It had been so long since her body was excited to such an extent. She was afraid to look, afraid to move, afraid to open her eyes, afraid it would stop if she did. She panted in ragged breaths, gasping mindlessly for air. Senseless, she gyrated against the water, letting the pounding droplets skim over her clit. She could almost feel the hovering heat of a cock head near her wet pussy, even though nothing was there. It rubbed lightly along her wet slit, up and down, up and down, teasing her ready opening with its presence. Her hips strained, searching for it, searching for the sweet feeling of release. Never had her imagination felt so real.
Had it been so long that she now was forced to recreate the pleasure of a cock in her mind? The answer to that question scared her. She buried the thought deep within her head and locked it away.
The shower hit harder upon her clit, sending liquid waves of desire coursing through her blood as it vibrated hard and hot against her tender flesh. She rocked herself against it, enjoying the erotic feel as tremors racked at her body. She clutched at the wall, the door, herself. She slid her hands over her breasts, toying with her now tender nipples, dipping to part the folds of her clenching pussy. Each stroke sent her muscles into tightening fits. Clare rode the waves of her orgasm one right after another. She’d never been a very orgasmic woman and was surprised to find herself brought to such a fierce climax by a shower.
Clare whimpered softly as pleasure ran rampant through her, knowing she had to stay quiet lest Kira hear her and come running. Her head fell back on her shoulder as she once more fought for control over her shaking limbs. It was almost too much to bear.
A low moan sounded. Clare stopped. Did she just make that sound? She stood, shower beating in a steady rhythm as she listened. All beyond the shower was silent.
She chuckled nervously, as images of possible voyeurs played in her head. Wouldn’t that have been lovely? It would just be her luck that she’d find her first real orgasm in nearly a year and the creepy, oversized porter would be the one to share it with her.
“Have a nice day.” She heard the monotone voice in her head.
Taking a deep breath, she turned off the shower. Pushing the hair back from her face, she wrung what water she could from it. Then, pushing open the stall door, she stepped out on wobbly legs. It bounced shut behind her, making a loud crash. The temperature in the bathroom was perfect and she was glad she remembered to turn the thermostat on.
Rubbing the water from her eyes, she blinked, reaching to the side of the shower for her towel. Her fingers met with the wall. She glanced up, frowning, arms still outreached and searching.
“Mmm,” came a deep voice as smooth as silk. “The brochure didn’t mention this in its list of entertainments. I’d have been inclined to book a cruise sooner if it had.”
Clare jolted in surprise. She blinked as she turned to the sound. Her mouth fell open in shock. That was no creepy porter sitting on the small couch along the bathroom wall. For a moment she couldn’t move, couldn’t comprehend that the most gorgeous guy she’d ever laid eyes on had watched her take a shower—had been watching her as she pleasured herself, as she played with her nipples, as she came over and… Clare was speechless. She stared, fearfully waiting for the man to disappear. Her mind raced as she tried to remember what they’d taught her in self defense class.
His short dark hair was tipped with blond highlights, not so much in a “streaky boy band” way, but more of a “sexy adult you want to eat him for breakfast” sort of way. His hair was longer on top and a stray lock fell over his temple, directing her gaze to his dark, penetrating eyes. Orbs of deep brown gazed lazily at her, sated from the sex show she’d just starred in. His expression seemed almost playful, kind, as if he was only teasing her. He seemed familiar. It was almost as if she knew him. But that was impossible.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. Confusion passed over his face. “Could you not detect me here?”
Clare blinked, wondering at the strange sense of calmness that washed over her at his words. Her body relaxed and she no longer felt scared. It was almost as if the emotions were coming from outside herself. She shook her head, not understanding.
Shouldn’t she try to run? The man’s eyes turned away briefly to the floor, his posture non-threatening. Clare was overwhelmed with a sense of safety.
“This is crazy,” she whispered, mesmerized. “Who are you?”
The man wore a fitted black shirt. It molded to his muscles, leaving nothing to the imagination. Clare’s body responded instantly. A wave of pleasure swept throughout her again. No doubt leftovers from the stimulating shower experience.
Mere seconds passed like minutes. She was sure it was just the aftermath of pleasure from the showerhead that made her knees weak and her heart race but he was so perfect, so close, so cute. Her gaze drifted over his flat stomach to where his tight leather pants molded to his hips and legs. A foot rested leisurely over a knee, framing the biggest bulge she’d ever seen between a man’s thighs.
Clare gasped and couldn’t look away. The man’s smile was deliberate and sultry. His gaze traveled over her naked flesh in ill-concealed appreciation. A low sound emerged from the back of his throat, animalistic and raw.
He smiled, not moving from his seat. A chill went over her at the sound of his voice. It was as if he caressed her without touching her. His tone gentle, he added, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Clare shook herself back to reality. What was she doing just standing there? She screamed, though the sound of it was odd after having stood for so long staring. Glancing at the door, she tried to hide her body from him with her hands and arms. All she wanted was to be covered. Now!
“Would you like a towel?” he asked. Her eyes flew to his and he offered up a small hand towel to her, swinging it back and forth between them. “It’s the only one I can find over here. I’d stand up to look, but I’m afraid you’ll try to hurt me.”
Was he serious?
Clare screamed again, not knowing how else to react. Bending down, she grabbed the small trash bin and threw it at him. It cracked him in the forehead. He looked shocked by her actions but she really didn’t care. The only other thing even close to her was a fake plant on the floor. Grabbing it, she hurled at him and ran past him, through the bathroom door to the bedroom. She looked for her duffel bag full of clothes. It was missing. Seeing the red silk coverlet on the bed, she dove onto the mattress. Within seconds, she had the silk wrapped to her wet, naked body. Snatching a rather odd-shaped lamp off the nightstand, she jerked the cord from the wall and held it above her head as she searched the room for a phone. She’d call security and get this man’s sexy ass tossed overboard. Who did he think he was?
When she again looked at him, the man was leaning against the doorframe. His smile widened, though there was confusion in his eyes. Clare attempted her best look of outrage as she glared at him.
“You don’t recognize me?” he asked.
She frowned. What an odd question. Again, the feeling of calm and safety tried to take over her senses. Clare tried to resist, but the feelings were too strong. Anger and fear gave over to embarrassment. After all, he’d watched her most private moments. How dare he break into her room and spy on her! Truth be told, she was mortified that he’d actually watched her pleasure herself like that. Gawd! She couldn’t even think about what she’d done with him standing there looking at her.
“If I had known you were so eager to get into my bed I would’ve already been in it, naked and waiting for you.” The man smiled sheepishly. Clare frowned. He was trying to make jokes at a time like this? “Why don’t you drop the blanket and come here? I promise I can make you feel better than that shower ever could.”
“Drop the what?” Glancing down, she looked at the red cover and then back at him. Her body shivered, very much liking his idea. “You sick…get out before I…before I…”
“You are holding a lamp, which I presume you believe is an adequate defense.” He flashed a smile and
tipped his head. “Maybe you should threaten me with that?”
“Ah!”
“I am only trying to help you. You seemed to be at a loss for words.” He waved his hand carelessly to the side, not coming any closer. His body’s relaxed position was anything but threatening.
“I am not at a loss for anything other than a phone to get your—”
“You have quite a temper. You did not seem as though you would. I rather like that, though it does not intimidate me. I have dealt with much scarier than you and I am always prepared for anything.”
Furious and irrational, Clare snarled at him. “How’s your forehead, Mr. Prepared for Anything?”
He cringed. “Yes, that. I will admit you managed a rare thing. You caught me off-guard.”
“Come any closer and I’ll catch you upside your head!”
The man put his hands out and Clare took a deep breath. “You will calm down. There is no need for such hostility. I pose no threat and would rather die than see you harmed.”
The temperature in the room rose dramatically. Clare struggled to take a deep breath as an unseen force wrapped around her, this time stronger than before. It calmed her, soothed her. Her mind told her to throw the lamp at him but her body refused to move. After a few seconds of internal conflict, her mind agreed with her body. Easing her arm down, she kept a tight grip on the lamp as she stared at the man.
“See, isn’t that better?”
“What are you doing in here? What’s going on? Why do you think I would know who you are?”
She did feel better. Clare frowned, just now noticing his words were edged with a very noticeable accent. Russian, maybe? It only made him all the more appealing. Like he needed any help in the “sexiest man alive” category. Her frown deepened into a scowl.
“Oh, I get it. You think I’m a prostitute, is that it? How dare you assume that I would entertain you!” she fumed, pulling the covers tighter. Her voice was calmer than before, though she was still upset. “This is my bed and my room and you don’t belong in either of them! Don’t you dare take another step closer! Stay back! You are in the wrong suite! Get out before I call security and have you thrown overboard!”
The man lifted his hands, motioning her to be calm. “Easy, now. There’s no need to get all worked up. And I would never think you were a prostitute.”
“Stop talking! Just shut up! I’m not going to sleep with you!” Clare demanded, fighting the sheets as she looked all around. Her nerves were shattered and it was hard to be imposing wrapped in nothing but red silk. The strangest sensation came over her, as if she knew the man before her, felt him on a primal level. By his look, he felt it too. “Where is my bag? What did you do with it?”
The man leisurely crossed over to a wooden nightstand. He looked hurt by her outburst. His tone harder than before, he said, “There was nothing worth keeping in them so I threw your bag overboard.” He nodded at a round port window, and then pulled something out of the drawer. “Well, nothing was worth keeping except for this little thing here.”
Clare’s face drained of color. He hit the power button on her purple vibrator and a light buzz sounded over the room. The look in his eyes as they moved over her silk-covered body made her think he was about to pounce. A response sparked in her lower stomach at his boldness and she was instantly aroused. Cream drenched her already moist pussy and it throbbed incessantly with its aching need. He took a step toward her and she shrieked.
“Shouldn’t I be the one calling out for help? It is my cabin that you have made yourself at home in. If you’re not supposed to be in here, why are you here?”
Clare’s cheeks flared red and her eyes widened. “How dare you accuse me of… This is my room… You had no right to watch! I mean you threw my things out…you…”
He laughed, a sound that made her inner thighs tighten. “I assure you, this is my room. Listen, I’m sorry. I know we got off on the wrong foot. Can we start over?”
Clare’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t say a word. He was apologizing while holding her vibrator. The nerve of this man! The sheer boldness of his wicked words left her head spinning. She tingled all over and her treacherous body ached to know if he could deliver all that his look promised.
Chapter Two
Braden Montgomery looked around the gaudy cabin and shook his head. Who in their right mind would decorate a honeymoon suite this way?
Honeymoon suite, he played the words back in his mind, hardly able to contain the joy he felt inside.
He’d been told at an early age that the likelihood of ever finding that one true mate, the one who would make him feel alive again, bear his children and spend eternity with him, was almost impossible. His best friend, Dominik, had been told pretty much the same thing, just like all immortals were. Braden had been unwilling to accept that as true. He’d spent too many centuries alone on this Earth resisting the call of evil to believe that his lonely existence was all there was. No, he knew there had to be more. In all his eternity, there had to be someone for him. Then, rumors surfaced in the supernatural world about the Pleasure Cruises being used as a matchmaking device. He was tired of being alone. He wanted someone by his side, sharing the world with him. Knowing he wouldn’t find his other half on his own, he took a huge leap and contacted the powers that be, putting his life in their hands. When he saw his mate for the first time, he realized just how right the powers had been.
They’d even been thoughtful enough to offer him a sneak peek at his mate. Taking them up on their offer, he watched, from the shadows, the area the powers had told him she’d be in. He didn’t know what to expect. What he found was a creature of such beauty that at first he thought he’d made a mistake—that she could not possibly be his mate.
Once he realized that the raven-haired goddess was indeed to be his wife, he then thought that she must be ugly on the inside. Shallow. Full of greed, lust, anything that would make her less in his eyes. When he scanned her mind, he found only concern for her friend, the one she’d brought with her on the trip, the one that was to be Dominik’s wife.
His mate was a human. He hadn’t been prepared for that. Humanity was a flaw to his kind, but Braden could easily overlook it. After she accepted him, she’d change, becoming a vampire like him.
After scanning her thoughts, Braden knew that his mate considered Clare to be family, the only family she had left. Kira had little concern for money, although she’d been left a good deal from the death of her parents. Money meant little to him as well. His kind amassed fortunes over centuries of living and he had more than he and his new wife could ever want or need. She did work a lot, perhaps too much. After they were married, he hoped she’d slow down, perhaps even quit. Unfortunately, she might not have a choice. Vampires in the human workforce were a hard balance to maintain as they couldn’t go out during the day. But if she wished for a career, he would not get in her way. In fact, he’d do everything in his power to make she got what she wanted. Already, his life was hers. That in itself was amusing. He’d been so reluctant for so long, only to fall head over heels the moment he was finally presented with his future.
Kira’s greatest flaw, from what he had sensed in her, was that she had hardened herself to love somewhere along the way. A thick wall surrounded her heart. He knew that she would make it difficult for him to break through. But he was determined to do just that. He’d waited too long for her to let something as small as her fear of love stop him.
There was something else when he read her. Pain. Fear. She was scared of his kind, had been hurt by them. He tried to read what happened, but the memory had been locked up tight. Whatever it was, it was bad. For that reason, he’d taken the first step and linked himself with her mentally, just enough to ease her fears and allow them to talk.
Braden had been drawn to talk to Kira that first night. Before he could stop himself, he opened his mouth and said the first lame thing he could think of, “Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to East Second Street?” It wasn’t
his best line, not that he really had any, but it worked. When their eyes met everything around him stopped. Even Kira had felt it. In fact, she’d been so distracted that she’d dropped her briefcase in a puddle.
Once their minds were joined, he entered her dreams, letting her get to know him on a subconscious level so she’d be comfortable with him. Entering the human mind was a simple trick once the connection was made. His friend Dominik had used it with Clare, though to a lesser extent. Dominik, being lycan, would use emotion more than thoughts to ease Clare’s fears. Undoubtedly the women would consider it an unfair advantage. And they would be right. As immortals they trusted their innate senses to guide them. But with humans, it could sometimes take years for them to see what was right in front of them. Neither Dominik nor Braden wanted to wait years, not after centuries of being alone.
Braden moved toward the dresser and smiled when he slid the top drawer open, revealing a mound of silky thongs. A man could get used to a woman who loved lingerie—especially if she looked as good as Kira did. Great sex was definitely going to be a perk of being married to Kira. The woman oozed sexual confidence. She liked people to think she was more promiscuous than she really was. She even had her friend Clare convinced of it, though to a lesser extent. It was a way for her to protect herself, to keep men from getting too close. It was the same reason she worked eighty hour weeks. If she wasn’t accessible then she didn’t run the risk of having to get to know new people. That was one thought she left open in her mind. And it was one he hoped to ease her of soon.
He lifted a sleek navy teddy out of the dresser and let the silk of it glide through his fingertips. He could easily visualize her luscious ass showcased by the tiny scrap of material. The need to rub his stiff cock between her soft cheeks was great and he vowed that he would before the trip was over. When he’d walked her home that night, after she’d purchased her tickets from the travel agency, he could think of little else besides how it would feel to take her from behind, to hear her cries of passion as he rode her body and to know that his seed pumped into her womb. The connection between them had been strong, so intense that it had taken all his willpower to not act on it.
Pleasure Cruise Page 3