Page 34 of Bad for Business
The smile on my lips falters as I watch her take the hand of one of the yacht crew members. He helps her onto the boat, her face pinched together in an unsure expression.
All the pride and satisfaction of her trusting me leaves my body as her eyes scan the crowd. They immediately find mine. She nods, her eyes flashing with something as they land on me.
I swallow as she closes the distance, anger with myself settling deep in my bones. I should’ve known even her obvious fear of boats wouldn’t be enough to stop her from coming along.
She doesn’t trust me to do anything on my own. Not like this. And I should’ve known better.
I let out a long sigh as she closes the distance between us. Possibilities of what I want to say to her flash through my mind. My jaw clenches. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to think she’d let me do this alone.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” she states, her voice calm.
I’ve got to give her credit. The fear in her eyes that was there just minutes ago is all but gone. At least for now.
I stare at her for a moment. My jaw aches from how hard I clench it. I want to ask her why it’s so hard for her to trust me to do something on my own. I bite my tongue, desperate to know if it’s just her being a control freak or if she truly thinks I can’t handle an afternoon on a yacht without messing up our progress.
“What?” Camille asks, tilting her chin up as she stares up at me defiantly.
God, why does she have to be so frustrating?
I swallow and shake my head. “Nothing. I was just thinking about how it’s starting to get a little windy. Hopefully, the boat doesn’t rock.”
Her eyes go wide. She opens her mouth to respond, but I turn around and leave her standing alone before she can say anything else.
TWENTY
CAMILLE
“Drink this.”
I stifle a groan as a familiar voice pulls me back from my pity party. I knew I shouldn’t have stepped foot onto this damn yacht, but I was too stubborn not to. I didn’t want Ryker to know I had a massive fear of boats.
That worked outgreatfor me. Now he’s getting a front-row seat to how terrified I am.
I direct my gaze to Ryker, hating the smirk on his perfectly full lips and the fact that he’s seeing me like this.
“I’m working. I don’t need a drink right now,” I argue, my eyes bouncing to the martini in his hand.
His eyes narrow on me. “A drink isexactlywhat you need right now. It’ll loosen you up.” He shakes his hand a little, careful not to spill the drink as he attempts to push it in my direction once again.
I look down at the martini. I don’t want to admit it, but a drink might actually help. It definitely shouldn’t hurt anything, at least. We haven’t even been on the yacht for an hour, and I’m already counting down the seconds until my feet are firmly planted on land.
“Did you poison it?” I ask, my fingers wrapping around the stem of the martini glass.
I hate that the laugh he lets out sends goosebumps down my spine. “Try it and find out,” he encourages, one corner of his mouth lifting up in a smirk.
From the moment I stepped onto Mitchell’s yacht and announced I was coming, Ryker’s mood shifted. He hasn’t been my biggest fan our entire time in the Hamptons, but there was something different about his mood earlier. I tried catching his eye as he mingled with the board members, but anytime his eyes met mine, all he did was glare. His attempt at getting rid of me for the day didn’t work, and he hasn’t bothered hiding his feelings on that matter.
I don’t want to admit it, but from what I’ve seen, he’s done great on his own today. Not that I’d tell him that. Not when he continues to glare at me just like he is right now.
“I’ll pass.”
Ryker shakes his head. “As many times as I’ve fantasized about getting rid of you, you have my word that the drink isn’t poisoned.”
I watch him carefully. I know he wouldn’t actually poison the drink. But I wouldn’t put it past him to maybe spit in it.
“Drink it, Camille,” Ryker demands, his voice tight.
“Why do you care if I drink it?” I ask, looking down at the glass. I just now realize that the martini actually looks perfect. It has two skewers of olives instead of just one, just the way I like it.
