Against the Tide: High Seas Weddings

by Cheryl Phipps

  Chloe snorted. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m not blind. And for that matter, no one else is either. Have you never wondered why Margaret and Jane talk to you like they do?”

  “Well sure, but I decided some time ago that it was simply their nature.”

  “Hah! That’s a big part of it, but they’re so jealous of you. You’ve gone from strength to strength since they threw you to the wolves with the couple from hell, and you’re generating more weddings than those two combined. And now you also have one of the most eligible men in Sunrise Beach lusting after you.”

  “What? Don’t be silly. He is not.”

  Chloe laughed loudly, causing a few heads to swivel. She was lovely and had plenty of admiring glances that she seemed oblivious to.

  “Sunrise Beach isn’t a huge town, and people talk. Trust me. The man has the hots for you. Big-time.”

  “Stop that. Let’s talk about getting you a boyfriend instead, shall we?” Keira replied in another attempt at diversion.

  Chloe shook her head. “No we won’t, and don’t change the subject.”

  “How come we can’t talk about your love life, but it’s okay to dig into mine? Or my lack of one.”

  “Well it’s like this. Aiden’s well known in Sunrise Beach, and no one around here imagined that the captain would settle for one woman.” Chloe gasped and put her hand to her mouth. “Oh hell, I shouldn’t say that.”

  Keira grimaced. “It’s okay. I know it’s true. He told me himself how he’s been since he moved here.”

  The younger woman’s eyes bugged out. “Did he? I’d say opening up about his past like that when it would be better if he kept those kinds of things to himself means something.”

  “Or he could be warning me off. Despite his, uh, past, he does seem to be a gentleman. Not that I know much about him,” Keira hurriedly added. She hadn’t meant to admit that she was so interested.

  Chloe grinned, obviously happy to add to that knowledge.

  “Google is a woman’s friend. It’s kept me from harboring thoughts of more than one interested party in town. Did you know Aiden was a soldier in Iraq, and that he came home injured?”

  Keira could feel her eyes widen. “I didn’t. I haven’t noticed any scars.”

  “It was his leg. He’s all good now, though a bit messed up, just like all our boys when they come home.”

  Keira thought of Aiden and how he’d limped from time to time, usually at the end of the day. Clearly that was one piece of information he might like to keep private, although it did explain a lot about his attitude to Majestic and relationships.

  “When you think about it, aren’t we all a little messed up.” It was less of a question than a statement.

  “That’s my philosophy too.”

  They smiled at each other, and Keira was once more delighted to have found her first real friend in Sunrise Beach. It meant a great deal.

  “So, Aiden Williams. Will you go there?”

  Keira choked on her coffee. “I plead the Fifth.”

  “Oh my. Sounds like you already have plans for the captain.” Chloe fanned her face with a menu.

  “On that note, I suggest we change the subject.”

  Chloe winked suggestively before turning her attention to the recently arrived food. Keira tried to do the same, but all she could think of was her captain and seeing him the following day.

  Chapter Twelve

  Their meeting couldn’t come soon enough for Aiden, with the day before dragging from the moment he’d received her last email. After deciding to stay free of women, he’d gone against his own advice and put himself out there, and Keira had finally agreed. To what, he wasn’t entirely sure, but what he hoped she was coming there for might not be the way things would actually pan out.

  He was as nervous as a teenager on his first date and hadn’t slept much the night before. His restlessness had him checking his watch every few minutes. As three o’clock drew near, he was glued to the deck, watching for her. Waiting. Finally her car drew up to the dock and she climbed out, carrying that massive bag she called a purse.

  Up the gangway she came, wearing a knockout black dress that clung to every curve, resting midway between her knees and shapely calves. Her hair was pulled up onto her head in some messy concoction that might look silly on some women, but it made her look wanton and highly dangerous. He liked that. It fitted with his mood.

  She looked up to the top deck, their eyes locked, and she faltered. He could tell the moment her determination took over by the way she stood tall and her purposeful stride toward the stairs. He came down the two flights until they were standing toe-to-toe outside the glass-enclosed deck reception room.

  “Thank you for coming. You look amazing.” His naturally deep voice was definitely an octave or two lower than usual, and he coughed.

  She took a deep breath. “Thank you for inviting me. Am I overdressed for our meeting?”

  Aiden wore black jeans and a white short-sleeved shirt. Casual but not too casual, he hoped.

  “I love the dress. To be fair, you could’ve come in rags and I would still be inviting you to my cabin.” It was a struggle no to touch her. His fingers itched.

  “For a meeting?”

  He smiled. “Yes. But in case there’s some doubt in your mind, let’s be clear on our agenda. The first item will be that I’m intending to take that dress off and make love to you.”

  Keira gasped. “So no talking?”

  “You can talk as much as you like, if you have the breath for it.” He pulled her into his arms and she staggered a little, dropping her bag as she felt the hardness of him pressed against her. He wanted her to feel what she did to him, to understand what was about to happen between them.

  “If you want to go ahead, we should get to my cabin as soon as possible, right?”

  She nodded, her face glowing and her eyes sparkling as she licked her lips. If he had slightly less self-control, he would’ve taken her right there on the shining deck, or in a cold stairwell. But both would be incredibly uncomfortable, and he wasn’t about to rush it, no matter how unbearable the urgency was to have her. Especially when he had a perfectly good bed in his cabin, complete with fresh linen.

  With her body pressed against him, they practically ran up the stairs and burst through his cabin door. Aiden leaned against it and swung her around. “Since that first cruise, I’ve wanted to have you here, and to do this, every minute of every hour we’ve spent together.”

  Her hands crept around his neck. “Stop talking and kiss me.”

  Her unexpected demand was the hottest thing he’d ever heard. He wasted no time, pulling her up to her tiptoes and crushing her mouth with his. She opened hers immediately, and their tongues fought until they had to come apart for air.

  Aiden rubbed her swollen lips with his thumb. “I don’t ever want to hurt you.”

  Keira took his hand and kissed each finger, rolling her tongue around his thumb and then sucking it firmly as she reached between them and massaged his shaft through his jeans. It was as excruciating as it was erotic. She must’ve sensed his pain, as she undid his belt, slid down his zipper, and then freed him from his boxers.

  He sighed with a small amount of relief and tried to reciprocate, finding the hem of her dress and tugging it up until he had a hand on her mound. He slid a finger across her center and felt the heat and wetness that awaited him.

  Just as he was about to explore further, she moved out of his embrace and pulled her dress over her head. His hands itched to touch her, and he stood impatiently as she reached back and unclasped her black lacy bra, letting it slide slowly down her arms and onto the floor. High and proud, her perfect breasts sprang free. Her nipples, a dark pink, large and puckered, beckoned him before she bent to take off her panties. Slipping the tiny piece of silken fabric, also black, over her hips, she had to bend a little to push them down her legs.

  Aiden groaned, knowing he was never going to last at this rate. He shoved his trou
sers and boxers to the floor in one move, the top button pinging off his shirt as he ripped it over his head and threw it on the dresser.

  They gravitated toward each other to meet in the middle of the room. He ran his hands over the soft skin of her breasts and stomach, eliciting a sigh, which was an aphrodisiac all on its own.

  She was making small, encouraging noises by the time he picked her up and laid her on his bed. Her tanned limbs against the white sheets tempted him further, and he knelt beside her, wincing at the pain in his knee, yet glad of it as it kept him from rushing.

  He kissed her gently, wanting to savor every minute, but Keira wouldn’t wait. She thrust her tongue into his mouth greedily, reached down between them and took hold of him firmly. She knew exactly what she was doing, but before he could make love to her, he slid off the bed, smiling at her protest. Retrieving a condom from the bedside table, he rejoined her, marveling once more at the sight of her naked and ready for him. He moved between her legs and kissed her with an urgency that was new to him.

  Soon she was writhing and calling his name. Her orgasm was big and fast, and he put his weight on his bad knee to hold himself in check. The way she looked, felt and sounded in his arms made him want to give her so much more than a few minutes of sex. He intended to make love to every inch of her and take as long as she would allow.

  Starting with that hollow at the base of her throat, he moved down her well-rounded yet perky breasts to the smooth skin of her flat stomach and lower. He felt like he’d barely begun when, half sobbing, she called out to him.

  “Please, Aiden. I need you. Now.”

  Her voice, ragged with demand, heated his blood to a dangerous level, and as much as he’d wanted to prolong the proceedings, he couldn’t deny her plea nor imagine anything he wanted more.

  As he moved back up to take her mouth once more, she wrapped her legs around him, her muscles already spasming. He was pulled into a tornado of feelings, clinging to her until they were out the other side, gasping for breath and reveling in the joy he’d experienced.

  Had she felt it too?

  Aiden rolled to the side and pulled Keira with him so they were eye-to-eye as he awaited the return of his ability to speak.

  They smiled at each other, and she traced his face with her hand.

  “That was incredible. Thank you,” Keira whispered.

  He grinned. “I’m the one who should be thanking you for agreeing to have this meeting.”

  Her cheeks turned a delightful pink. “I wish every meeting we have could be like this.”

  “Exhausting?” he teased.

  She tweaked his nose. “Exhilarating.”

  “Well, as long as your meetings are only ever with me, I think that could be arranged.” She was funny, gorgeous and sexy. Aiden thought he might never get enough of this woman.

  “I like the sound of that, however impractical it may be.”

  “Hmmm. There are meetings, and then there are meetings.” He pinched and twirled the rose-colored nipple closest to his hand, and she squealed.

  “Hey, no fair. You have more things to grab.” She slapped at his hands.

  “I’m not complaining.”

  Keira wriggled, and he felt her hand on him. Even after the marathon they had recently undertaken, he was just as ready as she apparently was.

  “One moment, gorgeous.”

  Keira had a gleam in her eyes as she watched him clean up and apply another condom. He loved that she didn’t cover up and feign shyness. Then he wondered if there was anything he didn’t like about Keira.

  As he passed by the small fridge, he grabbed some apple juice, and they drank greedily from the same bottle. He took another swig of juice, then leaned over her to swirl it around one delicious nipple and then the other. Keira gasped at the cold on her heated skin, and he took her delectable mouth once more. The sweetness of the juice was another taste to enjoy, especially mixed the way it was with Keira’s.

  Eventually they came up for air, and Aiden cradled her in his arms. Breathing deeply against his chest, she managed to voice what he’d been thinking.

  “Wow. Do you think we’ll ever get to our real meeting?”

  “Not if you don’t stop doing what you’re doing.”

  She grinned as her small hand made a nuisance of itself, but in a very inviting way, all the while watching his reactions. She must’ve been encouraged by what she saw, as she kissed him briefly on the mouth before sliding down his body. Her breath teased, her teeth nipped, and together with her tongue, she navigated every inch until his hips began to buck.

  “For goodness sake, Keira, have mercy,” he croaked.

  “Mercy?” She lifted her head, and her hair, which had been previously tied up, fell loosely around her shoulders.

  Aiden ran his hands through it, discarding the odd pin that still had a tenuous hold.

  “I don’t remember you showing any mercy not so long ago.” She nipped him again, not altogether gently.

  “Come here,” he growled.

  “Make me.”

  The challenge was enough that he couldn’t wait for more than the few seconds it took to replace the condom. He dragged Keira up his body, and she helpfully straddled him.

  She lifted her arms to push her hair over her shoulders, her breasts rising and her skin rippling over her ribs as she placed herself above him. She rubbed against him, toying with him until he could take no more and grabbed her hips.

  “Enough. I need you, Keira.”

  Suddenly serious, she licked her lips once and did as he asked. The feeling of her around him once more was like coming home, and he sighed in ecstasy. They made love slower that time, watching each other, drowning in their mutual appreciation until they were both groaning.

  Keira fell forward as white lights shot from behind his eyes. He clasped her to his chest like a drowning man as they reached the lofty heights of a tsunami.

  Never had making love been so spectacular. Aiden was no angel, but he was convinced that what they’d shared was rare. He was shocked by his depth of feeling and the fact that it had grown so quickly.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Keira felt like she’d been run over. Every part of her ached. Yet it wasn’t a bad pain. This was a delicious languid feeling, like finishing a long run and then lying back in a Jacuzzi. No, it was more than that. It was sunshine and flowers, warm rain and marshmallows.

  She felt Aiden move, but she was content to lie there forever, even though her side that had been nestled against him began to grow cool.

  She was nearly asleep when she felt herself being lifted. She opened her eyes slightly and saw that Aiden had taken her into his bathroom and had filled the bath. He placed her gently in it and began to wash her.

  Nothing had ever felt so right. He didn’t sensually touch her, and yet it was. As lovely as his hands felt between her legs and on her breasts, she couldn’t have done more than let him have his way. But Aiden wasn’t like that. Already she knew so much about him, and she had no fear about their intimacy. Everything they’d done that afternoon had been consensual and honest—and so freaking good that she would be spoiled for any other man.

  She snorted, earning a raised eyebrow from Aiden as he continued his ministrations.

  As if I would want another man now.

  Eventually Aiden pulled her out and tenderly dried her, steadying her when her legs began to shake.

  “Would you like to wear my bathrobe?” He pulled it from a peg on the back of the door.

  Tempted as she was to wear the soft material that smelled of him, a scent she couldn’t get enough of, she shook her head. “I’m ravenous, and if we’re going to the kitchen I need clothes. What about you?”

  He was devouring her with his eyes and, regardless of what they’d just done to each other, Keira couldn’t help blushing as he found her underwear and gently helped her into the panties.

  “You make me hungry. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather…?” His hands lingered on the elas
tic.

  “Food first,” she asserted as her stomach rumbled. She’d been so nervous about their meeting that she’d eaten nothing since the banana she’d had for breakfast, and it was already growing dark outside.

  He shrugged and grinned. “If you insist.”

  They finished dressing—she’d insisted she could manage her own clothes, knowing they might not make it out of the room otherwise—and went down to the galley. Aiden began pulling an array of food from the fridge as Keira took a seat at one of the counters.

  “Where is everyone?”

  “On shore. They all have homes to go to.”

  Which meant they were all alone. That pleased her. “What about you?”

  “Majestic is my home for the foreseeable future. I feel like I need to look after her, you know? Make sure she’s not vandalized or anything.”

  “Does that happen around here?”

  “Not really. There’s a great security team that patrols the marina and docks, but I’ve got everything sewn up in her.” He laughed. “Maybe I’m paranoid from seeing too much bad stuff.”

  She’d been curious about that part of his life and would like to talk more about it, but it wasn’t the time. “I’m sure you’re not, and I can understand how Majestic makes you feel. If I had my time over again, I would’ve kept my eye on my business and not let someone else take control.”

  He looked up and frowned. “Your ex?”

  Keira nodded, not trusting her voice just then. It was a sore point and still surprised her with the anger and sorrow that swamped her. She had plans for both of them, but those could wait until after they’d eaten.

  Aiden nodded and let it be. He whipped up a fat omelet with spinach and feta for each of them, as well as a platter of cheese and fruit. It was perfect.

  Is there anything this man isn’t capable of?

  When they’d finished, Keira groaned and sat back. “That was delicious.”

  “Not as delicious as you. What would you care to do now?”

  His eyebrows were doing a ridiculous dance.