She'd been lightheaded for a good portion of the day and wasn't sure whether it was due to the concussion or his aftershave. Whichever affected her made Red want to drag him to the nearest secluded beach, rip off their clothes and fuck him until they passed out. He was hot and she was in heat.
"We should eat now." Esmeralda's grandmother's voice broke into her fantasy.
Red blinked.
Sara looked at her watch and continued, "We've got a little over an hour before we need to be at the dive shop. Do you snorkel, Will?"
"Born and raised in the Florida Keys. I snorkel, scuba dive, water ski, you name it."
"Ever done any downhill?" Red asked as she followed her grandmother across the street and sat at a table under the shade of a big umbrella.
"You mean like on snow?" He shuddered. "Never seen snow. Had a chance to do an Alaskan cruise, turned it down. Too cold."
Red threw back her head and laughed. "You won't be coming to visit me for awhile. We're just about buried in snow this winter."
"Maybe we could meet somewhere in the middle?"
"I'd like that." Red caught the grin her grandmother tried to hide behind a menu. "Just what're you laughing at, grandmother?"
Sara bit her bottom lip, shook her head and pretended to be absorbed by the choices on the menu. Will shifted in his seat. His knee bumped hers. He didn't pull away. Red tucked her foot around his.
A waitress paused by the table and took everyone's drink and food order. Beverly folded her sunglasses and asked, "Can we ask about Chopper." She pointed around the table. "We're just a bunch of gossipy old ladies."
"He's in jail in Cozumel. We'll extradite him back to the States and charge him with grand theft, forcible confinement and assault."
Red brushed the bruise on his cheek. "Chopper gave him that. He hit him."
"No, the assault charge is for hitting you. He was already in your grandmother's cabin. He could've just waited until you put the necklace away, then stole it. Instead he whacks you on the head and drags you to a closet."
"He made a noise. I think. Something made me turn around. Will I have to testify?"
He shrugged. "Probably."
The waitress interrupted the conversation by placing a large pitcher of lemonade and glasses on the table.
"You're a strange group. Vodka shots for breakfast, but lemonade for lunch." Will scratched his ear.
"Never dive drunk," said Sara as she poured. The ice crackled as the drink flowed into the glass.
Their lunches arrived and everyone dug into their food and the conversation about Chopper faded into memory. When the bill arrived ten people reached for it. Red slapped away their hands. Her grandmother pinched the corner of it. "You can't afford this. Not on your salary."
Red pulled it away from her. "Mother said the company would pay for my trip. This is part of the trip. I'm buying. No, not another word." After paying for lunch Red rose and said, "Let's go. There's a snorkel and a pair of flippers waiting for me."
The Cayman Dive Shop was filled with people either preparing to go out snorkeling or just returning from a trip. Laughter filled the room as the group tried on masks and flippers to get the correct fit. Gear in one hand, Will's hand holding the other, Red walked to the boat, climbed in and sat on one of the benches.
The roar of the motor made conversation impossible as the boat raced out to the dive spot. Red didn't mind lack of conversation. She was seated next to a half-naked Will, who was adjusting the straps on his and her flippers. When he bent over a thin white line appeared above the waist band of his swim trunks.
Wonder what luscious delights are hidden beneath those trunks? He's so handsome and sweet. And gawd, do I ever want to fuck him. To feel his tongue on my pussy. She shuddered.
He looked up. "You ok?"
No, I'm not ok. I want your body. I want to feel you pounding yourself inside me, to watch your eyes as you cum. And let you watch what you do to me when I explode. I need to wrap my legs around you. Let you suck on a nipple. Make me scream. She nodded.
Will stood and turned to help Red stand. His groin was mouth level. She fought the urge to bite his cock and allowed herself to be helped up. She picked up her mask, spit in it and wiped it around. "I always hate that part."
He laughed and did the same thing.
Securing her mask and testing her snorkel was at a good length, she sat on the side of the boat and flashed a thumbs up. Will nodded and fell into the clear azure waters of the Caribbean. A moment later, Red swam next to him.
In the silence of the water, they swam above the coral and pointed at Blue Angel Fish, Yellowtail Snappers and a black and white striped Spade Fish. Red surfaced, cleared her snorkel, took a breath and dove back under. Will tapped her leg and pointed. As she turned, a small octopus scurried away and camouflaged itself in an opening in the reef.
Much too soon, the dive master indicated it was time to return to the boat. Will held her flippers as she climbed on board. She reached over the edge to take hers and his, dropped them on the deck and pulled off her mask. Standing next to her, he pulled off his mask and shook his hair. Water droplets splashed everywhere.
"Did you see the octopus?"
She nodded as she grabbed a bottle of water and chugged part of it. "That was so cool."
Rubbing her towel over her hair, Sara walked over and asked, "Will you two be joining us for supper."
"No."
Red titled her head and looked at Will.
With a small grin, he said, "We have other plans."
A tingle raced through Red and exploded inside her pussy. "Sorry Grandma, we have plans."
Chapter Seven
A knock on her cabin door interrupted Red's deliberations about what was left in her wardrobe to wear. When she opened it, Will offered, "Pizza and beer. My kind of food."
Laughing, Red led the way to the balcony and sat. Will put the pizza box on the table, opened a beer, handed it to her then opened his. "Salut."
She tapped her bottle on his. "Salut."
As she lifted the lid on the box, he pulled napkins out of his back pocket. "I thought we could have a quiet meal by the sea. Just the two of us. Then a bit of fun in the casino, maybe a moonlit stroll around the deck and then we'll see what we see."
Handing him a slice of cheese and pepperoni pizza, she said, "Sounds good to me. And how did you know this is my favorite kind of pizza? Did you ask my grandmother?"
Chewing on his slice, Will shook his head. When he'd swallowed, he said, "I don't like a lot of stuff on my pizza. When you cover it in veggies and stuff, it makes it all healthy. Pizza's just supposed to be pizza."
"We agree on pizza. What's your favorite sport?"
"Naked female mud wrestling."
Red rolled her eyes in her best impression of a scornful teenager.
"What? It's a sport." He chugged his beer. "If you were thinking along the lines of the more conventional sports, Formula One racing. Love the power of those machines."
"Never been to a race. I'm a baseball kind of girl. Sitting in the stands munching a hot dog, cracking open peanuts and throwing the shells on the ground."
"Chicago is a bit of a baseball town." Reaching for another piece of pizza, he said, "I'm good with sitting in the stands drinking beer and eating peanuts. I guess I could get into baseball." Silent for a moment as both stared out at the water, Will then broke the reverie first. "What's your favorite kind of music?"
"Classical. I love Mozart." She grimaced, waiting for his scoff.
"Not going to mix well with my Garth Brooks."
"I wanted to major in music at college, but got pulled into the family business and had to change direction."
"Hood's Chocolatier. I checked you out." He smiled. "For more than one reason."
His grin made her insides tingles. "What do you mean?" She wiped the grease off her lips and fingers and finished her beer.
"When I realized Chopper was hanging around you, I wanted to know was it because you w
ere beautiful or rich? What was he after?"
"Access to my grandmother."
Will nodded. "Proves he's even more of an idiot. I met Sara on an earlier cruise and knew she had money, but she's too sharp to be suckered by someone like Chopper."
Red lowered her head in shame. "But not me."
"No, I didn't say that. He was doing a good job of sweeping you off your feet and I think he actually liked you. The lure of the necklace was just too much." He put his empty beer on the table. "I'm finished. Let's head over to the casino and see how fast we can lose twenty bucks."
"I've got nothing to wear. I didn't get a lot of time to pack and the only dress I brought was my red one. And it's ruined."
"What's wrong with what you got on? You look great."
She looked at her skirt and flower print blouse.
He placed his finger under her chin and raised it. His gaze locked onto hers. "I don't want to be with you 'cause you're wearing some sexy dress and made up to look like a super model. I want to be with you 'cause I like you. I find you sexy and cute and…and fascinating."
The blush burned her cheeks while her heart soared with joy. Most importantly, her pussy grew warm with anticipated excitement. "I'm still trying to learn who you are. The Will I tangoed with is not exactly the same man I'm about to hit the casino with. He was dark and mysterious. You're…" Sexy as hell.
"Sorry. Part of the job. I put on different characters and different names so people don't recognize me." Leading the way to the cabin door, he held it open. "Last cruise I was on I was a waiter. Name was Bill. Got to meet a lot of people, but none would recognize me later if we met on a different cruise. Who really looks at their waiter? But enough about me." He pulled two twenty dollar bills out of his wallet. "Whoever wins the most buys the other drinks."
"Deal." Giggling, Red snatched a twenty and pressed the call button for the elevator.
The darkness of the casino took a moment to adjust to. The casino cashier loaded two cards with their twenty dollars. Red searched for the quarter slot machines while Will wandered over to a blackjack table. On her first try, Red won ten dollars. She was happily swiping her card and pulling the lever when Will appeared.
"Bust." He shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm rolling in it. I've won a hundred and fifty dollars." She giggled.
"Let's place it on one bet."
"No way. That's crazy." She stood and walked to the cashier's booth.
Will jumped in front of her. "Come on, do something wild and crazy. Look, you could win."
"But what if I lose?"
"If you win, you win. If you lose…" His gaze drifted from her eyes to her breasts as his finger traced the line of her chin.
Red stumbled. If the memory of his mouth on hers made her weak at the knees, what would the feel of his body on hers do to her?
He caught her arm. "There you go falling again."
She pointed at the cashier. "First we go there." She handed over the card and asked for fifty dollars back, turned and handed the two twenties to Will. "That was yours." Holding up the card she said, "We have a hundred to bet and ten bucks for drinks. Lead the way. And you'd better know the machine that gives the million dollar pay off."
He stopped at a hundred dollar slot machine. "The color on this one matches your eyes."
"Works for me. I'll put the ticket in and we both pull the lever." She rested her hand on the lever knob and he rested his hand on hers. "On three, ready. One, two, three." They pulled the lever, released it then watched the symbols roll by. One set of cherries stopped on the left side. The second set of cherries stopped in the middle section. Red held her breath. A bar landed in the third spot.
"I'm guessing two cherries and a bar doesn't win us the million dollars." She sighed.
Will turned her face toward him. "Since I never said what would happen if we lost, I suggest we start with a kiss." He wrapped his hands around the sides of her head and he pulled her face to his. Her lips parted. Her body trembled waiting for the fiery moment when his lips would touch hers. Time seemed to stand still. Red was ready to moan in frustration, but sighed in delight instead, when he kissed her. Neither his hands nor his lips would release their hold on her. With her head spinning, she had to wrap her arms around him to keep from sinking to the floor.
"Get a room!"An annoyed voice said, as someone passed them.
They broke apart laughing. Will offered his hand. "Our moonlight stroll."
Hand in hand they walked along the deck in silence, listening to the distant roar of the powerful engines and the slosh of the waves as the ship cut through the water. Leaning on a side railing, they looked out across the darkness. The night sky sparkled with diamond-like stars.
Will moved behind her, sandwiching her against the railing. He wrapped his arms around and rested his hand on hers. He brushed her hair to the side and trickled kisses up the back of her neck. Red closed her eyes and let the sensation fill her body with hot lust. "Tell me everything about Esmerelda Hood." His breath was warm against her ear.
"Not much to tell." She turned around to face him. Her hips pressed firmly against his. "My real name is Esmerelda. I have a business degree from Harvard and I'm a junior accountant at the family chocolate company."
"Why not vice president or something?"
"Long story."
"I have the rest of my life to listen to it." His eyes sparkled.
The rest of his life--with me? "My grandfather started the company. His son, my dad, also worked for the firm. He learned both the business side and the chocolate making side. When grandpa started to pull back from daily activities my dad took over. My older brother, Daniel, was next in line."
"Heir to the throne."
Red nodded. "The three of them flew to Indonesia. Dan was learning about cocoa beans and was being introduced to our suppliers. They were going from island to island when the plane disappeared." She pressed her forehead onto his chest. "There are like fifteen thousand little islands that make up the country. And there are mountain ranges and they even have volcanoes. The authorities have no idea where the plane went down. It went off course and disappeared from the radar. That was eight years ago. Grandma stepped up to the plate and took over the company. Mom quit being a socialite and went to work. And I—"
"Didn't get to study music at the university." His arms wrapped around her as he held her tight.
"It's time for me to learn the business. I'm in a low-on-the-corporate rung job learning the financial side and the human side of the business. What I really wanted to do was learn about chocolate. It fascinates me. Grandpa'd tell me stories about the places he'd been and how the chocolate grows on the trees and how the farmers tend to their crops. One farmer named all of his trees after beautiful women, so they'd produce lots of cocoa beans."
"So, in your world, money does grow on trees." His chest shook as he chuckled at his little joke.
She pulled back and looked up into his smiling face. "And you, how did you get into security on cruise ships?"
"Family business. My dad contracts out to various cruise lines. We get leads on people like Chopper and track them down. Seniors' cruises, like this, are a haven for con men and jewel thieves. There're two others from the company here. Chopper wasn't even on our radar, but I had my suspicions so I checked him out. It was a win/win. Following him let me be near you."
"You wanted to be with me."
"From the first moment you fell into my arms. It's dumb, I know, but it was like fate saying, Here she is. This is the woman for you."
"Your aftershave."
"My what?"
"The smell of your aftershave makes me all hot and lusty."
Will rubbed his chin. "I don't wear aftershave."
"Ok, your cologne then."
He shook his head.
"But there is a smell…I mean a fragrance. It's earthy and sexy and just draws me to you."
He continued shaking his head and shrugged his shoulders.
R
ed puzzled it out for a moment. She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. "Wow. I'll bet it's your pheromones."
"Let's pretend I got at least a C in biology, what're you talking about?"
"A mix of biology and chemistry."
"Oh shit, even worse."
"Pheromones are what you just called fate and I called aftershave. Our basic animal instincts sensed we're compatible." She chuckled. "Animal. Chopper called you a wolf. Because of your name W. Olf. He had this whole Little Red Riding Hood theme going on."
Will leaned against the railing next to her. "Now this I've got to hear."
"Obviously I'm Red Riding Hood. He was the lumberjack as his name was Andrew Woodsman. Or was he lying?"
"No, that's his name. He has several aliases, but for this cruise he used his real name. Made it much easier for me to trace him."
"I was sent to rescue my grandmother."
He burst out laughing. "Sara Hood! Need rescuing? Never."
She poked him in the side. "And you're the big bad wolf. Chopper thought you were here to con little old ladies out of their life savings."
"Sorry to wreck the story, but the W. Olf thing doesn't work. My last name isn't Olf. It's Lobo. William Marcus Lobo. My father's father came from a little town in the south of Spain. "
"My turn to laugh. Lobo means wolf in Spanish."
"Hmm, guess that explains why I always wanted to howl at the full moon. My hot wolfy blood surging through me."
The glass doors to the ballroom were slid apart and the sounds of the orchestra floated out. "Care to dance with the big bad wolf? Emphasis on big and bad."
"I'd love to." She stepped into his arms.
Resting her head on his shoulder, Red let herself be guided around the deck, dipped and spun. Not once did this dance partner step on her feet or bounce her off a piece of furniture. When love ballads played, their bodies pressed close together. Red could feel his hard muscles pressing up against her soft curves. When the music picked up tempo, Red shook her breasts and playfully flaunted herself. She watched his eyes as they followed every movement of her body.
Sexy Red Hood Page 6