“You wanted a stranger. I just went along with you.”

Tony looked haggard, as if he hadn’t slept since the cruise. “You don’t know how I’ve felt, knowing I might lose you all over again once you knew the truth,” he continued.

“You never had me to lose. You agreed it was just going to be sex and you would walk away!” How could Emma be so angry that he hadn’t really walked out of her life when just moments ago she’d been cursing herself for letting him do just that? How could she want to throw herself into his arms and strangle him at the same time?

“I knew I’d have to see you again,” he said simply. “But I wanted you to have your fantasy first.”

She smiled grimly. “Yes, you were my fantasy, all right….” She wrapped her arms around her waist. “I don’t even know you.”

“Oh, I think we got to know each other rather intimately,” he said, cupping her chin in his hand. “I know that your eyes go all hazy when you get aroused, and I know the way you like to be stroked along your beautiful back. I know that you’re ticklish behind your knees and that you sigh in your sleep.”

He tilted her face so that she looked him in the eye. “And I think we both know that this fantasy isn’t over….”

Dear Reader,

When I won the Romantic Times BOOKclub Reviewers Choice Award for Best First Series Romance for 2004, I was writing for Harlequin Temptation. Then I was told that I would be writing my first book for Harlequin Blaze, and I was so intrigued. It couldn’t have come at a more remarkable time in my life—I’m single again. So Emma’s cruise into sexual experimentation might be based on my own voyage of sexual discovery. Of course, in the old days a lady never told, but today a lady not only tells, she goes for it!

I hope you enjoy discovering Emma’s sexual exploits with her Bahama boy toy. And I hope you’ll be excited to know that her best friend, Tina, is getting her own book. Because being a sexual mentor and sidekick just didn’t do this girl justice. She’s got a stripper in her wrong bed and what she does with him will heat up your sheets! Be sure to read it in bed, preferably with someone to strip down for you!

I hope you enjoy reading about these very different but enticing women stepping up to the challenge of finding a man who gives them all the pleasure they’ve dreamed about. Enjoy the adventure!

Sincerely,

Mara Fox

Letting Go!
Mara Fox

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After wandering the county as a military brat, author Mara Fox was happy to settle in a little Texas town with the friendliest people she’d ever met and the biggest sky she’d ever seen. And she thought it was like catching hold of one of those stars when she won the Romantic Times BOOKclub Reviewers Choice Award for Best First Series Romance for 2004. These days she’s going to college and spreading her single wings, both figuratively and not so figuratively. Turns out that Emma and Mara have a lot in common! There might even be a singles cruise to the Bahamas in the works….

I’m happy to dedicate this book to Brenda Chin,

the best editor, mentor and friend anyone could have

in her corner, especially in a tight spot.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Prologue

GAZING THROUGH the glass at Emma, Anthony Enderlin wondered if this would be a good time to introduce himself to the woman who had lured him to the law firm of Anderson-Harding with her siren voice.

Though he felt they knew each other, they’d never actually met. They’d only spoken. And her voice had teased, cajoled and flirted with him, affecting him the way he imagined good phone sex might. It had stayed with him, sneaking into the most unexpected corners of his life.

And they’d only talked a couple of times while coordinating a work program.

It was damn disconcerting.

So he’d decided to come and do the computer installation himself. It would surely get her out of his system, so to speak. He’d sold the idea to his boss as a field test of sorts and vacation. Now he was spinning his wheels…lurking.

He heard footsteps in the hall. Emma’s best friend, the lady lawyer they called The Shark, was approaching, and feeling guilty, he stepped back as though he hadn’t been hanging around outside the employee break room like a moonstruck idiot.

He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. Turning, he headed towards the office where yet another lawyer would expect him to debug a computer constipated with porn, viruses and fragments of old games.

Which was a huge waste of his expertise.

After all, he was the designer of the software, and he’d coordinated the project with Emma, the company’s liaison. When he’d come to do the install, he hadn’t planned on spending his time cleaning up each and every lawyer’s computer system.

He’d hoped to do a bit more liaisoning.

With Emma.

Because that voice had flowed over him like silk and sex.

Tony had known that Emma couldn’t possibly look as good as she sounded. He knew he’d get over the infatuation when they finally met. Then they’d become friends because talking to Emma made him feel good. Besides, he was better at friendship than dating. For some reason, no matter how attractive the woman he was dating, one of his programs usually wooed him and the woman walked away.

What he needed was a woman who could seduce him from his cyber world.

The Shark walked by in sharp, echoing heels. He avoided eye contact by pretending to be reading the printout in his hand. Not that she’d know him. He’d managed to avoid her so far.

She was striking in a sleek way, but Emma’s softer beauty was even more attractive. Once he’d seen Emma, he’d had difficulty imagining her as just a friend. She looked like a character who had just stepped out of a Camelot novel. Or out of one of the role-playing games he preferred when he got tired of programming. He enjoyed adventures with knights, dragons, quests and swordplay.

He spent a lot of time rescuing the princess.

However, this princess had enough gumption to rescue herself, and he knew from their conversations that she was also a smart, funny, sexy woman, even if right now she was hiding out in the break room after a bad breakup.

So she was a bit self-conscious, too. Interesting.

It was a fascinating contradiction that Tony planned to examine closer. He no longer saw Emma becoming a friend, he wanted more. But he didn’t know how much more. They lived half a country apart. And he wasn’t a player—he spent too much time in front of a computer screen to be able to brag about his dating exploits. Then there was his short attention span.

So the “liaisoning” would be short-term. Better everyone understood that up front.

He could be charming, his sister had told him. And according to the office gossip, Emma had just gotten burned by a first-class jerk, so she might go for a gentleman.

They might have some laughs together.

He might get to listen to that silken voice at a much closer proximity. Whispering love words in his ear.

He smiled at his little fantasy.

So much for thinking like a gentleman.

So far he hadn’t even managed to meet her or shake her hand. Instead he was stuck purging computers. Making himself useful so the boss didn’t send him home.

It made his fingers itch. The longer she hid out, the more determined he was to uncover everything about Emma…

1

EMMA DANIELS sat in the break room looking gloomily at her sprouts-and-avocado sandwich. Beside the sandwich sat a supersize bar of white chocolate which she determinedly ignored.

I deserve this candy bar for holding my head up, but if I eat candy then I won’t be able to get into my skinny clothes so I can start the whole dating thing again.

Dating.

She sank lower in her seat, sighing at the dismal thought.

Since it was after two o’clock in the afternoon, she had the break room to herself, until her friend Tina Henderson breezed in looking like a million bucks in her green Gucci suit. Emma sat up straighter in her chair.

“Are you still mooning over that chocolate bar?”

“It’s a different one. I’m eating a new kind everyday.”

“You’re lying through those pearly whites. Have you been using whitening stripes again?”

Emma looked up. “I’m preparing for the most grueling ritual of our time—dating. That thing you do so effortlessly, like managing to look fresh in this humidity. My stupid hair’s frizzing all over the place.” She tugged self-consciously on her braid; it had been raining in Jacksonville, Florida, all month long.

“How can your hair curl? You’re wearing that French braid so tight my head aches in sympathy.”

Emma grimaced. “I’m thinking of getting it professionally straightened. How’d the case go?”

“Great. Easy. We won. When are you going to quit fooling around as a paper pusher and go back to school? I need someone sharp to be my paralegal. I need you.” Tina opened the fridge.

“I missed the deadline for night school again.”

“Why? I thought you were serious this time.”

“I am. But Melissa needed me. We’re getting everyone ready for the installation of the new computer program. It’s supposed to save all kinds of time and money and she begged me and then she bribed me with heavy overtime and used her I-know-what’s-best-for-you voice. The upside is I managed to pay off my credit cards. The downside is I was so busy I didn’t realize the deadline had come and gone.” Emma stuck out one foot, clad in a Jimmy Choo shoe. “I ended up shopping just to console myself. But next semester’s deadline is on my calendar in red ink and I’m not going to miss it no matter who needs me. This time I’m going to make sure I do something for myself.”

Thinking about her future security made her thoughts stray to her father’s midlife crisis. “You can only rely on yourself, and I’m not going to allow anyone else to sidetrack me this time,” she said hesitantly.

“That’s an excellent observation but I’m still afraid I’ll be retiring before you get around to it.”

Emma grimaced. “Part of the problem is that I like being secretary to a partner. It’s interesting and challenging. I just wish there was a little more respect and money to go along with the title.”

“Everyone in the office respects you.”

Emma shook her head. “Not everyone. School is definitely the way to go. Speaking of paralegals, did you hire Lee Matheson?”

“I should. He’s hot.” Tina shot her a look. “Did you know he’s engaged?”

Emma swung her foot in frustration; at least it looked good in her new shoes. “I know. While I was thinking about calling him, someone else snagged him. It’s like I’m the queen of hesitation. While I’m burning time calculating the pros and cons of a situation, I miss out. But I’m working on it.”

Tina made a sympathetic noise and then poked around inside the fridge. “What’s in here that belongs to you? I’m starving and I’m ready to mooch. Why are you eating so late anyway? Is Melissa looking down her nose at you over those granny glasses, guilting you into working harder? And they call me The Shark,” Tina said with obvious satisfaction.

“No, she’s in court today. I just didn’t feel very hungry.” Emma pushed her sandwich towards the other side of the table. “Here, you can eat the avocado and sprouts. I’ve got three rice bowls in the freezer for emergencies.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Tina said reverently.

Emma got up to look in the freezer. She certainly was no shark, just a wuss, but she planned to work on it.

Tina pounced on the sandwich. “I sure could have used you today in court when the defendant got so nervous she spilled water all over my notes. You would have had the notes copied in triplicate.”

I’m definitely the queen of triplicate.

Emma examined the generic chicken-and-rice picture on one of the rice bowls. Being cautious was supposed to keep her life from becoming chaotic, but it had become mind-numbing.

“Hey, Emma, what’s wrong? You’re scowling at a rice bowl.”

Emma shoved the rice bowl back into the freezer and turned to face her successful friend. “I just feel left behind. I passed on Lee that day he flirted with me because I was waffling, and then I ended up with Brad.”

“I thought you might be hiding out here because of Brad.”

Emma refused to shed the tears clogging her throat. “He embarrassed the hell out of me.”

“Yes, I know he did.” Tina put the sandwich down again. “He got fired. That should make you feel a little better.”

“He got caught in the copy room with Angela. How could he care so little about me that he’d grope a woman’s breasts at the place where we both work? And that’s after he gave me the lecture about how I’m settling for a job that’s beneath me. Obviously, nothing’s beneath him—though I suppose Angela was.” She sighed.

“Everyone knows who gets things done around here. Brad’s just an idiot. He didn’t really care about your job title or he wouldn’t have gone after a clerk.”

Emma looked down at her chest. “A double-D clerk.”

Tina smiled. “On your frame, double-D’s would look ridiculous. Besides, Angela’s are fake.”

Emma leaned forward. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, she almost got fired for taking such a long leave after the surgery. Essentially, Brad was groping silicone.”

Emma almost chuckled. “Did he have to do it here? I can’t even come in here during the lunch hour for all of the sympathetic glances. It drives me crazy. The only good thing is that I don’t have to see them for a few days. They’re getting trained on the new system this week. I’m just following up, making sure everyone’s completed the course and I can do most of it by e-mail.”

“What happened to the personal touch? Everyone’s concerned because you’re hiding in your office.”

Emma shrugged.

“You’re making too big a deal out of this.”

“Am I?” She shook her head. “Why didn’t Brad just insist we have sex? I wanted sex, just not right away. I thought we should have a few dates to get to know each other before we jumped into a physical relationship.”

Tina humphed. “You didn’t have sex with Brad because there wasn’t any chemistry. A part of you recognized he was a loser.”

“Maybe.” Emma shrugged. “So I’m back to dating. And it sucks big-time. Either I hesitate and the guy turns out to be a great guy, or I jump in and the guy’s a loser. I always seem to get my heart broken or my pride stepped on. Why do we do this? It’s like a series of bad job interviews with sex.” She jiggled her leg again, “Maybe I should get my belly button pierced or a tattoo.”

Tina smirked. “You’re too practical for a navel ring. A little tattoo might be okay but you should get something like that to make a statement. It should mean something. I hate it when some guy just gets one because he’s under the influence of alcohol and a bunch of idiots convinced him to put his girlfriend’s name on his neck.”

Emma couldn’t help but grin. “Only you would think a tattoo was a rite of passage. And why do we bother with men anyway?”

Emma couldn’t admit to Tina she had always wanted a tattoo and hadn’t yet had the guts to get one.

“We bother with dating because men have better anatomical equipment than we can buy on the Internet.”

“That’s pretty crude, girlfriend.” Emma smirked.

“How long has it been since you’ve challenged yourself when it came to men? Really gone for it when it came to romance?”

“Since the word romance isn’t usually part of your vocabulary, let me guess what you really mean. This must be about the singles’ cruise to the Bahamas.”

Tina picked at the sprouts on her plate. “Darcy bugged out on me. I desperately need a roommate. I just put a huge down payment on my new condo, so I could really use the group discount they’re offering.”

“You’ve already talked some of the staff into going. And I don’t know about a singles’ cruise. It sounds kinda desperate.”

“Lighten up. It’ll be fun.”

“You can’t think you need to go on a singles’ cruise.”

“Just think of it as a love boat. I’m going because it’s a chance to relax and enjoy the company of single men. Dating takes too much time away from court.” She stretched out her arms. “I’m looking forward to hot summer nights and sultry summer days.”

Emma smiled. “You mean hot, sultry sex. But I’ve heard their cruises really do rock.”

“Come and find out for yourself.”

“You don’t need me.”

Tina took a sip of water. “Yes I do. There’s no one going that I’d want to share a bathroom with.”

“How can you have a fling, with me in your room? I might cramp your style.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll manage a fling with or without a roommate. I’ll show you how it’s done. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

Emma hesitated. “Having a fling on a cruise sounds so…dangerous.”

“Couldn’t get much worse than Brad.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Are you looking for something long-term? Do you think that’s safer? Have you looked at the divorce statistics? I know a couple of lawyers who specialize in divorce and they make a lot more money than I do.”

Emma pulled the corner of the candy-bar wrapper open. “Considering that my parents got divorced after twenty-five years of marriage, you have a valid point.”

“Go on the cruise with me, score a little romance, practice safe sex while you’re going for the gusto, and learn how to scuba or snorkel or Jet Ski even. It’ll be an adventure. Then, when you come back, everyone will be talking about you instead of your ex.” Tina winked.

Emma could imagine a little romance on a moonlit beach. It felt like a decade since she’d had sex. Could she leave the wussy behind and be a pussy-cat? She smiled at her own audacity. Tina would have been proud if Emma could have said it without blushing.

Why do I have to second-guess everything, anyway?

Even the thought of the cruise had her thinking differently. “Maybe if I were more spontaneous my life would be more interesting,” she said tentatively.

“Honey, when you run into the right man it’ll be more than interesting—it’ll be sizzling.”

“On the cruise I won’t have to look for anything further in a man than a nice tan and a great body—since I’m not taking him home or anything.” Emma pulled more of the wrapper off the candy and then she set it down again. “I wouldn’t even have to consider a future with a man I’m never going to see again. I could concentrate on living in the moment.”

“That’s my girl.”

She nodded decisively. “Let’s use the computer in my office to sign me up for the cruise. I think a moonlit beach and a gorgeous playboy might be just the thing. I could really go for it.”

“Just so long as it is covered with a condom.”

“I’m going to do anything and everything on this cruise.”

Tina laughed. “Down, girl. Be gentle.”

Emma smiled to herself as she got up to choose a rice bowl. She reached into the freezer looking for the chicken in spicy peanut sauce she’d grabbed by mistake in the grocery store. She ripped the wrapper before she could change her mind.

“You know,” she told Tina as she thrust the bowl into the microwave and then headed toward the table to scoop up the chocolate “I think I might have developed an appetite after all.” Emma bit into the delicious white chocolate with a smile of pure ecstasy. “I don’t know what I’ve been waiting for. From now on I’m going to be eating my dessert first.”

TONY ENDERLIN looked around the tiny stateroom with trepidation. “Why did I think this would be okay?” he asked himself aloud, fighting a severe case of claustrophobia. “I shouldn’t be here.”

In all fairness the cabin wasn’t tiny and the ceiling was high enough for his six-foot frame to clear with room to spare, but it was the illusion of smallness that had him breathing hard. The way the doors sealed made him feel as if there wasn’t enough air in the room.

Once, when he’d been six years old, he’d followed his cousin into one of those big, silver drainage pipes and then his cousin had hidden from him. In his hysteria Tony had actually run the wrong way, into a smaller pipe, where he’d tripped over the carcass of a long-dead animal and then slid into a puddle of rank water.

Small debris had fallen down on him every time he’d tried to get to his feet so he’d huddled in the dark with his imagination on Fast Forward while his body was firmly on Pause. That had been the longest twenty minutes of Tony’s life. He’d been unable to move, even when his cousin had finally located him. That panic always crept back to choke him in closed-in areas, despite his best attempts to control his weakness.

That was one of the reasons he’d chosen Denver to call home; he’d never feel claustrophobic on a mountain. He threw himself down on the bed, rolled over on his back, and closed his eyes, pretending he was out on the deck with the endless blue sky above him. Slowly, his breathing smoothed out.

See how easy it is to stay in control? he told himself.

Except this cruise had really thrown him off.

One of the guys from the office had booked the private room on the cruise ship after a big fight with his girlfriend, and then they’d made up and eloped the very next day. As a married man, the guy couldn’t very well go on a singles’ cruise unless he wanted a divorce, so he’d offered Tony the opportunity to go on the cruise.

Aw, tell the truth. You’re here because Emma Daniels is here.

It seemed she’d been persuaded to go on the singles’ cruise to recuperate from her embarrassing boyfriend fiasco, and then the ticket had become available for him to use. Tony’s Mexican grandmother, who’d given him his middle name of Andres, would praise the saints and call it fate, in fluent Spanish.

Tony called it opportunity. And he could have done so in fluent Spanish if he was so inclined.

Could a woman really be worth all of this trouble?

Oh yeah. Emma had a quick mind and a wicked sense of humor. And that body. Who would have known the siren would have a body to match the sultry voice?

Since he’d been on site in Jacksonville, he’d only seen her through the window or from down the hall. Her dark blond hair always seemed to be trying to curl out of the braid thing she wore. It actually looked kinda nice, like a crown or something. Maybe that was why he thought she looked like a princess. But he didn’t want to rescue her. He just wondered how her hair might look spread out and curling on a pillow.

Her height seemed average and her weight was just right, curvy in all the right places. Her eyes were blue. Or so he believed. Tony hadn’t gotten nearly close enough to see her eyes and not for a lack of trying.

Fate or opportunity?

It didn’t matter what you called it. He planned to get to know Emma Daniels. She’d looked so vulnerable sitting in the break room in the middle of the afternoon. And Tony hadn’t found the opportunity to talk to her in person, though her witty e-mails had kept him going and she’d called his cell phone over concerns for the new software. Anderson-Harding was a big place and he’d seen it all except for the one person he wanted to meet.

He grinned, thinking of one particular lawyer who’d used up all of his RAM downloading porn, some of which had actually made Tony uncomfortable. Especially since one of the blondes on the screen had looked enough like Emma to spark all kinds of thoughts he’d be better off not thinking. He’d obviously been devoting too much time developing his new program.

Perhaps that was why Emma had made such an impression on him—too many long hours at the computer with only her voice on the phone to lure him away from the keyboard. He’d looked forward to their conversations, even when they were discussing the most casual topics. Her satiny-smooth voice had curled around him. The husky laugh had stimulated his imagination.

So when he’d picked up and traveled to Florida from Denver, it wasn’t for the beaches. He’d needed to put a face to the voice that haunted his dreams.

This is silly. She’s just a woman. Not a siren. Or medieval princess. It’s my imagination that’s my enemy. Emma’s just a regular girl who will bore me to distraction after a couple of dates. Then I’ll welcome getting back to my latest computer program.

Right now he couldn’t concentrate. He couldn’t work. He didn’t like unsolved puzzles and his reaction to Emma was a puzzle. A puzzle he intended to take apart piece by piece until the enchantment went away.

I’ll never know if I stay here feeling like the ceiling’s coming down on my head.

Impatient with wasting his time and eager to begin his vacation and his quest, Tony climbed off the bunk, wincing only a little at his head’s close proximity to the ceiling.

He went over to his duffel bag and reached inside for his swimsuit. Time to relax in a lounge chair by the pool and have a drink. Out where the sky was the limit and fate could take a leap.

Tony fully intended to enjoy his vacation. Maybe he’d pretend he was a player. He could do it. Warming to the idea, he smiled to himself. He’d play the hell outta the women on the cruise. After all, they expected to be romanced. It would be fun, like living in one of his role-playing games. And it would be smart to spread himself around, rather than spend all his time focused on Emma, a woman who couldn’t possibly live up to what he’d built her up to be. He might even have a go at the slick lady lawyer.

TINA STEPPED over the lip of the doorway leading into the cabin. She noted that the bunks looked comfortable tucked against the wall and there was more floor space than she’d anticipated. The balcony door was covered by a colorful curtain. “I just love having a cabin with a balcony. It feels so luxurious,” she announced.

Emma didn’t look up from unpacking her suitcases. “The balcony’s great. I just hope I won’t be spending the entire cruise out there staring at the water because I’m too chicken to mingle with the men. All week I’ve been a nervous wreck anticipating this cruise.”

“You won’t have any trouble. Why are you unpacking so diligently? I left my luggage with a handsome young man—Italian, I think, although his English was gorgeous.”

Emma finally looked up from where she’d been sorting the clothing. “I can’t find anything—”

“Oh wow! What have you done to your hair?”

Emma reached up to touch the straight hair just brushing the tops of her shoulders. “I got it cut and highlighted. Then the hairdresser sold me some expensive mousse that actually tames the frizz. It’s your fault. You kept telling me that French braids were definitely out.”

Tina took the few steps separating them in the small cabin, tossed her bag on her bunk, then fluffed Emma’s hair with her fingers. “It looks fabulous. Kind of ‘rock star’ and ‘waif’ at the same time. Maybe I should go back to being a blonde.” She patted her own hair into place.

“I love yours. Every time it’s different and yet just right. How do you do that?”

“I pay a hairdresser outrageously to know what to do. All I care about is that it changes once in a while. I don’t like to be bored. In fact I don’t remember exactly what my natural color is,” she teased her friend.

“Why can’t I be more adventurous like you?” Emma mused.

“Because you’re so perfect at being Emma. Why would you want to be me? Your problem is that you don’t see yourself very clearly.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’ve got all the basic equipment to be gorgeous, interesting and seductive but you don’t always follow through.”

“I’m not sure I know how.”

“Why let idiots like Brad define you? Gorgeous is just making the most of your assets. Oh, that reminds me…” Tina walked over to the bed and rifled through Emma’s suitcase until she came across a one-piece bathing suit, which she ceremoniously dropped in the trash can beside the desk in the compact cabin. “And I do mean assets. You’ll need to buy a thong in the ship’s store.”

“A thong? I couldn’t wear a thong!”

“Why not?” Tina patted Emma on the butt. “Honey, you’ve got the ass. Just get used to showing it off.”

“I brought a skinny little black dress like you told me.” Emma gazed longingly at the trash can.

“That’s good. A little black dress is a must. And I brought some amazing makeup. The new you will be a striking, mysterious creature who doesn’t tell all of the truth but just enough to be interesting.”

“I’m not very good at lying.” Her voice rose. “Why do I have to lie?”

“Why not? You’re never going to see any of these men again. Anyway, I didn’t say to lie. I just said to make the truth more interesting. You can even tell him something so true you’ve never told anyone else. Be daring. You’re playing a game. The men on a singles’ cruise expect you to play games and they really want to play along.”

Emma seemed to be mulling that over; she tapped her chin with her forefinger as she usually did when she was thinking. The girl was brilliant. And pretty. And she didn’t have a catty bone in her body. That was why she and Tina were such good friends. Emma had confidence where it counted, she didn’t see Tina as a threat, as most women did. She just saw her as a friend.

“Hey, are you in there?” Tina prodded as she bent down to retrieve her overnight case.

Sinking down on the empty bunk, Emma said, “It was so amazing standing outside on the dock beside the huge ship, knowing I was the one going aboard. All kinds of possibilities seemed to be beckoning me. When they sounded a horn somewhere on the dock, it actually gave me a shiver.”

“That’s right. It’ll be an adventure, if I can only find my…oh, I found it.” Tina gestured triumphantly with a traffic-stopping red thong that she’d pulled out of her overnight bag. “What do you think? Is it seductive?”

“Is it legal in these waters?

“I hope not.”

“It has occurred to me that I might be boarding the Titanic.”

“What are you talking about?”

Emma ran her hand over one of the flowers on the tropical-print bedspread. “The seduction thing—everything—this might backfire big-time. I might be miserable.”

Somehow Tina had to help Emma get back her confidence. So she took a chance. “Could it get any worse than the thing with Brad?”

Emma grimaced.

Tina shot the thong bottom across the room like a rubber band.

Emma ducked. She almost smiled. “I can’t imagine how,” she admitted.

“Then you’ve survived your version of the Titanic and now you’re moving on. This hypothetical guy we speak of will never see you again. So it’s up to you whether you cut him loose before or after you go back to your cabin. Seductive is just being open to the possibility of sex. It’s a state of mind. And when you’re trolling, men can feel your vibes. Let them drool all over you, dance with you, romance you, but remember, you’re in charge. Don’t choke. Enjoy it.”

“I’ve never thought of it that way.”

Tina smiled. “You think too much. This time just feel your way.” She ran her hands down the curve of her waist.

Emma’s face lit up and Tina wished her friend could see herself when she was animated. Those ocean-blue eyes sparkled and she had a killer smile. “The men on this cruise aren’t gonna know what hit them,” Tina said with satisfaction.

“I’ll bet I could get a thong bathing suit in the ship’s store.” Emma picked up the suit bottom and shot it back at Tina. “I’ll bet I could get just about anything a girl could want on a singles’ cruise to paradise.”

“And we’ll get a tattoo, a henna one to celebrate our adventure.”

“That would be cool.”

“But you have to have the adventure first. Remember you’re going to be eating dessert first. And on a cruise you can order as many desserts as you like—tall, dark and handsome for the first course, athletic, tanned and blonde for the second and a Latin lover to go with your coffee.”

“And everything’s included in the original price so I can pig out without any guilt.”

“Especially since what you have in mind won’t be fattening. You’ll be working it off.” Tina winked.

Emma’s grin stretched across her face.

Tina knew the only thing holding Emma back was her lack of confidence in how men perceived her. Maybe it had to do with her classic look, that girl-next-door phenomenon. Emma had no idea how much the new haircut did to get rid of that pesky image. Get her into a thong and the men would come running. Emma was going to get her chance and Tina was going to enjoy watching the show.

As they unpacked and discussed what Emma needed from the ship’s store, they were called away to participate in the ship-wide emergency drill.

Emma thought that everyone, including the usually sophisticated Tina, looked silly in the bright yellow life jackets, trooping up on deck to stand in line beside their assigned lifeboats. Afterwards, Tina and Emma went to the ship’s store, which was packed with baubles, and people, from all over the world.

Emma barely noticed when the ship left port because she was trying on a pretty pair of thong underwear, which cost a considerable amount considering how little it covered. And then, tugging self-consciously at the emerald-green-and-gold bathing suit that had caught her eye, she finally let Tina peek in the dressing room. “I don’t think I have the figure for this suit.”

“Oh yes you do.” Tina nodded decisively.

A few hundred dollars later Emma had a vacation wardrobe consisting of two thong bikinis, two pretty wraps to go over the revealing thongs and an extra little black dress, even tinier than the one she already had. And three pairs of thong underwear.

“It’s a thong thing.” Emma joked as she pulled out her credit card. “I love the underwear but I can’t believe I’m going to wear the bikini in public.”

“Fewer tan lines. Just think of it as exceedingly practical.” Tina stood in line behind Emma with another thong bikini and a sundress.

Hungry from the shopping spree, they grabbed a quick lunch at a restaurant that boasted a huge salad bar, and then took their food out on the deck.

“Look at that endless horizon. And we sure are speeding along. Amazing that we’ll be in the Bahamas before dinner.”

“It’s not that far from Florida,” Tina responded pragmatically.

“It’s a different world. Out here on the ocean it feels like the sky’s the limit. And anything else is just a restriction we put upon ourselves.” Emma waved her fork at the view from the railing of the ship.

“True. But speaking philosophically—” Tina turned away from the view of the ocean to look at the men spread out on lounge chairs across the deck “—I prefer the old adage, so many men, so little time.”

“Seven days ought to be enough time to work through a few of them,” Emma said with a giggle.

Tina sat back. “Yes, a whole week to enjoy mindless, commitment-free release. No legal briefs, no clingy clients. Let even a hint of something real-life interfere with my vacation and I’ll be running in the other direction.”

Emma laughed.

“Anyway, I don’t believe in true love. It’s a myth to make the drudgery of child rearing bearable. I’m going to eat my salad before it gets limp and then scout out the ship. You can stay here and feel all philosophical if you want to.”

Emma moved reluctantly from the view of the ocean, telling herself she’d get plenty of time to look. “What mindless, meaningless activities are we going to engage in tonight?”

“We’re going ashore, girl.”

They explored the ship, booked their excursions and then stopped in the salon to make appointments for manicures and massages. When adventure beckoned, they were going to be ready for it.

2

THAT EVENING Emma could hardly believe she was actually in a bar on the little island of Grand Bahama, lost in the beauty of the local scenery while the sun dipped behind the ocean in a gorgeous sunset that made her glad to be alive.

She felt tingly-nervous. She’d left Tina holed up in a restaurant a few doors down with a handsome man. Tina had been far too preoccupied to be interested in the sunset, or anything else. Emma had felt uncomfortable with the two of them literally falling all over each other.

But wasn’t that what she’d come for? To do more than enjoy the sunset? To share it with someone? To find romantic attraction—that spur-of-the-moment, knock-you-off-your-feet sensation?

Fingering the unfamiliar length of her hair, she wondered where to start.

She considered some of Tina’s not-so-subtle techniques. If Emma could emulate instead of hesitate then maybe she’d get past all the things that inhibited her.

She’d just pick out a good-looking man and talk to him. But not in the way she’d initiated conversations before. This time she wanted to pique the guy’s interest, the kind of interest that would lead to a night of romantic intimacy.

Only one problem. She tapped her finger against her chin. This meeting couldn’t actually lead to an interlude because the passengers were supposed to be back for the captain’s cocktail hour at eleven o’clock. The ship sailed again at midnight.

Hmm, a problem, or a practice run?

If she could impress someone here on the island then maybe she could seduce the hell out of a handsome passenger on the ship.

She squared her shoulders. Even Tina would be impressed.

Except she wanted an exotic drink in her hand to set the mood, and to keep the staff off her back while she concentrated on other things. Yes. Some tropical concoction and she’d be ready for anything!

Scanning the bar Emma noted a broad-shouldered, nicely tanned man sitting at a table on the sand. Once she’d worked on that drink, a Latin lover would definitely be the perfect chaser. The man’s fit body and wide shoulders were almost too big for the small wicker chair. Dark curling hair waved back in a shaggy, casual style, brushing the collar of the loose, white shirt he wore, and for a minute she fantasized that he looked like a modern-day pirate.

Emma aimed at the empty table well beyond his. Maybe she could just watch him from afar. Consider it the first step.

The second step would be him looking her way, she thought as she headed to the table. She almost stumbled when he did.

And then…

Amazingly, the pirate actually rose to his feet as she approached, grinning in such a friendly fashion it was as if he knew her, and somehow it gave her the courage she needed to pause in front of him.

His gaze was as warm as if he’d physically reached out to her. His smile was incredibly bright on his gorgeous, tanned face. “I saw you enjoying the sunset and I hoped you’d come in closer.”

She practically pried her hands from behind her back to offer one to him. “Hi, I’m Emma. You must be from around here. I’m a passenger on a cruise ship, just here for the evening. It’s so nice to meet a local. That is, if you are a local—”

She might have babbled on or run away, but he grabbed and squeezed her hand. The tingle she felt stopped her in mid-speech. Is this how initiating a seduction felt? This wonderful, scary feeling, like a roller coaster as you hovered on the arc of the first drop?

“Emma, you spoke so quickly I’m afraid I didn’t catch it all.”

“Oh, do I have an accent? You don’t. It’s amazing. I just said that I’m on a cruise and I’m a little…” She started to say nervous but changed her mind. That wasn’t the way to pick up a man. This was the perfect opportunity to pretend she was sophisticated, like Tina.

“…thirsty. I’m so thirsty,” she said in a rush. “Can you tell me what I should order? I usually order…um…orgasms. You know, the drinks…” Emma almost pinched herself. Had she really been that bold?

FOR TONY, holding Emma’s hand was an incredible rush. But hadn’t he intended to get Emma out of his system?

“Well,” Emma prompted. “What do you locals drink?”

It was the second time she’d suggested he was a local.

Mentally he grinned. A player or a local, either definition would do.

And while he had no idea what language they spoke on the island, he was pretty sure Emma didn’t know either. So he’d lean on his Spanish and roll his Rs, to keep her interested. “I’m…Andres and I know exactly what we should order.” He was pleased when his words came out smooth and just slightly accented.

In a throaty purr Emma replied, “Okay, but if you’ve got a better suggestion then I’d love to, uh, entertain it.”

Emma hadn’t seemed quite so flirtatious when they’d spoken on the phone. More pragmatic and perhaps a little whimsical. But then she put a hand on his shoulder and distracted him with a single look. No one had prepared him for the kick of those sea-blue eyes.

“I think we can find something appropriately stimulating for a beautiful…mainlander.”

“Thank you.”

That smile hit him in an interesting place. And when she tried to sit in the minuscule skirt he could have sworn her legs were a million miles long.

The cane material of the chair seemed to grab onto the skirt fabric and he couldn’t help but wonder what she wore under the tiny skirt as she fought for balance.

He lifted his hand, wondering how to help, then grabbed on to the back of the chair to keep it from falling over. Emma finally struggled into place, and he settled back, congratulating himself for resisting any peeking while she’d been fixing her skirt.

“What have you been drinking?” Tony asked solicitously. (He had to think of himself as Andres, his middle name, the name his grandmother called him.)

“Nothing, not since lunch.”

He was skeptical, but obviously she wasn’t driving, so he signaled the waiter and asked for two house specials. The waiter grinned and then went towards the back. The bar was open to the beach, and the salt air, flickering candles and cane furniture gave it an exotic appeal. Andres could feel himself sliding headfirst into the island atmosphere.

“Thank you for ordering the drinks. I’m so excited to be here.” Emma grinned at him. “It’s like a different world.”

He couldn’t help himself; he reached out to stroke her hand. The engaging lady from the phone conversations was mesmerizing in person. “It’s beautiful.”

She blushed. “I do see myself in a whole new light.”

“Where’s home?”

“Florida.”

“And what occupation has you feeling like you needed to visit a new world? Or is it more personal?”

“I’m an administrative assistant for a lawyer, a glorified secretary,” she said almost defensively. “But it’s not the work or anything else really.” She fluttered her hands. “It’s my own angst.”

He was impressed. “No excuses? No attempt to blame your boss, co-workers, parents, boyfriend or perhaps…husband?”

She touched her ring finger. “No husband, no boyfriend and no one to blame but myself. I just needed a boost.”

It had to be that idiot from the office who made her want to get away from it all. “And you’ve already met one new person,” he said with a smile.

“And a very interesting one at that.” She licked those incredible lips.

The server slipped the drinks onto the table with an appreciative look toward Emma that she didn’t seem to notice.

Andres wondered why she didn’t see. Most women collected those kinds of looks like prizes and would have at least preened a bit. But Emma just sat there with those wide eyes focused on him. He wanted to groan when she gave him a provocative smile and recrossed her legs. One prettily manicured hand slipped casually over to touch his.

Andres took a gulp of the creamy drink to cool off.

He would be privileged to be the only one she had eyes for.

Emma took a long sip from her glass.

Andres avidly watched her mouth. Those full sensuous lips looked so luscious. Then he dropped his gaze to her cocktail wondering if he should tell her there were several shots of hard liquor in that drink, disguised by chocolate and cream. But he only told her what he was thinking, “And you have definitely caught my interest.”

She shrugged. “My friend Tina always manages to make life interesting no matter what. And I plan to emulate her.”

She swung her foot, gently—nervously?—yet her smile told him that she noticed how his gaze clung to those endless legs. Apparently, she was enjoying his attention.

In person, Emma was intoxicating, like the drink, so sweet you didn’t notice it sneaking up and seducing you.

“This will be my voyage of discovery,” she said.

Fortunately, another round of drinks arrived to cool him off and he took a large swallow. “What are you hoping to discover?” he asked flippantly, expecting a flirtatious answer.

But she looked pensive for a moment, chewed on her lower lip and then answered very sincerely. “How to be myself and a little more. I just want to crank up the volume. Do you ever feel as if there’s something missing from your life and that you might find that something if you were just willing to seize an opportunity?”

Hell yes. Sometimes, at the end of a ten- or twelve-hour session in front of a screen, where he’d only interacted with other human beings via e-mail, he would sit and wonder whether this was the kind of solitary life he wanted. “Yeah, I do.”

She sighed. “I’m not sure what I’m missing. But whatever it is, being here with you makes me feel good.”

He watched as Emma pulled the large frosty glass toward her and took a healthy swig of the concoction. She took out the umbrella and sucked on the pineapple slice. He ignored his drink, looking at her so intently he wondered if she could feel him wanting to explore her lips first with his avid gaze and then his mouth.

He knew he should be honest and tell her that he wasn’t a local.

Would it kill the romantic mood? Or would it be better to play along and see what she had in mind?

She looked up, heat in her gaze.

He definitely wanted to let this ride.

Emma felt as if this handsome local was gazing into her very soul. It was as if they’d already been intimate and he hadn’t even touched her or kissed her. And it didn’t make any sense. She tried to talk, stumbled, but finally managed, “Um, does this have cocoa in it? I have to admit I’m addicted to chocolate.”

“Yes, it’s a sort of an island milkshake,” he told her.

“It’s good. Delectable in fact.”

He stroked her hand, his touch gentle yet his skin a little rough, and his warmth sent a shiver through her.

“So how are you going to start this project? Pumping up the volume?” His voice curled around her, seeming to pull her in closer.

She took another deep drink and leaned towards him, then sighed. It felt good to be this close to an incredible guy who obviously found her intriguing.

“You do have a plan,” he prompted.

She sat up. She’d been leaning so far over she was practically on top of the table. “Of course I have a plan.” A long sip of the milkshake soothed the niggle of embarrassment. He even understands about the plan. A girl’s got to have a plan if she’s going to get anywhere.

“What’s the first thing on your list?” It seemed as though he was teasing her now.

“I’m going to explore some aspects of myself that have been…inhibited.” She told herself that she was only drunk on his attention.

He looked so intense. Those dark eyes were especially intriguing because a golden band circled his pupils like a little halo of light in the dark.

“That sounds incredibly intriguing.”

She reached out to stroke his bare fingers. “I’m not feeling inhibited right now,” she told him truthfully.

He reached up to rub a piece of her hair between his fingers, brushing her sensitive ear as he did so.

Her heart paused mid-beat, and she couldn’t seem to breathe. Why couldn’t he have been a passenger on the cruise?

“What were we talking about?” she muttered.

This pickup thing had been so natural, but what did she do now? She wanted so badly for him to kiss her. How did she signal him? And where would he touch her?

And then what?

This stuff was harder than a job interview, even if what she wanted to do had nothing to do with talking.

“We were discussing how a person shouldn’t become complacent, that they should, well, rock their world.”

“That’s a nice thing to say but I’m not very good at that.” Emma’s brows furrowed as she concentrated. “Just ask my friend Tina. I’m too low-key for that.”

“You seem like a woman capable of doing anything she wants, Emma.”

To hide the way her lips trembled at his compliment she took another sip of the milkshake. The rum slid down so easily, warming her from the inside, while his words warmed her from the outside. She was getting so hot. Had she ever wanted a man to touch her this badly? Her nipples were so sensitized that she could feel every brush of the material of her blouse.

“I wish you were on the cruise, too…I mean it’s going to be great.” She desperately needed him to kiss her. Surely she’d come to her senses once he kissed her.

“I’ve never wanted anything so much.” He stroked her hand and smiled. A smile she just wanted to dive into. What if I love it when he touches me? What if I don’t want him to stop?

“Are you okay?” he asked solicitously.

Sometimes he sounded so American. Were those alarm bells going off in the distance? “Where are you from?”

“I didn’t tell you where I was from, querida.”

Now that sounded exotic. Did she honestly care where he was from?

She sighed. Touched his hand.

He smiled at her as if she were dear to him, as if she could confide in him. “Why the sigh, querida?”

“Lost opportunities.” She tilted her head. “Did you ever want to be someone else?” The question hung between them. More honesty. If she didn’t quit the sappy stuff, he’d probably walk away. She bit her lower lip nervously.

His gaze clung. “Tonight I want most of all to be able to tell you that I’m a passenger on the cruise.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice.” She sighed again. “Don’t even tease me about that.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment and then he grinned. “I know, I’ll be a pirate, kidnap you and sail away. I’d tie you up in silken bonds and make you very, very happy.”

Now that was an image. She leaned towards him again. He did resemble a pirate; she’d thought so from the beginning. “Role-playing never occurred to me.” Except in my fantasies. “Do you do much role-playing?”

“All the time. I find it enjoyable to add an element of fantasy to life and…love.”

Was he blushing? It was hard to tell in the flickering light. She eyed him over her glass. “I’d really like you to kidnap me but I’ve got to get back to the ship.”

“Ah, the cruise ship, an excellent place to find adventure.”

“It’s the captain’s cocktail party tonight,” she said, then added before she could take it back, “but I’ll be thinking about you.”

His eyes gleamed and he put her at ease by saying, “I hope so, because I won’t be able to stop thinking about you.”

“It’s very flattering of you to say so.”

“I’m not flattering you. I find you fascinating. You have a cool blond beauty, but I see flickers of fire in those mysterious eyes. I find the contradiction exciting.”

Her eyes were mysterious? Probably because they were crossing from too much alcohol. How many shots were in these drinks anyway? Obviously enough to liberate the licentious lady inside. Or was it the way Andres looked at her?

He picked up her hand and held it.

Her stomach flip-flopped and then an ache settled a little lower than her stomach. She rubbed her legs together. She wanted him fiercely.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

But he knew. His look was equally ravenous.

Emma leaned in. It didn’t matter that they were in public. She just wanted a taste—

“Hey, Em?”

Tina approached the table with her long-legged stride and her beautiful confident smile, and Emma’s heart sank.

3

“EM, WE SHOULD get going. We have to get ready for the captain’s reception.” She held out an elegant hand, “Hi, I’m Emma’s friend, Tina.”

“I know we have to be back and I’ve been watching the time.” Emma looked at her watch. Then she introduced them. “This is Andres.”

Andres gave Tina a very casual look that allowed Emma to breathe again. Tina usually got the attention. Not that she could help it. But tonight it mattered to Emma.

Tina gave Andres a quizzical look.

“Don’t I know you?”

“Where would you know me from? Do you come here often?”

“I don’t know. You just look familiar. And I’m good at faces.”

He grinned. “Maybe I just have one of those faces.”

“Maybe.”

“What happened to the guy you were with?” Emma asked.

Tina shook her head. “We’re going to meet up after the reception. So I won’t be in the room tonight. But I thought we would go back to the ship together and get ready. Are you sure you’re okay to come alone?”

The old Emma would have hesitated; in fact she probably would have been back at the boat an hour ago, feeling deflated that Tina would be gone their first night on the ship.

But tonight she was definitely different. “I just want to stay a little longer. I won’t be late.”

“I’ll take good care of her.” Andres tipped his head at Tina in a very old-style way that must have caught her interest because she hesitated and started to pull out one of the chairs as if she intended to join them.

Abruptly Andres rose to his feet, pulling Emma up with him. “There’s a way to go along the beach. I’d like to take Emma that way to show her some of the beauty of our island before she sails away.”

“Okay.” Did Tina actually look stunned? She just stood there as they left the bar. Emma tried to turn around and say goodbye, but Andres grabbed both of her hands and pulled her along.

“If you give her any encouragement, she’ll offer to walk along with us and that’s not what I had in mind.”

“What do you have in mind?” Alarm bells were going off. She knew she shouldn’t go anywhere with a total stranger.

“There’s a full moon tonight and I wanted to be with you on the beach.”

She just nodded. The thought of walking on the beach sounded too enticing to resist. Like the exotic bar and those drinks. And now the pale sand stretched endlessly before them. Restless, dark water rumbled on the horizon, while lacy froth teased the sand at their feet.

Andres’s shoulder felt warm beneath her hands as she let him steady her while she took off her high-heeled sandals. He offered to carry them for her. His sandals appeared to be waterproof.

Emma’s mind filled with exhilarating images of tasting the cocoa concoction on his perfectly shaped lips. She floated along at his side with the warm water sucking gently at her toes.

“It’s nice of you to escort me to the docks.”

He pulled her around to face him. They’d already left the bar behind. They were totally alone. Shadows lent urgency to his features. “It’s not nice at all. It’s a matter of need.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “I’ve been dying to touch you. Your hair’s like moonlight. And your eyes are like the midnight sky.”

His words caressed her. How could such a masculine man say such tender things? “I love the way you talk to me.”

“Come on.” He pulled her along to the edge of the plunging surf, his eyes more on her than the beautiful view.

“What are you looking at?”

He looked down at her. “You’re like some mystical creature from the sea sent to ensnare the poor fisherman. How can I resist you?”

Was that a little grimace of embarrassment on his face? Was it hard for a man to speak in such tender terms? “How romantic you are in the moonlight.”

“I’m glad you think so, chula.”

The foreign word reverberated through her, “And if I were to ensnare you, then what would happen next?”

“I’d follow you wherever you went.”

He sounded so sure of himself. It made her nervous and she shivered with anticipation at the same time. “Oh, but you can’t follow me onto the ship.”

“What if I were to surprise you? Would you be angry or glad? Would you forgive me for wanting to be with you no matter what the cost?”

“I don’t know. I think I’d be glad to see you again under any circumstances.”

Had he really meant what he’d said about the role-playing fantasy? The image of him taking her as his captive had her tightening her hold on his arm.

“We could explore our fantasies,” she said tentatively.

“I would like very much to do so.”

Tonight, Emma wondered if she could be bold enough to grab his hands and bring them to her aching breasts. Then she’d step in close enough to press her body against his, to discover if he was also aroused.

When she looked at Andres he was looking at her with a hunger she recognized.

He said something in urgent Spanish.

Though she couldn’t understand the words, she understood the tone, and she pushed closer to him, wishing she had the courage to ask for what she wanted, to beg for it. “Please.” It came out as a whisper.

He must have heard because he put his head down and rubbed his rough face gently against the side of hers. The need rose inside her, an appetite she’d never had before.

He nibbled on her ear.

She sucked in a breath. Her breasts ached and her nipples tingled.

“Please,” she breathed louder.

He bent to touch her lips, giving her a taste of what she hungered for. She felt the sweetness of those soft lips nibbling her skin, and the heat of his tongue tasting her mouth. As the kiss deepened, it fueled her appetite for more of him.

His hands slid down the neckline of her top. His fingers explored the mounds of her breasts, stopping to tease her erect nipples through the thin material.

It was the first time she’d ever gone braless in public and she felt vindicated. Let him dive in and touch her aching flesh. She might never wear a bra again if it felt so good to invite a stranger’s touch.

He kissed her again, dragging her down with him in a relentless undertow of heady pleasure. When she surfaced his hands were under her top caressing her breasts. She panted. It was happening so fast and so fiercely. She needed him to touch her everywhere.

“Will you take off your top for me? I want to see your breasts in the moonlight.”

“Someone will see.” The idea seemed so outrageous and yet she longed to be naked, caressed by his hand and the moonlight.

“There’s no one around, chulita.”

The exotic word sent shivers through her, though she could only guess what it meant.

He urged her top up and Emma pulled one arm out of her sleeve and then the other. She dropped it carelessly onto the sand as Andres lowered his face to her breasts. He used both hands to caress her nipples and then he took one of them into his mouth and suckled her. She curled her toes in the sand, while clinging to his shoulders, his shirt buttons hard against her naked stomach. When he laved the other nipple the breeze teased her and she shuddered.

Sensation lapped her in waves. She held on tighter.

“You taste so good, chula. Do you taste this good everywhere?”

She didn’t know how to answer him. How far did they dare to go? What did he want? As if in answer to her question he ran his hands down her naked abdomen, briefly teasing the sensitive skin at her navel, and then slid them around her hips, to cup her bottom. Pressed against his erection, Emma nestled closer. The little short skirt was hiked up between them and his hand stroked her cheeks, exposed by her thong.

“Ah, this is nice. I like the thong. I’d like to move it aside and tease the sweet flesh beneath it.”

Emma gasped the word this time. “Please.”

Andres took her mouth even more deeply and she melted against him. She would give him everything if he just slid his fingers closer to where she needed them to be.

Please just touch me there.

Those clever fingers must have read her mind because he ran them over the silk of her thong.

Once. Then again. Until the material was thoroughly saturated.

“You like this, chulita. I can feel you shudder sweetly beneath my hand.”

Unable even to nod, knees barely supporting her, arms wrapped around his shoulders, Emma held on for dear life. And when his fingers finally pushed the thong aside and teased her clitoris, she almost sobbed.

He stroked her, murmuring Spanish words in her ear, holding her securely as she approached the edge.

And then pulling back.

The thong slid into place, now a very sensitive place, and her hips twitched. She would have protested but he teased her nipple with clever fingers, pulling gently, then kneading.

She tried to gasp and catch her breath at the same time. Could she protest that he hadn’t satisfied her? She certainly wanted him to.

“You’re so sweet, chulita. So seductive. Like the cream on those sweet drinks you like so well.” He lowered his head to take her nipple into his mouth, and at the same time he slid his hand back down to nestle on top of the thong.

Emma couldn’t resist. She ran her hand over the front of his shorts. His erection was huge and she pushed against it, rubbing him, wishing there were somewhere that they could have sex, the kind of sex where he was deep inside her.

He groaned, then pushed the thong all the way down until it caught on the bend of one of her knees.

Emma’s breath swooshed out of her as she realized they needed a condom. How could she have left the room without one? She just hadn’t thought…“I don’t have any protection with me,” she whispered, wanting to cry at the thought of him dumping her on the sand to find a woman that would satisfy him.

That huge erection, those exotic love words…all she wanted was to lie down in the sand and have him for herself. But the risks lined up like bullets in her head.

“Shh, chula. I’ll take care of you.”

She held her breath, afraid, intrigued and hoping he meant that he had a condom and not that she would have to fend him off.

His fingers brushed against the surface of her clit, teasing.

Emma forgot the condom problem. She arched against his fingers, whimpering, begging with her body language for something she’d never be able to ask for with words.

He pushed his fingers inside of her, deeper. She pushed back, wanting him. She rubbed his cock beneath his shorts with short hard strokes, imagining it inside her.

He stroked her in an uneven, thrusting rhythm that was somehow just right. Deep, hard and yet she felt secure enough in his grasp to let go to the point where she couldn’t think, could only push back with her hips against that incredible pressure.

He said something more in what she assumed was Spanish. She begged, almost sobbing with need and on the verge of something miraculous.

“Come for me, amorsito.”

She crested with a little scream.

Emma could barely lift her head. Her thong had fallen to the sand, her body throbbed, and her breasts burned, with the breeze still teasing them.

He held her close, petting her butt cheeks, pulling her skirt down, caressing her quivering belly.

Breathing hard, she tried to orient herself. She was on a beach with a stranger who’d just given her a mind-blowing orgasm. Surprisingly, Emma didn’t want to waste time examining anything. What she did wonder was if it had to be over or could they…

Her watch beeped.

“I think you should try to stand by yourself or else you’ll miss the cocktail party.” His voice sounded gravelly.

She could feel him trembling. It made her bold as she’d never been before. “No, I set the alarm twenty minutes ahead.”

He laughed hoarsely. “Passionate and organized. You’re an incredible woman. I’ll get you to the ship. I know you’re looking forward to the party.” He pulled away from her slowly as if afraid she might topple over.

Her legs held her, barely. She almost lost it when he bent down and picked up her thong out of the sand between her legs. She stepped out of it, he looked at her, and then he put the thong in his pants pocket.

Emma opened her mouth to protest. The little bulge of her thong rested next to another, larger bulge. What could she say? How arousing it was that he wanted to keep the thong, even if it meant going back to the ship with the breeze tantalizing her already sensitized flesh under that tiny skirt? Had she honestly let this stranger touch her intimately with his fingers?

Not only had she allowed that to happen, she intended it to happen again. She began untangling the problem.

“Can you hand me my shirt, please?” The please reminded her of her outrageous behavior and she smiled happily. She’d done it. She’d had a fling. And what an amazing fling.

Andres held up her shirt. As she leaned forward to take it from him, his hand skimmed over her nipples.

“I don’t know. I like you bare. You’re truly beautiful illuminated by moonlight.”

Emma barely managed not to drag him down on the sand and have her way with him.

“I want you to come back to the ship with me.” It came out in a rush. “Please.”

“But locals are not allowed on board.”

“The hell with it. We’ll think of something.”

“And your fancy reception?”

“My roommate won’t miss me and she’s not coming back to the room tonight.” One problem solved. One more to go.

“Are you sure?”

“Hmm, let me think. Do I want to have you alone in my room or go to a reception? For once I’m going to do exactly what I want. And I want you to make me feel like you just did, and more. We’ll only be on your island for a few more hours and I want you with me, all the way with me.” She reached out and brushed the front of his shorts.

He was definitely taken with the idea. If anything he was harder than before.

Still, for a moment she held her breath, frightened he would refuse her outrageous offer. But his smile said it all. He took her hand and they hurried silently along the beach, rapidly approaching the lights of the harbor.

Emma caught her breath and tried to regain her composure. I should feel ashamed of myself. But all she could feel was the throbbing between her legs and her heart stammering. A sexy, outrageous woman had been born on that beach and she wasn’t ready to let go of that, at least for a few hours—unless, of course, they put her in the brig for trying to smuggle Andres on board.

As they arrived at the harbor Emma caught her breath at the sight of the huge ship, strung with lights like a giant Christmas tree. “It still feels a bit unreal to be on a cruise,” she murmured. “Like being in a movie or something.”

“As long as it’s not Titanic,” he teased.

She laughed. “I think we’re safe. I don’t see Leonardo DiCaprio anywhere,” she said pretending to look around.

“No Kate Winslet either,” he said, then turned those dark eyes her way. They gleamed at her with obvious appreciation and he stroked her face. “Just you.”

She shivered. “Now we have to get you aboard.”

“Just how do you intend to get me aboard?”

“Distraction. I’m thinking I’m going to have to distract the guy looking at the identification. I’ll scratch my leg and lift my skirt or something.” She tried to imagine what Tina would do in her situation.

Andres looked pensive. “Do you know who your chef is? The main one? They advertise it. Is it the British guy, Jonathan Sparks?”

“I think so. It sounds familiar. How do you know?”

“He, uh, comes into the bar where you met me, occasionally. He’s cool. He might help me or it might be okay if I go up to the staff entrance. I’ll just say I’m going to visit him. Guys I know do it all the time to get on board to visit women.”

“And you don’t?”

“I hadn’t found you.”

She leaned against his arm, wanting to be convinced. “If you can get on the ship I’ll be so grateful. But it doesn’t make any sense…”

He very discreetly ran the fingers of one hand over her nipples where her breasts were pressed against his other arm. “I’ll be very convincing. I really want to be with you, querida.”

“Okay.” She sighed, unable to breathe, let alone think, with him playing with her body, and again so glad she hadn’t worn a bra. “I’m in cabin F55.” She leaned closer to give him better access. Luckily there were only a few people around them. Probably most had gone to the captain’s reception already, or they were still exploring in town.

He tugged on one beaded nipple through her shirt. “I’m going to suckle you until you scream. I want to see how a drink tastes when I lap it off of your skin. When you get to your room, order one of those milkshakes from room service and I’ll show you what cocoa and cream are for.”

Nodding dumbly, she could feel her eyes almost crossing with desire while her normally practical brain seemed to have gone on permanent vacation.

Andres leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Chula, you wait here for fifteen minutes. If I don’t come back, you’ll know I made it onto the ship.”

She nodded.

He grinned and then gave her breasts one last pat before untangling himself from her side.

Emma felt as though she was floating while she waited to see if he’d come back. Everything seemed distant and just a little unreal. The thought of him meeting her at her room had her almost dizzy with delight. This was the adventure of a lifetime.

Her watch timer interrupted her musings and she looked around one last time to make sure Andres wasn’t coming before she boarded the ship. The man who took her ship’s identification gave her a warm smile. “Miss, the captain’s reception has just begun if you’d like to attend.” He handed her back her identification.

“Thank you. But I’m a little tired. I think I’ll just go back to my room.”

“As you wish.” He was cute, probably Italian. There seemed to be a lot of Italian men among the crew.

“Thank you.” Emma smiled to herself.

He grinned back flirtatiously.

Her feet barely touched the ground as she headed to her cabin.

Emma avoided the beautiful, sculpted center staircase with its lighted banister winding like a Christmas ribbon up and down the ship levels. It would be packed with people in sparkling gowns and tuxedos on their way to and from the reception. Normally she wouldn’t have missed such an exciting experience, but she had a very hot date. She took the elevator without a shred of remorse.

Usually, Emma handled anything mechanical with ease, but tonight her hands trembled, so she had trouble sliding the key card for her room into the door slot. Her flesh tingled and her heart fluttered.

She got into the room and then paused as the door sealed shut behind her. What to do now? She remembered Andres’s promise to sip the drink off her flesh, and her nipples hardened into knots. Emma grabbed the room-service menu off the desk. She ran her finger down the drink selections and found a Mocha Meltdown, the description almost fitting the drink she’d just had in the bar on the beach.

She picked up the phone and ordered two of them in a voice that quavered; they probably thought she was already tipsy, but what the hell. She put the phone down and sank onto her bunk. How would the cold concoction feel on her flesh, and where exactly did Andres plan to put it?

She shivered.

Then she jumped up and headed for the bathroom. She didn’t have time for a shower but she could sponge down a bit. Leaving the door cracked open, she took a washcloth and ran it under warm water. Then she pulled her shirt over her head. Her breasts felt so full and perky. They seemed to swell when she ran the cloth over them. She sucked in her breath as her sensitive flesh responded, her knotted nipples aching.

After unfastening her skirt and pulling it down to let it fall to the ground, she put the washcloth between her legs to cool the heated flesh. Her knees felt unsteady as she thought of him thrusting into her.

After the milkshake.

Did she dare suggest such a thing or would she even have to?

Naked and freshened she went to Tina’s suitcase and borrowed a flirty little silk robe in a hibiscus print. Back in the bathroom she put on some eye shadow and mascara. He wouldn’t be able to stay long because the boat sailed right after the reception, sometime around midnight. Emma figured she wouldn’t have time to get raccoon eyes. She shook out her hair and brushed it, enjoying the way her newly straightened locks swung around her head.

I look pretty, she thought. I have that glow. Anyone seeing me would know what I’ve been up to. And I want more of it. She smiled at the wanton in the mirror.

And she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

She put the hairbrush down, beginning to worry that Andres hadn’t made it on board after all when she remembered the condoms. Better put them under the pillow. Wouldn’t want to have to stop in the middle of things. She giggled, feeling like a crazy woman.

Tina had brought a huge variety of condoms. She’d even bought some that glowed in the dark. Emma held one of the packages thinking it was a shame that she didn’t have the guts to suggest a glow-in-the-dark condom. Instead she took out three of the gold ones, ribbed, and put them under her pillow.

Then she went back and got two more.

A knock on the door startled her and she jumped up and ran to answer it.

Andres stood in the hallway looking incredibly proud of himself. His grin went straight to her guts.

“You did it!” She pulled him into the room by his arm. “I was getting worried. Especially since it dawned on me that the chef would surely be showing off his expertise tonight for the captain’s reception. How did you get in?”

“I saw another guy I know from the ship. These guys come onto the island all the time. Anyway, uh, Santos, he let me come aboard.”

Emma didn’t know what to do with herself so she sort of leaned against the edge of the desk, which was bolted to the wall. “Oh, I guess they must get shore leave or something. I just thought they worked during the cruise.”

“The ships come to the island for supplies between cruises. Maybe that’s when they come by the bar.” He took the few steps separating them in the cabin, which suddenly seemed small and intimate. “Do you want to discuss the shore leave of the ship’s staff right now, when we only have a couple of hours?”

She shook her head.

He put his finger on her thigh and ran it up under the edge of the silk robe. “This is gorgeous on you.”

She shivered at his touch. “Thank you.”

His finger climbed higher on her thigh.

Emma scooted back onto the desk.

He pressed closer until his hand cupped her between the legs. He rubbed her gently, back and forth.

Immediately Emma could feel her brain turn to mush. Andres was right. It didn’t matter how he’d gotten on the ship. She wanted, needed him to finish what he’d started on the beach.

“You’re so responsive. I love the way those baby blues go all hazy when I touch you here. I can tell when that brain stops clicking and you go all soft and womanly on me. Your intelligence is a turn-on, but I love it when you let me turn on this part of you.” He found the perfect spot with one of those clever fingers and pressed deeply.

“Oh.” She parted her lips to let the soft sound emerge and he leaned down to kiss her. His lips were perfectly shaped and soft. He tasted her and then pulled away to nibble her bottom lip.

“Do you like this, sweetheart?”

She wanted him to call her chula or chulita or any of the Spanish love words that made him so exotic but all she could do was kiss him avidly. The pressure on her clitoris had all her attention. The sweet insanity of his touch made her long for more.

Reaching out, she ran her hand down the front of his shorts.

He rocked his finger back and forth. Emma rocked back and forth.

Her lips parted inviting his tongue, and he thrust into her mouth. At the same moment she cried out. As she came in his arms, he held her closely.

When she gathered all the brain cells he’d scattered with his lovemaking, she realized she had just come perched on the edge of a desk. Emma tried desperately to think if she’d ever been this easy to seduce.

“You are so orgasmic. I love to watch you, sweetheart.”

Orgasmic? Was he kidding? “I guess you know how to touch me. It must be your Latin blood.”

“Well, yes…chula. It’s probably my Latin blood.”

She gestured weakly towards the bed. “That bunk is mine,” she said a bit awkwardly. “I’ve got some condoms under my pillow.”

Andres immediately put her at ease. “Let’s just focus on your pleasure right now,” he told her. “I want those eyes fuzzy with desire.” He bent down and took her nipple into his mouth through the thin silk robe. In a moment there was a wet spot over her aching breast. He moved back and blew gently on the spot.

Emma shivered. “That feels so wonderful.”

He suckled her again and with the other hand he plucked her distended nipple.

She arched her back. He was just firm enough, his mouth and fingers sending ripples through her. Her heart rate soared. She wanted him to take her to the bunk. “Andres.”

Then there was a knock on the door.

Andres smiled at her. “Did you order drinks for us, querida?”

She just nodded. She didn’t know how much more stimulation she could handle. She just wanted him to ravish her with his cock. Now!

“I’ll answer the door. I don’t want anyone else to see you. You’re so beautiful and I want it to be just for me.”

He sounded so possessive.

It’s just lover talk, not a proposal.

“Okay. I’ll just slip behind here.”

He went to the door. Emma pulled the robe closer and stepped behind the bathroom door. She tried to figure out a good place to suggest they have the drinks. Would he really lay her down and use the milkshake on her? She shivered at the thought. Sweets during sex. Only a bold, sexy woman would do something like that—the woman she intended to become, here in his arms.

He shut the door and then walked past her to put the drinks down on the little nightstand by her bunk. “Come to me, chulita.”

On weak knees she wobbled the few steps to his arms. He enfolded her. “I wish you were a passenger on the ship,” she whispered in his ear.

He leaned down and kissed her gently. “So do I, sweetheart.”

“I like it better when you call me chulita. It reminds me that I’m with a sexy foreign man.”

He reached down and took something out of one of the drinks. He offered it to her. It was a piece of pineapple dipped in chocolate. “Here, chula.”

She took a little bite and he kissed her, sliding his tongue into her mouth to taste the treat, at the same time running his hands down her body over the silky robe.

“Um, you taste so good.”

“Mmm.” She had to agree. They tasted so good together. She tugged on the hem of his shirt and then ran her fingers up over his belly and to his wide chest. “I want to feel you. Please take this off.”

He gave her one last kiss and then stripped off his shirt. His tanned, muscled chest looked incredibly good. He had almost no chest hair, just a little trail below his belly button that disappeared into his waistband. She rubbed his erection through his shorts. He was so hard.

“The shorts, now, take off your shorts.”

“Shh, the milkshake will melt.”

“What are you going to do with it?”

He went past her into the bathroom and came out with a fluffy white towel. “You better put this under you, amorsito.”

She could feel her eyes widen. This might get embarrassing. What the heck was she doing with a total stranger in a stateroom with a milkshake?

But she didn’t want to stop. Besides the apprehension in her middle, there was an insistent ache elsewhere that made her want to draw closer.

His grin told her that he’d caught her uncertainty.

“We’ll do the hard-core fantasy stuff some other time, after I’ve tied you up and carried you off the ship and made you a prisoner on my island.”

“That sounds good,” Emma choked out.

“Come here, chula.” He beckoned. “This is going to feel good, I promise.”

Still, she hesitated when everything in her urged her to rush to his arms.

“All I want to do is taste this drink on your perfect skin. Please, Emma. Trust me.” He reached for the tie on her robe. “May I take off your robe?”

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