by Lori Sjoberg
Sweet Jesus. The mental picture made the blood in his brain zip down to his groin. “Why do you have to say things like that?”
Her smile widened. “Because they elicit the desired response. Besides, I’d like to know the answer.”
The waiter approached their table again, granting Jack a temporary reprieve while he ordered another drink. He’d probably need another couple to get through this, a couple more to deal with the aftermath.
He turned his gaze back to Ruby and resisted the urge to lie his ass off. Over the past couple of days he’d come to care about her. Had trusted her with his deepest secret. He owed her an honest answer to the question, even if it meant pissing her off.
“I’ve slept with a lot of women over the years,” he said once the waiter moved out of earshot. “Sometimes because I want to, but often out of necessity.”
She stared at him, her expression unreadable, for what seemed like forever. “Are you trying to scare me off?”
“No. I’m just saying, in the interest of full disclosure.”
“Fair enough.” She picked up her drink, eyeing him over the rim of the glass. “How many are we talking?”
“You want an exact number?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary.” She watched him while she stirred the drink with her straw. “A general estimation will suffice.”
Easier said than done. He ran the numbers in his head—women per week times weeks in a year, times the number of years he’d been cursed. Then he factored in all of the times when the curse had taken over and gone on a binge …
“Christ Jesus.” A cold knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He dragged a hand through his hair, mortified by the number at the end of the equation.
“That many?”
He nodded, and mentally cringed.
Ruby gave a little huff of amusement as she raised her glass in salute. “Oh Jack, I pegged you for a player. I had no idea you were such a man whore.”
Jack scowled. “This isn’t funny.”
“Yeah, it is.” Her eyes sparkled with humor when she met his troubled gaze. “Don’t worry, I’m a big girl. I can handle it. Besides, it’s not like I’m pure as the driven snow.”
“How many?” The question popped out of his mouth before he had the good sense to stop himself.
Ruby arched one eyebrow. “Do you really want to know?”
No, not really. The thought of another man touching her damn near set his blood to boil. He did not want to multiply that feeling by however many men she’d slept with over the years.
She laughed, low and husky, when he remained silent. “Let me guess. You want to know, but you don’t want to know. Am I right?”
He nodded. “I … I don’t like the thought of—” He stopped himself mid-sentence. Talk about hypocritical. Here he was getting overly possessive, less than twenty-four hours after bedding another woman. Still, he couldn’t deny the feeling, and that pushed him even closer to the edge of despair.
She took another sip from her drink and set the glass on the table. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m not exactly keen on the idea of you knocking boots with some other woman.”
A fresh round of guilt ripped through him, a harsh reminder that he ranked somewhere between dog shit and pond scum. He felt as if the walls were closing in around him, and he couldn’t find a way out. “I hate this. I hate being a slave to this thing.” He lifted his gaze and found her watching him with a look of such compassion it made his chest tight. “It wants you, you know.”
“Really?” A smug smile warmed her lips. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Don’t. The things it wants to do to you—” He stopped himself before he ventured into the land of Too Much Information.
“Oooh, like what?” Her voice lowered to a throaty purr. “I hope it involves almond oil and feathers.”
The curse sent out a ripple of power, which translated into a resounding yes.
“You don’t understand.” The words snapped out more harshly than he intended, causing Ruby to flinch and pull back. God, how much more could he possibly fuck this up? “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bark at you.”
“It’s okay.” She sounded calm, but her brow creased with worry. “Explain it to me, Jack. I can’t help if I don’t understand.”
He reached across the table and took her hand. The contact grounded him while he struggled for a way to explain the dynamics of his relationship with the curse. “You have no idea how much I wanted to spend the night in your cabin.” All the things he wanted to do with her flashed through his mind, and he felt a fresh burst of arousal from both himself and the demon. “You do things to me, Ruby. Things I haven’t felt for a woman in a very long time.”
She smiled, her features softening. “And why is that such a terrible thing?”
“Because strong emotions cloud my thoughts and make it damn near impossible to contain the curse’s power.” He let go of her hand and wiped his palms against his pants, wishing the waiter would hurry back with his drink. “I got so caught up in you last night, I hardly noticed when the demon tried to take over. I managed to keep it locked down, but I had to get out of there before it made another attempt.”
“Ah, so that’s why you ran off like a scalded cat.”
He nodded. “I would have had a better shot at maintaining control if I hadn’t waited so long to feed it.”
“You seem to be controlling it pretty well now.” Something must have clicked in Ruby’s mind, because her eyes thinned to slits and her mouth dropped open. “Who?”
Too ashamed to make eye contact, Jack stared down at his shoes.
“Okay, let me get this straight.” She leaned back in her chair, folded her arms beneath her breasts. “You left me twisting in the wind so you could run off and bang some other woman?” Before he could answer, she said, “I hope you enjoyed yourself. Did you come?”
The question left him momentarily stunned. “Excuse me?” “You heard me.” The soft, Southern drawl in her voice had vanished, making way for the sharpened edge of an interrogator. “Did you come? Orgasm? Ejaculate?”
“Yes.” Twice, but he wasn’t stupid enough to ante up that information.
Ruby’s face flushed red. Her eyes hardened, anger mingling with something else he’d never expected. Pain. He would have preferred it if she’d just hauled off and belted him one. It probably would have hurt less.
“I know you won’t believe me, but I was trying to protect you.” Stone-faced, she stared at him for what had to be one of the most uncomfortable minutes of his entire life. “That has got to be the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard. I’m nobody’s fool, Jack Deverell, and I refuse to become one of yours.” Without another word, she rose from her chair and stalked toward the exit.
“Ruby, wait!” Jack bolted after her, catching up with her in the corridor leading to the elevators. He darted ahead, blocking her avenue of escape. “Look, I’m sorry I hurt you, and I understand your anger, but I’m not going to apologize for my actions. You have no idea how dangerous this thing is. The curse has no conscience or sense of remorse. It wants to use your body to satisfy its cravings while sucking out your life force until there’s nothing left to take. If I’d stayed with you last night, there’s no way I could have stopped that from happening.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. Leaving you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I would have given anything to wake up with you this morning.”
Ruby cocked a hand on her hip. The angry line of her mouth softened, but her eyes remained harder than steel. “You could have tried.”
“I would have failed, and I won’t allow you to suffer the consequences.” He stepped closer and reached for her hand. When she didn’t jerk back or slap the shit out of him, he proceeded with cautious optimism. “Sooner or later, I’m taking you to bed. And when that happens, I want the freedom to lose myself in the moment without worrying about the curse staging a revolt. K
now why?”
The crease between her eyebrows faded, but her voice still sounded skeptical. “No. Why don’t you enlighten me?”
“Because I want more than a fast tumble with you. I want to take my time, get to know every inch of that beautiful body of yours.” His voice dropped to a murmur. “Find all the spots that make you gasp, and moan, and call my name. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
She gave a noncommittal shrug, her mouth tipping up a little at the corners. “Maybe. Maybe you’ve already blown your chance.”
“Maybe not.” He leaned in, caging her between the wall and his body. Her chest pressed against his every time she took a breath, the heat of her body making his blood pound with need. “Maybe you just want to make me work harder for it.”
“Maybe I’m worth it.” She looked up at him through lowered lashes, her voice a smooth, sensual purr. “Maybe I’m not convinced you deserve another chance.”
Jack gripped her hands and twined her fingers with his, raising them up so they bracketed her head. She made no move to break his hold, her body soft and supple against him. This close, he could feel her breath against his skin, could smell the subtle scent of her perfume. She smiled at him and licked her lips, and his body flushed with arousal.
The curse stirred, eager for action, but Jack ruthlessly forced it into submission. No way was he missing out on this.
“Maybe …” His brain fogged when she arched against him, the craving so strong his body throbbed with the ache. He inhaled and exhaled, clearing his head just enough to form coherent thought. “Maybe I should just show you.”
He kissed her then, savoring the throaty moan she made against his mouth. She tasted like citrus, and tequila, and the rich, exotic flavor that he’d come to associate with her alone. Resisting the urge to plunder, he kept the kiss slow and languid, sinking into the pleasures of lips and teeth and tongue. Another moan, and he felt her muscles loosen and yield, the subtle surrender heating him from the inside out.
Ruby sighed as she shifted against him, sliding her hands free so she could drag her fingers through his hair. His hands got busy as well, stroking down her sides to the curves of her hips and back up again, his thumbs coming to rest just beneath the swells of her breasts. Breaking the kiss, his mouth skimmed along the line of her jaw, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin below her ear.
“Maybe … maybe … God, that’s good.” Her eyes drifted shut when his mouth found a sweet spot at the crook of her neck.
A group of young guys walked past, snickering to each other before one of them called out, “Jeez, get a room.”
Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. It was only a matter of time before the curse got its second wind, and he wanted Ruby breathless and beneath him before the window of opportunity slammed shut.
He pulled back far enough to see her face. She had a dreamy glint in her eyes, her pupils so dilated the green was hardly visible. Face flushed and lipstick smeared, she looked wanton, and brazen, and sexier than hell.
“So,” he murmured, “do I get a second chance?”
“What do you think?” Her expression sobered, a perplexed look replacing the humor. “What are we starting here, Jack?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out.”
He nipped her lower lip, and she made a soft humming sound that left him wondering about what other noises she’d make once he got her alone and undressed. Then she rolled her hips against him and he forgot all about the noises, and for a moment he entertained the notion of taking her against the wall.
He was about to drag her to the elevators when her eyes widened and her body stiffened against him.
“What is it?”
Before she had the chance to answer, strong hands clamped down on his shoulders, the grip so forceful it pinned him in place.
Then a man’s deep voice, rumbling with impatience, said, “I should have known I’d find you like this. When you’re done playing with your new toy, we’ve got work to do.”
Chapter 10
Ruby stared at the reaper standing behind Jack, her mind a tangled mess of emotions.
Dmitri was … well, not exactly the last person she expected to see on board, but his sudden appearance certainly surprised her. Irritated her as well, since he’d had the gall to interrupt things just as they were beginning to get interesting. But in the end, it was relief that dominated her thoughts.
After wandering the ship for hours, she was no closer to finding the being responsible for killing the passenger. Not too surprising, since she had no idea who or what she was looking for or how she was going to find it. Not even knowing how the woman died didn’t make things any easier. This wasn’t her area of expertise, and Samuel’s instructions had been about as helpful as a trapdoor on a lifeboat. Tired and frustrated, she’d suspended her efforts when the ship left St. Angelique, with plans to resume the search once she’d burned off a little restless energy with Jack.
This kind of assignment was right up Dmitri’s alley. During his mortal lifetime, he’d worked for the KGB, playing spy versus spy for the former Soviet Union. From all accounts, he’d been one of the best in his field, doing God knows what for the benefit of the mother country. He’d put those skills to good use as a reaper, showing no mercy as he harvested souls like a true horseman of the apocalypse. Nothing escaped his watchful eyes, and she needed to tap that particular skill set if she stood any chance of tracking down a killer.
That said, she refused to let his bad behavior slide.
“Your manners are terrible,” Ruby drawled. “Let the man go, Dmitri.”
Dmitri released his iron grip, and Jack whirled around to face the person responsible for ruining a perfectly delightful bout of foreplay.
“You know this guy?” Jack’s narrowed eyes locked on Dmitri. His hands balled up into fists, his entire body racked with tension.
“Yes, I work with the big lug.” She shot Jack a look of warning before turning her attention to Dmitri.
“You work for the big lug,” Dmitri corrected, obviously not amused. During the Cold War, he used to conceal his accent to avoid unwanted attention. The habit died with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and now his deep voice carried a unique blend of both American and Russian, the latter growing more pronounced whenever he got worked up or drank too much.
“Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that part.” She flashed him an insolent grin. “Jack, this is Dmitri, my boss back home. Dmitri, this is Jack. We met on board.”
Neither man spoke, preferring to size each other up like two gunslingers from an old Clint Eastwood movie. At six four, Dmitri had a few inches on Jack, and outweighed him by at least forty pounds of solid muscle. And while Jack had the element of anger on his side, Dmitri had him trumped by a lifetime of training and a ruthless nature.
“We need to talk,” Dmitri told Ruby, still glaring at Jack like he was something he’d just scraped off the bottom of his shoe. “Now.”
“I had a feeling you weren’t here for the nightlife.” With a sigh, she shifted her attention back to Jack. Walking away from unfinished business wasn’t her style, but she didn’t have much in the way of alternatives. “Duty calls, darling. As much as I hate to say this, I’m going to have to take a rain check.”
Jack nodded, resignation plain on his face. “I understand.”
Taking her hand, he pressed a kiss against the backs of her knuckles. His lips felt warm and soft against her skin, and the simple gesture flooded her with unexpected emotion. Then he released her hand and leaned in close. The low timbre of his voice made her tingle in all the right places when he said, “Don’t make me wait too long.”
He surprised her then by claiming her mouth, the kiss hot and hungry and demanding, a display of affection as much as a marking of territory. No matter the reason, she melted against him, her mind hazing over while her body sparked with arousal. She reveled in the feel of his hand around the back of her neck, the stroke of his tongue against hers, the growl that came fr
om the back of his throat when her teeth grazed his lower lip. Reaching up, she fisted his shirt with one hand while the other gripped his shoulder for balance.
When he broke the kiss, the promise in his eyes turned her insides to jelly. Without another word, he walked away, disappearing into the stairwell beside the elevators.
Dazed and disoriented, Ruby pressed two fingers to her lips. Her knees felt like rubber as she turned back to Dmitri. She gave herself a hard mental shake, clearing her mind of inappropriate thoughts so she could focus on the job at hand.
“When did you get here?” she asked, followed quickly by, “And how did you get here?”
“Not important. I got your message, and Samuel filled in the details.”
Good. That spared her from having to dole out the CliffsNotes version of events. She considered pressing him for answers to her questions but quickly pushed the thought aside. In her line of work, sometimes it was better not to know. “Any ideas?”
“A couple. Where’s the body?”
“Beats me. I would assume they’ve removed it from the cabin by now. Unless they took it off the ship in St. Angelique, it’s probably stored in the infirmary.”
“Lead the way.”
Considering the size of the ship, the infirmary was relatively small. A faint medicinal odor filled the air, like someone had left open a jar of Vicks VapoRub. Four small hospital beds filled one side of the room, with beige supply cabinets flanking them. A row of machinery occupied the opposite wall, leaving just enough space for a small desk near the entrance. A middle-aged Hispanic woman dressed in nurse’s scrubs sat in front of the computer, her fingers tapping away at the keyboard.
“May I help you?” the nurse asked when she noticed them standing in the open doorway.
Ruby was about to pour on the charm, but Dmitri beat her to the punch.
“I certainly hope so,” he said, his normal accent replaced with something higher-pitched and distinctly midwestern.
It never ceased to amaze her, his ability to alter his voice so dramatically like some sort of linguistic chameleon. At last count he spoke eight languages, and he could mimic the dialects of each one at the drop of a hat. Years ago he’d tried to teach her Russian, but the only words that stuck in her mind were ones you couldn’t repeat in polite company.
