Speaking of stiff… I hadn’t expected to see him naked as the day he was born on the floor of his cabin while stiff as a rod. And that tattoo just below the ridge of his sexy-as-fuck V had my body reacting like a horny teenager. But this wasn’t about me. I had sex with men often and liked it very much. He, on the other hand, seemed primed to implode. The man needed a good stiff lay… or at the very least to have his feathers ruffled a bit.
So why not have some fun?
First, I cut in on Rebecca and Marco, who were dancing at the farthest edge of the dance floor. Then I danced her sweet ass diagonally across the room until my sweet ass bumped into his.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said through a grin.
He narrowed his eyes before smoothing out his scowl and flashing each sister that easy smile of his. “Yeah, no problem.” I again had to suppress a laugh when he scurried as far away from me as he could get. When Janis stumbled to keep upright while in his hold, the laughter escaped.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing.”
Rebecca followed my line of sight. “What’s happening with you two?”
“Nothing,” I repeated.
She pushed her shoulder into my chest. “Ricky. Leave him alone. He’s been through a lot.”
I can’t sat on the tip of my tongue. As did the list of denials I felt Cooper had been carrying for so long they had become a part of him. A cape that from afar seemed to billow as effectively as a superhero’s. However, upon closer view, it was obviously made of stone, burdening his shoulders from carrying its weight for years.
But she wouldn’t let me off that easy and scrutinized my bland expression until I cracked. “Fine, I’ll stop busting his balls,” I said, admitting to what Marco had claimed I had been doing. The hopeful expression on her face became a smack to the back of my head.
“Thank you.” She finally gave me a smile.
“Yeah, yeah.”
In my defense, I was a fixer. I needed to rectify wrongs. When Rebecca and Marco couldn’t see a way to be together, I’d come up with a solution to hide their affair from fellow employees. When they’d both been fired after my solution had been discovered by the executives of Sunset Cruises, I’d come up with another by starting our own business.
It was what I did.
If Rebecca were to know his truth, without a doubt she’d be his biggest supporter. It was a very lonely existence when those who loved you the most couldn’t see through the charade enough to help change life for the better.
The day I came out to my mother, I hadn’t been prepared for the sense of relief that not only comforted but also empowered me. The difference: I was ready to come out. It was my decision.
Regardless of the damage carrying such a huge secret created, he would need to be ready to admit to it. It was obvious that Cooper was not ready.
Right then and there I decided to back off. This wasn’t my story to tell. I made my point with Cooper, and if he wanted to talk about it or needed advice, then he’d have to come to me. And as I tried to convince myself of that, I ignored the twinge of something unfamiliar that I felt in my gut.
I liked Cooper enough to want to see him happy and resented what he pretended to be. That part was personal. I lived that scenario. I’d hate to be the poor sap who fell for someone like Cooper, getting lost in his charm, ridiculously handsome face, and perfectly sculpted body only to be dumped because Cooper wasn’t ready to admit the truth.
There were no guarantees that Cooper’s person would be a man, but if the possibility existed, then he needed to open that door.
It was a shame too. Contrary to what I told Cooper on deck he was just my type.
And there was that twinge again.
Rebecca’s attention focused on where Cooper was now chatting with our cruise director. “I recently found out he and Lara had a thing,” she admitted casually.
“What?” Realizing I sounded like a jealous lover, I quickly amended my tone by asking, “Oh yeah? When?”
“Our maiden voyage.”
Lara is a hussy.
She took a moment to gauge my reaction and misinterpreted it. “Please don’t make it a big deal. I know how you like to play matchmaker.”
“They don’t match well.”
“I agree,” she responded animatedly. “I had told him to not confuse regret over Riana with lust… and normally I wouldn’t encourage meaningless hookups, but… if it gets his mind off Riana…” She offered a shrug. “Why not?”
Again, there were a whole host of reasons as to why not. I remembered how hard he’d been last night when I’d touched him… this morning even after he discovered I’d been in his cabin. If it were anyone else, by now I would’ve taken it even further. My kiss wouldn’t have been as tentative as his. My body wouldn’t have kept a respectful distance. Without a doubt, I would’ve spent the rest of that evening with him in my cabin… and part of the morning.
“Hey, whatever floats his boat,” I said when I realized she was still staring at me.
Thankfully, she failed to hear the sarcasm. “I was looking forward to spending time with him for a few days after we get back, but he said he needs to fly home as soon as we do.”
“Why?” This time I allowed my disbelief to come through.
“Some mandatory staff meeting that popped up.” Code for running away from his problems again. “But he’ll be back in May once school’s done.”
That was ten weeks away, plenty of time for Cooper Stanton to fuck a few women, ignore his primal urges, and continue burying his head in the sand.
Sometime after the cake had been cut and served, I slipped out of the reception only to witness Cooper and Lara sharing a drink on deck. Just like last night, he had no idea I was there. But instead of a drunk trying to stand upright, tonight he was perfectly composed and sober.
As Lara chatted away, he nodded robotically while sipping what seemed to be a seltzer. Every now and again she’d lay a slim hand on his arm or lean in a bit too closely. Cooper would simply smile at her obvious flirting attempts with no reciprocation. Shocker.
Since I needed to walk by them to get to where I had planned to go, I emerged from the shadows and said, “Hello, you two.”
“Oh… um… hey, Ricky.” Lara subtly put some distance between them, adding, “We were just chatting.”
Cooper, on the other hand, decided to play it in an entirely different way, laying an arm across the back of her chair. “Calling it a night?” he asked as his fingers began twirling an auburn lock of her hair.
When Lara flinched at his touch, I couldn’t stop the chuckle. I tried… I really did.
Ignoring his annoyed glare, I said, “Yeah… but I have some work to do first.” I pointedly raised a brow when he started rubbing a hand down her bare arm. “You know how it goes when it’s all work and no play. Everyone needs to allow some playtime, don’t you think, Cooper?”
With her eyes on me, Lara recoiled a bit more and smiled nervously, assuming my comment referred to her. “Do you need me to take care of anything for you?”
“No, no. You relax.” I slid my gaze to him and smirked. “It’s so romantic out here,” I added, waving toward the orange orb as it set into the deep-blue horizon. “You might as well enjoy it. G’night.”