Jennifer was having the time of her life and she didn’t intend to let him lead. Not this time. With control she didn’t know she had, she raised herself to a sitting position and rubbed herself against his wonderful hardness. Then she leaned over and kissed him, biting his lips with gentle nips, then plundering to his very soul. Heat, intense and raw, infused her body. She grasped his head while they kissed long and hard, wanting to hold him there for a lifetime, but, alas, even lovers had to breathe.
He came in long agonizing pulses of pure pleasure, crying out in the beauty and intenseness of the feelings engulfing his body. Unaware of anything but the rapid beating of his heart, he tried to fight his way back to reality. Feeling the weight of her body lifting from him, he managed to open his eyes only to find her radiant face smiling down at him.
“Relax for a minute, Ryan, I have to go.” she whispered, then grabbed her top and slipped it over her head. She knelt down and kissed his forehead. “Guess I won’t be needing to talk to Mike after all.” Without another word, Jennifer made her way back to her room.
She felt wonderful. It was a heady feeling, being in control and giving someone else pleasure. Deep within herself she knew she was falling in love, but she wasn’t ready to face those feelings yet. First she had to win her bet with Sheila. If today was any indication, it would just be a matter of time. So far Sheila hadn’t even gotten to first base.
When she arrived at her cabin, she turned down the air conditioning and stripped. After calling room service and ordering hors d’oeuvres and a pitcher of Margaritas, she headed for the bathroom. The plumbing in the shower was of European design with its little button and knob for regulating the hot water. After fumbling for a moment, she had the water running and the temperature to her liking. She stepped in and breathed a sigh of relief as water cascaded over her, rinsing away the perspiration and salt spray from her hair and body. Once she felt squeaky clean, she stepped out, wrapped a towel around her, and settled onto a lounge chair on the balcony. A quick catnap would help her relax. Jennifer closed her eyes and sighed, waiting for room service to show up with her goodies.
* * *
This wasn’t supposed to happen, these gentle tender feelings of his toward Jennifer. It was much too dangerous. After all he was a sophisticated man of the world. He knew how to enjoy women without getting emotionally involved. He was an expert at it. Indeed, women courted him, competed for him, begged him for his attentions. Being an expert lover gave him an advantage that he knew he must use with finesse. So far, he had, but it seemed that things were getting just a little bit out of control. Common sense told him to stop this seduction before it went too far. He ignored the quiet little voice that told him he was certainly stretching his imagination if he believed he was still in control.
With a heavy sigh, Ryan turned on the shower and stood motionless while water plummeted his weary body. Surely he could control himself enough to maintain a pleasant friendship with Jennifer. Of course, he could. He prided himself in his self-control. No woman would ever have enough influence over him to make him deviate from his well-planned goals. He just needed to explain the relationship to Jennifer. All he could offer her was a short-term romance. She would understand and accept his terms. No commitments, no regrets. Feeling better about the whole situation, Ryan grabbed a bar of soap and began sudsing his wash cloth. Everything was as it should be, he reassured himself. He could handle any woman.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Ocean Goddess arrived off the southern tip of the island of St. Maarten, at sunrise. Pale pink, peach, and mango-orange rays of light spread out over the horizon before reaching upward as the Caribbean sun made its joyful appearance. The deep blue of the ocean gradually turned to turquoise while Jennifer watched the mooring from her balcony. Dark hills surrounding Great Bay brightened to green and the sleepy city of Philipsburg, sitting between the hills and the water’s edge, began to awaken.
Jennifer was excited. St. Maarten, the capital of the Dutch Leeward Island group, was the smallest island in the world to share ownership with two sovereign powers, the Dutch and the French. The combination of cultures gave birth to cuisine with an international reputation. In the past few years the island had seen an explosion of building and expansion. She hoped that she would still be able to talk to native residents to obtain recipes of authentic island creations. Humming softly to herself, she folded directions to the Guavaberry Emporium on Front Street, and slipped the paper into her pocket together with her list of ingredients to purchase. Famous for its assortment of West Indian rums, spices, and fruit liqueurs, the Emporium would have a wonderful assortment of the spices and sauces she needed for her newest creations.
Sheila would be going with her, but it had taken a bit of a compromise, of course, to convince her. In exchange for their morning explorations into island cuisine, Jennifer had agreed to join Sheila in the 12 metre America’s Cup Regatta. The race was recreated daily. She had promised to be a working crew member along with Sheila aboard one of three seventy-foot racing yachts with masts the height of an eight-story building. Although it seemed a bit intimidating, since Jennifer had never been on a sailing yacht before, she was willing to give it a try.
“You’re up early.” Sheila stood at the entrance to the balcony, hair disheveled and robe untied. Her pert breasts made even the homeliest night shirt look spectacular, Jennifer thought, with a pang of envy. She looked away quickly, wishing she could be thin and sexy like Sheila.
“Jennifer, do you know why men have such a difficult time making eye contact with a woman?”
“Guilt?”
“Oh, no,” Sheila stated in her matter-of-fact tone. “Breasts don’t have eyes!”
Jennifer laughed. “Cute, now come sit down. Breakfast will be here any minute. I’m looking forward to my first cup of coffee this morning.”
Sheila settled into a chair across from Jennifer. “Me too. I want my coffee the way I like my men . . . rich and hot.”
Jennifer laughed again. “You’re on a roll this morning. Did you have a good night last night?”
“Sure did. Where were you? Mike and I looked all over for you.”
“I really believe that one.” At the sound of the knock, Jennifer jumped up to answer the door. A steward from room service entered and set the breakfast tray on the small balcony table. After tipping the man, Jennifer sat down and began removing the covers on the dishes, setting them aside. “Mmm. Fresh fruit. Care for some?”
“Coffee first,” Sheila answered in a desperate voice. “You never did answer me. Were you with Ryan last night?”
“No.” Jennifer lifted the white porcelain pitcher and poured their coffee. “I joined some of the women from the exercise class. We had dinner then went to the theater for the late performance. Afterwards we went to the midnight buffet and pigged out on chocolate desserts.” She handed Sheila her coffee. “What did you and Mike do?”
“We decided to have an early dinner and take in a movie.” Sheila sipped her coffee. “Then we headed over to the discotheque for dancing and necking.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“You didn’t see Ryan?”
“No.” Jennifer wished Sheila would stop asking about Ryan. She hadn’t seen him last night, nor did she know what he was up to today. She hated to admit it, but she felt hurt because of his casual indifference toward her. After kissing him and touching him so intimately, she had assumed that he felt as close to her as she felt toward him. Obviously, he didn’t. But that wasn’t going to stop her. She was going to get her experience and win the bet too. Sheila wasn’t making any headway with him, so she felt confident that she still had a good chance. This was only the fourth day of the cruise. Surely she could lure him into her bed before the cruise was over. Besides, if he was so casual about sex, he certainly shouldn’t object to spending at least one night in her cabin.
She glanced over to see Sheila studying her intently. “What?”
“Wear something sexy today instea
d of those baggy jeans and shapeless top. After all, you may meet a man you like.”
“Good grief, Sheila. Attracting men is all you seem to think about. Why is it that most women pay more attention to improving their appearance in order to attract a man than they do in improving their minds?”
“Truthfully? Because most men are stupid, but few are blind.”
“Sheila!” Jennifer choked on her coffee. Her friend’s dry wit was going to drive her crazy, if not kill her. Literally. She brushed away the spilled drops on her T-shirt. “You can’t mean that.”
“Sure I can. Don’t you realize why blond jokes are so short?”
Shaking her head, Jennifer silently admitted defeat. “No, why?”
“So men can remember them.”
“You’re just angry because you’re the brunt of so many jokes.”
Sheila laughed. “I mean it Jennifer. Get into one of those new outfits you bought when you went shopping with Helga.”
“Okay, okay,” Jennifer agreed. “I have a little navy capri outfit with a sailor collar. Will that do?”
“You’re hopeless.” Sheila stood up and rolled her eyes before going back into the cabin.
Shortly, Jennifer heard the shower running. Smiling to herself, Jennifer decided to change into her sailor outfit. What she omitted telling Sheila was that the pants and top were stretch material, piped in red. The sleeveless top had contrasting red lacing in the front to control the amount of cleavage she wanted to bare. She suspected that while wearing her new outfit, she would be making eye contact with very few men.
* * *
Jennifer grabbed her backpack-styled purse, her camera, and her sun glasses and headed for the door. “Come on, Sheila, the Captain just cleared the ship. The gangway’s going to be packed.”
“Oh, what’s your hurry?” Sheila asked while she struggled to get her sandals on. “We can skip the taxi to town and take the water taxi instead. It will let us off at the pier in the center of town.”
Jennifer considered her options. If they walked, it would take too much time away from her exploration. It would be hard getting a regular taxi because of the crowds, and they would probably have to wait. The downtown pier was a bit out of the way, but Bobby’s Marina, the only other water taxi stop, wasn’t really any closer. “Okay. Water taxi it is. Let’s go.”
With cabin cards in hand, they rushed down the stairs to Deck Four and the gangway. After going through security, they walked down the gangway to the pier and headed for the water taxi waiting a short distance away. It only took a few minutes for them to be seated comfortably onboard. The water taxi pulled away from the pier and they were on their way. This time of morning, the waters of the bay were calm. No gentle swells or waves to collide with the boat and send salt spray and droplets of water over them.
As the boat motored toward the pier, Jennifer breathed in the fresh ocean air. Not for the first time, she wondered if Ryan was avoiding her. Had she been too aggressive, too needy? She didn’t think so, but then, she really didn’t have much experience with men. What may seem exciting to her, might be quite mundane to him. But she couldn’t stop thinking of the hungry look on his face right before he kissed her and his cries of passion when he peaked beneath her. Jennifer tried to console herself that even if she didn’t experience him to the fullest, she would have beautiful memories of him. Somehow though, that thought left her feeling bereft. Maybe all these well-meaning women were wrong. Maybe she should chase him just a little bit. From what she knew, all men liked the attention.
She wanted him. The worst part, though, was that she wanted more than just a night in bed. She wanted to know him in the most intimate ways and in the most innocent ways. They hadn’t talked about the serious side of life. Whenever she was with him, their thoughts and actions were always physical. At least she felt secure that the physical attraction was mutual.
If she could just find a way to spend some time with him without the overwhelming attraction getting out of hand, they might find they had much more than sex in common. Of course, they might also find out they had very little. Did it matter? Could they learn to grow together? Jennifer sighed. She was asking a lot from a short term flirtation.
“Hey Jenn, we’re here,” Sheila called over the roar of the boat’s engines. “Get a move on.”
“Coming.” Jennifer climbed the small stairs to the deck, stepped up onto the pier, and followed the man in front of her to the sheltered kiosk where Sheila waited. “Since when are you in such a big hurry?”
“You’re the one in a hurry and we have lots of ground to cover. I don’t want to be late for this afternoon’s race.” Sheila adjusted her halter top and straightened her straw hat. “Which way?”
“To the right.” Jennifer and Sheila walked down Front Street past the casinos, storefronts, and restaurants lining the narrow stone street. There were new construction sites everywhere. Each establishment exhibited its own unique charm, but none was more charming and picturesque than the Guavaberry Emporium. According to their brochure, the Emporium was the most photographed spot on the island.
“Did you know,” Jennifer asked as they crossed the entrance into the Emporium, “that the guavaberry is not related to the guava?” At the shake of Sheila’s head, she continued, “it’s unique to this island.” She looked over the shelves for a moment and added, “Looks like they put the guavaberry flavoring in everything.”
Taking her time, Jennifer browsed through the busy store. Finally she stopped to try samples of different sauces and seasonings. She handed Sheila a tiny plastic spoon filled with sauce. “Try this, but be careful. It’s called Liquid Fire XXX Hot Sauce. Obviously, the guavaberry isn’t the sweetest of fruits. In fact, it tastes a little bit like a clove.”
“Ah, someone who knows spices.”
Jennifer looked to her left. An island woman stood there smiling at her. “I love to cook,” Jennifer responded.
“I couldn’t help overhearing you. Most people who come to the Guavaberry Emporium do not know the secrets it holds. It appears you will discover some of them before you leave.” The woman handed her a small paper cup. “Try this. It is the guavaberry liqueur, made from rum and local wild berries. Tell me what you think.”
Jennifer sipped the liqueur, surprised at the taste. “Mmm. I like it. I can tell that I was right.”
“Yes. The guavaberry shares a family connection with the clove and eucalyptus. It is a small berry with a juicy, bitter-sweet taste. At one time only our people of magic used the guavaberry in their potions. After a time, people began to use the berry in baking and rum. Now everyone uses the wild berries. There are many wonderful recipes containing our modest guavaberry.”
Excitement filled Jennifer. Was this a chance to find unique island cuisine? “Would you know anyone who would be willing to share some of the older, authentic recipes with me?”
The woman looked around to see if she was being observed, then nodded to Jennifer. “Wait here. I will bring you an address and directions. You must tell no one where you got your information from. Show the woman at the house the note I give you. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
As the woman walked away, Sheila turned to Jennifer. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m going to get some authentic island recipes, what else?”
Sheila moved closer to Jennifer. “I don’t like it. You don’t even know who the woman is. You can’t just take off in a strange country and not tell anyone. It’s too dangerous.”
Before Jennifer could answer, the woman returned, note in hand. “Buy a bottle of Sint Maarten Guavaberry, there, in the heart-shaped bottle, before you go. You will need it for your recipes and spells.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate your help.” Jennifer took the note the woman handed her and smiled as the woman walked away.
“Recipes and spells? Are you out of your mind?” Sheila scolded. “Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into? These islanders practi
ce voodoo!”
“I don’t care. Now keep your voice down.” Jennifer picked up several bottles of the Sint Maarten Guavaberry and walked up to the cash register, unaware that Sheila left the store the minute she turned away. After paying for her purchase, Jennifer looked around for Sheila, then went outside. Sheila was there all right. With two men. This was not when she wanted to meet up with Ryan and Mike. From the looks on their faces as they turned to watch her walk toward them, they knew what had just transpired.
Ryan smiled as he watched Jennifer take a deep breath and straighten her shoulders, preparing herself for the confrontation she expected to come. Obviously, Mike had noticed the motion too, because both he and Mike were admiring Jennifer instead of listening to Sheila’s complaints. The little navy get-up she was wearing brought out those unbelievable blue eyes and her naturally dark lashes. Just looking at her with her innocent sexuality, he felt his body respond. Now that he was with her, there was no way he would let her go off by herself. She was going to spend the day with him while he enjoyed her refreshing enthusiasm.
“Sheila wants to explore the island with Mike. Would you care to join me?” Ryan asked.
Jennifer couldn’t believe her eyes. Both men were watching her with frank admiration written over their faces. This was a first for her. In spite of her irritation at Sheila, how could she refuse Mr. Gorgeous, when he had asked so sweetly? “Only if you are willing to go with me to gather some guavaberry recipes.”
Ryan laughed. “You don’t need guavaberries to put a spell on me. But I’ll go with you, just the same. It could be fun.”
“You’re both nuts,” Sheila groused. “Come on Mike, let’s head for the Last Mango in Paradise. I want to get my picture taken with the surfer shark and get a new Jimmy Buffett CD.”
“We’re off.” Mike smiled and waved at Jennifer and Ryan as they turned and headed down the street in the opposite direction.
“So, where are we headed?” Ryan circled Jennifer’s shoulder and pulled her close.
CRUISE TO ROMANCE Page 7