Emma stared at her phone's screen in horror.
She prayed to any deity who was listening, to the entire universe that either time would reverse or she would get sucked into the earth's core.
Or maybe that her boss's phone would somehow fall into the ocean, right this moment, before…
Too late, the word delivered just changed to seen, followed immediately by the message
"Please meet me as soon as possible."
And now Emma's life was over.
She didn't think it was fair that people couldn't actually die of embarrassment. Death would have been preferable to what she was sure would be the most awkward conversation in her entire life.
And then, she would have to start looking for a new job, even if he didn't fire her, she would never be able to look him in the eye after this.
She had been sending him images of antique furniture she had found when she accidentally included a few of her more personal photos.
They were images of herself, scantily clad and in provocative poses. She had taken them when she needed a confidence boost after a bad breakup.
What made it worse was that she had been lusting after the man for a while.
Any person with an ounce of interest in the male form would be lusting after Killian Jones. He was 100% prime male perfection, and she had had the thrill of working as his personal assistant for the past six months.
The more time they spent together the more she found to like about him. He was highly intelligent, very clever, generous to those who deserved it and stood his ground when faced with any opponent.
Any other man she had been around would leer at her and make crude comments. But that kind of behavior was far beneath Captain Killian Jones. He was always a perfect gentleman.
He probably now thought she was not the lady he had always treated her as since she started working for him.
Accidentally sending him a picture of her breasts was bound to change everything about their relationship.
Granted, they were in her bra. But considering that the bra was black lace and pushed up her breasts to ensure they looked plump and full gave off the image that she was still sending her boss inappropriate photos.
Emma's feet felt like lead as she made her way onto The Jewel.
"Captain Jones?" She called.
"Down here Emma." She heard him call from his living area on the boat.
God, she was going to miss his sexy voice.
"Look, I'm sorry for sending you those pictures. It was an accident." She tried to explain as she entered.
"Accident?" He looked up in surprise, pausing his action of pouring wine into two glasses.
Emma's own eyes widened in surprise. She was expecting an irritated boss, not one preparing for a romantic evening.
"Right. Of course it was an accident." She heard him mumble. Her heart jerked in her chest when she saw him try to hide his left arm behind his back.
Killian's left hand had been crushed in an event he didn't like to talk about. It had to be amputated and was replaced with a prosthetic.
Emma often forgot that he even had it. The man had proven he could do anything he set his mind to, a missing left hand didn't change that.
It certainly didn't change how extremely attractive Emma found him.
But it seemed he thought differently.
Emma's mood changed from embarrassment to determination. Now that she knew he wanted her too, she was no longer afraid to tell him how she felt. And to move their relationship from professional and friendly to passionate and romantic. Seeing the heartbroken look in Killian's eyes made Emma rush to explain
"I took a picture of myself after a bad breakup. I wanted to feel sexy again and just saved them for when I needed a confidence boost. I had been looking at them before you called. I guess my thumb hit the select all feature and I sent them to you along with the images of the furniture I found for you."
She placed her hand on his arm, "Do you want to know why I was looking at them? Why I needed the reminder that I was sexy and beautiful?"
Killian shook his head. "One would have to be a fool not to see how incredibly stunning you are, Swan. You're better than anyone deserves."
"Do you think that I'm more than you deserve? Because that was why I was looking at those pictures. I wanted to build up my courage to seduce you."
"Seduce me? Why?"
Emma laughed. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because you're the sexiest man I've ever laid eyes on? And maybe it's becoming difficult to do my job without being distracted by thoughts of what we could be doing together?"
His startling blue eyes lit up. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, love. I am continuously trying to think up excuses to see you. I dread the moments we have to be apart."
She reached out and cupped his neck, pulling his head to her for a kiss.
"Why don't you finish pouring the wine? Then you can tell me what you thought about the photo."
He finished filling the second glass, then guided her to sit with him.
"By the gods, Emma, you are exquisite. From the moment I first set eyes on you, I felt as if the sun was shining for the first time. When I saw those images of you, I thought that maybe you wanted me just as much as I wanted you."
"I do." She assured him, running her fingers along his jaw. "When I accidentally sent those pictures, my biggest fear was that you would no longer think well of me and fire me. Then I would never get to see you again. Or get to hear your voice again."
"Bloody hell, Swan, I could never fire you. You could set my ship on fire and I would insist you stay on to help me find another."
Emma shook her head. She must have been blind not to see how much he cared about her.
No wine touched either of their lips. Their lips were much more interested in touching each other.
"I wish I had known you felt that way." Emma sighed. "I would have not spent so many lonely nights fantasizing about you if I had known I could have had the real thing."
"I'm sure it was not half as many nights as I was dreaming of you, love."
Kissing was wonderful, but the need for one another insisted they do more than just press their lips together.
The look of appreciation on Killian's face as he gazed at Emma was well worth all of the anxiety she had gone through that night.