Mary wiped the chlorine-scented water from her face and tried to catch her breath. John wasn’t breathing heavy at all. They were so snug; her nipples had to be piercing his chest.
“Your heart’s racing,” he whispered into her ear.
A whistle spouted sharp tones.
“That was a rush, wasn’t it? Guess it got me aroused.” Aggressiveness wasn’t part of her nature, but he created a fire in her. A strange fear that only he could satisfy the tingling building in her lower region made her want to move, to flee.
Until he nuzzled her neck, then her thoughts scattered and her clit clutched with need. “What?”
The man wasn’t anywhere near her donor choice, but he sparked her to life. She hadn’t felt this exhilarated since…ever. He was kind, funny, sexy, and most of all, if his necking was a prelude, John would be a world class kisser. She had to stop him. Candidate number one would be returning any minute. She bowed her head, focused on what lay beneath the water. “Heart’s beating fast because I’m hormonal and you know what effect cold has on a woman.”
John jumped back fast, creating a whirlpool. “Maybe we should return and get warm.”
His tone was as chilled as the water. He flipped like a sea lion and snapped his arms in the stream as if racing time. Mary took a deep breath and used the strength of her legs to catch him. A second wave rolled her over him and she bottomed. The strong surge sent him several meters in front of her.
He stopped and looked at her as if he was trying to calculate the odds. She must have stirred his interest, because he flung out his fingers to reach for her.
She clung to her human life preserver, and he tugged her to his side. Together they drifted to the end. Mojo or not, the man had chivalry way down deep in his bones and she fell a little more in like with him.
His palm fit nicely on her rear as he hoisted her onto the edge of the pool. Breathing heavily, she shivered. Not enough sun to warm the skin. A white towel appeared before her. She looked up.
Matthew grinned at her and presented her with the ray of sunshine she needed, then held out a hand and pulled her to her feet.
“Thanks. That’s very cold water in the morning.” She held on tight.
“Here, John, take my towel.” She dropped the thick cloth onto his lap and pivoted to sway with the motion of the ship to her lounge chair. After a purposely graceful sit, she lifted her finely turned legs onto the bench. To reduce stress, for the last two months, she’d been jogging, which had brought them into excellent form and deserving attention. She stretched and placed her arms behind her head. “I’m a naturalist. The sun will dry my skin.”
John plopped onto the bench, shaking the metal feet in the process and coughed as if he were an orator preparing to lecture.
Matthew knelt beside her, stroked the edge of her hand. “I have to log some hours, but I’ll see you around one. We’ll take the jog around the perimeter?”
“Looking forward to it.” She licked her lips, getting the chlorinated water from the surface, and then reached for her phone, needing to get a photo.
His focus remained on her mouth, the peaks, if she were to guess. The cupid’s bow always drew interest. “Umm, me too.”
“First Mate Taylor, you’re to report to the bridge.” A man’s deep voice resonated among the pipes decorating the top deck, where speakers had been cleverly camouflaged. The pool was nice, but it was surrounded by huge white cylinders, hiding people and spouting loud noises much of the time.
The announcement provided her an opportunity to get a shot of Matthew as he stood.
“I’ll see you later.” He winked and touched her skin again, above the knee, not quite on the inner thigh. Donor number one took off at a brisk pace.
John hadn’t said two words since the wave pool. She bent to put the phone in her bag, while trying to come up with a conversation starter. Upright again, he frowned, which made her reconsider. Maybe the comment had made him angry. Had he misunderstood her and thought she referred to the deflating effect chilled water had on men? Heat rushed to her face. Fact was, men’s penises did shrink in the cold and women’s nipples peaked, but she wasn’t bold enough to discuss the male anatomy.
“I saw you dancing last night. You’re very rhythmatic,” a guy said, his voice lifting at the end as if air was difficult to obtain.
Mary drew her attention from John and glanced at the speaker. Body builder, sun worshiper, thick neck, squinted blue eyes and one of his eye teeth crossed over the tooth in front of it. What a list. Was rhythmatic a word?
“Thanks. I’m Mary.” She smiled, but didn’t hold out her hand.
“Billy Martinson, 2009 winner of Verona Beach Body Building Contest.” He held his right arm in a typical muscle-man pose, exhibiting all the bulges in his upper bicep. Granted, he looked mighty fine, but she wanted brains, not a tight body. Of course, both would be a plus.
“That’s nice, Billy. Is that your occupation, body building?” She itched to get her notebook out. All research should contain both positive and negative values.
“Naw. I work at a tool and die in Verona. Ten years now.”
Yep, his hands had telltale burns or cuts from the machinery. Maybe he was paying his way through school.
“Interesting. I’m a Certified Bench Master Jewelry Designer, studied at the Charleston Jewelry Design Institute in South Carolina.” The gold latch on the side of her bathing suit bit into her side. She should snap it and get her back-up guy’s attention.
Billy, already on the edge of the lounge next to her, scooted the chair closer. He rubbed a finger across her hand and trailed the digits along her arm. “My studies are taken from life. I don’t need to get more book learnin’.”
Bile rose to her throat at his touch. Reaching for the suntan lotion in her bag, she met John’s gaze. He smiled a wicked little knowing grin. If only she could stick out her tongue in a childish way.
“I was wondering if you and I could take a swim, play a little in the waves.” Billy stood, providing her with his side view. The very tight blue spandex did nothing to hide his endowment. No amount of cold water would deflate that.
She shot her gaze to John. He winked, nodded toward the pool, and closed his eyes again.
“I’m sorry, Billy, but I promised First Mate Taylor I’d run laps with him in about an hour, so I’m going to have to get a little food in order to keep pace.” Wickedness rolled through her as fast as the waves in the pool. “John’s quite the swimmer, if you want a race.”
John’s eyes shot open, and his pupils dilated to be the size of Morgan Dollars, extra-large in their almond casings.
Mary shoved her sunglasses, diary, and sarong into the bag. Sandals on, she said, “See you later.”
“Wait, I’ll join you,” Billy shouted, drawing the attention of a new group of wave riders coming on deck.
“No, thank you. Bye.” She wove through the group of women, keeping hidden as much as possible, bypassed the elevator and ran down the stairs.
Her empty stomach gnawed. Holding the bag between her knees, she wrapped the cover-up around her. A quick glance in the glass case holding a fire extinguisher showed her hair was separating into chunks. She snagged a large toothed comb and a cloth-coated tie from inside the carry-all. As she raked her hair into some sort of order, she came to the conclusion she needed a haircut. Not just trimming off the splits, but a style, rather different, something to change her appearance and maybe hide her from Conrad. Now that she’d found where he’d stashed the diamonds, she guessed there was a ninety-nine percent probability he would stop at nothing to find her. She looped the sea air blown strands of hair into a knot and twisted the elastic band to hold the tail in place. He wouldn’t get her. She’d fight ’til the death.
Chapter 5
“You’re getting a tan?” Debbie, dressed in a black slip of nothing, settled onto the lounge chair Mary had vacated. Before the trip, John had voiced his desire to avoid the sun. His normal skin tone was the color of light
maple, but a few days under the rays, and his hide changed to raw umber.
“Thought I’d dry out before I go below deck. How’s it going?” John spotted a blonde, resembling Mary in every way except for the tight rear, riding the waves along with a balding thirty-something. Mary’s bum and her naturally large breasts had a little more jiggle.
“Nothing so far.” Resting firm against the blue and white striped cushions, Debbie closed her eyes. Her auburn hair had been washed, dried and styled to perfection. Finger and toe nails were all faultlessly pumiced and painted. She was a diva, but also reported to be the best field agent with Atlantic Coast Investigations. Her FBI field experience made her especially valuable.
John leaned over the side of the lounge, pretended to pick up his phone and whispered, “After this case, I’m going back to my desk job.”
He wanted nothing more than to be at his small cubical right now instead of having his convoluted emotions tethered to Mary.
A chuckle slid from low in Debbie’s throat. He imagined the sexy sound had gotten her a lot of dates at headquarters. “Then I guess we’ll be parting ways, because I love being in the field investigating fraud. Most of the time I get restaurant fires, which doesn’t give me the opportunity for undercover work. We’re a perfect fit, and I’m glad they asked us to take this assignment.”
Screams and laughter came from the pool. John glanced at the partiers getting their ride-on. An opportunity to get close to Mary, find out more about her as a person and possibly discover where the diamonds were hidden, had fallen right into his lap. He wasn’t certain if she even knew the jewels’ location, but Mary was smart, and as such she’d stash them somewhere. Her possible involvement in the heist continued to weigh heavy.
Playing tag with the criminal activity scenario was the memory of how her body responded to his. The distance between them had burned away, their beings fused. He’d kissed her neck, experienced her pulse rate increasing as his lips touched her wet skin. His cock had danced as he’d sniffed her chorine and coconut scented body pressing into him, spiking high as the waves in the pool. That was until she made the nasty remark about the cold. All men’s dicks shrink in artic temperatures and his had lost the happy momentum. Was she trying to repel him? Did she know he was a detective? Christ. He rubbed his chest as heartburn, sudden and sharp, infiltrated the space.
What was she searching for on this cruise? Why would she have taken the trip so soon after the jewelry store robbery? Maybe she was hoping to connect with her ex and his partner. Worst case scenario for him, she was trying to find a buyer for the diamonds at one of the ports. Could the vacation be a decoy to throw the cops and insurance investigators off?
So far she’d only been attracted to workers on the ship. What about the single passengers? Granted, the two who’d approached her were bargain basement rejects, but if her goal was as she’d stated to find a mate, then wouldn’t she look beyond someone who was tied to a ship traveling all the time? Mary Keefe’s actions didn’t match her words, and John believed direct dealings with individuals told more of the truth than expressions any day. He trusted in logical sequences and facts. None of the data added up.
“I’m going to get a bite and see if I can cruise through the kitchen. The staff remained hidden most of the time during my questioning, so I’ll need to find a way in.” Debbie slid her long legs off the side of the lounge.
Her double D’s came close to his face as she whispered, “Don’t get involved with your suspect, Kajiyama!”
Not even her silicone based orbs brought him to life. Maybe this assignment had made him a eunuch. No, the icy water had indeed deflated him, because his cock had filled and lifted when Mary shed her blanket and exposed her luscious breasts, perfectly formed belly button and delicate ankles. In addition, he’d had no difficulty getting it up when she landed on him yesterday.
“I’ll go with you. I’m hungry, and I like to see you in action.” He slipped into his sandals and stood.
She grinned. “You like to see people scurrying around at my commands?”
“Yeah, I envision you as a...” He’d completed sensitivity training and could not finish his thought without violating the rules. Hopefully the interruption seemed natural as he tugged on his shirt.
“Dominatrix?” She laughed. “You’ll wonder now if I have the outfit to match the attitude, won’t you?”
Heat rushed to his face, so he wiped his face with a hand towel. His thoughts had gone in that direction. Yep, he wasn’t a eunuch after all.
“Can’t hide behind the dark cloth, John, I know the red isn’t from the sun.” She picked up a cotton satchel with palm leaves spread across the surface and rifled through it until she drew a silky gray fluff from inside.
“Hey, if you’re leaving, can we have your lounges?” the blonde he’d watch play in the waves asked. She dripped water onto the porous surface, shedding the liquid from her body as a snake would its skin.
“Sure.” John gathered his magazine, green striped towel, Blackberry and oil.
As the boisterous passengers took their seats, John escorted Debbie to the elevator.
A quick ride down, and they arrived at the dining hall. John wrapped his arm around Debbie’s waist as they passed a group of happy vacationers. The door to the dining hall was massive and lined in teak, the brown wood appearing so soft, yet he knew it was rock hard. Various scents of pungent onions, grilled meat and sweets wafted under his nostrils.
They stepped across the threshold. Mary stood in front of him, ready to slip past. The clatter of china and crystal didn’t override the beat of his heart at the simple sight of her star-studded beauty. When had he started thinking in cosmic poetry?
Her eyes widened as she moved closer. Why did he continually get the impression she could read his mind?
“I guess you found a new friend,” she whispered into his ear, shocking his internals into battling for more of her. She shifted her focus to Debbie and flung out a hand. “Hi, I’m Mary.”
“Debbie Becker.” She took Mary’s hand, while bumping her hip against his. A quick shake, and Debbie glanced from Mary to him. “Isn’t he the cutest?”
“Oh, yeah, he’s adorable,” Mary replied. Her tone had a snap. She held up her hand, a slip of white paper between her fingers, and waved. “I’ll let you get to your lunch. Have fun.”
“Sounds like your girlfriend’s jealous,” Debbie said.
John kept his gaze on Mary’s cute rear as she traipsed out of the room. Debbie tugged his arm, toward a table near the buffet. There was a multitude of food choices. However, he seemed to have lost his appetite. Was Mary heading off to her room to give the sailor a test run? Visions of her naked, squirming around on the bed, trying to get satisfaction made his gut clench. Her future boyfriend was right next door. She should only be with him.
“At least get some fruit.” Debbie’s plate was piled high with a variety of shellfish and bread. How she could eat all of that and remain thin baffled him.
Items stowed on the spare seat, John dragged a ceramic plate from the stack and threw an odd mix of vegetables and fruit onto the surface.
By this time a good majority of people were in the dining room. John’s focus remained on Mary’s possible mattress workout. His conversation with Debbie became limited to weather, the first port stop and their plans for the evening. With three-fourths of her food gone, Debbie dug through her bag and pulled out a badge.
She grabbed the attention of the nearest server with a finger wave.
“May I help you?” The tiny associate would soon lose her sunny smile.
Debbie flashed her badge. “I’m with Food & Drug. Your shellfish was below the required temperature. I’ll need to go into the kitchen and talk with your personnel.”
The poor little girl kept her smile, but her hands were shaking as she pointed to the galley a few steps away.
“Coming, John?” Debbie asked as she stuffed her insurance investigator’s badge into her bag.
/> “Yes, I’ll scout the area while you’re badgering the chef.” John threw his napkin near the plate of uneaten food, stood, and gathered his sunglasses, phone and beach towel.
Inside the kitchen, Debbie talked as if she knew all the food and drug requirements for serving. The cook was amiable, although a muscle twitched in his jaw. John couldn’t tell if Chef Pierre’s face was red with anger or as a result of being surrounded by heat sources.
John drew Conrad Peabody’s image to his cellphone screen and asked a couple of the talkative assistants hanging near the pots and pans if they’d seen him. The pastry chef claimed she’d danced with the guy a couple of nights ago before the new guests arrived, but he looked different. The man she’d shaken her groove thing with had black dreadlocks, dark eyes and a beard.
John joined Debbie as she completed her reminders of food safety, and they exited the kitchen, leaving the strong odors of cookies and fish frying behind them.
“Will you come with me to my room? I want to show you a portion of the robbery video.” John selected the Up button on the elevator panel.
“Sure.” Her dangling silver crescent moon earrings jingled as she flipped a lock of red hair behind her ear.
They entered the lift and stopped at the eighth deck level. Not one other person had entered as they rode. “Do you know what donor means in slang, or what it might be an acronym for?”
Jewel Hiest Page 5
