“But…but…” I thumbed over my shoulder toward the food on the table. “We have breakfast.” I sniffled again and wiped my nose with the back of my wrist. “I’d feel terrible to waste all that food, Grant.”
“This will just take a second, and then we will eat. Promise. Come on.” He gestured with his outstretched hand again, so I took it. Quickly, he was towing me behind him through another part of the boat we hadn’t explored on the way out to our first meal.
“I think this will help you, baby.” Grant opened a door to a smaller bedroom and stood aside for me to go in, and he quickly closed the door behind us. I gasped the moment I saw the little porcelain dishes on the floor—one with clean water and one with kitten food.
But then my black-and-white friend was brave enough to pop his head out to see who came to visit, and I gasped a second time.
“Grant?” I swung my head around to meet his persistent grin and smoky blue gaze. “You brought him too? Robert?” My knees hit the floor with a thud, and I started calling for him. “Kitty kitty kitty?”
Sure enough, when the adorable feline heard my voice, he padded out from his hiding spot under the bed. His little wiry tail went straight to attention as he wove in and out of Grant’s long legs, purring as loudly as his young motor could sound.
I laughed in pure delight. Even the cat knew who the most magical person on this boat was.
Impulsively, I bolted upright. Joyously, I threw myself into Grant’s arms. Though I hit into him with a whump, he easily absorbed the impact and immediately wrapped his strong arms around me. Just as easily, he took the opportunity to nuzzle his face into my neck. He lifted me off my feet and set me up on the bed, where I knelt tall so our stares were much closer to level. I cradled his face in my hands and gazed deeply into his eyes.
Those kind, generous, endless blue eyes…
“You’re an amazing man, Grant Twombley.”
“So I’ve been told.”
I let him have the cocky preen. He certainly deserved it this time. “This was one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me. Do you know that? I would’ve never forgiven myself for abandoning him.” I just shook my head in pure, stunned bewilderment at this man’s thoughtful awareness. “But you knew that. You knew that about me.”
“I did,” he answered quietly. “I want this trip to be restful and stress-free for you, Rio. I tried to think of everything, but I’m sure I missed something.” He gave a panicked look around the cabin as if he were reviewing a mental checklist. “So just remember how happy you are right now when one of those things comes up, ’kay?” He followed his admission with a boyish smile that made my chest ache in an unwelcomed way.
Robert nudged his way between us on the bed, demanding his share of attention and giving me the perfect reason to pull away from the embrace I had so spontaneously entangled myself in. I needed to do my very best to stay out of confusing physical predicaments with this man.
At all costs.
And I could already tell, it wasn’t going to be an easy feat. Because I had crystal clear memories of what it felt like to be in his arms. And in his bed. My body recalled exactly how incredible it felt to be mastered by this man’s mouth and hands, and good Lord, his—
“Rio?”
“Yeah? Hmm? What?” I looked at him sheepishly. If he could read the thoughts I was just having, he spared my dignity and didn’t call me on them.
“Let’s go eat,” he said. “We can start letting him out of here a little at a time so he can get used to the boat. The crew has a kitty life jacket for him. Once he gets used to wearing it, he can roam about wherever he wants.”
I burst out laughing. “Did you just say a kitty life jacket?” Talk about words I’d never thought I’d hear spoken.
“Yes, I did.” He even let out a snicker because, seriously, the image conjured was impossible not to laugh at. “But seriously, Rio, have you ever seen a cat try to swim? Not a happy ending, babe.” Grant made a scrunched-up face, and even that was adorable, and the inflection in his voice while saying it?