His life runs on a neat, orderly schedule until he re-unites with Allison Worthy. She was just a kid when Thurman left for life on the high seas. Now, she’s a vivacious and beautiful woman who threatens to turn his world upside-down. And the worst thing is…he has to work with her. Allison, cruise director on the ship’s maiden voyage, takes one look at grown up Thurman Swain and swoons. He’s become exactly what she’s looking for in a man, except he might be a little too concerned about what others think. The intimate confines of a ship at sea soon brew a romance between the captain and the cruise director. They conduct a clandestine love affair until Allison wants to bring their love out into the bright southern sun. When former lovers meet again on a holiday cruise, are they ready to face their past and their future... Murphy Gilbert has few regrets. His family owns a luxurious small cruise ship line, and he’s on the maiden voyage of the newest ship doing what he loves. As the company photographer and digital media specialist, the Christmas cruise on the Grand Islander should be just the right combination of work and play. However, as the ship leaves Charleston, he discovers a woman from his past on board. Losing her is one of his few regrets, but resisting her on a two-week cruise may be wonderfully impossible. After graduating from college with an art degree, Cecelia took off to Europe to study with the masters. She left behind her best friend Murphy, but not before a passionate but unwise fling with him the week before graduation. Now four years later, her work takes her aboard the Grand Islander and into the path of the dark-eyed man she hasn’t been able to forget. Letting herself fall for him means revealing a secret that will hurt them both, and Cecelia must risk everything before New Year’s Eve.