Michaela’s desire caught him off guard. His arousal had been ordinary at first, but the more she moaned, the more Dylan found himself wanting her. Wanting her right then and there.
Her skirt had ridden up as she squirmed against him, exposing a length of tanned thigh just begging to be kissed. Gripping her firmly around the waist, he lifted her up and turned her around so she straddled him, giving him easier access to her mouth and breasts. She tucked her legs in as he moved her to accommodate him, then hesitated.
“Maybe we shouldn’t…”
“No, we should,” he growled. There would be no more conversation. No more questions. No more chances for her to think about anything except how she was going to open herself up to him. He kissed her again, and she began to move against him. The subtle motion started near her waist and moved into her hips. Her thighs. Yes.
He opened his eyes. She was as good as his. The hot beat of what their sex would be like pounded through him as he watched her body relish its rhythm and she rocked back and forth on his lap.
Dylan ran his hands up her torso again. As they found the hardness of her nipples, he realized he wanted more, and he pushed one hand up inside her shirt. Her skin was warm. No, more than that—it was as hot as if the sun had shone on it all day. Finding the shirt too tight to get to the promise of her bare breasts, he used his other hand to quickly unbutton her top, the six fastenings coming open as if they realized they were in the way.
Yes.
Pulling back from her mouth, he gazed at her exposed chest, the fine white lace of her bra only just containing her small breasts as they strained toward him. “All for me,” he said. Ducking his head gently, he bit at one nipple through the thin lace.
“Oh!” Michaela’s gasp only made him harder, and he pulled her closer to his mouth. With one hand fondling her other breast, he reached behind and unfastened her bra to give his mouth better access. She tasted wonderful. Shifting on the couch, Dylan slowed to run his tongue around her areola, then took her breast into his mouth.
Delicious.
He wasn’t one for breasts that were too big—a handful was just perfect. Turning his attention to the other breast, he repeated his licking and sucking motion. Oh, but she moved so wonderfully on top of him. The hard, icy core she presented to her staff was melting now. And he wanted her melted all over his naked body.
“Your place or mine?” he asked. He tore his hands and mouth away from her chest, scooping her up and standing in one swift movement. They both paused, and he almost kissed her again when her amber-flecked eyes gazed up into his.
“Best we use mine,” she said. “You’re probably sharing a room.”
Dylan started striding up the stairs with her still in his arms, wanting desperately to pull the rest of her uniform away and gaze at her tanned, slender body. He smiled as he thought of what they would do in her room. He wanted to throw her onto a bed, to spread her out and investigate the far reaches of her body. He wanted—oh, he wanted her. His pace quickened.
“Wait,” Michaela said, and struggled against him. “You can’t carry me out of here. And we…” She squirmed again. He set her feet on the floor. “We can’t do this.”
“Are you sure?” He walked her backwards until she was pressed against the wall, leaning down to kiss her again. Perhaps they could just take each other here in the theater, since there was no one around. If they turned the stage lights off, it would be almost pitch black. “I want you now. Don’t tell me you don’t want me, too.” He exhaled a hot breath against her throat, his hands reaching for her, but her pager beeped to life, and reality pushed its way into their situation.
“See, I have to go.”
She looked up into his eyes, and he tried to let her know what he was promising. It would be fantastic. They would be fantastic.
She pulled her bra back into place, tugged down her skirt, and fumbled the buttons of her shirt through their holes. He put his hands on her chest, finding her nipples still hard, ready for his touch.
“Tomorrow?” The word came out strangled. How could she turn off the passion that had sprung up between them tonight? He whispered hot air over her neck, wanting to ensure she would give him the answer he craved.
“Yes,” she said. But something flashed across her face, and she paled. “No.”
“What?”
“We can’t use my cabin. I’ve been moved.” Desire and desperation mingled in her expression.
“So?”
“I’m on the same floor as the captain now. He’ll know you’re miles away from your floor if he sees you anywhere near my stateroom. I told you the history. He’ll use this to destroy the reputation I’ve worked hard for. We can’t do this. I can’t do this. I’ve got to go.” She pushed him away.
Dylan cursed under his breath. He’d come so close to releasing a passion that he hadn’t even known was in him before tonight.
But perhaps her leaving now was good. If she felt half as unquenched, as unfulfilled as he did, she wouldn’t be able to forget about him.
Was that all he wanted, for her to want him as much as he wanted her?
Yes. It’s just like a business merger. Weaken the target and move in.
“I’ll take care of it,” he muttered, not even sure if she was listening as she strode up the stairs. “And believe me, you won’t want to walk away from me a second time.”
Chapter Six
Once in her office, Michaela sat down suddenly, her strength sapped with the withdrawal of passion. The message triggering her pager had been nothing, really. Just one of her team checking that she’d okayed the next day’s activities.
“Bloody lucky escape,” she muttered. “All he does is show you a bit of understanding, and you melt in his arms?” She shook her head, confused at her own weakness.
The interruption did give her the chance to make good on her promise to Dylan, however. She excused him from taking yet another shuffleboard session, blithely co-opting her deputy to take his place and telling him to page Dylan to let him know.
In her stateroom, she spent the rest of the night in a restless state, replaying the scene in the theater over and over, perplexed that she had both allowed herself to reach such a state of blind desire and offered her own stateroom to consummate it.
“Michaela Western, what’s come over you?” she whispered to her pillow. Was she really ready to let down her guard and move on from the failed relationship that had made her promise never to go there again with a fellow worker?