Voyage To Submission (5 page)

The carved double doors swung open a second
later and she stared at the handsome face of a tall, good-looking man dressed
impeccably in a black three-piece suit and dark silk tie.

“Welcome to the Balmoral Suite, Ms. Bond. I
apologize for not being here earlier to expedite your arrival. I am Henderson,
your butler for this voyage.”

Andy knew her mouth gaped open. Amidst her
surprise, she dropped the folder and her purse. “Wow! You even have a British
accent.”

“Allow me to pick all this up, ma’am. If
you and your guest would like to be seated in the main lounge, I’ll be with you
in a moment to fix drinks, if you’d like.” Henderson bowed just slightly, and
quite correctly.

Andy had already started to bend down and
realized how silly she must have looked with her mouth open and half crouched.
A moment later, Jack took her upper arm in his grip and steered her into the
room.

As they entered the sunken living room,
Jack released her arm. A large semi-circular sofa partially faced the large
bank of windows. Beyond the glass, he could see a deck with chairs and table.
At the moment, he had some trouble dealing with the impressiveness of this
place, let alone the damned butler who’d opened her door. He sure as hell
didn’t like the idea of this guy drawing her bath, bringing her breakfast in
bed or anything else for that matter. Hearing the footfalls signaling the
butler’s approach, he turned and saw Andy seated on the sofa, still not moving.
He’d seen the look on her face when she’d first looked upon
her
perfect
butler.

Looking at her, Jack could see how
beautiful she’d become, and he could easily imagine any man being attracted to
her. He couldn’t say for sure what he’d wanted to happen aboard this cruise,
but he’d hoped to talk with her privately before the onslaught from outsiders
encroached on their time. Perhaps more than an iota of hope existed that
something would come from their time together. Maybe he sought to discover
whether a future with Andy was possible.

“I finished your unpacking, Ms. Bond.”
Henderson spoke just loud enough to get their attention. “I wasn’t sure when
you would be retiring so I’ve turned down the bed and set out your
nightclothes. I’ve also prepared a light snack for you in the refrigerator of
the wet bar in the master bedroom. Would you like me to mix cocktails for you
and your guest? Or if you prefer, I could set out your clothes for tomorrow and
take care of any pressing they might need.”

Jack turned from Henderson to Andy and saw
she still stood with her mouth open. He moved forward as he spoke. “I’ll have
some brandy and the lady would like some iced tea.”

“Excellent, sir. Shall I arrange for
breakfast?”

Andy shook her head, standing to take her
belongings from Henderson. “I made reservations already.”

“You don’t need reservations for the
Queen’s settings, miss, which includes the Queen’s Grill Lounge, as well as the
private sun terrace.”

“Thank you, Mr. Henderson.” Andy smiled at
the handsome butler.

Jack watched and felt his teeth grating
angrily together.

“Just Henderson, ma’am,” her butler
clarified.

Andy shrugged but grinned as she replied,
“Okay, but I’ll probably forget.”

Henderson returned the smile. “I’ll return
with your drinks in a few moments. If you should need anything, including in
the night hours, there is a call button for me beside your bed, as well as in
the master bathroom and in all the rooms down here. I plugged in your laptop to
recharge the battery.”

“Wow! Thanks. I’m always letting it get so
low it’s screaming at me to plug it in or face dire consequences.”

Jack smiled at Andy’s jesting, but stopped
when he saw Henderson had broken his stiff manner enough to smile. Telling
himself to stop worrying about the butler, he crossed back towards Andy. “Have
a seat, Andy. We can relax and chat for a while.”

She didn’t say anything as she sat, but he
was sure she’d choose to be alone. Usually he wasn’t like this, which unsettled
him. He never bothered a woman who wasn’t interested in him equally as well.
So, this persistence with Andy was completely abnormal. To say it bugged him
would be an understatement. He watched as Andy sat once more, carefully pulling
down her skirt as far as it would go. Jack waited until Henderson returned with
the drinks so he could sit close to Andy without her putting more distance between
them.

As soon as the butler returned, Jack met
him partway and accepted the drinks. “Thank you, Henderson. Good night.” Jack
didn’t like the way the other man looked at Andy.

Henderson nodded his head. “You’re welcome,
sir. Once again, Ms. Bond, please feel free to ring at any time.”

Andy shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to
disturb your sleep.”

“That’s what I am here for, Miss, to
service your every need.”

The words hung in the air for a few seconds
and then Andy coughed slightly. “Thank you, Henderson.”

The butler turned and walked over to
another set of double doors.

Hell! The damned place had a private
elevator. As the doors closed behind the butler, Jack walked to the plush
off-white sofa, piled high with thick, silk-covered pillows in golden colors to
match the lush décor. Holding out the tea to Andy, he waited until she took it.
He sat sideways so he could look at her. He sipped the brandy, finally
realizing just how good, and expensive, it was.

“I could’ve peed my pants when he opened
the door,” Andy spoke quickly. “I didn’t know this suite came with a freaking,
honest-to-God British butler. Now, I’ll be scared I’ll do something stupid and
he’ll wonder how the
poor white trash
girl snuck on board.”

That sounded like the Andy he used to know.
Jack shook his head, letting his gaze rove over Andy’s face and upper body.
“Trust me, sweetheart, you could pick your teeth and scratch and no man is
going to think that about you. Didn’t you look in the mirror when you got
dressed?”

Jack savored the way her red silk dress fit
closely, clearly outlining her shape without being flashy or flaunting her
attributes. He wondered if her breasts still felt as soft as they had on the
last night on spring break. Just remembering the night and he always got hard—

Andy sipped her tea, and then kicked off
her shoes. She wished she could get comfortable. This was a dress for making
impressions and dancing, and it kept her from eating too much. Suddenly, she
leaned forward and set her glass on the dark wooden coffee table. “I’m going to
look around. Do you want to come?”

Jack frowned. “You haven’t seen the whole
thing yet?”

Andy shook her head and stood. “No. I
arrived so close to sailing, and then it was too late to linger. I had to rush
to be on time for drinks.”

“Sure, let’s see what there is to the
place. I noticed the complete bar setup.” Jack walked over and found an
electronic panel. “Watch this, Andy.” He pressed one button, and the glass
mirror behind the bar slid sideways and revealed a wine rack. It held a few
bottles of wine. “You should keep this a secret or Tony will be up here all the
time.”

Andy nodded. “I feel self-conscious
already. I wanted to upgrade to have a cabin by myself, and then things got out
of hand.”

“Why did you feel the need to be alone? I
thought the four of you girls have always gotten along.”

“We do,” she answered, turning away to
explore more of the suite. Just inside the double entryway, there was a small
closet on one side, and a guest bathroom on the other. She peered in.

“Two toilets,” Jack joined her. “That’s
convenient if you have guests. They can go through here like Noah’s Ark,” he
joked with a smile.

Andy laughed, shaking her head. “One toilet
and one bidet. I’ll have to try that. I’ve never used one before.”

She turned away as Jack replied with a
chuckle. “Tell you what, you test it and submit a written report.”

“Very funny.” Andy laughed, amazed at how
relaxed she felt once again. This was more the way she used to feel when it had
been just the two of them. They had enjoyed a camaraderie she’d never felt with
any of the other guys. “I wonder if people actually dine in their cabins much.
I’m going upstairs.”

Jack followed her. “I’m sure they do, Andy.
Sometimes you just don’t want be around people, let alone a crowd. I like
spending time by myself or with one other person.”

Andy stopped at the top of the stairs. She
wondered who was the person that he liked spending time with. She had learned
from Ruthie he wasn’t married, or engaged, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t
dating someone. It just might not be serious enough for him to skip the
reunion, or bring her along. Still the little voice in her head asking whether
he might be attracted to her now. And, if he were, would he pursue the
attraction, in some way. Immediately following the thought, she always reminded
herself she was still undecided about what she wanted. She was single, and
spent a lot of time telling herself and others, she was quite happy staying
that way.

“Hey! You’re not supposed to come to a
complete halt without blowing your horn,” Jack protested as he stopped behind
her. His next words reminded her he was taller than she and could most likely
see over her shoulder. “Wow! Is that the queen’s bed? Do you think she knows
it’s missing?”

Andy laughed and stepped into the wide-open
bedroom. The bed sat on a platform a few inches off the floor. Heavy, silken
curtains surrounding the bed made it appear so royal. “I think this bed will
kick me out as an imposter.”

Jack moved around her walking into the
room, looking around. “Did you see the bathroom?”

“Just as far as the sink.” Andy moved the
rest of the way in. “Calling this a master bathroom doesn’t give it credit. Two
sinks, two toilets—”

“Shower big enough for two,” Jack said.

Andy walked over towards the circular tub.
Her breath caught when she saw the walls around the tub were glass. “Jack? Look
at this.”

The night was clear beyond the glass wall
and easily gave the impression of bathing outdoors. She’d never imagined
something like this, and she should have! It was so romantic and sexy. She
would have to use this in one of her stories, she was thinking. Then she
realized Jack stood behind her, leaning close to look over her shoulder.

“This makes me think about champagne,
bubbling water and the night sky, the perfect combination for romance.”

Andy felt the butterflies go wild in her
stomach and forced her breathing to slow down. “You forgot something,” she
whispered. For a moment, she thought she dreamed it, but it was real. Jack’s
hand moved gently around her waist, until he pressed his palm flat to her
stomach, pulling her back. She felt his heat immediately. Suddenly, it felt as
if her heart was going to pound its way out of her chest.

Jack’s voice stirred the hair beside her
cheek as he replied. “Hmm. I thought I had everything. Champagne should be
chilling, and the tub can easily be turned on…and the sky has graciously been
provided. I wish I had roses to give you—”

He hadn’t said it straight out she was the
one he wanted in the tub. The logical corner of her brain quickly pointed out
it was
her
tub, after all. Usually she made jokes to shrug these things
off. She opened her mouth, hoping something clever would come out. The words
never materialized, and then she felt his fingers moving her hair. She knew in
her erotic books, the hero always did this so he could kiss heroine’s neck.

“Andy, I don’t want to pressure you. The
only reason I agreed to come on this reunion cruise was after I found out you
had promised to join the trip.”

She gasped in surprise and his hand
tightened at her waist, keeping her close. Almost immediately warmth swelled,
buried deep inside the place she held most secret and protected. She knew she
should say something.

Jack tightened his hand once again.
“Nothing I can think of would make me happier than to join you for a nice, long
soak, sip champagne and share kisses in this tub. Drying off, we’d go in and
sample your incredible bed.”

Andy closed her eyes, but was still
compelled to ask. “You mean, like we used to do with me under the covers and
you on top when the others were sharing beds.”

“No, Andrea. I want you naked, with me,
under the covers. Neither sleep, nor conversation, are my number-one priority,
honey.”

Andy started to say something when she felt
Jack’s fingers on the back zipper of the dress. He pulled it down a few inches
very slowly and when she didn’t stop him, he pulled it all the way to the
bottom. As he began pushing the dress forward, Andy panicked and spun to face
him. She had to lift one hand to maintain her decency in the brightly lit
bathroom.

“Could we go into the bedroom with the
lights out?” she asked quietly, not quite meeting his normally intense and too
all-seeing gaze.

“Sure, Andy,” he replied, stepping aside to
allow her into the bedroom first.

Andy moved quickly, turning off the lights
as she went to the bed. When she turned so her back was towards the bed, Jack
was already coming towards her. She gasped to see he’d removed his clothes so
quickly without mishap. Then she allowed herself to really look at him, the way
she used to do when she was sure no one was watching her at the beach. His
shoulders seemed a little broader, but his waist was still flat. And lowering
her gaze…oh yeah! Things were just as she remembered the one and only time—

She stopped thinking as Jack’s hands came
up to her shoulders. The only light was coming from the bathroom and with it
being behind him, Andy relaxed because she was sure Jack’s ability to see her
would be diminished. Lowering her hands, she let the dress fall to the floor at
her feet. Suddenly she wondered what he was thinking as he saw her. Nervousness
forced her to speak.

“I should imagine I look a lot different
from the other time.” Immediately, she thought how needy and insecure her words
must sound.

Jack slowly looked up from the amazing
display her red bra made of her breasts. Pushed up and together, he was tempted
to pull those straps down now. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head to look
directly at her. “I wasn’t thinking that, Andy. If I was thinking at all, it was
about how beautiful your skin looks, or how much I want to hold your breasts.”

Her hands lifted and released the bra’s
clasp. It sprang open and she caught the red silky garment with one hand
pressed to her chest.

Jack lifted his hands to her shoulders, shaking
his head. “Allow me, sweetheart.” He slid the narrow straps down her shoulders.
When he moved his hands to hover above the silken cups, Andy dropped her hand.
He watched as the sexy bra fell to the floor. He heard Andy’s breath catching,
but he was more concerned with his ability to keep air flowing in and out of
his lungs. Now would not be a good time to pass out! A second later, either his
hands moved forward or Andy leaned towards him because he was holding her full
breasts. “God, honey, you feel so wonderful.”

Jack was careful as he held her breasts,
feeling hard nipples pressing into his palms. He looked down at her high-cut
red silk panties, topped with a red and black garter belt holding up her
stockings. There was a good chance if he didn’t hurry things along, he could
end up embarrassing himself. His hands slid down and began tugging at her
underwear. He released it to fall to the floor once he reached her knees.

“Let’s get horizontal, Andy.” Resting his
knee on the bed, he gently eased their bodies back. “You look beautiful,
honey,” he added and lowered his mouth to press kisses across her chest. With
his hand pushing beneath one breast, he slid her taut nipple inside the wet
heat, wanting to suckle her.

“Oh God, Jack!”

Continuing to pull and tug on her nipple,
he slipped his hand down her tummy. He paused when he didn’t feel the lush
pussy fur which he’d only had the pleasure of running his fingers through just
once before. This time, her pussy was smooth as his fingers eased down. Her
thighs fell apart even as he felt the wetness flowing forth to welcome him.
Damn! He got hotter with each passing second. Easily he found her clit, and the
clever dance his finger performed with the bud of flesh was powerful.

Andy cried out again, and then her body
jerked against his spasmodically.

Jack lifted his mouth from her breast and
reached his hand out to grab the packet he’d tossed onto the bed.

The tear of foil sounded like thunder
cracking in her ears. It brought home what truly was about to happen. She’d
wanted Jack for twelve years and other than the senior year spring break when
they came so close—

She shifted her legs, watching his face.
There were no doubts in her head. This had to happen…it went beyond fate,
kismet or destiny. He was the man she dreamed about. Only his face had ever
filled her sexual fantasies, and too many times to count he had served as the
hero for a story.

Andy tilted her hips, moved her hands and
pulled him towards her. It was all the encouragement Jack needed and he started
to move when the phone started ringing beside the bed. Neither of them moved
for a few seconds as their gazes met, both just listening to the phone ring.

Finally, Jack rolled away, grabbing the
receiver off the phone’s cradle as he came to his feet. A second later, he
growled into the mouthpiece impatiently. “Yeah?”

The phone was then held out towards her and
Jack walked towards the bathroom. Lifting the receiver to her ear, Andy spoke
softly, “Hello.” She couldn’t see what Jack was doing as she came to sit on the
side of the bed.

“Andy! Come and join us in the bar. Bring
Jack with you.”

Taking a deep breath first, Andy still
tried to decide if the phone call interrupting them was a good thing or not.
Everything had certainly spiraled way beyond her control. Ten seconds later and
she would have been…her mind rebelled at the words. Her stomach clamped down
painfully in response. Was she upset because they’d stopped, and now she could
reconsider?

“Where are you?” she asked instead.

“Ray says to tell Jack it is The Golden
Lion Pub. He will remember where it is, according to Ray anyway. Hurry up,
sweetie, you don’t want to sleep this cruise away.”

The receiver went dead as Gayle hung up. A
noise caused her to turn her head as she reached over to replace the phone to
the cradle. Jack stood in the doorway and he had replaced his trousers.
Immediately she knew he had realized they had almost made a huge mistake. She
jerked one of the pillows forward, holding it the long way on her lap. Her arms
came up to clasp it tightly in place.

“That was Gayle, and the others. They want
us to join them. Uhm, Ray said you’d know the way…a place called The Golden
Lion Pub.” Nervously she shifted her hands, freeing one to push the hair back
off her face. “I think you should join them, Jack. I don’t want to get all
dressed up again. I’ll just go on to bed.”

Andy held her breath, waiting and
half-scared as to what Jack would decide. She wanted him to go, right? What had
almost happened would have been a mistake, so it was good Gayle had interrupted
them. Anyone and everyone would agree. Obviously, Jack thought so, too, or he
wouldn’t have started to redress. Looking around the room to avoid meeting his
gaze, she saw her negligee had been laid out across the stool which stretched
almost the full width at the foot of the bed. Without thinking first, she
leaned sideways to grab the robe. Only as she fell onto the bed did she realize
how silly she would look. Now she was stuck in this position unless she
released the pillow and wiggled around to stretch the last few inches.

Her opinion was confirmed when she heard
Jack clear his throat before he spoke and it sounded like he was covering a
laugh. “Need some help?”

“I wouldn’t want to delay you if you are in
a hurry,” she added, thinking if he left now, she might still keep some level
of dignity.