Chapter 292: Getting Under His Skin

Jessica wakes up in her bedroom on the ship. She looks around in confusion and sees James standing in the bedroom door. She screams and starts throwing pillows at him. He dodges the pillows and smirks at her.

She jumps out of bed, her palms itching to slap him across the face. The room feels strangely cold, and she glances down at her body—she's naked. She screams louder and gets back into bed, pulling the sheet up to her neck.

"What the hell, James, how did I end up back here?" she asks.

"You fell asleep last night," he says. "I brought you back here."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" she asks. "You know I wanted to meet Jackson. Who permitted you to bring me back here?"

"I know you don't like it when people wake you up while you're sleeping," James says.

"Are you a complete dumbass?" Jessica shrieks, reaching for more pillows to throw. "You know this was a different situation. You knew how important it was for me to talk to Jackson." 

She reaches for a throw pillow and the sheet slips, exposing her pale breasts. She screams and pulls it back over her chest. James smirks.

"Why am I naked?" Jessica asks. "Who took my clothes off?"

"I did," he says. "I couldn't find any servants, and I thought your dress might get ruined if you slept in it. If you don't like it, I can help you get dressed again."

"Get out," she hisses, pointing angrily toward the door.

"Fine, but before I leave, I have some news for you," James says. He picks up the pillow and pats it to knock the dust out. "Jackson is going to be at the casino today. If you want to see him, you might be able to find him there."

"How do you know that?" Jessica asks.

"I'm good at getting the information I want," James says, tossing the pillow back at her.

Jessica stares at him in confusion. He's so different from other bodyguards, she thinks. He seems so much smarter. But how does he know everything? She shakes her head to focus and points at the door. James licks his thin lips and turns to go.

"One more thing," he says over his shoulder. "Men don't like it when a woman is too eager. They prefer to feel like they're pursuing you—it makes the conquest more satisfying. It's for the best that you didn't see Jackson last night."

"You don't know him," Jessica snaps. "He's not like you."

"All men are the same," Jackson says. "They all want what they can't have."

She shakes her head and says, "James, you're so—"

"Clever?" he asks, interrupting her.

She can't help but roll her eyes—he's far more than clever. He has a secret cunning that intrigues her.

"Since you're so clever, you have to understand that we can't keep talking about that night," she says. "It has to be like it never happened."

"Of course," he says. "I won't breathe a word of it to anyone."

"Good," she says. "Now, bring me my clothes and makeup and then go check and see if my brother is awake yet."

"It's almost ten o'clock," James says. "I think you're the last person on this whole boat to get up."

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" she asks. "And why have you just wasted so much of my time talking? Hurry up and get out of here—I have things to do today."

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James smiles and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. Jessica sighs loudly and gets out of bed. I don't know what it is about him, but he has a way of getting under my skin, she thinks.

Avery wakes later than normal. She gets out of bed, washes her face, and dresses. She peeks into the living room, but Andrew is still sleeping. She tells the bodyguards to let him sleep as much as she needs and leaves the room for the restaurant.

Overnight, the ship has left the bay and sailed into the open sea. The water is choppy, and the wind is strong, and the large boat rocks gently from side to side. Most of the guests are already awake and having breakfast. Avery notices that some seem slightly green, but she's not sure if they're seasick or just hungover.

She sits near the window and watches the gray sea below. She hears a familiar voice and turns to see Evan and Robert walking into the room. Evan is wearing dark pants and a long-sleeved white shirt. He's pushed the sleeves up, revealing his toned forearms. She quickly looks away, but she's pretty sure he caught her staring.

"Mr. Howel, it looks like Miss Peters is here too," Robert says.

"So?" Evan asks. "Finish giving me the news."

Robert continues to talk, but Evan barely hears him—he can't take his eyes off, Avery. She's wearing a casual white dress, and her hair hangs loosely down her back. As he watches, the sun breaks through the clouds and surrounds her like a halo. Her hair shines, and her skin glows. He wants nothing more than to touch her.

"Anyway, I learned that Mr. Clifford is suffering from an er, groin injury," Robert says. "And he also had some sort of problem with his heart last night—a heart attack or something like that."

"What's that?" Evan asks, suddenly paying attention to Robert.

"About the heart attack?" Robert asks.

"No, the other thing," Evan says.

Robert clears his throat awkwardly and says, "Well, apparently, Mr. Clifford has suffered a serious injury to his groin. My information tells me that it's Avery's fault. Apparently, he put his hands on her, so she kneed him."

Evan's heart skips a beat. Why hasn't she slept with Andrew? He wonders. If she really loved or wanted him, she wouldn't have fought him off like that. Is there some part of her that still loves me?

He takes another look at Avery. She's sipping a coffee and staring out the window. She looks like a painting. He walks across the room and sits at his table. Before he can order a coffee, Anthony Peters rushes up to him.

"Please, sit down, Mr. Peters," Evan says, gesturing to a chair.

Anthony sits down and says, "Please, Mr. Howel doesn't do this to our company—after all, we're family."

"Actually, we're not," Evan says, leaning back in his chair. "We haven't formally announced it, but Avery and I are divorced."

"No," Anthony says, his face going pale. "That can't be right."

Evan barely hears Anthony—he's too busy watching Avery. A waiter between them drops a tray of coffee, and Avery turns. She sees her father and jumps to her feet, rushing over to the table without a second thought.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" she asks.

"Avery, you need to help me," Anthony says. "Evan here wants to buy the Peters Company."

"You're buying my father's company?" Avery asks, an angry blush creeping up her cheeks. "Just to get back at me?"

"It has nothing to do with you," Evan lies. "This is just business. I saw a struggling company with many potentials, and I decided to buy it."

"If it was struggling so badly, why did you buy it?" Avery asks.

Evan smirks and asks, "Why are you asking me?"

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