by Demi Alex
He leaned just far enough back for her to moan in protest at the absence of his solid chest against her rapidly beating heart. Ford smiled and caressed her cheek, and she couldn’t help but relax against his hand as he guided her face to look at him. Her whole body relaxed. Charlie stopped tensing her thighs, stopped attempting to lift her butt from his palm, and accepted his strength.
“Trust me,” he breathed, dropping a kiss to her forehead. He took a few steps toward one of the many piles of clean towels provided exclusively for this journey, then placed it around her neck. “Besides, we just set sail. I highly doubt anyone has discovered our special spot.”
She smacked his shoulder again.
“Now, you stop it,” he said. “I wouldn’t expose you to anyone else’s fluids.” He pushed the hair from her face.
“Thanks,” she said, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “Can I just stay up here until we walk to a clothing-not-optional part of the ship?”
“Of course.” Ford tucked her notes beneath his arm and walked across the deck. He slipped past the automatic doors to the elevator, and then pressed the button for deck five. “We’ll head to the wine bar. It’s usually quiet at this point of the cruise. You can update me on all your plans there.”
As Ford stepped off the elevator, Charlie slid down his body and made quick work of lowering her bunched skirt past her hips. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Any time,” he replied. “Besides, carrying you around makes us look like a real couple. It’s all good.”
Damn. She’d forgotten. She was only pretending to be so aware of his body and the way it made her skin feel hot. With a flick of her wrist, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and took her notes from his hold.
“Yeah. Looking like a real couple helps.” And just to prove to herself that it wasn’t a big deal, she snaked her arm around his waist and hooked her thumb into a denim belt loop. “So how’s your work going so far, honey?”
“It’s getting better with every mile we put between us and the shore.” He draped his arm over her shoulder, and his hand dangled dangerously close to her breast. “How about your work?”
Glancing down at his hand, she licked her parched lips. She had to rein in her body’s reaction. It wouldn’t do to feel his almost-touch to her core. It was innocent. Casual. It didn’t mean anything. This—he—they were working.
“Other than wishing I could puff away my nerves with vanilla, peachy keen.”
His fingers squeezed her bare shoulders and stilled her walking. He turned her toward him and slowly slid his palms up the sides of her neck, lifting her chin with his finger. “You’re doing great.”
She was not. All she was doing was feeling the buzz traveling through her body with his every touch and craving a drag of vanilla to compensate. No surprise after all the sex they’d witnessed. Who wouldn’t want a smoke after a mind-blowing orgasm—or to distract from the pulsing between her legs?
“Congratulations on quitting.” His fingers feathered up and down her skin, keeping her immobilized and staring into his dark eyes. “The cruise should help with that since smoking isn’t permitted in most public spaces. You shouldn’t feel as tempted. I’ll help, too. I promise.”
“I didn’t quit,” she admitted, shaking her head. “I never smoked cigarettes, but I got hooked on those flavored vapes after my divorce. Like a crutch. I’m trying to stop. Regardless, it’s a bad habit, and the truth is that when things get tough, I ache for the darn thing.”
“I’m still helping,” he said, trailing those tantalizing fingers down her arms and entangling his left ones in her right. Tugging gently, he fit their joined hands against his side and rubbed her fingers. He continued down the mirrored corridor. “Every time you get a craving, instead of reaching for the electronic thing, squeeze my hand. I promise not to let things get bad.”
“You’re kidding, right?” She lifted her free hand to just over her right ear, where she typically stuck the pink stick, but came up empty. She’d left it in her cabin. No vape. No quick inhale to calm her. She twirled her finger into her hair. “Why do you want me to squeeze your hand?”
“Just to let me know. Then, it’s out of your hands and my responsibility to keep you occupied.” His broad shoulders lifted in the most casual gesture, but the man was as serious as he was crazy. “You squeeze, and I’ll take it from there.”
“If you say so,” she said.
“I say so.”
As if touching the very thing that caused the craving would ease her pain. Ford had no clue, so there was no use in arguing with a delusional person. You couldn’t win because they didn’t employ logic. On the other hand, he was offering help with no strings attached. That was rare in her life. People had always wanted something from her.
Ford guided them into the wine bar and pointed to a table near a large round window, looking out just above the water level. “What’s your pleasure?”
You are, the little voice in her head said, and heat raced over her skin at the thought of sharing all sorts of carnal pleasures with him. Pulling her hand from his, she slipped into the tightest section of the booth. “That’s rather direct, Ford.”
“While I’d like a truthful answer from those lips about what you’re insinuating, I was referring to what you’d like to drink.” He flashed a panty-melting grin and slid in beside her. “We’re going to get to know each other real well. There’s no reason to feel uncomfortable.”
“Who said I’m uncomfortable?”
Still grinning, he stilled her finger and lowered her hand from her hair. “You did.”
Once again, he intertwined their fingers and kept her from inching away. The feel of his solid thigh against hers was too good. The assurance of his company unsettled her. She’d always fought for self-empowerment, and she didn’t want to need a man, but she liked being with him. Charlie glanced at their joined hands in his lap and shrugged. He didn’t need to know every little detail. They’d just met. It made no sense to expose herself and bare her soul, no matter if she wanted to confide in him.
“I’ll take a Coke,” she blurted, her gaze skirting over the ornately decorated lounge. Gold accents on the cream-and-white fixtures gave the sense of an ancient Greek gathering spot. There were even some naked statues in the corners. “I’ll hold off on more alcohol for now. Tempting as it may be, I need to keep my faculties intact.”
“I’ll look out for you, Miss Charlene.” He tilted his head to the side, and he regarded her with steamy questions in his dark eyes. She couldn’t look away, so she focused on breathing through the sizzle. “Nothing you don’t want will happen.”
“How do you know what I want?” Her heart pounded in her chest. She wanted so much more than she’d say. So much more than she could handle. She managed to look away and shifted in her seat. She needed space.
“The one thing I won’t stand for is you hiding from me, Charlie.” He pulled her back against him. “Ten minutes ago, your moist heat was steaming up my belt buckle.”
She glanced from the denim-clad package to his waist. “I don’t see a belt.”
“Okay,” he said, chuckling and leaning over and pressing his mouth just below her ear. “No belt. The button on my jeans.” His lips lingered and he drew a sensitive earlobe into his mouth, groaning as he suckled the tender flesh with slow enjoyment.
Charlie wanted to object. Wanted to pull away. Instead, she dropped her shoulder and bent in closer. The man had talent, and as his tongue swirled, she wondered what else it would warm and entice.
“Ford,” she whispered. “You’re killing me. I know you shouldn’t kiss me like that in public. But I like it. I don’t want to stop.”
“That’s it, baby. Don’t hide from me,” he said, trailing his tongue down her neck and closing his mouth on her collarbone. “In Miami, a fuse lit between us. You can’t deny it. I can’t stop thinking about you. Can’t stop wanting you. I’ve been hard from the moment you ran into me this morning.”
“I didn�
��t run into you,” she objected, a devilish smile on her lips.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me.” Still showering her neck with wet kisses, he responded by pressing her hand over his erection. “This is because of you. The way you look at me. The way your sweet scent fills my nose, and I can’t inhale enough of it into my lungs to breathe easy. The way your hand fits in mine and makes me want to hold it every minute it’s within reach.”
“It’s not me. It’s this ship and the theme of the cruise,” she said, shrugging away from lips that scrambled the logical part of her brain.
“How can you be so smart and beautiful, yet have no idea of the effect you have on those you open up to? Even when you only offer a tiny glimpse of yourself.” He tilted her chin up and met her gaze. He touched his mouth to hers and his breath tantalized her lips, but he didn’t kiss her. “You dropped your shield for a few minutes because you thought I was a nonfactor. Now you’re stuck with me. I saw you. You’re so damn intoxicating, Charlie. Warm heat and heaven.”
An ache pulsed in her center, and her lips burned for his kiss.
“You want more than you let on, chère. Wanton desire burns in your core, and it’s my intention to stoke that fire until you’re begging me to release what you keep tucked away. Have no doubts. I want you. And I will have you.”
Oh, excuse her! How did he know what she’d only just learned?
“Charlie, don’t think when you’re with me. Experience. There’s no right or wrong in what you feel. Not when it’s you and me.” His thumb pressed on her lower lip as he slipped it over her tongue. “This mouth, these sweet lips, are mine, baby. And when you’re ready, I’m going to do everything to them that I’ve been imagining all day.”
Moisture dampened her bikini bottoms, and she squirmed in her seat to relieve the pressure between her legs.
“So stop hiding, Charlie. You hide behind a curtain of respectability and decorum, denying the very thing you want to set you free,” he continued, using his thumb to spread moisture from her mouth onto her lips. “The shield also dropped when you thought no one was looking and no one would notice. Your nipples peaked and your eyes grew so fucking dark as you watched that orgy unfold on the lido. I thought I would come in my jeans watching you get so turned on. It’s not the ship or the theme of the cruise. You fucking do this to me. And because you do that to me, you don’t get to hide behind a wall of propriety.”
He groaned and his groin lifted against her hand. She gasped in surprise when her mind cleared and she realized what she was doing. Her fingers curved around his width and the heel of her palm stroked over his long outline. She was touching him in public.
“Don’t think about stopping,” he warned, his mouth replacing his thumb for a soft kiss. The ragged exhalation of his breath sent shivers down her spine.
“We’re in public,” she rasped. “The bartender is in here.”
“Patrick,” he called to the bartender, “we’ll have two Cokes, please.” Ford didn’t move away. Didn’t give her mouth reprieve from his lingering touch as the words vibrated against her lips. The steady pressure and burning desire fueled a want deep inside her. “I’m going to kiss you now. Let me in, Charlie.”
Her lips obliged and her tongue instinctively relented to the demand of his mouth as she welcomed his exploration and arched her back to press her chest against his. His taste swept aside any inhibition she had and stoked her desire for more of the sexy man. She sucked his tongue and lost herself in the heady flavor of his kiss. She wanted his mouth on her, everywhere, and she wanted to feel more of the way he made her skin tingle and her core ache.
Her teeth skimmed his bottom lip as her tongue smoothed over the firm softness. “Lord, Ford. You can kiss.”
“There’s a lot more than that. Promise,” he said, leaning back and motioning the server to approach and place their Cokes on the neighboring table. Once the bartender had done exactly that, Ford cleared his throat. “Patrick, check on the stock set to be delivered for the evening. I’ll keep an eye on the bar for you.”
“Yes, sir,” Patrick stammered. He tipped an invisible hat and walked out of the lounge. Charlie and Ford were completely alone.
Chapter Nine
The sweet little thing at his side was an enigma. According to his findings, Miss Charlene Stanton was born and bred for the stuffy country-club life. She’d married a rising finance star. He’d screwed her and her family over. She’d gotten divorced and had disappeared from appropriate social events.
A humbled Charlie had surfaced in the workforce. She’d taken a job far below her qualifications and family’s influence. Lived in a small apartment with a roommate. And was currently determined to make her own way as a journalist. Ford had no doubt she had her reasons.
“Since this is likely one of the only times we’ll have real privacy, I’d like an honest face-to-face conversation. Sit up here,” he said, taking the towel from her shoulders and spreading it on the table in front of him.
She hesitated, was about to object.
“Please,” he added. “No one is here. It’s just us. Plus, you’ll have a killer view of the sunset while we chat.” He needed to lead her slow and easy, offering her what she wanted with no conditions. Tapping into her basal needs for adventure, while she worked at securing career advancement, was key.
“Okay.”
She shifted and he secured her hips, lifting and placing her before him, arranging her dress beneath her so she sat on it as well as the towel. Positioning her feet on either side of his hips, he tapped the outside of her left thigh and prevented her from scooting away.
“Don’t argue,” he warned. “Let me speak.”
Twirling a long strand of hair, she nodded. “This is new to me. I’m not used to discussing intimate details with men. Typically, I stick to work.”
“I know how important your assignment is to you,” he said. “It’s obvious you want it bad, and it’s obvious you’re going to do anything to get that byline.”
“How is it obvious?” Charlie asked, her sweet, pink tongue wetting her lips.
“Chère, you rode a bus from New York City to Miami to board a kink cruise.”
“I told you,” she interrupted. “I thought it was a singles cruise. I’m writing about the perfect place to find love.”
“I heard you,” he said, unable to keep from relieving the itch in his palm by stroking his hand over her thigh. “But you discovered it was a kink cruise, and you still boarded. It may not be what you originally thought, but kink intrigues you.”
“There’s a lot to see. It’s interesting.” Her chest and neck turned pink with her admission. The sexy way she blushed was so distracting. He’d need to keep her in dim lighting if he wanted any control over raging hard-ons.
He had to give her everything up front to keep her at his side. There was no way in hell he’d allow room for anyone else. With the Latin Lover and the All-American already chomping at the bit to get to her, he knew other men would queue for her attention at the first opportunity.
“Yes, it is. There’s also a lot of material for your feature,” he said. “Some of the research may be unconventional, but sprinkling that spice in your writing will only make for a better read.”
The conversation shifting to work seemed to ease her stress. The anxious stance of her muscles had relaxed, and she grew receptive to their conversation.
“So, you’re going to write a bang-up feature—no pun intended—and I’m going to share information from past observations on a cruise ship. We’ll be together, sharing our time and collecting material, while we cover each other’s job-related tasks. We need to work well together. Have understanding. Fair enough?”
“Yes,” she replied in a soft voice. “Perfectly fair.”
“But, Charlie, you can’t deny what’s here.” He gestured one hand between their chests, while smoothing his other hand over the back of her knee. “We have strong chemistry. Heat.”
Once again, her blue
eyes turned as dark as the sea. She inhaled sharply, and the skin on her thigh prickled against his fingers. Her body’s response urged him on. Charlie felt the heat. She wanted the connection. But she needed a push.
“You’re going to drop those walls you’ve built around yourself, chère. You’re going to let me see to your needs. All of them. And I will see to them.” He leaned in between her thighs and fit them about his upper body. “You want to explore the kinky things on this ship. There’s a little nymph inside you who likes things in an adventurous way that you’ve denied, but you need a safety net to set her free. I’m that safety net. You only need to trust me.”
He could see the struggle in her mind. Charlie wanted to let go, but she wasn’t sure how. It pained him that some fucker had stolen her carefree ability. “Let go, baby. It’s just between us. You and me. You have my word that I’ll catch you.”
“What if you don’t approve?” Charlie asked, scraping her teeth over her bottom lip. “What if it’s not appropriate and you don’t like it?”
There it was. There was the issue that plagued this gorgeous woman. It wasn’t even about her trusting him. She hadn’t raised any concern about him catching her. This was about Charlie and how the outside world perceived her. Damn. She didn’t get it. She defined appropriate. She needed to like it. And absolutely no one else had a right to approve or disapprove.
“Who squashed your spirit, baby?” Ford smoothed his palms up the sides of her thighs. “I’d like to know and pound them to the ground.”
“I don’t think you could take on almost everyone involved in my entire upbringing.” Charlie laughed softly and shook her head. “Besides, they meant well. They didn’t know how to deal with my curiosity and opposition, so I was told exactly what they expected from me.”
“And did you give them what they expected?” He traced a finger along the elastic of her pink bikini and let his other fingers enjoy the feel of her beautiful thighs. Smooth as silk and creamy soft.
“I tried.” She shook her head again. “I couldn’t do it.”