Love At Last (Lily's Story, Book 3) (13 page)

“I am so, so sorry, Lily. Not only for what you went through, but for the scare I gave you today. Now I can see why you were upset. I would have been too.”

I shook my head. “You didn’t know.”

He stared at me for a moment. “You are a strong woman.”

I smiled, thrilled he hadn’t run, or shown pity. “Thanks.”

The naturalist’s voice came over the ship-wide speakers, announcing that a sea lion was lounging on an iceberg floating by. Cameron and I went to the railing to see if we could see it.

“There it is.” I pointed to the dark creature lying in the sun on top of the iceberg. He was nearly too big for it, but he didn’t seem to mind.

Cameron grabbed our binoculars and handed mine to me, then we gazed at the sea lion as we passed.

“There’s a lot of ice floating by,” I said.

“We must be getting close to the glacier,” Cameron said.

“Look at that waterfall.” I pointed it out, but he didn’t say anything, and I turned to him. He was staring at me. “What?”

He slowly shook his head. “I’m just digesting what you told me.” He gazed at me a moment. “You’re an incredible woman.”

I held his gaze and felt electricity flow between us. Only a few inches of space separated us, and as we focused on each other, he leaned toward me. Excitement coursed through me and I lifted my chin to show that I wanted this too. He reached out and placed his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me closer. The air around us became charged with energy as his lips descended toward mine.
 

I closed my eyes in sweet anticipation, and a moment later his warm mouth pressed against mine, and I felt an explosion of feeling race through me. His other arm slid around my waist, and my arms wrapped around his neck. I relished the strength and warmth that his body exuded and I melted into him, the loneliness I’d been feeling making my kiss more passionate than I would have expected.

After a moment, he released my mouth and we were both breathless. He gazed at me, his blue eyes sparkling. A slow smile spread across my face, and his expression matched mine. His arm was still around my waist, and his other arm moved from my neck to my waist, so that his arms encircled me. My arms were still around his neck, but after a moment we disentangled ourselves, and smiling, turned back to the railing to look out over the water.

My thoughts were in a whirl, and I wondered if his were too. The kiss we’d shared had been amazing, and I’d thoroughly enjoyed it. Unbidden, Marcus’s face flashed into my mind, and for a moment I wished it had been him kissing me like that, not Cameron. But as fast as that thought came to mind, I pushed it down, knowing that wasn’t going to happen. Marcus had made his feelings clear—friends only—so I had to put up a mental
no crossing
sign in the middle of the road that led to a future with him.

On the other hand, the possibilities with Cameron were wide open, as if that road had been freshly paved, ready for traffic. I smiled at the image, then felt Cameron’s arm snake around my waist. He gently pulled me closer, so we were standing hip to hip at the railing, then he leaned down and murmured in my ear, “I like you, Lily.”

A smile blossomed on my lips and I turned my face so that we were only inches apart. “I like you, too.”

His dimple deepened as his smile grew, then his lips pressed against my cheek.

Badly wanting to turn my head so that our lips would meet, I let him lead the way, then rested my head on his shoulder, loving the physical contact I’d been so desperately missing. His arm tightened around my waist, making me feel warm, safe, and cared about.

The ship started to turn, and the edge of the glacier came into view. As the ship continued turning, the view of the glacier widened and we were able to see the whole thing.

“Oh wow. Look at that,” he said.

I gazed at the massive sheet of ice that looked like it was flowing into the water, and shook my head in wonder. “Don’t you think it’s fascinating to think that so much of the earth was covered with these glaciers at one time?”

He glanced at me and nodded. “Yeah. And it’s cool to see how vast this one glacier is.”

We stayed on the balcony, watching the view of the glacier until the ship turned in the other direction, allowing people on the other side to view it. Finally, the ship had turned completely around and we began heading back down the fjord, back the way we had come.

“I’m getting cold,” I said. “Let’s go back inside.”

“Yeah, it is a little chilly.”

A few minutes after we came inside, Alyssa stopped by. When she came in the room I could tell she was a little surprised to see Cameron there.

“Hi, Cameron.”
 

“Hey, Alyssa.” He looked at me. “I’m going to go see what Ty’s up to.”

I nodded, disappointed he was leaving, but happy to be able to spend some time with Alyssa. After he left, Alyssa plopped down on the bed, a grin on her face. “What’s going on here?”

I laughed. “Not much. What’s up with you?”

She wagged her finger at me. “Uh uh. Tell me about you and Cameron.”

Now I grinned. “He kissed me.”

Her eyes widened. “Ooooh. Do tell.”

“There’s not a lot to tell, except that he told me he likes me.”

“Really?”

“Uh huh.”

“And?”

Natalie began stirring in her crib.

Alyssa frowned. “Did I wake her up?”

“It’s okay. She’s been asleep long enough.” I picked her up and held her close, letting her wake up more completely.

“So? About you and Cameron?”

I smiled. “I told him I like him too.”

“Wow. I’d hoped you guys would hit it off.”

I narrowed my eyes in mock indignation. “Oh. So this was in your plans all along?”

“Of course. You know how I like to play matchmaker.”

“Yes. I do.”

She laughed. “And it seems to be working.”

“We’ll see. I only met the guy two days ago.”

“Haven’t you ever heard of love at first sight?”

I tilted my head to one side. “Of course, but that doesn’t mean I believe it. Anyway, after the bad choices I’ve made in the past, believe me when I say I’m not going to rush into something with someone I’ve just met.”

“That’s good, Lily.” She paused. “The reason I came by was to let you know that a bunch of us are going to try doing some karaoke. Do you want to come make a fool of yourself with the rest of us?”

“Sure. That sounds like fun. I’ll meet you there in a little while.”

“Awesome. See you in a bit.”

Chapter Fourteen

When Natalie and I arrived in the karaoke lounge, Ty was standing in front of the microphone, singing his heart out. My gaze quickly swept the room and I saw Cameron sitting with his friends. He didn’t see me, so I slipped in the back and found an empty seat not far from Alyssa, parked the stroller, and held Natalie on my lap. She bounced to the beat of the music, which made me smile—she was having as much fun as I was.

Everyone clapped and shouted when Ty finished. Ty walked over to Cameron and slapped him on the back. “Your turn, buddy.”

Cameron laughed. “I’ll pass.”

“You have to,” someone said. “You’re the best man.”

“Yeah, come on,” a few other people said.

He seemed reluctant, but Cameron got up and told the cruise ship worker what song he wanted to sing, then he stood in front of the microphone. The music started, and though he seemed hesitant at first, after a few lyrics, he seemed to get more comfortable.

I watched him from my seat in the back, enjoying the show, Natalie bouncing on my lap, and then his gaze wandered the room and landed on me. He blushed and he missed a few words, before getting back on track. I smiled, somehow pleased that my presence had that affect on him. Alyssa turned around and raised her eyebrows. I just smiled at her.

When Cameron finished, he glanced at me, then sat by his friends. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t sit by me, but I had to give the man a break. He’d only known me for a couple of days, I couldn’t expect him to spend every minute with me.

I watched the karaoke for another half an hour, but I left before anyone else as Natalie was getting restless. I strolled around the shops, then went to the Lido deck, before heading back to our room. As I sat Natalie on my bed, I decided that cruises weren’t really meant for babies. “But I’m still glad we came,” I said to her.

That evening at dinner I got to the dining room before Cameron, but didn’t save him a seat or do anything else to make him feel like he needed to sit next to me. Haley arrived before he did and she sat in the empty seat next to me, with Natalie between us. I smiled at her, figuring she might even help with Natalie during dinner. Ty’s mother arrived a moment later and asked if the seat on the other side of me was taken.

“No, please sit,” I said.

“You’re Lily, right?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m Ty’s mom, Katherine.”

We chatted for a few minutes, then I noticed Cameron approaching the table. He glanced at me and frowned, then sat in an empty seat on the other side of the table. I held back a smile, happy that he seemed disappointed that he couldn’t sit by me. We didn’t talk at all through dinner as the room was so noisy that it was difficult to talk across our large table. Several times though, I felt Cameron’s gaze on me, and when I looked up, he smiled at me, warming my heart.

As I’d hoped, when Natalie got fussy, Haley volunteered to hold her. “She really likes you,” I said.

“You think so?”

I nodded.

“I’m glad, because I think she’s adorable.”

“Me, too. But I thought that was just because I’m her mother.”

Haley laughed. “If you want me to babysit again, I will.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

I looked at Cameron, but he was talking to someone. I turned back to Haley. “I’ll let you know.”

She bounced Natalie on her lap. “Okay.”

After dinner I took Natalie from Haley and waited a moment to see if Cameron would come over to talk to me. He seemed engrossed in his conversation, and Natalie was getting antsy, so I stood, ready to take her back to my room. He didn’t seem to notice, so I walked away from the table and toward the dining room exit.

Though dismayed that he didn’t come talk to me, I knew I needed to keep my expectations down. True, he’d said he liked me, but that didn’t mean he wanted to spend every moment with me. At the elevator, I pressed the button to call the car.

“Lily, wait.”
 

I turned to see Cameron striding toward me, and a feeling of joy bloomed inside me. “Hi.” The door to the elevator slid open, but I let it close without getting on.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he said, stopping next to me. “I was hoping I’d be able to sit by you at dinner.”

Inside, I beamed, but I kept my expression under control. “I would have liked that.”

He smiled. “I guess I need to get there a little earlier next time.”

I liked that idea better than me saving him a seat—how obvious would that be to everyone? Plus, what if he changed his mind? I would look foolish if I saved him a seat and he didn’t use it. No, he needed to be the one to make the effort, not me. “That would help.” I paused. “Was there anything else on your mind?”

“I was wondering if you’d like to go dancing with me tonight.”

A thrill ran through me at the thought of being held in his arms while we moved around the dance floor. “As a matter of fact, Haley offered to babysit.”

“She did? That’s great.”

“She’s a sweet girl and she really enjoys Natalie.”

“Can she do it tonight?” Cameron asked.

“I can ask her.” I looked at Natalie, then back at him. “Can you hold her while I go ask?”

He hesitated. “Sure.”

I handed her to him. “Don’t go anywhere.”

He shook his head. “No.”

I smiled. “I’ll be right back.” I headed toward the dining room and looked over my shoulder at Cameron. He was gazing at Natalie, and she was staring at him. She looked uncertain, so I hurried to the table where Haley had moved to sit next to her mother, and slid into the seat where Haley had sat during dinner. Katherine and Haley looked at me expectantly. “Haley, at dinner you offered to babysit Natalie.” My gaze went between Haley and her mother. “Are you available to do it tonight?”

Haley looked at her mother, who looked at me and said, “I’m fine with it.”

“I don’t want to take her away from any family activities you might have planned.” I felt a little guilty for taking Haley’s time when she was on the cruise.

“But I want to,” Haley said to her mother.

Katherine laughed. “I said it was fine.” Then she looked at me. “We don’t have anything planned tonight.”

“Thank you. I’ll have Cameron come pick you up from your room at nine thirty.”

“Okay.”

Katherine turned to Haley. “Let me talk to Lily for a minute, hon.”

I watched Haley walk around the table and sit by her dad.

With a twinkle in her eye, Katherine said, “I’ve known Cameron for a few years, and I have to say, I’m glad the two of you are getting along.”

I smiled. “Me, too.” I paused. “I feel kind of bad taking Haley away from other fun things she might want to do on the ship.”

“To tell you the truth, Lily, though I don’t mind her meeting new kids in that teen club area, sometimes it’s nice to not have to worry about what she’s up to. And I know she really does love babies.”

“I can tell. She’s really good with Natalie.”

A few minutes later I walked back to the elevator and found Cameron gently bouncing a crying Natalie. He looked more distressed than she did. I held back a laugh as I took Natalie from him, and after a moment she settled down. “Thanks for holding her,” I said. “You did great.”

He eyed her tear-streaked face. “She didn’t seem too happy about it.”

“She’s just a momma’s girl.”

“What did Haley say?” he asked.

“It’s all set. I told her you’d pick her up at nine thirty.”

“As long as you don’t leave me alone with your baby again, I’ll be fine.”
 

He smiled when he said it, but I knew he was serious. I laughed. “Okay.” I wondered if he’d feel more comfortable with Natalie if he spent more time with her, but I knew I was getting ahead of myself. We parted and I took Natalie back to our room and got her ready for bed. By the time Cameron arrived with Haley, Natalie had fallen asleep in her crib, and I’d changed into one of the dressier outfits I’d brought for the elegant dining nights—a fitted turquoise sleeveless dress.