nothing we can do. We did contact a few of those with single cabins and the ones who have responded indicate they prefer their arrangements to remain as they are. We havenât heard from a few others yet, but will let you know as soon as we do.â
Placing him in an awkward situation wasnât the half of it, Christopher thought. As a kid in grade school Maxine Chandler had fascinated him. As a teenager in high school sheâd made him aware of his raging hormones. Now as a man there was no doubt in his mind that she could be the one woman who could get under his skin, and he wasnât about to let that happen.
âAnd what am I supposed to do in the meantime?â he snapped.
Nancy Watson didnât think he was a person who would appreciate being told what to do, but since heâd asked, she would oblige him. âYou and Ms. Chandler evidently know each other since youâre both in the same class reunion group. I suggest the two of you work something out. Although we donât make a habit of assigning opposite sexes to the same cabins, coed sleeping arrangements are common practice and maybe it will work for the two of you.â
His gaze became hard as stone. âIt wonât work for the two of us. Iâm a person who likes my privacy. Had I wanted a cabinmate, I would have requested one. Since I didnât I would appreciate it if you do whatever you can to see that I spend my time on board this ship the way I had intended. Alone.â
Satisfied that he had made what he wanted absolutely clear, he walked out of the womanâs office then headed for the nearest bar, feeling the need of a stiff drink.
As he slipped onto a barstool he couldnât help wondering if someone up there didnât like him. The bartender came up to take his order. âYes, sir, what would you like?â
âBrandy.â
The bartender nodded and walked off. Christopher rested his arms on the counter and wondered what he would do if the shipâs director wasnât able to find Maxi another room. The possibility of sharing a cabin with her was too much to consider. He hadnât been prepared for the sight of her, and he hadnât been prepared for those protective instincts heâd always had where she was concerned kicking in. And more than anything, he didnât like the way his body had responded to her when he had carried her into the bathroom. The last thing he wanted was to feel any kind of attraction to her.
And that was the crux of his problem.
It seemed he had known Maxi forever, and with each passing year as he got older and older, he couldnât help noticing things about her that went beyond the obvious sexual ones. Like the way she would always have something nice to say to him when the other kids did not, or the way she would try including him in school activities when the other kids would not have dared. And she never appeared intimidated by him like some of the other girls, at least the ones who werenât trying to talk him into taking them to bed. It had been amusing how during the day they would ignore him around school but then at night, some of those same girls would come around to where he lived and try and talk their way into his pants. And usually he would oblige them just for the hell of doing so. But not once had he allowed anyone to get close to the real Christopher Chandler.
Except for Maxi.
He sat there, listening to the faint sound of music in the background while he remembered that one particular night. After six weeks of spending the majority of their evenings together doing research on their project, they had done a test run on their experiment to make sure it worked. It had. Deciding to celebrate their success, Maxi suggested that they go grab a hamburger or something. However, not wanting to ruin her reputation by being seen out with him, he had talked her into ordering pizza instead. While sitting on her parentsâ back porch under a moonlit
Placing him in an awkward situation wasnât the half of it, Christopher thought. As a kid in grade school Maxine Chandler had fascinated him. As a teenager in high school sheâd made him aware of his raging hormones. Now as a man there was no doubt in his mind that she could be the one woman who could get under his skin, and he wasnât about to let that happen.
âAnd what am I supposed to do in the meantime?â he snapped.
Nancy Watson didnât think he was a person who would appreciate being told what to do, but since heâd asked, she would oblige him. âYou and Ms. Chandler evidently know each other since youâre both in the same class reunion group. I suggest the two of you work something out. Although we donât make a habit of assigning opposite sexes to the same cabins, coed sleeping arrangements are common practice and maybe it will work for the two of you.â
His gaze became hard as stone. âIt wonât work for the two of us. Iâm a person who likes my privacy. Had I wanted a cabinmate, I would have requested one. Since I didnât I would appreciate it if you do whatever you can to see that I spend my time on board this ship the way I had intended. Alone.â
Satisfied that he had made what he wanted absolutely clear, he walked out of the womanâs office then headed for the nearest bar, feeling the need of a stiff drink.
As he slipped onto a barstool he couldnât help wondering if someone up there didnât like him. The bartender came up to take his order. âYes, sir, what would you like?â
âBrandy.â
The bartender nodded and walked off. Christopher rested his arms on the counter and wondered what he would do if the shipâs director wasnât able to find Maxi another room. The possibility of sharing a cabin with her was too much to consider. He hadnât been prepared for the sight of her, and he hadnât been prepared for those protective instincts heâd always had where she was concerned kicking in. And more than anything, he didnât like the way his body had responded to her when he had carried her into the bathroom. The last thing he wanted was to feel any kind of attraction to her.
And that was the crux of his problem.
It seemed he had known Maxi forever, and with each passing year as he got older and older, he couldnât help noticing things about her that went beyond the obvious sexual ones. Like the way she would always have something nice to say to him when the other kids did not, or the way she would try including him in school activities when the other kids would not have dared. And she never appeared intimidated by him like some of the other girls, at least the ones who werenât trying to talk him into taking them to bed. It had been amusing how during the day they would ignore him around school but then at night, some of those same girls would come around to where he lived and try and talk their way into his pants. And usually he would oblige them just for the hell of doing so. But not once had he allowed anyone to get close to the real Christopher Chandler.
Except for Maxi.
He sat there, listening to the faint sound of music in the background while he remembered that one particular night. After six weeks of spending the majority of their evenings together doing research on their project, they had done a test run on their experiment to make sure it worked. It had. Deciding to celebrate their success, Maxi suggested that they go grab a hamburger or something. However, not wanting to ruin her reputation by being seen out with him, he had talked her into ordering pizza instead. While sitting on her parentsâ back porch under a moonlit
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