Against the Tide: High Seas Weddings

by Cheryl Phipps

“Is that supposed to be a turn-on?”

  “Don’t tell me it’s not. You’ve wounded me.”

  He clutched at his chest, and Keira nearly fell off her chair, she was laughing so hard. When she stopped, she had to wipe her eyes. “I have some great news.”

  He peeled her a grape, still laughing. “What’s that?”

  “I have two couples who are keen to have winter weddings on Majestic for a reduced price.”

  She was disappointed when he looked serious as he handed her the grape.

  “Really?”

  “Yes. I discussed weather and the pitfalls of a rocking ship, but they loved the idea. I mean, look at the view out there. It’s just as pretty as any scenery on Sunrise Beach.”

  The ship was berthed parallel to the dock and right at the end, so one side looked out to the ocean and Sunrise Beach, while the other faced the large green hills that bordered Heaven Bay, home to horses and cows.

  Aiden nodded. “I’ve always thought that I have the best berth on the coast.”

  It bothered her that he wasn’t as excited as she’d hoped. “So, are you interested, Captain?”

  “With your enthusiasm, how could I not be?”

  “Wonderful. I know there’s lots to iron out, and we hadn’t discussed a price. Do you want to have a look at the plans I’ve drawn up? They’re in my bag, up in your cabin.”

  The spark in his eyes rekindled. “You don’t let the grass grow, do you? Okay, let’s go there now.”

  She stood, then turned to face him. “Are you actually going to look at them, or are you humoring me just to get me back in that room so you can have your way with me?”

  “You’ll have to take that risk, won’t you?”

  Both dimples were flashing at her, and she wasn’t sure she should trust him. Though a part of her hoped her paperwork wasn’t the only thing on the agenda for the rest of the evening.

  She put out her hand. There was no point in pretending she wasn’t going anywhere Aiden wanted. “Come on, Captain. Let’s study the plans in detail and see if you have any suggestions you’d like to add.”

  “I’m definitely looking forward to adding all my suggestions. I hope you find them acceptable.”

  As she walked in front of him up the stairs, he massaged her butt, and her pace quickened.

  Maybe the plans can wait for a bit longer.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Aiden heard some of Keira’s spiel before he undressed her. Maybe not all, because his mind was on other things, but some of it anyway. They sat at the small table, and she handed him a proposal. It was professionally done, and he couldn’t help but be impressed as she ran through it.

  “You hire out Majestic to a lot of rich people and people in the entertainment industry, but what about other people? Not so rich, not so famous? They want great weddings, birthdays or any kind of celebration in a nice place with good food, right?”

  “I imagine that’s true.” Her passion for her work was like his own, and a shiver ran through him at the connection that had never been there with other women.

  “We can provide that, right here. Like I said, I have two parties interested in having weddings, but we could do vow renewals, anniversaries, birthdays. Then there are product launches and company parties, especially Christmas.”

  He grimaced. “We’d save costs in fuel, but we’d need to have tighter security for Christmas functions, and office parties in general.”

  Keira laughed. “After the last wedding, I believe you. I don’t know much about security people in Sunrise Beach. Marilyn and Jackie dealt with you using some of your staff. If that’s not enough, do you have other people you know who are capable of that kind of work?”

  His hand stilled as it turned a page. “I know people, and they don’t come cheap.”

  She watched his face but didn’t ask for more. How she understood, he didn’t know, but he liked that she had a sense of his past, something he didn’t talk about with too many people.

  “I’m sure we can factor it into the costs. We both need more work and are determined to succeed, so we’ll work it out.”

  She was right, they could work it out.

  Aiden's mood shifted once more, from the darkness of his life before Sunrise Beach to the beauty of this woman.

  He stood up from the table and held out his arms. “I’m a little weary from all this talk. Want to take a nap with me?”

  She snorted, but her eyes widened as she stood. “Just so you know, we haven’t finished here, Captain.”

  “The paperwork isn’t going anywhere.”

  She tucked her hands into his, and they stood for a while just gazing at each other. Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed the corner of his mouth. That tiny touch was more than enough for him to want her, just as he had the first time. If anything, it kept getting better.

  After they’d made love and had recovered somewhat, Aiden pulled out the champagne and glasses he’d placed in the fridge earlier, just in case they needed it to get in the mood. It hadn’t been necessary, but now it seemed appropriate on many levels. He was going to trust her to help make his business better and not break his heart in the process.

  Once he’d filled them, he handed Keira a glass, then touched his glass to hers. “To a great future, Ms. Davis.”

  She pulled the sheet around her breasts and gave him her megawatt smile. “A great future, Captain. Although, we still have a lot to work out.”

  He grinned at her tenacity. “We do, and the list you’ve compiled is quite extensive.”

  She tilted her head. “So you were paying attention?”

  “Not only that, but I’ve thought of some things to add.”

  “Excellent. What kind of things?”

  “We’ll need to contact our respective lawyers.”

  All teasing and beautiful smiles disappeared. “Oh. I see.”

  “You look shocked, but we have to protect ourselves. We’ve both suffered at the hands of others, and even though I trust you, that’s no reason not to take precautions.”

  “You’re right. I shouldn’t be shocked, and of course it’s necessary. We hardly know each other at all, and for only a few months. It makes perfect sense.”

  Aiden was relieved. For a moment he thought she was asking him to do whatever she wanted at face value with no regard for safety. She still hadn’t returned to the woman she’d been when she had left his arms a few minutes ago though, and he wanted to fix that ASAP.

  “Actually, I think I need protecting from you personally far more than our business dealings.”

  Her lips glistening from the champagne, she leaned back into the pillows. “Really?”

  His pulse had already quickened, and now it was racing. “Stop looking at me like that.”

  Keira licked her lips. “Like what?”

  “Like you’re some sort of innocent femme fatale.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I think you’ll find that’s an oxymoron.”

  “I think you’ll find that you’re the one woman who can pull it off.” To his amusement, that made her blush. “Have we finished talking business?”

  “Not quite. How would you feel about a free cruise?”

  “Pardon?” Aiden was keen on putting any dime he earned back into the business and paying back his loan. That didn’t fit with giving anything away for free.

  Keira held up her small palms. “Hear me out before you squash the idea, okay?”

  He nodded, trying hard to keep an open mind and not think about what he knew lay beneath the sheet. “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “So, we contact everyone we know and send out some invites to a few celebrities, A- or B-grade. I do believe there’s an abundance of them in Sunrise Beach. We invite them to a wine and cheese evening. I know it’s a little cliché, but everyone likes free, right?”

  He shook his head. “To be honest, I don’t like free when I’m on the other side of it.”

  Keira crossed her arms over her lovely breasts and frowned, causing him
to lose his train of thought. “You can’t help yourself, can you? I haven’t finished, but go ahead and tell me how ‘free’ isn’t your favorite word if you must.”

  Her exaggerated sigh made him laugh. He was doing that an awful lot these days.

  “I’m not totally against it. Yet. But wine and cheese don’t seem enough to me.”

  She shrugged. “Dinner, then?

  “Still not enough.”

  She beamed at him as if he’d fallen into a trap. “What if there was a whodunit?”

  “You’ve lost me.”

  “You know, a murder mystery.”

  The sheet was slipping, as was his self-control, but he tried to remain calm. “Isn’t that expensive to run?”

  “Not if I do it. I actually organized one for a wedding.”

  “You did not! Who would want a theme like that?”

  Keira smirked. “I kid you not. Naturally, they were actors, and it was hilarious, although I concede very odd.”

  “Odd? I can’t even fathom why anyone would think it appropriate.”

  “Take off your ‘straight as an arrow’ persona and try to imagine the possibilities. If the guests like it, then we could do it regularly. A theme you could use in the offseason.”

  Aiden scratched his head. “I don’t know. It’s not what I had in mind for Majestic.”

  Keira put a hand over his, and he could feel his resolve waver.

  “I understand. She’s your lady, and you want her to be grand and proper. But this is business, and Majestic is our ticket to make it way more than viable.”

  He wondered if she heard how she’d made it sound as though they were already a couple. That had him scrambling a little. “That’s how you view it. Viable?”

  “After what I went through, viable is sounding pretty darn good. I thought I’d be years away from having my own business again, but this makes it a reality.”

  “A shared business,” he stated.

  “Well yes, but that’s far more than I thought possible. Unless you’re against any or all of it?”

  “I’m not saying no….”

  She frowned with impatience. “But?”

  “But you’re going to have to show me more facts and figures. On paper.”

  Keira smiled and leaned over the bed to grab her purse from the floor. In the process, he got a great view of her butt. Then she was sitting once more as she pulled out a neatly folded spreadsheet from her purse. “Is this what you mean?” she asked coyly.

  It was very extensive and darned impressive. “When have you had time to do this?”

  “At night. I don’t have much to do apart from work, and when the idea came to me, I couldn’t turn my brain off.”

  He liked that she didn’t have much going on at night.

  “You really believe in this?”

  “I do. I’m not making idle promises, Aiden. I truly think we can make this work.”

  A murder mystery, on his ship? The idea made him shudder. “If I go along with it, what’s next?”

  “We pick a date and time, and then we compile a list. I’ll make up the mystery, and when we’ve confirmed people, we can ask some of them if they’d like to star in our show. They’ll be the drawcard.”

  He snorted. “The kind of people you’re talking about don’t do freebies.”

  “You did mention that you were related to Mila Sullivan, right?”

  “Oh please. Mila wouldn’t be interested. She’s a partner in Sunrise Lingerie and loving it. Her fame days are long gone.”

  “How do you know until you ask her?”

  “I’m sorry, but I won’t be doing that.”

  Keira frowned. “All right, then can you think of any others who live around here?”

  “Give me a few days.”

  Her eyes widened at his dismissive tone. “Am I asking too much?”

  “I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

  Aiden knew he’d hurt Keira’s feelings, but asking for favors was hard for him. He, Mitchell, and Gabriel, their youngest brother, had been so close as kids, depending on each other for what their stepfather denied them—roots and a family. Sadly, the three of them drifted apart because of location, but somehow Mitchell and Aiden had found their way back to each other.

  It wasn’t perfect, and the bonds were still tenuous, but at least they were both working on it. Aiden wasn’t about to upset the progress they’d made by asking Mitchell to use his wife’s notoriety.

  And there was something else.

  He was happy that Mitchell had his own clothing line and was doing so well, and he was incredibly thankful that his brother had come up with the rest of the deposit so Aiden could realize his dream of owning Majestic. What he didn’t want was his older brother getting too involved and trying to be the father figure he’d always thought he should be.

  Although, any father would’ve been better than their stepfather. That man had nearly ruined them.

  Speaking of being ruined….

  Keira was toying with her glass, spinning the wine in circles and not looking at him. Suddenly, she glanced up and smiled. “Oh good, you’re back. I thought I’d lost you to a parallel universe or something.”

  Aiden laughed. She was like a breath of fresh air, constantly surprising him and challenging him. Why he was fighting it, he had no idea, because he was pretty sure this little planner was going to get her own way.

  “You might be right about that. I was thinking about my family. That’s definitely another universe from here.”

  “You didn’t have a happy childhood?” she asked tentatively.

  “Did you?”

  “Ah, the art of deflection.”

  “Well spotted. Tell me about Keira Davis.”

  She lay back against the pillow, her hair fanning out in a halo, and studied the ceiling. She was so beautiful it made his heart ache.

  “I went to boarding school from the moment my parents could get away with it. They were both doctors and far more interested in their careers than me.”

  “That sucks, but it does explain how knowledgeable you are about medicine. I’m convinced you saved Marilyn’s life.”

  She shrugged. “I guess I picked up a few things from them, but mainly it was from the books they left lying around. If I showed an interest in anything related to their careers, then that guaranteed me a few minutes of their precious time.”

  “Sneaky,” he teased.

  “Necessary.”

  His heart ached for the young girl she must’ve been who felt abandoned and alone. They weren’t too dissimilar in that regard, but at least he’d had his brothers. Keira was apparently an only child.

  “What about after school?”

  “I went to college, of course. Anything less would’ve been a major source of embarrassment for them, and I studied medicine to please them. Then they were killed in a peacekeeping mission to Iraq.”

  She said it so matter-of-factly that Aiden was shocked. He’d been there, seen the carnage firsthand, and he respected the brave medics who risked their lives to help others. Her absent parents were in fact heroes.

  “You must’ve been devastated.”

  She bit her lip, then took a healthy sip of the champagne. “I did feel alone for a while, until I realized I had always been alone.”

  Aiden could empathize with that. Even when you had people around you, there could be loneliness.

  “You didn’t become a doctor?” It was a silly question, but he thought she would’ve made an excellent one.

  “No, I didn’t. It was my parents’ idea. Their dream, not mine. After they died, I took a year off and went traveling.”

  “By yourself?”

  “Yes. I’m tougher than I look.”

  She gave him a sassy grin, which he couldn’t return as he imagined her in foreign countries, on her own. Looking the way she did, and being so small, she would’ve been in constant danger. She clearly couldn’t have cared less, and that bothered him immensely.

  “Then I c
ame home and began to look for something to do with my life. I bumped into a guy I’d dated in school. He had some ideas and had studied economy. I was good with details and implementing them. We seemed to be perfectly compatible, which led to us pooling our resources and starting our business.”

  “The wedding planning business in New York?” He was horrified because he knew the outcome.

  “The very same. It took off like a rocket. Then Damien decided I wasn’t enough of a partner in any aspect, and he brought some friends to New York so he’d have buddies to go out with. They were his excuse to drink, and it soon became all about having fun, which led to his gambling and ultimately the bankruptcy.”

  “It must’ve cost a bit to set up. Who paid for that?”

  “My parents might not have been caring, but they took the practical side of life seriously and left me a nice insurance policy. Plus I sold the family home. It didn’t have any fond memories for me, so it wasn’t hard to part with it.”

  She said the words easily enough, but he could see the pain etched into her face. She was dealing with it, but her troubled childhood would linger just like his.

  “You put everything you had into your business?”

  “Everything, including myself. I was so devastated to lose the business that I even thought I should try something else. Something completely different to give me a break from the industry and the possibility of seeing Damien. I waitressed and washed dishes to pay my rent, but in the end, I had to find a way to do what I do, because I still love it.”

  “And the boyfriend?”

  She looked confused. “What about him?”

  It was odd, this need to know how she felt about Damien, but he did. “Were you devastated to lose him?”

  “Are you kidding me? I’d been angry and frustrated at him for so long that when I found out how deep he’d bled the business, I could’ve killed him with my bare hands. I despise him, and myself for trusting him.”

  Her anger was understandable, yet looked so out of place on her sweet face. Her eyes flashed, reminding Aiden of an ocean with a storm raging around it, suddenly changing from calm to whipping up whitecaps. He had the urge to find the guy and give him a piece of his mind, or a good thump.