“The hot-tempered chef wanted to teach me a lesson. It seems he did it because you told him that I had a fiancée and that I was just playing with you.” Ryan scowled. “If it wasn’t for what you told me about European men being lovers, first and foremost, I would have flattened him.”
“Ryan, no!” Jennifer was horrified. Two grown men were fighting over her. What a strange twist of events. Poor Chef Ruscelli. Oh, good grief. She’d had no idea. “The poor man. What’s going to happen to him?”
“Nothing. Apparently the Captain has had to deal with his temperamental chef on more than one occasion. He’ll take care of this episode too. Chef Ruscelli won’t lose his job.”
For a while they walked the beach in silence, enjoying the peace and beauty of the island. Then Ryan led her to a sheltered area, isolated from everyone. Fronds from tall palms swayed in the gentle breeze casting shadows, giving relief from the sun. “Let’s rest here,” Ryan suggested and spread his beach towel.
Jennifer really didn’t want to. She was afraid she would give into him because she wanted and needed him so much. She looked at him sitting on the edge of the towel. He was smiling up at her, flashing that cute dimple at her. Her eyes raked his magnificent body, now dry from their walk in the sun. He was truly Mr. Gorgeous. Would it hurt too much to have him one more time? Would she be giving away a piece of her heart? At the moment, it would hurt even more to deny him. But deny him she would. “Say whatever you have to say, Ryan. I want to get it over with so I can go for a swim.”
“I never intended to hurt you, Jennifer. When I met you, my whole world changed. You made me realize that what I felt for Diane was not nearly deep enough. I couldn’t resist you, Jennifer. I fought it, but finally knew that I had to have you.” Ryan stood up and walked toward her. “Please believe me, I told Diane there was no future for us.”
“Then you’re not engaged?” Jennifer watched in fascination as he walked up to her and caressed her cheek.
“No. Even if you walked away from me now, I wouldn’t go back to her.” He leaned down and lightly kissed her lips.
Jennifer stepped back. She didn’t know what to believe. If she accepted what he just told her as truth, did it matter anyway? He still didn’t love her. Feeling confused, she wheeled around and ran for the surf. As she splashed into the shallow water, she could hear him coming in behind her. Then his hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back. She twisted loose and pushed, causing him to fall backwards into the water. As he fell, he grabbed her, forcing her to fall on top of him.
Jennifer squirmed against him trying to find her footing at the same time, but only ended up straddling him. He had a death grip on her bottom that she knew she would never break. Besides, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. She could feel his arousal at the center of her sex, arousing her with each wiggle and squirm she executed.
Suddenly his hand clasped behind her neck and forced her head down to his parted lips. At the first touch of his mouth on hers, Jennifer relaxed, her willpower deserting her. “Oh,” she breathed, and clung to him, ravenous for his touch. Touch her, he did. His wonderful hands caressed her everywhere and his mouth heated her skin as they rocked gently with the ebb and flow of the waves.
Without breaking their kiss Ryan made quick work of their bathing suits, and ignored them as they floated away. He finally had her in his arms, warm and willing, and nothing was going to keep him from seeing this through. If he didn’t slip inside her soon, he just might go crazy with need and drown them both, here in the warm shallow waters of Eleuthera. “Now, Jenn,” his voice more plea than demand. He could feel her guide him in, and in that moment, he shuddered from the pure pleasure of her tight embrace.
Jennifer felt Ryan tremble, then watched as he closed his eyes and eased his head back, giving himself over to the ecstasy of the moment. She gloried in her ability to give this man pleasure, to arouse him instantly, and to make him shiver with need. Never had she felt more like a woman than when Ryan stood them up, held her against him still joined, and walked to the edge of the surf, where he lowered her beneath him.
Ryan’s lips found hers and his kiss danced the way he danced within her, with joy and caring. Jennifer could feel the power and excitement build until that ultimate moment when their bodies, minds, and spirits joined and became one. Jennifer lost all thought and felt herself meld into him. She held on for dear life taking her strength from him, loving him, cherishing him. Sounds of the surf dimmed and silence enfolded her. Love flowed through her, filling her with warmth and beauty.
At first, she wasn’t aware of his breathing, of him gently calling her name, but he finally got her attention.
“Jenn, you are so precious to me,” he rasped. “Please marry me.”
She must have misunderstood. Surely he didn’t say what she thought she heard. “What did you say?”
“You have to marry me,” Ryan insisted as he held her close. “I bought a beautiful ring for you at H. Stern Jewelry in St. Thomas and I can’t take it back. It’s all your fault for the condition I’m in,” he accused. “You seduced me and made me fall in love with you.”
“You love me?” she questioned. He loved her? He loved her! Her heart raced with excitement. She pulled his head down and kissed him.
Ryan lifted his head enough to look deeply into her eyes before kissing her eyelids closed. “With all my heart. So you see, you must marry me.”
“Must I?” she teased while her heart filled to overflowing with love for him. Her dreams were coming true. He loved her. That simple thought brought her unbelievable joy.
“Yes.” Ryan turned up his thousand watt smile. “You tantalized me, teased me, and tried to poison me . . .”
“Ryan!” she interrupted. “I did not!”
“. . . then you nearly drowned me. The only way you can save me is to marry me. Otherwise, I’ll surely die of a broken heart.”
“Well, if I must—but it would be only to save you, of course.” Jennifer laughed and caressed him from his broad shoulders, down past his narrow waist and hips, to his bottom and back again. “Truly, I’ll think about it.”
“Marry me, sweet Jenn,” he coaxed, “and make babies with me. Little bouncing babies, happy babies, babies that will grow up strong and gourmet fed.”
Jennifer laughed with delight. Her heart sang to have this dear wonderful man as her husband and the father of her children. It was amazing that here on the warm azure waters of the Caribbean, she had discovered a cruise to romance.
“Well, Jenn. What do you think?”
“Be quiet, darling,” she whispered at his ear, “and kiss the cook!”
The End
CRUISE TO ROMANCE Page 18