Forbidden (3 page)

He simply pulled them away, trying to focus on the moonlight in her eyes rather than on the trembling in his fingers touching hers.

“Please, don’t apologize,” he stated a little too emphatically. “I actually find it refreshing, real, even. Don’t watch yourself. Please, feel free to be exactly who you are. And, calling me impressive so many times, well, you’ve more than made my night, my next week, for that matter.”

“Seriously, you have to be really smart to do all that,” she continued, a seriousness lining her face, gripping his heart. “I barely understood the explanation. So, what is your typical day like writing all that code and such?”

“Well, a typical day starts with a short team meeting, then, depending upon where we are in our cycle of production,” he continued, rubbing his suddenly sweaty palms together. “I either write code that demonstrates some idea; write some design documents about how to build some of the current game ideas; or write some code based on those design documents already approved.”

“See. Smart. You’d have to be. So, you said something about the dragon tattoo on your back. All of your tattoos are from games, right?”

“Right. My most successful game to-date is one where some dark heroes battle against monsters and dragons, demonic forces in a fictional kingdom, with warriors, mages, and rogues, which are elves, humans or dwarves.”

“All right, then. I’d watch a movie like that. Wish I could watch you play it.”

“Wow, no one’s ever given me that big a compliment, at least, not of the female persuasion. I’d play for you.” He winked as he finished his statement.

Man, he wished she could too. This feeling of impressing a girl based on his work washed over him, practically took him out like one of the waves he looked at right now behind the ship. He couldn’t imagine playing a game he’d created for her. He’d done that once for his mother, trying, hoping for some bit of recognition once the game got some great reviews and won an award, but she’d done what an unimpressed mother should, faked enthusiasm as best she could.

“Sorry, no Xbox on board. There may be some game system on the crew decks, but again, I’m forbidden to take you there. So,” she continued, bringing him back from his own thoughts, his own daydreams, “what degree did you get in college?”

“My degree is in Computer Science, but I learned as much as possible outside the classroom, much to my parent’s dismay, in hours upon hours playing games.”

“Sounds like it paid off.” She smiled as she turned in her seat toward him.

He had her undivided attention. The sparkle in her eyes made his pulse race. The way her breasts raised the thin fabric of her dress, and the way the cool night air made her nipples show, had the pulse in his dick beating too.

“Yes. Ah, yes, even now I get to test games as we make them, which translates into play for pay, for hours each day in the office.” He smiled, thrilled beyond anything he could articulate to have a female, especially one as sexy as her in such a pure and un-made up way, so interested in him, the true him, codes and controllers, tattoos and fantasies, and all.

So, tell me more about life on this ship,” he asked, trying to get to hear her talk more. He didn’t want the evening to end. In fact, if he could have his way, he’d take her back to his cabin and never let her go. But, he didn’t know how her ship rules applied there, or more important, how her personal rules went. So, he just wanted to keep her talking.

“Well, workers on a cruise ship are divided into two groups, crew members and staff members, which have different sets of rules on the ship. The crew members are the cooks, waiters, housekeeping, and such. They live on two crew decks, one above and one below the waterline. They are not allowed in passenger areas unless working there. Staff members, on the other hand, like me, those in guest relations or part of the entertainment staff, we live on the upper crew deck, often referred to as I-95, and have private rooms. Crew members have it much rougher on the high seas, sharing rooms and all.

“Um, what else,” she responded to his hand gesture to continue on, “we work seven days a week, getting hours off, not days, when on ship. We even get days at port if no one has scheduled an appointment with us, and few do during such times. Specific to me, I get what are called “run of the ship” privileges, and I can eat lunch and dinner in the pubic buffet area thirty minutes before close. But, I think I already told you that. See, not much to tell. I’m allowed in all public rooms, can fraternize with passengers, but can’t be caught in
flagrante delicto
, with a guest,” she stopped speaking as he watched another blush rise from the exposed skin of her chest, up her neck and to her cheeks.

“I see,” he grumbled. “Sorry. Since I think this is about the most real conversation I’ve ever had with a woman, I will admit to wondering about such rules, if I could have more private time with you.”

“Guess talking to a stranger you know you may never see again allows for some freedoms of speech, as we said before,” she granted. “No need to guard oneself as much. So, I can admit to thinking about those damn rules myself since meeting you. Why not say so, right? You get offended, think me easy, we won’t see each other again. So, here goes. Confession time. Not common for one so easy on the eyes, like you are, to be so smart and so fit too. I’m regretting not meeting you on land.”

All the conversation hadn’t moved far from his mind, all the tension in his body that had built since he’d bumped into her sweaty body earlier that day. He wanted this vacation fling. Usually, he got what he wanted, though he’d not tell her that, especially with those of the female persuasion. Though, they’d never seemed so important before. Broken record, these thoughts, in his mind, now.

He’d never been attracted to someone so much, like he needed her light to survive, take his next breath. Insane, he knew, but to call her different from any other girl he’d ever met would be a severe understatement. Every single little thing about her, known and so much unknown, intrigued him. Growing up spoiled, a rebel, he’d never had anyone seem so out of his league, his reach. The desperation of that scared him to death, but not as much as never seeing her again, never getting the chance to so much as kiss her, let alone ravish that body of hers. That body of hers his vivid imagination had all sorts of plans for, including ones, he wasn’t ashamed to admit to himself, involved costumes.

“So, there’s no way to make this more private, then?” He got the words out over his suddenly dry throat and then swallowed hard.

Chapter Three

“Funny, or sad, I don’t know which, but I was just discussing that very topic with Eric, whom, I might add, has gotten away with a few vacation flings since we started on the ship just two months ago,” she said, looking at the hem of her skirt she played with.

Truth be told, it wouldn’t be her first one night stand, just the first that could be grounds for dismissal from her current employer. How the hell would she explain such a thing to her parents? Not that she had to tell them, but where would she hide out for two more months? His place?
Yes! No. But, seriously, look at this guy.
She’d never been attracted to such a dark and mysterious man. She’d never call him a geek, but the
smarticals
, as her grandmother would call the intelligence he obviously possessed, added to the mystery.

“So, you’re saying we could try to get you back to my room?” he asked, his hand reaching out to her, toward the curve of her calf muscle, but pulling back at the last minute.

She looked around them, but her friends had disappeared from the deck, probably retired to the upper deck entertainment room they shared, to watch television and such.

“As I said to Eric, I’m an adventurer, as in, I’d consider a fling with you in a heartbeat. Honestly, I’d love to explore those tats further. Unfortunately, I’m not a rule-breaker. And, I need this job.”

“I know this is a jerk wad, rich guy thing to say, but if you lose this job, I’ll pay you your salary until you find another one. Hell, sorry, I just want you. There. I said it. What do I have to lose at this point? I want you Sam, in the worst way. I’d ask you on a date, if I could, but with time so limited, I’ll take a summer fling, a one night stand, anything I can get to be with you. And, it’s not just your body. It’s all of you. You’re so different from the gold-diggers my parents set me up with. You’re real, you have a mind of your own, and you’re beautiful in a natural and pure way I’ve never gotten my hands on before.” He paused to take in a deep breath, knowing he sounded more the geek with this girl than he ever had before. “I want you.”

“You’re definitely not like any guy I’ve ever dated, either. I mean, not one of them could just offer to pay someone’s salary for two months without blinking an eye. But, it’s not the money, it’s the true mystery of you that intrigues me. The dark, ruggedness of your looks excites me. Your brain, your dreams, captivate me. I want you. I’ll admit it. But, my job. How would I explain the loss of it, and my unexplained funds, to my friends and family?”

“You wouldn’t have to. You could stay with me in the interim. Or, as that probably sounds creepy, I could get you your own place. I just said I would pay your salary. That’s not some prostitute offer, just a making of amends if I lost you your job. I’ve never had something so important to spend my father’s money on. Shit, none of this is coming out right. I don’t care though. I’m begging.”

“Oh, yeah, move in with a total stranger or have him pay me two month’s salary and rent! Sure, that would go over well. Can I get that in writing? Not that you look untrustworthy or anything,” she exclaimed.

Her fingers itched to touch him. Her heart beat in triple time. Her stomach clenched with the thought of being pressed against him again, skin to skin.

“I don’t want to be a stranger. I don’t want to never see you again. I don’t mean to scare you, but I want some kind of chance to get to know you, at least. Is that so much to ask? I want more. Only a tease of it for one night, one conversation, it’s not acceptable. And, shit, look, I sound like my father. I hate when that happens.”

She dared to touch his hand where it rested in a fist beside his thigh. He looked up at her, his eyes the color of the night sky. Flashes of light burned in them, for her, she thought. Her stomach gripped as she dared herself to take the adventure of a lifetime, one personal, one sexy, one more daring than any, yet, because it broke the rules.

“No worries. We all sound like our parents from time to time. But, right now, I’m not going to. Let’s do this. I want you,” she whispered.

“How?” was all he asked.

“What’s your room number?”

“Six. One. Two. Second door past the elevators on the right side, if you’ve just come from them.”

“Okay, there’s a public women’s restroom to the opposite side of the elevators. You go to your room, and I’ll head to the elevators like I’m going to my room in a few minutes. But, I’ll get off on your floor if the coast is clear. I’ll go into the restroom, tie up my hair, apply some heavy lipstick, and throw my shawl around my shoulders. Not much of a disguise, but it’s all I have to work with. Then, when the coast is clear, I’ll make an unhurried dash to your room. Leave the door cracked with something small, like that guest notepad they put in every room.”

“Well, you’ve thought this all through?” He grinned, the happiness igniting the fire already burning in his eyes.

The flames ignited an inferno inside her.

“Actually, just heard stories I’m now putting to good use. Just go, before my non-rule breaking self catches up with my adventurous brain.”

He left, and she counted each second of each minute until five minutes had passed. Then, she executed her plan. Flawlessly, actually, like all the stars had aligned for them or something. Not one person had stood in her way. Halls empty, well the clock had struck midnight some time ago but still this was a ship. She’d made it to his room, she hoped, unseen.

When the door clicked behind her, his body moved to hers like a magnet. His strong hands rubbed down her back, over flesh and then material, to stop just above her ass. He pulled her against him, fierce, showing a loss of control that excited her. Looking up, her heart feeling like it was in her stomach made the butterflies there flutter with more determination. His hair, now free of the rubber band, framed his face with silky curls. One wild and unruly section of strands covered his left eye, while several others fell over his right shoulder. Jacket and tie already gone, the open buttons of his dress shirt revealed the chiseled muscles of his chest she’d already imprinted in her mind.

“Can I kiss you?” he growled, the gravely tone of his voice savage and wonderfully unsettling.

The serious lines etched in his face broke for a second into an unconscious smirk before relaxing back into their natural state of tempestuous scrutiny, like he was on the edge of some fantastic discovery. At this moment, she knew he wanted to explore her. The knowledge of that fact sent a cool shiver down her spine, one soon doused by the heat rapidly building in her core.

When words failed her, his brows furrowed, his lush, black lashes semi-covered the stormy look in his eyes. She steadied her hand by running her finger over the course hair of his moustache. Following the thin trail of hair past his lips to his chin, she settled on the small patch just below his bottom lip. A perfect triangle within a perfect square, the hair tickled her fingers, alighting every nerve ending until she throbbed, wondering how his face would feel rubbing over the sensitive skin of her mound.

His blood-red lips open again, this time his mouth fell into a full smile. She dared to touch his lips, finding the skin warm and soft. Still grinning at her like a tiger about to devour prey, something primal and maybe even sinister lurking in small upturn of his lips, she startled when he nipped at her finger.

“You’re stalling, denying yourself. Why?” he questioned, his voice deep and sultry, devouring her senses.

She merely shrugged, letting her other hand fall to the hard lines of his shoulders, and then drop to the dip at the base of his neck. This move kept her hands from rubbing over the chill running over her arms. Her shawl, now a puddle on the floor, didn’t have that much to do with the intense shivers crawling over her skin.

“I scare you?” He frowned, his voice deeper than usual. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“In the best way,” she finally got out. “I wasn’t lying when I said I’d never been with someone like you. Stormy. Untamed. Strong. Dark... I don’t know how to put it. The mystery you are to me, rich kid, but not spoiled, smart and strong, intense and loving. I don’t know what kind of lover you’ll be. I guess that excites me as much as terrifies me.”

“I’ve no chains to tie you to the bed with, though, if you’re expecting that, I could surely improvise such a thing.” He laughed, a slight sound that resonated a playful hint at the base nature of violence.

“With thoughts of dark overlords or the mafia when I look at you, I can’t say some capture fantasy hasn’t snuck through my mind. Whatever you do, don’t treat me like some breakable woman, this faerie or angel you’ve spoken of.”

“The faeries and angels I create are badass, tough, able to take on the roughest, most rogue of warriors.”

“Good to know,” she got out, despite the hitch in her breathing.

He moved her hand, still on his face, to the side as he leaned in to kiss her. Brutish at first, his lips pressed to hers in that intoxicating line between pleasure and pain. His hand moved up to curl into her hair, grasp a handful and use it to tug her head back, gaining him more access, leaving her more exposed to his wiles.

His lips and teeth scraped down over her chin to her neck, feasting there until she felt he’d take a chunk out of her flesh. Instead, he nibbled. He sucked. He licked over the red and warm skin he’d created.

She grabbed at his arms to hold herself upright, his muscles bunched under her palms. Her fingers tried to dig in, to hold on, but there was no give to the sinewy mass of man she had hold of. As if he sensed her plight, his free arm circled her, pressed her against his body, holding her upright as her shaky legs failed to support her.

A curvy, lightly muscled woman, she felt light in his grip. What she had of female softness melted up against all his rugged edges. And then, he let her go. With a shake of his head, he stepped back from her until he stepped out of the shadows of the entryway into the light of the bedroom. Standing up straight, his shoulders squared, and his feet planted firmly on the ground in an open stance. He appeared to be holding himself back from the verge of attack. With determined movements, he reached out for her hands and lured her further into the room.

The sliding glass door on the far side of his cabin stood open. Another broken rule, the sign on the door posted that due to air-conditioning with central controls the doors to the decks had to remain closed to conserve energy. The sound of the water rushing against the fast moving ship added to the sense of danger that hadn’t let go of her, had kept her pulse racing since she’d started toward this forbidden room.

“May I?’ His hands toyed with the straps of her dress.

“No,” she answered, her shaky voice now steady. She’d found an allure in standing up for herself, taking what she wanted, too, in the face of such a beast. She’d never backed down before, never relinquished control, and she didn’t want to start now. She wanted not to tame this beast, but to control him like a trainer would, with respect for the danger the animal posed, while admiring the beauty of his wild strength.

“I’m sorry,” he spoke, his voice so deep she could barely make out the words.

“Don’t be. You first,” she demanded, standing up straighter herself.

“I see.” He huffed, a twinkle in his darkening eyes.

“No, I want to see.” She smirked.

Closing the gap between them, she took to unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way. Moving her hands over his broad shoulders she pushed the silk aside, let it fall to the floor. He stood like some statue of a Greek god come to life, only with a light bronze skin tone and the sharp lines of black tattoos. Up his arm, from wrist to bicep, the jagged lines appeared like flames. Softer and shorter versions of the same aimed downward from his shoulder, more flames in a war with the first, battling it out for space over the bulging of his arm muscles.

This same look of fire licked around his six-pack abs, framing them, but never letting the ink mark an inch of the perfect definition of his waist. That illustrious v-taper of muscle that stood out just about the waist of his pants had ink on the left side only, dark flames that came from under his pants, followed the definition of his trim hips. His belt pulled tight, remained the only reason they were still on.

“More,” she demanded, her arms rigid at her sides.

“Feisty. I like it,” he growled, more animalistic than before.

Yet, he obeyed. This thrilled her even more, to have such control over one so malevolent and brutish. She rode the high as he undid his belt with determined movements. His erection sprung up strong when he pushed his pants down past his hips. They soon hit the floor with a whoosh of material that sent goose bumps traveling up her arms. Unashamed, and why should he be, he stood still, controlled, only the bunching of his muscles, legs, chest, arms, gave her any hint of just what it took to remain as he was.

“You’re perfection,” she breathed out.

“I’m glad you think so. But, how long do you plan to make me just stand here like some statue in a museum? I’m not really perfect. And, I want you.”

“You can wait. I’m an adventurer, remember? And, I have this need to explore such unchartered territory. Besides, I think I’m getting off on controlling such a dark beast as yourself.”

“If that’s some challenge, then test me. I play games to win, so give it your best shot.” His voice steady, deep, daring.

“I plan to.” She matched him, her voice at full volume, unwavering. The only hint of trembling came from excitement, not fear now.