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“Why not, baby?” he asks, and I gasp. I thought the ‘baby’ in Bermuda was just an act; I did not actually take him for a ‘baby’ kind of guy, but damn it, now I need him to call me nothing but ‘baby’ for the next two hours. And maybe again for another two after a quick power nap.
“Sawyer.” I sacrifice my grip on the railing behind me to snake a hand into his hair and pull back.
He breaks the connection, and his jaw drops. “Shit.”
“Yeah.”
He buries his head into my shoulder and hides his face. “Shit.”
“We’ve established that, baby.”
I feel his body shake with laughter, and he peels away to sink back against the wall next to me.
No, not the wall.
The window.
“I guess they all got quite a show,” he says. He cranes his neck to view the five other glass cars. Luckily, most are stationed at much higher decks, away from us. It’s quiet around here anyway, since most people are at shows or bars right about now.
“And you were worried about me and my dresses.”
When the door opens on his deck, he moves at a much slower pace. Maybe it’s because he’s matching my much slower pace. “I should have asked, Gwen. Did you want anything from your room?”
It feels real. All the attraction and passion and desire from the evening turns into something palpable now, and it’s a little intimidating.
“What would I need?” I ask, hoping he’ll take the hint.
“I just thought, maybe, if there was anything you—”
“Just say it, Sawyer. Ask me the question.”
His eyes scan mine and he swallows. My answer is already evident in the goosebumps on my skin, the way my fingers wind through his, the way my eyes dip to his lips. It’s not a question anymore: it’s a need, with all the yearning and longing I’ve ever wanted someone to feel for me in a moment like this. “Spend the night with me, Gwen.”
My breath hitches. I’m rarely at a loss for words, but then again this man is helping me redefine myself. I nod and force out “Okay.” It doesn’t convey the excitement or want I feel, but I can tell from the way the corner of his mouth twitches he’s more than happy with it.
He wraps a hand around mine, and I follow a step behind him to his room. He lets go just long enough to take out his cruise card and hold it against the door, but he pauses with the handle turned and the door unlatched. I let my fingers trace a line down the inside of his forearm until my hand is on his. A smile flashes in his eyes, and we push the door open together.
Sawyer
“So where do we start?” she asks as she backs into my room. I ease the door shut and turn the deadbolt.
“I thought we could start with dessert.”
Her lips part and her eyes rake over me, then she clears her throat. “Okay, yeah. Sure. Pick up where we left things downstairs.” She seems nervous, and I kiss the top of her head.
“I mean actual dessert, Gwen.” I nod toward the spread behind her, and she turns, taking in the platters of treats waiting for us.
I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until Gwen’s arms are around me and her head is pressed against me. I inhale her scent and feel her arms shift with the rise and fall of my chest.
“This is amazing.” She turns and meets my eyes. “You did all this for me?” When I nod, she pulls my face to hers and plants the most urgent kiss I’ve ever felt on my lips. Not ‘urgent’ like ‘take me now,’ but ‘urgent’ like ‘if I don’t kiss you right now, my heart might explode.’ Then she drags me over to the food and keeps one hand laced with mine as she inspects the spread. She grabs a massive chocolate-covered strawberry and moans as she takes a bite. “You have to try this,” she says, holding it a few inches from my mouth.
I lean in and take a bite, steadying Gwen’s hand with my own. My thumb swipes over the inside of her wrist, and I place a gentle kiss there before meeting her eyes. Gwen takes the lead by grazing her free fingertips through my hair, pushing strays off my forehead. “It’s good, right?”
I’m convinced she’s not talking about the strawberry anymore. “It’s incredible.”
The further back her fingers crawl, the closer she draws to me. She glances at my lips, then presses hers against them. It’s an eyes-open, rich-and-slow, I’m-safe-with-you kiss, made even more deep and wonderful by the fact that her free arm tucks up under mine and grips my shoulder from below as her eyes flutter shut.
If last night was raw, tonight is simmering desire. We both know where this is going. There’s no need to rush it; it’ll boil over eventually.
