among the rich and vapid had churned out many events that were all the same at heart.
Out in the open air, Cassie turned around and leaned her back against the railing. The wind whipped her loose blond hair in her face, and she had to push it away from her mouth to speak to Ammon.
“Well?” she asked. “Are you pleased?”
“I will be more pleased when we get to Turkey.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, and she had to remind herself to relax against the touch, rather than give in to the instinctive cringe.
Stick to the plan, she reminded herself.
“That feels so far away.” She sighed, fiddling with his shirt collar. “If only…”
His hand pressed against the small of her back. “Yes?”
She pouted her lips. “If only we didn’t have to wait until we get to your house in Turkey.”
His thick white mustache wiggled with excitement. He cleared his throat once, then twice.
“We have rooms on this ship,” he reminded her. “Perhaps we should retire to mine.”
Cassie grinned big. “It’s not too soon? I don’t want you to think I’m that kind of girl.”
“Oh, I know what kind of girl you are. A wonderful one.”
He scooted so close to her that their legs brushed. She tried not to gag.
“In that case, let’s meet in my room.” She rested her manicured nails on his shoulders and gently pushed him off of her, as if having him that close was unbearable only due to how badly she wanted him.
“My suite is larger,” he said.
“Yes, but everyone on that part of the ship knows who you are. Won’t they be, ah, talking about all the noise we’re sure to make? It’s more discreet in my room.”
His eyes sparkled with glee. “You are truly a wild woman, Anna.”
Cassie smiled at the fake name she’d given him. “I’ll order champagne,” she said. “And meet you there in fifteen.”
“Where will you be?”
“Well, honey, there are a few things I have to do to get ready for you.” She winked.
She glanced over her shoulder at the docks. Workers had pulled the cruise ship’s ramps up thirty minutes before, while Cassie and Ammon were inside gambling. The stop in Athens was only one among several on the week-long cruise.
She had the schedule memorized down to the minute. Ten minutes until the ship pulled out of port. Forty-five more minutes until Ammon came looking for her.
At that point, it would be too late to turn the ship around, despite his arguments. She would be long gone.
“I want you to get ready for me as well,” she said, talking slowly and coating each word in honey. “You understand what I mean?”
He nodded, looking like a drunk man.
“You better be ready for me,” she said. “And don’t you dare leave that room, you bad boy.”
“Oh, my.” He growled like a cougar and nipped at her neck.
“Save some for the bedroom,” she whispered into his ear before turning and walking to the end of the deck.
As soon as she was out of Ammon’s sight, she broke into a jog. Not an easy feat in six-inch heels, but then again, she had a lot of experience running for it.
Ducking below deck, she took a staircase to the floor Ammon’s suite was on and let herself in using his second key card. She’d been in the suite several times, and though Ammon had tried desperately to bed her, she’d told him she wanted to wait a while longer.
They’d met the first day on the cruise, a luxury one that catered to some of the richest people in the world. Cassie had made quick work of surveying the options, finding Ammon in no time.
Dropping to her knees on the carpet, she fiddled with the safe. Two nights earlier, after attempting several times, she’d finally gotten an extremely inebriated Ammon to reveal the combination.
The safe’s door popped open, revealing stacks of cash and Ammon’s gold and jeweled rings. Grabbing everything, she stuffed them into her purse and tailed it out of the suite. She’d already stashed her suitcase in a broom closet down the hall, so that meant she could head straight to the deck.
One more step to finish her plan. If it didn’t work out, she was screwed.
“Excuse me!” She waved at the crew member checking the lifeboats. “Please! I have to get off the ship. My father, he’s sick. I just got the call that he’s dying. I… have to…”
The tears, fueled by her desperation to get as far from Ammon as possible,