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“And when we disagree? When I criticize a Cole Tech initiative?”
“Then we disagree.” He shrugs. “We discuss it, find compromise where possible, and respect each other’s positions when we can’t.”
“That simple?”
“That complicated,” he corrects. “But worth the effort, I think.”
It won’t be easy. There will be raised eyebrows, accusations of conflicts of interest, potential professional backlash. But the alternative—walking away from whatever this is between us without seeing where it might lead—seems worse.
“Let’s try,” I say, setting down my dessert spoon. “One day at a time, figuring it out as we go.”
His smile is brilliant. “An extremely unscientific approach, Dr. Bennett.”
“I can make you a spreadsheet, Mr. Cole.”
After dinner, we walk along the ship’s promenade deck, the night air warm and fragrant with salt spray. Stars blanket the sky above us, the moon casting a silver path across the dark water. It’s romantic.
“Stay with me tonight,” Ethan says, his arm around my waist as we pause at the railing. “Our last night on board.”
I turn in his embrace, facing him. “I was planning to, anyway.”
His laugh is warm against my lips as he kisses me, a perfect blend of tenderness and desire that makes my toes curl in my heels.
“I need you to know something,” he says. “This isn’t a game to me, Harper. You’re not a conquest or a PR strategy or a wayto influence your opinion of my company. What’s happening between us is real for me.”
The vulnerability in his voice touches something inside me. “It’s real for me too,” I admit. “Unexpected and inconvenient and ethically questionable, but real.”
“Unexpected, inconvenient, and ethically questionable.” He grins. “Perfect description for both of us.”
We can’t keepour hands off one another, the moment the door to his suite closes.
“Harper,” he whispers as we both approach the edge, my name a whisper. “Fuck, Harper.”
I come apart in his arms, his name escaping me in a breathless chant as he follows, our bodies and hearts synced in a way that both terrifies and exhilarates me.
Afterward, lying beside each other, I trace the line of his jaw with my fingertip. “I still can’t believe this happened.”
“Which part? The work assignment or it turning into a torrid affair, or the part where we decided to continue said affair in the real world?”
“All of it,” I laugh softly. “It’s not what I planned when I boarded this ship.”
“Life’s best moments are not in the plan.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “For what it’s worth, you’ve changed my plans too.”
“For the better, I hope.”
“Definitively for the better,” he assures me. “Though my board of directors might disagree when they see the money I want to spend on upgrades. I’m planning to implement some big changes based on your recommendations.”
“Are you serious?” I prop myself up on one elbow. “They’ll have me locked up, or I’ll mysteriously disappear.”
“Dead serious. You highlighted several things we can improve way faster than our current timeline. I’ll be presenting the new plan next week.”
“That’s... thank you.”
“Don’t thank me for doing what’s right,” he echoes my earlier words. “But I wanted you to know that your work here matters, regardless of what’s happening between us.”
I settle against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, marveling at how completely my perception of Ethan Cole has changed in five short days. From corporate villain to complicated ally to lover—even partner, if we can survive beyond this ship.
“What are you thinking?” he asks, playing with my hair.