Page 1 of Voyage with Dad's Best Friend
Chapter 1
Elle
When my alarm clock wakes me, I linger in bed and refuse to get up. I didn’t sleep well last night because whenever I closed my eyes, I saw the man with thick, salt and peppered hair and intense blue eyes. He looked like Ben Stiller, except he was handsomer. I spent the whole night dreaming about the short stubble along his square jaw, imagining the prickling sensation on my skin when he kissed me.
Geez. I stare at the ceiling. The man on my mind is Dan, my dad’s hot, billionaire friend who’s going to pick me up soon. Now I’m all restless, with an ache that doesn’t go away. I’m debating whether I should quickly get myself off before I get up because otherwise how am I going to face him for the rest of the day? It’ll be a torment to be close to him without being able to touch him.
Just then my phone dings. I check the message and my heart flutters. It’s from Dan. “Are you up? I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Yes. See you in ten.” I reply quickly and get up. I’m going to spend the next two days on his yacht. The fact thrills me and worries me. I’ve been having a crush on him since two years ago and I don’t know how I’m going to hide my feelings for him. Why should I hide them? Because Dan can’t possibly care for a young, ignorant girl like me, especially when I’m his best friend’s daughter.
It’s only six in the morning and it’s till dark outside. I’m alone in my college dorm because my roommates have left right after their finals.
I’m afraid of flying and I don’t have a driver’s license yet. I take the long-distance bus whenever I travel between home and school, even though it takes fourteen hours on the Greyhound from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. I was going to book the ticket a week before my finals when Dan offered to take me on his boat. I was thrilled because my dad bragged about his sailing experiences with Dan a lot, and I had the wish to sail with him.
I put on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, wash my face, brush my teeth and comb my hair. And then I grab my suitcase and rush out of the dorm. It doesn’t occur to me I should put on some makeup until I get out of the building and see Dan standing by his Lexus. He wears a white polo shirt over khaki shorts, looking well-groomed as if he were on a date. Damn. He looks so good that my lower body tingles. Even his car is sparkling under the streetlight. I become self-conscious of my looks. I must look messy.
“Good morning, Elle!” Dan greets me with a friendly smile and hugs me. When he pulls away, his eyes twinkle as he gives me a once-over.
Oh God. He smells good, too, not one of the cheap colognes that makes me gag, but a subtle, irresistible woody note that causes my knees to wobble. “Good morning, Dan,” I say after inhaling deeply. My voice sounds dry and croaky and I clear my throat quickly.
“We’re going to pick up my friend Martha first, and then to the dock,” he says after putting the luggage into the trunk.
“S-sure,” I say, not delighted by the news. I thought I would be alone with him. And who is Martha?
Dan seems to hear my question. “She’s my property manager. She’s going back to Santa Cruz to see a friend.”
Good. At least I’ll have Dan for myself for half of the cruise.
My God. I need to pull myself together. I can’t let my crush on him to get out of control.
“Have you had breakfast?” Dan asks me.
“Not yet,” I say. “It’s too early and I haven’t had the time.”
“We’ll get you breakfast later, but for now, help yourself with some snacks,” he says as he lifts the lid of the storage box between our seats.
There are energy bars and trail mix. “Thanks,” I say and reach for an energy bar. I’m not hungry at all, but some food may ease my anxiety.
When I’m eating, Dan asks me how I like the university and whether I’m used to the dorm life. I answer dutifully between bites. I feel Dan’s eyes glance at me often, although I don’t dare glance back. I’m afraid he’ll see what’s on my mind. I’m sure he notices my burning cheeks already. I have no idea why I’m reacting to him this way, considering the fact I haven’t seen him for almost two years.
Although my dad and Dan are best friends, I don’t see Dan often, because he’s sailing most of the time. He would normally drop by during Christmas, when he’s back in Santa Barbara, except last year. The last time when I saw him was two Christmases ago. He had returned from a voyage to Europe, and I remember him sharing his sailing stories to us. His stories were so fascinating I wish I were there with him.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him when I listened. For one thing, I thought it was extraordinary for someone to be on the sea alone for two months. For another, Dan was very knowledgeable, and he could speak many languages including French, German and Spanish. When Dan hugged me goodbye, he had a strange expression on his face that made me blush. After that, I thought about him a lot and I found out a lot about him from my dad, including that he was a billionaire and owned many homes all over the world, but stayed on his boat most of his time.
Chapter 2
Dan
The girl is a beautiful flower and I’m a bee, thirsty for her nectar. While asking Elle questions calmly, I struggle between lust and decency. How am I going to keep my filthy thoughts to myself for the next two days? Sure, Martha will be with us for a day, but we’ll have a night and another day alone. Shit. Agreeing to take her home is a mistake.
When John asked me to sail his daughter back home, I agreed without hesitation. I’ve always adored Elle since I first held her in my arms as a baby. She was the cutest girl I’ve known in my life. The last time when I saw her was two years ago, and she was so beautiful that I could hardly behave in front of her family. I think I held her too long in my arms when we said goodbye. After that, I had thoughts about her. I wanted to see her again, but I resisted the urge.
She was still a child. My best friend’s daughter. Even if she were an adult, what could I offer her? I chose the life of a vagabond, spending most of my days on the sea. No woman would settle for a life like that, and I wouldn’t change for anyone either. I thought I put my feelings for her behind me successfully until when I saw her this morning at the university dorm.
Her hazel eyes looked sleepy but lovely. Her hair was messy, her face was pretty without makeup, and she smelled like honey. My boner thrived the moment I held her in my arms. It was all I could do not to kiss those lush lips.
Even now, I can’t help glancing her way. She wears a loose t-shirt that hides her curves, and her shorts are decent, but her long legs are enough to fire my imagination. A hundred ways I can do with them flash in my mind— spreading them, wrapping them around my back, or draping them over my shoulders. Holy hell. I can’t pull my mind out of the gutter.
