Forty and Free: A Sweet Romance Series Bundle - Books 5 - 8

by Blake, Lillianna

  “There always are.”

  “Is there one on this ship? Have you found it yet?”

  “It’ll take a little bit of exploring, but one of my favorite places is usually the balconies near the kitchen and the laundry rooms. Very few people even know they’re there, as they gravitate to more popular areas.”

  “Hm. Sounds interesting.” He turned so that his back rested against the railing.

  She tried to look into his eyes, but he turned again to look out over the water instead.

  “And the other important thing to know?”

  “The other is to never miss a concert, yet to do so while avoiding the concert crowds—especially on the first night.”

  “I’m not sure I understand.” He furrowed a brow. “Is that some kind of riddle?” His gaze returned to hers.

  “Not at all. I’ll show you, if you’d like.” She offered him her hand and wondered if he would be willing to take it.

  Chapter 4

  The glow of the sunset reflected the warmth that carried through Thomas’s body just being close to her. Their banter over their drinks aroused a youthful part of himself that almost embarrassed him, but also enlivened him. Could there still be a chance?

  When she offered him her hand he looked into her eyes. For her, he guessed, he was pure entertainment. A man to lead by the tip of his nose to keep her excited throughout the cruise. It was easy to see in her expression that she was playful and eager. But for what?

  He reminded himself to flow with the moment. This was the whole point of the cruise. He could be himself, without fear of what someone might overhear, or might infer. He could let parts of him be free that he hadn’t in decades. There she was, dimples and all, ready to invite him into her world of luxury and ecstasy. Who was he to resist?

  He curved his hand around hers with a firmer grip than he might have used with someone else.

  She didn’t seem to mind as she turned and led him down the stairs to the main deck.

  With every step he trailed after her, he noticed the way her body moved. She was graceful, but beyond that she was strong. Her muscles flexed, her body shifted without the slightest hesitation. In comparison, he was a little out of shape, but his body didn’t really show it. There’d been too many quick meals in the middle of meetings, too many late night phone calls that drew him away from a good night’s sleep.

  She didn’t seem to have any of those things weighing on her. They reached the main deck and he expected her to lead him to a large room where a concert was to be held. Instead, she pulled him down a narrow corridor.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Relax.”

  “I will when you tell me where we’re going.”

  She cast a look over her shoulder that could have melted a glacier. It was as seductive as it was dominant. “You’ll see when we get there.”

  A wave of heat carried through him. It thrilled him to have no concept of what she had in mind. How long had it been since he wasn’t adhering to a very tight schedule with every movement in his day planned out to the minute?

  They emerged from the narrow corridor onto a small balcony. It stunk of cigarette butts and stale wine.

  “Why are we here?” He turned away from the scent.

  “Sh.” She pulled out a bottle of perfume from her purse and spritzed a bit into the air. “It’s a staff smoking area. I know the smell leaves a lot to be desired, but just give it a moment.”

  The scent of her perfume wafted under his nose. It had the same impact on him as it had at dinner. He leaned a little closer to her, to enjoy the scent of it, but placed a hand on the railing to disguise his movement. He wasn’t convinced that she had any idea what she was doing.

  “How is this better than anywhere else?”

  She reached up and touched his lips with her fingertip. The sudden intimate gesture caught him off guard and he drew back slightly. She was nothing if she was not bold.

  “Close your eyes.”

  He shook his head. “Are you planning to throw me off the balcony?”

  “Wow.” She threw her head back and laughed. “No. Certainly not. Someone has watched too many murder mystery movies.”

  He cringed and resisted revealing his late-night movie habits. “Then why do I need to close my eyes?”

  “Here.” She held her hands out to him. “You can hold my hands. That way you’ll be able to tell if I plan to do anything devious.” She laughed around the words, and it was such a beautiful laugh.

  He seized her hands and pulled them close to him so that they almost touched his chest. The spark that crackled throughout his body when he met her eyes was enough to make him tighten his grasp on her hands.

  She stared back at him with an easy smile.

  As Thomas slowly closed his eyes, he held her gaze until he couldn’t any longer. All the sensations that he was experiencing rushed at him all at once—standing on the boat, the salt air all around him, the vague aroma of her perfume. With his eyes closed and his hands curled around those of this strange, beautiful woman, he lost all sense of time and space.

  “Listen, just listen.” She whispered her words, the sweet soft pitch of her voice drifted to him on the warm breeze.

  He did listen. Without argument. Moments later the sound of violins surrounded him. It swelled with the beat of his heart and faded with the rush of the water against the boat. The haunting melody threatened to stir up emotions that he didn’t even know existed inside of him.

  Without thought, he drew her hands against his chest and pressed them there. He didn’t even recognize his action until he felt the warmth of her skin emanate through his shirt.

  For an instant he lost the music, the scent, the warmth as he wondered if she would pull away. When she didn’t, he eased right back into the cocoon of sensory stimulation that she’d created for him.

  At some point, between the rocking of the boat and the rhythm of the music, he recognized that they no longer stood close together, but had actually begun to dance as best they could in the small space.

  Chapter 5

  The sensation of his hands curled around hers was enough to throw Natasha a little off balance. Perhaps showing Thomas this small space had been a bit forward, but she truly believed he would understand it the same way she did.

  The moment he closed his eyes and his expression grew serene in reaction to the music, she knew she was right. She watched the way the tension left his jaw and his eyelashes as they even fluttered a little, as if savoring the music.

  She’d discovered on cruises in her youth that the best way to take in the live music was not in the crowded concert hall, but somewhere just beyond it, where the endlessness of the ocean could remove all barriers and the full experience of the music was allowed.

  She closed her own eyes and let the melody sweep through her. As his hands shifted and he pressed her palms against his chest, she took a sharp breath. It occurred to her that the power of the moment might be enough to blind her to any warning signs. But she ignored that thought and drew closer to him, so close that the heat of his body mingled with her own.

  Whether he’d begun to dance, or it had been her that had started it, was a mystery she didn’t think she’d ever find the answer to, but the sway was there, and far beyond what the ocean inspired.

  She drew in a deep breath of the scent of his cologne. It was faint and woodsy, as if he only tossed it on as an afterthought. The material of his shirt beneath her fingertips wasn’t expensive. It was stiff and taut, as if he’d been wearing it as his body changed shape and size. It did nothing to disguise the rigid surface of his chest.

  His grasp on her hands softened. Her palms traced their way up to his shoulders, then wound around behind his neck. As her arms settled along his shoulders his hands slid into place at the slope of her lower back. She held her breath when a fingertip ventured just a little further, but then he drew it back a moment later.

  Was she wise to be alone on a dark part of the ship with
a complete stranger? Lucas would have had a meltdown if he knew about it, with his demands for security. But Lucas had a new wife to monitor, and Natasha, for once, could take a risk. It was a delicious and somewhat scandalous risk that tasted like candy on the tip of her tongue.

  The music faded, though she hoped it wouldn’t. She felt Thomas stiffen a bit and she knew that he’d opened his eyes. With a tilt of her head she met his gaze and smiled.

  “How is that for a secret?”

  He looked back into her eyes. When the breeze off the water forced a few tendrils of hair across her face, he brushed them back with the gentle touch of his fingertip.

  “I could have used a warning.”

  “That you’d never be able to sit in a crowded concert hall again?”

  “That I’d never be able to forget a moment like this.” He searched her eyes. “Why did you bring me here?”

  The question wasn’t what she expected. She eased away from him and shrugged. “You seemed a bit adrift. I thought perhaps you could use this kind of beauty.”

  “I could.” She noticed the way his jaw clenched as he looked past her to the darkened sky. “More than you know.”

  “So tell me.” She leaned against the railing in such a way that she could meet his eyes. “I’m listening.”

  He chuckled and looked away. “You are as powerful as this ocean, aren’t you?”

  She laughed. “I’ve never once, not in all my life, been called powerful.”

  “You are.” He looked back at her with a hard stare, and without his smile it made her wonder just how deep it was. How many secrets did he hide behind those intoxicating hazel spheres?

  It was her turn to look away out to the water.

  “Thank you, I suppose.”

  “You’re welcome.” His touch surprised her when he caressed her shoulder.

  It was a casual gesture, but coming from him it seemed to be charged with electricity. The jolt inspired her to question how she’d ended up there, in the middle of the ocean, with a man who she barely knew, yet was responsible for inspiring desire in her. Never had she experienced a connection with someone so suddenly. Was it the romance of the ocean? The desire to find someone to round out her life in the way she’d always hoped for? Or should she just blame it all on the sambuca?

  “It’s getting late. I should head back to my cabin.”

  “Sure. I could walk you.”

  All of the warnings that Lucas had drilled into her mind over the years she was married to him about not revealing too much about herself, including where she slept, resurfaced in her mind. He hadn’t always been wrong. As wealthy as she was, and then combined with his wealth and influence, they were a guaranteed target.

  Could there be a reason that Thomas had responded to her with such ease? She swallowed hard as she considered whether he could be trusted. He certainly had avoided sharing much about himself.

  “No it’s fine, I can get back myself.” She smiled at him. “But thank you.”

  As she started to move past him, he took a small step forward to block her way.

  An instant of fear flooded her.

  “I’d like to spend more time with you, Natasha—if that’s something that you’d like too.”

  “It is.” She smiled with some relief as he stepped aside so that she could move past. “We’re on an adventure together, remember?”

  “Yes, I remember.” He touched her back as she stepped away from the balcony and into the corridor. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  As she walked away she couldn’t shake the thought that she was looking forward to spending time with Thomas too. Maybe in the morning the magic wouldn’t be so potent, maybe when the sambuca wore off and her emotions had a chance to settle, he would just be another man that she’d admired.

  But for the moment, he was exactly what she’d been hoping for. She could enjoy that, at least for a little while.

  Chapter 6

  Thomas lingered on the deck even after she left. The stars enamored him. How long had it been since he’d really looked into the endless depths of the open sky? His life had become so fast paced that he didn’t even take the time to think about what his future might hold. One thing he was certain about: he wanted it to have some of that warmth he’d just experienced with Natasha.

  As quickly as it seemed to be developing, he didn’t question it. Where it would go, he had no idea, but he was willing to explore it.

  The more he thought about the way Natasha looked at him, the more he was reminded of the passion of his first marriage. It had been fast, wild, and over so quickly that he’d spun out of control as a result of it. It took him two years to recover and begin dating again. That was not an experience that he wanted to repeat.

  Yet there was Natasha, as if she was part of the award he’d won. He closed his eyes and turned to rest his back against the railing. Only time would tell whether anything would really develop, but his need for companionship had certainly been reawakened.

  When a crowd of people wandered past him, more intoxicated than cheerful, he headed back to his room. It was tiny, with no windows, and he liked it just fine. It had a bed and a plug for his computer. That was all he needed.

  When he closed the door behind him he could forget that he was on a cruise ship and ignore the fact that his freedom was finite. At home the familiar pressures waited for him.

  He took a quick shower in the cramped space then stretched out in bed. If he could, he would focus only on his time with Natasha. She could be his escape, his paradise for the moment. He fell asleep with the memory of her hands pressed against his chest.

  Thomas awoke the next morning feeling sluggish. The warmth of his pillow drew him back into slumber for a few minutes. Then the sharp awareness that he’d overslept jolted him awake. Only he hadn’t. It took him a moment to realize where he was and that he had no particular place to be at any particular time.

  According to the itinerary, the boat would reach the first island around ten. That gave him plenty of time for breakfast and whatever else he might want to do. It also gave him plenty of time to wonder if Natasha would follow through with her promise about sharing that adventure. Maybe it had just been the sambuca that made her so friendly, maybe she already found someone else to tantalize and draw out of their rut. He chuckled at the idea and stretched his arms above his head.

  “Get it together, Thomas. She’s either into you or she’s not.”

  He headed down to the dining room for breakfast. What he was greeted by was pure chaos. The dining room was packed wall-to-wall. He didn’t recognize a single face in the crowd. As far as he could tell, Natasha was not there.

  He lingered outside the door for some time in the expectation that the crowd would die down—that maybe Natasha would show up. When neither happened, he pushed his way into the dining room.

  The package that he’d been given came with free meals in the dining room, not the various smaller cafes that dotted the ship. He didn’t want to spend any more money than he had to, so the dining room would have to do. He found an empty chair at a busy table and managed to get a bagel and a cup of coffee.

  By the time he’d finished eating he was ready to escape the crowds. He walked along the upper deck and peered down the side. It was strange how it could feel like he was on a building several stories high but floating in the middle of the ocean.

  He decided to head down to the main deck. If Natasha wanted to go on an excursion with him she’d have to find him. He saw the island spread out before him as the cruise ship approached the dock. It was exactly like post cards he’d seen of crystal clear tropical beauty. He wished he could memorize it and play it back for his students. They might get a taste of what was out there, what awaited them in life.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Her voice from just behind him caused him to whirl around to face her.

  “It is.” He nodded and managed a smile in return.

  “I’m sorry, did I disturb you?” Her wide smile
d faltered.

  It struck him as odd that a woman as beautiful as Natasha could be insecure around him.

  “Not at all.” He shook his head and summoned a stronger smile. “I was just in another place, I suppose.”

  “What place might that be?” She rested her forearms against the railing beside him and stared out at the crowd of people on the docks that waited to greet the ship.

  He glanced over his shoulder in the direction she stared. “Who are all of those people?”

  “Many are local peddlers. They’ll have tourist items and things to sell. Others are vying to steal tours from the cruise ship. Very few are actual residents from the island purely there to welcome us strangers. But many act as if that’s exactly what they are. Keep your wits about you. The main goal of most of those smiling faces is to take you for every penny you have.” She laughed.

  “Hm. That shouldn’t be too difficult.” He chuckled to himself.

  “So I guess I’m not invited?”

  “Invited where?” He turned back toward her and looked into her eyes.

  “Wherever you just were?”

  He held her gaze. She didn’t let anything slip past her. “Maybe we should just enjoy the day. That’s not where I am right now. I’m here in paradise with you.”

  “So am I.” She rested her hand on top of his and nodded.

  He appreciated that she didn’t press for more from him. He didn’t want to scare her off just yet.

  Chapter 7

  Early that morning Natasha curled up on the balcony that jutted off of her room. She missed the sunrise, but the colors were still brilliant in the sky. With her tablet in hand she checked her e-mail and found that Cassie had sent her some pictures of Emma playing at the park. It made her heart ache a little that she wasn’t there with her daughter, but at the same time she could see the joy in Emma’s eyes as she swung as high as she could. Emma was fine. But was Natasha?

  She closed her eyes for a moment and recalled the way that Thomas’s arms around her had felt. It seemed to her that it was a feeling similar to that of swinging as high as she could. But would it lead to an inevitable crash?