his brow, as if he spent a good portion of the day scowling.
When they reached the boat, Marcus tied it up to the ladder and Ross climbed on board. He joined him in the cockpit and pointed to the carving he’d finished that morning. “This will go above the bed in the master suite,” he said. “If you remember, it’s going to be framed with carvings of seashells.”
Ross nodded. “Very nice.” He stared at it for a long time, then drew in a quick breath. “I don’t know why she doesn’t come home,” he said. “She must know I’ve been trying to reach her.”
“Maybe she’s afraid you’ll be angry with her,” Marcus suggested.
“You’re damn right I will,” Ross snapped. “She’s gone way too far this time. She’s embarrassed me, but worse, she’s made a fool of herself, as well.” He calmed himself, then forced a smile. “Well, let’s move along. What else can you show me?”
“I should be able to restore the figurehead.” They walked to the bow of the boat and Ross examined the pieces that Marcus had spread out. “I’ve removed the damaged pieces and I’ll replace them. The new teak will weather to the same shade over time.”
Ross paced along the edge of the deck. “Maybe I should just buy the damn tape,” he muttered. “It’ll probably cost me a couple million, but she’s my daughter. But then I think maybe it’s better to just wash my hands of her. She’s made her bed, so let her lie in it.” He glanced over at Marcus. “What else?”
“I’ve finished the corbels for the main salon and I’ve got part of the wall carving done down there.”
When they got into the main salon, Marcus risked a look down the companionway to the door of his cabin. Though it was a big boat, he knew Eden could hear every word of their conversation. The anger and disgust in Trevor Ross’s voice was evident. He talked about Eden as if she were nothing more than a nuisance—a very expensive nuisance, but one that could be easily disposed of. “This one will take the longest to carve,” Marcus said. “It’s very detailed and there’s much more relief than on the other two.”
“Nice work,” Ross said. “I’m impressed. I think with your talent and my money, this deal would be good for both of us.”
“I’m always looking for opportunities,” Marcus said.
“When you’re finished here, we’ll talk. I’m definitely interested in investing. And I’m sure I could steer some more business your way.”
“That would be great,” Marcus said, reaching out to shake his hand.
“And if Eden shows up here, I want you to call. You’ll do that for me, won’t you?”
“Do you really think she’d come here?”
Trevor Ross shook his head. “She always loved sailing. That was one thing we shared. Before I bought this boat, we had a thirty-five-footer. Eden and I used to sail out to Block Island and back.” He shook his head. “She cried the day she found out I sold that boat. Like I’d stolen a little piece of her heart.”
“Maybe things will work out,” Marcus said. “Maybe this situation will give you a chance to talk.”
Ross shook his head. “I doubt it. She’ll probably go back to her old ways as soon as the scandal dies down. Eden isn’t happy unless she’s in the middle of a mess. She has the attention span of a two-year-old.” He rubbed his palms together. “That’s that, then. Good work. I’ve got my driver waiting to take me back to the office.”
Marcus followed Ross on deck, then ferried him back to shore. He waited until the older man had disappeared inside the house before he stepped back into the dinghy and headed out to the boat. When he arrived, he found Eden waiting for him in the cockpit. He could tell she’d been crying, her eyes red-rimmed and watery. But she’d dried her tears before he’d returned.
“What a pleasant visit,” she muttered. “You two seemed awfully chummy.”
“He’s my employer,” Marcus said.
“So are you going to turn me in? You could probably squeeze a half million out of the old man as a reward. Did you see how smooth he is? He’ll do you a favor if you do one for him. Don’t even think of letting him invest in your business.”
“I can’t do it on my own. I’d never get the money from a bank, not to do what I want to do.”
“Fine. Go ahead then. But don’t come crying to me when he takes it over and chops it into tiny little pieces to sell.”
“He’s not going to do that. The business isn’t worth anything without me.”
“So now I know where your loyalties lie,” she murmured. “After all, what am I to you? Just some girl you’ve been messing around with for the past few days.”
“Don’t say that.” Marcus cursed softly. This was about to turn into a nasty fight, and he wasn’t sure he was prepared to do battle with her. Yes, if he revealed Eden’s presence, there’d probably be a nice chunk of money waiting for him. But how the hell was he going to explain what he’d been doing with her? “I’m not going to tell him you’re here. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying to convince you to talk to him.”
“You heard him,” Eden said. “He barely tolerates me. He thinks I’m a silly, stupid girl.”
“Are you?” Marcus asked.
She fixed her gaze on his, doubt flickering across her expression. “No,” she said in a barely audible voice.
“Then maybe it’s time to prove that to him. You can’t change the past, Eden. Stop whining about it and change the future.”
“Why didn’t you just tell him I was here?”
Marcus shrugged. “You asked me not to.”
“You mean, the longer you hold out, the more he’ll pay,” she accused.
Marcus shook his head. She was obviously spoiling for a fight and wouldn’t be satisfied until she got one. But he knew it was her father, not him, she had an issue with. “Jaysus, Eden,” he muttered, “not everyone in the world is motivated by greed. I’m through fighting with you. This is your problem with your father and I’m not going to get in the middle of it.” He climbed out of the cockpit and walked to the foredeck, anxious to put some space between them.
Even angry with her, he still wanted to yank her into his arms and kiss her senseless. What would it take to prove that he cared, that he wouldn’t betray her as other men in her life had? He wanted their relationship to be open and uncomplicated, but as time went on, he seemed to get more tangled in the mess that was her past.
“If you tell him I’m here,” Eden shouted, “then I’ll tell him exactly what we’ve been doing.”
Marcus spun around and strode back to her, crawling back into the cockpit. Hell, he’d had enough. If she wanted a fight, then he’d give it to her. “Go ahead, Princess,” he said, standing toe-to-toe with her. “I don’t give a shit. Tell him how you felt the first time I made you come. Tell him how you murmured my name when I went down on you last night. Tell him how much you want me to fuck you.
