Recipe for Satisfacton(4)

He cocked his head, his eyes questioning.

“Taking care of people,” she clarified.

He shrugged. “Let’s just say I have experience with women skilled in stomach pyrotechnics.”

No doubt he’d held many a drunk girl’s hair in a hotel bathroom during his wild antics. But then he smiled, a casual grin that tingled all the way down to her toes. As their eyes met, time seemed to stand still.

“Chef Jack?”

Sterling shook off the dazed feeling as George crept toward them, biting his lip between his teeth. When Jack turned to face him, he immediately straightened. “Chef Neil said you need to get upstairs. He’s going to make his speech.”

Jack shot Sterling a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”

“Go.” She waved him off. “This is your party. Please, don’t let me keep you.”

“But—”

“I’ll be fine.” She reached forward and touched his forearm, which rested along the rail.

Sure she would. As soon as the boat docked.

Jack looked between the two of them. That same heat wasn’t reflected in his gaze. He looked on with kindness, concern. Not with the fire he had five minutes earlier, before she’d retched up the contents of her stomach.

“It was nice to meet you, Sterling Andrews.”

She frowned and her shoulders slumped forward when he backed away. “Thanks for…everything.”

He winked. “Glad I could be here.”

Gone was the nausea. Gone was the urge to heave. In its place was the realization that she was most definitely not getting honey licked off of anything tonight.

She rested her body against the rail, the metal bar snug against her armpit, and sighed. What an epic humiliation. But on the bright side, at least only one person was witness to her embarrassment and not a yacht full.

“Why didn’t you tell me you got sick on boats?”

Sterling turned and smiled. Penn sidled up to her, brushing her hair away from her forehead.

“I didn’t know. I’ve never been on a big boat before.”

Penn was the most beautiful woman Sterling knew, and stylish in that glam-goth way. Her porcelain skin was luminescent any day of the week, and her black hair hung just past her shoulders, styled with a roll to the side, and secured away from her face with a white barrette. Tonight, she wore a black dress with white polka dots, the bodice a V-neck with thin straps, and a black belt around her trim waist. And as always, her outfit was not complete without four-inch stilettos. She didn’t go anywhere without high heels.

“How did you know I was down here?”

“Jack sent me.” She held on to Sterling’s biceps. “Do you think you can handle a trip to the ladies’ room?”

Sterling nodded and by the time they arrived at the bathroom, the need to upchuck had finally dissipated.

Slumping forward over the sink, she grabbed on with both hands. The reflection staring back at her from the mirror was horrifying. Her eyes were watery, her cheeks were flushed, and her hair frizzed from her sweat-soaked scalp. “I’m a mess.”

“Shush. He still looked interested and after I get you cleaned up, we’ll hunt him down again.” Penn winked and then dug around inside Sterling’s bag. She held out the travel toothbrush and toothpaste. “What exactly were you doing down here?”

“I…” Sterling straightened and tamed the strands of her dark hair. “I was feeling sick and I was trying to…”

“Escape?”

Sterling laughed. “That’s exactly what Jack said.” She scrubbed her teeth, a little uncomfortable at the way Penn stared at her in the mirror. “What?” she mumbled with the toothbrush still in her mouth.

Penn cocked her head and rested her hand on her hip. “I feel like a proud mama. I tell you to find a man and you waste no time picking the most infamous bachelor on the boat.”

She rinsed her mouth and placed the travel toothbrush into its holder. “You mean Jack Vaughn?”

“Duh.” Penn reached into her own purse and pulled out a travel-sized bottle of mouthwash. When she noticed Sterling’s curious stare, she shrugged. “You think you’re the only one who’s prepared? This comes in handy many a morning when I find myself waking up in a gorgeous man’s bed.” She smiled and thrust the bottle into Sterling’s hand.

After rinsing her mouth with the green, minty liquid, Sterling took a deep breath. Much better. She should probably find a new man to kiss now—one who hadn’t seen her inglorious upchucking. But her introduction to Jack Vaughn had just narrowed the playing field. Not too many were going to compete with that much sex on a stick.