Complications

Two hours later, I still tried to process what had happened. Restlessness held me tightly in its clutches, and I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder as if expecting Killian to jump out and reveal his true, entirely wicked reason for helping me. His whispered words kept ringing in my mind, triggering icy shivers. What did he want from me? Did he know who I was?

I shook my head, chasing away the horror-like scenarios my mind eagerly provided. I couldn't let myself drown in an unreasonable fear. I was sitting with my friends, sipping expensive wine, and enjoying delicious food. I could only taste these luxuries until the end of the cruise, and I promised myself not to spoil my time thinking about the nightmares from my past. 

Fortunately, Dylan decided to keep his distance from me just in case I truly turned out to be somehow involved with Killian Blair. Of course, he wouldn't be the only one wondering. From the moment Killian called me his “date,” I had been watched by countless curious—and envious—eyes. Multiple women followed me around, trying to determine whether or not Killian and I were in some kind of relationship. Truthfully, I half-expected to hear all sorts of vicious whispers behind my back, but nothing like that happened. Later, I realized that, just like Dylan, those women didn't want to risk Killian Blair's anger.

“So have you found and thanked your Prince Charming already?” Ashley giggled, gesturing at the waiter to bring us another bottle of wine.

I shook my head, stabbing a piece of stake with my fork. “He is not my Prince Charming,” I grunted before shoving food into my mouth.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh come on! What he did was epic!” She leaned over me and grinned. “Not to mention that it was fucking hot.”

I glanced at Matteo, but he must have already been immune to anything Ashley said. He just let out a long sigh and passed her a glass of wine. Ashley took the wine from her boyfriend and narrowed her eyes at me. “Don't try to pretend your heart didn't pound when he held you close while bringing Dylan to his knees.”

I gave her a look. “He didn't bring Dylan to his knees, and may I just remind you that the guy who defended me is the same one who fired us and almost ruined my entire life?”

She shrugged and emptied her glass. “If I were you, I would have forgiven him after what he did today.”

“It's not that simple,” I muttered, recalling a few of the gloomy scenes from my past.

She leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “What if he truly recognized you, regrets what he did, and now tries to redeem himself?”

I all but snorted. “And he starts his redemption by firing me?”

She cringed. “Good point.”

“Truthfully, I don't want to wonder about Killian Blair and his reasons,” I said, refilling my wine glass.

Ashley studied me, obviously itching to dig deeper, but after a moment, she finally shifted her attention to her so-far-neglected boyfriend. 

I sighed in relief and focused on my wine. Noble liquor flew down my throat, gently warming my insides. I wasn't sure how much I had drunk before my bladder forced me to my feet and toward the ladies' room.

The alcohol hummed in my head, making my steps oddly light. A sudden wave hit the ship's side, causing me to stumble. A giggle slipped free. Fine, I might have been a little drunk after all.

It had taken me three rounds to find the toilets, and by the time I trotted into the cubicle, I was already madly clenching my thighs. The relief after releasing unwanted fluids came with a wave of new thoughts. What if I could just erase my past? Wouldn't it be nice to have someone like Killian Blair by my side?

I instantly snorted at that thought. Even without everything that happened, Killian and I lived in two different worlds. People like him rarely paid any attention to someone like me… And yet, tonight he looked at me. He helped me. Was it because he truly knew who I was and he wanted redemption?

Sighing, I washed my hands and looked at myself in the mirror. I wasn't drop-dead-gorgeous, but I wouldn't call myself ugly either. I had long honey-blond hair, blue eyes, and a slightly perky nose. I had curves here and there, and before I lost the final shreds of confidence, I had considered myself attractive. A small, insanely dumb part of me began to wonder if Killian found me attractive too. What if there was no ulterior motive? What if he helped me only because he wanted to?  

Blowing a slow breath, I stumbled into the dimly lit corridor, with the railing on one side and rows of cabins on the other. The ship swayed from side to side, and my dizziness wasn't exactly helpful in keeping my balance. I lowered my gaze to my feet, needing to concentrate on every step I took. My feet slid as the ship swayed again. Gone was the balance, and suddenly, I was falling on the floor face first—

A pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind me, and then I was back on my feet. “Too much champagne, Josephine?”

I swallowed a curse and craned my neck to look at my savior. A pair of green eyes locked on me, and a sultry grin appeared. My breath hitched, and a rush of heat flooded all the wrong places. God, I hated it when my body worked against me.

Drawing a deep breath, I jerked Killian Blair's hands away from my waist and stepped back. “Thank you,” I muttered, watching his grin widen.

“You're welcome,” he said, piercing me with his nearly predatory stare.

I took another step back as my eyes drifted lower, capturing the rest of him. His tie was gone, and a few buttons of his shirt were undone, teasingly exposing his collarbones and a hint of the muscled chest. When my eyes returned to his face, I noticed it brighten with amusement. Annoyance blazed within me. Was I his source of entertainment?

I rolled back my shoulders and sucked in a sharp breath. “Can I ask you a question?” I managed, and his amusement increased.

“Of course.”

I cleared my throat. “Why did you help me before?”

He shrugged and stepped closer. “I sincerely despise all the Ricardsons. Embarrassing that Dylan guy simply felt good.” He leaned over me, and a sly smirk tugged at his lips. “But I also had another reason…”

My breath caught as I studied him for a few heartbeats. “Another reason?” I muttered and his smirk turned into a sultry smile. Oh, God… did he knew?! Did he know who I was and now he was playing with me?!

My instincts told me to flee, but as soon as I moved, the yacht swayed again. I squealed as my heels slid on the floor, making a mental note to avoid party cruises at all costs from now on.

“Be careful!” Killian shouted for a second before snaking his strong arms around me.

I spun, ungracefully steadying my feet, as his grip around me tightened. I slid again and fell back, dragging Killian along with me. Suddenly, we stopped—Killian steadied us.

“Are you all right?” he murmured, pulling me closer.

I swallowed, too aware of his firm body pressed against mine and his arms around me. Slowly, I lifted my gaze to his, his lips an inch away from mine…

A flash coming from the opposite side of the corridor caught my attention. A few more flashes followed. Was someone taking pictures of us? Killian growled out a curse, loosening his grip on me. “Don't go anywhere,” he muttered. “I'll deal with it.”

My reason returned with a violent blow. Like hell I would stay there! If he had truly recognized me, staying close to him would be like poking the devil. Panic rose within me by the heartbeat. I watched him stride through the corridor while my heart viciously thundered. Even if my body instantly mourned the loss of him, I knew that being around him was dangerous. Drawing a deep breath, I turned around and darted forward, as far away from him as possible.

***

I managed to avoid Killian until the end of the cruise, but the stress drained all my remaining strength. I almost cried when I finally laid my head on the pillow. The sleep came within a heartbeat…

“Josie! Josie, wake up!” The mix of Ashley's shouts and banging on my door was far worse than any alarm clock sound. “Josie, you need to see this! Let me in!”

I opened my eyes, reluctantly welcoming the blinding sunlight. My body firmly protested against any movement, and my head seemed glued to the pillow. I managed to focus my eyes on the watch; it showed seven in the morning. Why would Ashley wake me up so early? Had she gone mad or something?

“Josie!” Ashley roared. “It's about Killian Blair!”

I groaned. “Why would I care about that jerk?”

“Just open that damn door!” she yelled.

Finally, I dragged myself out of bed and let Ashley in. She strode inside, a colorful tabloid in hand. She threw it on my desk and pointed at a front-page picture. It looked like a photo of a loving couple. The two embraced each other, and it seemed like the picture had been taken a second before they kissed.

“Shit,” I breathed out as chills ran down my spine.

The man in that picture was Killian Blair, and the woman in his arms was… me. The realization came in a flash. Even if Killian didn't investigate who I was, the reporters would, and once the truth came out… I was doomed.