When the lights came up, Jeremy was startled. He had spent the entire time watching Safire, not the movie. Under the lights, she smoothed down her dress and adjusted her cover-up, warily checking around to see if anyone had noticed them.
He took a deep breath to collect himself, tugged Safire’s hand and drew them both from the theater and toward the elevator.
“Where are we going now?” she asked.
“Home, love.”
He felt the questions rise in her, but she remained silent and let herself be drawn along his path.
As the door to his stateroom closed, Jeremy pulled Safire into his arms and a passionate kiss, pressing every inch of her against his body, which had been teased for too long. She responded to his touch, but she was quiet. He broke the kiss to put on one of the dimmer lights next to the bed.
When he turned back, he found Safire still at the door, her arms clasped protectively in front of her chest, one of her ankles teetering nervously upon the heel of her shoe. Now that they were alone, her hesitance was back. He could see in her a shyness that made her seem vulnerable and plucked at his heart.
He didn’t want to frighten her away, and he was more than willing to go at her pace, but God, he wanted her so badly that he was going to have a hard time if she didn’t want him back tonight. One thing was clear. The desire between them was unmistakable. The only question was whether or not she was ready to give in to those feelings.
He crossed back to her and took her in his arms again, pressing her lightly against the door. He held her body flush with his, knowing she could feel his sex wedged against her center. He pressed himself into her and kissed her until her hips tilted forward, seeking the feel of him. He deepened his kiss until her hips rocked against his, riding her almost imperceptibly along his manhood. He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth until it elicited a choked whimper that set his pulse on fire.
How he wanted her.
When he tore his mouth from hers, she held him tightly around his shoulders, as if she didn’t want him to see her. Jeremy dipped his head to her neck, kissing the tender flesh. He opened her cover-up and bent down to press his lips over one of her breasts though her dress. Her body twisted, and her arms tightened about his head.
Slipping from her embrace, he lowered himself onto his knees in front of her, nudging through her dress at the center of her womanhood. He wanted to take his time, but the beauty of this woman was urging him onward. He heard her breath catch as he raised the hem of her dress and brought his mouth to her panties, kneading her sex through the slick shield of thin cotton. She was so wet, so ready, that it was all he could do to keep his knees on the ground.
His palms on her hips pinned her to the back of the door, but her hips swirled against them. She was rather quiet, but he could tell that she loved his mouth upon her. Her breathing, the way her hands tightened around his head, and the taut thrust of her groin told him that.
He hooked his thumbs in the material at her hips. He might be pushing it, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted her. Her hands flew to his wrists as he began to pull down the intruding underwear.
He stopped, but her panties were already clear of her sex. He kissed her intimately, parted her slick path with his tongue and sucked her into his mouth. Her body jerked against the door, and she shuddered, gripping his wrists. Safire was making his body blaze.
Still, she hadn’t let go. His tongue and lips toyed over her; his mouth drank in her honeyed liquor; his nose took in her floral scent. Still, she was choking back her murmurs and biting off moans.
When he moved one of his hands up to her breast, her hips rocked her core onto his mouth. She quivered, clipped short a wail and gripped his shoulders. His fingers spread over both of her breasts, tweaking and groping the hard nipples, and his mouth continued to graze her inflamed sex. He was ready, as ready as she was.
Her hips went taut.
Just as she cried out, she cut off the sound, and it fell to a low whimper.
Jeremy looked up at Safire, smiling. She was biting her lower lip. Her eyes were closed, and she was trying to catch her breath. He rubbed the outsides of her thighs to comfort her.
When she opened her eyes, however, her hands sprang across her chest. An expression of shock came onto her face.
She fumbled awkwardly to raise her panties, toppling him backward in front of her. Before he could right himself or say a word, she had slipped through the cabin door behind her and escaped down the hallway. When he got to the door, there was no sign of her, not even the imprint of her shoes on the carpet was left.
Chapter 5
Angelina didn’t take Jeremy’s calls that night. She got back to her stateroom and began pacing in a furious circle, trying to take in what had happened and how things had gotten out of her hands so quickly.
Sensations still coursed through her body. It still throbbed from his touch, his mouth. She poured herself a glass of lukewarm water from her melted ice bucket to try to calm down, but she couldn’t.
His touches set her body humming, and he’d been touching her all day long. She had wanted to be with him, had wanted to let herself go, but in the end, she’d been appalled by what she’d done, gyrating before him like a cat in heat. She didn’t know if she could even face him again.
What’s more, she’d then run away without giving him...anything. That made it even worse. Why couldn’t she simply enjoy the moment? What would she do if she had to look him in the eyes again?
The pacing wasn’t helping. Unable to figure any of it out, she checked in at home to make sure that all was well, changed out of Safire’s green dress, and got under the covers for the night. She had a fitful sleep, dreaming of warm brown eyes.
In the morning her head was clearer, but she still didn’t know if she could face him again. She knew when the phone rang that it could only be him. She answered it not knowing what she would say.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, as if nothing had happened last night.
“Hello.”
His tone was casual. “I wanted to take you to breakfast. Are you fully up yet?”
“About last night...I’m sorry. It—” She didn’t know what else to say.
“I guess things were moving a little quickly.”
“Yes.”
“It was still beautiful to me.”
His low voice in her ear sent goose bumps down her neck and heated her center.
“I was...silly.”
“You were beautiful,” he said.
She was quiet. Jeremy’s words put her a bit at ease, but the image in her mind of last night mortified her.
He seemed unfazed. “I would love to do that again—and more. But we can go at your pace.”
She heard sincerity in his voice and decided to believe him.
“So, what now?” she asked.
“I’m thinking breakfast. Then maybe some swimming at Magen’s Bay.”
She smiled, but could she face him? Before her mind had decided, she heard herself saying yes.
“I’ll put on my swimsuit and grab a towel. Where should we meet?”
“I’ll be there by the time you pack your bag.”
“Okay.”
When she stepped into the hall, he was just turning the corner, a bag over his arm, a smile on his face and a long-stemmed rose in his hand. But she still had to actually face him after last night. She swallowed, not knowing what to expect, but he simply kissed her cheek, wrapped her in a brief hug and took her tote bag.