by Opal Carew
Maybe someday he’d find another person who could inspire that kind of reaction in him. He’d be the richest man in the universe if, when he did, the woman capable of taming him felt the same in return.
He would do anything to deserve her love. Because all the money in the world couldn’t keep him from drowning in loneliness, which made it impossible to sleep.
Hours later, early morning sunlight gilded Archer’s cabin, which was a grossly understated label for these quarters. He’d have to figure out where the controls for the automatic blinds were before he actually attempted to sleep in here. It was dazzling, and kind of blinding, to watch the sunrise from his new home. The entire ceiling of his suite was constructed of aqua-tinted glass. It was almost as if he had camped outside.
If camping meant sleeping on a cloud in climate-controlled air while staring at the stars.
Though he knew they were on a boat, the size of the ship and the insignificance of the chop in Bonaire’s sheltered port had made it as steady as a rock. He couldn’t possibly have been more comfortable.
Unless he’d shared his bed with someone he cared for.
Idiot. From now on, he would stick to his plan.
Savannah began to rouse beside him, stretching and yawning into her fist. She was beautiful mussed, but he immediately began to think of ways to avoid a round of morning sex he simply wasn’t into. It wouldn’t be fair to mislead her.
Banks to the rescue again.
A non-intrusive tone chimed from beside the bed. It was subtle enough that Archer didn’t register it as an incoming phone call until the third ring. He reached over to the side table to answer. “Yes?”
“Morning, Archie. Our final crew member is onboard. When you and the other divemasters are recovered from last night, I’d like to hold a staff meeting. We should get introductions out of the way and talk about some ground rules before the first set of guests begin arriving this afternoon. Does that work for you?”
“Of course, I’ll be right out.” Truthfully, he couldn’t be more glad that Banks had spared him an awkward goodbye. “I’ll stop and get the guys on my way. Otherwise, they’ll never make it.”
“Probably wise. They seemed to be enjoying themselves last night.” Banks pitched his voice lower. “I left Ms. Ridley’s garments outside your door and there’s a breakfast buffet waiting. You’re welcome.”
Then he hung up.
Archer rolled out of bed and collected their belongings. He left them on the bed while he used the restroom and yanked on some clothes. When he returned, Savannah shimmied into her discarded dress. She hadn’t made any demands, for which he was grateful. Still, he felt familiar disappointment tainting the pleasure they’d brought each other the night before.
If he’d felt something for her—even a faint echo of the something he’d felt for his long-ago girl—he could have justified bringing Savannah along on their journey. Unfortunately, their sexual chemistry seemed to be the extent of their connection. Just like it had been with all the women he’d enjoyed.
Except one.
The one he couldn’t have.
The one he’d caused irreparable harm.
Archer opened the door and Savannah stepped into the hallway. She smiled up at him.
“I hope you’ll stop by for lunch again someday…when you’re good and hungry.” The way she practically purred the last part made it clear what kind of appetite she hoped to slake.
He might have made an empty promise then, if he hadn’t seen a ghost out of the corner of his eye. Had he summoned it by thinking about her?
What the—?
A uniformed crew member darted past, head down, as if embarrassed to have interrupted his obvious morning-after farewell. It must have been a trick of the light, or maybe his guilty conscience for breaking his promise to keep his dick in his pants until he’d made a meaningful match with someone, because he could have sworn it was her.
Or someone who looked like she might now—grown, gorgeous, strong.
He was going to have to find out who that actually was so he could stay far, far away.
Fortunately, he was about to enter a staff meeting and learn her name. Some part of him couldn’t deny the morning’s job requirements had just gotten a lot less onerous.
“Let me walk you out,” he said to Savannah.
She smiled wistfully, then shook her head. “No need. Thanks for an unforgettable evening. I’m glad we got a chance to do that before you left. It was everything I hoped it would be.”
Archer kissed her cheek. He wished he could feel more for her than he did.
Without looking back, Savannah swayed down the hall, off the boat, and out of his life.
He couldn’t do this again. He swore he was going to hold out for someone who meant something to him. Someone he couldn’t live without. Otherwise, disappointment might crush him.
It hurt too much to think he was the kind of man who found it this easy to turn away affection.
What kind of coldhearted bastard did that make him?
One just like his father.
Fuck.
Chapter 7
Lieutenant Commander Waverly Adams squared her shoulders, assuming her military-grade posture. She strode down the hall from her assigned bunk, where she’d dropped off her midnight blue camo duffle. It was hard to believe that as part of the crew she had a room, however cramped, to herself. Hell, it even had a porthole to let in natural light and give her a glimpse of paradise outside the ship.
After a dozen years of living in barracks, she would so take that.
If she stayed.
Waverly headed toward the stairs that led to the upper deck, where their staff meeting would be held. Her heart pounded in her chest. It felt odd to have her hair down, brushing her butt. Even braided, it seemed wild compared to twisting, wrapping, and pinning her mane into a bun that conformed to the Navy’s strict grooming standards.
Something had urged her to shed a couple of those uptight habits. Maybe so her old acquaintance would have some hint of the kid she’d been to jog his memory.
Would Archer Quartermane—her first and everlasting crush—even remember her?
She thought so, but feared that he might not.
What if, like so many other people who’d faded from her life, he’d meant much more to her than she had to him? Sure, they’d gone to different schools. Hers a private, all-girls preparatory academy. His even more exclusive. But he’d hung out with her sporadically for years at pretty much every event they’d found each other at, when both of their fathers had been required to attend.
It had gotten to the point where the first thing she’d do when she could break away from shaking hands and looking pretty by her father’s side was beg the doorman to check the guest list for Archer’s father. Even the most boring events had been tolerable when he had been there to help her pass the time.
As they got older, their haphazard run-ins had turned into flirt fests.
One evening in particular had occupied a disproportionate amount of her teenaged daydreams. They’d been out exploring a hedge maze on the grounds of some socialite’s mansion, laughing and chasing each other around the fountain at the center, when she’d tripped on her gown and crashed into him.
To keep her from bashing her brains out on a cherub statue, which pissed into the basin—how the fuck was that supposed to be classy anyway?—he’d caught her against his chest. It had started making the transition from scrawny to the broad torso of a grown man. His sheer size, the flex of his muscles, and his general…hardness…had amazed her. He must have liked what he’d felt, too. Because, as he steadied her on her feet, he leaned in.
Waverly had held her breath, afraid to hope that she might share her first kiss ever with Archer.
He’d made her unspoken wish come true.
The rest of that summer they’d skipped the chasing and gone straight to making out whenever they could find a shadowy corner, an abandoned boathouse, or an intricate garden.
> Even now, the memory of his lips on hers and the remembered comfort his protective arms around her had the power to make her swoon. The warrior in her hated to admit it since the woman she’d grown into was nothing like the naïve, entitled brat she’d been before he’d taken off without warning—right around the time her fairy tale upbringing had officially gone to shit.
Waverly figured she’d had to crash and burn to truly appreciate life.
After all, starting over from scratch had allowed her to rebuild herself from the ground up, into the fierce, independent, competent person she was proud to be today. According to Banks, that would be another thing she had in common with her new boss. Something sure to earn his respect.
It had been a long time since she’d felt this vulnerable or sought someone’s approval.
This was either the best or worst idea she’d ever had.
They were about to find out which it was.
Lost in thought, she jogged up the staff staircase that dumped out into the main hallway two floors above. She hadn’t gone more than ten paces when the door immediately in front of her opened. Out stepped Archer along with a lovely—if rumpled—woman who’d clearly spent the night in his bed.
Whoa.
Waverly hadn’t prepared herself for the pang of jealousy that threatened to unsheathe her formidable claws. Worse, attraction flared inside her as she caught a whiff of Archer’s clean, masculine scent along with a peek at his melted-chocolate eyes.
Gorgeous and untouchable as ever.
She ducked her head and practically dashed along the immaculate hardwood past the couple. Her bare feet slapped some as she hustled in the direction of the lounge where Banks had instructed her to join their upcoming gathering.
When she turned the corner, she paused to regain her balance, safely out of sight.
It wasn’t the ship tilting. It was her.
As if it wasn’t weird enough being here—in circumstances so different than all those years before yet no less awkward—coming face-to-face with Archer and his latest lover didn’t do much for her attempts to loosen up. Especially when a fraction of a second in his presence made it clear he was out of her league in every way that mattered.
Rich. Yup.
Suave. Yup.
Handsome. Yup.
A lover, not a fighter. Yup.
Capable of enjoying a casual hookup. Yup.
Archer had exactly zero things in common with the safe, boring men she accepted dinner invitations from on occasion.
Waverly drew in a deep breath, concentrating on settling down. She’d need to rely on her training to get her job here done despite being in constant close quarters with the only man who’d ever made her systems go haywire. And apparently still did.
It had been years since she’d wrestled with her confidence like this. That could be why she had come. It required proving to herself that she could handle things now that had been insurmountable obstacles before. A new challenge.
Except she might have gotten in over her head. The onslaught of memories, none of them as precious as the ones Archer had made with her, threatened to suffocate her. It had all been downhill from there. She just hadn’t known it yet.
Cool, controlled, and skilled, she’d flown rescue missions the military wouldn’t entrust to anyone else. Why did it feel like this time she might be the one who needed some saving?
Waverly stared at her hot pink pedicure. A bold, feminine display since she traipsed around barefoot. In the Navy, she had kept her girly selections hidden in her boots. Another dirty little secret. She should have realized that everything about this job would be different than what she’d grown used to. The drastic shift—not to mention the rekindling of her inappropriate attraction—left her raw and exposed.
On the Divemaster, there was nowhere to hide.
“Everything all right?” Banks asked, startling her.
She snapped to attention. “Yes, sir.”
“It seems we’re both going to have to work on cutting that out.” The butler turned executive-agent-of-Archer’s-life slung an arm around her shoulder. Grateful for his warmth and support, she leaned into the affectionate gesture just a bit. “Archie gets cranky if you sir him.”
“Good to know.” She definitely didn’t want to piss him off.
Banks tugged on her braid. “And I am a simple servant. I don’t deserve the title.”
She slapped his gut with the back of her hand, making him oomph. “Bullshit.”
“See, you’re much tougher than I am.” He murmured, “Stronger than you think, I bet.”
If Waverly hadn’t sworn off crying for good, she might have been tempted to give in to the sting behind her eyes right then. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” He gave her one last squeeze then released her. “Come on. Let’s feed you some breakfast and introduce you to the rest of the crew.”
She nodded, afraid of what her voice might sound like if she attempted to speak.
Within the lounge, she discovered a situation that was at least sort of familiar. A group of high-performing individuals gathered around bulk-prepped food, exchanging banter before things got serious. When she entered, many surreptitious yet appraising glances were aimed in her direction.
Nothing new there.
Their combined scrutiny didn’t impact her like the thought of a single glance from Archer did.
She hadn’t even made it all the way into the room when a man—slightly less than six feet tall, she guessed—set down his plate and made his way to her. He had brown hair dark enough that she might have thought it was black if the sun hadn’t shone through the windows onto it. Of course, it was also peppered with some gray that gave him a distinguished air. Gray eyes evaluated her from behind squared-off glasses that were both somewhat nerdy and very flattering. His goatee and mustache, an indulgence he wouldn’t have been permitted in the military, were close-cropped and neat. The unmistakable black stripe adorned with an anchor above four gold stripes made it perfectly clear who he was even before Banks completed pleasantries.
“Captain Alex, I’d like you to meet Lieutenant Commander Waverly Adams.”
She returned his firm handshake. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
He didn’t object to her formality. Banks had filled her in earlier so she knew he was a fellow veteran. No amount of cajoling would convince her to treat him differently.
“I’m glad to have you onboard. You came highly recommended by an old friend of mine—Commander Smith.”
As soon as he mentioned one of her mentors, they were off exchanging stories. She had no idea how long they’d stood there while Archer probably finished saying goodbye to his overnight guest, or untangled the other two divemasters—the only other missing staff members—from similar situations.
Long enough for her to polish off a ham, egg, and cheese croissant and forget about her nerves, though. She was chuckling at some antics Captain Alex related when everyone else went quiet.
Her laughter rang out in the silence, drawing the attention of her new bosses.
Waverly froze.
So did Archer.
Their gazes locked. She wondered for a moment if he might actually be Superman with a laser-beam stare. It nearly set her blood boiling.
Until the two guys dragging ass behind him crashed into his back, shoving him forward and severing their link.
She figured it was best to act as if she were on the first day of any normal job. One where she hadn’t repeatedly sucked face with the boss in another lifetime or fantasized about him far more often than was healthy ever since.
Waverly straightened her spine, assumed her best resting bitch face, and tucked herself into the corner of the room, behind a few other crew members. That seemed to work.
Archer glanced away to address the room in general. “I apologize for making you wait. Tosin isn’t exactly a morning person.”
The sleepy—and sort of hung-over—looking guy rolled his eyes, drawing an exasperated sigh from one
of his partners. Clearly they were also best friends. They could practically finish each others’ sentences.
“Oh, I’m a hell of a morning guy. As I was about to demonstrate…”
Banks stepped in before they could deteriorate too much of the professional atmosphere he’d created for the staff. At least not on the very first day of the Divemaster Project. “Okay, everyone, today is show time. Our first batch of guests will arrive in just a few hours. The two dozen passengers have one thing in common. They are all family members of children who passed away unexpectedly. They chose to donate their loved ones’ organs and saved countless lives despite their own personal losses. Each person was nominated by the family of a transplant recipient who felt they deserved the vacation of a lifetime. For many of these people, significant stress is a constant part of their daily existence. I see it as our mission to help them forget their personal tragedies for a little while. Or if we can’t do that, at least give them some space to reflect in peace and quiet away from their obligations.”
Well, that sobered things up real quick.
Damn.
For the first time, Waverly realized another massive benefit of this position. It was one she’d loved about her time as a sailor as well. She’d be doing something to enrich people’s lives. Maybe make a small difference, like she wished someone had done for her in her time of need.
With that in mind, she swore to iron out any lingering weirdness with Archer and do the best she could for the beneficiaries of his organization. It would help if he didn’t keep ogling her, though.
When she caught him doing it again, he looked away.
Yet every few seconds he repeated the performance.
Was he trying to figure out who she was? Or was he hoping she’d take a hint and leave? Maybe he didn’t want to remember where they’d come from any more than she did.
One thing was for sure—he wasn’t leveling any smoldering, seductive stares in her direction. Intense, yes. Googly eyes, not so much.