Mirth gurgled in her throat. “Reminds me of when we met.”
His cock vibrated between her thighs as he joined in the laughter. The solid power of him reminded her of his strength and how delicious his kisses were. She lost the amusement. Desire pulsated through her.
“Oh, please, now.”
“Protection?” He pulled away.
“No.”
“Not needed?” He nuzzled her breast, nibbling on her nipple and inched the rod about to give her so much pleasure closer. She opened her thighs, begging him to come into her.
“I don’t have a condom, do you?”
He pressed his forehead against hers. “No.”
“Are you willing to take a chance?” she whispered.
“I’m clean, are you?”
“Yes.” His heaving breaths punctuated his words and blew pieces of hair away from her face. Should she tell him there would be a slight chance of pregnancy, or was that a given anytime people didn’t have safe sex? Would he end their affair?
He sighed and smoothed her hair. The tip of his penis rubbed against her folds, making her wet and slick. “Please,” she whispered and thrust her hips, hoping her bull’s eye would meet his spear.
Swift and steady he pierced her, and moaned as she caught the rhythm. She held the screams of satisfaction inside, but released short bursts of air as the tension built.
His lips touched her face, neck, shoulder, and then clavicle. Each press equaled a thrust. The man kept his word. Hard and fast. By keeping the slap of their hips in time, she anticipated coming first, as promised.
Moans escaped. She bit her lip, trying to keep them contained.
“Let it go. Be yourself, love,” he whispered, and then sucked on her earlobe, circling his tongue around the diamond stud. He slowed the rhythm, grinding and pressing as he drove himself inside her.
She shifted on the mattress, lifted and lowered herself.
“Whoa.” His lips connected with hers, reigniting the fire, bringing her closer to climax.
Wait! The pleasure was too intense. She wanted their bond to last longer. “Yes, oh yes.”
“Oh, yeah, love, what do you want?”
“You, only you.” She gave in and rode the wave of the orgasm.
He drove deeper.
She lifted her hips, pressing against him and buried his manhood in her warmth.
He stopped, then slid to her hot spot again and ground harder, more slowly, every stroke sending jolts of sensation in a rush to her nerve endings. She wanted to shout as ecstasy overcame her, but didn’t have the breath.
He stiffened, spending his seed. As the heat receded from the edge of her skin, she exhaled. Tiny currents continued to flicker inside her, sucking her deeper into the ecstasy rush.
Chapter 9
Feathery strokes tickling her cheek bothered her, but she could sleep through the pats. She’d slept through more than a little annoyance in the past. Spidy would just have to move on.
“Didn’t you want to go into Kingston to shop for your friends?” a man said in a husky morning voice, titillating her ear drum.
Not a spider, but John. Mary rolled to the edge of the bed and peeled open her crust-laden eyelids. He stood in front of her dressed in khaki shorts, a white polo and a huge grin. Other than the funky looking Earth shoes, he was adorable. “Good morning. What time is it?”
“Nine. Ready to go?” He nudged her arm. “I have a little video camera. I’ll tape our trip to port, so you can show your friends back in Keefe.”
The mattress gave way as she flipped to her back and yawned. He had to be a Type A personality. Rules, regulations, and task driven. Time-consciousness was very important to her guy. Her stomach muscles tightened. He wasn’t hers to have and to hold. She couldn’t make any claim on him.
“Need help in the shower?”
She didn’t want to leave the comfortable nest. If she moved, she’d have to think of today.
The day she had to run.
Her heart clutched at the thought. Not only would her life dramatically change, but the thought of leaving John when they were just beginning to know each other struck a painful blow to her core.
Her mouth tasted nasty, probably remnants of the wine she’d drunk. Her whole plan had come undone. Thank goodness her friends were observant enough to have created an escape clause. She shifted her legs to touch the floor with her feet, popped upright and jumped off the mattress. John, standing nearby, took a step backward. He’d probably never seen someone who went directly from asleep to awake in a moment’s time. He stared at her as if trying to determine how she operated. No hope for him in this short amount of time. He’d just have to wonder.
Barenaked, she glanced around, seeking her clothes. They were neatly piled at the end of the coffee table. Okay, he was a little OC too...still adorable. “I’ll shower. I’ll be good to go in about thirty minutes.”
The muscles in his throat moved up and down. “Good. I’ll check my, ah, emails while you’re...”
The man had to have seen a woman in naked form before, so why he acted like a teenager at a peep show confused her. “I’ll return here once I’m ready.”
His clever tongue wet his lips as he nodded. If only she had time for him to utilize that appendage in more diverse ways.
Gathering her stuff, she casually strolled into her room, shutting the door behind her. What to do first? Start the shower. A quick flip of the knob, and it sprayed. As the water splattered against the tiled walls, creating a sharp noise, she opened the closet. Jerking the backpack purse from the shelf, she stuffed a thin pair of jeans, a tee and underpants inside. She removed the key card from the purse and shoved the tiny jeweled handbag into an inside pocket. Where was her large handbag?
At the end of the couch. She rifled through, finding her wallet, cellphone, passport, and eyeglasses. All of the items fit in the little outside front-zippered pouch of the backpack. Face cream. Travel size toothbrush, paste and balm were buried down in the bottom of the bag, leaving a small amount of room. For her stylish expensive heels? Could she fit them in the tiny spot? Overstuffed, the sack might draw attention. Of course she’d need to buy a souvenir before she figured out how to escape, so she had to save space. She held a slim heel, outlined the red sole and touched the velvety soft surface. Damn. This was probably the first of many sacrifices she’d have to make because of her loser ex-boyfriend.
The shoe dropped, and Mary entered the shower. The razor was sharp and cut all of the wild hairs, making her free of bothersome fur for two days. She’d calculated at least forty-eight hours until she’d reach Vermont, depending on her source of transportation.
As she scrubbed her head, she created a plan. If time allotted and she could get through on her cellphone, she’d telephone Jenn to advise her to call her friend, Sasha Framee. Having an alternate arrangement for contact made her feel a little better. Maybe Jenn could tell Phoenix so she could notify her brother, Dane Bushard. Mary would have to dump the phone. The GPS could be tracked. Too much to think about. Her brain hurt.
She shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. John. What could she possibly do to let him know of her exit? A sob caught in her throat. Nothing. She couldn’t tell anyone. They were on a cruise designed to help couples connect, so he’d find a new partner to ride the waves. Her focus had to remain on escaping. Conrad wouldn’t stop. He’d track her until he took what he wanted. “Look where your mandate got me, Grandfather,” she muttered into the mirror.
Mary quickly dried her hair and applied a sunscreen to her face. She’d picked up a nice tan the past two days, so other than some eye shadow, liner and mascara she was ready. Dressed in white slacks, a jewel blue sleeveless blouse, she added a long white overcoat. She could carry the jacket if it was hot, but traveling to Vermont, there would certainly be a change in weather so shorts were out. Money! Unable to open her backpack in front of John, she’d stuff money in her pockets for a souvenir and a taxi if needed. She had to make the
trip look real. Removing her wallet from the slot, she took out a twenty, fifty and one hundred, which should be enough to cover all the costs.
Shoes? She sorted through her sandals. Black leather open toed, too tall for running. The blue pair were clacker heels, and she’d be heard a block away. Athletic shoes became her top pick. She tied the last knot on the laces, when a knock sounded on the connecting door. A quick fluff of her hair, and she wound her arms through the straps of the backpack. A sob stuck in her throat. She swallowed, forcing the angst back. In a few minutes she could lose everything: the store, her home, John and maybe even her life.
Courage, girl. The mantra played through her mind. Two steps and she pulled the door open. “Sorry, I know I took longer than I said.”
John held the camera, which was only six inches long, in front of her. The extra hair-drying time was worth it as his glance traveled from her sneakered feet to her face. His gaze stopped at her lips for several seconds and then their stares connected. She reached out, intending to take his hand. Instead, he grabbed her arm and gently tugged her forward.
“You can take all the time you want, babe.” He kissed her, the passionate tongue down the throat kind of lip lock she’d begged him for last night. In the light of day his mouth was more dangerous than during the romantic dance.
Several seconds later she broke the kiss and then caressed his cheek. “Thank you. I had a great time last night.” She lowered her glance. “You’re an exceptional lover.”
No response from him, only light breathing. She braved a glance at his face.
He grimaced. What had she said wrong?
She stepped away and drew her sunglasses from her jacket pocket. “What do you think I should get my friends, shell jewelry, or scarves, or sarongs?”
“I can carry your purchases. You don’t have to bring the backpack,” he offered.
“I don’t mind.”
“It’s going to be hot.” John eased his fingers under one of the straps.
“I’d rather you keep your hands free, so…” She winked.
He heaved a sigh. “Let’s stay here today. We can buy trinkets at the next stop.”
She took his hand from under the canvas strap and rubbed her finger against his palm. “I need to go.”
* * * *
Mary’s glance fell after she made the odd remark. Great time, like the sex was fun, but we’re done sort of comment. He took her hand and led her out the door, down the hallway and onto the elevator. “Tell me a little about your friends.”
From her wide smile, her buddies meant a lot to her. “Phoenix, I’ve known since we were children. She looks a little like me with longer light brown hair and blue eyes instead of green, but otherwise we could be twins. She’s an English teacher, and she’s the best. Jenn works in an attorney’s office and hopes to be a litigator someday.” She laughed low in her throat, making him want to skip the shopping trip and give her another great time.
“She’s trying to stop smoking, which means all of us are recipients of her sarcastic remarks. Kim is a physician, general practice. She has the sweetest, most beautiful little girls in the world. Oh, I need to pick up something for them. They’d probably like the shells. The ones you hold to your ear to hear the ocean.” She squeezed his hand. “Remind me, ’cause I’ll get lost in the scarves and jewelry.”
“Okay.” Why did he get the feeling she meant truly lost? He smiled and used his key card to exit the ship, waiting as she dug hers out of her pocket.
Mary continued to talk about her friends and how they’d formed a closer bond over the years. The information wasn’t new to John, but needing to keep Mary talking in hopes she’d lower her shield, he asked questions. She’d erected a guard the moment he’d walked into her cabin and it had grown stronger as they’d presented their passport cards and exited the ship. Something filtered through her bright mind, and he was bound to find out what.
Sunrays made her hair brilliant with blond highlights. Her jacket would be coming off in the next hour. The temperature was at least ninety. The cobblestone main street was lined with vendors hawking wares of jewelry made from shells, bright floral patterned clothing, statues created from wood or other natural materials, and animals ranging from parrots to snails. Behind the stalls were buildings in a variety of jewel tone colors, bright yellow, orange, emerald green, sky blue. The city’s promotional board had prepared for and presented exactly what a tourist was searching for in a visit to a tropical island.
Mary had found shells and exchanged funds. He took the bag from her outstretched hand when she came across some silky fabric large enough to be a dress. He truly didn’t know the purpose for the garment, as one of the women wore a duplicate as a hair covering and another diagonally across her upper body. Must be a multi-purpose item.
As Mary began a bartering process, he took a few steps to evaluate a wallet. She was quite determined to get a better deal if she purchased three. Five minutes later, the seller lost her lyrical Jamaican accent and threw out the final price. Pleased, Mary shoved three of the articles and the sack John carried into her now overstuffed bag and replaced it on her shoulders. The vendor gave her change and Mary pressed the greenbacks into her pants pocket.
She slipped her arm through his. “I love getting a good deal.”
A light touch of her lips on his was just enough that he felt the imprint of her beautifully curved upper lip. The Cupid’s bow had fascinated him from the moment he’d seen photographs of the robbery. Now that he’d tasted her mouth and outlined the shape of her lips, committing them to memory, he couldn’t get enough. He would never get enough of her.
“Oh look. Lovely. Are they real?” She skipped forward and picked up an orchid. The scent of the flower surrounded them. “So pretty.”
“Not as pretty as you,” he replied.
“Buy. Buy flowers for your wife,” the short dark merchant insisted, as he shoved a bouquet into John’s hands.
John glanced at her. Her eyes held a glint, as if she hoped he’d purchase them. Something else hovered beneath the surface. Fear? Illogical. What could she dread? A poisonous spider crawling out?
“Sure, I’ll take a bunch.” He’d just bought himself something to carry around the rest of the day, and her happiness.
Mary kissed his cheek. “You’re sweet.”
“As are you,” he replied as the blossom monger wrapped up a fresh selection of orchids. John put the already wrapped bunch on the hawker’s table and glanced at her, wanting to see her smile again.
Mary looked over his shoulder, and her eyes darkened. “I see some shell bracelets. I’ll be on the other side.”
A quick glance at the booth across the street proved it wasn’t overly crowded. Only a few shoppers were meandering, so he nodded.
She slipped through a hub of people–their shipmates–and disappeared into an oncoming mass of new buyers.
“Thirty dollars,” the thief demanded as he handed over the bouquet.
“Aren’t orchids native to the area?” John handed over the cash.
The vendor winked and went to his next victim. Pocketing the money, he started his little scam set-up all over again.
John’s phone rang. He waited for a break in the people traffic to cross and join Mary before answering.
“John, I reviewed the footage you asked me to look at last night and found our guy,” Debbie said on the other end. “Peabody was one of the calypso musicians performing every night at the pool down from your room.” Her heavy breathing passed through the phone.
“I looked at the band members, didn’t see him.” A cramping in his stomach started, an unease about what could occur ripped through his mind. Mary had told him last night she’d seen the ghost of her ex. Instead of acting on his sleuthing instinct, he’d seduced her. Damn.
“He didn’t look anything like his photo. He completely changed his appearance with dreadlocks, darkened his skin, maybe some minor plastic surgery.” She took a breath and stopped. “Where are
you?”
Hot! Hot! Hot! The song currently played on the steel barrels made his heart beat at a faster rate. Grilled meat mixed with the orchids made him nauseous. He couldn’t see Mary. “On the main street, by the drums.”
“I hear them.” Debbie’s harsh breaths pounded his ear. “Is Keefe with you?”
His heart rammed into his chest. Where was she? “She’s at one of the booths. Why?”
“Conrad got off the ship. He’s in the village with you. They could be meeting to hand off the diamonds.”
“Fuck.” John dropped the flowers and took off running.
“Bang Wang! Bang Wang,” Mary screamed.
Chapter 10
Mary’s only chance to escape presented itself while John was hidden behind a woven straw hat vendor. She’d taken several hurried steps, then an arm had wrapped around her neck, forced her against the side of the structure closest to the alley. Sharp edges of the brick had bitten into the back of her hand as her knuckles hit the surface. Axe cologne had filtered into her nostrils.
Conrad. His switch blade had snapped as it clicked into place.
“Bitch. Thought you’d escape,” he’d said. Sharp, cold metal had pressed into her skin.
“I’ll tell you,” she’d begged, “what I did with them.”
He’d loosened the pressure on the knife.
Then she’d screamed. Please God, let John hear my cry for help. He’d set the safety shout-out. John would save her.
“Fuck you.” Conrad slid the blade into her skin. Blood gushed.
“Mary!” John yelled. The urgency in his voice made the attack surreal.
The pressure from the knife lessened. Conrad turned toward the shout. Mary took advantage, swiveled and kicked him in the balls. Slipping from his grasp, she stumbled a few steps.
“ACI. Throw down your weapons, Peabody!” John shouted from behind her.
A crushing blow, even more painful than the knife to her throat jammed her heart. John knew Conrad. Therefore, he had to have been investigating her. What was ACI? The law? Regardless, she’d meant nothing to him except as a suspect. All along, he’d wanted to find Conrad and the jewels.
Jewel Hiest Page 8
