CHAPTER 29
CHANEL

Despite having the most incredible set of orgasms I had ever experienced in my life, I slept terribly. I woke up Sunday morning with tears of exhaustion in my eyes, the nightmares still rolling around in my head. I was worried about what would happen when we all got back to Miami. I was worried about how Rhett and I would handle things. Not only that, but I was worried about Luke and what the next steps with him would be.

Luke had a great deal of money, and there was no evidence other than Rhett’s word that he had assaulted me in that bathroom. If Luke could buy himself off these charges, he could come after me. There was nowhere I would be able to run or hide that would ever keep me safe. I would have to stop writing. I would have to stop giving him ways to track me down.

It sickened me to think that I would have to alter my life because of his obsession.

I rolled over in bed, watching as Rhett shifted. He looked so peaceful, which was unlike how I felt. His naked body was stretched out for me, his muscles at rest. His chest moved up and down languidly with his breaths as his skin puckered underneath my touch. I could still smell our scent in the air as my eyes scanned him, my heart fluttering with each groan he made.

He was slowly waking up, and he looked perfect to me, the shining image of what a man should be. He was strong and handsome, chiseled and rippling, decent and charming. He was a true gentleman, despite the years of dangerous and horrific things he’d seen and done in the military. I wanted to continue things with him after this cruise. I wanted to see if we could make it work, but I didn’t know if I was just riding the high of the escape from reality. How would it work when real life settled back in?

Many things could’ve been pushing me into his arms and clouding my vision. His offer to protect me from Luke, the primal nature of the man he had grown into, my need for closure in my past, the romantic feel of the islands and the sea. So many factors could be contributing to how I felt right now, and I wasn’t sure how to define them. I wasn’t sure how to be unbiased and make a rational decision about this with so many other factors in play.

Even as Rhett held me tightly in his arms, I felt more lost and confused than ever.

“Morning, sunshine.”

I smiled at the sleep in Rhett’s voice as he kissed my forehead. I snuggled into him, pressing deep enough to shove all my swirling thoughts from my head. His hands drifted along the curves of my body, heating me up like he had last night. I slid on top of him and spread my legs, straddling him as he opened his eyes.

I placed my lips to his, and he smiled, making my heart beat faster in my chest.

“You hungry?” Rhett asked.

“Starving,” I said.

“Good, because I am too. Some girl wore me out last night.”

“Funny, because some boy gave me a run for my money too.”

We slid out of bed in a fit of giggles and got ready for breakfast. Rhett took the chance of wearing the same outfit from last night, so he wouldn’t have to interrupt Tommy and Ana. He escorted me to the dining hall where we stood in line at the buffet for breakfast, my hands carrying both of our plates. Rhett was making our coffee, dumping tons of sugar into mine. It made me smile, knowing he still remembered how I took it.

Then, the two of us took a seat in the corner.

“Well, good morning, you guys!” Connie said as she took the stage. “Is this thing on?”

“Does she have to ask that every time?” I asked.

Rhett smiled at me as he wrapped his large hand around his mug of coffee.

“As you all know, this is our last brunch together. I know, I know, it’s sad to me as well. But I promise we will get through this with minimal tears,” Connie said.

“Unlike last night,” Rhett said, murmuring.

“Tomorrow, we dock in Miami and go about the rest of our lives. Until our next reunion, of course. So, I wanted to leave everyone with a few words of wisdom. No matter where life takes us and no matter where we go, we will always be connected by high school. The most precious years of our lives,” Connie said.

“Speak for yourself,” I said with a grin.

“We will hear from our valedictorian and salutatorian tonight at dinner, but for now, I bid you all farewell. This is the last time I will stand in front of your beautiful faces and have the pleasure of addressing you,” Connie said.

The dining hall erupted into cheers and applause as Rhett tossed his head back and laughed. Served her right for being a spotlight hog.

“Anyway,” Connie said flatly, “our last dinner is a little later tonight. Eight instead of six thirty. So, make sure to jot that difference down! We will have a very special dinner made by all the wonderful chefs on this ship. So, don’t miss it!”

“Yay,” I said with a sigh. “Does that mean we should go get a pizza at the back of the ship?”

“Depends. Will they have creme brulee at dinner tonight? Because I had that stuff a couple of days ago, and it was amazing,” Rhett said.

“The back of the ship has twenty-four-seven soft-serve ice cream. In eight different flavors.”

“But is one of the flavors creme brulee?” he asked.

I giggled as I started to pick at my breakfast. People were still getting up to give long-winded speeches, but I didn’t care. Rhett and I were talking, living in our own little world. Even though Luke was just levels below us, I wanted to enjoy the last little bit of time I had with Rhett.

Because I didn’t know if I would have any more after we docked tomorrow.

“I can’t believe how quickly this has gone,” Rhett said.

“Despite everything that’s happened, it has been quick,” I said. “Today’s our final full day on the ship.”

“Yeah, and I feel like there’s still so much I haven’t done,” he said.

“Like what? It’s gone by so quickly, maybe we could fit a few things in today before dinner tonight.”

“I haven’t sung any karaoke yet,” he said.

“But we were in the karaoke bar.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t sing. I was too busy gazing into the eyes of a beautiful woman,” he said.

“Well, I’m jealous. I should beat her face in,” I said.

“And I haven’t done anything in the spa.”

“What color did you want your nails?” I asked with a grin. “Don’t worry. There’s stuff I haven’t done either. I haven’t touched that gym yet. Nor have I gone down any of the waterslides.”

“I haven’t done the waterslides, either. We should do that today,” he said.

“Sounds like a plan to me. Anything else you want to try and do?” I asked.

“Honestly? I’m okay with anything as long as I can spend it with the woman I love.”

I felt myself freeze as my eyes slowly panned up to his. I could see his face paling with shock as his eyes widened. I felt a flush creep up my legs and my chest, spilling over onto my neck. Had he just admitted to me that he loved me?

“The woman … you love?” I asked.

Rhett sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He took a big gulp of his coffee as he raked his hands through his hair. I was studying him. The way he was locking up. The way he looked embarrassed. But there was something else, something I couldn’t quite place.

It almost looked like relief.

“Yeah,” he said as he locked his gaze with mine. “The woman I love.”

I swallowed thickly as Rhett reached out for my hand.

“You don’t have to feel the same way, but I do want to know what you’re feeling. You look shocked,” he said.

“That’s one way to put it,” I said. “I mean, some residual feelings have come back, yes.”

“I loved you in high school, and in some ways, I continued loving you even after. But the woman you’ve turned into is strong, compassionate, beautiful, and talented. I loved you then, and I love the woman you’ve grown into. When I said, ‘the woman I love,’ I meant the woman I’m looking at, not the girl the woman I’m looking at reminds me of.”

I felt tears crest my eyes as I turned my gaze out the window.

“There’s just so much that’s happened,” I said. “And I don’t know how much of what I’m feeling is induced by the trip and how much is real.”

“That’s understandable. There are a lot of factors in play.”

“I just need time to think, Rhett. About all this. About what all this means and— and what I want, and how in the world I’m supposed to react to this,” I said.

I felt his eyes hardening on me as I slipped my hand from his. I slid out of my seat and got to my feet, sprinting for the door. My legs carried me as fast as I could across the dining hall, not bothering to see who was watching. My head felt like it was in a vise grip. It was aching and pounding as his words echoed off the corners of my mind.

He loved me.

Rhett Smith loved me. Still.

I was elated. On cloud nine. Filled with joy and ecstasy. But everything was far from over. Luke still had to be turned over to the authorities, and reality was about to set in. Rhett and I were galivanting in a world of pristine beaches and decadent food. It was the stuff of fairy tales. That wasn’t the world I lived in. The world I lived in was cramped and cold. I didn’t quite live paycheck to paycheck, but I wasn’t well off either. And I didn’t even know where Rhett lived. For all I knew, he could live on the other side of the country.

I needed time to think, and I couldn’t do that in his presence.