Sexy Seaman

by Steele, Paige

  “So, how’d you ever make out with your little problem?”

  “Problem?”

  “The one that caused you to call me asking about our dating policies.”

  I was hoping she forgot, but I should have known better with her. She has a memory like no one I know. She forgets nothing.

  “It’s no longer a problem, the charter’s over.”

  “What you actually mean is, now there are no obstacles keeping you from dating whoever she is.”

  I look up from the pile of mail I have in my hand to see her smirking at me. She can read me like a book; there isn’t much we keep from each other. She’s my best friend, always has been.

  “Fine, yes. There, are you happy?”

  “Yep, now tell me everything.”

  “There isn’t much to tell, yet. I can only say, she’s gorgeous and has such an easygoing personality that it was hard not to fall for her.”

  “Oh, wow, I didn’t know you fell for her. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard that come out of your mouth.”

  “You haven’t and that’s because I never allowed myself to feel this way before.”

  “Why now?” Our playful conversation turned serious.

  “I don’t know, if I’m being honest. I can’t put my finger on one thing in particular. All I know is that when she fell at my feet during our first meeting, and brushed it off with an embarrassed giggle, all I wanted to know was more, more about her. From there things just grew. Though you should know, I really did try to stay away from her at first.”

  I went on to explain our first encounter, giving us both a laugh.

  “Why on earth would you do that, if you liked her?”

  “Because I’m the captain of the boat, her boss in other words.”

  “Okay I get that but if the pull to her was as strong as you say, you could have done it and been discreet about it.”

  “Yeah, that’s hard to do when there’s only so many places on a boat you can hide. But we did have our moments and now that we’re off the boat, I plan on seeing her more.”

  “Where is she from?”

  “New York City.”

  “Oh damn, she’s pretty much around the corner.”

  “Yep.”

  “When are you seeing her again?”

  “Not sure, I have to text her to see when she’s free.”

  “You haven’t set up a date yet?”

  “No, I’ve been busy since the charter ended.”

  “Oh, my God, do I have to teach you everything?”

  “Don’t stress, baby sister, I’ve got my plan in place; we’ll be meeting up soon.”

  “Well, don’t wait too long. You don’t want someone else snatching up your girl, plus I want to meet my future sister-in-law soon.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I chuckle at her.

  We talk for a bit longer and agree to meet up at Mom’s for dinner at six tonight. Mom loves to have us both there. It’s rare that it happens in the summer, but we make up for it all winter, when I’m not sailing much. I do get our boats from Florida out for a couple cruises but usually it’s my time to relax…my mini-vacation.

  * * *

  Dinner last night was great; it was nice to catch up with my family. Talking to them on the phone is not the same as seeing them in person. I will admit, I didn’t realize how much I needed it until I got there and we sat down together at dinner.

  As I lie in bed, I can’t help but to think about her. Reaching for my phone, I shoot her off a text.

  Me – Hey, Sweet Pea, how’s being home again?

  The little dots start dancing immediately.

  Maci – Going okay. But my dad’s pressuring me to make a decision on what I want to do. Working for him in accounting is what he’s hoping for.

  Me – And what does Maci want?

  Maci – Maci wants to work designing things. I can’t see myself sitting behind a desk, working with nothing but numbers on papers day in and day out. It’s not my idea of a good time.

  Me – Speaking of jobs, do you have everything together for what you’d change on the boat?

  Maci – Actually, I do. I can email it to you, if you want to look at it.

  Me – Good. I’ll take a look at it and let you know.

  Maci – You’ll still ask the owner of SS Yachts about me doing it?

  Me – Oh, I’ll make sure he sees it.

  I should just tell her, it’s me. But I want to see what she sends, and I want to see where this is going before I put everything on the table.

  Maci – Thanks so much, Reed. I owe you for this.

  Me – It’s no problem but I can think of ways you can thank me, if you must.

  Maci – Haha, I bet you can. But seriously, this would be an amazing opportunity and I think my dad would finally realize I’m not joking about doing designing for a living. He’d see I could actually support myself doing it.

  Me – I look forward to seeing your work and you again.

  Maci – It’s only been a couple days, yet it seems like forever since we’ve seen each other.

  Me – I feel the same way.

  Maci – Thanks again, Reed, for everything.

  Me – I really haven’t done anything yet.

  Maci – Yes, you have. You took a chance on me and hired me this summer. You have no idea how much I needed to get away.

  Me – I should be thanking you. Even though you were a little distraction on the boat, you made the charters fly by and I really enjoyed getting to know you.

  Maci – I was a distraction?

  Me – Yes, I couldn’t stop thinking about you most of the time.

  God, I want to admit, I wanted to fuck your brains out from the minute I saw you but I thought that might be a little too much.

  Maci – OH! Well, just so you know you were never far from my thoughts either.

  Me – Good. Now send me those files and get some sleep.

  Maci – Sending them now. Talk to you soon.

  Me – Sleep good, Sweet Pea.

  Maci – You too, Captain.

  Me – Reed.

  Maci – Reed.

  Me – Or Sir…is fine too. Lol

  Maci – Lol…there will be no Sir again.

  Me – Lol.

  Our texting was over but I stayed up for the next two hours, looking at what she proposed she could do to the yacht. She made a PowerPoint presentation to show me her thoughts. From the start there are classy colors with a mix of more modern styles. All gold fixtures would be changed out to brushed nickel and the indoor dining and sitting area’s furniture would reflect lighter, more neutral colors. She informed me in her slide show that it not only would modernize the look, it would also allow for more of the outdoor colors to come in through the long windows, instead of drowning them out by the deep rich colors we have now. The next slide shows me the classy side of what things would look like if she changed out certain things in the bedrooms and baths; those little things really made a difference. Whether it was the light fixture, faucet, or rug on the floor, you could see how much it drew your attention to the detail. Yes, it was definitely going to cost some money but the return could be significant.

  I decide immediately the job is hers, if she wants it. I’d love to see what she could do with the rest of the boats. Just after three in the morning, I shoot her a reply to her email before shutting down my laptop for the night. I ask her to come to my office tomorrow, to discuss her future with the company, which means she will also learn who the actual CEO is; it’s time to rip the Band-Aid off. Hopefully we’ll be discussing more than her future with the company…but her future with me.

  Chapter Twelve

  Maci

  Waking up to a message from Reed surprised me. I didn’t think he’d respond so quickly, not to mention how shocked I was he had asked me to come to SS Yachts corporate offices to meet with the CEO to discuss a job opportunity. I can’t figure out how he already would have an answer from him with a job offer. It was
after midnight when he even got the email from me, but whatever, I’ll take it.

  I get to the door at ten minutes to eleven; just walking into the building that has SS Yacht Corporation written in gold letters on the front gives me butterflies. Knowing I will be also seeing him again instantly brings the feelings I have for him to the front of my mind. Now isn’t the time to think about us though, it is time to get my dream job.

  I step into the elevator. He told me to take it to the six floor and to see the secretary straight ahead, at which point she’d direct me to where we’d be meeting. Looking down at my attire, I wasn’t really sure what to wear, so I went with my short, pale pink pencil skirt, white button-up blouse tucked in, and light gray heels. I hope I look okay. I rub my hands down my sides to bring some calmness to me.

  Walking up to the middle-aged woman, I say a silent prayer.

  Returning her smile, I say, “Good morning.”

  “Hello, you must be Maci Foster?”

  “I am.” I’m taken aback a bit, by her knowing who I am.

  “Sorry, Mr. Nichols said you’d be coming by.” I think she probably could read my expression of shock.

  “Oh yes, he told me to come by to meet with the CEO.”

  Now her expression changes to one of confusion. “Yes, I’ll take you to his office.”

  Following her down the hallway, I glance around at the surroundings. We pass by four doors before we get to our destination.

  “Here we are.” She knocks once then turns the knob. “You can go right in.”

  “Thank you, Tammy.” I hear his voice.

  He’s sitting at the conference table to the left of me when I walk in, and boy, does he look good. Yummy, good. His dark gray suit, white shirt, and black tie are very sharp looking on him. He has an assortment of papers in front of him, a couple other files, and his laptop. He looks like he’s busy working in the CEO’s office.

  With no aviators covering his blue eyes, there’s no missing him sweeping over my entire body. Goose bumps spread over every inch of my skin; I feel as though I’m standing here naked.

  “Hello, Maci, you look beautiful.”

  “You look pretty handsome yourself.”

  He walks over, reaches for my hands, bringing me in close to him. He kisses me on my cheek and whispers in my ear, “What I’d really like to say is, you look sexy as fuck, Maci.”

  With my chest against his, I wonder if he can feel what he does to me; my heart is beating out of my chest at just being close to him. And his breath on my skin makes the rest of my body tingle with excitement.

  I close my eyes for a second and relish in his manly scent. Lord, I could get lost in just his touch. His lips are on me before I open my lids; I’m drowning in need for this man.

  Pulling back, he says, “I’m sorry. I can’t help myself.”

  It reminds me of where I am and what I’m doing there. Oh, shit…the CEO could walk in at any moment and here I am wrapped in his arms.

  Pushing back slightly, his eyebrows crease together.

  “I forgot where I was for a moment. The owner of the company should be here at any moment, and it wouldn’t look good for us to be making out. I really want this job, Reed.”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that. But okay, why don’t you have a seat,” he gestures to the seat across from him, “and we’ll get started.”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  He pulls out the chair for me. I sit down and pull out my résumé from my bag; even though I already sent it to him, I came prepared, just in case. Reed walks around the table to where he was when I walked in moments ago.

  “So, let’s get started.”

  “Shouldn’t we wait for the owner?” I ask, while looking around a bit. I see a picture of Reed on the bookshelf behind the desk to my right; he’s standing with an older gentleman. Reed himself looks to be a bit younger in it, I have to wonder if the other guy is the CEO. Then I notice Reed’s in almost all the pictures on the shelves and the framed certificates on the wall all have his name on them. Looking at him and them again, it dawns on me…it’s him, he’s the CEO.

  “I’m sorry, Maci, I should have probably told you sooner but I have my reasons as to why I didn’t.”

  “Instead you’ve made me look stupid.” That’s exactly how I feel too.

  “No, not at all. Not many people know, to be honest. Even the ones who I’ve sailed with have no clue I own the company too.”

  “So, no one I just worked with has any idea you own that freaking boat?”

  “No, actually they don’t, not one of them.”

  I don’t know what to think. Do I get up and leave? This is my dream job and now I don’t know if he’ll give it to me because he likes me, and we’re kind of involved with each other, or does he really like my ideas and thinks I’m qualified to do the job? I don’t know what to say.

  He decides to break the silence, “I know what you’re thinking. I did watch what you sent and read through your plans to transform the boat. Your ideas are amazing, you really have a great eye for design. So, the job is yours if you want it. And it’s strictly because your more than qualified for the job, not because I still want to fuck you.”

  “You can’t say that to me.”

  “Why, it’s the truth?”

  “Because if I take the job, you’ll be my boss.”

  “Maci, that is something we can figure out together. I was your boss on the boat too, that didn’t change how much I want you.”

  “You really like my ideas?”

  “I do or you wouldn’t be here for this conversation.”

  I’m not sure what to say now. I want to jump up and down with excitement, but I’m so nervous that I keep my hands folded on the table, biting my bottom lip.

  “Here’s what I propose,” he states as he passes me a contract, “while you look that over, I’m going to have Tammy order us lunch. How does salads and sandwiches sound?”

  “Good.” I smile at him before looking down at the papers set before me.

  He walks over, kisses my cheek, like he did before, then whispers in my ear once again, “What you won’t find in the contract is how much I still want you under me, so mark my words, I have every intention of making that happen very soon.”

  And he’s out the door…leaving me with my thoughts. Butterflies start flapping their wings as I think of what a night with him may be like. I can tell by just his kisses that he’s a very passionate man, making me believe it definitely would be a night I won’t forget anytime soon. Can I risk my heart for my job?

  I rein my doubts back in and start reading over my future employment. The first line reads that I will be reporting to his sister, Gabrielle Nichols. Clever. I’m assuming it’s his way of staying out of the way of being my boss. I’m okay with that. Next are my hours of work, which states I can create my own hours based on me being on salary. They aren’t stupid, there will be plenty of times I’ll probably be working several hours past a normal eight-hour day. But I will have to give a timeline of each boat I’m working on and how long it should take me, assuming everything goes according to plan. They will account for hiccups along the way. Next is my salary that I’ll be making per year, seventy-two thousand to start with, with a chance of bonuses if projects are finished early or on time. Every year after will increase by five thousand. That’s a very generous salary, so I have to wonder if it’s because of who wrote this contract and what may or may not happen between us. I finish looking it over, as I hear the door open and close again. I already know he’s back without turning around to see.

  Looking up before facing him, I see a sign on the wall. I won’t stop ‘til my vessels in the dock. I want to laugh out loud at the saying. That definitely could have two meanings…it couldn’t be more fitting in this situation today. He seems to be focused not only on getting me to sign on as an employee but also as a person he’d like in his bed. And I can’t say I don’t want both either.

  “What do you think? You re
ady to join us full time?”

  “I don’t know. I have some questions.”

  “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

  “You would?”

  “Yes, any good businesswoman or man would know you never sign a contract without some negotiations. Plus, I don’t want any doubts in your mind when you sign it, so please ask away.”

  “First, reporting to your sister? Is it because of us being involved?”

  “Yes and no. Yes, because I thought it would make you feel at ease, not having to report to me for things. And no because she is in charge of finance, she’s the CFO, so you will need to have her approval before every project can begin. You’ll need to submit in writing what will be needed to complete each yacht. With that being said, I still will be somewhat involved, since you’re going to be redesigning my home away from home, several of them actually.”

  “Okay, and the salary?”

  “What about it? I thought it was fitting.”

  “Fitting if you’ve been doing this for ten years, not usually when you’re just starting out.”

  “After seeing your presentation, I feel you’ll earn every penny of that salary. There is a lot of work to be done. I had to get this approved by Gabby, so I assure you, she’s seen everything and agreed with it. Anything else?”

  “I’m not sure if we should start something now that I’ll be working here full time and not just for a summer. Doesn’t your company have a dating policy?”

  “We do, but I’ve already checked into it with my sister and legal. I guess my dad thought of it early on due to his secretary wanting to date someone within the company. He made the policy up and had it read, that as long as you aren’t in the same department you can date a coworker. So, you see, there’s no reason why we can’t see where this goes.”

  “He didn’t put a policy on dating the person who owns the entire company?” I let out a nervous giggle. “And what happens if things don’t work out? Then what?”

  “And what if they do?”

  I sit here thinking of his words when there’s a voice on the intercom, “Mr. Nichols, lunch is here. Would you like me to bring it in?”