5
Red, her eyelids were all but swelled shut. The tender skin below her left eye had a distinct purple tinge.
He suspected he didn’t look much better.
His sympathetic nature chose that time to raise its ugly head and devour the flames of desire. What was he thinking? The woman was injured. Not to mention a guest on the cruise, not his personal sex toy.
He knelt before her, drawing tender circles around her breasts while his mouth salivated with the desire to lick the gel from her nipples.
“Darlin’, I’d like nothing better than to claim my reward. But…I think maybe you should see the ship’s doctor.” Before she could protest, he placed the tip of his finger on her pouting lips. “That was a pretty nasty fall you took earlier, and your cough doesn’t sound very good either.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted in a croaky voice. “It’s just an allergic reaction to all the dust. Once I get it all cleaned and my air cleaner does its thing, I’ll be okay.”
He leaned closer, noticing the increase in her breathing.
Just a quick taste, he promised, and then he’d see she got medical attention.
Bracing his arms on each side of her hips, he dipped his head and flicked the tip of his tongue over a distended nipple. It puckered prettily. Strawberry, he noted while bathing her hot skin with his tongue until he had licked and sucked all the sweet goo from her.
He rose to stand with her in his arms, feeling a slight buzz of a headache from the sweet concoction. Or maybe it was the hot babe in his arms causing the feeling of light-headedness.
Cautious steps took him to her bed, where he placed her on the butt-ugly camouflage sheets. He pulled the top sheet over her to resist temptation.
She reached for him. He stepped back but grasped her hand in both of his. He bent and brushed her lips, knowing he dared not deepen the kiss.
“Rest,” he said against her mouth. “I’m going to go check in and get some medicine. If you won’t see a doctor, will you at least let me take care of you?”
All the ways he’d like to take care of her sprang to mind—along with another part of his anatomy.
She sighed and closed her eyes with a nod. “Hurry back.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice.” He kissed her forehead and both eyelids. “You get some rest. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Stepping into his uniform, he checked the pager all BumbleBee personnel wore. Damn. Three. Two from the captain. Better see what he wanted first.
A quick glance back at Maggie confirmed she rested as he stepped into the hallway and secured her door.
By the time the door clicked behind Drew, Maggie was out of the bed and headed toward the bathroom.
Less than twenty minutes later, she lay where he left her, but with a few improvements. After washing out some lingerie and hanging them on the cute little butterfly clips from her goody bag, she’d showered and slathered flavored body lotion all over. Then reapplied her makeup, doing her best to disguise her impending black eye.
Next to her coconut bed, she’d set the stage. Flavored body frosting and assorted sex toys she’d discovered in the bag Karyl had handed her—demo items and more favors from Karyl’s Boudoir Buddy party—lined the edge of the bed within easy reach.
She coughed and wondered if she should have popped an allergy pill, immediately dismissing the idea. The pills made her sleepy, and she didn’t intend to miss a second of her first out-to-sea wild adventure.
The sheets, despite their garish design, felt soft and sensuous against her bare, lotion-slicked skin. The shape of the giant coconut held her in a cocoon of warmth. Her muscles began to relax.
Maybe she’d just rest while she waited for Drew to return.
She awoke aroused. Within a nanosecond she identified the source of the arousal.
Drew dragged a wedge of fresh pineapple up the inside of one leg and then the other, each time stopping before things got really interesting.
He climbed onto the bed beside her, his skin hot against hers, and continued his torture by pineapple, circling each breast, then lapping the juice before it could travel down her rib cage.
Outlining her mouth, he licked away the juice before settling his mouth on hers. He tasted sweet, the juice cool against her tongue.
Finally he broke the kiss and, the tip of his nose against hers, met her gaze with his incredible baby blues.
“Hi.” Pineapple-scented breath fanned her face.
She took the pineapple from him and touched it to the cleft in his chin, sucking the juice from the indention.
He growled but held her in place when she would have shimmied beneath him for a more intimate alignment. “I can’t stay long. The captain just about ripped me a new one for abandoning my post for so long this morning.”
Maggie ran her hand across the smooth expanse of his back, cupped his firm buttocks with her palms. “Then why are you naked?”
His sexy mouth curved into a sly smile. “Just wanted to see how observant you are—and to feel your hot body against mine, even for a little while. Need to have something to remember you by while I’m working.”
What to do? Her womb screamed its frustration. She’d wanted to have sex with Drew practically from the moment she’d seen him. For some reason, she knew if he left without her having him, she might never have the chance again.
“Then we need a little less talking and a lot more action,” she said with a smile as she neatly flipped him to his back and straddled him.
Beneath her wet sex, his erection throbbed, telling her he was not unaffected. His warm hands bracketed her waist but made no move to push her away. That was a good sign, wasn’t it?
Pushing her lips into an exaggerated pout, she said, “You disappoint me, Drew. Have you forgotten our deal so soon?” Her hand closed around the nearest party item. Sparing a quick glance, she hid her frown.
Maggie wasn’t exactly certain of her ability to use the flavored gel clutched in her fist. Putting it on her nipples hadn’t done all that much earlier. Maybe it would be more successful on Drew’s nipples. Did guys like that as much?
Only one way to find out.
The seductive smile felt stiff, but she leaned forward and swiped each flat button with the tip of her tongue. Pleased to see that her hand shook only a little—maybe Drew would think it was because she was so turned on—she carefully circled each pebbled tip with a thin band of purple gel.
Immediately the scent of grapes wafted to her. Yuck. She’d never been a fan of grape jelly.
Holding her breath, she lapped the area clean, pleased to hear his altered breathing.
“Maggie,” he said through clenched teeth, “I really can’t stay long enough to play right now. I need—aw, hell, I need you!” He looked around, a sort of desperate look on his face. “I didn’t bring anything. Do you have any?”
Before she could ask, “Any what?” understanding dawned.
With a smile—yes, she was finally going to have mutually satisfying sex!—she reached into Karyl’s bag of tricks and pulled out a string of multicolored condom packages.
Drew jerked them from her hand and ripped one open with his teeth. In less than the time it took to take a deep breath, he’d flipped her over and plunged into her.
Her eyes widened at the sudden intrusion, but her body was more than ready and willing to accommodate him.
“Next time,” he said on