Ocean Jewel by Cassie Mint

Two

Damian

I’ve made an error in judgement. It’s a rare occurrence, but this is a serious misstep. I should never have agreed to this job.

Because Roxy is here.

Oh, I knew she was coming. Jake went on and on about it, so excited to spend some time with his little sister, for her to see him in action on the job. And he was very clear about what her presence meant for me as project manager: Roxy was to have her own cabin, her sleeping quarters as far from the crew as physically possible. When he met me at the harbor at dawn, the first thing he asked me to show him was where his baby sister will be staying.

I put her in the cabin next to mine. Refused to let myself think about it too hard. To examine the dark, possessive feelings that curl in my gut whenever I think about Jake’s sweet little sister.

“Awesome. Perfect. Yeah, thanks, man.” Jake clapped me on the shoulder, relief on his smiling face. And guilt surged up the back of my throat, even as I nodded and showed him to his own cabin next, just a few feet down the cramped corridor. Our boots echoed on the metal floor, and Jake chattered on about his plans for the documentary, oblivious to the shame curdling in my chest.

I have no right putting her in the cabin next to mine.

That’s not protection. That’s testing my already wafer-thin control.

That’s feeding her to the wolves.

When I accepted this job, I figured it wouldn’t be so bad. Surely I must have exaggerated the effect she had on me the last time I saw her—after all, I only noticed Roxy at all in this way since she turned eighteen. Since she became a woman. And I’ve only seen her a handful of times since then, but each time has been like a three-hour heart attack.

Her big gray eyes. Those pillowy lips, parting on a sigh. Her long dark hair, sliding over her shoulders, just begging to be wound around my knuckles and tugged.

Roxy West needs to stay far away from me. I’m too old for her, too hardened by life. And worst of all, I’m her brother’s best friend. This man is closer than family to me, and I owe him more loyalty than I’ll ever be able to repay.

Instead, I hunger after his baby sister. I fist my cock in the shower every day and think of her.

It’s a good thing no one can read these thoughts. If they could, I’d be back on the harbor with my bag thrown at my head faster than I could catch a breath.

I follow Roxy and Jake back on board now, prowling silently after them down the corridors. Jake points out the galley kitchen, the mess spaces, the bathrooms, the cabins. He repeats his warning about staying away from the crew, and I glimpse Roxy rolling her eyes as she turns away to look through a porthole.

I stifle a smirk, looking down at my boots.

She’s not mine to smile at.

She’s not my anything.

“You’re sleeping next to Damian,” Jake tells her, tugging her by the elbow down the corridor. She trips over her boots trying to keep up, and I grind my teeth to keep from barking at him to let her go.

He’d never hurt her. Jake would chop off a limb before he harmed his baby sister. Hell, he practically raised her, their parents ducking out of the picture as soon as their oldest child could stand on his own feet.

I still don’t like him yanking her along like that. Doesn’t matter how excited he is.

She’s precious, damn it. Handle with care.

Roxy sucks in a shaky breath and glances at me over her shoulder. I wipe my face blank as she turns, giving a polite nod and gesturing for her to keep up. She turns away, hurrying after her brother.

“I don’t—um. What?”

“Your cabin is next to Damian’s.” Jake grins proudly as we reach the door to her sleeping quarters. Roxy flushes pink, and I try not to think about what she thought he meant.

It’s nothing. Probably nothing.

And her brother is right there, damn it.

“Am I sharing with anyone?” Roxy pokes her head through the doorway, little pleased sounds at her cabin floating back into the corridor. I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, willing the swelling in my jeans to go down.

“You alright?” Jake murmurs.

I drop my hand and nod. “Headache.” I don’t trust myself to say any more. And I doubt I could if I tried—something about Roxy’s presence makes me even more reluctant to talk than usual. My jaw is constantly clenched shut, my tongue glued to the roof of my mouth. Because if I let myself speak freely, if I said the things I long to say…

They’d both be horrified. And they’d be right.

“Of course you’re not sharing.” Jake follows Roxy into her cabin, their voices bouncing off all the metal and wood in the corridor. “You think I trust anyone with my baby sister?”

“What about Damian?” Roxy murmurs. I turn to stone, straining to hear his reply.

“He doesn’t count.” I can practically see Jake wave a hand. “That’s why his cabin is next door.”

Roxy hums in agreement, and suddenly I don’t want to hear any more. I turn on my heel without saying another word, striding back along the corridor to find the captain. I’ve got work to do. This is—this is a distraction.

Nothing more.

I rub a palm over my chest as I walk, eyes fixed unblinking on the stairs to the upper deck. I clatter up those metal steps, thighs bunching, and don’t breathe easy until I’m out in the fresh salt air.

This was a mistake. But it’s just two weeks.

Two weeks.

I can avoid her for that long.