Cameron sat in the dining room. He hadn’t wanted to come to the dining room tonight, but he’d committed to his sister that he’d eat dinner with them every night. The boys were gone, running off with other kids from the ship, and he had been watching his sister and Craig on the dance floor, trying not to think too much about Kat.

His eyes were unfocused in a thousand-mile stare when a familiar image came into his line of sight. She was out on the dance floor with the Hawaiian shirt guy from earlier. He was surprised when the guy’s hands appeared to roam a bit much. Apparently they were closer than he’d thought.

Suddenly, they stopped dancing close to where he was sitting.

He heard her threaten him.

After the threat had been issued, he could see the guy processing it, and he could see that the guy was, in fact, one of those jerks who might have to be taught a lesson. Any man who even had to think about respecting a demand like that didn’t deserve a dance.

Cam stood. He’d never backed down from teaching some guy manners. At this point in his life, it usually only took a nudge in the right direction. “Excuse me.”

Both of them jolted at the sound of his voice.

Cam grinned and put his hand out. “Could I have a turn with the lady?”

The guy tugged his hand back, taking in Cam’s size. “Wait. Are you?”

Cam didn’t wait for the full question. “I am. And I believe you’re the guy who’s done dancing with the lady.”

The guy frowned.

Cam turned his full attention to the redhead. “May I?”

For a second, he didn’t know if she would agree or not.

The other guy didn’t move. “I’ve seen the media on you. I don’t think you should be butting in with my dance partner. What are you gonna do if I say no? Punch me? You really want another lawsuit right now?”

He froze and commanded himself not to react.

Suddenly, the woman took Cam’s hand and began pulling him away. “See you later, Dave.”

Cam unfroze, letting her lead them into a two-step.

The woman cocked an eyebrow, but kept dancing with him. It only took a minute for him to realize she was pretty good. He spun her out then pulled her back, but just then, the song changed into a fast country song.

“You don’t even know my name,” the woman said, still dancing.

He grinned at her, feeling his chest lighten. He’d heard Hawaiian shirt guy call it out enough times that he did know it, but he wanted her to introduce herself. “No, I don’t, but you’re a good dancer. Way better than that guy.”

A slight grin filled her face. “There’s media on you?”

Cam shrugged and looked away, focusing on the steps.

“Wait.” She missed a step, but picked it right back up again. “This is just my luck. You’re Cameron Cruz, that famous guy. The owner of the Storm, aren’t you?”

His eyes met hers. “Yes.”

She nodded. “Weird you’re here. On this cruise.”

“It’s a long story.”

She shook her head. “I see your face plastered on a billboard next to I-70, where I used to take the exit into Fort Collins to work.”

This took him by surprise. “You work in Fort Collins?”

She nodded. “Used to.”

“Huh.”

“But I live there too, clear across town. The interstate is the fastest way to get to my house.”

Right, he remembered her saying she had just gotten her P.A. He took both of her hands and did some fancy footwork that she matched. The song sped up, and he took her into a table top and then a pretzel.

She laughed as she spun, and he laughed at the surprised look on her face. It was all just momentum as the music took over, and he fell back on his old high school country dance moves.

The woman was good, really good. She had no trouble keeping up.

When the song changed to a slow one, he hesitated, still dancing with her. “Want to try a slow one?”

For the first time since he’d met her, he thought he saw a real smile. That smile made him catch his breath. It made this beautiful woman radiant. “I guess we already are.”

He grinned back, and the moment felt magical. Like time had suspended and he’d forgotten himself.

It was weird, and guilt filled him. The last person he’d dance with … was Kat.

Both of them were quiet, just lost in the music. How could this moment feel so natural and unnatural at the same time?

She closed her eyes for a second. “Man, I love this song.”

His mind re-focused, and he wanted to tell her he knew Texas Waters personally, but he didn’t want to be a name-dropper. “I do too.”

She sang along, and he hummed, finding that this was exactly the distraction he’d needed. “So, let’s see,” she said, moving closer to him. “Do you always throw women in pools, hit their cameras into the water, and rescue them from creepy guys? Is that your routine?”

He knew she was teasing him, and it sounded like she was awkwardly trying to flirt, like maybe she wasn’t comfortable with it either. “That’s exactly my thing. Kinda how you like to give free medical to ungrateful people, stand in normal paths of travel, and attract creepy guys on the dance floor.”

She laughed.

He kept her dancing all kinds of different moves. Then the song was over, and he found himself stopping and just smiling.

She hesitated. “Thanks for asking me to dance because—”

“The guy would have gotten some knee action,” he filled in for her.

Her real smile filled her face again, and he was amazed at how pretty she looked.

“You heard that?”

He nodded.

She waved and turned. “Thanks, again. I have to go.”

There was something about the way she waved like that. Like something a kid would do or an awkward teenager.

It wasn’t the way sophisticated people acted at rich, fancy parties, and he suddenly thought about how tired he was of that. “Hey—wait up.” He jogged to her.

She stopped walking. “Yeah?”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, he said, “I don’t even know your name.” Technically, he did thanks to Hawaiian shirt guy yelling it at the falls, but he wanted her to tell him.

Frowning a bit, she seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “Honestly, I don’t know if you need to know it because I’m not looking for more than friendship.”

He snorted. “Neither am I.”

She cocked an eyebrow and turned. “Then we’re good.”

“Isabel!” someone called out.

They both turned to a big table of people laughing. He assumed they were the singles’ group his sister had mentioned.

The guy from earlier was heading her way. “Come with us.”

She hesitated before turning to face Cam. “Would you want to dance again?”

His heart raced and he realized that he did want to dance with her again. And he sure as heck didn’t want to see the idiot ask her again. “I’ll trade you—a dance for your name.”

A grin flashed over her face. “Isabel Kind.”