by Melody Anne
“Of course, darling,” he told his fiancée. “It’s just that we have a lot going on down here at the moment.”
“You always have a lot going on, Ashton. But our wedding is important, too,” she said with a pout.
Maybe she was trying to be adorable right now, but he could hardly focus on her when the docks were such a hive of activity. That didn’t mean he didn’t care about his fiancée; it just meant he was a busy man. Good. That thought made him feel better about himself already.
“I agree fully. I’m sorry,” he told her. He moved across the room and commanded himself to give his full attention to this beautiful woman, a woman polished in every way.
“Good.” Then she began babbling again as she pointed to little squares on the giant piece of paper in front of them.
He lasted only about sixty seconds before his head was turning back toward the windows. How much longer was this going to take?
“Okay,” she said, “I think that takes care of the seating.”
Great! This was all done. He’d been able to keep his eyes open during the bit about who was to sit where during the upcoming ordeal — or ordeals, to get technical.
“Now we’ll look at food.”
No, of course it wasn’t done. She grabbed his hand and led him over to another table in his office, and he saw a giant notebook sitting there. Damn, elopement was sounding better and better by the moment. But Kalli would never be okay with that. Sigh.
“I’ve finalized the reception menu. Javier has outdone himself, I’ll have you know,” she said with a high-pitched laugh.
Why hadn’t he ever noticed how annoying that sound was? But as soon as that thought came to him, he shook his head. There was something seriously wrong with him today. He had to remind himself again what a great catch this high-society woman was.
“Why don’t we stop planning for a few minutes?” he asked as he reached for her, pulling her against his body.
“Ashton, I have an appointment in one hour. We have to get as much done as possible,” she told him, pushing against his hold.
“It can wait.”
He leaned down and kissed her, urging his body to respond, to feel passion, heat. Finally, she reached up, wrapped her hands around his neck and pressed against him. After a few moments, he released her mouth.
“That was lovely,” she said before tugging against him again.
This time he let her go. Dammit! There had to be something seriously wrong with him, because Kalli was flawlessly beautiful. He had no idea whether everything was real, but it was definitely spectacular.
And he hadn’t even managed to get an inkling of an arousal with that kiss.
Kalli opened the wedding planning book, and Ashton found himself wandering back over to the window. What he saw certainly stirred his blood far more than that kiss just had. Savvy was still out there, and she seemed to be sidling up to one of his men, flaunting all her charms. If he had anything at all to do with it — and he did — it was going to stop.
“I’m going to have to cut this meeting short, my … my love. It appears as if there’s a problem on the docks,” he said. He had to fight to prevent his anger from showing in his voice.
Just then Kalli’s phone went off. Talk about being saved by the bell. Or the ringtone. Whatever.
“That works out well, Ashton, because that’s my mother texting. The appointment was moved up.”
Within seconds, she was packed up and walking away. Ashton stayed where he was, gazing out the window. He wanted his temper to cool down a bit, and he definitely wanted his fiancée gone before he went outside.
Chapter Four
I might have to admit that nothing is worth this grunt work. Not finding treasure, not working on the ocean, not getting my PhD. Nothing.”
Grumbling as she stretched on her tiptoes to clean the side of the boat, Savannah almost slipped and took another nosedive into the cold Pacific Ocean. For once, her klutzy limbs didn’t fail her, though, and she managed to stabilize herself.
But she really hated ladders, and she knew only too well that falling into the water would be even worse the higher up she was. Basic physics plus an earlier experience this week. Luckily, the boss hadn’t been around for that little mishap, her second plunge into the brine. She was tired, sore, and more than ready to give this up and go back to the library.
But, no, she had never been a quitter, and she wasn’t about to start now. No way, no how. Plus, this was good. She’d put on about ten pounds in the last couple of years which she wasn’t too happy about. Working on the docks this summer should help her shed that extra weight in no time at all.
There. She’d managed to find the end of the rainbow, the pot of gold and all that. And she felt much, much better about it. This was a workout she was getting paid to do. Yay for her.
“You know you’re working entirely too hard,” a co-worker told her. “The boss is tied up for at least the next few hours. I saw his aristocratic bride-to-be bringing in the big book of wedding planning.”
“I saw that. But just because Mr. Storm isn’t watching, that doesn’t mean I’m going to slack off,” she told the fellow.
“I say we take a little dive into the water and cool off — and then warm back up … at my place.” Weston said this with a giant wink.
Her co-worker had been flirty since she’d joined the crew. As a matter of fact, most of the men were pretty dang open with their catcalls. Plus their sexual double entendres had been less than subtle. But the guys were generally harmless. Weston, on the other hand, had made it beyond clear that he wouldn’t mind a romp in the sack.
He was about her age, and he’d been giving her the eye and putting the moves on her ever since she’d arrived on the docks. She really wished she felt something for him — he was great-looking, with sun-kissed blond hair, Miami Vice stubble on his jaw, and twinkling blue eyes. He was also tall — who didn’t love that in a male? — and he had a smile that could replace the sun.
But so far, the man hadn’t inspired her to actually accept a date. Dang it!
“I think it’s safer if I just finish my work so I can take a long shower and then make it out to my deck to stargaze later tonight while I drink a beer.”
“Don’t most women prefer wine?” he asked, edging a little closer.
“I don’t do stereotypes,” she informed him. “And after a hot day, nothing tastes as good as an icy-cold beer from a can.”
“But you can always suck harder from a bottle,” he told her with yet another wink.
Savannah couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. If she’d actually felt threatened by the man, it would be an entirely different story, but she knew she was safe. Sure, he’d like to date her, and bed her, but his pride wasn’t wounded when she turned him down.
“I wonder why you’re still single, Weston, with suave lines like that,” she finally said as she patted his arm.
“Is this a brothel, or do either of you actually do any work?”
Savannah froze. Crap. Just what she needed right now — to be busted by the boss. She threw a quick but savage look to Weston, who’d told her only a little while ago that the boss would be tied up for hours. Her co-worker had been wrong. Weston just winked for the third time and scampered off, out of the line of fire. Traitor!
Now she was alone with Ashton and something was wrong. Big surprise.
“Yes, Mr. Storm. I have been working, as you can see,” she said. “However, the longer you stand here scowling at me, the longer it’s going to take for me to do what I’m being paid to do.”
He seemed taken aback by her boldness. Why was that? Hadn’t he seen it at their first meeting? She did her best to be sociable, but she did have a backbone, and it was almost always in evidence now. She’d grown it from the fists of her father and from her years of study. She wasn’t going to be pushed around anymore. That time was over.
“Did you happen to forget that I’m your boss? If I need to speak to you, don’t you thin
k it wise to listen?”
“Of course, Mr. Storm.” She could play the obedient little employee if that was the role he wanted her to play. But he’d better not expect her to cower. That would be asking far too much.
“Good. Now come with me. Some of your forms are incomplete.”
He turned, and once again the man had no doubt that she was going to follow him. And there was no reason for doubt. She had to do what he wanted and that was the advantage he held over her. But she couldn’t stay completely silent.
“Shouldn’t I tell Tom? He’ll wonder why I’m not on the job.”
“It’s been taken care of,” he replied, and he didn’t slow his stride.
Savannah had to fight to keep herself from exploding. Dang it. This man wasn’t really doing anything any other boss wouldn’t do. But the two of them hadn’t gotten off to a great start, and she certainly knew how to hold on to a grudge.
She promised herself that she’d work on that.
When they stepped into his office, Savannah’s eyes immediately went to the spot on the floor where they’d been tangled up less than a week ago. No, nothing had actually happened. The two of them had fallen into each other. Nothing more. He hadn’t been about to kiss her. That had all been in her head.
Okay, she could lie to herself all she wanted, but she’d seen the look in his eyes. It wasn’t as if she’d never been kissed before. She had — plenty of times!
Who in the heck was she kidding? She’d been kissed a few times, and the first one hadn’t been until her freshman year of college. That kiss had sucked. The next few guys hadn’t gotten much better.
So she bailed out. Why fool around with college boys, at least until she at least found a guy who lit her on fire? That had yet to happen. Sure, she’d had plenty of opportunity. College guys were just plain horny, ready to rock all around the clock. But she didn’t want her first time to be with some drunken frat boy who stuck it in her and then fell asleep with her pinned beneath him.
It wasn’t asking too much to hold out for more, was it?
And even though her boss had stirred more feelings in her in the span of a few minutes than any other man — or boy — ever had, she was not going to act on that. The man had a fiancée, after all. And Savannah was determined never to be a homewrecker.
If only she could convince herself to quit lusting after him. It was hormones. That’s all it was. She knew science, and she could get over this.
“Are you going to answer my question?”
Ashton’s voice snapped her out of her daze. Wow. He was irritated.
“I’m sorry. I missed what you said.” Embarrassment heated her cheeks. Only one thing saved her pride — that he had no clue where her mind had just been. If he knew, she’d have to quit right then and there.
“I said that I’m going to start training you to be able to go out on our cruises. I’m short-staffed in that department right now, and I expect all crew members to know their cruise jobs inside and out. Within a month, if you do well, you’ll be able to go on a voyage. Are you interested?”
“Oh, yes, yes, for sure,” Savannah told him, elated at the possibility of hitting the ocean. “When does the cruise leave? Which ship are we taking? Where is it going?” She fired questions off without giving him a chance to answer.
“Most likely our Alaskan voyage, where we stop in Sitka, Glacier Bay, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor before heading back home. I’ll have someone train you for the main ship when their schedule frees up for them to do so. This is where we have approximately two hundred and fifty guests on board. You would work the cleaning crew.”
“I’ve cleaned before. It won’t be a problem. What about free time? Do we get any?” she asked, then thought that sounded clumsy and decided to clarify. “I didn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the job opportunity or that I won’t work hard. But I love cruising the seas, and I’m excited about going to new places, really getting to see them.”
“You’ll work specific hours. The rest of the time, barring emergencies, you will have plenty of free time.”
“How long are we in each port?”
“Since we limit our stops, we’re normally in each place for two days and one full night. We cruise overnight to each new location.”
“Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Storm. I promise you I won’t mess it up,” she told him. She was beyond ecstatic, and without thinking, she jumped over to him and threw her arms around his neck. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
Big mistake. She realized it the nanosecond her arms were around Ashton’s neck. But before she was able to pull away, he was clasping his hands behind her back and drawing her against him.
“I’m so sorry,” she gasped. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I happen to like this impulsive, affectionate Savvy,” he said, not allowing her to escape.
Panic set in. She couldn’t allow him to do a repeat tango with her on his office floor. Why didn’t she think before acting? She’d been asking herself this for a very long time.
“Well, it’s inappropriate,” she told him, tugging against his hold again.
This time he let her go. She took several steps back and did her best to create as much distance between them as humanly possible.
“How so?” he said, an obvious challenge.
First she sputtered at him. Then she did what she always did when she got overstressed. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, counted to ten, then took a cleansing breath. When she reopened her eyes, he was looking at her strangely, but he hadn’t moved. That was good.
“Did you forget that you have a fiancée?” Wow. Her voice was calm, rational. She was very proud of herself.
“What does that have to do with our sharing a moment together with a friendly hug?”
“Oh, you are so smooth, aren’t you, Ashton?” She didn’t even think about her slip of using his first name. “Is that how you justify cheating? Do you say that it started out friendly, and then that somehow things got out of hand? Are you really that guy?”
His eyes narrowed the longer she spoke. She was ticking him off. Good. She’d rather have him mad at her than lusting after her. Especially when she wasn’t immune to his charm.
“Are you finished, Savvy?” He was eerily calm. She nodded. “Fine. Now it’s my turn to speak. Yes, I find you attractive, and, yes, I can see us setting off some fireworks in the bedroom. But, no, I don’t cheat, not ever.”
“So you weren’t about to kiss me the other day?” She decided she wasn’t going to back down. It was better to get it all out on the table now.
“Yes, I was. But I would have stopped at that.”
“Are you proud of that?” She was beginning to lose some of her cool all over again.
“It was just going to be a little kiss,” he said, as if she were being unreasonable. “No biggie.”
“So you wouldn’t care if your fiancée shared a little kiss with another man?” she asked.
His reaction wasn’t what she’d expected.
“You know what?” he said, his lips twitching. Then he waited.
“What?” she finally demanded.
“I don’t think I would.”
He took a step toward her, and that’s when Savannah decided she’d better cut her losses and get the hell out of there. She’d been strong. She’d said what she needed to say, but now it was time to go.
There was the real possibility that she was going to get out on the ocean. And she wanted to be on that boat when the next cruise sailed. So there wouldn’t be any more goading of her boss. That meant she needed to stay at least twenty yards from him at all times.
Shouldn’t be too hard.
Chapter Five
There were very few times when Savannah actually wanted a beer. For the most part she was a wine drinker, though she hadn’t been about to admit that to Weston — and when the day had been just a bit too much, a nice cocktail hit the spot. But beer was only for special occasions.
/> A beer was great when the sun was out and the heat scorching. The flavor just burst in her mouth at that point. Also at baseball games. She had to have a hot dog covered in relish and mustard, plus a light beer to wash it all down. And for some reason she loved a cold one on New Year’s Day. That was a bit problematic, because it was winter outside then, and she’d normally drunk a few cocktails the night before. So the other times made sense, but she wasn’t sure about the first of January. Oh, wait! She was far from an alcoholic, but that probably fell into hair-of-the-dog territory.
Today had been a scorcher — beyond a scorcher actually, topping out at ninety-three with too much humidity in the air and not enough wind from the ocean. It was normally in the nice and cool seventies this time of year on the islands off of Washington state.
Not now. And it was just her luck, wasn’t it? Especially when her crappy boss had her doing crappy ass work, to use a technical term. But there was a positive ending to all the sweat and curse words that had dripped from her this afternoon. Yep. It was a nice, icy-cold, fully refreshing Corona Light with just a little lemon. Sometimes she wanted a can, and sometimes a bottle. Just depended on what brand she was drinking.
Sitting in a comfortable lounge chair on the upper deck of the boat she was living in, she could watch the stars grow brighter in the skies, and hear the waves crashing against the shore. It didn’t get any better than this.
That was until her bottle was empty and then, in place of the soothing sounds of the ocean, she was hearing raised voices — and they were coming nearer and nearer.
Savannah knew that she should climb down the ladder and go below deck into her private room. But that’s not what happened. After all, she had to be careful around those ladders. She dropped from her chair, flattened herself out against the flooring, and peeked between the slits to watch as Ashton strode down the docks with a very irate Kalli on his heels.
And on her own heels too. As Kalli continued screaming, one of the woman’s inappropriately high heels — at least inappropriately high for a dock with large cracks in between each board — got caught, and down she went, straight to her well-bred knees. Splat!