CRUISE TO ROMANCE (15 page)

Instead she licked her orange
segment, toying with the shape of it with her tongue.  Jennifer smiled to
herself when she saw the heat and desire flame in Ryan’s eyes.  Fascinated by
his reactions, she watched passion claim him as she slowly bit into it and
allowed a few droplets of juice to trickle down the side of her mouth, past her
chin, and drop to the top of her breasts where they continued their journey
into her cleavage.  The expression of Ryan’s face was priceless.  Those beautiful
eyes of his darkened with desire, his mouth slowly opened, as if he wanted to
savor the flavor, and his hands clenched as if he were steeling himself against
the temptation.

Well, well, well.  That would
just never do, she thought saucily.  When she giggled softly, his eyes flashed
up to meet her gaze.  Jennifer took a deep breath and slipped the cover-up from
her shoulders.  “It’s getting so hot in here, don’t you think?” she breathed.

“You little tease,” he accused 
in a low husky voice.  “Better be ready to pay up tonight.”

“Oh?”  Jennifer took her cookie
and nibbled more off the edges while she devoured his body with her gaze.  This
time, he was noticeably hard and making no attempt to hide it.  Better, much
better.  Jennifer was really enjoying this teasing game.  She hadn’t known
flirting could be so much fun.  The only problem was, she was getting all
worked up to.  If they were in private, it wouldn’t take much more for her to
straddle him in the chair and bring them to a fever pitch.

Ryan tilted his chair back
against the window while Jennifer casually studied his swimsuit,  her eyes
gliding over and returning to his growing erection.  Definitely a quick study,
she knew how to arouse him quickly with her teasing and flirting.  Of course,
that was what the teasing was all about, to arouse her and keep them both in a
high state of anticipation until tonight.  But it looked like his little plan
to keep her aroused had backfired on him.  It would be over in a minute if he
stayed this desperate and needy all day.  Right now he wanted to kiss those
sweet juicy lips and feel that soft voluptuous body beneath his.  But it
couldn’t happen.

If he could have arranged it
sooner, he would have had tonight’s seduction start earlier in the day.  But he
couldn’t worry about that now.  There were meetings to go to and telephone
calls to make.  It had to be done today, before he and Jennifer had dinner.

Then too, he had Mike to worry
about.  While Mike pretended he was oblivious to what Jennifer was doing, Ryan
knew that he was aware of everything that was going on.  From the look of
disapproval Mike had given Ryan earlier, he figured this little flirtation
would really shake his brother up.  He would probably be on the receiving end
of another lecture about Diane and falling in love with the wrong woman.  Well,
he wasn’t in love with any woman.  Jennifer didn’t expect it from him and had
gone into this affair with her eyes wide open.  Diane was on the mainland, so
there wasn’t any way that Jennifer could be hurt.  Nope.  He had it all under
control.  That’s what he was best at.  That, and pleasing women, of course.

Jennifer was pleased with
herself.  Aroused, yes, and thrilled that Ryan wanted her.  She wasn’t sure
just what had changed his mind, but she was happy to explore all the dimensions
of her sexuality with him, if he would just let her close to his heart.  Could
he be falling in love with her as she had done with him?  She was afraid to
believe it was possible, but a shining ray of hope had already established
itself in her consciousness.  Maybe, just maybe, she thought as she smiled at
him and gave him a wide doe-eyed look, she could have it all.  Love, marriage,
babies.  The whole package.  Maybe she could have it all with Ryan.

Magnificent Mike had Helga
cornered.  Literally.  There was no place to run, to hide, to protect herself
from his outrageous humor and charming personality.  Not to mention the
sensuality that he generated.  Already her pulse was racing and her body was
responding to all that testosterone.  But, he was a passenger on the
Ocean
Goddess
and he expected her services for the money he’d paid.

This was the third day that Helga
had given Mike a massage while he quizzed her about  her life and shared
stories about his.  Each day he’d kissed her good-bye making her hungry for
more, making her miss his easy comradery.  Helga didn’t want to give this
arrogant playboy a massage.  She didn’t want run her hands over his naked
body.  Really she didn’t.  But she’d had no choice.

So here she was, in a tiny
massage room, trying not to succumb to his soft voice and gentle laughter,
while she tried to relieve the tension in his hard stubborn muscles.  Her grip
tightened as she bore down on his neck and shoulders.  Nothing she could think
of, no herbs, no seaweed, no oils, not even the superior strength in her hands,
could relax these muscles.  From the corner of her eye she could see him wince
every now and then when she tightened her hold on him and exerted more
pressure.

“Hey, Honey,” Mike drawled. 
“Think you could give me a break here?  That grip of yours is really tight.”

“Oh.  Sorry,” she mumbled.  “I’ll
try something else.”  Helga started gently pounding his back, but as she
focused on her anger at his audacity to flirt with her every day, then lie in
front of her on this massage table half-naked—no—completely naked, except for
that sorry excuse for a towel, expecting her to rub her hands all over his
wonderfully sensual body, she started pounding harder.  By the time she had
mentally run through her litany of curses because she was so aroused by him,
she was beating him in a frenzy.

“Helga!  Stop!  Stop!”  Mike
turned over and grabbed her wrists and pulled her to him, holding her tightly,
her arms trapped between their bodies.

Embarrassed, Helga calmed down,
reality settling in.  Oh, no.  She’d been beating up a passenger.  How could
she be so stupid?  Tears came to her eyes.  Surely she would be fired now.  The
Captain would never tolerate such behavior.

Mike loosened his hold enough to
study her face and see her tears.  Without a word, he pulled her down and
kissed her, plundering her mouth and destroying her remaining defenses.  His
sensual assault made her go weak in the knees and she settled comfortably over
him.

“Damn, woman.  You give a new
meaning to the word foreplay.”  Mike smiled at her embarrassed laugh.  “Think
you could let me take a shower and then buy you a drink?”

Helga nodded.  His chivalry was a
surprise.  She’d expected—no—hoped, that he would make love to her right here
on the massage table.

Mike stood up, tightened the
towel around his waist, and shook his head.  “If Ryan reacted this violently to
Diane, I wouldn’t care if he married her.”

“Diane?”

“His ex-fiancée.”  Mike pulled
her close and nuzzled her neck.  “Wait for me.  I won’t take long.”

“But you said . . .
if
he
married her?” Helga stammered.

“Yeah.  Well.  She wants them
back together and, unfortunately, he’s listening.  Ryan was pretty torn when
they split up and hasn’t gotten serious with another woman since.  Insists that
he doesn’t want to.”  Mike sighed and encircled her in his arms.

“She must have had quite an
effect on him,” Helga said earnestly.

“Maybe,” he replied looking into
her eyes.  “Then again, maybe it’s just an excuse.  He thinks women have no
staying power when things get tough in a relationship.”

“What do you think?”

Mike kissed her forehead.  “That
he picks the wrong women.  But, I figure one of these days, he’ll get it
right.”

“Especially since he has you to
keep him on the straight and narrow?”  Helga smiled.

“Absolutely.”  Mike laughed. 
“Come on, Honey.  Time for you to take that break.”

“Okay,” she agreed.  While he was
taking his shower, she changed into a pale yellow sweater and pants set.  She
didn’t have to be on duty again until four o’clock.  She brushed her hair and
locked away her personal belongings in her locker.  She couldn’t believe what
she was about to do.  She was going to let that incorrigible playboy buy her a
drink.

If she was honest with herself,
being friendly with Mike wasn’t about Jennifer any more.  She was falling fast
for his masculine charm.  God, she was hopeless!  Maybe it wouldn’t matter,
just this once . . .

*    
*     *

“What’s going on in that computer
brain of yours now?  I’ve asked you twice if you want to go into the hot tub
when we finish our routine, and you haven’t answered me yet.”  Mike finished
his set of sit-ups and crossed his arms over his knees.  “What’s up Ryan?”

Ryan paused in the middle of his
arm curl.  “The hot tub sounds good.”  He put the weight back into its rack and
began leg stretches, ignoring Mike’s attempt to get information.

“Just what are you concentrating
on so hard that you don’t even hear me?”

Mike was persistent, if nothing
else.  “I’ve got a lot on my mind today.  That’s all.”

“Yeah, like what?”  Mike stood
and started his stretch routine.

“I’ve been trying to reach Diane,
but I haven’t been able to reach her.  It makes me wonder what she is up to,” Ryan
answered reluctantly.  Diane had a way of pulling surprises, usually unpleasant
ones.  Why hadn’t that trait of hers bothered him in the past?  His perspective
had certainly changed.

“Diane’s a beautiful woman.  I
doubt she appreciated you leaving her behind while you took a fourteen-night
Caribbean cruise.”  Mike spread his legs and reached for the floor.  “If I had
a girlfriend as beautiful as Diane, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight until my
ring was on her finger.  Maybe not after that.”

Ryan shrugged.  “You’re not a
trusting soul, are you?”

“Not when it comes to Diane.  She
propositioned me, remember?”  Mike grinned at Ryan.  “What was all that talk
about chocolate earlier today?”

At the thought of Jennifer, Ryan
relaxed.  Mike wouldn’t press him for details.  “Let’s just say, I have plans.”

“Ryan, Jennifer is going to feel
used.”  Mike stopped his exercises and walked over to Ryan.  “Don’t lose the
best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

“Don’t worry about me, Mike,” he
answered.  “Everything’s under control.”

Neither man looked behind them on
the way to the hot tub.  If they had, they would have seen a stunned look on
Helga Swensen’s face, right before she turned and ran from the gym.

*    
*     *

Life couldn’t get much better, Ryan
thought as he splashed on after shave lotion and combed his hair.  His business
was a success, but this deal would push his company into international
markets.  Once the Captain submitted his opinion of Exercisetech and passenger
response to the equipment and programs, he could finalize negotiations with the
cruise line.   tonight, he would be with the most enchanting woman he’d ever
had the pleasure of knowing.  He had it planned, down to the last detail. 
Everything was under control.  What could possibly go wrong?

Ryan slipped into navy slacks and
a coordinating
Tommy Bahama
tropical print silk shirt.  Finishing up
quickly, he glanced around.  Satisfied that everything was in order, he called
the steward and requested fresh towels, then headed out the door.  Jennifer
would be ready and waiting, and he wanted to be with her without any further
delay.  He’d called earlier and suggested she pack a small bag with toiletries
because he expected to keep her busy the entire night.  Her laughter at his
audacity still made him smile.  What a night this was going to be, he thought
when he reached her door.

Knocking was the easy part. 
Saying hello, however, was another matter.  Looking at Jennifer standing in
front of him, holding the door open, was all he could manage.  Ryan felt as if
he’d just dropped two floors in an elevator.  He stared, while his heart
pounded and blood rushed to his head.  She was gorgeous.  Her hair was styled
into a French braid and wisps of hair framed her face.  A delicate necklace
adorned her neck and pale pink spaghetti straps emphasized her otherwise bare
shoulders.  The shimmering fabric of her dress draped becomingly across her
bodice.  The flaring skirt of the dress fell to just below mid-thigh,
accentuating her long, shapely legs.  Even her feet turned him on in those
outrageously high-heeled pink sandals.

He was hard.  He hadn’t even
touched her yet, and he was hard.  How in the world was he going to make it
through the evening and make it last for her?  Maybe a quickie in her cabin
didn’t count.  Maybe, if he could convince her that it was just a
hors
d’oeuvre
, she wouldn’t mind.  Maybe, he wouldn’t have to ask.  He smiled
and entered the cabin.  When Jennifer stepped back, allowing the door to close,
he turned the security lock and pulled Jennifer against him.

“Jennifer, sweet, sweet,
Jennifer,” he moaned and slid his hands beneath her dress and cupped her butt,
pressing her against his hard sex.  When Jennifer gasped in surprise, he took
advantage and covered her mouth with his, slipping his tongue inside.  She
sucked him gently and whimpered while he kissed her and caressed her.  His
hands found their way beneath her bikini panties and pushed them down onto her
thighs.

Skin on skin.  Nothing had ever
felt so good to him as the feel of her soft bare bottom beneath his hands while
he kissed her senseless.  Except maybe being inside of her at the same time. 
Without breaking the kiss, he slipped one arm around her shoulders and the
other beneath her knees, picked her up, and carried her toward her bed.

Dazed, Jennifer broke the kiss
and took a deep breath, looking up at Ryan’s handsome face.  For a few moments,
she couldn’t think.  Her only awareness was the passion filled face before her
with sparkling brown eyes keenly watching her every expression.  His
beautifully carved lips, swollen from the kiss, eased into a smile, showing off
his dimple.  Pressed against his muscled chest, she could feel the rapid
beating of his heart.  He was excited.  Excited over her.  It amazed her that
Mr. Gorgeous wanted her with such passion.

Jennifer stroked Ryan’s cheek and
ran her fingertip over the curves of his lips.  He opened his mouth and reached
for her finger, sucking the delightful morsel inside where he trapped it with
his teeth and teased it with his tongue.  Excitement, hot and instantaneous,
flashed through her body, settling in her pelvis.  She could feel her body
swelling, preparing itself for that wonderful invasion of his penis.

Ryan released her finger and blew
on its wetness.  Suddenly she could feel the dampness between her legs and
longed for his kiss there.  As if he knew her thoughts, he whispered, “Sweet
Jennifer, how you’ve managed to stay single and innocent this long is beyond my
understanding.  Do you have any idea how exciting it is for me to see you this
way?” Ryan asked gently.

Mute with shock and excitement,
Jennifer could only shake her head in denial.

“Then let me show you.”  Ryan walked
to the vanity and sat in the vanity chair with Jennifer.  He settled her in his
lap before reaching for her panties, still mid-thigh.  Looking directly into
her eyes, he watched the excitement and need cross her face as he slowly
removed her panties.  He tossed them carelessly onto the top of the vanity. 
“You won’t be wearing them any more tonight,” he promised with a grin.

In spite of her arousal, Jennifer
smiled.  She felt him straighten and turn her to face the mirror and straddle
him.  With deft hands he unzipped her dress, lifted it over her head, and
tossed it over the arm of a nearby chair.  Ryan lifted her bottom long enough
to unzip his pants and slip them past his hips.  “Oh, Jenn,” he sighed as he
caught both breasts with his hands and caressed her gently, “Look at how
beautiful you are.”

Fascinated, Jennifer watched as
his hands explored her, touched tender places, and soothed aching needs.  His
well-kept, masculine fingers stroked her everywhere, lighting fires, spreading
excitement, pushing her nearer the edge.  All the while, he kissed her neck and
whispered sweet nothings, sweet promises, sweet compliments, that she would
never forget.  She whimpered at the persistent throbbing of her swollen
clitoris.  She needed him, she needed him now, but still he denied her.

“Ryan,” she moaned.  Determined
to put an end to his torture, Jennifer leaned forward and grabbed the edge of
the vanity.  Placing her feet solidly on the floor, she straightened her knees
and still straddling him, arched her back.  “Ryan,” she rasped.

“Oh, Baby,” he groaned before he
rained kisses over the soft skin of her bottom.

Jennifer could feel the moist
trail left by his wonderful, tantalizing tongue and arched her back even more. 
That teasing tongue inched its way to her upturned vulva and the moment it
found her clitoris, she cried out in ecstasy.  Jennifer couldn’t move.  The
feelings racking her body were pure bliss.  Her breath came in short fast
gasps, her heart raced.  She could feel her body begin tremble.  “I can’t take
much more, Ryan.  Please don’t make me come without you,” she begged as she
watched his reflection in the mirror.