by Amy Gamet
This wasn’t happening. In her wildest imaginings she hadn’t even considered he wouldn’t want her. She forced her chin higher and tried again. “Oh, come on, Leo. Don't give me some bullshit answer about Logan and responsibility.”
“It's not bullshit. Your brother is my teammate on HERO Force. You know he doesn't want us to be together.”
“I don't give a fuck what Logan wants, and you shouldn't either. The only question on the table right now is do you want me, and I know damn well you do.”
That stare was back, making her knees tremble and her body needy.
“I’m attracted to you,” he said.
His words made her brave, like she hadn't felt brave in years. She brought her hands up to his shoulders and felt his muscles tense beneath her touch. His skin was warmer than she expected, and she kissed him. His lips were soft and full, puckering to return her kiss.
For a moment she could feel him teetering on the brink of giving in or pushing her away. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and she smiled against his mouth. He deepened their kiss, tasting her with his tongue.
He felt so good against her, the muscles of his thigh fitted between her legs and she pushed her hips against him. Cowboy made a sound that was part growl and part moan, the sound reverberating through her body and resonating there. It was every bit as good as she knew it would be, the physical intimacy and the way he made her feel just by wanting her like this.
She could see the week spread out before them, days spent in the sun, nights spread beneath him, glorying in his flesh.
Cowboy lifted his head. “I can't do this.”
She kissed him again. “Of course you can.”
He was fighting her, fighting himself, and she writhed against him using the only weapon she had at hand. He reached for her wrists and pulled them down. “No. I really can't.”
“Why the fuck not?” she snapped. “What difference does it make to you? You sleep with women all the time, and you want me.” She looked down at his crotch pointedly. “So what's the goddamn problem?”
“You're right. I do want you. I am so freaking attracted to you I can barely keep my shit together when I run into you. Like Logan's party? I had a hard-on the entire time just from one sniff of your perfume.”
His words encouraged her, and she touched his shoulders again. “A week, Leo. We can have a whole week together. You do anything you want to me, and I'll do anything I want to you.”
“I'm here on a job. This isn’t a vacation for me.”
“I know. And I also know you have Abby here to take a turn babysitting the royals. You'll have time to sleep, Leo, and I want to be with you in that bed.”
5
He could picture her beneath him, their bodies intimately joined. He knew how good it would feel, better than anyone before her.
He was still kissing her, seemingly unable to stop. Hell, who was he kidding? He didn’t want to stop. He grabbed her ass and pulled her against him.
Why couldn't he feel this rush of lust for someone else, anyone else? There was sex in his life — plenty of sex — and no shortage of women looking to be the next one. And he liked each one of those women, enjoyed fucking them like any red-blooded American male would. But this one, this one woman, got him hotter than a frying pan left on the fire.
He'd even wondered if it was her or the fact that he couldn't have her that did it to him. Not that he would ever be able to tell the difference between the two, because he never had any intention of acting on his desire.
Of course, he never expected Charlotte to show up at his stateroom asking him to sleep with her.
For a week.
The thought sent another rush of blood to his already engorged cock. He turned her around and pressed her against the desk, moving his hips and thrusting against her backside while he kissed her neck. Reason shot through his brain like lightning through metal.
Think about what happens if you do this.
There was her brother Logan, who might get over it and might not. HERO Force was about to become Cowboy's responsibility, and if he slept with Charlotte, he would be alienating one of his own men. At least, potentially so.
And what about Charlotte? She said she was only interested in a fling, one week of sex with no strings attached for the future. But could he trust her to let it go at that?
He wasn’t relationship material. He was the fun guy. Happy to get you through a rebound or a weekend and not so happy to stick around. That was for guys with their heads screwed on straight and the ability to take care of another person in the long-term.
That was not Cowboy.
She twisted around and touched his erection, making him jolt. He grabbed her shoulders and held her just inches from him.
“This is not a good idea,” he said.
Her stare fell to his lips, and he could feel them tingling.
“I didn't say it was a good idea, Leo. But it sure as hell sounds like a lot of fun. Look at what we do to each other. I’m so turned on I could fuck you right now.”
What a dirty mouth, and he loved it. Would she talk dirty in bed, too? Tell him how to treat her? His cock was throbbing, pressed up against the fly of his jeans and screaming to be set free.
Abby was with the royals until dinner.
Don't tell me you're really considering this.
But he was, God help him, he was. Abby wouldn't even have to know Charlotte was here.
Abby. Shit. “The woman who's here with me on the ship might end up working for HERO Force.”
“So don’t tell her I’m Logan’s sister. Problem solved.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“It is if you let it be, Leo.”
He still held her shoulders, and she leaned into him, keeping up the pressure. He was just about to give in to his desire when it struck him.
She will be your downfall.
He froze. He was on the cusp of attaining everything he’d ever wanted, more than he’d ever thought he deserved, and having sex with Logan’s sister would be the thing to start the avalanche he knew was coming.
All of it would go away. His promotion. HERO Force. The only things he’d ever been good at. He had to make her understand.
“I don’t want to do this, Charlotte.”
“You don’t want to?” She raised her eyebrows and leaned back. Her cheeks flushed and she was more beautiful than he’d ever seen her, even as he watched his words register on her features.
He’d hurt her feelings. He could feel it, feel the air between them growing cold, and he longed to reach out and take it back, make it better. “I’m sorry, Charlotte.”
She moved to the other side of the room and turned on him. “You are so full of shit,” she said, pointing her finger at him. “You want me so bad you can barely keep your dick in your pants. Why don’t you admit you’re a coward who’s too afraid to go for what you want instead of pretending you don’t want to fuck me? Because clearly that isn’t true.”
His feet were moving, his better judgement no longer in control of his body. She was fiery, and an answering fire leaped to life inside him. “Fine. I want you, Charlotte. I want to fuck you so badly I could push you down on that bed and hike up your skirt and ride you until you scream.
“But I don’t want to alienate your brother, who you know full well would be upset as all hell to know you’re here, and I don’t want to screw up this mission because I’m distracted or because I left a newbie in charge so I could get laid, and I don’t want to lose Jax’s respect right before he makes me commander of HERO Force. It’s too important to me. Can’t you understand that, Charlotte? Or does that just make me a coward?”
She walked to the couch, picked up her purse and turned toward the door, looking back as she reached for the knob. “I’ll see you around, Leo.” She walked out, slamming the door behind her.
“I’m sorry,” he said to the empty room. “Fuck!”
6
There was a warm summer breeze, the smells
of saltwater and sunscreen instantly reminding Cowboy of the beach. He walked along the wooden pool deck, his eyes searching for Abby among the arms and legs that lined the area like a line of can-can dancers.
Finding her, Cowboy stretched out on a lounge chair beside her. He was still in shock, unable to believe Charlotte was not only on board but propositioning him for a week of unbridled sex.
And he’d just turned her down.
He gestured toward the pool, where the royals were swimming together. “Anything interesting with these two while I was gone?”
“Not really. There was a guy here earlier who was watching them rather intently, but he might've recognized them.”
Cowboy nodded. “I'm surprised how little that’s happened, considering their wedding was just all over the tabloids in every grocery store in America.”
“Does anyone read those things?”
“Somebody must. Has the captain been by to talk? He’s supposed to check in with us at some point.” Abby reached into her bag and withdrew sunscreen. “Not yet. What about you? Did you get ahold of the security team?”
“Yeah. They showed me all the security feeds and gave me an updated copy of the passenger manifest. I haven't had a chance to go through it yet.” Charlotte's name was probably on there this time. If he'd known she was going to be here, he would've done his damnedest to talk her out of it and prevent the scene he’d just been a part of.
He couldn’t believe she’d sought him out like this. Talk about spontaneity. He grinned. You had to admire her for that. And he liked the way she talked back to him, verbally pushing him around.
Hell.
Why couldn’t she be anyone other than Logan’s sister?
“You mind?” Abby held the sunscreen out toward him.
“Sure.” He squirted some onto his hand and began to rub it on her shoulders.
She moaned softly. “God, I need a woman. This feels way too good.”
“You seeing anybody?” he asked.
“Not since my ex moved out a few months ago. She took a job in San Diego.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “Wasn’t meant to be. She asked me to go with her.”
“Do you miss her?”
Abby laughed. “Only when I need someone to put sunscreen on my back. What about you? You seeing anyone?”
He instantly thought of Charlotte, remembering how she felt in his arms, her whole body pressing against his. “Nope.”
Abby put sunglasses on and leaned back in her chair. “I hate people.”
Cowboy stared at the royals splashing each other in the pool and laughing. They were a good-looking couple—him tall and lanky, her smaller with graceful proportions. They could’ve been anyone and they still would’ve caught his eye, their happiness drawing his attention like a striking sunset that made him look twice and smile.
It wasn’t every day you saw a couple who looked that happy.
From the corner of his eye he saw a red bikini, and he turned to watch a woman with a killer figure and a big sun hat walking toward him. He hummed appreciatively in the split second before he realized who it was.
Charlotte.
Charlotte noticed him in the same moment. He could tell by the pause in her purposeful stride.
“Nice,” said Abby.
He laughed. “Sorry, she’s on my team.”
“How can you tell?”
“Because I know her.” Cowboy pushed his glasses to the top of his head as Charlotte approached. “Howdy.”
Charlotte stopped at his chair. “Hi.”
Abby sat up and extended a hand. “Abby Granger.”
“Charlotte O’Malley. It’s nice to meet you.”
Abby looked from Cowboy to Charlotte. “Did you two just meet on the ship?”
“My brother works for HERO Force with Cowboy,” said Charlotte.
Cowboy cringed.
“Oh,” said Abby. She turned to Cowboy. “Are you two together?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Not exactly,” said Charlotte, grinning at Cowboy.
Abby tilted her head. “Oh.”
“It’s complicated,” said Cowboy. “I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.”
“You know what they say. What happens in the middle of the ocean stays in the middle of the ocean.”
“It was nice to meet you, Abby,” said Charlotte. She winked at Cowboy before walking off.
Time would tell if that was true and Abby could be trusted to keep a secret. Jax wanted to grow the team. Hire a few women. Abby’s role on this cruise made her a potential candidate and he didn’t need her to know more about Charlotte than she already did.
Cowboy’s cell phone rang. It was Jim Harrison, the security director for the ship. He was cooperating with HERO Force on their mission to protect the royals. “Hey, Harrison.”
“There’s been an incident. I don’t think it has anything to do with your assignment, but I wanted to make you aware of it nonetheless.”
“What’s going on?”
“There’s been a murder.”
Cowboy’s eyes opened wide. “Who?”
“I don’t know. There’s no body, but from the amount of blood and the lack of any mortally wounded passengers in the infirmary, it’s pretty clear someone has been killed. It happened in an area that’s only accessible to crew members.”
That was some relief. “What now? Do we turn around?” Cowboy asked.
Abby sat up and took her sunglasses off, her eyes questioning.
“The cruise line has spoken to the Coast Guard,” said Harrison. “The decision has been made to continue with the voyage.”
“Let me know if I can be of any help. Thanks for letting me know.” Cowboy hung up and turned to Abby. “It looks like someone was murdered on the ship. They didn’t find a body but there’s a lot of blood.”
“Holy shit. Any concerns for the royals?”
He shook his head. “No. It happened in an area of the ship that’s not open to guests. Probably one crew member killed another.”
Abby leaned back and put her sunglasses back on. “Well, that doesn’t bode well for the rest of this trip.”
“It has nothing to do with us.”
“Everything has something to do with everything else. It’s the way of the universe. And somebody getting offed on this ship does not bode well for any of us.”
Cowboy settled back in his chair. “Is there anything you want to do this week? Rock climbing? Skydiving simulator?”
“I want to go to the spa for a massage. You?”
He thought of Charlotte and the sexual gymnastics he wanted to put her through. “I’m just gonna sit in the sun and work on my tan.”
And my fucking self-restraint.
7
Charlotte pulled hard on the arm of the slot machine, watching the old-fashioned tumblers spin and sparkle. They stopped moving, but everything was out of focus. She didn’t know if she’d won or lost, and she didn’t give a shit either way.
She yanked down the arm again with satisfying force.
A cheer went up from deeper in the casino but she didn’t look up, her eyes fixed on the machine in front of her.
Stupid fucking Cowboy.
How could he do this to her? That man was practically famous for fucking anything with legs, but he wasn’t willing to fuck her. Like she was defective or something.
The machine beeped and whistled, lights flashing as it spit out coins. She pulled on the lever hard, sending the wheels spinning once more. The room was full of noise, the steady cacophony soothing her mind like a washing machine soothes a baby.
She had a choice now. She could be hurt and offended and appalled at what she had done, or she could be angry.
Charlotte chose angry.
So what if that bastard wouldn’t sleep with her? Just because she’d come all this way and gotten on this stupid goddamn cruise ship to be with him didn’t mean her whole world was falling apart. Screw him.
There were lots of fish in the sea, and she was on a freaking boat, for Christ’s sake.
This worthless feeling reminded her of Rick.
Fuck Rick.
Would that man have a hold on her forever? Couldn’t she rebuild and start fresh, without the shadow of that giant dick covering every inch of her world?
He wasn’t even here, hadn’t been here in a long damn time. But having Cowboy turn her down today was a slap upside the face, and every slap upside the face reminded her of her ex.
Pull. Bells. Whistles. The sound of change falling. It was therapeutic. Every dollar she spent was one more Rick would never see. She pulled again.
A man’s arm came out of nowhere, resting on the side of her machine as a toxic dose of spicy cologne invaded her breathing space. She turned her head to the offender who flashed an overly white smile.
“Looks like your lucky day, sweetheart. And you’re winning at the slots, too.” He chuckled at his joke. “I’m Trent.” He held out his hand.
“I’m not in the mood for company, Trent. I’m sorry.”
“You just met me. How can you know if you’re in the mood for me or not? What do you say you and me—”
She put one hand on her hip and turned to face him fully. “You’re not listening. Go away.”
His stare hardened. “Bitch.”
She got in his face. “This is a couple’s cruise and you’re hitting on me. Fuck you, asshole.” He jerked back, then walked away.
Charlotte turned back to the slot machine, but the therapeutic spell had been broken. That loser ruined her mojo, and nothing about pulling this lever was going to make her feel better tonight. She collected her coins in a small bucket and made her way up a few steps to the casino bar.
“What can I get for you?” asked the bartender.
He was black and handsome, with a thick mustache. She looked at his name tag.
Isaac.
She narrowed her eyes. “Really?”
He held out a hand and shook hers. “I’m Malik. I get better tips with this name tag on.”
“I like it. I’ll take a scotch on the rocks, please.”
