Surprise, Surprise

by Anita Kidesu

  Jon’s heart sank. The people Zelda was talking with were all older, mostly in their sixties or seventies. At least two looked like they could barely make it down the hallway without a walker, let alone take a cruise and scramble over Greek ruins. What fun would it be, traveling with a bunch of old fogies? He may have to re-think this whole thing.

  As he chose a chair in the back row closest to the door, he wondered how bad it would look if he slipped out. Better to leave now before Zelda started talking. While contemplating what to do, he glanced at the travel posters tacked to the walls. White, sandy beaches met water so clear and blue that Jon wanted to reach out and touch it. Crumbling ruins were surrounded by towering Greek columns. The Acropolis. Hadrian’s Library. The oracle of Delphi. The Doric Temple of Zeus. Crete. Mountains and hills.

  Jon’s pulse raced. The scenery called to him. He closed his eyes and swore he smelled the sea, tasted the food, heard the voices of people calling out to each other in Greek. Had he lived there in a past life? Even if he had to follow a group of old people, this is where he needed to go. Come hell or high water, and motion sickness, he was going to visit these wondrous places.

  At the creak of the door, he looked over his shoulder. The vision before him set him back in his chair. His heart slammed in his chest. Could this woman be Zelda’s daughter? Please let her be Zelda’s daughter. Please let her be Zelda’s daughter, who was going on the cruise with them. Without thinking, he stood.

  She was tall, at least five-eleven. A thick, black braid streamed down her back nearly to her ass. As her long legs took her past him, Jon curled his fingers into his palms to keep from reaching out and touching the silky strands. He imagined pulling the band at the end of her braid and running his fingers through the mass. Imagined how thick and silky it would feel.

  Her jeans encased an ass so perfect, he had to clench his lips to keep from ripping off a wolf whistle. Who cared if he didn’t get a glimpse of her breasts beneath her denim jacket? Jon’s cock flickered to life. She was perfect.

  Sitting down before anyone could see his cock rising to the occasion, Jon watched her kiss Zelda European style—on both cheeks.

  Zelda smiled. “I believe everyone knows my daughter, Reenie. She’ll be going on the trip with us.”

  Praise the Greek gods. Reenie turned her green eyes on him and frowned. Crap. Had he said that out loud? Please tell me I didn’t say that out loud. His body heated. He certainly hadn’t needed the flannel shirt he’d worn. He hated how cold they set the air conditioning in some of these buildings. He’d been fine until she had walked in. Now, he felt as if he’d walked into a furnace.

  Reenie whispered something to her mother then looked back at him. Electricity zapped through his body. His breath caught as his balls tightened. Reenie licked her full lips. Jon’s cock stood up and took notice. What would it be like to have those lips and that tongue wrapped around him, kissing and sucking his cock dry while he wove his fingers through her hair?

  Zelda clapped her hands, bringing him back from his sensuous fantasy. “Please take your seats so we can get started.”

  Good thing he’d decided to stay. This whole trip idea was starting to get interesting. He hoped she’d sit next to him, but dismay washed over him when one of the elderly men took the seat. Instantly, the man, who introduced himself as Tony, tried to impart his knowledge of Greek mythology on Jon as if his age gave him the right to think Jon didn’t know anything. Hell, with all the Greek mythology classes he taken in college and the additional research he’d done for their books, he could probably talk circles around the man. Tony finally shut up when Zelda took the floor.

  During the discussion of the trip, Jon gazed at the lights reflecting from Reenie’s black, shiny hair as she sat directly in front of him.

  ****

  Cyrene Deianira Anatole, or Reenie as she was called, sensed the gaze of the man sitting behind her boring into her back. She tried to keep her mind on what her mother was saying about the trip, but she couldn’t get the man’s penetrating brown eyes out of her head. Besides, she’d heard her mother’s spiel so many times she could recite it in her sleep. She pulled her braid over her shoulder and toyed with the ends.

  The thought of not coming tonight had been with her throughout the day as she went from class to class, lugging books for her classes for her master’s in nursing. But if she hadn’t come, her mother would have been on her like cream cheese on a bagel. Even as she’d reached for the doorknob of her mother’s office, she wasn’t sure if she should enter or not. But something compelled her to come in, like someone or something took her hand and turned the knob for her.

  Man, was she glad she did. The first person she saw nearly made her swoon—if that’s what women said these days when a man sent her system spiraling out of control. Good thing her bra hid her hardened nipples. Good thing she could still walk while her pussy flared to life.

  Reenie mentally shook herself. Her pussy flaring to life was not a good thing. Look where it had gotten her the last time that happened. Two years wasted and an ex-boyfriend who still hadn’t gotten it into his thick skull that he was an ex. Perry still showed up when she least expected it. She was actually surprised not to see him here tonight. Unless he hadn’t seen the flyers. Besides, he knew Zelda would rip him a good one if he had.

  Nope, she didn’t need another man to complicate her life. But holy cow, the man behind her was something else. His broad shoulders stretched a body-hugging T-shirt worn beneath an open flannel shirt. She imagined there was a tight ass hiding in his jeans, too.

  And those eyes. My goodness. When she’d looked at him, it seemed he’d seen into her soul. From across the room, they appeared to be chocolate brown. His hair was swept from his forehead, and its nearly shoulder length curled behind his ears. She wasn’t sure how she was able to breathe once she turned from his gaze and sat down. But beyond his good looks, he was young.

  What was a young man like him doing in a room with a bunch of old fogies? Didn’t he realize what it was like traveling with older people who thought bedtime came at eight? They didn’t dance. Didn’t drink. Didn’t do anything fun except try to best each other in their knowledge of mythology. If she’d been him, once she’d seen the age of the interested travelers, she’d have hightailed it out the door. Thank goodness, he hadn’t.

  “And now I would like to have my daughter, Reenie, talk to you about the health side of our trip,” her mother said.

  Reenie jumped at the sound of her name. She hadn’t paid any attention to her mother, and now it was already her turn to speak. She rose and stepped to the front of the room.

  Oh. My. God. Her heart hiccoughed into her throat. He was still there, leaning forward with his forearms on his knees, angled away from Tony. She didn’t blame the guy. Tony was a complete ass and a bore. Even hit on her once. She mentally shuddered. Creep—old creep.

  When she started talking, the young man sat back in his chair and took notes in the notebook provided to each attendee. He jotted down the shots that were required. His pen flew across the page when she talked about food, water, and what clothing to pack.

  “After our flight, which by the way is about thirteen hours, we’ll rest for a day before taking a tour bus. The time difference is eight hours, so there will be some adjustment.”

  The man’s hand stopped writing, and his face turned pale. Sweat beaded on his upper lip and forehead shone in the room’s overhead lights.

  “After touring by bus, we’ll board a cruise ship to visit various ports and sights along the coast.” Reenie frowned. His face had gone from pale to gray. His Adam’s apple bobbed as if he were trying to swallow around a lump in his throat.

  Did he have a problem with motion sickness? If he did, would it keep him from going on the trip? Oh, please. Say it wasn’t so. When Reenie started talking about various ways to combat motion sickness, he went back to taking notes with shaking hands while his face remained a shade closer to pewter than a healthy pink. Thank h
eavens, he hadn’t left the room.

  “Thank you, dear, for letting everyone know what they need to do to prepare for the trip,” Zelda said, interrupting her thoughts.

  Had she finished her speech? What exactly had she said? It must have been all right, because her mother wasn’t frowning. But Reenie had given the same spiel so many times, she could probably do it in her sleep. Could do it while thinking about the dreamy man sitting in the back.

  “I’m happy to say that Reenie will be accompanying us on this cruise. She doesn’t always get to go, but she’ll be done with her master’s degree in nursing at the end of the summer in time for us to leave in September. So if there are any medical issues, we’ll have someone to help us out.”

  Reenie bit back a swear word and looked over the aging group of people. Great. Gee thanks, Mom. Now she’d be bombarded with every ache and pain these old folks could come up with. Somehow, she’d have to convince her mother that she was going on the trip for a much-needed vacation, not to act as a nurse’s aide.

  While Zelda went through the mechanics of getting a passport, filling out the application forms, and putting a down payment for the ten-day adventure, Reenie turned her mind to the man behind her. His breath seemed to sweep across the narrow aisle between their chairs and waft across the back of her neck. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and see if his color had returned to normal. Reenie had a feeling if he got sick on the trip, she’d have no problem nursing him back to health. Her pussy agreed.

  “If there are no further questions and you’re still interested, please come and sign up. Just remember that on this trip, we’ll be doing a lot of walking and climbing over ruins. So, if you have any problems with your physical health, this trip is not for you.”

  Thank you, Mother. Reenie was happy to see several of the older people frown, sigh, chat with one another, but not sign up. Reenie stood to see if her mother needed any help but on these trips, her mother always needed help. And Reenie was the designated helper, whether she wanted to be or not.

  A hand on her arm halted her steps to the registration table.

  “So, how many of these people do you think can handle this trip?” A deep voice rumbled through her system and settled in her core.

  His voice was as sexy as the rest of him. To hell with her mother. This was going to be a vacation. Zelda could find someone else to be at her mother’s beck and call. Especially if this man was going.

  “Probably not as many as think they can.”

  “Do you think I can?” He reached out his hand. “Bartholomew Sandberg.”

  When Reenie put her hand in his, the charge running through her nearly made her swoon—again. She took the end of her braid in her other hand and twisted it in her fingers. Holy crap. What was happening?

  “And you are Reenie Anatole?”

  Reenie looked down at their clasped hands. She pulled her hand away. If he was interested in a trip to Greece to learn more about Greek mythology, he must have some working knowledge of the culture. She wanted to see if he knew where her name came from. “Sorry. Cyrene Deianira Anatole.”

  “Wow. That’s really a Greek name,” he said, smiling. “The mother of Aristaeus and wife of Hercules.”

  Reenie nodded, trying to ignore the flipping of her heart at his smile. This man was doing strange things to her system. Things she’d never felt before, especially with her ex, Perry. “My father is Greek and my mother”—she palmed her hand toward Zelda—“well, she’s into it a bit. And I’m impressed. You know your Greek mythology, Bartholomew.”

  “I dabble.”

  She couldn’t put her finger on it, but his name sounded familiar. They couldn’t have met before, or she’d remember. One didn’t forget a man like him. “Can I call you Bart?”

  “Sure.” He looked her in the eyes as his face turned red. “So, Reenie is short for Cyrene?”

  Why would he be blushing? On closer inspection, she noticed his eyes were more than brown. Golden specks surrounded his irises, the color nearly matching the golden highlights in his brown hair. Brown, thick hair made for a woman to run her fingers through while he buried his face in her… Ohmygod. Where was her mind going? And in a room full of people, while he was watching her, waiting for her to answer. Heat rose from her pussy to her chest and crept up her face. If anyone was looking at them, particularly her mother, they’d wonder why they were both blushing.

  “Uh, yes.” She needed to get her mind out of the gutter and from the vision of his face in her crotch. Oh, man. There she went again. “So, are you going to sign up for the trip?” Please, please let him sign up.

  “I almost left when I got here,” he said, heading to the table.

  “Why?”

  He chuckled. “I wasn’t sure about taking a trip with a bunch of”—he leaned into her, his breath brushing her ear—“geezers.”

  Reenie tried hard to keep her nipples from hardening, but his hot breath… She could almost feel his full lips on them, sucking, pulling. Stop it, Cyrene. Stop it, or you’ll be drooling all over him. “And now?”

  Bart viewed her from the top of her head down to her toes, slowing down at her breasts. “Now? I’m definitely going.”

  Before walking to the table to take applications, she removed her jacket and laid it across her chair. It had suddenly become way too hot in the room.

  Chapter Three

  “Reenie, come and help me.” Zelda waved her daughter to the table set up with two stacks of papers and two chairs. Two more chairs sat across from them.

  “I’ll see you later,” Reenie said before moving to the table.

  Holding his notebook in front of his crotch to hide his erection, Jon kept his eyes on her swaying ass as she walked away. Reenie’s smile over her shoulder sent erotic messages to his dick. Messages telling him it had been far too long since he’d been with a woman—especially one as sexy as Reenie.

  With pen in hand and a smile that could light up the world, not to mention his heart, she talked to the first person in line. As he waited, Jon calculated which person before him would get Reenie and which Zelda. Since his mind was on what he’d love to do to her long, luscious hair, like wrap it around his cock, he messed up a few times. When it was his turn to go to Zelda, he waved the person behind him to take his place.

  He wasn’t sure what possessed him to give her Bartholomew as his name, but it would make for fewer explanations when he signed up for the trip. All of his identification had his legal name on them.

  Finally, he was the last in line. With no one to pass off to Zelda, he edged toward her chair.

  “Um, Mom,” Reenie said, interrupting Tony, the expert. She nodded to a woman in the back of the room. “I think Mrs. Dailey has some questions for you.”

  “But this gentleman is next,” Zelda said, her eyebrows dropping to a vee between her eyes.

  Jon’s heart raced. Was Reenie as interested in him as he was in her? “That’s all right, Zelda. I can wait for Reenie.” Hell, he’d wait all night for her if he had to. He didn’t understand why this woman had his body aching for release, but it did. As he waited for his turn, he forced his mind to the story he needed to start tomorrow.

  The heroine would have long, black hair, and a kick ass body. Her green eyes would mesmerize men before she beat them into submission. Hell, he’d love to have her beat him into submission. Beat, suck, lick…Wait, he was talking about the character in his and Matt’s next erotic graphic novel, not Reenie. Wasn’t he?

  “Uh, Bart.”

  It took him a moment to realize she was talking to him. Reenie’s voice reached through the sexual haze that enveloped his mind and body. Plus, he wasn’t used to being called Bart.

  “I can help you now.”

  Jon wished she could help him relieve the ache in his cock and balls. Help relieve the emptiness filling him that family and friends couldn’t fill. He sat in the chair facing Reenie.

  “You’ve decided to go on the trip?” she asked. Her smile rendered hi
m speechless.

  He nodded.

  “Are you able to get ten days off from your job?”

  Now that was a strange question. Was she trying to find out what he did for a living? He nodded again.

  Reenie angled her head and bit her bottom lip as if trying to hold back a laugh. “If I ask for your full name for the application, will you be able to answer using actual words?”

  Shit. She must think him an absolute moron. Good thing he’d talked to her earlier or she’d think he was a complete idiot. “I guess I can do that.”

  “You guess? Or could you actually tell me your name so I can write it down?” She tapped her pen on the application.

  Make that a double moron. “Bartholomew J. Sandberg.”

  “Date of birth?”

  It took a second for his brain to engage in another simple question as he answered.

  “Good. A year older than me,” Reenie said as she wrote down Bart’s date of birth, and then, she was taken aback by her forwardness. Shit. Whatever had possessed her to say that out loud? Thank heavens, he wasn’t laughing.

  She looked up from her paper. When he met her glance, the room and everyone in it, seemed to disappear. It was just her and Bart. She mentally shook herself. She had to get a grip. Her mother’s frown didn’t bode well for her.

  “Height?” So tall I’d have to tip my head to kiss him. Mental sigh.

  “Six foot, three inches.”

  “Weight?” Hunky, hunky, hunky.

  “Uh. Do you really need that information?”

  “Yes. For our medical records.”

  Bart frowned and leaned his forearms on the table. “Okay. One hundred, eighty-five pounds.”

  “Perfect.”

  “What?”

  Oh crap, she had said that out loud. She needed to make sure what she was thinking didn’t come spewing from her mouth. It was one of the things that drove her mother crazy, and several times, the habit had gotten her into trouble with fellow travelers. But really, was it wrong telling one of the women to pick up her bags and move her lazy ass so the rest of the people could get on a bus? Evidently, it was.