“You were right.”
“Of course, I was right.” Colt snorted.
Garrett felt his lips curve. “At least you’re modest about it.”
“Why hide the truth?” His brother chuckled.
A stretch of silence passed and then, “In case I haven’t said it. Thanks.”
His brother shrugged. “Consider this an early Christmas present.”
“Damn.” Garrett licked a drop of cold, sugary sweetness from his bottom lip. “All I’d planned to get you was a pair of socks and a new tie.”
With a barked laugh Colt said, “Skip the socks and tie, man. Just promise to enjoy yourself this week, and we’ll call it even.”
Hardly.“You’ve got yourself a deal. From here on out, it’s nothing but fun.”
Lifting his glass in the air, Colt turned the declaration into a toast. “To nothing but fun.”
Both men clinked their drinks together before drinking from their straws. Seconds later, Colt spotted a food cart with complimentary appetizers.
“Mini crab cakes?” He stood straight and started in that direction. “Hell yeah!”
“Grab some for me!” Garrett hollered after him. With a shake of his head, he smiled as he watched his brother interact with a couple of women he passed by.
Definitely going to be an interesting week.
The thought had no more entered his brain when two giggling women—or girls, rather—came up to the bar. One was blonde, the other brunette. And both were dressed in matching barely-there bikini tops and cut-off shorts that showed the entire bottom half of their asses.
Jesus.
Knowing they couldn’t be more than twenty-one,maybetwenty-two, Garrett kept his gaze glued on his brother who was standing near the end of a fairly long line.
“Hey, there.” One of the girls nudged his arm. “You look a little lone…ly.”
The ship hadn’t even started moving yet, and these two were already sloshed.
“Just waiting for my brother,” he spoke without looking at her.
“Brother?” The other’s ears perked up. “Well, that works out perfectly, then. One for me and one for my friend.”
The high-pitched laugh that escaped both girls’ throats made Garrett physically cringe. Doing his best to make his non-interest clear, he lied and said, “Thanks, but I don’t think our wives would appreciate that.”
Neither he nor Colt had ever been married. But these two didn’t need to know that.
The brunette slapped the blonde on the ass. “I told you a guy who looked like him would be taken.”
“How was I supposed to know?” The blonde whined. “He’s not wearing a ring.” She looked up at him. “Why aren’t you wearing a ring?”
“Didn’t want to lose it in the ocean.” The second lie rolled off his lips as if it were the God’s honest truth.
It was a skill he found useful in his line of work.
“Fine.” The young woman pouted. Words slurring, she added, “Tell your wife, she’s one lucky lady.”
“Oh, she knows.” He gave them a polite grin. “You two be safe out here.”
“Safe shmafe.” The brunette waved him off as if he was stupid. “We’re here to par-tay!”