Water World Confidential

by Lisa Lace

  We got on the elevator. Jori punched in the sixteenth floor. Not the penthouse. I had assumed all the rich people took the penthouse in hotels.

  When we entered the room, I realized the penthouse was, at most, on par with this suite. The decor was perfect. The furniture looked comfy and chic at the same time. It radiated wealth, without jumping in your face screaming riches.

  Jori was going through the room, running his hands under tables and feeling along the baseboards. He was checking for something. Maybe looking for a bug? Then he took out a device from his pocket, scanning everything all over again.

  I was checking for something as well. I spotted a king-size bed in the bedroom, and I planned on getting him into it.

  He finished what he was doing and came over to me, but kept a respectful distance between us.

  "Sorry Sam, but no."

  "What?" I said innocently.

  "I'm sleeping on the couch."

  "Why?" I took a step towards him.

  "There are eyes and ears everywhere."

  "They must know we're married," I said, moving a little closer. "Shouldn't we make it look authentic?

  I stepped into his personal space then, allowing my breasts to brush his chest.

  His breathing got ragged. I thought I had won the argument at that moment. He managed to step back.

  "I need to focus."

  "That's my point," I said. "You can't have lust clouding your judgment."

  He almost cracked a smile. "Sam. It'll have to wait," he said.

  I shrugged. "Whatever you say, husband."

  I unzipped my bodysuit from my left shoulder all the way down to my right ankle, peeling it off slowly to reveal my naked body. I had lost my underwear somewhere on the island.

  Jori was watching, of course. How could he look away? I stepped daintily out of the pile of bulletproof fabric.

  "I'm going to take a shower," I said, making sure to sway my hips as I walked away. "Feel free to join me."

  When I closed the bathroom door, I heard a groan come from the living room. I smiled wickedly to myself in the mirror.

  This was going to be fun.

  JORI

  I sat down on the couch; I was ready to do anything to distract myself. I absently ran my fingers through my hair, trying to erase the image of Sam's naked ass headed for the bathroom. Her blatant invitation to go and have my way with her body wasn't helping.

  She wanted me. I knew that. We had fucked more times than I could remember on the island. When we had the opportunity together, we couldn't get enough of each other. Once we crossed the line the first time, it appeared that our desires were not going to remain on the island.

  I ached for her, and it took all my willpower to stay on the couch. I wanted to tear my clothes off right now, walk into the bathroom, and take her in the shower. I used every technique I knew to calm my raging erection, but nothing was working.

  In desperation, I called the concierge, asking them to get new clothes for us that would properly fit us. I had to check Sam's bodysuit to get her size. I didn't know it, of course; in my mind I separated women into small and large, and that was the extent of my analysis. I knew our bodies fit together perfectly, but that wasn't a size on Vandwa. It wouldn't help the concierge.

  Once I requested the clothing, I felt like I had some momentum and I asked them to stock the fridge as well. I had a feeling we would be staying here for a few days at the minimum. I remembered there was a restaurant that served Earth food and put in an order.

  I had spent a while placing orders, and there was no sign of Samantha. Was she taking an extra long time in the shower? I wondered if she was hoping I would change my mind. Her devious plan backfired when all the orders came in while she was still in the bathroom. They put the food in the kitchen and the clothes in the bedroom. As I was putting things away and tidying up, I finally heard the water go off. She came out with a tiny towel wrapped around her body.

  I busied myself in the kitchen, avoiding her gaze. She came over to see what I was doing.

  "Is that real food? I've been dying to eat something other than seaweed since the last party," she said, taking one of those strange things called French fries and popping it sensually into her mouth. She moaned. I closed my eyes, praying for self-control. "That is so good."

  "Glad you like it," I said.

  "I do," she said, leaning over to kiss my cheek. She made sure her breasts brushed me. She knew how much I loved her lush mounds. I swallowed hard as she whispered in my ear. "Thanks, Jori."

  I pressed my lips together, not answering.

  "I'm going to get dressed now," she said as she stepped back. I tried to look away, but I couldn't help myself. When she dropped her towel, giving me an unobstructed view of her luscious body, I froze. I knew if I moved at all it would be in her direction. She smiled sweetly at me and went into the bedroom.

  "If you want to help, I could use some assistance with my zipper."

  I breathed shallowly through my mouth trying not to smell her sweet orange scent. Her aroma was mixed with a hint of intoxicating sex underneath. I wondered if she was as wet for me as I was hard for her.

  We would have to wait.

  * * *

  Samantha and I sat eating on the island of our hotel suite's kitchen. She had stopped teasing me finally and wore some of the new clothes I had ordered. Unbelievably, she looked just as sexy fully clothed as when she only wore a towel.

  Her clothing was simple - jeans and a T-shirt from Earth. The jeans sat low on her hips. The T-shirt stretched tightly over her breasts. The shirt ended above her stomach, allowing a tantalizing glimpse of her navel. I had never thought belly buttons were sexy before. I was beginning to realize I found almost everything about Sam sexy, especially when I couldn't have her.

  "What's the deal?" she asked, biting into a meat product called a chicken finger. To my knowledge, chickens did not have fingers. What was that thing she was eagerly consuming? I tried not to look appalled and pay attention to what she was saying. Between my arousal at her appearance and my disgust at her food, I had completely forgotten her inquiry.

  "What was that?" I said and she smiled knowingly.

  "I said, what's the deal, Jori? Am I going to get shot at this party?"

  "No. Probably not."

  "Your answer is not reassuring."

  "Let me put it this way. There's no need for bodysuits," I said.

  "Really?" she said. "I was starting to enjoy mine."

  An image of Samantha removing her tight bodysuit and dropping it onto the floor invaded my mind. I don't know if I was staring blankly off into space, but something about the way I carried myself revealed my thoughts to Sam.

  "You know," she remarked. "You're going to have problems concentrating if you don't get it out of your system."

  I didn't want to talk about it, but I couldn't help myself. "Get what out of my system?"

  "This," she said, reaching over and cupping my groin.

  "Don't do that," I growled.

  "How are you going to fight the bad guys if you can't get the image of me stripping off my bodysuit out of your head? You need to let off some steam. Then you can focus on what's critical."

  Once again, I forced myself to push a vision of Samantha out of my mind. Perhaps being honest would work. "I don't think it is a good idea," I said, looking her in the eyes. "I let myself go on the island. I probably shouldn't have."

  "You're not going to tell me that you regret what we did," she said, her eyes flashing. "Are you?"

  "I don't regret a second of it." I couldn't communicate with Sam telepathically, but I wanted to convince her. "I hadn't meant for us to take that step until I was a free man."

  "But Jori!"

  "I don't want to talk about it anymore, Sam."

  She looked frustrated but thankfully changed the subject.

  "Fine. What should I expect from this party?"

  "Farrell's got some odd tastes. There's lots of drinking, dancing, sex, a
nd drugs."

  She raised her eyebrows. "I've been there and done that. It was called my early twenties."

  "We won't be participating in the extracurricular activities," I said.

  "Especially the sex part." She had to mention it again.

  I silently counted to ten as she smirked.

  "He's guaranteed to have the information we need, Sam, so we're going to have to blend in."

  "Blend in. Me? You know I'm from Earth, right?"

  "You bring a party with you wherever you go. You're the fun-time girl. You shouldn't have any trouble with this crowd."

  She stared at me. "Is that how you see me?"

  "Of course, Sam," I gazed at her tenderly. "You're fun. The opposite of me. Happy, cheerful, and crazy."

  Sam smiled shyly. I wondered if she saw herself the same way I saw her. My description of her might not be how she thought of herself, but I could see that my opinion was making a positive impression on her.

  "I guess I'm ready. Party on."

  I studied her intensely for a moment. I reached out and slowly wiped my thumb across her lips. She sat still. I had avoided touching her since the island, and it was the most sensual thing I had done to her since our rescue.

  "You had something on your mouth. What's that red stuff called?"

  "Ketchup?"

  "Some ketchup. Right there," I said, reluctant to tear my gaze away from her lips.

  She didn't move. This would be the perfect opportunity to kiss her, but I managed to turn away and start putting away the dishes.

  Chapter 16

  JORI

  I stayed in the kitchen and cleaned up until I saw Sam again in the entryway. Why had I touched her? When her lips had only been a memory, it was easier to resist her. Now it felt as if I was tormenting myself for no reason.

  I turned and walked towards the door. Sam stared at herself in the full-length mirror.

  "I've been thinking about getting a belly button ring," she said, modestly pulling down her shirt. It immediately rode up again, exposing a thin line of flesh and her sexy navel.

  "Why would you do something like that?" I said. The thought of her getting a piercing annoyed me. The concept of altering your body for jewelry was unknown on Vandwa.

  "I think it's edgy, and I would look cute. What do you think?" she asked. I thought she was playing me again, but I had to respond.

  "It doesn't sound like a good idea to me. It would ruin your perfect skin."

  "So what? Why do you care what I do with my belly button?"

  "Because I'm your husband," I said. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew I had lost control of the conversation.

  "Oh yeah? Prove it to me."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I have needs, you know. It's your job to take care of them. You're not acting like a proper husband at all," she said. There was a trace of bitterness in her eyes. She was bothered by my refusal to touch her. I wondered if she felt rejected or believed I didn't want her.

  A moment later, before I knew what I was doing, I had her pushed up against the door with my hands on her hips.

  "Oh yeah?" I whispered, inhaling her sweet scent. "What should I do to act like your husband?" I was a fool. With her, I might always be a fool.

  "You should kiss me," she murmured.

  I couldn't help myself. I found my lips were on hers, and our arms were around each other. She made a sexy noise at the back of her throat and pushed her hips towards mine. I could escape my job, but I wouldn't be able to avoid Sam.

  My hands drifted lower to cup her firm, round buttocks. Our kiss was heating up, and I felt excitement spreading through my body. I wanted her badly, but the timing wasn't right. We couldn't be late when we needed information from Farrell.

  Regretfully, I pulled away. She sighed.

  "We have to be punctual, Sam," I said. "This is too good of a party to miss."

  She knew what I meant, and she nodded. She understood the subtext of my comment. "I wouldn't want you to be late for your party," she said. "But you owe me, Mr. Lachlan."

  I watched her as she walked out the door and down the hall, my entire being aware of the movements of her body. I intended to pay her fully with interest.

  * * *

  "I didn't know parties could fill me with apprehension," Sam muttered as we walked through the entrance of the big house. It didn't drip opulence like the other parties. On the other hand, everywhere I looked, details from the furniture to the wall decorations denoted wealth.

  As we walked past a couple kissing in the hallway, Sam zipped up her hoodie. The man kissing the woman's neck managed to ogle Sam in her tight T-shirt. When I glared at him, he pretended not to notice. I didn't want him to think of touching my woman. It enraged me to know that he was probably thinking lustful thoughts already.

  We wandered through the house. Everywhere we went, we saw people either drinking or getting high. In some rooms, they were dancing sensually. The only things preventing them from vertically fucking were the clothes they wore. In other rooms, people were having conversations or participating in drinking games. Smoke permeated the air in the house, and I tried not to inhale.

  "Am I getting high from the smoke in the house?" Sam whispered to me. "I feel dizzy."

  "Derali is powerful stuff. Hold your breath."

  "I hope we don't have to be here long. I did a tour of the drinking and drugs scene when I was younger. I don't need to be a part of it anymore. What do we have to do we find your 'friend' and get out of here?"

  Privately, I agreed with her. There was another complication. The more inebriated these people got, the more dangerous they became. Sam didn't know the reputations of the men and women in this house, but some of them were animals.

  I was glad she didn't know about this crowd. There was no reason to scare her unnecessarily. It was still early. Most people had themselves under control.

  "How do you know this fellow?" she said. "He doesn't seem like your type at all."

  I appreciated the vote of confidence.

  "It's a long story," I said. My eyes were looking around the room, never stopping their search for Farrell. I realized she hadn't said anything for a while. When I turned my head, I realized she was glowering at me.

  "I met him in my teens, during my rebellious phase. These people were my kind of crowd back then," I muttered.

  I grabbed Sam's hand. If he wasn't around here, I knew where he would be. We walked upstairs and down a long hall until we came to a room filled with books.

  "A library? Is Farrell a bookworm?"

  "He reads a little," I said, shaking my head. "But this room has secrets."

  I let go of her hand and went to a particular blue book. When I took it off the shelf, there was a soft click in the room when a latch sprang free.

  Samantha drew in a breath of surprise behind me as a door opened. A section of the bookshelves swung inward, showing a stairway descending into darkness.

  "That was impressive," she whispered. "A secret passage? This party is getting cooler by the second."

  I grinned at her and stepped into the opening. She followed me as we sauntered down the stairs.

  When we arrived at a door, I hesitated. Sam looked nonplussed. There were moans, grunts, and the sound of something banging rhythmically against the wall coming from the room.

  I shrugged my shoulders and sat down on the floor in the hallway. Farrell had said his door was always open. It was closed now, and I didn't want to open it if he was with a woman.

  A few minutes later, a female voice screamed, and a male voice groaned after a few seconds. After that, there was nothing but silence.

  "Now what?" Sam whispered.

  I shrugged. I didn't have time to waste. I had given him enough privacy. I got up and knocked on the door.

  There was some grumbling from the room, and then a disheveled-looking woman wearing a man's shirt opened the door. Sam averted her eyes. Farrell sat up in the bed. He was shirtless, smoking someth
ing, and looked satisfied.

  "Sary?" He frowned, trying to remember her name. "Sorla?" The woman frowned. "Whatever your name is, sweetie, can you go upstairs now and get yourself something to eat?"

  She gave him a deadly glare, but he wasn't paying attention to her anymore.

  "Jori! What are you doing here?" he said. He forgot the presence of the nameless woman just like he forgot her name. She stomped away angrily.

  "Hey Farrell," I said. "Sorry to walk in on you, man. How do you find these girls who are screaming all the time?"

  "Because I'm an animal in bed," he said, smiling smugly at me. "It looks like your taste in women is improving."

  He looked Sam over and ran his tongue over his lips. Sam looked disgusted. I wished she was able to hide her emotions more completely, although seeing her reaction made me happy.

  "I have a great idea. Want to trade?" he asked.

  Samantha made a snort and looked outraged. I put a hand on her arm to reassure her. I would never trade her. From now on, I would be the only male to place his hands on her. A small voice in my head said that if I wanted her to be mine, eventually I would need to be truthful with her and tell her my feelings.

  "I don't think so. That doesn't sound like a great idea to me," I said. I felt my expression change, and I knew I didn't look as friendly as before.

  He raised his eyebrows and took another puff.

  "Is it like that? Fair enough," he said. There was a time not long ago when I would have jumped at the thought of having a new woman in my bed. In the past, we had exchanged often enough for his suggestion to be reasonable. The girls had been willing of course; the women we had hung out during those years had been free spirits.

  Sam deserved better than this, and the mere insinuation was making my ears burn. It was time to get to the point and get out of here. Either he'd help us or he wouldn't.

  "Why are you here, Jori? It's not for old time's sake."

  "I need your help," I said.

  "Of course you do. But what precisely do you need?"

  "I want to know where Harrington's holding his next shipment of children."

  His face got a look I had seen many times when he was dealing or playing cards. It was his poker face, and it completely hid what he was thinking and feeling.