By Sea

by Carly Fall

  “You’re up late, or early, depending on how you look at the clock,” a deep voice rumbled from behind her. She jumped, thankful she had almost finished all her wine and it hadn’t sloshed out of the glass.

  Spinning around, she was surprised to see Brody standing in the Bridge doorway wearing nothing but a pair of white shorts, his arms crossed over his big chest, and his biceps rolled into tight knots as he leaned against the doorframe.

  “You startled me,” she said, feeling exposed in her short t-shirt. She wanted to run, but something held her there as he stared at her.

  Pushing himself off the doorframe, he strolled over to her. “Why aren’t you in bed?”

  “Why aren’t you?” she asked.

  Now he stood mere inches from her, looming over her. His breath had a slight tint of whiskey.

  “I was. You woke me up.”

  Confused, she continued to stare up at him. How did she wake him when he slept downstairs in the crew quarters?

  “I sleep on the Bridge when we’re out at sea,” he murmured. “I heard you when you were downstairs in the Main Salon.”

  She drained her glass, very much aware of how little space and clothing separated their bodies.

  “Why are you up, Rayna?” he asked, his voice just above a whisper. “What’s keeping you awake? Is your bed uncomfortable?”

  “No, it’s fine,” she said, finally breaking the stare and gazing out to the moonlight again. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Like what?”

  You.

  “Nothing,” she murmured. “Just . . . just my sister.”

  He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she turned her head at his touch.

  “And what if I thought something different was keeping you awake?”

  “Like what?” she swallowed, her voice tight.

  “Like you and me. Us. Together.”

  She shut her eyes and turned her head back toward the window. Never would she admit it as she’d already been over all the reasons getting together with Brody was a bad idea.

  “Maybe I’m wrong, but I’d thought I’d ask because that’s what’s been keeping me up tonight,” he said, his hand kneading her shoulder before it slipped away.

  Rayna knew that if she said yes, things would go into a place anyone in their right mind would deem not advisable. However, the brief contact of his skin on hers brought out a deep, visceral ache that needed to be sated.

  “You weren’t wrong,” she whispered, staring out into the night.

  “Then look at me,” he growled.

  She shut her eyes while gathering her nerve, reminding herself she wanted this as well. However, in her bones, she also felt this could be the biggest mistake of her life.

  “Look at me, Rayna.”

  She turned.

  Chapter 29

  When her grey eyes met his, Brody’s breath caught in his chest. Gone was the last bit of the CIA façade she carefully erected. Ms. Hot CIA Agent was gone, and in her place was Rayna Lopez, the woman. However, instead of fun and enjoyment in her eyes like he witnessed as she watched the dolphins, he saw something different: longing and desire.

  He’d taken a chance telling her about his feelings for her, and he’d been truthful as he told her about his lust keeping him up into the early morning hours. As he laid on the bench of the Bridge, he’d thought of nothing else but Rayna’s smile as she watched the dolphins, the relief in her face when he told her they had come to a mutual trust, and her sinewy body as she lay on the cushions with her sister, laughing and drinking Rum Punch. Not to mention their jet ski ride. Man, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close made his heart thump in his chest, his yearning for her causing his body to literally ache. It took everything in his power not to kiss her after she’d dumped them into the water, both floating there surrounded by the warm water, so close together.

  She’d gotten under his skin, and he needed to sate the physical demands she conjured within him.

  “Why do you sleep on the Bridge?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper as she looked back out the window.

  “Safety,” he said. “I can see all the instruments and watch all the cameras on the boat. I have a bird’s eye view of everything around us. I don’t like surprises.”

  “It sounds as if you sleep with one eye open,” Rayna commented.

  Brody shrugged. “Sometimes it feels that way.”

  They stood in silence for a moment, gazing out the back window. He was aware of their closeness, of how little effort it would take to reach out and pull her to him.

  He turned to her. “Look at me, Rayna,” he whispered.

  She shut her eyes for a brief moment and then gazed up at him.

  He took her wine glass and set it down on the bar behind him, and then he placed his hands on the sides of her face, her skin silky beneath his touch. Slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers, and he was surprised at the energy rocketing through his body.

  Her soft lips were firm, yet pliable as they moved beneath his. She laid her hand on his chest, the delicate touch scorching his skin. Urging her mouth open with his tongue, she obliged, and he explored her, tasting the wine she had finished.

  The soft kiss turned heated, and Rayna wrapped her arms around his neck pressing her body into his. He longed to feel her skin on his, and he found the hem of the T-shirt. Hesitantly, he touched her thigh, his fingers tracing over her ass and settling on her waist as he prayed she wouldn’t stop him.

  God, he wanted this. He wanted her.

  He pulled away and gazed down into her glittering eyes, his breathing coming in short spurts, his cock painfully hard.

  “I want you,” he whispered.

  Rayna said nothing as she studied his face, but nodded. He reached down to her butt and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and their mouths met in fiery passion again.

  Brody marched to the Bridge and sat down on the bench seat, his cock pressing into her panties. She ran her fingers through his hair as their tongues dueled, and he traced the bumps of her spine, moving down to her legs. He wanted to feel every inch of her body.

  Whipping the shirt over her head, he gazed at her small breasts for a moment.

  “Perfect,” he whispered and palmed them before taking one in his mouth, swirling the hardened nipple with his tongue while lightly brushing the other with his thumb.

  Rayna groaned and arched her back as she fisted his hair, rocking slowly in his lap, the friction on his cock just about sending him into a frenzy.

  He reached up and pulled her head down to his again as she pressed her chest into his, her hardened nipples sending little bolts of energy throughout his body.

  Standing them both up, he broke the kiss and dropped to his knees. He pulled down her underwear, peppering kisses all over her stomach and the area just above her patch of black curls, inhaling her scent. He slipped one finger into her folds, finding her sex wet. Rayna grabbed his shoulders as he explored her slick, private flesh, finally sliding a finger into her tight core.

  “Yes,” she whispered, her eyes closed and her short fingernails digging into his shoulders. Slowly, he slid his finger in and out as he watched her face. Her cheeks reddened as she bit her lower lip, her breath hitching as he stroked her. As her walls began to contract at his touch, he gently disengaged.

  “No!” she cried as he stood and chuckled. He sucked his finger, tasting her essence, and he moaned with approval.

  “Delicious,” he murmured, wanting more. He wanted to take his time with Rayna, but the urgency rushing within him made it impossible. Perhaps another time he could watch her squirm as he licked and suckled her slick folds.

  Rayna reached for his shorts, her nimble fingers quickly undoing the button. The shorts fell to the floor, and she fisted his cock, leisurely moving her hand up and down, giving him exquisite torture. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, each stroke bringing him closer to orgasm.

  “You’re killing me, Ray,” he whispered af
ter a few moments, gazing down at her.

  She stopped and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body into his. “We wouldn’t want that now, would we,” she murmured, smiling.

  “No, we wouldn’t,” he said, picking her up. “Right now, I’ve got way too much to live for.”

  He sat down on the bench again and Rayna straddled him, sliding down his length, her hot, slick core enveloping him.

  As she rocked in his lap, their bodies found the perfect rhythm. Brody grasped her hips as she threaded her fingers through his hair, their tongues dueling passionately. Brody ground his hips into her, wanting to go deeper, to feel more of her, to lose himself within her. A short while later, Rayna threw her head back and cried out, while her walls pulsated around him. The tremors through her body sent him over the edge, and he gritted his teeth as his orgasm slammed into Rayna.

  As she slumped against him and rested her head on his shoulder, Brody felt an inner peace that hadn’t been there before; he was totally content. He wrapped his arms around her, both of their bodies damp with sweat. As their breathing evened out and Brody once again became aware of his surroundings, he realized the normal light sway of the boat had disappeared. He glanced out the window, the dark waters looking like a sheet of glass, the dolphins lazily swimming just off the bow.

  Chapter 30

  Rayna disengaged from Brody and sat down on the bench next to him as he pulled a blanket over them. She curled up under his arm.

  She’d been right: sex with Brody was like nothing she’d ever experienced. He brought out something primal in her, all of her inhibitions and insecurities about not being all that practiced disappeared.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered.

  She nodded and glanced up at him, the glow from the instrument panel casting shadows on his sharp features.

  He kissed the tip of her nose and pulled her closer.

  As they sat in silence staring out the window, reality set in, and a bad feeling curled in her stomach. She barely knew Brody, and she’d had unprotected sex with him. Shutting her eyes, she silently cursed herself. She wasn’t worried about pregnancy—she had that one covered, but who knew how many women he’d been with and with all the diseases floating around out there. . . she’d let herself get carried away in the heat of the moment, her lust for Brody overriding common sense.

  “Brody?” she said.

  “Yeah.”

  “I . . . I was thinking that . . . well, I was wondering . . .”

  “What’s on your mind, Ray? Just say it.”

  She smiled as she sat up, heat burning her cheeks as she looked at him. She loved that he called her Ray. Margarita drove her nuts by calling her Ray-Ray, her mother and father always stuck to Rayna. “Okay, well, I’m worried you’ve given me some disease.”

  He cracked a grin, and pushed her hair out of her face. Laying his hand on the back of her neck, he pulled her to him, kissing her long and slow.

  “Nope,” he whispered a moment later. “I’m sparkling clean.”

  “Me, too,” she said, relief flooding through her as desire bloomed in her belly.

  “What about pregnancy?” he asked.

  “It’s taken care of,” she answered.

  “Stay with me the rest of the night,” Brody murmured, pulling her down next to him on the bench. She nestled into his chest and wrapped an arm around his waist. The hard bench was uncomfortable, especially compared to her lush bed downstairs. However, she realized she was happy exactly where she was. As she looked over the control panel, she was surprised at all the screens.

  “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to a screen with red lines running across it, as if a child had scribbled on it.

  Brody turned to see what she was looking at. “That shows our anchor movement and the swing of the boat,” he explained in a sleepy voice. “We can’t anchor the front and back of the boat because the strain would be too hard on the hull. Instead, we anchor the front, and we let it swing with the currents.”

  She nodded and looked over the security camera screen, showing the Main Salon, the Sky Lounge, the top deck where the hot tub was, the bow and back of the boat, and the small downstairs hallway.

  “I told you,” Brody said, following her gaze “no cameras in the bedrooms. I’m not the voyeuristic type.”

  Rayna smiled. “That could get really weird with your guests if you could watch them in their bedrooms,” she noted.

  “I know. There are some clients that I’d rather not see in their room.”

  “I bet.”

  “You aren’t one of them.”

  Rayna laughed. “Yeah, there probably aren’t any surprises after this.”

  He ran his finger down the side of her cheek, to her neck and down to her nipple where he made a lazy circle around it sending ripples of pleasure throughout her body.

  “Oh, I think you’re full of secrets and surprises, Rayna. I just need to dig a little deeper to uncover them.”

  As he kissed her again, Rayna was surprised at the truth in his words. Yes, she did have secrets, but he did as well, and she wondered if either of theirs would ever be revealed.

  “We better get some sleep,” he murmured. “It’ll be dawn in just a few hours.”

  Rayna nodded, exhaustion pulling at her. She didn’t think she had the energy to get up even if she wanted to.

  “What if someone comes in?” she mumbled.

  “Then they’ll see our naked bodies tangled together in post-coital bliss,” Brody chuckled. “No big deal.”

  “I wouldn’t be comfortable with that,” Rayna said, still unable to move.

  As she drifted off to sleep, she decided she would simply enjoy her time with Brody. After her sister’s stalker had been caught, she’d go back to her life, and in time, Brody would simply become a distant memory.

  Chapter 31

  “Wake up, Brody.”

  Brody came to consciousness slowly, rolled over to his back, unsure of where he was at or what day it was as he’d been sleeping so deeply. As he opened his eyes, Jason stood above him and the previous night’s happenings flooded back. He glanced around the Bridge and Rayna was nowhere to be found. Stretching, he smiled as he recalled Rayna riding him, and he didn’t think he’d ever had such a peaceful sleep. There weren’t any nightmares to wake him, only blissful rest.

  “What time is it?” Brody asked.

  “Almost nine,” Jason replied. “Heidi was worried about you and came up to see where you were as you’re usually up at the crack of dawn. She sent me up to wake you as she didn’t want to deal with your bare ass.”

  Brody glanced down. The blanket had fallen partially off of him, and if he had been on his side, Heidi would have gotten an eyeful of bare butt.

  “She’s such a prude,” Brody mumbled, sitting up.

  “So, why are you asleep on the Bridge naked?” Jason asked, turning around as Brody stood to stretch. “Get some clothes on, man. I don’t need to see your junk.”

  Reaching down to pick up his shorts, he noticed Rayna’s underwear tucked under the corner of the blanket. He glanced up at Jason to make sure he was still facing away, and then grabbed her panties and shoved them under the blanket on the bench.

  “Just felt like getting closer to nature, that’s all,” Brody said, sliding on his shorts and stuffing the underwear in his pocket.

  “You sure you weren’t getting close to . . . oh, I don’t know, say . . . Rayna?”

  While Brody could see Margarita not caring who knew who she slept with, Rayna had indicated she would like to keep her private life just that: private. He wasn’t about to kiss and tell.

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about, man,” Brody said, zipping his fly. He ran his fingers through his hair wishing he had a cup of coffee.

  “Really? Because it seemed you were liking wrapping yourself around her on the jet ski the other day, and you were sure out there a long time on paddleboard. I’ve also noticed the way you look at her—like a wolf with a sw
eet little bunny in its sights, waiting to gobble it up.”

  “I didn’t hear any complaints while you and Margarita were cruising around on the jet ski, either,” Brody said, ignoring what Jason said about the so-called looks and paddle boarding.

  Jason turned to him and smiled. “There were no complaints. It may have well been the best hour of my life.”

  “Hmmm . . . if that was the best hour of your life, my guess is that there wasn’t a whole lot going on in Margarita’s room last night,” Brody commented.

  “Whatever,” Jason mumbled, his smile quickly turning to a scowl.

  Brody decided it was a good time to change the subject. “What’s on the agenda for today? Has anyone checked in with our clients?”

  “Yeah. Katie told them about the amazing snorkeling off of Jost Van Dyke. Margarita said she wanted to go there, and Rayna agreed.”

  Brody smiled. He loved snorkeling at Jost Van Dyke. The underwater wildlife was always abundant, and there were also caves to explore. They didn’t go very deep into the island, but there were always different fish he normally didn’t see lurking in the shadows. As far as he was concerned, there wasn’t a better place for snorkeling in the area, except maybe St. John’s. It was definitely a toss up for him.

  “Sounds good,” he said, stepping up to the control panel and gazing over all the screens. On the security screen, he saw Rayna sitting in the hot tub, her head tilted up toward the sun. As the bubbles lightly kissed her breasts, he became aroused remembering his own caresses to her perfect globes. “Do you think we can be ready to go in an hour or so?”

  Jason nodded. “Sure. I’ll head down to the engine room and get things ready to sail.”

  “Thanks, Jason. Make sure you tell Heidi, Katie and Danny when we’re taking off so they can plan for lunch and the afternoon.”

  “Got it.”

  Brody turned his gaze back to the security screen. Rayna was gorgeous, but peeking in on her while no one was around brought out a whole new aspect to her beauty. Based on her smile, he could see she resided in a place of total contentment, and he wondered if their time together had anything to do with that. He wished he could ascend the fifteen steps separating them, join her in the warm water and wrap his arms around her, their slick bodies melding together as one while their tongues slowly danced.