Chapter Two
THE BAREST HINT of sun was beginning to peek over the eastern horizon, setting fire to the cobalt sea that seemed to stretch to infinity, when Lauren made her way down an otherwise empty dock the next morning.
A light onshore breeze tickled her bare legs, and she marveled at how nice it was to be wearing shorts in early November.
She slowed to a stop beside the stern of the Veritas, and hitched the duffel bag she was wearing like a backpack higher on her shoulders as she studied the yacht that would be her home for the next two and a half weeks.
Light from the main salon poured out onto the back deck through open sliding glass doors, casting a golden hue over the two tables that framed the surprisingly roomy space.
Modern classical music, full of lilting flutes, heavy beats, and energetic violins was playing over the yacht’s speakers, and Lauren knew that even if she called out to make her presence known, whoever was inside the yacht would not hear.
Nerves she had managed to subdue until that moment flared inside her, making her stomach flutter uncomfortably, and she drew a deep breath to solidify her resolve before she climbed aboard.
Her arrival was effectively masked by the music playing, and she made her way slowly across the deck toward the open doors in search of the yacht’s captain.
The salon was empty, which gave her time to just stop and take it all in for a moment.
A gleaming banquette dining area with cream-colored leather cushions was at the far left side of the room, and a matching sofa filled the right.
Bookshelves were built into the wall behind the banquette and the sofa, and a colorful red and gold rug covered the floor in front of the couch.
To her right was a small desk area with a computer and what she imagined had to be a satellite telephone.
The galley was on her left. It was U-shaped and a much smaller space than she was used to working in, but very modern, with stainless appliances and black granite countertops.
From where she was standing, she could see a decent-sized fridge, as well as a four-burner stove with a built-in grill above a single oven, and the sink anchored the peninsula that separated the galley from the rest of the room.
Three barstools with leather seats that matched the banquette and the sofa were tucked under the overhanging counter, and Lauren’s mind instantly imagined using the space as both a prep-area and an eating area.
Lauren was so lost in her examination of the galley that she failed to notice when she was no longer alone, and she jumped with someone cleared their throat behind her.
“May I help you?”
The voice was a low, rough alto that sent pleasant shivers rolling down Lauren’s spine. “I’m sorry…” she began to apologize as she turned around, but the remainder of her apology died on her tongue when she found herself looking at the woman from the bar the night before.
If Lauren had thought the brunette was beautiful from a distance, it was nothing compared to how she looked up-close.
She was perhaps an inch taller than her own five foot ten inch frame, and her eyes, the one feature Lauren had not been able to catalogue the night before, were a warm brown, flecked with streaks of gold that gave them a hypnotic depth that was nearly impossible to look away from.
Lauren was acutely aware of the way the brunette’s eyes swept slowly over her body, and her stomach lurched at the almost horrified look that was on her face when their eyes met again.
The brunette’s face seemed to pale as they stared at each other, and Lauren found herself thrown completely off-balance by the entire situation.
The woman in front of her did not look upset at finding a stranger on her boat.
She looked stunned. Like there was something about Lauren that absolutely terrified her.
The strange silence seemed to go on forever, until Lauren blurted, rather inelegantly, “I cook.”
The brunette nodded slowly, a look of understanding and panic flashing in her eyes. “Lauren Murphy?”
“Yeah.” Lauren looked back over her shoulder at the galley and shrugged. “I’m the, uh, new chef.”
“Right,” the brunette muttered, forcing a small smile as she held a hand out in greeting. “Grey Wells. Welcome aboard the Veritas.”
“Thank you,” Lauren murmured as she reached for Grey’s hand, and it was then that she remembered her waiter’s words from the night before.
Not even Wells can sleep with that many women.
But, Lauren surmised as she shook Grey’s hand, her waiter was wrong.
She had no idea how many women Grey was rumored to have bedded, but she had no doubt that the brunette could pick up pretty much any woman if she tried.
Grey was simply too beautiful to ever be turned down.
Lauren smiled shyly at Grey as she released her hand and turned back toward the galley.
“I’ll need to check the pantry to make sure I have everything I need before I head over to the farmer’s market to pick up the fresh produce for the trip. ”
Grey nodded, clearly relieved that Lauren seemed more interested in examining the boat than making nice with her.
“It’s stocked with pretty much everything that I think you could possibly need, but I’ll let you look for yourself after we get your things stowed away.
So—” she clapped her hands, grateful for the opportunity to look anywhere but at Lauren, “—I’ll give you a quick tour, and then we can get to it.
This is the salon.” She waved a hand at the open space they were standing in.
“Galley, dining room, lounge, and navigation center. Through there—” she pointed at a narrow oval-shaped doorway that was nestled between the dining area and the lounge, “—are two guest cabins that share an en suite. The other guest cabins are along the starboard side, both with full en suites.”
Lauren looked at the stairs by the desk Grey had called the navigation center and nodded.
Grey was obviously trying a little too hard to sound upbeat, and when she glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Grey was studiously avoiding looking at her.
There was a stiffness to her posture that told Lauren she was anxious about something, and Lauren could not help but wonder what in the world she had done to make her act that way.
“Crew cabins are this way,” Grey continued, waving a hand for Lauren to follow her as she made her way past the galley and down five narrow steps to the landing that separated the Veritas’ two other cabins.
Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry filled the outer wall of the small area, and she pointed at the door that was at the stern.
“My cabin is there, yours is at the bow. You have your own en suite, and there is a closet with drawers inside it for your things. All cabins have televisions that are wired to the boat’s electronic entertainment system, so you’ll have full-access to the digital library.
The boat also has WiFi via satellite, if you need to check emails or go online while we’re out on the charters.
The WiFi network is called Veritas, and the password is opensesame—all lowercase, no spaces. ”
Lauren looked at the oval doorway that led to her cabin. “Got it.”
Grey nodded and tried her best to appear calm.
Her heart rate spiked as her eyes locked onto Lauren’s, and she immediately looked back toward the salon, desperate for some kind of an escape.
“Excellent. Well, the Muellers won’t be here until midday, so you have some time now to stow your gear.
I’m assuming you have a copy of the food profile they filled out when they scheduled their charter? ”
Lauren nodded, even as her mind clicked through the basics. Family of five. No allergies. Three young boys who are adventurous eaters but do not like anything too spicy. “I do.”
“Awesome. Well, when you’re done unpacking, I’ll show you the pantry.
You can dig around in there and the fridge, make notes on whatever it is you’ll need that I haven’t already bought, and then we can go to the farmer’s market in town.
There’s a fishmonger I like who always has a stall there, and we can pick up the steaks, chicken, and whatever else you’re going to need from the butcher on the way back to the boat. ”
“Okay,” Lauren said, her brow furrowing slightly.
Grey forced a smile that was more akin to a grimace, and hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “Great. I’ll be on deck, just come on up when you’re ready.”