With Every Breath (Sea Swept #2) by Valerie Chase Read Free Book Online

tell West I wasn’t making a rude attempt to study his grief. I want to tell him I’ve lost someone too, that I’ve seen firsthand how a vivid, laughing person can turn into a rectangle of freshly-packed dirt beneath a cold gray headstone. How I know that open-casket funerals suck, because the body lying on the cushions looks fake and waxy despite the best efforts of the mortician to make them resemble your dearly departed. How no one ever knows what to say, so they wind up whispering dumb things like “She’s in a better place,” and you can’t even bitch-slap them because you know they’re just trying to make you feel better.  
    I want to tell him that. But I’m surrounded by strangers, and West is staring at the ocean, ignoring me; and it’s my first evening on the ship and I don’t want to make a name for myself as the Girl Who Cries.  
    “Sorry,” I mumble, and flee inside.

Chapter 5
    West

    As Yasmin disappears into the crew bar, I swallow half my drink and curse under my breath. She had tears in her eyes when she left, and the nice guy in me knows I should follow her and apologize. If Mom were alive, she’d ream me out for treating Yasmin—or anyone else—so coldly. But the thing is, my mom is gone and I’ve ignored the nice guy in me for so long that it’s become a reflex to shrug him off.  
    Charlie, the photography team’s resident flirt, emerges onto the Open Deck just as Yasmin vanishes inside. He glances back at her appreciatively before sauntering over to me.  
    “The new girl is pretty hot, huh?” he says.  
    Some of my photographers are a little wary of me since I’m the boss, but not Charlie. And outside of work hours I make a point of not being an ass. Well, I try.
    “She’s not bad.” I’m understating. I shouldn’t admit this, especially because I shouldn’t even be noticing, but Yasmin cleans up nice. Damn nice. I’d thought she looked sexy before, even with messy wet hair and wearing the company polo, but with a tousled ponytail and that short skirt paired with another set of her heels, she’s dynamite.
    “I mean, she wasn’t much to look at when we first met her at the shop, but I’d totally hit that now.” Charlie gestures inside and grins. “Can I train her up tomorrow?”  
    Something inside me tightens. Charlie goes through women like beers, and has caused his share of drama on the ship. Still, he’s one of the senior photographers, and did a good job of training Paolo, the winner of our sales competition today. I open my mouth to give him the go ahead.
    “No, I’m going to train Yasmin,” is what comes out.  
    Charlie looks a little annoyed. “What, are you claiming her for yourself?”
    “Of course not. If I were going to date my staff, I’d have given in to Camelia already.” The Romanian beauty has been flirting with me for over a month. A couple weeks ago, we both got hammered and she cornered me on the dance floor, pressing her curves against me and murmuring about going back to my room. She was tempting, but I’ve learned my lesson about shipboard romances, and it’s bad form to date someone I have to order around. So Yasmin has to be off-limits too.
    “Have you had anyone since Letta signed off?” Charlie asks with a laugh.
    “Nope,” I say.  
    My ex Letta, one of the ship’s pursers—they handle money and personnel issues on board—left a couple months ago. Before that, we’d dated since hooking up a few nights into my contract on board the Radiant Star . I’d regretted it pretty quickly—Letta was flexible, worldly, and had a sexy Berlin accent, but she also had a jealous streak. It got so bad that she’d throw a tantrum every time she saw me talking to one of my female staff members. When her contract was nearly up, I told her that I don’t do long distance relationships, and she had to accept it.  
    “I heard she’s coming back on board after her vacation,” Charlie adds. I shake my head.
    “Last time I talked to her,