Page 46 of Tainted Love

‘I can’t wait to see the boat,’ Amanda squeals, jumping out of the car. ‘Which one’s yours?’ She glances at Gregory then scans the host of white and blue boats docked in the Marina.

Gregory rolls his eyes and I dig an elbow into his ribs. ‘None of those.’

A port official comes to talk to him and is soon replaced by a man maybe in his late twenties or early thirties: cute tan, ruffled, dirty-blond hair, handsome. His black, knee-length shorts and black T-shirt tell me he’s probably crew. He shakes Gregory’s hand.

‘Nice to see you again, sir,’ he says with a North American twang.

Gregory nods. ‘Is she ready?’

‘Sure is.’

‘And is the tender ready?’

‘Ready and waiting, sir. We’ll get you out there and I’ll come back for the luggage. Rick will wait with it on the dock.’ He inclines his head in the direction of the wooden jetty. In turn, Gregory flicks his head at Amanda, Williams and me.

‘I guess that means come hither,’ Amanda jibes.

Ignoring her, I happily swish my way to Gregory’s side in my sundress.

‘Carl, this is Scarlett Heath.’

‘Miss Heath, pleasure to meet you.’

‘Scarlett, please.’

Carl eyes Gregory, then me, and smiles.Guess I’ll be staying Miss Heath, then.

‘And congratulations.’

‘Thank you.’ I blush, taken back by his openness when I hadn’t realised Gregory had told anyone our news yet. ‘So, you’ll be keeping us above water for the next ten days?’ I ask, swiftly moving on.

‘Whilst you’re on the yacht, that’s the idea.’

‘Then I best keep you onside.’

Gregory guides me along the jetty with a protective hand on the small of my back – whether he’s protecting me from the water or the handsome crew, I’m not sure.

Carl helps me into the small tender boat and introduces me to Bryony, a sun-kissed and quite striking woman about my age who’s wearing the same crew uniform.

I roll my eyes at Gregory over the rim of my shades – of course the entire crew is flawless.

There’s a ghost of a smile around his mouth and I know those goddamn eyes will be twinkling with arrogance behind his lenses as he takes a seat alongside me. He rolls back the sleeves of his shirt and lazily drapes an arm across the rim of the boat behind my back.

‘I can’t tell you how much it turns me on that you’re jealous.’

Scowling at the truth of those words, I glance sheepishly at Williams and Amanda, but she’s too giddy looking around at the boat and Williams is chatting to Bryony.

Gregory asks Carl about the weather and the expected sea conditions for the coming days as Bryony backs us away from the pier and turns the boat so we’re facing out to sea, her glossy hair blowing in the wind.

We break out of the harbour and pick up speed so water crashes against the front screen and spray reaches my bare arms, cooling my skin under the hot Caribbean sun. We head out beyond a huge cruise liner and a yacht, anchored alone, comes into view, gleaming on top of the turquoise sea.

My jaw literally drops as I switch my eyes between the super-yacht and Gregory. ‘You. Are. Fucking. Kidding. Me.’

He chuckles, as does Williams. Amanda almost pees her pants.

‘I’ve told you to mind your fucking language when you’re not in the bedroom.’

I pull down my shades to peer at him. ‘Gregory. Come thefuckon.That’syour yacht?’