by Rye Hart
My hands drifted all over his body. He covered my stomach in love bites, nibbling welts to the surface as I moaned for more of him. I could feel his cock pressing against my entrance, my arousal dripping on his skin as he approached my thighs.
I looked up and watched as he descended on me, kissing each of my bruises.
“I’m so sorry,” Rhett said. “So sorry I didn’t get there sooner.”
I felt tears rise to my eyes as I grabbed the top of his hair. I pulled him up toward me, our lips crashing together. His cock fell between my legs, and I rolled my hips, my pussy taking in the length of his cock. I moaned against his body as my juices dripped down onto the bed below us. I felt Rhett’s arm wrap around my lower back, pulling my hips closer to him so he could feel more of me.
I rolled us over and straddled his lap. My hands planted onto his chest as I bounced on top of him. He felt so good inside of me. Electricity was surging through my veins. His hands curled into my hips, setting a steady pace as my clit peeked out from underneath its fleshy hood. I ground against him, seeking the friction I so desperately wanted against the swollen bud as whimpers fell from my lips.
I rode his cock until I came, my toes curling and my head rolling back.
Rhett spun us around until I was on my hands and knees. He slid his cock deep into my body, my hips rising for his pleasure. With every thrust he delivered, my ass bounced for him, giving him a show as his hands roamed my back. He pulled me back into him, pounding my body and spreading my juices all over his skin. It was too much for me to handle, and he soon threw me over the edge again with the throbbing of his cock.
“Rhett. Holy hell. Oh, yes. So good. So good to me. Fuck.”
I buried my face in the bed, panting for breath as he continued to slam into me. The fire raging through my body was consuming me. It was like I couldn’t get enough. My muscles were throbbing, and his balls were slapping against my clit. I could feel my juices dripping down my thighs as his hands curled tighter on my hips. My ass jiggled for him, and my pussy fluttered around his cock, pulling him deeper into my body.
I felt my knees give out from beneath me as he kept me steady, his strength holding me up as my hands clenched into the sheets.
“Chanel. Holy shit. There’s nothing like you. Nothing.”
I could hear his grunting as my name poured from his lips. I groaned wildly, my body peaking once again. My release dripped to the bed as his dick pulsed against my walls, then I felt his hips still. He collapsed onto me, his sweating body covering mine as he came deep within my body. I could feel him pumping into me as I lay there with my body sandwiched between him and the bed.
I closed my eyes and took it all in, the safety and the serenity of his presence. Our intermingled arousals were trickling from between my legs, but I didn’t care. Rhett placed lazy kisses on my shoulder as he slid out from my satisfied pussy, and I found I already missed him. I missed the way he blanketed my body. I missed how perfect our bodies felt when they were connected. His arms stretched out for me, beckoning me to his glistening chest.
I leaned off to the side and felt him surround me with his arms as my heart rate began to settle.
Lying there, I felt almost complete. My head was spinning with ecstasy, my body was leaking with the only man who had ever meant anything to me, and now he was holding me in his arms. Rhett pressed kiss after kiss on my shoulder, showering me with attention and affection as our fingers threaded together.
I thought back to how many years had been lost between the two of us and, though I wasn’t sure what all of this meant for the future, I knew I could trust in it right now. And that was what I needed now more than ever. In Rhett’s arms, I knew I was safe and treasured. I knew he would never hurt me the way Luke had tried to. Despite the heartache he had caused me in the past, right then, he was everything I needed and wanted him to be.
I fell asleep cradled against the hard planes of his chest, with a soft smile on my face.
CHAPTER 20
RHETT
My eyes slowly opened, and I was shocked to see Chanel still in my arms. I looked around the room to get my bearings before the memory of last night came back to me. I had fallen asleep with Chanel in her bed, and she was still sleeping soundly against me. I lifted my head from the bed to look over toward where Ana slept, but she wasn't there.
I knew that would provide relief for Chanel, but part of me wondered where Ana was. The rational part of me knew she had probably found someone to stay with last night. But with everything that was going on, I couldn't toss aside the thought that something had happened to her because of Luke. At this point, he might lash out at anyone close to Chanel just to hurt her. I shifted in bed, slowly pulling my arm out from underneath Chanel's head.
The motion caused her to flutter her eyes open.
“Rhett?” she asked.
“Don’t worry. Ana’s not here,” I said.
“Is there a note?” she asked.
I slid from the bed, pulled my boxers on, and then peeked around the corner.
“Nope. I don’t see anything on the floor,” I said.
“Thank God,” Chanel said.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Good,” she said as she stretched. “Really good. You know where Ana is?”
“I’m not sure, but I have a feeling she might have found someone to sleep with last night,” I said. “If I had to venture a guess, she might be next door with Tommy.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked. “I mean other than the fact that they’ve been flirting like crazed teenagers this whole week.”
“I got up to pee last night and heard someone rattling the walls over there. The girl’s voice sounded a lot like Ana’s.”
“Oh, gross,” she said as she crinkled her nose. “They can keep that over there.”
“While we keep ours over here?” I asked with a grin.
Chanel threw a pillow at me, and I caught it in my hands. She smiled at me, a genuine smile that lit up her eyes and crinkled them in the corners. It was nice seeing her smile, especially after everything that had happened the day before. I walked over to my pants and pulled them on before moving to sit beside Chanel.
“Your pillow,” I said.
“Thanks,” Chanel said.
“Ten bucks says Ana and Tommy are next door,” I said.
“You’re on,” she said.
Chanel hopped out of bed to put on some clothes while I searched for my shirt. My eyes stole glances at her naked body as she walked around looking for something to put on. She was gorgeous. Better than the woman who had invaded my dreams for years. Her supple curves and her toned stomach boasted of a woman who took care of her body as well as her mind. I felt a heat creep into my pelvis that took many deep breaths to quell.
I smoothed my hands down my shirt as Chanel got dressed, and then the two of us stepped out into the hallway. My hands worked diligently to open the door as quietly as I could, not wanting to disturb the scene I was so sure we would find. We poked our heads in and walked around the corner.
Sure enough, Tommy and Ana were in bed tangled up in one another’s arms.
“Oh, she is never living this down,” Chanel said.
“Why not?” I asked.
“I’ve been telling her all damn week that she’s got a thing for Tommy. She has never slept over with a guy. Ever.”
“Never?” I asked.
“Nope. Not once. It’s how she keeps her distance and ‘keeps things fun,’ whatever the hell that means,” she said.
“That sounds like Tommy,” I said.
The two of them began to stir, so we ran out of the room. Chanel was falling apart in a fit of giggles as we stood by the door to her room. It was so nice to see her happy and smiling like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. I got my first good look at her in the outfit she had chosen since we’d first gotten up, and it tugged at my cock. It was a wispy little decorative skirt and a painfully tight tank top t
hat hugged her curves but left a bit to the imagination.
She looked outstanding, and I had to suppress a groan of satisfaction at how shapely her body was in all of it.
“You up for some breakfast?” I asked.
“Will you come with me?” Chanel asked.
“I’m not leaving your side. That was the deal,” I said.
“Then I’m fine with breakfast. Come on.”
“Okay, and then after breakfast, we’re going to talk to security about Luke,” I said.
Chanel fell quiet but nodded her head. “Okay, after breakfast.”
The two of us made our way to breakfast and had an itinerary shoved into our hands. Our class was gathered once again for another meal everyone couldn't have cared less about. Chanel and I went through the line, getting our plates of food and mugs of coffee. Then we found a darkened table in a corner away from everyone else, so we could look at the piece of paper Connie Thomas had shoved into our hands.
“Cirque du Soleil?” Chanel asked.
“Have you ever seen them?” I asked.
“No, but is the event room big enough for them?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Don’t they do all that high-flying stuff?”
“Some of their acts, sure. But they have smaller ones as well.”
“Have you seen them?” she asked.
“No, but I’ve heard about them. Seen some of their stuff on YouTube.”
“There’s a show this afternoon. A live performance. Want to go?”
“I’ve always wanted to see them perform. I’m up for it,” I said.
“Good, because you wouldn’t have had a choice. I’m going, and there’s nothing you can do about it since you’re assigned to guard my body and all.”
“I wouldn't want to keep you from something that would make you smile anyway,” I said.
Our eyes connected, and I felt my heart beating faster in my chest. There was something about being in her presence that was settling to me. There was something about her eyes that gave me hope. Being with Chanel made me feel like I was truly at home again, and I wanted to soak up every second of it.
Because I wasn’t sure if I would have it after this cruise was over.
The two of us ate breakfast as my eyes scanned the room for Luke, my body on guard to make sure Chanel was safe. If he showed up here, I wasn’t sure that I wouldn’t toss him overboard and laugh as the sharks feasted on him.
“What do you want to do after breakfast?” Chanel asked.
“We could get a drink in one of the lounges. Or see if anyone’s embarrassing themselves in the karaoke room,” I said.
“I’m up for watching people make fools of themselves. Let’s go,” Chanel said.
The two of us made our way to the karaoke bar, and we found we were in luck. There was a decent crowd of people with drinks in their hands already, even though it wasn't lunchtime yet. They were already crooning with their drunken antics and butchering all the classics, which made for great entertainment for Chanel and me. We sat toward the back in a corner, so I could survey the room, just in case Luke decided to show up. No matter what we did today, I always had to make sure I was able to defend Chanel. But I hadn't seen him all morning, and I was starting to wonder if he’d even made it back to the ship.
A big part of me hoped he hadn't.
“I want to thank you,” Chanel said.
“For what?” I asked.
“For saving me.”
I turned my eyes away from the train wreck that was the karaoke show and found her eyes looking up at me.
“No need to thank me,” I said.
“Yes, there is a need. I know you’re a big bad SEAL and all, so it might not seem like a big deal to you, but it was a huge deal to me. You stopped him from raping me, and you probably saved my life. So please just let me thank you,” she said.
Her gaze was dancing between my eyes as my face gravitated toward hers. I watched her eyes flutter closed as our lips met, and then my eyes drew shut. She leaned heavily into my body, melting against me as I slipped my arm around her waist. I pulled her close to me as her hands flattened against my chest, rubbing up and down my muscles. Our tongues touched, sending shivers down my neck as the hairs on my arm stood on end. Even with the simplest of touches, Chanel could elicit in me a passionate need to be close to her.
It started me wondering if there could be something more between us again; if there was a light that had yet to die between the two of us. I had never stopped loving her. She had always been the woman I held every other woman in comparison to, but this kiss was different. It wasn’t secretive like our encounters.
I wasn’t a secret any longer, and it made me wonder if we weren’t over just yet.
CHAPTER 21
CHANEL
After karaoke, the two of us were joined by Tommy and Ana. I thought the show was going to take place in one of the entertainment rooms, but it was actually taking place out by the pool on the open deck. Rhett and I made our way down with drinks in our hands only to see Tommy with his arms wrapped around Ana. She looked at me, and I grinned at her, watching as an embarrassed flush crept up her cheeks. She had been caught, and she knew she had, but I was going to save the teasing for a later date. The smile on her face was genuine and, even though I knew Tommy was a player, Ana deserved the happiness she was currently experiencing.
“Enjoy your evening?” Rhett asked.
“Yep. You?” Tommy asked.
“It was just fine,” Rhett said.
“Sleep well last night?” I asked.
Realization crossed Ana's face, and she lunged at me as I started to laugh.
“Don’t you dare say anything,” she said. “I know you slept with Rhett last night.”
“I didn’t say a word! You’re the one freaking out,” I said.
“What’s going on?” Tommy asked.
“The two of you got caught,” Rhett said with a grin.
“What do you mean?” Tommy asked.
“We snuck in on the two of you this morning and caught you guys all tangled up like two little lovebirds in their nest,” I said. “Ana’s never stayed with a guy before.”
“You shut up,” Ana said.
“Is that so?” Tommy asked. “I actually took a first from Ana?”
“You shut up too,” Ana said, slapping Tommy’s chest.
“Okay, okay. Come on, let’s get us some seats. I think the show’s about to start,” Rhett said.
Almost everyone was out there on the deck. The sun was shining, and there were no clouds in sight. The performers were setting up for the show as the deck continued to fill up with people. The bartenders were running drinks in every direction as quickly as they were ordered, and people were sending others off for snacks like pizza and ice cream. We settled down on our lounge chairs as the program started, and I watched Ana reach for Tommy's hand.
I smiled when I saw Tommy take it in his, his thumb stroking the top of her knuckles.
The show was more than I could have ever expected. People were flying around in the air and pulling audience members up for tricks. There were incredible musicians and people doing synchronized swimming in the pool. The show was exciting and colorful and full of adrenaline-laced acts. There was a trapeze artist who had somehow set up his own mechanisms and was flipping around in the air as the boat sailed across the ocean.
There were singers and dancers and colorful costumes. There was a ringleader and an announcer, and the crowd was going wild. The roar was thunderous as we clapped after every performance, and the entire time, Rhett had his hand on my thigh.
It felt good to have him there. His presence felt normal, like it was meant to be. It wasn't a burden, and it wasn't inconvenient. There was something about it that felt right. His hand was massaging my thigh, but it wasn't in a lustful way. It was in a kind and gentle manner like he was reassuring me he was there. It was comforting to feel his warmth against my skin, especially when I knew he was on
the lookout.
I saw his eyes scan the crowd every once in a while, and I knew he was keeping an eye out for Luke. It was easy for me to forget about him when I was with Rhett because I felt so safe. I knew that while Rhett was with me, Luke wasn't going to be able to touch me again, but there was a part of me that wondered if he had even made it back to the ship after the altercation in the bathroom. I hadn't seen him at all since what happened on Curaçao, and I couldn’t help hoping he had been left behind.
At the very least, I hoped he had gotten the message that had been sent to him.
I was in awe of the show the entire time. My jaw ached from being in my lap throughout most of the mind-boggling performance. Everything was wondrous and over the top, and so out of this world. I sat after the show for almost fifteen minutes trying to digest what I had witnessed and experienced. It was unlike any other performance I had taken in throughout the course of my life. I knew there would never be anything like it again, and I was glad I was able to share it with Rhett.
“So? What did you think?” Rhett asked.
“That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen,” I said.
“So, you liked it?”
“Hell yeah, I did. I’ve never seen a live performance like that before,” I said.
“Never?”
“Nope.”
“Well, I’m glad I could bring you to it,” he said.
“I’m glad you were here, too, but I’m getting hungry. Is it too late for lunch?”
“I think so. But there’s that little pizza kiosk. I’ve been smelling it throughout the show, and now I kind of want one,” he said.
“Then let’s go get us some pizza.”
Rhett helped me up from lounge chair before we made our way to the other side of the ship. There was a line for the little pizza kiosk, so we stood and waited. My stomach was growling, and I was getting lightheaded. My appetite was finally coming back, and it was coming back with a vengeance. Once we got up to the kiosk, Rhett ordered us a large pizza with all the vegetables they had to offer, and I grinned up at him and giggled.
