The Ruthless Gentleman

“When we’re alone, I’m not your guest. I’m Hayden. Understand?”

Her eyes flickered behind me. “But we’re not alone. That’s the issue. Deck crew are twenty feet away for all you know. Skylar will arrive with your water at any second.” She set the cream dots on the triangles. “You are my guest while you’re on this yacht.”

Her gaze flickered up to meet mine and she grinned.

“You gotta give this girl a break and act like a guest or I’m going to get fired, and you of all people know I can’t afford for that to happen.” She was talking as much to herself as she was to me. The pull between us was undeniable.

I was proud that I understood why keeping her job was so important to her. The fact she’d told me how paying for her brother’s medical expenses was the reason she was here made me feel important. Christ, I ran a multi-billion-dollar company and knowing something private about Avery Walker was what made me feel important. How did she have that much power over me? Perhaps it was simply because she was a better person than I could ever be.

“I didn’t get to see you this morning,” I whispered.

She raised one eyebrow at me as she finished laying out her counters. “I think you saw quite a lot of me last night and this morning,” she whispered.

I couldn’t resist that pouty little mouth and teasing eye roll. I reached across and swept my thumb across her bottom lip.

For a second we were back in that hotel—in a private space, the two of us the only key holders.

The swish of the electric doors interrupted us, and I moved my hand, but it was too late. We’d been caught.

Avery’s soft eyes slid into sadness as she looked up to see who had come through. It wasn’t until Skylar placed the water in front of Avery that I saw she wouldn’t meet my gaze—or Avery’s. Skylar’s cheeks pinked, and I knew for sure she’d seen everything.

“Thank you, Skylar,” I said.

“Can I get you anything else?” she asked, eyeing the closing doors as if she were being timed and if she didn’t get through before they shut she’d be stuck in this awkward situation.

“No thank you,” I replied, trying to catch her eye to see if I could figure out what she was thinking.

I’d fucked up. I had no idea what the dynamic between Avery and Skylar was like. Would Skylar report her? Did she want Avery’s job?

Skylar scurried away.

“I’m sorry—”

The scrape of Avery’s chair, teak against teak, cut me off. “For me, please go down to your office, while I . . .” She shook her head. “I’ll come and find you later. I need to tell you something anyway.”

“Of course,” I said. Never had I been incapable of controlling myself with a woman. What was happening to me? Had I just ruined everything with an uncharacteristic lack of self-discipline?

I was an idiot.

I stood as she began packing away the backgammon. I wanted to help. “I’ll do—”

“Jesus, don’t you get it?” Her jaw was tight and her words sharp. “This is my job. My livelihood, my way of looking after my brother. This is not your fault—I was weak, it was my decision to be . . . pulled under by . . . but please don’t make this worse. Pretend you have a call and go.”

“Very well.” I turned to head back inside, my whole body itching from her words that seemed to press into my skin and burn. Weak? Pulled under? What had passed between us last night had been so much more than sex, certainly more than lust taking over and pulling her under. She’d felt it too, hadn’t she?

But I didn’t say a word. Skylar catching us in an intimate moment had been my fault. I knew I shouldn’t have touched Avery in public. I understood what this job meant to her, how losing it would be catastrophic for her family. I deserved her anger and I couldn’t dilute or erase it.

Not yet.

Avery

It was my job to make things right for people, from billionaires to my brother and everyone in between. I was used to solving guests’ problems and ensuring my stewardesses, the chef, the captain, my dad and anyone else in my orbit was happy. I just had to do it for myself this time.

I slid the backgammon case back into the sideboard, straightened my skirt, and headed to the galley. I exhaled just before I went in. I hoped to God Skylar hadn’t mentioned what she’d seen to anyone. If she’d kept it to herself then there was a chance this situation was salvageable.

Skylar sat at the banquette, flicking through a magazine, while Neill chopped vegetables. If she’d told Neill, surely they’d still be talking about it.