Beyond was a light, airy salon, so huge that she blinked at the sight of it. Sunlight streamed in through the vast windows on either side, illuminating what looked like half a dozen plush sofas interspersed with glossy wooden tables adorned with perfectly placed lamps with heavy bases. How many people could sleep on this boat, she wondered. Who could afford to own a place like this? There were plenty of grand yachts in the harbour, but this was possibly the biggest and most impressive.
Shauna was suddenly seized by nerves. She had no experience of this kind of lifestyle or the people who led it. She was considering bolting for the gangplank and the safety of the quayside before Chantelle returned with the boss, when she heard voices approaching and light steps on the stairway curving away to the right. She straightened, lifting her chin, hoping to make a good impression.
A slim girl appeared, her deep golden tan emphasizing her platinum-blonde hair. She was wearing the tiniest of bikinis that left nothing to the imagination, above the longest, brownest legs Shauna had ever seen. She moved with the natural confidence of someone who had the world at her feet and knew it. Her head was turned, laughing back up at a man who paused on the steps, Shauna could make out a pair of strong, tanned muscular legs, though his torso was just out of sight.
‘Come on, Demetrios. They’ll take forever. Let’s just go now.’
‘Normandie. Always so impatient,’ chided a voice as smooth and rich as molasses. Something in its low-toned timbre brought goosebumps to Shauna’s arms, or maybe it was just standing in the shade after the sunshine.
The girl skipped down the stairs and darted past Shauna without a second glance, her fancy sandals clicking on the wooden planked flooring.
A broad chest revealed by an unbuttoned white linen shirt, loosely tucked into shorts, came into view. Shauna felt her mouth go dry. She’d never been this close to a half-naked man before, and certainly not one as sculpted as this.
Before she could move, he spotted her.
‘Well, what have we here?’ he asked, his hazel eyes dancing with amusement.
‘Er … I’m waiting to see … to see the … the …’ Sweet Mary, why couldn’t she remember the title of the person she was supposed to see.
‘Oh, you are a shy one?’ he teased, an unexpected dimple appearing in the heavily stubbled cheek that outlined a strong jaw. There was no attempt at subtlety as his gaze travelled down her body. At the sight of the sinfully suggestive smile curving his broad mouth, Shauna felt a blush staining her cheek. There was something so blatantly sexual about the man, it made her feel immature and foolish.
‘Ah, sir. Sorry about this.’ A young man in uniform, slightly out of breath, appeared beside her. ‘We’re interviewing replacements for the girl that left this morning.’
‘Well, this one is an improvement already.’ The man’s mouth quirked at one side, his eyes roving over her face. ‘She is here and on time, unlike her predecessor.’
Before Shauna had a chance to process this she was being ushered below deck to a large windowless galley kitchen where Chantelle was busy preparing a salad.
‘Take a seat,’ said Chantelle, opening an enormous fridge that was packed to the gunnels with food.
The man slipped into the seat opposite. ‘Hello, Shauna, welcome aboard the St Helena. I’m Jeremy Prior, the purser. Chantelle tells me you’re looking for work. What can you do?’
Shauna repeated what she’d told Chantelle earlier.
‘We’re looking for someone who can work in the galley, make up beds, clean bathrooms, serve food – a bit of everything, in other words. It’s got to be someone who isn’t afraid of hard work, who is polite and efficient, and will look after the guests on board. You’ll also need to adapt quickly to handle young Demetrios.’ He laughed. ‘I saw your face upstairs. He’s got an eye for the girls, and he’s not afraid to show it, but he wouldn’t go any further.’ He looked at Shauna directly. ‘We’ve got rules about that sort of thing.’
Shauna nodded, all the while wondering what happened to girls who broke ‘the rules’.
‘Think you’re interested? It’s hard work, but the Theodosis family are good employers.’
‘They’re positive angels, compared to some,’ said Chantelle, bringing over a plate of sandwiches and putting it on the table. She pushed the plate towards Shauna. ‘Here, you look like you could use one.’
‘Thank you.’ Shauna shot her a grateful smile. The sliced baguette filled with chicken and salad was a lot more appealing than the squashed fruit in her bag.
‘Got any questions?’ asked Jeremy.
Chantelle rolled her eyes. ‘The pay, Jeremy.’
‘Ah, yes.’ He named a figure that seemed depressingly low. It would just about cover her rent, but she wouldn’t be able to eat as well.
‘And is food included?’ She nodded towards the plate of sandwiches.
‘Oh, yes, full board and lodgings. Although you might want to see the cabin before you decide, if you’ve not been on board a yacht before.’
‘Board and lodgings?’ Shauna frowned and then immediately felt silly for not realizing that the job would entail living on board the boat. ‘I thought …’ She laughed at herself. ‘I thought you were just looking for a maid or something while you were in port. Someone who’d come each day.’
Both Jeremy and Chantelle laughed. ‘No, you sell your soul when you join the crew,’ said Chantelle. ‘It’s not for everyone. But I think you’ll fit in.’
‘How long would you want me for? I have to go back to university in mid-September.’
‘No problem. We’ll be heading across to Corsica in a few days’ time, then cutting across to Italy and the Amalfi Coast and then down and around Southern Italy and on to Greece. Would you be able to make your way home from there?’
‘It sounds great, but I …’ She couldn’t abandon Roxy. They’d come out here together, though since meeting Thierry in a nightclub on their first night in Monaco, Roxy seemed to want to spend every minute she could with him.
‘You don’t get seasick, do you?’ asked Chantelle suddenly.
Shauna laughed. ‘No, I’ve crossed the Irish Sea dozens of times. I have very good sea legs.’ She thought of Roxy again and wondered whether she might want to come back with her and see if there was any chance they’d take them both.
‘Can I … can I let you know in the morning?’
Shauna arrived back at their hostel slightly shell-shocked from her visit to the St Helena and still trying to make up her mind as to what she should do. By the time she’d climbed the final flight of stairs, she’d decided to turn the job down. But when she opened the door, Roxy was stuffing her clothes into her rucksack while Thierry looked on. Her face lit up in excitement when she saw Shauna.
‘Shauna, Thierry has saved our lives!’
Shauna looked at Thierry. He was middle-aged, craggily handsome with salt-and-pepper hair and tanned skin that spoke of years in the Mediterranean sun. Shauna realized she didn’t know anything about this man that Roxy seemed so taken with, and she wasn’t sure she shared her friend’s enthusiasm.
Roxy continued, her words an excited babble: ‘Thierry owns a house in the South of France, he’s an artist and he’s friends with all sorts of people – designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano, I could really learn a lot from them. Thierry says we can both go, it’s really near the beach and we wouldn’t have to pay …’
Thierry and Shauna eyed each other.
‘That’s right, isn’t it, Thierry? Me and Shauna come as a pair, we’re completely inseparable.’
‘Oui.’ Thierry shrugged, but didn’t smile. ‘You may come along, if you wish?’
Shauna could sense that Thierry would much prefer that she didn’t come.
‘Look,’ Shauna blurted, ‘I’ve just been offered a job on a yacht. I was going to turn it down because I didn’t want to abandon you. But now it seems … well, it would be for the best.’ She flashed them a smile. ‘Three’s a crowd, and all that.’
‘Shauna, you’re not a gooseberry.’ Roxy dropped the clothes she was stuffing into her bag and rushed to embrace her friend. ‘This could work out brilliantly for both of us. Where is this yacht going?’
Shauna told her that they’d be dropping her off in Greece at the end of August. Roxy clapped her hands. ‘That’s perfect!’ I’ll come and meet you in Greece; that way we can have a couple of weeks together before we have to go home! Oh, Shauna, going on a yacht sounds so glamorous.’
‘I’ll be mopping the decks and cleaning bathrooms,’ Shauna said, hugging Roxy back. ‘But I’ll miss you.’ Suddenly feeling anxious, she leaned in close and whispered, ‘Are you sure about Thierry? We don’t know anything about this guy.’
‘Don’t worry, he’s a pussycat,’ Roxy whispered back. ‘And who knows who else I might meet? It’s who you know in the fashion world.’
Shauna felt a tightening in her tummy. What if something went wrong and she ended up stranded, without Roxy?
Roxy saw the look that passed across her friend’s face. ‘Hey, none of that. This is what we both wanted: an adventure, right?’
‘It’s bijou,’ said Chantelle with a laugh later that afternoon when she was back at the St Helena, opening the door to a tiny cabin with barely room for a bunk bed. ‘But you have got an en suite. You’ll be sharing with Freya, she’s one of the engineers, so she’s on the bridge most of the time. She’s nice. Earthy Scandinavian, with a good sense of humour, but don’t play poker with her whatever you do; she’ll take you to the cleaners.’
Shauna nodded, trying to take in the information and gazing around the cramped cabin that was to be her home for the next eight weeks.
‘Tell me about the people who own the boat.’
‘The family’s in shipping.’ Chantelle shrugged. ‘They’re incredibly wealthy. Demetrios Theodosis is the eldest son, and his father wants him to take over the business.’
‘He seems a bit of a playboy.’ Shauna felt herself blushing again as she remembered the flirtatious way Demetrios had looked at her.
‘He’s a red-blooded male, that’s for sure, and he’s a bit torn – wants to please his family, but wants to have a good time, too. He’s still only in his late twenties.’
Shauna thought about Normandie, the glamorous woman in the skimpy bikini who had been with Demetrios. ‘Who is the girl he is with?’
‘Normandie Chappelle? You obviously don’t read the glossy gossip mags! She’s a French model, already been linked to Jack Nicholson and Sting. She’s got everything, and now she’s got Demetrios wrapped around her little finger.’
Shauna felt her heart sink, and was surprised by the feeling. She told herself to stop being ridiculous. She might as well be invisible in this world. Demetrios was way out of her league, and she was just a glorified chambermaid. She could look, but that was all she’d ever be able to do.
Chapter 5
‘Shauna, when you’ve finished those, can you take a couple down to the master cabin?’ said Gordana, the St Helena’s housekeeper. According to Chantelle, she knew everything that went on aboard the yacht, from who was sleeping with who, to the guests’ medical conditions – whether they wanted them known or not.
Shauna nodded and pulled the last of the warm towels from the tumble dryer, folding each of the soft, plump bath sheets into a neat stack. She couldn’t wait to trade the hot stuffy confines of the laundry in the bowels of the yacht for the glamour of the upper decks.
Their trip to Corsica had been cancelled, so they’d spent the week in Port Hercules. Shauna didn’t mind as it gave her a chance to get to know her way around the St Helena. As a member of the housekeeping crew, she was also mastering the art of being invisible so far as the well-heeled guests were concerned. Jeremy had drilled into her that staff should be discreet when slipping in and out of rooms to carry out the necessary tidying, cleaning and changing.
Some of their guests had departed, including the exquisite Normandie. Shauna had not seen much of her and Demetrius, though she had been given the task of tidying up the master bedroom suite one morning. Try as she might to maintain a professional distance, it was impossible not to let her mind run riot when she picked up the Chanel silk camisole and knickers thrown carelessly across the bed. Shauna could imagine the fevered passion, Demetrios’s hands lifting the camisole over Normandie’s head as his lips travelled across her body …
She tutted at herself. The sun has gone to your head, Shauna O’Brien.
Scurrying up the stairs, she arrived on the upper deck and, without thinking, pushed open the door to the master suite.
‘Oh … I’m sorry.’ Like an idiot she stood in the open doorway gaping at Demetrios, who was just buttoning up his shirt. His hair was damp, as if he’d recently showered. Of course, it was. Hence the request for fresh towels.
‘No problem.’ He carried on buttoning his shirt. ‘Go ahead.’
She scurried into the bathroom, her cheeks flaming. Gosh, he must think she was a complete idiot. Quickly, she unfolded one towel onto the rails, placed a couple more on the shelves and scooped up the damp one hanging on the back of the door.
She darted out of the bathroom, hoping to escape without having to speak to him. She hadn’t seen him since the day she’d arrived, but it hadn’t stopped her wondering if he was as good-looking and self-assured as she remembered. Her memory had served her well. He was extremely good-looking and very sure of himself.
‘So, you’re still here,’ he said, before she had taken a pace across the room.
Something about his tone triggered a sharp response that was out of her mouth before she could stop herself: ‘Is there any reason why I shouldn’t be?’
He grinned. ‘Catering to every whim of a bunch of rich assholes isn’t everyone’s idea of a great job.’
Shauna felt he was testing her in some way. ‘I haven’t met anyone who’s an asshole on this ship.’
Demetrios grinned. ‘Yet. There’s still plenty of time until we finish our voyage.’
‘Anyway, they haven’t sacked me yet. Unless you decide that you don’t like the way I folded your towels.’ Again, she’d surprised herself, but there was something about the way he challenged her with his smug self-assurance that brought out her feisty side.
‘I’m sure they’ll be perfect. Although that talent is probably somewhat wasted if you’re going to be an accountant.’
‘How do you know about that?’ Shauna was puzzled.
‘I make it my business to know about everyone who comes on board my yacht. We don’t let just anyone work for us, you know.’
Shauna noted again his rich voice, his Greek accent tinged with something else, an American twang perhaps. She felt slightly disconcerted as he took a step closer.
‘I even know your name.’ He was inches away from her now and she could see his hazel eyes more closely; they almost seemed to be flecked with gold. She caught a waft of citrus and sandalwood. ‘Shauna O’Brien.’
Shauna thought her name had never sounded so glamorous or sensuous as when he said it, and wished she looked the way it sounded rather than standing there clumsily in her staff uniform of white vest and navy shorts. He reached towards her, and for a moment Shauna thought he was going to touch her face, but instead, he took the last clean towel from her and rubbed his hair with it. He sauntered over to the mirror, dropped the towel and pushed his hands through his hair, regarding himself in the large mirror. Shauna caught her own reflection standing behind him, she was horrified to see she appeared to be gawping.
‘How good are you with numbers, Shauna?’
‘Pretty good,’ she answered without hesitation. Her father had taught her there was no point in false modesty.
‘Good. You can help me sometime, Shauna O’Brien. It’s not all play for me, despite what you might think.’ When he said this, there was a seriousness to him that Shauna hadn’t noticed before. She wondered what sort of help it was he wanted. ‘I will call for you tomorrow.’
&nb
sp; The following morning was a busy one, they would be leaving Monaco soon and Jeremy wanted the yacht shipshape for the onward leg, but he was pleased with the work the crew had done and gave them all the afternoon off.
‘So, have you any plans for the rest of the day?’ asked Chantelle, slipping onto the bench beside her as Shauna kicked off her deck shoes and sipped at a Pepsi.
Shauna shook her head. ‘I might just explore a bit more of the old town. I love the buildings up there.’ And she still hoped for a glimpse of the princess. Only yesterday, two of the other crew members had come back from an outing and said they’d seen the royal couple leaving the palace in a limousine. Princess Grace had waved from the window at the tourists gathered outside.
‘I’m going to nip down to the coast, visit some old friends who are staying at Port de Cap D’Ail. Make the most of my free time. Shame Demetrios is on board, otherwise I’d be spending this afternoon lapping up rays on the sun deck.’
‘Are we allowed to do that?’ Shauna’s eyes brightened at the prospect; that would be heavenly. Despite her typically Irish white skin and red hair, she could get a tan if she was careful.
‘Only when there’s no one on board. If you know he’s on shore and not likely to come back for a couple of hours, it’s fine.’ Chantelle laid her fork down and called across the table. ‘Jeremy, do you have any idea of Demetrios’s movements today and tomorrow?’
‘Tomorrow he’s booked a driver to pick him up at ten and bring him back at three. I believe he has meetings at the casino and lunch with someone. In the evening, there’s another car booked to take him to …’ Jeremy paused, his eyes gleaming, ‘… the Grimaldi palace. Some party there.’
Under a Greek Moon Page 3
