Pleasure Cruise (21 page)

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Michelle M. Pillow
,
Author of All Things Romance
™
, is a multi-published, award winning author writing in many romance fiction genres including futuristic, paranormal, historical, contemporary, fantasy and dark paranormal.
Ever since she can remember, she has had a strange
fascination with anything supernatural—ghosts, magical powers, and oh… vampires. What could be more alluring than being immortal, all-powerful, and eternally beautiful? After discovering historical romance novels, it was only natural that the supernatural and love/romance elements should someday meet in my wonderland of a brain. She’s glad they did for their children have been pouring onto the computer screen ever since.

She has been on the Amazon bestseller list multiple times, nominated for the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award 2011, the winner of the 2006 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, nominated for the 2007 RT Award, a Brava Novella Contest Finalist and a PAN member of RWA.

She writes a monthly interview column and is a journalist for Paranormal Underground Magazine. She has a Photography degree and is currently working towards a degree in History. In 2009 she and fellow author Mandy M. Roth started their own highly successful self-publishing endeavor named The Raven Books.

Michelle has titles published with The Raven Books, Pocket Books, Random House, Virgin Books, Adam’s Media, Samhain Publishing, Running Press, and more.

She loves to hear from readers. They can contact her through her website
www.michellepillow.com
.

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To learn more about Michelle M. Pillow please visit her website
www.MichellePillow.com

Pleasure Cruise Series Continues

“Don’t you read the news, Winter? Do you know what kind of diseases are on cruise ships? They’re like floating viruses, breeding grounds for any sickness you could imagine. My goodness, if they don’t kill you with communicable diseases transmitted from person to person, the food will get you. I shudder to think how many forms of hepatitis could be contracted on this thing. Don’t even get me started on restaurants at each port. Not all countries have our standard of sanitation. You never know…”

Winter rolled her eyes behind Anna’s designer-suit-clad back and mimicked her talking. Her friend hadn’t shut up about the cruise since she’d won it on the game show. Looking at the giant ship at port along the Texas coastline, she didn’t see Anna’s floating virus. She saw a portal to fun. The blue ocean and warm, salty air beckoned them out to sea. Though they would sail around the Caribbean, the ship schedule didn’t show them docking at any island ports—or so Anna said, as Winter didn’t live her life by adhering to schedules. Instead they would be trapped, adrift in paradise with nothing but the waves and, if her tea-leaf reading held true, scores of single, hot men. Could anything be more romantic?

Having gone through the long check in process, they finally heard their group number called for loading. Their luggage had been checked in at the curb in front of the three-story cruise line building and was being delivered to their staterooms. The line paused as photographer insisted on setting up group photos before letting the guests onto the ship.

Hearing Anna’s loud, grumpy sigh, Winter said, “Everything happens for a reason. Why not have a little faith in the master plan? Maybe this cruise is your destiny.”

“No,” Anna said, matter-of-factly. “My date with destiny was a brand-new black SUV with brown leather interior and all the add-on features. Oh, and the complementary Jet Ski to pull behind it. Not some floating deathtrap and a week of debauchery.”

“You’re planning on debau—on getting laid?” Winter arched a brow, hopeful her friend was finally ready to take a walk on the wild side of life. “By something that’s not mechanical or requires batteries? Maybe you’re right,” she reached for Anna’s forehead, “maybe you already contracted something.”

Anna merely glared, not saying a word. Winter was unfazed. She hoped Anna got laid, and good. Maybe it would lighten her up. Maybe if some guy did her so hard she could barely walk, her mind would shut off and for once she’d not think, just act.

“SUVs are so boring, so… corporate. Do you really want to be like ‘the man’?”

“Who is this mysterious ‘man’ who you’re always blaming for ruining the world?” Anna asked sarcastically.

“Mr. Peterson, down the street.” Winter chuckled, getting way too much enjoyment out of razzing her longtime friend.

“Please, he’s like eighty years old and is as harmless as they come.” Anna rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, harmless, sure he is. I swear that harmless old man pinched my ass at the Christmas party last year. I’m not sure, because he forgot his teeth and his pronunciation was off, but I think he propositioned me. Either that or he once had pigs that wanted to wallow in the muck.”

Winter prompted her friend to walk with her as she took a step toward the photo backdrop. She found it funny that they had a backdrop of a boat on it when the actual boat could be seen through the third story window. They paused long enough for the man to snap the shot before Anna pulled Winter toward the loading plank to get away from him. If Anna had her way, they’d stand on the dock until the ship was out of sight only to turn right back around and go home.

“I’m not listening to this again. Besides, last Christmas didn’t you change your name to Moonchild? So, if what you say is true, Mr. Peterson pinched Moonchild’s ass, not yours.”

Winter widened her eyes in jest. “No, it was Rainbow. Moonchild was the name I selected the year before. Come on, Anna, is it really that hard to keep track of these things? I remember your list of neuroses, the very least you could do is keep track of my name changes.”

“I do my best, Dances with Field Mice.”

“Oh, come on, that was a joke! A spoof… Never mind. Why do I even bother? Fine, call me what you will, Ms. Uptight, but tell me one thing. Do you ever get tired of knowing everything?”

Anna scoffed. “No one knows everything, Winter. It’s a proven fact that—” She stopped walking, no doubt realizing that she was indeed proving Winter’s case, again.

Winter caught sight of a petite girl with long, sleek black hair and the most beautiful caramel-colored skin she’d ever seen stepping aboard the ship. “Oh, Anna, look over there, isn’t that Michi Sue Lin, the winner on
Date with Destiny
two weeks prior to you?”

Anna glanced over and shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? I’d never even heard of the show prior to you signing me up for it, let alone watched it. But if it is, then she must have gotten ripped off in the prize selection category as well.”

“I hardly call a paid vacation and a lifetime supply of Supernatural Pepper Spray 3000 a rip-off. You need to lighten up.” Winter reached into her handbag and palmed her own can of the spray. She couldn’t see herself ever actually using it but Anna had been insistent she take a bottle for protection.

“I’d be more than ‘lightened up’ in my very own SUV.” Anna frowned, only to grumble in self-depreciation, “If only I hadn’t frozen on stage.”

“Forget about missing out on that gas guzzler. Oh, do you know what? You should buy an old van. Oh! We could get one together, fix it up and paint the sides. Then we could go cross-country with nothing but our van and our friendship to guide us.” Winter grinned, her bright blue eyes shining with excitement. The change of subject was more than in order. Life was an adventure, not a chore like Anna tried to make it out to be.

“With love beads and tassels?” Anna asked dryly.

Flipping her free-flowing brown curls over her shoulder, Winter squealed. “Oh perfect! What colors do you want? I already have a few sets in orange, pink and yellow. I might be able to find purple and blue ones too. We need a bed in the back just in case we should happen to luck out and find some action. I always love fucking men in the backs of vans. It’s one of my favorite pastimes. And I could dye some sheets to match the beads and it all would be just perfect.” She jumped up and down, a little giddy schoolgirl, clapping her hands. “So, does this mean you want to do it?”

The look on Anna’s face told her the answer was no. Winter couldn’t have contrasted Anna more if she tried. Anna was all pearls and antique lace. Having grown up an only child to some very rich parents, she’d spent her childhood in private schools, learning French and how to play the violin. Now an independent adult doing her best to make it on her own, Anna still hadn’t lost her rich-girl ways.

She didn’t own one article of clothing that had a hole in it and Winter couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Anna’s hair out of a prim-and-proper, no-nonsense bun or twist. Anna could’ve been a real hottie with the help of Winter’s “I wanna sex you up” makeover. She really did have the ass to pull off a thong, even though she denied it emphatically.

Winter was all love beads, clogs and living for the moment. Her carefree nature was due in part to her fun-loving hippie parents. They’d raised her with love and political awareness. Briefly, she wondered where they might be now. The last she’d heard they were in southern California blowing glass water pipes with some of their friends but she wasn’t entirely sure. She wasn’t as hardcore about hippie life as they were, but she was a bit “different” from most other people.

Winter’s long blue skirt was tied around her waist, perfect for the beach. It blew in the warm sea air, hitting her legs. She loved the smell of the ocean. It reminded her of home. Spending most of her childhood in various communes along the Pacific coastline, she’d grown accustomed to the ocean. Living in the city, she’d always felt something was missing inside her and the minute she drew in a breath of salty air, she knew what it was.

A gentle breeze blew past her, causing her nipples to go erect. It was a good thing she’d remembered to wear her bikini top this time because the shirt was see-through and she didn’t need Anna yelling at her about it—again.

“Really, Anna, can we get a van and travel? I’ve got a friend in Portsburg who’d get us a fabulous deal and he might even knock more off the price if I blow him again. He melts the very second I suck him off. It’s been a few months since I’ve seen him and I’m guessing he’s hard as hell. Don’t look at me like that. Sex is meant to be enjoyed, not scoffed at. And, before you launch into another lecture, I’m up-to-date on all my shots so there is no threat of sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy. The days of free love are back, sweetie, hop on the love train! Speaking of trains—”

“Please don’t bring up the men you’re sleeping with. The day is only so long, you know,” Anna said, her tone flat as she lifted her travel size designer suitcase. She had refused to let the baggage handlers have it. Unzipping the front, she dug out a stack of papers. “Here. You’ll need your boarding pass and passport.”