No. Wait. She needed more control. The hot water, the steam, his wet hair under her fingers—it was too perfect for safety. Too close to the fantasy that had played out in her mind only yesterday. His mouth went back to her nipples. “Nice?” he said, and she whimpered again. Then his hands were on the thin lace of her panties.
“No, not yet.” Michaela squirmed out of his hands. Two could play at the passion game. “I want you,” she purred, grasping at his erection and pushing him against the opposite wall.
“You’ll finish me if you touch me like that,” Dylan managed.
“Good.” The shock of seeing him fully undressed was tempered now by the water, her desire, and the need clearly etched on his face.
He was big—very big—and hard. Oh, boy.
Her fingers wrapped around the skin of his rock-hard cock, stroking up and down, teasing him into a groaning frenzy. Dylan thrust out his arms to press his hands against the sides of the shower as his face convulsed with the pleasure of her touch.
“Don’t, you’ll—”
Michaela ignored his warning and ducked her head under the water to take his whole thick length into her mouth. She loved the way he groaned when she ran her tongue over the sensitive head, loved the way his body moved—his narrow hips thrusting gently as she moved her mouth over him. She loved the taut feel of his butt under her hands, the muscles clenching, then releasing. His hands wrapped in her hair. His passion mounted, his stomach tensing more with each stroke as her face came close to his body.
She felt the beginnings of his release and rolled her tongue again for good measure, only pulling back as his body finished its shuddering climax.
Sure, she was a little out of practice with getting naked, but he wasn’t the only one who knew a few tricks.
Dylan panted. The water dripped from his nose as he hung his head and caught his breath. His arms were still braced against the sides of the shower, and he looked spent, but not weakened by any stretch. Michaela stepped back, turning to get out of the shower.
“Not so fast, young lady.” Dylan grabbed her wrist and spun her back toward him. As he pulled her into his heaving chest, his lips nuzzled her throat, and he growled, “cheeky.”
She smiled, but he gave her little time to rest on her laurels. The kiss that followed was a merciless tease, feathery light, then hard and deep. A mere flutter of his tongue on her still-moist lips, then a sharp nip from his bared teeth.
“You don’t think you can pull that trick on me and get away with it?” He pushed her back against the wall, his hands again stroking her breasts before they slid down, following the path of the shower water toward the translucent lace scrap of her briefs. With his hard body pressed against hers, she was helpless to escape. He pushed her hips against the wall with his own, and she felt his full strength.
“My turn.” The words emerged from his throat as little more than a sexy snarl.
Michaela gasped. “What are you—”
But his lips captured her mouth and silenced her once more. Releasing her only when she’d stopped protesting, Dylan clenched her firm buttocks in both hands, lifting and putting her down on the small ledge set into the shower wall to hold soaps. “It’ll break,” she said, but he hushed her again, lifting her arms above her head and guiding them to hold on to the sturdy curtain rail that ran the whole way around the shower box.
His eyes had turned as liquid as the shower water, their emerald depths steamier by far than the vapor that circled their heads. His hands smoothed the water across her body, massaging the firm flesh of her arms, her breasts, her stomach and thighs. Then he knelt before her, the water pouring off his broad shoulders, and gently blew a hot kiss against her sex. One of his hands moved up her body again to palm her breast, and he half stood to take it again in his mouth while leaving the other hand to massage between her legs.
When she thought she wouldn’t be able to take it any longer, his hand slid beneath the waistband of her sodden panties and ripped her last piece of protection away. He kneeled again between her legs…and waited.
“Oh, please,” she moaned, and with a grin he obliged her, sliding a finger deep inside her. She shuddered as he stroked back and forth, gently probing her inner secrets and reaching the deepest parts of her. When he withdrew the finger, slicked it over her clitoris, and moved it back inside, Michaela clenched at the curtain rail, desperate to pull him toward her, to force him to enter her more fully and ride her all the way to climax. Yet she was afraid that if she let go, she would fall from the ledge—or worse, break it. She would hate to have to explain to housekeeping just exactly how the shower had come to be in such disarray.
Slowly, very slowly, he pulled his finger out again. This time, he used two fingers to circle and massage her clit until her muscles clenched, then thrust both fingers inside.
“Michaela.” The smile was obvious in his voice. “You’ve been without a man for far too long.”
“I don’t think—” He put his other hand up to her mouth, quieting her, and plunged the two fingers back inside to completely distract her. Letting his hand fall away from her mouth, Dylan trailed it down her body, then stopped to tweak her nipples and toy with each breast as he kept the steady rhythm of his fingers in, out, swirling around her clit, back in.
Her arms started to shake, and she opened her legs wider. “Please,” she said. She’d forgotten this need—or maybe never experienced it before. This need to be filled. “I want you,” she said, barely able to get the words out.
“Of course you do, but you can’t have everything you want. Didn’t your mother ever teach you that?” He punctuated his teasing comment with a deeper trust of his fingers. “But perhaps you can have a little taste.”
He dipped his head between her thighs and pulled her clitoris into his mouth. The flicker and chase of his tongue built her up and then released her so that she rose again and again, only to be gently let back down to earth to rest for a second before he started over.
“Now?” he asked, and she just nodded, unable to speak. Then, finally, he brought her to the peak, thrusting and circling with both his mouth and fingers until her whole body shook as she came and came and came.
She tasted sweet, hot and slippery from the shower. Michaela’s soft, tanned thighs trembled around his face, and he held her up so her orgasm would go on and on. As she spasmed, she began to call his name, and Dylan had to hurriedly cover her mouth for fear that the whole floor would hear her.
When her shaking finally ceased, he raised his head and saw her tawny eyes glossed with satisfaction. He stood, lifting her gently down from the small ledge and tucking her breasts back into the bra, which was now stretched and sodden.
She looked down at where his hands lingered. “How am I going to wear this out of here?”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t.” The thought of her bare breasts pressed against her tight white uniform shirt as she walked through the ship almost made him hard again. “Promise me you’ll never wear underwear again.”
Michaela laughed and slapped his hands away, apparently much easier in his company now. Good.
As he reached above her head to turn off the shower, she sniffed. “You smell good.”
“I’ll smell better when I don’t have to use Jake’s shampoo anymore.”
“True.” She smiled. “I better go.” She stepped out of the shower and into the fluffy white towel he held open for her.
The strength of his disappointment surprised him. “Really? But we haven’t even—” The sound of a plastic key card in the lock interrupted him.
Michaela’s eyes blazed. “You said—”
Jake walked into the room, stopping short when he saw Michaela. “Cruise Director,” he said, nodding to her.
“I… My shower isn’t working, and Dylan offered to let me use yours…”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m hardly going to tell, am I? Where would I say I’d been?” Jake gave an exaggerated wink.
“Um, indeed.” Michaela f
ixed him with what she probably thought was a very stern look. Dylan would have laughed if the situation had been different.
“Don’t worry,” Jake assured her again. “I’ll just pop out for a few turns on the deck. Evening constitutional and all that.” Chortling, he turned on his heel before anyone could protest.
Dylan watched as the ease Michaela had projected only moments before disappeared and she became so stiff, it was a shock she could bend over to pick up her shirt and skirt. “Oh, God. I really am going to have to take this wet bra off or my shirt will turn see-through!”
Damn Jake for being early. He’d wanted to take her to bed and luxuriate with her in his arms for a while.
Dylan cut off the thought and the growing disappointment before it could fully form. She had been about to leave anyway. He’d just have to make sure Jake’s intrusion was only an interruption, not an ending. The little taste he’d had of Michaela Western only made him want more of her.
Fully dressed but with no underwear to speak of, Michaela turned to leave.
He caught her around the waist. “There’s no need to rush, he won’t be back for a good ten minutes yet.”
“No,” she said. “Imagine if he had come back earlier… Oh, no, don’t.” The blush ran from her toes to her cheeks.
“Michaela.” Dylan tilted her face to his. “There is nothing wrong with this, with us. I know you have your position to think of, and I will be discreet, I promise. But we have nothing to hide.”
As he said the words, he almost laughed at their irony. If she knew who he really was, how he got here, she would probably boot him off the ship the first chance she got.
The more time he spent with her, though, the more it seemed worth the risk.
Her eyes softened. She wanted to believe him, he could tell. “We’ll see,” she said quietly.
He had to fight to keep the triumph from his smile. Excellent.
If she couldn’t resist him, all would be well. Next time, he’d make sure they had more time, and he’d relish the chance to delve more into her mind.
The more time he spent with Michaela, the longer her list of good traits became. He mentally ticked them off: smart, driven, independent, values her family, and a tiger in bed.
Sensing some indecision in her, he took advantage and swept down, kissing her in a hot farewell. “Goodnight,” he said. “Sweet dreams.” With those last words, his hands smoothed down her uniform skirt, and then…
“Stop it!” She slapped at his hand. “Your roommate will be back any minute.”
“Well then,” he said, pulling her back to him for one last, lingering kiss. “I hope your dreams are anything but sweet.”
He watched her force herself to turn the door handle and walk out of the room, her nipples pressing against the thin white fabric of her shirt and scraps of wet white lace clutched in her hand.
Chapter Seven
The next day was another shore day, and Michaela sat in her office, catching up on some paperwork while the rest of her team was away.
Dylan had imprinted himself on her skin. That must be what this scratchy sensation was.
With a pang of regret, she’d waved off the ship’s tender Dylan sat in. As it plowed its way through the ocean, she’d wished with every fiber of her being that she was going with him to walk hand in hand along the beach.
It was just lust, she reminded herself for the hundredth time since she’d left his stateroom, thoroughly satiated and almost drunk on the adrenaline of their secret. Breathe in, breathe in, breathe in.
There was no need for her to remind herself to breathe out. The air whooshed out of her lungs every time she replayed their time in the shower together.
Lust with a little bit of something extra?
Get back to work, Ms. Western.
When she’d first started in the business, she’d taken every opportunity she could to explore the tropical locations the ship stopped in, but as she’d risen up the ranks the responsibilities of her office had piled on, and she’d found more reasons to stay onboard. It was blessedly quiet today, though, and being able to walk the decks without bumping into people at every step was a blissful indulgence in itself.
As she strolled around the top deck, she admired the picturesque island in front of her. The golden talcum powder sand reflected the afternoon sun, and beneath arching palm trees those who sought more relaxation rested in the shade. Seeing so many people at play made Michaela think once again about her own life. For so long, she had thought herself happy in this existence, traveling among some of the world’s most beautiful places, meeting interesting people, earning their respect. But was she looking for something more?
Her promise to herself of five years at sea had already expired, and now here was a man. A man who had offered her more advice and support than she’d had in a long time. A man who made her every nerve buzz with anticipation whenever he touched her.
“He’s a dancer, Michaela,” she scolded. “He’s hardly going to be the settle-down type.” Yet despite her protest, she couldn’t keep her heart from soaring at the thought of him. But…
But what?
But he was incredibly talented, his looks were more than okay, he liked children in the same way she did, and he made her very core melt.
Tonight, she thought. Perhaps tonight we’ll see whether this is just an irresponsible fling or something that could be more.
As the day came to a close, passengers began reappearing by the pool, happy and relaxed from their day in the tropical sun. Michaela walked among them. She noticed that a number of women looked away from her, and some even turned and whispered among themselves. Odd, they seemed to be talking about her. That didn’t make sense.
An onshore scandal, perhaps. A husband caught out flirting too vigorously with another woman, even while his wife was playing with their children. Or maybe a husband on holiday with his mistress, confounded by being discovered by a friend of his wife’s. She could never understand how some men could be so stupid.
Lucky for her, the liaison with the captain had been a secret, and it had ended quickly when she’d found out about him being married. Bastard. She’d never have gone there if she’d known.
She set her mind wondering over Dylan’s left hand. It had been ring free, and there was no telltale tan mark from a ring removed, either. If she’d checked Captain Atkinson’s hands a bit better, she might have come out of the whole affair unscathed. But Dylan’s hands were definitely single.
Those hands. They’d certainly wanted to consummate something. Perhaps tonight she might just let them.
She saw Felicity and waved.
“How was your day?” Felicity asked casually.
“Lovely,” Michaela gushed, her thoughts of the evening with Dylan still simmering.
“Oh.” Felicity paused, her demeanor changing. “Great.”
She’d been nervous about something, Michaela realized, but whatever it was, it seemed to have passed.
Michaela’s pager buzzed. “It’s the captain. Must run. Meet you for a drink later?” she asked. Felicity nodded, and Michaela went to answer her call.
The captain’s face was stern when Michaela arrived on the bridge, putting her on alert. There had been times when passengers hadn’t arrived back on the ship as instructed, and it was always a frantic scramble to try and find them. They’d left port with no fuss, though, and were now powering back toward Auckland Harbor. The cruise had whizzed by. They would be in New Zealand the next afternoon.
“Can you leave us, please?” The captain dismissed his staff.
A sense of foreboding washed over Michaela. Had one of her staff done something? Had Dylan…? She looked about the bridge for some sort of clue. A note, some paperwork of any kind, but there were just the usual charts on the captain’s desk, and his computer monitor showed only navigational radar readings.
“It has been brought to my attention that you have been having relations with someone onboard.”
Oh, dear lor
d, I’m going to kill Jake. Michaela tried to remember the look on Jake’s face. Had he seemed triumphant? Ready to dish the dirt on her?
“Well? Are you going to deny it?” The captain spoke in a clipped tone, as if he would like nothing better than to throw her overboard and be done with this business.
Michaela shook her head. Jake had looked genuine in his vow to be discreet, but clearly he hadn’t been all that genuine. “It’s only been the one time.”
“One time too many.” The captain warmed up, starting to enjoy himself. “I knew it was a bad idea putting a woman in this position. Too much power goes to your head, and then look where you end up. You’ll be lucky to work in this industry again now. You’ll have to resign straight away. Lucky it’s the end of this cruise.” He paused. “Perhaps you’ll be able to start again in another industry. You worked in music before, didn’t you? That might work. I hear they’re a bit more forgiving of this sort of thing. Groupies, et cetera.”
“What?” Michaela’s jaw dropped. It was officially frowned on to have liaisons with other staff, but to lose her job over it? To be threatened with never working in the cruise business again? She hadn’t thought the captain would stoop this low.
“Well, what did you expect? Using a position of power to seduce a younger man. And the way you did it—quite outrageous.”
“Seduce?”
“The passengers are all talking about it, so we have to make an example of you. You understand, of course.” The captain smirked at her, his expression full of disdain.
So Dylan had been too good to be true.
And here she’d been thinking of the stupidity of men only moments ago. What a fool she’d been. “He said I seduced him?”
“He did. Or so I hear. It’s good to see that you’re not trying to deny it. That makes it much simpler to deal with. No need to bring in those human resources people from head office or any of that. Investigations get messy. We’ll keep it simple, shall we? I’ll expect your resignation on my desk in the morning. You can hand over your responsibilities to your deputy.” His face closed against her, and she could read nothing in his eyes.
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