***
"Ethan, you didn't tell me she was stunning." A handsome guy with dark brown hair and warm brown eyes reached for my hand as I walked up to the yacht where some familiar looking people stood around talking.
"Yes, I believe I did, and if I didn't, there was a reason for it." Ethan moved up beside me and put his arm over my shoulders. "Riley Phillips, meet my devious older brother, Liam Lewis. He's a scoundrel and a half, so watch him very closely."
Liam shook my hand and rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to a word he says. He's just worried I'll steal his girl, his house and his job."
"All in the same damn day, no doubt." Ethan released me and walked toward the boat. "Let's go peeps. Time to get this show on the road, or water as it were."
"Nice to meet you." I gave Liam a shy smile and pulled the strap to my bag up farther on my shoulder as Deza moved in closer and gave me a warm smile.
"The pleasure is all mine, pretty lady." Liam winked and jogged to catch up with Ethan.
"Wow. He's hot." I glanced over at Deza.
"And a total asshole. Keep that in mind." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"It might run in the family." I laughed and took the hand that Frank offered as we moved up onto the platform that led to the boat.
"Morning, Riley. You look pretty today." He gave me a warm, fatherly smile.
"Morning. You do too." I chuckled and moved past him, unable to keep my eyes from moving down and checking out Ethan's ass in his shorts. He had to be the sexiest man I'd ever laid eyes on. I wanted to see under the layers of clothing, and yet to do so would only muddy the already tainted waters between us.
He hopped down into the boat beside his brother and turned, lifting his hands to offer me help.
"I got it, but thank you." I moved to the side and hopped down beside him. "I love the water. Thanks for the invite."
"Of course. We were going to discuss a few scenes from the film, so you had to be here." He winked and offered Deza help too. She took it and thanked him before kicking off her sandals and pulling off her top. Ethan whistled playfully at her, and I couldn’t help but enjoy their relationship. If he and I didn't turn out to be lovers, I had to hope we could at least be really great friends like they were.
"Look but don't touch." She wagged her finger at him.
"Damn. I thought I was your type." His lip turned down into a frown.
"Not even close, Mister. Your skin is far too light for my liking." She shrugged and turned to walk toward the edge of the boat.
"I can get it dyed. I'm sure Nancy has something that would help us out. No need to let our love only go skin deep, Deza." He glanced over at me as his lip rose in a sexy smirk. "You like black men too, Riley?"
"Who doesn't?" I dropped my bag and purse on the boat beside me and kicked off my sandals. "They have incredible packages they usually bring to the relationship."
"Amen to that, sister." Deza glanced over her shoulder and laughed loudly as Ethan's expression changed with his emotion.
"I have a great package, thank you very much." He put his hands on his hips as Frank laughed and walked to join us at the edge of the boat.
"You need one for someone to put up with your personality." He patted Ethan on the back and moved to the other side of me as we laughed.
"You guys love me, and hate that it's keeping you up at night. I know jealousy when I see it." The sound of his voice rolled over me as I pressed my forearms to the railing and let my eyes move across the turbulent sea. It was beautiful and breathtaking, much like the handsome man behind me.
"All right beautiful people." I turned as Liam stopped beside Ethan and smiled. "Just a few rules on the boat today. No jumping off the side while we're moving, and no pushing Ethan off either. He's my retirement plan and if you harm him, I'll be forced to work until I'm at least forty. That's not happening, so behave."
We laughed as Ethan rolled his eyes and glanced over to his brother. To say Liam was handsome would have been an understatement. He was as good looking as his little brother and seemed to have a great personality, much like Ethan did as well. I wanted to know more about him seeing that he was the only person in Ethan's life from what Charlotte had told me.
"He's all of our retirement plans. No one is hurting the goods," Frank added his two cents.
"Keep it up, and I'll make sure to act a fucking fool in Rio." Ethan shrugged and gave us an adorable grin like only he could.
"Something tells me that you're going to do that no matter what we do." Deza moved over to him and pulled him into a hug from the side. "You've yet to grow up."
"Grow up? Who said anything about growing up?" His eyes moved over my face as he smiled. "Riley can be the grown up on the crew. She'll help you guys keep me in line."
"We don't have the funding to pay her to put up with you." Deza squeezed him as he groaned loudly. "I say we throw him overboard. Who's with me?"
I laughed and turned my back to them, enjoying the comradery, but feeling a little like I was on the outside looking in. It would take some time to get used to working with a close-knit group, but I'd get it down eventually.
"So Ethan tells me that you're a film student at UCLA." Liam moved up beside me and leaned against the railing, but left a comfortable distance between us.
"I am. I should graduate in May if I can work with my professors to help me out during these trips we're taking. They're all pretty excited for me, but rules are still rules." I smiled at him. "What do you do for a living?"
"I own an advertising agency that caters to women." He clasped his hands together and turned a little more toward me. "We have more female CEOs in Cali than anywhere else in the world. It just made sense to set up shop after college and cater to them, you know?"
"Brilliant targeted marketing. I love it." I glanced back out at the water. "And you never wanted to be an actor like Ethan is?"
"Hell no." He chuckled. "No offense, but having people pretend to love you in the business world is hard enough. I can't imagine having to do that shit on the big screen. Everyone thinks they know you, but they don't."
"Right." I glanced back to see Deza, Frank and Ethan laughing about something. The happiness on Ethan's face as he interacted with the other two members of our intimate-sized team warmed me. There was so much more to him than he was giving me access to. Maybe time would help forge a bond between us.
"He thinks you're quite special." Liam slipped his hands into his pockets. "I'd say he just might be right."
"Oh yeah?" I stood up and tilted my head to the side, studying Ethan's older brother closely. "And how would you know? You've just met me. It would seem that you, Mr. Lewis, are as much of a playboy as your younger brother."
"She's figuring us out, Liam. I told you she was beautiful and dangerous." Ethan moved up beside me as he tugged his polo over his head.
"Stop showing off." Liam popped him in the stomach and walked back toward the center of the boat.
"I'm not showing off. I just want some sun on my chest." He licked at the side of his mouth and turned his gaze onto me. "Was that showing off?"
"I don't think so, but maybe your brother knows something we don't." I laughed and reached down, pulling my dress off and tossing it toward the pile of stuff that belonged to me. I glanced down and fixed my bikini top to make sure I had full coverage.