Free Tempest Tossed: A Love Unexpected Novel by Alissa Adams Page B

physical exertion.
    "Really. I have to . . . get back to the kitchen—the galley. To work. Really."
    "I wasn't aware that you had much to do tonight."
    "Well no. But yes. I have to . . . several of the guys will stay on board. They'll want dinner. Please?" She leaned toward me, trying to get me to relieve her of the stubborn monkey hat. It was wicked of me, but seeing her squirm was just too funny. I knew she must have thought of me as a real man-whore and wanted nothing more than to get away from me. And even though man-whore is a pretty fair assessment from what she may have seen or imagined, some niggling little voice in my head wanted to prove that I was more than what met her eye.
    "It's still early. Why don't you keep me company for a while?" Lady D. was sorting through Rene's hair, plucking strand after strand out of the loose twist at the back of her neck. It was grooming behavior that the monkey reserved for only her favorite people. I was surprised and rather pleased that my little pet had taken a shine to our new chef.
    "What about your company? Won't you be missed?"
    "The girls can amuse themselves. I'm sure you could see that when you were spying on us."
    "I didn't . . . I wasn't . . ." She looked around the control room like she wanted a place to hide.
    "Oh but you were. I saw the curtain rustle. Did you enjoy the show?"
    "I didn't stay for the climax."
    "There may have been several." She shot me a look that was a mixture of disgust and embarrassment. I was baiting her but I had this intense desire to . . . I don't know . . . start something. Or maybe I just didn't want her to leave.
    "Look, Mr. Cruz. I'm a big girl. You haven't shocked me."
    "But you didn't stay for the grand finale, did you?"
    "I'm not into watching other people have sex. Okay?"
    "Actions speak louder than . . ."
    "I heard noises. You were only a few feet from my window."
    "I'm sorry they disturbed you."
    "It's your boat and you can do whatever you want on it."
    "You're quite right, I can. And what I want to do right now is have a civil conversation with you." I couldn't suppress a smile at how silly she looked with my monkey on her head. Rene rewarded my smile with a scowl. "Sit," I ordered.
    She parked her little frame as before, stiffly on the edge of her seat. Her body language said "I'm here, but it's not where I want to be." Lady D. moved back onto her shoulder and began examining Rene's ear.  Those minute fingertips explored Rene's sensitive ear and she involuntarily rolled her head onto her shoulder and laughed.
    "That tickles." She reached up and this time Lady D. allowed her to catch her in her hands. Rene held the monkey out in front of her face. "You're full of it, aren't you?" The monkey-charm smile was magic.
    "She likes you."
    "She's sweet. I like her, too."
    "But her master's another story?"
    Rene stood up again, this time handing my pet back to me. "I don't think that how I feel about you is important."
    " Sit down ." This time, the cat's eyed stare defiantly met my eyes. The thin line of her lips was white at the pursed edges. "We're going to spend a lot of time together on this journey. I think it would help if I knew where I stood."
    "You're my boss. That's where you stand. Isn't that enough of an opinion for you?"
    "No, it's not." I saw her hands clench at her sides and the flicker of something real close to anger crossed her face. "And, technically, I'm not your boss."
    "Stephen calls you 'the Boss'."
    "Stephen is both kind and wrong. It's a harmless illusion and there's no reason for me to argue with him. He doesn't know the whole story. He knows this barge belongs to my father. That's all. I'm more or less a perpetual guest—even a caretaker might be a better description. So, in the chain of command, you work for Stephen who works for my father." I never admitted my real circumstance to a woman. Never. The women I dated wanted to believe El Loco and all she represented belonged to me.  With Rene, I had this totally