Two if by Sea by Marie Carnay Page A

Daphne and him and Tony all together. They could make it work for more than a week. With a woman who didn’t want them for their reputation. It must mean they had a chance.
    He didn’t know what he was feeling. It couldn’t be…He shook his head. No getting ahead of himself. Hell, he didn’t even know if Tony gave a damn.
    But one thing was certain—he couldn’t let Daphne walk away. Not until he found out if there was more between them. Something to hold on to.
    He pointed at her laptop. “How about you ditch that thing and we have some fun?”
    She considered for a moment. “I should work.”
    “I promise to keep my hands to myself. Innocent fun only.”
    She glanced down at her yoga pants and T-shirt. “Do I need to change?”
    “No. You’re perfect.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Want to come?”
    Daphne slipped her hand into his and Damon smiled in relief. A few hours of activity that didn’t require deep, meaningful conversation or awkward small talk would open her up.
    She’d see what fun they could have together even off the boat. He tugged her down the deck of the ship and his excitement built with each step. He knew exactly how to make her smile and push her boundaries.
    They rounded a corner and stopped in front of the check-in. He spun around. “Tell me you’ve never been rock climbing.”
    “I’ve never been rock climbing.”
    He grabbed both her hands. “You mean it?”
    Daphne nodded.
    “Perfect.” Damon motioned to the crew manning the rock wall and in moments they were hooked up to harnesses and ropes and at the edge of a fifty-foot wall.
    She pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and tugged on his arm. “I’m not so sure about this.” The concern in Daphne’s voice surprised him.
    “Why not?”
    Her lips thinned into a line. “What if something goes wrong?” She tilted her head back and focused on the top. “What if I get stuck up there?”
    Damon grinned. “Then I’ll help you get down. Don’t worry. I’ll be right by your side.”
    She stood still for a moment, deciding. At last, she nodded. “Okay. Just don’t let me fall.”
    “I’ll have you, Daphne. You’re safe with me.”
    “I hope to hell you’re right.”
    He waited until she looked up into his eyes. “I’ll protect you, Daphne.” He wanted to say so much more, but the employee manning the wall gave them the all clear. It was time to climb. By the time they reached the top, he hoped she’d do more than tell him goodbye.

Chapter 9
    DAPHNE
    T his had to be one of the craziest things she’d ever done. Rock climbing on a cruise ship. Talk about out of her ordinary comfort zone. Daphne didn’t even like glass elevators.
    She grabbed ahold of the rock above her head and pushed up with her legs. Oomph . It took all her concentration not to slip and go flying. She’d learned that the hard way.
    “You’re getting the hang of it.” Damon hung off the wall like he’d been a monkey in a prior life, all grace and ease. The man hadn’t slipped once.
    “Thanks.” Daphne put her foot on another ledge and pushed up. “So why cruise ships?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Why not a normal career. You went to a good college, you said so last night. Why not investment banking or the law. Why a cruise line?”
    Damon thought for a moment. “It’s not that interesting.”
    Was that embarrassment? No way. Daphne pulled herself up higher on the wall. “I’m serious. I want to know.”
    Damon exhaled and climbed a few feet without a pause. “Tony and I…we weren’t the study hard types. It all seemed so pointless.”
    “Poor babies.”
    He shot her a look, but paused above her. “One day we were sitting around, ditching class probably, and Tony threw out the idea. He asked me, what are we good at?”
    “And you said partying, didn’t you?”
    Now she knew he was embarrassed. His jaw flexed and he climbed high enough to hide his face. “You guessed it.”
    “Then what?”
    “We turned it into a