Sweet Seas

by Scarlett Finn

  “He what?” Swain growled.

  His voice was so deep and fierce that she worried it could hurt his throat, so she found herself stroking his Adam’s apple. “He offered me a job.”

  Swain’s fury became surprise. “He what?”

  “I said no, but his attitude made me uncomfortable. I’d just rather not spend any more time with him.”

  Straightening his spine, he peered down his nose at her. “A job?” he asked. “More money?” She nodded in the interests of honesty, but hadn’t really wanted to admit that to him. “If you want to take it—”

  “Do you want me to take it?” she asked, having not expected him to chase her off Eros.

  “How much more money?”

  Was he trying to judge if he could match it or how much Clive wanted her? “Would you forget about the money?” she asked. “He tried to sell me on stability because it’s a permanent position.”

  As if she’d just suggested they marry for real, he seemed taken aback, which wasn’t like him. “You didn’t tell me you wanted to talk permanent… My men work as and when I need them. I just put out word when I need to put a crew together. I call the usual suspects until I have all the positions filled. Doesn’t usually take long. If you need work in future, I have six ships, someone always needs a cook.”

  So, he’d hire her as long as he didn’t have to sleep with her beyond the four week limit? She hadn’t come to the mess expecting to get in a fight.

  “Forget I said anything,” she said and tried to walk away, but he grabbed her back.

  “No, you want to talk about this, we’ll talk. I didn’t realize there was a chance of poaching this far out.”

  It didn’t take much to put him in a bad mood under normal circumstances, but tonight he was on express speed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “You brought it up,” he snapped.

  That he was so snide made her think he was hurt or just disgusted that she might have thought about betraying him. “I brought it up to ask if you could get rid of them before I woke up, not to open negotiations. Full disclosure is the best policy, that’s why I told you about the job offer ‘cause, you know, in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re sleeping together.”

  “That mean you wouldn’t have told me if we weren’t having sex?”

  It felt like he was trying to start a fight with her, but she wouldn’t rise to it. “I’m going to bed, Captain. Do whatever pleases you with them, with me, with whoever you like. Goodnight.”

  Spinning around, she flounced from the room to head for the captain’s cabin. This had been a weird few days. Sassi couldn’t wait until their guests were gone and things could get back to normal around here.

  SIXTEEN

  The Dreamboat was gone by the time Sassi woke up on her tenth day at sea. It took another two days for them to reach their destination. Thanking God for GPS, Sassi didn’t know how anyone found anything at sea before its invention.

  It was even more incredible that they got the right spot because they dropped anchor in the dark when she could barely see the water let alone guess where in the ocean they were. It amazed her how little her captain relied on his eyes and how much he trusted his gut.

  Swain told her it was all about the way the wind made the hairs on his arm move and the sensation of the spray on his face. That off-hand statement might have made her swoon a little, even if he just frowned at her in response.

  Though Swain told her they were less than fifty miles from the mainland, she couldn’t see it. But, it was so dark without artificial light she wouldn’t be able to see her hand in front of her face. He’d also said they were near a small island in the South Atlantic. Jockey told her it was uninhabited by anyone except the souls of those lost at sea.

  Yeah, like she’d believed that.

  But, when bedtime came, she’d seduced her captain into joining her rather than going up to their cabin alone, just in case. After they’d made love, he chastised her for getting cutesy with him in front of the crew and when she’d confessed why she hadn’t wanted to go to bed alone, he’d delighted in teasing her about being afraid of pirate ghosts.

  Diving was dangerous. The wreck they were surveying was caught on an underwater ridge by a series of shifting sandbars that could make the situation precarious.

  Sassi wasn’t a diver and knew nothing about salvage operations, but apparently radar gave them an idea of what they were up against. Swain and Tune were the most experienced divers in the group with Hector not far behind and, it turned out, Foist was capable too. Jockey knew how to dive as well, but he provided more back up than anything else. He didn’t do the heavy work.

  She’d expected a scuba setup like she’d seen on TV. Instead, she was told they were using a surface-supplied method and that was when she phased out. It got complicated fast. These guys were no Neanderthals after all; they were smart and skilled.

  On the first day of the dive, the men had been locked in the wheelhouse for hours talking and planning. She’d gotten enough baking done to last two weeks and had to tell herself to slow down or she’d use up all their supplies before the return trip.

  Sassi had been practicing taking more time doing things that she usually did fast when she heard the whooping and hollering coming from the passageway. The exuberant sound was startling enough that she went to find out what was going on. The whole crew was out there, talking over each other, barreling toward her, she’d never seen them so high-spirited.

  Carried in the wave of male bodies back into the mess, Sassi got lost in the swirl of the crew moving around her making her head spin. A heavy arm grabbed her shoulders and she was yanked against a hard, bare chest.

  Swain.

  She recognized his scent and the texture of his skin rather than his face, because he pulled her in so tight that her nose pressed into him. He’d been in the water, but must have stripped off his dive suit when he got back on the ship because he was wearing only a pair of dry board shorts now. The rumble of his voice vibrated through her, making it easier for her to distinguish his voice through the maelstrom of other excited chatter.

  The cargo they were surveying was more intact than they’d thought it would be. Big haul. Big payout. Half a million dollars split eight ways. Wait. She made an effort to push herself away from her lover’s chest.

  “Someone translate this for me,” she said, glancing up at Swain before turning around to seek out the others.

  Swain’s arm stayed around her. He pinned her shoulder blades to his torso, keeping her close. He kissed the top of her head, nuzzled her hair, and settled a fondling hand over her breast. Apparently, hitting the motherlode made him tactile.

  Jockey stepped through Tune and Hector who were also shirtless and wearing the same kind of Swain-embroidered board shorts as the captain. “We got our first good look,” the first-mate said. “We have to map the site and catalogue what’s down there, but it’s looking good. Our percentage could be worth a payout of half a million dollars which we split eight ways.”

  “Eight,” she said. The captain, first-mate, engineer, Tune, Hector, Swing, Fidget… and her. “You mean the crew. But, that doesn’t include me… does it?”

  “You’re crew, aren’t you?” Jockey asked, chucking her chin. “We get done here and the cap’n does the deal for us to come back and lift it all and you’ll be sixty grand richer by Christmas.”

  “I think we can raise the wreck,” Tune said. “If they want it, we can do it. Get the fleet down here, turn it into a full op—”

  “He hasn’t mentioned that,” Swain said. “But, we’ll do feasibility while we’re here, a sign of goodwill. It’ll take an extra couple of days.”

  “And, could delay our bonus a couple of months,” Hector said, but his concern bled to a smile. “But, it’ll be worth it for the big bucks.”

  The volume level rose again, but Sassi was just stunned. The bonus wasn’t imminent. She wouldn’t get a bonus unless she completed the job, which meant sticking with
the crew until the whole job was completed not just this initial survey phase.

  Maybe she would get something for being around for the first month, but it would be a fraction of what the others got because she’d only been present for the first leg of the voyage. Except, any payout would be useless to her. The guys were talking about this taking months… way beyond her Dario deadline.

  For the first time, she felt seasick and had to slap a hand over her mouth. A part of her had assumed that she’d be okay once they returned home and she got paid for her work and received her bonus.

  Sassi had believed she’d be able to toss Dario’s money in his lap and then spit in his face. Marriage? Ha, take that, you sleazy fucker.

  But, that was just another of her silly fantasies. Damn her for letting her mind lull her into a false sense of security.

  Her stomach revolted and she wretched. Forcing Swain’s arms away from her body, Sassi ran as fast as she could out onto the deck and sucked in a long lungful of fresh sea air. Trying to tell herself that she was safe on Eros, that nothing could hurt her, and that Dario wasn’t here to put his hands on her, Sassi started to calm down.

  She was okay. She was safe.

  But, for how long?

  When she returned home and stepped off Eros, she’d have about sixteen thousand dollars, maybe a fraction more if they were a few days over and Swain was generous. But, they owed Dario thirty thousand. She’d have less than two weeks to come up with fourteen thousand dollars… it just wasn’t possible.

  That left her with a dilemma.

  Did she admit to Dario that she had the sixteen thousand and beg for more time, or did she hoard the sixteen thousand as escape money in case she got the chance to make a run for it? Life on the run… she couldn’t do that unless her brother and Karen were safe… unless Eros was safe.

  Oh no.

  Stuart had dumped Karen to save her from Dario who could use the temp agent to torture her brother. It had been easy for Sassi to debate the virtue of cutting those ties with her brother when she didn’t have ties of her own. She didn’t have close friends or a man to care about… not back then.

  While her brother had been smart to isolate himself, somehow Sassi had accidently done the complete opposite. She’d forged friendships and started a relationship.

  A doomed relationship.

  Ironic that she should reach this disgusting truth on her thirteenth day at sea.

  She’d have to marry Dario Correa.

  Acid churned in her stomach, compelling her to run the width of the deck to heave over the starboard side. She could travel seas and oceans for days without losing her lunch, but the thought of giving herself to Dario made her puke.

  When her stomach was empty, she folded her forearms on the edge of the ship and rested her forehead against them, trying to breathe through the nausea.

  “It’s a lot of money.”

  The sound of Swain’s voice beside her made her head roll on her arms. She couldn’t quite bring herself to lift her temple from the back of her wrist. “It is,” she said, licking her dry lips. “I’m happy for you.” The nausea wasn’t helped by standing this close to the man she could never have. “Excuse me.”

  Turning away from him, she left the deck, intending to go to her cabin. Except, her cabin was the captain’s cabin, and that didn’t feel right. Sassi chose to go into her original cabin instead.

  Washing out her mouth and gargling some mouthwash, she brushed her teeth with a finger, then splashed water on her face. Breathing out, she held her cold damp hand on the back of her neck and looked at her reflection.

  Mrs. Correa.

  Mrs. Sassi Correa.

  She had to stop thinking about this; it was making her feel sick again.

  “You’re happy for me? What does that mean?”

  The sound of his voice again made her sag. “Captain, can I have just a minute, please?”

  But, Swain wasn’t wielding contrition or sympathy. “No, you can tell me what you meant and what you’re doing in here instead of upstairs where you belong.”

  In his cabin, that’s what he meant. He wanted her to explain her statement and why she’d come to her old cabin instead of going to the bedroom they’d shared since their first time together. Sassi didn’t know how to deal with Swain’s anger when her own emotions were so screwed up.

  Suddenly, she felt exhausted. All of her energy seemed to just drain away.

  But, Swain was blocking her route out of the head and even when she tried to go around him, he didn’t take the hint and stayed in her way.

  “Can I get by?” she asked, not impressed by his attitude or swayed by his scowl.

  “No,” he said. “Crew don’t walk away from the captain when he’s talking to them. Tell me what you meant.”

  Exhaling, she had to accept that he was right, she was subordinate to him whether she liked it or not. “I meant what I said. I’m happy for you and the guys. You deserve the windfall. You work hard and this is a great find for you.”

  “But, not for you.”

  They weren’t supposed to be talking about this. Sassi didn’t know what to say to him because anything she did say would lead to more questions and when he was glaring like he was, he wasn’t easy to deal with… not that he ever really was.

  “You said it yourself a couple of nights ago, you take crew members on when they’re needed. You needed me for this trip. You won’t need me on the next one.”

  He inhaled irritation. “You started this journey with us, you get to finish it,” he said like it should be obvious. “I’ll offer Raise to one of our other captains if he’s out of jail.”

  Captains of the other ships in his fleet built their own crews, but often did so on Swain’s recommendations. Jockey had told her about the fleet and the respect Swain had among all of his people. A post on Eros was the most coveted. Because Swain was so loyal, he tended to use the same people all the time, so it wasn’t an easy ticket to get. Jockey liked to talk about Swain’s work, about his success. He was like a proud father when he got started on talking about their captain.

  Most of the time she was proud of him too. But, in that minute, she couldn’t locate that positivity and just felt annoyed. Why was it okay for him to have attitude and be snippy, but the rest of them had to be patient with him?

  Rank.

  Yeah, that was the answer. The captain was their superior, so they had to be submissive, didn’t mean she always liked it.

  Everyone had problems. She was in the shit and caught up in her own, but this Raise guy shouldn’t be punished because her family was so screwed up. “That’s not fair, he’s your cook. I was always meant to be temporary. This is Raise’s post, not mine.”

  She tried to get past Swain again, but he got hold of her. “You started this, you get to finish it. I choose my crew.”

  Wrenching free of his grip, she stepped back. The space was so small it felt like a tomb. But, she’d rather die here than in Dario’s bed. Every time the bastard’s name came into her mind, her anger ratcheted up a notch.

  “And, why would you choose me over him?” she snapped. “I thought you valued loyalty, how many years was Raise with you?”

  “Half a dozen,” he said. “But, the fucker screwed it up for himself when he broke the law. I don’t employ criminals I can’t trust!”

  If he was going to raise his voice, so was she. “You’re a hypocrite!”

  “Oh, now you’ve got a fucking problem with my past? Toss that in my face, Waif, nice.”

  “No,” she said, lunging forward to grab his forearm as he tried to turn away from her. “No, I don’t give a damn about what you did when you were a kid. But, don’t pretend that you’re firing Raise because he made a mistake. You’re doing it because he doesn’t suck your dick!”

  Bristling, he widened his stance, taking up more of the space in the cabin until he filled the doorway of the head entirely. “How do you know he doesn’t?”

  “Oh, haha,” she said, “ye
ah, you get snide. You know what I’m saying. You’re making this personal.”

  “Personal,” he said and swayed forward like he was considering stepping into the head, but there wouldn’t be space for them to argue in there. “You’re a better fucking cook than he is.”

  She didn’t believe him. “And, that’s all it is? You’re making a business decision?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, that’s it.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I don’t give a fuck what you believe. You’re crew. Subordinate.”

  “Unimportant?” she asked. His brows bobbed almost in a satisfied nod that dared her to contradict him, so she did. “Then, why the hell did you call me precious cargo, huh? If this is all business, and you’re really asking me to come on the next job for professional reasons, why didn’t you offer me it when Clive was trying to poach me? You’re full of shit. You flip-flop—”

  “Me? You announced fucking terms before we screwed! Who the fuck does that?” Grabbing hold of her, he finally came inside, but only to spin her toward the small mirror above the sink she’d been staring into a minute ago. “Look at yourself.”

  With one strong arm around her torso, he clamped both her arms to her sides and grabbed her chin hard to angle her head, forcing her to face her reflection.

  “Let me go,” she said, trying to struggle, but he was too strong for her to resist.

  “I want you to look at that stunning fucking face and tell me why the fuck you always look so sad… I see you laughing, in the mess you have joy about you. When we’re naked together, you’re loose and happy… But, when I turn any corner and find you alone, you’re fucking mourning… What is it that’s hurting you? Whatever the fuck it is—”

  “I told you, you don’t know me,” she said, closing her eyes because she couldn’t bear to look.

  Swain shook her head, squeezing her chin tighter. “Look at us! Don’t hide! Face what’s fucking happening here!”

  But, that was the problem, what was happening here had the potential to threaten both their lives. “I can’t! You don’t get it! You don’t know me!”