Forever (Time for Love Book 1) by Miranda P. Charles

to his room?" Rebecca teased.
    Sarah chuckled. "Ron was a bit touchy-feely last night and he'd hinted on it. But I didn't bite. I'm not ready, I guess."
    "Good. Don't do anything you'd regret later."
    "No. I won't. Anyway, I have to get ready."
    "Thanks, Sarah."
    "Anytime, honey."
    Rebecca went out the balcony and stared at the calm waters. They'd be docking in Brisbane in an hour, which would be perfect. Most passengers were likely to go on shore and do some touristy things on land. She'd stay on board and enjoy one of the pools while they weren't crowded. She had a broken heart to heal. And now that she was certain there would never be a 'Zach and Rebecca' again, nothing was holding her back from moving on.

CHAPTER TEN
    Z ach took a deep breath as he reached his grandmother's door, his heart hammering like a teenager picking up a girl for a first date. He knew Rebecca and Sarah were in the room helping Magda get ready for the theatre.
    He'd been kicking himself in the head all day over how he'd treated Rebecca last night. He'd hurt her—it had been plain to see—and the knowledge pricked his heart.
    He'd almost run after her to hold her in his arms and say he was sorry. Almost. But a thick-skulled moron like him had needed one whole day to get over himself, strip things down to the bare truth and get some semblance of clarity.
    He couldn't stay away from Rebecca. That was something he simply couldn't deny or ignore. He'd been acting like a total fool—afraid of the strong feelings he had for her and at the same time afraid of never having her in his life again.
    Well, he'd finally made up his mind about something. Since he'd already established he was a total fool, why shouldn't he try to win Rebecca back? Even if she was still having a relationship with that bastard who was cheating on his wife, wouldn't Rebecca prefer to be with a single wealthy man than a married wealthy man?
    Sure, there was the possibility that Rebecca could only be a scheming manipulator. But unless she was an excellent actress, she couldn't have faked her tears the other night, or the surprised hurt in her face when he'd indicated last night that he wasn't interested in pursuing anything with her.
    He was willing to gamble on the fact that Rebecca's feelings for him were real. If that were the case, she must really have a damn good reason for being a married man's mistress. Perhaps she needed the money for her grandmother's retirement village? He knew the place wasn't cheap. Whatever her reason, his heart told him it was something he could eventually accept.
    Therefore... while he was waiting to get the full facts from Jeff, he could at least take a few small steps toward getting back together. He couldn't go all the way and say those three little words to her—not yet, much as he was bursting to. He had his grandmother and the family's privacy and reputation to protect. If it weren't for those, he wouldn't care about the repercussions and would simply follow his heart.
    He sighed. Sometimes, he wished he was just an ordinary man with an ordinary income and an ordinary life.
    He knocked on Magda's door, barely able to wait until it opened. Sarah answered, looking pretty in a black dress. But his gaze quickly left her to scan the room for Rebecca.
    "Hi Zach. Magda's ready. I'll see you guys inside the theatre," Sarah said, making to leave.
    "Okay," was all he could say.
    "Hello, dear. You look very handsome," Magda greeted.
    "Hi Gran. You look very beautiful," he returned.
    "Thank you. Now maybe I can catch the eye of some men who'd want to go dancing with me one of these nights."
    "I'll have a dance with you."
    "That will be nice, dear. But I don't want to take up too much of your night time. You should be spending it with people your age, not your grandmother."
    "I don't mind spending time with you," he said. "You're a cool grandma."
    Magda laughed, patting him on the cheek. "You're so sweet, Zachary. You do know that any woman would be so lucky