Xavier's POV
Even as I invited her along to the pool, offering to sit with her, a part of me knew it would be a mistake.
There were hundreds of women aboard this ship, twenty of so lazing about wearing next to nothing on the pool deck, and yet the moment the girl had turned her back to us, lifting the fabric of the little sundress upwards, over her head, I had to bite my cheek to remind myself to look away.
It was just a two-piece.
Plain black. Simple. Nothing about it was decorative or different--so why was it so distracting?
Petite, small. She was a small, dainty thing. Fragile.
By the gods, when did I start looking at her again?
"It's warm," Kai whined from where he'd already cannon-balled into the water.
He was a welcome distraction as I glanced his direction, aware of Emel
