Chapter Five
Ross fought the urge to retreat to his office. Instead, he went up to join the captain on the bridge. Not that he wanted to retreat to his office, or that he wanted to join the captain. No, what he really wanted to do was stay with the pretty Ms. Bradford and kiss her on that deliciously large bed until that skeptical look she kept giving him gave way to one of glazed passion.
Shit. What is wrong with me? Number one, she was now an employee, at least for the next ten days, so she should technically be off limits if his normal code of ethics applied. And number two, which was the head-scratcher, she was not his type, so he didn’t get the intense, almost uncontrollable, physical attraction.
It had been there as soon as he caught a glimpse of her in the restaurant, even before he knew who she was and their eyes locked for the first time. He didn’t get it. This type of thing never happened to him. He didn’t believe in happenstance or anomalies out of the realm. Ross lived in absolutes. And Essie Bradford was a wild card.
She was nothing like the usual strain of models. She was tall, sure. That fit his bill. But that’s where it ended. His usual women had a certain—Ross paused in his thoughts, looking for the right description, and he grimaced when all he could come up with was “body shop shine and polish” to them. It was as if the women he usually went for stepped off the showroom runway, dyed, plucked and blown out, falling that way into his bed.
But not Essie Bradford. She was tall and slim, but he could tell by her well-fitting jeans and no-nonsense sweater, she had delicious curves in all the right places. And her skin, Ross sucked in a breath, there was something about her skin, with its rich, chocolate tone that seemed to glow from deep within, made him long to touch it, taste it, be a part of it. Freaking hell! Even to his own mind he was already sounding whipped.
But still, her eyes came to his mind. Deep and soulful, sparking like onyx jewels, only there to enhance the full lips he wanted to kiss so very much. Those plump lips that made him think of her delicious desserts and all the ways he wanted to devour her.
Damn it! This whole thing was a huge mistake. He knew that now. Just as he knew that Misha, wherever she was, must be laughing her ass off. Ross reached the bridge and Captain Grayson turned around. “I just want to check if we’re on schedule and you have everything you need.”
The older man smiled and looked around at all the shiny new equipment. “I have more than I need, sir. I can’t wait to get her out in the open water. It will be an honor to sail her.”
Ross grinned. “Well, I’m happy to have you in charge and on board. I’m going to go up to the fly deck and watch the launch.”
“Enjoy, sir. The weather is optimum, so we should be good.”
Ross exited while the captain made an announcement for all hands to be ready to leave. On his way up top, Ross thought for a moment about going to collect Essie and invite her to join him, but stopped. Setup or not, he wouldn’t play into Misha’s hands. His life, if not his numbers, was fine as it was. And he didn’t need the complications of some goody-two-shoes, interfering chef.
Really he should have invited Lela on this trip, or a version of her. It wouldn’t have been hard. But something stopped him from doing that. Yes, it was a business trip, but he knew his clients. Most were married and would be bringing their wives, and those without would bring girlfriends or expect some sort of female entertainment. They all expected him to show up with a beautiful woman on his arm, as he always did. And that night at the restaurant when he first saw Essie, he was so close to inviting Lela to come with him, but he stopped and he let her go on to that sneaker party. The question was why.
Just as Ross got topside, as if by some divine answering, there was the “why” at the railing. Her face was lifted up to catch the breeze; her hair was whipping playfully, fighting the wind and losing. But still she smiled to herself, saying a silent good-bye to cold New York while Serenity backed away from the city. Taking her away from home and family and him away from nothing but his newly remodeled three thousand square feet of . . . now that he thought about it, way too open apartment space.
The moment filled Ross with an unexpected sense of melancholy. In his mind he saw visions of skating with his little girl, hand in hand, under the colorful lights of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Ross shook the thought off with an inward snort. Not that it would be happening. She was in California and would be enjoying the holiday as she always did, with her mother and stepdad. She was happy, and that was enough.
“The view is beautiful, isn’t it?” Ross said as he eased next to Essie and leaned against the railing.
She turned slowly and faced him, as if she knew he would walk up and stand next to her. “It really is. It’s been so long since I’ve seen New York from the water. As a kid I used to love to take the Staten Island Ferry to get this view.”
Ross smiled. “I used to do that as a kid, too. Best cheap view in the city. That, and the Roosevelt Island Tram.”
Essie’s eyes went wide. “You’re so right. I love the tram. I used to go back and forth just for the fun of it. Now that I’m over the free kid height, no more back and forth for me. Not with the way metro fares keep going up. More and more it seems the joys of the city have been priced out for regular folks.” Essie averted her eyes, as if remembering she was on a yacht with a real estate developer. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean, well, you know.”
“No offense taken. You don’t have to be sorry for saying what you think. I agree. The city is way too expensive. And there should be simple luxuries and joys available to everyone. Now, I know that sounds crazy coming from me, with us standing on my yacht, but it’s true.”
Her eyes got that skeptical gleam once again. “Okay,” she replied with a shrug, turning away.
Ross crossed his arms. “You don’t take anything at face value, do you?”
She frowned and turned toward the city, staring a long time before turning back to him, her expression once again a mask of calm. “That’s not true. As a matter of fact, I take everything at face value. I’m the type of woman who believes what I see. I believe people show you who they are, and, as Ms. Angelou’s saying goes, when they do, believe them.”
She smiled brightly; then those full lips went wide and once again she showed that quirky armor-shattering space in her front teeth, which he found so endearing. But her statement said a lot. This woman had a history, and she’d also been hurt. For some reason Ross wanted to know more. He frowned then, about to question her, but she cut him off flicking her wrist and checking her watch.
“Look at the time. Quincy sent me your usual schedule and I’d like to take a little time to get to know your galley before I start to prepare lunch. Do you have anything you absolutely don’t like?”
Knowing this was the end of that particular conversation, Ross relented. “Never been a fan of asparagus or Brussels sprouts.”
“I’ll make note of that, sir.”
Ross frowned.
“What is it? Is it something else?”
“I also don’t appreciate you calling me ‘sir.’”
“Why? I’ve noticed everyone else does aboard the ship.”
“Well, you’re not everyone else. You’re working for me, but we’ve established we have a special situation, and since we share a mutual friend, can we, once and for all, get on a first-name basis and get a little less formal?” Ross didn’t know why he made this little speech. Maybe it was the way she held her arms so tightly together, or maybe it was the rigidity of her spine, or the way she tilted her chin up at him. But all he wanted in that moment was for her to soften her stance at least a little bit. If all he could do was get it in a name, then so be it.
It was crazy, he knew. But somehow looking at her, and the way she looked at him, Ross knew respect was not what he wanted from her. He wanted something different, something more. Something strangely close to admiration, approval, or maybe something even more dangerous. Something like affection.
Essie gave him that weary look once again, and then her eyes went soft at the same time something on him went dangerously hard. Oh, hell. She stuck out her hand and smiled. “I’m Essie. Nice to meet you.”
Ross’s lips quirked, feeling shy, an emotion he definitely didn’t welcome. He took her hand in his, enjoying the feel of its powdery coolness. “I’m Ross. It’s nice to meet you, too.”
Essie’s eyes narrowed as she pulled her hand from his, leaving him feeling slightly bereft. “Okay, I’m going to give you a warning. Now that we’re officially friends, there will be no holding back from me. I’m going to be as tough on you as Misha would be. Today starts the rest of your life. So remember you asked for it.”
Ross watched as Essie made her way from the deck and disappeared going toward the galley. “Don’t worry, Essie. I’m sure I’ll enjoy every moment.”