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Pen rolled her lips to try and hide her smile. Her whiskey-colored eyes sparkled with mischief. “How mad would you be if I told you I hid them in the back of your closet so you wouldn’t find them?”

“Are you saying all of my swimwear is in the States?”

“I bought you new ones.” She pulled out a brown paper bag that had been hidden in her suitcase.

“Let me see,” I snatched it out of her hands and started to pull out one suit after another. They ranged in colors from the red that still hung from her fingertips to black and teal. “Pen,” I cried. “I can’t wear any of these.”

“Why?”

“You know why.” My voice came out high-pitched and squeaky.

“You have a banging bod and need to get all the shit that Brock spewed to you over the years out of your head.”

“I know, but it’s not easy.”

Brock had been the jealous type who never wanted me to dress sexy or show my body. After a while, it became easier for me to dress the way he wanted me to than to fight with him on it. Now I was used to wearing clothes that covered my body.

“Why do you care? You’re never going to see these people again. Show everyone what your momma gave you.” She shimmied her boobs, making me laugh.

She was right, but if I wore any of the suits, I’d be showing more skin than anyone had seen in years, and I wasn’t sure I was prepared for that.

“Let’s start you off with this one.” Pen picked out another bag from her suitcase and pulled out something black. “Now, this is a one-piece with strategic pieces cut out of it.”

It looked like strips of fabric that were somehow all connected. Still, it was more than the others. I didn’t have a better option until we were someplace I could buy another that was more to my comfort level.

“When we go to shore, I’m buying one that I approve of,” I said as I took the slightly less offending swimsuit from her.

“I expect nothing less,” she laughed. “Now go get suited up, and I’ll meet you upstairs.”

I lifted a brow at her order. “And what are you going to do?”

Penelope let out a sigh as she sat on her bed. “I’ve got to check in at work. There’s this new band they want to sign and—” She clapped her hands, ending her train of thought. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just something I need to take care of before I can enjoy the next few days.”

Giving her some privacy, I stepped into our tiny bathroom and let Pen do what she needed to do. Pen loved her job and had recently been promoted. I knew it was hard for her to leave right now, but she’d made it work, wanting me to be able to celebrate my divorce with this luxurious trip.

Back up on deck, I searched for the girls but couldn’t find them anywhere. How long did it take to put on a swimsuit? Even with all my procrastinating, I was the first one out?

“Stella?” Pen yelled from behind me as Ophelia stepped up to me with a tray of flutes filled with Champagne. “Would you like another glass of Champagne, or would you like something different to drink?” Ophelia asked.

“Champagne’s fine for now. Thank you,” I responded as I took a flute before I turned around to find Pen walking toward me.

Ophelia offered her a drink as well, but my eyes were stuck on the hot guy who greeted us before we came aboard. He slowly started to pull his shirt over his head to reveal golden washboard abs, unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

My body started to overheat as more skin was revealed. Leaning back, I tried to catch my breath, but I must have miscalculated because one second, I was experiencing the joys of ogling the crew, and the next, I was falling.

My mouth had barely opened to scream when I hit the water. Warmth surrounded me as I tried to use my arms and legs to surface, but no matter how hard I struggled to the surface, the light kept getting further and further away, making me panic.

I couldn’t believe I was going to die when I’d been on the boat for less than an hour. It served me right for doing something so extravagant when I could have just gone to the spa for a day to celebrate my divorce.

Just when I started to run out of breath and things were starting to become dark, strong arms wrapped around me and started to move me back toward the light.

Coming to the surface, I coughed and spluttered as I was dragged toward a smaller boat where two of the crew were pulling us by a rope. I tried to turn in the arms of my savior but was held too tightly to move. Instead, I lay back and let them do their job. I was never going to live down falling over the edge of the boat. I was already embarrassed enough I didn’t want to see the girls when I got on board or face the crew, all because a guy took off his shirt. It wasn’t like he was taking off his pants and let me see the graciousness that hung between his legs.

Now that would be a dream, wouldn’t it?

Maybe I could hide in my room until we docked, and I wouldn’t have to face anyone. Yeah, I was delusional. Maybe I drank more ocean water than I thought.

One of the guys picked me up from under the arms and dragged me onto the boat. Wrapping a towel around my shoulders, he stepped out of the way as the person who saved me, and the reason why I fell in the water, pulled himself out of the water.