She hesitated, a split second of doubt, and he reached out and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her into his lap. She toppled there with a half-muffled cry of surprise. Then, once her delectable round bottom was across his thighs, he kissed her, the intensity immediate. It felt as if they’d been expecting this all along. Suddenly her anger turned to white-hot passion. She nearly devoured him like a woman starved.
Well, damn. He ought to piss her off more often.
She ravaged his mouth, her tongue swiping his over and over, a game of endless tag in his mouth. Their heat was like a raging wildfire and, once sparked, it was nearly impossible to control. He cupped her ample, heavy breast in his hand and she groaned into his mouth, driving him nearly wild. He wouldn’t be able to control this much longer, as he felt himself grow hard. God, so very hard. She found him with her hands, too, rubbing him through the front of his pants.
He stopped her hand. “Much more of that and I’m going to come right here,” he told her.
“That’s the idea,” she said, a wicked half smile on her face.
Vixen. He loved it. “The door’s not locked,” he warned. “Someone could come in at any time.”
She pulled away, a flash of rebellion in her eyes. “Then we better be quick.” She slid down from his lap and her hands were on his fly. Before he knew what was happening, she’d released him and was flicking her tongue across his tip. Those amazing lips, those dark eyes. He wanted to come right now. He’d never before met a woman so talented—and fearless—as she was. She pulled the tip of him inside her wet and willing mouth, and stroked his shaft with two very talented hands. He’d had plenty of fantastic blowjobs and yet, somehow, this one, this woman, was on a whole other level. He felt in that moment he’d graduated from the minor leagues.
“That’s...amazing...” He seriously felt like he was sixteen again. He wouldn’t be able to hold it. Not with her hot, wet tongue doing...God knows what to him. Short-circuiting every single bit of wiring in his brain. If she’d asked him right now to sign over every single penny in his bank account, he would. “Just don’t stop.” He dropped his head back as she worked him harder and harder, faster and faster. Amazing. Pure mastery. The sight of her on her knees, working him, her breasts pressed together as she took him deeper and deeper down her throat.
“I’m going to come. God, I can’t...” Hold it. There was no holding it now, no stopping it now. He erupted in her mouth, a hot explosion of everything he had. He came and came and came. It felt like he’d keep on coming forever. As he watched, she took it all deep into her throat as she swallowed every last drop.
This was the hottest cum he’d ever had.
Ever. In his life.
She swallowed and then released him, wiping a drop of him from her now-swollen lips.
“You’re the sexiest fucking woman I’ve ever met,” he groaned. “Tell me this isn’t love.”
She just laughed. “It’s sex.”
“No.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. He smelled him on her. So damn hot. “I’ve never come so hard for anyone.”
“Maybe you’ve never been with a woman who knew what she was doing.”
Outside the study door, voices caught their attention. Gabriela stiffened, rising to her feet, and Sebastian quickly sat up, tucking himself back in and zipping up his fly. He was on his feet, too. The door swung open just as the two had put themselves together. Marco stood there, surprised.
“Oh, I...” He paused, glancing first at Gabriela and then at Sebastian. “Sorry, I...” He seemed flustered. Did he know? Had Sebastian failed to zip up completely? Or was he sticking out of his fly? “Have you seen Lola?”
“Have you lost your bride already?” Sebastian joked.
“Last time I saw her she was in the dining room,” Gabriela said.
“Yeah. She’s not. Is there a ladies’ room near here?” Marco looked like he wanted to make a quick escape.
“It’s the other way down the hall—to the left,” Gabriela offered.
“Okay, thanks.” Marco withdrew from the open door, letting it swing shut.
“That was close,” Gabriela said, exhaling beside him.
Sebastian pulled Gabriela into his arms and kissed her fiercely. When he pulled away, she was panting. “Not as close as I’m going to get you right now. You can’t just savage me like that and expect me not to return the favor.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
GABRIELA LAUGHED AND pushed against Sebastian’s chest, separating herself from his amazing body. She could still taste him in her mouth and it excited her in ways she couldn’t even begin to explain. The way she’d made him lose all control, quickly and easily, gave her a thrill she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. But then again, part of her knew it was all temporary. Soon he’d tire of it, flip the switch like he did with every woman he’d been with.
“No, we can’t,” she said, running a hand through her hair, finding a piece sticking up. No wonder Marco had looked at her so strangely. She probably looked like a woman who’d just been on her knees. No matter. He doesn’t know, she told herself. But what if he suspects? “Marco knows we’re in here. And if he’s wandering around, then other guests might be, too. What if Lola found us? What if her parents did?”
That absolutely could not happen.
“You were the one who came on to me,” Sebastian said, voice a low growl. “I didn’t ask you to...do that.”
“I know.” Mischief flared across her face. “Are you sorry I attacked you?”
“Hell no.”
“Good.” She pressed her hands against her dress, flattening out a wrinkle. She glanced down at her knees and noticed the carpet had left temporary indents in them. Had Marco seen them? She hoped not. “Then, you’ve had your one more night. Still thinking you want to marry me?”
“This wasn’t one more night. This was literally five minutes in a library.” Sebastian gestured to the small shelf of books. “One more night is a whole night. In my bed.”
The words vibrated through her belly. In his bed was exactly where she wanted to be right now. Pleasuring him had left her wanting. She throbbed with need and she knew if he touched her, he’d find her ready. But now wasn’t the time. All of the wedding guests were just down the hall, dinner was over and they’d be wandering by the door on their way to the elevators. Marco already knew they were there, and others would soon, probably, as well.
“I still owe you one night?”
“At least.” Sebastian stared at her and for a second she was ready to risk everything. Put her hand in his and let him take her straight up to his cabin right now. The way he was looking at her made her believe she was special, that she wasn’t one of the dozen women rotating through his life. What if he was serious? What if he really was falling for her? Sebastian Lott... In love with her? How did she feel about that? She realized, right at that moment, that part of her—a big part—liked that idea. Maybe liked it too much.
What would they do? Date? Get married? Yes, and have amazingly beautiful babies with his green-flecked hazel eyes.
Stop this, she told herself. None of that is going to happen. You’re just setting yourself up for heartbreak. Sebastian was a man who liked the chase, and as soon as he caught her, he’d tire of her. She knew this in her bones.
“We should help Marco find Lola,” Gabriela declared.
Something washed over his face then. Disappointment? Frustration? She wasn’t sure. “As you wish,” he said. “But this—” he gestured between them “—is not over.”
* * *
Back in the dining room, most of the guests had filtered out and returned to their rooms, but Marco was still there, as was Felicia.
“Where were you?” Felicia stormed at Gabriela, who could barely hide her surprise. Why did Felicia care where she was?
“Why? What’s up?”
Felicia glanc
ed at Sebastian and then at Marco.
“We can’t find Lola.” Felicia looked somber.
“What do you mean can’t find her?” Sebastian asked.
“She slipped out sometime right after dessert. I thought she went to the bathroom, but she didn’t come back,” Marco said. He couldn’t look any of them in the eye.
“What about her room?” Gabriela refused to believe that the bride was missing.
“We looked there.” Felicia raised her eyebrows. “Now do you see the problem?”
“She’s probably just in the casino...or...with her parents? Maybe they went to get a drink?” Gabriela asked.
“No and no.” Felicia shook her head. “We looked all over this floor of the ship. No sign of her. And Liv is in her cabin, and will call us if she comes there.”
“Did you try calling her?” Sebastian looked grim.
Felicia nodded swiftly. “Calls go straight to voice mail.”
Now Gabriela was starting to get worried. Lola had had more than two glasses of wine at dinner, maybe even as much as four. Gabriela had only noticed how quickly the first two had gone down. She’d been distracted by Sebastian the rest of the time.
“How many people know she’s missing?” Gabriela looked at Marco.
“Just you two, Felicia, Liv and me,” Marco said.
“Why don’t we start looking from Deck One?” Sebastian said, taking charge as he strode from the dining room and into the foyer nearby. The others followed as he walked over to the big diagram outlining the map of the ship near the elevators. He tapped it with one finger. “How about Marco and Felicia take one through four, and Gabriela and I will take six through ten. That way we can check the women’s and men’s restrooms on each floor, too.”
Gabriela glanced at him, nodding, hoping the rising feeling of foreboding in her chest was wrong.
* * *
“She’s on this ship somewhere,” Sebastian said, almost as much to convince himself as to convince Gabriela as they began searching the long passageways of Deck Six. The auditorium, where the evening’s entertainment of a short magic act had already ended, was open, but all the red-velvet seats sat empty. They glanced in, yet only a cleanup crew and a few performers remained. They retreated and walked toward the Italian restaurant on the bow of the ship.
“I’ve heard of people, though, who...fell overboard.” Out loud, the words sounded ridiculous, and yet Gabriela couldn’t help but worry. What if Lola had fallen? What if she was out there in that dark water all alone?
“She wouldn’t have fallen.” Sebastian sounded sure as he strode down the brightly carpeted hallway.
“She had a lot to drink, though.” Gabriela hated to admit it, but it was true. She racked her brain trying to remember just how many. “She had at least three. Maybe four or even five.”
“That many? But...why?” Sebastian mused aloud.
She hesitated to say. It felt like betraying Lola’s trust to mention their brief conversation about cold feet, but what if Lola were tucked away somewhere just freaking out a little bit? What if she’d just needed to take a long walk and clear her head? Or worse... What if she’d really decided not to go through with the wedding?
“I don’t know,” she lied.
“That’s just not like Lola.”
Gabriela had to agree on that score.
“How long have you known her?” Gabriela asked.
“Lola? She’s like a sister to me. We grew up on the same street. My mom always had to work, and her parents often cooked me dinner.”
Gabriela glanced at Sebastian’s strong chin. “That must’ve been hard. It being just you and your mom.”
“It wasn’t always easy,” he agreed. “I got used to fending for myself, though. I guess you have to when your mom works two jobs. But I knew she loved me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t go to her funeral.” Gabriela hadn’t known her well, but she still felt as if she should’ve gone.
“And fly back from New York? No. Why would you? Besides, what if I’d come on to you at the wake? It would’ve been in bad taste.”
She laughed at the dark joke. She liked his humor: daring, edgy. It was just like her own, provocative.
They ducked into the small breakfast nook in front of the restaurant, but found the doors locked.
“You know, Lola told me that you’d matured.”
“Had she?” Sebastian laughed. “Well, when we find her, I’ll tell her thanks for that.” Then he grew pensive as they walked, their arms swinging so close together they nearly touched. “It just doesn’t make any sense to me. Why would she wander off?”
Gabriela didn’t answer. She knew one reason Lola might want to disappear.
“Right? Isn’t it weird?” Sebastian glanced at her.
“Yeah.” Her voice sounded weak, even to her own ears.
“You know something.” Sebastian glanced at her as they walked past the second bank of elevators.
“No, I don’t. Why do you say that?”
“Because suddenly you’ve gone quiet. You never go quiet.”
They made it to the glass doors of the Italian restaurant, but found it closed and locked. Gabriela blew out a breath.
“You can tell me now, or later, but if it’s something that can help us find Lola and help Marco from not losing his mind, now would be a good time to share.” He gave the glass doors one last, hard tug.
Sebastian had a point there.
“Okay, but you can’t tell Marco.”
“I won’t.”
“You have to swear to me you won’t.” The last thing on earth Gabriela wanted to do was to cause a rift between the couple—especially if Lola turned up to be snoozing on a chaise longue, somewhere, happily passed out.
Sebastian stopped and thrust a hand on his hip, eyes flashing with emotion. “I won’t. Now. Tell. Me. Everything.” She realized then how intimidating the man must be in the courtroom. The green flecks in his eyes seemed to glow with intensity.
“She might have said something about cold feet.”
“What?” Sebastian released the door handle and focused his full attention on her.
“She was just talking about nerves. I didn’t think she was serious.”
“When?” Sebastian stiffened, suddenly all seriousness.
“Tonight. Right before the rehearsal dinner.”
Sebastian thought for a moment. “Well, she wouldn’t just throw herself off a balcony, would she?”
“No.” Gabriela bit her lip. They walked to the end of the passageway on the other side of the ship and ran into two double-glass doors leading to the outdoor pool where, just last night, Felicia had shoved her in. That seemed like a whole lifetime ago. Beneath the pale moonlight, the deserted pool shimmered. “Oh, no.”
Gabriela rushed to one of the pool chairs and saw Lola’s strappy stilettos. She’d kicked them off, it seemed, and they were beneath the chair closest to the Jacuzzi. She snatched them up, checked the size—seven—and the rhinestone detailing on the ankle strap. “These are Lola’s.”
“You’re sure?” Sebastian knelt by her, putting his hand on her elbow. She was grateful for the support, because she suddenly felt light-headed. She covered his hand with hers and nodded.
“I was with her the day she bought them.”
“Dammit.” Sebastian glanced around the pool deck, and Gabriela did the same, mentally cataloging the distance between where they’d found the shoes and the railing. Probably twenty feet. Or more. Could she have stumbled over there? Leaned too far over and fallen?
“She was drunk,” Gabriela said. “What if she...?”
Sebastian straightened and helped Gabriela do the same. He walked to the railing and looked over.
Gabriela joined him, watching the waves below them, inky-black beneath the night sky, slosh against the sides of
the ship as it cut through the water. The cool night breeze ruffled her hair and she shivered. She prayed her friend was all right. She glanced backward, but only saw the string of white lights on the ship and a very little bit of foamy white wake behind them, the only ripple in the vast sea. She imagined floating in that, in the dark, alone. Horrible. She reached out and took Sebastian’s hand, wanting the steady warmth. He squeezed hers hard.
“We need to go talk to the captain,” Sebastian said.
“I’ll call Felicia and Marco.” Gabriela clutched the heels tightly in her hand. She prayed for the best but wondered if they all needed to prepare for the worst.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
IN THE SMALL windowless room on the third floor, just off the lobby, Gabriela, Sebastian, Marco and Felicia all sat before several closed-circuit security monitors. The captain, with his head of white hair and his stiff white jacket, stood next to his head of security, an average, middle-aged man in a white cruise ship uniform. They’d let them inside the room to help identify Lola from the security camera video of earlier that night.
Gabriela sat with her hands tightly pressed together. Sebastian stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder. Neither Felicia nor Marco seemed to notice and, at this point, Gabriela just didn’t care. She was worried about her friend. Beyond worried. The hard pit in her stomach told her something was very, very wrong. Lola wouldn’t just disappear.
Marco rubbed his face, the stress and the fatigue clearly getting to him. “You think she’s on this camera?”
“We’ve got several on the pool deck,” the captain told him. “Where did you find the shoes?”
“There.” Sebastian pointed to the third screen, second chair from the right.
“Good. Then we should be able to see her. Let’s rewind this.”
Gabriela watched, feeling as if she were balancing on the head of a tiny pin. She didn’t even want to breathe as she watched herself and Sebastian moving backward: first stepping in from out of the frame and then standing by the railing, holding hands. She forgot about that. Well, too late now. Though, instinctively, she moved a little bit away from Sebastian. He glanced at her, noticing. She turned back to the monitor. The video skipped further backward, to when they’d found the shoes, and then soon they were out of frame entirely. The video continued to skip backward until, right about nine, they saw the blurring movement of a woman in pink.
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