When Garrett Morgan spoke, it was as if every word he uttered was specifically designed with the purpose of drawing her deep into his spell.
No, not you. Women. Plural.
Her subconscious was right. This was insane. She knew absolutely nothing about the man, other than his name.Ifthat was even his real name.
For all she knew, Garrett was a total player. His brother clearly was. Not that it mattered now, anyway.
On the off-chance Garrettwasn’tjust a hot guy looking to score, he’d probably avoid her like the plague, now that she’d rambled on and on about her dead neighbor’s flesh-eating cat.
See? This is exactly why I keep to myself as much as humanly possible.
A frustrated growl bubbled up inside her throat. “Since when do you care what some random guy thinks about you?”
Since now, apparently.
Giving herself a mental smack on the head, Avery pushed off the door and made her way further into her stateroom. Forcing thoughts of sexy strangers away, she made note of the tiny bathroom on her right and even tinier closet to her left.
Passing through the narrow entryway, she stepped into the bedroom area that made her smile.
There was a built-in dresser to her left which wasn’t huge but offered plenty of space for her things. The long mirror above it running the entire length, and at the mirror’s end was a small T.V. mounted high on the wall.
A loveseat and coffee table were directly across from the dresser, and in front of where she stood was the room’s queen-sized bed.
Her luggage had been placed between the bed and the table.
The room was small, less than two hundred square feet and basic in décor and function. But with the large window overlooking the water and a small, private balcony, it was perfect.
Avery’s smile grew as her eyes fell onto the bed. An elephant made from white towels stared up at her from the center of the mattress. It had gold, foil-wrapped chocolates for eyes, and was one of the cutest things she’d ever seen.
Pulling her phone from her purse, she snapped a quick picture. “Alex is going to love you,” she spoke to the inanimate object.
Turning in a slow circle, she proceeded to take several more snapshots before sending them all with a text to her sister. Alex responded immediately.
Avery:I’m not saying you were right, but it’s off to a good start.
Alex:Yay! And OMG, the elephant! I want!
Avery:I’ll see if I can buy one. Not sure what kind of service I’ll have, but I’ll try to text/call when I can.
Alex:Can’t wait for more pics. P. S…. did u find my note?
Avery:What note?
Alex:Front pocket of your purse. Read then do. Gotta run. Heading to the gallery for a prelim run-thru for the show. Love u and have fun!
Avery:Love you, too. And no dating while I’m gone!
Curious as towhat Alex was referring to, Avery set her phone on the bed before removing her hat and placing it on the coffee table behind her. Lifting her crossbody up over her head, she unzipped the front pocket and looked inside.
Sure enough, there was a small piece of paper folded neatly inside.
Pulling it out, Avery unfolded the note to find it wasn’t really a note at all. It was a list. One Alex had compiled with the heading ‘20 Things to Do on My Cruise’.
Seriously?
Starting at the top and working her way down, Avery began reading each one aloud.
“Number one…Get on the damn ship.” Laughing, Avery grabbed a pen from her purse and crossed it off with a smile. “Number two… Try one of those fruity drinks with an umbrella in it.”Check again.And number three? “Talk to someone I don’t know.”