by Vivian Arend
She waited for him to haul them together. To drag her from Chad’s side. To toss her to the floor and mark her right then and there. She felt it so strongly—the urge to mate. The need to mate.
It was as if she’d been holding her breath, swimming underwater for years, and only now moving toward the surface. Urgency drove her. About to break the surface, about to pull in life-giving air…
She lifted her chin. Tilted her head and offered her lips.
“Nice to meet you again. Later.” He dropped her hand and passed on by.
He might as well have planted a hand on her head and dunked her. She gasped, breathed wrong and inhaled spit. Hard coughing racked her.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Chad patted her back lightly, confusion blurring his features as she fought her way upright, watching Mark disappear down the hall.
He’d walked away.
He’d…walked away? What the heck?
“I don’t understand.” Her body ached, and her brain had gone numb.
“Ah, he’s just one of the hired help. You won’t have to see him again.”
Chad cupped her face and pressed in again. Keri’s skin crawled, goose bumps the side of Greenland rising. Not a good reaction.
He brushed his cheek against hers and purred. “Mmm, I can smell you.”
What? Her mind was so muddled she had no idea what that meant for a moment. An idea hit, and she tilted her nose toward her armpit and sniffed.
Nope. That wasn’t it.
A faint flicker of comprehension banged on the door blocking her thought processes. Her mate had walked past her down the hallway, ignoring the fact she was in another man’s arms—again she squirmed inside with an ick, ick, ick—and left her?
Was Mark stark raving mad?
Chad groped her again, and her temper flew up faster than she could control. She shoved him violently enough he bounced off the far wall.
“Whoa, okay. So, in spite of your body saying you’re interested, you’re going to play hard to get?” Chad nodded and stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Is this like a game?”
“That’s not it. I’m not…” Keri paused.
Wait. Wait. No instant reactions to Chad.
She needed a coping strategy. She had to think this through. Her mate had some obvious issues. Maybe he was worried about his position. Maybe her…
It was as if a light bulb went off overhead. Inspiration rocked her. Actually, she was grabbing at straws to explain his non-reaction to her, but this was at least possible.
Maybe Mark didn’t want her to get in trouble with the boss. Probably figured her job was on the line and breaking up with the chief supervisor wouldn’t make him very happy.
What a sweetie. She blinked hard, her heart thumping as she sent all kinds of loving thoughts Mark’s direction. A little wave of happiness bubbled inside. Her mate was a wonderful and insightful man.
Maybe. Hopefully.
She turned to Chad. “It’s just that we’re about to get under way. We’ll talk about this later, okay? Bye then.”
Sprinting down the hall would be undignified, so she maintained control and only walked fast. Really fast. She wasn’t chasing Mark. Only wanted one more glimpse, that’s all. Maybe shoot a few more good vibes his direction. The door to the deck swung open smoothly and she blasted out.
He stood not ten feet in front of her, head cocked to the right as he stared down at the dock from their upper-deck level. She froze, caught completely in the open. One tiny step at a time she inched toward the safety of the overhang where she could…
Not good. The broad measure of his back turned toward her. In a second they’d be face to face.
All confidence fled and her feet turned on high. She felt like the roadrunner cartoon, legs rotating in blurred circles. Skipping over the metal decking as she scurried to get out of sight.
She scrambled around the corner and ducked through an open door into an equipment room. Piles of shuffleboard and other deck games lay arranged on shelves and organized in neat totes. She eyed the open door with trepidation, holding her breath. When he walked past without spotting her, Keri gasped in relief.
One quick lunge was enough to grab the door and swing it shut, locking herself in the semi-darkness of the pristine chamber, the only light sneaking in from two small windows on the far wall. She hopped up on the largest storage container in the corner and collapsed. Okay, this was not going the way she’d planned.
“Brilliant, Smith. Simply brilliant. Get yourself out of this one.”
She might have managed to avoid bumping into him, but the whole matter of how to cope with having her mate on board was still open.
Think. Think.
The only response was a heavy throb between her legs, and Keri cursed. Fine. It seemed there would be no thinking until she dealt with this outlandish need burning through her veins. She tugged at her T-shirt before giving in. The fabric came off one direction, her bra the other. Folding her palms over her breasts and squeezing let her deal with a bit of the urgency.
It wasn’t enough. There was no way she could go back out there and do any kind of positive work without first letting off a little steam. She unzipped and slid her fingers into her pants.
The brunette he’d just passed in the hall? Man, sometimes life sucked. She appeared to be just his type—feminine yet slightly on the naughty side. When they’d caught a glimpse of each other in the crew quarters earlier, he’d thought she’d checked him over with interest as well.
But Jared didn’t poach. Love the ladies, love them thoroughly, but even within the sexually open shifter community there were rules. Keeping balls and body together was an important item on his to-do list, so in spite of her flushed skin and wild-eyed interest, he had walked away, escaping onto the deck.
And found himself at a dead end, any stairs headed toward the dock inaccessible from where he stood. Unless he wanted to leap over another railing—and thanks, no thanks, once a day doing that was his quota—he needed to find a new way down. Time was a-wasting.
Pacing the deck brought him to another dead end, and he growled in frustration. There wasn’t a soul around—somehow he must have gotten into an area that was closed right now. He doubled back with the intention of retracing his steps through the hall. There had to be a way out of the maze. Jared glanced to the left and froze in his tracks as a very fine pair of breasts bounced at him.
He blinked.
They bounced again, and Jared moved closer to the window set into the metal wall and snapped his jaw shut. Suddenly leaving the ship wasn’t nearly as important as it had been a few seconds ago. He tucked himself farther around the corner, making sure to maintain a clear view through the tiny window.
His mystery woman had stripped to the waist, leaning back as if she were a smorgasbord offering. When her hand slipped out of sight under the edge of her open jeans, he slapped his own hand over his groin in self-defense.
If he hadn’t just seen her lip-locked with another guy, he’d be in there. Helping her find a more comfortable position, preferably on his tongue.
A stiff breeze kicked up, and he twisted away from it, being careful he didn’t obey his first instinct which was to press his face full against the glass like some panting dog to get a better view. Instead, he snuck to the next window where he was tucked around the corner and hidden from sight. Maybe he hadn’t seen a soul for the past ten minutes, but no need to take a chance.
His wolf rumbled, but he beat the beast down. Poor thing was always getting at him for one reason or another. While that side of his nature was constantly there, didn’t mean he had to act like an animal.
A low moan carried through the wall, and the fact they were both shifters made him very happy. He felt comfortable watching, confident she wouldn’t really mind. On the whole, sex was cool. But not cheating—that was completely ix-nay, out of bounds.
Watching wasn’t cheating. It was just…admiring and taking notes. In case he did get a chance with her in the future.
That’s all.
Luckily he was a genius at rationalization.
She slid lower on the platform, opening up more room in her pants. He watched the fabric move against her hand, the noises she made driving him crazy. A groaner. Hmmm. Bet he could make her scream. He loved women who were noisy in bed.
One rapid glance ensured there was no one around, so Jared pulled out his cock. Tucked behind a large pillar, he was hidden from easy view of anyone who might wander past. There was no way he could resist joining in on the sly. He stroked his shaft, letting his gaze roam over her in admiration. Her skin was lighter than his own, yet slightly tanned, the lines from her bikini top clearly marked against her bare flesh. A faint scattering of freckles were there, and he longed to lick his way from one to the next to the next, creating a mosaic of pleasure over her entire body.
Another moan echoed in his ears as she arched hard, nipples pointed skyward. Her pace picked up and he obliged her unspoken direction. Harder, faster. Full measure each time as his fist surrounded his erection with a firm grasp. His gaze remained fixated on her body, on the way her breasts shook as she breathed erratically. The way she tossed her head from side to side, her gasps increasing in volume. As her passion rose, a pulse at the base of his balls began a drumbeat loud enough to deafen him.
“Ahhh…”
Her cry pushed him over the edge. Jared cupped his right hand over the head of his cock to stop from spraying all over the barrier between himself and his mysterious angel. Then he stumbled back a quarter pace to lean on the wall and let it hold him vertical, because damn if he remembered how to stand.
“Sweet mercy.” The world spun.
They both remained motionless for a full minute. If he’d attempted to move sooner, Jared figured he’d have tripped over his own feet and landed on his ass, cock still hanging from his jeans.
He wiped himself clean and smiled at the woman who’d now slid all the way onto her back, her panting evident from the rocking motions of her torso. She dragged herself upright and blew out a big breath of air.
She pulled on her bra and rearranged the rest of her clothing, turning just enough he had a chance to spot the gorgeous ink on her lower back. Damn, what he wouldn’t give to be able to take a closer look. Jared put everything back in place, feeling slightly amused they were so connected—they could have had sex for how well their timing worked out.
But, unfortunately, that wasn’t to be. He flipped a salute her direction and slipped out from his hidden alcove. Now he simply had to get going, as much fun as the interlude had been. He strolled down the deck toward the hallway he’d first come out, admiring the mountains on his right, the majestic vista passing rapidly as a strong wind blessed his face.
Jared jerked to a stop and stared in dismay. The mountains were moving, more than him glancing past them should make them move. He raced to the railing and clung to it, grip tightening to the point of pain.
There was no gangplank. There was no dock. Nothing but wide-open ocean greeted his frantic search.
While he’d been busy getting off in his little voyeuristic manner, the crew had been busy as well, and the ship had left port.
He was trapped on the cruise ship indefinitely.
Chapter Three
Keri made her way down the hallway toward the grand ballroom, lingering sexual frustration hovering like a carrion bird. At some point she would step back over the line between aching need and romping desire, and heaven help anyone caught between her and Mark when she snapped, because it wouldn’t be pretty.
But ten days. Surely she could hold off the edge for ten days. She simply had to avoid him completely. Keep away from his addictive scent. If she concentrated hard enough she could do this. Heck, she’d heard of others holding off their mating drive for longer than ten days.
She sighed. The fact that the people in those stories were mainly stronger wolves had probably helped. Yet another reason being in the middle of the pack was a pain in the ass. Not only could more powerful wolves in the hierarchy boss her around, but her own body could as well.
Her wolf shuffled inside, almost…gloating. She slapped the beast down, as far from the surface as she could. Fine. She would do this. Show the lupine hussy the human had hidden depths. Maybe her wrist would get sore from masturbating, but she would not follow through on the mating just because her wolf said so.
Still—what a lousy time to be trapped on the cruise ship.
She wondered what the chances were the gift shop had an array of sex toys to stock up on. But this was a shifter-only cruise. They probably assumed no toys were needed.
Her phone vibrated and she hauled it out, relaxing as she spotted Tessa’s name.
“What’s shaking, baby?” Keri turned the corner and stood against the wall to allow a group of travelers past her.
“I need help. There’s trouble already. I’m so screwed. It’s terrible. I want to know if I can quit now and—”
“Tessa. Full stop on the mouth.”
“Stopping.”
Acting as a troubleshooter was going to require more handholding than she’d imagined. “Are you standing up?”
“No.”
“Put the phone down, do ten jumping jacks, then pace while you explain what’s wrong.” It was the same thing she’d had to deal with back in their college days. Why Tessa thought she had to tie down her cat nature was beyond comprehension.
The scent of food—baked pastries, decadent chocolate and coffee—tugged her by the nose, and Keri slipped into one of the twenty-four-hour restaurants. Shifter-specialty cruising meant there would always be food available to keep up with shifter metabolisms, even more than on board a regular sailing. She eyed the long line of baking offered up like heavenly temptation.
This might be her saving grace while her body waged hormonal war. She would simply stuff herself constantly in an attempt to satisfy one craving with another. Rich, sweet, sticky food. Licking chocolate off her fingers, mmm, licking chocolate off Mark. Off the solid muscles of his abdomen before strolling lower and—
Great. So much for food being a distraction. She was horny again.
Her phone crackled and Tessa’s much perkier voice rang out. “Back. Thank you for the reminder. Hey, I need you to go escort one of the maintenance men to the Fedoras’ suite. They’re having issues with a couple little things and want them fixed, but don’t want just anyone in there. I assured them we would use the utmost care in their accommodation.”
“Hey, no problem. Quick thinking, by the way. You want me to join the guy downstairs or—?”
“Head straight to the suite. Chad is already giving out assignments so by the time you get to their rooms, maintenance should be waiting for you.”
“Done and done, and please, can you stay on your feet? You really can do this if you’re not trying to pretend to be a desk jockey.”
“Deal.”
It was too tempting to resist. Keri snagged a chocolate éclair before leaving the restaurant and jogging toward the service elevators. The wait for the ride was better because she had the rich burst of flavour rolling down her throat, creamy and delectable. She stuck the last bit into her mouth just as the doors opened.
A group of staff pushed out as she stepped in. Someone jostled her elbow and she dropped her cell phone. The doors closed to her right as she stooped to pick it up and came eye to eye with a pair of florescent green Crocs. Whitewashed jeans, faded in all the right places, led her gaze upward, the thread-worn patch slightly to the right of his groin showcasing a nice firm package. Hmm, big enough to cause trouble and that was before he got hard.
The trembling in her limbs made it tough to stand. Made it nearly impossible to continue her slow visual scan up past the worker’s belt lashed around his hips, to the buttons running up the front of his shirt. One. Two. Three…to where the material gaped open and a plain blue T-shirt showed.
More shaking arrived, as if she were on the verge of a seizure. She knew why—there was no way she could
n’t know, not with the aroma in the small quarters making her mouth water and her nipples tighten. The final inches of lifting her gaze were less about confirming she was alone with Mark in the elevator. No, her hesitation was more about giving herself time to resist. To lock her limbs into immobility and refuse the urge to reach out and strip him here and now.
This was the third time they’d met. Surely if they were mates, he’d say something. Do something. Maybe she was wrong? Perhaps she’d hit the wolf equivalent of a hormonal overload and it was all in her head.
All she knew for sure was the ball was in his court. No way would she make the first move, just in case. Because how awkward would that be, to assume someone was your mate and be wrong?
As their eyes met, a nice little daydream flashed through her brain. It started with her punching the emergency stop button, skipped past exactly how they got naked, hesitated and moved in slow motion long enough for her to stab herself on his cock and finished with them both screaming out in orgasm loud enough to scare the dolphins leaping in the waves off the ship’s prow.
“Hey.” His smile—lethal.
She nodded rapidly, her jaw clenched tight to stop herself from begging for…something. Of course, that meant she didn’t actually say anything. Seemed safer. Really. Or she might shout something crude and risqué.
She turned to face the elevator doors, locking her gaze on the thin vertical line between them as if it was the only safe point in the world.
Taking tiny breaths of air through her mouth didn’t help—it meant instead of his scent rolling through her brain, his taste mixed with the lingering chocolate on her tongue.
In her peripheral vision his beautiful biceps flexed and her libido fluttered, landing somewhere in her belly and continuing to flap incessantly.
Mark coughed. “I hope you don’t think I’m being forward, but there’s something we have to do.”
He leaned closer and she held her breath.
Ohmygodohmygod.
His body brushed hers briefly as he jabbed one of the elevator buttons. He stepped back and smiled easily. “Works better if you tell it where to go.”