CRUISE TO ROMANCE by Toby Poznanski Read Free Book Online

a bottle, she
headed for the balcony where her breakfast waited.  Sighing with relief, she
took the aspirin and sipped some orange juice.  Coffee.  She wanted—no—needed,
coffee.  Her hand trembled as she began pouring the fragrant coffee into a
white porcelain cup.  Coffee had never tasted so good.
    Ah, relief!  She leaned back into
the lounge chair and stretched, feeling the warm morning sun shining on her
delicate skin.  Looking down at her body, she frowned.  Good grief!  What was
she doing still lying here on the balcony in her delicate chemise?  After one
night with a man and one long, one very long, good night kiss, she was coming
completely unglued.
    This would never do, she scolded
herself, it would never, never do.  But she didn’t get up to find her robe. 
Instead she sipped her coffee and wondered at her madness.  Did she really lose
her self-control the instant his mouth met hers or was it the romantic island
music that hypnotized her?  Did her body really crave his touch or was it the
romantic dancing that lured her into believing she needed his touch as much as
she needed her next breath?  Had she lost control in his arms because of his
overwhelming masculinity or because she had one margarita too many?  Were his
kisses as tender as she remembered or was she deluding herself?
    Even though she was still a
virgin, she certainly didn’t feel like one now.  Last night every part of her
had burned for him.  There was no getting around it.  With him, she was easy. 
Margaritas or no Margaritas, she had wanted him, pure and simple.  She still
did and that bothered her immensely.  What had happened to her independent, “I
don’t need any man” streak?  She was just an easy conquest for him, Mr.
Gorgeous, Mr. Sophisticated Man-of-the-World.  He was probably laughing his
head off this morning, telling his friends about the accommodating little cook
with the big appetite.
    Then too, she was peeved at
Sheila.  Why didn’t Sheila tell her that Ryan Treymont would be at dinner?  Was
she hiding the fact so that she could have him all to herself or did she really
not know the name of Mike’s brother?  If she was keeping his identity secret,
why was Sheila so set on having Jennifer join her at dinner?  Thankfully Sheila
didn’t know the man Jennifer was supposed to meet was Ryan.  That was one
secret she intended to keep.
    “Jennifer, what in the world are
you doing?”  Sheila’s voice broke through Jennifer’s reverie.
    “I’m in a snit and it’s a really
good one, so leave me be,” Jennifer’s petulant voice warned.
    “You’re practically naked.”
    “So?”
    “So, how is breakfast?”  Sheila
asked, holding back a laugh.
    “You’re late.”  Jennifer looked
up at Sheila’s smiling face.  “I guess you could have a pastry, if you want.”
    Sheila lowered herself into a
chair and reached for a cherry Danish.  “Thanks.  Care to tell me about it? 
What did Mr. Gorgeous do to get you into this really good snit?”
    “It’s not him, Sheila.  He was
wonderful.  It’s me.”  She sighed.  “I’m easy.”
    “As in horizontally accessible?”
    “Humph.  Very funny,” she
sniffed.
    “Oh, sweetie, don’t think that. 
It’s just chemistry.  It hummed around the two of you at the table all through
dinner.  I was sure the table would go up any minute in flames.”
    “Really?”
    “Really.”  Sheila stood up and
went back into the cabin, returning with Jennifer’s robe.  “Here, Jenn.  Put
this on before you burn.”
    Jennifer ignored the robe and
looked up at Sheila.  “Why didn’t you tell me that Ryan would be at dinner? 
That seems like a rather large omission for a friend to make.”
    “Because I didn’t want to spoil
your evening with a man you wanted to be with.  I thought you had found a man
that you really liked and I wanted you to enjoy yourself.  It seems to me your
life has been short on fun since you came to Ft. Lauderdale.”