On Deck Desires
When the Martinez family hired me to be their personal chef on their private yacht, I had to impress the hell out of them to open the doors I needed in life. I came from the wrong side of the tracks, losing my drug dealing parents early in life and raising my sister. I had to keep my eye on my goal and not let anything get in the way.
That became hard when meeting recently divorced Cassandra, the daughter of Mr. Martinez. From the moment I laid eyes on her, there was something about her that I craved. Being with her could jeopardize my plan, but I found it almost impossible to stay away from her.
That became hard when meeting recently divorced Cassandra, the daughter of Mr. Martinez. From the moment I laid eyes on her, there was something about her that I craved. Being with her could jeopardize my plan, but I found it almost impossible to stay away from her.
Where to find it
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Dean
I ran my palm along the cool granite counter top. I’d never been in a kitchen on a private yacht, and I hadn’t expected it to be this impressive. In my mind it would’ve been small and cramped but it was the opposite. I’d been hired by the Martinez family to cook for their daughter and friend for the next few days. When I’d gotten the offer, I’d been shocked that someone with the wealth of the Martinezes would ever think of me. However, I’d recently gotten some good publicity for my dishes at the restaurant where I worked part-time in Manhattan. I’d fed the father, Marcus Martinez, one evening when he’d been out with clients, and he’d hired me on the spot for the next time they needed a private chef. I wouldn’t be cooking for him this trip, instead, his precious daughter Cassandra.
I’d seen her in the headlines lately, but not for good publicity. I didn’t want to judge her. After all, it wasn’t my place. I was here to serve her and her friend. I wanted to impress her with my food and maybe Marcus would open more doors for my future.
The Martinez family was well known. Marcus became a billionaire when the real estate market was booming and he had a damn good person in charge of investing his money. His family started as middle class and now, would never want for anything. I’d like nothing more than to have his luck, but in my line of work, that was slim. It wasn’t like the streets were lined with billionaire chefs walking around Manhattan?
“Dean.” The captain, Wayne Marshall, came into the kitchen. “Making yourself at home?”
“I am.”
“When you get a chance, come meet the rest of the crew you’ll be working with. We only brought on one waitress. Normally when Cassandra uses the yacht, she doesn’t need a whole lot. And from my understanding, she wants this time to be laid back.”
“I understand.”
Wayne glanced at his watch. “On second thought, she’ll be here soon. Can you prepare a few appetizers? I’ll have Michelle deliver them to her room when she gets here. We’ll worry about you meeting everyone else in a bit. Michelle will be up in a few. She’s getting settled in her bunk.”
I nodded and went to the refrigerator. Opening the doors, I found it well stocked with fresh ingredients. I moved items around until I decided on making Cassandra and her friend some healthy comfort foods to get their trip started. It was nothing special but mini pizza bites on zucchini. There was a wide arrangement of fruit, so maybe a fruit salad too. I was slacking, but appetizers weren’t my specialty. When I got a hold of a piece of meat and the sides that went with it, that’s when I’d wow our guests at their first meal.
As I got to work on the appetizers, I thought of my sister. Annabelle was always on my mind. She was in a bad marriage with a controlling man. I was saving every penny I could to help her get away. I didn’t grow up middle class. Annabelle and I were raised by our grandparents after our parents decided drugs were more important than we were. They were both killed when a drug deal went bad. When our grandparents passed away a few years ago, my sister went down the wrong path. Now she was trying her hardest to get her life together but with no job and an over bearing man, she wasn’t having any luck.
I put the zucchini bites in the oven then went about washing the few dishes I dirtied.
“You don’t have to do that.” An attractive woman entered the kitchen. “I’m Michelle.”
“Dean.”
“There is someone who will come clean up for you. All you have to do is cook and then I bring the food to our guests.”
“I don’t mind washing dishes.”
Michelle rolled her eyes with a grin. “First time working on a private yacht? These families waste money on help, but hey, who am I to complain. It’s my paycheck, and a damn good one. Just you wait for payday. The tip at the end makes it all worth it.”
I chuckled. “It’s my first time.”
“Get used to only being in charge of your duties. There is someone for everything. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Martinez hired someone to wipe his daughter’s ass.”
That was going a bit far…maybe.
“How much longer on the food?” she asked.
“These are done quick. Come back in ten minutes and the plates will be ready.”
“Or I could stay here and chat.” She moved closer to me. “We’ll be spending a lot of time together the next few days in close quarters.”
I was never one for casual hook-ups, and I had a feeling that was what she was offering.
Her gaze wandered over me then returned to my face. “You’re quiet.”
“Not really. Just getting used to my surroundings.”
“Once those apps are done, come have a drink. It’ll loosen your mood.” She moved away as her cell phone rang. “I gotta take this. See you later.”
I was relieved when she left the room. Even though she was attractive, I needed some time to get accustomed to the kitchen. For me, it was important to know where everything was so I didn’t spend cooking time looking for the items I needed. And the whole point of this job was to open doors to my future, not to spend it in bed with a woman.
Cassie
The next few days were all about putting the past behind me. Relaxing on the deck on my family’s private yacht with one of my best friends, while we put our lives in the trust of the crew running the boat. My face had been all over the tabloids lately. I needed a break. So Taylor and I were on the wide open ocean, headed toward a remote island where we’d get out for a bit and explore before getting back onto the yacht. I honestly didn’t care about going anywhere. I wanted to lie out in my bikini and forget about where my life went wrong.
“Right this way, Mrs. Stevens.” The captain held my luggage as he took me to my bedroom, as though I had no idea where it was. “It’s Ms., and call me Cassie.”
Wayne smiled. “I forgot. I’m sorry about the recent divorce.”
“Don’t be. Hopefully the next time I see you, I’ll be Cassandra Martinez again.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t yet.”
“If only it was as simple as signing the divorce papers.”
Wayne set my luggage on the bed. “I see our chef has prepared a snack for you as you get settled.”
I looked at the plate on the table. What the heck was that? Going over to it, I noticed it was some sort of mini pizza and fruit. My father said he’d hired a great up and coming chef for this trip. But if this was “up-and-coming”, the guy or girl needed to up their game.
“Thanks.” I sat on the bed. “I need to text Taylor and see where she is. Running late as usual.”
“I’m going to go make sure everything is ready so when Taylor arrives, we’ll be ready to leave. The weather is going to be gorgeous the next few days. It’ll surly wipe away the blues.”
Wayne left and I was thankful to be alone. No one had left me alone since my divorce a week ago. My parents were up my butt constantly and insisted that I bring a friend on this trip. Ideally, I wanted to come alone, but my parents weren’t having that. It wasn't like I was depressed. I knew the marriage was ending. My ex-husband had a hard time keeping to one bed. Those business trips always accompanied another woman. Leaving me looking like a fool. But that was the past, or so I kept telling myself, but the tabloids were still talking about it.
I didn’t understand why they loved my family. We weren’t celebrities. My father wasn’t the only billionaire who made his money from real estate, but for some reason, we caught headlines a few years ago. I’ve been pregnant a dozen times yet I have no child.
My ex loved it though. Robby thrived on headlines and always wanted to be in them. Sometimes I think he married me to create a scandal for my family. He was the one surprised when I ended our marriage. He thought I should forgive him and that cheating was what rich people did.
Taking a deep breath, I went over to the plate of food. I picked up the pizza bites, seeing they were made from zucchini, cheese, and pepperoni. These looked vaguely familiar and then I remembered seeing some video on Facebook for them. This wasn’t going to cut it. I picked up the plate and made me way out of my room and toward the kitchen. When I entered, I roughly set the plate on the counter.
A man—a hot as hell man— spun around. My breath caught as I gazed into his sea green eyes. My focus slipped down, seeing his strong jaw dusted with a five o’clock shadow. His arms were thick as the tight navy blue sleeves hugged them like a second skin.
“Is there a problem?” he asked, wiping his hands on a towel.
“Yes.” I tried to sound stern, but failed. “What is this?”
“I had a feeling you’d be expecting something more elaborate. My apologies. My specialty isn’t appetizers or snack type foods. Did it not taste good?”
“I didn’t even try it.”
The sexy man picked one up off my plate and took a bite. “They’ve cooled off. I have some more in the warmer.” He removed a pan and set them on the counter. “Try one of these.”
He cut one in half with a fork and handed it to me. I took the fork and said, “It isn’t about the taste it’s the fact this is something I saw on Facebook.” My stomach growled and I took a bite.
Holy cow, it was good.
“Well?” He stared at me with curiosity. “How was my Facebook steal?”
“Good.” I hated to admit it.
“I promise for the rest of the trip, you won’t be tasting anything else you might have come across on social media. I plan to impress you.”
I was impressed with this pizza thing he’d made. I stabbed my fork into the other half and ate it. “What’s your name?”
“Dean.”
“How long have you been a chef?”
“Not long. I’m a recent graduate and am working with a few great chefs part-time. My dream, like anyone in my line of work, is to one day own my own restaurant.”
“My dad can make that happen.”
“I didn’t take this job to get something handed to me.”
I ate another pizza bite before answering. “Didn’t say you were, but my father loves to give back. In fact, he asked me to report to him how you did.”
That seemed to get his attention. “Are you going to tell him about my horrible appetizers?”
“These are anything but horrible.” I could keep eating them. “But I doubt you could serve this in a restaurant of your own.”
“I could put my own spin on it.”
I smiled because I liked him already. He seemed honest and didn’t try to hide the fact his recipe wasn’t original to him. Honesty was a good trait to have. “How about you think about that and serve this again.”
“And here I thought when you came in here you were going to fire me.”
“I thought I was too.” Your sexy as hell body saved you.
My phone buzzed and glancing at my smart watch, I saw it was Taylor.
“Excuse me.” I pulled my phone from my pocket. “Hey girl, you here?”
“Yeah.”
“All right. Hold on, I’ll come get you.” I pressed the end button and turned toward Dean. “See you around.”
Dean
I ran my palm along the cool granite counter top. I’d never been in a kitchen on a private yacht, and I hadn’t expected it to be this impressive. In my mind it would’ve been small and cramped but it was the opposite. I’d been hired by the Martinez family to cook for their daughter and friend for the next few days. When I’d gotten the offer, I’d been shocked that someone with the wealth of the Martinezes would ever think of me. However, I’d recently gotten some good publicity for my dishes at the restaurant where I worked part-time in Manhattan. I’d fed the father, Marcus Martinez, one evening when he’d been out with clients, and he’d hired me on the spot for the next time they needed a private chef. I wouldn’t be cooking for him this trip, instead, his precious daughter Cassandra.
I’d seen her in the headlines lately, but not for good publicity. I didn’t want to judge her. After all, it wasn’t my place. I was here to serve her and her friend. I wanted to impress her with my food and maybe Marcus would open more doors for my future.
The Martinez family was well known. Marcus became a billionaire when the real estate market was booming and he had a damn good person in charge of investing his money. His family started as middle class and now, would never want for anything. I’d like nothing more than to have his luck, but in my line of work, that was slim. It wasn’t like the streets were lined with billionaire chefs walking around Manhattan?
“Dean.” The captain, Wayne Marshall, came into the kitchen. “Making yourself at home?”
“I am.”
“When you get a chance, come meet the rest of the crew you’ll be working with. We only brought on one waitress. Normally when Cassandra uses the yacht, she doesn’t need a whole lot. And from my understanding, she wants this time to be laid back.”
“I understand.”
Wayne glanced at his watch. “On second thought, she’ll be here soon. Can you prepare a few appetizers? I’ll have Michelle deliver them to her room when she gets here. We’ll worry about you meeting everyone else in a bit. Michelle will be up in a few. She’s getting settled in her bunk.”
I nodded and went to the refrigerator. Opening the doors, I found it well stocked with fresh ingredients. I moved items around until I decided on making Cassandra and her friend some healthy comfort foods to get their trip started. It was nothing special but mini pizza bites on zucchini. There was a wide arrangement of fruit, so maybe a fruit salad too. I was slacking, but appetizers weren’t my specialty. When I got a hold of a piece of meat and the sides that went with it, that’s when I’d wow our guests at their first meal.
As I got to work on the appetizers, I thought of my sister. Annabelle was always on my mind. She was in a bad marriage with a controlling man. I was saving every penny I could to help her get away. I didn’t grow up middle class. Annabelle and I were raised by our grandparents after our parents decided drugs were more important than we were. They were both killed when a drug deal went bad. When our grandparents passed away a few years ago, my sister went down the wrong path. Now she was trying her hardest to get her life together but with no job and an over bearing man, she wasn’t having any luck.
I put the zucchini bites in the oven then went about washing the few dishes I dirtied.
“You don’t have to do that.” An attractive woman entered the kitchen. “I’m Michelle.”
“Dean.”
“There is someone who will come clean up for you. All you have to do is cook and then I bring the food to our guests.”
“I don’t mind washing dishes.”
Michelle rolled her eyes with a grin. “First time working on a private yacht? These families waste money on help, but hey, who am I to complain. It’s my paycheck, and a damn good one. Just you wait for payday. The tip at the end makes it all worth it.”
I chuckled. “It’s my first time.”
“Get used to only being in charge of your duties. There is someone for everything. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Martinez hired someone to wipe his daughter’s ass.”
That was going a bit far…maybe.
“How much longer on the food?” she asked.
“These are done quick. Come back in ten minutes and the plates will be ready.”
“Or I could stay here and chat.” She moved closer to me. “We’ll be spending a lot of time together the next few days in close quarters.”
I was never one for casual hook-ups, and I had a feeling that was what she was offering.
Her gaze wandered over me then returned to my face. “You’re quiet.”
“Not really. Just getting used to my surroundings.”
“Once those apps are done, come have a drink. It’ll loosen your mood.” She moved away as her cell phone rang. “I gotta take this. See you later.”
I was relieved when she left the room. Even though she was attractive, I needed some time to get accustomed to the kitchen. For me, it was important to know where everything was so I didn’t spend cooking time looking for the items I needed. And the whole point of this job was to open doors to my future, not to spend it in bed with a woman.
Cassie
The next few days were all about putting the past behind me. Relaxing on the deck on my family’s private yacht with one of my best friends, while we put our lives in the trust of the crew running the boat. My face had been all over the tabloids lately. I needed a break. So Taylor and I were on the wide open ocean, headed toward a remote island where we’d get out for a bit and explore before getting back onto the yacht. I honestly didn’t care about going anywhere. I wanted to lie out in my bikini and forget about where my life went wrong.
“Right this way, Mrs. Stevens.” The captain held my luggage as he took me to my bedroom, as though I had no idea where it was. “It’s Ms., and call me Cassie.”
Wayne smiled. “I forgot. I’m sorry about the recent divorce.”
“Don’t be. Hopefully the next time I see you, I’ll be Cassandra Martinez again.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t yet.”
“If only it was as simple as signing the divorce papers.”
Wayne set my luggage on the bed. “I see our chef has prepared a snack for you as you get settled.”
I looked at the plate on the table. What the heck was that? Going over to it, I noticed it was some sort of mini pizza and fruit. My father said he’d hired a great up and coming chef for this trip. But if this was “up-and-coming”, the guy or girl needed to up their game.
“Thanks.” I sat on the bed. “I need to text Taylor and see where she is. Running late as usual.”
“I’m going to go make sure everything is ready so when Taylor arrives, we’ll be ready to leave. The weather is going to be gorgeous the next few days. It’ll surly wipe away the blues.”
Wayne left and I was thankful to be alone. No one had left me alone since my divorce a week ago. My parents were up my butt constantly and insisted that I bring a friend on this trip. Ideally, I wanted to come alone, but my parents weren’t having that. It wasn't like I was depressed. I knew the marriage was ending. My ex-husband had a hard time keeping to one bed. Those business trips always accompanied another woman. Leaving me looking like a fool. But that was the past, or so I kept telling myself, but the tabloids were still talking about it.
I didn’t understand why they loved my family. We weren’t celebrities. My father wasn’t the only billionaire who made his money from real estate, but for some reason, we caught headlines a few years ago. I’ve been pregnant a dozen times yet I have no child.
My ex loved it though. Robby thrived on headlines and always wanted to be in them. Sometimes I think he married me to create a scandal for my family. He was the one surprised when I ended our marriage. He thought I should forgive him and that cheating was what rich people did.
Taking a deep breath, I went over to the plate of food. I picked up the pizza bites, seeing they were made from zucchini, cheese, and pepperoni. These looked vaguely familiar and then I remembered seeing some video on Facebook for them. This wasn’t going to cut it. I picked up the plate and made me way out of my room and toward the kitchen. When I entered, I roughly set the plate on the counter.
A man—a hot as hell man— spun around. My breath caught as I gazed into his sea green eyes. My focus slipped down, seeing his strong jaw dusted with a five o’clock shadow. His arms were thick as the tight navy blue sleeves hugged them like a second skin.
“Is there a problem?” he asked, wiping his hands on a towel.
“Yes.” I tried to sound stern, but failed. “What is this?”
“I had a feeling you’d be expecting something more elaborate. My apologies. My specialty isn’t appetizers or snack type foods. Did it not taste good?”
“I didn’t even try it.”
The sexy man picked one up off my plate and took a bite. “They’ve cooled off. I have some more in the warmer.” He removed a pan and set them on the counter. “Try one of these.”
He cut one in half with a fork and handed it to me. I took the fork and said, “It isn’t about the taste it’s the fact this is something I saw on Facebook.” My stomach growled and I took a bite.
Holy cow, it was good.
“Well?” He stared at me with curiosity. “How was my Facebook steal?”
“Good.” I hated to admit it.
“I promise for the rest of the trip, you won’t be tasting anything else you might have come across on social media. I plan to impress you.”
I was impressed with this pizza thing he’d made. I stabbed my fork into the other half and ate it. “What’s your name?”
“Dean.”
“How long have you been a chef?”
“Not long. I’m a recent graduate and am working with a few great chefs part-time. My dream, like anyone in my line of work, is to one day own my own restaurant.”
“My dad can make that happen.”
“I didn’t take this job to get something handed to me.”
I ate another pizza bite before answering. “Didn’t say you were, but my father loves to give back. In fact, he asked me to report to him how you did.”
That seemed to get his attention. “Are you going to tell him about my horrible appetizers?”
“These are anything but horrible.” I could keep eating them. “But I doubt you could serve this in a restaurant of your own.”
“I could put my own spin on it.”
I smiled because I liked him already. He seemed honest and didn’t try to hide the fact his recipe wasn’t original to him. Honesty was a good trait to have. “How about you think about that and serve this again.”
“And here I thought when you came in here you were going to fire me.”
“I thought I was too.” Your sexy as hell body saved you.
My phone buzzed and glancing at my smart watch, I saw it was Taylor.
“Excuse me.” I pulled my phone from my pocket. “Hey girl, you here?”
“Yeah.”
“All right. Hold on, I’ll come get you.” I pressed the end button and turned toward Dean. “See you around.”