Cabin Fever

He scowled and took a step closer to her. “Unkempt?”

His bronze skin gleamed in the sunlight that also played in his breeze-ruffled black hair. She remembered he was a fireman and probably worked out to maintain his muscular physique. His shoulders blocked her view of anything but him, and her knees wanted to buckle. Her knees? Weak? Over a man she barely knew? What was she, some pathetic romance-novel heroine? It was just that she hadn’t eaten today yet. She probably had low blood sugar. And with her height, she was unaccustomed to men looming over her. He was invading her personal space. So, naturally his overwhelming frame felt...well, overwhelming.

“Unkempt. It means disheveled, messy, slovenly.”

He folded his arms and his biceps bulged. “I know what it means.” His mouth was a grim line. He looked irritated.

“Good. Then perhaps whatever you’re planning for tonight can be postponed until I’ve finished my photo shoot.”

His face crinkled up in a confused expression. “What do you think I have planned for tonight?”

“You don’t have to pretend with me. I realize she’s beautiful and glamorous. What guy could resist that? But until—”

“Look, lady.” He dropped his arms to place his hands low on his hips and half turned away. Then he leaned toward her. “First of all, if I wanted her, I wouldn’t be deterred by an uptight, bossy, arrogant—” he clamped his mouth shut “—woman,” he finished between his teeth.

Carly’s temper flared. “Uptight? Just because I don’t lose control and crawl all over you like Ms. Supermodel?”

He raised his brows and smiled. “So, you want to crawl all over me?”

All that raw sex appeal wrapped in a killer grin. Despite her irritation, she pictured herself in his lap, their mouths exploring one another, her hands all over his six feet four inches of gleaming muscles. The air whooshed from her lungs. She couldn’t breathe. She was horrified. Mortified. “No!” She dragged in a breath. “I mean, that is not at all what I was saying.” She clamped her mouth shut and folded her arms in front of her. “Just...” She waved a hand in his direction. “Be on time tomorrow.” She stalked away. And heard him chuckle behind her.

The thought of him in Piper’s bed, rolling around in the sheets with her, naked, made Carly’s chest feel hollow. But...maybe she’d get the best photos of them if they were sleeping together? Just like a few moments ago, they’d been cooing at each other like lovebirds and the results had been fantastic.

So, let them have at it, what did she care? Besides, Joe was practically an employee. How awkward would a one-night stand be with him when they had to work together the next few days?

And maybe if she kept repeating all those excuses to herself, she could keep from throwing herself at him and ripping his clothes off....

She knew what her problem was. It’d been a long time since Reese had moved out. She just missed being touched. Missed a warm body beside her at night.

But losing Reese had been inevitable. She should never have moved in with him. And she didn’t blame him for leaving. He hadn’t understood her drive to succeed. He’d complained about her long hours at the apparel factory, and then coming home at night to work on her blog.

Now, her years of sacrifice had paid off with this remarkable opportunity from Modiste. And she wasn’t going to let anything ruin it. The success of her blog depended on this photo shoot. And the success of this photo shoot depended on making her troublesome supermodel happy.

She’d thought that when Modiste hired Piper to pose with her contest winner, the controversial model might draw more entries and consequently more followers, but now she wasn’t sure Piper was worth it. The woman was petulant, whiny and demanding. She’d shown up over an hour late this morning with no excuse or apology.

But the photos they’d taken of her and Joe were golden. Carly could picture them on the cover of Modiste magazine. If everything worked out as she hoped, maybe she could get the editor at Modiste to agree to sponsor a Sexiest Average Jane contest next season. And with her Carly’s Couture blog linked to the bestselling magazine she was insured success. Then, maybe the Pendleton name would come to be associated with something other than heartless greed.

But first she had to see the captain about a vacant cabin on a higher deck.

3 (#ulink_b8c5f4af-6435-5e21-aead-83d1014df59b)

PIPER SPUN ON the dance floor, gyrating her hips to the beat of the deafening rock music. With her eyes closed, she lost herself in the thumping bass and flashing lights. The crowds of young, carefree people dancing all around her were her sanctuary.

She loved nightclubs. She loved champagne and loud music and having men fall all over themselves to be with her. And the freedom to tell them to get lost. Ahhh, the freedom. She’d missed that in rehab.

Thank the gods her agent had gotten her out of that place! Her counselor had wanted to discuss the past. But Piper the Supermodel had no past. Anju Rajaraman was dead. She’d died eight years ago in the slums of Calcutta. She was Piper now. And Piper would never go back to being that starving, powerless little girl.

Why was she thinking of those days? She was here to have fun.

She lifted her arms above her head and spun again, checking out the men in the cruise ship’s nightclub.

Her gaze strayed to the adjoining piano bar and landed on the tall, dark and sexy hunk of man she’d posed with all day. He’d told her that Carly was wrong. That her eyes made the turquoise water seem dull in comparison. Mmm, yes, he was interesting.

Running her hands through her hair, she danced her way over to the glass door and entered the quieter room. A few passengers were scattered around intimate little tables. Joe sat at one of them, nursing a tumbler of amber-colored liquid.

“Come dance with me?”

He looked up from his glass into her eyes, glanced over at the nightclub dance floor, and then met her gaze again with a grimace. “Not really my thing.”

Piper pouted, but took the other chair, crossing her legs and leaning her elbows on the table. The skimpy, sparkly dress had a draped bodice that showed off her cleavage when she bent over. She watched his gaze take in the view. “Buy me a drink?”

His eyes rose to her face again. “Sure.” He motioned to the waitress. “What’ll you have?”

“Appletini,” she ordered when the waitress appeared. After she left, Piper sat back and lifted her hair off the back of her neck. “So, a New York firefighter, huh?”

He nodded. “Brooklyn.”

“And you go around saving lives?”

He shrugged. “A few.”

Humility? It must be an act. Men were never what they seemed. Eventually, he’d show his true stripes. Then she would shut him down. She leaned forward again and slid a finger up his sleeve. “Don’t be so modest.”

His gaze followed her fingers and then looked up into her eyes. “Uh...”

“Don’t you want—”

He took her hand and moved it back to the table. “You’re a beautiful woman, Piper, but—”

“Never mind. You think I would actually be with a fireman from...Brooklyn?” Grabbing her Appletini, she scooted her chair back, stood and returned to the nightclub. After she downed the drink in one swallow, she ordered another from the bar and then joined the crowd on the dance floor.

He’d turned her down? Then why had he flirted with her all day during the photo shoot? She hadn’t noticed a wedding ring—as if that ever stopped a man.

Forget him. There were plenty more where he came from. It wasn’t as if she ever enjoyed it anyway. Sometimes, it was simply a way to forget, if just for a little while....

And here she was thinking of the past again. That was the counselor’s fault. Think only of this moment, Piper.

This moment was all she had.

* * *

JOE WATCHED PIPER flounce off in her high heels and short dress, her hips swaying dramatically. Everyone in the bar had their cell phones out snapping her picture.

Yeah, that woman was Drama with a capital D. Between his job and family, he had enough of that in his life. Bad enough he had to have his photo taken with her splashed all over a national magazine. If he became her boy toy for the cruise’s duration and someone snapped a picture on their cell...

The guys would rib him endlessly over that, but Joe could do without the fifteen minutes of fame. What he wanted was quiet. Calm. Normal.

“There you are.” Carly appeared at his table. “Christoph said he saw you in here.”