Roman was telling the truth when he said he was on that cruise for a job. He was 26 years old, single, and prefers women who are older than him. When he spotted Olivia by the side of the pool, his mind was fixed on her. She's beautiful. He couldn't get her off his head.
When he said he wasn't following her, he was lying. The first thing he did after the initial sighting from the upper deck was to find out who the strikingly attractive woman in blue whose eyes have met him and send shivers down his spine.
Adele Leighton, suite 401, staying alone, and nothing more. He had to conjure up his own theory based on that limited information. Suite 401 was a confirmation that she was a lady of leisure, only those who come from a certain social class can afford that cabin if it can be called a cabin at all. It resembles a Presidential Suite in a New York fancy apartment.
She was alone, which ignited many speculations in him. But he was much too intrigued to make his own assumption so he took the courage to approach her at dinner that night. She wasn't interested, which made it even more challenging for him, she was not a lonely rich woman looking for a boy toy. Now he had to pursue her.
The next morning he was out with his camera knowing she will be having breakfast and continue her day to look for dolphins. With his wits and charms, he found out her itinerary for that morning through the front desk, claiming he needed to interview her for the company profile.
He took candid pictures of her at the dining table enjoying her fruit salad, a piece of toast and smoked salmon with cheese, and a good cup of hot coffee. He zoomed in her lips as she devoured her meal. The tip of her tongue slowly caught the red ripe strawberry from her fingers. The sunlight reflected from the window onto her face. Her long lashes blinked solemnly sheltering the gentle sadness in her eyes. She was gorgeous.
At the deck, her hair was blowing in the wind along with her sheer white cover over her bathing suit. It was a breathtaking view from where he stood, he felt something warm in his lower belly. He took some pictures too before her hat flew off to his chest.
Adele Leighton ... the more he talks to her, the more he wants to know. As if his whole existence on that boat was to find her. Like a hunter to his prey, only the prey has gotten under his skin and crawled into his vein, and he's yet to find out if she was toxic or venomous.
**********
He took snaps of his surroundings at the Club that night. It wasn't the usual nightclub scene like the ones they have on land. Onboard of Ludus, the club was lit with dim yellow lights. The room resembles a small wedding hall with tables on the sides filled with Hors D'oeuvre, cocktail drinks, chips, peanuts, and what have you.
People are standing around talking to each other in friendly manners dressed in beautiful clothes. The middle part of the room was cleared for them to dance later in the evening. There's a stage where a band is playing soft music and an MC directing everyone how the event was going to go. It was more like a cocktail party.
Roman checked his camera every once in a while to see if he got good shots of the beautiful people in that room. Flirtatious eyes looking back at him from the girls he's been in contact with since he took the job for Ludus.
He was a freelancer, and some of those girls were employees at Ludus's office. They volunteered to be the models for the company profile, other than the free luxurious trip on the cruise, they were doing it to be close to the handsome photographer that will be on board with them for 9 days.
Girls are fun, but also clingy. They're whiny and entitled because they don't know what they really want, not yet. Women, on the other hand, are more composed, well-balanced, well-rounded. With older women, relationships are less dramatic because they are emotionally more stable and don't give a shit about silly things men do that girls find annoying.
He finds himself more comparable with women who are older than him. They have so much more to offer because of their life experiences, they don't look for men to take care of them because they know what they want. And in Adele's case, he was hoping that what she wanted was him.
When Adele finally stepped into the Club wearing a casual designer's outfit, his heart fluttered. He felt his stomach turned, then he realized just how infatuated he was with the brunette who looked even better without make-up on. He held his breath for a second and gathered his composure before approaching her. He had to snatch her away from the get-go before anyone else tried to talk to her.
"Look who finally shows up," he spoke softly near her shoulder from the back.
She was startled, "Oh ... God ... I didn't see you there," she burst out in a laugh not realizing she was slowly driving him insane with every little thing she did. She put one hand on her chest to steady her heartbeat.
His eyes fell softly on hers, he smiled, "I'm sorry, didn't mean to startle you ... glad you can make it."
She raised an eyebrow and tilted one side of her lips, "I don't really have anything better to do." She looked around, "This is definitely not what I expected, I thought there will be loud music and laser beam attraction or something."
He chuckled, "Not at all, I told you it's more fun this way, people can actually talk to each other."
She nodded, she tucked her hands in her jeans pockets.
He could tell she was hiding her nervousness too and that was a good sign. He's not the only one who was anxious. He stole a shot of her timid expression.
She raised her palm, "Oh no, please ... no pictures."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it ... it's my job and you look ... stunning."
She looked at him for a moment. The way he said it was honest, he wasn't saying it to be polite, he said it because he felt something from looking at her. She smiled, "Thanks." She wanted to reciprocate, but she didn't want him to misconstrued it for flirting. She knew she had to be very careful with this man and not let him think there could be more than what they're doing, socializing.
Roman was tip-toeing around her, he didn't want to come off as aggressive. He could sense her reluctance since the beginning but his desire for her is growing too strong to ignore. He showed her around the room, introduced her to every dish served on the tables. He tried to impress her with his knowledge about every single detail of artworks that were hanging on the walls and the artists behind them.
He made sure he was the only person she would know well enough on the ship to come to for everything she needs. They ended up at the bar to enjoy some drinks. Another gentleman was there, his head turned to look at the beautiful woman sitting next to him. He soon turned away when Roman gave him a sharp look, a gentleman's code for their territorial marking.
"For new friendships," Roman proposes a toast.
They clinked their glasses together.
"I hope you don't mind some company, I know you're here to enjoy yourself," he took a sip of his drink. "Only women who are independent and courageous would take on a solo trip for nine days, I really admire you for that."
She smiled, "Thank you ... I used to go on solo trips all the time when I was younger."
He raised his brows, "That can't be too long ago."
She laughed softly, she was immune to men trying to seduce her with sweet words, but with Roman, she was letting her guard down a bit. "I haven't done this for a long time ... I kinda miss it."
"Who wouldn't? Solo trips are the best, you can go wherever you want, and do the things you like without consulting a traveling partner or ... debate about where you want to eat, and most importantly ... you can meet new people."
There was a sparkle in his eyes whenever he looked at her that made her nervous.
"True ... but ... I'm not looking for anyone ... I'm just here to loosen up."
He pursed his lips, she was warning him to stay back and he finds it amusing.
"I've been working day and night for months setting up my new business, I thought it would be nice to take a break before it opens next month," she sipped on her drink.
"That's fantastic ... What business are you running?"
"An interior design studio ... I do home decor and renovation."
He nodded, "What is it called?"
She shrugged, "I'd rather not say."
"Why? Is it a secret?"
She was struggling to find the right words to say, she didn't want him to know who she really was. "No ... I just prefer not to share it, I hope you understand."
He thought about it for a moment. She was harder to pursue than he thought. "Of course, in any case ... I wish you all the success for your business, I'm sure you deserve it."
They clinked their glasses again.
"Since you are here to loosen up," he extended his hand, "Would you like to share a dance with me?"
She blushed away, "Oh ... no ... I'm not ... I can't."
"Come on ... this will make you less tense from all the hard work you did and the humongous tasks that are waiting for you back home ... I'll try not to step on your toes."
She hesitated. She really didn't want to dance with a stranger. But his eyes ... his smile ... he was breaking into a cute dance move just to get her to step down from her stool and let go for a little while. He made her laugh.
"I promise, I won't try anything stupid, come on ... Adele ... just enjoy yourself with a dance, it's not like you can dance on your own ... it's just two strangers who are traveling alone trying to have fun with each other." He reached out to her again and waited for her to take his hand.
She looked at him. Deep down inside she knew it was a terrible idea. He has a face she couldn't quite look away from. He was a charmer, if she took his hand, there will be more of it to come in the next few days. She wasn't sure how well she could handle the situation. On top of that, he was young. Much too young to be hanging out with her.
Roman was spinning around in front of her and moving with the music, "I hope you're not planning to sit there all night and drink the bar dry," he laughed. "I would have to carry you back to your room and that would be worse than dancing with me, don't you think?" He tried again for the third time.
She took a deep breath and finally took his hand. She pressed her lips together, "Fine ... just this once."
His face bloomed with joy, he nodded. Although, she could see he was hiding a condescending smile because he knew it would not be the only time.
He twirled her around and let her land between his arms. He carefully placed his hands on the small of her back. There are no words to describe how thrilled he was to be that close to her.
"You know ... one of the miracles in life is to find the perfect person when you're not even looking," he said to her with a playful smile.
She shied away from his gaze. He was doing the very thing he promised he wouldn't do.
"You know I'm talking about me, right?" he added.
She laughed lightly, and covered his mouth, "Shut up."
One dance led to another. One drink led to another. She called it a night after less than two hours she was there. He was getting too familiar, and she was enjoying his company more than she should. "I can't." The two words ended the night and Roman thought he was losing his Cinderella just before midnight. He would smack his own head if he wasn't in public. They were chain drinking, he might have stood too close to her than she would've liked. His hands must've wandered to places that made her uncomfortable. "Stupid." They murmured to themselves when they went their separate ways. Olivia went back to her room in a hurry. She didn't even explain to him why the night had to be cut short abruptly. She walked away as fast as she could, and left him stupefied on the dance floor without a chance to redeem himself. She sighed a breath of relief when she got to her room. Locked the door and closed her eyes for a moment to wash away the hysteria that was still left in her. He wasn't tou
She was giggling while looking through her binoculars. Finally, she found the site she'd been wanting to see. A pod of dolphins swimming near the ship. They seemed to be having fun jumping in and out of the water close to the rumbling engines. Dolphins are one of her favorite creatures. They're mammals that live in the sea, they are technically fish with the intelligence of a chimp, and they behave like dogs, they even have a facial expression, they're always smiling. At least that's how she sees it. Watching them in their natural habitat was a different experience. The way they swim so freely in the vast body of water, they are in their element. They spun their bodies up in the air, racing against the boat while putting on a show, cutting through the water, their tail wagged as if to say 'hi', their excitement was contagious, she was grinning from ear to ear. A fluttering sound of a camera shutter came from her back. It was a moment worth eternalizing, it's very rare for that many
It didn't surprise him when she didn't show up at the Club that night. In fact, she was nowhere to be seen. He spent hours going around the ship with his camera pretending to be doing some work when he was really searching for her. She was isolating herself in her room, he thought. 401. He knew where it was but he wasn't going there. He had to give her some space, or she would shut herself completely and he didn't want that. What was his plan? When he thought about it, he really didn't have any. He only knew that he had met the woman he had always imagined would be his soulmate and now he was pursuing her no matter what the obstacle was. Isn't that what people do? She's married. That much he was sure of. Does she have any kids? How long has she been married? The more he thought about it, the more restless he got. He was already jealous of the man who was living his dream. It's not too late, he thought. There must be something wrong with her marriage, but then again, there's always s
"Looks like someone's gonna miss the boat," he said as he sat on the sunbed next to her. "And I won't be alone," she raised her glass at him before she sipped the special drink. He shrugged, "Well ... I'm supposed to stay on the island for two nights as part of my job." He smiled, his clear blue eyes were looking straight into hers. "Hmm ... What a nice coincidence." "I hope they know you won't be going back to the ship, you might want to tell someone about it or they'll call the police." She almost choked on her drink, "You're kidding, right? They would do that?" He raised his brows and nodded, "Technically they're responsible for your well-being as their passenger." She grimaced, and leaned back on the sunbed, "That's ridiculous, I don't have to do that." Roman laughed lightly, "You really don't abide by rules, do you? Let me make it easier for you ..." he reached into his pocket and got his phone. "I'll call them for you." She wanted to stop him from doing it, but he was to
When did it all start? Was it when his cheek brushed against hers when they danced? His voice whispered in her ear telling her what a wonderful time he was having with her, how beautiful she looked under the dim lights of the seaside bar. Was it when he took her hand and swirled her around to land in his embrace over and over again? Until his embrace no longer felt out of place but was expected, she wanted to end up that close to him. He felt new to her, exciting. Or did it start when they first laid eyes on each other? Is there such a thing as an instant attraction? It felt like it. She tried to avoid it, didn't she? Or maybe, it started even further back before they even met. When her world crumbled to pieces when she found out her husband had slept with another woman for reasons she has yet to understand. He loved her, he adored her, and he told her she was everything to him. Yet it didn't stop him from sleeping with another woman and tarnished their once flawless marriage for a
She woke up still tangled in the sheets that were evidence of the night's rumpus. Staring at the picture on the wall she didn't even notice was there last night. It wasn't a dream, she didn't imagine it, as far as her memory allowed her to remember, she enjoyed it very much. What happened to guilt? Why hasn't it knocked on her door? It was the weirdest feeling ever. She looked at the man who gave her one of the best nights of her life and saw his peacefully sleeping face under the sunlight. It stirred her inside. Did Declan feel the same way in the morning when he woke up next to that woman? She wondered if his affair had driven her to that bed. She didn't have an answer to it. Whatever it was, it doesn't justify what she did. Had the man not been Roman, would she have done the same? For that, she has a firm answer, 'No'. There was something about Roman that she just couldn't resist. He slowly opened his sleepy eyes, bright blue against the ray of sunshine, his long lashes glisten
She never thought that holding hands would become a thing for her again. Being married for so long, Declan barely ever holds her hand anymore. Occasionally she would loop her arm around her husband's arm at formal events. A peck on her cheek to show his friends that he loves his wife, and of course all the jewelry on her body that he bought for her, or rather custom-made for her from one of his jewelry stores. But never that warm grip between her fingers pulling her everywhere he walks, a nice wet smack on her forehead, the top of her head, or small cute kisses around her neck the way Roman did to her. He really made her feel like a teenager again. He took her walking by the beach and had breakfast at one of the beachside cafes. He was acting like a love-crazed teenager, teasing her, seducing her, and laughing, he looked happy. Something she hadn't seen in Declan in years when they were together, nor she had seen it in herself. Her eyes were always scanning their surroundings, worri
"Adele ... Adele ..." He kept calling that name when they made love. It made her feel like a fraud. He was saying things that made her heart swell. Intimately. He devoured every drop of her and still he wanted more. More of Adele. They barely sleep that night, knowing that it would be their last night together ... naked. They lay on top of each other all night, not just inside each other. He ran his fingers through the length of her hair, "I love your hair." She didn't reply. "I love the way it smells ... long, and soft," he gathered all her hair in his hand and clenched it into a fist, "It feels nice to pull them when you bend ... and I like the way they feel on my face when you're on top of me." She covered her face with one hand and laughed, "No one's ever said that to me about my hair." "It's true," he laid her hair over her shoulder down to her breast. "I bet you'd look even hotter if you keep them long down to your waist," he traced his finger down to her pelvis. She smil