Like him, I left the dressing room with the new items on.
“I’d like to buy this and this,” I said, pointing at the things I had on. I placed the tags I’d removed on the counter. “Along with these and that hat over there.”
The woman with the welcoming smile nodded as she scanned my purchases. When it came time to pay, I knocked Striker’s hand away and handed her the black card Kalen had given me. Since it was still in my purse, I assumed it was good to use without security risk. After I put on the floppy woven hat the color of flax seeds, I took the bag she held out and went for the door.
Striker caught me, once again taking my hand. “So my brother’s money is better than mine?”
“No. I just don’t want to owe you a damn thing,” I said, leaving my expression blank.
The muscles in his jaw went taut, and we didn’t say another word to each other. Not even in the taxi on our way to a destination unknown to me. As much as I called him a liar, I still dumbly trusted the man. After everything he’d done so far, I’d be stupid to think otherwise.
The taxi let us off near a marina. Striker, still determined to hold my hand, used his other to check his phone. Then he walked us down a pier. A man exited a boat at the end filled with college students, probably not much younger than me.
“Please tell me that’s not our destination.” When he didn’t reply, I said, “Is that why you gave up the dad shorts for those?”
Truth was, the khakis he’d worn had looked great on him. But I couldn’t help needling him after I’d admitted my ongoing attraction to him.
“It’s summer break and the islands are crawling with partiers.”
“You could have clued me in. I wouldn’t have worn this.” I had purchased a couple of T-shirts that would have worked better for what he called our subterfuge.
“I didn’t think you wanted to hear anything I had to say. Now that you mention it, it would probably be a good time to remove the rings,” he said, letting go of my hand.
What came next I might have missed if I hadn’t been grumbling curses about the gorgeous man while trying to decide if I should risk removing the rings and having them fly out of my slippery hands because of the heat to be lost in the ocean forever. Instead, with my head dipped, I saw Striker reach in his pocket for something at the same time the man who’d been heading in our direction crossed our path. His hand opened with a glint of metal that appeared to be keys. I couldn’t swear to it, but my guess was Striker now had the keys and the other man probably had money of some sort.
Striker picked up speed, leaving me unable to ask him, so I spun the solitary diamond toward my palm. That made it appear I was wearing stackable rings instead of a bridal set. Striker was already on the big boat when I stepped on.
“Nice,” a frat boy said, giving me a thumbs-up.
Weirdly, I felt old and overdressed as college students swarmed around with red plastic cups in their hands. Not so long ago, I might have been one of them.
“Heading for party island?” the same boy asked. “One-way trip.”
I looked in Striker’s direction, but he was talking to a group of guys doing some sort of male hand slapping and had his back to me.
“Looks that way,” I said, giving the boy a tentative smile. I waited for him to ask if I was someone’s mom, even though he was no more than four years younger than me—if that.
“That’s good. Maybe we can hang out later.”
I nodded noncommittedly.
“The keg’s in the front of the boat, and other than that, no rules.” He sounded proud of himself.
I felt utterly self-conscious. I shouldn’t have because as I moved forward, I was waylaid by two girls.
“Oh my God, that cover-up is so cute!” one said.
The other chimed in, “Tell me you bought it here on the island so I can get one myself. Of course, after we get back. And that hat, I love it.”
I nodded. They introduced themselves and took me, so to speak, under their wings.
I might have relaxed if one of them hadn’t said, “Oh my God, that guy is so hot. I didn’t see him earlier, did you? I wonder what school he goes to.”
There was no need for me to guess who they were talking about. When I looked up, I met a pair of amazing blue eyes that matched the color of the ocean here. A liquid blue I’d gotten lost in multiple times.
“And he’s looking at you,” the other said.
No, he was smirking, damn him. That lopsided grin would get any woman wet.
Seven
Connor
Because my blonde looked like a fish out of water, at least until she spotted me, I intervened. I’d only left her for a second to make sure this was the right boat. Plans had been made and we’d be screwed if we didn’t end up on the island.
“Ladies,” I said.
The two women who’d already taken Lizzy as one of their own had protective arms slung over her shoulders. “We were just telling…”
“Lisa,” Lizzy said.
“Yes, Lisa that we have a place you can store your bags. They won’t be messed with. Ours are up there too.”
“Lead the way,” I said.
Lizzy and I followed them upstairs to the second level and through an exterior door on the right side of the boat. It was a small room, more like a utility room.
“No one comes in here,” the girl on Lizzy’s left said.
“Can I have a word with Liz—a?” I caught myself in time, and the women didn’t seem to notice my almost mistake.
“Sure,” the other girl said and winked at Lizzy.
Lizzy gave them a smile as they left, but I recognized it for what it was. She wasn’t happy about being alone with me.
When the door closed, she said, “Are you going to tell me our destination?”
“Party island.” I grinned because I knew it would piss her off.
She grabbed the hem of the top she wore and whipped it over her head.
“Caving so quickly?” I asked.
“Get over yourself. I’m changing into this.” She reached in a bag and took out a T-shirt. After biting off the tag, she pulled the shirt down over her head. “Better. Now I don’t look like a MILF.”
Mother I’d like to fuck she was not. I did want to fuck her though.
“Trust me, no guy on this boat thought you were a MILF.”
“What would you know? You were too busy getting eye-fucked by every woman on the boat,” she grumbled while rummaging in her bag. She yanked out a circle thing she used to pull her hair back into a tail. “Better?”
“For who?”
“Don’t be an ass. Do I look like I fit in now?”
“Who said you didn’t before? How old are you anyway?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re asking now?”
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“No. But I will say you aren’t a pedophile,” she declared with an I won this one grin.
She tucked her bag in a corner, away from where the girls had stashed their bags, and left. I put my bag on top of hers and moved the hat she’d bought on top of that before following her out.
I walked in on some guy hitting on her.