All Hands Below (10 page)

They cruised abreast of the ship to where a sturdy ladder made of rope and wide slats of wood had been flung down the side.

“Ohh…shoot me now, someone, please!” Evangeline shrieked, her eyes hazy with the swell of tears.

She was expected to climb that thing?

Several hundred pairs of eyes peered down at her from the decks. A few passengers waved and gave her a thumbs up.

There’s your answer.

She hooked the shopping bags over her forearms, so livid she didn’t care that ocean winds were arranging storm clouds overhead and whipping her skirt around her legs.

Left with no other choice, she reached out, gripped a rung, and began to climb.

“You’re doing great!” someone yelled, just as a breeze blew her skirt up, exposing her black thong, ass, and thighs to passengers and crew alike. The pilot of the boat below had given up all pretense that he wasn’t looking up her skirt.

Helped on board to a clapping audience, Evangeline did her best to put on a good-natured front.

If climbing up the ladder had hurt her ankle and her pride a little, going home sans man was bound to hurt a hell of a lot more.

Chapter Ten

Liam sank his teeth into his knuckles as he watched Evangeline climb up the ladder.

You can do this, baby. Just…don’t fucking look down.

He didn’t find out that she had missed the last tender until the Sea Sapphire was underway. He’d just assumed she’d made it back in time, especially after his warning.

Only when the ship was sailing from Grand Cayman did Maisy inform him, with much fretful hand wringing, that Evangeline had simply taken off to parts unknown. Oh, and did he know if she made it back in time before they sailed?

What the hell?

Liam hauled ass to the bridge and barely managed to convince the stubborn captain to reduce their speed and allow the tug to meet up with them. He reminded him of the injuries she’d sustained on board ship that might have kept her from making the last tender.

“The ship should have made accommodations to wait for her safe return, sir,” he’d pleaded his case.

The old navigator finally relented and ordered the engines powered down to reduce their speed.

“Evangeline,” Liam breathed her name. His heart thudded sickly in his chest. After all she’d been through…

He’d sought her out that morning to talk her out of her madcap
bachelorette
scheme, and to tell her the truth about his position on board ship.

When housekeeping pointed him in the direction she was seen heading after having Buckelew paged, he didn’t expect to see the man backing out of Kerri’s cabin with Evangeline looking on!

Comforting her had been his priority, but she’d rejected him outright. The chance to tell her the truth about his role on board the Sea Sapphire had also been lost.

She was about to find out who he really was and—after she’d puffed her way up the embarkation ladder—it wasn’t going to be pretty.

****

“Evangeline, you made it! Thank heavens you’re okay.”

Evangeline glared at Maisy. The woman was going to be the death of her, along with her broken almost-engagement, her non-fiancé’s betrayal, and the hunky ship’s engineer. Or maintenance guy. Or whatever the hell it was that Liam Rossi did around here!

“I’m not okay, Maisy.” Evangeline jerked angrily out of the life jacket. “Why did you leave? I spent hours looking for you!”

Maisy’s forehead puckered in confusion. “I ran into Marshall at the rum cake outlet. We back-tracked to go looking for you, but you’d wandered off.”

“You were taking forever, and I was hungry. You could have waited when you saw I was gone!” She extended Maisy’s purse to her. “Take it. And take this, too.” She plunked the bag with the frog and T-shirts into her arms. “It was all I could do not to drop them in the water while I humped my way up the ladder.”

Maisy took everything, then shoved the purse back at Evangeline. She glanced around nervously. “That’s not my purse.”

“Of course it’s yours.”

“I’ve never seen it before.”

Suddenly Liam and Kerri were stepping into their heated huddle. Liam grabbed Evangeline’s hand. His gaze burned anxiously into hers.

“Are you all right?” Hawkish brows arrowed down in concern, while the other woman peered closely at the purse she was holding out.

“Liam!” His name burst from Evangeline’s lips in shaken relief. She swallowed and looked around. Her brows knitted in confusion. Navy blue and pearl gray balloons bobbed festively in the air. Elegant canapés were arranged on decorated tables.

Ship’s staff and department officers in white dress uniforms looked on with interest, including Robert Montero who stepped forward to join them.

Flustered, her gaze settled on Liam. In formal dress whites, he exuded sophistication. While he radiated authority, his chiseled male beauty owed nothing to the crisp outline of his officer’s…
uniform
?

“What have I missed
now
?” Befuddled, she stared hard at the immaculate lines of his dress whites. “A costume party?”

“Recognition of a new command ceremony.” Liam squeezed her hand. “Mine.”

Evangeline frowned and studied those smart gold bars on his shoulders. She counted those bad boys again, just to be sure. One, two, three, four…they were all there.

She jerked her hand out from his and raised shocked eyes. “You’re a-a—”

He nodded.

“Liam, how does she not know you’re a
captain
?”

Pain throbbed in her ankle. Liam in uniform and his mind-jumbling closeness played havoc with her thoughts. The last thing she needed was Liam’s ex
and
Eli’s other woman butting in at the moment.

“What business is any of this yours?” Evangeline snapped.

“I’m the owner of the purse in your hand—that’s my business!” the other woman sniped back.

Evangeline reached inside the purse, grabbed the leather embossed wallet, and flipped it open. She swept the wallet up to her eyes and stared in disbelief. Sure enough, the face of Kerri A. Lorenzo of Los Angeles, California, smiled back at her.

She sighed and handed the purse over to its rightful owner. Maisy had conveniently disappeared, of course.

“Shall we have her detained, Captain Rossi?” Robert Montero questioned.

Liam’s gaze took on a brittle gleam as he stared the other man down. “As the Sea Sapphire’s Chief Security Officer, you’ll assign yourself officer of that watch, no doubt. Please escort Miss Spencer to the infirmary. She may need medical attention.”

“I don’t want to go to the infirmary.” Evangeline’s insides rebelled. He’d ignored her for most of the cruise. Now, when her dreams had bottomed out, he was all over the place
and
in charge?

“I see.” Liam stroked the angular line of his jaw. “If you prefer, I can have Officer Montero escort you to your stateroom, instead. Your cruise companions have been anxious for your safe return.”

“Really?” She looked around. Maisy had ditched her. Eli was nowhere in sight. Her ankle hurt like a little devil. Suddenly, it hit her at the worst possible time, in front of hundreds of strangers—she was a failure.

The tint of pity in Liam’s eyes wrung a defeated noise from her throat—a cross between a whimper and a hiccup.

He knew she was a failure, too.

She’d failed in all she came on board to find. Being escorted back to her cabin like a petty thief would so
not
make her day!

She sniffled. Her gaze strayed past the rails. A running jump overboard into the sea sounded good right about now. Except she’d probably trip, fall, crack her head open, and break her other leg en route.

Evangeline regarded Liam with a plea in her eyes and whispered, “I don’t want to go to my cabin. My ankle left me confined to the ship in Ocho Rios and kept me from activities I’d signed up for.”

A muscle in Liam’s jaw ticked in deadly beats. Had they been alone, she was sure he’d have gotten her to comply with anything he asked. But a deck full of gawking passengers gave Evangeline the boost of courage needed to defy him.

They’d cheered her up the ladder from hell. Pictures of her ass were surely going viral on social networks, so what else did she have to lose?

The steely glint in his eyes warned her of danger up ahead. Suddenly, she knew how a baby penguin might feel, looking for its mamma as a hungry shark watched close by.

“So tell me, Miss Spencer, what would give you
complete
satisfaction at the moment?”

Evangeline swore a feral flash of his tongue licked the corner of his mouth. Her mons practically purred in response.

“I’m ready to have that talk you wanted earlier, but I’d prefer to do that in your cabin, Liam. Where we won’t be interrupted.”

Gasps and giggles circled them. Several males hooted with approval. Liam’s jaw clenched in protest, but Evangeline stood her ground. Her stubborn gaze taunted him:
What’s it going to be, captain?

****

Liam’s quarters were made up of three spacious rooms designed for comfort and efficiency.

Evangeline’s feet sank into thick and cottony carpet the color of Spanish almonds. A sofa, loveseat, and ottoman upholstered in nut-brown suede surrounded a polished teak coffee table. CD’s were stacked around an acoustic guitar propped up in a corner.

His quarters even had a balcony. Furnished with two chairs and a small table, nothing more was needed to enjoy the view and the breezes that danced across a brilliant blue sea.

“This looks spacious. Does Captain Rossi share his quarters with anyone?” Evangeline asked Robert, who’d escorted her to Liam’s stateroom in awkward silence.

Robert shook his head. “These quarters are larger to ensure the comfort of the ship’s executive officers—and their family—when they come aboard.”

“Does Captain Rossi have a family?”

“No. I don’t believe so.” His face reddened as he excused himself to answer a knock on the door.

A brunette in dark blue shorts and a matching polo shirt approached Evangeline with a first aid kit in her hand. In the corridor, a portable massage table and accompanying towels and exotic oils were secured in a wheeled cart.

“Good afternoon, Miss Spencer.” The young woman frowned at Evangeline’s sunburnt cheeks and raggedy appearance. “Captain Rossi was right. You are a train wreck.”

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t request spa services,” Evangeline apologized, not wishing to inconvenience the ship’s staff any more than she had already. “I’m fine, really.”

The woman waved her apology aside. “Let’s have a look to make sure. My name is Nita and I’m a spa specialist, here to assist to you in any way. I’m also qualified to change your dressings. Captain Rossi thought you might need some assistance with that, too.”

Evangeline stared at the other woman, confused. The last time she checked, she was the prime suspect in a stolen purse investigation. He’d just as soon throw her in the ship’s brig.

“I’m sorry. Captain Rossi’s orders—no visitors,” Robert said to the man standing at the door, demanding to speak to Evangeline.

“Eli!” Evangeline looked at Robert. “Can he come in so we might speak privately?”

Flustered, Robert threw his hands up in a
whatever
gesture, then left.

“Evangeline, are you okay?” Eli rushed to her. His worried gaze took in her windblown appearance.

“Yes. Fortunately I was able to get back on board ship.”

“I’m so sorry about this morning, honey,” he said, his blue eyes contrite.

She shook her head. “It’s okay. Water under the boat.” She heaved in a shaky breath. “I need you to do me a favor.”

“Anything. Just name it.”

She stuck her sea pass in his hand. “I need a fresh change of clothes.”

He scowled. “Look, I know you’re annoyed with me, and you’ve got every right to be. But what the hell are you up to?”

“Eli, I’m sweaty, sore, and I’m about hop into the shower
and
get a massage, that’s what. Now, stop asking questions and help me. It’s the least you can do after this morning’s shenanigans.”

Eli scrunched a hand through his hair and groaned. “Fine. I’ll help. But we need to talk.”

“Not this second you don’t.”

Evangeline watched in dismay as Liam entered his quarters. Tension between the two men sharpened the atmosphere.

Eli bristled under Liam’s unrelenting stare. “You can’t keep her here against her will.”

“Are you here against your will, Evangeline?” Liam prompted.

She shook her head. “Not at all.”

“And in case you didn’t notice, Buckelew, caring
friend
that you are, she was limping and at the end of her rope, so to speak.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Eli spluttered. “To help!”

“One of the ship’s spa specialists is here to help her with her dressings. Give her a couple of hours, then call her suite.”

“She’d better be there,” Eli warned him and stormed off.

Chapter Eleven

After Liam checked in on Evangeline, he’d gone back on deck to circulate at his party, taking the banter and laughter in stride.

“What’s the matter, son? You look none too happy in the limelight as the ship’s new pin-up boy,” joked the captain, his eyes merry and twinkling in a way that Liam had never noticed before.

Liam blushed like a girl. “Sir, what is the precedence for this?”

“It’s obvious there’s a romance in bloom aboard the Sea Sapphire.” The captain chuckled. “She’s unattached, as are you, and she looks like she’s close to taking you
out
.”

Liam winced.

“Of circulation,” amended the captain.

We’ll see about that!

Rebellion flared in Liam’s crotch. There could only be one resolution to this nonsense. He’d just have to kick Evangeline and her sweet tush
out
of his quarters.