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“Hey, I’m Andrew, the new chief steward. Pleasure to meet y’all.”
“Bonjour and welcome.” The brunette had a French accent. “I’m Lisette, and this is my wife and sous chef, Cassie.”
“A fellow American!” Cassie offered a big smile, her braided red hair tied back with a blue bandana. “Sorry, I’ve got my hands full with this sourdough. It’s great to meet you, Andrew. You’re a southern boy, right?”
“Born and raised in Atlanta. You?”
“Myrtle Beach.”
Some of my nerves ebbed away. “Promise me you’ll make biscuits and gravy at some point. I haven’t been back home in over eight months, and I’m hungering hard for Southern cooking.”
“I totally get it. And don’t worry, I gotcha covered,” she said with a wink. “Have you had lunch? There’s a stack of paninis in the fridge. Help yourself.”
I walked over to the stainless-steel fridge and grabbed a sandwich from the platter.
“Oh, my God,” I replied in between mouthfuls of the sandwich. “Is this duck?” Lisette nodded in reply. “That’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.”
“De rien, but thank you.” Lisette smiled and waved off my compliment.
I chugged the rest of my water. “I’m going to do a walk around, get the bar set up, and have a quick chat with Kayla and Jordan. Radio if you need me.” I tapped on the tablet and opened the link from the captain. “I’ll review the guest list and let you know if I have any questions.”
I walked down the narrow hallway toward the stern, the wood flooring cool beneath my bare feet. The main salon had a sleek bar as well as two sectional sofas and a dining table with twelve chairs. Everything was done in a minimalist style with lots of white fabric and colourful accents. I heard the clink of bottles being moved about, but I couldn’t see who was crouched behind the bar, so I leaned over to introduce myself.
A blond head popped up, and I reared back.Oh God, not again.Why wasn’t Rowan Carter lying around on the sun deck, drinking champagne and eating caviar like a regular billionaire?
“Can I help you, Mr. Carter?” I asked calmly even though my heart felt like it was stuck in my throat.
“I was searching the delivery to ensure we had Markham’s Bay in stock. It’s one of my client’s favorite brands of gin. Unfortunately, it looks like the order was forgotten. Yet again.” Rowan growled as he stood up to his full height, this time thankfully dressed in dark jeans and a navy T-shirt that stretched tight across his broad chest. We were about the same height, and when Rowan’s big blue eyes levelled on me intently, I automatically took a step back. My pulse jumped but I ignored it.First day nerves.
I tapped the tablet, searching the preference sheet and the agenda for today’s travel. “I’ll call ahead to our provision contact in Grenada and see if we can have it brought on board by tender while the guests are loaded up. Is there anything else you need, sir?” After this morning’s total fiasco, I was determined to get back into the groove with my usual smooth, confident service.
“Yes, preferably a large number of sedatives to get me through this bloody weekend,” Rowan murmured as he stared at me. “Sorry, nothing else. For now.”
I nodded politely in return just as Rowan’s phone rang. He answered in that smooth, cultured tone and sauntered down the hallway. Despite my exhaustion, I couldn’t help but notice the way those slim jeans framed his taut ass. Don’t judge me – any gay man would do the same, boss or not.
Focus, Andrew. Remember Anton.
Just saying the name of my ex put an end to my wayward thoughts right quick. If I needed sex, there’d be opportunities on shore to scratch my itch. I wasn’t about to fuck around with anyone I worked with or for. That was a hard rule that I’d put in place a year ago after my ex, Anton, shattered my heart and left me jobless and homeless. It was a horrible lesson but one that I would never forget.
But I did have needs, and I’d been neglecting my personal life since I’d been working nonstop for months. Once I had a day off, I’d head to one of the island resorts for some sexy fun with a stranger. Until then, and if needed, I’d take another shot from that icy outdoor hose to keep my hormones under control.
So long as Rowan Carter wasn’t the one hosing me down.
TWO
ROWAN
“Any idea what this urgent meeting is about, Ro?”
I paused at the question as I stared at my laptop screen and the face of Aiden Barstock, my solicitor, who was back home in London. Aiden was the youngest member of the top legal firm in the UK. Mouthy and imposing, he was far more suited to barroom brawls than court proceedings. But when you needed someone in your corner, there was no one better. I had a gut feeling that I would require his support now more than ever.
“I don’t know. My uncle only calls urgent meetings when he has terrible news to deliver. On top of that, it doesn’t bode well when he has solicitors involved.” I sighed. “Our revenues are down again this quarter, and we’re bleeding money. Since Lionel still has controlling shares and he’s the head of the board, my guess is that he’s going to give me fair warning.”
“But you’re the reason he and the rest of the Carter family have enjoyed immense wealth over the past decade. Ever since your dad retired, your deals have grown the Carter family company by hundreds of millions of dollars. He needs to tread very fucking carefully.”
“We’re on,” I reminded Aiden as I looked at the time, the meeting about to begin.
Two more participants joined the call, my uncle and the woman I recognized as his solicitor.Here we go.
