His Glorified Maid

Sixteen

Carlos boarded the hElixir with a smile knowing that he was going to spend the next week with Michaela. After she left yesterday, he'd spent the remainder of the day in his home office trying to organise and prioritise the actions he needed to have followed up in his absence. But it was near impossible with thoughts of her consuming him.

Just picturing the way she had responded to his touch, his kiss, the feel of her in his arms, soft and melting, her whispered plea for release...he wanted to be the man to give her that release. He would be the man to give her that release.

When he retreated to his room, he found himself standing in front of his bedroom window, picturing her walking its length, back and then forward. How wonderful, she had said with shining eyes. That simple action had touched him. He designed his home, and his bedroom with that view in mind so that he could watch the vines spread and move as living art. She got it.

He followed the directions to Michaela's cabin and knocked on her door. To his exasperation, Dan answered. Why the hell was he always around, and more importantly, why was he strutting around her room shirtless?

"I was told this was Michaela's room."

Dan pulled the door open wider and Carlos could see the bunk beds.

His nostrils flared as anger rose. She was sharing a room with him.

"Calm down, Carlos."

He heard the hesitation over the use of his name, and he chose not to correct him. He stepped into the small room when Dan stood to the side, shutting the door behind him.

There was no possible way Dan and Michaela could share this room without touching each other and the thought provoked an anger in him that stripped the tight rein he had on his self-control.

Before he could give voice to his anger, Dan started talking and he listened to stop himself from doing or saying something he'd most likely regret.

"Mike is young, innocent in a way that I don't think you have ever been," he held up a finger cutting off Carlos' snappish retort. "But I am not her keeper. Unless you hurt her. And then I will do something that will likely get me fired. Again. Now," he said indicating the room, "this arrangement is the best you can ask for. We spend a good amount of time isolated at sea and relationships often form between crew members. As long as I am sharing a room with Michaela, you will not have to wonder if her roommate has designs on her because I don't. You will not have to wonder if her roommate is bringing others back to the room and forcing her to find alternative accommodation because I would never. This," he said waving his hand at Carlos and his bothered state, "needs to disappear before Michaela sees you."

Carlos heard his words. Understood the words. And respected the man because of them. But it didn't stop him from wanting to throw him against a wall and drag Michaela off the yacht.

Maybe he could add a clause that prohibited any crew relations...?

"If only it were that easy," Dan responded as if he had read his mind. "Where there's a will there's a way. Michaela should be back soon – apparently, my shirt needed ironing," he said with an easy chuckle.

Must have been an inside joke because Carlos didn't understand why that was so funny.

"Ask Michaela to find me when she is finished. I have her uniform ready."

"And where can she find you?"

"I'll be working in my room."

"She may protest as it goes against Plan B."

Carlos smiled despite himself. "As I told Michaela, I would help with the planning stages but not the execution." He watched Dan's response and thought he did a good job of stifling his unhappiness.

He turned to leave when Dan stopped him.

"What's Michaela's favourite flower?"

He thought about the question and understood it was a test and knew what the answer would mean to Dan. If he answered truthfully, he was giving Dan more than a simple answer to a simple question, he would be giving him an insight into his deeper feelings, which he wasn't sure he wanted to give when everything was still so new.

He didn't even know how Michaela felt about him yet. She wanted him, but she didn't want to want him. He knew he could seduce her into his bed, but it didn't guarantee him her heart and he wanted that too.

With clear eyes, he turned to Dan, so he could know he was answering the real question he wanted to know. He could give this much to ease the burden the man carried when he thought he was throwing his friend to the wolves.

"She likes wildflowers because they are colourful and happy and remind her of her childhood." The easing in Dan's posture let Carlos know he had made the right decision to answer honestly.