Chapter 15
I step onto the stairs that lead onto the large yacht. I made it just before it departed.
When I look around, my mouth drops open…it”s huge. There are people everywhere. On the deck, in the cabins and main salons. I scan around to see if I can recognize anyone. I wonder if Dalton and Poppy are already here.
I need to make a decision quickly. Do I head left or do I go right?
I decide right, which is the back of the yacht, where there seems to be more people. Following the latest pop song. I can’t believe I am here. I”ve never been on a yacht before. And I’ll probably never be again. Glancing around at people as I pass them toasting drinks, I wonder if this is the norm for them. It”s definitely more of a party than quiet celebratory drinks.
Who are all these people? Do they work for Spencer’s company? Or do they work for Lincoln’s?
Speaking of. I wonder where he is…
I focus on walking and not slipping in summer sandals. Even though they’re low heeled, I’m still getting used to them. I’m glad I chose this dress as everyone has a similar outfit on, so at least I can pretend I fit in.
I wonder if everyone here has Bentley’s kind of money. I feel a little out of place since I don’t and will never make crazy amounts of money like them. But if there’s one thing my parents taught me growing up it’s that those things don’t matter. More money would be nice, but it’s not necessary for happiness. With my dad being sick, I’m content with what I have right now.
I take one step at a time looking around. The people in the group beside me tip their heads back laughing. I walk around them and head toward the bar; some are sipping drinks while others are swinging their hips and dancing to the music.
I walk slowly through the crowd of people, searching for a familiar face. The longer I look around, the more uneasy I become because I don’t see anyone I know.
However, once I arrive at the very back, I take in the view. I’ve never seen New York like this before. The city lights, the bridge, the landmarks like the Statue of Liberty that are softly illuminated in the distance. The gentle sound of the water lapping against the hull as we glide through it.
“Nova?” Bentley”s voice booms loudly.
I search the faces until I find his before answering, “Yeah?”
He gestures me over. “Come here. Let me introduce you to some people,” he says, obnoxiously louder than normal. He’s wearing a white dress shirt and tan chinos with his long, messy blond and gray hair tucked behind his ears.
I wander over the wooden floor, and when I’m close, he slips his hand over my shoulders. In a friendly way. I welcome his arm because I don”t know anyone else here. And the relief I feel flooding my body just from knowing him hits me.
He begins pointing at people and introducing them. Then I ask him questions about his yacht. He”s obviously seen my awe of it.
“My parents gifted it to me when they upgraded,” he answers easily. As if that’s a normal thing. To him it would be; to me, it’s unheard of.
“Lucky you,” I say. “You have some nice parents then.”
“I wouldn’t say that, but you know, things like this have its perks.” He shrugs, but the tone of his voice makes me wonder if he”s not close with his parents.
That saddens me. I can’t imagine not calling my parents every day or swapping fantasy books and stories with my mom. I’ve always had this soft spot for people who aren”t as close to their parents as me. I know it’s a dumb fantasy and I understand not everyone has the relationship I do with mine. And sometimes it’s for the best. I guess I just can’t relate.
“Well, it”s a beautiful yacht,” I say.
After some research, I discovered that he also inherited the business from his father. He had been working for his father since he left college, but the articles I found referred to him as a notorious party boy. Bentley gives me the impression that he only cares about making money to support his lifestyle.
“Grab a drink. And have some fun. The sale is done. We need to celebrate.”
He is the boss and he’s being insistent, but I don’t feel comfortable letting loose.
As a server passes by, I ask what drinks they have. I decide on some champagne. One of the only two drinks I’ll have tonight.
I look around at the men and women. Everyone is holding a drink or eating as they engage in conversation. Servers walk around with trays of small yet delicious looking food.
The chatter isn’t too loud, and I can hear a new pop song playing in the background.
“Who are all these people?” I ask, feeling calm now that I’m here on the yacht.
Bentley drops his arm and takes another glass from the tray before the server walks away. Then, turning to scan the crowd, he shrugs. “A mix of people. My staff and Mr. Lincoln’s. Even a couple of existing and future clients.”
“Well, this is some celebration,” I say, not really knowing how to put into words how overwhelming this feels.
“Come over here. Let me introduce you to more people. I don”t think anyone else you know is here.”
Great…
“Okay,” I say, following behind him.
But as we walk, I see Dalton and Poppy sitting there. They spot me and I wave. My eyes widen as if to say, please come and save me. A silent conversation. Of course, Poppy rolls her eyes as if I”m a burden and she really doesn”t want to. But Dalton excitedly waves and then jumps up, grabbing her hand and dragging her along. He gives me a wry smile as they come over.
“Hi. Um. Mr. Spencer’s showing me around,” I explain. My voice carries a pleading tone that I hope they pick up on. I want them to come with me.
“Yes, exactly what Nova said,” Bentley says. “Come with me and I”ll introduce you to some important people.”
I’m thrilled he has asked them to join.
Bentley inspects their drink and says, “I see you all got drinks. Perfect. Let”s go.”
We walk, but it doesn”t take very long to find the people he”s looking for. We are down one side of the yacht now, where a guy sits there leaning back, drink in hand. He has wavy blond hair that’s swept to the side, almost a little too long for my taste. He can tuck it behind his ears. He may be wearing sunglasses but I can tell his eyes are zeroed in on me.
Oh, no.I think to myself.
I take a sip of my bubbles, wondering where Jeremy is?
I had a feeling he was as excited to see me in a social setting as I was to see him.
I’m sure he’s late.
He would be a nice friendly face to have around, but also, yeah, I can’t lie to myself, the only reason I am here––and all dolled up––is because he is also going to be here.
If I don’t find him soon, I”ll text him.
“Grant, I”d like to introduce you to my colleagues,” Bentley says as he waves a hand over each of us and introduces us. “This is Nova, Dalton, and Poppy. They work in my financial and accounting department.”
“Nice,” Grant says. “You”re trying to get me to talk numbers before we”ve spoken about design or any other finer details, Mr. Spencer. Smooth, very smooth.” He laughs.
“I never stop working,” Bentley replies, tossing his head back and letting out his own chuckle. “But never, Grant. I’d never do that to you. I”m just getting you familiar with my team. I know you”ll be working with me. There”s no one better than us.”
I can”t help but laugh inside. Bentley is good at talking business, I’ll give him that.
“Take a seat, everyone,” Grant says.
“I”m going to grab us some food. I”ll be back in a moment,” Bentley says.
Dalton and Poppy have already taken their seats, so there”s only one spot left, and that”s between Poppy and this Grant guy that I”ve never heard of. Grant leans back with his arms straight out over the back of both chairs.
I take a breath and sit down. Careful not to lean my back too far into the chair because his arm would be just behind my neck. I don”t know this guy and wouldn’t feel comfortable being that close.
“Your boss is smooth, isn”t he?” Grant asks me.
I turn to face him. “Yeah, he’s very subtle,” I say sarcastically.
The other two are talking amongst themselves. I want to interrupt and ask them if they can talk to this guy instead. I”m so new to the company. Jesus. It”s like they”re just feeding me to the wolves right now. I don’t want to say the wrong thing or reveal too much. He could be a potential client. I want to prove I am worthy of my spot in the company.
“His company has been a really good place to work for. So I think you”d be making a mistake not working with Bentley.”
A deep rumble leaves his chest. “He seems to really know how to hire people. I sense you’re being completely honest.”
“I am,” I respond. I believe I try to always be kind and honest.
I take a sip of my drink, but it goes down the wrong hole. I choke on a bubble. I’m coughing when Grant’s hand touches my back, and he leans forward. Close to my face. “Are you okay? Do you want some water?”
My eyes prickle with tears from the bubbles of the champagne. Oh, God. What a great impression.
I nod. “Please.”
His hand is still on my back as he tries to wave down a server. I look too until my gaze lands on dark, pissed-off eyes from across the yacht.
Jeremy.
I struggle to catch my breath. The air thickens with an unspoken tension. His arms, tense and unmoving, are crossed over his chest. His gaze, icy and piercing, bores into me as if he can read every thought running through my mind. My heart races, but it’s not from his obvious dislike of the man beside me. No, it’s something deeper, something electric that sparks between us. My eyes sweep over his impeccable body. He”s stupidly gorgeous.
The way his muscles strain against the fabric of his shirt makes my fingers twitch with an undeniable desire to touch him, to trace over the contours of his tight jaw, up his neck, and into that perfectly-styled dark hair.
He’s frowning, an expression of displeasure is etched across his stunning features. The sunglasses that had been on his face now rest on top of his head. They must have covered his eyes until he spotted me.
Oh, crap!Panicking, I attempt to remove the guy”s unwanted hand that still rests on my back. Leaning forward, I’m relieved when Grant’s touch slips from me.
I stand in a rush. “I don’t want to bother you. I’ll go find myself some water,” I say to Grant and then tell Dalton and Poppy I’ll be back.
I hurry off toward Jeremy. I don”t want him to think… If roles were reversed, I’d be devastated, so I do what I’d like to be done to me. I move toward him and really take in his outfit. Tan-colored loafers that match perfectly his tan shorts. My favorite is his white linen shirt rolled up his forearms. It looks delectable against his sun-kissed skin, with the dusting of chest hair peeking out of the top of his shirt.
He”s manly, warm, and apparently extremely sexy when pissed off.
He meets me with his chest rising and falling. I”m still holding my glass, but he doesn’t have one, so I lower it to a nearby table. When we stand toe to toe, he stares down at me. “Who was that guy?”
“I don”t know,” I answer honestly.
Luckily there’s not too many people around us on the deck of the boat. And the ones that are around, are too engrossed in their own conversations to focus on us.
My throat dries in panic. I’ve hurt him. I swallow and explain. “Bentley introduced me to him. I think he”s going to be a potential client.”
His features don’t change. “Why did he… Fuck, why was he touching you?” His tone is annoyed. Not in anger but hurt.
“I was choking on stupid champagne bubbles,” I mumble. “I”m such a mess.”
“You”re not a mess, Nova.” We stay silent. “I just didn’t like seeing his hands on you.”
You don”t say…
“I don”t want anyone else touching you.” I feel every word under my skin.
“Why?” I ask, unable to hold back.
He inclines his face, so his mouth meets my ear. “You know why,” he whispers, his breath tickling my ear. I shake my head softly, but I don”t breathe. I hold it as I wait for him to explain.
My skin prickles at his words. I want him to touch me.
“Who wants a drink?” Bentley calls out, moving through people near us.
I suck in a deep breath and take a step back. That was close.
I can’t believe I was going to let him kiss me in front of my co-workers and boss. I’m supposed to be making a good first impression as an employee. Tonight means everything to me. And as much as I want to kiss, I can”t. I need to think about my parents, and if I lose this job what it means for them.
“Can I get you a drink?” Jeremy asks.
Jeremy plus alcohol seems like a lethal mix.
“I don”t think I should drink anymore,” I say.
“Are you sure? You didn’t get to enjoy your champagne.”
“Mm true. One more won’t hurt anyone.”
I wouldn’t mind having something to take the edge off.
Jeremy nods to Bentley who beams back at him.
“Here’s the man I was looking for,” Bentley says coming to stand next to Jeremy. We take our drinks. I grab a new champagne and Jeremy grabs a drink with amber liquid.
“There’s someone I wanted to introduce you to,” Bentley continues.
I sip my champagne, watching the interaction over my glass.
Bentley waves over a serious looking short, dark-haired man. He’s wearing a similar outfit to Jeremy.
I wonder if I should stay or go.
Bentley goes to open his mouth, but Jeremy”s voice cuts in. “Asher. Nice to see you again.”
“It’s been a long time between meetings,” Asher says, in a low gravelly tone. Not a hint of a smile on this man”s face.
“I’ll leave you boys to it,” Bentley says and strolls to the next group of people, offering them more drinks. I must admit, he is a good host when it comes to parties.
“How are your new Primary Care Clinics going?” Jeremy asks.
Asher”s eyes widen a fraction, under the night lights, I see a hint of glimmer in his eye as he’s asked about his business.
I watch them talk, sipping my drink, my gaze ping pongs between them in fascination.
“I’ve opened another ten with expansion plans.”
Jeremy offers some advice, and they organize to catch up. I can’t close my mouth.
I’m in awe of how fluid he is with business. I’m so transfixed that I swipe a new glass of champagne from the tray passing by.
I finish my drink in a few sips as the guys continue talking. When my glass is empty, I decide it’s a good time to find my friends and colleagues, Poppy and Dalton, who I haven’t spoken to much tonight.
Moving around the yacht, I’m about to head up the stairs to the upper deck when I hear his sexy, husky voice just behind me. One of the speakers is above, so I didn’t hear him approach. I turn around to face him.
“I was looking for you earlier.” His hand circles my wrist. “And now I am doing it again.”
The corners of my mouth turn up. “I didn’t want to interrupt you before, so I thought I’d take a walk.”
The touch on my wrist makes it hard to think when he draws lazy circles over my beating pulse. The alcohol has definitely kicked in. I feel like I’m floating. He stares at me, and with his heavy cologne filling my nose, I’m not sure what to say.
“You were late,” he asks, it obviously has been playing on his mind all night.
The deep crease of worry between his brows makes me brave. “Did you think I was going to miss this…?” Miss you.
His eyes soften. “Then where were you?”
“I had a hard time getting dressed.”
His eyes drop slowly over my body like he”s drinking me in. “You could wear a paper bag and still look hot. If I wasn”t here on this fucking boat right now…”
“It’s a yacht,” I interrupt with a smirk.
“If I wasn”t here at this stupid celebration, I”d be…” He stalls.
“You”d be what?” I breathe, desperate to hear the answer.
I need him to finish that sentence like it”s my next breath.
He leans so his mouth is an inch from mine. My breath hitches. Is he going to kiss me?
Please…do it.
“I”d rip that fucking dress off your body and kiss that lipstick right off your mouth.”
My mouth parts at his declaration. I don”t think I could wait until we”re off this damn yacht. The party has picked up now, and we are heading farther into the ocean every minute. It’s been a long build up to now. We’ve talked, flirted, and now he’s staring longingly at me.
With a few glasses of champagne in my blood, I feel brave. I bend forward, feeling his warm breath on my lips. I move to seal our lips together when someone clears their throat.
I straighten up, looking over Jeremy at Grant.
“There you are.” Grant walks toward us.
Closely behind him is Poppy and Dalton. They look around until they spot me.
“I was looking for you two.” I point at them. Specifically leaving Grant out of it to make it clear I’m not interested in him.
“I thought you fell overboard.” Poppy hiccups, but there’s a small lift in the corner of her mouth. I’m not sure she realizes she’s doing it, but with the way she’s swaying on her feet, it’s easy to see she’s had a lot to drink.
“Looking for the bathroom.” Dalton points at Poppy”s head from above her. “Someone’s not feeling the best.”
She moves to the edge of the yacht, holding on to the side next to Jeremy. He turns to check on her and my heart swells. I’m about to offer Poppy help to go to the bathroom when Grant whispers, “Jeremy isn”t what he seems.”
I blink rapidly. What?
He’s warning me.
Or is he jealous?
I’m about to ask what he means when Jeremy interrupts, “Excuse me, I would like to show Nova to the sun deck.”
I look over and Dalton is walking Poppy away.
“Nova care to join?” Jeremy pushes when I don’t answer.
“Sure.” I nod toward Jeremy. I don’t want to be around Grant anymore.
He takes my hand and pulls me in the opposite direction.
Grant narrows his eyes. “But you were headed to the upper deck.”
This guy is observant and makes me a tad uncomfortable after his threat.
When there’s enough distance between Grant and us, Jeremy asks, “What did he say to you?”
“He was warning me away from you.”
We walk along, but before we get down to the sun deck, he stops and turns. His body is tense. “This back is mine to touch, not his. Hell, not anyone else”s.” His seductive deep tone melts me.
I stare back at him, enamoured. “I thought the attraction was just one-sided,” I mumble.
“You have no clue, do you?”
I shake my head.
“Do you know how much I want you right now?”
I blush at his words. “No. I thought I had some silly little crush on you. You’re way out of my league.”
“Nova,” he says as his hand touches my shoulder, then moves up to my chin. He tilts my head back so his eyes can bore into mine.
It”s definitely not a one-sided feeling here. And it”s the anticipation that”s killing me. I think if he was just to kiss me, I would work him out of my system. I”m sure I”d get over this silly crush but the fact that he keeps tempting me and making me wait for the kiss. It”s killing me.
“You don’t come from the same world as me,” I admit. Honesty comes as easy as breathing near him.
“You get me more than anyone ever has. Are you sure I can”t change your mind about working for me?”
His words make my heart swell. I can hear the sincerity in them. But I can’t. “I can”t work for you.”
“Why not?” he asks. “I’ll give you double what he”s paying.”
The money…God. That sounds so good. What that money could do for me. For my family. But I keep that thought to myself. If I was to work for him, I couldn”t be with him. It”d be going against every rule in the book and that doesn”t sit well with me.
“I don’t want to mix business and pleasure.”
He lets out a frustrated sigh.
My heart races in my chest. “If you were my boss, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
I grab the sides of his head in my hand and bring his lips to mine. His lips are soft with a hint of roughness––or is it urgency as if the almost kisses have sent us into a frenzy of desperation. He grabs my sides and pulls me to him.
He is strong and I welcome his passion. It mimics my own. I follow his lead when his tongue hits my lips and I part them. One sweep of his tongue in my mouth and I shudder. He pulls back, staring at me darkly for a long time. We remain silent and the only noise is our heavy breathing.
“It probably wouldn”t be a good idea. If you work for me. I”d barely get anything done,” he admits with a smile that causes the lines around his eyes to show.