Catching the Storm

8. Careful What You Wish For

So sorry for the late update. I've been busy taking care of a new pet.

Crystal's POV

I found Jackson at the helm shortly after we'd set sail.

Personally, I was surprised he didn't have his own trained monkey to steer the yacht for him.

He glanced over at me briefly before turning his attention back to the sunset. "I do hope you brought something-anything else to wear during our trip," He said.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Trip? It's one gala. One," I corrected him. I looked down at the outfit I was wearing. "This will be just fine."

Jackson grimaced as he looked at me from head to toe. "No," He said flatly.

"Excuse me?" I said. "You said yourself everyone would be there to do business with one another, which means I'll blend right in."

Jackson grimaced as if my choice of clothing was bringing him actual physical pain.

Forgive me if I didn't feel inclined to please him of all people.

"Forget it," Jackson said as he looked me over once more. "I'm good with sizes. I'll pick out something for you."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "So what should I expect? Nothing at all?"

Jackson's amused smile grated on my nerves.

I shook my head. "Since you insist on me wearing something else-"

"I do."

"-then I'll go and pick out my own outfit."

"It better have a skirt either with it or attached to it."

I glared at him.

He held his hands up in surrender but the amused smile never left his face. "One thing I noticed about you during our brief time together, is that you were always in shorts or pants. I think I only saw you in a dress once."

I shrugged. "Shorts and pants are more practical."

"I don't care about practical." Jackson waved me off. "This isn't about being practical."

I rolled my eyes before looking him over from head to toe. "Am I to assume you'll also be wearing . . . anything else?"

He briefly tore his gaze away from the open ocean and glanced at me. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with what I'm wearing."

"You mean, other than the fact that it is so last season?" I purposely made my voice go up a few octaves and stuck my nose in the air.

Jackson looked less than amused for once.

I smiled innocently at him before turning and walking down the stairs to the lower deck.

"So, am I to expect you to show up dressed as a snake, Manipulative Bitch?" He called to me.

I stopped in the middle of the staircase, my jaw clenching. I didn't turn to him as I shouted my reply back. "I do hope you manage to make it to the gala without any accidents, Conniving Bastard."

I could hear Jackson laughing as I continued down the stairs.

***

Jackson was driving me up the wall. And we hadn't even been stuck together for a full twenty-four hours yet. That was a pretty damn scary thought.

Marrek had given me his satellite phone, so that I could always get in touch with someone-if not him-whenever I needed to.

What I really needed to do was ring Jackson's neck until he was red in the face. What I opted for instead was a long chat about the scheming, evil, disaster of a man who I was now stuck with.