“You’ll be fine. Go, and remember to have fun!” Elizabeth sent her away with a brief peck on the lips.
The organiser welcomed her with an encouraging wink when she reached the stage and took hold of a microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a nervous customer on our hands, and for that reason I’ve agreed she can sing two songs in a row. A bet with her girlfriend rides on what your opinion is of her performance. So, let’s start with something upbeat and then move onto a slow number.”
Billy’s hands shook and she took a deep breath. You’re a sucker for a pretty woman, Billy. Before she could change her mind and run for the door, the deep, soothing sound of a bass guitar played, accompanied by the sound of a snare drum.
Once the pub caught the beat and realised the iconic song she was going to sing, they erupted into cheers and applause.
Before she opened her mouth to sing the first note, she peered over to the bar and winked at Elizabeth. “Mustang Sally, guess you better slow your mustang down!”
The second line of the song came out deeper, raspier, and sexier than the first. If it were possible, the pub patrons got louder as she held her notes for a little longer. Whoa, okay, perhaps this isn’t so bad after all. Her shoulders relaxed. Taking precise steps to her side, she swayed her hips to the beat and strutted across the stage. As the song progressed, she lost herself in it. Her body moved easily to the sensual blues rhythm. She glanced up when she heard a shrill wolf whistle over the crowd and saw Elizabeth kneeling on her barstool.
“Go for it, baby!”
So that’s exactly what she did. She owned the song, and when it drew to a close she covered her ears as the applause and loud cheering rattled her eardrums. People stamped their feet. There were even calls for her to sing the song again, but she had something else planned, especially for Elizabeth.
“Wow!” The organiser walked out onto the stage and put her arm around Billy’s shoulders. “For someone who was nervous, you did an amazing job! Are you ready for your next song? I wasn’t sure you’d be able to do it justice when you handed me the paper, but now…I think we’re going to love it!”
“Ready when you are!” Her enthusiasm was surprising, even to herself. Where the hell did all this bravado come from? I wonder if this is how Beth feels after a performance.
A few seconds later, the speakers erupted with the sound of a choir. A heavy bass kicked in next.
“This is for Beth!” She bought the mic to her mouth as more instruments joined the intro.
Halo by Beyoncé was an iconic song, deeply romantic. The lyrics were tear-inducing. Every note settled in the pit of her stomach.
Her eyes locked on Elizabeth’s across the room. She sat on her stool with her hands clasped to her chest. Tears shimmered in her eyes, glistening in the lights from the bar.
Her song last night was something from the heart and she felt she’d given it everything she had, but this performance was on another level. She channelled her whole being into it.
She held the final note until she felt her lungs would burst. The finish was perfect, and she managed to keep herself from rasping as she stopped. The room was silent. Don’t tell me I screwed up so much that nobody’s even going to applaud. Her head whipped to the side as the organiser rose from her chair.
“Holy shit!”
It was the cue the audience had waited for and the ear-splitting appreciation she received spilled out of the pub.
A hot flush raced over her face when she handed the mic back and jumped down from the stage. She jogged back to Elizabeth. When she arrived, she wanted to wet her whistle with the scotch that waited, but it appeared Elizabeth had other ideas. The second she stopped next to her, Elizabeth was in her arms. With her hands tangled in Billy’s short hair, she tugged her head down to kiss her mouth. Her teeth nibbled on Billy’s lips, which made Billy stumble back onto the stall she’d vacated. She slipped her hands over Elizabeth’s hips, opened her legs, and tugged her closer into her arms.
“Wow, that must be some bet you guys have going.”
They broke the kiss, but Elizabeth didn’t step away. She stayed in Billy’s arms. The event organiser leaned against the bar, watching them.
“Oh, it is,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “Which means I have another song to perform. I can’t let her sing to me and not return the gesture.” She leaned over and whispered in the woman’s ear. The organizer nodded her head and returned the smile.
“Something you’d like to share?” Billy peered over Elizabeth’s shoulder as the woman walked back to her operating station and scrolled through the small laptop hooked to the speakers.
“Nope.” Her grin was radiant. Billy looked to the stage. The organizer held her thumb up and Elizabeth jumped off of her stool. “I want to rock your world with my next song.”
She whirled around and captured Billy’s lips with her own. Billy’s stomach clenched in delight. The little nips and brushes of her soft tongue were heating her up in all the right places. She had to press the crotch of her jeans into the stool as the compact body in between her legs stopped her from closing them.
“You do that without singing, Beth. You take my breath away when I watch you walk. Every time you sing, you touch something within me. You’re amazing.” Her mind played back the endearment Elizabeth had used earlier. It’s time to use one of my own. “Darling, you spin my world off its axis. But with one kiss or touch of your hand, it’s righted.”
Elizabeth’s head moved closer to her own for another kiss. Just before their lips met, the organizer took to the stage.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, we have a return singer. She’s the other half of the duo that has the wager going. So please, put your hands together and welcome Beth back to the stage.”
“Damn it.” She kissed Billy’s lips quickly and held up a finger. “Hold that thought!”
Her stage presence was so great that even her walk to it was done with perfection and poise, and the crowd seemed to part before her like the Red Sea before Moses.
She didn’t know what to expect. Probably something along the lines of Halo. But, when Elizabeth’s voice changed to a deep raspy timbre and she sang the first bars of Alicia Keys’ No One, she could’ve been knocked over by a feather. The lyrics were true to what they were experiencing with Emma. She supposed the message Elizabeth was sending her was that no one would get in the way of what she was feeling for her. Tears streamed down Billy’s cheeks.
Elizabeth stepped gracefully from the stage and started working the crowd as she sang. She danced back to back with the rugby player guy who’d been the first singer of the night. She paced slowly toward another table and stroked the cheek of another woman, who blushed and turned her head away to study the floor. There was a clear line to the bar. She took her time flirting with a couple of other men and women.
At the start of the last chorus, she was in front of Billy. She pushed her legs apart roughly and leaned her back against Billy’s chest, moving her hips seductively, and running her nails up her thighs. When she sang the final notes, Elizabeth spun around and faced her. Their gazes locked and held, neither of them blinking.
At the end of the song, she placed the microphone on the bar, put her hands on Billy’s cheeks, and pulled her close to capture her lips.
With a whimper, Billy returned Elizabeth’s earlier teasing. She nibbled on her lower lip and ran her tongue around them. With a final nip, she pulled back, but Elizabeth caught her bottom lip between her teeth and refused to let her go before she could deliver a softer, smaller kiss.
When they pulled apart, Elizabeth wiped the remainder of Billy’s tears away with her thumbs. “It wasn’t meant to make you cry.”
“As I said, you’re amazing and that song was so emotional. I couldn’t help but be carried away by the lyrics.”
“So, ladies,” the organizer asked from the stage, “who’s the winner of your wager?”
They grinned at each other and Elizabeth licked her li
ps. “We both are!”
Billy laughed wildly as she took her hand and stood from her stool. She leaned down and put her lips close to Elizabeth’s ear. “Would you take a walk with me?”
“I’d like that, as long as it means I can have my kiss.”
Hand-in-hand, they strode out of the pub as applause from the crowd erupted for them.
Chapter Seventeen
When they walked out into the main atrium at the centre of the ship, towards the reception desk, Billy pulled them to a stop. She dropped Elizabeth’s hand and leaned closer to the young ginger desk clerk. He handed her a large blanket, then nodded his head at what she whispered in his ear.
She turned back around to Elizabeth as the young man picked the phone up and spoke quietly into it.
“What was all that about?” She tucked herself under Billy’s arm, reached over with her left hand, and entwined their fingers.
“You’ll see.” She kissed Elizabeth’s soft red tresses and guided them toward the stern of the ship.
Everyone they passed faded away. They only had eyes for each other.
They stepped out on the port side of the ship and into the night air. When they turned the corner that would take them to their destination, Elizabeth staggered a step then stopped.
Set out before them in between two loungers was a silver teapot, two mugs, and a sugar bowl.
“I thought we might have had enough alcohol for the night, so I ordered us some tea to enjoy while we look at the stars.” She slipped her arm off Elizabeth’s shoulder and gave the waiter a tip. “Thank you for arranging this.” When she turned to offer Elizabeth a cup, she saw her standing at the railing looking out over the sea.
She walked up behind her and hugged her. A soft sigh left both of them as they stared up at the blanket of shining stars above their heads. Without the light pollution, they twinkled a lot brighter than they would in any city.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Elizabeth’s body sagged back a little more.
Billy’s gaze was on her face as she rested her head on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Oh yes.”
Elizabeth turned in her arms and chuckled. “That’s not what I was talking about and you know it.”
Billy ran her nose along the side of Elizabeth’s neck, inhaling the scent she was coming to find addictive. “You’re beautiful, Beth…and so sexy. You set me aflame.”
When she looked up, Elizabeth’s eyes were a darker shade of green and her chest rose and fell rapidly. They licked their lips at the same time. Moisture made them glisten in the soft lights. With a deep, throaty moan that rattled her own chest, Billy leaned down and took Elizabeth’s soft lips with her own. Her arms slid around Elizabeth and pulled her so close that their bodies melded. There was no messing about this time, no teasing. When she felt Elizabeth’s mouth open under hers, she slid inside. Their tongues met with ferocity, pent-up lust, and energy. They groaned as their mouths danced together.
Their lips parted briefly and then dissolved into nips and shorter, more ardent kisses.
“I knew I could lose myself in you,” Billy whispered.
“That was definitely worth the wait.” She leaned her forehead against Billy’s and tried to control her breathing. Her hand stroked Billy’s cheek. “I can’t explain what happened but…bloody hell, Billy!” She kissed her slightly swollen lips twice. “You’re like a drug, and I’m already addicted to you.”
They were both still breathing heavily when Billy took hold of her hand and brought it to her mouth. She kissed a path from the top of it and down around her wrist. “Would you like to sit down?”
“Please. I don’t think my legs are going to support me much longer if you keep kissing me.”
Billy poured them both a cup of tea then settled onto one the cushions of the sunbeds. She opened her legs and patted the vacant spot between them. When Elizabeth was settled with her back against her chest, she used the blanket to cover their bottom halves. “Are you comfortable?” she asked, kissing Elizabeth’s temple, and then passing her one of the cups.
“Yes. I can’t believe how good the last couple of days have been. Tonight has been out of this world. This is the best date I‘ve ever been on. Thank you for making it so memorable.”
“It’s not over yet. It won’t stop until we say it does, and I hope you’ll agree to spend more time with me.”
Okay, we kind of agreed that this is something we both want to pursue…so… why am I so nervous about what comes next?
Elizabeth sat up and turned around, careful not to knock Billy’s tea. “Hey, where did that come from?” She stroked Billy’s face with the back of her fingers. “From what we talked about in front of Emma, I think you know how I feel. I know we need to date and get to know each other more, but, you’re an amazing woman who captivates me in every single way. We both know neither of us is looking for a quick fling. So I say we do what we want, when we want, and we talk whenever one of us is unsure of anything. This,” she pointed a finger between them, “is not going to stop when we get off this ship either. You’re not some holiday romance, honey. You’re too special for that. Your heart is too precious to play with and I’d never do that to you.”
Billy kissed the fingertip in front of her face. “Hey, you’re just as special to me, Beth. I promise I won’t do anything to spoil what we have going on.”
A cold easterly wind blew across the deck. The hairs on Elizabeth’s tanned arms stood on end, goose-bumps erupted underneath them, and she shuddered. Billy rubbed her arms and held her closer as she put her cup down and reached for Elizabeth’s. “Come on. Let’s go back to my cabin for a warm drink. This stuff’s barely tepid and you’re cold.” When they stood, she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and took her hand. “You should start to warm up once we get inside.”
They turned the corner to go back through the door they’d come out of. A small body hiding to the side couldn’t move fast enough, and Billy grunted as it bounced off her bigger frame and fell to the floor.
“What the hell?” She rubbed her stomach and concentrated to try and catch the breath that had been knocked out of her. On the floor in front of them was Emma. “I told you to leave us alone!” She took a step forward, dropped Elizabeth’s hand, and advanced on her.
Emma scooted back across the hardwood deck floor on her backside at the pace of a dog that had worms. “I…please, I didn’t realise…you were out here.”
“Really? So why where you stalking about back here around the corner?” She leaned down and grasped hold of her forearm and yanked her to her feet. “I think it’s time you and I had a discussion with the captain.”
“Billy.”
The softly-spoken word made her turn. Elizabeth was shaking and her lower lip wobbled. “I’m sorry, darling.” She released the hold she had on Emma and pushed her away. “Come on.” She retook Elizabeth’s hand and steered her through the nearest door.
“Don’t let her ruin our night. It’s been amazing, and a petty little bitch like her isn’t going to take that away from us.”
They hurried through the hallways back to Billy’s room. Elizabeth’s shoulders had stopped shuddering, but her lips still trembled. She opened the door wide and let Elizabeth enter first. When she stepped over the threshold, she slammed the door shut and blocked out the world and people like Emma.
“Give me a minute and I’ll have the kettle on.”
Once she filled the machine with bottled water and got their cups ready, she turned to see Elizabeth standing two feet behind her. The blanket was gone and was now folded up on the chair in front of the desk.
“Oof.” She grunted as Elizabeth pushed her back against the wall next to the bathroom. “I thought you were co—” The words died on her lips as Elizabeth pressed her body tight against hers.
Elizabeth stroked her hands over Billy’s arms up to her shoulders. With a whimper, she pulled Billy’s head down and took possession of her lips. In an instant her tongue was deep in the recesses of Bil
ly’s mouth, tasting her.
Billy’s eyes slammed shut at the sensation that zinged through her entire body. She imagined it was something akin to being hit by lightning. She felt herself being pulled across the room, the tantalising kiss not breaking in intensity. Elizabeth shoved her back onto the small sofa.
“I’m on fire for you.” Elizabeth kicked her shoes off and climbed onto the sofa. She straddled Billy and rose up on her knees over her. She wrapped her hands around Billy’s neck and linked her fingers together.
When their lips met again, it was slow and sensual. Their exploration lasted longer than any of their other kisses. Billy was about to suggest they have their tea when she felt Elizabeth’s nails in her hair, a gentle scratch that started on her crown and ended up at the base of her neck.
“Jesus, Beth!” A shock hit her right between the legs. She pulled Elizabeth’s mouth back to her own and ravaged her. Her tongue was relentless, unyielding in its mission to please.
A soft brush of leather against her jean-clad thigh was all the conversation she needed. She put her hands on Elizabeth’s hips and urged her harder onto it.
“Is this a good idea?” she asked against those supple lips. You’re an idiot! Shut up!
“Oh, yes!”
Billy pushed her back slightly so she was able to look into her eyes. “Beth, please. Think about this. Remember what I said. I don’t do one-night stands. Yes, I know we agreed we’re dating, but I don’t want you to do this and then regret it in the morning.” She looked down at her lap. “I couldn’t handle that.”
Elizabeth’s lips travelled from the nape of her neck to her ear. She nibbled on her lobe and kissed the delicate curve. “I’d never regret being with you. I’ve admired you from afar for a while. Until London, we’d never really crossed paths, but what I learned about you, I liked. The past couple of days have been amazing. You’ve treated me with nothing but respect. Our date hasn’t been like anything I’ve ever experienced before. So, the answer to your question is yes, I’m more than certain I want this to continue.” She sat up and placed a single kiss against her lips. “How about it, Ms. Christian? Make love to me. I want to be yours.”
Composing Love Page 16
