Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“That’s what you’re doing now,” I continued. “So I’m going to remind you that you’re in lower-level management at JAC right now because you still have a lot to learn about running a business—your words, not mine—and maybe I know a bit more than you about making decisions and thinking things through since I’ve been at this about fifteen years longer than you have.”
“I don’t appreciate your patronizing superiority,” she muttered. “Even if it’s accurate.”
“Besides,” I said, trying to soften the blow, “he’s not very quick to accept help, in case you haven’t noticed. And he doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who would appreciate a handout.”
She pushed a palmful of water at my face like the little sister she was. “I wasn’t suggesting a handout. I was suggesting a smart business investment. But I do see your point. We’ve known him less than a week.”
I laughed. “Exactly. And we met him through Prescott Resnick.”
“What?” Her voice had enough of a shriek to it to draw Jin and Cal’s attention from up ahead. “What?” she asked again in a low hiss.
“Pres picked him up in a club the night before we arrived. Brought him on the ship and pretended the Worthington was his.”
Nat’s jaw dropped. “Wait. Wait. The ship? Pres told your boyfriend this was his ship? Didn’t he—”
“No,” I said, realizing I’d started the story from the middle. “He wasn’t my boyfriend. Isn’t. He isn’t my boyfriend. He… I’m… we’re just hoping that with Cal here, the guy Prescott picked up at a gay bar when we weren’t here yet, Pres might reveal his cheating ways in front of Lucas.”
“Are you guys coming?” Cal called across the water between us. He was too far away to hear our conversation, but I didn’t think he’d mind me telling Nat the truth anyway. I held up a finger to ask him to wait.
“So, you’re not hooking up with him?” Nat asked, shooting me a look that clearly called bullshit.
I opened my mouth and closed it again.
She rolled her eyes and shoved water at me again. “You’re an idiot. Open your fucking eyes. And don’t worry about Lucas. He’s going to be fine.”
She took off swimming toward Cal and Jin, pushing her fins up and down in the clear water with small but strong legs. I followed after her, considering her comment about Lucas.
Clearly the plan to get Prescott to act inappropriately wasn’t working. Maybe I needed to stop being an interfering older brother.
When I reached the rest of them, Cal was under the water trying to get a closer look at something. He surfaced, blowing a giant spout of water out the top of his snorkel before pulling it out of his mouth and grinning at me. His teeth were bright against the darker stubble of his face. His enthusiasm was contagious. “Ready to look for buried treasure?”
“Lead on, matey.”
We explored the caves for a while. Cal used a diving flashlight to point out various things to us, and it made me realize just how much I missed when I didn’t dive with a local guide. He knew all the best nooks and crannies to find hidden lobsters, juvenile fish, and arrow crabs. By the time my energy started waning, Jade and Mia had joined us, and Cal started the tour all over again.
“I’m heading back to the ship,” I told him.
He flashed me a smile. “No worries.”
I watched him for a little while longer before swimming out of the cave and back to the boat. He truly was at home in the water, and it was always exciting to see someone living their passion. I hoped he would find a permanent opportunity on the water somewhere, pursuing his love of the water and wind.
After climbing back on board, I grabbed the handheld freshwater sprayer and rinsed off. Lucas was floating on a raft tied to one of the cleats at the edge of the deck. He had a baseball cap shading his face and seemed to be engrossed in whatever he was reading on his Kindle, so I didn’t disturb him. Instead, I grabbed a towel and made my way to the large chaise in the bow to lie in the sun. Only five minutes after settling in and being lulled into a half sleep by the hot sun, I heard someone approach.
“Worth, there you are. I was hoping to get a chance to speak to you alone.”
I blinked my eyes open to see Prescott blocking my sun. I bit back a sigh and sat up. “Have a seat,” I said.
Prescott slid onto the chaise next to me but was very careful to keep a modest distance since we weren’t friends. He had to know I didn’t like him.
“How well do you know Cal?” he began hesitantly.
“Why?”
“Well, I did a little digging after he made that ridiculous claim about being related to an art thief and a royal.”