Samantha exhaled and shook her head faintly.
"I don't know about those two sometimes."
Don stepped closer.
Without much thought, he placed his arm around her shoulders and drew her slightly toward him.
"Don't worry about those two," he said. "Just relax and enjoy yourself. Come on. Let me find you a seat with a good view."
Samantha stiffened for half a second before easing into the contact.
Heat rose to her cheeks almost immediately.
She became aware of it all at once—the glances from across the deck. The way a few guests paused mid-sentence to look in their direction. The subtle shift in posture from nearby students who had accompanied their parents.
They weren't only looking at Don.
They were looking at her too.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her glass.
'Are they just curious… or judging?'
She kept her expression steady.
Before they had taken more than a few steps—
A familiar voice carried over from their right.
"Ah, Mr. Bright."
Don paused.
