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“Wish I could have a dog, but the job and the hours don’t make it so. Someday, though, I’ll have my own slice of paradise and a few dogs to go with.”
George nodded and was about to say something when his mobile rang. He pulled out his phone and that rare smile made an appearance again.
“It’s Rafe,” he announced and looked up at me. “I’ll see you in the morning, Kiernan.”
George wandered back upstairs, and I headed inside.
The air-conditioned interior was cool and welcoming.
The living spaces on the yacht were designed with relaxation in mind, with large, comfortable couches and chairs. Big enough to withstand my weight, which I appreciated. The ship felt more like a home than a floating hotel.
Like most staff, I was usually barefoot on board but decided to leave my trainers on since I was heading down to the engine room.
I quickly wound down the stairs until I reached the lowest level. The door to the engine room was open so I stepped inside.
Unlike the rest of the ship, it was noisy and hot, with the lingering smell of mildew and diesel.
I spotted Flynn, the second engineer, at the far end of the room, with a wrench in hand as he struggled with a pipe.
He stopped what he was doing and gave a wave. “Hey, Kiernan, is Charlie back on board yet?”
“He’s changing. He’ll be down shortly. How’s Noah?” I asked.
“Still puking his guts out, poor guy,” Flynn replied and started towards me. “Let’s hope it’s not contagious.”
“No kidding,” I nodded. “How’ve you been? How’s the boyfriend?”
Flynn’s smile faded. “We broke up three weeks ago. He wasn’t a fan of me being away at work two months at a time.”
“I’m sorry. You okay?”
“Yeah, I am. Honestly, I don’t think my heart was in that relationship,” he murmured and shrugged. “What about you? Anyone catch your eye?”
“Charlie,” I stated as the man himself stepped into the room.
“Charlie?” Flynn asked, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
He and Charlie both stared at me, mouths open.
“No!” My face heated. “I mean, I saw Charlie just now and I said his name out loud. Because he caught my eye. But not like that. It’s just that I noticed him when you asked the question…and I’m going to stop talking now.”
Feck.
CHAPTER4
CHARLIE
What the fuck?
I couldn’t help but overhear the tail end of Kiernan’s conversation with Flynn.
Admittedly, I was far more interested in Kier’s response about who had caught his eye than I should have been.
But when he stated my name?
Christ, it sparked a heat inside of me that I had no business feeling. Then I reasoned it was probably my lingering frustration from this evening. Sure, let’s go with that.
And of course, Kier calling out my name was just a misunderstanding.
