by Rachael Wade
All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination
or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual events or
locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. No part
of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission of the author except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Copyright © 2015 Rachael Wade
www.RachaelWade.com
Cover Design: Robin Ludwig Design Inc.
ANCHORED
Rachael Wade
Tanner and Anya, Book 2
DEDICATION
To my readers. Thank you for waiting for me to return to the writing world. I appreciate your support more than you’ll ever know. To my BFFs for believing in me, standing by me during the hardest time of my life, and for encouraging me to keep going when all I really wanted to do was give up. And to God, for giving me the strength to finish this book.
Table of Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
ONE
It’s only been three days since I boarded Trident Voyager for another round of sailing, but three days is more than enough time to develop an entirely new phobia—claustrophobia, to be exact. Serves me right for locking myself away in this tiny little cabin. I haven’t exited. Not once. Not since I came face to face with Tanner’s fiancée.
Jade.
The fierce, immaculate woman who matches Tanner in both grace and business aptitude.
I immediately had my things redirected to a new cabin, insisting the charges be relayed to me, not Tanner. The concierge couldn’t promise to grant my request, being that they were under strict orders by Tanner to not charge me for a thing while on board.
It’s bad enough he already bought me out by making arrangements with Ted, my boss at Four Corners Elite. Now I have to speak to Ted personally to explain the change in plans and ensure that I pay Tanner back for whatever expenses he incurred on my behalf before I leave the ship. Knowing him, he’ll still refuse the gesture, but I have no desire to be in his debt, even if he is the deceitful arse who put me in this position in the first place.
My PJs are wrinkled to high heaven, my hair is a rat’s nest, and I haven’t seen sunlight in the three days I’ve been in this cabin. I can’t bring myself to open the porthole curtain. I don’t want to see the gorgeous, glistening ocean waves, and I certainly don’t want to face what awaits me when we dock this afternoon in Alvita, the Trident’s private island. All it will remind me of is the foolish decision I made to get involved with Mr. Blue Eyes, aka I-Own-the-Ship Christensen.
I couldn’t be more humiliated or angry with myself, but I know today is the day. Today I have to get up, get a shower, and get out of this cabin if it kills me. We dock in Alvita for the next three days, and that’s about as close as I’m going to get to getting off this ship and away from Tanner and Jade until the cruise is over. There is another three-day stop in Nassau next week, so that should give me some breathing room as well. I only wish there was a way to leave the cruise prematurely. The only possible solution to that I can think of is to fly back to Florida via a private charter jet of some sort, which would undoubtedly cost triple the worth of my entire year’s salary.
Unless I requested Tanner’s private jet while on Alvita.
I roll my eyes and groan at the thought as I push myself up from the bed. Meeting Margaret, Tanner’s snooty, overbearing mother once was enough. Our second meeting would certainly trump the first in the mortification department. Hey, Mrs. Christensen, I’ve been screwing your engaged son and all, but could you be a peach and give me a lift in your private jet?
Ha. Right.
A fresh shower does me good. I apply some light powder and a coat of mascara, then slip into a sundress and a pair of wedge sandals to give myself some height. There’s a firm knock on the cabin door as I exit the bathroom stall and I’m thankful I have that height the second I answer, because I’m confronted with Jade Simmons, Tanner’s beauty queen and business shark fiancée, and I need all the confidence I can get. Her silky, black hair is cut razor sharp along the edges in a trendy, hip bob cut that brushes her shoulders, and her statuesque body is wrapped in a high-waisted black pencil skirt and a frilly lace blouse. Her nails are perfectly manicured and her make-up looks airbrushed, as if she regularly has a team of people at her disposal to dress her for presentation.
I quickly move to slam the door in her face but her palm flies out and smacks it, holding it ajar, pushing against my force. “We need to chat, Miss Banks.”
“I beg to differ. Excuse me.” I move to shut the door again, but she won’t budge. The attempt only irritates her more.
“You and I have business to discuss.” She worms her way in and I relent, allowing her just enough space to squeeze by. This confrontation is inevitable.
“There’s really nothing to discuss.”
“Oh, there’s plenty.” She shuts the door behind her and assesses the cabin, her nose in the air. I’m instantly reminded of Margaret’s snooty air. Like mother-in-law, like…daughter-in-law?
I shudder at the thought.
“I came here against Tanner’s wishes, of course.” She laughs. It’s light and breathy, as if she’s above me somehow. Above me in the clouds, above everyone. “Well, let’s be honest, shall we? He doesn’t know I’m here at all.”
“I doubt he’s concerned either way.” I roll my eyes and stalk away from her, opening the porthole drapes for the first time in three days. “Clearly neither of us is important to him.”
“Speak for yourself.”
“Miss Simmons, do you honestly think that rock on your finger means anything?” I swing around and cross my arms, glaring at her. “Because your husband-to-be has spent the past few weeks with me. In your bed.”
Her icy irises flare with heat as they lock on me. “I can assure you, Miss Banks, you have that the other way around. Your little fling means nothing. This rock means everything.”
“You call weeks of passionate lovemaking a little fling?” My brow arches and I match her laugh, my tone laced with mocking. I’m pushing her. Pushing hard. I want her to snap so she’ll get her little lecture and her threats out of the way and then get the hell out of my cabin. The sooner, the better.
My words affect her. But she quickly recovers from the slap in the face, her expression turning cool and confident at once. “Do you know why I’m here, Miss Banks?”
“The name’s Anya.”
“Whatever. Well, do you?”
“Why you’re here, in my cabin? Of course I do. Now will you kindly get out?”
She tilts her chin down, keeping her eyes on me, and slowly sashays over, until she’s standing right in front of me. I can smell the sweet tinge of her floral perfume. She even smells good.
Bitch.
“No. Why I’m here, right now, on the ship.”
My hand flies up and then drops, smacking my thigh.
“For one, my fiancé has been dodging my phone calls for the past two weeks. I see why now, of course.” Her gaze drops to my feet and crawls up, thick with contempt. “Naturally, I came looking for him. But most importantly, I’m here because I too own a cruise liner. A very successful cruise liner, you see. The Crown Jewel. Soon, the Trident Voyager will be mine.”
“Don’t you mean ours?” My eyes narrow. “As in, you and your fiancé’s?”
“True, this is a merger,
not a buyout. However, Tanner and I have arrangements. I won’t bore you with the details.” She gives a blasé shrug of her shoulder and starts to run her fingers along the dresser. “Anyway, what’s his will soon be mine, and vice versa.”
“Do you have a point, Miss Simmons? If so, please get to it.”
Her gaze snaps back up to mine and she recoils her hand from my dresser. That same icy flare heats her irises and it’s intimidating as hell, but I don’t look away. I refuse to. I cowered in front of Margaret, but I won’t cower in front of this woman. Not when I had nothing to do with Tanner’s deceit. He’s responsible for that all on his own. “You are in no position to make threats, Miss Banks. I suggest you tread very carefully.”
“I think I’m in a wonderful position to make threats, Miss Simmons. I’ve learned things about your fiancé that I doubt even you have knowledge of.” I smile smugly, making sure my expression radiates complete certainty, but I know I still must tread carefully, just as she’s warning me to. The reality is I have limited ammo, and I must use it sparingly and with great consideration.
“Ha. Please. Enlighten me.” She crosses her arms, matching my stance. The war has been declared. The duel’s begun. Our toes are almost touching; our gazes are leveled and prepared for fire.
I take a gutsy inch forward and lift my chin. “Let’s just say I’m not Tanner’s only indiscretion.”
Jade’s eyes swirl with hatred, but a small smirk curls her lips and she backs up, glancing down at the dresser. She picks up the water pitcher and pours herself a glass, taking a slow sip, the silence buzzing between us as she either processes what I’ve just told her or imagines taking me to the guillotine. Probably both.
She opens her mouth to respond but decides against it, instead lifting her water glass to chuck the liquid in my face. All it takes is one swish of her perfume-laden wrist and I’m soaked. I wipe at my eyes. My chest heaves as I work to restrain my anger.
She sets the glass down and smiles. “As I’ve discovered you’re on our tab for the remainder of this sailing, you will meet me at the office in one hour. I figured I’d give you a chance to have that meeting now, but it seems you’re intent on refusing to cooperate.” She turns swiftly for the door.
“What could you possibly want to have a meeting about? How many times must I repeat myself? There is nothing to discuss.” I stand there, my spine rod straight, fists balled at my sides.
“Your piece for Four Corners Elite, of course.” She grins wickedly. “I spoke to your boss, Ted this morning. He simply loves my offer to sponsor the publication. In fact, because of Simmons International and our merger with the Trident Voyager, Four Corners Elite’s journalists will be fully funded for travel research for the next five years. Ted only had to ensure us in return that you’d be exclusive to our cruise liners, writing features for us and us alone.” She winks over her shoulder as she opens the door. “Congratulations, Miss Banks. Welcome to Simmons International.”
The door slams.
I blink, fixated on the trail she’s left behind. I can still see her pleased grin. That smug gaze. But I don’t stand there long. I jump into action, grabbing my suitcase and shoving the last of my toiletries into the front pocket. Popping the handle, I storm toward the door. Screw Jade Simmons. Screw her meeting. And screw Ted for letting her buy me out without so much as speaking to me. I’m going to Alvita and come hell or high water, I will find a way off this damn cruise. Then I’ll sort this mess back at the office with Ted.
I eye my watch as I step out into the hall. We’ll be docking shortly, and I have one pit stop to make first. I truck right along, boarding the first open elevator. I take a deep, ragged breath when the doors slide open and Tanner’s reception area comes into view. My gaze darts to the closed office doors and I hurry up to the desk. Heidi looks up from typing, and she freezes. She gives me an impish grin. She knows. She must know. Has she known all along?
“Miss Banks, uh…err…Miss Simmons said your meeting wasn’t until—”
“I’m not here for the meeting. You can tell her I won’t be meeting with her at all. I’d like to know if Tanner is here. I need to speak with him.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, he’s not.” She rises warily, eyes bouncing to the office doors. She lowers her voice. “But Jade is. Would you like to speak to her about the meeting yourself?”
“No.” I grit my teeth and turn to leave. “Thank you, Heidi.” I want to question her. I want to know why she didn’t say something, why she didn’t warn me. But I already know the answer to those questions. This is her job on the line. She works for Tanner and Jade. Of course she wouldn’t tell me what I was getting into. Still, a little heads up would have been nice. It might have even saved me from this whole mess.
As I exit the reception area, I linger on the possibility.
Would it have really spared me from this situation? Would I really have stayed away from Tanner? Would I have resisted him, even if I knew the truth? After getting to know him the past few weeks, I’m not so sure. And that’s an unsettling thought. Despite my animosity toward the man, I’ve still left a piece of myself with him. I lost something because of Tanner Christensen, and I don’t even know how to begin getting it back.
I’m not sure I want to, even now.
I extinguish memories of him. Those striking sapphire eyes, his beautiful build, his endearments, his bossy nature, all of it. There’s no place for men like him in my life. All that’s left to do is tell him about the ludicrous move his fiancée made with my boss and settle my debt. I roll my shoulders as I wheel my suitcase back to the elevator, desperate to shake the tension from my bones. My legs carry me swiftly and determinedly off the ship and onto Alvita, the island that captured my heart just days ago. Tourists hurry off alongside me in droves the moment we’re docked, eager to enjoy some sun and sand.
As I stroll over the wooden walkway onto the sand, I spot the cabanas down the shore, on the left.
I look away.
I’m not headed to the cabanas this time. I’m not here to swim or get a tan, either. I waltz up to the guest service desk near the snorkel shop and request a ride. The woman quickly grants my request and moments later, a small, shabby sedan rolls up. A tall, slender Bahamian man gets out from the driver’s side and hurries around to open my door. I thank him kindly and he loads my suitcase into the trunk.
“Where to, Miss?” he asks.
“Just start down this road, please.” I wave in front of us. “I’ll lead the way as we go.”
He nods and returns to the driver’s seat, and then we’re cruising down the main road until familiar curves and palm tree covered shoulders greet us. I instruct him to slow down a bit while I work to jog my memory. This is the way. I know it is.
The driver’s eyes jump to the rearview mirror. “You sure you know where you’re going, Miss?”
“Yes,” I murmur, scanning our surroundings, “just keep going.” A few minutes pass and things are beginning to look less familiar. Maybe we’ve gone too far. I search for signs of the long, dirt path, but there are quite a few of them, each one seeming to lead to different properties. We wind around another curve and I give up. “I’m sorry. I guess I was wrong. You can just let me off here.”
The car rolls to a stop. “Here?” The driver looks around, perplexed. “There’s nothing here, Miss. I hate to drop you off in the middle of nowhere.”
“That’s okay. If I need a ride back, I’ll call you. Thanks.” I hop out of the car and the driver follows, moving to the trunk to retrieve my suitcase. I tip him and watch as he drives off, reluctantly leaving me in the dust. I sigh and pop the handle on my bag, shuffling forward, dragging it on the hot asphalt. I continue to scan the tropical brush on the side of the road, searching for the right dirt driveway.
Minutes pass, and nothing.
Sweat begins to soak my skin, the humidity suffocating as I trudge along. I reach for my cell, ready to call the driver right back. He probably hasn’t made it far at all. I hate to
have the dispatcher send him back out the second he returns, but I’m not having any luck.
“Damn it,” I mumble, holding my phone up, searching for service. The hum of an engine emerges from behind, fast and smooth, sending a gust of wind over me as it zooms by. Tires screech and it jolts to a stop on my left, then squeals into reverse. My muscles lock up when I register the car.
A white corvette.
Its owner lifts his sunglasses, and I’m met with those cerulean eyes. The ones I’ve been searching for and avoiding all at once. “Miss Banks, what are you doing here?”
My fingers curl tightly around my suitcase handle. “What does it look like I’m doing here?”
Tanner’s intense gaze studies me. He glances in the rearview and side mirrors, looking back at me with uncertainty. He doesn’t know what to make of me being here, on his island. I don’t know what to make of me, being here on his island. I only know I need to speak to him, and I need to speak to him now, before Jade has a chance to corner me and dig her claws into me again. “Please. Get in. I’ll take you where you need to go.”
“I don’t need to go anywhere,” I respond tersely, breaking eye contact. “I just need to speak with you for a moment. Then I’m going home.”
“Home?” His brow creases. “We’re docked here for three days. The cruise has barely begun—”
“I’m aware of that, Tanner,” I quip, getting his attention. His first name always seems to perk him up. Those blue eyes focus on me, and he works his jaw.
“Anya, please get in the car. We’ll go to my place and talk.”
“We can talk right here.”
He inhales sharply and puts the car into park. “Are you going to make me get out and put you in the car myself, Miss Banks?”
“Don’t you dare touch me.”
Hurt flares and he drops his sunglasses back over his nose. He briskly steps out of the car. I don’t move, just clench the suitcase handle tighter. His determined stride carries him around the front of the car and then he’s in front of me, clean shaven, donned in his signature suit, sunglasses concealing the intensity I know is burning in his gaze.
