We kept our names out of it.
And we also kept drama out of it.
…Or so I thought!
I met a mysterious stranger on a magical cruise.
His touch gave me the butterflies.
I would immediately go weak in the knees.
But it was all temporary.
One week. That was the deal.
That week turned into four years of raising a kid alone.
A son that reminds me of him and one that he knows nothing about.
These years have changed me.
But my mysterious stranger is still the same.
How do I know?
He just showed up at my client’s home.
Seeing his face has turned my world upside down.
This can’t be a coincidence.
The universe is playing a sick game with me.
So… will I win, or will I lose?
Prologue
Jess
When I was in high school, my girlfriends and I used to have sleepovers where we would dream up these romantic scenarios in which we were swept off our feet by a handsome, rich man who would love us forever, and want to give us the world. We’d watch romcoms and read romance novels, swooning over all the grand gestures and romantic bits. While we had a sense that these dreams were unrealistic fantasies, there had always been a part of us that hoped maybe fairytales did come true.
Of course, real life has proven that fairy tales only happen in the movies and books. Still, that didn't prevent me from engaging in a ship board romance with the stunning, and clearly rich, Carter. I thought my luck had been great when I won this trip as the hundred and seventh caller on the radio contest, but meeting Carter on the first day and spending this week with him, well that was the greatest luck of all.
I met Carter the first day of the cruise as I lounged by the pool. We struck up a conversation, and while sparks were zapping inside of me the whole time, I didn't think it was the same for him. He was wildly sexy with his blonde hair and gray eyes, and there was an air about him that suggested he came from money, so I was sure he was out of my league, and just being nice, as we sat drinking virgin drinks by the pool.
Later that night, I ran into him at the bar, and we ended up having dinner together, and then going dancing. I wasn't a woman prone to clubbing or hooking up with men I didn't know, but had he asked me back to his cabin that night, or suggested that he come into mine, I would've let him. I was on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise, so I was going to soak up the experience.
The next day, I tried to be nonchalant, but the truth was I was looking for him when I went to the breakfast buffet. I was standing in line by the fruit section, when I saw him sitting in the outside dining area talking to another woman. Of course, I was jealous, even though it was silly to be. He wasn't mine.
Disappointed, I turned back to fill my plate with fruit, and made my way along the buffet picking up a muffin and some yogurt.
"You always sleep in late?"
I jumped at the voice behind me, and then smiled because I recognized it. "I'm on vacation."
"Yeah, but you should enjoy it, not sleep through it."
He was right, of course. Once I had my food, he poured himself more coffee and came to sit with me at a table. I was cu