He grabbed his glass and downed the contents in a single gulp. The scotch burned his throat, but it succeeded in temporarily dousing the fire growing in his groin. He rose and gestured with his empty glass to her drink.
“Need a refill?”
“That would be nice. Thank you.” She finished the remainder of her drink and handed him her glass. “In light of recent events, I’ll understand if you don’t want to tell me about how the Heartbreaker came to be. I get the gist of it already.”
She was giving him an out. As tempting as it was to take her up on the offer, he wasn’t going to go that route. If he wanted to make things right with Charity, he needed to make sure there was nothing negative between them. Sure, she said she understood, but a part of her would always wonder and he didn’t want that.
“A promise is a promise.” He paused to look at her. “Do I have to worry about what I’m about to tell you?”
A flicker of hurt crossed her eyes. “I think you already know the answer to that.” She started to say something else when a special ringtone began to play from inside her bag. Her shoulders sagged. “Ignore it. He’ll stop after about three tries.”
“Who is it?”
“Joe. I can’t very well give myself a ringtone like that, so I had to give it to the second most neurotic person I know.”
Despite the fact that Scott wanted to remain serious, he couldn’t resist chuckling when the phone started ringing a second time. “For God’s sake, answer the damn thing. You know as well as I do that he won’t give you a moment’s peace if you don’t.”
Charity rooted in her bag and removed the phone, answering it before the tune could finish playing. “What?” She sent Scott a sideways glance before rolling her eyes skyward. “As a matter of fact, you are interrupting. What do you mean, ‘good’? Your nightmares are not my problem. Now, was there something you needed?”
Scott watched her expression change from irritated to shocked. Her lips parted as though she wanted to say something, but she remained silent. Instead, the color drained from her face and she shook her head. Immediately, his senses went on alert. What was Joe telling her?
Leaving the glasses on the bar, he returned to the couch and sat next to her. She barely registered his presence when he laid his hand on her leg.
“Is everything okay?” When she shook her head again, he squeezed her knee. “What is it?”
She covered the mouthpiece with the heel of her hand and whispered, “It’s Dad.” To her brother, she said, “I hope this is your idea of a sick joke because this is not funny.”
Was something wrong with Mr. K? He hoped not. He remembered the emotion in Charity’s voice when she told him about her mother, and he couldn’t fathom the thought of her losing her father when she was still grieving. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her to him. She stiffened at first but, when he pressed a kiss to her temple, she relaxed against him.
“No, I’m not going and if he wants to know why, tell him to look up asinine decisions in the dictionary. I don’t want to talk about this now. I’m right in the middle of something—” She tilted her head back to meet Scott’s concerned stare. “Yes, I’m with Scott, and I’m hanging up now. Call me at the house tomorrow night. Sleep well!” She closed the phone and tossed it onto the cushion beside her before burying her face in her hands.
He tightened his hold around her. “Dare I ask how he knows about us?”
“I told him,” she said in a muffled voice. “In a moment of weakness, I IM’d him from the ship for advice.”
“About?”
“Whether or not I should sleep with you. I was afraid sex would ruin our friendship.” She lifted her head. “He said I should hide in my cabin until the cruise was over.”
Scott forced a laugh. “Typical. What did he say after that?”
Her expression softened. “He said sometimes sex between friends can bring two people closer together and other times it drives them apart.”
“You were afraid of the latter?”
She nodded.
“I hope I erased your fears in that regard. What about your Dad? Is he okay?”
Charity’s eyes darkened and she withdrew. Getting to her feet, she began pacing the living room area of the suite. “Physically, he’s fine. Apparently, he’s getting married in a couple of days.”
Married? He sat in stunned silence, not sure what to say. It was obvious she didn’t support the idea, not that he blamed her. Were the roles reversed, he’d probably be pissed that his father was remarrying so soon after his mother’s death. Just the same, Mr. Kendrick deserved to be happy and, if this new woman did that for him, then Charity needed to try to understand. He took in her pacing and sighed to himself. Good luck.
“I thought you liked Clorette,” he said at last.
She halted and turned to face him. “I do. She’s a nice woman and I’m glad she makes Dad happy, but it would have been nice if someone had told me that he was thinking of marrying her.” She held up her hands and shook her head. “Forget it. I’m being selfish. If this is what he wants, who am I to argue? I’ll throw them a party or something when they get back from Reno.”
Scott rose and stood in front of her. He took her hands in his, entwining their fingers before tugging her against him. “You’re not being selfish. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you’re afraid your dad is replacing your mom and that’s why you’re upset.”
She closed her eyes and lowered her head. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. Mom loved him so much. They were high school sweethearts, you know.”
He did. As he, Joe, and Charity had grown up together, so had their parents. For years, he’d found the coincidence somewhat corny but, now that he had these feelings for his childhood best friend, he could only envy the way things had turned out for their parents.
“I know. I also know that no one is ever going to replace your mom in his eyes. As sappy and cliché as this sounds, you never forget your first love.”
Or stop loving them. Scott’s heart skipped a beat. Did he still love Charity? He knew he cared about her and he wanted more time with her, but he hadn’t thought his jumbled feelings constituted love.
“No, I suppose you don’t.” She gave his hands a squeeze before standing on tiptoe to place a kiss to his cheek. “What upsets me most is when they plan to elope. Happy freaking birthday to me.”
“August twenty-first.”
He remembered. More to the point, he wanted to spend her birthday with her. If she wasn’t going to Reno—which he thought she should—he wanted to give her a birthday to remember.
“Good memory. I know people who can’t remember that I don’t like teriyaki, let alone when my birthday is.” She drew in a deep breath and exhaled with a smile. “Now that Joe has successfully sidetracked us, why don’t we finish our conversation?”
Scott placed his hands on her hips and moistened his lips. “Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“Tell me what you need to know to put you mind at ease, Cherry. I’ll tell you as little or as much as you want.”
The scary part was he meant every word. If she wanted every gory detail, he would give it to her. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but this was her show. Had been from the start.
“I’ve heard several rumors about you over the last couple of days, some of which I could have gone my whole life without knowing, but I only want to know one thing. Who made love to me last night? You or the Heartbreaker?”
****
The question had plagued Charity since that morning when she woke alone. Whatever answer Scott gave would mean disappointment of sorts, but at least she would know where she stood. If he’d slept with her as the Heartbreaker, she would know their time together was nothing more than a good time. If not? Well, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear his reason for leaving in the middle of the night.
To her surprise, Scott didn’t miss a beat. “Truthfully? I thought once we spent the night together, my nee
d to have you would go away.”
“I was a conquest.”
Scott shook his head. “No, more like a fantasy come to life. I knew being with you would be different, but I hadn’t counted on wanting you more. Your arrangement may have been with the Heartbreaker, but you got me instead. I hope I didn’t disappoint you.”
When she was little, her mother had told her that being in love felt like falling. The idea had scared Charity until she was a teenager and experienced the fall for herself. Now that she was an adult, she understood what her mother had meant and the dizzying freefall was starting all over again—with the same man.
Hell’s bells. I still love him. “Trust me, you haven’t disappointed me. Just promise me one thing.”
His hands slid to the base of her spine before dipping lower to cup her rear. “What’s that?”
“Wherever we end up tonight, promise me you won’t leave in the middle of the night. I like morning sex and I was gypped out of getting some this morning.”
A flicker of desire flamed in Scott’s eyes and he tugged at her skirt, bunching the material in his hands. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. As it turns out, I’m partial to morning sex myself.” She shivered when he pressed an openmouthed kiss to her neck. “How about we check out the bedroom before I show you the rest of the island?”
I thought he’d never ask. Now that they’d cleared the air between them, all she wanted to do was haul him into the bedroom and make him her love slave. Ooh, there was an idea. She could torment him until neither of them could stand it any longer.
“Sounds like a fabulous idea to me. Why don’t you go ahead while I check the mini-fridge for a few supplies.” She draped her arms around his neck when he gave her a curious look. “You’re just going to have to believe me when I say you’ll like this.”
Keeping one hand firmly clasped to her ass, Scott trailed the other to her hip before coming to rest between her thighs where she was already damp with want. “I have a pretty good idea what you have in mind and, if I’m right, I want in on some of the action.”
She closed her eyes with a moan when his fingers parted her folds. He could have anything he wanted as long as he touched her—Bingo! The stars returned at the feel of his fingertip massaging her clit. Pleasure flared from the spot he was touching and spread to every erogenous zone in her body.
Her nipples hardened to the point of aching, but they felt so good pressed against Scott’s chest. When he inserted first one and then two fingers into her pussy, she thought she would come apart.
“Y-you don’t play fair,” she panted. “I’m supposed t-to be tormenting you.”
Scott nuzzled his lips along her throat, across her jaw, and settled next to her ear. “You are. Do you have any idea what it does to me to have you this excited? To know that I’m the only person who can get you this wet?”
Knees knocking, Charity managed to pull away. As much as she wanted to surrender to him, she was determined to make him beg for mercy. It was high time she acted the part of the sexual diva she’d set out to be.
“Go into the bedroom,” she ordered.
He looked her up and down with a growing smile before unbuttoning his shirt. “Your wish is my command.” Without another word, he disappeared into the other room.
She watched him go for a moment before hurrying to the mini-fridge. If the Hedone was anything like the cruise ship it was named after, she was certain she would find what she was looking for. Whipped cream? Check. Chocolate sauce? Check. The only man who can make this fantasy rock? Oh yeah, that’s a definite check!
Charity peered at the items in her hands then in the direction of the bedroom. Even if her plan came out more clumsy than sexy, this was Scott. He wouldn’t tease her or make her feel silly for trying something new. Drawing in a deep breath, she made her way down the hall and pushed the door open with her foot.
Hot damn. She halted upon finding Scott deliciously naked on the bed. Her eyes traveled over his tanned flesh, pausing to take in the contours of his chest and rippling muscles of his biceps with appreciation. She envisioned licking whipped cream from first his chest and then his flat belly before ending at the head of his magnificent cock. She resisted the urge to shiver. Who cared if she looked stupid. This was going to be fun!
“So, do I meet your approval?” Though there was a hint of teasing in his voice, there was no mistaking the twitching of his erection against his belly. He loved the attention she was lavishing on him and oh, she planned to give him her full attention.
“Definitely.” She strode over to the bed and set the items on the nightstand before moistening her lips. Having him spread-eagle on the bed gave her an idea. “Are the rooms as well-equipped with supplies as the cabins on the Hedonna?”
Scott eyed her for a moment before folding his hands behind his head. “What do you have in mind?”
She bit the corner of her bottom lip, before feigning innocence. “I was hoping for a few silk scarves.” She watched his eyes cloud over with lust while loosening the tie at her neck. “I’ll settle for handcuffs if that’s all they have.”
Satisfaction thrummed through her when his cock jerked. She let the ties fall and reached for the zipper at her back. The dress slid easily down her body and pooled at her feet.
“They, um, they do,” Scott said and cleared his throat. “Check the nightstand. I think I like your idea. I have just one question.”
She lifted her eyebrows expectantly, while opening the drawer.
“I am going to get the chance to touch you, aren’t I? I have plans too, you know.”
And she could hardly wait to see what they were, but she was going to show him what it meant to want, to know what it was like to be driven to the brink. For once in her life, she wanted to know that she had the ability to make her lover quiver with desire for her.
Her.
Finding two red gauze scarves in the back of the drawer, she pulled them out along with a couple of condoms. “Don’t worry. You’ll get your chance.” She climbed onto the bed and straddled his waist. “You’ve been a naughty boy. I’m going to have to punish you severely.”
She felt his erection press against her ass and she grinned to herself before leaning forward to grasp his right hand. She was acutely aware that this put her breasts above his mouth and she held her breath in anticipation of his lips capturing one of the hardened peaks. The air in her lungs stilled when he teased her areola. He sucked the tip into his mouth, his tongue flicking against the distended bud.
Her eyelids fluttered and, with almost painful reluctance, she shifted away before wrapping the scarf around his wrist. A self-satisfied smile curled the edges of her lips when he growled his frustration. Perfect. Her plan was going just the way she intended. If she had her way, he would be the one begging her to fuck him.
After tying his hand to the headboard, she reached for his other wrist.
“You have no idea how naughty I plan to be.” He lifted his head to suckle her other nipple, but at the last minute she pulled away. “Now that just wasn’t nice.”
She bound his other hand to the headboard and sat back to assess her handiwork. A pulse of arousal throbbed deep in her belly at the sight of him splayed out before her, his muscles tight and his face a mask of lust. She could feel her pussy dampening at the wicked images dancing through her head.
“I never said I would be nice.” She grinned at his playful scowl. “Why don’t you give those a tug?”
Scott did as he was told and, when the knots held, he sighed. “I suppose this is what I get for teaching you everything I learned at Boy Scout camp.”
“It was beneficial, I’ll say that.” She slid down his body, kissing a trail from his Adam’s apple to the center of his chest. “I love the way you feel against me.”
He closed his eyes and groaned when she rolled her tongue around his nipple. “I want to touch you so badly.”
“Soon,” she promised and reached for the chocolate sauce beside her
. Slipping onto the mattress, she shook the bottle and contemplated where to begin. “Decisions, decisions.”
Pulling open the cap, she made her choice. His chest. He seemed to enjoy her attention moments ago, so why stop? Drizzling some of the chocolate over his nipples, she paused when he jerked against the restraints.
“Cold,” he said in response to her silent question.
“Sorry, dear. It’ll only be a moment.” She continued the sticky trail down his chest, circling his belly before ending at the head of his straining erection. After closing the cap and setting the bottle aside, Charity glanced at his expression. Her heart leapt at the desire reflecting back at her.
She crawled up the mattress until they were nose to nose, before placing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. Moistening her lips, she started her descent, licking the thick syrup from his right nipple. She savored the salty-sweet taste of his skin, while relishing the sound of his groans and the feel of his muscles bunching beneath her lips. He jerked his wrists in an attempt to free himself and looked down at her with a wicked grin.
“Wait until I get free, Cherry. I plan to make you come so hard you won’t even remember your name.”
Please? The very notion sent a fresh wave of moisture to the spot between her legs she longed for Scott to touch. Or kiss. Or suck. Hell, it all sounded good to her.
“Mmm. You taste divine.” She moved to the other nipple and swirled her tongue over the tiny peak, her teeth scraping against his flesh when she sucked him into her mouth.
“Cherry, please.” When she shifted to the center of his chest, he added, “Damn, baby, that feels amazing.”
She lifted her head long enough to flash him a dark smile. “Tell me what you want, Scott.”
“I think you know what I want.”
Oh, she knew all right. She lapped the chocolate from his stomach and felt his cock twitch with anticipation. Though she knew it was cruel, she stopped her descent when her tongue found the last ridge of his abs.
“I want to hear you say it. I need you to tell me what you want.”
Heartbreaker Page 15
