Page 35 of Undercover Billionaire

But Kelsey barely registered the vista. All she could think about was the stunning turn of eventsinitiated by Ari. It was all anyone could think about really. Certainly all they could talk about between themselves as they went about their work.

Luzviminda had insisted it was Ari –Ari George, she’d said over and over as her friends had hugged her tight earlier – who had been her advocate. Given how upset he’d been about the disparity of treatment a few nights ago, Kelsey wasn’t surprised that Ari would do something like this, but still… who’d have thought one of the more rusted on members of the ship’s staff could be out on his ear so damn quickly?

‘You know what this means, don’t you?’ Tiffany said as they ate lunch together in the staff dining room.

Yup. Kelsey nodded. First opportunity she got, she was going to give that man a blow job. Okay, yes, they were done, and yes, she needed to stay the hell away from him, but a deed as good as this could not go unrewarded.

‘They might start taking all complaints seriously now. Even against the officers. A pity your Ari wasn’t on the boat when Jamilla was being dicked around.’

Your Ari. Those two words slid like a serpent through the dark recesses of Kelsey’s mind. ‘He’s not my Ari.’

It was important to remember that.

To say out loud. Important that sheknewit. After how he’d intervened on Luzviminda’s behalf overnight, she was likely to start donning rose-coloured glasses and forget they were nothing more than a seriously fucked up indiscretion.

‘Well, he should be. The man stood up for awaitress. Someone he didn’t know. He’s one of us, Kels.’

Kelsey smiled – Tiffany was giving her whiplash. ‘I thought he was a bad idea?’ she teased.

‘Oh yeah.’ She nodded. ‘He’s most definitely a bad idea. But it’s too late now. Despite your insistence to the contrary, your emotions are already involved. At least you chose a good guy to crush your heart this time instead of a smarmy little con artist.’

One of the things Kelsey loved about Tiffany was that she didn’t pull her punches. But sometimes, she wished her friend would deliver them with less of a jab. Shehadbeen a blind, naive, hopeless fool with Eric.

Not any more.

She’d learned her lesson. Inoculated herself against men – the good ones as well as the smarmy ones.

‘No one’s heart is getting crushed,’ Kelsey said firmly.

Tiffany looked as if she was going to argue but rolled her eyes instead. ‘Fine. At least promise me you’re going to thank him for what he did.’

Kelsey laughed. ‘I’m going to thank the pants right off that man.’

Tiffany grinned. ‘That’s my girl.’

8

Kelsey’s chance at a special thank you came the next day after breakfast was over. She was clearing tables when Tiffany sidled up to her, taking the plates out of her hands.

‘According to that cute new Peruvian waiter…’

Kelsey rolled her eyes. ‘Ernesto.’

‘Yes.’ Tiffany nodded. ‘Ernesto. Anyway, Ari is apparently spending the morning in his cabin working on some last-minute report his boss wants.’

Kelsey frowned. Ari’s boss had ordered him to take leave and now he was bugging him with work? That hardly seemed fair.

‘Go now. You won’t be missed too much and we’ll cover for you. You’ve got thirty minutes.’

Kelsey’s belly pulled tight at the implication. Go have some kind of quickie, clandestine tryst in Ari’s cabin in the middle of the day? In broad daylight. It was wildly inappropriate. Fraught with things that could go wrong and their resultant dire consequences.

But also secretly thrilling.

She didn’t want to want Ari, but she did and she’d been hot for him ever since she’d found out what he’d done for Luzviminda. Hell, who was she kidding; she’d been hot for him since she met him but her motor had been revving like crazy this morning.

She’dneverdone anything so utterly daring.

Tiffany bugged her eyes at Kelsey. ‘If you don’t blow him, I will.’

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