by Tess Summers
The next time he looked at the video feed, she’d shut the lights off. Jacob decided he was drawing the line at turning on the night vision, instead choosing to get a few hours of shuteye, too. He found himself wishing he had her pillow to hug as he tried to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Taren
At first she thought she was dreaming when she woke up to the dawn’s light coming through the cabin windows and found Jake’s arms around her, her body wrapped in the warmth of his naked chest.
He must have noticed she was awake because he murmured, “Sorry to wake you, baby. It’s still early, go back to sleep.”
“How are you here?” she whispered and rolled over to examine his body, like she may still be dreaming.
“It helps that I have a lot of money, and I’m very good at bribing people.”
“I don’t understand…”
“I was notified when the ship docked at three thirty this morning, and paid the workers in charge of bringing the ship to port a hefty sum, along with a sob story about missing the boat yesterday. They checked my boarding documents, took my ‘tip,’ and let me on.”
“It’s probably just because you’re handsome,” she murmured and rolled back over into a spooning position. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
She finally felt like she could relax now that he was back and fell into a deep slumber until he roused her later that morning.
“Tinkerbell, wake up,” he cooed softly. “We’re going to miss breakfast.”
“I don’t care,” she moaned into her pillow with her eyes still closed.
Taren felt his hands caress her butt and in between her thighs, causing her to widen her legs for him.
“You’re going to need your strength, baby girl. You’ve got a punishment coming.” His tone was teasing, but she knew he wasn’t joking when he squeezed her bum hard. Her eyes flew open at the realization of what was in store for her today.
“Now?”
“No,” he answered with a disingenuous smile. “I think I’ll let you anticipate it over breakfast. Maybe even lunch. Go get ready.”
“You’re mean,” she pouted on her way to the bathroom, but was secretly excited with this little game they were playing.
As she lathered her body in the shower stall, she closed her eyes and imagined it was Jake’s hands touching her. It was like he had ESP, because she heard the bathroom door open and close, and seconds later he was stepping through the curtain, his hard cock jutting out from his body.
Damn, did she like his cock.
“Well, hello,” she said, reaching out to stroke his length with her soapy hands.
Jake leaned down under the water and kissed her. She could taste toothpaste as his tongue began exploring her mouth while his hands traveled from her waist to her breasts, pushing the mounds of flesh higher then tugging on her nipples and gently twisting them between his fingers.
“You were a naughty girl last night, trying to make me jealous.”
“I thought you said you were territorial,” she teased and was met with him pinching her rosy peaks harder in response.
“You’re pretty sassy for someone who has a spanking coming later,” he admonished, pressing her against the shower wall while grinding his cock between her legs.
“Maybe I’m looking forward to it.”
He shook his head, grinning at her. “You’re not supposed to look forward to your spankings, my little fairy. I might have to find some other way to punish you.”
“Li—like how?” she gulped.
The spankings and the power exchange had been erotic, as had his objectification of her. But pain wasn’t really her kink, and she didn’t think she’d enjoy anything more than being spanked with his hand.
Jacob moved his body so the warm water was raining down on her, then reached between her legs and began to move his fingers over her clit. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the white acrylic wall.
“I was thinking orgasm denial.”
Her eyes opened in a flash.
“I don’t think I would like that very much.”
He smirked as he dipped his fingers inside her then smeared her juices to her clit.
“You might be surprised. Besides, Tink, it’s supposed to be a punishment,” he snarled, rubbing her knot faster.
She scowled back at him, but it was quickly replaced with a gasp and a moan when he pushed his cock into her wet pussy.
“Ohhh,” they groaned in unison, and he lifted her off the nonslip floor to deepen the penetration. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, and he began fucking her against the shower wall.
He thrust in and out of her, her back thumping against the wall and her boobs bouncing with every push.
“Fuck, you feel good,” he panted.
She began to murmur dirty words in his ear. Words that would normally make her blush, but frankly, she was feeling self-conscious about how heavy she had to be and wanted him to come soon. She knew he liked it when she talked dirty.
“Oh my god, Jake. Your cock feels so good inside my pussy. Fuck me, baby. Fuck me like I’m your whore.”
He began to grunt and pound her harder, so she continued.
“I want you to come deep inside me. Please. I want to feel your cum dripping out of my pussy, baby.”
He threw his head back and groaned, “Ohhh fuuuck,” then slammed into her at a furious pace. Suddenly he pulled her down on his cock so he was fully seated inside and let out a low growl as she felt his spurts of cum deep inside her like she’d begged for.
Damn, did it feel sexy, and she was really turned on, and a little disappointed with herself for pushing him over the edge so quickly. Especially since he was still holding her like she weighed nothing.
Jake slowly lowered her to the ground, warm water spraying on them. He pulled the showerhead from its holder, and brought it between her legs to clean her.
A soft mewl escaped her lips when the jets hit her clit, and a grin crossed his lips.
“You like that, baby?”
She bit her bottom lip and nodded.
“Spread your legs, Tink.”
She did as he instructed, leaning back against the wall for support as Jacob pulled the hood of her clit back and let the jets do their magic.
It was the fastest orgasm of her life, even quicker than when she was with BOB—her battery operated boyfriend. Like her climaxes with BOB, it wasn’t the most fulfilling, but it got the job done. Taren knew she was in store for better, later.
Jake kissed her softly, then pressed the button to cease the water while he pumped shampoo from the wall dispenser into his hand. As he moved to lather her hair with it, she was going to correct him and tell him she had her own special shampoo, but thought better of it and just accepted the loving act instead.
He then thoroughly rinsed her hair, concentrating to make sure he didn’t miss any spots, and dropped another kiss on her lips with a satisfied smile, which she easily returned. How could she not? A sexy, gorgeous man was naked in the shower with her, in the middle of an expensive vacation that he’d surprised her with, washing her hair. Hello, dream life.
He quickly lathered his body while she watched, mesmerized. He was so incredibly sexy, watching his muscles move as he washed his chest made her catch her breath. It took him less than thirty seconds to shampoo his short hair, then reached for the taps as the water streamed down his face before he shut them off.
He wrapped a white towel around her first before grabbing one from the shelf for himself.
As he dried his legs, he looked up at her with a grin. “Wanna get married today?”
“My answer is the same as when you asked yesterday. And the day before.”
“Just checking. One day, you’ll say yes. All I can do is ask, right?”
She rolled her eyes but a grin escaped her lips.
“And for the record,” he said as he wrapped the towel around his waist, his Adonis belt making her
mouth water. “I didn’t ask yesterday; I didn’t see you yesterday.”
“Well, whose fault is that?” she teased. “Yesterday might have been the day I would have said yes.” She winced like the words pained her. “I guess we’ll never know.”
The look he gave her sent shivers down her spine.
“Keep talking, little one. You’re not going to be able to sit down for a week.”
Why she felt the need to poke the bear, she’d never know, but she did.
“I don’t know… I’ve got a lot of padding back here,” she said, patting her bum over the towel tucked around her as she walked out of the bathroom.
He reached for her wrist and drew her back to him, wrapping his arm around her and snaking his hand under the fabric to grab a handful of flesh from her bottom and jiggled it like he was measuring it with his palm.
“I’d say it’s just the right amount.”
She rolled her eyes again.
“And it’s going to be such a nice shade of red later,” he smirked.
Taren tried to shrug it off like she wasn’t concerned as she pulled away from him, but inside her stomach was doing flip flops with excitement.
****
Jacob
Funny what a difference a week makes.
Last Thursday, he was in Abu Dhabi, tying up loose ends on a project in anticipation of being gone on his cruise with Taren for ten days—his first vacation in seven years. Not even in his most hopeful dreams had he thought he’d be in the shower, naked with her a week later.
Now, Jacob was days away from possibly having her in his house, forever. He just needed to play his cards right and determine the right amount to push—not an easy feat.
But knowing how to handle every situation was his specialty and how he earned the big bucks. Hopefully his heart didn’t cloud his judgment.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Taren
Their remaining time on board could only be described as perfect. Between the gourmet food, the time by the pool, the time spent over his knee and in his bed…
“Can people die from happiness?” she wondered out loud as she draped herself on his lap on the couch in an attempt to distract him from work on their last afternoon at sea. Tomorrow morning, they would be getting off the ship and back to reality. What that reality looked like, they’d carefully avoided discussing.
He promptly closed his laptop, like he always did when she was near his screen, and brought his arms around her, tucking his chin on her shoulder.
“I’ve heard of people dying from a broken heart, but from happiness? Absolutely not.”
“I can understand someone dying from a broken heart,” she murmured. “Been there. Never want to do that again, thank you very much.”
“I agree. Which is why I think we need to stop in Houston and pack your things and move you to New Orleans with me, tomorrow.”
Taren knew this conversation was coming and had made up her mind about what she wanted to do.
She turned her body and cupped his cheek. “I can’t, Jake.”
He didn’t even try to disguise his displeasure, but said nothing until she grinned, “I have to give my work two weeks’ notice, and let East Jefferson know I’ll accept their job offer, before I can leave.”
He dipped her onto the couch, snarling, “You little minx!” then smiled down on her before kissing her softly. “So, you wanna get married today?”
Someday soon, she was going to call his bluff. Just not today, in case he really wasn’t pretending. Deep down, she knew he was serious.
“Not today, but thank you for asking.”
His phone dinged, and he looked at her solemnly. “Why don’t you go to the pool? I don’t want you waiting around for me. I really need to deal with this. It’s important.”
Based on the look on his face, Taren knew it must be.
“Okay,” she said softly, and he moved to let her up. “Everything okay?” she asked from the doorway leading to her cabin.
“No, Tink. It’s not. I’m worried something big is about to happen in Ensenada, and I’m trying to figure out which sources to believe.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say. “Anything I can do to help?”
He shook his head as he opened his computer back up. “I’m afraid not. Just be patient with me as I try to get this worked out.”
“Of course, baby. I’ll just be reading by the pool. Can I get you to put sunscreen on my back before I go, though?”
“Sure,” he said, no longer looking at her but at something on his screen. “Put your suit on and I’ll be happy to.”
“Thanks,” she said before disappearing into her room. She could tell he was really concerned about whatever it was he was dealing with. She hoped Bella and Dante and their little girl were going to be okay. In that short afternoon she’d spent with them, she’d gotten to really like them—especially Bella and her sister. They had treated her with such kindness. And their daughters were too beautiful for words. Little Madison had been something else—her crush on Jacob was adorable.
She returned with a bottle of sunscreen, and Jacob reluctantly closed his laptop as she approached, his brows furrowed with unease.
“It’s very important that you don’t talk to anyone you’ve not spoken to before or to someone you don’t recognize as seeing around during this trip, Tink,” he said as he rubbed the lotion on her back. “Make sure you’re only drinking unopened bottled water or you watch your bartender make your drink. And take your bag with the phone in it, okay?”
“Yeah, of course,” she said compliantly. The fact that he was so troubled had her worried. He was normally cool as a cucumber. This must be bad.
“Keep your phone on, baby. I’ll try to check on you about every half hour. Just let me know if you decide to get in the pool, that way I won’t worry if you don’t answer.”
“O—o—okay,” she stuttered. “Would you rather I just stay here?”
She watched him will a smile on his face and try to soften his body language.
“No, go enjoy your day. I’m sure I’m just being overly vigilant. But be aware of your surroundings, okay?”
“I will,” she promised.
Grabbing her multi-colored beach bag, she put the phone, sunscreen, her Kindle, and two bottles of water in it, then headed to the Lido deck. Her mind filled with worry.
****
Jacob
The underground was buzzing about a band of men from Los Zetas being in Ensenada—a long way from their territory on the west side of Mexico. There was also chatter that there were Columbians there too; but those sources were less reliable. Jacob was reaching out to his network to see if he could get the real story.
Any way he sliced it, nothing good could come from Zetas being in the Sinaloans’ domain.
Jacob was upset to be missing out on the last day of his cruise with Tink, and he hated sending her to the pool by herself. He was especially annoyed with himself for alarming her that anything was wrong, but he wanted her to be vigilant. Plus, he felt like he needed to at least offer an explanation why he wasn’t joining her today. She seemed to understand.
Speaking of… he needed to check on her. He’d put a tracker on her phone and another in her big bag, but they only worked if she had those items in her possession. Texting her was an option, but since they hadn’t established a code word before she left, it could be anyone replying to him. He needed to call her. Better yet, he decided to take a thirty-minute break and go sit with her.
He changed into board shorts and a t-shirt, then slipped on some flip flops and aviator sunglasses. At the last second, he grabbed his phone—just in case one of his contacts decided to reach out to him, then headed out to find his girl. He was sure she was spreading her fairy dust all over the Lido deck that very moment.
Instead, he found her in a lounge chair with a floppy hat and sunglasses, reading her Kindle and not chatting with anyone. Rather than approaching her, he went to the bar and ordered
a Scotch on the rocks for him and that fruity frozen drink she’d been enjoying all week.
She glanced up when he sat down in the lounger next to her, and broke into a big smile.
“Hi! I didn’t expect to see you here!”
He handed her the red drink.
“I decided to take a little break and hang out with my favorite fairy. Maybe go for a swim before heading back.”
“Did you get everything figured out?”
“No. Still working on it. I have a feeling I’m going to be heading to Ensenada after I drop you off in Houston.”
She nodded thoughtfully.
“I wish there was something I could do to help.”
He reached behind and pulled his t-shirt over his head, then sat back on the lounger and picked up his drink.
“Just being understanding helps me a lot. I can’t worry about you being mad at me and deal with this mess.”
“Of course I understand.” She gave him a seductive grin. “But if you’re going to be out in the sun, you should probably put sunscreen on. Lie on your stomach, and I’ll get your back for you.”
Having her hands on him was exactly what he needed. She seemed to sense it too, because she took a long time caressing his back, then even applied lotion on his arms and the backs of his legs, talking softly the whole time.
“I think you need a massage, baby.”
“Fuck that,” he growled. “Like I trust anyone enough to do that.”
“I could do it.”
He did like what she was currently doing to him.
“Yeah?” he asked, raising his head slightly to look at her.
“Why not? You give me massages; I’d be happy to return the favor.”
“Do I get a happy ending?” he teased.
She discreetly slipped her hand up his shorts and cupped his balls, murmuring, “Do you even need to ask?”
“God, I love you, Tink.”
“Mmm, feeling’s mutual, baby,” she whispered in his ear as she moved her hands up to his shoulders and rubbed her tits against his back.
