Below Deck

by Tara Sivec

“I’ll let you drive.”

  Goddammit.

  Of course, he has to entice me with one of the things I requested for this trip when we were filling out the questionnaire about our likes and dislikes so the crew could make sure we enjoyed our time on the ship. Sure, it wasn’t much, and it was nothing nearly as extravagant as some of the things Allyson and Arianna requested, like a stupid twelve-course meal that didn’t include any food that was red or green, and a masseuse to be brought out to us in the middle of the ocean every damn day so they didn’t miss their hot stone massages or fall behind in their waxing, but aside from swimming with dolphins, it was the only other thing I could think of that I’d never done and wanted to try.

  Knowing Declan would probably stand here all day until I give up, and really, really wanting to drive my own jet ski, I let out a huge, annoyed sigh, unable to believe that I’m actually giving in to this asshole.

  Unfolding my legs and pushing myself up from the couch, I smack his offered hand away, just to make myself feel better and let him know in no uncertain terms I’m not happy about this situation. I’m only going along with it so he can say whatever he has to say to ease his conscience, and I can go back to pretending like he doesn’t exist and doesn’t matter.

  “Let’s get this over with,” I mutter, brushing past him. “But if I go too fast and you fall off the back, I’m leaving you there and letting you drown.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Declan

  Even though Mackenzie clearly wanted to punch my face, and I could tell she’d rather do anything else instead of go somewhere alone with me, I thanked God that my jet ski idea actually worked.

  When I sucked up my pride and went in search of Ben to apologize for always getting on his case about rules, and to admit just how royally I’d fucked up and to ask him for advice. I found Zoe helping him pull out extra cases of liquor from the storage area at the back of the ship to restock the crew pantry, since Mackenzie’s relatives had depleted our stock today.

  When I finished explaining everything to the both of them, Ben just laughed at me and Zoe punched me in the arm. Not only did she think I’d behaved like a complete asshole, she’d had to deal with Ashley pestering her twenty-four-seven, asking her if she knew why I’d been avoiding her and if it had anything to do with the way she caught me staring at Mackenzie a few times. So much for thinking I was doing a good job hiding how much I wanted her.

  I told Ben to shut the hell up and I apologized to Zoe, promising her I’d have a talk with Ashley and get her off Zoe’s case as soon as I could. One problem at a time. Right now, my problem with Mackenzie was my main concern.

  As soon as Ben brought up the idea of taking her somewhere on a jet ski since the ship would be stopped for the rest of the day, I forgave him for laughing at my predicament. Zoe agreed with the idea, even though she still thought I was an idiot for deciding I couldn’t pursue anything else with Mackenzie for obvious reasons.

  She got that even though I wanted to take that risk, there was too much at stake for me to do it. My main goal in getting Mackenzie alone needed to be for me to apologize for my behavior and make sure she knew, in a nicer way than what I’d already attempted and failed, that it couldn’t happen again. And really, with the dirty looks she gave me and the way she smacked my hand away when I tried to help her up from the couch, I’m pretty sure even if I decided to say “fuck it” and let whatever happens, happen, Mackenzie wanted none of that anymore.

  It took every ounce of willpower I had not to drop to my knees and change my mind when we got to the railing where I’d had Ben toss over the ladder that would take us down to water level and the waiting jet ski he’d left tied up to the side of the boat.

  After I threw on a life jacket and stood there holding Mackenzie’s in my hand, I had to count to ten in my head and mentally tell my dick to calm the fuck down when she pulled the cover-up off her body and tossed it to her feet. She stood in front of me defiantly with her hands on her hips, wearing nothing but that blue string bikini and I had to keep my shaking hands steady when I helped her into her life jacket instead of running them all over her body like I wanted to.

  When I went over the side of the railing and down the ladder first, I had to concentrate on every step I took to avoid falling into the water while I stared up at her barely-covered ass and those gorgeous long legs as she followed me down.

  Let’s not even talk about how difficult it was to put my hands on her hips and give her a boost up onto the jet ski once we got down in the water, or how good it felt to get on the seat behind her and feel her body nestled between my thighs. I tried as hard as I could to hide the shakiness in my voice while I leaned forward and scooted closer to her to start up the engine and give her a quick rundown on how the jet ski worked.

  Hoping she couldn’t feel my permanent hard-on nestled against her ass, I clutched tightly to the safety bar behind me with one hand. Even though I could have put them both there to hold on, I tortured myself by wrapping my other arm around her waist and holding her securely against me. It was part need to touch her no matter what my convictions were, and part fear for my life since true to her word, as soon as Mackenzie revved the engine and took off, she tried her hardest to chuck me off the back of the damn thing.

  As pissed as she was at me, she couldn’t hide her excitement or how much fun the thrill of racing through the crystal clear water was. Her squeals of delight echoed over the sound of the engine, and her laughter shook her entire body as she flew us up and over the waves from the wake she cut through the water.

  When we got close to the coral reef, I removed my arm from around her waist long enough to point it out to her and told her to slow down before the water got too shallow and we plowed into the sand. She took her hand off the gas and we floated to a stop a few feet from the reef. Keeping one foot on the ledge of the ski and swinging my leg around and off the seat, I held the jet ski stable with one hand as I hopped off and held my other hand out to help her down.

  All of her happiness from just a few seconds ago disappeared. She glared at my outstretched hand and smacked it away like she did back on the ship and got down without my assistance. When we both stood in the waist-deep water, we silently removed our life jackets and flung them over the seat of the jet ski before she turned away from me and started wading a few feet away, staring down at the tropical marine life that swam all around us, not caring that we’d just invaded their territory.

  “About fifty yards to your left is a sand bar that’s a hot spot for stingrays,” I start explaining to her back as she keeps walking, and I quickly move to catch up to her. “A few of the local island resorts have charters that will bring people out to this reef so they can get in the water with them, feed them, and touch them. The stingrays are actually trained now to show up when a tour boat comes in. They know they’ll get food, and they act more like happy little puppies than a scary, deadly animal. They’ll rub up against your leg, follow you around, and take fish right out of your hand. They continue reproducing right in this spot, year after year and the tourists love it.”

  I’m rambling about fucking stingrays, but I can’t help it. I need to do something to fill the uncomfortable silence so she’ll actually look at me and I won’t have to apologize to her back. Even though the view from behind her is quite a sight to behold as I watch her bend over to get a closer look at a school of bright red fish that swim around her thighs.

  “Did you really bring me out here to discuss the mating patterns of stingrays?” Mackenzie speaks, finally turning around to face me and crossing her arms in front of her.

  I ignore the way the motion pushes her tits together and up in her bikini top and keep my eyes on hers instead of trailing down so I don’t piss her off more than she already is.

  “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

  I decide starting with the words Brooke told me to use is the safest bet, slowly moving through the water and closing the distance between us until we’re standing a foot apart.<
br />
  She doesn’t make things easy on me, keeping her arms crossed and a blank expression on her face, as she squints from the bright sun shining down above us and looks up at me.

  Clearing my throat uncomfortably, I take a deep breath and rip the Band-Aid off, looking down at my feet through the water instead of at her face.

  “The other night on the balcony, I decided to ignore all the reasons I shouldn’t cross the line with you and give in. The whole time, regardless of how fucking amazing it was, I told myself that would be it. Just that one taste would get you out of my damn system and then I’d be able to go back to work and get my head on straight,” I begin, running one hand through my hair nervously, hoping she doesn’t try to kick me in the balls. “I should have been open and up front about it with you, and I’m an asshole for not saying anything. When I woke up the next morning and couldn’t get you out of my head, knowing there was no way I’d be able to stick to my guns about that being a one-time thing, I started fucking things up with work and it pissed me off. It made me angry and I took that anger out on you in the worst way possible. Pissing you off and pushing you away was easier than admitting the truth.”

  Taking a breath, I finally look up from my feet and into her eyes. She stares at me quietly for a few minutes before she breaks the silence.

  “And what truth was that?” she asks softly.

  “That for the first time since I started working on a yacht, I let something distract me from my job. Made me not care if I threw it all away, made me forget about my responsibilities and, as stupid as this sounds, my dreams.”

  I wait for her to throw her head back and laugh at what a pussy I sound like, but it never happens. She sighs loudly, unfolds her arms in front of her and throws them up in the air in irritation.

  “First you insult me by thinking I’m a rich, spoiled princess, and now you do it again by assuming I’m such a horrible person that I’d let you lose your job or throw away whatever dreams you have,” she replies, shaking her head at me. “I’m not asking you to marry me and run off into the sunset after a couple of kisses and one orgasm, so turn that inflated ego down a notch.”

  I can’t help but smile at her attitude, wishing it wasn’t the cutest fucking thing I’d ever seen.

  “For the record, I know you’re not a rich, spoiled princess. At least, I know that for a fact now, and I’m sorry for what I said to you.”

  She curses under her breath and glares at me.

  “Fucking Brooke. I knew she’d been up to something after that little smile and wink she gave you back on the boat. Whatever, at least it made you apologize and admit you were a giant asshole.”

  I didn’t exactly admit that, but I’m not about to point it out now when she seems to be on her way to forgiving me, and I no longer worry for the safety of my balls.

  “I get it, things happening between someone on the crew and a guest are frowned upon, you’re not much of a rule breaker and lost your shit when you broke a cardinal one. Well, for your information, I’ve never let anyone stick his hand down my pants after only two days of knowing him, so I guess we’re both clueless on how this is supposed to work,” she shrugs.

  I let out another sigh of relief even though part of me wants to cheer in victory knowing I’m the only man she’s let do something like that to her after only a handful of days.

  “So, what do we do now?” I ask.

  “Hell if I know. Like I just said, I’ve never done something like this before. But just so we’re clear, regardless of what my former best friend may or may not have told you, I’m not going to tell you my whole life story or about my hopes and dreams, and I damn well don’t expect you to do it either.”

  She takes a step closer to me until we’re only standing an inch apart and I can feel the heat from her sun-warmed skin right through my swim shirt.

  “I accept your apology, but that doesn’t mean I still wouldn’t get a cheap thrill out of shoving you overboard and watching you drown, so don’t piss me off again on this trip,” she states, craning her neck to stare up at me.

  I can’t help but laugh even though every time I’m within touching distance of her, I want to run my hands all over her body and say “to hell” with responsibility and rules. But I made my decision and I need to stick to it. Even if she’s forgiven me, and even if I’m dying to touch her again and listen to her come apart in my hands, at least we’re now on the same page and she knows where I’m coming from.

  “I’ll probably kick my own ass later for admitting this, but I’ve had a lot going on lately and I’ve been in something of a dry spell. A yearlong dry spell that gets more depressing with each passing day. I’m still pissed at you, but hell, I enjoy angry sex just as much as the next person,” she tells me with another easy shrug, making me choke on my laughter and want to come in my pants all at the same time.

  “I can’t…I just…I thought we were in agreement,” I stutter. “I can’t jeopardize my job. Not right now.”

  The corners of her mouth tip up into a smirk and, Christ, if it isn’t the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. She’s funny, beautiful, sarcastic, defiant and fucking adorable, all rolled into one hot little package. If I wasn’t in the process of trying to get my head on straight so I could get back on that ship and concentrate on my job, I’d be in deep shit with this woman.

  In a flash, her arm slides around my waist and her hand slides down, grabbing a handful of my ass and tugging me up against her.

  “Oh, I heard you,” she replies softly, still staring up at me with that cute fucking smirk on her face, making my dick swell in my swim trunks. “And I’m pretty sure you heard me when I said I wasn’t looking for a white picket fence or for you to throw away your hopes and dreams over someone you just met. Don’t worry, as long as you stop acting like an asshole, your job will not be in jeopardy.”

  I swallow thickly and have to grit my teeth as she pushes up on her tiptoes, forcing her body to slide against mine as she moves herself up closer to my height.

  “Obviously, I’m an idiot and glutton for punishment, because I still want to fuck you,” she whispers against my mouth, making me close my eyes and groan under my breath hearing her talk like that. “And judging by the raging boner I felt against my ass the whole ride here, and the one currently poking into my stomach, I’m pretty sure you feel the same.”

  With that, she drops the hold she has on my ass and takes a step away from me. When I finally remember how to breathe again, I open my eyes to find her a few feet away, looking back at me over her shoulder.

  “Are you coming, or are you just going to stand there staring at my ass until the sun goes down?” she asks sarcastically, making my eyes flash guiltily away from the ass I was just ogling.

  Jesus Christ. A dirty mouth and fucking adorable.

  If I were a different man, I’d be falling for this woman in record time. It’s bad enough she’s clearly going to make it impossible to stay away from her for the rest of this trip. At least we’re in agreement about this not turning into some stupid happily ever after. Even though I don’t know everything about her, I’m pretty confident that she’s not the type of woman to turn into a stage five clinger who boils a bunny when it’s over.

  It’s apparent I have lost the battle when it comes to keeping my distance from Mackenzie Armstrong. As long as we both agree I can’t fuck up my job anymore and neither one of us does anything stupid to screw that up, maybe it’s possible for me to give her that quick vacation fling she needs to take her mind off of things.

  I’m nothing if not a giver, and as long as she doesn’t mess with my head any more than she already has, and we’re on the same page about keeping this light and fun, I’ll give her whatever she wants.

  For the next couple of days at least.

  CHAPTER 14

  Mackenzie

  “Feminists all over the world would be hanging their heads in shame at me right now, wouldn’t they? I’m weak and pathetic and easily forgiving of asshole beh
avior,” I complain to Brooke, leaning against the doorframe of our bathroom while I watch her apply make-up. “Tell me I’m weak and pathetic.”

  Brooke sighs, pulling her face away from the mirror and lowering the mascara wand from her eye to stare at me in the reflection.

  “I will do no such thing. You aren’t weak and pathetic. And you aren’t easily forgiving, either. You stuck to your guns and made him feel like a jerk. What you are, is easily distracted by a pretty face and a magic dick,” she informs me, turning around to lean against the sink.

  “You’re right,” I whisper, my eyes widening with this sudden discovery. “I’ve always rolled my eyes at women in books who keep going back to the same asshole over and over again. It’s because of the magic dick. And now I get it.”

  “The fucking magic dick,” Brooke agrees with a nod.

  “But seriously, this doesn’t make me weak and pathetic that I forgave him so easily and basically threw my vagina at him in a challenge?” I ask as she turns back to face the mirror and finish applying her mascara.

  “He explained why he did what he did. He was an assuming asshole, but he still realized he was wrong and fixed it. You accepted his apology and admitted you’re still in need of a good dicking, and he’s the closest available dick to give you said dicking. I see nothing wrong with that,” she shrugs.

  “That was a lot of dicks in one sentence.”

  “There are a lot of dicks on this boat. You think you’ve got problems? Ben is the best sex I’ve ever had and he’s a man-whore,” she complains, shoving her mascara tube back into her make-up bag and grabbing her bottle of perfume from the counter.

  “How do you know he’s a man-whore?”

  “Because he told me,” she replies, spraying a cloud of perfume in front of her and then doing the upper body roll to move herself through the mist. “He fucked that quiet, mousy chick Jessica the day before we got here. But damn if that man doesn’t make my toes curl. Again, I see nothing wrong with what you did. You need a distraction in your life. I can’t handle watching you stare at your dad all the time, looking like you’re on the verge of puking.”