The Bosun: A Military Romance (Love is Blind Book 3)

by Harlow Layne

  “It’s settled then. Kylie, can you get some masseuses to give us massages after we come back?”

  I hadn’t noticed Kylie had walked in behind me. Looking over my shoulder at her, I found her standing in the doorway with a bottle of baby oil in her hands.

  “Yes, I’ll have Ophelia arrange it for you.” She waved the hand with the oil in it. “Look what I found.”

  “Oh, perfect, we’ll have you all oiled up in time to feed us. Please be a dear and retrieve the oil so we can watch you walk away.” Zelda bit on her bottom lip as her eyes flared.

  Damn, I was nothing more than a piece of meat to these women.

  Walking over to Kylie, I held my hand out for the offending oil. I was sure I had a scowl on my face as I stood before her.

  “I’m sorry, Remy. You know the mantra.” She actually did look sorry, but I was also sure she’d enjoy them torturing me throughout the day as well.

  “Do whatever the guests want. I know, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it,” I said for only her ears to hear but noticed Stella stiffen out of the corner of my eye. Had she heard me?

  It wasn’t Stella who was a chore. In fact, she was my reward for all the bad shit that had gone down in my life and for putting up with her friends.

  “Nope, just do it with a smile on your face.” Kylie patted my bare shoulder. “You know, if you guys did all your work shirtless, I bet we’d get much better tips.”

  “Just as if you did all your work in skimpy bikinis,” I shot back with a big smile.

  But we weren’t meant to be seen as meat while we worked, rather with a semblance of respect as the help.

  “Point made. Now go get oiled up for the ladies to enjoy you better,” she cackled as she went behind the bar.

  My feet felt like they were in quicksand as I made my way toward the women.

  “Why don’t you start, Stella? You look like you could use a good time.” Reagan gave her a nasty smile. What the hell was wrong with that woman?

  I didn’t mind having Stella’s hands on me. Since she was sitting away from the rest, it might give me the chance to try to explain to her about last night.

  “Where would you like me?” I asked as I stood in front of the dark-haired beauty.

  A sly smirk replaced the sullen set to her plump pink lips. “Get on your knees.”

  Liking where this was going, I did as I was ordered and got down on my knees in front of Stella.

  Plucking the oil out of my hands, she coated her palms before she leaned forward and placed her hands on my shoulders. Her fingers dug into the muscles a moment before she started to coat my skin while her eyes following her movements.

  “Stella,” I called her name quietly. Her gaze flicked up to mine before she looked back at what she was doing. “I’m sorry about last night. After I got done with my work, I tried to make it to find you, but at every turn, I was stopped. I couldn’t very well send you a note saying I couldn’t meet up for our rendezvous.”

  “I fell asleep waiting for you. Do you know what it feels like to be stood up on a boat?” Tears filled her eyes that she tried to quickly blink away, making me feel like an even bigger asshole.

  I wanted nothing more than to be able to take her hands in mine or to be able to hold her in my arms, but that wasn’t a possibility with everyone around. “I can’t imagine it felt good. I’m sorry. I truly am. If I could have gotten away without being caught, I would have. Please don’t doubt that.”

  “Alright, you hogged him enough. Now it’s our turn,” Reagan said, breaking our moment.

  Closing the cap on the oil, Stella’s sad brown eyes met mine. “Is it crazy that I hate the thought of them touching you?”

  “Not at all. Believe me when I say I don’t want them touching me either. I wish I could hold you right now and kiss you until you knew how sorry I am for standing you up last night,” I admitted, hoping Stella could read the sincerity in my words.

  “Me too, but you need to go before Kylie becomes suspicious.” Handing me back the oil, Stella’s fingers brushed against mine and held for only a moment before they were gone.

  What the hell was this woman doing to me? I barely knew her, and yet the pull to her was too strong to deny.

  “Who’s next,” I asked as I turned away from her.

  Reagan’s hand shot up quicker than lightning, “That would be me.”

  I wanted so badly to turn and look at Stella, but I knew I couldn’t.

  “I’ll join you. Two is always better than one,” Zelda added.

  Handing over the oil, I said. “You can each do an arm.”

  “Only an arm?” Reagan pouted, and it wasn’t cute like when Stella had done it.

  I shrugged, not knowing how to answer her. Personally, I didn’t want her hands on me at all. I knew Zelda was doing it all in good fun, but I had a feeling Reagan only wanted to touch me to piss off Stella.

  “We want to go into Mallorca to shop and have lunch, and the Captain said you and Scout would escort us.”

  “We’d be happy to escort you. When would you like to go?” I tried to keep my mind on the conversation and not on how Reagan’s hand kept ‘accidentally’ slipping from my arm and touching my chest, and then how her fingers would linger around the waistband of my pants until I picked her hand up and removed it.

  “Hmm,” Zelda hummed. “I’m thinking in an hour or so.”

  “We can make that work. Is there anything special you’re looking for? I can have one of the girls come along who knows the shops.”

  “We won’t need them. Just you and Scout will be fine. But no, we just want to explore the city and do a little shopping. I know Stella is looking for some new bathing suits.” She waggled her eyebrows at me.

  That caught my attention. I was all for seeing Stella in more barely-there bikinis that showed off her tanned skin and lush curves.

  A throat cleared from behind me. “If we’re going to be leaving the boat in an hour, I’m going to get ready. That way, Pen can get ready after me.”

  “I guess we all should start getting ready. It will take me at least an hour to get presentable.” In all actuality, Zelda looked better the way she was than without makeup, but I wasn’t going to say anything if it would get her to take her hands off me.

  “I’m sad you didn’t get a chance to feed me my fruit.” Snapping her fingers, Zelda ordered. “Kylie, please bring the fruit tray that was prepared to my room.”

  My stomach fell to the floor. What if she wanted me to come into her room to feed her while she got ready? There was no way in hell that was happening.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Kylie picked it up off the bar and promptly left.

  I took a step back away from the women. “I should let Scout know we’ll be leaving soon and make sure the Captain doesn’t need anything either.”

  “Aww, but Pen didn’t get to put oil on you,” Zelda frowned.

  “That’s okay. I’m sure I’ll get another chance to have my hands on a hot guy.” Pen stood and walked quickly from the room.

  “What’s up with her? Normally she’d be all over a hot guy.”

  Looking off in the direction Penelope fled, Reagan said, “She’s so up Stella’s ass, I bet it has something to do with her.”

  With friends like Reagan, who needed enemies?

  Before anyone could change their minds, I left the room as quickly as possible without it looking like I wanted to escape. As I was rounding the corner to go down the stairs, I ran into Stella in the hallway. My hands went around her waist to keep her from falling.

  “Shit, I’m sorry. I was...escaping from your friends and wasn’t watching where I was going. I shouldn’t have been so distracted while walking the halls.”

  “Shh.” She placed her index finger over my mouth and looked up at me with a soft expression on her face. “Don’t apologize when you have your hands on me.”

  “I like that rule.” I kissed the finger she still had pressed to my lips. “I’m sorry about you having to wat
ch as your friends touched me.” I laughed at my words. “I never thought I’d say that to a girl before.”

  “I never thought I’d hear them, and if it was under different circumstances, it would be totally unacceptable, but I can’t make waves when Zelda is paying for all of this.”

  With Stella’s words, I wanted to know more about her and hoped I’d get a chance today and tonight. It would only be another day before I’d have to watch her walk away and likely never see her again.

  “We should separate before we’re caught, but first, can I kiss you?” My hands tightened their hold on her.

  Lifting up on her toes, Stella cupped my face with both hands and licked along the seam of my mouth. It was hot as fuck and made me groan deep in my chest.

  Opening to her, I sucked on her tongue until I felt her leg wrap around my hip and knew we needed to stop before we got caught. If O saw me, she’d have no problem telling Captain Dan about my indiscretion.

  Pulling away from her was one of the hardest things I had to do. I hoped once I fucked her, Stella would be out of my system. It shouldn’t have already been so difficult to part with her, especially knowing I’d be seeing her in an hour.

  Moving my hands to her shoulders, I kissed her on the nose. “Go get ready, and I’ll see you soon.”

  Stella had a dreamy look in her eyes when I left her standing in the hallway.

  7

  Remy

  “Let’s split up. Scout can take Zelda and me, and Remy can go with you two,” Reagan pointed at Pen and Stella.

  “Sounds good to me,” Stella said and started to walk in the opposite direction from the other two. “I swear they are trying to make a sport out of shopping. There’s only so much you can do in a town this size.”

  “I’m glad they wanted to split up. I wasn’t sure I could go into another little store and act interested in everything they thought was cute. Now, Remy,” Pen hooked her arm through mine, “show us something, anything that isn’t related to shopping.”

  I was on the same wavelength as both Pen and Stella. We’d been in and out of shops for the last two hours and had to listen to them squeal at every little thing they saw. I wasn’t sure they actually thought the items were cute, or they were doing it because Scout and I were with them. Either way, I was happy to be with Stella and her friend.

  “Do you think they’d be mad if we ate lunch without them? I mean, we can say we tried to find them and couldn’t,” Stella asked hopefully.

  “Scout can call me on the walkie at any time, so I don’t think we can play that.”

  “We should have told him to pretend like he was trying to get ahold of us and just met us on the ship at a certain time.”

  “These are your friends.” I laughed at them.

  “Ones I’m ready to not see for a year at least,” Pen huffed. “All except Stella, here. I can’t wait to get her moved up by me.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t offered to move me into your house until I find something of my own,” Stella laughed.

  “Sometimes a girl needs her privacy,” Pen stated.

  “I knew you were hiding something from me,” Stella yelled, causing everyone around us to stop and stare.

  “And you said we’d talk about it later.”

  “Fine.” This time it was Stella’s turn to huff.

  They were fun to watch, and I could tell they loved each other.

  “We can grab something to eat, and if Scout radios me, it will be up to them to decide if they want to join you for lunch or not.”

  “I hope or not, is what they pick. I need a break from Reagan with her ugly looks and jabs.” She turned to Pen. “This is the last vacation I go on with her. You’ll be lucky to find me in the same room as her after this.”

  “And I don’t blame you. She’s being a huge bitch to you, but really I think she’s just jealous.”

  “Of what?” Stella threw her arms in the air. “That I’m thirty-seven, divorced, and starting my life over?”

  Thirty-seven?

  It was hard to believe the woman who stood in front of me was eleven years older than me. If I was to guess, I’d say we were the same age.

  “She’s jealous because she’s in a shit marriage to a man who cheats on her all the time and doesn’t have the guts to divorce his sorry ass. Plus, you’ve got this young hottie drooling all over you.”

  “Hey! I am not drooling,” I defended myself.

  “Whatever you want to tell yourself,” Pen laughed at me. “Now, take us to lunch before we get hangry and turn on you.”

  “We can’t have that now, can we?” Instead of giving Stella my other elbow, I reached down and laced our fingers together. Her fingers were stiff in mine for a couple of seconds before they relaxed and folded around mine.

  “What are you ladies in the mood for?”

  “You pick. We’ll trust your judgment,” Pen said and started walking off.

  I looked down at Stella to see if that was okay with her. She gave me a small nod.

  Giving her hand a squeeze, I decided on something a little different to eat. I wasn’t sure if the chef was only planning to serve Spanish food while they were on the boat, but I was going to take them to this little cafe that served the best French food.

  “This island is beautiful. I wish we could stay longer and explore,” Stella commented as she looked up at one of the old buildings. It was beautiful here. That was why we ported here for a vast majority of the chartered clients.

  “Are you headed back to California immediately?” I asked, thinking of getting away from the boat for a night and staying in a hotel with her. Someplace where we could truly be alone.

  “Unfortunately. If I would have known the beauty here,” she peeked up at me with a smile, letting me know she didn’t only mean the island with its architecture and water. “I would have booked a hotel for an extra day or two, but…” She shrugged and looked down at the sidewalk we were traveling on.

  “It was kind of last-minute,” Pen added. “Zelda didn’t give us much time to prepare. Otherwise, one of us would have looked up where we were going and probably wanted to live here.”

  “Maybe I’ll move here instead of LA,” Stella laughed when Pen stopped in her tracks and began to stare her down.

  “Don’t even joke about it. I’d never see you then. We’re finally free to see each other as much as we want, and you want to move halfway across the world. I don’t think so. We’ll find you a beach house not far from me, and you’ll be perfectly content.”

  Penelope started walking as if she hadn’t spoken.

  “Don’t you just love how bossy she is? I guess I won’t be moving here.” She winked.

  “Why couldn’t you see each other before?” I asked, unable to push down my curiosity to know more about Stella, even knowing she was leaving in a matter of days.

  “Because of her asshole ex-husband. He said I was a bad influence on her when in reality, it was because I saw through his shit excuses and tried to wake her up to the man she was married to. In the end, it didn’t matter, he got caught with his pants down, and now Stella can finally live her life.”

  With them talking, we arrived at the café quickly, and luckily for us, they weren’t too busy. I spotted a table outside that was tucked away so we’d be safe from the wind and would be perfect for us to sit and afford them the luxury of seeing the water and the city.

  “Let’s sit here, ladies.” I guided them over to the table.

  Only a few seconds later, a busy worker dropped off waters and menus for us to peruse. Since I’d been here before, it didn’t take me long to decide on what I wanted to eat. It gave me plenty of time to digest what I’d heard on our walk here.

  I wasn’t sure how Stella couldn’t have a life while she was married and was afraid to ask. I was merely a stranger who had an intense attraction to her. What right did I have to ask her all the personal questions that were burning inside of me? One thing I did know was Stella’s husband sounded like a
n asshole, and whatever he’d done to her, I was sure she still had to be raw over it. I needed to keep that in mind when dealing with her.

  “Once I find a new place, I can start to live, that is.” Stella set her menu down and stared across the table at her friend. “I have a feeling if I take too long, Pen will find me the house and furnish it for me, which doesn’t sound too bad now that I think about it.”

  “I might have to if you never finish writing your book, but seriously, don’t test me. I think if you have some new scenery, it will get your writing juices flowing.”

  “Ew,” Stella scrunched up her nose. “Please don’t ever refer to my stalled writing as juices again.” She paused for a minute while looking out at the water. “But I think you’re right. I need to get out of Oasis, away from all the pitiful looks and whispers and Brock. Most definitely away from him. Although he’s a great villain muse.”

  They both laughed, making me smile at the two of them. I enjoyed the way they talked to each other. They gave each other a hard time, but also in a way that they knew it was done out of love.

  “So, you’re an author?”

  “Not really,” Stella said at the same time as Pen gave a resounding yes. “It’s my first book.”

  “She’s always written, though. Since she was a little girl.”

  “This will be my first time publishing.”

  “I convinced her to send the first five chapters of something she’d been writing for years to a few publishers.”

  “She’s not telling you the truth.” Stella narrowed her eyes at her friend. “Pen here went and sent them herself without my knowledge.”

  “Only because I know how good her writing is and knew she’d never send it on her own,” Pen shot back with a smug look on her face. “They loved it and gave her a big advance. Now she only needs to finish writing it.”

  A sense of pride filled me for Stella. Getting published wasn’t easy. “What’s the book about?”

  Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Stella answered with a slight duck of her head and not meeting my eyes. “About a wife who starts to suspect her husband of the murders happening in their small town.”