no doubt it would be highly sexed and searingly hot. I just hoped my heart could handle it when he turned it off after time was up. Would I be able to do the same? And then what? Should I go home? Or did I take up his mother’s offer to stay on a few weeks with her? That seemed far more of an intimate prospect now than it had before everything had changed between me and her son. I chewed my lip. I should call Meredith for advice. But somehow I didn’t want to. Telling someone, even Meredith, that I was planning to have a two-day affair with my ex-boss on his yacht made it feel … sordid somehow. And of course, there was Tabitha. I didn’t know what this situation fell into. Technically, I was no longer his employee. But it was still Tabitha’s reputation that could be affected if people knew about us. They wouldn’t care about the technicalities. They would still only see that Xavier Pascale boned his daughter’s nanny.
Land was a distant blur and around us was nothing but wide-open ocean. A shiver rippled through me. Now that Xavier wasn’t out here distracting me, and we were farthest from land than we’d ever been, the reasons for my dislike of boats came back strong. My stomach lurched queasily.
I left the railing and made my way inside to find some ginger tea.
In the galley, Chef was wedged into the banquette reading a newspaper spread across the table.
“I think I’m getting seasick. I held the edge of the table. Do you have some ginger tea I can make?”
“We have sachets, but best bet is I make you some fresh. Also, we have anti-nausea meds if it gets bad, and,” he pulled himself out of the booth and grabbed a basket from a small bottom shelf, “we also have these. Acupressure cuffs. They actually work great.” He held up a package of rubber bracelets in light blue.
“Really?” I asked skeptically.
“Really.” He tossed them to me. “They press on the Nei Kuan acupressure point on the inner wrist. My ex-wife swears by them. And she’s right about most things.”
I felt an odd smile cross my face.
He waved a hand. “Yep. I’m the sad sack who’s still in love with his ex-wife. Sue me. Anyway, I’d go for ginger tea and a bracelet over the anti-nausea meds because the meds will knock you right out. And from what I understand you have … a date, tonight?” He gave me a look with an eyebrow raised.
“Can’t keep a secret on a boat,” I mumbled. Clearly word had spread fast. Thanks, Andrea. “Is it weird? I mean is everyone okay with this … development?” What did I call it? A two-day booty call with their boss?
“It shouldn’t matter to you what we think.” He rummaged around in the vegetable basket, pulling out some ginger.
I lifted a shoulder. “But—”
“We’re happy for him. Trust me. Just … be careful.”
“Careful?” It was sweet of Chef to worry about me getting hurt. The boat leaned and my stomach complained. I pulled a bracelet off the card display backing and put it on. Better than nothing.
“He’s been hurt,” Chef went on. “He’s closed off. I know it because I … well, I recognize it. If he opens up to you, please take it for the gift it is and don’t take advantage.”
My eyebrows pressed together. “Of course.” I swallowed, feeling silly now I’d thought his concern was for me. And almost guilty, even though I’d done nothing wrong.
Chef sliced the ginger root. “You know that song ‘Graceland?’ By Paul Simon?”
“Vaguely.’’
He turned on the fancy coffee maker and set out a mug to fill with hot water.
He held up a bottle and inspected the label. “Honey?”
“Uh. Sure. Thank you.”
“Lavender honey.”
“Oh, I love that. I thought we were out.”
“I hid some. It’s from the farm next to Pascale’s estate. The place is famous for lavender. You should see it all in bloom. Bloody gorgeous. Anyway, you ever listened to the lyrics?” He dumped the chopped ginger and a generous spoonful of honey into a mug.
“To ‘Graceland’?”
“Yeah. It’s about this dad, a single dad, and his kid. On a road trip. And he says …” He looked up in thought. “Hmm. I’ll butcher it. Hot water’s ready.” He put the mug under the hot water spout and filled it. Then he gave it a stir, took out the spoon and put a saucer over the top. “Needs to steep. It