One Long Embrace

“Yes, absolutely stunning,” Jay replied, his eyes glued to her exquisite body. The dress was still damp, still clinging to her curves. She looked tantalizing in her vulnerability.

Their eyes met, and she quickly dropped her lids as if embarrassed by his open admiration.

Slowly, Jay approached her. She didn’t move, only stood there motionless. When he reached her, he placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head up. The blue of her irises was vibrant and intoxicating.

“I should let you get changed by yourself,” he murmured.

“Why?” Her voice sounded so innocent. Yes, she was innocent and vulnerable, even if she tried to hide it by pretending to be a seductress. It was written in her open gaze. She was no spoilt rich brat out to slum it with a waiter. She was a woman who needed somebody who would understand her.

With his thumb he caressed her lower lip, watching her nostrils flare with awareness.

“I don’t want to behave like a caveman.”

And right now that was exactly how it would be. His cock was straining against his tuxedo pants, rigid and ready to burst. If he touched her now, he’d be inside her in thirty seconds flat. Another thirty seconds later, it would all be over. Because a few thrusts was all it would take to make him come.

“How does a caveman behave?” Tara teased.

“I thought your mother warned you about handsome strangers.” He brought his other hand around her waist, pulling her flush against him. She had to feel his erection through the thin layers of clothing that separated them.

A hitched breath. Yes, she’d noticed. Her eyelashes fluttered.

“Nothing is gonna happen that you don’t want, Tara, I can promise you that.” He paused for a moment, tamping down the lust that surged through him as his cock pressed against her stomach. “No matter how hard it might be for me to behave.”

He felt her pelvis grind against him, making him involuntarily clench his jaw.

“I think it’s already quite hard.”

“Tease,” he hissed.

“I’m not the one who’s teasing.”

Reluctantly, he eased back from her and dropped his hands. “Downstairs, last door. It’s the stateroom. There’s an en-suite with everything you need. Including a bathrobe. If you want to shower and get the chlorine off your skin and out of your hair, feel free.”

“Aren’t you gonna come with me?”

Jay cupped the back of her head and crushed her lips with a hard, searing kiss. Despite its briefness, the contact nearly robbed him of his senses. His cock throbbed in need, and he was tempted to toss Tara onto the couch, rip her clothes off, and bury himself in her just to take the edge off. When he tore his mouth from her, he breathed hard.

“Do us both a favor: lock the door to the bathroom behind you.”

An unreadable look on her face, Tara pivoted and walked to the stairs that led below deck. As he watched her disappear, he let out an uneven breath.

Fuck! What was he doing? Tara was way too young for him. She was practically innocent from what he could tell, and he was lying to her, pretending to be somebody he was not. Yet at the same time, he felt this overwhelming urge to protect her. And somehow he knew if she found out who he was, she would run away from him.

Jay tore off his bow tie and opened the buttons of his shirt. It was damp and wrinkled from holding Tara in his arms. He rid himself of it and tossed it over his jacket. For a few minutes he just stood there in silent contemplation, then he grabbed both his jacket and his shirt and headed below deck to get changed.

When he entered the stateroom, he realized immediately that Tara hadn’t heeded his warning and left the bathroom door not only unlocked but open.

So much for all his good intentions. They’d just been swept out to sea.

4

Tara stood under the warm spray in the surprisingly large shower. There was no curtain or door to it, just a large glass panel spanning half the width of the eight feet wide shower stall to protect the bathroom from the water. In fact the entire master suite seemed huge, considering this was a yacht, not a house.

She should feel happy and excited that she’d hooked up with a handsome and amazingly sexy guy who obviously wanted to go to bed with her. Instead, she felt awful. Awful, because she was using him to get back at her parents. This was a bad idea. Besides, even if she had sex with Jay, it would probably turn into a disappointment. Her last boyfriend wasn’t the only one who’d thought she was boring in bed. The guy before that had uttered similar complaints. Stiff as a board came to mind. That’s how he’d described her. She hadn’t done enough. Well what was she supposed to do? Acrobatics? Maybe she just wasn’t the type who was exciting in bed. Anyway, what did it matter now?