Below Deck

by Tara Sivec

  The heat between her thighs as she moves her own hips and rubs herself against me makes me want to pull my head back and roar. I take a second to run my tongue over her full bottom lip before diving back into her warm, wet mouth and claiming it. She sucks my tongue deeper into her mouth, and now it’s my turn to groan with need, wanting more…wanting everything from this woman. She smells like coconuts from the suntan lotion she put on earlier; she tastes like the sweet wine she drank at dinner…

  The dinner my crew served her. The dinner where I was the bartender and she was the guest. The Goddamn guest that I shouldn’t be mauling against the side of the fucking ship.

  With every ounce of willpower I possess, I yank my mouth away from hers and take a stumbling step back from her body. Her leg drops from around mine and her hands drop from their hold on my hair. I continue moving backwards until I smack into the deck railing, my eyes never leaving her as I watch the flushed skin of her chest rise and fall with rapid breaths. With the moonlight still shining high above us, I no longer have to wonder how her lips would look if I kissed her. I silently watch her bring one of her hands up and trail the tips of her fingers over her red, swollen lips as she stares back at me in shocked wonderment.

  I want to move back to her and finish what I started. Take whatever she wants to give me, reach up under her skirt, yank her panties to the side, and slam myself inside of her to ease the ache in my cock, but I can’t. I shouldn’t have come out here. I shouldn’t have kissed her, and I sure as hell can’t fuck her.

  She’s a guest and I’m the crew. She’s out of my league and this was a mistake. At least now I don’t have to wonder what she tastes like. The feel of her tongue in my mouth, the moans she made at the back of her throat, and the way her body felt molded to mine will be burned into my brain for the rest of this Goddamn trip. I’ll be a professional and do my job and pretend like this moment of temporary insanity never happened.

  Without a word, I turn and stalk away from her, pissed at myself for losing control with a guest. One taste, that’s all I needed. Now that I’ve had it, now that my curiosity has been sated, I can focus on my job and forget about Mackenzie Armstrong and the best damn kiss I’ve had in a long time.

  CHAPTER 6

  Mackenzie

  It’s painfully obvious that Declan is avoiding me after what happened on the deck late last night. When Brooke left our room in search of Ben, I couldn’t stop thinking about Declan and if I’d have the courage to make a move on him, so I went for a walk to try to clear my head so I could sleep. I never imagined as I stood staring out at the ocean that he’d come to me. The look on his face when I saw him standing there watching me was clear he wasn’t happy about finding me out there alone, and I was more than a little surprised when he suddenly stalked towards me without saying a word. The shock continued when he grabbed my face and kissed me, but it was quickly replaced by desire.

  Holy shit could that man kiss. I’ve never been kissed like that before, so hard and raw and brutal. I should have been embarrassed by how quickly I responded to him, how needy I must have seemed as I rubbed myself against him and couldn’t stop moaning into his mouth every time his tongue swirled around mine. When I felt how hard he was for me as he pushed himself between my thighs, I forgot all about being embarrassed since it was obvious he was just as affected as I was.

  Right when I’d gathered up the courage to beg him to take me up against that damn wall, he pulled away and stood there staring at me, his face a wash of irritation and regret before he turned and walked away without a word.

  “Declan, Declan, I need some help setting up the water slide for the guests.”

  Glancing over at Ben as he holds his radio up to his mouth, I hold my breath waiting for the sound of Declan’s voice over the radio. The yacht made it to St. John in the middle of the night but since they don’t have a dock big enough for us, we’re anchored a few miles offshore. Everyone decided to spend the day relaxing in the sun until later tonight, where the crew will take us over to the island in jetties to do some sightseeing after dinner.

  All day long, Arianna and Allyson have demanded one thing or another from the crew to keep them occupied instead of just laying back in their deck chairs and enjoying the Caribbean sun like Brooke and my dad and myself.

  They had them set up a huge, portable boatside swimming pool that has a mesh barrier so they can go in the water without worrying about jellyfish or other marine life bothering them. It took the crew over an hour to set up the pool and the two women spent all of five minutes in the water before they declared it was too cold.

  After that, they wanted the huge water trampoline set up, which again took over an hour, and again, occupied them for a handful of minutes before they complained that it was boring.

  So on and so forth, the crew has been running around all day to do their bidding, and each time Ben calls for Declan over the radio, Declan comes back to say he’s busy with something else and to call for Eddie. Of course, this has made Brooke’s day a brighter one since she told me they made out in the kitchen for over an hour last night and it was, and I quote, “mind blowing.” Not only have I had to deal with two bitchy and bored women all day, I’ve had to listen to Brooke flirt shamelessly with Ben and watch him return it with equal fervor as he blatantly stares at her bikini-clad body and winks at her every time he walks by her chair.

  It’s not like I want Declan to come out here and tell me it was the best kiss he’d ever had or anything stupid like that, but a freaking “hello” would be nice after what occurred between us last night.

  “Copy that,” Declan’s voice suddenly crackles over Ben’s radio, making my heart beat faster when I hear it. “Busy with the captain right now. Zoe’s finished with lunch clean-up, so I’ll send her down with Eddie to help you guys.”

  I try to hide my disappointment when Declan, yet again, gives an excuse to Ben about why he can’t come up here to the sun deck, but it’s impossible. Sighing loudly, I flop my head back against my chair and pull my sunglasses down from the top of my head to cover my eyes. I get that he’s busy and he’s working, but it’s become glaringly obvious that he’s doing whatever he can to not come up here, where he knows I’ve been since I woke up this morning, and Ben proves my theory right.

  “Busy with the captain my ass,” Ben mutters from the other side of Brooke’s chair as he clips the radio to his belt and then looks down at her with his hands on his hips. “What the hell did your girl do to my boy last night that he won’t come anywhere near her? Did she bite him? I thought he liked it rough, but maybe not.”

  Brooke leans over and smacks Ben’s thigh with a familiarity and ease that shocks me as the two of them stare at each other and then start laughing.

  “For your information, your boy took advantage of my girl last night and then left her high and dry,” Brooke informs him, making me instantly regret telling her what happened when we were both in bed last night, under the covers and with the lights turned off, the darkness in the room giving me the courage to blurt it all out to her.

  “Jesus, really, Brooke? And hello? I’m sitting right here. Stop talking about me,” I complain, narrowing my eyes at her even though she can’t see them through my dark sunglasses.

  “Well, it’s true. You kept me up all night with your tossing and turning. I almost threw a pillow at your head and told you to go into the bathroom and give yourself a little five-digit relief since Declan couldn’t finish what he started.”

  Forget the hot sun above us; my embarrassment makes my face flush a thousand times worse when Ben chuckles under his breath.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll have a talk with him.”

  “You will do no such thing!” I quickly tell Ben. “It was a mistake and it never should have happened. I couldn’t care less where Declan is or what he’s doing. I’m on vacation and I’m relaxing and I don’t care about Declan. See? This is me, perfectly relaxed.”

  I’m rambling. I know I’m rambling as I point to
myself and try to prove how relaxed I am and how much I don’t care about stupid Declan McGillis and his stupid kiss, and how I tossed and turned all night because I couldn’t stop rubbing my thighs together replaying that damn kiss over and over until I almost had an orgasm just thinking about it.

  If he wants to avoid me, fine. No big deal. Whatever.

  “Hello! We’ve been waiting here for like, ever! Is someone going to set up the slide for us or do we have to do it ourselves?” Allyson shouts to Ben from the other side of the sun deck.

  He grumbles under his breath, gives Brooke a quick wink and then turns the biggest fake smile I’ve ever seen in Allyson’s direction as he walks away from us and starts kissing her ass with apologies and an explanation that he’s just waiting for some of the crew to come help him.

  “I’m going to kill you,” I mutter to Brooke when Ben is far enough away.

  She just laughs as she grabs a bottle of suntan lotion from her beach bag on the deck chair next to her, sits up in her chair and starts lathering her body.

  “You’re forgetting I saw the dreamy, lust-filled daze in your eyes when you got back to the room last night. You can pretend not to care in front of Ben all you want, but that shit won’t work on me,” she explains, tossing me the bottle of Hawaiian Tropic coconut-scented lotion when she’s finished with it. “He can’t avoid you forever. This ship is big, but not that big. You just rest your pretty head this afternoon and let Momma Brooke come up with a plan for later.”

  I can’t help but laugh at my friend as she relaxes back into her chair. I take my time rubbing the lotion into my skin so I don’t burn. I glance over at my father who is fast asleep under his umbrella with a book resting open on his chest, ignoring my disappointment when Eddie and Zoe join Ben on the deck to help him inflate the giant slide that will hang off the edge of the boat. Part of me wants to wake my father up so he can listen to the abuse Allyson and Arianna give the crew because they aren’t working fast enough to their liking, but I decide to let him be. It’s not like it would matter anyway. He would just smile nervously at them and agree with whatever they said.

  Tuning out the grating sounds of the two women’s voices, I lay back down and work on relaxing until I need to apologize to Ben, Eddie, and Zoe when the morons go down the slide once, bitch about how boring it is and then want to do something else.

  Hoping Brooke was just joking about coming up with a plan, I close my eyes and let the soothing sounds of the water lapping against the boat lull me into oblivion.

  I try to tell myself that what happened last night was no big deal and it’s no skin off my back if I don’t see Declan again for the rest of this trip, but as I drift off to sleep, I can’t stop replaying every moment of that damn kiss and what it did to my body, and I know I’m lying to myself.

  CHAPTER 7

  Declan

  Sun-kissed skin…her tongue in my mouth…royal blue halter top bikini that made her tits look fantastic…those tits pressed up against my chest…the slow, torturous way she rubbed that fucking lotion all over her body…her tongue in my mouth…

  I stomp my feet angrily through the formal dining room, my thoughts battling between seeing Mackenzie in a bathing suit all day and that fucking kiss last night. Sure, I did whatever I could to not run into her, but that didn’t stop me from creeping around the corner or looking down from the windows of the bridge like some kind of perverted stalker.

  Jesus Christ could that woman fill out a bikini.

  Ben wouldn’t shut up all day about how hot Brooke looked in her red suit, but I didn’t even notice anyone else out on that sundeck when I caught my first glimpse of Mackenzie after breakfast. Her olive skin got darker as the day went on, bringing out the brightness of her blue eyes whenever she’d take her sunglasses off and roll them at something her idiot family would do. Watching her stretch out those long, toned legs, point her toes and reach her arms above her head after she woke up from a nap made me want to climb on top of her body and feel the warmth from her sun-soaked skin against mine. Seeing her sit up and slowly spread lotion over her shoulders and down across her chest made me want to reach into my shorts and palm my cock while her hand rubbed against her mouth-watering cleavage.

  Which is exactly what I did. After I finished watching the show and made sure Ben, Eddie, and Zoe were good setting up the slide, I ran down to the tiny bathroom attached to my bunk, locked the door behind me and jerked myself off until I came in my hand after just a few strokes, with Mackenzie’s name on my lips.

  Fucking woman has me tied up in knots and it needs to stop. I thought kissing her would get her out of my system, but all it’s done is light a fire inside me I can’t get rid of. I can’t get her out of my head and I can’t stop wanting her. I’m not a man-whore like Ben, but I’ve been with my share of women and I’ve even been in love once with a woman that had the same background and upbringing as Mackenzie. I don’t care that I’ve never wanted another woman as much as Mackenzie, I’ve been down this road before and I know how it ends. It starts with lust, moves on to something more, and then she realizes you’re not good enough for her and breaks your fucking heart. Been there, done that, bought the Goddamn t-shirt that says “You’re too poor for me, and your goals aren’t big enough to keep me in the lifestyle I’m accustomed to.”

  At least Mackenzie left with everyone else on the jetties a little bit ago to go over to the island. I won’t have to worry about running into her, and with her off the ship for the rest of the night, her absence will help me forget all about her.

  When I get halfway down the stairs to the galley, I hear hushed voices, the rambling of rapid-fire French words becoming louder the closer I get to the room. Preparing myself to calm down Marcel after the she-beasts once again sent back every dish he’d prepared them for dinner tonight, I come to an abrupt halt when I see Marcel isn’t alone. Mackenzie is standing next to him and he has his head tossed back in laughter. He’s fucking laughing. The man who does nothing but scowl, curse, and throw shit around the galley is standing elbow-to-elbow next to the woman who won’t leave my thoughts, and she just made him laugh.

  “Je ne supporte pas ces chiennes auxquelles je suis apparenté.”

  Marcel chuckles again when Mackenzie says something in French, and I forget all about his unusual happiness when my dick jumps to attention. So much for thinking that her saying my name last night was the hottest thing I’ve ever heard. This woman speaking fluently in French, even though I don’t have the slightest fucking clue what she said, makes me want to drag her into the nearest bunk and make her say shit to me in French all night long while I pound into her.

  Jesus Christ, what is happening to me?

  Clearing my throat in irritation, Mackenzie jumps in surprise and looks over at me, while the smile on Marcel’s face immediately turns to his usual scowl when he sees me standing there.

  “The galley is for crew only,” I growl.

  “Vas te faire enculé…” Marcel mumbles under his breath, most likely swearing, still glaring at me.

  Mackenzie giggles softly, and I have the sudden urge to grab the closest plate and chuck it across the room when she rests her hand on top of Marcel’s on the counter and gives it a little pat.

  “She’s not supposed to be down here,” I mutter angrily to Marcel, but unable to take my eyes off of Mackenzie touching him.

  I know I sound like an asshole, and I know I’m acting like an asshole, but I can’t control it. She’s too beautiful, too put-together. She’s still wearing a dress from dinner that looks like it was tailor made for her body. It’s form-fitting, hugs her curves, and ties up around her neck, showcasing those amazing tits I jerked-off to this afternoon. The bright white of the material brings out the tan of her skin and the blue of her eyes and makes her look clean, perfect, classy…everything that doesn’t belong down in these crew quarters. She’s doesn’t belong in this shithole where curses are screamed, pictures of hand-drawn dicks and tits litter the walls, Marcel’s sweat
hangs in the air more potent than the dinner he made tonight, and where I’ve caught Ben getting more than one blow job over the years.

  “I’m sorry, don’t be mad at Marcel. I came down here on my own,” Mackenzie tells me, finally moving her hand off of his and making me feel less like stabbing him in the throat with a steak knife, but still pissed off that she’s even down here to begin with.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be over at St. John with everyone else?” I asked irritably, crossing my arms in front of me to give me something to do with my hands before I’m tempted to stalk around the counter and yank the front of her dress down so I can see just how perfect her tits really are.

  “I am,” she replies with a shrug. “I just couldn’t handle any more family time today. I needed a break. That, and I was starving and I knew no one would let me grab anything to eat on the island since they have tons of shopping to do. Dinner was amazing, but it just wasn’t my thing.”

  The way she sneers the word shopping and the annoyed look on her face gives me pause, but before I analyze the fact that she doesn’t seem to share the same money spending addiction as the rest of her family, I open my mouth and more asshole comes out.

  “Really? A five-course dinner that included lobster risotto and filet mignon wasn’t your thing? Not fancy enough for your tastes?”

  I regret the sarcastic words as soon as they leave my mouth, but it’s too late to do anything about them. Marcel mutters something else in French under his breath while giving me the evil eye, and Mackenzie lifts her chin and stares at me defiantly, her eyes sparkling with anger.

  “Actually, it was too fancy. I asked Marcel if he had anything a little simpler I could whip up myself, but he insisted on making it for me.”

  She points to the plate in front of her that I hadn’t noticed when I walked in here, too consumed with lust and rage and all sorts of emotions I didn’t know what the fuck to do with.