Hearts Afire

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  Izabella suddenly bounced back down the stairs. “Why didn’t you tell me your lady friend was staying with you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  She pointed to the second floor. “Kendrick’s sister. You should have told me she was staying here with you.”

  Zak’s eyes widened. He’d completely forgotten that Maitlyn’s luggage was still upstairs in his bedroom. He was suddenly concerned with where she was and if she’d been able to get into her own room. Just as he moved to his feet, intent on searching her out, there was a knock at his door. With quick strides he moved to the entrance and pulled it open. Maitlyn stood sheepishly on the other side.

  “Hey, I’m sorry to bother you but—” she started, and then she caught sight of a very naked Izabella standing in the room behind him. Embarrassment flushed her face a deep shade of red. “I’m interrupting,” Maitlyn stammered as she took a step back. “I didn’t mean—”

  Zak opened the door wider. “You’re not. Please, come in,” he said nonchalantly. “Izabella was just leaving.”

  Izabella waved a lazy hand in her direction. “I guess I am leaving,” the woman said as she stepped back into her clothing and tied the garment around her neck. She laughed easily as she rolled her eyes. After moving to the door, she reached up to press a kiss on Zak’s cheek. “Why don’t we all meet for breakfast in the morning? Papa will love to see you, Zakaria,” she said.

  Zak nodded his agreement. “We will call you,” he answered, and Izabella spun on her high heels and headed down the corridor.

  Shock still painting her expression, Maitlyn met Zak’s intense gaze. His head slightly tilted toward her. “My apology,” he said as he gestured for her to enter the room.

  “I really didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said, still not moving past the entrance.

  “You weren’t,” Zak answered.

  “You had a high-profile supermodel standing naked in your room. I find it hard to believe that I didn’t just interrupt something.”

  Zak shrugged his broad shoulders. “I don’t know why. I would think by now that you would know I’m not a man who says things I don’t mean.”

  “But she was naked.”

  Zak smiled. “Are you coming in, or do you plan to stand out there all night?”

  Maitlyn forced a smile. “My luggage is still here.”

  “I know,” he said, still staring at her. The two held the gaze for a few moments before Zak finally turned his back to her and moved inside. He reclaimed his seat on the sofa.

  Maitlyn hesitated for a brief moment before she followed and entered the room, closing the door behind her. She paused and stood awkwardly when she reached the couch, and Zak stared at her intently.

  “Are you and Izabella lovers?” she blurted out before she could catch the words.

  He smiled. “We have been,” he answered emotionlessly. “We are not anymore, nor do I expect that we will ever be again in the future. Is that a problem for you?”

  She shook her head. “No, why would it be a problem for me? I was just curious. You two just seem very comfortable with each other.”

  He shrugged. “I had to assist Izabella’s father with getting her out of a situation a few years ago. We were close and then we weren’t.” Zak smiled again. He continued to stare at her. His appreciative gaze roved over the lines of her body. The room suddenly felt warm; heat rose with a vengeance.

  Zak pointed to the empty chair, gesturing for her to take a seat. “So come tell me why you are so curious about the women I might have made love to,” he said.

  She hesitated for a brief moment, then moved to where he pointed. She took a seat and crossed one lean leg over the other. “I was only curious about Izabella,” she finally answered. “Your personal life is none of my business.”

  Zak was still staring at her legs. She had runner’s legs, tight, toned and muscular. He was suddenly imagining himself lost deep between her thighs, and the notion caused a wave of heat to simmer between his legs. He forced himself to lift his gaze from her legs back to her face. There was something in her eyes that he found engaging, and her seductive gaze hinted at her own desires. Maitlyn Boudreaux was a beautiful woman, but there was something more there that he found himself attracted to.

  When they locked eyes, Maitlyn gasped and bit down against her bottom lip.

  “You should get some rest,” he said finally. “You are welcome to spend the night here. I’ll sleep down here on the sofa bed.”

  “I really shouldn’t,” she stated. “I can just get my things and...”

  There was a moment of hesitation before Zak moved swiftly to his feet. His tone was easy and gentle, his statement uttered easily. “I don’t want you to leave,” he said. “I think you should just rest tonight. We will worry about moving you tomorrow.” He strode to the balcony doors and slid them open. “Sleep well, my friend.” He tossed her a quick look over his shoulder before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

  Zak turned to watch Maitlyn head up the stairs to the second floor and to his bed.

  * * *

  Hours later, Zak woke to the distinctive smell of ocean air and a bouquet of sea salt teasing his nostrils. He stretched his body upward, elongating his limbs against the cushions of the teak lounger. It had not been his intent to fall asleep outside on the deck, but he had needed to keep some distance between himself and Maitlyn. It had taken much for him not to climb those stairs behind her and even more to regain control over his body.

  Those last moments with Maitlyn had been a test of his fortitude. As he’d watched her, her eyes wide with longing and her lips quivering with want, the sultry expression that had painted her face had hardened every muscle in his body. It had taken everything in him not to ravage her right there where she stood. The chilly night air had served to ease the rise of tension, but every time he thought about going back inside, his body betrayed him as he imagined her upstairs in his bed. He stood up and leaned over the railing, looking out to the expanse of water that dressed the landscape. The sun was just beginning to rise in the distance ahead.

  They had been cruising for one week straight, and it would be one more day before they saw land again. The first port of call was Funchal, on the island of Madeira. It was a popular year-round resort that had become a major harbor for cruise line dockings and he anticipated that they would be able to see the shoreline in the wee hours of the following morning.

  As he moved back into the cabin, the phone on the desk began to ring. Shaking his head, Zak knew who was calling even before he answered. “Yes, Izabella?”

  “Are we still doing breakfast?” the young woman chimed, sounding far too chipper for the early morning hour.

  “I thought I said I would call you,” Zak said.

  “Papa gets up early. Much too early for me, but since this is his trip I’m trying to be the dutiful daughter. Now you and Maitlyn come save me!” Izabella exclaimed.

  “Maitlyn is still resting.”

  “Roll over and wake her up, then meet us in the dining room in an hour.”

  “You know, you sometimes go too far, Izabella,” Zak stated, bristling at her comment.

  “Oh, don’t be a party pooper! I’m starting to get claustrophobic on this boat, and I just want to have some fun. Plus, I want to get to know Maitlyn better. I saw how you were looking at her, Zakaria!”

  “Again, too far,” he responded. “And you didn’t see any such thing.”

  “I saw enough. Now are you coming? Papa is here and wants to know.”

  Zak sighed. “Tell your father that Maitlyn and I will meet you in an hour,” he answered just before disconnecting the call.

  After easing up the stairwell, Zak found Maitlyn still sound asleep. Just as he’d done for the past two days, he stood staring down at her for a brief moment before moving into th
e bathroom to shower. Unlike those previous two days, Maitlyn had tossed off all the covers, and her body was pressed facedown against the mattress. Zak was taken aback by the view.

  The beautiful woman was wearing very little, nothing but a tank top and bikini bottoms that barely covered the roundness of her derriere. The legs he’d admired the previous night were sprawled open, wide and inviting. The curve of her buttocks was lush and full, and Zak licked his lips as he admired the view. Fantasizing how her backside might feel in his hands lengthened an erection in his pants. The length of steel between his legs was desperate for attention. Resisting the urge to touch her, and himself, he turned and moved into the bathroom to take a very cold shower.

  Behind the closed bathroom door, he leaned on the granite counters, his hands clenched in fists as he rested his weight on his arms. His muscles bulged as he leaned into the mirror, staring at his reflection. The temptation was more than he’d anticipated. But he couldn’t afford to let his rising desire for the woman distract him from what he needed to do. And despite Maitlyn becoming a serious distraction, what he needed most was to stay focused.

  * * *

  She heard the water running in the other room; the lull of it pulled her from a deep sleep. There was a chill in the air, and Maitlyn was suddenly cold. She reached for the blankets that were tangled at her feet. As she pulled the bedclothes up and over her body, she couldn’t help but wonder what Zak might have seen as he’d passed on his way to the bathroom. She rolled onto her back and pulled an arm up and over her eyes.

  Obviously, the man had gotten an eyeful, she told herself. She should have been bothered by that, she thought, but she wasn’t. And although she hoped he liked what he’d seen, she couldn’t help but wonder if Zak had compared her to that naked twenty-eight-year-old who’d been offering him her treats just before Maitlyn had shown up at his door. She couldn’t help but wonder if he might have been disappointed. She blew out a deep sigh, her head waving from side to side.

  Admittedly, her confidence was shaken. She had tossed and turned for most of the night, mindful that Zak was only steps away from her. She’d been more than tempted to call him up to her and had even fantasized about easing back down the stairs to his side, doing a seductive striptease with each step. She couldn’t begin to understand what had gotten into her—her desire was like a fungus spreading out of control. She had wanted nothing more than to throw herself at him, but the fear of rejection had kept her at bay.

  But something about Zakaria Sayed had teased every one of her sensibilities. Weeks ago, prim and proper Maitlyn wouldn’t have had an interest in any man and definitely not a man who had her ready to strip right out of her panties. But Maitlyn was suddenly very interested in Zak and there was nothing prim or proper about the thoughts she was having about him.

  When the sound of the shower stalled, Maitlyn rolled onto her side, pulling the covers tighter around her body. As Zak moved about in the other room, she pondered ways to get his attention, thinking that she just might throw caution to the wind and tell him what she was feeling. As the bathroom door swung open, she closed her eyes tight, feigning sleep. She could feel Zak staring down at her, and she clenched her knees tightly together beneath the covers. Zak called her name once and then a second time as he rounded the bed, moving to her side.

  “Maitlyn, are you awake?” he asked, his tone low.

  Maitlyn eased her eyes open, willing a smile onto her face. “Just dozing,” she murmured. “Good morning.”

  Zak was bare chested, nothing covering him but a towel. “Good morning. Izabella and her father called about breakfast. I told them we’d meet them in the dining room in an hour. I hope that was okay?”

  She took a deep breath. “Oh, yeah, that’s fine.”

  Zak nodded, still staring down at her. Maitlyn met his gaze, her own eyes wide as she struggled not to focus on his broad chest or the slight tent that had lifted in the front of his towel. But he was staring, and the look he was giving her had hardened her nipples and made her moist between her thighs.

  Maitlyn cleared her throat. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she questioned.

  “You’re an incredibly beautiful woman. I can’t help myself,” he said, his eyes skating easily over her profile.

  Butterflies fluttered in her midsection. She smiled sweetly. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll be downstairs,” he said as he took two steps back and turned away from her.

  Maitlyn sat upright in the bed and called after him. “Zak!”

  As he turned toward her, his broad chest throbbed up and down. “Yes?”

  Maitlyn locked eyes with him, every thought she’d had moments earlier leaving her. She took a deep breath and then a second as she shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she finally muttered, her face flushed.

  Zak paused briefly, and then he turned and moved quickly back down the stairs.

  Chapter 6

  Gustavo Barros talked as much and as fast as his daughter. Maitlyn slowly shook her head. Breakfast with the duo had been like an extreme tennis match, the back-and-forth exchange a challenge to follow. Maitlyn cut an eye toward Zak, who seemed oblivious, having tuned the two out an hour earlier. Izabella was regaling them with details of her trip to South Africa, and her father interjected his opinion about her less than stellar behavior.

  “It’s time you settled down,” Gustavo exclaimed.

  Izabella rolled her eyes. “I am too young to settle down, Papa! Tell him, Zak. He will not listen to me.”

  “It’s you who should be doing the listening, Izabella. Your father is telling you well, but your head is hard.”

  The girl fanned a dismissive hand at him. “What do you think, Maitlyn? Should I not be enjoying myself? I am still young!”

  Maitlyn smiled. “I think your father just wants to know that you are safe when you are out of his eyesight,” she said. “I don’t think he wants to stop you from having fun.”

  “I can’t tell,” Izabella responded. She quickly changed the subject. “So what do you two have planned for today?” she asked, looking from Maitlyn to Zak.

  Zak leaned forward in his seat. “I’ve made plans for Maitlyn and I to spend time alone together this afternoon. Then of course there is the tournament tonight,” he said.

  A wide smile pulled at Izabella’s face. “Alone!” she cooed. “That sounds intriguing!”

  Gustavo laughed. “Which means that it is none of your business.” The man rose to his feet. He extended a hand toward Zak. “Zakaria, it was good to see you again. Perhaps we’ll have dinner together before we dock in Greece.”

  “Maitlyn and I look forward to it,” Zak answered.

  Gustavo leaned down to kiss Maitlyn’s left cheek and then her right. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Maitlyn. Continue to enjoy your cruise.”

  “It was nice to meet you, too!” Maitlyn said with a smile.

  Gustavo turned toward his daughter. “Izabella, I want to do the rock climbing on that wall at the far end of this boat. Are you ready?”

  Izabella pouted. “Rock climbing? Really, Father? Do I have to?”

  Zak cleared his throat. “Obey your father, Izabella,” he said sternly.

  The young woman heaved a deep sigh as she stood up. “I may watch, but I’m not doing anything that might ruin my manicure. I’ll see you tonight at the tournament,” she said as she followed after her father.

  Zak chuckled softly as the two disappeared from view.

  “Well,” Maitlyn said, shaking her head. “That was interesting.”

  Zak nodded his agreement. “Interesting is one word you could use to describe them. I have others.”

  Maitlyn laughed.

  Zak took a quick glance at his wristwatch. “We should be going ourselves,” he said.

  Maitlyn eyed him curiously. “Where
? I didn’t think you really meant that we were going to spend the afternoon together. I thought you were just saying that to get rid of Izabella.”

  Zak shook his head. He crossed his hands together on the table in front of him, his eyes connecting with hers. “Why would I say something I didn’t mean?” he asked her.

  “Because you’re a man, and it’s been my experience that’s what men do,” she answered, meaning every word.

  Zak paused for a brief moment as he considered her words. He finally nodded and then spoke. “Clearly, you’ve spent too much time with the wrong man.”

  She shrugged. She thoroughly agreed with him, but she didn’t say so out loud. Zak was still looking at her as if he expected her to say something, but she didn’t bother to speak, just shrugged her shoulders a second time.

  He spoke instead. “I’m a man of my word, Maitlyn, and I never say anything I do not mean. Know that,” he said, his tone emphatic. “Now, if I overstepped my bounds thinking that you might want to spend the afternoon with me, please let me know. In which case I will apologize and you can be on your way.”

  She shook her head, feeling a little shell-shocked by his virility. Other than her brothers, it had been a good long while since she’d been in the company of a man who didn’t have a problem showing just how much of a man he was. Zakaria had monumental presence, and she was feeling every ounce of it. “I would love to spend the afternoon with you,” she finally said.

  Zak nodded and smiled. “They’re waiting for us.” He stood up and extended his hand toward her. “Shall we?”

  As they made their way to the opposite end of the ship, they happened on Frank, Gerard and Alexander Lloyd standing in a heated exchange. None of the men looked happy; Lloyd appeared particularly disturbed. The trio’s conversation came to an abrupt halt when they caught sight of Zak and Maitlyn.

  Gerard spoke first. “Mr. Sayed. Ms. Boudreaux, how are you?” he said, cutting a nervous eye at the other two men.