Billionaire At Sea

18

Damian

As we were eating dinner, I could barely keep my eyes off of Mia. She looked so beautiful, especially when she began talking about photography. The way her face lit up was extraordinary and it made me wonder what kind of a moron I’d hired to handle my divorce. Anyone who let someone go like Mia was an i***t.

“Did you bring your camera?” I asked.

“Yes. Don’t worry, I promise not to take any pictures of your guests,” she said.

“I wasn’t worried,” I replied. “I’d keep it hidden until they’re gone, however. Ransom’s security guards might possibly confiscate it. I know he wanted to keep this party a secret.”

“Of course. I’d never invade his or your privacy,” she said.

“So, what kind of pictures do you usually take?” asked Marshall.

“Nature, mostly,” she replied.

“Have you ever done weddings or parties?” I asked her.

She shook her head. “No. It’s more of a hobby.”

“I should have you take some pictures of me and my son together,” I told her. “I don’t have that many. At least, not recent ones.”

“I’d love to,” she replied, smiling at me.

I grinned back. “Good.”

Ridley yawned. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m tired. I think I’m going to head back to my cabin.”

“It’s only eight-thirty,” said Marshall, looking disappointed.

“I know but I’m exhausted. Probably from swimming and all the excitement,” she said.

“And the wine,” added Mia, smiling at her friend.

She chuckled. “Oh, definitely. Anyway, thank you again for dinner and I guess I’ll be seeing you all tomorrow morning?”

“Sounds good. Let my crew know if you need anything,” I said.

“I will. Thank you.”

“I’ll go with you,” Mia said, standing up.

“No. You’re supposed to get a piano lesson tonight, if I remember correctly,” she said, glancing at me.

“That’s right,” I said, looking at my watch. “In fact, let’s go now before it gets too late.”

“Are you sure you have time for this?” Mia asked.

The thought of getting her alone made me more than sure. “Totally. Let’s do it.”

Marshall stood up. “I’ll walk you to your cabin, Ridley.”

“No, you don’t have to,” she replied. “I can find my way.”

“Hey, it’s no problem,” he said and then turned to us. “Have fun. Damian is a wonderful piano player and a good teacher. He even helped Kendall learn to play.”

“Really?” I said. “Your sister has a wonderful voice. I heard her sing the other night.”

“She certainly does,” he agreed.

“Do you sing?” asked Ridley.

He nodded. “Yes. Horribly. Unlike my sister, I’m usually paid to keep my mouth shut.”

We all laughed.

Mia

I thought that we were going to the salon for lessons, but instead he directed me to the other side of the ship.

“Where are we going?” I asked, confused.

“My quarters.”

At the mention of his own personal cabin, my stomach did a flip-flop. “Oh.”

“I have a piano there as well,” he explained, a smile in his voice. “And we’ll have less distractions.”

“Okay.”

When we arrived, I was startled at how big the master cabin actually was. It had its own galley, office, and sitting room.

“Very nice,” I said, looking around. It was very masculine, compared to our rooms.

“Thank you,” he replied. “Would you like a drink?”

“I’m okay,” I replied.

“Are you sure? A glass of wine? I have some Moscato in my wine cabinet.”

I smirked. “Really? In case you invite someone, who enjoys it, back to your room?”

“You must really consider me a scoundrel,” he said, laughing.

“Are you?”

“No. To be honest, I’m not much of a wine drinker, but I do like a good Moscato, probably because it’s sweeter,” he replied. “Which is the real reason that I have it stocked.”

“Oh. Well, then only if you’re going to have a glass.”

“I was thinking more in the lines of rum and Coke,” he said, heading toward the galley.

“I’ll try one of those, too, actually,” I told him.

“Your wish is my command,” he said over his shoulder.

I walked over to the baby grand piano and sat down. I wasn’t too familiar with them, but recognized the name Steinway. I could tell that it was an older model, but in beautiful condition. I tapped on a couple of the keys, imagining what kind of money it took to have not one but two pianos on a yacht like Damian’s. And then, of course, the yachts weren’t cheap either.

“That was my grandfather’s,” he said, coming up behind me a few minutes later. “Well, one of his. He used to keep this one in his office.”

“It’s beautiful,” I replied. “Do you use it a lot?”

“Once in a while. My son likes to hear me play.”

“Is he learning, too?”

“Unfortunately, no.” He gave me rueful smile. “He has no interest in playing. He’s taking saxophone lessons instead.”

“That’s wonderful. I love listening to the saxophone. Do you ever play together?”

“No. He actually just started the lessons. I would love to play alongside him one day, though.”

“I bet. You must be very proud of your son.”

“More than anything.” Damian handed me my drink. “He’s my world.”

“Thank you.” I took a sip of it and shuddered.

He grinned. “Sorry. Too strong?”

“A little. Are you trying to get me drunk?” I joked.

“Never.”

“I’m not sure what to believe,” I said, smiling. “After that kiss outside of the limo.”

His lip twitched. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”

It suddenly felt very awkward between us. I took another drink and then set it down on a nearby coaster. “Okay, so about this lesson…”

Smiling, he took a sip of his and set it down as well. “Okay, the first thing anyone needs to know is how to sit properly at the piano.”

“Okay,” I replied, sitting up straight.

“Very good.”

Damian showed me how to hold my fingers and where to place them.

“Now, think of each finger as having a number.” He then appointed numbers to each and had me practice using them.

“Very good. I think you should try playing something very simple now. Let me go and see if I can find something,” he said before walking away. A few seconds later, he returned with a folder containing several sheets of music. He pulled one out and set it in front of me.

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” I said out loud, smiling.

“It’s my son’s. Anyway, we all have to start somewhere.”

“I’m not complaining,” I replied.

For the next half hour, we practiced playing the song.

“You’re doing great,” he said. “You’re already playing very smoothly.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” he said, our eyes meeting. “I think this is going to come easy to you. You have very good dexterity in your fingers.”

I looked down at my hands. “I hope so. Listening to you play earlier reminded me of how desperately I wanted to learn when I was growing up.”

“You obviously still have that same passion. You know, it’s never too late to do what makes you happy,” he said softly. “Hell, you’re barely old enough to get into a bar.”

I laughed. “Right.”

“I bet you get carded all the time.”

“No. The fact is, I really don’t hang out at bars,” I admitted. “Last week was the first time I’d been out for a long time.”

“I had a lot of fun that night,” he replied.

I thought again about our last kiss outside of the limo, and what he’d said afterward. I don’t know if it was the alcohol or just the memory of that moment, but I was suddenly warm all over. I quickly changed the subject.

“I really loved listening to you play, earlier. Would you do another song for me?

“Sure,” he answered. “Do you have any preferences?”

“Not really. Just something that you enjoy,” I replied, getting up from the piano.

He sat down on the bench. “There is another song that I’ve always loved. It’s by Liszt. Have you heard of him?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Maybe you’ll recognize it then,” he said softly and then began to play.

As before, I became swept away by the piece. It was a slow, melodic song that was both beautiful and mysterious. I stared at him as he played, captivated by the music and even more fascinated by the man creating it. I could feel each note radiate through me and it was strangely… erotic.