REED

My time off Meridian couldn’t come any sooner. I’d had to spend four days explaining every function of the rig to the new Health and Safety Officer—Ainsley, aka Troublemaker, pain in my ass. There was nothing healthy, nor safe, about her being around me as I tried hard not to cause an accident each time she bent over—her skimpy skirts stretching around her hips and ass. They should be labeled hazardous. I had to give it to her though; she did her homework. She knew the exact questions to ask. I respected that, but hell would freeze over before I said it out loud.

After the first day’s shoe incident, she learned her lesson and started coming in wearing steel-toed boots and a hard hat. Both looked ridiculous on her since she never bothered to change into more sensible clothes, and each time she took off her hat, she’d reach up to her head and fluff her hair back to its natural volume. I was a schmuck who followed each flick of her fingers—wanting…wishing my fingers were running through her red locks instead. Every time I wondered if she was doing it on purpose, knowing full well how fucking hot she was in her designer suits.

Each time she was near me, all I wanted to do was taste her. Then she would open her mouth and question everything. The problem was she knew her stuff. Whenever she threw a question, her lips pursed and she tilted her head just so, as if to let me know she understood each word I said, which she did. As soon as she figured it out, her eyes would twinkle. And my cock would twitch in adulation.

Two days ago, I’d decided not to say much, so I could see if the gold would still flicker in her bright blue eyes, and if I’d feel the surge of blood in my crotch. It was some form of punishment.

Yesterday, she’d caught me ogling her while she licked her full bottom lip with the tip of her tongue as she scrawled reports on the clipboard she always carried. Her eyes flitted up, and fire met fire. She held my gaze a moment too long. When she winked, I knew I was doomed. I had to spend the rest of the day hiding like a pussy in my room, trying to come up with excuses why I’d stared at her for that long. I came up empty-handed, horny and frustrated.

Ainsley had become too much of a distraction. If I wasn’t careful, the boys would take notice. Fuck if I’d let that happen. Today, I could breathe, knowing I wouldn’t have to survive each passing moment with her around me for a few days. If I was still affected by her, by some Voodoo Magic, while I was off the rig, I’d easily find a woman I could bury myself in for the night.

With my duffel bag over my shoulder, I shaded my eyes when I looked up to see the chopper approaching. As I strutted to the helipad, my heart beat faster than the blades of the chopper. Until the door opened and only Steve Jones stepped out. A sense of confusion and—if I was going to admit it—disappointment overcame me. I was expecting to at least see a glimpse of Ainsley, anticipating a single moment with her before I spent my days off on shore.

Shaking my head and clearing my throat, I shook hands with the engineer.

“You came alone,” I said flatly, stating the obvious over the loud rotor blades. Before he noticed my dismay, I added, “Thank God.”

Steve chortled. “She’s not all bad,” he said, and yet, his shoulders shook while he continued laughing. “She’s spending the next few days in the office, typing up reports.”

I offered a noncommittal grunt. “Well, I’m off. See you tonight for Jackson’s party?” He nodded and a wide grin spread on his face. I clapped a hand over his shoulder and shook his hand again before boarding the helicopter.

When I sat back after putting the headpiece on, I had a hell of a time telling myself to relax the fuck down. This is a good thing, I told myself. I didn’t need to see her. She wasn’t anything but a nuisance. I almost believed myself if I also didn’t think of ways I could bump into her while I was on the island.

* * *

First order of business as soon as I dumped my duffel bag by the door, I dialed Ma’s number and waited for her to pick up. Last I spoke with her, my father wasn’t doing well. It was almost dinner time at home, and the best time to reach my family. Instead of Ma answering, the sweet, although tired, voice of my younger sister greeted me.

“’lo?”

“Hey, squirt, what are you doing there?” I asked, panic choking my throat. If Reagan was back home, it could only mean one thing. Pops had gotten worse.

“Well, it’s lovely to hear your voice too, Reed.”

“Yeah, yeah. What’s going on? How’s Pops?” I scrubbed a hand over my beard, and grabbed a beer from my fridge.

Reagan’s sigh was deeper than I’d ever heard. She’d always been the problem-solver in the family, while I normally created chaos. It had come from her becoming a mother too early in her life and maturing too fast.

“He’s home…for now. He’s a stubborn ass like you.” I ignored the side jab. “Didn’t want to stay longer in the hospital.”

“What the hell? And you let him?”

“I didn’t! I had to deal with Deacon. When I came back, he was home.”

Taking a long swig of my beer, I contemplated on what to deal with first—my father or my nephew. Neither one was easy to deal with. “What did the doctor say?”

I could hear her shuffling around, cabinets opening, the faucet running and then chopping. “Dr. Edison agreed to let him stay home for a few days. Probably ‘cause Pops caused too much problem at the hospital. I think he’s going senile, Reed. He was yelling at the nurses and being increasingly difficult.”

I scoffed. “That’s nothing new.” We both laughed, silently agreeing that our father had never made it easy for anyone, including and most especially, me.

“It may be for the best. Ma’s taking days off work while he’s here, and Dr. Edison said he’d stop by once a day to check on him.” She continued chopping, which was never a good thing. As brilliant and independent as my sister was, she was a horrible cook. I chose not to tease her about it, as it could very well be the reason my father would return to the hospital.

I took my beer to my backyard and stretched on one of my deck loungers. “What’s going on with Dec?”

Reagan sighed again; her chopping paused. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Sounds like you do.”

“No, wise ass. I really don’t,” she said, but as soon as she continued chopping, she kept talking. “I’m hoping it’s a phase. This town isn’t exactly Disneyland. He’s probably bored. He didn’t want me to leave him with a sitter at home, so he’s causing all sorts of shit here.”

“Disneyland? A sitter? There’s your problem right there. He’s not five anymore, and you’re still treating him like he’s a toddler.”

“You really want to start with that again? Seriously? How about you get your butt here and help out with Pops? Force him to eat his vegetables and take his damn meds. You, ass!”

I scratched my forehead, stifling a laugh. Reagan was all bark and no bite, but if I pushed harder, she’d read me the riot act by heart. As a single mother, she’d been through enough…too much at a young age. She herself was still a kid when her son was born. But nothing could stop her from reaching her goals.

“Relax, will you? If Dec’s being difficult, I could call up some of the guys there, find him something to do.”

“Hell no, you’re not going to do that.” Her voice pitched higher, which meant she was even more pissed off about the idea.

“What, Reagan? You clearly need help. I have friends who can help.”

“You don’t have friends. You haven’t had friends here since you left to live in paradise.” While she badgered me, her chopping got louder and louder. I felt bad for the vegetables she was murdering. She wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t completely right. When I left Memory, Illinois I’d cut off all ties I had with the small town, except for a select few, those who’d sided with me when all hell broke loose.

“I could call four guys, and they’d be there in a flash.” She snorted and chuckled drily, mocking me. “Let me call Jude—” Before I could keep going, she swore and hung up the phone. Knowing Reagan, she’d be simmering the entire night. It would be best to let her be. It was bad enough she was the one making dinner. I didn’t want her angry on top of that. Still holding the phone in my hand, I pondered on whom to call next. Reagan would be able to take care of Ma and Pops, but the issue she was having with Deacon was a different matter. Having no experience with children myself, I was more than useless, not counting the fact I was miles away from where they were, and had been away most of Deacon’s life.

Without a second of hesitation, I dialed my best friend’s number. It went straight to his voicemail. Even if I didn’t leave a message, he’d know I’d called, but I couldn’t stop myself from talking, even though Reggie would castrate me once she found out I didn’t listen to her. “Hey, it’s me. Listen, my sister is in town. She’s helping out with Pops…” I chose my words carefully. “I’ve never told you this because she made me promise not to tell anyone…you know Reggie and her bubble…but she’s with her son, Deacon, and he’s not making things easy for her. Just keep an eye out. You don’t have to do anything else. And for fuck’s sake, don’t tell Reagan I told you this. Just make sure the kid doesn’t do anything stupid, and if he does, handle it.”

I drank my beer after I hung up. I might have inadvertently caused World War III. Since there wasn’t much I could do, I planned the rest of my day in my head, ignoring any thoughts of Ainsley. No, I didn’t care about where she was going to eat at lunch, or what she’d be doing after work. Or if I could find out where she lived and…

I groaned into my hands. I didn’t want to be a damn stalker, but I was turning into one. However, the island wasn’t huge. It wouldn’t take long for me to find out where she was staying. I finished my drink and walked back into my house, undressing as I went straight to bed. Maybe all the unexplainable desires I had for Ainsley was from exhaustion. Slamming onto the mattress, I covered my eyes with my forearm and hoped sleep would come soon.

* * *

Well rested, shaved and showered, I felt like a new man. I was more exhausted than I thought and spent most of the day in bed like I’d been hung over. Maybe from being around Ainsley. I’d planned to head to the market but that was out of the question, and instead, I’d made a sandwich, enough to keep the hunger at bay until tonight at Jackson’s party, which I was late to.

In the shower, I’d taken the time to contemplate on my next steps with Ainsley. I wasn’t lying when I called her trouble. She was all that. There was something about her that wasn’t quite right, not quite out in the open. She was hiding something, but I didn’t know what.

It wasn’t as though she’d been upfront and honest with me with her life. We weren’t even friends, barely acquaintances. We were two people the universe had decided to play with. I’d overheard her talk to some of the guys, and when I thought she was evading a question, she’d bite the corner of her bottom lip and look sideways. One query, in particular, had come out several times—what had she done before working with Meridian? Where did she work? It wasn’t news that we were the first rig she worked at, but we all had wondered how someone like her found herself in this part of the world, running amongst the hardened group of individuals. Could the lust I feel for her just a different form of curiosity?

I had a type, and she was it. Women who caused more problems in my life. I’d managed to avoid them since my ex had decided I was not good enough for her, that she was too good, too beautiful for some blue collar roughneck.

Victoria was the love of my life in college, up until I realized she’d only seen me as a possible meal ticket. Football ran in my veins. My father had a short stint as a Pro player back in his days, and I’d been only too happy to get into the best College Football team when a scout had spotted me duringin one of my best games.

Victoria had caught my eye the first night I met her. I was young and horny and stupid. For a couple of years, I thought we’d be together forever. I was that schmuck who believed in love. Victoria had painted sunshine and blue skies with fucking rainbows. I was twenty when shit fit the fan. All too soon, after a vicious on-field hit, my football career was over. Sayonara to a bright future in sports. It hadn’t taken Victoria long to show her true colors soon after. My life shattered, and she stomped all over the pieces.

And I learned my fucking lesson.

Since then, whenever I had to scratch an itch, a night with a random woman would do. The rest of my days were spent on the rig or building my house. No woman would ever walk all over me again, particularly ones who wore expensive shoes with red soles. No matter how gorgeous and tempting Ainsley was, I had to stop letting her affect me.

When I walked into The Wonky Donkey, a hole in the wall pub owned by an expat, in a comfortable shirt and well-worn jeans, I knew practically everyone’s name, and had either worked with each man or slept with almost every woman. Most of The Wonky Donkey’s patrons came from the US, Canada, mainland Mexico and even France. But my eyes zeroed in on one in particular. She swept her hair over one shoulder, exposing smooth skin, tempting me to come nearer. Have a taste of temptation.

Swearing under my breath, I stopped by the bar and before I could greet the bartender, he handed me a cold beer. Avoiding temptation with the fiery red hair, I headed to a group and clapped the man of the hour on the shoulder. “Hey, Jack! Happy Birthday, man.”

He slurred a thanks and asked, “You wanna play the next round?”

“Nah, I don’t want to embarrass you on your birthday.”

“I’ll play the next one.” Her voice should not be that familiar to me. It should not sound soothing or sexy or should not make my cock twitch. Ainsley appeared by Jackson’s side with a beer in her hand. One sleeve of her green shirt fell below her shoulder, and the whole shirt stopped just above her belly button, exposing more skin. I didn’t care what else she had on, for me, she might as well be naked. That soft-looking skin of her stomach caused me to salivate, calling to me. I chugged the whole beer in one go but kept my eyes on her. Unfortunately, she was staring at me too. So much for seeming unaffected.

“Hey, Reed!” Stephanie, one of the girls who worked at HQ snaked her hand around my left arm, and I couldn’t help but rejoice at the slight twitch in Ainsley’s eye. “We didn’t think you were coming.” Stephanie had been trying to get me to hook up with her since we first met. She was cute but she reminded me too much of my sister. And she was Jackson’s little sister. I wouldn’t touch her with my ten-foot pole even if she was the last woman on earth.

But with Ainsley around, it was hard not to play a little. What could I say? She brought out the jerk in me. “Hey, gorgeous, why wouldn’t I show up? Wouldn’t want to miss your cute ass.” Stephanie giggled and her hand around my arm tightened, thank God Jackson seemed sauced enough to notice me flirting with his sister. Ainsley on the other hand, witnessed all of it, but this time, she did not let on.

She turned away and talked with other women from the office. I felt like a fool. I peeled Stephanie’s hand off me and made an excuse to get another drink. When I got to the bar, Jon the bartender leaned over, handing me another bottle. It was safe to say I’d frequented this pub. It was a hole in a wall and rarely do we see tourists in here despite Cozumel being one of the busiest ship ports. They knew my name, my drink and my business. Secrets spread faster than the local news here in the island.

“Hey, Reed. That hot new chick? What’s the deal on her?” Jon asked.

I had to grip the edge of the bar in order to keep my hands away from his throat. I shrugged. “New HSO at Meridian.”

He pulled at the ends of his stupid ass beard, which he had been growing since puberty. “So what’s her story? She with someone?”

Yeah, me, I wanted to say, but I kept that to myself as it surprised even me, and asked him for shots for the group. Stephanie stepped up while Kyle was pouring drinks in rows of The Wonky Donkey shooters.

“Oh can I have one?”

“Sure, sugar tits.” She giggled. I didn’t know what it was. I was annoyed at myself for calling her that, and even more annoyed with the way she reacted to it. If I had said it to Ainsley, she would have ripped me a new one.

Frustrated at the warring thoughts in my head, I grabbed two of the shooters and tilted my head back, the amber liquid warming my throat as it made its way to my stomach. Wide-eyed Stephanie did the same. I was gonna be in deep shit if all this goes to hell. I grabbed the tray of shooters and brought it to our group, with Stephanie at my tail. When I reached the pool table, I almost dropped the tray. Aisnley was bent over the pool table, her back arced, her ass sticking up, her tits touching the felt. She had a stick between her fingers. Before she pulled the pool stick back, she glanced over at me and stuck her tongue out.

Never had I thought pool could be this sexy. I wanted to take her there, pound on her from behind until her stomach had burns from the felt. I didn’t even give a shit who was watching. And in one sweep of the pub I realized everyone was watching her, even the women. The men’s tongues wagged. They might as well had their dicks out.

It didn’t help when Ainsley managed to pocket her ball and she jumped up and down, her breasts bouncing under her thin shirt. Jackson handed her a drink and she toasted to her success. The ass hung an arm over her shoulders and had the guts to look at me. My hand fisted, ready to wipe the smugness off his face. I didn’t care if it was his birthday. I could take him down in one punch. He needed to get his hands off my girl.

Fuck. What was I saying? My girl? Ainsley wasn’t my anything.

With a frustrated sigh, I strode to them and offered, “Shots.” My gaze focused on Ainsley. Her eyes were a little glazed and her cheeks were pink. If she wasn’t drunk now, she would be after a few more drinks. “Not for you, Ivy League, you look like you can’t handle your booze.” Her mouth opened but the rest of the crew gathered around us until all the shots were gone. Whatever she had to say was drowned in cheers, however, her eyes said it all. Ainsley hated my guts, but she was smart enough to know when she was beaten. She pressed her full lips together and stomped away.

When I walked into The Wonky Donkey in a comfortable shirt and well-worn jeans, I knew practically everyone’s name, and had either worked with each man or slept with almost every woman. But my eyes zeroed in on one in particular. She swept her hair over one shoulder, exposing smooth skin, tempting me to come nearer. Have a taste of temptation.

Swearing under breath, I stopped by the bar, and before I could greet the bartender, he handed me a cold beer. Avoiding temptation with the fiery red hair, I headed to a group and clapped the man of the hour on the shoulder. “Hey, Jack! Happy Birthday, man.”

He slurred a thanks and asked, “You wanna play the next round?”

“Nah, I don’t want to embarrass you on your birthday.”

“I’ll play the next one.” Her voice should not be that familiar to me. It should not sound soothing or sexy and should not make my cock twitch. Ainsley appeared by Jackson’s side with a beer in her hand. One sleeve of her green shirt fell below her shoulder, and the whole shirt stopped just above her belly button, exposing more skin. I didn’t care what else she had on, for me, she might as well be naked. That soft-looking skin of her stomach caused me to salivate, calling to me. I chugged the whole beer in one go but kept my eyes on her. Unfortunately, she was staring at me too. So much for seeming unaffected.

“Hey, Reed!” Stephanie, one of the girls who worked at HQ snaked her hand around my left arm, and I couldn’t help but rejoice at the slight twitch in Ainsley’s eye. “We didn’t think you were coming.” Stephanie had been trying to get me to hook up with her since we first met. She was cute, but she reminded me too much of my sister. And she was Jackson’s little sister. I wouldn’t touch her with my ten-foot pole even if she was the last woman on earth.

But with Ainsley around, it was hard not to play a little. What could I say? She brought out the jerk in me. “Hey, gorgeous, why wouldn’t I show up? Wouldn’t want to miss your cute ass.” Stephanie giggled, and her hand around my arm tightened, thank God Jackson seemed sauced enough not to notice me flirting with his sister. Ainsley on the other hand, witnessed all of it, but this time, she did not let on.

She turned away and talked with other women from the office. I felt like a fool. I peeled Stephanie’s hand off me and made an excuse to get another drink. When I got to the bar, Kyle the bartender leaned over, handing me another bottle. It was safe to say I’d frequented this pub. It was a hole in a wall and rarely do we see tourists in here. They knew my name, my drink, and my business. Secrets spread faster than the local news here in the mainland.

“Hey, Reed. That hot new chick? What’s the deal with her?” Kyle asked.

I had to grip the edge of the bar in order to keep my hands away from his throat. I shrugged. “New HSO at Meridian.”

He pulled at the ends of his stupid ass beard, which he had been growing since puberty. “So what’s her story? She with someone?”

Yeah, me, I wanted to say, but I kept that to myself as it surprised even me, and asked him for shots for the group. Stephanie stepped up while Kyle was pouring drinks in rows of The Wonky Donkey shooters.

“Oh, can I have one?”

“Sure, sugar tits.” She giggled. I didn’t know what it was. I was annoyed at myself for calling her that, and even more annoyed with the way she reacted to it. If I had said it to Ainsley, she would have ripped me a new one.

Frustrated at the warring thoughts in my head, I grabbed two of the shooters and tilted my head back, the amber liquid warming my throat as it made its way to my stomach. Wide-eyed Stephanie did the same. I was gonna be in deep shit if all this goes to hell. I grabbed the tray of shooters and brought it to our group, with Stephanie at my tail. When I reached the pool table, I almost dropped the tray. Ainsley was bent over the pool table, her back arched, her ass sticking up, her tits touching the felt. She had a stick between her fingers. Before she pulled the pool stick back, she glanced over at me and stuck her tongue out.

Never had I thought pool could be this sexy. I wanted to take her there, pound on her from behind until her stomach had burns from the felt. I didn’t even give a shit who was watching. And in one sweep of the pub, I realized everyone was watching her, even the women. The men’s tongues wagged. They might as well of had their dicks out.

It didn’t help when Ainsley managed to pocket her ball, and she jumped up and down, her breasts bouncing under her thin shirt. Jackson handed her a drink, and she toasted to her success. The ass hung an arm over her shoulders and had the guts to look at me. My hand fisted, ready to wipe the smugness off his face. I didn’t care if it was his birthday. I could take him down in one punch. He needed to get his hands off my girl.

Fuck. What was I saying? My girl? Ainsley wasn’t my anything.

With a frustrated sigh, I strode to them and offered, “Shots.” My gaze focused on Ainsley. Her eyes were a little glazed, and her cheeks were pink. If she wasn’t drunk now, she would be after a few more drinks. “Not for you, Ivy League, you look like you can’t handle your booze.” Her mouth opened but the rest of the crew gathered around us until all the shots were gone. Whatever she had to say was drowned in cheers, however, her eyes said it all. Ainsley hated my guts, but she was smart enough to know when she was beaten. She pressed her full lips together and stomped away.

For the rest of the night, all I could do was watch Ainsley from afar. There wasn’t much I could do but count how many more beers she’d had and which guy I had to kill later. She was a flirt when she was drunk.

At one point, Eva, a beautiful Mexican girl married to one of the guys I worked with, led Aisnley to the dance floor when salsa music played. Her dance moves were fluid and rhythmic. Every sway, every step had a purpose—to attract attention, to bewitch her audience, to seduce, to drive me insane.

Every once in a while, one of the guys would saunter to the floor to dance with her but she remained entranced on her own, not paying any of them any mind, which was a good thing since I had my own issues. Stephanie did not leave me alone. Even as I stood against the wall with my drink, not paying her much attention, she ground her ass against my crotch. Near the end of the night, one of her friends had to peel her off me.

“You driving her home?” I asked her friend.

“Yeah. Stop her from doing anything stupid. Her boyfriend just broke up with her.”

I nodded and had more respect for the friend. “Let me help you take her to your car.” Before she said anything, I scooped Stephanie up in my arms and carried her outside.

“My car’s the red one,” her friend said, pointing a finger at a beat up red Ford.

“What’s your name?” Her face was familiar but I couldn’t place where I knew her from.

“Penelope. I’m just visiting.”

“You’re a good friend, Penelope.” She reached for the passenger door of her car and opened it for me. After depositing a passed out Stephanie and buckling her in, I straightened.

“Thanks.”

“Safe drive. I gotta check on her brother.”

Penelope scoffed. “Good luck with that.” Her tone told me something else was going on in her mind. I didn’t bother asking if she meant it. Whatever was up with the two of them was none of my business. I had enough problems of my own to deal with.

I watched her drive away, and stayed longer to look up at the sky. It was a clear night, but the scent of rain hung in the air. The loud, lively music escaped from the pub when someone opened the door behind me. Ainsley staggered on the stone pathway, fishing for something in her little purse. Her hair was swooped on one side and a think film of sweat on her forehead made her skin glisten. When she took her hand out of her purse, her keys dangled in her hand. It seemed our Health and Safety Officer liked to take dumb chances.

With a shake of my head, I ran to her side and grabbed her keys out of her hand. “I thought you were smarter than that. Driving drunk? Not very safe, Ivy League.”

Her mouth hung open. When she closed it she glared harder at me. When she spoke, her words surprised me. “What happened to your jail bait date?”

“My what?” She tried to reach for the keys but I raised over my head, high enough that she had to press her body against me.

“Your date. I thought you’d be home banging her now.”

“Are you jealous, Ivy League?”

She harrumphed, but her body stayed pressed on mine. Her breasts soft and warm against my chest. “Give me my keys back, roughneck.” She said ‘roughneck’ like it was an expletive.

I shook my head and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Well, hell now. I think someone forgot her manners.” I inhaled her sweet perfume mixed with alcohol. Even so, she smelled divine, and I already knew how my dick responded to that. To her.

She tried to push me with the palm of her hand. “You mind your manners. I want my keys back so I can go home and sleep.”

“You’re not driving home drunk. Don’t be stupid.” I held onto the hand she left pressed on my chest. “I’ll drive you home.”

“You’re one to talk. How many beers and shots have you had?” she argued.

“Not nearly enough to affect me.” Not like how she affected me.

“Well, I’m not drunk either. Give me my keys.”

“Make me.”

She chuckled drily and rolled her eyes. “What are we eight?”

I gave her a half shrug and pulled her closer to me. “It’s more eleven, twelve inches.”

She scoffed. “You’re full of shit.”

“I’m full of a lot of things. Shit is not one of them. Now, are you going to be a good girl, Ivy League, and let me drive you home or do I have to carry your ass to my jeep too?” Her eyes went wide when I said ‘good girl’.

She freed her hand from my grasp but she kept it on my chest. “I’m not always a good girl, roughneck.” This time, the last word sounded softer, sexier as it left her lips.

Fuck the rules. Fuck the past. I wanted her and she wanted me. This had to end tonight. I’d have my fill of her and I could move on. In return, she’d be treated like a fucking queen in my bed.

I ducked my head, watching the clarity in her blue eyes shine. Her breathing was shallow, and so was mine. My cock was getting harder by the second it could rip a hole through my jeans. I leaned my head forward, and rubbed my lips on hers before saying, “Wait here. I’ll check on Jackson before we leave.”

“Okay,” she breathed out. I could taste her on my lips. Her body was vibrating against me. My heart pumped like a mad machine inside my ribs. And I knew then we were both done for.