Chapter 3 Don't Be A Stranger

• People greeted him while some waved at him. But instead of going into the VIP lounge or saying hello to the people who were greeting him, Gabriel abruptly turned his way towards us.
• Each step he was making was effortless and deliberate. People near the path to the staircase instinctively stepped back, giving him space.
• “Phoebe,” I whispered with a hint of amusement. “He's approaching.”
• “Just act natural,” Phoebe hissed. "Don't look like a scared rabbit."
• Act natural? I was dressed in a big sweater that hung off my shoulder, holding a cheap duffle bag, with bloodshot eyes after crying about the betrayal of my cheating ex-boyfriend. I seemed to be some kind of alien among all these stylish and wealthy people.
• Gabriel stopped in front of us, only two feet away. Up close, his presence was dominating. The light fragrance of cedarwood, dark amber, and fresh sea salt was mixing with the smell of cocktails in the air.
• "Phoebe," Gabriel said, his voice vibrating over the bass of the speakers. "Julian told me you were late."
• "Well, you know my punctuality," Phoebe grinned easily, raising her chin. "Besides, I had to convince my best friend to join us."
• A faint, wicked smirk appeared on Gabriel’s lips. Slowly and intentionally, he turned his attention towards me.
• His glance traveled slowly, starting from the neckline of my sweater exposing my collarbone to the white-knuckled grip on the duffle bag and finally to my eyes. The pure admiration flashed in his eyes.
• “And who is your friend?” He asked, lowering his voice to the rich and velvet baritone. "Believe me, but I know that I haven’t seen you anywhere near campus parties."
• The flirtatious note in his voice was shameless and bold, making the heat rise up in my spine. Clearing my throat, I forced myself to look back into his eyes. "I don't usually attend campus parties," I admitted. "And get on boats."
• "Is that so?" He tilted his head and took a step forward, reducing the distance between us. "What a pity. You look amazing in my deck lights, though…" His glance lowered down to my sweater with an amused glimmer. "…you look overdressed for a party of this particular reputation."
• I felt my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I was told that comfort is an option."
• He chuckled, his deep and husky voice having an effect on my stomach, which was totally unnecessary. "Everything is an option on this ship, sweetheart…”
• I blushed at him calling me sweetheart, I had been called that many times by even random people but I never blushed!
• His eyes dimmed when he saw the blush on my cheek.
• He leaned in slightly, putting his head a little lower and stopping at a few inches from my ear, his warm breath tickling the tender skin of my neck. "And if you need a private tour of the ship, which you surely will, remember to reach for me, I am only a touch away.”
• A touch?
• Gabriel straightened back—taking away his sweet scent from me—his eyes holding a dangerous glint of amusement. Gabriel raised his flute and gently tapped it against my glass, creating a gentle tinkling sound.
• "Have a great weekend, Lucy. Don't be a stranger."
• Giving me a slow wink and setting my pulse on fire, Gabriel turned and moved away towards the glass doors of the upper deck, leaving me on the teak deck with my pounding heart.
• Phoebe wasted no time after Gabriel was out of our sight, practically ripping me out of the door to the VIP cabins, dragging me through plush carpeted hallways toward the luxurious cabins for hire.
• "Did you see the way he looked at you?" she hissed, still speaking quickly, her words barely coherent. "Gabriel Vance doesn't walk across the deck just to greet guests, Lucy. He looked at you as if he was about to devour you whole."
• "That was a typical greeting for such an arrogant and flirtatious host," I muttered, depositing my duffle bag next to the king-sized bed. I was still shaking slightly and my skin was tingling where he blew those words in my face.
• "Right, and I'm the Queen of England," Phoebe scoffed, tossing off her sneakers. "Strips off now! We have only ten minutes before the anchor is down and the real party starts!"
• The stateroom we were staying in was absolutely ridiculous.
• Besides panoramic views of the ocean, the room featured marble bathroom and an entire minibar stocked with all sorts of beverages. But there was no time to admire the luxurious interior. Phoebe was already going through her bags, rummaging inside and producing those scraps of material which I still failed to understand the purpose of.
• Before I managed to decline the offer, she held out a neon-red string bikini in front of my face.
• "Put it on," she instructed, throwing the garment at me and daring me to refuse.
• "All right," I sighed, taking it. "I need to forget that my heart just got broken.” I looked down at the sheer strips of crimson material. Taking a deep breath, I went to the en-suite bathroom, locked the door and started getting undressed from my oversized sweater and denim shorts.
• Tying red strings behind my neck and around my waist, I looked into the mirror and nearly didn't recognize the girl staring back.
• The top of the bikini left virtually nothing to the imagination, doing little except framing the shape of my breast. The high-waisted bikini bottom emphasized the shape of my hips and the curve of my lower back. Being undeniably bustier than Phoebe, the material of the garment barely managed to contain me, leaving practically everything to the imagination. My skin looked flushed, glinting in the light of the vanity lamp.
• When I walked out of the bathroom, Phoebe whistled appreciatively.
• "Liam is an absolute fool," she declared, straightening the straps of her metallic two-piece and handing me a sheer black chiffon sarong to tie around my waist. "You look absolutely dangerous. Now let's go and make some bad choices!"
• By the time we got out on the deck, the ship was already leaving the port. There was endless ocean surrounding us, but onboard, the atmosphere had become absolutely insane.
• The salty air stuck to my skin like a second sticky layer as I walked on the wooden deck of the dock. The Assy Serena was beautiful at this time of night, a huge white beast that would be our prison and our playground for the next three days.
• The engines roared at a low level, transmitting a vibration to my soles. They guaranteed that kind of movement which almost always preceded a storm, but this was not a weather system approaching us, it was the Orgasm Party.
• I pulled my bikini straps to make sure that they were tight enough, feeling how the bright material dug into my skin slightly. This is the only clothing I wore, apart from the shine of suntan oil and excitement. All around, the dock started to turn into a chaotic ocean of people. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon, and the sky was in the purple twilight state, while the party lamps on the dock flickered and started to cast long, random shadows.
• There was Gabriel somewhere among the crowd with a glass or a woman.
• Or like Phoebe had said, he wasn’t here at all.