Alaskan Exposure (9 page)

His smile melted away all of Pete’s transgressions and made
them seem a million years ago.

“The strange thing was, once we sold the house in the
divorce and I got my own place, I felt less alone than I had in my marriage.”

“Being alone and being lonely are two totally different
things,” Kyle said.

“Have you ever been married?” She asked.

“No. It never seemed fair. I lead an unconventional life.”

“What about serious relationships?”

His eyes dimmed and shifted away from her face. “I was
engaged for a year. She couldn’t deal with me being away for six months at a
time. I can’t say that I blame her.” In spite of his claim of understanding,
she could hear the pain in his voice.

“I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago.”

She reached up and touched his jaw, cupping his cheek in her
palm. “And since then?”

His mouth quirked up in a sexy half smile. “Since then, I’ve
kept it pretty simple.”

Her heart was pounding. She had to look away from his
assessing eyes to gather the courage for her next question. “So then, why try
to get to know me better? Why not let me walk away this morning and leave it at
that? Why not ‘keep it simple’?”

Her hair fell forward veiling her face. He tucked it behind
her ear, and she watched his face when he answered.

“You’re not that kind of girl. I knew that the moment I
first saw you.”

She didn’t understand him. How was she different? What kind
of girl did he think she was? His hard cock pressing against her pelvis made
her doubt his words.

“So, I’m a challenge.” Her voice was laced with bitter
sarcasm that no one could have missed.

He moved still closer. His entire body pressed against the
length of hers. His arms slid around her holding her tighter than was
comfortable. She saw the flash of anger in his eyes but she didn’t turn away.
Instinctively, her hands went to his chest ready to push him back if need be.
His shaft still stood at full attention pressed between their bodies.

“You are the only one who is cheapening this, Charley. When
you say those kinds of things, it makes me so furious with you. I don’t know if
any woman has ever made me as angry as I was this morning.”

She could barely breathe. The feel of him excited her more
than she would ever admit. His anger was laced with passion, and her pussy wept
with desire to be naked beneath him. The cravings he elicited from her were
like a drug addiction. She couldn’t get enough. “Why pursue me then? You could
have anyone.”

All the fury left his eyes and only the passion remain. Her
clit ached and she had to fight to keep from pressing her thighs tighter to
him.

He ran his knuckles along her jaw and threaded his fingers
through her hair. “Why is it so unbelievable to you that I could be interested
in you, and not just sex?”

“Your cock tells a different story.”

He took a half a step back. The cold air whipped between
them making her shiver. She pulled his jacket tighter around her shoulders. She
wished she could pull her words back and pretend she’d never said them.

“If we took sex off the table, would that convince you?”

He didn’t know what he wanted her to say. The part of him
that couldn’t stop thinking about this woman, wanted to take sex out of the
equation and see what would come of it. His lower half craved being buried deep
inside her tight pussy for the remainder of the cruise and maybe beyond that.
There was no right answer for her. He had set her up to fail. Why had he done
it? Fear was the only logical answer.

“Would you do that?”

“I would.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.” She was freezing.
Her body quaked now that he’d separated himself from her. In spite of the
warmer weather they’d had during the day it was still Alaska and they were at
sea at night. With the wind-chill, it felt near freezing outside. The cold was the
only reason he was able to use the out of the way nook for some privacy. If it
had been a Caribbean cruise, the decks would be swarming with guests enjoying
the night air.

“What do you want?” He expected her to say they would not
have sex again. He was cringing on the inside, waiting for her to say it.
Though, if that’s what it would take to get to know her, he was more than
willing.

“Right now, I want to pull my dress up and let you fuck me
right here on the deck.”

“Jesus, Charley.” He had to close his eyes against the wave
of pure lust that washed over him. “Why don’t you ever say what I expect?”

She giggled and all he wanted to do was comply with her
desires. Of course, he would probably lose his job and never get work on
another cruise ship again. He’d end up on some freighter somewhere either too
hot or too cold. He held his position just inches from her.

“I have a problem with saying exactly what I’m thinking. It
gets me into trouble sometimes,” she said. “It used to really upset my ex. We’d
go to business parties and he’d expect me to keep my mouth shut and look
pretty. Of course, I couldn’t do it. Though, I’ve never said the kinds of
things I say to you to anyone else. You seem to bring out the devil in me.”

He loved the idea that she’d only talked dirty to him and no
other man. Ignoring the mention of her ex-husband, he bit the inside of his
cheek and thought about the captain reaming him out for some transgression. His
cock fell to half-mast. “If I ask you to come back to my cabin for the night, are
you going to assume that all I want from you is sex and run out in the morning
with that ashamed look on your face?”

“You left out the part where I insult you so that you’ll
leave me alone.”

Her smile was shy or possibly embarrassed. Whatever the
cause, she was frigging adorable. Dammit, how had he gotten so bowled over by
this woman?
You’re in big trouble, pal.
“I did, didn’t I?”

“Are you saying that you want to pursue a relationship with
me? How would that even work?” Her eyes were wide and she shivered and tried to
get deeper into his jacket.

“I don’t know what I’m saying. I have no idea how it could
possibly work out. Believe me, it rarely can work in the long-term. All I know
is I can’t get you out of my head. I’m sure it’s not just the sex, though that
was unbelievable. I want you and I’m willing to risk getting hurt to see if we
have something special here.”

She just kept staring up at him without saying a word, and
he was beginning to feel like an ass. What on earth made him say all of that
out loud?

“Let’s get out of the cold before you freeze to death.” He
tugged her hand and led her in the nearest door. They arrived near the elevator
banks by the fitness center.

He kept her small fingers entwined with his as they rejected
the elevators and started down the steps. When they reached the landing on deck
nine, he said, “What do you want to do, Charley? Should I walk you down one
more deck to your cabin?”

She turned into him and pressed her cheek to his chest. He
wondered if she could hear how fast and hard his heart was pounding as he
wrapped his arms round her. He kissed the top of her head, ready to let her go
and walk her to her cabin. It was going to be a long uncomfortable night alone
in his room. He would definitely have to take a cold shower.

“I want you to make me come so hard I scream your name and
then I want you to do it again.”

His cock was instantly rock hard again. When he looked down
at her upturned face, she was smiling wickedly.

“You are going to drive me crazy. You know that, don’t you?”

She shrugged, still smiling.

He took her hand and led the way down the corridor to his
stateroom. He opened the door but stopped at the threshold. “Promise me that
even if you freak out at some point tonight or in the morning, you will talk to
me and not run.”

She leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. “I
promise.”

He stepped back, and she followed him through the door
letting it swing closed and click into place.

Charley took off his jacket and draped it over the chair.
“So, no sex on the deck.”

She said it very matter-of-factly.

He sat on the edge of the bed and tugged at his tie until it
loosened. “I’ll lose my job and I like my job. Is public sex something that you
are into?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never tried it.” One of his uniforms
hung on the outside of the closet. It had been cleaned and pressed and returned
to his room while he was on duty earlier. She ran her hand down the sleeve.

He watched her step out of her sexy stiletto heels. She
wasn’t wearing any stockings, and he admired her pink polished toenails as they
curled into the carpet. “But you’re not opposed to the idea.”

She cocked her head to one side. “I think that I’ve played
it safe my entire life and all I have to show for it is a broken heart.”

“I don’t think he broke your heart. I think he tried to
break your spirit.”

“You’re probably right.”

He pulled the tie over his head and unbuttoned his shirt.
“Did he really tell you that you were no good at oral sex?”

She nodded. Her blush started at the part in her hair and
made its way down to where it disappeared beneath her dress. “He told me I was
not good in bed period but particularly bad at blowjobs.”

“You must realize, he was totally insane.”

She reached behind her back, and he heard the slide of her
zipper. The dress gapped in the front. Charley pushed the spaghetti straps down
her shoulders and let the fabric fall to the floor.

Kyle’s mouth hung open. Never in his wildest imagination had
he thought she’d be commando under her dress. Her curvy body and slightly
embarrassed expression had him painfully hard and filled with tenderness.

“The surprises never stop with you, Ms. Ballantine.” He
stood up and removed his pants, shoes and socks before dropping his
boxer-briefs.

She took two steps, bringing her within inches of him but she
didn’t touch him. He wanted to tug her into his arms and take control, but knew
this time had to be on her terms.

“Pete said that I was inhibited and he was probably right. I
don’t know what’s gotten into me since I met you.”

“What do you mean?” He ran the backs of his knuckles over
the taut peaks of her upturned breasts.

“He never…I mean…I never.” Her face turned bright red.

“Charley are you telling me that you never had an orgasm
before last night?” He could hear the shock in his voice. She was so responsive,
it was unimaginable that she’d never felt that kind of pleasure before.

“No, no. But only when I…” Her fingers inadvertently touched
her pussy.

“Your only orgasms were from masturbation?”

She nodded and her blush deepened. “You must think I’m a
complete idiot.”

Reaching across the gap that separated them, he took her
hands and tugged her toward the bed. He sat down and coaxed her to sit beside
him. “I want you to listen to me very carefully, Charlene Ballantine. First of
all, your ex is a complete and total asshole. He obviously has no clue about
pleasuring a woman. You are the most sensual and responsive woman I’ve ever
met. The idea that you feel uninhibited with me is extremely flattering. You’re
mouth around my cock was one of the best things I’ve ever felt in my life,
second only to being buried deep in your amazing pussy. I am not against trying
anything you might like, as long as it doesn’t threaten my employment. And if
you would let me, I would love to watch you masturbate. Though, I don’t know
how long I could only watch.”

He watched her expression change from shy to embarrassed to
pleased. And then, when he mentioned watching her touch herself, he saw
intrigue in her green eyes.

“Really?” she asked.

He knew what she meant, but he wanted to hear her say it.
“Which part?”

“You want to watch me?’

He leaned down and pressed his lips to the side of her neck.
“Say it, Charley.”

“Masturbate. Touch my pussy. You want to watch me make
myself come?”

His cock jumped with each word. He ran his tongue along her
pulse. “Does the idea excite you?”

“Yes.” The word came out breathy.

“Why does that surprise you?”

“I’ve always thought of it as a private activity.”

He took her hand and raised it to his mouth. He slowly
sucked her index finger in. Her mouth opened and a soft gasp escaped. He used
his tongue to push the digit out again. “You are welcome to keep it a private
activity if you wish.”

He sucked both her index and middle fingers into his mouth
and let them slide back out wet. Then he took her hand and guided it to the
apex of her thighs.

Her eyes were wide and he was certain she was going to take
her hand away and he would gladly take over the job. Once again, she surprised
him. Scooting back on the bed, she leaned against the headboard. He saw another
flash of fear cross her face and then desire overturned her trepidation.
Everything about her, clutched at his heart. He yearned to see every emotion in
those emerald eyes.

Kyle adjusted himself so that he was lying across the end of
the bed in full view of her. His cock was already painfully hard but the idea
that she would expose herself totally thrilled him more than any sex act.

His head rested on his palm, watching but not saying a word.
If she wanted to back out, he wanted her to feel no pressure. And he was still
sure she was going to blush and turn away at any moment.

She lifted her left knee and slid her right leg out, opening
herself to his view. Her folds glistened with moisture as her fingers slid down
tentatively. Her eyes closed for a moment as the tips of her fingers slid over
her clit and her mouth opened but no sound escaped.

Kyle’s mouth watered at the erotic sight of her fondling her
pussy ever so gently. Her fingers dipped down, one slid inside her slit and
came out shining with her juices. She rubbed the moisture over her clit and
gave a soft cry. Her eyes popped open and she looked slightly surprised to find
him still avidly watching.