Sailing with My Sister’s Best Friend (Cruisin With Curves)

Chapter 3

Seeley

I watched Aurora walk back over to my sister. My body still needed a moment to calm down from seeing her again. My mind was still reeling from being this close to her again. I raised my hand and flagged down the bartender to order another whisky.

This trip was going to be hard enough with Darby bringing up our parents. I didn’t need old feelings and broken dreams of a life with Aurora making it worse. I downed my drink and ordered another. If I didn’t slow down, I would be drunk before we left port which sounded great right about now.

Why the hell did Darby have to mention mom and dad? Why did she invite Aurora on a family trip anyway? Why did it feel like my emotions were all over the place?

I was pretty sure Darby still had no idea about the summer Aurora and I spent together. If my nosy sister had a clue about our past, she would already have us marching down the aisle, and I was sure Aunt Kelly would help her.

I wasn’t opposed to marriage. Hell, I wasn’t opposed to marrying Aurora. If things had been different, we would be married now, but we had our shot and we missed it. My only regret was that I didn’t know what went wrong. Maybe if I knew that, I could finally move on.

Laughter drew my attention back to our table. It didn’t matter that there was music and talking all around me. I would recognize Rory’s laughter anywhere. I loved that laugh. I loved everything about her.

Fuck me, she was still just as sexy as the last time I saw her. Maybe even sexier. She had her dark hair in a braid that hung low in a ponytail past her slim neck. Her smooth black skin practically glowed under the light makeup that she was wearing, and damned if her shirt and pants didn’t make her look like an angel. All I wanted was to lean into her and press my lips to her full ones. To rest my hand right at the curve of her ass like I always did, but I knew I couldn’t.

I took another drink and a long breath. Standing here wasn’t going to make this cruise go by any faster. I carried my glass back over and slid into the seat beside Aurora. I pulled it forward, intentionally getting just a touch closer to her. I couldn’t help myself. The need to feel her skin next to me was too strong.

“What’s so funny?” My arm brushed up against hers. I felt the small shiver that went through her. Maybe she wasn’t as over me as she was trying to project. Good to know I wasn’t alone.

“Wade was just telling everyone about the last cruise they went on and his sister’s new boyfriend.” Aunt Kelly filled me in.

“She’s dating the football player, right?” I asked.

“Yep.” Wade nodded. “Sawyer Kaine.”

“Does he think the Storming Cobras are going to make the playoffs this year?” I wasn’t a huge sports fan, but I caught a game every once in a while.

“I think they have a good chance.” Wade nodded. “Sawyer’s playing better than ever, which he credits to Bridgette. Heath is killing it and Boone is on fire. I’m hoping they win the whole thing.”

“You both should come down and go to a game with us some time.” Darby offered. “I’m sure Sawyer can get us tickets.”

“We’ll see.” Aurora gave her a non-committed nod.

“It could be fun,” I said, just to bug Rory.

“I can take the time off, but I’m sure you have some highly important client that requires your undivided attention.” Her eyes flashed at me. What the hell was she getting at? Yes, I worked hard. She knew that, but I had always made time for Darby and her.

“Actually, I think I’m going to head out on deck so I don’t miss when we sail away from the port.” Aurora pushed her chair back and moved away from me.

“Oh, let’s all go.” Darby stood. “We should be getting close.”

Everyone abandoned our seats and headed for the door. I hung back just enough so I could take hold of Aurora’s arm as she passed and no one would notice.

“What the hell was that?” I asked when my family was far enough away not to hear us.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about.” I moved closer to her so that her arm was right against my chest. “The crack about my clients. Where did that come from?”

“From the fact I know how important work is to you.” She snarked. “In fact, nothing is more important to you.”

“That isn’t completely true.” I argued. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“And what did Darby have to do to tear you away from your precious clients?”

I blinked, trying to reconcile the woman standing beside me, and the girl I had known most of my life.

“Why are you mad at me?”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. It isn’t fair of me to hold the past against you.” Another statement I didn’t understand. “Let’s just get through this week as best we can. Then we don’t have to see each other again until Wade and Darby’s wedding.”

My eyes went wide, and I coughed in a breath. “Their wedding?” I stared her down. “Did Wade propose to my sister? Is that the real reason we are on this cruise?” If Darby was getting married, why didn’t she tell me? We talked almost every other night.

“I don’t think he’s asked yet, but come on. You have to know that is where their relationship is headed.”

She wasn’t wrong. I knew the first time I saw them together that they both were in it for the long haul. I guess I figured I had at least a year or so more before they made any announcements, but that might have just been wishful thinking. She moved down to Louisiana a few weeks after they met. Of course, they aren’t going to wait a year to get engaged.

“Are you okay?” Rory put her hand flat against my cheek. The warmth of it was just as comforting as when she would follow the movement with a kiss.

“Yeah, I just, I hadn’t thought about it.” I let out a long breath. Being vulnerable with her came naturally. “She isn’t only my baby sister anymore, Rory. I guess I wasn’t ready for that.”

“It’s okay.” She slid her hand around to the back of my neck. “She’s always going to be your baby sister.”

“I know, but it won’t be the same anymore.” I confided to her. “They’ll get married and then start having kids.” I was the oldest. I was supposed to do all those things first and here I was basically married to my job. The closest I got to a date was if my assistant stayed late on Friday night.

“It might not be the same, but that doesn’t mean that it will be bad.” She smiled. “You might like being Uncle Lee.”

“Yeah.” My eyes locked with hers. All the emotions I felt in that moment reaching out to the woman I had once imagined a future with. The one person that had ever made her way into my heart.

I leaned forward on instinct. My eyes glanced quickly down to her lips. The need to feel them after all this time was just as strong as if I had just kissed her yesterday. My tongue came out to moisten mine in anticipation.

“We should go.” She let her hand drop and took a step back. “Darby and Aunt Kelly will be wondering what happened to us.”

I let her arm go. Disappointment swirling inside me. “I guess we should.” I put my hand on the small of her back and led her toward the door, wondering if I just avoided a mistake or made one by not following through on the kiss.