He liked the idea that she might get a little bit scared if she knew that she was being stalked. She was screwing up his life, so it was only right that he should screw up hers, or what was left of it. So he left the drawers in disarray and swiped her passport. Let her worry about that for a little while. She wouldn't be needing it where she was going, anyway.
Letting himself back out of the room, he congratulated himself on a good night's work. He deserved a reward, and he knew exactly where he could get one. In a suite up on A Deck, Jared Stevenson the Third was waiting. First Neil would stop by his room and freshen up.
While he was there, he'd pluck a few things from that giant basket Jared had provided. Apparently the man hadn't realized how erotic his gift had been, but Neil would teach him. Jared had no idea what treats were in store for him tonight.
Twelve
GILLIAN KNEW THIS WASN'T A PLEASURE CRUISE FOR her, but when the ship's crew turned out the lights and she found herself lying on a lounge chair right beside Lex, with a canopy of stars above her, she felt pleasure.
"Nobody looks at the stars anymore," she said.
"You can't see them in L.A.," Lex murmured.
"That's sort of funny, when you think about it. L.A. is full of stars, and they're all human ones. You can't see the stars in the sky. At least not anything like this."
"I don't think I've ever seen the stars this bright," Lex said.
"Me, either." She slipped her glasses out of her evening purse and put them on. "That's better. Now it doesn't look so much like powdered sugar on a brownie."
He glanced over at her. "I hope you keep those glasses handy. There might be times it would be useful to see what the hell's going on. Oh, and nice save at the dinner table, Janice."
"Janice Collins was one of my best friends in grade school. I figured I had to come up with something quick if I didn't want to banded the name Gillian McCormick around."
"Which you don't. But I'll bet you can stick with Norma Jean for the rest of the cruise."
"I hope so. I'm already having an identity crisis." And she didn't feel like talking about her perilous circumstances anymore. "Do you know anything about astronomy?"
"A little bit."
Gillian recognized humility when she heard it. She'd used it herself enough times so she wouldn't seem to be a brainiac. "I'll bet you know more than a little bit. I took it in college. Got an A, in fact."
"Me, too," he said in a low voice. "But don't let that get around. I'm trying to keep Dante from labeling me a nerd."
"I wouldn't care." She thought about telling him that she was basically a nerd, herself, that before Cora had transformed her into Norma Jean, she'd thought of herself as being on the frumpy side. But she couldn't bring herself to say any of that. Putting on her glasses was as far as she was willing to go in spoiling her image.
After all, she was lying on this lounge chair in a vintage red gown that made her look like a sex goddess. Lex had already told her that the dress drove him crazy. She'd be dumb to sabotage the effect of the dress by thoroughly describing the nerd who was wearing it. Better to keep herself something of a mystery.
The professor's voice sounded over the intercom. "Lift your eyes to the heavens, my fellow voyagers. Prepare to take a journey to the stars. On the way to the stars, we'll pass the planets in our tiny galaxy. We'll talk about the beauty of Venus, the wonders of Mars, the rings of Saturn, the mysteries of Uranus."
"Whoops, he said that wrong," she whispered. Nearby, she heard Dante's muffled laughter. "It's not exactly wrong," Lex said. "There are two versions."
"But one makes people laugh and one doesn't."
"Correction. One makes Dante laugh. I swear his mental age is fourteen."
"Let's begin with the North Star," the professor said. "Can anyone tell me where to look for it?"
"In the north?" Dante's comment was followed by a slapping sound, as if someone had whacked him on the arm.
"Off the lip of the Big Dipper," BJ said.
"Try saying that ten times." Then Dante yelped. "Hey, she pinched me. And not in a loving way, either."
"Dante, behave yourself." Cora turned in Dante's direction. "Don't make me come over there."
"It's okay, Cora," BJ said. "I'll take care of him."
"Oh, I hope so," Dante crooned.
Gillian couldn't see what was going on, but she was worried about BJ getting her heart broken. She turned on her side, so she could talk softly to Lex. "You know he's flirting with her like crazy. That's not fair if he's not serious."
Lex turned on his side, too, which put them inches from each other. "Believe it or not, he told me he really thinks she might be the one."
His warm breath tickled her mouth. "Really?" She lost interest in the astronomy lecture as she realized how easy it would be to move her head a little closer to his and kiss those tempting lips.
"Yeah. But now is not the time. I don't want him distracted by sex."
"I suppose not." Gillian understood the implication.
Dante wasn't supposed to be distracted by the pleasures of the flesh, and neither was Lex. She turned onto her back again and gazed up at the diamond-bright sky.
It would be fantastic to make love up here on deck under a sky like this. Well, that would only be true if you were the one on the bottom and could look up and see it. The one on top would miss the view. Or maybe, to keep things fair, you could alternate.
If she were choosing, she'd take the top first and save the bottom and the view of the stars for last. Being on top was fun, but she'd always liked the bottom position a little better. That way, when she came, she didn't have to keep herself balanced. She wondered if Lex had any preferred positions or if he liked it all.
She thought about asking him, but that would bring up the subject of sex, the subject he and Dante weren't supposed to be distracted by. Gillian thought that might be impossible, considering they were on a tropical cruise and the nights were so warm she felt like taking off all her clothes. Lex might object, at least at first.
Gillian tried to concentrate on the astronomy lecture, but as the professor described the constellations of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, she began picking up other sounds. From the various lounge chairs on the top deck she heard the soft scratching of pens as a few took notes. She'd expected that from a ship full of nerds.
But there were other noises that captured her attention. The sound of the ship moving through the water was a constant whooshing, of course, but there was something else. Either people all over the deck were eating finger food, or a make-out session was in full bloom.
Gillian listened closely. Definitely a make-out session. Because she'd been recently kissed herself, she couldn't mistake the slurp of lips against lips, the soft chirp of suction as the kiss deepened, followed by moans and quickened breathing. The salt air corning off the water smelled like sex. Gillian wondered if this was about to become an orgy.
The professor seemed oblivious as he launched into an explanation of the stars that made up Orion's belt. Speaking of belts, was that the rasp of a zipper? She would swear it was. Some people were wasting no time.
She turned on her side and kept her voice low. "Lex."
"Mm?" He swiveled his head in her direction.
"The nerds are getting it on."
He moved to his side so he was facing her again. "Uh-huh."
"So you heard it, too?" "Can't help it."
"But what about the professor and Cora? Can't they hear all that smooching going on?"
Lex smiled. "Maybe not, if they're both hard of hearing."
"You know, I've wondered that about Cora."
"She covers it well by reading lips. I'll bet he's a little deaf, too. And if she's hanging on his every word..."
"Makes perfect sense." She gazed at him. "Well, I'm not hard of hearing, and I distinctly heard zippers."
He swallowed. "I don't really want to talk about that."
"Me, either." The way she looked at it, she could lie he
re and be a good girl, and have no hot memories to take with her when she disappeared into some humble village to pluck chickens while her roots grew out.
Or, she could take advantage of her current blondness and possession of a dynamite red dress that excited the man beside her so much that he was forever ogling her in it. He was ogling her now, as a matter of fact.
Good girl and no memories versus bad girl and hot memories. Sounded like a no-brainer to her. The top deck was awash in hormones, which made the decision even easier. Slowly she pulled her glasses off and slipped the earpiece into the neckline of her dress.
He followed her action, his gaze lingering on her cleavage. "What are you doing?"
"Enjoying the lecture, just like everybody else." She reached for his glasses.
"Gillian ..." His protest was weak, and he didn't stop her from taking them off.
"That's Norma Jean to you." She folded his glasses and tucked them in the pocket of his shirt. "Move over. I'm joining you."
"That's a really bad idea."
"No, it's a really good idea." She slipped quietly off her lounge chair. The silky material of her red dress made that easy. When she eased herself down on Lex's chair, he had no choice but to move to accommodate her.
It was a snug fit, so snug that as she settled against him, she found out something extremely validating. Lex was hard. "I thought you didn't like this idea," she said.
He wrapped his arms around her. "I didn't say that. I said it was a bad idea."
She pressed her advantage right up against his rebellious body part. "Some of you disagrees."
"There's a lecture going on. You're supposed to be quiet."
"Make me."
"I feel like a teenager at a drive-in."
"I know." She rubbed against him. "Isn't it great?"
"Yeah." With a little groan of surrender, he kissed her.
By now she should be used to the impact of that kiss, but instead it seemed more potent each time. These kisses they'd shared were working up to something important, and from the way Lex's penis pushed against her thigh, she had a good idea what that important event would be.
Probably not here and now. Little Ben and Cora might be partly deaf, but there were limits as to what Gillian would do in public. She and Lex wouldn't always be in public, though, at least not if she could help it.
At least they were finally horizontal, and that made for some interesting developments. After thoroughly exploring the options in mouth-to-mouth contact, Lex began journeying elsewhere. As his warm lips moved down her throat, she had the presence of mind to reach between them and pull her glasses out of her cleavage.
"I shouldn't be doing this," he muttered as he kissed the tops of her breasts. "Tell me to stop."
"There's a zipper in back. And you should know how the bra unhooks. You bought it."
"You're shameless." He nipped at her skin, but he found the zipper and inched it down. Then he unhooked the bra with a snap of his wrist.
Her dress gaped open a little, but not enough for what she had in mind. "More zipper."
The professor's voice droned on. "And now, let's consider the dazzling sight of the Milky Way. Milk has always been a powerful symbol to mankind, signifying his awe of the nurturing qualities of a woman's breast."
With perfect timing, Gillian's dress came free.
"Nurture me," Lex whispered against her skin.
The man had technique. An amazingly quiet technique, too. Without making any of the usual sounds that would reveal what he was doing, he soon had her writhing in his arms and clamping her mouth closed to keep from moaning out loud.
So that he had access to both breasts, Lex had changed their positions so that she was under him, which gave her the cherished view of the stars. Without her glasses the stars were blurry, but she didn't care. She buried her fingers in Lex's hair and noticed that starlight reflected in the silky strands. If this wasn't heaven, she didn't want to go.
All around her she could hear others enjoying each other in the warmth of the night. The sounds of rustling clothes, smothered groans, and half-swallowed whimpers were carried off on a sea breeze. Whether it was from group pressure or Lex's technique, she was venturing closer and closer to an orgasm.
She wanted that desperately, but there were considerations. Reluctantly, she cupped Lex's head in both hands and tugged him tree. "Up here," she whispered.
He leaned his forehead against hers and gulped for air. "Am I doing it wrong?"
"You're doing it so right that I'm going to come in a minute."
His soft laugh was pure male. "Go for it." "Not in this dress. Not in these fancy panties you bought me."
"Damn." He muffled his labored breathing against her shoulder. "Okay, we can do this." He reached up to the back of the lounge chair where his jacket lay folded and pulled it down. Then he put his mouth close to her ear and explained how she could have her orgasm and save her dress.
"But what about your jacket?" "As if I care. Come on."
It took some subtle maneuvering, but soon he had her panties in his hand. He stroked them over his cheek. "Already damp." He sounded pleased.
"I told you."
"The red ones?"
"Serendipity. The bra and panties went with the dress."
"And now the panties belong to me." He shoved them in the pocket of his slacks.
"Lex." She was both scandalized and thrilled. He had the makings of a rogue.
"Even nerds should enjoy a thrill now and then." Using his jacket as cover, he pulled up her skirt. With the jacket under her and the lapels open enough to give him access, he slid his hand between her thighs. "Are you loud?" he murmured. "I'll bet you're loud." He teased her lightly with his fingers.
"I'll be quiet." She quivered with longing. "I promise."
"I'm taking no chances." He covered her mouth with his as he sank his fingers deep inside her.
His head blocked her view of the stars, but considering what he was doing with his fingers, she didn't mind. Between his kiss and his relentless stroking, she was seeing stars soon enough—the shooting kind that rocketed past as her body clenched in a glorious climax. When cries rose up in her throat, he deepened his kiss.
But she was very much afraid she'd made the lounge chair creak. Considering the force of her orgasm, it was a wonder she hadn't fallen off the darned thing. Wow. She didn't know whether to attribute the glory of it to Lex, her, the sexually drenched surroundings, or a combination of the above. But she was one happy chickadee.
Gradually Lex eased up on his kiss. When he finally lifted his head, he wasn't breathing too steadily, either. Slowly he withdrew his hand and wrapped the jacket lapels around her thighs. "I almost joined you on that one."
"And then what would we have done?" "I would have carried my multipurpose jacket in front of me all the way back to the cabin." "Don't you love that jacket?"
"It's quickly becoming my favorite accessory. But we probably should put you back together before Little Ben winds up the lecture and starts with the quiz."
She reached up to touch his face. "Thank you." She wished she could see his eyes better, so she could tell how he'd reacted to this latest event.
He heaved a sigh. "You know I loved every minute. But we really have to stop this craziness." He hooked her bra and zipped her dress. "What if someone had tried something while we were involved?"
"With all these people around? Besides, the Italian guy from the karaoke bar wasn't here. I checked."
"I checked, too, but that doesn't mean he couldn't be lurking in the shadows."
"I still say I'm safe in a crowd."
Lex blew out a breath. "Safe from everyone but me."
CORA DIDN'T SPY ON LEX AND GILLIAN, BUT SHE WAS well aware that they'd become involved in some serious canoodling during the lecture. Excellent. All along she'd hoped that they would become interested in each other.
The Marilyn disguise was part of her plan in that regard, besides being a good subterfuge. Gillian had
needed more self-confidence to attract a man like Lex. He wouldn't care what color her hair was or whether she wore sexy clothes. But he was attracted to confidence. Gillian was developing more every minute.
Dante, on the other hand, needed someone who needed him. Cora had known he wouldn't fall hard for the hootchie-mama types he usually dated. They were a little too confident to awaken Dante's protective instincts. Cora hadn't counted on someone as perfect as BJ showing up, but here she was, and Dante was soon going to be her slave.
So far, Cora was pleased with the way things were working out. Dante needed a steadying influence in his life, especially if he couldn't lean on Lex anymore. Lex could very well end up leaving the country at the end of this cruise, which would make BJ's presence in Dante's life vital.
Assuming Gillian had to make a run for it, Cora felt sure Lex would decide to go with her. After all, they could have great sex in Brazil or Chile as easily as they could have great sex in L.A. With the sparks flying between the two of them, Cora had no doubt they would have great sex. They'd made a reasonable start tonight.
"And that concludes the lecture portion of the program," Benjamin said. "Put your thinking caps on, because now we'll have the trivia quiz, and after that, we'll take a peek into astrology!"
Cora smiled. Put your thinking caps on. Benjamin was too cute.
He turned to her. "Ready to help me with the transparencies for the quiz?" "Of course."
"I think the lecture went well. Do you think they enjoyed it?"
"Oh, I'm sure of it. You were a smash hit." Someone could shove splinters under her fingernails before she'd ever tell him that his audience had been making out like mad during his lecture. "I keep forgetting to ask you. Did the cruise line give you a roommate?"
"Uh, no, they did not. I have a single." He turned on the projector and glanced over at her. "I hope that's a leading question instead of idle curiosity."
"My dear man, I never ask questions out of idle curiosity."
"A woman after my own heart."
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Benjamin might be vertically challenged, but at her stage of life, Cora didn't consider that a problem. She didn't give a damn what people thought of her choice of a beau, and once they were horizontal, all sorts of adjustments could be made.
Nerds Like It Hot Page 13
