Bermuda Nights - The Boxed Set (31 page)

He stepped back, and his eyes twinkled. “Now get in there and get naked.”

Evan pressed open the door and I stepped into the room. It was more personable than most hotel rooms, with rust-brown blankets on the two queen-sized beds and a blonde-wood desk between them. He shut the door behind him with a firm click, turned to me …

It seemed that neither of us moved, but suddenly we were in each other’s arms, entwined, entangled, our kiss deeper than the Mariana Trench. He must have abandoned his jacket before he jumped. My fingers worked at the edges of his white shirt, tugging the sodden, wet fabric out of his belt, pulling it hard to peel it over his muscular back and onto the floor. Then it was his turn, drawing down the zipper, helping me shimmy out of my dress. I hadn’t realized how cold the fabric was until it was released off of me.

I shivered as the air hit my body, and he drew me in against his bare chest, the heat of his body radiating through mine, soaking into me. His voice murmured in my ear, “A hot shower,” as he undid the clasp at my back, and my bra fell on top of my dress.

My nipples sprang into hard life, and I wasn’t sure if they were triggered by the brisk air or the stunning man who stood before me. His hair was still slicked back and wet, his body glistening from the efforts he’d gone through to keep me alive.

He had saved me.

Emotion soaked through me, and I dove at him again, kissing him harder. Our hands feverishly roamed over each other, reassuring ourselves that we really were all right, that we had survived the plunge and made it to solid land. His tux pants were on the ground and he had half drawn me up in his arms before he groaned, releasing me.

“Damn clothes need cleaning, and Brandon’s out there waiting,” he muttered. He roughly grabbed the items up in his arms, then turned to the door. “You best –”

“- get that shower ready,” I replied, striding to the privacy of the bathroom and closing the door behind me.

The room was comfortable enough, with a marble sink and large, ivory tub. I barely saw the elegant, flower-shaped soaps in a porcelain dish. My laser focus was on the turning of the dial and the burst of warm, billowing water which thundered into the room. I nearly melted with the joy of it.

There was a movement behind me, Evan stepped in, and the next thing I knew I was swooped up in his arms. He stepped into the shower carrying me, and sheer bliss pummeled me with every stream. He rotated so the water massaged into my skull, washing my hair down into a long banner, waves of warmth echoing throughout my entire body.

“Ohhhh,” I groaned. “That … that is
just right
.”

He leaned me against the side of the tub, his face drawing close to mine. “God, Amanda, when I saw you go over the edge, when I saw you fall …” His gaze delved into mine, deep, lost, and the entire world fell away. There was just him and me.

I drew my hand into his hair, submerged within his gaze. “I love you, Evan. You came for me. With all the craziness, in the depths of everything, I knew you would make it right.”

His gaze held mine. “I will always be there for you. No matter what.”

I drew his head down to mine, our lips met, and if there was a separation between his skin and mine, it melted away. There was only him and me, together, the water pounding down on us, the sensation of the kiss swirling us into one soul-soaked being. We were a luminous body of light, a floating sea-creature in the depths of the ocean, one far apart from all known worlds.

His mouth left my lips, and I gasped at the absence, then moaned as his tongue traced rivulets down my neck, swirling in that soft hollow at my throat. He sent fiery waves down, down, cascading like lava as his lips neared my nipple.

My body ached for him, cried out for him, lost in the inky depths, craving what I knew only he could bring.

The slightest touch, a longer stroke, and then his mouth finally drew in my nipple in a long, throbbing draw. I groaned in abandon, arching in relief and desire, cradled in his strong arms.

The ivory curtains sheltered our private world, our underwater Eden, while his wet mouth echoed the caressing water streaming down my entire body. Then his mouth moved to my other nipple, and I was caught in the ache of loss from one and the burst of pleasure from the other.

He drew his face up for a moment, gazing at me. “You are a mermaid,” he murmured hoarsely. “A selkie, and you have enraptured me, body and soul.”

Before I could answer, his lips returned to the center of my stomach, kissing, lower, and I twisted in his arms, arching to bring him closer to that glorious spot in my core. But he resisted, slowing, tracing the path with his tongue through the wetness which steamed all around us.

I could barely think, so intense were the waves of longing which coursed through me. All I knew is I wanted him … I wanted him …

His tongue slid between my folds, and I leaned back my head, opening myself fully to him. His arms were sturdy beneath my back and legs, holding me up with steady support.

I was his, body and soul. I let myself go.

His tongue danced … caressed … built up speed. The water played its rhythm on the tips of my breasts, sending them into higher levels of soaring pleasure. My breath came in gasps, and the world was soaked, was steamed, was Evan … Evan … Evan …

His arms drew me in, his tongue pressed down, he gave a low groan, and the world fell away. It was as if I were standing on the peak of a mountain and suddenly the Earth plummeted away from me, leaving me suspended, floating, surrounded by stars and glistening motes of stardust. Nothing else mattered. Just us. Only us two, together, in this vastness of life.

The motes drifted, coalesced, and cooled. At last I curled in against Evan, cradled within his arms.

I floated within the most profound peace I had ever known in my life.

Chapter 5

The idea had sounded easy enough when we discussed it on the boat ride over, but now that we were actually here, at the side of the ship, cruising along in pitch darkness, a tremor of nervousness skated through me. True, we were barely doing two knots as the cruise ship leisurely, languidly, took in the final few miles before it reached the harbor in Boston. But it was dark, with a heavy fog picking up. The wake of the cruise ship made our own smaller vessel’s ride choppy. And the rope ladder dangling from the open hatch seemed quite flimsy.

Evan held me by the arm. “You can stay here on the boat. We’ll figure something out. I’ll talk to Kayla, and –”

“No,” I stated firmly. “Heck, I was just able to handle a fall from the thirteenth deck. This is only deck three here. I’d barely make a splash, even if I do miss a rung.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” he vowed. He held my shoes looped on one hand. “You’ll need these, after all.”

I grinned.

He waved to our boat captain, and our ship eased closer. We watched as the ladder waved up and down, drifted forward and back. The timing … the timing …

Brandon’s voice was clear and firm. “Now!”

I leapt with both hands out – reached - and wrapped them easily through the ladder, solidly embraced around it like a baby spider monkey clinging to her mom. A wide smile split my face. Heck, it was much easier than I’d thought it would be. The rungs were ridged for a solid grip, and I settled into a solid grasp of the hanging structure with a minimum of fuss.

Evan’s voice called from behind me. “Ready?”

I nodded, yelling back over my shoulder. “Go for it!”

A pause, and then a shimmering thud as Evan landed below me. In a heartbeat he had climbed up behind me, shielding me with his body. His voice came steady in my ear. “I’ve got you. Let’s take it one rung at a time.”

We worked our way up the ladder, the spray of salt in our eyes, moving in tandem like a focused, diligent octopus. Then there were the sturdy arms of crew members pulling us in through the open hatch.

One of them, a lean, muscular, café-au-lait man whose nametag read
Haziq from Malaysia - Security
, was grinning. “
Selamat datang
, my friends. Welcome. In my ten years on this ship, I’ve never seen anything like it. I hope whatever you’re up to is worth it.”

Evan’s voice was hard. “With all we’ve risked ...” He cut himself off, turned, and waved a hand to Brandon. In a moment the smaller ship wheeled and vanished off into the fog.

Evan turned back to Haziq, his gaze sharp with focus. “Where is Jeff?”

Haziq checked his computer. “Still in his room. He went there about ten minutes after your … adventure … and the door hasn’t opened since.”

I knew the situation was serious, but the corner of my mouth quirked up. “He’s probably drinking everything in his mini-bar. He’ll be in for quite a shock when we appear.”

Evan nodded. “All right, Haziq, you’re with me. Jeff might not want to come quietly, but one way or the other we need to get him into the brig with a minimum of fuss.”

Haziq rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “I’m at your service. Shipboard troublemakers are mostly melancholic drunks. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to mix it up in a proper brawl.”

Evan turned to me. “Please stay back when we take care of Jeff. While we’re on this ship, I want you near me so I can protect you. That being said, I don’t want Jeff to ever get his hands on you again.”

I nodded. “Understood and agreed.”

The three of us set off, climbing two sets of stairs and moving down a quiet hallway. Undoubtedly the vast majority of the passengers were soundly asleep, preparing for an early departure in the final port of Boston. The halls were already lined with suitcases and bags.

We reached the room and Haziq held his master key card at the ready. His brown eyes sparkled with glee. “Are we ready to rumble?”

Evan flexed his fingers, then nodded. “Go ahead.”

Haziq swiped the card, and Evan pushed the door open.

Jeff was sitting on the side of his bed, his head hanging down in his hands. Around his feet were a scattering of mini liquor bottles in various shapes and sizes – Absolut, Crown Royal, Beefeater, and a number of others. His gaze was heavy as it rose, and it took him several moments to draw us into focus. When he finally did, his face blanched, and his mouth hung open. He looked between Evan and me as if we were the ghosts of Christmas Past.

It took him several tries to get the words out of his mouth. “But … but … I saw you two go over the rail!”

I was tempted to raise my arms hauntingly over my head, to threaten him with all manner of destruction if he did not repent. My mouth opened …

With effort I held my tongue. Evan would have enough on his hands as it was.

Evan stepped forward. “Luckily for you, your ex-girlfriend is one of the toughest women I have ever met.” His gaze narrowed. “You and I are going for a little walk.”

Jeff went from pale to absolutely colorless. “I’m not going anywhere with you! Get away from me!” He stumbled to his feet. “Stay back!”

Evan looked at him in disgust. “You’re not even worth –”

Jeff swung with a wild roundhouse. Evan easily slipped it, dodging back, then drove in hard with a right which was launched from the hip.

Haziq’s smile nearly reached his ears. He dove into the room, and the door swung shut behind him.

I fell back against the opposite wall of the hallway, staring at the closed door, my heart hammering against my ribs. It sounded like a washing machine was set to Mangle and Churn, with bassy thumps and strangled growls shaking out of the cabin in regular cadence. I wrapped my arms around my chest, then winced at the deep gong of something solid impacting metal.