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“I’m sorry Owen touched you. I’ve spoken to him.”
“It was nothing, I…”
“It’s not nothing,” I stood up until we were face to face, eye to eye. So close that I could see the tiny flecks of gold in Andrew’s deep brown eyes. “No one should touch you without your consent. Please let me know if it happens again, and it will be dealt with.”
Andrew’s expression shuttered. “Thanks, but I’m entirely capable of handling those types of situations myself. It wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last.”
“It’s the last time it’s going to happen here,” I bit out.
It dawned on me that I wasn’t taking my own advice, and I was standing in Andrew’s personal space. Rearing back suddenly, I lost my balance. Just as I started to fall, strong hands gripped my biceps, and I was righted. The warmth of Andrew’s hands branded my skin and set off a rippling shockwave that coursed through my body. Talk about horrible timing all around.
Andrew held firm and rubbed his thumbs over my skin, the innocent touch causing my stomach to somersault.
“Are you okay?” Andrew asked as he released me.
“Just embarrassed at my clumsiness,” I crossed my arms and rubbed my biceps, the skin still tingling. “Thank you for catching me.”
“No problem. Is there anything else?”
“We have a meeting with Owen in my office in…”—I looked at my watch—“twenty-five minutes. I’ll need you to take notes. Trust me when I say he’s on his best behavior.”
“Alright. Would you like me to change out my uniform?”
“God, yes,” I replied, imagining Andrew stripping out of those tight shorts. “I mean, yes, that would be appropriate.” Andrew nodded, and I quickly turned and walked away, taking the stairs two at a time to reach my suite, rushing into the adjoining loo. Contrary to my usual preference for hot baths, a cold shower was now in order. Stripping down, I jumped under the icy spray, and scrubbed my arms vigorously to remove any trace of Andrew’s touch.
I had a gnawing feeling there would be many cold showers in store for my foreseeable future. And if that didn’t work out, there was always the icy hose on deck.
FIVE
ANDREW
I sat on a lounger on the sun deck, mesmerized by the blanket of shimmering stars that hovered in the darkening sky. We’d traveled to St. Thomas and dropped anchor for a few days. I was looking forward to exploring the island when I had time off, but for now, I was taking in the peace and quiet of another hazy tropical night.
Rowan was having dinner with Dylan and the other guests at the resort, but I had requested to stay behind. The idea of watching my boss flirt and pick up some rando made me feel awkward as fuck. Normally I didn’t care what the hell my boss was up to, so long as it was legal. But ever since I stepped aboard this ship, I was off-kilter. I didn’t have my sea legs whenever Rowan was around, and it unsettled me.
Besides, being on board meant I could focus on what I was supposed to be doing - work. Rowan requested that I research Owen’s recent business deals in greater detail, so I’d done just that. The meeting yesterday had been brief, the tug-of-war between Owen and Rowan amusing to watch. Owen dangled his resort properties under Rowan’s nose but kept haggling on the offer price, and they left the meeting a half hour later with no deal.
Owen continued to eye me up like I was his next meal. His obvious manner made my inner eye roll since I pretty much guessed he was just coming on to me to provoke Rowan. Maybe it was a bit of pride too since I’d turned him down. The multimillionaire was probably never used to hearing the word “no” from anyone. Whatever the reason, I was happy to have that meeting over with.
But I still couldn’t figure out why Owen kept refusing the offer, which was fifteen percent more than the combined appraisal value. Rowan’s reasoning had been persuasive, but Owen shrugged it off. After the meeting, Rowan had dictated a long list of additional notes. I could tell by the passionate way he spoke that he was determined to win this deal and refused to give up. What else did I expect? Rowan had taken his family’s business and turned it into a global empire. Suddenly, I felt like a total underachiever. Then again, I guess 99% of the world would feel the same way in comparison. My priority was getting rid of my insane credit card debt and building my own business, and this job would bring in enough for me to do just that. Then my independence would be won. Or at least, it was a start.
I finished my research, emailed Rowan the notes and then reviewed the daily press packet from his media team. There were highlights from several celebrity gossip sites about who Rowan was dating and questions about whether he would get back together with his celebrity ex. I may have envied his wealth, but this kind of invasive attention had to be unnerving.
I opened an email markedconfidential. It was a photo of Rowan and Dylan on the sundeck that was now circulating on social media. Shit. The accompanying note instructed me to remind everyone on board that photos of guests was prohibited. I tried to recall the afternoon, but I didn’t remember seeing anyone taking pictures. But I had been running around a lot with drink orders and checking on the status of the next meal service, so my memory wasn’t complete.
I read through the rest of the emails Ravi forwarded for action and lost track of time until I heard the rumble of the tender motor down below. Minutes later, a familiar voice rang out.
“Hey, Andrew!” Dylan yelled from the top of the stairs.
“Hey yourself, how was dinner?” I asked as I shut the laptop.
“Real nice but nowhere near as good as Lisette’s cooking.” Dylan sauntered over and plunked himself down on the opposite lounger.
“Is everyone back on board?”
“Just me. The others headed to a club, but that’s not my scene anymore. How’s the new job going?”
“Good. I was doing some research on Owen. The guy’s been telling Rowan for over a year that he wants to deal but then refuses to close. I don’t know much about real estate, but it’s clear there’s a story behind all their back and forth. My curiosity needs answers.”
