Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Donovan
The urge to call my clinic and ask if things are running smoothly is strong, but I promised my cousin when I was packing my bag for this vacation that I’d leave the work to those I pay well to take care of it.
I employ a dozen people who view my business through the same lens that I do. Our goal is to provide the best medical care possible to every pet brought into our clinic.
I get out of bed each day determined to do what I can for the people who trust me and my staff to do right by the animals they consider family members.
“A splash of champagne in that would take it to a new level.”
I glance to my right and find a young woman standing near me. Since she’s not decked out in a blue and white uniform, I quickly realize she’s not working on this ship.
The multi-colored bikini top she’s wearing should have been my first clue.
I don’t drop my gaze to see if the bottom matches the top. Instead, I focus on her brown eyes and the hope dancing in them.
If she wants an invite to sit and share this table with me, I can give her that. “Are you looking for a place to sit?”
The corners of her glossy lips edge down slightly as if I’ve disappointed her. “Sure. I could use a place to sit.”
I stand and tug on the back of the chair to the left of mine. It’s a square table set up near the breakfast buffet. On any normal day, I don’t indulge in breakfast until after my morning run, but since I skipped that today, I opted for a cup of lightly sweetened coffee along with the tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice my table companion already commented on.
She sits down, her gaze roaming the room as she does. “Are you here alone?”
“I am.”
Her eyes drop to the white polo shirt I’m wearing and the black shorts I tugged on early this morning when I got out of the shower.
“I’m Felicia,” she introduces herself with a smile.
“Donovan.” I take my seat again.
“Back to the perfect breakfast beverage.” Her blue eyes sparkle. “Is there champagne in your orange juice?”
The way she’s looking at me suggests she’s more interested in me than what I’m drinking. Back in Manhattan, I’d likely pursue this and play along, but my mind has been stuck on Delia Hawthorne since last night.
I’m not a man who misreads situations or imagines things that aren’t there. There was palpable energy coursing between Delia and me as we walked to her cabin.
I didn’t expect an invite into her room, so there wasn’t a lick of disappointment on my part when that didn’t transpire. I know I’ll run into her again this afternoon, if not this morning since I have every intention of seeking her out.
Her recent social media posts haven’t hinted that there’s a man in her life, but I’ll lure that information out of her before the sun sets over the ocean.
“No champagne.” I float a palm over the rim of the glass in front of me. “I’m pacing myself today.”
That sends Felicia’s head back in laughter. “Why? My motto is to jump in and enjoy every second because this is an adventure.”
We lock eyes briefly and I see a flash of something in hers. She wants me to take part in her adventure.
“I plan on having a drink with someone later,” I tell her. “Someone I share a connection with from home.”
It’s a vague enough statement to get the point across that I’m not looking for the same thing she is.
This time there’s no mistaking the disappointment that taints her expression. “I thought you said you were alone, Donovan.”
I pat the top of the table with two fingertips. “I’m here alone this morning, but I don’t plan on spending all of my time alone on this trip.”
Tucking a lock of her curly brown hair behind her ear, she nods. “I get it. Until then, we can share the table for breakfast, right?”
I glance up when I hear someone cough next to me. I look up into the face of a guy who looks to be in his mid-twenties. His gaze is stuck on Felicia’s face.
“Can I sit with you?” he asks her, ignoring me completely. “I think we said hi in passing when we were both boarding yesterday.”
Felicia nods slowly. “I remember that. It’s Brandon, right?”
“Brayden,” he offers the subtle correction. “Can I sit with you, or are you with him?”
I’m finally acknowledged even though he doesn’t glance in my direction at all.
“Sit,” she instructs him with a point of her finger at one of the two vacant chairs at our table. “He’s just a new friend.”
We share a smile across the table before Brayden steals her attention again.
I’ll take the ‘ new friend ’ title from this pretty woman, and any other woman on this ship, except Delia. I want to be more than a friend to her; so much more than a friend.