Kenzie felt like her head was about to explode. She sensed soft sheets beneath her frame, and her surroundings had a whiff of sandalwood. She fluttered her eyes open, realizing she was in someone else’s room, a huge and luxurious one at that.
Her nostrils picked up a scent of vanilla bean on her torso. When she sat up, she noticed how her shirt was hugging her loosely.
Then... the shock.
She was in someone else’s clothes. A man’s clothes!
In a split second, Kenzie felt her heart racing as panic struck her. She looked around and assumed the worst.
“Ahhhhh!” She screamed her loudest again and again. “Ahhhh!”
Seconds later, as she continued to scream in hysteria, she heard a loud set of banging against the door, and not a moment too soon, the door broke open with Andrew walking in, half-naked, wearing only his trousers. “What – what’s wrong, Kenzie? What happened?”
After a few more screams, Kenzie replied with tears in her eyes, “Oh, my God! Andrew? I - I lost my virginity and I don’t even know if it was any damn good!”
It took seconds for the words to sink into Andrew's head. "Jesus, you scared the hell out of me."
He placed both his hands behind his head and took a full turn, laughing unrestrained at Kenzie’s predicament. “You are something, alright, just Kenzie. You really are.”
***
“So.” With eyes wide open, Kenzie sipped on a cup of coffee and sighed with relief. “Nothing happened between us?”
“Nothing of that sort happened between us,” Andrew replied, also drinking his hot beverage from across the table. He flashed a killer smile in Kenzie’s way before adding, “By the way, I’m very relieved to know that my wife is still a virgin.”
While feeling her ears burn, Kenzie could not help but drop her mouth at his comments. After shutting them close, her lips twitched before warning, “Don’t be such a pervert – Ah.”
Kenzie massaged her temples, sensing the headache. She gasped and asked, “Um… So what exactly happened? Are you sure you did not take advantage of me?”
Andrew raised his hand and promised, “I swear to the heavens… Nothing happened between us.” Pausing only for a second, he smirked, leaned over, and continued, “Although, I must say, you seemed very disappointed, sweetheart.”
She unknowingly gawked at him for a moment, thinking quietly, ‘Was I disappointed?’ Her eyes landed on his muscled chest, which just happened to flex as soon as she studied his frame. ‘Oh, yeah. Sound the alarm. Damn! He is a work of art.’
Despite the crazy headache, she could still appreciate Andrew’s bodily features.
“Like what you see?” Andrew teased.
‘Oh, my god! Was I staring that long?’ She looked away and suggested, “Get a shirt, Andrew!”
While Andrew went back inside his room, Kenzie tried her best to recall what transpired the night before. She remembered how she had too much to drink and was feeling sick. The bar they were at was full of people, and Kenzie wanted to go back to her room.
She recalled how Andrew offered to bring her to her cabin, but in the end, she was too drunk to make the long stroll to the other side of the vessel.
"Why did I book economy?" She groaned.
The only thing she could remember next was throwing up in Andrew’s bathroom. His suite was much closer to the bar and hence, the reason why they both found their way there.
Returning from his room, already in a white shirt, Andrew offered Kenzie an aspirin. As if he knew what Kenzie was thinking, he explained, “After you threw up in my bathroom, you asked if you could just stay in my bed since they were more comfortable than yours. You were very drunk, and I was exhausted.”
“I honestly did not have the energy to go looking for your room at three in the morning, plus economy rooms are way too far from my suite,” Andrew added. “You feared I would take advantage of you, so you locked yourself in my room.”
Looking at her clothes, he said, “I did not change you so you must have chosen to wear my clothes.” He winked at her and complimented, “You look good in my shirt… better than your red dress.”
Kenzie rolled her eyes before she studied the oversized shirt she was wearing. Thank goodness she wore cycling shorts beneath her dress; otherwise, her underwear was for Andrew to feast on… At least, that was what she was thinking he would do.
“And mind you, I did not even get to wash. Thank you very much for locking the doors of my own room. And FYI, the couch was not as comfortable as my king-size bed,” he revealed. “So you owe me.”
“Oops. Sorry. ” She shrugged and said, “I did not know I had it in me. It was the first time I got drunk. And I don’t owe you anything. You had a beautiful girl sleep in your bed. I’d say you got more than what you bargained for.”
Andrew first squinted at Kenzie’s words, but soon he answered, “Touché.”
The doorbell rang, interrupting the moment between them.
“That must be breakfast,” said Andrew before getting up from his seat.
***
“I’m just a nobody. I’m poor. I am very poor,” Kenzie revealed as she and Andrew were having breakfast.
“I heard you the first time around,” Andrew replied. “You’ve been saying that since last night.”
“Did I?” She asked, frowning.
Andrew nodded and replied, “Yes, like a broken record. It was as if you were scaring me about the hole in your wallet.”
The two ate silently for seconds before Andrew spoke again. “But don’t worry, sweetheart. I don’t care if you are poor or the fact that you are a nobody.” He pointed his fork at her and added, “I like this… Kenzie, nobody.”
'Yes, I'm a nobody... and he said he did not care.' The idea that someone may actually like her without being recognized as her father's daughter was starting to sound appealing to her. With that, Kenzie smiled.
“So… where do you live? I could tell you are American or maybe Canadian,” Andrew probed.
“American. I’m from Brae – Monroe City,” Kenzie said, quickly changing her hometown.
“What do you do for a living?” he inquired.
“Ummm.” There was a hint of hesitation coming from Kenzie. She took a bite on her toast and after chewing it down, she answered, “I’m into music. I – I wanted to be a singer, but… But I wasn’t any good at it so I figured, I’ll just write songs from now on. Hoping I could sell them for a good price or maybe, I could be a producer.”
Silence filled the air, and Kenzie was unsure why. It was as if Andrew did not like her answer.
After some time, Andrew asked, “So you don’t like to be a singer or a star? Because I could help you with that.”
“No.” She said outright. “I’ve already decided, I don’t want the limelight.”
“And as I said, I’m… I’m not good at singing,” she replied. Of course, two weeks ago, her answer would have been different. Thanks to her so-called friends and boyfriend, she easily had a change of heart.
To her surprise, though, she caught Andrew sighing in relief. She heard him say, “Well, I’m glad.”
“Nothing against singers and actresses or models. I have friends who are, and I manage an entertainment company, but I don’t think I’d want to be married to a woman who would constantly go on promotional tours, meet other vultures who prey on beautiful women, does kissing scenes, fake it so they can get what they want, worse, sleep with directors or producers to get on top of the game,” Andrew blurted out. His words clearly held a deeper meaning.
“You know, I know some people who say they were once in love but had to leave their partners for a chance at fame,” he added, speaking slowly this time, his voice sounding deeper.
Kenzie was taken aback. She peered closely at Andrew as he ate. She asked, “Speaking from a personal experience?”
“Sort of. It was a long time ago, though. That’s why I made it a point never to date anyone in the entertainment industry,” he answered.
Kenzie did not know why, but she found herself smiling and said, “Andrew, I’m glad that she left you.”
“I mean, I’m glad you are single.”
“No! I mean, she does not deserve you!”
She cringed and muttered, “Arrgh. I don’t know what I am saying!”
“You mean, you are glad I got dumped so I’m free to marry you,” Andrew swiftly supplemented, smirking while he was at it.
“Yes. No! That’s not what I mean!” Kenzie countered, turning tomato red! Despite trying to take it all back, Andrew was already laughing at her admittance.
“You tricked me, for crying out loud!”
“It’s okay, sweetheart.” He winked and suggested, “I can take a hint.”
"If it makes you feel better, I'm glad that did happen and years passed. Here I am, meeting the woman who turns me on with her every move," Andrew added with a wink.
"Pervert!"
"Haha!"
Looking at herself in the mirror, Kenzie bit her lips before taking a full turn. The dress Andrew had delivered to his suite was exactly who she was. It was a comfortable off-shoulder pink dress and almost hugged her frame. Its flowing skirt reached just an inch above her knees. It was simple yet brings out the beauty in her. Kenzie was willing enough to wear her red dress again and walk to her own cabin, but Andrew insisted that she wore something else. He did not want her to look like; she slept in another man’s room… which really did happen. Except nothing happened. After a knock on the door, she opened it and Andrew took a peek, asking, “Are you ready?” Andrew, wearing a plain white t-shirt that semi-hugged his muscular frame, looked terribly gorgeous and while Kenzie had seen him change into this shirt, she can’t help but complain, ‘How can he looks so good in a simple shirt!’ ‘Good thing I’m also smoking hot. We just… compl
A week before the cruise. "Are you sure we have everything ready, lad?" Andrew asked his assistant as they were picking up their belongings from inside the Starbucks Coffee shop of John F. Kennedy International Airport. From the cafe, the two had reviewed the contract offer to the biggest production that may very well give him the CEO seat of his family's company, the KNW Lifestyle Media. They were planning on getting the rights to the series that had become popular in the US, hoping to bring it to England. The comedy show was called "The Rich Asians." It featured several wealthy Asian families living in the US and their daily lives. The program was sassy, funny, and, surprisingly, included a lot of smart lessons in life. Which was exactly why it was a big hit. The said series was so sensational in the US that Andrew was sure he would make serious money out of it if aired in Europe. "Yes, Sir Andrew. We have it all here." And
Back to the present. “Hungry?” Andrew asked Kenzie as he walked alongside her by the corridors. His black hair was without a style, softly moving freely as they made their way to the restaurant. She smiled with pursed lips, nodding while studying how his shirt loosely hugged his well-shaped body. She pretended to look down at her feet but peered sideways under her lashes, appreciating Andrew's long and masculine legs. They were well hidden beneath his faded jeans. 'Damn.' Andrew was in simple clothes, yet he still managed to be guilty of being an adonis. How cruel was the world to the other men and how lucky was she to be walking with a possible demi-god? He looked too perfect to be human, or so she thought. “ I wasn’t sure if you like fancy restaurants. So I decided we could go to a more comfortable – casual one,” Andrew revealed. It was his way of adjusting to her supposed simple life. “Ummm. Yeah, sure. That would be great.” S
"Oh, my god! Three o'clock. Stalker alert!" Kenzie warned as she pretended to look down at the menu, ready to order for her meal.Earlier, before entering the restaurant, they still found Madelyn waiting for them. They flashed their wedding rings and had to deal with a few nasty exchanges before they went inside to have their dinner.To Kenzie's shock, the brunette took a table not too far from them, clearly observing how they acted together.Andrew just shook his head, saying, "I'm sorry. I'm too gorgeous for my own good. Just ignore her.""Whatever." Kenzie rolled her eyes, but at the same time, she could not agree more. Someone like Andrew probably has more than one stalker in his life.She also had a few, but her father and her brother took care of them."You are just lucky that with the way she judges me with her stares, I want to stay married to you just so she would bleed with envy," she added as she continued to sca
"Are you ready?" Andrew asked, placing a hand behind Kenzie's waist. Kenzie gulped, looking down at the water slide snaking down to the ship's deck. Andrew had convinced her to take the plunge after three days of putting it off. Yes, they have been out in the sea for four full days, and going down the famous slide was one of Andrew's bucket lists for Kenzie. "I can't do this." She shook her head and repeated, "I just can't!" "Oh, come on, Kenzie. Live a little," Andrew urged. She found herself looking at the deep blue ocean and added, "Andrew, I am definitely in for living a little, but this is just not what I expected. I can see the ocean from here, Andrew! I can't do this!" From behind her, Andrew chuckled and said, "Sweetheart, you aren't jumping into the ocean. You'll just land in the landing pod below, right on the ship's deck. Trust me when I say you aren't escaping me that easily. Now, go on. I'll follow."
Andrew's light brown eyes were staring at Kenzie adoringly as they stand by the vessel's bow. His hands gently caressed her face while slowly leaning closer. Kenzie felt her heart going wild, just gawking at Andrew's athletic face. She gulped, realizing what was about to happen. Seconds apart, Kenzie closed her eyes, anticipating their second, yet their very first, meaningful kiss. Just as she was inches away from Andrew's lips, a loud banging awoke her from her dream. Kenzie groaned as she awakened, frowning at the realization that her special kiss, even in a dream, had just been interrupted by the very same man. "Kenzie, sweetheart. Time to wake up!" She heard Andrew banging at the door of his bedroom suite. "Damn, you Andrew. I can't believe I dreamed of him kissing me," she muttered under her breath. Her mouth twitched before adding, "And I was looking forward to it." She could only keep
Kenzie should have seen the signs. It was right in front of her ever since. From Andrew's suite, she was leaning against the balcony railings, watching the endless waters, when she recalled how she often met new acquaintances, especially girls. "So, you are Kenzie, right? Kyle's brother?" "Kenzie, we've been friends for some time now. Are we ever going to meet your brother?" "What's it like to be you? Did I mention your brother is so hot!" It was... mostly about Kyle, really. They wanted to be friends with her because they wanted to have a chance with her twin brother. Kenzie, at least, had a few honest approaches. She remembered Kennedy, who was probably one that she considered a good friend. Back then, when she met her at her father's office, Kennedy said, "So, my dad said, since your dad and my dad are working together on a project, we should be like... friends." Kenzie and Kennedy still hit it off, only th
"Sir? What can I do for you?" Passed midnight, Andrew made a phone call to his assistant, Wendell Reyes. "Wendell, I need you to do a background check on someone for me. Kenzie Wright of Monroe City in the US. I sent you the details in the email. I need to know everything about her. Your life depends on it," Andrew directed while trying to keep his voice down. "Well, since you put it that way, Sir. I will do as you say. I'll check with our resources and let you know soon," Wendell replied. Andrew did not want to have to find out this way. He earnestly preferred to hear everything from Kenzie, but he felt strong walls guarding her when it came to her background. For the life of him, he could not fathom it.Most girls in her shoes would have already given him their life's story, but not Kenzie. A week had passed, and she remained a mystery to him. Andrew could only hold on to her name. Thus, he just had to know more. "Wait