Grave Destinations (17 page)

“Shit.” Dmitri scrubbed a hand across his face. “There goes the rest of the night’s productivity.”

“Maybe they’ll open things back up once they finish their search,” Jack said.

Dmitri shook his head. “It’s going to take at least two hours, maybe three, to search a vessel of this size. By then, most passengers will have given up and called it a night.” He checked his watch and cursed.

“So what do we do now?” Ruby asked.

“Follow the captain’s orders.” He rose from his seat. “Go back to the cabin. I’ll meet you there after I take care of a few things.”

“Like what?”

He shook his head. “The less you know, the more soundly you’ll sleep.” Darkness flashed in Dmitri’s eyes, but then he blinked and all traces were gone. “Get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”

R
uby paced the length of her cabin, which didn’t take long given its size.

An hour and a half had passed since she’d returned to her room. The steward had already stopped by for the head count, swiping her key card to record her presence on board. She’d tried to pump him for information about the missing passenger, but he possessed no knowledge aside from the fact a woman hadn’t been seen or heard from in more than a day.

Still no sign of Dmitri. She didn’t know if that was good or bad. She’d never gotten around to asking if he was officially booked for the cruise or if he’d snuck on board instead, which meant she didn’t know if they needed him present for the count. Either way, she couldn’t help but wonder where he’d gone and what he was up to.

With a huff, she plopped down on one of the twin beds and grabbed the television remote. Sports. News. Infomercial.
Friends
rerun. She surfed channels until the selection flipped back to the beginning, then turned the television off.

Solitude made her twitchy. When left to its own devices, her mind dwelled on things she’d rather not think about. Like her past. And her job. And the little old lady who’d just passed away, and the heartbroken husband left behind.

A brush with death had a way of motivating people to live life to the fullest. Some folks channeled those energies into charity work or community activism, while others racked up the frequent flyer miles. A few of her fellow reapers partied harder than a D-list celebrity. For Ruby, it meant indulging in a few rounds of carnal acrobatics with a willing partner of her choosing.

If she waited long enough, Dmitri would eventually return to the cabin. He’d be more than willing to satisfy her cravings. She knew all too well what his body could do to hers, of the pleasures he could incite through taste and touch. He read her moods better than a blind person reads Braille, always understanding when she wanted things gentle, or rough, or someplace in between, his actions never failing to drive her mindless in the wake of pure ecstasy.

And yet the thought of sleeping with Dmitri left her feeling flat.

Then she thought of Jack. Of his voice. And his touch. And the way her body flushed with awareness whenever he entered her orbit. Her attraction to him grew stronger with each encounter, burning hotter than a fever in her bloodstream.

But along with physical attraction came the snare of emotional entanglement. With Jack, she’d broken a lot of her own rules. She’d gotten to know him. Had come to enjoy his company. Adding sex to the mix would only increase the attachment, making it harder to go their separate ways once the ship returned to Port Canaveral.

The public address system chimed twice before the captain’s voice filled the room.

“Good evening, passengers. This is your captain speaking. I’d like to thank you all very much for your cooperation. We have completed our passenger count, so at this time you are free to move about the vessel. All nighttime activities will resume in accordance with their regular schedules. On behalf of my crew, I would like to thank you for your patience and cooperation. Good night.”

Ruby eyed the door. The choice came down to what she truly wanted. One man promised pleasure with no strings attached, while the other offered something deeper and far more explosive. Fire brought heat and excitement, but it also carried the potential for burns and scars. And hadn’t she already endured enough pain to last a lifetime?

Apparently not, because she found herself grabbing her key card and heading toward the door.

Giving in to temptation, Jack picked up the room phone and dialed Ruby’s cabin. One ring. Two. He slammed the receiver down when the call kicked over to voice mail. Where the hell could she be at this hour?

Maybe she was busy with her boss. The notion soured his mood. While he doubted there was anything romantic going on between Ruby and Dmitri, the idea of them together poured ice in his veins.

The demon stirred, a restless burst of energy that took Jack by surprise. Normally, the curse never made its presence known unless it was hungry or sensed a potential food source. Yet there it was, straining against the confines of flesh and blood in a futile attempt to break free.

It shouldn’t be hungry, not this soon after its last feeding. On average, he fed the beast every week to ten days. Of course, if the demon had its way, it would feast three times daily with snacks in between. It was a constant push and pull, a battle he stood no chance of escaping. And wasn’t that just a major kick in the ass?

With any hope for a cure forever beyond his reach, he needed to learn how to tame his darker nature. There had to be a way. Jolie assured him of the possibility. The sliver of hope was the only thing keeping him from ending his existence once and for all.

A knock at the door distracted him from his thoughts.

“Who is it?”

A sexy Southern drawl answered, “Room service.”

Grinning like an idiot, he sprang from the bed and bolted for the door. Heart racing, he yanked the door open, and the sight of Ruby stole his breath.

She hadn’t changed her clothes since the last time he’d seen her, hadn’t freshened her makeup or touched up her hair. It was just Ruby, without any hint of flash or pretense, and it was all he ever wanted.

“What took you so long?” A sly smile curved those luscious lips, so hot and brazen he felt it all the way to his groin.

Jack coughed to clear his throat. “I . . . I tried to call you a couple minutes ago.” He stepped back from the doorway and she sauntered inside, her hips swaying with sensual confidence. “Now I know why you didn’t answer.”

Ruby stopped at the foot of the bed. She skimmed a hand over the king-size mattress while her eyes cast a glance about the room. When her gaze swept over the length of his body, her lips tipped up in appreciation. Then her face grew serious, her pulse thumping at the base of her throat.

“Let’s not pretend you don’t know why I’m here.” She closed the distance, and her sultry, feminine scent intoxicated him. Reaching up, her fingers curled around the nape of his neck, and his heart leaped in his chest.

She kissed him then, a bold sweep of the lips, and desire warmed his blood. Desire, and something much stronger, richer. He refused to acknowledge the flood of emotions, forcing back sentiments he both coveted and feared. For his sake, and more important, for hers.

How long had it been since he truly experienced the rush of raw emotions, the glory of something more meaningful than sexual release? He couldn’t remember any other since Victoria. For so many years, he’d lived a solitary existence, rarely alone but often so lonely it gnawed at the edges of his psyche.

He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, his heartbeat racing beneath heated skin. But the curse also lurked just below the surface, reveling in the force of Ruby’s arousal while demanding far, far more.

If he had a lick of common sense, he’d come up with an excuse to call it a night and walk her back to her cabin. He was an accident waiting to happen. One slip, and he’d be powerless to stop the demon from feasting on her sexual energy, consuming her life force until she was no more than a husk.

Ruby melted against him as her mouth slanted over his, all warm and lush and so very willing. The taste of her, rich and feminine, deepened his hunger to a craving. Her hand slid down, stroked the hard length of him through the fabric of his pants, and he damn near lost all sense of control.

He could do this, he assured himself. Almost a century had passed since his time with Victoria. Since then, he’d gotten much better at controlling the curse. The recent feeding would make it more complacent and easier to contain, so long as he managed a certain level of detachment. All he had to do was hold the leash tight, giving the demon only short, controlled opportunities to feed. It was his only chance of maintaining the composure he needed—

“Hello, remember me?” Ruby interrupted his train of thought. A flash of impatience crossed her face as she drew back from his embrace. “I’m Ruby Dawson, and at the moment my hand’s wrapped around your dick.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.” A little dazed, Jack broke contact, giving himself some breathing room so he could form a coherent thought. “This is a bad idea.”

“I disagree.” She popped the fly of his jeans. “Off. Now.”

“Seriously.” Gently, he pushed her hand away from his zipper. “We really need to talk about this before—”

The words died in his throat when she whipped off her blouse and tossed it . . . somewhere. At the moment, he wasn’t paying attention to anything but her. The swells of her breasts peeked over the lace edge of her bra, and all he could think about was how he’d give anything to bury his face in her cleavage and his dick—

“You were saying?” She flashed him a wicked grin as she stepped out of her sandals.

“I can’t remember.”

She let out one of those throaty laughs that made every muscle in his body bunch. Eyes darkened, she unbuttoned her capris and eased the zipper down. He watched, transfixed, as she pushed the fabric over her hips and down those long, long legs. When they dropped to the floor, he nearly forgot how to breathe.

All those beautiful lines and luscious curves. She was an exotic feast he longed to devour. Yes, he’d already seen her in a bikini, but the sight of her in that slinky black bra and matching panties wiped all rational thought from his mind. He didn’t understand the difference, and at the moment he really didn’t care. All he wanted was to strip away those last bits of clothing so he could plunge himself deep inside her.

Her fingers paused over the front clasp of her bra. “You’re way overdressed for the occasion.”

Taking the hint, he grabbed the back collar of his shirt, yanked it over his head, and tossed it to the floor. “Better?”

“It’s a start.”

Eyes gleaming, she grazed her nails over his belly and up to his bare chest. This close, he could smell the light citrus scent of her perfume, could feel the warm tickle of her breath against his skin. She pinched his nipple between her thumb and forefinger and then soothed the sting with her hot, wet tongue.

He groaned, and she purred against his skin.

“Your taste is exquisite.” She switched to the other nipple, grazing the tip between her teeth before giving it the same incredible tongue treatment.

The demon strained against its bonds, a proverbial bucket of ice water over Jack’s raging libido. He wanted her—God, how he wanted her—but he also wanted to maintain full control of his faculties.

“Whoa, slow down,” he said as he pulled back from her touch. Deep breath in, deep breath out. He mentally slapped the clamps on the demon, forcing it back into submission. Satisfied with the level of restraint, he met Ruby’s confused gaze. Gently, he cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing along the edge of her hairline. Then he tilted her head back for a slow burn of a kiss.

The noise she made was somewhere between a moan and a sigh. Her fingers tunneled through his hair, her nails scratching lightly against his scalp. He wanted to feel those nails pressing into his shoulders, scratching down his back. Digging into his ass while he thrust inside her.

She fumbled with his zipper, the light brush of her fingertips over his erection damn near making his eyes cross. Fly down, her hands slid to his waist. She hooked her fingers beneath the denim waistband, and with one quick push his jeans and boxer briefs were halfway to his knees.

Breaking the kiss, she leaned back and looked him over.

“Like what you see?”

Ruby nodded as she bit her lower lip. Her pupils had gone all large and dark, the black nearly swallowing the green. She ran her flattened palms over the planes of his chest and then surprised the hell out of him by shoving him backward. Off balance, he tumbled to the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight.

“Shoes,” she said by way of explanation. With a grin she untied and yanked off his sneakers, and the jeans and boxer briefs quickly followed. She raked her gaze over his naked body, from the balls of his feet to the top of his head. “Oh, my, Mr. Deverell,” she finally said, her voice low and husky. “You are one magnificent piece of man.”

She dove onto the bed, and the two became a tangle of limbs on the mattress. Mouth to mouth. Flesh to flesh. His hands roamed her body, tugging off her bra and panties. He cupped her breast and a moan tore from her throat. Then his mouth replaced his hand—touching, teasing, tasting—and her moans grew louder, so raw and rough it made his dick ache.

Ruby’s hand drifted down, and then it was his turn to moan. He lost himself in the rhythm of her strokes as she pushed him onto his back and straddled his thighs. Hips pumping, his shaft rubbed against her sex. So wet. So hot.

“You’re killing me.” Jack dug his fingers into her hips as if holding on for dear life. If he didn’t take her soon, he was going to lose his mind.