20
Chapter Twenty
“Welcome to my humble abode.”
Amanda’s gaze moved from Lucas to the trawler docked in front of them. “You live on a boat?”
Lucas nodded and stepped onto the deck. He reached his hand out and beckoned for her. “Come on.”
Amanda went after him as he led the way to the door on the port side. He unlocked it and pulled it open, then stepped aside. “After you.”
Amanda looked from him to the open doorway then walked forward. She went through the door and lingered there, her eyes taking in the interior. Everything was neat and in place, and there appeared to be much more space than she had anticipated. She turned back to him. “It’s so nice in here.”
Lucas smiled. “Flattered you like it.”
Amanda left her shoes at the door and stepped further into the room. A few seconds later, she heard the door close behind her. “Have you been living here since you got back?”
“Yes.”
“Have you always had this boat?”
“Got it for my twentieth birthday.”
Amanda’s lips formed an ‘O’.
Lucas waved a hand. “That was just my mother trying to get on my good side.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Did it work?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“You’re hard to please.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Me?”
Amanda got the hint right away. She turned away from him and ran her fingers on the finely polished captain’s wheel. “You should take me on a ride.”
There was an extended silence from his end. Then he cleared his throat. “Sure.” He hooked his thumb towards the other end of the boat. “I’ll go catch a quick shower back there. Feel at home.”
Amanda faced him again. “Oh, finally got your shower fixed?”
“Wanna check?”
Images flashed through her mind. Him, her. Bodies wet, gliding against each other in the shower. She cleared her throat and went back to staring through the glass to the ocean. “I’ll pass.”
He chuckled. “Feel at home, I’ll only be a minute.”
When Lucas got back from the shower, he made them both steaming mugs of chocolate. While she took a seat on the couch in the main salon, he leaned against the doorjamb and watched her.
Amanda was on his boat. Not something he had expected to happen any time soon.
“Stop standing over me and watching me like you’re analyzing a market,” she called him out.
He crossed his legs. “No, allow me commit this view to mind. I’m not sure when I’ll get it again.”
Had she thought about what he said the previous night?
“So, Amanda. What were you doing in my locality on a random Sunday afternoon?”
Her eyes lifted to him. “I had no idea you live here.”
Her tone was defensive. He held back his smile.
“I’m not accusing you of stalking me,” he clarified.
Her fingers drummed on the mug in her hands. “I was just taking a walk on the beach. Trying to clear my head.”
“I ruined that, didn’t I?”
She shook her head. “No, this is a great distraction too.”
“Care to share what’s bothering you?”
“Nothing new.” She gave a long sigh. “I’ve decided to accept what the board wants and stop fighting.”
“Oh.” He pushed away from the doorjamb and approached the couch. He took a seat next to her. “From what I’ve been seeing, you never had trouble running things your way before, right?”
“That’s right. My dad claims he’s looking out for me because,” she shrugged. “You know. It’s absolutely unnecessary, but I’ve been unable to convince him. So it’s what it is.”
“Can I pry?”
Amanda gave him sideways glance. “Depends on what.”
“I’ve read a lot about you lately and I’ve found out about how the company got started.”
“And?”
“And, it appears to me that you wanted total control over it. That it’s not just a business to you, but also something you wanted to do in honour of your mother. So, how is it that you started it under the group?”
“Dad sold the idea to me. But, anyway, it’s a temporary arrangement.”
He nodded. “Then I hope it comes to an end soon because from what I’ve seen these two past weeks, being out of control is out of your element.”
“I hope so too.”
A few minutes later, he placed his mug on the table in front of them and jumped to his feet. “How about I take you for that ride you mentioned?”
Her eyes brightened. “Really?”
“Yeah. You’re not occupied for the rest of the day, are you?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Awesome.”
“Now, this is exactly what I needed,” Amanda beamed, grinning as she looked at the water.
They were standing at the bow, the boat on autopilot as they went further away from the shore.
Lucas took in the ecstatic expression on her face. The last time he had seen her look openly happy, they were still at the mountain resort. He wished he could take all her worries away so her eyes could shine like that more.
“Out here, life seems a hundred times better,” she added. “Think it’s a good idea to sail away and never come back?”
“As long as you take me with you.”
She squinted at him, her brown eyes full of amusement. “Always the smooth talker, aren’t you?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Not smooth enough for you, apparently.”
She looked away, a smile on her lips. She probably understood what he was hinting at. Now that they were on the topic, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to ask…
“What we talked about last night, did you think about it?”
He should have probably given her more time, but when was he going to get a better chance to discuss their personal relationship? Once they got back to work the next day, she wouldn’t be this open with him. Also, at work, she had many other things to worry about. Not to mention that the work environment might renew her insecurities about getting into anything with him.
Her gaze came back to him, her smile gone. Her eyes caught his and for a few seconds, she stared at him, unabashedly, saying nothing.
Then she rose on her toes and kissed him.
