by Shannyn Leah
When she’d stepped inside and spotted Ellen hanging off Tom’s arm, her judgement jumped in, and before she could stop it, she felt sorry for Ellen being just another one of Tom’s women. Then Grayson had touched her back, and she had looked up at him realizing that’s exactly who she was, too. Another one of Grayson’s women. She didn’t want people to look at her the way she looked at Ellen and that was exactly how they would see her, judge her, pity her. That’s when she knew that even if they continued the benefits, it had to be private.
“This is luxury bingo,” Emma whispered, after the announcer called the next number through the speaker.
“Luxury is sitting next to you,” Grayson whispered into her hair. Too close. Too personal...but it felt so good she didn’t pull away.
Emma giggled.
Grayson frowned. “Too cheesy?”
If only you meant it.
Emma sobered and patted his leg. It didn’t matter that her hands had only touched the material of his shorts, the contact sent instant heat through her. He sent heat through her. She wanted to have him all to herself for the rest of the cruise to hide away in his cabin for hours with only him. There was no way she could avoid him like he’d thought. If he was willing, she was willing. She wished they’d talked about the logistics of their arrangement so she knew where they stood. She hadn’t exactly ever played this card in her life, and as thrilling as it was, it was terrifying, too.
“That was very sweet. Thank you.” She squeezed his leg before taking her hand away.
“Sweet?” He sounded disgusted and insulted.
“Very sweet,” she confirmed.
“Hmmm.”
Another ball was called and Emma scanned the numbers on her card. She was two away from a full card.
She nudged Grayson’s side. “Look, I’m two away from a bingo.”
Grayson only nodded, and she noticed his cards were hardly touched with the dabber. While she sat on the edge of her chair, scanning her cards, double checking, and waiting impatiently, Grayson sat back, relaxed, and watching her most of the time.
What was he thinking? Did he want to part ways after bingo? Had he had his fun with her and now it would be back to just being friends?
Emma needed a distraction. She looked over at Linda beside her. “I’m waiting on two numbers,” she told Linda.
Linda’s eyes lit up and she leaned over to glance at the card Emma held up to show her.
“Three and twenty-four. Good for you Emma,” Linda said.
“How about you?”
Linda started a quick review of her numbers, when Emma felt Grayson’s fingers touch the base of her open-back shirt. She stilled. Slowly, he ran his fingers all the way up to her nape. Her eyes begged to drift shut. Her body begged to arch toward the touch. Her eyes found his and his waiting desire pierced through her questions. He wanted her. There was no question about it. What were they doing sitting in a bingo room when they could be anywhere else, alone?
In the distance, she heard one of her numbers called. How was she supposed to play regular bingo when such naughty things were going through her head?
“Emma!” Linda whacked her in the arm and they both jumped. “Quit googly-eyeing my nephew girl, you’re waiting on a couple numbers.”
Grayson took his hand back and rested it on the back of the seat shifting uncomfortably.
Emma straightened, forced to fake excitement. Linda caught them in the middle of their lust. If she knew it, did everyone know it? If everyone knew it, was she just the next pin on his sailor hat?
Someone called bingo and Emma had to fake her disappointment.
“Don’t you worry, they have to verify the card as a winner,” Linda said.
“That’s a verified bingo,” the announcer called.
Emma grunted.
They balled their pages and tossed the loser cards into the garbage at their feet.
“You know,” Grayson began saying as he rose to his feet. “Emma wanted a behind the scenes tour.” He held his hand out to her. “I offered to give her one. If we go now, then we can meet you guys for dinner after the game.”
There were looks exchanged that made Emma squirm. She could say no. She hadn’t asked for a tour after all, and each of them was fully aware.
Her hands went against her better judgement, against the judging looks from his family, and slipped into Grayson’s.
She stood.
“Take your time,” Brock said. “Catch us for supper, or not.”
Grayson flashed his wristband to get them behind the employee’s only area which led hallway full of doors.
“This is exciting,” Emma said. “I love the behind the scenes tours.”
Grayson looked down at her with lust dancing in his green eyes, ready to take her. She’d been teasing him, but his obvious desire caused her to stumble. He caught her, while keeping his pace.
“This will do.” He opened a door that said supplies and pushed her inside.
A supply closet? He wanted to have sex with her in a supply closet? He didn’t turn on the lights, and her eyes weren’t prepared to adjust to the darkness. She heard him lock the door and heard chair legs scrape against the floor. The supply closet? How degrading. How thoughtless. How−
His lips crashed against hers and his hands caught her face so tightly that she winced at the pain. His tongue plunged between her lips, swiping every area, dragging her away from her thoughts.
Emma forgot about the supply closet. Her body reacted to him immediately. Her fingers gripped the front of his shirt and her body arched against him. Her leg rubbed the hard area between his legs and he moaned against her mouth. Her fingers played with his buttons until she was pushing his shirt off his shoulders. He helped her and when the material was gone, she touched his skin everywhere. Dry skin, different then his wet, shower skin, but just as wonderful.
He pulled Emma’s shirt from her skirt and tore it over her head. His lips found her collarbone, throat, lips.
“You’re delicious,” he breathed against her. “It was torture sitting beside you with your back teasing me.” His hands ran up her back and into her hair. His fingers dug into her scalp, pulling a handful of hair and his lips ravished her neck.
She moaned.
“That’s what I like to hear,” he rasped against her. “Moan for me, baby.”
If he kept talking, her legs would collapse.
As if reading her thoughts, he lifted her, but only enough to lie her back down. The velvet material of what, she assumed was a couch, grazed her back.
“What if someone comes in,” Emma whispered.
“They won’t.” Grayson’s fingers went under her waistband and he pulled her skirt down her legs. His lips brushed every area of her legs straight down to her feet. He slipped off her sandals.
When he came back up to kiss her, his body positioned between her waiting legs. His shorts had to go.
“How can you be so sure?” she asked.
Grayson kissed her. “This is the old stock room.” He said. “With the extras they aren’t using this cruise. No one comes in here.” He kissed her. “I locked the door.” He kissed her nose. “I put a chair in front of it.” He licked her jaw line. “You have nothing to worry about...except me.”
His husky threat didn’t frighten her, it excited her, which was no doubt his intention.
Chapter Nineteen
HAVING A FLING required a lot of sneaking around, and a lot of sex...a lot of sex. It proved to be handy, however, whenever the urge presented itself, whether they were hanging on the deck by the pool, watching an evening show, or playing in the sports area, Grayson knew exactly where to find them quick privacy on the ship.
Grayson also knew how to use his hands, too. He had amazingly hard, but tender, and thoughtful hands. Hands that liked to touch her as much as she liked them touching her.
Emma hadn’t considered what would happen after the initial deed. When she’d suggested the whole friends with benefits thing, she�
�d never considered Grayson would take her up on it.
Now, after the fact, she’d had Izzy, Abby and Melissa to deal with. She didn’t want to tell them, but could she hide it from them? The whispering, laughing, and always disappearing were flashing signs they’d stepped over the friendship line.
It was thrilling, scary, fun and amazing, but at the same time, so was telling Melissa about them.
After lunch, Emma waited for Melissa to step onto the balcony, before sneaking to the front door. She wanted some time with Grayson alone, before they all dressed up and headed to dinner.
“Where are you going?” Melissa asked, stepping back inside.
Busted.
Emma’s hand retreated from the door handle, and she needed a lungful of fresh hair to face her friend.
She turned with a smile. “I was going to go for a walk...”
“Liar.”
Emma cringed.
“A walk next door, more like,” Melissa said. She poured herself another glass of wine. “And I am not talking about Izzy’s cabin, so you can cut the sneaking around and lying to me.”
Emma took a joking approach. “Isn’t it more fun sneaking around?”
Melissa drank her full glass of wine without taking a breath. “Head-stupid,” she said, making a satisfied sound and pouring herself another glass. “You’re acting head-stupid.”
Emma straightened, feeling her defenses come up. “Listen, Melissa−”
“No, you listen.” Melissa pointed a finger at her. “I was all for you sleeping with Grayson, and getting it out of your system, but whatever you two are doing, giggling, teasing, making lame excuses to run off alone...” She made disgusted faces as she spoke. “It appears to be more than just a fling.”
Emma tsked her. “It’s a fling,” she assured her. “Nothing more. We both set the terms, agreed to them, so there is no head-stupid involved.”
Emma met Melissa at the table, taking the wine glass out of her hand and drinking the liquid herself. Delicious. It only reminded her of the taste of Grayson’s mouth after sharing their own glass of wine. She couldn’t wait to sneak−go−over there now.
Melissa’s big blue eyes narrowed, assessing Emma. She wanted to look away, squirm, and run out of the cabin and away from whatever Melissa would conclude about her relationship with Grayson, but that would only prove Melissa right. Head-stupid. And Emma wasn’t being head-stupid. She knew the plan, was following the plan and didn’t plan on changing it.
“He’s not a one-girl guy,” Melissa said, not hiding true concern in her voice. The sincerity took Emma by surprise and she blinked. “He’s sweet because he charms all the women. Don’t forget that, Emma. You are sweet because your heart is big and loving and...” Melissa sighed a big breath. “Honestly, I didn’t think you would actually sleep with him. I was badgering you only to get a rise out of you, but I thought you had higher standards than, Grayson.”
Higher standards?
Emma set the glass down a little harder than expected. “People might say the same about you. Actually, Melissa, they do say the same about you. Judge you by what you allow them to see. And I defend you, stand by your side, because I know there is more to you than what you let people see. You try to hide behind your haughty attitude, look down on people, judge them, and I will be the first to admit, I may have judged in the past−”
Melissa crossed her arms over her chest. “May have? This is what I’m talking about. Your perception of Grayson is already shifting.”
So what? People weren’t always who or what they seemed. That was a hard lesson for Emma to learn. She was proud that she could see past Grayson for who he really was. That didn’t mean she was head-stupid. It meant she was human.
“I’m not the only one with relationship issues,” Emma said. “If you think for one second I believe the reason you keep your heart all locked up is because you’ve been secretly in love with Marc our whole lives and you’re heartbroken that he’s with Kate, you’re wrong.”
“Marc has nothing to do with this. Why are you even bringing him up?” Melissa turned away.
“Because you never talk about him.”
“Because there is nothing to talk about.”
“There is something. You just won’t talk about it.”
Melissa spun on her heel and glared at Emma, their fight beginning to climb. “I never liked, liked Marc. Is that what you want to hear? At the beginning, I didn’t even like you.” She stretched the last word out.
At first introduction, Melissa didn’t like anyone, so Emma shrugged it off. “That’s not news to me.”
“Stop acting like you know everything.” Melissa groaned, a frustration she didn’t normally express. “I am trying to keep you from making a huge mistake.”
“If it’s a mistake, and note I said if, it’s my mistake to make and nothing you say will change my decision. I have this under control. Call it head-stupid if you want, but at least trust that I can handle this, just like I trust that when you’re ready, you will tell me what you’re hiding.”
Melissa’s masked face returned and it was her turn to blink in surprise. Emma knew it was because Melissa had let her emotions overtake her.
“Fine,” Melissa said.
“Fine?”
Melissa gave her big, annoyed eyes and gritted teeth. “Yes, fine. Go have your head-stupid fling.”
That was as close to support that Emma was going to get from Melissa. She threw her arms around Melissa in a quick hug and heard Melissa’s mild groan of distaste at the action.
“It’s not like you’re going to listen to me anyway when you’re all head-stupid.”
Emma grinned. “Step off your pedestal and visit me in head-stupidville. You will find life is a little easier down here. Laid back. Enjoyable.”
Melissa looked appalled. “No, thank you. Just go. You’ve got that whole fluttery, giddy, head-stupid thing going on and it’s making me want to jump overboard.”
Giddy and fluttery to see Grayson. Kiss him. Touch him.
Emma had to refrain from running out of the cabin and banging wildly on Grayson’s door. She settled for light tapping to avoid drawing attention from passing people. Grayson, however, didn’t hide his excitement, pulling her inside so quickly she lost her balance. Luckily, he was her wall of support, while kissing and touching her, just like she’d wanted.
He was amazing, in a completely friends with benefits kind of way, and nothing more.
Emma didn’t let the tightening in her stomach ruin the fun they were about to have. There was no room for letting her feelings get the better of her, not when being with Grayson felt so good.
THEY MISSED SUPPER with the group. Melissa would be having an internal fit, while Izzy would be high-fiving with Abby and undoubtedly anticipating a detailed report of Emma’s whereabouts later. Sometimes being in a big family had its downfalls.
“Eating in tonight?” Grayson asked, coming up behind her, wrapping his arm around and pulling her back against his hard-on. He seemed to always have a hard-on.
His mouth pressed against her neck and she arched sideways giving him more access.
“When you say it like that, I guess so.”
“You guess so?” He whipped her around and kissed her wildly, lifting her up and carrying her to the couch. He sat down and she straddled him, grinding against him.
He moaned.
She smiled.
“What shall we order in?” she asked.
He moved his lips down her throat. “Why are we talking food?”
He pulled her shirt over her head and she laughed. Cupping her breasts, still in her bra, he brought them to his hot, wet, and waiting mouth.
“You’re delicious.”
“Real food,” she said as her stomach growled.
Grayson groaned and she laughed.
He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, giving her a shake. “Order whatever you like, times two.” He kissed her. “Then afterwards I’m tying you to t
he bed and having my way with you. Prepare for a long night.”
Grayson lifted her as he stood, turning around and dumping her on the couch. She flopped like a rag doll and laughed. She heard him chuckle as he headed upstairs.
Emma stared at the ceiling.
Tie her to his bed? Was he serious?
She collected her shirt from the floor and ordered food. When it arrived, she called Grayson down.
She opened the containers and spread an assorted buffet of finger foods across the table. She peeked at the lemon drizzled dessert and scooped a finger full of the whipped cream. This was vacation after all−she might as well have dessert first. She moaned. Mouth heaven.
Speaking of which...where was Grayson?
When he didn’t come down after her second attempt, she abandoned the warm food and made her way to his bedroom.
Emma hadn’t been in his loft. They’d had sex everywhere else, the couch, the table, the counter, the main floor shower, but not his loft. Her fingers ran across the unmade sheets on his bed, and she could almost feel the silk beneath her, snuggled in Grayson’s embrace−
Emma stopped walking.
Snuggled?
They weren’t snuggling. They were having a fling and Emma needed to keep her thoughts in perspective. The bathroom door open a crack was a great distraction from her snuggling images.
She knocked softly. “Grayson?”
“I’ll be down in a sec,” he said, sounding like he was having trouble catching his breath.
Her heart stilled.
Was he having another meltdown?
Emma still didn’t know what his first break-down had been about. She still didn’t know a lot about him, but a fling wasn’t about getting to know someone more than their body.
Emma turned away, fully intending on giving him his privacy, but they were friends. That was what they claimed, and it was a good enough excuse to push open the door with concern.
His body was soaked. Had he showered? Water dripped from every exposed, hard part of his body that was not hidden by his shorts. He had an amazing body and touching and licking it were her favorite pastimes.
Not now.