❦ ❦

My head felt as if someone was pounding on it with a hammer and I slowly opened my eyes. I groaned as the sunlight streaming through the small porthole blinded me. My throat was dry and I desperately needed water. Clutching my aching head in one hand I peeled back the covers and got up. The world swayed before my eyes and I gulped in some air.

Hal was sleeping next to me with his head buried under a pillow. Being careful not to wake him up, I hobbled off the bed and made my way towards the small bathroom in the cabin.

The water was warm and welcoming so I stood under the shower letting the smell of tequila and puke wash away. Funny, I didn't remember throwing up last night. In fact, I didn't remember anything that happened after that last shot of tequila. I had never been that wasted ever in my life.

Sighing, I started lathering my hair with shampoo. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, an image fluttered into my mind.

Piercing blue eyes, a sharp jaw dusted with scruff, full sensual lips and a dimpled smile.

My hands froze in my hair as the image fully developed into a devastatingly handsome face.

Jason Perez.

The wind was knocked out of me as bits and pieces of the night came crashing back to me. His arms around me, holding me tight as his mouth moved over mine.

More. I need more of you.

I staggered back and hit the glass wall of the shower. My heart was pounding in my ears and I gulped in some air to calm myself.

Was any of it real? Had I really kissed him?

I started shivering despite the warm water of the shower. I told myself not to panic. For all I knew that could have been a dream. I had been on the ship for two days and if Jason was on it then I would have seen him. I tried to convince myself but my gut told me that it was real and the gut feeling was never wrong.

Finishing quickly, I put on a white towel robe and went to wake up Hal.

He groaned burrowing under the covers. "Go away!"

"Hal. Wake up. I need to ask you something."

"What?" He croaked poking his head out.

"What happened last night?"

"Couldn't you wait to ask me that when I woke up?" He sighed rubbing his eyes and yawning widely. "You got so wasted I had to carry you to bed."

"That's all?" So it was a dream. Relief washed over me and I let out the breath I was holding.

"Oh and you disappeared for a while with some dude."

I almost choked on the air. "What?"

"I didn't notice you gone until I saw you both walking back into the club." Hal looked guilty. "I'm sorry. I should have kept a close eye on you."

I was staring at him with a stricken look on my face and he quickly sat up, looking worried. "You look pale. Did something happen?"

"No, no." I groaned sinking on to the bed. "What the hell was I thinking?" But even I asked that I knew I hadn't been thinking at all the previous night. Wrapping my arms around me, I started rocking back and forth as I tried to get the panic under control.

"Hey, breathe." Hal grabbed my shoulder and made me sit still. "What happened last night? Did he do something to you?"

"I don't remember anything that happened...after I kissed him."

His mouth fell open. "You kissed him?"

I groaned burying my face in my hands. "Oh, god, what am I going to do?"

"Give me a sec. I'm still trying to process the fact that you kissed a stranger. Was he hot at least? I didn't get to see his face clearly."

Peeling my hands off my face, I shot him a look of disbelief. "It's not funny, Hal. I was so wasted I can't even remember what followed afterwards. What if it wasn't just a kiss?"

"You'd have to ask him to make sure. Would you be able to recognize him again if you saw him?"

I opened my mouth to tell him it was Jason but thought better of it. Hal would make a huge deal out of it. Jason was one of the most famous people in the country, not only because he was among wealthiest men in the world but also because of his unbelievably good looks. His picture was regularly splashed in the gossip columns since his name was always linked to famous actresses and models.

And Hal read magazines religiously so he knew more about Jason than I actually did. If I told him Jason was the mystery man I kissed, he would freak out.

Hal knew about my past, that I had a boyfriend in high school but I didn't tell him Jason's last name. So, he had no idea that my exboyfriend and Jason Perez were the same man.

"Yeah." I mumbled out feeling like a lousy friend. I should tell him instead of keeping him in the dark. He would flip out for sure so I decided to do it later.

For now, I had more important things to worry about. Like how I was going to face Jason after what happened. What must he think of me? I hadn't seen him in 6 years and the first time I see him I put my moves on him. I cringed in embarrassment. I was even afraid to step out of the cabin for fear of bumping into him.

By noon, I knew I couldn't hide any longer. I wasn't a coward. I was going to face this like a mature adult and talk to Jason and apologize. My mind made up I, followed Hal to lunch. I didn't see Jason anywhere and to be honest, I was actually relieved.

The ship was ported at St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles and we went on a shore excursion with a tour guide. The beautiful scenery of the island made me forget all about Jason and my mood brightened up considerably.

During the excursion, a tall handsome guy approached us and struck up a conversation with Hal. His name was Andy and he was also a guest on the cruise ship. He seemed pretty taken with Hal and from the way Hal flirted back, I could tell he was interested too.

I urged Hal to spend some alone time with Andy that night but he was reluctant.

"I don't want to leave you alone. What will you do?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Hal, I won't die if I spend an evening by myself."

Finally, he agreed and called Andy to make plans for dinner. Instead of staying on the ship, he wanted to take Andy out to a restaurant on the island.

After he left, I took my phone and checked if there were any messages from Peter. There were none and I tried to squish the disappointment. He had warned me that the cell phone reception at the camping area didn't work most of the times. That was probably why I hadn't heard from him since he left for the camping trip two days ago.

Because I was missing him, I spent the next few minutes scrolling through my phone gallery, looking at pictures of us. Pausing at one particular picture, I studied it.

Peter had one arm wrapped around my shoulders as he smiled at the camera. He was boyishly handsome with short blond hair and light brown eyes. We both looked so happy in the picture and suddenly guilt prickled my conscience.

I didn't know how he was going to react when I told him about my drunken kiss with Jason. I wasn't going to hide it. It was only fair to tell him. But I couldn't stop the dread that filled me.

Not wanting to stay in the cabin and worry about something I couldn't change, I got dressed and went to the main restaurant for dinner. I was a nervous all through the eight-course buffet meal, for fear of running into Jason again. But there was no sight of him.

After dinner, I headed up to deck 9 where a star gazing session was taking place. State of the art telescopes were lined up and guests were being assisted by crew members.

As soon as I stepped on to the deck I was offered a glass of champagne by a uniformed server. I accepted the glass and took a sip. I had drunk more alcohol in the last three days than I had ever done in my 24 years.

"Hello, Kate."

I turned around and a surprised smile flashed on my face when I saw the man who had walked up to me. "Nathan." I exclaimed, the surprise evident in my voice.

His dark brown hair was longer than I remembered and slightly tinged with blond streaks. Like Jason, he had perfect features. Strong jaw, high cheek bones and long lashes, the kind most women would kill for. Swirls of black ink peeked out from under the collar of his shirt.

He hugged me lightly and I grinned into his steel grey eyes. "What a pleasant surprise. It's been so long."

Nathan and I had been friends even after my break up with Jason. After high school, all of us had moved to different places and I lost contact with him but he was frequently in the news and on magazines so at least I knew he was doing well.

"Too long." He nodded and then flashed a smile. "It's good to see you, Kate."

"You too. Are you here on vacation?"

"Business." He grinned and offered me an arm. I took it and let him lead me to a table.

"I hear congratulations are in order." He said as we sat down.

I gave him a confused look.

"Jason told me you are engaged."

"Oh. Thank you." What else did Jason tell him? "Um. Is he here?" Sudden panic engulfed me. I didn't want to face Jason. At least not yet. I wasn't ready.

Nathan was trying not to smile. I was sure of it.

"He left early this morning."

"Oh." I said lamely and then blushed when I saw the amusement in his eyes. "I mean I was hoping to talk to him." Shit. Why did I tell him that?

"I'm sure he would love that." Nathan grinned now, a dimple flashing in his cheek. Seeing my flustered expression, he changed the subject. "Where is your friend?"

I wondered how he knew about Hal. He must have seen us together. "Hal is on a date tonight. I had to force him to go because he feels guilty leaving me alone."

"Then how about I take you out to dinner tomorrow and give him another chance to be alone with his date? We will be arriving at Castries, St. Lucia by tomorrow evening."

"That would be lovely."

"Great. I'll come by your cabin at, say about 7?"

I nodded with a smile. "Sure. Sounds good."

Suddenly a woman dressed in a smart suit stopped at our table. From her attire, I knew she was a staff. She handed Nathan a white envelope.

"The penthouse spa suite?" He asked taking it from her.

"Yes, sir."

He nodded and the woman walked away after sending a polite smile my way.

"Here." Nathan handed me the envelope. "Compliments of the owner." That secret smile was playing on his lips.

"What is it?" I was puzzled as I opened the envelope and then my confusion was replaced by shock. The letter inside was on behalf of the management of the cruise liner and addressed to Hal and I. It said that our cabin had been upgraded to the penthouse spa suite for the rest of our stay with full board complimentary.

And finally it clicked. "You're the owner, aren't you?"

"For now." He said simply.

"This is very sweet but..."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "I hope you're not thinking of refusing."

I knew it would be useless to even try. "I would have to be crazy to refuse." I said teasingly. "This is incredible. You're very kind. Thank you."

"So formal." He grinned shaking his head. "It's my pleasure, Kate." He glanced distractedly at his watch then stood up. "I have to go now. Let the reception know when you want to move your stuff, alright? A personal butler comes with the suite so if you have anything you can just tell him and he'll make it happen."

He left after a quick friendly hug and telling me he would see me the next day. I watched him leave with a smile on my face. It was really good to see him again. I had always liked Nathan and considered him a friend even though we hadn't been in contact for years. It would be nice to catch up with him.

❦ ❦ ❦

"He is just a friend, Hal. Don't get too excited."

"You're going out with the Nathaniel Hyde. I have every right to be excited." Hal couldn't keep the smile off his face. "And besides, he upgraded us to this amazing suite. If he considered you as just a friend, I doubt he would have done that."

I sighed in exasperation as I slipped on my converse. I was keeping it simple with a white short dress and a denim jacket. "For the hundredth time, he doesn't think of me that way. We went to high school together and we were friends even then."

"That's the thing. You never told me you went to high school with him. What other important information are you keeping from me?"

"I don't see how that is important news." I rolled my eyes even as I wondered how he would react when he found out about Jason.

Just then there was a knock on the door. "That must be him. Can you let him in on your way out? Tell him to give me two minutes." I said hurriedly rummaging through my make-up bag for a lipstick.

"Sure. Have a great time. And be ready to dish out all the details when you get back." He grinned and with a wave left. He was heading out to dinner with Andy. I heard muted voices from outside the room as he let Nathan in.

I took one last look at myself from the mirror. With my hair loose and make-up minimum, I looked good for a casual night out with a friend.

Satisfied, I took my purse and walked out of the bedroom. "I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. I..." My voice trailed off and my breath caught in my throat when I saw the man lazily leaning against front door of the suite.

Jason Perez.

I blinked, for a moment thinking I was dreaming. But then he pushed off the door and straightened up, all six feet plus of glorious male. The shock of seeing him so unexpectedly rendered me speechless and all I could do was stare at him.

I had seen him the previous night but I was so wasted I couldn't remember most of it but now seeing him felt too real. My eyes roamed over him helplessly.

Dressed casually in tailored white shirt and black slacks, he looked effortlessly sexy and elegant. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbow revealing tanned arms and the fabric strained against his biceps. His brown hair was cut short on the sides and slightly longer on the top, styled carelessly as if he had run his fingers through it several times. The slight scruff covering his jaw gave him a rough edge, an added bonus to his masculine appeal.

Gorgeous. That was the only word that came to my mind. Thought it was far too weak a word to describe him. I didn't think there was a word that could do justice to his unbelievable looks.

My eyes fell to his mouth. The mouth I remembered too well. And as I stared transfixed, those full pink lips curled up into a sexy smirk.

"Do I meet your approval?" The amusement was clear in his voice and that was enough to bring me back to reality. I didn't know how long I had been gawking at him and I felt a hot flush rising in my cheeks.

Shaking myself out of the shock I was in, I finally managed to find my voice. "What...what are you doing here?"

His blue eyes roamed over my body lazily and then held my gaze before flashing me his lethal smile. The one that could melt the panties off any woman. The one I used to be so much in love with. "Taking you to dinner, of course."