He undresses to his briefs and then goes into the bathroom. He washes his hands and then I hear him brush his teeth. He then comes and climbs into bed next to me.
We lay in silence for a long time.
Finally, he breaks it. “Why were you crying?”
I frown over at him in the darkness.
He lies on his side facing me and fiddles with the blanket. “When you came out of the nightclub onto the back dock… why were you crying?”
I hesitate before I answer. “I didn’t like the song they were playing,” I whisper into the darkness.
He doesn’t question my lie and I don’t elaborate.
Mac is reading on the bed while I sit at the desk. We haven’t spoken. I mean, what could we possibly have to say to each other? Unfortunately for me, there has been a weird development. An elephant has moved into the room. He’s big and pink and smells a lot like sexual chemistry. It’s not. I know it’s not. It couldn’t possibly be, but when he looks at me, for some reason, my stupid heart races.
Can he feel it?
Can he feel the way my body is reacting to his? It’s bloody uncomfortable, especially in this situation. I mean we are sleeping in the same bed. The worse thing of all is that I am finding myself wanting to make conversation. Even though I know it’s because there is nobody else and it is just human nature to want to communicate, it’s unsettling.
“I’m going to sleep,” he announces before standing. He slowly takes his t-shirt over his head. Instinctively, my eyes drop down his torso before I catch myself and look away. The heat of his gaze penetrates the air and I look up to find his dark eyes fixed on mine.
The electricity zaps between us and my heart starts to thump in my chest. He clenches his fists as they hang down by his sides as if trying to control himself. Air… there is no bloody air in here. For a long time, in the silence, our eyes stay firmly locked.
He’s just so…. masculine.
I can’t believe this.
What a nightmare. This whole situation disgusts me. I walk into the bathroom and get into the shower as I try to calm my anxiety.
I don’t need this shit.
* * *
I pace back and forth in the room that has been my prison for the last four days. He locks the door behind him in the morning and doesn’t come back until late at night, only returning to bring me food. My only solace is that he doesn’t touch me when he returns. It’s a toxic environment and I am quite sure if I stay here for another twenty-four days I will go insane. The more I think about it, and I have thought about it a lot, the more I know I need to try and call someone for help. I witnessed a murder and there is no way in hell they are going to let me walk away from all of this. I’m a witness who is still alive and that makes me a massive threat. Perhaps they are going to push me overboard after they have had their fun… nobody would ever know.
The perfect crime.
My mind goes to Melissa and Todd. I’m positive that they are aware I’m missing by now and it boils my blood to think that they know that I know what assholes they both are. I bet they think I’m lying in a hotel broken hearted somewhere on the verge of suicide.
Stupid fucks.
I’m furious, not heart broken. I couldn’t care less about the two of them.
I suppose that’s probably the only good thing that has come of all this. I’ve gained a new perspective on life.
People who fuck you over are just not worth it.
I’m done with being a doormat. I’m done with fake friendships and sleazy boyfriends whose brains are in their dicks. When I get off this ship, I am going to kick some serious ass, and Todd and Melissa are at the top of my fucking list.
First, I need to think of a way to get to the control tower. Leaving this room unnoticed isn’t going to be easy. I’ve debated every escape plan possible and all of them seem too risky. I’m not sure how much of a risk anything is, though, as I seem to have lost all perspective on this situation.
I hear the key turn in the lock, the door opens, and he appears. Having just finished working for the day, his hair is messed up and he has what looks like engine grease on his face.
I frown when I see him. He doesn’t normally look like this when he gets home from his day’s work.
“What do you do on this boat?” I ask.
His eyes flick to me in surprise that I am addressing him. “I’m a Nautical Engineer,” he replies.
My face falls in surprise. Well blow me down. I raise my eyebrows. “You?” I question.
He curls his lip. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I fold my arms in front of me and raise an eyebrow in question. “Nothing.”
His eyes hold mine.
“I just didn’t take you to have much of a brain, that’s all,” I murmur under my breath.
He shakes his head, unimpressed. “I was going to take you to the common room for dinner tonight.” He takes his shirt off over his head and my eyes drop to his large, broad chest. “But seeing that you are being a smart ass, you can stay here alone again.” He disappears into the bathroom and I hear the shower turn on.
He was going to take me out. My mind starts to tick. He was going to take me out. What if I went out with him and somehow slipped away for a minute to call for help? Would that work?
I glance into the bathroom. He’s naked. Nothing new, he has undressed in front of me all week. He begins to rub soap over himself and my eyes flicker up between his legs. Fuck, he’s huge. I’ve never seen a man like this and the more I think about it, the more I seriously doubt he raped me. I would be sore if he had and I’m not.
He looks up and I snap my eyes down to pretend I wasn’t looking and when I slowly glance up, he smiles broadly.
“Like what you see?” he asks.
I look at him, deadpan. “No. Actually, I would like to gouge my eyes out.”
“Why are you looking then?” His soapy hand strokes his dick as he washes it.
“I wasn’t,” I murmur distracted by his hand jerking.
“My cock feels better than it looks.” He smirks as he washes himself.
I swallow the lump of nerves in my throat and my eyes drop to the floor to stop my wayward eyes from watching. I stare at the tiles on the floor for a while as I wait for him. “Where is dinner at?” I ask. I need to be nice and get him to take me out. He is the only person who can get me out of this room unnoticed.
“We have a large dorm and entertainment area at the other end of the boat.”
I frown as I think. “How many people work on this ship?” I ask.
“You’re very chatty tonight,” he replies dryly.
God, too much, too fast. I haven’t talked to him all week and now I’m sucking up. He’s right. I need to calm down and use my head. I stay silent for a while.
“Twenty–four,” he finally replies.
I think for a moment. I can’t actually remember how many men were involved with attacking me the other night and I feel my apprehension rise at just the memory of it. Maybe I should just stay here. I can’t stand the thought of facing them. I stand and then sit back down onto the bed. A few minutes later he walks into the room and drops the towel to dress. His wet curls hang down over his face and his tanned skin has a sheen on it from his shower. He smells like clean soap. Frigging hell.
“Do you have to be naked all the time?” I snap, agitated by his good looks. “I don’t want to see your junk.”
“I’m getting dressed, and for the record, you were just checking out my junk in the shower.”
I screw up my face in horror. “I was not.”
“You were too.”
I narrow my eyes. “Whatever.”
He smirks knowingly and takes out a pair of black tight underpants. I watch in slow motion as he bends and pulls them up his legs and readjusts his dick.
Hmm.
He retrieves his dark jeans and a light blue t-shirt, and after dressing he sits on the bed to put his shoes on. I watch him quietly.
“Do you want to come or not?” he asks.
“Will…” I hesitate.
“Will what?”
“Will they be there?”
He nods as he ties a shoe.
“Oh.” I pause. “Probably not then.”
“They won’t hurt you.” My eyes search his. “I will be there.” He replies.
I stay still, I don’t know if I can honestly make myself leave the room. They terrify me.
He stands. “Okay, suit yourself. Stay here.”
Shit, I need to get to the control tower. I stand abruptly in a panic. “What would I wear?” I stammer in a fluster.
His eyes drop down at my attire of his baggy pajama bottoms and t-shirt. He frowns as if thinking. “Come with me.”
“Where? Where are we going?” I ask as I twist my hands in front of me nervously. “Is this a trick?” I whisper.
He frowns. “A trick for what?”
I swallow the lump in my throat as my eyes flicker to the door. “To hand me over to them?”
He shakes his head, annoyed. “No. If I wanted to hand you over, I would just hand you over.”
My eyes hold his. Why isn’t he handing me over? I don’t understand this at all.
What are his plans for me?
“Coming or not?” he asks again.
Bloody hell, this may be my only chance to get off this ship alive. I nod quickly before I change my mind.
He opens the door and walks out into the corridor and I peer around the door jamb. My heart starts to hammer.
“You coming?” he snaps.