by DRAYER, GINA
The friction, plus that husky moan of hers, had his dick getting hard again. Their encounter had been hot and fast, but now he'd like to try it again, a little slower. However, just as he was about to pull her down to start the festivities again, Beth hopped off the bed.
She took a few steps from the bed and stopped, looking around. "Holy shit." She shot a stunned look at him, then surveyed the room again. "How did you get this room? My travel agent told me she booked the biggest room available." She spun back around and pointed to the alcove next to the closet, accusingly. "You have a dressing area with a vanity."
"I think there are only six suites on the ship. My sister booked them all."
Not paying any attention to him, Beth stalked to the bathroom, still naked, and turned on the light.
"Holy shit," she repeated. "You have a real bathroom with a tub. You've seen the bathroom in my cabin. I've been in outhouses that are bigger than my bathroom. My entire bathroom can fit in your shower. I can brush my teeth and shave my legs from the toilet." He could hear her from inside the bathroom now. "Oh, my God. Your shower has body nozzles. You know what? Screw this, I'm taking a shower."
The water came on, and it was his turn to laugh. He got out of bed to join her and felt the room spin. He had a few too many drinks at the reception, especially after she'd left, and he'd skipped dinner. From the shower, Beth started singing "Brown Eyed Girl" at the top of her lungs, and remembering the tequila, he started to worry that maybe she'd had too much to drink. He just hoped she wouldn't regret sleeping with him in the morning.
Matt picked up the phone and ordered some food and coffee before getting one of the robes from the closet. He walked into the steam filled room to leave the robe. She'd moved on to The Clash and was dancing under the spray to the beat of the song. The sight was hypnotic. Like an old fashioned peep show, she wiggled and moved through heavy layers of steam, rocking her hips to the beat of the music. He only caught glimpses of bare skin now and then.
"Should I stay or should I go?" She continued to sing unaware of his presence. The song choice seemed apropos for the moment, as if she was mulling over how she was going to spend the rest of the night.
Watching her slick, wet body move, he hoped she'd stay. And that was unusual for him. He found it easier for everyone involved if his sexual partners didn't spend the night, but Matt wouldn't mind waking up and enjoying her body again in the morning light.
The knocking at his door broke the spell. "There's a robe for you," he called over the noise. "I ordered some coffee and Danishes. I'll set things up."
He waited for her on the deck, enjoying the cool night air. While it wasn't exactly how he'd imagined things would happen, he was glad she'd made the offer. But Matt still wanted to know what had spooked her. He'd come up with all kinds of reasons. At first he thought his bold comment on the dance floor had come off too strong, but she seemed right there with him at the time. He remembered the way the men at her table salivated over her at lunch. He alternated between visualizing her with one of them and imagining one of them doing something inappropriate. And then there had been that tense conversation with the Senator.
But after talking with her on the upper deck tonight, Matt had his suspicion. Uncle Terry had put it best. Like it or not, he'd been one of Chicago's most eligible bachelors. Matt wasn't stupid. Bringing Beth out there as his girlfriend put a spotlight on her and he'd got the impression from what she'd said that not all the attention was good. He'd essentially tossed her to the wolves, and left her to fend for herself most of the afternoon.
He sat drinking coffee, trying to figure out how to make it up to her, when Beth strolled out on the deck wrapped in the robe, drying her hair with a towel. Instead of joining him like he expected, she reached across where he was sitting and snatched a pastry.
"Thanks. All I had for dinner was a handful of peanuts at the bar," she said and leaned against the sliding door. She ate the roll with enthusiasm, closing her eyes and savoring the pastry. After finishing the last bite, she licked her fingers with a throaty moan. Watching her eat was more erotic than any striptease he could remember. And it took everything in him not to toss her in the bed and get her dirty all over again.
She let out a contented sigh and pushed away from the door. While he sat there fantasizing about her tongue sliding down his cock the way she'd cleaned her fingers, Beth had gone back into the room and was dressed, looking for her shoes. Matt didn't want her to leave. Outside of the fact that he wanted to go for round two, Beth still hadn't told him what happened at the reception.
"Why are you leaving? I thought we could talk about this afternoon. If you're hungry I can order something else from room service."
"There's nothing to talk about. I had a nice time with you tonight. Let's leave it at that," she said as she slipped back into her heels. "Call me when you need me for a dinner or something. Or, you know, if you want to do this again."
She was almost to the door before Matt caught up with her. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. "Wait a minute," he said and kissed her softly on the lips. "Tomorrow."
"What did you have in mind for tomorrow?"
"We can do something," he said with a shrug and nodded toward the bed. "Or, you know, that again."
Her cheeks were flushed, and he kissed her again. This time longer, pressing his whole body against her. When he let her go and took a step back, her flush had deepened. If she was going to leave, at least she'd think about him the rest of the night.
"Okay," she said, a little breathy. "Tomorrow. Call me."
Beth had to get out of there. She didn't regret sleeping with Matt. No, she had really enjoyed that. But she was scared to death because she wanted to stay.
She was getting too starry eyed about the whole affair. In the aftermath of what could only be described as mind-blowing sex, she'd relaxed and let her mind wander, imagining what it would be like to really be together and not just pretending. And she could see that same look on his face. They had been about to cross a boundary that would be disastrous for both of them.
She'd hoped taking a shower would let her get some distance. She tried to play it casual, letting him know, that for her, it was just sex. But then he had to be the nice guy and bring in a robe and ordered room service, as if he fully expected her to stay the rest of the night.
The sex had been amazing and she fully intended to enjoy him again soon. She'd had trouble coming with other lovers and the fact that Matt made sure she'd had not just one, but two orgasms, just proved what she'd already thought. He wasn't just another hot guy. Matt was a good guy, and her experience with good guys meant things wouldn't end well.
So while the thought of staying the night in his arms and having, what she imagined would be equally amazing morning sex, appealed to her, Beth knew it was best to leave. If they repeated tonight, she had to make sure there were clear boundaries.
Unfortunately that was going to be harder said than done. It wasn't like this was a normal situation. She couldn't just go home after seeing him and call him in a week. Not only were they stuck on this boat together, they were supposed to act like they were in love.
But they still needed rules. And rule number one was going to be, no sleepovers. Maybe she'd avoid him except for dinner with the family. Just keep thing casual, in and out of the bedroom.
With a plan beginning to take shape, she crawled into her bed. Beth had a feeling she was going to need the energy tomorrow.
Chapter 8
Modern Girl Tip #4: Play It Safe—You can be carefree without being careless. Use common sense. Wear sunscreen, drink lots of water, AND use condoms. I don't think we have to elaborate on this. STDs or an unplanned pregnancy are not souvenirs you want from your vacation.
Matt was uneasy after she had left. She'd just up and left. Sure, it happened all the time. He actually encouraged it normally; but this time it didn't feel right. So instead of spending the morning sleeping in with her warm body pressed against him—or en
joying a lazy a.m. fuck like he'd dreamt about all night—Matt was dressed and headed to Beth's room. They needed to talk, because he didn't want to be blindsided again.
Something didn't sit right with him. Maybe they'd moved too fast? Matt spent last night going through every interaction and conversation they'd had since meeting. There had to be a reason for her strange behavior, and the only things he could think of weren't good.
They'd completely skipped the relationship history and expectations chat, and now Matt couldn't help but wonder if he'd inadvertently poached on someone else's territory. It would explain her hasty retreat last night. He hoped he was wrong about his suspicions, because he really wanted to head back to bed as soon as possible.
Well, right after he stopped at one of the shops to pick up more condoms. He hadn't planned on sleeping with anyone on this trip, let alone embarking on an extended affair. If things went as planned, the single condom he had left wasn't going to cut it.
He wanted her back in his bed. He could picture Beth curled up beside him with the sun playing across her bronzed curves. The image had him rushing through his morning shower at breakneck speeds. He was a man on a mission.
And the last thing he wanted this morning was a run in with his family, but Holly caught him as he was exiting his room.
"What the fuck, Matt?" Holly came bounding down the hall, right at him just as he'd stepped out of the room. "First, you and Beth left the reception without telling anyone. Then you didn't show up for dinner. And now, you're MIA for breakfast."
"Good morning to you, too."
"Where have you been? Mom is about ready to send out the search and rescue team."
"I'm not ten, Holly. I am allowed to wander about unattended. Just tell everyone I'm spending time with Beth," he said.
"And you think that's going to cut it?"
"That should at least make Mom happy."
"You're right about Mom. She hasn't stopped talking about Beth since you introduced her." Holly paused, shifting her shoulders into an offensive stance. Whatever she was about to say was probably not something he wanted to hear. "Beth seems nice, but are you sure you both want the same things? I know you. You might do the casual thing, but you don't go around calling a woman your girlfriend unless she means something to you."
"What do you mean Beth and I don't want the same thing?"
"I talked with her—"
"Did you say something to her? Goddamn it, Holly. I don't need you interfering with my love life." After last night, Matt was feeling overly protective of Beth. It was out of character for him, but he knew something had upset her. He wouldn't put it past his sister to go all momma bear and warn her off. "Are you the reason she left the reception?"
"No. I didn't have time to talk with anyone at the reception. We talked Monday night. She told me things were casual between you two and I believed her. But after seeing you two on the dance floor, I'm worried you're more invested in this relationship than Beth is. I'm just worried you're going to get hurt."
"Holly," he sighed. "Beth and I…" Fuck, what could he say? She wasn't buying the idea they were strictly casual, but he couldn't exactly tell her what was going on. "What we have isn't casual, but it's not twenty-four seven either. I don't know. It's complicated. We're both busy. You know me. I'm practically chained to my office, and Beth's work keeps her out of the country a lot. We make it work. I actually think our lifestyles work perfectly together."
And surprisingly enough, Matt was starting to believe that. As they were weaving this fantasy relationship for his family, he could actually see how well they could build a relationship together in real life. He didn't want a girlfriend that constantly needed attention and she needed the freedom to travel and continue her work. Maybe, after this cruise was over, they could try taking this relationship for a test run.
"So you're more like fuck buddies?" Holly asked, bringing him back to reality. "You've never bought one of your flings around Mom. I got the impression you two were exclusive. And then at breakfast, Kitty started in with this story about Beth dumping her fiancé last year and running off to Brazil. So you can understand why I'm worried."
"She's not a fuck buddy," Matt said with a warning tone in his voice. That Holly would even think that had his hackles rising. But there was a little voice in the back of his mind that screamed that was exactly what they were. Even worse, thinking about Beth with another man, a fiancée no less, reminded him that he really didn't know much about her. Well, he'd change that today. "And why are you listening to Kitty? What the fuck does she know about it? You know what, never mind. I appreciate your concern, but things are good between us. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm on my way to meet Beth."
Thinking the conversation was over, Matt took a few more steps toward the elevators, but Holly stepped in front of him, blocking the path.
"Fine. I'll stay out of your business, but…" Holly hesitated. It wasn't like her, and Matt was worried something else was wrong. "Please don't abandoned me with Mom. This trip was supposed to give me a break from the twins. Now, Mom's forcing me to do stuff with Bridget and Kitty. You've got to help me. I need a buffer."
"Sis, you don't need me to get a break. Grab a drink with an umbrella, go lay by the pool, and enjoy yourself." Matt smiled, thinking about what he had planned for the rest of his day. "Better yet. You and Mike should drop the kids off at the nursery and spend the day in your cabin."
"You can't spend this whole trip with Beth in your room. This is supposed to be a family trip. That means you need do stuff with the family."
This was taking longer than he planned. If he didn't leave now, he would probably miss Beth. He needed to hurry this up.
He stepped around Holly and shrugged. "It's just one day." Or maybe two or three, depending on how their talk went and how much time Beth would give him. "I have to go. There's something I have planned."
"Please, Matt," she said and grabbed his arm. Holly was sounding desperate now. "You can't leave me alone with Bridget and Kitty all day. Aren't there laws against cruel and unusual punishment?"
"Sorry, sweetie, we're in international waters. There's no protection for you now." Matt patted his sister on the back, and tried to slide past her. "I know Bridget isn't your favorite person, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Hell, I've seen you make grown men cry."
"I'm serious. Mom is insisting we all go to a towel folding class. Towel folding!" She held tight and wouldn't let him walk away. "Please. Bring Beth with you. Just don't leave me alone with them."
Matt looked over his shoulder and burst out laughing. The thought of Holly folding towels into animal shapes was ridiculous. The whole domestic gene had completely skipped her. He wasn't sure she could fold a towel into a square, let alone a swan.
"You never know, Holly," he said as he peeled out of her hold. "It might be a helpful skill to have. Maybe at your next hostile takeover, you can fold your buyout proposal into fun elephants. It might help you get through the meeting without making anyone cry."
"Matthew Patrick Carver!" she yelled after him as he walked down the hall. "I'm going to remember this."
The knocking on the door woke Beth out of a fitful sleep. She pulled the pillow over her head and ignored the sound. If it was Candido, he'd come in, see her asleep, and leave without bothering her. If it was Matt, he could come back later. She'd already spent a restless night with the feel of his touch burned into her skin.
The knocking turned into an insistent pounding, and Beth sat up and tossed one of the pillows at the door. "Go away! I'm sleeping!"
Two more solid knocks.
"I have coffee." Matt's deep, sexy voice filtered through the door, and fuck if her heart didn't speed up. When she didn't say anything back, he tried again. "I know you didn't really eat yesterday. I've come by to see if you wanted to go to brunch."
Brunch? Beth rolled over to check the time—it was well after ten—and sighed. She tossed back the covers, and crawled out of bed. Her head swam at the sudden change in
position, causing her to regret the last few shots of tequila. She couldn't remember the last time she had a full-blown hangover. She was feeling it today. And the fact her body was stiff and aching from more intimate activities didn't help. She shuffled over to the door and yanked it open.
"Hand over the coffee and I won't have to hurt you." Snatching the to-go cup with a smile that felt more like a grimace, Beth walked back into the darkened room, knowing he'd follow. But the way her head felt, she really didn't care. Hopefully the coffee would help. "I have to get dressed. Why don't you wait for me on the veranda?"
"Not a morning person I see," Matt said with a smirk as he passed her.
She glared at him over her cup. He wisely shut up and made his way to the sliding glass door. Sadly, Beth was the consummate morning person. She was always up before dawn. But this slow trek through the Atlantic was throwing her internal clock off. They'd passed through another time zone last night and lost an hour, not to mention lack of sleep. So she it seemed she'd left her normal "jump out of bed, ready for the day" self somewhere back on the Florida coast line.
She was dragging through her regular morning routine, and by the time she was ready, it was almost noon. But on the plus side, the coffee and the Advil she'd taken had eased her headache. Now all she needed was a stop at the gym to work the kinks out of her body and she might pass as human again.
"Well," she drawled when she was finally ready to go, "I hope you weren't counting on Eggs Benedict, because I think we've officially missed breakfast."
"I finished off the pastries when I got up this morning, so I'm ready for lunch. How's The Surf Shack sound?"
It sounded like heaven. She'd dressed casually with shorts, a fitted tee shirt, and flip flops, and The Surf Shack was a casual dining restaurant on the ship. She was starved. Her stomach growled loudly in agreement, much to her embarrassment.