"God, yes."
His response thrilled her to her toes. Eagerness was so good for the ego. And maybe his comment about not needing anything but a mattress and her wasn't quite in the same league with "a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou," but it was close enough to suit her.
He'd tried to be romantic, as romantic as an Aries like Lex could be, and she would give him points for that. Truth be told, if she didn't get to make love with Lex tonight, she might combust. No matter how many times she'd told herself that it was a mistake, when confronted with the actual man and a convenient mattress, she couldn't help herself.
It wasn't a perfect union. She still thought her Marilyn look was a significant element in their relationship. But if she considered the fact that they'd be saying good-bye in two days, did it matter?
Whether he was romantic enough, or stack on blondes, or right for her in every respect—so what? She would never ask him to ride off into the South American sunset with her. No one should be asked to cast their life aside like that, especially someone as terrific as Lex. Besides, Dante needed him in their PI partnership.
And the other thing, the concept she didn't want to examine too closely, was the possibility that she wouldn't ride off into the South American sunset, after all. Mafia hit men were usually effective. If her days were numbered, then she deserved to have some fun before she bit it.
"Hey, did you find them?" He sounded a little weary, as if he might be getting tired.
Whoops. She'd been standing in the bathroom thinking while he was supporting the mattress and waiting for her to reappear with condoms. "They're right here." She scooped them up, stepped over the sill, and closed the bathroom door. Then she moved back so he could lower the mattress.
With a sigh of relief, he let the mattress slide to the floor. In no time they were standing side by side at the end of their little strip of paradise.
She turned and handed him the packets she'd picked up on the counter. "Your condoms, sir."
"Gillian, I just want to say—"
"Don't say anything." She crouched down and crawled onto the mattress. Once there, she lay back and held out her arms. "Just come here and make us both happy."
LEX FIGURED HE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING right to deserve this. He was very unclear on what constituted a romantic gesture, but by accident he must have made one. Maybe heaving the mattress on end so that they had condom access had done the trick.
In any event, he was gazing at a vision in black satin and lace, and she wanted him. She did look a lot like Marilyn in that pose, but he wasn't about to tell her that. She'd made it very obvious that he wasn't supposed to be attracted by all the Marilyn stuff. And he wasn't, not really.
But a body like Gillian's didn't come along every day, and although he loved the way her mind worked, right now it wasn't her mind that had him tossing aside the condom packages so he could pull off his T-shirt and shuck his boxers.
"Oh." Her eyes widened as she stared at his equipment.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, not at all." She swallowed. "I've just... led a sheltered life."
He froze. "Tell me you're not a virgin." Fate wouldn't be so unkind. He'd been to bed with one virgin in his life, and he didn't recommend it. Some rudimentary experience with male anatomy was a huge help when embarking on this course of action.
"I'm not a virgin." Her smile turned into a sexy little chuckle. "But I've never been with a man who had such an embarrassment of riches. You're very well hung, Lex. And that's kind of cool. I didn't know I'd be so blessed."
Lex blushed, and of course looked down at his cock. Then he glanced up again, quickly, not wanting to be caught studying his own penis. "I think I'm in the normal range."
"If that's the normal range, I've been seriously deprived."
"Seriously, I'm not that special." He'd never been into comparisons, which seemed stupid to him. You had what you had, and so what? Yeah, a couple of women had remarked on his size, but he'd put that down to pillow talk, the kind of thing that women said to make a guy feel studly.
"You look special from here. And I'm even taking the angle into consideration."
"You're nattering me." And he had to admit he loved it.
"No, I'm not. That's one gorgeous package."
How could a guy not feel special with comments like that? "Guess it's time to wrap it, then." Feeling very manly, indeed, he picked up one of the condoms.
"Not yet." Her color high, she beckoned to him with both hands. "C'mere."
"You mean ... wait on the condom?"
"Yes, please." She laughed softly. "I can't believe I'm being so assertive. I'm never assertive in bed. But I want... I want to touch you."
"Okay." He sounded so calm, when inside he was going crazy. She wanted to touch him, fondle him, maybe do some other things, things that he certainly hadn't expected on this first night together. But he wasn't going to argue.
As he crawled onto the mattress, his heart beat like an engine about to throw a rod. "Where do you want me?"
"I think. .. sitting with your back against the door. That will give me the most room."
She needs lots of room. He wondered if he'd pass out from anticipation. All he'd expected was regular sex and the chance to bury his face in her glorious breasts. But no matter what she did with all that room she wanted, he wouldn't come. Coming first was not a good thing, especially after a woman had been so complimentary about a guy's package.
Following her directions, he sat at the head of the mattress and leaned against the cold metal door. He hadn't realized how hot his skin was until it touched that door, which felt like ice. But he didn't say a word about the cold door. A cold door was nothing when a woman was looking at your cock as if she'd just been served a banana split.
"Impressive," she said. Propped on one elbow beside him, she let her hand hover over his erect penis. "May I?"
"Uh-huh." Most definitely. Dive right in. He was shaking, which made his cock quiver the tiniest bit. But then she wrapped her fingers around it, and the quivering didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that he had the urge to come now, and she had barely started.
"So silky." She stroked her hand up and down.
"Mm." He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. Watching her massage him, her lace-covered breasts brushing his thigh as she stroked, added another challenging dimension. So until he got himself under control, he wouldn't look at what she was doing.
Her voice dropped to a sexy murmur. "I can see why men like to masturbate. This feels good to me, and I'm not even the owner."
Oh, God. He hadn't counted on her saying that kind of thing to turn up the heat. He could stick his fingers in his ears, but that didn't fit his image of a sexually evolved guy.
Somehow he had to get her to shut up. at least for a little while. "Don't.. ."
"You don't masturbate?" She used her thumb to rub the underside of his penis, right near the top, where it counted. "Of course you do. With this beauty between your legs, you'd be a fool not to."
"Please ... don't... talk." He gasped for breath.
"Ah. I get it. You're trying not to come, and talking about masturbating makes you want to."
He gulped. "Brilliant deduction."
She slowed her strokes. "I'll take it easy. I've never given myself permission to openly play with a man's sexual equipment before, but if not now, then, when? And it's turning me on like you wouldn't believe."
"Um, you're... talking."
"I am talking. Sorry." With that she rolled between his legs and scooted up so that her breasts nestled against his thighs and cradled his twins. "This should keep my mouth shut." And she began to lick.
He reached out and gripped the edges of the mattress. He wouldn't come, he wouldn't come, he wouldn't come.
She paused. "But just let me say that you taste great. Salty. Like a big pretzel, only hard. Yum."
' He moaned softly. Heaven help him, every move she made, every comment that came out of her mouth
, ratcheted up the stakes. He'd never had sex with a woman who was so verbal, so curious . . .
And then it hit him. He might be turned on by Gillian's body, but she was driving him insane with her mind. Only someone with a brain like hers would think to say the things she was saying.
He'd thought having sex with her would be physically incredible, but he hadn't realized that mental sex would be involved. She was caressing him lightly with her tongue, which made him quiver and struggle to hold on, but he'd bet she could talk him into a climax without touching him at all.
Then again, two could play at that game. The only problem was finding enough breath to manage it.
He drew in some air. "That feels good," he murmured.
"I hope so. I'm loving this." She closed her lips over the tip of his penis.
Although he had a follow-up line, he had to take a rain check until he'd regrouped. That mouth of hers could be his undoing. Finally he was able to breathe again. Sort of. "I'll bet you . . . taste good, too."
She paused in mid-suck.
"Women are so . . . interesting. I love exploring . . ." He took another lungful of air. "With my tongue. Licking those soft, moist. . . folds, and then . . ." This routine could work against him, too. While getting her excited, he was veering closer to his grand finale.
Slowly she lifted her head. Her voice was a feathery whisper. "Then what?"
"Then . . . concentrating on that sweet. . . little center point. . . licking, sucking, until—"
"Condom time!" She wiggled free.
If he hadn't been so short on air, he would have laughed. Instead he used what little oxygen remained for one word. "Hurry."
"You betcha." She found the foil packet and tossed it to him. "Put this on while I take off my nightgown and panties."
He ripped open the packet. "Panties?" Hadn't they already done that part earlier? Oh, well. He rolled the condom over his throbbing penis.
"I put them back on." She tossed those at him, too. "This time you can have them for real."
Lex stared at his lap in disbelief. If they'd been playing ring toss, she would have scored with the panties.
"There's a visual for you," she said.
He glanced up and for the first time was treated to a view of Gillian, undressed. Her lush body made him dizzy with lust. "There's a better one. You're—" He cleared the emotion clogging his throat. "You're sensational."
Dark eyes flashing fire, she crawled toward him, her breasts swaying gently, her voice husky. "Lex, it seems you're wearing my panties."
Dazzled by her naked beauty, he'd forgotten all about the red satin ringing his cock. He met her hot stare. "It's your fault."
"They look good on you. Tell me, do you like how they feel?" She reached out and took hold of the panties, rubbing them up and down his shaft.
"Mm. Nice."
"So you like them?"
"I like anything that's been close to you."
She twisted the panties so they tightened around the base of his penis. "I want you so much I could scream."
"Then it's time." He took hold of the panties and wrenched them out of her grasp. They ripped as he pulled them away and threw them across the room. In one quick motion he rolled her onto her back.
Panting, she gazed up at him. "How did you know?"
"Know what?" His heart beat fast and furiously as he moved between her thighs.
"That I like this way best of all?"
"Lucky guess." His forearms trembled as he braced himself. "Are you really ready to scream?"
"Yes. Really."
"If you do, Dante will show up." "Then I won't."
"I don't believe you." Leaning down, he kissed her as he shoved his penis deep into the warmest, slickest vagina he'd ever had the pleasure to enter. Her muffled groan melded with his as he pumped once, twice. On the third stroke they both came in indescribable splendor.
The glory of it was so complete that Lex forgot about muting his reaction, forgot that he was lying on a twin bed shoved against the door to keep out a potential killer, forgot that Gillian thought their stars were out of alignment. This was the most perfect moment of his life. The smart thing would be to give up sex right now, at the pinnacle of sexual achievement. Nothing could ever be this good again. Nothing.
outside Gillian's door, neil stood listening in absolute fascination to the interchange. It played hell with his plans to know Gillian was in there with Lex Manchester, but discovering that Lex enjoyed wearing women's undies was almost worth the setback. People constantly surprised him.
Here he'd thought his target was a mousy little makeup artist, and she'd turned out to be a blond bombshell who wore designer dresses. And now she had an honest-to-God boyfriend, which complicated matters quite a bit.
The boyfriend wouldn't be as easy to work around as an eighty-two-year-old woman.
And what a boyfriend Gillian had! Neil had pegged Lex Manchester for a semigeek who wasn't nearly flashy enough for the likes of Gillian. Neil still wasn't sure about the flashy part, but Lex had the kinky scene covered.
Even more interesting, Gillian seemed excited that Lex wanted to model her underwear. Neil would never have guessed that she would like that. Some women were horrified by such a discovery, but Gillian had been so turned on that they'd done it right there on the floor by the closet. Just his luck, Neil was taped up again and couldn't fully enjoy the vicarious thrill of that.
He'd left BJ and Dorothy back in the room playing with makeup and clothes. He'd had to change the dynamics that had been going on in that room, because being unfettered under his silk pajamas had made him increasingly nervous. He'd accomplished the haircut, but there had been a few close calls when he could have sworn Dorothy suspected he wasn't one hundred percent female.
Finally, when the party had shown no sign of winding down, he'd suggested going to the bar and rummaging up some drinks for them. They were more than happy to let him do that and avoid a room service charge. So he'd gone back into the bathroom, taped himself again and dressed in sweats.
He hadn't minded the way things had developed, because while cutting Dorothy's hair, he'd come up with what had seemed like a fabulous idea. Without Lex Manchester to deal with, it would have been.
Neil's manicure scissors hadn't been the best thing to use for a haircut, but struggling with them had made him realize that they could be a weapon, a weapon that was easily discarded over the side when he was finished. Everyone had manicure scissors. If he used surgical gloves, no one would be able to trace anything to him.
Bruise marks were more distinctive, so it was a good thing he hadn't gone through with his earlier strangling plan. Tucking his small bottle of ether and a hankie in one pocket, the scissors and the gloves in the other, he'd left the room ostensibly bound for the bar. No one would ever have to know about his detour past Gillian's room.
He'd expected to find her in there with Cora. Rumor had it Cora was going slightly deaf, so he might not have to knock her out with the ether. He could start with Gillian, and once she was unconscious, go to work with the manicure scissors. She'd bleed to death by morning.
But now Gillian had a new roommate, one who liked to wear satin panties. That put a whole new light on things. Although his plan was foiled, Neil had to admit it made the game more interesting.
Eighteen
JARED STEVENSON THE THIRD'S VOICE CRASHED INTO Gillian's dreams. "Breakfast, featuring our special French toast with blueberry sauce, is now being served in the dining room."
Gillian pulled the covers over her head and tried to block out the irritating announcement, but it wouldn't go away.
"A fine array of pastries and fruit is also available on the terrace on A Deck. Don't forget to join us for the calypso party and limbo contest this morning at eleven on A Deck."
Limbo contest. Cora. Lex. She'd spent the night with Lex. Cautiously she peered out from the covers, but he was no longer in bed with her.
"And for more fun than you can stand, don't miss
our special Underwater Charades at two this afternoon. In case you can't guess, it takes place in the pool! If you don't have a partner, see Dr. Lawrence and find out who on board is your star-crossed lover. It's a gorgeous day at sea!"
"Good morning."
At the sound of Lex's deep baritone, Gillian rolled over, which wrapped her like a mummy in the bedspread. There had been no bedspread when she'd zonked out, exhausted from stress and sex. The man standing at the end of the mattress, the fully dressed man, must have fetched the bedspread during the night.
Despite a growth of beard, he still looked good, damn him. It wasn't fair that men could get up in the morning, run their fingers through their hair, throw on their clothes, and be presentable. She was afraid to see what her hair looked like. When it had been long and straight, she'd had some control, but this short blond arrangement could turn into a fright wig overnight.
She didn't want Lex to see that and have all his illusions destroyed. She and Lex had enjoyed quite the time last night, but this morning, with him completely clothed and her still naked inside the bedspread, she felt at a disadvantage.
"You got dressed," she said. It came out sounding like an accusation.
He grinned. "So sue me."
Well, that was an Aries for you. A romantic would have stayed in bed with her and kissed her awake, instead of waiting until Jared Stevenson the Third blasted her with cheerful announcements of activities she didn't want to do in the first place. A romantic would have cuddled with her and told her what a magic night they'd had together. Then he would have suggested room service for breakfast.
An Aries would get up, get dressed, and—when confronted with the fact—say so sue me. "You don't look happy," he said.
"Never mind. You wouldn't understand." She desperately wanted to tell him to go get himself a cup of coffee, or find a way to make her own graceful exit. That's when she realized the pickle she was in. They were officially sharing the same room.
Worse than that, no one could leave, or even get into the bathroom, until someone moved this mattress. There was no way in hell she was moving this mattress naked. She was already feeling awkward about everything that had happened while she was in this condition.
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