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He didn’t really believe Alex was suicidal, but he showed all of the signs of a vampire nearing the end of his life. So he’d been bound to a bride, which tied his fate to hers. And like most of his kin, Alex wouldn’t take the life of a young vampire in order to soothe his own pain. So his continued life—for the time being—was guaranteed.
“Hey, there. ” Alice still wore her bright smile, but tentativeness shadowed it now. Had something happened while he was on the phone? He glanced behind her but didn’t see anything amiss.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. ” She shook her head, then more firmly, “No. Do you want to go relax for a few minutes? We have a little over an hour before dinner. ”
“Sounds good. ”
He followed her down a hallway and up several flights of stairs until she stopped at a room and used her keycard to open the door.
“Is this your room or mine?” he asked, peering in from the doorway. The suite appeared spacious for a cruise ship room. A large bed equipped with a dizzying bedspread took up most of the room space, with a loveseat and dresser filling the rest of the room. Propped up high was a flat screen television. A small table—nightstand size—was the only other furnishing inside the room. But sliding glass doors led to a small balcony on which he glimpsed a couple of chairs and a table. Alice’s family had spared no expense on the rooms.
Most importantly, heavy curtains were pushed to one side of the door, which would allow for near total darkness during the daytime.
He caught sight of his bags—sitting right next to hers—just as she turned with guilt written all over her face.
“It’s our room,” she said.
She’d expected a reaction from that news, but she didn’t count on the flash of panic on his face that quickly settled into anger.
“It’s our room?” He stepped past her and walked through the space.
“There’s a small pullout in the couch,” she said, waving at the small love seat. Even the nice rooms on the cruise ship weren’t exactly spacious, but they only had to coexist for a week.
“There’s no privacy!”
“It’s plenty private. The bathroom has a door. And the room and bathroom are more than twice the size of a standard cruise ship room, so really, you’re getting more space than you should have expected. ” Her mother might not be outlandish in the way she spent her rather large fortune, but she had spared no expense when it came to her daughter’s wedding. The rooms were more than adequate and were a far cry from standard cruise ship fare. “Haven’t you ever been on a cruise before? They don’t really book one to a cabin. ”
Besides, what did he think, that she was going to jump him the second he drifted off to sleep? Fat chance. She might have been desperate not to show up alone, but that was it. Getting laid—which would no doubt be quite an experience with her sexy neighbor—wasn’t on the agenda.
He glared at her and she let out a big sigh. “Mom booked this room months ago for me and my “plus-one,” which turns out to be you. How could I have explained at the last minute that my boyfriend might prefer his own room?
“I thought we just had to convince your ex. I didn’t sign on for a sleepover. You didn’t even introduce me as your boyfriend to your mother. ”
She looked down at her toes; the pedicurist had done an excellent job.
“Alice?”
“My mom can’t keep a secret. Scratch that—my whole family can’t keep a secret. Honestly, it’s bad enough Cindy knows the truth. And I didn’t introduce you as my boyfriend because I figured she’d draw her own conclusions and I wouldn’t have to lie to her face. ” She met his gaze and he took a deep breath.
“There’s only one bed!”
“The couch—”
“Isn’t that big. I don’t know what you had in mind, but I only agreed to come because I needed to get out of town. ” He crossed his arms and glared at her.
“I’m not going to jump you. ” She threw her hands up in frustration, trying to suppress the urge to run away from the room, from the man in front of her, from her embarrassment.
“Still seems weird to me. ”
“You flatter yourself,” she snapped.
He looked up, and the shock on his face almost made the whole ordeal worth it. Almost. What? Did he think he was irresistible? She almost laughed at his surprise, but that would hardly prompt him to help her, so she bit her lip and suppressed the urge.
“Well, what I am supposed to think? You invited me on this cruise. You want me to play your boyfriend. ”
“You’re supposed to think that I was being honest with you,” she said, amusement suddenly stifled under a wave of anger. “You think I need to trick men into my bed or something?”
“I didn’t say—”
“I’m going to get a breath of fresh air. ” The words rushed out of her, and she turned and headed for the door.
Safely out of the suite, she wandered the halls. Chest tight, she refused to allow herself to sink into the misery filling her. Where had this gone wrong? She wasn’t supposed to feel more miserable. Noah’s presence should have bolstered her confidence, not shattered it.
Did he think so little of her? It wasn’t like she couldn’t get a date—she could. She just chose not to. And she had her reasons. Reasons that would probably make him think her a prize idiot. Not that it mattered. She didn’t care what Noah thought of her. But she wasn’t about to confide in him. They weren’t friends. They were acquaintances who both happened to benefit from the same thing—being on this cruise together.
She walked slowly down the halls, not sure exactly where she should go. She didn’t have a whole lot of time to get ready for dinner. Going back to the room was exactly what she should do, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to face Noah again. Not yet. When she reached another open area over a public space, she stopped and leaned on the railing, peering over at the strangers milling around below.
Maybe it had been wrong to ask him to come with her. The man was a recluse, as far as she could tell. Oh, other people occasionally came to see him, and he went out once in a while, but he never seemed to have any long term visitors. And if he worked, he did so from home.
She really knew so little about him.
Then there was the sun allergy. She’d had to fight to keep her face clear when he’d mentioned it. But that’s all it was, right? Nothing to worry about. People did have strange allergies, after all. And that explained why he only rarely went out during the day. A weird allergy was something she could deal with. And it was far more likely than him being a—no. She wasn’t even going to think it. It was impossible.
Her mouth went dry, and she glanced around for a water fountain. Noah had lived next door to her for five years—or to be more accurate, she’d lived next to him for five years. How long had he lived there? Since before her grandmother died and left her the property, at least. And she’d always felt so comfortable around him, even only seeing him once a month or so. Had she allowed her instinctual trust to override her good sense? Instincts weren’t always trustworthy, and his good looks probably threw them into the totally useless pile.
After all, she’d trusted Brent, hadn’t she?
As if summoned by her thoughts, the man himself stepped out of the casino, only feet from where she stood. She stopped in her tracks and stared, heart thumping against her chest. She wasn’t ready. Her outfit for the meeting still waited to be ironed in her suitcase, and she wore almost no make-up with her hair pulled back.
Her foot slid back, as if of its own will, and he looked up. Dark eyes met hers. Recognition flashed, and the slow, smooth smile that had always made her heart race slid over his face. Although still handsome, with the slick blond hair she’d loved running her hands through, something about him struck her as different. Smaller.
“Well, hello, baby—Alice,” he said, then he shook his head as if clearing the
ir history, reminding himself he’d made his choice. “Sorry. Habit. ”
Baby. She’d loved him calling her that once. As if it made her his, like he was laying claim to her. But now the word twisted in her gut like a knife. Nausea rolled over her, as if the ship had shifted quickly. But only her world moved.
The word was a lie.
“Brent,” she managed, voice breathy. Crap. What was wrong with her? She’d planned on this. Where was her uppity attitude, her holier-than-thou confidence? With one glimpse, he’d knocked all of her plans away, and she felt like the same heartbroken girl he’d left a year ago.
“How have you been? You look tired. ” His voice had always sounded so genuine, so concerned. But now she could hear that edge. The tiny bit of falseness. Had he always sounded so fake?
“I’m fine, thanks. ” She should say something else. Damn. What was she supposed to say? Her thoughts slid away as he stepped closer, arrogant smile still pulling his lips to press against his big, white teeth. “How are you?” she said, finally.
“I’m good. ”
“I heard you brought Kristen,” she said, focusing in on the woman he’d left her for.
He nodded thoughtfully. “I did. She’s getting a manicure. I—wow, this is awkward. ” He laughed nervously, and she pursed her lips in what she hoped looked like a smile.
“You think?” She couldn’t keep the slight crack from her tone—the hurt—and she cringed.
His lips pressed together in a thin line, and he watched her expression. She averted her gaze, taking in the gauche splendor that was the colorful cruise ship floor. The word “baby” rung through her ears like a filthy curse word.
“I’ll bet you’re wishing you’d never introduced your little sister to my big brother right about now,” he said, tone falsely light and teasing.
A small laugh escaped her, and she forced in a deep breath. He regarded her carefully, as though waiting for something to happen.