Page 62 of Love on Deck
Jack looked down into my eyes, his own turning dark and deep as the ocean.
“We have an audience,” I whispered.
“No one’s paying attention to us. Besides, they already think we’re dating. Let’s prove it to them.”
“What a line, Jack.”
“But did it work?”
I leaned in, nodding gently. “Yeah.”
His lips pressed gently to mine, his fingers getting lost in the hair at the nape of my neck. He amped up the emotion slowly, pulling me closer, making me cling to him until I couldn’t breathe. Jack kissed me like he was starving, warming me from the inside, like I didn’t just feel the heat from the sun, but had become it instead. His lips moved over mine, speaking their own language that I fully understood. He broke away, drawing in a breath. Then he looked at me. “You’ve been hiding that all this time?”
“Pace yourself,” I said.
“I have been. This is a long con, Lauren.”
I laughed, but he cut the sound off with another kiss, and I didn’t mind.
Someone—probably Kevin—made a catcall sound, and we broke apart. I pressed my forehead into his collarbone, but I felt his arm lift in the air. “Yeah, we’re coming.”
Jack took my hand to pull me down the steps toward the dancers, interlacing our fingers. He pressed a kiss to the back of my knuckles and whispered. “Best. Day. Ever.”
Honestly, I had to agree.
CHAPTER TWENTY
JACK
We returned to the ship just in time to make it before the doors closed and headed down the long, narrow corridor toward the elevators.
“Dinner tonight?” Lucas called from the back of our group.
I took Lauren’s hand, interlacing our fingers. “I’m stuffed.”
“Me, too,” Cara said, groaning. She shoved Lucas playfully. “How can you even think of food right now?”
He grinned, flashing his white teeth. “When am I not thinking of food?”
“Hot tub instead?” Cara asked.
Kevin whistled, pulling Amelia into his side. “Count us out.”
“Come up to the buffet before you disappear,” Lucas said. “We need to throw rice.”
“Shut up,” Kevin said, but he was grinning. They got in an elevator and disappeared to the sound of whooping and cheers.
When the door closed, Cara clapped her hands together. “Okay. Afterparty?”
“I’m not really feeling the hot tub,” Lauren said, scrunching her nose. I bet she wanted to avoid hot water on her burn. I didn’t blame her at all.
Cara leaned over, bumping Lauren’s hip. “Should we go dancing? Might as well show off these dresses.”
I happened to know clubbing wasn’t anywhere on Lauren’s radar for a fun time. I looked down at her sparkling hazel eyes. Her red burn peeked out from behind golden brown waves. Did she need more aloe?
“There’s a movie by the pool, I think,” Lucas said.
“Oh, yeah.” Cara started buzzing, hopping up on her toes. “I think it was Moana.”