NautiCal (Forever Wilde 8)

Ever since Nat had found us talking in the stateroom, Worth had turned into exactly the type of man I’d picture owning a boat like this—controlled, stern, and a little bit cold. Which was odd because I could have sworn he’d been more open and talkative when he’d first found me in his stateroom. I wondered at the difference. Had it been a temporary slip, or had it been simply a figment of my imagination? Or maybe he was oddly friendly below decks and all business up top.

I snorted softly and stood up to join him in the stateroom to test it out. It didn’t really matter though. I was here to do a job, and I needed a boss more than I needed a friend or lover. I would do just about anything to stay here in the Caribbean and continue living and working on the water and around boats, and if that meant putting up with the rich assholes my brother King had warned me about, then so be it.

4

Worth

I couldn’t get the sound of Cal’s laughter out of my head. As soon as I heard him up there giggling, I had to see what was so funny. He was slouched down in my living room with only the company of his friends and family through his phone. He seemed like the very definition of the surfer or beach bum stereotype: relaxed and easy, friendly and warm. In other words, the complete opposite of me.

Which was as it should be. Except… except he seemed to be exactly the kind of guy my siblings wished I was. They’d begged me to come on this trip to reconnect since I hadn’t taken any time off with them since before our father had died seven years ago, leaving me in charge of picking up the pieces after his disastrous decision to leave half of the family business to his fourth and final wife—Angela—the twins’ mother, instead of leaving it to Lucas and Nat directly.

I’d spent the last seven years working my ass off and trying desperately to keep my head above water to make sure Lucas and Natalia never wanted for anything in their lifetime. It had taken all this time—and exhaustive legal negotiations—to finally wrench Angela’s share of the business away from her and secure it for the twins.

Seeing how easy Cal was with Nat made me bristle, because of course it was easy for a kid bumming around in the Caribbean to relax and go with the flow. He didn’t have thousands of people whose livelihoods depended on him.

“Come to bed,” I said before returning back downstairs. My words reverberated in my head. It sounded like something you’d say to a beloved instead of a twenty-three-year-old stranger.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my hands over my face. What the hell had I gotten myself into? I didn’t set out to lie to my sister, and it wasn’t exactly the best way to start a trip whose sole purpose was bringing us closer together.

It’s just a week.

A week of sharing a room with him. A week of listening to his easy laughter. A week of seeing those slender muscles move under his tanned skin.

I glanced up when I heard the bedroom door click.

“Sorry,” he said, suddenly looking a whole lot less sure of himself. “I hope I didn’t screw things up too much with your family. I mean… I don’t even know if you…”

“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “And Nat is right. This is a king bed. You’re tiny.” I cleared my throat. “We’ll be fine sharing.”

I’d already considered switching with Nat’s friends and having them share so Cal and I could have a room with two singles. But all of my things were in here, including my desk. The only way I could do the work I needed to get done this week was to sneak it in the privacy of my own stateroom.

“I don’t mind sleeping on the sofa,” Cal said, looking anywhere but at me. I didn’t like the insecure Cal. I preferred the charismatic version who made up stories. “If you’d rather me do that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. One big wave and you’ll tumble right off. Get in bed.” I tried not to notice his eyes widen and the pink flush steal across his neck.

He pulled back the blankets and climbed inside. “And I’m not that small,” he muttered. “I can sail a hundred-foot trimaran by myself for fuck’s sake.”

I pressed the button to lower the window shades and tried to hide my smile as I got into bed next to him. “Tiny but strong,” I teased. “Like Mighty Mouse.”

He launched himself on top of me and pinned me to the mattress in seconds, with his hands holding my wrists up by the headboard and his knees squeezing my hips. I had no doubt my eyes bugged out of my head, and I might have made an embarrassing sound of surprise.