DANNY
I jerk my head into the back of the limo seat. Henry has arrived to pick me up from work. I hate leaving the building early on a Friday, especially when there’s unfinished business because it means coming back on Monday to a fucking nightmare.
“Henry, tell me, did Adele put you up to this?” I smile at him through the window. He has it half-down. I’m not the type of boss that thinks of him as just my driver. He’s worked for me for so long that he's practically family.
“Well, she said that she wanted to make sure you’re on time to catch the yacht because they have a schedule with the skipper to keep.”
I’m just about to say something when my phone starts ringing. It’s Tony, my CFO. If he’s calling me within ten minutes of me leaving work, it’s obviously bad news.
“What?” I don’t even give him a chance to speak. “Do I need to come back to the office?”
He sighs. “No, no. I just wanted to give you a heads up so that on Monday morning you don’t have a fucking heart attack.”
I huff. “Well, I’m pissed as it is, Tony. My heart stopped when you said that the deal hasn’t gone through. It’s not even worth the amount that we’re paying. Just tell me what happened.”
“I fucking don’t know, Danny. Everything was set up. We were ready to go. Accounts team were here. The lawyers. It was the most fucking organized deal of the century! Then in a flash it just went wrong; they want double!”
I scream out loud. Maybe too loudly because Henry almost crashes the car. “Fucking double! They’re lucky we offered as much as we did. I don’t even want to get into the modeling industry. I just thought that I'd diversify the business, and then this opportunity came up.”
“I know. I felt the same way. But Adele recommended the agency and you wanted to roll with it. A franchise that could grow to every nation, instead of just being in the States.”
I hate it when he repeats my words, especially because the way I’m feeling right now I want to send them a fucking bill for wasting my time. “I'm going to turn around and come back to the office. Get the Board together, and we’ll take it from there…”
“Not on your life. This is Adele’s wedding. You’ve got to go. You need to be there for your sister, and as for this mess, it’ll still be here when you get back. There’s nothing that can be done now. It’s nearly Friday evening, everyone’s going home, it’s been a long fucking week, and I need a drink!”
I laugh. “You’re not the only one. Fuck!”
He sighs. “I know. Let me get a drink, and then we’ll talk on Monday.”
“Seven sharp!”
“I wouldn’t dare come in any later.”
We hang up, and I feel bad about the way that I spoke to him. It wasn’t Tony's fault that the first time I decide to diversify the company, it gets all fucked up.
Shit, I can’t wait to get on the yacht and have a fucking drink. A proper drink. Not the crap in the limo. Well, it’s not exactly crap, but it’s not the same as what I’m expecting my sister to be serving on the yacht.
“Sir, we’re here!” Henry announces on the intercom in the limo.
He opens the door, and I step out. I feel like running to the yacht for a drink. A shot of bourbon is called for. Knowing Dad, he’ll have a bottle of A.H. Hirsch Reserve tucked in his suite.
Henry can see I’m rattled. He knows better than to ask if everything’s okay. It’s not okay. It’s a disaster.
“I can’t fucking believe this! I thought that my day couldn’t get any worse, and it did! What the fuck is it, Friday the 13th?”
Henry shakes his head and says, “No sir.” I think he’s about to ask me why I'm overreacting when he sees the problem.
What the fuck is she doing here?
I can’t spend a weekend with her, and Adele knows it. I have a restraining order against Harper, my ex, for a reason. I want her to stay as far away from my as fucking possible. Harper’s excuse for all her crap was that I broke her heart! As if that’s justification for what she did to my family and me?
“Sir, what do you want to do?”
Henry knows about Harper and all her tricks. I'm usually in control of everything in my life, but when it comes to Harper, I lose my mind. It’s as if she knows how to turn on the insane switch in my brain.
I speed dial my sister, seeing as I’m a little late and she’ll most likely be on the yacht already. “You won’t believe who I’ve just seen.” I get straight to the point.
“Danny, is that you?”
“Shit, Adele. What in the hell is Harper doing getting on the fucking yacht for your wedding?”
She clears her throat. “Where are you?”
Typical Sis, trying to avoid the topic. I should have realized that she purposely forgot to tell me that the one person I have a restraining order against is coming on the trip.
“Never mind that. You’re my sister, and I love you, but this is too much. I went to court so that this one woman would stay as far away from me as possible, and you invite her to your wedding! How could you forget to tell me that?”
“Because she’s gotten the help that she needed. Seriously, Bro. If I didn’t think that she was better, then I wouldn’t have invited her. Mom’s cool with her being here. Why can’t you be?”
I shake my head. I know that Harper is Adele’s best friend, but somehow I thought that their friendship would have stopped the moment I told her the truth about what happened—that the bitch is fucking crazy.
“Danny, please. You’re my big brother, and I really need you to be there.”
Fuck! She’s emotionally blackmailing me the same way she did when she found out that Harper was nuts and wanted to help. The only way to help her was to stay as far away from her as possible. I’ve done a really good job of that until now.
“But why do you think that she’s okay now? I just don’t think I can do this. I know this means a lot to you, but she’s fucking nuts. The deal you recommended fell through, and I’m having a shit day. It’s just gotten worse.”
“She’s my best friend, and I went out of my way to help her. I had to. Look, everyone’s calling me. Just come. If she gets crazy or even starts anything, then I’ll turn my back on her. I promise. I love you...”
“But you love her, too. I know.”
I know that it hit Adele more than anyone. Part of me blamed myself. I brought Harper into our lives, and even worse, I made out that she was going to be my life.
“I’m coming. I’ve just had an idea.” I hang up as I see a red-haired beauty walking towards the boat. She could be the answer to my prayers.
I don’t run unless I’m jogging, but I know that I need to catch up to this woman before she boards the yacht.
“Miss. Miss…” I shout after her.
“Who, me?” she asks as she turns to me.
Once I see her emerald eyes, my cock twitches at the thought of her being on all fours sucking me off. She’s so fucking hot!
“Yes, you. Are you working on the ship?”
She sighs. “Am I being sacked?”
“No. I need to know what they’re paying you.”
She shakes her head. “Nope.” Then she starts to walk away.
“I’m a guest on the ship.” I circle her, forcing her to stop. “I need you to pretend to be with me for the trip. Whatever they’re paying you, I’ll double it. All you need to do is pretend to be my…”
“Girlfriend?”
I shake my head. Girlfriend won’t cut it. Besides, the last one I had ended up with a few dead animals on her doorstep.
“Fiancée.” I correct her.
“In that case, you better make it triple.”
“What?”
She may be hot, but she’s driving a hard bargain.
She puts her hands on her hips as if she’s considering it. “No sex. Right?”
I extend my hand to her. “Deal.” Nothing else matters but keeping Harper as far away from me as possible.
The red-haired beauty shakes my hand. “I hope it will be a pleasure doing business with you.”
I hope this isn't a mistake, I think only a second before I see Harper.
“Danny! Danny!” She’s screaming at the top of her lungs as she stands on the deck.
The beautiful stranger whispers as she draws closer to me, “Is she the one? The reason that you want me to pretend?”
I don’t hesitate in taking charge, spinning her towards me and engaging her in a kiss. I invite my tongue into her mouth, and she doesn’t deny me as my hands start to prowl along her shoulders.
This will really get to Harper. She knows I hate kissing. I fuck. Never kiss. Harper was the last woman that I kissed, and she knew that it was something special for me.
Harper put me off of relationships for life, yet I start to hold this stranger as if I possess her. I told her that she'd be pretending to be my fiancée, but already I’m giving her a little taste of something else. Something that I didn’t have in mind earlier.
She’s moaning and enjoying the rhythm of my touch. My erection is pressing against her stomach. And then I feel things spiraling out of control. If I don’t stop now, I’ll end up fucking her on the dock.
I pull away from her. Her eyes are closed. I'm amused by the sight of her with her mouth open and her head tilted back as if we’re still kissing.
“Hello?” I say gently.
She snaps out of it.
Harper seems to have disappeared. I hope that she got the message.
The stranger whispers, “Wow! That was some kiss.”
“We still have a deal, right?”
She hesitates before replying, “Yes. My name’s Lenka, by the way.”
Wow, the right name for someone as sexy as her.
I incline my head. “Danny. Danny Turner. Where are your things, Lenka? We need to board the yacht together.”
“This is it.” She turns, and I see a backpack so tiny that it can't possibly contain enough clothes for the voyage. Then again, I guess she only packed for work. It’s as if she’s thinking the same thing as she runs in the opposite direction shouting, “Wait a minute. I think I have an idea!”