“When was the first time you kissed your spouse?” asked the game show host.
Debra looked across at him with those green eyes of hers and he felt a jolt zip through his body and settle at his groin. He couldn’t wait to get her back in bed.
Maybe that was the problem. Whenever he was around her he had a tendency to think with the wrong head while the other felt woozy.
“When was the first time your spouse kissed you?”
He met her stare and there was that twinkle in her eyes again as she spoke. “Our first kiss was during our first cruise. He kissed me on the balcony.” She licked her lips.
Staring at her beautiful mouth, he relived that kiss, remembering the sweet taste of her delicious mouth. He had never tasted anything quite that good.
“Rance, what is your answer?”
He blinked twice and noticed Debra’s brow rise before he looked up and realized the host was speaking to him.
“Oh, um…,” He flipped his card. “I said ‘on the balcony.’”
Debra clapped her hands and he grinned, then winked. So far they were in the lead.
While the rest of the contestants were asked the same question, he watched Debra as she crossed one succulent thigh over the other, admiring the shape of her legs and remembering how they had felt wrapped around his waist. He groaned inwardly.
All he was doing was torturing himself.
She reached up and tucked a curl behind her ear and he noticed the diamond and thought about the small mole right beneath her lobe. When was the last time he remembered so much about a woman? Any other woman he wouldn’t have given anywhere near as much thought, but there was just something about her.
“Couple number two, what would your spouse say is your best feature?”
Rance met Debra’s grin and felt another push at his chest. Yep, the second the game was over he was taking her straight to bed. “Her butt.”
Debra gasped. “My butt? No, you said you liked my breasts.”
He shook his head. “No, I said I liked your breasts but I loved your ass.”
There was laughter in the audience as he watched the humor dancing in her beautiful eyes. Debra was having just as much fun as he was. He loved a woman with a sense of humor. He’d dated too many who were afraid of cracking their make-up if they smiled. All the other couples took their turns, and then the host was looking at Debra again.
“When was the first time your husband told you he loved you?”
He stared across at her, waiting for her answer. She was so beautiful, smart and intelligent. If he didn’t watch himself he could find himself falling for her. And love was one thing he wasn’t interested in. His career was his priority.
“It was our third date. We were walking along the beach when my husband told me he loved me.”
The host looked to Rance. Frowning, he hadn’t been sure what Debra would say since they were winging it. They’d kissed and made love, but love was not part of the plan. It was one thing he never planned to tell another woman.
“You’re right,” he said, then winked and flipped over his card. And the look she gave him caused the blood at his loins to stir.
From annoying habits to favorite sports. Most of the answers were so obvious that playing was easy.
“Snoring.”
“Snoring?” he gasped.
Debra nodded. She should have become an actress. Then she had the nerve to demonstrate, which got another rise out of the audience.
She is truly a keeper.
Now where the hell did that come from?
“That was fun,” she said as they walked back toward their cabin, holding hands.
He gazed down at her as another jolt hit him. Get it together, Beaumont.
“Yes, it was.”
Debra blinked her eyelashes flirtatiously. “You know rumors are going to start.”
He shrugged like it was no big deal. “It was all in fun. As long as you and I know there’s nothing real going on, then that’s all that matters.”
His words hit her hard. He saw the proof of it flicker in her eyes as he emphasized the word real. Who was he trying to convince? Her or him?
If he walked into the room he already knew what was going to happen. They would be back in the bed. “Hey, I’m gonna run up to the Promenade Deck and get some air. I’ll see you in a few.”
She stalled. “Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all. Just want to see what’s happening and probably grab myself a beer.”
She met his gaze and licked her lips again, then finally nodded, turned, and walked into the cabin.
He was in trouble. If she ever realized the power she had over him, he was in trouble.
* * *
Something was wrong, Debra thought as she stepped into the cabin. She tossed her keycard onto the table and moved over to lie across the bed.
One minute they were laughing and having a good time playing the Newlywed Game, and the next moment he was acting like she had the plague. As she lay across the bed she tried to trace her steps, tried to figure out what she had done to warrant such behavior, until she finally came to the conclusion. Nothing.
Debra pushed up and moved to the closet to find a dress for dinner. What was going on between them wasn’t real. It was just a fling, and getting caught up in the game was stupid. She was guilty because she’d been having so much fun that she’d found herself wishing there was more going on between them. She could only imagine what it would be like to be really newlyweds with someone as popular as him.
There would never be a dull moment, that’s for sure.
But she wasn’t even going to go there. After the fiasco with Sony, a man should be the last thing on her mind.
So why couldn’t she stop thinking about him?
Chapter 10
Something had changed.
Rance wasn’t sure what it was, but he’d felt it ever since he’d returned to the cabin to find Debra missing. He was dressing for dinner when she’d returned with bags of gifts she had purchased at the shops upstairs. Even when he’d kissed her, he could feel the difference in her demeanor. Her body had stiffened, and he knew he was to blame.
The last thing he’d wanted to do was hurt her.
He’d been so caught up in the morning and then playing the game show that for those few hours he’d almost forgotten that what they’d shared hadn’t been real. And that was the problem. He’d allowed his guard down and left himself wide open.
One the way back from playing the game show he had seen the questions in her eyes, had known she’d wanted to talk about the two of them and the way they’d connected in more than a physical way, yet he couldn’t.
Other than friendship, the two of them didn’t have a future. Although everything he felt for her, about her, was stirring at his chest, trying to breathe life, he just couldn’t do it. He wasn’t good with relationships. They were too complicated and left your head so messed up you couldn’t think straight, and that was something he just couldn’t deal with. He had other priorities at this stage in his life, and a relationship wasn’t it. Sure, someday he’d hoped to marry and start a family, but not yet. He needed to get back on the floor with the team first. There would be plenty of time for all the mushy stuff later.
So why wasn’t his brain listening?
He’d walked around the deck several times, chatted with guests and signed autographs, trying to distract himself so he could stop thinking about Debra. Only it was useless. Now they were at dinner, eating crème brulée and saying good-bye to everyone at their table, and all he could think about was holding Debra in his arms and never letting her go.
There’s still tonight.
First he needed to find a way to get the weekend back on track. Back to the laughter and joking. The comfortable aura that had surrounded them this morning. He wanted to make it an evening neither of them would ever forget.
* * *
Rance was escorting her out of the dining room when Debra stopped at
the top stair and said, “I’ll see you later. I’m going to go up top and walk off some of this food.”
He looked up at her, studying her eyes, and replied, “I’ll go with you, if you don’t mind.”
She hesitated a moment before nodding her head, and accepted his hand as he escorted her down the hall and out the door.
For their last evening the weather couldn’t have been more perfect if she had planned it herself. The sky dark, the air cool and crisp, with almost no breeze.
“What’s on your mind?” Rance asked with a gentle squeeze of his large hand.
“What makes you think something is on my mind?”
He shrugged. “The way you’re looking at me. Like you’re trying to say or figure out something.”
Rance was right. There was plenty on her mind. She had taken the cruise to clear her head and refocus her thoughts, but Rance had her mind racing with so many what-ifs. Just as she had suspected, there was no way she could have separated her body from her heart. She just wasn’t made that way. She was passionate about everything she did, and spending time with Rance had been part of those moments. Their time together had been special, and so different from anything she had experienced with any other man. Rance was funny and kind and incredibly generous. She’d seen the time he’d taken to sign autographs and chat with fans even when he’d rather be enjoying his vacation. He was an amazing man and a magnificent lover, and she understood why women were falling all over him, because she had done so herself, and that’s what frightened her. Especially when she noticed the exact moment he’d shut down and put the wall up. It had been like a deliberate slap in the face, although she knew he hadn’t meant it, but it had hurt just the same.
All that matters is that we know the truth. He hadn’t said it to be mean. At least not intentionally. He’d said it to ensure they both stayed on course for the duration of the cruise. She wasn’t angry, because he hadn’t promised her anything except to make her scream his name, which she had done every time he’d taken possession of her body. But now it was time to find closure so tomorrow they could both get back to their own lives.
She looked up at him staring down at her with patient curiosity.
“Playing the Newlywed Game had me thinking about my life and relationships.”
“In what way?”
“That I’m not ready for another man in my life.” She started walking again as she explained. “I just got out of a two-year relationship with a jerk, who left me for another woman.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Debra gave a snort. “I’m not. Because he actually did me a favor. I knew for a while that something was wrong, but I wasn’t prepared to do anything about it.” She shrugged. “I guess I just got comfortable with the way things were between us, even though it was kind of dysfunctional.”
“In what way?”
“Well… Sony was a wannabe actor. He did small parts here and there, but he never shared my drive for success. And I think he resented me for that. I knew what I wanted and gave sweat and tears to start my business. He was never supportive of my career, and used to talk about how no one could ever get rich selling just cupcakes.” She stopped and gave a chuckle that lacked humor. “How soon we forget who was covering the rent when he was in between roles. But I never complained. I was always thinking about the future and where our relationship could go if we could work as a team. But he never could jump on board with that concept. Sony was very controlling.”
“I can’t see you letting any man control you.”
“So you see why we bumped heads. I guess that’s why he found someone else.” She walked over to a couple of chairs and took a seat and waited for Rance to sit beside her before she continued. “Anyway, the experience helped me see myself. And then I met you and had an amazing time with you. You’ve made me feel beautiful and desired, and I’ll never forget that.”
“I’ll never forget our time together either.”
It wasn’t quite what she had hoped to hear, but at least he found her unforgettable. “But like you, I know my career has to come first in my life, and in the meantime I wouldn’t have time for anything serious, but I know when I do I won’t settle for anything less than total commitment and love.”
Rance rose and brought Debra to her feet. He then moved in close and brought his hands to her waist.
She drew in a quick breath. Good. She felt it, too. The feel of her body against his was driving him crazy. She was gorgeous, voluptuous, and all woman. And until tomorrow morning she was all his. Right now he wanted her out of that dress and wiggling around on the bed beneath him.
“I’ve been trying to figure out why you drive me insane. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“I can’t think when you’re that close to me.”
“That’s a good thing because neither can I.” He dragged her closer and felt her nipples hardening beneath her dress.
“Is that a bad thing?”
He felt her breath against his chin. “Yes. No. Put your arms around me.”
On command, she brought her arms up and rested her hands on his shoulders. “There you go. Hold on to your fiancé,” he joked.
She dropped her gaze long enough to giggle. Then her eyes met his and he felt that pull at his groin again. As her eyes searched his face he wondered if she was thinking about their night and morning together. Could she still remember the words he’d whispered softly in her ear as he pounded into her welcoming body?
“It’s been amazing spending the weekend with a female who keeps it real. I’ve been with a lot of women with hidden agendas, but it feels good, damn good, to have met someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” What did he mean?
“Beautiful… smart… feisty.” He stopped and chuckled. “I hope after this weekend we can stay friends.”
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
She rose up on her tiptoes and said in a voice softer than a whisper, “But right now I want you to take me back to the room and have your way with me.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Because I have every intention of making love until morning.”
“What about sleep?”
“Who needs sleep?” he laughed, and then brought his mouth down hard over hers.
Chapter 11
They hurried back to the cabin, stripped out of their clothes and landed on the bed.
Debra’s mind raced even as her body heated like a teapot.
This was so wrong. A big mistake. Falling into Rance’s arms again was not the way to find closure. Yet all she seemed interested in was feeling her body come to life for one final time. Her skin tingled, and in the pit of her belly heat sizzled and began to spread like wildfire.
Rance settled on top of her and caught her wrists above her head.
“This is our last night. I wanna make sure you don’t forget a brotha,” he said, and lowered his head to suck at her nipples.
“Like that would be easy to do,” she admitted.
“That’s what I’m counting on.” He grinned sidelong at her and gave the hard peak a rake with his teeth.
“A weekend fling, remember,” she reminded him, and her breath caught as his lips closed around her other sensitive nipple.
“We’re more than that, and you know it.”
She wasn’t sure what she knew, except that Rance knew his way around her body. Under the erotic licks of his tongue she wiggled beneath him, trying her damndest to free her hand. Rance tightened his grip at her wrists, silently telling her she wasn’t going anywhere.
“Okay, Dr. Dribble,” she purred. “What are you planning to do to me?”
He raised his head, lust and amusement heating his gaze. “Make love to you until you beg me to stop.”
Debra laughed. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”
“Now hush, woman, I’m busy.”
She giggled until he returned his attention to her nipples and sucked one with such skill and attention he soo
n had her gasping.
Rance sucked, nibbled, and squeezed. She squirmed on the bed, yearning to touch him as well. “Let go of my hands.”
“No,” he breathed.
“Yes! I want to touch you,” she tried to explain as she tried to free her hands.
He tightened his grip. “You’ll get your chance.”
She spread her legs, her aroused kitty wet and exposed. Rance rested a hand on her mound and she hissed through her teeth and tensed her pelvic muscles. “Yes, touch me there.”
Debra held her breath while he began toying with the soft curls She wiggled, spreading her legs wider and enticing him to delve deep, not to mention stroke her engorged clit.
She was trembling now beneath his hand. “Ooh, Rance, please touch me.”
He parted her folds and slid a finger through the wetness building between her thighs. “Are you going to spend the entire night, teasing me?” she gasped.
“No. But I want to watch you come,” he replied huskily.
“I won’t.”
“You will.” He smiled wickedly. “You said you wouldn’t scream my name, but you did.”
She lay there and tried ignoring the throbbing building inside. Rance’s skilled fingers slid in her wetness, caressing the labia, before sliding up to her clit.
“You like that?”
She ground her teeth. “You know I do.”
“Then I want you to come for me.”
“No,” Debra said stubbornly and tried to drown out the agony of his touch.
But Rance was having none of that. “If you like the way I make you feel, you’ll come for me.”
Debra bit her lips and looked deep in his eyes.
“You know I like it.” Her words caught in her throat.
He was finger fucking her now. Rance thrust a finger into her, filling her, controlling his strokes, slowing and then increasing.
Hungrily, Debra called his name and arched up, placing her mound in his hand.
“Do you want to come now, Debra?” he whispered as he thrust.
“No.” Desperately, she ground against him. “Please, Rance! God, you’re driving me insane!”
Do Me Baby (The Beaumont Series) Page 10
