disembarked the ship in Venice at the same dock where the whole trip had begun. The whole crazy, scary trip that felt like we’d been gone a month instead of a week. Sam and I wandered through one corner of the warehouse with other passengers, searching for our suitcases among the rows of bags the crew had already taken off the ship.
An awkward tension had sprung up between us, and as much as I hated it, I knew it was bound to happen. We had one day left. Time to start bricking up my heart again.
We found our bags and pulled them out to the water taxi part of the dock. My grandparents were chatting with Alexis; Jacques was kissing Sophie—at least I assumed that’s what was going on behind her sunhat—and Mr. Briggs was talking to the cruise director a little apart from everyone else.
Sam huffed out a quiet laugh. “If that hat could only talk.”
The thrill and fear behind my first kiss came rushing to mind, and heat sprang across my face. I forced a smile.
“Rose?” Sam asked. “Everything okay?”
I was saved from answering by his uncle’s approach. “The cruise director has just had word that Clio and Nicky are in the custody of Croatian police. Nicky, and I can’t pronounce her last name, is a person of interest in several cases. Seems she’s a bit of a chameleon.” He smiled. “This is a huge deal. The people who commit shipboard crimes rarely get caught. It may not amount to much, but we’ll see.” He clapped his hands together once. “All right. I’m going to see about a taxi.”
All I could think about was Clio’s son. I hoped everything would work out for her somehow.
“Wow,” Sam said. “I did not see that coming. I thought they would’ve been long gone.”
“Me too.”
Alexis approached us, holding out her phone. “I got a text from your mom,” she said to Sam. “Guess because your phone is gone.”
He read quietly, his expression clouding. “Looks like my parents are divorcing.”
Alexis touched his arm briefly, glanced at me, and then moved away. My heart hurt for him. “I’m really sorry, Sam. I also wish your mom hadn’t told you like this.”
“You mean by text?”
“Yeah.”
He shrugged. “She said she wanted to give me a heads up that we have a lot to talk about. She’s kind of that way, always trying to make sure she has all her ducks in a row.”
“It still stinks.”
He lifted a length of hair from my shoulder. “You going all spitting warrior on me again?”
I fought a smile but lost. “I don’t spit.”
He gazed into my eyes as if we were the only two people in the world. My heart swelled like it was going to explode. How could I do this all day long? Have him look at me like that and have to act like it didn’t matter?
“Hang on just a sec,” Sam said. He picked up our suitcases and walked them over to Alexis. He whispered to her and then came back. He took my elbow and led me away from the group. “We need to talk.”
I shook my head. “Sam, it’s okay. We really don’t. I know how these things go.”
“Wait, Rose. Listen.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You remember that crap I said last night about not needing to worry about tomorrow?”
I wrapped my arms around myself. “Yeah, but it didn’t sound like crap.”
“Well, it was. See, here’s the thing. My parents are splitting up. I have no idea where I’m going to live. I might even live with Uncle David for a while. I don’t know. But wherever I am, I’m going to come visit you, because I have to see you. I’m going to get on a plane and come see you. It’s the least my parents can do for putting me through all this. And I don’t mean in two months. I mean two weeks. I just can’t let what’s between us die.”
My heart started dancing like I was twirling around my house when no one was home. Did he really mean it?
And as if he read my mind, he said, “I mean this, Rose. I can’t let go of what we have.” I’m not sure what my face looked like, but his eyebrows pulled together. “I’m sorry. Do you not— I haven’t even asked you if you feel the same way. Do you? Can I come see you?”
He looked so lost that I immediately walked into his arms and hugged him close. He dropped his face to my hair and breathed deeply. “Of course you can,” I whispered in his ear. “I’d love to see you too.”
He lifted his head. “Really?”
“Yeah. I just have one condition.”
“Name it.”
“That you bring Sophie and Alexis with you.”
He straightened up and glared at me. “You’re not serious.”
“And a big hat.”
He smiled slowly, his expression turning molten. “Can it be a super big hat? ’Cause I don’t think Sophie’s hat is big enough. Just saying.”
Heat raced up my neck and into my cheeks, but I was totally used to that around Sam. I brushed my lips across his. “Whatever size you want. And even though I like your cousins, I don’t need to see them. All I need is you.”
“And all I need is you.”
“I said it first.”
Sam grinned. “You always do.”
I smiled back. “Shut up and kiss me.”
So he did.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Wow. A complete series. I never realized I had it in me. I’ve so enjoyed writing about Claire and Gray, Lindsey and Berger, and Rose and Sam. But Rose and Sam will always be special to me, because even though theirs is the last book in the series, it was where it all began. I had some trouble with their story early on, so when I began seeking publication I went with Claire and Gray’s story because it was complete. But I owed it to Rose and Sam to finish their book, and so here we are.
Thank you to my readers for staying in The Zone. You’re the best! Hope you enjoyed this one.
Thanks, as always, to my critique partners: Emilie Bishop, Sara Lyon, Kate Martin, Danielle McGill Hinesly, and Daphne Riordan. You really stepped up to the plate this time, ladies!
Thank you to Georgia McBride and the lovely people at Swoon Romance. I appreciate everything you do to make my books great.
A special thank you to my in-laws, Charlie and Schatzie Tighe, for taking the family on the trip that became the setting for this story. Thanks for a wonderful time!
Many thanks to my sister, Carolyn Anderson, for being such a great fan of The Zone series. Your enthusiasm has always been so encouraging.
Thank you to Steven, David, Megan, and Topher. Your love and laughter just plain make me happy.
Finally, thank you, God, for being my Rock.
PATRICIA B. TIGHE
Patricia B. Tighe is the mother of two grown sons, and lives in West Texas with her husband and dog. She eats way too much pizza, drinks way too much coffee, and watches way too much NFL football. On the bright side, she also reads and writes teen fiction. She promises to include as much romance, angst, and adventure as possible in her books.
Visit Tricia online at http://www.patriciabtighe.com/
OTHER SWOON ROMANCE TITLES YOU MIGHT LIKE
LIFE IN THE NO-DATING ZONE
LIFE IN THE LUCKY ZONE
THE BOYFRIEND WHISPERER
THE BREAKUP SUPPORT GROUP
FRENCH FRIES WITH A SIDE OF GUYS
ONE SUMMER WITH AUTUMN
Find more books like this at http://www.myswoonromance.com/
Connect with Swoon Romance online:
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/swoonromance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SwoonRomance
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/swoonromance
Instagram: https://instagram.com/swoonromance/
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Swoon Romance Titles You Might Like
Life in the Danger Zone Page 22