“It’s my fault.” She jumped to Garrett’s defense. “This guy was bothering me, and your brother stepped in to help.”
A throaty noise escaped the back of Garrett’s throat. “Some dickhead tries to manhandle you, that’s not your fault.”
“What the hell?” Colt’s playful expression hardened. To her, he asked, “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she assured both men. “The guy just got a little pushy when I turned him down. That’s all.”
Jack hadn’t even touched her, and these guys looked like they were ready to draw blood.
The muscles in Garrett’s strong jaw bulged, but he gave Colt a nod as if to say the situation had been handled. It must’ve been enough because the tension in Colt’s shoulders eased almost instantly.
“I was going to head up to the casino. See if I can get lucky. You coming?”
“Actually, I’m getting a little hungry. Thought about grabbing a couple slices of pizza at the twenty-four-hour place.” Avery was surprised when Garrett’s gaze slid to hers. “Feel like grabbing a bite?”
Her stomachwasfeeling a bit empty. And it might not hurt to be seen sharing a meal with Garrett. Just in case Jack was still lingering around somewhere.
Nice excuse, Aves. You keep telling yourself that’s why you’re about to say—
“Sure. Pizza sounds good.”
“Suit yourself, big brother.” Colt slapped Garrett on the shoulder. “I’ll come find you later to show you all my winnings.”
With his eyes still on Avery’s, Garrett’s lips curled into another half-grin. “He’ll come find me later when he loses all his money and needs more.”
“Not true.” The other man shook his head and started to leave. From over his shoulder, he gave them a quick wave and a loud, “Have fun you two. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Something tells me that list is pretty short.”
Garrett laughed. “Try non-existent. Come on.” He rested his hand on her lower back and led her out of the dining hall. “I know a shortcut to the pizza.”
Heat from his palm seared her skin through her thin dress. Normally, Avery wasn’t a fan of people randomly touching her, but nothing about Garrett felt random.
In fact, as crazy as it seemed, she felt almost comfortable around him. Safe. As if they’d known each other for much longer than an hour.
Thirty minutes later, Avery found herself sitting with Garrett, finishing their pizza, and talking. He’d chosen a small table on the upper level of the main deck.
Looking out over the water, Avery took in the incredible view through the glass wall that kept passengers from falling over the edge.
She made the mistake of leaning closer to the glass and looking down. She nearly fell out of her chair trying to sit back up.
“You should’ve told me you were afraid of heights,” Garrett rumbled. “I would’ve chosen a table down below.”
“It’s okay,” Avery lied. Her heart still felt like it was trying to claw its way out of her chest. “I’m trying new things this week.”
Instead of smiling, his brows turned inward, causing the skin between them to bunch. “You can do that without scaring yourself half to death.”
“I know.” She sighed. “But this trip is about breaking out of my shell. Figured the sooner I get started, the easier it’ll become.”
I hope.
“Is that the reason your sister dared you to take this cruise?”
With a nod, Avery confirmed his suspicions. “She thinks I need more excitement in my life. And she’s right. I do need to get out more. But I work from home most days, and I guess it’s just easier tostayhome.”
“What do you do?” He took another bite of his pizza.
“I design financial and accounting software for large businesses.”