by Amy Gamet
She lifted her head. “Come back to my cabin.”
“Yes.”
He wanted that, wanted her and everything she had to offer. They reached her room, the light of the full moon shining through wide windows and casting deep shadows on the floor. The room was much larger than his. He fisted his hands in her dress, hiking it up her legs, pulling it to her waist and touching the smooth skin of her hips with greedy hands.
She wasn’t wearing any underwear.
Jesus.
He pulled his polo shirt from the waistband of his trousers and she slipped her hands up his chest. Her nails scraped his skin and he moaned deep in his throat before lifting his shirt over his head.
She kissed down his neck, nuzzling the hollow of his collarbone before making her way lower. She took his nipple in her mouth, gently sucking, and he laughed huskily. He needed her naked, needed to see her body and taste her skin.
He bent down and scooped her up, carrying her to the bedroom. His legs hit the bed and she slid down his body, brushing his erection. He wondered at this urgency, the fierce need to have her, lust so intense he could have been a teenager experiencing his first time with a woman.
He gathered her hair and pulled her head to the side, kissing behind her ear before finding the zipper of her dress and pulling it down her back. He could feel the band of her bra, the texture rough like lace, and he twisted her around to face him before pulling the dress down and revealing her to him.
Black lace. It contrasted with the pale skin of her large breasts in the moonlit room, and he cupped her reverently. His thumbs found her nipples, pressing and stroking before taking her in his mouth through the material.
Charlotte gasped and cursed colorfully.
He reached around her rib cage and unhooked her bra, then pushed her back against the mattress before returning to her bare, luscious peak. He lapped at it, letting his tongue map the sensitive areola before drawing her deep into his mouth.
She called out, her legs spreading beneath him, and he settled his body between them before lavishing her other breast with the same attention.
She held his head against her. “Oh yeah. Suck me. Just like that.”
He wondered again if she would talk dirty in bed, the thought instantly intensifying his excitement. He suckled her harder and she keened loudly.
He moved back up her chest and she rolled him onto his back.
“I want to suck your cock,” she said. “I want to take you deep into my mouth and play with your balls.”
He unfastened his belt more quickly than he had in his life. She pulled his pants down and off his legs before freeing his straining shaft from his briefs. Then he was in her mouth, the wet heat sucking him in deeper than he knew he could go. Her fingernails lightly scraped the line between his testicles before she took them in her hand and rolled them against each other.
She felt too good and he knew he would come quickly if she didn’t stop. “Wait,” he bit out between clenched teeth. “I want it to be good for you.”
She released him, crawling up his body until her mouth was at his ear. “Don’t you want to come in my mouth, Cowboy? Because I want to taste you.”
He all but growled, taking her by the shoulders and pushing her back down his body. He was out of control, completely obsessed with the sensations she drew out of him. When her mouth found him again, he called out and thrust into her. He forced himself to let go of her head, but she took his hands and put them back there.
He was pumping into her mouth, the head of his cock deep in her throat as she sucked him. Then those fingernails were back and she squeezed his balls gently, ripping his orgasm from his body as he called out in release.
9
Charlotte smiled in the darkness and curled against Cowboy’s side. His skin was hot and sweaty, his breathing labored.
She’d done this to him. She was the reason he couldn’t control himself, and the knowledge pleased her tremendously.
It felt so good to be in his arms, sharing the night with this man. When was the last time fooling around had felt good instead of like an argument she could never win?
No. She wouldn’t think about her past right now.
Nothing to ruin this moment.
She turned her head, kissed his chest and sighed.
Cowboy kissed the top of her head. His hand moved up to stroke her back. It felt so good she must’ve fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew she was on her back with Cowboy on his side looking down on her in the darkness.
What had happened to the moonlight?
He stroked her face, her neck, down to her belly. He kissed her mouth with a slow, sensual finesse that had desire rippling through her once more. His hand moved lower, urging her legs apart and exploring the sensitive folds of her flesh.
When he settled on her clitoris, she turned her head into the pillow and purred. His fingers teased her with lazy circles before settling into a rhythm that promised so much more.
He moved down between her legs and kissed her most private places. He lavished her with his tongue. Then his finger was at her entrance, tracing her opening and dipping inside until she was desperate for him to penetrate her.
“Please, Leo,” she begged.
His finger sank slowly into her ready channel. “Is this what you want?”
Her back arched against the mattress. “Yes.”
“Tell me you want more.”
“I want more. Fuck me with your hand.”
He withdrew and came back with more fingers — two, three — she didn’t know. They stretched her and filled her aching emptiness, gently stroking her G spot until she climaxed with fierce intensity.
She was shattered.
He moved up her body and entered her with one hard thrust.
She was lost. She could only hang on while he pumped into her with long, fast strokes. He felt so good inside her, the length that had challenged her during oral sex now filling her completely.
Her body convulsed around him as she came quickly and suddenly, her pleasure sharp and focused as it commanded her movements.
“You’re not getting off that easy,” he ground out against her neck. “I’m just getting warmed up.”
He rolled onto his back, taking her with him, and she set a new rhythm. Every stroke took her higher. His hands squeezed her breasts and her hips moved of their own accord, racing again for the climax that hovered just out of reach.
Then she was inside it, her orgasm taking over her body. Cowboy flipped her back over, thrusting against her fisted muscles and intensifying the explosion of sensation within her until his own climax ripped through his body.
They stayed like that, fitted together, Charlotte smiling as she held him inside her, his weight heavy on her torso. When he lifted himself onto his forearms and kissed her, she sighed contentedly. She was sated. She could barely move.
Cowboy rolled onto his side, pulling her into the crook of his arm, and she drifted off to sleep.
10
Low clouds hung over the ocean, obscuring the morning sun as Cowboy made his way back to his room. It was still warm, with a chilly bite to the air that hadn’t been there the day before, and he wondered if a storm was on its way.
He let himself in, stacking one cup of coffee on the other to work the key card.
Abby was sitting on the couch. “Seems I wasn’t the only one who got lucky last night,” she said with a smile.
“Where are the royals?” he asked.
“On a tour of the engine room with two members of the security team. Harrison thought I might want a break. They should be busy for another hour, at least.”
“Thanks. I’ll take over through dinnertime to make up for disappearing on you this morning.”
She shrugged. “It’s all right. Trust me, if I had a beautiful woman who wanted to spend the night with me, I’d be the first one to ask you to pick up an extra shift.”
Cowboy wasn’t a stickler for protocol, but her easy insubordination
rubbed him the wrong way. He was a navy man, and even when he chose not to follow the rules, he did so with respect and caution.
He filed the thought away for later and put the coffee down next to her. “I’m not sure how you like it.”
“So this woman,” said Abby. “Is it serious between you two?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Just making conversation, that’s all. You already know about my love life, or lack thereof.”
He stared at her.
After an awkward silence, she said, “It’s none of my business, is it?”
“Nope.” He sat down on the bed and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I’m going to check in with HERO Force.”
“You can’t. The cell service is down. Wi-Fi too.”
Cowboy frowned. “When did that happen?”
She shrugged. “An hour ago, maybe two.”
“Did you check in with security to see what’s going on with it?”
“It’s probably just some glitch.”
“Glitch or not, it impacts our ability to communicate with each other, which impacts our ability to guard the royals.” He would have hoped Abby would realize that. “I’m going to go check with Harrison.”
Cowboy took the stairs down two flights, emerging onto an open-air deck. It was raining lightly, the drops lightly kissing his skin. He thought of the moonlight from the night before, so vivid when he’d first gotten to Charlotte’s room. This front had moved in while they slept, and he couldn’t help but wonder if that was some kind of omen.
Stop it.
The decision had already been made. They’d already slept together once, and he’d have to be out of his mind to ruin this week with Charlotte by constantly second-guessing himself. Was it the smart, safe thing to do? Absolutely not.
But it was fucking incredible.
He smiled. They had six days left, and he was going to enjoy every minute with that woman. He felt a moment’s guilt. This wasn’t a vacation, it was a HERO Force assignment and that had to come first. But still, a man had to sleep, didn’t he? And he planned to sleep with Charlotte by his side.
Or underneath him.
Or on top of him.
An image of her going down on him the night before popped into his mind. She was such an arresting lover, open and unashamed. He was getting aroused just thinking about it, so he forced the thought to the back of his mind.
He hoped the communications problem would be resolved soon. Life would get complicated pretty quickly if he wasn’t able to reach Abby on her cell phone and he wasn’t staying in his own room.
He thought of Charlotte’s stateroom with its large living area and even a kitchenette. Logan had mentioned something about his sister getting a large settlement in the divorce, and how his ex-brother-in-law had deserved to be on the generous side of that arrangement after the way he’d treated her.
It seemed like Charlotte had gone through a tough time, though whether it was from her marriage or subsequent divorce he still wasn’t sure.
Are you looking to find out?
This was a fling, not a relationship. That was how Charlotte presented it to him, and that was what he had agreed to. He wasn’t quite sure of the rules, but it just made good sense not to go digging through her past looking for answers.
Keep it light.
Keep it simple.
Keep it sexy.
He smiled and pushed through an unmarked door. Inside was a long hallway with many doors off it. The administrative headquarters of the Gem of the Seas. He made his way to Harrison’s office and knocked on the closed door. An unfamiliar man in an employee’s uniform opened it. “Can I help you?”
“I’m here to see Harrison.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but Mr. Harrison—”
“It’s okay, Nicholas,” said a voice from behind the man. “He can come in.”
Something in Harrison’s tone had the hair on Cowboy's arms standing on end. Cowboy had been around trouble enough in his lifetime to feel it in the air. It had a physical presence, just like a human being.
“What’s going on?” asked Cowboy. Two more men sat at a desk along the side of the room working at computers with multiple screens.
Harrison crossed his arms over his chest. “I was just about to look for you. I would have called, but you’ve probably noticed our communications are down.”
“That’s why I’m here.”
“That’s why we’re all here. We have a problem, Leo. The cellular service and Wi-Fi were deliberately taken out.”
“By whom?”
“I wish I knew. Hell, for that matter I wish we could get it back online, but we can’t. Whoever did it installed a virus that took over our computers. Made them forget how to interface with the satellites that connect us to the world.”
Cowboy’s spine tingled. “That doesn’t sound like a couple of kids playing around.”
Harrison shook his head. “No way. Whoever did this is a professional, and it took planning. Hours of computer programming.”
“Why would someone do it? What’s their motivation?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Harrison cursed under his breath. “My gut tells me this is big. Like there might be more to come.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” There was no way to know if this attack had anything to do with the royals, or was an isolated incident. “Can you fix the network?”
“So far, no. And the more they try, the more security cameras go off-line.”
Cowboy cocked his head. “I don’t understand how those two are related.”
“Me either. It seems to be part of the virus. A punishment of sorts for trying to free ourselves from it.” Harrison’s phone rang. “Excuse me, I need to take this.” He stepped out of the room.
Cowboy looked around at the men working. They seemed frantic, their attention clearly focused on the screens before them. He would bet none of them were computer programmers, and he mentally gave them fifty to one odds of getting the communications system back online.
He walked toward a wall of screens. Clearly these were the surveillance feeds from around the ship, nearly a quarter of them dark. He stared at one of the black screens, mentally surveying the situation.
A crew member had been killed. On its own, that was not necessarily anything that would affect the ship at large. But the deliberate attack on the communications system changed all that, making it far more likely that the two were related.
He remembered the thick folder Logan had given him before this trip. Briefing documents they’ve received on the prince and princess from the princess’s mother, who’d hired them.
It contained general information on the royal couple and current threats to the British Empire. The dossier clearly outlined some long-standing political grudges, a handful of nutjob royal watchers, and the pervasive threat of global terrorism.
Terrorism.
Prince Hugo was a member of the French Parliament, Princess Violet the youngest daughter of Princess Mary. Together they represented the coming together of two great families. It was a good thing, assuming you wanted them to come together peacefully.
But if you didn’t, taking over a luxury cruise liner where the young and beautiful royal couple were beginning their life together would make one hell of a statement, especially with thousands of innocent people on board.
“Wilson.” Harrison gestured for Cowboy to come to the door, then led the way to a conference room, closing the door behind them.
“That was the captain.” He sighed heavily. “The ship’s radio just went off-line.”
11
“How the hell is that possible?” asked Cowboy.
Harrison dropped into a chair. “A well-trained saboteur would have little trouble knocking out our radio ability. The difficulty lies in the access. In order for someone to take out our radios, they have to have access to the bridge and an ability to override the computer. We’ve already seen their computer prowess.”
&
nbsp; “I can’t believe it’s that simple.”
“Oh, I can assure you it is not. There are many safeguards in place. Double and triple checks to ensure this doesn’t happen.”
“Who has access to the bridge?”
“Me. The captain and first mate. About a dozen other crew members who work there. No one who should be suspect.”
“One of them did it. But why?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Because of the royals.”
The security chief nodded. “Maybe. It could be terrorists. With the royals on board–”
“And thousands of built-in hostages—” added Cowboy.
“They have the ability to capture the attention of the world.”
“I need to call for backup from HERO Force. I’ll call the authorities as well.”
“You can’t. The communication system—”
“I have a satellite phone.”
Harrison made the sign of the cross. “Then you will be our saving grace. May I use it after you? I will phone the cruise line and let them know of our difficulties.”
“Of course.”
Cowboy went back to his room. He picked up his satellite phone from where it sat charging, then took it out to the balcony to search for a signal.
The screen was black. “What the hell?” he whispered, pressing buttons to no avail. He knew it was working when he plugged it in yesterday morning, but now it was clearly dead.
So much for being anyone’s saving grace.
He was supposed to check in with HERO Force twice a day. In theory, failing to make that call should alert the team that something was wrong. He looked out at the seemingly endless sea, wondering if the lack of a check-in call would be motivation enough for HERO Force to do something about it.
He walked back inside and plugged the phone in again, just in case. He nearly bumped into Abby. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
She bit her lip, making her look like a teenager. “Please don’t be mad. I can’t find the royals. I’m sure they’re fine, I just don’t know where they went.”