Love on the High Seas. Yasmin Y. Sullivan

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.