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  She bit her lip, looking at him coyly. “I thought you wanted me for dessert.”

  He beamed and quickly got out of his chair. “Finally. I thought this time would never come.”

  Sarah yelped when he lifted her off her chair and into his arms. “Jeff!”

  “It’s faster this way,” he mumbled. “You might decide to stop and smell the roses on the way to the bedroom.”

  “I was not deliberately holding off,” she protested laughingly, curling her arms around his neck. “I was merely enjoying that wonderful dinner!”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Now you can enjoy me while I enjoy you.”

  Sarah moaned softly and started kissing his neck.

  “Sarah,” he murmured, heart pounding and desire zipping through his body. He placed her on the bed and went on all fours above her, trapping her underneath him. He stared at her beautiful face, and he was overcome with... something. He could only describe it as tenderness mixed with need. He shook his head surreptitiously, amazed and just a little bit disturbed with the feelings whirling within him.

  But it didn’t need to be anything more than simple. He was going to have Sarah tonight, and assuage that strong desire for her that had been prodding him for days.

  He lowered his head to hers, locking lips. In no time, their kiss turned hungry, consuming him, making him burn with want. His hand snuck in between her legs and he ran his fingers over her sexy underwear. He felt her moisture through the silky material, making him groan in anticipation.

  “Jeff,” Sarah breathed, her fingers clutching his hair.

  He moved her panties aside and sought her wetness as he recaptured her mouth. When his finger found her clit, hot and swollen, Sarah let out a loud gasp. With his free hand and Sarah’s help he bared her breasts to his gaze, all along rubbing her nub, loving her lusty reaction to his ministrations. She was just as eager as he was, and it made him so much damn hotter.

  “Baby,” he moaned as Sarah rubbed his erection through his pants. “We need to get rid of these clothes.”

  Sarah made a noise of agreement and started unbuckling his pants, grazing his hard-on. God, she was driving him crazy.

  He discarded his clothes in record time and helped her out of hers. Sarah lay naked before him, flushed, breathing hard, and utterly desirable. He stilled for a moment to admire her. But only for a short moment. He just had to taste her. Now.

  He cupped a breast, gently kneading it, before closing his lips on her nipple. When he’d fully licked and sucked on it, he paid equal attention to its twin before kissing his way down her body. Once he was positioned between her legs, he looked up. She was watching him, her eyes hooded and lips parted. Then she smiled—a shy but sweet smile that had a weird effect of both calming and inflaming him at the same time. Ah, this woman was doing something to him he couldn’t explain.

  But he didn’t have the time or the inclination to figure out what that was. Her heat and the smell of her arousal were beckoning.

  He dipped his head and licked her wetness before flicking his tongue on her clit.

  “Jeff,” Sarah cried, her hips swaying.

  He stayed with her like that for a while—licking, sucking, tasting. When he sensed she was close to reaching the crest, he forced himself to stop and hurriedly reached for a condom from his bedside drawer. He wanted to feel her first orgasm with him while he was inside her.

  Sarah was looking at him with naked desire when he went back to her. God, he could only hope he could hold on long enough. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt close to coming just from pleasuring a woman without stimulating his hardness. But yes, he was damned close. It must be from all those days of waiting that he’d had to endure.

  He inserted himself inside her slowly, letting her adjust to him, but also wanting this to last. “Sarah,” he couldn’t help but gasp when he started to move. Holy fuck, she just felt so fucking good.

  “Oh God... Jeff...” Sarah mewled as she writhed underneath him.

  “Baby, slow,” he grunted, trying to control his thrusts.

  But she didn’t listen. Instead, she wrapped her legs around him and grabbed his bottom, urging him to go deeper. Ahhh.

  It wasn’t long before he felt her body tensing around him, and he let control slip. He drove into her, uncontrollably now, as their gasps and moans mingled together. He thrust, over and over. When Sarah’s body shuddered and contracted around his cock, he came, loud and long.

  He collapsed on top of her, breathing hard and totally stunned by the sheer pleasure he just had in Sarah’s arms.

  Then and there, he knew he’d want this fling to go for a long while. And he found himself hoping that Sarah felt the same.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Oh my God.

  Sarah lay panting under Jeff’s hard and sweaty body. That was absolutely incredible.

  She ran her hand languidly on his back, thoroughly satisfied. Jeff made a contented sound and kissed her cheek before propping himself on an elbow to look at her.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Hi,” she responded.

  “That was great.”

  “Yes.” She couldn’t agree more.

  “But too quick.”

  She giggled. “A quickie for our first time.”

  “Wait here,” Jeff said, getting out of bed. “These things are mood killers,” he muttered to himself as he took off the condom and walked to the bathroom.

  She chuckled and closed her eyes, wanting to revel in the afterglow.

  So she’d done it. She’d crossed off ‘have a fling with a hot man’ from her cruise to-do list. And what an experience it was! Frankly, she was surprised at how lusty she’d been. She had never been that hot or that turned on with her previous boyfriends. Was that the effect of adventure and romance on the high seas?

  She smiled wryly. She knew damn well it was nothing else but the Jeffrey Carmichael effect. Now that she knew what it was like to be with him, the more it became important to keep this agreement short. It would be so easy to get addicted to—

  Her eyes flew open as Jeff lifted her leg and started kissing it.

  “Real slow this time,” he said, his smile full of salacious promise.

  She bit her lip. She was already lost.

  *****

  Sarah sat between Rebecca and Greg at the big dining table. It was the last night of the cruise and the whole Carmichael entourage was there. She hadn’t spent much time with Magda’s sister or friends in the last few days, so she was grateful that they were all having dinner together. And even though she felt uncomfortable around Marilyn—the granddaughter of one of Magda’s friends and the woman that Jeff had an affair with prior to her—she was still glad they were at the same table. It gave her a chance to silently observe how Jeff and Marilyn interacted with each other, now that they were no longer sleeping together.

  It was unfortunate that Greg had sat next to Sarah. She was hoping to sit next to Jeff again, but it wasn’t to be. The only seat left was the one next to Greg, and unfortunately, Marilyn. Oh well.

  Zach said that Jeff was running late again. Apparently the account manager assigned for The Carmichael Corporation by their advertising agency had suddenly resigned for personal reasons. With the reopening of their country hotel happening soon, Jeff was on the phone to them, wanting to make sure their program schedule wouldn’t be affected by the change in personnel.

  The first course was being served when Jeff finally arrived, apologising to everyone for being late.

  “What did they say?” Zach asked.

  “Someone else within the company will work on our account until a new manager is assigned to us in a couple of weeks,” Jeff answered. “Apparently they’re hiring a new person of high calibre to fill the position, but this new person’s written acceptance of their offer is still not in so they prefer not to tell us who it is until everything is finalised from their end. They assured me though that our ad program shouldn’t be affected by all this.”
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br />   “Hopefully not,” Greg commented. “It’s not ideal that a new person would be jumping in to look after our account so close to a major reopening of one of our businesses. We’ve already drilled to them that we want an advertising program that is fluid and responds to the market, not some cut-and-dried, set-in-stone setup. The plan is important, but the person running it is the key.”

  “They’re well aware that we chose their company for the skills of their top account manager. Unfortunately, he’s left. They assured me that the replacement will be just as sharp and responsive, if not better.”

  “Well, let’s hope that that’s the case or we’ll have no choice but to sack them,” Zach said with a sigh. “Anyway, sorry everyone. We don’t want to bore you with shop talk. Let’s enjoy dinner.”

  Everyone eagerly dug into their mouthwatering food, ooh-ing and ahh-ing about how delicious their dishes were.

  How the food tasted, however, was far from Sarah’s mind. She sent surreptitious glances at Jeff, disappointed that he hadn’t even acknowledged her.

  She was sighing her disappointment when she heard him talk to Greg. He spoke softly, but loud enough that she could also hear.

  “Why did you sit next to Sarah?” Jeff asked.

  Greg frowned. “What’s wrong with me sitting next to her?”

  “I wanted to sit next to her,” Jeff said, glancing at Sarah with a teasing grin, “so I can get her laughing like a hyena again.”

  “I can do that, too,” Greg said impishly. “From what I’ve heard, all I need to do is ply her with alcohol.”

  “Excuse me,” Sarah interrupted quietly. “I’ll have you both know that there’s no way you can get me drunk tonight.”

  Jeff chuckled and gave her a wink.

  Sarah shook her head in mock bemusement. It was funny how the two guys could go from being all-professional and discussing an important business matter, to talking like a couple of juveniles. It was heartwarming. It showed how close the brothers were.

  And she was super thrilled with Jeff’s teasing. In a secretive way, he’d wanted to convey he’d rather be sitting next to her than to Marilyn. That was what he meant, wasn’t it?

  Rebecca elbowed her from her other side. “Did you do it last night?” Rebecca whispered.

  “Yes,” she responded.

  Bec and Zach had spent the day enjoying a couple’s massage and other activities that they’d been wanting to do together before the cruise ended, so Sarah hadn’t seen her friend all day.

  “And?” Rebecca asked.

  Sarah grinned, guessing Rebecca must be dying to know everything. “It was great,” she whispered. “I can categorically say it has been the highlight of this trip.”

  “Wow. And now what?”

  She shrugged. “I plan for it to end by the time we leave this ship.”

  “So you’ve both agreed to that?”

  “We haven’t exactly said anything about it yet. But we’re both clear this is just a short affair.”

  “Zach said he’s worried about you.”

  “Why?”

  “He said Jeff is a big flirt. He doesn’t want you getting the wrong idea and maybe taking Jeff seriously.”

  Sarah smiled. “No need to worry. Jeff’s been very honest with me. In fact, he said that if I have a problem with just a casual relationship that we shouldn’t do it.”

  “Oh, right,” Rebecca said. “As long as you’re okay, Sarah. You can’t fool me, you know. It’s obvious you like Jeff. A lot.”

  “I do. But I am absolutely under no illusion about what this means,” she said, leaning closer to speak in Rebecca’s ear. “All this means is I got to have sex with the hot Jeffrey Carmichael,” she said conspiratorially.

  Rebecca laughed, relaxing visibly. “So it ends tomorrow?”

  “That’s the plan. Then I’m off to find my New Year’s Resolution Guy.”

  *****

  Sarah woke up with something heavy draped across her body. She grinned. Jeff was still sound asleep, his arm and leg wrapped around her. She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy being in his arms for the last time.

  What a shame this had to end so soon. Sex with Jeff was definitely something special. The multiple times they’d done it in the last two nights were more memorable and vastly more enjoyable than all her experiences with all her past boyfriends combined.

  She’d miss Jeff. Who wouldn’t, if they’d got to spend the kind of time she’d had with him? She didn’t have any regrets whatsoever, even if she knew he’d be haunting her thoughts for a few weeks, if not months. The experience was well worth it.

  Unfortunately, she had to get up. She hadn’t packed her bags yet, and she was supposed to have them ready early this morning for check-out purposes. She tried to lift Jeff’s arm, but there was no doing it gently. It was too heavy, and he stirred.

  “Morning,” he said sleepily, placing a kiss on her shoulder and gathering her closer to him.

  “Morning.” She shifted to face him and got a kiss on the lips for her efforts before Jeff went back to sleep.

  “I have to get up, Jeff,” she said softly. “I have to get my luggage ready.”

  Jeff peeled his eyes open. “Why? It’s still early. We’re not disembarking until late this afternoon.”

  “But I got a note in my room yesterday that I should have my big suitcase ready and placed outside my door by eight at the latest, as part of the checking-out coordination.”

  He frowned. “We didn’t get that note. My suite attendant said to just be ready a couple of hours before we’re due to leave.”

  She smirked. “For you people staying in the suites, maybe. You’re VIPs.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Jeff said nuzzling her cheek. “I’ll ask my guy to pick up your bags this afternoon when he takes mine.”

  “Um—” She didn’t get to articulate her protest as Jeff proceeded to make her body scream for him again.

  *

  “Jeff?”

  “Hmm?” Jeff had his hands under his head and was watching her get dressed with a languid, satisfied look on his face.

  “If I don’t get to see you before we disembark, I just want to say thanks for the last couple of nights. I had great fun.”

  He grinned. “Me too. But I’m sure I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  She smiled at him. Fortunately, the sheets were covering the lower half of his body or she might have an even harder time making herself leave his room. She was already feeling weepy.

  “So do you already have another job lined up after this?” Jeff asked.

  “Yes. I have two regular clients that I see for their daily post-surgery exercises. Someone else is covering for me for those jobs while I’m here with your grandmother. I’ll be back with them from next week. I also have a new request from the private hospital I work with to turn up there for a few hours a week to help with patients.”

  Jeff nodded. “You have to let me know your schedule, so we can work out when we could see each other.”

  Sarah’s heart pounded as she stared at Jeff. Did he mean for this affair to keep going? For how long? She took a deep breath and forced herself to speak her intentions.

  “Jeff, I really enjoyed our time together. But I think it might be a good thing to keep this as a cruise-only fling.”

  Jeff sat up on the bed, his brows furrowing. “Come here, Sarah,” he said quietly.

  Her feet moved toward him, seeming to have a mind of their own. When she was within reach, Jeff tugged her hand so she would sit on the bed next to him.

  “I thought we were having a great time,” he said, looking genuinely perplexed.

  “We were!”

  “So why do we have to end this so soon?”

  She gulped involuntarily. What could she say? “You might be used to having casual affairs, Jeff, but I’m not,” she said, deciding to go for some semblance of truth. “I’m not sure I could keep my end of the bargain with keeping it simple if this went on. It would be safer and much le
ss complicated if we ended it now.”

  Jeff gaped at her for a long moment. “I see. Thanks for being honest.”

  She smiled at him, pushing aside a melancholy that blossomed suddenly. “I’ll see you at Zach and Bec’s party.”

  “Aren’t you going to my party, too? I’d really like you to come.”

  She took a deep breath. “Sure. I’d love to be there.”

  “Great. I’ll see you then. And thanks, Sarah. These two days have been amazing.”

  She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him softly. “Yes, they have been. I’ll see you on your birthday then.”

  “Okay,” he said with a smile. “Bye, Sarah.”

  “Bye, Jeff.”

  She hurriedly left his suite before she gave in to the urge to fly back into his arms again.

  When she’d closed his door behind her, she paused and took a deep breath. Gosh, this was much harder than she’d ever expected it to be. Which went to show she’d made the right decision. Continuing the fling would be totally disastrous.

  She chewed her lip to distract herself from the heaviness that engulfed her. A big part of her wanted to turn around and knock on Jeff’s door, but she had to be smart about this. Her happily-ever-after guy was still out there and she’d be better off focusing her time and energy in identifying and catching that man, whoever he might turn out to be. One thing was for sure, he wasn’t Jeff.

  The door next to Jeff’s suite opened, and Sarah’s heart raced in her chest. Wasn’t it too early for Magda to be up? Magda had said she intended to sleep in until mid-morning, as they had a late night last night.

  Oh shit. It was already mid-morning.

  “Sarah!” Magda said in surprise as she walked out the door.

  “Hi Magda. I thought I’d see how you’re going this morning.” Sarah felt the heat creep up her face for that lie. But she couldn’t very well tell Magda that she’d just been in her grandson’s bedroom.

  “Oh, I’m fine, dear. I told you last night that you should enjoy your last day of the cruise doing whatever you want to do. I’m meeting up with my friends to play some bingo.”

  “Okay. If you need me for anything, please call me.”