“He must deal with his own ghosts.” Merissa stood to her feet. “Tell Amy I’ve gone for ice cream.” She walked toward the elevator feeling Skip’s gaze on her back the entire time. After she’d gotten a two-tiered cone, she peeked onto the deck and was pleased to see that Skip had followed her suggestion. He and Amy sat holding hands and engrossed in conversation.
Merissa’s feet took her to the stern of the ship, to the place where she’d discovered freedom. How could Chad just accept the idea that she’d planned to manipulate him right from the start? She’d bared her soul to him – he’d kissed her, twice, and sent a beautiful letter to her room. She felt betrayed, and, yes, heartbroken. Amy would forgive and forget in a heartbeat, but for her the process would take longer. She dissected feelings and actions far too much. It was a weakness she longed to throw in the ocean this very minute.
A man walked toward Merissa, his steps rhythmic and determined. He was older, probably in his mid-thirties. The intensity of his stare caused her to turn toward the ocean to avoid him. She whispered to settle her nerves. “One – I can still hear his steps, two – I feel the urgency of his mission and it scares me, three – please just pass on by, four – the steps have stopped and I can feel his breath on my neck.”
Merissa whirled around to face a stranger who wore a wicked smirk she’d like to push back inside his mouth with her fist. But he had other plans with his mouth. The man was quick and agile and she found herself trapped. With the rail digging into the middle of her back, his body pasted tight against hers, and his two arms grasping the irons on both sides of her, he kissed her with brutal strength.
Merissa pushed hard on his chest and bit his lip hard. He withdrew and instead of pain and rejection, she saw a sadistic glee in his icy eyes. She brought her knee up, but he intercepted and held her with a fierce intensity that frightened her.
“Now stop you fighting, little Miss. The only reason folks run off alone is for privacy, and I know you’ve been looking my way.”
“You know nothing of the sort! You followed me like the predator you are.”
“Predator – I like the way you say that. Say it again, sweetie-pants.”
Suddenly, the man jerked backward, and caught off guard, stumbled. Merissa’s hands flew to her mouth to stop the scream. It was Chad to the rescue. He must have come to their spot looking for her. Thank God he did not draw the wrong conclusion about her close proximity to the man he tangled with now. Chad’s hits were direct, and his well-trained muscles provided a hard punch upon impact. The man’s lips were bleeding and there was a gash across his forehead where he’d landed on a sharp edge.
“Hey man,” he started to say when Chad landed another punch. “I didn’t know she was your girl. Honest. Just out looking for a little fun.”
“You’re drunk, and that is not acceptable on this cruise.” Chad folded the man’s arms up his back and wrenched hard. The stranger squealed. “Now, let’s go to the desk and see what the administration has to say about you.” Chad never took his eyes off the man but called out to Merissa. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” Merissa never added what she felt – now that you’re here. Chad nodded her way and when he started back, she followed close behind.
An hour later, the report was written up, and the man placed under watch until the next stop. The law there would escort the attacker to the airport and put him on a plane home.
Chad moved to where Merissa stood. She still shook. “You’re in shock. I think you need to see the doctor,” said Chad.
Merissa let the bottled-up tears flow. “Can you just hold me?”
Chad led Merissa to a small couch tucked in the corner. He folded her into his arms and she gratefully buried her head on his chest. Disjointed murmurs stumbled from her lips while she cried out in confusion.
“Why me, Chad? I didn’t entice him. Why did he come after me?” She sobbed again, and he continued to pull her head back into the shelter of his arms. “Just cry it out. He’s the loser, Merissa. Snuck the booze in his carry on. He’s a recovering alcoholic who fell off the wagon last night. Guess, you crossed his path at the wrong time.”
Merissa clung to Chad, and eventually, the weeping became hiccups and choking snivels.
Chad pushed her face back so he could see her. “Merissa forgive me for being such an idiot. I believed a silly notion and don’t deserve you.”
It felt good to think about something else. “You really thought I could manipulate someone’s life? Do you know me at all, Chad?” Merissa asked.
“Not nearly as much as I want to. I’ve been praying you’d give me another chance.”
“You’ve talked to Skip?”
“Briefly. Long enough for him to apologize for his crazy idea and tell me to hunt you down, get on my knees, and win you back.”
When Chad began to shift into the kneeling position, Merissa held him firmly on the seat. “You don’t need to beg, Chad.”
“Skip is busy begging Amy’s forgiveness. Don’t know what possessed either of us. Couldn’t seem to swallow the idea of mail from the North Pole, so I clung to my initial conclusion that Skip had planned the cruise.” Chad chuckled. “That was sadly misdirected. Should have known better. Skip never did anything that rash or remarkable before.”
“Skip is a good man and friend,” Merissa said.
“The best,” said
