“Morning, morning!” James greets me cheerily as I stumble into the Galley.

“Yeah, yeah,” I reply, half asleep.

I glance at the clock: 7:35AM. “How the hell are you so energetic this time of day?”

“Two espressos and counting, love,” James states as he rolls out some dough. “You could do with one.”

I plop myself down on the stool. “Por favor,” I acknowledge as I look up at him helplessly.

As James is making my coffee, our radios buzz.

“Bobby, Bobby, Captain,” pausing. “The new equipment I ordered that the fire damaged is ready for pick up. I need to get it hooked up before the guests arrive in a couple hours. There aren’t any slips available for us to dock, so you’ll have to take the tender boat into town to go collect it. And bring one of the boys to help you – they’re heavy.”

I casually listen to their conversation as I play Tetris on my iPhone.

“Sorry, Captain Kathryn, but it rained all night and it’s all we can do the get the furniture uncovered and the decks and fixtures dried in time for the guests,” Bobby fires back. The radio is silent for a few seconds before he adds, “It’ll have to be one of the girls.”

My ears prick up now.

“Lucca, Lucca, Captain.”

My breath catches in my chest as I raise the radio to my mouth. “Go for Lucca.”

“I need you to grab one of the girls to go pick up the equipment.” Kathryn’s voice is flat.

I begin sweating.

“Uh, Quinn is on late tonight so she’s still sleeping for a few more hours yet. And, uh … Willa is just starting the guest Cabins.” I pause, my mind racing with what I should do. “Do you want me to go wake Quinn up?”

The radio is silent for a solid minute before Kathryn comes on again.

“No. We will go. Meet me in the tender boat in ten minutes.”

Oh no. I wasn’t entirely confident at driving a tender … and that wasn’t even my biggest problem here.

James looks at me. “Fun little outing with Cap. How nice,” he teases.

Ignoring him, I down my shot of espresso and hightail it up to the stern.

Bobby already has the tender garage door open and is slipping the boat into the water as I approach. “Sorry about that, Chief. Just so much to do on deck here after the rain.”

“It’s fine,” I mutter as I climb onboard.

On the inside, I was freaking out at the prospect of being alone with Kathryn for the first time since that day Willa walked in on us. Do I play it cool? Do I run up to her and kiss her once we’re out to sea? Do I try to talk about things?

Ultimately, I decide to follow Kathryn’s lead. As per usual, I joke.

I’m just sitting behind the steering wheel, concentrating on my breathing when I see a lanky figure appear on the dock as Kathryn steps into the tender.

I watch as she sits herself in the very back of the boat, draping an arm around the back of her seat and crossing her legs. Outfitted in her usual Epaulettes, I notice that this morning she is sporting a pair of aviator sunglasses and Sperry boat shoes. Somehow, these accessories really polished off her Captain’s ensemble and made her look … adorable – a word I hadn’t associated with Kathryn before. In all honesty, she looked like a supermodel that was dressing up as a boat Captain for a photoshoot – equal parts stunning and cute.

I turn in my seat to start the ignition.

As we move away from the yacht, I can’t help but notice the irony of our situation: Kathryn can commandeer a yacht that weights 700 gross tons, yet she expects to be chauffeured on this tiny tender boat.

We pick up speed and sail across the water. I turn my head slightly to the right, pretending that I’m looking at something across the water in an effort to sneak a look at Kathryn.

Out of my peripheral vision, I can see that Kathryn is staring straight at me, despite there being so much else she could be looking at.

As we get nearer to the dock, I pull back on the throttle. Now noticing movement from behind me, I turn my head again slightly to find Kathryn gliding up the length of the boat towards me. I feel her hands on the back of my chair as she stands behind me. My stomach drops.

“Turn the wheel all the way to the left,” she commands, raising her sunglasses to rest on her head now.

I do as instructed as the boat’s stern pulls away from the direction of the dock.

“Throttle forward.”

I give the boat a little bit of acceleration.

“All the way to the right now, throttle in reverse!” Kathryn is speaking more quickly. “That’s it, cut it!”

“Don’t quit your day job, Chief Stew,” she murmurs sarcastically as she moves to the bow line, tossing it over to the dock attendant. Now, she grabs the stern line and steps out of the tender. adana escort Bending down, she quickly ties a cleat hitch knot before striding off of the dock.

I climb out of the boat and powerwalk after her, swerving in an out of an already populated street before we reach the Marine Supply.

I stand next to Kathryn, feeling like a small child as she relays our order to the worker.

She doesn’t look at me or acknowledge my presence as I remain next to her.

Guess this is how it’s going to be for the rest of the season.

Within a minute, two employees bring out two large identical boxes, plopping them on the counter. She effortlessly picks one up and turns to walk out of the store.

I grab onto the second box. Dragging it off the counter, I almost drop it onto the floor as the full weight settles in my arms.

This parcel had to weigh at least sixty pounds … how is Kathryn carrying this with her slender ballerina arms?

I find her halfway down the street already, and I race behind her. I hadn’t realized how long Kathryn’s legs truly were, I guess.

Back at the boat, Kathryn takes one large step onboard and sets her box on the floor. She proceeds to make herself comfortable in her original seat again, resuming her relaxed position.

I stand there on the dock for a moment. Realizing that I can’t maneuver as fluidly as she did, I set the box on the dock. Climbing into the tender, I reach back over, awkwardly grabbing hold of the parcel and slowly lifting it into the boat.

Kathryn just watches me the entire time.

Almost as if she enjoys to see me struggle, I grumble to myself.

The dock attendant releases the lines and chucks them into our boat as I begin to reverse.

We fly across the ocean again in the direction of the yacht. I use my peripheral vision to keep tabs on Kathryn for a second time.

She’s just staring at me! I turn my head back, waiting another minute before turning to the side again. I can see that her gaze upon my backside is unmistakably unwavering as she seems to be studying me from behind.

Once we approach the yacht, Kathryn once again throws the line as Bobby pulls us closer to the garage.

When we’re next to it, she starts to step out.

“Thanks,” she mutters in my direction as she rises out of the tender. “And one of you boys – grab a box and bring it up to the Sky Lounge … Lucca will bring the other one up.” She strides down the dock.

What the hell?

Liam jumps into the tender and bends down to pick up one of the boxes.

“Urggh,” he groans as he straightens up with it. “You girls carried these?” looking at me incredulously now.

“Hard to believe, isn’t it,” I say with a smile as I rub my already sore biceps.

“Pete, come get the other one,” Liam orders as Peter offers his hand to me, helping me out of the tender. “You’re not carrying that all the way up there … what a fucking Sea Witch.” The boys laugh in unison at his comment.

“Thanks, guys …” I leave them as I head back indoors.

So this was how it was going to be: Blatantly ignoring me, occasionally interrupted by snide comments and spite.

I feel my heart sink ever lower than it already had the past few days.

This was going to be a long couple of charters.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

For the last full day of the current guests’ charter, they had requested a beach lunch shindig.

The rest of crew always hated these – mostly because they were a ton of work. I felt neutral about them; although it was a lot of work to get everything packed up, attempting to anticipate everything the guests could ever possibly need – from sunblock, to salt, to more booze than they thought they’d require, to Band-aids – my job was pretty much over once they left the boat with the other crew members.

I generally sent both Stews and a Deckhand to look after the guests on land, while I held down the fort back on board. In all reality, I took the opportunity for a much needed break when the guests were off the boat.

Today was no exception. It was early afternoon when all the provisions, guests, and crew were loaded on the tender as I waved them off.

James, Bobby, and Liam were the only crew that remained on board and the ship was – for the first time in three days – quiet.

Oh. And Kathryn, I remind myself.

She and I had been doing such an excellent job of avoiding one another these past couple days that I found myself forgetting she was still on board.

Even though Kathryn haunted my thoughts almost every waking hour, she was beginning to become but a memory as I was forced to go about my days without her, working twelve ankara escort to fifteen hours at a time.

In all honesty, I wasn’t upset about the long days if it meant that I was thoroughly distracted.

As much as I wanted to see her, part of me was relieved. The pain in my chest was unbearable during the rare times that we were forced to come into contact, so I was more than thankful that those times were far and few in between.

I descend the stairs to my Cabin and change into a yellow Kate Spade sundress, removing the elastic from my ponytail and letting my hair cascade around my shoulders.

I glance at the clock on the wall.

1:18PM.

Perfect, I think to myself. They probably won’t be back to the boat before 3:30PM.

I head up to the aft deck to lay out in the sun awhile. I stretch myself out on a lounge chair, put my AirPods in, and flip to the music app on my iPhone. I hit ‘shuffle’ and Be Kind by Marshmellow the same stairs that for so long solicited a mix of butterflies, excitement, and arousal.

Those feelings are all but gone, now being replaced by queasiness and sadness.

How far you’ve fallen, I think to myself.

When I reach the door, I knock.

After a minute, it swings open, startling me and causing me to take a step back.

Kathryn just stands there in the doorway while we stare back at each other.

She’s wearing her Epaulettes as per usual, but this time, she looks completely different.

Taking her in for a moment, I realize that Kathryn now feels like a total stranger.

Why is that?

She glances down at my dress before looking back up at my face. I do my best to read her expression. Emotionless.

This woman would seriously kill in Vegas, what with her outstanding poker face.

She steps to the side to let me in and closes the door behind me.

I take another step into the Bridge but no further. The tension is palpable as she moves to the captain’s chair and sits. She spins it around to face me.

It’s the energy in the room, I decide. It’s completely different. That’s why Kathryn feels like a total stranger now.

“Sit down.” Her voice cuts through the air like a knife to butter.

“I’d rather not,” I say defiantly.

She gives me a chilling stare before repeating the request. “I really wish you’d sit.”

This time, I know it isn’t a request. I pull out a chair from the table and sit down.

Once I’m seated, she speaks again.

“First of all, where the hell is your uniform,” more of a statement than a question.

“I’m on a break. The guests are off the boat for a couple hours.”

I adjust the position in my chair, crossing my legs. As a result, my dress creeps further up my thighs, causing Kathryn to involuntarily glance down. Her eyes linger for a moment.

She meets my gaze again. “That dress is not appropriate to wear around guests. Make sure you’re in your uniform before they’re back onboard.”

“Why, don’t you like it?” I retort sarcastically, crossing my arms now.

I continue meeting her icy glare, pretending as though I’m not utterly losing my shit on the inside.

“I guess it doesn’t matter anymore, does it,” she counters, taking me by surprise. I was honestly not expecting a response to my question.

We persist with our battle of wills, both refusing to break eye contact.

She goes on. “And your radio? I notice that this little outfit of yours has neither a belt nor pockets. You’re telling me that you’ve been carrying it around with you?”

“I – it – Yeah, I had it with me. I just left it when I came up here,” I lie, remembering our little radio incident from early on.

Kathryn ignores my response.

“I’ll be moving the boat tonight around 8PM and heading to port. Wind speeds are going to be 35 knots, and it won’t be safe to sit out here in the middle of the ocean. I know the guests were looking forward to going night diving but that’ll have to be cancelled,” pausing.

“So, I’ll need you to come up with an activity for them to do tomorrow morning – to make it up to them – before they depart.” Her voice is flat but soft.

The unsteady woman I had seen in the Bridge mere days ago is all but gone.

Glad to see you’re back to your old self, I guess. I can’t decide whether at this point, Kathryn is now hiding emotion or truly experiencing a lack thereof.

Not knowing is killing me.

“I can arrange for a couple of masseuses to come onboard. The guests might like to enjoy a long massage after brunch,” I say as I match her emotionless tone.

“Excellent.”

“All sorted then,” I state as I start to rise from my seat.

“No. Sit down.” Kathryn’s adıyaman escort voice is even quieter now, and it unsettles me.

I sit again. She takes a sip of water from the glass resting on the control panel, observing me over the rim as she does so.

Those eyes.

Even though brown may certainly be the most common eye color, I still had never happened upon a more hypnotic pair. And I knew that I most likely wouldn’t again, either; eyes that made me melt every time they met my gaze; eyes that made me absolute putty where I stood – or in this case, sat.

I feel myself involuntarily swallow. Was this nervousness or was I beginning to get turned on?

Placing the glass down, she leans back in her chair, setting both arms on either armrest.

Silence.

Kathryn watches me intently, completely still. Her unwavering gaze and power ‘stance’ makes me fidget in my seat.

I’m caught off guard as a new emotion in me is now bubbling to the surface: anger.

I stare back at her. My heartbeat begins to quicken, my breathing accelerating.

How dare she force me to sit here but then have nothing to say to me? What kind of power trip was this, exactly?

I find myself becoming more furious by the second – The only reason we were in this predicament was because of her. Kathryn knew exactly what she had been doing, starting with the small seductions leading to the culmination of … whatever this had been.

Yep. This was all Kathryn, I tell myself.

I mean – she knew that this was inappropriate from the start. The risks were the same on day one as they were on our final day together. Nothing had changed. So, why did she suddenly care what the consequences were?

Why now, after I’d fallen so hard for her?

I find myself wishing that she’d never touched me. That I never met her.

But the moment these thoughts manifest in my mind, they just as quickly evaporate due to a tightening in my chest; a sensation that tells me I don’t actually wish these things at all.

Now, I’m back to anger, although it’s a different type than it was a moment ago; anger at the discovery that I still very much care.

I’m jarred out of my rollercoaster of emotions when Kathryn breaks the silence.

“Have you told anyone about us?”

I just stare back at her, incredulous. “Are you serious?”

My question goes unanswered, and we sit in the stillness again. This time, my fury is too much to contain.

“And what do you mean, ‘us’? There is no ‘us’, and it’s clear that there never was an ‘us.'”

My abrupt little outburst seems to have an effect on Kathryn, with her stone-cold face now softening.

“Lucca, it’s not -“

“Go fuck yourself, Kathryn,” I cut her off as I emphasize her name. I am now only realizing that this is the first time I’d actually referred to her by her first name, without a title.

Her chest is beginning to rise and lower more rapidly now, and I notice that her hands are gripping the ends of the armrests tightly.

Shit. Maybe I’d gone too far.

I don’t have to wonder for too long.

Without warning, Kathryn stands up. She languidly moves towards me.

I freeze, unsure of what to make of this unexpected movement. I decide to stay seated, figuring that I’m probably fucked already anyway.

Now towering over me, she surveys me from above for a moment. I look up at her briefly, but her penetrating gaze inadvertently makes me look away.

I feel Kathryn’s hand move nonchalantly to the back of my head. She sharply tugs the back of my hair downwards so that I’m forced to look up at her again.

I cry out in a combination of pain and surprise.

She holds my head like that for another minute as I helplessly look up at her. Her glare is unwavering and never moves from my eyes.

Bending over now, she lowers her face so that it’s an inch from mine.

“Who do you think you are, little Chief Stew, disrespecting your Captain in such a manner?” She’s barely whispering.

My breathing has now become ragged. Any last-ditch attempt at holding onto my remaining anger has failed. In its place – desire. And Kathryn knows it.

My eyes involuntarily move down to her luscious lips as she flicks her tongue over the bottom one.

I can see that her own pupils have dilated with arousal as she lowers her lips to mine.

There is no tenderness here. I feel my lips part as our tongues furiously brush against one another’s, and I moan into her mouth.

I feel her hands rest on the straps of my dress before she pulls away from my lips and tugs it up and over my head with force, discarding it somewhere behind me.

Kneeling down, she undoes my bra with her right hand while pulling it off of me with her left in one swift motion.

Kathryn now attacks a nipple, sucking and twirling the bud around with her tongue before biting down and pulling. Not used to the sensation, I gasp loudly before being fully aware of the direct after-effect it has on my pussy.