Kiss Me Maybe (Princess Cruises Presents: Kindle Love Stories)
Read Kiss Me Maybe (Princess Cruises Presents: Kindle Love Stories) Online
Authors: Heather Burch
“Heather Burch has proven herself to have such an exceptional storytelling range that one might be tempted to call her ‘the Mariah Carey of romance fiction.’
One Lavender Ribbon
blew my expectations out of the water and then swept me away on a wave of sweet romance. Don’t miss this one.”—Serena Chase, contributor to
USA Today
’s Happy Ever After blog and author of
The Seahorse Legacy
“Burch’s latest combines a sweet, nostalgic, poignant tale of a true love of the past with the discovery of true love in the present . . . Burch’s lyrical, contemporary storytelling, down-to-earth characters, and intricate plot make this one story that will delight the heart.”—
RT Book Reviews
on
One Lavender Ribbon
, 4.5 Stars
One Lavender Ribbon
The Roads to River Rock
Along the Broken Road
Down the Hidden Path
Young Adult Novels
Summer by Summer
Halflings
Halflings
Guardian
Avenger
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2015 Heather Burch
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of
Amazon.com
, Inc., or its affiliates.
e-ISBN: 9781503996281
Cover design by Laura Klynstra
For my amazing Amazon cruise team, Laura H, John B, Timoney and Laura R.
And to the crew of the
Emerald Princess,
especially Christina and Jamilia, who were the perfect hostesses and are now friends for life.
And Kelli—I feel like—no, I KNOW this would never have happened without you.
And JoVon. You take such good care of me. I’m forever in your debt!
Miss Megan’s Top Three Beauty Secrets
Sneak peek:
Down the Hidden Path
Dear Reader,
If I could take you by the hand and lead you aboard
Emerald Princess
, I would. Because it isn’t just a place to spend a vacation, it’s the place where the world stops spinning so quickly. From the moment I stepped aboard, I knew a deep relaxation was going to find me. I tossed my phone in a drawer and my purse in the closet. I took long, slow walks around the ship. I reconnected with my husband with no distractions to steal our attention. White sand beaches. Umbrella drinks. Golden sunsets. It was everything I imagined and more.
As I watched the crew, I realized something. They understand how much we all need a break. Their smiles and friendly attitudes say it all. They want to be a part of our long, deep breath. When I left the ship, a little bit of my heart stayed right there.
It’s an honor to have been chosen to write a love story aboard
Emerald Princess
. Finding romance is no difficult feat when you’re surrounded by soft breezes, warm sun rays, and music that makes you want to move your feet.
When I wrote my story about Megan and Alexander, the words flowed out of me and I began to relive every beautiful and memorable moment aboard. I can’t wait to share it with you, and I can’t wait for the next phase of this journey as I embark on another cruise sailing to the Caribbean! My greatest hope is that I’ve captured a bit of the magic. It was a week I will always cherish.
I hope you enjoy my story. And I hope you one day walk across that gangway yourself. Find a spot in the shade and let the breeze carry you away. I promise you’ll come back filled with unforgettable new memories powerful enough to hold you until your next cruise adventure.
Thinking of you,
Heather
A seawitch is a beauty with the power to entrance sailors. She rules a kingdom far beneath the sea.
Alexander Andrews noticed her as soon as she stepped onto the gangway, her ballerina flats tiptoeing onto the ship as if stepping through a looking glass and into an alternate world. Her head tilted back, releasing the mass of red hair from her shoulders and causing a long, slender neck to crane. She half turned, taking in the gleaming sight of the massive ship as eyes the color of emeralds in sunlight closed, perhaps to capture the moment. She inhaled deeply, her delicate shoulders rising then falling as if every care, every distraction was being left right there on the gangway for the wind and waves to carry off.
Alexander’s heart did a little flop. He cleared his throat as his gaze trailed her legs. A light blue skirt shifted with each of her steps, grazing the skin of her thighs. When the man in line in front of him blocked his view with a massive cowboy hat, Alexander shifted, chin rising until the redhead filled his vision. His mind drifted away. Maybe it was the water; maybe it was the copper hair floating carelessly on the breeze that would carry them to the Caribbean. Whatever it was caused a flutter inside his chest. His mind imagined tales of seamen lost on the ocean and long-haired, beautiful mermaids coming to their rescue. He wouldn’t mind being rescued by
th
is
mermaid.
The wind kicked up and her long, slender fingers grasped the stray strands of hair as she cast a seductive look behind her . . . almost as if she knew his gaze was fitted tightly to her flesh. But, cowboy hat again, and the moment was lost.
Alexander tried to drag his focus elsewhere until a voice, crisp and smooth and filled with all the excitement and anticipation that this sort of trip elicited, worked its way over the breeze to him, tickling his ears. She was five guests ahead and he leaned forward to hear her words more clearly as she visited with an elderly couple behind her. Alexander made an executive decision to eavesdrop.
“No, I’ve
never
been on a cruise before.” Her eyes widened when she said it and Alexander realized he was grinning.
“You’ve been on twenty-five? Really? You must love cruising.”
The couple both nodded, two gray heads bobbing nonchalantly, but their excitement was easily read in their body language.
Alexander had never been on a cruise, either. And wouldn’t be now if it wasn’t for his assistant, Margery. She was the perfect combination of a mother hen and a pit bull. She’d informed him in no uncertain terms that his general grumpiness had reached mythical proportions. He was going away and had better come back nicer. Or she’d be looking for another job. But Margery—thirty years his senior—was more family than employee, and when she insisted, he agreed, assuming she’d send him to New York or LA, where he could make some contacts while recharging. He certainly hadn’t expected this. Seven days of Caribbean sun and cuisine. Seven days to leave the world behind and just . . . relax. The very idea crawled over Alex’s flesh like a colony of ants.
Relax
was a word he’d placed in a tightly lidded box and stored in the back closet of his mind. Other words kept it company. Words like
time
off
.
Vacation
.
Downtime
. He didn’t have time for any of it.
He’d had his downtime in college. Now, being the CEO of the largest family-owned beauty business in his part of the country left little room for vacationing. Well, thanks to Margery, he could make up for lost time. He tilted his ear in the direction of the redhead.
She tossed those long, coppery locks and said, “As soon as I drop my bag in my stateroom, I’m going to Neptune’s pool.”
Interesting. Maybe he’d go to Neptune’s pool as well.
He lost her in the shuffle of guests. They all stepped inside the belly of the ship to find a smiling crew directing them. Somewhere off in the distance, he heard calypso music. “Wow.” His gaze flittered over the beautiful decor, the perfect combination of a luxury hotel and an island getaway, with warm, serene colors and tropical murals all set off by ambient lighting.
A dark-haired female crewmember dressed in white and sporting a little gold name tag smiled. “She is beautiful, isn’t she? Wait until you see the Piazza.” The woman, with a hint of a European accent, pointed him to the elevators. He spotted Red getting into one and hoped to muscle his way to her, but the door closed. “Aloha Deck Number Twelve. You’re in one of our balcony staterooms. Have a wonderful week.”
Alexander thanked her and entered the elevator. The redhead floated through his mind as he rode to twelve. He knew where to find her. Neptune’s. Just as he slipped his key from his pocket, he saw it. The flash of red hair and an oomph sound as the woman in the stateroom next door struggled with her shoulder bag. Though tucked into the alcove separating his door from hers, there was no denying the flash of hair as she tumbled inside. Red was his next-door neighbor.
And Alex couldn’t be happier to be on a ship headed for the Caribbean.
Maritime legend suggests Aquanna, the seawitch, controls the wind.
Megan Cooper had a job to do and she’d do well to remember that. But the salty sea air and the gorgeous sunshine beckoned, and before she could think twice, she was stretched out on a cushioned chaise and soaking up the sun. Already she felt miles and miles away from the responsibilities that waited at home. “Come back new,” the brochure had said. Oh, she planned to do that and so much more. When the first bits of sweat began to glisten on her flesh, Megan rose from her spot and jumped into the pool. She came up quickly, head thrown back and loving the feel of the fresh, cool water on her limbs and torso. She’d been a gold medalist in high school, taking every blue ribbon and setting records for swimming. But small-town glory was nothing compared to her
love
of the water. Any body of water. She tilted and floated on her back. She could stay like that for hours if she chose, but when her stomach growled, she decided it was time to leave her aquatic home and return to the one on Aloha Deck twelve. It was just as Megan rose from the side of the pool that she felt the gentle tug on the back of her hair. She turned and saw nothing, so she gave a one-shouldered shrug and got out. A blue-and-white striped beach towel waited for her, but the tug again. She turned again, nothing. Something was jerking on her hair and the joke was losing its humor.