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“You did, but apparently you don’t know why they call them stingrays.” He laughed. Nevertheless, he put his hand in the water and petted the animal so that she could capture the image.
“Now I just have to get you kissing a dolphin, and we’ll have matching images. Hey, how do I get these from you?”
“I’m sure there’s someplace on the ship where we can burn them onto a CD. We’ll check.”
They got another tourist to snap a photo of them in front of the iguanas and then headed down into the circular dome that led to the ocean floor. The top aquariums were self-contained, but the bottom wasn’t an aquarium at all; the glass opened onto the ocean floor and the animals of the reef.
He loved watching Safire’s reaction. He also loved having her hand in his or his arm around her.
She had on orange capris with a light orange sleeveless top that was made out of chiffon with a lining underneath. It billowed out at her hips and made her look ethereal. She had on strappy gold one-inch sandals to go with it. It was all simple, but it made her look simply stunning.
She had also started touching him back—nothing major, but without seeming to think about it, she put her hand to his chest when she pointed out the shark swimming in a huge circle around the aquarium tier. Every time she touched him, it sent a quiver through his body and puffed his ego up just a little bit more. If only she knew what she was doing to him. Later, she grabbed his shoulder and shook it when she realized that what she was seeing was an octopus.
“You just got that?” he teased.
She swatted at him. “Who knew they could curl up like that? Where’s the beak?”
“I think we’ll have to wait till they feed it.”
She checked her watch.
“We better go,” she said, “before we miss the safari.”
They got something of a tour of the island as they were taxied to Bluebeard’s Castle. Then they had a tour of the castle and ate at Room with a View Restaurant. It gave them a chance to sit down and relax and talk for a while.
“So what do you do?” she asked.
“I’m a radiologist. I like it, and it’s a good living. What about you?”
“I’m sure it is interesting. And you don’t have all the odd hours to contend with, right?”
“I’m on call every other week, but mostly it’s nine to five. It was one of the things that attracted me to the practice. I love work, but I like to have a life as well.”
“I’m a teacher. History. And the paper grading and class prep never end.” She chuckled. “But I like it.”
Jeremy could tell that there was more she was about to say, but she left it at that, so he let it go.
“Where are you from?” he asked.
“North Miami—born and raised. And you?”
“You’re from Miami and you’ve never been on a cruise before?”
“How did you know I haven’t been on a cruise?”
“You just seemed a bit awestruck the first day I saw you.”
She laughed at that. “I guess so. I was on a cruise with my family when I was little, but I don’t really remember it, so I guess this is my first. But what about you? Where are you from?”
“I’m in Miami now,” he said, “coming from D.C. I went to Howard University, but I got a good job offer in Miami when I was finished with school, so here I am. I’ve been in South Miami for a few years. Now I live in Richmond Heights. I like the city, and there’s stuff to do, so I don’t get bored.”
“Do you date a lot?”
“Ouch. Here come the real questions. I date a bit. I like to get out and have fun.”
“What does that mean—get out and have fun?” she asked.
“It means that I date, but that I haven’t found the right one as yet to make a serious commitment. I’m always open about that.” The worried look on her face told him that Safire wasn’t too pleased with his answer. “I’m hoping it might be you,” he added to temper the news.
“Have you been married before or serious? Do you have any children?”
“You don’t hold back, do you?” he said and chuckled. “I don’t have children, but I’d like to one day. I have not been married before. I dated a woman in college, but it didn’t work out. School took too much of my time, and she didn’t understand.”
Jeremy noticed that Safire was asking all the questions.
“I don’t want to be the only one under the microscope,” he said. “What about you? Do you date? Have you been married or serious? Children?”
“No to all of the above. No children. No marriage. No serious relationship, actually. I guess I’ve spent too much time trying to get my education behind me and then trying to get acclimated to teaching and paying off student loans and dealing with family obligations. I haven’t really dated since high school, but that doesn’t bother me.”
He wanted to ask about her family obligations, but he let it go. There would be time for more details later. For now, it was time for them to get a move on and get some shopping done.
They waited a few minutes for the next safari and took it to downtown Charlotte Amalie. They got off at the waterfront, where there were so many shops that they didn’t know what to do.
“Okay,” he said. “What are we looking for? I’d like to get something in gold for my mom. Maybe something crystal. That’s as far as I know.”
“I’m more in the silver range, perhaps some shells or tokens—tight budget.”
“That’s fine, too.”
They held hands as they walked up and down the passages on Main Street, stopping in stores.
He leaned over the counter in the jewelry store, circling her waist where she stood next to him. He kissed her arm, and she laughed and then waved him away. She helped him pick out a rope necklace and matching earrings for his mother, a pair of gold chains for his father and brother, a locket for his grandmother and a watch for his grandfather.
He wished he could get her to pick out something for herself, but he knew that she wouldn’t have it. He contented himself with the fact that she was letting him, at least in small ways, be openly affectionate with her.
She got her presents in one of the places that specialized in silver, and then they went to a souvenir shop where he got rum balls and perfume for his coworkers and casual friends, and where she got shells for hers. The rest of their time was spent window shopping, trying tropical-flavored ice creams, and walking Main Street and Back Street before returning to Emancipation Garden to catch a safari.
Along the way, they decided that when they got back to the ship, they would change for dinner, eat and see a movie that night.
“I thought we were going shopping,” she said.
“What? We did. We shopped till we dropped. I’m shopped out,” he said and then chuckled.
“Look at these teeny little bags we have.” Safire held up her little bag of shells and jewelry.
“But these are easier to pack, you see.” Jeremy pointed to his little bag of jewelry and perfume.
“Next time, we have to get bigger things. Not more expensive things, just bigger ones. We should look like we just spent four hours doing something.”
Both of them laughed.
Back aboard the ship, Jeremy kissed Safire goodbye as if it weref a regular habit between them. He then headed to his room to rest for a little bit, shower and change.
When he got to her stateroom, she was still changing. He lingered at the door, and she was out in a few minutes with a green dress on—a sleeveless one with thin straps. Like the others, it showed off her curves. Like the last one, it was cut close to her body and snug against her breasts. This time, she had a green shirt over it that was a sheer material. With her strappy one-inch heels and all made up, she looked breathtaking. This woman was growing on him in a very short time.
After dinner in the Captain’s Boardroom, they picked a disaster movie and hunkered down in the theater. Jeremy liked the genre, but he liked having Safire curled up on the seat next to him even more, cuddled under his arm in the chill of the cinema.
Still holding her, he slipped his hand up the large sleeve of her cover-up and stroked her forearm, keeping her warm. One of her hands came up to rest on his skin, and to his surprise, she played her fingers over his arm, stirring sensations in his body.
When his forearm caught one of her breasts as he warmed her, he felt the intake of her breath and the spasm in her torso. They had a corner to themselves, so he moved his forearm over her breast again to see if she would respond again. Her chest heaved against his arm, and her fingers tightened on his wrist. He did it again and again until she turned her head into his shoulder and closed her eyes.
When she opened them, she snuggled closer to him and laid her hand on his chest, feeling through his shirt. It was a tentative gesture, but he stopped to see what she would do. She closed her fingers over one of his nipples and created a pressure that sent a hot ripple from his chest down to his swollen groin.
In response, he captured one of her breasts, using his thumb to create a hard crest through the satiny fabric of her dress. Her upper body jerked, and she squirmed in her seat.
When the lights came up, Jeremy was startled. He had spent the entire time watching Safire, not the movie. Under the lights, she smoothed down her dress and adjusted her cover-up, warily checking around to see if anyone had noticed them.
He took a deep breath to collect himself, tugged Safire’s hand and drew them both from the theater and toward the elevator.
“Where are we going now?” she asked.
“Home, love.”
He felt the questions rise in her, but she remained silent and let herself be drawn along his path.
As the door to his stateroom closed, Jeremy pulled Safire into his arms and a passionate kiss, pressing every inch of her against his body, which had been teased for too long. She responded to his touch, but she was quiet. He broke the kiss to put on one of the dimmer lights next to the bed.
When he turned back, he found Safire still at the door, her arms clasped protectively in front of her chest, one of her ankles teetering nervously upon the heel of her shoe. Now that they were alone, her hesitance was back. He could see in her a shyness that made her seem vulnerable and plucked at his heart.
He didn’t want to frighten her away, and he was more than willing to go at her pace, but God, he wanted her so badly that he was going to have a hard time if she didn’t want him back tonight. One thing was clear. The desire between them was unmistakable. The only question was whether or not she was ready to give in to those feelings.
He crossed back to her and took her in his arms again, pressing her lightly against the door. He held her body flush with his, knowing she could feel his sex wedged against her center. He pressed himself into her and kissed her until her hips tilted forward, seeking the feel of him. He deepened his kiss until her hips rocked against his, riding her almost imperceptibly along his manhood. He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth until it elicited a choked whimper that set his pulse on fire.
How he wanted her.
When he tore his mouth from hers, she held him tightly around his shoulders, as if she didn’t want him to see her. Jeremy dipped his head to her neck, kissing the tender flesh. He opened her cover-up and bent down to press his lips over one of her breasts though her dress. Her body twisted, and her arms tightened about his head.
Slipping from her embrace, he lowered himself onto his knees in front of her, nudging through her dress at the center of her womanhood. He wanted to take his time, but the beauty of this woman was urging him onward. He heard her breath catch as he raised the hem of her dress and brought his mouth to her panties, kneading her sex through the slick shield of thin cotton. She was so wet, so ready, that it was all he could do to keep his knees on the ground.
His palms on her hips pinned her to the back of the door, but her hips swirled against them. She was rather quiet, but he could tell that she loved his mouth upon her. Her breathing, the way her hands tightened around his head, and the taut thrust of her groin told him that.
He hooked his thumbs in the material at her hips. He might be pushing it, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted her. Her hands flew to his wrists as he began to pull down the intruding underwear.
He stopped, but her panties were already clear of her sex. He kissed her intimately, parted her slick path with his tongue and sucked her into his mouth. Her body jerked against the door, and she shuddered, gripping his wrists. Safire was making his body blaze.
Still, she hadn’t let go. His tongue and lips toyed over her; his mouth drank in her honeyed liquor; his nose took in her floral scent. Still, she was choking back her murmurs and biting off moans.
When he moved one of his hands up to her breast, her hips rocked her core onto his mouth. She quivered, clipped short a wail and gripped his shoulders. His fingers spread over both of her breasts, tweaking and groping the hard nipples, and his mouth continued to graze her inflamed sex. He was ready, as ready as she was.
Her hips went taut.
Just as she cried out, she cut off the sound, and it fell to a low whimper.
Jeremy looked up at Safire, smiling. She was biting her lower lip. Her eyes were closed, and she was trying to catch her breath. He rubbed the outsides of her thighs to comfort her.
When she opened her eyes, however, her hands sprang across her chest. An expression of shock came onto her face.
She fumbled awkwardly to raise her panties, toppling him backward in front of her. Before he could right himself or say a word, she had slipped through the cabin door behind her and escaped down the hallway. When he got to the door, there was no sign of her, not even the imprint of her shoes on the carpet was left.
Chapter 5
Angelina didn’t take Jeremy’s calls that night. She got back to her stateroom and began pacing in a furious circle, trying to take in what had happened and how things had gotten out of her hands so quickly.
Sensations still coursed through her body. It still throbbed from his touch, his mouth. She poured herself a glass of lukewarm water from her melted ice bucket to try to calm down, but she couldn’t.
His touches set her body humming, and he’d been touching her all day long. She had wanted to be with him, had wanted to let herself go, but in the end, she’d been appalled by what she’d done, gyrating before him like a cat in heat. She didn’t know if she could even face him again.
What’s more, she’d then run away without giving him...anything. That made it even worse. Why couldn’t she simply enjoy the moment? What would she do if she had to look him in the eyes again?
The pacing wasn’t helping. Unable to figure any of it out, she checked in at home to make sure that all was well, changed out of Safire’s green dress, and got under the covers for the night. She had a fitful sleep, dreaming of warm brown eyes.
In the morning her head was clearer, but she still didn’t know if she could face him again. She knew when the phone rang that it could only be him. She answered it not knowing what she would say.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, as if nothing had happened last night.
“Hello.”
His tone was casual. “I wanted to take you to breakfast. Are you fully up yet?”
“About last night...I’m sorry. It—” She didn’t know what else to say.
“I guess things were moving a little quickly.”
“Yes.”
“It was still beautiful to me.”
His low voice in her ear sent goose bumps down her neck and heated her center.
“I was...silly.”
“You were beautiful,” he said.
She was quiet. Jeremy’s words put her a bit at ease, but the image in her mind of last night mortified her.
He seemed unfazed. “I would love to do that again—and more. But we can go at your pace.”
She heard sincerity in his voice and decided to believe him.
