Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Jake had pulled out all the stops to get the trip together in record time; once he had the idea in his head and knew she wanted it to happen he was all over it. A few calls here and there and a few nudges and everything was set. He had steam- rolled over her doubts, refusing to let her back down, and they had got there without any more arguments. His mind was set to seeing her in a bikini, not that he would be able to do anything about it, but still. It was a sight he wasn’t passing up. That tense ache in his groin had only reminded him how badly he needed sex lately. He wasn’t a guy who had ever gone extended periods without and now here he was, starting to doubt his ability to relax. She would be walking around semi-naked and he was almost spring loaded like this.

Fuck, he should have gone out in a glory of drink and fucking before this trip.

* * *

She seemed completely in awe of his dad’s cruiser. Jake had seen it a million times, so to him, it was nothing special. A long yacht, white like every other and sat in an idyllic port surrounded by blue sea and white sands. Just being surrounded by sun, friends, and her was enough to lift his mood tenfold. If he could push the lustful thoughts aside, they could have a really good time here.

The crew was under orders to keep out of the way; he didn’t want her feeling intimidated by them. He knew she wasn’t someone who liked wealth being a showy thing, and he was damned if he was going to make her uncomfortable with anything while here. She had been forewarned that he was taking care of anything and everything, including shopping trips if she wanted them. He had felt like an ass as she had blinked at him, aching to argue but in this, his word was final. Date or not, he was old-fashioned, he paid for his girl. Even if he wasn’t sleeping with her.

His friends had all been forewarned to behave; no jokes about being his secretary or any of the men trying their luck. He would literally beat them to death with their own shoes if they tried. He hadn’t exactly been happy to see Marissa in tow with Vincent. He had no idea what her fucking game was being on this boat, but he sure as hell wasn’t being drawn into any little Marissa games. Vincent was an idiot, he should have known she would sucker one of the twins, they’d always trawled along after her in hopes of a date.

He hadn’t seen her since the night he had stupidly got drunk and fucked her, not that he could remember. He had no clue how he had even ended up with her that night, he must have been royally messed up and if she thought there would ever be a repeat, she was wrong. He would throw her overboard if she got in his way. He was happy to ignore her presence, knowing it would annoy her more than having her escorted off. Emma need never know anything about her or who she ever was to him. It was history and nothing he would ever rehash.

Daniel was keeping his distance, just like Jake had told him to. Emma wasn’t one of his playthings, and he knew better than to cross Jake.

There were six of them with Jake and Emma on the boat, he figured a crowd would give him more chance to get time alone with her than just another couple of people. With them were Daniel in all his tanned blond glory and the twins, Vincent and Richard, white-blond hair and gray eyes, all American good looks and square shoulders on all three.

Leila was wandering about on deck having some sort of bitchy glaring competition with Marissa and Miracle, Daniel’s porn star, and this was the last thing he needed. At least Leila wasn’t being viperous to Hunter for once. Seemed things had finally cooled down with them after months of frosty glares. Being in the same place again without toxic warfare was pretty great. He would have to warn her about starting anything with either girl, not that he worried Leila couldn’t handle them, the exact opposite in fact. If Leila flew off the handle, it would be an airlift to the coast ER for two females and Leila wouldn’t be one. He had bad memories of Leila taking on some of Daniel’s dates in the past and flying bottles.

Jake had already had to deflect advances from the leggy porn star who, while topless, had tried to grapple him alone in the lower hall. Hands going for his groin. He wasn’t immune; he was horny as hell, and she had managed to get her hand into his shorts while he had dodged her mouth. She was fuckable, but as soon as her hands had been on him all he could think about was Emma. He knew Daniel wouldn’t care if he fucked Miracle down here; they had shared in the past, and all he needed to do was open a door and bend her over a bed; she was obviously game. He had pushed her off and told her to stay the fuck away; she wasn’t what he wanted by a long shot.

* * *

Emma was up on deck when Jake came up from his room, he had been taking a shower in a bid to relax a little. His heart almost stopped when he saw her silhouetted against the railing in a coral bikini and some flimsy wrap around her hips that kept flapping open to reveal long sexy legs. Even for a small girl, her legs looked endless. She was the most perfect sight on and off this boat and everything else paled in comparison when she was around.

Jake was oblivious to Miracle and Marissa’s breasts lounging on deck, didn’t see anything except Emma and her completely intoxicating body, much more appealing even covered than either of the brunettes. Creamy skin and curves of perfection. He was definitely horny as hell now, just looking at her made his insides want to explode. He wasn’t one for self-pleasuring to get sexual gratification but right now, with her in mind, he would happily go back to his room for some release. It had only been a couple of days here and already his constant hard-on was painful. He had been taking cold showers a little too frequently.

Why he had ever thought he could handle Emma in bikinis was beyond him. He should’ve known it would be hell on earth to be around her and not want to fuck her badly.

“Here.” He handed her a bottle of cold, flavored water with a smile, his eyes shielded from view by his Ray-Bans and trying to control every ounce of his body like the expert he was. Years of self-control finally having a use. He was watching that makeup free face and wondering why she ever wore it, she never needed it. Emma was a natural beauty by all standards, flawless perfection.

“Thanks.” She opened the bottle with a smile and took a long drink. He had to look away from the way her lips cupped the rim. An internal groan in his head and trying not to picture that mouth doing anything else.

Breathe, Carrero … You’re like a horny fifteen-year-old virgin right now.

“You look nice.” He focused on her loose hair, his glasses shielding what he was really thinking and trying not to skim her body visually. He needed to disrupt this view somehow and get his head back in the game.

“Thanks.” She blushed, and he felt himself frowning, suddenly conscious of the fact she had glanced at his naked upper torso quickly. He was wearing shorts and nothing else and despite never having an issue stripping off in public he suddenly realized why this might be awkward for her. He was still her boss, and he had never been topless in front of her. Not that he was self-conscious in the slightest. He spent enough time in the gym to make sure he was underwear model ready at all times, and his tattoos were always placed in places that enhanced what he had. He was never uncomfortable being naked, especially not in front of women. He felt like an ass for not even thinking that this whole thing might make her uneasy, especially with her background and the way men had treated her. Jake felt like a complete dickhead all of a sudden for not realizing.

“We’re going to the shore tonight for dinner … You want to come?” He looked over her head across the water to try to reel in his thoughts, his mood plummeting a little. He had never wanted her to be nervous around him, especially not in this way. He had never thought that maybe Emma’s lack of dates this past year had something to do with sex making her uneasy, her childhood had scarred her. Of course, men made her uneasy. He made a mental note at wearing a shirt while walking about on deck, he would make all of them wear one if it made her feel better.

“Sure.” She smiled and shielded her eyes from the sun, and Jake swiped his shades from his head automatically and placed them on her dainty face.

“I really should carry a pair of these,” she laughed, that natural carefree laugh that lifted his mood back up a little, he just shrugged in response. Still mulling over the effect he was obviously having on her. It was like a punch in the stomach, a dull ache that wouldn’t shift.

“They look better on you than they do on me. Your cuteness just goes with my shades.” Truth be told he never ever thought about putting them on her face, from the first time it had been a natural movement, like breathing. She had shielded her eyes, and he had done it. Something he had done to his kid brother his whole life and somehow, she raised that same protective impulse.

“Where are we going for dinner?” Emma seemed to be looking anywhere but his body and he only frowned harder. He wanted her to be able to stand here with no effect. Well, he wanted him to affect her in a good way but not like this. He wanted to wrap his arms around her right now and tell her it was always going to be okay. He would never let another man touch her, hurt her. He would protect her for eternity. She didn’t need to be afraid ever again, it killed him knowing she still carried the burden of those memories.

“Some little seafood place Marissa knows.” He tried to keep his tone even at saying her name. He usually avoided any use of the curse word and it felt like broken glass in his mouth.

“I want to get my haircut while we’re here … Do you think there are any hairdressers on the mainland?” Jake had the instant urge to tell her she didn’t need to change her hair, he liked it the way it was so he looked away toward Leila in hopes of hiding the frown on his face. He didn’t like the thought of her changing anything about how she was. You couldn’t improve on perfection.

“Leila will know … She comes here a lot.” Jake nodded toward his childhood friend, hoping to God Leila wouldn’t push Emma into some radical hairdo; he knew her only too well. She was wandering around wearing a top, and for the first time he noticed the other two were not. Completely topless and he suddenly felt pissed. If topless men could make Emma uneasy, then that sure as hell would do it too, he wanted to throw towels over both of them.

“You know Marissa well?” Her voice broke into his thoughts and he felt himself freeze. He had never expected this question to come from her and the last thing he wanted her to know was anything about his past with Marissa. How the hell she had even picked up on anything was beyond him, he sure as hell wasn’t putting out any signals where that harpy was concerned.

“Once.” He felt his pulse quicken and his head going into evasive mode. He didn’t want to dredge up the past and admit he had been too blind to realize his teen girlfriend and best mate had been fucking behind his back and sent him into a few years of booze, drugs, idiotic behavior, and woman. He didn’t want Emma knowing that part of him, or tying him to the bitch on deck. He wanted her to see him as he was now, the person he was with her anyway, the better version of himself. He found himself scowling Marissa’s way with his back to Emma, Marissa caught his eye and, licking her lips seductively, she squirmed toward him. Even from here he could pick up her fuck me signals and he just scowled back.

Not a chance, princess.

“Want to come for a swim with me?” He threw back at Emma. He wanted to get as far away from the slut eyeing him up and away from the topic about her. He needed time alone to help his girl relax. Away from all this naked skin. He turned back to her open expression and had the instant urge to stroke her hair back from her face. His sunglasses did look good on her, a little big but adorably cute.

“Now?” She sounded apprehensive.

“Why not?” Jake smiled, hoping to make her feel more at ease. He needed to get her to unwind a little and he couldn’t do that here, tense with a pair of eyes on the back of his head trying to undress him mentally. They needed to leave the past on the deck on her lounger and go find a secluded beach to roam.

“Sure.” She smiled brightly, and he could hear Daniel kicking the tunes into a higher gear, looking back to the deck he could see the tell-tale signs of cocaine coming out, and he growled internally. He had fucking warned him against this shit while she was here. He didn’t do this crap anymore, and he wasn’t going to subject her to it either. He was glad to see Leila wander off deck, knowing she too was out of that whole scene. They had had their young, wild, and reckless days and left them far behind. Daniel needed to catch up. He noted that the twins and their dates seemed into it and put an arm around Emma’s shoulders. Guiding her to the side, he waited until she undid her sarong and hung it up before diving in first to make sure he would be in the sea to help her if she needed him when she dove in.