Perfect Timing (10 page)

C
hristopher tried shutting off thoughts of Maxi as he picked up the telephone to call Gabe. He had gotten out of bed early that morning and had quickly dressed and left the cabin without waking her. He had spent his day lounging by the pool, reading. Only once had he seen her from a distance. She'd been with Connie Adams and Geri Hunter, two women from their group who had also come on the cruise as singles.

He tapped his hand against the phone as he waited for his call to connect. He was dialing Gabe's private number.

“This better be good, Chris,” a rough voice snarled into the phone.

A smile lifted one corner of Christopher's mouth. “How did you know it was me?”

“This is my private number. I talked to the folks earlier so I figured it must be you. Why are you calling me? I thought you understood you were to enjoy yourself and not worry about things here.”

A tiny frown flickered across Christopher's brow as he released a deep sigh. “I know, but it's hard.”

“Then try making it easy. Go find a woman to spend time with. I'm sure there are quite a few on that ship. I understand that more and more women are going on cruises alone looking for Mr. Right, or Mr. Wrong, depending on the way you look at it.”

“So there's nothing I need to know?”

“No, there's not. Everything's fine, so relax and enjoy yourself. And you better hope I don't tell Mama you called checking up on things.”

Christopher could feel his lips curving into an even deeper smile than before. “Hey, I'm sure you have the good sense not to. If I suffer, so do you, pal. Remember that.”

“Yeah, yeah, just don't call back. We'll see you in a week. And do like I said and find yourself a woman.”

Christopher whirled around when he heard the sound of the cabin door opening. His gaze immediately connected to Maxi. He felt his muscles tensed. He couldn't delude himself regarding his feelings for her any longer. Although he wasn't sure just what the hell those feelings were, he knew he could not put distance between them any more than he could make this ship turn around and go back to Tampa. No matter how much he'd tried not to think about her today, he had. No matter how much he'd tried getting into the book he was reading, she was never far from his mind.

“Hey, Chris. You still there? Did you hear what I said? Find yourself a woman.”

Gabe's voice on the other end of the phone reminded Christopher that he was still talking to someone. “I already have,” he replied gruffly before hanging up the phone on his friend. “Hi,” he greeted Maxi softly as he placed the phone back in the cradle. He tried not to notice how good she looked in a pair of khaki shorts and a polo shirt. He cleared his throat. “How was your day?”

He felt tension, the same tension he'd experienced earlier, slowly ebb from Maxi as she entered the room and closed the door, letting him know that he wasn't the only one uptight. She continued to look at him as if he was a puzzle she didn't know where to start putting together. “Fine, and yours?”

“It was fine, too,” he said shifting to another foot, suddenly feeling shy and uncertain around her. The thought that he was behaving in such a manner with any woman was alarming. “Made any plans for dinner?”

She met his gaze. “No. Have you?”

He shook his head. “No. Would you join me for dinner?”

“Sure,” she answered, meeting his gaze. “Do you want to keep our second dinner call or do you want me to change it to the first?”

“Second is fine since I want to go back by the pool and finish up the book I'm reading,” he said like he really thought that would be possible.

“Okay. I'm just going to lie down and take a nap for a while.”

He smiled. “I'll catch you later.”

Taking a deep breath he walked passed her as he left the cabin.

 

Later that evening, Christopher watched as Maxi nibbled on a succulent piece of shrimp. He was getting turned on—big time, literally, just watching how she was devouring the piece of seafood with her mouth. He'd never seen anything like it. His dark gaze followed every movement her mouth made. He inhaled deeply, wishing he could replace the shrimp with his tongue and let her nibble on that for a while. He changed position in his seat, trying to relieve the ache consuming the lower part of his body.

His sheer sexual magnetism toward her had increased ever since she had walked out of the bathroom dressed for dinner. Tonight was Captain's Night and he had chosen to wear a black tuxedo and she was wearing the most sexy-looking gown he'd ever seen on a woman's body. Just like her eating of the shrimp, the shoulderless tea-length white gown was a total turn-on. He wasn't sure how much longer he would last before the zipper on his pants burst at the seam. He was glad he was sitting down and hoped he would cool off before he had to stand. Exposing such an arousal would be embarrassing.

Maxi looked up and flinched slightly at the impact of Christopher's piercing dark eyes. “Is something wrong?” she asked wondering why he was watching her so intently. Then she recalled her and Mya's conversation and swallowed the lump in her throat.

Almost reluctantly, Christopher shifted his gaze from her mouth to her eyes. “No, nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?”

“Because,” she said, saying the single word softly under her breath. “Your eyes were glued to my mouth.”

A few seconds ticked by before he responded. “Were they?”

“Yes.”

“Umm…I was just wondering.”

“About what?”

“Has anyone ever kissed you senseless?”

His statement sent a vivid picture to Maxi's sexually charged brain. “No.”

“What about your fiancé?” he asked. His eyes seemed to harden and locked with hers. “Didn't the two of you ever do some heavy-duty kissing?”

A part of Maxi wanted to tell him what she and Jason had done was none of his business but she found herself answering anyway. “No, Jason knew how to control himself.”

Christopher frowned, wondering what had been the man's secret because he had total lack of control where she was concerned. Her sensuality was so much a part of her, so natural, he doubted that she was even aware of it. At times it was so overpowering it literally took his breath away. “What would you like to do tonight?” he asked her.

She thought about his question and immediately knew what she would like. She would love to go dancing. When she had lived in Washington, Wilson took her out dancing all the time, but dancing was something Jason wasn't all that big on doing. “I'd like to go dancing.”

Christopher's smile shone through his eyes. “All right, dancing it is.”

M
ya and Garrett were lying side by side sharing one of those huge double loungers on their balcony. It was another beautiful evening at sea. A helpless smile formed on her lips, the glass of wine in her hand momentarily forgotten. “Lee Jenkins actually took you aside and said you needed prayer?”

Garrett's smile broke into a grin. “Yeah, it was the oddest thing. I was standing by the rail looking out at the ocean and he appeared by my side and said he had come to pray with me, and that he'd been led by the Almighty to do so.”

Mya nodded. Lee Jenkins, who used to be a bully in school and one of Ronald's ace-boon-coons, was now a minister. “What did you say?”

“I told him that I thought Ronald needed his prayers more than I did but he said he was sent to pray with me.”

“Did he say why?” Mya asked after a moment.

Garrett shrugged. “No, he just said he was told I needed it.” He let out a smooth chuckle. “Maybe someone up there has told him I'm going to have a bad season or something. Or maybe after five years the Cowboys are going to cut me from the team. Hell, I don't know Mya! All I know is that he said I needed prayer and I decided not to question it. The two of us went to the chapel and he prayed for me.”

Mya took a sip of her wine. Like her, Garrett and been raised in the church. But over the years they had stopped going on a regular basis. In college they had attended services regularly because the grace of God and constant prayers had been the only thing that had sustained them through those turbulent years when no one knew they were married. She had to put up with the “hoochie momma man-hunters” who'd thought Garrett was open game although everyone around campus knew the two of them were an item. When they had moved to Dallas, they had joined a church not far from their home and the two of them had even joined a married couples group. But then the devil had intervened and chaos entered when it was discovered that the minister, a married man, had had an affair with one of the younger women at church. The church split. Half of the members wanted the preacher gone and the other half was willing to overlook his transgressions and keep him on as their leader. In the end the majority had ruled and Reverend Stonewall had gotten voted out. Those members who'd supported him had followed him and formed another church. One of those had been Garrett's best friend Hilton, and his wife, Alicia. Hilton's position of support for Reverend Stonewall was the only disagreement Garrett and Hilton had had during their years of friendship.

The entire incident had disheartened Garrett since he'd really liked and respected Reverend Stonewall. It seemed that after that he found one excuse after another not to attend church anywhere, saying if you couldn't trust a minister then who could you trust. Eventually Mya'd come to her own lackadaisical attitude about religion, but it wasn't as bad as Garrett's. She and the boys did go to church occasionally. And she was doing better since one of her New Year's resolutions had been to improve things in that department. She knew her grandmother, who'd been a devout religious woman, was probably up there in heaven frowning down at her and Garrett. And Garrett's parents, who were active in their church and who'd always been real southern Baptists like her grandmother, were also not pleased with the small amount of time she and Garrett were giving to God these days.

With great caution Mya broached the subject they had both avoided talking about for the past few years. “So, did his prayer help convince you to get back into the church, Garrett?”

“No, because I feel I am into the church. Just because I don't go to church doesn't mean I'm out of it. You know my Sunday schedule, Mya. I play a lot of my games on Sundays. I have you tape those church services off the television and I watch them whenever I can.”

She decided not to point out that the Sundays he was unavailable because of football only lasted from September to January. Those other Sundays he'd been free to attend church if he really wanted to. She remembered all the videos she had taped of various church services that came on television on Sunday mornings for Garrett to watch later at a more convenient time. They were videos he hadn't gotten around to watching yet. What Garrett's mother had tried to drill into her son the last time they'd gone home for a visit, was that watching church off television wasn't the same as being a part of a live congregation. She had preached to him that he needed to get over whatever sin Reverend Stonewall had committed and turn his life back over to God. Respectfully Garrett had listened to his mother and had even attended church service with her while there, but once he returned to Dallas he'd gotten back into his regular routine.

“Speaking of those tapes, Garrett, the box is full. When are you going to make time to watch them?”

“Don't push me, Mya. You know how busy I am these days. I'll get to them when I can.”

She nodded. She'd been with Garrett long enough to know when to pull back and not push any longer. “I have an idea that I want to run by you,” she said, deciding to change the subject.

“What?”

“Tomorrow, when we reach the Cayman Islands, I want to check out one of those nude beaches.”

Garrett frowned. “Why would you be interested in seeing a bunch of naked people lying around in the sand?”

“Because it's something I've never seen before.”

“And you won't anytime soon. The only naked male body you'll ever see is mine.” Leaning toward her, he nipped her ear and whispered. “In fact I'd love to show it to you now. Are you game?” His voice was thick with desire.

Mya smiled. The effect of his warm breath in her ear and the seductive tone of his voice made intense heat settle in the lower part of her stomach. Just like he'd probably known it would. Her body held no secrets from her husband although at present, her mind did. She pushed that thought away and placed her wineglass on the table. “Yes, I'm game. I'm also putty in your hands and you very well know that, don't you?”

“Yes.” Standing he reached his hand out to her. “Come on, Mrs. Rivers, let's go inside and get naked.”

T
he lavishness of the cruise ship's Pinnacle Disco Club was enhanced even more by all the glittering lights reflecting off the golden columns and the ultra shiny parquet dance floor. A combination of music from the fifties through the present was being played, occasionally alternating with a live band.

Christopher pulled Maxi onto the dance floor the moment they entered, joining a group of people doing the electric slide. She laughed, enjoying the effect of moving her body to the music, keeping in graceful step with the others.

After a few more fast paced songs where everyone turned to their partners and gave their bodies a good workout while boogieing to the sounds of various artists the music then turned into a slow number. Without missing a beat Christopher pulled Maxi into his arms. “Now we take things slow,” he whispered in her ear as they swayed to the sound of Brian McKnight. He tightened his arms around her.

Maxi fell into step with Christopher, feeling totally relaxed being held by him. “You dance often?” she asked, liking the feel of her hands resting on his shoulders.

He gave her a soft laugh as he tightened his arms around her waist. “No, can't you tell?”

“I think you're great. You seem to know all the modern stuff. I merely follow your lead.”

“Trust me. It wasn't the modern stuff. It's the old stuff that's come back with a different name, and this is the first time I've been dancing in quite a while. My best friend and I used to hit all the hot spots in Detroit when we were younger. But that was years ago. Now I…” he stopped himself. He'd been about to tell her more than he'd intended to.

Maxi lifted a brow. “Now you what?” she asked.

The corner of his lips curved into a grin. Maxi had a way of getting a person off balance, totally off track. He quickly regrouped his thoughts. “Now I just manage to work hard and earn a good day's pay for a good day's worth of work. I have very little leisure time for myself.” That much was true, he thought. Over the past five years he had driven himself to be successful, first with furthering his education, then with his business. That was one of the reasons Joella Blackwell had been so hard on him about taking a vacation. Everyone knew that Christopher Chandler was all work and no play. The only time he got to play was when he was in bed with a woman and lately even that had become scarce. He hadn't slept with a woman since that night he'd spent with Tori Smithfield.

“I know you aren't married or engaged, but are you serious about anyone?” Maxi asked, wanting desperately to know for some reason.

Her question made him smile. He was seriously into sex but not seriously into any particular woman. “I see a lot of women, but no one seriously. What about you? Have you gotten back into dating now that you're no longer engaged?”

“Not a whole lot. I've dated but nothing serious has developed. It took me a while to get over Jason's death.”

“Are you over him now?”

Maxi thought that Christopher's voice was deep, with an edge of huskiness that any woman would find sexy. She took several steadying breaths before answering him until she was sure she had her voice, as well as herself, under control. Then she said quietly. “Yes, I'm over him.”

“Are you sure?” The deep darkness of his gaze homed into hers.

“Yes, I'm sure.”

He pulled her closer into his arms when the song ended and another slow number immediately started playing.

Silence descended upon them as they, as well as a number of other couples, slowly moved their bodies underneath the room's glittering prisms of lights. Maxi felt the strength in his hand on her lower back as he slowly moved, with her in his arms, to the slow tune being played. Her breasts suddenly felt tender, sensitive, as they pressed against the hardness of his chest. His thigh felt hard against hers and his hand gently stroked her back.

He broke the silence. “Your shoulders look creamy, like chocolate mousse,” he said in a voice that was deeper than before and increasingly intimate. “It makes me want to taste you.”

Before Maxi realized Christopher's intentions he dipped his head and with warm lips, kissed the curve of her bare shoulder. A shiver of desire, one she had never felt before, raced through every bone in her body. She would have melted in a heap right there on the floor had he not been doing a good job of holding her. She was thankful when his grip around her waist tightened. The music came to an end and she lifted her head and met his gaze. The look in his eyes was dark, seductive. And the fire that suddenly shot between them triggered something warm, sensuous, heated. Maxi couldn't begin to describe the emotion gripping her.

When a fast song began playing, a corner of Christopher's lips lifted into a smile. “Had enough or do we boogie some more?” he asked huskily.

She returned his smile. “I've had enough, what about you?”

He continued to hold her gaze. “Yeah, I've had enough. Would you like to go for a walk?”

She nodded slowly and let him lead her toward the door. Garrett and Mya were arriving as they were leaving.

“The two of you are leaving already?” Mya asked.

“Yes.” Christopher answered. “We're going for a walk around the deck for a while.”

Mya's eyes sharpened as her gaze moved from Christopher to Maxi. Christopher had the ability to school his emotions but that was not the case with Maxi. And from Maxi's flushed face Mya knew they would be doing a lot more than walking around on deck. She moved her gaze from Maxi to let it settle again on Christopher.

“We'll see you tomorrow,” he said meeting Mya's stare.

“Are the two of you getting off the ship for the Cayman Islands in the morning?” Garrett asked.

Christopher's gaze moved from Mya to Garrett. “Yes.”

“Then how about joining us on the tour?” Garrett invited.

“That's fine with me.” Christopher looked at Maxi. “What about it?”

Maxi smiled and looked at Garrett. She refused to make eye contact with Mya again knowing Mya could read her like a book. “That will be fun. We'll see you in the morning.”

Mya watched them walk away. “They're leaving early,” she said thoughtfully to Garrett.

He pulled her closer to his side. He knew Mya had concerns as to where Maxi and Christopher's relationship was headed. “They're leaving early, or we're arriving late.”

She smiled when she remembered the reason they were late. “True. Come, on let's dance the night away.”

 

Christopher took Maxi's hand in his as they slowly strolled along the deck. The view of the ocean was beautiful and there were a number of couples out enjoying the sight.

“So, who is your best friend?” Maxi asked breaking into their moment of silence.

Christopher lifted a brow and looked at her. “Pardon?”

“Earlier, when we were dancing you mentioned that you and your best friend used to go out dancing a lot. Who's your best friend?”

When moments passed and Christopher didn't say anything, Maxi said swiftly. “I'm sorry, Christopher. I shouldn't have asked that. It's really none of my business, it's just that I was surprised to hear you say that. In all the years I've known you, I've never known you to get close enough to anyone for you to consider them your best friend. This person must be really special.”

Christopher stopped walking and leaned against the rail. He thought about how his friendship with Gabe had started and how close they were now. “His name is Gabe Blackwell, and yes, he is special. His whole family is. Gabe and I work together.” After a few moments he added. “And you don't have to apologize. The reason I didn't answer right away is because when you asked me the question I became caught up in memories of how Gabe and I became best friends. We started out as enemies.”

Maxi lifted a brow. “Why?”

“Because of our stubbornness. We had worked together and discovered we did things differently and made a big issue out of those differences. It took a wise old man, who happened to be Gabe's father as well as my boss, to show the two of us that at times differences can be good, depending on how you work with them.”

Maxi nodded. “I agree. I tell my students that all the time. Just think how boring things would be if everyone thought the same way or did the same things. Each of us is unique and no two people think or act alike. That's why we all have a right to our own opinions.”

Christopher smiled. “It won't do me any good to ask if you'd always been this smart, because I know the answer since I was in most of your classes in school.”

Maxi chuckled. “I'm not smart. I just like to analyze things and so do you. I found that out during those six weeks the two of us worked together on that science project. Remember?”

“Yes, I remember.” Christopher didn't think he would ever forget. It had been a lifelong dream come true. It was as if someone up there had finally taken a liking to him. At the time he'd thought that being given the chance to spend time with Maxine Chandler for whatever reason, was the ultimate in a heavenly blessing. She'd been special to him ever since the first time he'd seen her when he'd arrived at school in the first grade, two years older than everybody else. His mother had grudgingly sent him looking raggedy, with no lunch, and no money. Instead of making fun of him like the other kids had done, Maxi had shared her lunch with him and for a number of days after that, until he'd began bringing his own lunch, she would always include a little extra something in her lunchbox for him. He doubted she even remembered that act of kindness but he had never forgotten it. Over the course of years following that first day, he'd been so smitten with her he couldn't think straight. He had fantasized about her for twelve long years, even during the time when he hadn't known or understood what fantasizing about a person was about. Her name had been carved on just about every tree in the housing project where he'd lived. To put it bluntly, he had been obsessed with Maxi and she hadn't known it, even when it was evident that he was wearing his heart on his sleeve. It wasn't that she had tried to deliberately snub him, she just hadn't had a clue. Now, ten years later and she could still make him get sweaty palms just being around her.

They stood quietly together, side by side, looking at the water. There was a full moon in the sky and its reflection made the water appear full of crystals. Christopher brought her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her waist. All evening it had been hard to keep his hands off her, so he decided not to try any longer. “Do you know why I wanted to be out here alone with you, Maxi?” he whispered huskily, his lips brushing her earlobe.

Maxi tried staying relaxed, although her pulse rate increased tenfold. “I think so, but tell me anyway.”

“While we were dancing I had a mad urge to kiss you and didn't think I could wait a minute longer, but now…”

Maxi inhaled deeply as she met his gaze. “But now you've changed your mind?” she asked softly, the smallest of smiles curving her lips.

He returned her smile as he shook his head, “Not by a long shot. It's just that I don't think being out here in the open is an appropriate place for our first kiss. At least not the kind of kiss I want to give you.” He decided not to add he'd waited quite a number of years for this opportunity and when he got started he didn't want to be interrupted until he had gotten his fill.

“Oh.” Heat curled into Maxi's stomach and made her cheeks feel flushed as she thought of just what kind of kiss that might be. She had admitted to herself earlier that day that she was more conscious of Christopher than she had been of any man in a long time; especially since Jason's death. “Where do you suggest we go for privacy?” she asked although she knew the obvious. She hoped she wasn't sounding overly anxious.

“Our cabin. And I won't take things any farther than you want me to, but I've got to kiss you, Maxi.”

She nodded. She knew the feeling. And it was slowly overtaking her in a deep sensuous way. “All right.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Christopher quickly ushered her toward the first elevator they came to.

 

As soon as Maxi and Christopher reached their cabin, he opened the door. Once inside and the door closed shut behind them, their gazes met. She watched his eyes darken as they slid dead center to her lips. She then felt a moment of caution that she was about to dive into unfamiliar waters.

“Say it,” he murmured huskily, softly. “Say you want me to kiss you.”

All sense of caution fled with his request. “I want you to kiss me, Christopher.” She spoke quietly. The words, echoing softly in the cabin. The desire to taste her was there in his eyes. She saw it. He was making no attempt to hide it.

“I'm going to do more than just kiss you, Maxi,” Christopher warned, speaking with fierce emotion storming through every part of him. “I'm going to make love to your mouth. I want to give you ultimate pleasure from my kiss.” The grooves in his cheeks deepened and the huskiness in his voice increased. “Are you prepared for that?”

Maxi inhaled deeply, not sure she was prepared for anything, especially something of the magnitude he was alluding to. What would be so different about his kiss than the ones she'd shared with Jason? They had been enjoyable but…
ultimate pleasure?
She didn't have a clue what ultimate pleasure entailed but as she studied Christopher she had a feeling she was about to find out.

He took a few steps toward her. Her breath caught when his arms slid around her. “Are you prepared for that?” he repeated softly, bring her closer against him.

Maxi felt his heat and moved toward that heat. She wrapped her arms around his neck and met his hot fiery gaze. “Yes, I'm prepared for that,” she responded softly.

He smiled. “Then hold on,” he whispered roughly before leaning down and slanting his mouth across hers, forging them together.