her meagre reserve of resolve, she placed a tentative hand on his chest. ‘A lot.’
He caressed her cheek softly, lingering for an exquisite moment. ‘Then where do we go from here?’
Damned if she knew.
After Zac had walked Lana back to her cabin, he headed for the place he did his best thinking: the bridge.
Ever since he’d joined the fleet as a young, eager sailor he’d loved this control centre of a ship, the hub that drove these monstrous vessels. He loved the quiet efficiency of the staff going about their business, he loved the view, and—like any guy—he loved the gadgets. Hundreds of them, that beeped and lit up and made his fingers itch to touch them.
He usually popped up here on the pretext of consulting with the Captain over something, when in reality he loved the buzz, the feeling of control. He now owned this baby, and the decisions he made could drive her and the rest of the fleet further than the company had ever been before.
Ironic, considering he had no control over his situation with Lana. Or, more precisely, control over his burgeoning feelings.
He couldn’t believe what she’d just told him. Sure, he’d caught the odd gleam in her eyes that said she was thawing towards him in the attraction stakes—not to mention her genuine responses to his kisses—but to say she was emotionally involved?
Hell. It blew him away.
It was exactly what he wanted—what he’d hoped for to lead into a full-blown long-distance relationship, whatever that might entail.
The kicker was she’d given him the perfect opportunity to say he was emotionally involved too, but he’d held back.
For, no matter how long he stewed over this, hashing out scenarios, it all came back to Uncle Jimmy and the fact he couldn’t let him down—couldn’t let the man who’d given him everything die alone.
Which meant he’d be on the other side of the world for a year, a whole three hundred and sixty-five days, and he’d be damned if he expected her to wait for him for that length of time. She deserved more.
Besides, he’d travelled down this road before, with Magda waiting at home for him, and it had killed his marriage. She’d changed while he’d been away, irrevocably, and there’d been no going back.
But Lana wasn’t Magda, and he owed it to her—to himself—to let her make the decision.
Rubbing a hand across the back of his neck, he sank into the nearest chair, leaned back and focussed on the control panel in front of him.
He had to give her the option—had to know he’d tried his damnedest to make it work with this quick-witted, infuriatingly shy, naturally beautiful woman. She was worth it—every unaffected inch of her.
He just hoped she cared enough to take the risk.
FEELING like a pawn in a romantic game of her own making, the last thing Lana wanted to do several mornings later was play chess, but she had a game scheduled with Mavis and she hated to let her down.
She plopped into a comfy armchair and ordered a double espresso from a waiter, hoping the after-affects of yet another sleepless night didn’t show. She’d had to use concealer to hide the dark rings under her eyes for the first time ever. Beth would be proud she even knew what the stuff was for.
‘Guess what arrived at my door this morning?’
Lana screwed her eyes tight, pretending to think. ‘Let me guess. One of those dance hosts you’re so fond of?’
Mavis roared with laughter. ‘Bad girl. Next best thing, though: an invitation to the Captain’s cocktail party tonight. I’m sure there’ll be a few eligible men there to bat my eyelashes at.’
‘You’re supposed to be setting me a good example.’
‘Hah!’ Mavis snorted. ‘I think it’s too late for you, my girl. You don’t need any lessons, if that happy glow is any indication. I take it your tour went well the other day?’
The tour? It seemed like a lifetime ago, considering what had happened since. The chat they’d had the night the ship had left Suva had been replayed at will, over and over, till she wondered if she was going crazy. Luckily Zac had been tied up with work since, and she’d barely seen him. Maybe telling him she felt emotionally involved with him had been a good thing? Perhaps it had driven him away once and for all?
Indecision tore at her. She wanted to tell her friend everything, but was still trying to understand it herself, so she gave her a brief version of events instead. Mavis nodded in all the right spots, waiting till she’d finished.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
