Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71352 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
I contemplate those words as I sip more champagne.
He steps toward me as if he’s going to brush past me, but as soon as he’s beside me, I feel his breath tease the shell of my ear. “Or who you do, beautiful.”
With that, he wanders off.
I finish my bubbly and twirl in a circle, searching for a spot to leave my empty glass.
That concern evaporates as the champagne flute slips from my hand to shatter into a million sharp shards on the polished tile floor.
I gasp, and it’s not from the glass raining down on my open-toed sandals.
Standing less than two feet from me is Dr. Donovan Hunt.
He’s one of the busiest veterinarians in New York City. His smile can and has stopped plenty of traffic, and he’s been the star of many of my fantasies since I first realized he existed.
He also happens to be my older brother’s boss, and before this moment, a virtual stranger to me since we’ve never officially met.
“Delia Hawthorne.” My name comes out of him wrapped in a low growl that sends my imagination into overdrive. “Let me get you out of here.”
I don’t bother asking how or when that’s happening because he answers both silently when he stalks toward me.
The glass crunches under his black dress shoes. I pull my gaze up to notice the dark blue pants and white button-down shirt he’s wearing. It’s open at the collar, revealing just the right amount of tanned chest beneath.
Just as he lifts me into his arms like a bride, he smiles. If that’s not enough to overwhelm my senses, the scent of his cologne hits me and it’s intoxicating.
“I shouldn’t be surprised that all eyes on this cruise are on you,” he says, his voice a decadent treat to my ears. “You’re the most stunning woman here.”
I pinch my arm to make sure this isn’t another of the wine-fueled dreams I often have after I study the pictures on his social media profiles before bed.
“Are you all right, Delia?” Clever suddenly appears out of nowhere. “Your toe is bleeding, so you need to see the ship’s doctor.”
I don’t look for evidence of that myself because the sight of blood makes me queasy.
“I’m fine,” I tell him, holding back from asking him to disappear like a good magician would. “It’s nothing.”
Dr. Hunt stops to assess my foot with a glance toward it. “I believe it’s the ship’s policy for any injured guest to be looked at by a doctor. You should have it checked out.”
I want to suggest he do the checking since he is a doctor, but I’m well aware that his patients generally have four legs and are covered in fur, feathers, or scales.
“I can take her from here.” Clever holds out his arms as if he’s waiting for a big bag of potatoes to be dropped into them.
“I’ve got her,” Donovan assures him. “Tell me where to find the doctor.”
“No.” Clever shakes his head and fists his outstretched hands. “I’ll take her.”
I wiggle slightly because I feel less like a damsel in distress and more like the prize in a pissing match. “I can stand on my own.”
Donovan gently sets me down, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Lean on me if you need to, Delia.”
Need or want?
I keep that question to myself and smile up at him. Still stunned that he’s on this cruise, I shake my head slightly.
“Wait.” He sucks in a deep breath. “I’m assuming you’re aware of who I am. You followed me on Instagram a while ago. I followed back. I’m…”
“Dr. Donovan Hunt,” I finish his introduction for him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
CHAPTER TWO
Donovan
I stand silently in the corner and watch as a man wearing a white lab coat studies Delia’s toes.
He’s barely paid any attention to the one that was bleeding when we first arrived to the ship’s medical facility. I anticipated we’d be ushered into a crowded room, but this spacious area rivals any well-appointed clinic I’ve ever been in.
A nurse greeted Delia and assured her she’d be well taken care of. Then, we were taken down a corridor with three separate exam stations separated by thick curtains.
It’s obvious that the people in charge of this particular cruise line spared no expense in terms of décor and the ratio of staff to guests.
As we made our way here, we must have passed twenty people all decked out in what I assume is the mandatory blue and white staff uniform.
Delia walked half the length of this monstrous vessel with a cut on her toe. I slowed my normal pace to stay in step with her because I knew Clever was trailing us.
Who names their kid Clever?
“Does she need a stitch?” I ask to move this along.
I already know the answer to that question. Since the doctor wiped away the blood, the wound is visible. It’s a surface scrape. Her toe will be as good as new in a day or two with a bit of antibiotic ointment and a small bandage.