Chapter Four
Dylan
I pace my cabin, running a hand through my damp hair as I wait for the sushi to arrive. This isn’t a date, I remind myself for the hundredth time. It’s just… damage control. Making sure Caress is okay after that clusterfuck of a meeting. That’s all.
I fire off a quick text to let her know the food’s on its way and that the adjoining door is open when she’s ready, my heart racing like I’m some lovesick teenager. I need to get it together. I decide to take a quick shower to wash away some of this tension coiling inside me. I beeline to the bathroom.
As the hot water cascades over my shoulders, I try to focus on anything but the woman next door. The marketing campaign. The cruise amenities. Hell, even Trevor’s smug face would be a welcome distraction from thoughts of Caress.
But my mind keeps drifting back to her. The way her eyes flashed with anger when Trevor approached her. The feel of her body pressed against mine as I stepped in to defend her. The scent of her perfume lingered long after she’d walked away.
I groan, resting my forehead against the cool tile of the shower wall. This is a dangerous game we’re playing. Pretending to be a couple, and sharing adjoining rooms, it’s a recipe for disaster. Or for finally acting on the attraction that’s been simmering between us for far too long.
No. I can’t go there. Caress is off-limits for so many reasons. She’s my assistant, for one. And Joel’s sister, my brain reminds me for the hundredth time since we started pretending.
A sharp knock interrupts my mental gymnastics. Shit, that was fast. I hastily shut off the water and grab a towel, wrapping it haphazardly around my waist as I stride out of the bathroom.
“Coming!” I call out, fully expecting to see a crew member with our dinner.
Instead, I freeze in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. Caress stands at my cabin door, her back to me, as she collects the food from the crew member carefully handing her containers. But it’s not her unexpected presence that stops me cold. It’s what she’s wearing.
The black dress clings to her curves like a second skin, the intricate crochet pattern revealing tantalizing glimpses of smooth, tanned skin underneath. It’s short – criminally so – leaving her long legs on full display. The neckline plunges dangerously low, drawing my gaze to the swell of her breasts.
Christ.
Unbidden, an image of Caress sprawled across my bed, that dress bunched around her waist as I slowly peel it off her body flashes through my mind. The fantasy is so vivid I can almost taste her skin, hear her breathy moans…
“Thanks so much,” Caress says, her voice snapping me back to reality as she closes the door. She turns, and our eyes lock.
For a moment, neither of us moves. Then her gaze drifts lower, a slow, appreciative sweep that sets my blood on fire. I’m acutely aware of how little the towel conceals, especially given my body’s very obvious reaction to her presence.
I open my mouth, desperate to break the tension with some witty quip. But before I can utter a word, a cool breeze from the air conditioning hits my skin, and my already-growing cock goes on full alert, causing the loosely-knotted towel to give way.
Time seems to slow as the terry cloth slips from my hips, pooling unceremoniously at my feet. Caress’s eyes go wide, immediately dropping to where I’m standing at full, straining attention.
“Oh my God!” she yelps, spinning around so fast I’m surprised she doesn’t give herself whiplash. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!”
For a split second, I’m frozen in place, caught between arousal and mortification. Then self-preservation kicks in. I snatch up the traitorous towel and bolt back to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
“Fuck,” I mutter, leaning my forehead against the cool wood. My heart pounds so hard I’m sure Caress can hear it even through the door. What the hell just happened?
I grip the sink, forcing myself to take deep breaths. This is bad. This is so, so bad. I’ve just flashed Caress like some drunken frat boy. So much for maintaining professional boundaries. A part of my brain replays the way Caress looked at me before the towel fell. There was heat in her gaze, and the unmistakable desire makes my cock twitch.
What the fuck do I do now? I should play it cool. I’m probably just imagining things anyway, projecting my own forbidden attraction onto her. Caress was probably just shocked, maybe even repulsed. God knows I’ve done enough damage to our working relationship without deluding myself into thinking she might actually want me.
I hear movement in the other room. There’s a quiet clink of dishes being arranged. Caress is still out there, probably mortified and wondering what the hell kind of boss exposes himself to his employees. I need to go out there, to apologize and try to salvage this disaster of an evening.
But first, I need to get dressed and get my body under control. I pull on a pair of sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt, going for casual comfort. It’s a far cry from Caress’s knockout dress, but given recent events, that’s probably for the best.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror, trying to summon some of my usual confidence. “You can do this,” I mutter. “Just act normal. Pretend it never happened.”
Even as the words leave my mouth, I know it’s easier said than done. The image of Caress in that dress is seared into my brain, along with the heated look in her eyes as she took in my naked form. This “fake relationship” is quickly spiraling into dangerous territory, blurring lines I swore I’d never cross.
The thought sends a thrill of equal parts exhilaration and terror through me. Because if I’m right, if Caress feels even a fraction of the attraction I’ve been fighting… Well, resisting temptation just got a whole lot harder.
I take one final deep breath, steeling myself for whatever awaits me on the other side of this door. The tension in the room when I step out is palpable as I emerge from the bathroom. Caress stands with her back to me, her posture rigid as she fiddles with the sushi containers. The sight of her in that dress, knowing what lies beneath, nearly undoes me all over again.
“Caress,” I start, my voice rougher than I’d like. “I am so, so sorry about that. I thought you were the room service attendant and—”
She turns to face me, her cheeks flushed, becoming a dark shade of pink. “It’s fine, Dylan. Really. Let’s just… pretend it didn’t happen, okay?”
But even as she says the words, her eyes flick down to my chest, lingering on the way my t-shirt clings to my still-damp skin. The air between us crackles with electricity, and I know she feels it too.
I clear my throat, desperate to regain some semblance of control. “Right. Good plan. So, uh, shall we eat?”
Caress nods, seemingly grateful for the change of subject. We settle at the small table, and I can’t help but notice how the crochet of her dress stretches as she sits, revealing tantalizing glimpses of skin.
Focus, brain, focus. I force my attention to the food, popping open containers of maki rolls, sashimi, and tempura. The familiar ritual of preparing wasabi and soy sauce gives me something to do with my hands instead of giving in to the urge to reach out and touch her.
“This looks amazing,” Caress says, breaking the awkward silence. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until just now.”
I nod, passing her a set of chopsticks. “Yeah, it’s been a hell of a day. I figured we both deserved a treat after… everything.”
Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I see a flicker of vulnerability there. “Thank you,” she says softly. “Not just for dinner, but for earlier. With Trevor. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Of course I did,” I say without hesitation. “Caress, you’re not just my assistant. You’re…” I trail off, not sure how to finish that sentence without revealing too much. My friend? The woman I can’t stop thinking about? The one person who makes me want to be a better man?
She raises an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. “I’m what, exactly?”
I take a deep breath, deciding to go with honesty. “You’re important to me. And I’ll always have your back, no matter what.”
Something shifts in Caress’s expression, a softening around her eyes that makes my heart skip a beat. “I know,” she says quietly. “That goes both ways, you know. I’ve got your back too.”
The sincerity in her voice catches me off guard. For all our banter and professional rapport, we’ve never really addressed the deeper connection between us. But sitting here now, the weight of unspoken words and suppressed emotions seem to bear down heavier.
We eat in companionable silence for a while, stealing glances at each other over pieces of sushi. It’s oddly domestic, this shared meal in the privacy of my cabin. If I let myself, I could almost pretend this is real. Pretend that Caress and I are actually together, enjoying a romantic dinner on our cruise vacation.
But we’re not. This is all for show, a charade to keep Trevor at bay and salvage our business deal. I can’t let myself forget that, no matter how much I might wish otherwise.
“So,” Caress says, breaking into my thoughts. “What’s the game plan for tomorrow? We should probably strategize how we’re going to handle this whole… couple thing.”
“Right. Edward may want answers.” I nod, trying to slip back into professional mode. “Good point. We should establish some good responses, at least figure out our backstory.”
“Exactly,” she agrees. “Like, how long have we been together? How did it start?”
I consider for a moment. “Well, we’ve known each other for years through Joel. Maybe we reconnected at the company Christmas party last year?”
Caress nods, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Ooh, office romance. Scandalous. I like it.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Hey, you’re the one who showed up in that dress. If anyone’s being scandalous here, it’s you.”
The words slip out before I can stop them, and I immediately tense, worried I’ve crossed a line. But to my relief, Caress just laughs.
“Fair point,” she says, gesturing down at herself. “Though I didn’t exactly expect a private fashion show from you either, Mr. Carter.”
And just like that, the tension from earlier dissipates. We fall into our usual easy banter, tossing ideas back and forth about our fictional relationship. It’s almost too easy to imagine this alternate reality where Caress and I found our way to each other.
As the evening wears on, I find myself relaxing more than I have in months. There’s something about Caress that puts me at ease, that makes me feel like I can just be myself. No pretenses, no walls – just Dylan.
It’s concerning, this comfort. Because the more time I spend with her like this, the harder it becomes to remember why we can’t be together for real.
As if reading my thoughts, Caress’s smile fades slightly. “Dylan,” she says, her voice soft. “What are we doing here?”
The question hangs in the air between us, laden with meaning. I know she’s not just talking about the fake relationship or the marketing campaign.
I meet her gaze, seeing my own conflicted emotions reflected back at me. “I don’t know,” I admit quietly, an unseen force pulling our heads closer together. “But I think… I think we might be in trouble here, Caress.”
Her eyes flick from my gaze to my lips, then back again before she nods. She swallows. “I think we might be.”
Time slows as I lean in to close the space between us. Caress’s eyes flutter closed, and I lick my lips in anticipation, but before our lips meet, a loud knock at the door breaks the moment.
“I - I should probably get going anyway,” Caress says, pulling back and avoiding my eyes.
Fuck. I should just pull her closer and finish what we started. I should tell whoever it is at the door to bugger off. I should tell her that what I feel for her is so much more than pretend or merely a friend. I should, but I don’t.
Instead, I stand, taking her hand so she can stand with me. “I understand.” I didn’t mean to cross a boundary. Thank you for having dinner with me.”
Caress still doesn’t meet my eyes. Nodding, she smiles and then hurries to the adjoining door without uttering a word.