Tempest Tossed: A Love Unexpected Novel (8 page)

BOOK: Tempest Tossed: A Love Unexpected Novel
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Chapter 11—Rene

 

The urge to run was intense. On a two hundred foot boat I was limited. I knew I sounded a lot stronger than I felt inside. Better to keep the act going than give in to the urge to hide. Maybe this was the universe's way of testing me to see if any lessons ever got through my thick head. 'Suck it up' had become my new battle cry. Hannah would be proud of me.

"So, Mr. Cruz, are we finished here? I mean . . . do we understand each other?"

"If you're asking me whether I will abide by your deal, then yes. But understand each other? Not even close." He shook his head at me and arched his eyebrows in an exaggerated expression of disappointment. "And I really would appreciate it if you'd call me Dylan. Every time you say 'Mr. Cruz, this nasty image of my father pops into my head."

I was curious about the negative references to the senior Mr. Cruz. Both Stephen and Dylan had given me a clear picture that they held the man in low regard. I squashed my interest. It was a bad time to get into a conversation about anything as intimate as his family relationships. I needed to back off inside my head and in our interaction.

"Okay,
Dylan
." I loved the name and wished I didn't. It was sharp. Sexy. It was the kind of name that felt dangerous when I said it.

I headed for the elevator. To my relief he didn't stop me but I felt the sear of his eyes on my back. It made the few short steps I took seem like a mile. When I turned around to press the button he was leaning against the rail, corded arms crossed over his broad chest and a wistful trace of a smile on his face. The glass doors closed and our eyes stayed locked until I rose out of sight.

I was grateful for the sanctuary of my room behind the galley. I was even more grateful when I looked out the porthole and saw that the two naked girls were gone.

We'd been underway for almost three hours and the Atlantic was like glass. I didn't know how long it would take to get to Paradise Island. I hoped it would be soon. I wanted to get off the boat and take a walk. I needed a little time to think away from the aura of Dylan that filled every corner of El Loco. In spite of the 'deal' we'd struck, part of me was still considering bailing on the job. Strangely, I found that I trusted him far more than I trusted myself. He did things to me that were hard to ignore.

When I opened my laptop, I saw that Hannah was online too. Perfect. I typed her a message on ‘live chat’.

 

Rene Waters
U there?

Hannah Caldwell Hey you!
I miss you already. what’s up?

Rene Waters
Long story. Got time?

Hannah Caldwell
Y.

Rene Waters
Hot boss had 2 babes naked on deck, right outside my window… caught me watching.

Hannah Caldwell
Too funny!.

Rene Waters
Not funny. Anyway, he caught up with me later. Teased me about it. Then he wanted to know what I thought of him.

Hannah Caldwell
Did you tell him you thought he was hot?

Rene Waters
Actually, I did. But I also ripped into him for being a stuck on himself, a spoiled dick and a player.

Hannah Caldwell
RU insane?

Rene Waters
I'm beginning to think so.

Hannah Caldwell
Did he fire you?

Rene Waters
No, he kissed me.

Hannah Caldwell
WTF?????

Rene Waters
Then I shoved him away. Hard. Threatened to quit. Threatened to sue him.

Hannah Caldwell
OMG. You really are insane.

Rene Waters
It was a mess. He said I was giving him 'signals'. I swear, unless he's a mind reader I never gave any signals. I mean, he just assumed I’d be okay with it.
 
Then I thought about Chef A-hole. All my bad choices. So I pushed him away. Told him I'd stay if he backed off.

Hannah Caldwell
But you hope he won't?

Rene Waters
I'm confused.

Hannah Caldwell
You’re confused?
Let me call the Miami Herald. That's a headline.

Rene Waters
Very Funny. Not.
He said things that made me weak. Mushy all over.

Hannah Caldwell
What did he say?

Rene Waters
He asked me if he could make me laugh, make me sigh. He asked me if he could make me beg him to do all the things a man can do to a woman.

Hannah Caldwell
. Oh. My. That's mush-worthy.

Rene Waters
I really don't want to make a fool of myself. I don't want to be used. But there's something about him that's different. Like what I'm seeing isn't all there is.

Hannah Caldwell
Advice?

Rene Waters
As usual. Shoot.

Hannah Caldwell
Play it cool. Don't mention any of it—the chicks, the pass—nothing. Do your job and see how things develop. You aren't afraid of him, are you? Like do you think he'd force himself on you?

Rene Waters
No, a guy like him doesn't need to force anything. He doesn’t seem the cave man type. But I'm a little afraid of how interested I am in him.

Hannah Caldwell
Where's the harm in being interested? Just don't go all crazy. Most of the drama in your life takes place right between your ears.

Rene Waters
My own worst enemy? Thanks, Mom.

Hannah Caldwell
Chill. Have fun. Enjoy your new job. Don't over think. Mountains & molehills, remember?

Rene Waters
You're right, as usual. When we dock, I'm going to take a long walk and enjoy the sunshine.

Hannah Caldwell
Good. You could use some rays.

Rene Waters
Catch up more with you soon!

Hannah Caldwell
Okay, take care.

Rene Waters
Oh forgot. We're on our way to London
.

Hannah Caldwell
Way cool. xoxo

 

As usual, Hannah's low-key calm eased my nerves. She was right about the mountains and the molehills. My best friend had a way of making me put on my big girl pants and get on with things. I couldn't count the number of times she'd brought me back to reality when my imagination started working overtime.

I looked out the porthole and saw that Paradise Island wasn't far away. The sand colored buildings of the Atlantis Hotel rose from an impossibly crystalline ocean. Soon Stephen was maneuvering El Loco into a slip and we were docked.

I studied the resort and came to a quick conclusion that it was like a Disney World for adults. Everything was spotlessly clean and in perfect order. Very pretty in a man-made way. Growing up in the continuous urban sprawl that was Florida's Gold Coast had nurtured a longing in me to experience a more natural world. Paradise Island was just a luxurious extension of the glitz of the mainland we just left.

When I made the decision to try for a job on a boat one of the most appealing aspects was the promise of days at sea. As a child, turning east and knowing a vast ocean lay waiting there was a comforting thought. As dreary as the flat unbroken concrete of South Florida was, the ocean gave it an open side. I'd often wondered how much more stifling it would feel to live in a landlocked city.

Minutes after we docked I saw Dylan and his three guests walking toward the marina complex. A steward trailed behind them with the girls' bags. From the number of suitcases it looked like they intended to stay a while.

Dylan looked good with the ladies. He looked like he belonged with three lovelies surrounding him. His dark masculine looks made their fair beauty more appealing; their lithe bodies more feminine because they were gathered around his muscled frame.

I sighed and pulled my eyes away from the sight. Like all 'ordinary' looking chicks, I often wondered what it would be like to look so mouth-wateringly perfect.  What would it feel like to walk into a room and know that every set of eyes in the room was looking you over and giving you a ‘10’?

I got to thinking about what the two girls had been doing each other on deck. I'd never so much as kissed another girl on the lips. The two women seemed happy to share each other
and
in front of Dylan. I felt naïve—unworldly—watching them. I wondered if he joined in their reindeer games. I knew having two girls was a big turn on for guys. He said nothing happened, but I didn’t know what to believe. All I knew is I wanted to believe him, in every way.

 

 

Chapter 12—Dylan

 

"Ladies, I hope you have a wonderful time at Atlantis." I had safely delivered my cousin and her pals to the lobby of the hotel. My duty done, I was anxious to shove off.

"Aren't you going to have dinner with us?"

"No, Phebes, we're going to get going early in the morning. I don't need to add a hangover and empty pockets to my morning."

"But Dylan, we wanted you to be our lucky charm at the tables tonight. I'm going to lose my shirt." Shelly threw me a sweet little pouty-face that I was supposed to find convincing.

"And I know you'll look great without it." I shot back. My mind wasn't on the girls. It was back on El Loco. With Rene. Trying to undo the damage I'd done by being an idiot. A jerk. Let's face it: a real dick.

I walked back to the boat slowly. The midsummer sun was just dipping toward the horizon when I popped into a waterside bar for a drink. I've always been happiest in the long days of summer. My mother had fewer excuses to keep me out of the sunshine when the hot Florida rays beat down for nearly fifteen hours a day. She could hardly have claimed I'd 'catch a chill' when the air was topping ninety degrees.

I sat down facing the docks and ordered my usual. Stephen gave me grief all the time over drinking the expensive vodka. He said it was purely a status symbol and that I couldn't pick out the Grey in a blind taste against the cheapest Polish swill out there. I proved him wrong one night when we both ‘tied one on’ but he claimed it was just dumb luck.

The breeze picked up a little as the sun set. I nursed my drink slowly as I thought about the best approach to take with Rene. She was tougher than I first thought. She was certainly not overwhelmed by the 'hotness' she claimed to see in me, that's for damn sure. Kissing her had been a big mistake. I felt her body stiffen with something like fear or maybe just revulsion. But I
wasn't
threatening her. And, dammit, I
did
see something in her eyes and I
did
feel something between us. Then I screwed it up and she threw a brick wall right where the something had been.

Midway through my second drink I had made up my mind to break the barrier by letting her know a little bit more about the whole 'rich playboy' act. I'd been playing the game for so long that it seemed I was
too
convincing. The realest part of me was a fisherman and a boat keeper. El Loco was more of a job than a luxury. She wasn't a big business, but she needed all kinds of care, staff and maintenance and took a lot of time. It was a job I did in exchange for time on the water plus room and board. It was a cop-out; an excuse for not facing the real world challenges of a job. I wasn't proud of it. I wasn't proud of me.

Wandering back to the dock, I made up my mind to leave Rene alone until there were plenty of miles between us, the Bahamas and the memory of my bad behavior. El Loco had her night lights on and rocked like a pretty girl swaying under the new stars. As I got closer, I could see the outline of two people sitting on the lounges of the foredeck.

Stephen had told me he was going to spend the night gambling. Apparently another game was more interesting. I could make out the bells of her laughter as they talked. Stephen was a charming man. The quintessential nice guy. It took all of my will not to break their little party up before I went to bed.  Stephen had been warned and Rene was wary.
Nothing much to see, Dylan, move along.

I checked on Lady D. who gave me a sleepy nod and curled back into her bed as I softly shut the door. I peeled my clothes off and hit the shower. The sheets were cool, my head was hot and the Goose did the job of sending me off to a dreamless sleep.

We were out of sight of land by the time I came out of my stateroom. Lady D. gave me an earful of chatter for leaving her by herself until late morning. She shot up my body to her perch on my shoulder and bit me gently on the ear.

"Grumpy this morning, Lady D?" I stroked her little body and she cooed her forgiveness. "Let's have a little walk-about. Maybe we'll find a den of gummi-bears somewhere." She knew that word alright, and broke into her she-devil smile.

Until Lady D. came along, I had never had a pet. My mother wouldn't allow anything that produced 'dander' within fifty feet of Dawn and me. So I never knew the joy of loving and being loved by an animal. The capuchin was my first experience with unconditional love.

Through the window on the kitchen door I watched Rene as she worked on a huge pile of vegetables. She had impressive skill. My mind couldn't help but take those skilled hands elsewhere—to my body. Would they be work-roughened? Would they be strong or gentle?

Shake it off, Dylan. It's a new day
, I reminded myself. Donning what I hoped was a sunny and completely non-threatening smile; I pushed through the swinging door.

"Good morning, Rene." The knife slipped from her hand and landed with a jarring clang at her feet.

"Oh . . . you surprised me. Good morning to you."

"I guess I need to announce myself better. I seem to constantly catch you off guard. I wouldn't want to cause an accident."

"I can make you something to eat. I fed the crew a long time ago."

"I slept in."

"Late night?"

"The usual."

"Did you get lucky?"

I answered that with a questioning look. Was she asking me if I got laid?

"I mean," she stammered, "did you score big? No. Oh, um. Did you win at gambling?"

"You turn the most amazing shade of red I've ever seen on a person, did you know that?"

"It's because I'm so pale to begin with." She picked the knife up from the floor and got a new one from the rack.

"A little color does you good. You're cute when you blush." Rene busied herself with a couple of peppers that were nearly the color of her face. "Am I allowed to say that? Cute, I mean. Is that a violation of our agreement—sexual harassment and all that?"

The look she gave me said 'not funny' loud and clear.

"Because, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure what the rules are." I had just warned myself not to pressure her and I was doing exactly that.
Thick headed much?

"Give me a break, will ya?" Rene asked and wouldn't meet my eyes. The peppers that she had been chopping without even looking at them moments before suddenly became worthy of her total focus.

"Seriously. I want to know if telling you that you're cute falls into the 'smexy whorehound' category. I don't want to risk offending you."

"You didn't offend me."

"Funny, you sound like you'd like to use that knife to carve me up right now. Of course, at this point in our journey, it would be hard for you to walk away. Unless you are a Guinness record-worthy swimmer . . ."

"I can hold my own in the water. I grew up in Florida, you know."

"In that case, can I talk you into a swim after you get done with lunch?"

"I really don't think I'll have time to swim."

"Bull. It can't possibly take you all afternoon to do dinner."

"Yes, it can."

"Well then, I request a bowl of granola and some yogurt for my dinner. That should shave some time off your prep work."

"The crew . . ."

"Will be satisfied with poison sandwiches for lunch and something equally appalling for dinner."

"I was making fajitas. Grass fed beef, organic veggies, whole wheat tacos. Everything wholesome."

"And I can see you're already done chopping most of what you'll need. I'll have my granola for lunch, then and see you on deck at two. I'll bring the sunscreen." I expected more arguments but she calmly put the knife down and fetched a bowl, a bag of raisin-nut granola and a carton of Greek yogurt from the walk-in.

She poured the bowl full and dumped the yogurt on top. Without a word she went out to the dining table and plopped the bowl at my place at the head of the table. She banged a spoon down beside the mess in the bowl.

"Would you care for some juice? Or maybe something for the monkey?"

Lady D. had been so silent and still on my shoulder I had forgotten that she was even there. When she heard the word 'monkey' she beamed her monkey charm at Rene and I saw my pretty chef stifle a grin.

"You don't have to take it out on Lady D, you know."

"Take what out?"

"Your distaste for me. She's just a monkey. She hasn't got a dime to her name and it isn't her fault I've spoiled her. Cut her some slack."

"I wasn't taking anything out on her."

"She thinks you don't like her."

"How do you know what she thinks?"

"We're buddies. I can tell by how quiet she is that you've hurt her feelings."

"You're lying. I haven't hurt her feelings. She just smiled at me."

"She smiles when she's nervous." I stroked the soft fur on her back sympathetically. Of course I was making it all up, but I had seen Rene's soft spot for the mini-simian the day before. I was ready to use whatever I could to break the ice. And, man, there was a chill in that room.

Rene put out a timid hand toward my shoulder and touched Lady D.’s fuzzy head. "Awww, I'm sorry Lady D." My little girlfriend jumped from my shoulder to Rene's in a split second.

"Is there a treat I can give her?"

"She'd sell her soul for a vanilla wafer."

"Will she go to the kitchen with me?"

"Lady D. is a sugar glutton. I'm sure she'd turn me in to the ASPCA for cruelty if I stopped her daily ration of gummi bears."

Rene turned a moonbeam smile at the animal. By the end of the day, by god, I was going to win one of those for myself. There was sugar under all her salt and the more I saw of her, the more I wanted to know that sweetness.

I wasn’t going to push it and I wasn’t going to beg, but dammit her lips belonged on mine. I couldn't forget the taste of her mouth.

BOOK: Tempest Tossed: A Love Unexpected Novel
13.69Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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