Four Nights at Sea Read online

  “That’s nice,” Charlie said, relief coursing through her and managing a smile. “I mean it’s nice that your little sister is the princess of your heart.”

  “She is,” he repeated, and placed the phone back in her hands. “I’ve programmed my cell number and dialed out so your number has registered on my phone. Do you have any reservations about me calling you when we get to New York?”

  His mouth was once again inches from hers, and his breath heated her lips as he spoke. His dark gaze held hers.

  “No,” she whispered, boldness and hope growing within her. He wasn’t attached. He was interested. And he made her body hum. “Call.” Leaning in toward him, she was surprised when he pulled back out of her reach.

  “Two more things you need to know.” His gaze returned to her mouth and her lips sizzled with anticipation. “First, I really want to kiss you. Second—and this is not because I’m presumptuous but because of the nature of your writing—I’m not a happily-ever-after kind of man. I’m definitely not a knight in shining armor or the romance-novel marrying kind, and I don’t believe relationships last forever.”

  Pressure skidded across her forehead, but the sizzle on her lips flared to a burning desire. She didn’t care. She wasn’t looking for a husband. Charlie was going to practice what she preached and let loose. She’d give in to the physical attraction and enjoy the moment. “Kiss me, Ford.”

  His fingers traced over her neck and up her cheeks, cupping her face as he slanted his mouth over hers. Soft and gentle at first, his tongue slid over her lips and teased them apart, only to possess them with undeniable strength and passion that had her insides liquefied by the time he allowed her to breathe again.

  “Beautiful,” he said, groaning as his mouth lingered over hers. “You feel the need, too.” He took her hand and pressed her palm over the strong beat of his heart. “This is so damn frustrating. I haven’t had enough of you to hold me over for the next two weeks,” he said, then kissed her again.

  With the feel and taste of the man permanently branded in her mind, she took what he offered and pressed against him. She licked up his neck and nuzzled behind his ear. “We’ll pick this up at a later time. You’ll be in New York in a few days.”

  “Hell. Now that I’ve sampled that sweetness, ten days are forever away. I’ll be there earlier.” He let out a breath and tucked her head beneath his chin as he brought her to his side. “Until then, don’t let me kiss you again. In the meantime, I’m going to have to keep myself occupied and resort to solving algebraic equations to stay sane. By the way, I hate math.”

  He kept his arm around her and his chin on her head, allowing her limited movement. His hand rested beneath her breast, and his fingers splayed over her ribs in the most possessive hold. She liked it. “Don’t even look my way. It’s taking a lot of control to simply sit here. And responsibility dictates that sit here is all we can do for now. Ten days.”

  “Ten days,” she breathed, a longing sigh escaping her lips. And yes, her body was totally reacting to Ford in ways she’d never thought it was capable of responding to anyone, but she had to admit that she was more than a little turned on by his responsibility reference. She liked a man who claimed personal responsibility. That was damn sexy.

  “Chère, I’d like to suggest we head back to Miami for that mojito we discussed earlier,” Ford said, giving her a squeeze. “We can take an extra hour or so to get to know each other better. There’s plenty of time before we need to board. We—”

  “No. Not possible,” she interrupted. No matter how much she’d like to spend the next hour with him, she wasn’t going to be sidetracked. “This cruise is work for me. I need to stay focused on the feature. Interviews. Notes. Writing. There is going to be a lot to learn, and I’m going to need to interpret it without bias.”

  “I’ll give you all the info you want about romance on the high seas. I’ve seen a lot of it.” His arm had relaxed and draped comfortably around her. It felt good. Natural. “I’ve had more than five years to observe guests and their relationships. There are many options for romance. Some typical. Some really out there. I can even bet that this sailing will end up with some unexpected wedding ceremonies.”

  “Really?” She turned towards him, wanting to ask him so much more. “You see people get married every time?”

  “No. Not every time, but we do see it. It’s not like on TV with the captain performing ceremonies left and right. Doesn’t work like that.” With a determined finger on her chin, he encouraged her to face forward. “I warned you. Don’t turn those gorgeous blue eyes on me, baby. I’m hanging on by a thread.”

  She laughed, but was truly flattered . . . no, empowered. Charlie didn’t think she could ever have such an influence on a man.

  “Excuse me,” the driver called over his shoulder. “Which ship?”

  “What?”

  “Which pier should the taxi head to first?” Ford clarified, pointing to a billboard indicating they had almost reached their destination.

  She rambled off the details to the driver and turned to find Ford looking at her with an amused smile.

  “What?” she asked again.

  “You’re sailing on my ship,” he replied, grinning like a cat that had just found a bowl of milk. “You’re stuck with me, Charlie.” Then, out of nowhere, a dark storminess shuttered his features. “You’re on this sailing? You?”

  “Yes,” she said, wavering between being embarrassed about the title of the cruise and being excited that she was going to get more time with Ford.

  “You realize it’s a charter, don’t you?”

  Lovers Sail Singles & Kink Cruise. She nodded. “I know.”

  “Do you know the theme?” He was certainly looking at her now. The sexual energy had dissipated and was replaced by something she identified as having strong objection and control tendencies, perhaps judgment.

  “Yes,” she replied, pulling out of his embrace and sitting up straight. She wasn’t about to justify her actions. No matter how attracted she was to him. She was a grown woman. A professional. “No biggie. It’ll have to do. Especially since I discovered the nature of the cruise while I was on the bus ride to Miami.”

  “Bus ride?”

  “Yes. A bus ride,” she said, giving up all hope of remaining sexy in his eyes. She threw up her hands in defeat. It was over. Any chance she had at getting hot and bothered with the sexy Cajun was gone. “I don’t like airplanes. And when I booked the cruise, I thought it was a singles cruise, not a singles-and-kink cruise. But I’m determined to learn everything there is to know about singles, romance, and kink. Happy?”

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re not going.”

  “What?”

  His dark gaze narrowed on her and his jaw set in hard angles. He paused a few moments, then blew out a long breath. “I know I have absolutely no right, but is there any chance that you could reconsider and not board this ship?”

  “You aren’t listening. I said I need this byline. I don’t care what I have to do to get it. This is my chance to prove myself.”

  “At what cost?”

  The driver pulled up to the passenger drop-off location. The taxi had stopped. She yanked on the door handle and pushed. Stepping out, she threw a fifty over the seat to the driver.

  “Thank you, sir. Keep the change. And you,” she turned back to Ford, “thanks for ignoring my words. You have no right to tell me what to do. None. How do you get off thinking I care what you say? My plans matter. What I want matters. Forget this ride. Forget we met, forget—”

  Without giving her a chance to finish, he shackled her wrist with his fingers and pulled her to him, while simultaneously springing from the cab. He towered over her.

  “Stop,” he said, placing a finger on her lips. “Stop speaking.”

  He kept her still and prevented her from moving away. But there was something more in his gaze than stubborn insistence. She just didn’t know what it was.

  Determined to
remain in control, she pushed on his chest, and tried in vain to put space between them. He didn’t budge. His grip grew tighter. It didn’t hurt, but it wounded her pride. She really couldn’t move.

  “I’m sorry,” he drawled. “I spoke instinctively and without thinking it through.” His brown eyes gentled, and he looked truly apologetic. “The assignment is that important to you.”

  A frustrated tear slipped down her cheek. He lifted his finger from her lips and swept away the moisture.

  “I apologize. I was thinking as a jackass of a man.” His thumb traced her cheek, and he gave her a sincere smile. “I didn’t mean to imply that your career goals aren’t important. Not that it should matter what I think, but I truly believe you’re willing to do what it takes to achieve success. I was being an overprotective chauvinist. Forgive me.”

  “Done. Behind us,” Charlie said, taking a deep breath and dropping her forehead to his chest. She was accustomed to men being quick with their opinions and highhanded, and she was used to hearing them apologize for it. She couldn’t meet his gaze and remain composed, so she just wanted to move on. She closed her eyes and inhaled his fresh scent as a consolation.

  Some consolation. The distraction of his apology and concern was just as great as his sex appeal and annoyance. Charlie lifted her face to look at him. She had no choice. He’d already rattled her, and she couldn’t deal with emotional upheaval.

  “I have a job to do,” she said. “I’m here as a professional, and being with you for only a few minutes sidetracked me. I can’t afford distractions. I can’t afford to fail.”

  “Okay. I get it.” He shook his head and released her. He walked around to the open trunk and retrieved her carry-on. Setting it on the walkway, he extended the handle and closed her hand around the plastic. “They’re serving a lunch buffet onboard. I’ll meet you there at one. I’ll be your biggest supporter and greatest resource. Promise.”

  He made a show of crossing his heart, then turned and strode through the crowd. She had no chance to object.

  Chapter Four

  Immigration had cleared the ship, so Ford was able to board immediately. He went directly to where his replacement was verifying the food delivery.

  “How’s everything going?” Ford asked, clasping the uniformed Jorge Ramos on the shoulder.

  “Like clockwork,” Ramos replied. “You checking on me, Rutherford?”

  Ford shrugged. “You can’t blame me for wanting to make sure there are no surprises. I’m still officially the manager on the sailing.”

  “Bullshit,” Ramos said, signing an invoice and stepping back to allow the final crate of produce to be loaded. “We both know I’ve got this. Go up top and ogle those pretty women. They’re all boarding with a great agenda.”

  “Which is?” Ford asked.

  “To fuck and be fucked,” Ramos replied with a smartass grin.

  “Wipe that smirk off your face and keep your dick in your pants—at least where the passengers are concerned. Company policy is very clear.” Ford glanced at the bustle of activity around them and wondered if any of his staff would lose his or her job by the end of the cruise.

  “I know, Ford. This isn’t my first time out, and I’m not about to risk my career for a hookup.” Ramos looked up at the glass gangway and the many female passengers that were embarking, then he nodded toward Gabi, the sexy sous chef who had joined the crew the previous month. “Besides, I’m sure the female staff members will have the same frustrations as the men. There’ll be many opportunities from within. Some delicious opportunities.”

  “You wish she’d give you the time of day,” Ford quipped.

  “I don’t need all day. Just an hour here and there will do.” Ramos was still watching the sous chef. Hell, he had it bad.

  “You’re whipped,” Ford said, extending his hand. “I’ll blend into the background. Let me know if I can be of any help.”

  “Will do, sir.” Ramos accepted his hand and shook it. “Go get an eyeful and relax. You deserve it, Ford.”

  “Right.”

  Ramos was competent and perfectly ready for his own sailings. The man had handled the last two with no input from Ford, and he had done a damn good job. Taking the crew stairs, Ford made his way to his quarters and powered up his laptop. He had personal accounts to review and put in an order before they left port.

  He knew he wasn’t needed as food and beverage manager on the sailing. Captain Georgiou had requested he remain for the bonus trips to keep the less-seasoned crew focused during the charter. He was working incognito, interacting with the passengers as a supposed guest to make sure company policy was followed by both the crew and members of the group.

  His current dilemma of the pretty little reporter bothered him more than it should. Even though they’d shared only a kiss, an irrational amount of possessiveness filled his gut. He didn’t want her interacting with other passengers, especially not the sexually driven male guests. Not when he wanted her for himself. However, she was determined, and for reasons unknown to him, he couldn’t let her investigate the happenings on the cruise without him at her side. Some of the Dominants would eat her alive, figuratively and possibly literally.

  The hair on the back of his neck stood at attention, and he rolled his shoulders to get rid of the disturbing images. Fuck it. He had no choice. He dialed Guest Services.

  “Alex, it’s Rutherford,” he said. “Book me the best cabin available.” He could swing the financial burden of the ticket if it meant having a place to take her that wasn’t officially off limits. Guests weren’t allowed in crew quarters, and he wasn’t allowed in a passenger’s cabin, but if he purchased his own . . .

  “Sorry, Ford. The ship is full. We have no available cabins.” Alex chuckled. “You have a family member that wants to join the fun?”

  “No.” His idea to bend the rules went up in flames. Maybe he couldn’t buy space, but he had a cabin and his passage was secure. He just had to figure out how to attach himself to her and not get tossed overboard before they reached port.

  He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower. Water always cleared his mind. He’d find a way.

  * * *

  Twenty minutes later, he strode onto the bridge and requested a private talk with Captain Georgiou. The captain agreed, finished instructing the other officer, then indicated Ford should follow as he led them out of the bridge. “What’s up, Rutherford?”

  “I’d like to touch base on something,” Ford said, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they walked. By bringing Charlie’s presence to the captain’s attention, Ford could justify spending a lot of time with her. “There’s a magazine reporter on board.”

  “I know,” Georgiou said, surprising him. “Miss Stanton’s publisher called to inform me this morning. Paul, her publisher and my friend’s son, is concerned that Miss Stanton may be in over her head on this sailing. He asked that we keep a watchful, yet distant, eye on her. In case she requires our support.”

  “I met Miss Stanton in South Beach this morning. We shared a taxi to the port,” Ford admitted, not feeling half as guilty as he should for what he was about to suggest. “I asked her to reconsider the assignment, but she’s determined to do her job.”

  “And, like Paul, you have concerns?”

  “More than you know, Captain.”

  “I see,” Georgiou replied, rubbing his chin. “Ford, you are much more than staff to me. Over the past few years, I’ve watched you mature into a man who takes all his responsibilities to heart. I do not want you to ruin your hard work or tarnish your reputation by going against company policy, overstepping your duty, or engaging on a physical level with a guest.”

  “My assignment involves interacting with passengers during the group activities. If I happen to attend the same events she does, I’ll be able to keep an eye on her,” Ford blurted. “No conflict.”

  Georgiou shook his head and veered into one of the deserted bar areas. “Not smart, son.” He leaned against a s
tool and motioned for Ford to sit. “I asked you to sign on specifically to keep the crew in check. We’ve also discussed how you need the extra money to meet your goals. You’re jeopardizing what you’ve worked so hard for to be close to a woman.”

  “Thank you for the input,” Ford allowed. “I appreciate that. However, I can handle the interaction. I don’t want Miss Stanton placed in any compromising positions, unable to do anything about it.”

  “You’re willing to risk your reputation for a woman you’ve just met?”

  “No risk on my side.” Realizing he was at the captain’s mercy, for the first time in a long time, Ford humbled himself. “Please, sir. I give you my word. There won’t be a reason to relieve me of my duties.”

  “You’re more than taken by this young woman—to use polite language. Being with her in the sort of setting you know this sailing is all about will be temptation at its highest. She’ll sleep in her bed, and you’ll be sleeping alone—in your quarters. You can’t step foot in her cabin, son.”

  “You have my word.” He’d sleep in his cabin. She would sleep in hers. Period. He wouldn’t allow her to sail alone, and knowing that he had no right to drag her off the ship before it left port, he’d keep his word and watch over her in the sexually charged atmosphere in a constant and unanswered state of arousal.

  It seemed like an hour had passed before the captain nodded and held out his hand. Shaking Georgiou’s hand, Ford contemplated the best way to break the news to Charlie. She wasn’t going to be happy if she thought he was watching over her shoulder—which he definitely was.