by Roz Lee
At a loss for words, she sipped her water. Certain her friends knew more than they’d told her, she silently vowed to get even with them as soon as possible. When the glass left her lips, it was replaced by a warm niblet of food. Ryan pressed the morsel against her lips until they parted, allowing his fingers into the warmth of her mouth. She closed her mouth around the flavorful ball. Ryan drew his fingers out, lingering to trace along the fullness of her bottom lip.
“You should eat,” he said. “The Lothario is best seen on a full stomach.”
Richard laughed. “I’ll leave Candace in your capable hands, Monk.” Richard moved to the door to greet another female guest.
She swallowed the last of the hors d’oeuvres and asked, “Monk? I thought your name was Ryan.”
“It is. Monk is a nickname, one I’m not fond of.” He frowned at the Cruise Director’s retreating back.
“You and Richard are friends?”
“Yes. We’ve known each other for about ten years.”
“Do you come on these cruises often?”
“I’ve been on a few, but I usually stay behind the scenes to help Richard out. This time I’m an ordinary passenger, here for a good time.”
“Oh,” she said, once again trying to extricate her hand. With one hand wrapped around a water glass and the other held fast in his grip she felt trapped. “Please? May I have my hand back?”
Ryan glanced down. His eyes widened in surprise. He placed her hand palm down on her bare thigh. For a moment, he covered it with his before he let her go. “I’m sorry. Your hand felt so natural in mine I forgot I was holding it.”
As far as pick-up lines went it was more creative than many she’d heard, and given that he’d held her hand for a good ten minutes and she’d forgotten where her hand ended and his began, she decided not to comment.
“Your friends talked you into coming? Why didn’t they come with you?”
Good question. She tamped down her annoyance with her arguably well-meaning friends. “It was a spur of the moment thing. They thought I needed to get away, and the timing was right, and, well, here I am.” There was much more to her situation than that, but Candace still had a hard time talking about the last few weeks, the humiliation of being left at the altar had sent her into a tailspin. Having her fiancé tell her he could have a more satisfying sex life with a blow-up doll had left her dazed and confused, and her self-confidence shattered.
“I know we just met, but since we’re both unattached, I’d be honored to be your escort for the duration. Let me show you the Lothario.”
Candace was both thrilled and frightened by his offer. No one as handsome as Ryan had ever given her the time of day, much less offered to be her escort on a weeklong erotic cruise. Denying her attraction to the man would be stupid. He made her want things she couldn’t name and all he’d done was hold her hand and say a few kind words to her. She’d never felt like this with Allen, not even in the beginning.
His hand moved to cover hers where it still rested on her bare thigh. “Come with me on the cruise of a lifetime. I promise we won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
She’d turned to look into his eyes as he spoke and saw a mix of sincerity and arousal. She believed him. Maybe she could spend a week with this man. So what if he was a pirate and he meant to loot her? Would giving herself to him be all that bad? She’d tried sex with someone she’d loved and it had been less than satisfying, and apparently worse than that for him. Of course, the fact that Allen hadn’t loved her back might have been the missing ingredient, the one thing that had made sex between them just that, sex. Maybe she should broaden her horizons, explore her sexual side, and maybe if she was reading his intentions correctly, and she prayed she was, the pirate would sail her ship before the cruise ended.
“Okay. I’ll let you show me the ship, but we won’t do anything I’m not comfortable with.” His smile outshone the sun, blinding in its intensity, yet softly warm.
“Your wish is my command.” His hand came around behind her head and pulled her to him. His lips were so close to hers they breathed the same air. “Let’s seal the bargain with a kiss, shall we?” he whispered. His mouth covered hers. Candace stiffened at his bold possession, but as his lips softened and his tongue slicked across the tight seam of her lips, she softened and opened for him. His tongue swept into the cavern of her mouth and plundered like the pirate she suspected him to be. He took. She gave. He demanded, and she surrendered to his demands.
She’d never been kissed like this before. There was nothing simple about it. In the back of her mind, Candace recognized it for what it was, a claiming, a command, a promise, and on her part, a surrender to all of them. She should have been afraid. Ryan was a virtual stranger, but with his mouth on hers, something in her knew he was destined to be much more.
In that moment, it wasn’t a question of if she would have sex with Ryan, but when, she would have sex with him. Somehow, she knew it would be nothing like sex with her former fiancé. Ryan would know how to please her. Ryan would derive as much enjoyment from her pleasure as she would. It was insane to think it, but somehow she knew she could trust him with her body, if nothing else, and that was what the Lothario was all about, wasn’t it? Physical pleasure? She wouldn’t have to share anything more than her body with this man. When they parted company in a week, she’d leave nothing behind; her heart would still be hers. Her free hand found its way underneath the fall of his dark hair and she splayed her fingers against his scalp, kissing him back with an urgency she didn’t know she had in her. Yes, she would be safe with this man.
She tasted of exotic spices. Understandable since he’d all but forced her to eat the hors d’oeuvres. Ryan swept his tongue deep into the warmth of her mouth and envied the lucky bit of food. He wanted Candace to swallow him whole. In a way, she had already. The moment he’d touched her, he’d known there would be nothing casual about sex with her. Oh, he wanted her body, but he’d waited a long time to feel something more than lust, a connection deeper than physical need.
Her fingers pressed against his skull and she kissed him back. For now, he’d take what she was offering, biding his time. He had a week to get beyond the wall she’d erected around herself, and if it wasn’t enough time, he had the rest of his life.
The Lothario was his version of her protective wall, and he’d been hiding behind it for way too long. Having conceived the Lothario as a way to sample the delights sudden wealth and notoriety had brought the college roommates, and accidental business partners, Ryan had spent over a year of his life helping design every square inch of the ship, and another two years practically living onboard.
Richard had taken to the life of a rakish Cruise Director like a babe to the tit. His sexual appetites were appeased by the weekly rotation of female passengers, most of whom were looking for the same nostrings-attached sexual liaisons he was. Ryan, it turned out, wanted more.
After the first cruise, when he’d spent the entire time with his cock in one tight place after another, he’d lost interest. One more week, he silently vowed. He would use it one more week. When the cruise ended he would tell Candace everything and beg her, if need be, to give him a chance.
He took the kiss deeper and she followed. He wanted to touch her, couldn’t stop himself from doing so. They were in a public place, more than one set of eyes would be trained on them, it was a given on the Lothario. If he gave in to his desires and fucked her right there on the sofa, no one would stop him. In fact, most of the people in the room would think it fine entertainment. He wouldn’t do that to Candace. The thought of someone else seeing her body wrapped in passion made his blood run cold. One hand snaked around her waist and he lifted her easily into his lap. Her hip grazed his erection sending a desperate signal to his brain. It’s been too long, his cock insisted, straining toward the woman in his arms.
A sound pierced the lust fogging his brain. Candace pushed away, gasping as the forgotten water glass in her hand tipped sideways
, spilling its contents over both their laps. Tendrils of ice on his heated skin sent wild signals firing through his system. Laughter nearby brought his head up. Richard stood in front of them, a shield between them and the room.
“Dinner is served, Monk, or should I quit calling you that?” He didn’t wait for an answer and crossed the room to usher the guests to dinner.
Candace blotted water off her legs with the stack of paper napkins Richard had tossed in her lap before he left. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. It’s just a little water.”
Ryan stilled her hand, waiting until she looked at him. “That wasn’t what I was referring to.”
“I know, and the answer is still yes. I don’t usually do this sort of thing in public, but this is the Lothario, isn’t it?”
“Yes. You’ll see much more than that over the next week. Privacy is a personal choice here.”
“I see.”
“I promised you we wouldn’t do anything you don’t want to do. I didn’t give you much choice that time. I’ll do better.”
“I’m as much at fault as you for that display, so let’s forget about it. Maybe we need a code word.”
“That’s a good idea. How about ice water?” His eyebrows rose in question.
Candace laughed, a purely musical sound that swelled to a crescendo inside him. Her face softened, lost the wariness he’d sensed in her from the beginning as she truly relaxed in his company. “That should do it. Okay. Ice water it is.”
Chapter Two
The dining room, Zeus’ Temple, was a replica of a Greco/Roman palace, fit for the gods. Candace forgot her state of undress as she admired the ornate columns, luxurious draperies and crystal chandeliers. Ryan procured a table for two next to the windows and Candace admired the view of the churning wake and open seas from the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows. The empty seas reminded her she had nowhere to go, so she might as well make the most of it.
Once she got over seeing the waiters in their shimmering gold body suits, she had to admit the food was excellent. “I had no idea the food would be this good.” Candace closed her eyes and savored a spoonful of Crème Brulee. “I’ll be as big as a house if I eat like this for a week.”
“I’ll make sure you get plenty of exercise.” His tone warned her he didn’t have traditional exercise methods in mind. The look on his face confirmed her suspicions, causing a hot blush to rise on her cheeks.
“I think I’ll stick with the gym.”
“If you want to,” he allowed, “but the gym onboard may not be what you’re used to.” His lips quirked into a wicked grin then eased into a reassuring smile. “However, you can always run on the Odyssey deck. Room service can provide running shoes.”
“That sounds more my style. Thanks.”
“No problem. I’d be happy to join you, if you want me to.” The last was spoken with a hint of uncertainty. So far, he’d been the perfect gentleman, except for his kiss, and she’d participated in that of her own free will. She’d come to the conclusion that staying in her cabin wasn’t an option. She’d starve, for one thing, and the last thing she needed was to be left alone to think. She didn’t want to remember why her friends had insisted she come on this cruise; she didn’t want to remember why she was alone, or that she should be on her honeymoon this week. If she stayed in her cabin that is what she would do, remember.
Candace smiled at the man across from her. “I’d like that.” Tension left his shoulders, as if he’d been afraid she wouldn’t want his company. That more than anything convinced her she had made the right decision.
“So, what would you like to do tonight? There’s a poolside mixer later. There’s a DJ and an open bar, and dancing.”
“I don’t know. I’m not interested in meeting anyone, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go and watch.”
“I’ll be there with you. These things can get pretty wild, but you don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with, I promise. We can leave whenever you want.”
Ryan found a table overlooking the pool deck, providing Candace a good view of the party. A waitress wearing small seashell pasties and a half clamshell over her waxed mound took their drink order. The waitress walked away. There was no g-string holding the clamshell in place. How did she keep it on?
Ryan anticipated her question. “It’s attached to a butt plug. Useful things, it turns out.” He smiled and reached out to cover her hand with his. “It’s all right. Everyone is shocked their first time here. It takes a while, but you’ll get used to it.”
“I sure hope so. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“That’s because there isn’t anything else like it in the world. They’ve taken every sexual proclivity and allowed it free expression. No hidden secrets. No taboos. No shame. You’re free to express your sexual passions without censure or judgment here. You also have the freedom to explore avenues you may have fantasized about, try them out so to speak. There are even classes for beginners.”
“What kind of classes?”
“Lots of different things. Your cabin steward will leave a list of tomorrow’s offerings for you. If there is anything you would like to go to, I’d be happy to accompany you.”
Somehow, she didn’t think napkin folding would be on the list. Her thoughts jolted back to the present when the waitress returned with their drinks. She sipped her Pina Colada, watching the action on the deck below.
A small gazebo near the pool held the DJ and his equipment. Several open bars dotted the perimeter. That’s where normal began and ended. A sea of bodies moved to the suggestive music. People danced alone, or were paired off in couples, threesomes, or more. Many had moved well past dancing to other carnal pleasures.
She’d never been one to watch adult movies and seeing the acts she’d previously only imagined, now acted out in public, made her blush. Dirty dancing didn’t come anywhere near to describing the scene below. Bodies moved to the music in every way conceivable. A few were doing recognizable dance moves, the rest were being creative, to say the least.
She tried to look away, but her eyes were drawn to a couple near the pool. The woman dropped her sarong, revealing full breasts and her trimmed mound. Her partner dropped his sarong too and as he took the woman in his arms and spun her around Candace was treated to a good view of his erection. He drew the naked woman back against his chest and bent his head to whisper something in her ear. She nodded, turning her face to his for a long, heated kiss while he massaged her breasts. They broke apart and he pressed her forward until her hands gripped the edge of the raised pool deck. He stroked along her spine, down to her raised hips. The woman turned her head to look over her shoulder as her partner positioned himself behind her. A seashell-clad waitress appeared with a tray full of condoms and he selected one. He sheathed himself before he spread his partner open with his big hands.
Candace wanted to look away but her eyes remained fixed on the couple. She sipped her drink, hoping the motion would disguise her interest. The icy drink did nothing to cool the heat of arousal pooling low inside her. The man flexed his hips and drove into the woman with one powerful thrust. Candace clenched her thighs together.
The woman dropped her head between her shoulders and clutched the pool deck. His hands settled around her waist, his head thrown back, his eyes closed and his mouth pulled tight as he pumped into her. Several couples stood nearby watching the display. It was one of many going on around the deck. “Who are those people? Are they paid to do that?” she asked, her voice husky with arousal.
“They’re passengers. The Lothario staff will always be wearing something, even if it’s nothing more than a collar or a butt plug. It’s ship policy.”
“Oh.” She wanted to look away, but her eyes returned again and again to the scene below. A crowd gathered off to one side and Candace leaned toward the rail so she could see what was going on. A woman lay across a table, her legs spread wide and held in the air by two naked, aroused men, while another sat
between her legs feasting on her like a man at a banquet table. The woman’s hands held two more men to her breasts. Her head draped over the edge of the table, eyes closed; her lips formed incoherent moans of pleasure. One couple left the circle and moved to a nearby table. The woman spread herself across the tabletop and opened her legs wide. Her partner pulled up a chair and buried his face between her legs.
Candace clamped her thighs tighter to stem the ache throbbing there. The music pulsed and bodies writhed. Staff dressed as mermaids and mermen lounged on the pool decks, flapping their fins, and baring breasts and cocks for anyone who wanted a taste. Those who tasted were rewarded with a string of plastic beads to hang around their neck.
“Would you like to dance?” Ryan asked, breaking into her reverie.
“Uhm. Sure. I think.”
“We can stay up here. I promise you’ll be safe with me.”
“Well, okay.” Candace stood. Ryan took her hand, and led her to a small area of open deck and pulled her into his arms. The music, muted somewhat by the distance, stirred her body. Ryan’s arms closed around her, perfectly chaste, with one hand on the small of her back and the other on her shoulder. She felt safe with him. It was insane to trust him on such short acquaintance. She pressed her face against his bare chest and breathed in his scent. He smelled faintly of salty sea air but underneath it lurked a musky scent that weakened her resolve. Visions of Ryan’s face buried between her naked thighs flashed through her mind.
Ryan’s hands caressed her, moving in slow circles around her back and creeping down to her butt to pull her closer to his erection. She’d noticed it earlier and wondered if it was for her, or because of what was happening all around them.
“Feel what you do to me,” he said, his hand pressing her still closer.
