Starboard Vow

by K. M. Jackson

  Of course, they weren’t seeing each other. What would she do with a guy like that? All shoulders, teeth, smiles and . . . Wait. Aaron laughed to himself nervously as he caught his own reflection in the wall mirror. Shit. That dude was just her type. Hell, he was every woman’s type and he worked with Jules, here. On board this floating aphrodisiac.

  Aaron circled around quickly, taking in the cabin fully for the first time. The inviting double bed turned down perfectly, the balcony with its exquisite view and jacuzzi tub, the ice bucket with champagne chilling. It was a total fantasy sex suite! Suddenly Aaron couldn’t breathe from the overwhelming thoughts of Jules. He had to get out.

  He was about to make a run for it when a knock sounded on the door. He closed the velvet box, and quickly shoved it back into his duffle bag. He didn’t know why he was rushing to hide it. It was probably just the rest of his luggage. Still, he didn’t need the prying eyes or wagging tongues of the ship’s crew letting his secrets out of the bag, especially not before he’d squared things with Jules.

  Opening the door though, instead of it being just his luggage, he was greeted with both his luggage and Morris hopping behind the rolling case. Morris had already changed out of his jeans, tee and blazer and was looking like an extra in the set of a Lampoon’s Vacation movie, wearing plaid swim trunks, a cobalt blue tee and a clashing Hawaiian print button down as a topper.

  Aaron didn’t hide his grimace, though his tone was light when he spoke. “Way to take a theme to the next level, M.”

  “It looks good, right?” Morris replied, glancing at his phone as he sidestepped the luggage and the attendant and entered the room. Aaron shook his head, tipped the attendant and retrieved his case.

  “I want to take full advantage of the vacation part of this working vacation while we’re on board.”

  Aaron waved a hand in front of his face, which was still practically buried in his phone. “Yeah, I can see you’re fully ready to unplug.” He shook his head.

  Morris looked up and shook his head before going back to his phone. “As if I ever could with a client like you. Despite my cool ass gear, as your manager I still have to stay on my game while I’m here. You know that this is a pivotal time for you career-wise.” Morris said, pointing his phone Aaron’s way. “And trying to stay on top of things from the middle of the ocean doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the easiest task. Wireless alone is going to cost me a fortune if I don’t want roaming charges. It’s like once you’re on board you can practically disappear from the real world.”

  Aaron thought of Jules and her non-communication of the past year. “You’re telling me,” he said to himself. But to Morris he added, “You’ll be okay, I’m sure.”

  Morris shrugged then gave a nod. “Thanks to you, you’re right. Still, I’d better check to see if there is anything that can be done about the connection speeds. This is not the most optimum time to be out to sea, so to speak. I need to keep track of your numbers. We have to make sure to keep riding the wave of Starboard and keep your numbers high. The audience can quickly forget and move on to the next latest and greatest between parts one and two of a film.”

  “Yeah, but I still have Yoskawa’s indie film coming out in between the two. It should all be fine.”

  Morris nodded, but Aaron could feel his hesitance. Morris had strong thoughts about Aaron stepping out in a more serious indie role so early in his career, but it was more. Aaron could sense some of their past problems with communications coming to the surface and haunting his features. The fact that they were where they were right now, on this ship and for the first time both in such close proximity to Jules suddenly seemed to weigh on them. But then Morris smiled. “You’re right of course. And you’re great in it. I know your fans will follow you no matter what projects you make or what direction you take.”

  Even though he said it lightly, the heavy weight of his words filled the air in the cabin giving it palatable thickness. Aaron didn’t want to go there. In all honestly, he didn’t want to go there ever again. He was on the ship to mend the fences and right the wrongs of the past—with Jules, with Morris—and, once and for all, set his life on the right path. He couldn’t let the feelings of his fans, Morris, or anyone deter him from his current mission.

  “Let me put on some shorts,” he said, “and I’ll join you. I’d like to see more of what this ship has to offer.”

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  Jules busied herself for the next few hours meeting and greeting guests as they arrived and making sure her staff was in place, right where they needed to be. Though it sounded like an easy task, on a ship this size it was anything but. Luckily, she had quite a few years in the business and felt comfortable with the ins and outs of things. The only stickler on this particular cruise was the fact that it had turned into a mini fan cruise for Starboard and in effect turned into a mini Aaron Manning fan cruise.

  Though she was initially only slightly anxious over the idea of the cast coming aboard the ship, she wasn’t overly concerned because the two lead stars had not been set to sail with them. Obviously that all changed. Jules guessed she couldn’t fault the cruise executives or the PR folks for working hard to secure them. In this day and age, a company had to do whatever it took to stay relevant. Once word was strategically leaked that Aaron Manning and Poppy Roberts were confirmed to be on the cruise, last minute sales spiked and the remaining available cabins on the ship were immediately sold out. But still, with all the surprise media and fan attention it made her ultimate goal to speak with Aaron and get him to sign the divorce papers that much more difficult.

  Not that she wanted so much to see him right now, she thought, as she made her way from the Royal Lounge to the upper decks to make sure the new props were in place for the beach bingo games later on the spa deck.

  The lounge was quiet, all except the bar set up guys and a few quickly passing through passengers. Most folks were more excited about getting a rail-side spot to check out the official departure from Miami. Jules heard the captain’s voice come through over the PA system signaling the start of the departure countdown. No matter how many times she set sail, this part always filled her with a sense of excitement married to an overwhelming feeling of melancholy. The idea of charting off for new horizons while saying goodbye to a bit of your past did that to her, she thought as she stepped out onto the sky walkway and took in the view of the pier and its buildings beyond.

  Jules turned to her right to get a glimpse of the setting sun, its fiery hues softening to a watercolor wash of blues and pinks. She was about to put up her hand to shield her eyes from light reflected off the gleaming rail but before she could, her gaze was blocked by a larger hand shadowing her view.

  “It’s beautiful, but you wouldn’t want to hurt yourself by looking directly at it.”

  Shit. She’d successfully stayed clear of Aaron all this time and now here he was. Right in her face. Directly in her line of sight.

  “What are you doing here, Aaron?” she asked.

  “Why would I not be here? Obviously, this is where it’s the best view,” he said smiling down at her.

  Jules fought not to roll her eyes. Just take his words for what they are, she told herself. Maybe he’s not talking about you.

  She gave him a steady once over. He had changed from his earlier outfit and was now wearing a sleeveless tee and gym shorts. She tried hard to keep her expression placid, but still her eyes stumbled, the casual look doing nothing to nullify his obvious charm. Jules forced her gaze back to his face and away from the broad width of his shoulders as he spoke again.

  “Seriously,” Aaron started, “though this trip was proposed to me as an optional journey, the way the word came down from the studio heads made me realize it was in no way truly optional.”

  Jules shifted her eyes away from him turning to look out over the railing. So, there it was. He was saying the words that she knew to be true. Once again Aaron was taking his dictation from the studio and once again it was studio a
nd his career that were putting her life in a tailspin. But maybe this was for the best. He wasn’t here for her and this trip wasn’t about her.

  But surely that meant he’d sign on the dotted line. She looked back at him, her anger threatening to boil over the top, but she smiled to hold herself in check. “It’s good to see you haven’t changed in that respect. Still following exactly what the studio heads tell you.” She caught the narrowing of his eyes. How his jaw got just a little bit tighter. It shouldn’t have satisfied her, this small thing, but it did.

  “So, we’re starting off like this huh?” he said, his voice thickening with anger. “I don’t hear from you going on a year and then when I finally get a communication from you it comes in the form of official court rendered documents.” He lowered his voice. “I thought we were better than that, Jules. I thought you were better than that.”

  At his words, anger mixed with guilt started to bubble up within Jules. He thought she was better? Who was he to judge her? He was the one admitting to only being on the ship because his bosses told him he had to be. It was on the tip of Jules’s lips to tell him off when out of the corner of her eye she saw Morris coming toward him along with two women. She looked past them to see a group of four other young women in their twenties also coming their way. Their eyes were trained on Aaron with clear intent.

  Jules fought back a groan upon seeing the hungry look in the women’s eyes. She hated the immediate feelings of fear and dread that came over her upon seeing those looks. She gazed up at Aaron again. “Well as you can see, I’m not better than that. As a matter of fact, I’m just exactly what you see before you. Still, I’m glad you got my papers. I hope to have them returned to me with your signature well before this cruise ends, that way you won’t have to deal with wondering what kind of woman I was or am ever again.”

  She turned to walk away, but Aaron reached out a hand, his gentle touch on her forearm feeling like a clamp. When she looked back into his eyes and then past him seeing the two parties bearing down on them from behind, she quickly stepped back out of his grasp, along the way tripping over the edge of a deck chair. Before she could even get close to hitting the ground his arms were at her back and he was looking down on her. His expression dark and sensuous, sending an immediate squiggle of unwanted deliciousness throughout her body.

  He smiled at her. “Look at you, even when you’re trying your best to get away from me, the universe still has you ending up right back in my arms.”

  Jules pushed at Aaron’s chest and righted herself. Hoping she could hold on to some semblance of dignity as she came up from the awkward position. She cleared her throat just when Morris and crew reached them, their faces marred with curious expressions. Morris gave Jules an awkward smile, then nodded. “It’s good to see you again, Jules, it’s been a long time.”

  Jules nodded and attempted to smile back though it was hard to be convincing. Morris was one of the only other people who knew of their status and she could see the awkward shift in his eyes as he looked from her to Aaron to the other two women.

  Good to see her? Though Morris said the words Jules highly doubted their authenticity. He’d made it clear what he thought of her and Aaron’s relationship last year when he’d stated the studio’s position about Aaron appearing unmarried to his fans. She remembered the talk she’d had with him the next day when Aaron was out, and she was readying to leave as he explained how far Aaron was potentially on track to go. Morris wasn’t a bad guy, but he was who he was. She couldn’t fault him for doing his job. He’d kept his promises when it came to Aaron and his career. Aaron was where he was today, the top of Hollywood’s It List partially due to the diligence of his pull-no-punches manager, who took the hard line and would openly state the harsh facts about putting career before marriage. Jules knew that Aaron never could, so she had to take the steps that he couldn’t in order to see his dreams fully realized.

  She tried to think up something else to say to Morris that didn’t give away their awkward connection to the gathered women and came up short. Thankfully, they were saved when the ship’s main horn started to blow, long slow and loudly in numerous successions of three. The fan girls were torn between taking in the show that was Aaron Manning or the spectacle of departing out into the open ocean. They, along with the other two women, opted for the ocean and went to the railing for the seamless departure. Jules took the moment to make herself scarce, fighting against her heartbeat and hoping that her legs would be strong enough to keep her steady. She cleared her throat. “Good to see you, too, Morris. Um, well, I need to get going. Busy time.”

  “Oh yeah, sure,” Morris said. “But I’ll definitely be seeing you around, right?”

  She nodded, needing so much to get out of that space in that moment. Being away from Aaron for so long and now to have seen him twice in one day and felt his arms around her was almost too much. “Yeah, you’ll definitely be seeing me around. A ship this size is like a small city, and though it may seem big and overcrowded, you keep running into the same people over and over again.”

  “That’s what I’m banking on,” she heard Aaron say slightly under his breath but in no way hidden from her hearing.

  This time Jules didn’t hold back on the hard side-eye she sent Aaron’s way. “But just remember,” she said, “this here is my little city. As long as you play by my rules, there will be no problems.” Jules turned on her heels and headed off. Eager to get out and away from the man she married and into a space where she could be comfortable and breathe again.

  “Hopefully we’ll be seeing you at the Captain’s dinner,” Morris yelled from behind her back.

  Jules stopped short. Dammit, the Captain’s dinner. She gave a brief turn and a nod towards Morris. She couldn’t help but catch the mischievous smirk at the corner of Aaron’s lips letting her know that, despite her words about her city, he still felt he had the upper hand.

  Chapter 5

  “I have to keep the upper hand,” Aaron mumbled to himself as he made his way into the Captain’s dining room. Almost immediately though, he knew thinking that was nothing more than a pipe dream as he walked in and laid eyes on Jules, looking devastatingly sexy in a little white dress as she stood behind a chair next to the captain.

  Their eyes locked and for the briefest of moments he thought he may have caught an unfiltered second of joy flit across her features. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to run around the table and wrap his arms around her, pulling her body into his embrace to see what it would be like to feel her heart beat against his once again. But just as quickly as that look flashed, it was gone. Not so much faded but in a blink disappeared, her eyes talking on a cool and impassive gaze as she nodded and gave him nothing more than a bland upturn of her lips.

  Aaron frowned. He knew that smile and hated it. Hated the fact that it was directed towards him and not one of the other passengers. That smile was her working smile, warm enough, friendly enough, nice enough and sweet enough to make the guests aboard feel like they had a place in her heart—that she actually cared about them—but he knew the truth. He knew her from the inside out and knew that was just her “I’m just doing this to get through the day” smile. How did he know? Because he’d seen the true look of joy in her eyes when she was really connecting with a person, and this was not it.

  Aaron took a step forward, all his intentions going towards Jules, when the captain’s voice pulled him up short. “Mr. Manning, thank you for joining us and for being so prompt. I do appreciate that in a passenger.”

  Aaron looked around the large round table set for twelve and for the first time noticed that, yes, he was the only one from his party there. Dammit. In his eagerness did he completely blow any semblance of cool by showing up too early for the dinner? Trying to cover, he smiled smoothly at the captain. “Please, call me Aaron. I hope I’m not so early as to inconvenience you.”

  He looked at Jules. She was gorgeous in her sleeveless body skimming dress. “Though being early is
not a bad thing. It ensures that I get the best seat at the table.” He walked over to her and stood by the chair next to where she stood. “This one looks perfect. What do you think, Jules?”

  Jules gave him a hardened gaze as she looked around at the table. “Well, if you hadn’t noticed, Mr. Manning, there are place cards to indicate where you should sit.”

  “Aaron,” he corrected quickly and glanced around the table. “I’d think we’re way past things like last names. But if you insist. I’d be happy to oblige.”

  “No,” she said quickly, getting his intent. “Aaron. There is no need for formalities.”

  He looked down and noticed her name. Jules Monroe, written in elegant calligraphy, perched on a card in front of the place setting where she stood. He backtracked a few seats, looking for his own place card. He eventually found it. Four to the left of her. It was well placed in a specific spot for her to have her meal and almost pretend as if he wasn’t there. Aaron was sure this wasn’t by accident, but by design. He wasn’t next to her and not even across from her where he could occasionally catch a glimpse her way. He stopped in front of the place assigned to him, then looked at her challengingly as he picked up his card and brought it over to the chair next to hers. He picked up the card for Aimes Webber and went to switch it with his own. Jules covered his hand, stilling him.

  She frowned. “The seating was set up this way for a reason, Aaron. I hope you understand you can’t just go rearranging things in order to get what you want.”