that’s a yes?”
“Does it matter?”
“I like to know where I stand.”
“Yes, I’m seeing someone, but it might not last.”
“And you’re on this cruise to get away from him and think over your relationship?”
“Something like that. Why are you so curious?”
“A man likes to know if he has any competition.”
Noreen bit into her fried plantain.
“So where are you from?”
“North Carolina,” she said, thankful for a safe topic.
Michael shook his head. “That explains the Southern charm, but not the accent.”
“I’m originally from Boston,” Noreen said, feeling a slight blush.
“That explains it. So what do you do in North Carolina?”
Noreen cleared her throat. “I’m in antiques,” she said, vaguely wishing she’d paid more attention to what her sister did. “I’m really not very interesting. What about you? You don’t usually see a good-looking, wealthy man all alone on a cruise ship.”
“So you noticed?”
“That you’re good-looking?”
Michael’s mouth quirked with humor. “No, that I’m wealthy.”
Noreen threw her hands up and laughed. “Okay, so you caught me. I noticed you on the first day and I was impressed.”
“So impressed you’ll have dinner with me tonight?” When she hesitated he said, “Please, I don’t want to eat by myself.”
“How about the people assigned to your table?”
He sent her a look of horror. “Have you met them?”
“They can’t be worse than mine.”
“I have two older women who are convinced I am the spitting image of their dead brother, Lenny.”
“I have a couple of newlyweds.”
He nodded. “That can be annoying, but that’s not too bad.”
“The newlywed husband slipped me his number.”
Michael narrowed his eyes and pointed a warningfinger at her. “I swear if you make me laugh again I’ll strangle you.”
“Okay, then I won’t tell you about Bertram.”
He shook his head. “I’m scared to ask.”
Noreen opened her mouth then closed it. “I’ll wait until you’re feeling better.”
“Does that mean you’ll have dinner with me?”
Noreen lifted her hand to adjust her glasses then remembered she wasn’t wearing them because she was Arlene. She looked over at Michael and couldn’t deny the electric thrill of attraction. She liked him.
He was everything her ex wasn’t. He smiled easily and she could make him laugh and he appreciated her. He had a calm, steadying presence. They were alike in many ways except, of course, he was attracted to Arlene, like most men were. But that was okay. He was a big improvement over Clyde. And why shouldn’t she have some fun pretending to be her sister?
A man like Michael would never look at Noreen. But right now she wasn’t Noreen and being with him would certainly get her creative juices flowing again. He would be her Muse—from his beautiful hazel eyes to his well-made body. More than once she’d imagined crawling in bed with him. The trip was definitely starting to have its benefits.
Noreen finished her lunch then walked over to one of the large windows. She raised her arms over her head in a way she’d seen her sister do many times and got the desired response—Michael’s gaze fell to her chest. “You know, the weather is great today. How would you like to sit out on the deck after lunch?” She let her arms fall.“Get some sun.” When he didn’t respond, she snapped her fingers. “Michael?”
He lifted his eyes to her face. “Huh?”
She stifled a grin. “The deck? Would you like to go out on the deck after lunch?”
“Only if you say yes to dinner.”
Noreen raised an eyebrow and sent him a coy smile, seeing the gleam of interest in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re only asking me to dinner?”
He flashed a devastating grin. “We’ll talk about dessert later.”
Chapter Six
T hat evening Michael wasn’t smiling. He sat in his stateroom as he buttoned his newly pressed white shirt for dinner and frowned at his cell phone,
“Does it matter?”
“I like to know where I stand.”
“Yes, I’m seeing someone, but it might not last.”
“And you’re on this cruise to get away from him and think over your relationship?”
“Something like that. Why are you so curious?”
“A man likes to know if he has any competition.”
Noreen bit into her fried plantain.
“So where are you from?”
“North Carolina,” she said, thankful for a safe topic.
Michael shook his head. “That explains the Southern charm, but not the accent.”
“I’m originally from Boston,” Noreen said, feeling a slight blush.
“That explains it. So what do you do in North Carolina?”
Noreen cleared her throat. “I’m in antiques,” she said, vaguely wishing she’d paid more attention to what her sister did. “I’m really not very interesting. What about you? You don’t usually see a good-looking, wealthy man all alone on a cruise ship.”
“So you noticed?”
“That you’re good-looking?”
Michael’s mouth quirked with humor. “No, that I’m wealthy.”
Noreen threw her hands up and laughed. “Okay, so you caught me. I noticed you on the first day and I was impressed.”
“So impressed you’ll have dinner with me tonight?” When she hesitated he said, “Please, I don’t want to eat by myself.”
“How about the people assigned to your table?”
He sent her a look of horror. “Have you met them?”
“They can’t be worse than mine.”
“I have two older women who are convinced I am the spitting image of their dead brother, Lenny.”
“I have a couple of newlyweds.”
He nodded. “That can be annoying, but that’s not too bad.”
“The newlywed husband slipped me his number.”
Michael narrowed his eyes and pointed a warningfinger at her. “I swear if you make me laugh again I’ll strangle you.”
“Okay, then I won’t tell you about Bertram.”
He shook his head. “I’m scared to ask.”
Noreen opened her mouth then closed it. “I’ll wait until you’re feeling better.”
“Does that mean you’ll have dinner with me?”
Noreen lifted her hand to adjust her glasses then remembered she wasn’t wearing them because she was Arlene. She looked over at Michael and couldn’t deny the electric thrill of attraction. She liked him.
He was everything her ex wasn’t. He smiled easily and she could make him laugh and he appreciated her. He had a calm, steadying presence. They were alike in many ways except, of course, he was attracted to Arlene, like most men were. But that was okay. He was a big improvement over Clyde. And why shouldn’t she have some fun pretending to be her sister?
A man like Michael would never look at Noreen. But right now she wasn’t Noreen and being with him would certainly get her creative juices flowing again. He would be her Muse—from his beautiful hazel eyes to his well-made body. More than once she’d imagined crawling in bed with him. The trip was definitely starting to have its benefits.
Noreen finished her lunch then walked over to one of the large windows. She raised her arms over her head in a way she’d seen her sister do many times and got the desired response—Michael’s gaze fell to her chest. “You know, the weather is great today. How would you like to sit out on the deck after lunch?” She let her arms fall.“Get some sun.” When he didn’t respond, she snapped her fingers. “Michael?”
He lifted his eyes to her face. “Huh?”
She stifled a grin. “The deck? Would you like to go out on the deck after lunch?”
“Only if you say yes to dinner.”
Noreen raised an eyebrow and sent him a coy smile, seeing the gleam of interest in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re only asking me to dinner?”
He flashed a devastating grin. “We’ll talk about dessert later.”
Chapter Six
T hat evening Michael wasn’t smiling. He sat in his stateroom as he buttoned his newly pressed white shirt for dinner and frowned at his cell phone,
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