Chapter 7

River stared at the hottest woman he’d ever met, torn between wanting to shake some sense into her and needing to hold her again to calm the fear he could see swimming in her eyes. She couldn’t be afraid of him, could she? That didn’t make any sense.

His body still hummed from the contact. Sensations pulsed everywhere she’d touched him, her silky hair tickling his neck, and her warm cheek nestling against his chest. He’d almost stopped breathing from the intensity of her presence. He’d never felt such a potent attraction to woman before. And he definitely had never before felt such a burning desire to protect a woman that wasn’t family.

He imagined how Pippa would look like in the throes of passion, screaming his name from her luscious lips. His eyes roamed her figure while she struggled to pull herself together. She’d twisted her thick hair into a haphazard knot on top of her head which allowed him to view the elegant curve of her neck. He fought the urge to place his lips there to get a taste of her skin.

Her alluring, fresh, flowery smell still lingered in his nose and he wanted, no he needed, to get more of it. To discover the flavor of her arousal. His body hardened at the mere thought of her writhing in his arms.

River’s pulse sped up, pumping blood into his groin, as he examined her white t-shirt. It ended just above the waistband of her cut off shorts, giving him a glimpse of tan, tight skin and muscle. Her jeans were cut so short, the pockets stuck out along the tops of her thighs, and he knew if she turned around, he’d be able to glimpse the curve of her butt cheeks peeking out from beneath the frayed hemline.  Her long and graceful, perfectly-tanned legs completed the picture of pure sexiness in the flesh.

Pippa stared at him in absolute horror. A twitching in his shorts reminded him to calm the hell down. No wonder she’s afraid of you. She’s your employee, not your bed bunny. Get a grip, man!

River couldn’t help but glance one last time at her small feet, the vibrant deep purple toe nails, peeking out from her flimsy flip flops. A little pinky ring adorned her right foot and visions came to his mind, where he used his mouth to remove it and then lick his way up her leg…This had to stop. Like now. This woman was off-limits. Consider her one of your brother’s girlfriends. That will help. That would make her untouchable. Unfantasizeable.

River cleared his throat and then gestured toward the rest of the boat. “I really need to show you where to store your things and get back to finishing up a few chores.”

“I’m not sure I understand…” Pippa glanced at him and bit her bottom lip, worrying the pink flesh with her perfectly straight, white teeth.

“Understand what?” he asked, wishing he knew what was terrifying her.

“You hired me to bartend.”

“No. I hired you to be my assistant. I run a scuba diving company.” He watched as her brain processed what he’d said.

“You expect me to … live on the boat?” Pippa’s coarse voice and the scarcely hidden fear tugged at his heartstrings.

“That’s right. You work on the boat. We leave for Curacao today and won’t come back until next week.” River assumed she knew all that from his conversations with the clerk at the temp agency. But then, he wasn’t sure anymore what exactly he’d said to that idiot.

“Since we never actually talked about your tasks, here’s what I expect from you,” he said, giving her an encouraging smile. “I’ll need you to take care of the paperwork, answer the phone – whenever we have connection, answer business email, make reservations for upcoming cruises, help with getting the guests settled, talk to the harbor and border officials…basically, all of the administrative and hospitality type details.”

“I understand.” Pippa seemed to fight with herself, then she blurted out, “I’m sorry. I can’t do it.” She pushed past him as if he were the devil impersonate, dashed across the gangway and literally ran up the pier, leaving him staring after her.

Her sudden departure sent him completely off-kilter. He leaned back against the bulkhead, trying to process what had just happened. Women! What a fickle bunch!

Anger rose in his chest. Anger that she’d stood him up, when she’d been the one begging for a chance. But at the same time, worry tugged at his heart. Worry about her.

Why do I even care? I just met her. She’s not even my type.

His body apparently thought otherwise as he adjusted his shorts. In a foul mood, he grabbed his toolbox to finish working, giving it an annoyed shake. Now he’d have to do this whole damn tour alone. But in that moment his phone rang with the ringtone reserved for family.

“What now?” River bellowed into the phone.

“That’s a nice way to answer the phone,” his brother Chuck replied. Chuck was five years older than River and one of the most sought-after private investigators in California. He lived in Los Angeles with his girlfriend Linda Ross, the daughter of A-list Hollywood actress Evangelina Ross.

Before River had a chance to change his tone of voice, Chuck flew into inquisition mode. “What’s wrong, bro?”

“Nothing.” River wouldn’t tell his brother about the mysterious Pippa and the effects she had on him – body and soul.

“Hmm…lemme guess. A woman? You dumped her, because she got attached?”

“Wrong.” River sighed. He had to give Chuck something, or his brother would be on his tail like a hungry bloodhound. “Well, it’s about a woman, but not the way you think.” River explained how he’d come to hire Pippa and then ended with the words, “When I wanted to show her the boat, she freaked out. She took off like a bat out of hell, and I haven’t a clue as to why.”

“And you care about the why?” Chuck asked casually.

“Yeah, I do. Pippa looked so terrified. I’m worried about her.”

“Man, I never thought I’d see the day when your player days would end.” River could almost see Chuck’s grin right through the phone.

“What are you talking about?” River stared up the pier where Pippa had disappeared.

“You’re in love with this girl. That’s what I’m talking about.”

“That’s insane. I just met her yesterday. You can’t fall in love with someone the first time you meet them. That’s a myth women made up…charming prince finding Cinderella and all that…”

“Or not. What’s her name?” Chuck asked.

“You’re not going to check her out,” River warned.

“Hey, if you’re hiring her, it’s only good business practice to run a background check.”

“I’m not hiring her, idiot. She ran away, remember?” Chuck’s big-brotherly behavior didn’t help to brighten River’s mood.

“Come on. Just give me her name, in case she returns,” Chuck insisted.

“Pippa Kensington.”

“Kensington? The Philippa Kensington? Waist-length brown hair, blue eyes?”

“Yeah. That’s her.” River had no idea where this was going.

“If I were you, I’d keep my hands off of her. She just came out of the ugliest divorce case of the decade. Even you, living in the rosy bubble of your Caribbean paradise must have heard of it. Notorious society playboy, Daniel Larue against Philippa Kensington, only child to Ralph Kensington, investment banker and financial advisor to the President?”

“No, I don’t. I’ve got better things to do than follow trashy celebrity gossip. Like finding a new assistant,” River said, but Chuck had piqued his curiosity. Now he wanted to learn more about her.

“Sorry, can’t help you with that, bro. You leaving Aruba today?”

“Yeah. I’ll have to pick up new guests in Curacao and will be back here in a week from now. Hopefully, by then I’ll have a new assistant, doing the tour alone is hell.” River turned to pick up his toolbox with his free hand and froze in his tracks.

“Take care,” Chuck said.

“You, too. Say hello to everyone.” River hurried to disconnect the call and then picked up the heavy backpack. Pippa’s backpack.

If she played in the big leagues, why was she on Aruba, looking for a job at a beach bar? His curiosity bounced around inside his head.

River weighed her backpack in his hand, wondering about Pippa’s story. Then he set out to find her.