If Not For You (10 page)

“No, get the fuck outta here!” I said, and slapped my hand over my mouth and looked around at the near empty room.

He nodded with a smile and his brow rose comically. “I write under the pen name ‘J.R. Mornings’.”

Well you could have knocked me over with a feather. The man sitting across from me was my all-time favorite oh-so-hot book author and all this entire time I was convinced that J.R Mornings was a woman. I must have turned the color of a ruby when I thought about the countless times I fantasized over the men in those novels and how I wanted a man to do those things to me.

“Oh my god, I love your books. I think I’ve read them all. In fact I’m reading Secret Whispers now. It’s such an honor to meet you,” I rambled on and on like a deranged moron.

“Well you know what, honey? You bring it by my room, A-forty on the aloha Deck and I’ll sign it for you, in fact I’d be happy to give you my latest novella just for being so sweet.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, I’ll pay for it. But all my books are e-books, you can’t sign them. I’d love an autograph though. I’m such a big fan.”

“Tandy, you have been such a delight to this old guy. You make sure you come to my room and I’ll give you that autograph. In fact, why don’t you meet me for breakfast, no brunch and I’ll give you that autograph while we talk some more?”

“Hey you’re not old. What are you, like thirty, thirty two?” I said and gave him a playful tap in the hand.

“Very good, you should get a carnival job guessing ages, I’m thirty two.”

Only ten years older than me, a mature guy sweet as molasses and my favorite author too boot and the offer of a meal together and an autograph, maybe the possibility of more? Hell why not. “I’d love to have brunch with you.”

“How about on the fiesta deck, at say eleven?” he asked, and I nodded with excitement.

I’d have to text Tess as soon as I got back to my room. She always joked about my obsession with my ‘lewd’ books, said it would only set me up for disappointment reading that trash. She’d die when I told her who I spent the evening with.

We finished our drinks and John offered his arm to escort me out of the lounge and out onto the starlit deck. We walked and talked and before I knew, we were standing at my room door. I searched through my clutch until I located the plastic card and John took it from my hand, inserted it and held my door while I squeezed past and turned to say my good nights.

“Thanks for the drinks, John. I had a really great time.”

“My lady, it was my pleasure to share the evening with such a beautiful woman. Until tomorrow, sweet dreams.” he lifted my hand to his lips and gave my knuckles a brief peck sauntering off down the hall.

I may have been ever-so-slightly disappointed not getting a sloppy wet one, but I’d get over it. I had tomorrow to look forward to, maybe then I’d lock lips with him and I laughed at myself.

While I changed for bed, scrubbed the stale makeup off and brushed out my hair, I thought of my night and how sweet and funny John had been. An unexpected encounter with a great guy, that was exciting. And then my thoughts drifted to Gage and why I hadn’t seen or heard from him since breakfast, but I didn’t want to think about him, I needed to text Tess and get to bed so I’d be rested for brunch.

Isn’t it a fabulous evening? Guess what happened to me? Never mind, you won’t! I met J.R. Mornings and we’re having brunch tomorrow (Screaming!!!) We had drinks after one of the shows, he’s so funny and sweet, a bit older but wtf! Lol Nighty night! Tandy.

A few minutes later, that familiar little ping told me she was interested, probably drooling down her blouse with envy.

So who’s he? Should I be impressed? And just how much older? Is he hot? You left that part out. Lol. Tess.

Are you kidding? My favorite author, he wrote a whole series of books and novella’s, he’s famous. He’s ten years older, so what. And he’s not bad looking at all. Tandy

Sorry! You must be talking about those sordid kinky books you read, I don’t read that shit, wouldn’t know him from Adam, but happy for you anyway, enjoy brunch. And btw he’s too old for you my little virgin friend. Lol. Tess.

Fuck you bitch! Good night! Lol. Tandy

I climbed under the covers and pulled them to my chin, each muscle and bone in my body creaked and moaned a happy sigh. I had had far too many blue drinks and prayed they’d stay down tonight. I closed my eyes ready to spend a night in dreamland, when a loud thud on the wall from next door startled me. Must have been the headboard I thought, but it only happened the once, glad that Mr. Sexy-neighbor wasn’t going to get it on all night and keep me awake.

I smiled when I caught myself thinking of a scene from the book ‘Wallbanger’ and the neighbors naughty sexual conquests with various classes of the female persuasion and the frustration it caused for the neighbor trying to sleep. Now that was a great book, I’d have to read that again I thought and closed my eyes.

***

“Good thing lover boy didn’t try to kiss her,” I let slip from my mouth with a growl, flinging myself onto the bed. The headboard whacked against the wall and I winced hoping it didn’t wake Tandy.

Today was a good day and I had passed my own test with flying colors. I had managed to keep a good distance, never revealing myself and the fact that I was watching her every move. Blending in with a group of men at the poolside bar, like I belonged, while she had a swim and sat reading a book at poolside, that had been fairly easy.

There were moments though, when I struggled to keep my arousal at bay. As she applied lotion to her delicate skin in her ultra-sexy bikini, I nearly had a coronary. The hot pink suit drew attention from more than one observer at the bar. Then there was a moment I had to hold back the urge to tear an asshole apart when he referred to her as a ‘good sized bite worth sinking his teeth into’. She was, but I wanted to be the one sinking my teeth into her hot white flesh, not some aging fuck half snapped and probably married.

Sitting clean across the dining room at a table for two, telling people the seat was taken when asked, gave me the perfect view. I could observe Tandy through the glass wall on the opposite side of the buffet and unless she knew I was there, she’d never have been the wiser.

Tandy didn’t look any too pleased with her table mates, sucking face as usual. She shifted her food around on her plate with no interest in consuming it and gazed around the room, she seemed to be looking for something, or someone. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was watching for me or was it perhaps the moron from last night she was hoping to see?

I’d have to find out who exactly Mr. Sharp-dresser was. He seemed harmless enough, but it was the harmless looking knobs that gave reason to worry the most. Smooth talkers hidden behind a façade, like some kind of Sean Connery want-to-be putting on the Ritz, when all along a slimy little creature lurks, ready to suck in an unsuspecting victim.

It rattled my cage when I first saw the guy all dolled up to the nines approach Tandy and then sit with her for drinks. She looked so beautiful when she laughed and she did plenty of that all evening, funny fellow I imagined. Her pretty dress accentuated her full hips and clung to her rear end in the most exotic way as her hips glided from side to side. Just the right amount of cleavage showed were the fabric crisscrossed between her breasts, and her collar bones were exposed as if pleading to be licked.

And again, like far too many times today, I was sporting a hard-on.

Day 49

I walked across the busy deck to the table where I saw John sitting, he looked up and our eyes met with a new morning smile. To my astonishment, I was not suffering from a wild hangover, nor had I spent the night kissing the porcelain god. Unusual because nearly every time I had too much to drink I’d spend the night on the bathroom floor with my hair full of puke and suffered for the entire next day.

John stood and greeted me with a chivalrous kiss to my knuckles and held my chair while I sat. “You look lovely this morning, sleep well?”

“Surprisingly well, thank you John,” I said, adjusting my sundress so I wasn’t revealing anything that wasn’t meant to be. My lack of a bra probably wasn’t my wisest choice but too-bad-so-sad, I couldn’t fix it now.

A waitress came over with a coffee carafe and I held out my cup with a welcoming ‘yes please’ smile and she filled it to the brim. The hot liquid only added to the beautiful sunshiny morning and I closed my eyes and enjoyed the first mouthful.

“So good,” I hummed.

I looked over at the buffet in the distance, “What’s on the menu today?”

“I don’t do buffets, honey, our brunch will arrive soon,” he told me with a wave of his hand in the buffet’s direction, like he was shooing away a fly.

“Oh?” I had to ask, not that I wasn’t a happy camper. Rather because God knows I detest buffets and try to avoid them at all cost.

“I’m afraid I’m a wee bit spoiled, it’s the celebrity thing. Once you get a taste of it, it ruins you. I pay handsomely for the services I require. Do I sound like a snob or what?” he asked, fumbling with something under the table.

I laughed as I told him, “Maybe a bit of a diva but I don’t think you’re a snob, John, you just know what you like.” Knowing that if I were in his situation I’d be doing the exact same thing, besides I didn’t have to get off my ass and stand in the line and that was okay by me.

John sat up and smiled as he handed me a black and white poke-a-dot covered gift bag with bright green tissue paper sticking out the top. “For you, my biggest fan,” he grinned.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Open it and see,” he said, watching with childlike anticipation, as I pulled out the paper and peered inside.

“Oh, John, you really shouldn’t have, how wonderful!” I partially stood and leaned over the table for a hug and John met me at the half way mark. I completed the hug with a big wet one to his cheek and we sat.

I emptied the contents one by one onto the table and carefully scanned over each book, revolving them to look at both the front and back jackets of each.

“There’s a special inscription in each, take a look,” he said, reaching over to show me, flipping the one in my hand open so I could see. The book was ‘Making Waves’ and the inscription couldn’t have fit it better.

To My Darling Shipmate,

Thank you for a night on the ocean I will never forget!

Love Always!

J.R.M.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the sexual innuendo tucked in there for good measure. I read each inscription and they only got naughtier with each novel, I loved it!

“I will treasure these always, thank you,” I said, packing them carefully back into the bag.

Our brunch arrived and I tucked the bag of books safely between my feet, with a napkin on my lap, I was famished. John had ordered scrambled eggs, sausages and Canadian bacon, fruit salad and waffles with cream and tiny jugs of maple, strawberry and blueberry syrups. I was offered a choice of grapefruit or orange juice and the waitress filled my mug to the brim again with fresh hot coffee.

“Everything to your liking my dear?” John asked, with a smile and I nodded as I plunked a piece of juicy canary melon into my mouth.

“Mmm…fabulous,”

“Do you have any plans today?”

“Not really. I may read by the pool, I don’t like to think too far ahead. I’m trying to be a live-for-the-moment kinda gal,” I tittered into my coffee mug.

“I was asking because I have a book signing in Darwin that I need to prep for, if you’d like to help. Actually, I’d just like the company while I get things in order. I’ll treat you to lunch.”

I was thrilled that he asked, but tried to appear calm and cool, instead of turning into some kind of raving lunatic groupie.

“I’d love to help you. Your brother won’t mind me being in the way?” I asked, curious as to where he’d be while we were alone in his room.

“Jack’s doing research in the library today. I don’t think we will see him until the wee hours. He’s writing a murder mystery, he has a chase scene planned in the streets of Egypt and needs to plan out a route. Street names and places of interest for the characters to run past, then we will follow his plan when we get there and smooth out the details.”

“There’s a lot more to writing a book than I thought. I just thought you sit down at a laptop and write.”

“You’re not too far off when it comes to the books I write. I do a bit of research but most of it is from right here,” he said pointing a finger to his temple. “The dark recesses of my depraved mind.”

He roared and laughed at his own joke and then shared sources of great information when it came to sexual positions and anatomy. Making me promise to keep it a secret I crossed my finger over my heart, locked my lips with an imaginary key and pretended to throw it over my shoulder and we laughed some more.

By the time we finished brunch, my cheeks were sore and my belly ached from all the laughter. I couldn’t remember when I enjoyed myself so much in the company of a man, except of course for the time spent with Gage. We strolled back to his room and I peeked over my shoulder a few times, I had the distinct feeling that we were being followed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m just being silly. I keep thinking someone’s watching us,” I confessed, shrugging my shoulders when I saw no one.

John looked around and put his arm over my shoulder like a shield, “I don’t see a soul, you’re safe with me.”

When I walked into John’s room I stood wide eyed and scanned over the area. And I thought my room was small, this was like stepping into a dollhouse. There were stacks of books and cardboard boxes littering every surface and I noticed almost immediately that there was no balcony, just a good sized window on the one wall straight ahead. Two single beds camouflaged by boxes of book marks and swag for fans took up the left wall. And a two seat table and chairs sat under the window, almost invisible in the mess. The remaining wall housed a large LED screen and a door I presumed led to the bathroom.