‘You didn’t fall into the ocean and I don’t think you’re hallucinating. Or maybe you are? Need me to do a check?’
His arm felt comfortable around her shoulders, not intrusive at all. Which was odd. She’d decided she didn’t like Travis any more, and he’d annoyed her. She moved her hand up to meet his, sliding her hand into his. She didn’t care what it looked like, or what he might make of it. Right now, she just needed something to hold on to. ‘No, don’t do that. I don’t need a check.’ The start of the migraine was already draining her. ‘I just want to get back to my cabin,’ she admitted.
‘Your wish is my command,’ said Travis as he started guiding her down the corridor.
Ivy knew that if anyone saw them like this there would likely be talk. But she really didn’t care. All she wanted to do was lie down and drink hot tea, and maybe, in a little while, eat some cake.
Before she could think much more Travis opened the door to her cabin and guided her inside. ‘I’ll go and get you tea. I can’t give you anything else for the migraine, though.’
She nodded. ‘I know. The injections are the only things that work for me. That, and sleeping for a few hours. Honestly, I’ll be as right as rain in no time.’
He smiled at her expression. ‘I’ll also hunt you down some cake.’
She lay down on the bed once he’d left and let out a sigh. Then threw any caution to the wind and stripped off her uniform, pulling on a pair of soft pyjamas. She honestly didn’t care what she looked like right now. Apart from the migraine and vertigo, she was just so grateful to relax every muscle in her body that had been tense since she’d gone out on the mission.
Within a few moments Travis came back and pressed a cup of hot tea into her hands. She sipped it gratefully. She’d been angry with him before, but he’d actually been nice to her through all of this. ‘You might not be so bad after all,’ she whispered as she finally drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Travis’s head was all over the place. Work was fine, apart from the overwhelming guilt he’d felt that Ivy had gone on that mission instead of him. Both mother and baby were being closely monitored. Though there were a few minor hiccups, they were nothing that an extra night in the carrier’s hospital couldn’t solve.
He’d managed to cram all his other duties into the space of a couple of hours. He’d made a special request to the kitchen and they’d whipped up a whole cake for their hero doctor who’d gone to deliver the baby. By the time he’d collected the chocolate frosted cake and made more tea, Ivy had been sleeping for nearly three hours. He paused outside her door. Was three hours enough?
He tapped slightly at the door and pushed it open. The lights were dimmed and Ivy was still sleeping, curled on her side on top of her bed in the pair of pyjamas that hugged her body in a way he’d tried not to notice earlier. He hesitated, wondering if he should leave her, but her nose twitched and she rubbed her eyes.
She didn’t change position but her green eyes blinked open and she smiled. ‘Is that chocolate cake?’ she asked.
He nodded.
‘And tea?’
‘Don’t say I can’t multitask.’
She smiled and pushed herself up. ‘Give me a second.’ She grabbed a bottle of water and her toothbrush and disappeared for a moment, looking a bit more awake when she returned. She waved her toothbrush in the air. ‘Sorry, habit of a lifetime. I have to brush my teeth as soon as I wake up.’
‘No problem,’ he said. He’d put the cake and tea on her desk but he was sitting in her chair, so she sat on the bed opposite him.
‘Okay, who did you pay to make cake for you?’
He shook his head as he lifted a large knife. ‘Oh, no, I didn’t need to pay anything. Ivy Ross is now a legend on board. The doctor who delivered a baby in the middle of the ocean? The whole carrier is talking about you. I just had to ask the kitchen and they were happy to oblige.’
Her blonde hair was rumpled and she had a pillow crease on her face. He tried not to think about just how cute that made her look. She stretched out her pinkie and leaned over and stuck it in the little extra frosting at the bottom of the cake. She put in her mouth. ‘Mmm...delicious.’
He stared at her. ‘I can’t believe you just did that.’
She looked at him in mock horror. ‘Of course I just did that. It marks the cake as mine. What, did you think I was going to share? I thought you said you had sisters?’
He laughed. ‘Ah...the sibling move. A wise one. I might have done that myself on a few occasions.’
She nodded. ‘Just be glad I didn’t stick my finger right in the middle of it.’ She gave a smiling shrug. ‘You can have a piece from the other side.’
He cut them slices and put them on two plates, waiting until she’d settled back with her tea and the cake on her lap before sitting down again himself. She had a little more colour in her cheeks now.
After a few bites she gave him a wary smile. She was still annoyed. She couldn’t pretend she hadn’t been hurt by his actions, but he certainly seemed to be trying to make up for it.
A relationship on board a ship, particularly with a colleague, was probably a bad idea—a very bad idea. It was why, when other similar possibilities had raised their heads, she completely ruled them out. But this felt different because they’d been getting to know each other beforehand—before any of this, and before they’d known each other’s real identities.
She took another bite of her cake. It was going down well. ‘What do you think would have happened if we’d actually gone on that blind date?’
She could have kept things simple and stuck to chat about work. But she didn’t want to. If she wanted to work easily with Travis, they had to deal with this.
There was no one else around so they wouldn’t be disturbed. It was just her and him in her cabin. It was now or never.
Travis made a little choking noise as his cake obviously stuck at the back of his throat, and Ivy burst out laughing. ‘Sorry, did I make that go down the wrong way?’
He laughed too and shook his head, leaning back in her chair. ‘You just like to keep me on my toes, don’t you?’
There it was. That teasing tone. The one that had completely drawn her in, whether it was spoken or in texts. The thing that had made Travis King something more than a potential blind date. Even if that had never been her intention.
She gave an easy shrug. ‘Why not?’ She held up her hands. ‘It’s not like there’s much else to do around here.’
She was joking, and he’d know she was joking. But shipboard life was so different from being back at home where bars, cinemas, open air and long walks could easily fill her life.
Travis sat his tea on her desk and folded his arms. ‘I think,’ he started as he raised his eyebrows, ‘if we’d gone on a blind date before meeting here, it would have been an absolute disaster.’
Really? What was it with this guy? Had none of his sisters taught him the art of talking to a woman? The words were like being hit with a tidal wave of icy water.
‘Okay, then,’ she said shortly, feeling like a fool, because in her head their blind date would never have been a disaster.
He held up one hand. ‘No, wait, you didn’t let me finish. Let me tell you why it would have been a disaster.’
She swung her legs off the bed. ‘I don’t need microscopic data on why we’re a never-happened,’ she said, pushing her ‘not good enough’ feelings away again.
He reached over and put his hand on her knee. His voice was low and throaty. ‘Our date would have been a disaster, Ivy Ross, because one meeting would have had me hooked. Who knows what might have happened? It keeps me awake enough at night just thinking about it.’
And just like that the tidal wave of icy water dashed back out the door, to be overtaken by a stampede of warm air washing over her skin.
Her gaze met his. She wa
s sure that the noise in the room had just amplified one hundred per cent. Was that the beat of his heart she could hear?
She shuffled a little further forward. Part of her brain was screaming at her. She’d got this close before only to have the rug pulled from under her feet. She didn’t want to get burned twice.
‘For a guy with sisters, you certainly know how to mess with a girl’s mind,’ she said, tilting her head to one side.
He had the grace to look embarrassed, but it didn’t stop him moving a few inches closer. ‘I think if I’d already met you, and then we’d met on board, I would have had to walk back off the ship. I never actually expected to meet someone on the dating app. I was looking for some light-hearted company. Nothing serious. Just some chat. But being in close quarters with you, Ivy Ross, is an exquisite kind of torture. Particularly for a guy who is supposed to be your boss.’
Her head was swimming. His feelings about the apps were entirely the same as hers. Short-term. Not serious. No chance of a long-term relationship. And, although he hadn’t said it out loud, no chance to get hurt. She licked her lips. ‘What if I promise never to use that position to my advantage? You judge me on my work and my conduct.’ Her eyes flickered to the door. ‘Only beyond that door, of course.’
She watched him bristle at those words. He was so close she could feel his breath on her cheek, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke. ‘This could be dangerous.’
‘This could be very dangerous.’ Her fingers touched the side of his face. She breathed in, inhaling his scent. Yup. She was smitten. From the smell of his aftershave to the sexual tension in the room, she would be reliving this moment for the next five years.
‘Who says I kiss on the first date?’ she whispered.
‘I do,’ he replied as his lips found hers. Warm, soft and with complete determination. His hand slid to the back of her head as their kiss deepened and her arms fastened around his neck. There was a brief movement and she found herself sitting on his lap, where she knew his intentions were far from honourable.
His hand made contact with the skin under her comfortable pyjama top and she didn’t mind one bit. This could easily go much further. And the truth was, for the first time in forever, she wanted it to.
But a tiny red flag of caution waved in her mind. She couldn’t pretend that her past experience hadn’t made her extra-cautious. She wished she could throw that part of herself away. But it was the new her. One she had to live with. She thought she knew Travis, but did she really? And if things went downhill, she was stuck on this aircraft carrier with him as her boss for the next few months. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
She pushed back gently on his shoulder.
She gave him a playful smile. ‘Rob?’ she said, using his fake name. ‘Or Travis King, I feel as if you owe me.’
He gave her a lazy kind of smile. ‘Owe you what? At this point, you can have whatever you want.’
She nodded slowly, liking those words. ‘In that case, what I want is my blind date. We might need to make our own bar. But I’d like to get dressed up. I’d like you to get dressed up too. I’d like there to be low background music.’ She pointed one finger at him. ‘I’d like there to be snacks. I’d like a chilled glass of rosé wine.’ She slid her fingers through his short hair for a moment. ‘And I’d like the man sitting opposite me to spend all his time wondering what might come next.’ She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, ‘Just like I will.’
At her last word she swung her legs off him and stood up, giving him a few moments to collect himself.
She wondered how he would react. But Travis took it well, readjusting his clothing as he stood up and gave her a thoughtful nod. ‘A date. Our blind date. I think I can do that.’ A sexy smile nudged at his lips as his nodding increased. He gave her an appreciative look. ‘I kind of like that idea.’ His brow furrowed a little. ‘When?’
She pulled up her phone and checked their schedules. ‘Okay, Saturday night looks good.’ She gave him a cheeky wink. ‘Unless, of course, I get a better offer.’
He gave a kind of half groan.
She held up her finger. ‘Or, of course, if my boss sends me out in a helicopter again on a daring sea mission.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘Saturday is six days away.’
She kept smiling as she walked over to open her door, letting her hand brush against his. ‘It is, isn’t it? Just think of the anticipation.’
He didn’t even try to hide his groan. ‘Saturday night it is.’ He leaned close to her ear. ‘Can’t wait.’
His eyes drifted back across the cabin and Ivy moved quickly. ‘Oh, no. Thanks for looking after me, SMO King, but you don’t get to take the chocolate cake with you.’ She picked it up, wrapping her arms around it. ‘This is definitely all mine!’
He left with a laugh and she could hear it echo as he walked down the corridor.
Saturday night was a million miles away. But she knew this was for the best. And she was right, anticipation would make it seem even more delicious.
CHAPTER SEVEN
HE’D BEEN PLAYED like a fiddle.
And he liked it.
It didn’t matter what he told himself in his head—about how it was best if he stayed away from Ivy Ross. His body didn’t listen. She was like a magnet to him. He had already been cursing himself when he’d learned she’d gone out on the mission without hesitating, but when Tony had told him that the helicopter descent and retrieval actually made her ill, he could have punched himself.
Ivy’s pale, wobbly form, which she’d tried her best to hide when she’d come back, just made him admire her all the more. She hadn’t even radioed in for assistance with the delivery, had just handled it calmly, while probably dreading the transfer back to the carrier the whole time. The girl had courage.
He’d checked up on Kalia and her daughter and made arrangements to get them back to Hawaii. It wasn’t his job to lecture them on their journey, so he left that to the captain of the carrier. No one had mentioned him helping Ivy back to her cabin, but he had noticed a few sidelong glances.
Gossip spread fast on a ship. It was like its own little village. He could only hope that their date some days later would go unnoticed. He’d already managed to procure some rosé wine. There was a strict no-alcohol policy on aircraft carriers. But on stretches of more than forty-five days crew were allowed two drinks. By next week, that time would have arrived.
Work was busy, but he and Ivy seldom worked together. A few fights had broken out on board and he’d found himself tending to a set of broken knuckles and several broken noses and a few sailors had found themselves in the brig to cool off.
Over the last few nights Travis had suffered from terrible nightmares. A few years ago he’d had lots of broken nights but that had finally settled to only one or two a month. But now, for some reason, they seemed to have returned with a vengeance. It resulted in his feeling continually tired and occasionally snappy. He hated being like that at work. Two of his sisters had already asked him what was wrong as soon as they’d seen his face when they’d video-messaged him. He’d made a variety of excuses and brushed them off.
‘Travis, can we chat?’ Aileen was a qualified psychiatrist but also one of the staff counsellors on board the vessel. She had two files in her hand.
‘Sure,’ he said, gesturing towards his office.
She sat down in a chair and crossed her legs.
‘What can I help you with?’
She handed over the first file. ‘Petty Officer Brooks is demonstrating some signs of depression and anxiety. I’ve suggested some medications for him and wondered if you’d agree. He has a few other pre-existing medical conditions, which is why I’m checking.’
Travis glanced over the file and careful notes. ‘Seems reasonable. There should be no contraindications between his meds. I’ll arrange to dispense the prescription. Will you
be able to review him?’
She nodded. ‘For now, on a weekly basis. I’ll let you know if I have any concerns.’
‘Will he require a change of duties?’ As SMO, Travis could ask for staff to be moved without explaining why to their commanding officers.
She shook her head. ‘Not yet, but I’ll let you know.’ She handed him the second file. He blinked when he saw the name. It was his. The SMO’s medical file was only accessible to a few people on board the ship. Aileen was one of those people.
‘What’s this?’
Her hands were folded in her lap. She looked him straight in the eye but her posture was relaxed. She wasn’t nervous about having this conversation and weirdly that made him feel slightly nervous.
‘It’s been seven years since we last served together.’
He gave a nod. He remembered those days well.
‘A lot has happened since then.’
‘Even without this?’ She pointed to the file. ‘I can tell.’ She let her words hang in the air between them.
‘What’s your point, Aileen?’ He was more abrupt than he’d normally be, but all his defence mechanisms were slamming down in front of him.
One of her eyebrows rose just a fraction. ‘My point is...’ she took a breath ‘...Travis King, you might not know this, but you’re human. We all are. And we are all affected, in different ways, by events we’re exposed to.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ He hated how snappy he was being.
She gave a gentle shake of her head. ‘It means that my door is always open, Travis, that’s all.’
She stood up before he could say anything else, pausing with her hand on the door. ‘Our new doctor...’ she said slowly.
‘Yes?’
Aileen smiled. ‘I like her. I like her tenacity and her spirit. I heard her telling off one of the pilots who was trying to act like a big shot.’
‘Who was it?’ The words were out before he had a chance to think.
Aileen laughed. ‘Oh, you don’t need to know. Ivy dealt with him appropriately. All I’m saying is that she’s a good fit for this crew. She’s earning their respect by just being herself and gaining some admirers.’
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