“Oh, shit!” she breathed, as she leaned back against his broad chest and closed her eyes.
“No, baby, I want you to watch us.”
Katie smiled seductively and met his gaze once again in the reflection. As he continued working her magic button with his hand, he renewed long powerful strokes with his cock. He watched her bite her lower lip and as her breasts began to heave again he knew her moment was close. He hoped he could hold himself off long enough.
“That’s it, baby, just let it go,” he quietly urged her.
She cried out breathlessly. “Oh, God, oh, shit!”
As her body shuddered in release, he gave in as well, reveling in his second climax in the span of about half an hour. Slowly spiraling downward, they gasped trying to catch their breath as Mac gently lowered both of them onto the bed, pulling Katie close and spooning her in his embrace.
“That was...” she panted.
She could feel the chuckle in his chest. “Yes, it was.” He lightly kissed her temple. “Would you like some more wine?”
Dressed in fluffy white bathrobes emblazoned with the crest of the cruise line, Mac and Katie took their glasses out onto the veranda. The full moon was setting on the horizon as a light tropical breeze ruffled their hair.
Mac watched her thoughtfully. “This is revenge sex, isn’t it? Somebody did you wrong.”
Katie returned his gaze but said nothing.
“I don’t mean to pry. I know you said no personal information. But you don’t strike me as the kind of woman who does this kind of thing all the time.”
She sighed. “I don’t. Like I said, this is a ‘one night only’ event. Besides,” she looked away, “he wouldn’t care anyway.”
“Then he’s a damn fool.”
Katie laughed humorlessly. “Be that as it may...”
Mac gazed out over the water. “I haven’t had the best luck myself. My last relationship ended in a restraining order.” Katie looked at him sharply. “I mean, I had to take out a restraining order after I broke up with her and she started stalking me. I’m moving to get away from her.”
Unable to resist, Katie blurted her question. “You’re moving to get away from a woman?”
“Well, it’s also a good opportunity. A promotion and a raise and all. But mostly, I don’t want to have to deal with her anymore. A new town, a new job...all waiting for me when I get back.”
Katie sipped her wine thoughtfully. “I suppose all in all, it worked out for you.
“I suppose.” They stood in companionable silence, appreciating the soft Caribbean breeze caressing their faces and the quiet rumble of the ship’s engines tickling their feet.
Mac turned to Katie. “I’m wondering if there’s any chance of us getting together tomorrow night.”
She smiled sadly. “That would be breaking the rules. Just one night, remember?”
“You sort of have this school teacher thing about rules, don’t you?”
Again, Katie looked at him sharply and didn’t respond.
Mac reached to grasp a lock of her red hair and twisted it around his finger. “Well, seeing as how we have just this one night, I’d like very much to take you back to bed and make love to you one more time.”
Back inside the cabin, he gently helped her off with her robe and into bed, before dropping his own and climbing in beside her. Head propped on one elbow, he gazed down at her, lightly tracing his finger along her body. “You’re so pretty,” he murmured, leaning down to capture her lips with his own. Katie responded, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, kissing him passionately.
In contrast to their earlier frenzied and frenetic fucking, this time was unhurried and deliberate. Mac placed himself between her legs, nudging them further apart with his own, and he held himself over her. Katie gripped his shoulders as he slid himself home, fresh condom in place, and began pumping himself slowly in and out of her battered sex. The pair kept their eyes locked on each other as once again, their moments built, Katie raising her knees to allow him to penetrate her as deeply as possible. She shattered as she came this time, crying out unintelligibly and he followed after her, pausing to plant a chaste kiss on her lips before collapsing on the bed beside her.
Mac wrapped his arm around her and Katie rested her head on his broad chest, toying lightly with the smattering of hair there. He gently brushed his lips against her temple. “So what are you doing tomorrow in the Caymans? Today in the Caymans?” He glanced at the bedside clock.
Katie raised her head and gave him a cautious look.
He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean... I just meant...” He sighed. “My brothers and I are scuba diving. I just wondered if you were diving, too.”
She rested her chin on his chest and shook her head. “I’ve always wanted to dive but I’ve never gotten certified.”
“You should. You’d love it.”
She watched him for a moment and sighed. “We’re going to Stingray City. Jayma’s pick. I think it sounds touristy. Like we might as well wear fanny packs and dark socks with sandals. Put streaks of zinc oxide on our noses.”
Mac chuckled. “It’s not so bad. And the stingrays are cool.”
“So you’ve been there before.”
This time Mac smiled enigmatically and didn’t answer. Katie grinned ruefully. “Touché.” She gently pressed her lips to his chest. The light hair tickled her nose.
Looking back up at him, she sighed again. “I should probably be going.”
“You could stay. Sleep here.” His eyes were hopeful.
Katie shook her head sadly. “No, I should go.”
She retrieved her dress and stepped into it, sliding the straps over her shoulders. She picked up the remnants of the black lace panties and dropped them in the trash.
“Sorry about the panties,” he said, grinning.
“I’m not.” She matched his grin.
Mac reached for his robe and stopped. “I’ll walk you to your cabin. Just let me get dressed.”
“No, that’s okay, I’ve got it.”
Reluctantly, he walked her to the door, shrugging into the robe and tying the belt as he did.
Katie paused, her hand on the door handle. “Tonight was...amazing. Just what I needed. Thank you.”
“Amazing. And then some. It was my pleasure.” Mac leaned down to kiss her gently.
“Well,” she paused in the doorway, “good night.”
She headed down the passageway and stopped, turning. “Hey, you!”
Mac grinned broadly. “What?”
Katie looked faintly alarmed. “Be careful. Diving, I mean. Please be careful.”
He smiled confidently. “Always. Good night, beautiful.”
Day 2
“So where were you all night?” Chelsea gazed at Katie expectantly across the breakfast table.
Katie feigned studious interest in her grapefruit half. “Oh, I went for a walk to get some air.”
“It’s a fucking ship. How far can you walk?” Michelle gestured with her mimosa. “Look, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings at dinner. I didn’t really mean it the way it came out.”
Katie smiled more graciously than she felt. “I know. I shouldn’t have taken it so seriously.”
“Yeah, you could lighten up a little,” Michelle agreed.
Jayma listened to the exchange but said nothing for the moment. She’d been awake when Katie had returned to their stateroom, and had peppered her with questions until her friend fessed up to her shipboard tryst.
“It was just a one-time thing,” Katie had concluded.
Mm-hmmm, Jayma had thought. But she was glad to see the sparkle return to Katie’s eyes. She knew her friend’s confidence had taken a huge hit thanks to that last bastard.
“So you’re not going to tell us about the guy?” Jayma prodded.
Chelsea and Michelle looked over to Katie with interest. “What guy?” they chimed in unison.
Katie narrowed her eyes at Jayma. “Thanks a lot.”
&nb
sp; “I knew you weren’t being straight with us.” Michelle grinned in anticipation. “We want all the gory details.”
Katie stalled, sipping her orange juice. “I met a guy. And after we had a drink, we went back to his cabin.”
Michelle’s mouth hung open. “No way, you slept with a guy you just met on this ship?
Katie smirked mischievously. “Well, we didn’t sleep.”
Chelsea laughed. “Katie, Katie, Katie! It’s always the quiet ones!”
“No, seriously! You met this guy where? And when? We’ve been at sea for like, sixteen hours,” Michelle said.
Katie rolled her eyes. “I met him in the photo kiosk. We were reaching for the same group of pictures.”
“So what’s his name?” Jayma wondered.
“I don’t know.” Katie shrugged.
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Chelsea asked.
“I told him I didn’t want to know. I just wanted a night of anonymous sex.”
The other three women gaped at her, open-mouthed. Finally, Chelsea found her voice. “Well, good for you! You could use a fabulous hook-up.”
“I sure had that,” Katie quipped. “I’m going for more OJ. Anybody else need anything?” Truthfully, she was glad for an excuse to get away from the uncomfortable conversation. What had possessed Jayma to tell the others about her night?
As she filled her glass with more juice, she plotted ways to get back at Jayma. Karma is a bitch, girlfriend.
“Hey, you.” The deep baritone was close enough to her ear that she felt the warmth of his breath. Instantly, goose bumps covered her body and she felt instant heat between her thighs.
She looked up and smiled. “Hey, you.”
He was smiling broadly, his eyes crinkling. “How are you this morning?”
“I’m great. How about you?”
“Amazing.” He watched her for a moment. “I had a great time last night.”
Katie felt herself blush. “Me, too. It was...well, amazing.”
His smile was knowing. “Yes, it was. Are you all ready to hit Stingray City?”
She nodded, looking down at her white jersey beach cover-up. “I am. But I refuse to go with the fanny pack or the black socks.”
He chuckled. “You might think about the zinc oxide, though. Fair skin like yours burns easily, I’d bet.”
Katie’s gaze brushed over his light olive skin tone, and she wondered briefly if he was of Italian descent. “You’d be right,” she laughed. “I’ll definitely need my SPF today.” She frowned slightly. “Aren’t you going diving?”
Mac nodded. “We are, but we’re going in the later group.”
“Oh. Well...” She looked across the dining room to where her three friends were watching with rapt attention. “I suppose I should be going. Have a great day.”
“I will, you,” he smiled. “You do the same.”
Her smile was genuine. “Thanks. Oh,” her brow furrowed, “and please be careful. With the diving. You know.” She rolled her eyes as her cheeks lightly flushed.
His face changed slightly and he nodded. “I will. Scout’s honor.”
***
“That guy is sex on two legs,” Michelle commented as they squeezed into the tender that would shuttle them to the dock at Georgetown. From there, they’d catch the boat out to the sandbar where the stingrays congregated.
Several other passengers craned around to look at them. “Can we talk about this later?” Katie whispered.
“You better believe we will,” laughed Michelle.
“Well, I, for one, am excited to see the stingrays today,” Jayma contributed to the conversation. “I want to take lots of pictures for the kids.”
It was another stunningly clear blue day and the Caymans lived up to their reputation as a tropical paradise. Katie enjoyed the boat ride out into the crystal-clear aqua Caribbean and she listened attentively to the guide’s presentation. Several other small boats were anchored around a sand bar and passengers slipped into the water, snorkel gear in place, making their way to the shallow water where they could stand.
Sting rays of all sizes swarmed around to the delight of the tourists. After they took several pictures, Katie returned to the boat to wait for the others. She was soon joined by Michelle and Chelsea. Jayma stayed in the water until the guide called for everyone to reboard for the short trip back to the dock.
Back on dry land, the women found a beachfront café and enjoyed a light lunch of salad and fresh fruit. Katie guessed that Michelle would bring the conversation back around to her mystery man and she wasn’t disappointed. “Now let me get this straight. You met this guy, slept with him, and you have no idea what his name is or where he lives?”
Katie cleared her throat. “Yeah. It was just a one-time thing. No big deal.”
They all laughed. “Right,” Chelsea laughed. “You’re not seeing him tonight.”
“Well, I’ll probably see him tonight. It’s a ship, just like Michelle said. How far can he go? But I’m not seeing him tonight. I was very clear about that. No strings, no expectations.”
“He seemed like he’d like to see you,” Jayma observed.
“Yeah, well,” Katie murmured, sipping her iced tea. “I just needed to get Jeff out of my mind.”
Following lunch, they made their way down the beach, snagging four lounge chairs and a pair of umbrellas, and they spent the afternoon relaxing with a view of the sparkling turquoise water. Around 4:00, Jayma announced that she wanted to go shopping before they returned to the ship. Michelle and Chelsea agreed, but Katie declined.
“I’d rather stay here a little longer. It’s so peaceful. There’s nothing in those shops that I need.”
“Okay, chick,” Michelle slid on her designer sunglasses, “we’ll see you back on the boat.”
****
When she’d had her fill of sand and sun, Katie packed up her straw bag and slung it over her shoulder, ready to make the short walk to the pier where tenders were shuttling passengers back to the ship. She relished the warm sun and the tropical breeze, wondering idly if there were teaching jobs available in the Caymans.
“So what was the deal with the ambulance?” Katie heard a male voice behind her. She realized that the closer she got to the dock, the more people were gathering, all heading in the same direction.
“Some guy had problems out diving. They said maybe he had the bends or something.” It was a different male voice.
“Was it a local?”
“No, for sure it was a tourist off one of the cruise ships. The guy was with two other guys. The other two surfaced and realized he wasn’t with them. They found him floating just under the surface a few hundred yards from the dive boat.”
Katie felt her heart pounding and turned to them. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you talking about the injured diver. Do you know which ship he was on?”
The two men shrugged. “I’m not sure. He looked in pretty rough shape, though.”
She nodded dumbly and hurried to the dock, anxiously looking around for him. She shook her head, annoyed that she didn’t have a name to attach to him, annoyed that it was her own damn fault. “Please, please, please...” she prayed as she scanned the growing crowd.
“Hey, you.”
Katie whirled around wide-eyed to find that he’d slipped up behind her. She paused a beat before throwing her arms around him, squeezing him for dear life. “Oh, thank God!”
“Hey, I’m glad to see you, too,” he chuckled, holding her close. “Are you okay?”
She choked on her words. “I just thought... I mean, I heard... And then I couldn’t find you, and so I worried that...”
Mac gently set her back from him, brushing a few errant red strands from her eyes. “Hey, everything’s okay. You must have heard about the accident. There was a guy on the dive boat that went out with us. Apparently he had some sort of allergic reaction. They think he’s going to be alright.” Lightly, he stroked her cheek with his fingertip
s and his brown eyes softened. “You were really worried about me.”
Katie tried to backpedal a bit. “I thought... Well,” she peered up at him, “it’s just that I had a bad feeling. I mean even last night.” She breathed deeply. “My brother had a friend who had a diving accident in the Bahamas. He’s paralyzed now, and I’ve never been able to get him out of my mind. And so when I heard about a diver rushed to the hospital, I just...”
His smile was gentle. “Thank you. Thank you for worrying about me. I haven’t had that in a long time.”
Embarrassed, she looked at the ground. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Me, too.” While they’d been talking the tender had arrived and passengers were pouring onto it. “What do you say we head back to the ship?”
Katie nodded. “I’m ready.”
On the tender, they found themselves seated together, Mac’s brothers watching with interest from across the boat. Katie felt sheepish about the way she’d overblown the situation and sat staring out over the water, willing the small boat to move more quickly.
Mac broke the silence between them. “So I know you said you weren’t open to getting together tonight, but I wondered if you have plans.”
Surprised, Katie turned to him. “Last night was really just a one-night thing.” She smiled kindly. “Besides, I promised the girls karaoke tonight.”
He grinned. “Karaoke, huh? Sounds like fun.”
She nodded. “It’s kind of a tradition.”
“Well,” he said as he helped her out of the tender, “at least I’ll see you at dinner.”
“I imagine you will,” she grinned. “Unless they move our tables or something.”
“I’ll have the head of anyone who moves our tables.” He grinned down at her. “I like the view too much.”
***
Katie looked down at herself and smiled in satisfaction. The new cocktail dress she’d bought for the cruise was a perfect fit. The strapless midnight blue dress with its fitted bandeau bodice and short wispy chiffon skirt showed her curves and lines to perfection.
Just One Night Page 3
