In time, I’ll have her body. But before then, I have to make sure we see eye to eye.
And a gentleman always treats a woman first. He takes her out to dinner, spoils her with wine and good food, and buys her flowers…those are things I can certainly accommodate. Hell, I own this entire ship. I can rope in anyone here to help me. And I’m going to ensure that I create the perfect evening for Tara and me.
I’m already getting some ideas together. I have a million things I need to do for work, but I’ve pushed them all to the back burner. The only thing I care about right now is her and what happens next between us. If I lost this ship tomorrow, but she and I went down together, I’d still be getting what I wanted.
A woman like her deserves the world.
I bet she has guys falling at her feet, desperate to show her a good time, asking to take her out on dates, all the time. So this one has to be the best one she’s ever been on. Something that no other man could ever provide for her.
I’m feeling competitive, desperate to show her that I’m the man for her and that no other can replace me. I’ve never really been that way before, but she’s brought something new out of me. I’ve become this obsessed, possessive man with only one goal in mind.
Her.
I already know exactly how I’m going to win her over. The idea comes to me so suddenly that it feels like it must be right.
I stand from my office chair and head out to hunt for her. I check by the pool, but she’s not there, so I head straight to her room.
My muscles are tight, my brain in overdrive. I need to see her. It’s been too long already since I last laid eyes on her. I want to find some excuse to touch her, to be around her, just to soak up her presence.
And then I see her.
She’s emerging from her sleeping quarters in a beautiful sundress that clings to her in all the right places. I’m practically drooling as I watch her fumble with her door key.
I’d been hoping to catch her in a bikini by the pool, but this is just as good. She has no idea what she’s doing to me.
It’s maddening and incredible all at the same time.
She looks up and spots me watching her at the end of the corridor. And is it my imagination, or do I see her blushing?
She offers me a smile and I can see that she’s wearing makeup. Did she put that on for me? It’s kind of hot to imagine that this whole look is for me, that she’s trying to impress me as much as I’m trying to impress her.
“Wow. You look beautiful,” I tell her as she approaches me slowly.
She bows her head, but I can see that behind her shyness, she’s smiling.
“Thank you, that’s so sweet of you. What brings you to this part of the ship?” she asks coyly, managing to meet my eyes.
I smirk. I guess she must have realized that I’m here to see her in particular. I’m not exactly being subtle. But I don’t want to hide these feelings. I want her to know exactly how I feel about her.
But all in good time.
“I had something to ask you,” I say, stepping a little closer.
Maybe I’m crossing boundaries by doing this, but I’m past caring about that. My gaze roams over her body, loving that her breath hitches under my perusal. At least I know I have an effect on her too.
“Y-You do?” she stutters adorably.
“Yes, I was wondering what your dinner plans are tonight?”
She swallows. “Well, I guess I was just going to head over to the main dining hall…I guess most of the fancier guests head to the restaurant, but I don’t really have a lot of money.”
I lean even closer, so close that our faces are almost touching.
“What if I told you that the Captain can get you a special reservation?”
She chuckles a little nervously. “Special how?” she asks intrigued.
“I was thinking around midnight, long after the restaurant has closed…a reservation for two. The whole place to ourselves, the pick of all the best wines, a personal chef at our disposal. What do you think of that?”
She blushes.
She knows she’s being asked out on a date. Good.
I can see the nerves in her eyes, but the electricity between us is only growing stronger. I want to touch her, to feel the crackle between our skin, but I hold back. I don’t want to give her any reason to flee. Not when I’m so close to getting what I want.
“So it’ll be just you and me? Alone?” she asks, looking down at her feet.