Next to Me (Triplets book 3)

Chapter 9

It had to happen. The last day of the cruise had arrived.  Elyse and Gene had spent as much time together as possible, and Elyse realized she would miss seeing him every day.  They had held hands and kissed and had a few heated make-out sessions in her cabin while watching movies, but he still hadn't told her his real name, and tonight was his last night. 

There was a fancy dress masquerade.  The ship had provided the masks, and everyone was supposed to attend wearing them. Gene would arrive at her cabin any moment to pick her up, and she was nervous.  Elyse hadn't packed for a fancy party, so when they had stopped in Nassau, she and Gene had gone ashore to buy her a suitable dress.

It was a pale green chiffon with a high-cut neckline and a plunging back. It fell to the floor and swirled around her like a cloud. It had come with a small wrap that she had draped over her arms, giving her a dramatic effect.  The dress covered her feet, but she had purchased some kid heels in a taupe color that would make it easy to navigate the ship while wearing.

Elyse looked at her appearance once more in the mirror. Her hair was artfully arranged in a sleek ponytail, but she had gone light on the makeup because of the mask. The last thing she needed on this romantic night was her mask string tangled in her hair.

When the knock on the door came, she took a deep breath and placed a hand on her stomach to settle her nerves. This was it, the last moments.

She walked toward the cabin door on shaky legs and pulled it open to see a masked man with a chiseled jaw and a tux that fit like a glove standing at her door.

"I'm sorry," Elyse said with a frown, "Do you have the right room?"

"It's Gene, Mary," his perfect lips smiled, and Elyse swallowed hard, lost for words. She had wondered what he would look like without his beard, if he would have laugh lines, and he did.

Slowly she reached up and untied the mask, pulling it away from his face, and she was surprised when he didn't stop her.

All she could read were his eyes as she completed the task, and their serious expression told her he was concerned and feeling exposed as she did it. For Elyse, it was one of the most intimate moments of her life.

As the mask fell away, Elyse let out a shaky sigh. He was beautiful, too beautiful. It felt as if he wasn't her Gene but a stranger. There was something familiar about him as if she had seen him somewhere before, but it could also be that she could still see parts of the bearded Gene in him.

She reached up and traced his face. "You're so handsome."

"More handsome than your preacher?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow while tipping his lip in a half smile, and Elyse's knees about gave out.

"Are you still jealous?" Elyse tried to tease, but it came out a little too rough, and sounded like she was mad.

"I'm worried that I won't do," Gene shook his head with a sad look, and Elyse rolled her eyes.

"You'll do, and somehow I know you know you'll do." Elyse reached for her mask and started to tie it around her head, but Gene stepped up to help her, motioning for her to turn around.

Elyse watched his face in the mirror as his gaze strayed to her naked back and was pleased to see his eyes darken in response, but his teasing tone didn't match his look.

"But the real question is will Gary know that you know that I'll do?"

Her heart picked up pace at his mentioning the fact that their might be a chance he would meet Gary. It meant that their days might mean something more to him than just a casual vacation romance. "Who cares about Gary," Elyse said in a husky voice as Gene traced his finger down Elyse's bare back.