Sealed with a Kiss

Chapter 4

It was a cool drizzly day in London as the couple boarded the taxi to the docks, but nothing could dampen Ellie's mood.

"I can't believe it's already here!" She squealed as she held on to Liam's arm. "Two months on the Mediterranean, just you and me."

"Anything for my girl", Liam replied, patting her arm.

When Ellie saw the stateroom, though, she was in awe.

"Liam!!! Oh my God! This is incredible!" She ran from the foyer to the bathroom, to the bedroom, to the balcony. Then ran back. "There's a hot tub on the balcony!"

The whole suite was bigger than her first apartment, and she was completely unaccustomed to the sheer luxury. Liam, on the other hand, seemed unimpressed.

"The stateroom on The Tidal Queen was bigger AND had a personal chef." He shrugged, and headed for the bedroom.

Ellie was struck dumb by his reaction. When they met, they were both newly graduated from their undergraduate degrees and traveling Europe on a shoestring. They had stayed in tents, or in hostels that packed 20 people in a room. He seemed glad to be with her whatever the conditions. Had becoming rich really changed him that much?

She brushed the doubts from her mind, and returned to the present, where she was in a gorgeous stateroom with the man of her dreams. He had booked this cruise to make her happy. Wasn't that love?

Slightly deflated, but still happy, Ellie followed Liam into the bedroom. A pale linen suit hung from the closet door and he was unbuttoning his slightly damp British daywear.

He had always been handsome, but she had to admit that his newfound interest in designer labels and bespoke fasion only added to her fiancé's allure. Ellie wasn't usually into blond men, but Liam had turned her opinion. He's like a fairytale prince...she thought as she watched him peel his shift off and unbutton his trousers. Dark gold curls peeped out from above his jersey boxers, and it made her knees weak.

"I'm a lucky gal." Elle mused as she leaned on the door frame. "You're such a stud."

Liam grinned. Despite his infidelity, he was a vain creature.

"Oh yeah?"

"Definitely. Shall we christen the bed, then? Or maybe the hot tub?" Ellie bit her bottom lip seductively.

"Don't you want to check out the lounge? They have live jazz!" He dropped his trousers and pulled on the new ones, zipping them up with an audible zzzzzzzzip. Ellie pouted as the object of her desire was locked away in a prison of crisp linen.

"I want YOU", she whined playfully and slid over to him, reaching for his fly.

"Ellie, don't. I want us to enjoy this trip, and we won't if we stay in our room the whole time!" Liam brushed her hands away and straightened his shirt. "Are you going to wear that?"

"We haven't even left the dock yet! There's plenty of time. Come on..." She tugged him towards the bed, and turned on her bedroom eyes.

"No!" Liam pulled her hands away and let her fall backwards onto the bed. "I'm going to the lounge. You can do what you want." And with that, he left her alone in the stateroom.

It was an inauspicious start to their engagement trip.

She wandered around the stateroom aimlessly for a bit, then to the deck to watch the launch. Waving at the people on the dock cheered her up a bit, so once England disappeared over the horizon, Ellie decided to look for her wayward fiancé.

Still in her leggings and t-shirt, Ellie stepped into the dim jazz lounge. The air was hazy with cigar smoke and soft music from a pianist and cellist swirled around the room. Well-dressed men and women spoke to each other in low tones over amber liquids in cut-crystal glassware.

She spotted Liam sitting on a sofa next to a stunning blonde in a tight black dress. Their heads were leaned together, and she was laughing at something he said. For a moment, she felt incredibly out of place in her casual clothing in such a refined space, but she wanted to know who that blonde was. They looked way too comfortable with each other.

"Liam? Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend?" She tried to be as cheerful as she could as she sat next to him and took his hand protectively.

Liam didn't even flinch. Maybe I'm overreacting, Ellie thought. He put an arm around her and smiled.

"Ellie! This is Cora. She also works in finance."

Cora reached out a limp hand for Ellie to shake.

"So this is the fiancée?" She looked Ellie up and down and smirked. "How charming."

Cora oozed old money. Her hair waved gently over one shoulder, without a single flyaway, and her makeup was flawless. And despite Ellie's general lack of sophistication, even she knew that the smart black handbag that sat at her side was from a designer label and worth over $50,000.

"As I was saying," Cora continued. "My father practically forced me on this cruise. I don't think I've taken an actual vacation in 3 years." Her voice was smooth and languid, like she'd never been in a hurry in her life.

"Well, I'm glad he did. You're a delightful drinking partner!" Liam replied, his eyes sparkling.

Ellie recognized the slight slur in his speech that meant that he was already several drinks in. This was dangerous.

"Liam, you promised we'd go to see the opera singer tonight. Should we eat first?"

Liam sighed like a teenager forced to do homework. "I suppose I did. Cora, it was a pleasure. I'm sure we'll run into each other again." He took her hand and kissed it.

Cora fawned over the gesture and soaked up Liam's attention like a sponge. Ellie couldn't believe what she was seeing!

Back at their stateroom, Liam seemed distracted as they changed for the show.

"Cora seemed nice," Ellie said as she slipped into the dress she planned to wear to the performance. "You met her at the lounge?"

"Uh, yeah..." Liam's gaze returned from space and locked in on Ellie's naked back as she asked him to zip her up.

Instead of zipping up her dress, he slipped his hands hungrily under the shoulder straps and ripped the dress down.

"What - ?" Ellie exclaimed and glanced back at him.

Liquor-glazed eyes rover her body hungrily. He must have had more drinks than she thought.

"On the bed. Now." He ordered.