Page 26 of Not that Sea-Rious

Marissa

P oor Tina. She didn’t deserve to be sleeping beside Marissa. It’d been the most fitful night of rest Marissa had in ages. Fraught with short dreams where Beau laughed at her for proclaiming her affections for him. She tossed, turned, and probably kicked Tina all night.

Despite that, in the morning, when Marissa finally gave up, Tina didn’t say a word. Instead, she offered cuddles. She didn’t ask questions, just gave support.

Marissa was truly lucky to have these friends.

Considering they planned to skip the pool in favor of the spa, perhaps she could convince them to get room service for breakfast. If she wasn’t wandering around the ship, she couldn’t run into Beau.

After she exited the bathroom and opened her mouth to make the suggestion, a knock sounded at the door.

Had they known?

Turning to face the door as Carolyn skipped toward it, Marissa couldn’t help but wonder if her friends were mind readers. What did they order for her?

“Good morning,” the bride-to-be sang as she opened the door.

“Morning.”

Oh no.

Marissa wasn’t ready for this. Their dinner was that evening.

Why was he showing up early? To be fair, it wasn’t like he hadn’t witnessed her in all her morning glory.

Obviously, that one occasion, after he’d fucked her into oblivion, he’d seen her.

So, that wasn’t her concern. She just wasn’t sure yet how she planned on dealing with later.

Gah! He put her on the spot again !

Beau walked farther into the room and scrubbed at the back of his neck. He waved and greeted each of her friends before his gaze settled on Marissa.

“Can we talk?” he asked. “In private?”

The tension in her body was so tight her lips were in a thin line. Nodding quickly, she waved a hand. “Yeah. Let’s go on the balcony.”

With her friends’ eyes boring a hole in her back, she led him toward the large glass doorway. Once outside, the breeze blew her hair all over the place, and she had a hell of a time trying to keep it tame until the door closed behind Beau.

Sitting in one of the deck chairs, she inhaled deeply and tried to sort out her jumbled thoughts. Sobriety and time hadn’t brought her any clarity.

He sat beside her and cleared his throat. “I don’t want to stress you out.”

“I’m fine,” she lied.

He frowned.

“Okay, I’m not, but I just—”

He held up a hand to halt her words. “Listen. You’re a fantastic woman. When I boarded this boat, I had zero expectations of enjoying myself. I was in a truly dark place. Then I met you and your friends. Somehow you showed me a good time, and I don’t just mean in bed.”

Despite the knot of confused emotions tightening in her gut, she snickered. Beau had a way of lightening her mood despite her anxiety. Damn him for being so friggin’ perfect.

“Not that our tryst was bad. Actually, it was fucking amazing.”

Her tiny laugh bubbled to a full-on chuckle, and her nerves calmed ever so slightly.

“But that’s not what this is about. We have one night left on the ship, and I’d like to spend that with you,” he said with the utmost of sincerity.

“I want that too.” The words fell from her lips before she could think too much, and she knew she was in trouble.

He was far too honest and genuine. Beau said what he meant, no matter how silly. Hanging out with him again and again would only cause her to like him more. Hell, she was essentially falling at this point, but there was no one to catch her.

“So, you would like to have dinner with me?” he asked, reaching for her hand.

She did, but she wasn’t sure it was the best decision to make. “Yeah.”

“There’s no pressure. You don’t have to go if you’re not feeling it.”

Shaking her head at first, she inhaled deeply, then bobbed her head up and down in a nod. It wasn’t a matter of feeling it or not. She was definitely feeling everything about him. She just wasn’t sure what would happen when the ship docked tomorrow.

“I want to,” she reassured him. “Seriously.”

He grinned and brought her hand to his face. His soft lips brushed her knuckles, and her stomach flipped. Beau was beyond a gentleman.

“Okay,” he said as he released her. “See you at seven.”

Pushing himself up, Beau got to his feet. Marissa joined him, and the two stepped back into the suite to find her friends dashing away from the doorway.

Marissa shook her head. She knew the glass wasn’t soundproof but was confident they didn’t have the easiest time eavesdropping. Not that there was anything juicy to hear.

“Enjoy your pampering, ladies,” he said on his way out of the room.

Marissa followed him, and as soon as the door closed, her friends swarmed.

“What happened?” Carolyn demanded.

“Are you going to dinner?” Tina asked.

“How are you feeling?” Joyce said.

Taking a deep breath, Marissa closed her eyes and tried to center herself and her feelings. Something existed between her and Beau. They were probably past the point where she couldn’t get attached, so there was no use fighting it.

After a long exhale, she faced the inquisition. “I’m okay,” she answered Joyce first. “We talked, and I decided to go to dinner with him.”

The trio cheered, jumping up and down, even clapping. They closed the minimal distance between them, and she was wrapped in a group hug. They were happy for her.

Sure, they could be excited. They weren’t the ones about to get their hearts broken. As silly as that was to think, considering she had only known him for three days, she’d still grown fond of him. She’d miss him when they returned to port.

It’d be a burden she’d have to bear. Spending her final evening on the boat with Beau was exactly what Marissa wanted to do. If she didn’t, she’d regret it for far too long. There was no use denying herself.

Throwing a smile on her face and her hands on her hips, she lifted her chin. “I’m ready to have a stranger massage me. Anyone else?”