by Katee Robert
Kendall cleared her throat. “Where were you this morning?”
Just like that, Grace’s amused expression fled. “Nowhere,” she answered too quickly.
“Nowhere,” she repeated. “That sounds like a story.”
“It’s not. At all.” Grace was…blushing.
Kendall forgot all about her own mortification and focused on her friend’s. “Sounds like there’s a story there.”
For a second, it seemed like Grace wouldn’t spill, but she let out a long exhale. “Yes, there’s a story there, and if we leave right now I’ll tell you about it on the way to dinner. Come on, we’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”
She had no choice but to follow her friend out the door. Alex was nowhere to be seen, and she told herself the feeling in the pit of her stomach was relief and not disappointment. She hadn’t seen him at dinner last night, so he probably had a different time slot than they did. Or maybe she just hadn’t been paying attention? Kendall wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t help looking for him as they walked to their table.
Right as they reached the table where the rest of her friends sat, her gaze landed on a familiar pair of blue eyes. Alex had found time to change and he sat next to a cute white guy who had athlete written all over him, but all his attention seemed focused on her. She blushed and then cursed herself for blushing.
She and Grace took the two saved seats, but Kendall couldn’t focus on the conversation going on around her because she kept sneaking glances at Alex. Somehow, being in the same room as him made her a thousand times more aware that she had nothing on underneath her dress. She picked at her food and tried to pay attention, but it wasn’t until Liv said her name that she lifted her head. “What?”
Liv gave a pained smile. “Sorry we weren’t there this morning.”
“It’s fine.” She realized how short she sounded when Liz and Aubrey exchanged a look. Kendall forced her tone to brighten. It wasn’t their fault that nothing on this trip had gone according to plan. “Really, it’s totally okay. What’s the point of a cruise if you can’t do all the things without having to worry too hard about schedules? With five people, it’s hard to organize that kind of stuff, so really there’s nothing to apologize for. We didn’t even technically have plans.”
Grace gave her a significant look, but no way was she outing herself to the rest of her friends. Bad enough that one person knew what a cliché Kendall had become. She beamed at the rest of them. “Speaking of plans—are you doing the Orlando day trip tomorrow?”
The conversation turned to that, and she sagged back in her seat. Best if she made her peace that this trip wouldn’t be anything like she’d planned. No one seemed to be having a terrible time, and that was all that mattered. Wasn’t it?
She cast a look in Alex’s direction even as she told herself not to. He pushed out of his seat, gave her a significant look, and headed out the door. What did that look mean? Kendall pressed her thighs together. She didn’t know, but she wanted to find out.
Chapter 7
Alex had every intention of going back to his room and crashing. It was the smartest way to spend the time between now and when he got off this fucking boat. Except… That wasn’t what he did at all. He headed back to the bar where he’d seen Kendall last night. It wasn’t particularly crowded, not yet, so he found a spot in the corner where he could watch the rest of the room. Just one drink and then he’d go back to the cabin. Sure. Right. A devil’s bargain if he’d ever made one.
Fifteen minutes later, Kendall walked through the door. Just like he’d somehow known she would. She looked around the room before her gaze settled on him, and then she squared her shoulders and headed in his direction. It gave him plenty of time to drink in the sight of her. She wore the same thing she’d had on when she kicked him out of her room earlier, another floral sundress thing that kissed the tops of her knees with each step and hugged her breasts in a way that told him she wasn’t wearing a bra. She’d managed to tame her hair, at least a little bit, but she still looked like she’d been thoroughly fucked and enjoyed every minute of it.
Not for the first time, he wondered why the hell he hadn’t taken that last step. What was stopping him? He wanted her. She obviously wanted him or she wouldn’t keep seeking him out. They were two consenting adults. The math all added up to her riding his cock until they exhausted themselves.
And yet…
She stopped in front of him and took his drink out of his hand. Kendall downed the tequila and winced. “Oh god.”
“That’s my drink,” he said mildly.
“I know.” She gave him a strained smile. “I was hoping it’d give me some courage.”
Courage? He went still. Somehow, Alex knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that every moment of the last forty-eight-ish hours had been leading them to this point. They stood on the edge of a cliff and one wrong move would send them toppling over.
Or one right move.
He watched her closely. “Did it?”
“Yes.” She stepped forward, right between his thighs, and leaned up to whisper in his ear. “I’m not wearing any panties.”
His hands settled on her hips as if they were meant to be there. Maybe they were. Alex had only had half the drink but he still felt a buzzing in his veins as if he’d just downed an entire bottle. He dragged his palms down over her ass, the thin fabric confirming her statement. Kendall was standing between his thighs in a room full of people with no panties on. And she wanted him to do something about it.
He rotated on the bar stool, taking her with him, until her back was to the bar and his thighs hid her hips from the rest of the room. Not that anyone was paying attention. The low lights had people pursuing their own pleasures, whether it was conversation and drinks or flirting and kissing. It seemed like every time he turned around on this ship, he caught sight of people in various stages of fucking. He and Kendall were just two among many.
He kept one hand on her hip and dropped the other between them to trace a path up her thigh. Alex stopped just beneath the hem of her dress. “You want me to do something about it.”
“Yes.” She carefully placed her hands on his chest and shifted closer. “I want you to do something about it.”
He shouldn’t. Now was the time to put the brakes on, to tell her that she couldn’t expect anything from him because in a few hours, he’d no longer be on this ship. “Kendall—”
“All my life, I’ve been good. I’ve bent over backwards and twisted myself into knots to ensure I didn’t make waves. I don’t step out of line, Alex. Not once. I’ve never done anything purely because I want to.” She fisted her hands in his stupid Hawaiian shirt. “I want this. I want you. Just for a little while.” She looked up at him with those big green eyes. “Please stop being noble for ten seconds and touch me.”
The carefully created leash holding him snapped. “I’m not noble.” He delved beneath her dress and cupped her pussy roughly. “There is nothing about me that’s noble, Kendall.”
“Prove it.”
He pushed a single finger into her and then two. “I should bend you over this bar in front of everyone. Push up that skirt and take what you’re offering me.”
Kendall tried to spread her legs to allow him deeper, but he held her caged. Tormenting them both. She licked her lips. “Or we can find a storage room and I can… suck your cock.”
His whole body went white hot and his vision grayed out for half a second. The image of her on her knees, watching him as she wrapped those sinful lips around his cock nearly had Alex coming in his shorts. He withdrew his fingers and circled her clit. “Not yet. First…” After a quick battle with himself, he shifted her, maneuvering her leg closest to the wall up over his thigh. Her dress still covered her, but the position left her open for him. He resumed fucking her with his fingers and began circling her clit with this thumb. “First I’m going to make you come right here. Try not to scream.”
Against all reason, she laughed. “Do it.”
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For someone who didn’t step outside the lines, she sure was determined to throw herself into things head first. He loved it. He slowed his strokes, wanting to make this last. Kendall always looked beautiful, but in this moment, she was wild and free and unencumbered. She wanted to feel good, and he wanted to be the one to do it.
Alex leaned down and kissed her. He couldn’t help it. Being this close and not tasting her seemed like a Herculean task. She met him eagerly, all lingering tequila and desire. That brought him up short. He lifted his head. “How much have you had to drink since you woke up.”
“Alex.” She whimpered and rolled her hips, trying to get him to resume his movements. “I had your tequila. That’s it.” When he still didn’t move, she huffed out a sigh. “I promise, okay? Please just don’t stop.”
Maybe he should question her more, but she was a grown ass woman and she wasn’t showing any signs of being intoxicated. Not like she had this morning. He had to trust her. Fuck, he had to trust himself when it came to this. He shifted to nip her ear and started finger fucking her again. “You dirty girl. You knew you were going to seek me out, didn’t you?”
“Maybe,” she breathed.
“No maybe about it.” He twisted his wrist, seeking the spot that would send her hurtling over the edge. “Did you spend all dinner debating with yourself about whether you should find me?” Her body shook and he wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her steady. “Have you been aching and empty, needing my cock?”
She buried her face in his neck and clung to him, but that wasn’t good enough. He wanted to hear her say it. He needed to hear her say it. “That wasn’t a rhetorical question, Kendall.”
“Oh god.” She whimpered again, and then her mouth was on his neck, trailing kisses up to his jaw. “Yes, okay? It’s only been a couple hours and I can’t stop thinking about the way you touched me. I feel like I’m drugged. I can’t get enough. I want more, Alex. I want you to make me come right here, and then I want you to take me somewhere and…” Her breath hitched. “I want you to fuck me. I want it so bad, I can’t think of anything else.”
Fuck.
He closed his eyes, but that only made what remained of his control waver. If he wasn’t careful, he’d haul her up to straddle him and then he’d be inside her right here and—No. She hadn’t signed on for that and he wouldn’t even be considering it if he wasn’t so crazed right now. They had to get out of here, and they had to do it now. He stopped teasing her and picked up his pace. “I won’t leave you wanting, Kendall. You’ll get everything you need and more.”
She kissed him as she came, her body riding his fingers in a way he wished he could lean back to watch. He didn’t know Kendall. Not really. It seemed beyond comprehension that this woman embracing her orgasm with such enthusiasm was the same one who claimed to never make waves, to never live.
Something surged in his chest, but he fought it down. It didn’t matter that he liked her. She wasn’t for keeping. Fuck, Alex wasn’t for keeping. The people in his life had proven that time and time again. He loved. They left. End of story. The only true consistent was the bar, and only because its foundations kept it in place in a way people lacked. Even Pop walked, though the old man more than earned his freedom from Alex after all those rough years.
No, he would give Kendall what she asked for. What she needed. He’d make sure it was good for her, that she didn’t have any regrets when this was all over.
Can I manage that in a single night?
He pushed the thought away. No use thinking about leaving tomorrow when he had her in his arms right now. Alex shifted her leg down and smoothed her dress. A quick glance around showed no one paying them any attention. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Let’s go back to my cabin.”
“But… the storage closet.”
He gave a strained laugh. “Kendall, the things I want to do to you need a bed and a few hours at least.” He nudged her back so he could stand. His cockstand wasn’t going away anytime soon, but he adjusted himself so he could walk without too much agony. “Let’s go.” He took her hand and towed her after him.
He needed to be inside her, and he needed it now.
Kendall had absolutely no reason to be frustrated. She’d just come in the most decadent, wicked way possible—from Alex’s hand in the middle of an increasingly crowded bar. He had every intention of having sex with her tonight. Sex that took hours. She should be floating on cloud nine.
Except…
They reached the elevators and she grabbed Alex’s wrist before he could punch in his floor. Instead, Kendall pushed the button to take them to the deck. He watched her in that careful way he had sometimes, where he looked like he was trying to read her thoughts. “Did you change your mind?”
“No.” Part of her wished she could blame her boldness on alcohol like she had this morning, but Kendall had no such safety net right now. The half shot of tequila had been all placebo effect. She stepped into him, her chest to his. “We don’t have to find a storage closet. I’m not even sure they have them on this ship. I mean, I’m sure they do, but—”
“Kendall.”
“Right. Sorry.” She dropped her gaze to his ridiculous shirt, but he used a single finger beneath her chin to lift her face until she met his eyes. No getting out of this, then. Her skin went warm in a way strange combination of desire and embarrassment. It seemed to be her default on this trip. She took a slow breath. “This might sound silly, but I want to be wild.”
His lips quirked. “I’d say what you just did was plenty wild.”
She could almost believe that he wanted to protect her, but that seemed to be reaching. Then again, Alex had shown himself to be just as noble as she’d accused him earlier. Why would that stop now? “What you described earlier.” Her skin flared even hotter, but she made herself continue. How could she expect him to take her seriously if she could barely choke out what she wanted? “I don’t think I’m an exhibitionist enough to want that, exactly.” Another fortifying breath. “But I want the illusion of that.”
The elevator door dinged behind them. Alex walked her backward out of it, his hands on her keeping her steady and balanced. “You want to pretend we’re fucking in front of people.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He kept them moving, though his gaze barely left her face. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his expression, couldn’t figure out if he thought she was ridiculous or if it was hot or… She didn’t even know. Maybe this was a mistake.
This is most definitely a mistake.
She shoved the tiny voice away. This whole cruise was a mistake. Why not embrace it at this point? She was so tired of fighting losing battles. Some days, it felt like her entire life was just a string of battles she was destined to lose. At work. At home. With her friends. Tomorrow, she’d find the morose thoughts dramatic, but right now, when she didn’t know what Alex was thinking, they felt entirely too real.
He finally stopped them. She looked around to find that they’d reached a far part of the deck. There were lounge chairs here, like in other parts, but they were wreathed in shadows. Kendall’s heartbeat kicked up another notch. “Please say something.”
“I’ll make you a deal.” He sank his fingers into her hair and tilted her head back. Eliminating her ability to hide from him. “I’ll give you whatever you want, Kendall. While we’re on this trip, it’s yours. All you have to do is ask for it.”
Her breath caught in her lungs. The sheer power he offered her… Had anyone ever done that for her before? She couldn’t concentrate while being this close to him, but she didn’t think so. She licked her lips. “Okay.”
“What do you want?”
Her brain fumbled through the words, and her mouth wasn’t much better. “You. Me. Sex. Here.”
Alex gave a small smile, though the intensity in his eyes might create an inferno right there where they stood. “Tell me how.”
Oh wow, he was really going to make her say it, wasn
’t he? She let loose a breathless laugh. She could do this. Really, she could. “The lounge chair. I want to…” Come on, Kendall. “I want to ride you.”
His grip spasmed on her hair, the only outward sign that he was just as into the idea as she was. “I don’t have a condom, sweetheart.”
“I do.” She awkwardly reached between them to dig into the front of her dress. Shoving a condom down her top had felt absolutely ridiculous when she’d done it in the bathroom before coming up to the bar, but she was so glad she had now. Kendall waved the foil packet in front of his face. “Apparently the cruise took out stock in condoms because they’re everywhere.”
“Thank fuck.” He took it from her and slid it into his pocket. “Come here.” Alex sank onto the lounge chair and holy crap, they were doing this. He tugged on her hand, and she carefully straddled him. It felt strange and a little awkward, but then Alex hooked an arm around her waist and hauled them both back so he was against the half-reclining back of the lounge chair and she was flush against his chest.
Oh. She could work with this.
Kendall went for the front of his pants, but Alex gave a muffled curse and caught her wrists. “Slow, sweetheart. You grab my cock right now and I’m going to lose it.”
Something warm flowed through her, more intoxicating than any alcohol she’d had on this trip. It felt like… power? “You want me that much.”
He gave a strained laugh. “You have no idea.”
Her awkwardness dissipated in the face of how easily Alex admitted how affected he was. By his desire for her. By her. It was so far from the polite sex she’d had that she almost laughed. If she’d told one of her previous partners that she wanted to have semi-public sex, they would have driven her to have her head checked by a doctor instead of actually considering it. Alex barely even questioned her, and only to confirm that it was exactly what she wanted.