His Glorified Maid

Twenty

Michaela had trouble shutting off her mind. She had remained on the deck long after Carlos had left her, hoping the crisp sea air could still her mind. She eventually gave up, relying on her tiredness to drag her down into a dreamless sleep for some much-needed peace. That too failed her.

She could not believe she had allowed Carlos to touch her so intimately. She hadn't even had the good sense to be embarrassed at the time, but she was making up for it now.

And yet, her mind kept replaying every spoken word, every look, every touch that still sparked tingles along her nerve endings. Last night had felt unbelievably good. She never knew you could continue to feel the aftermath of pleasure long after the physical touch was gone.

She threw herself out of bed before she had to. Dan had already left. Considering she couldn't sleep, and she wanted desperately to forget last night had happened, she threw herself into work. She successfully managed to isolate herself from everyone. Especially Carlos and Dan. She was too embarrassed to repeat what had happened between her and Carlos to her conscious self, and she just knew they would be able to read her mind.

She would only be hurting herself if she continued to mess around with him. She was the only one who stood to lose everything again.

"Mike?"

Michaela schooled her expression into a friendly smile when she looked up at Jenny.

"Afternoon Jenny. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I'm so glad I found you," she said while taking both her hands. "Tyler trusts you, so you're the only one who can help," she insisted, before launching into a spiel on how she'd like her help to continue the momentum with Tyler and get him in the water. By the time Jenny was finished, Michaela was ready to do anything to quieten her.

"You don't even have to ask. I would love to talk Tyler into going out on the tender."

"Thank you so much."

Jenny's happy squeal reminded her of Tyler when he got excited. "Lawrence can't come out as he has some work things to deal with, but Carlos will probably want to join us too."

Michaela did not miss the careful study Jenny made of her as she casually dropped his name.

"The more the merrier," she said with a smile she hoped disguised the fear. At least on a yacht this size she could avoid him. That was going to be impossible on the tender.

"What kind of outing are you planning on?" When Jenny didn't answer she provided options. "Fishing, snorkelling, the beach. Perhaps all the above?"

"I thought just getting him on the smaller boat would be a win. Why don't we go ashore, and he can build sandcastles and you could work your magic to get him snorkelling around the rocks? I'll pack a picnic and his snorkelling gear," she said as she hurried to get things moving.

Michaela sighed. It was her job to convince Tyler that it was a good idea. Then she did a mental head slap. She also had to let Dan know that she'd made these arrangements without consulting him first. She decided to talk with Tyler first. If he refused to go then she didn't need to have that conversation with Dan.

She found him in the main lounge area with his uncle playing Go Fish. They both looked up when she entered. She tried to keep her attention on Tyler as she wasn't ready to face Carlos just yet.

"Hi, Tyler." She was relieved to hear her voice sounded calm, and normal, although she knew her face was flushed as memories of Carlos' hands assaulted her senses.

"Hi, Mike. Wanna play cards?"

"I have another idea. Do you wanna take the tender, a small boat, over to that island over there," she said pointing in the general direction of the island. "We could build sandcastles, go snorkelling or explore the rockpools. I'll take that as a yes," she said with a laugh when he threw his arms around her.

"Your mum is packing a lunch for the four of us." Michaela lifted her eyes to Carlos and felt the heat of his own. "I've got to get ready. You both should pack your swimsuits, snorkelling gear, towels, and a change of clothes."

Once she was outside, she radioed Dan to find out his location. She joined him soon after and discovered Jenny had already told him of their plans. He gave permission and went to leave, but Michaela felt compelled to follow him.

"Are we good?" she asked. He didn't respond straight away. "I know I should have consulted you first, but I honestly didn't know how to say no to Jenny, especially when it concerned Tyler. I am prepared to beg and make it up to you and Carter when I return." He still didn't say anything. And he wasn't smiling either.

"You know that our work isn't always about the grind, and this is one of the perks. Enjoy it."

Michaela nodded, relieved. Then waited. Something was obviously on his mind, and she just hoped it was something she could talk about.

"You would tell me if you were being bullied, right?"

He looked so concerned for her, but she didn't know why. She sensed it had nothing to do with Carlos because she was pretty sure he would have confronted him directly if that were the case.

"I would never hesitate to come to you if I needed help," she answered honestly. It didn't ease the concern in his eyes, but he dropped it. He kissed her on the forehead and let her go so she could get ready.

The tender was already in the water and Carter was helping Jenny and Tyler to board by the time she returned with everything they needed for a beach outing, including a luxury beach picnic.

She knew the moment Carlos approached them even though she couldn't see him. Her skin warmed under his gaze, and she fought the urge to indulge the desires he summoned within her so effortlessly. Find a group, stick to the group...keep it friendly. Plan B modified in action.

She let Carter assist her onboard the tender and smiled at her guests. He was needed to help her set up the gazebo and lay out the spread. She should have asked for assistance, so it was a good thing that Dan thought of it. If he had thought of it, she wondered why Sonja, as the Chief Stew hadn't been sent, or one of her girls? Not that she minded. She and Carter worked well together.

She was conscious of Carlos whose eyes remained on her. The man had no shame. She sat next to Tyler, and she watched as excitement replaced fear. Maybe tomorrow he'd try kayaking?

Once they had settled on the beach and arranged everything they needed, Michaela threw herself into making the experience memorable for him. Carlos joined her on their snorkelling adventures. This meant Carlos with his perfect physique was a constant distraction. All she wanted was to look...and to touch. God, the man was temptation incarnate, and whatever fear Tyler may have had for the sea had disappeared and she needed all her concentration to keep up with him.

Jenny joined her and Tyler on their exploration of the rockpools. Tyler's curiosity was infinite, and she was grateful to be able to answer most of his questions and the few she couldn't, she made a note to find out later.

When Tyler announced he was hungry, she sighed in relief. Keeping up with an inquisitive kid like Tyler was hard work. Especially when her body and her brain were living in denial and the constant fight between the two was exhausting.

After lunch, Tyler's energy was replenished. This time Carter took him for a walk and Jenny made a last-minute decision to join them. Her group left her alone with Carlos. Did they not understand Plan B?

"Breathe, Michaela."

Carlos didn't make the mistake of touching her this time. She needed something to keep her hands busy. The thought had her looking at Carlos' hands, which had her thinking about how those hands had felt on her body, which made it hard to breathe again. She needed something to keep her mind busy, not her hands.

"Distract me."