Page 10 of Mister Daddy

She nods and sucks her straw. Those pouty pink lips drive me wild as they form a tight “O” and my thoughts start going crazy. I have something else she can suck that would taste twice as nice, and be slippery and slick going down her throat.

But goddammit, I need to stop this train of thought. Who am I to be such a disgusting horndog? She’s just an innocent girl at a club with her friends, while I’m an older man thinking all sorts of dirty thoughts. I should leave her alone, that’s for sure.

Unfortunately, I can’t. I’m desperate to know her better, and my body keeps saying “yes” even as my mind says “no.” Fuck it. If things don’t progress with Abby soon, we’re never going to find out just how talented she is with those lips.

At that moment, a slow song begins to blare over the speakers. Perfect. I hold my hand out to Abby. “How about a dance?” I ask.

She blinks a few times and gapes at my hand, but she doesn’t take it.

Shit.

Was I only imagining the buzz between us? I’m hardly ever wrong, but there’s a first time for everything.

5

Abby

Istare at the hand stretching toward me for a few beats too long. Uncertainty plagues Carter’s face.

This tall, tan, sexy guy standing in front of me could have any girl he wants. In the last ten minutes, I’ve seen at least five women passengers eyeing him hungrily as if he were the last man on earth. So why is he standing here, asking me to dance?

“Excuse us for one second,” I say, brushing by him and grabbing Caitlyn and Jessica by their arms. “Don’t move.”

Caitlyn and Jessica follow me reluctantly to the corner by the DJ where we can have a little privacy.

“What the hell, Abby?” Caitlyn asks, struggling to keep her drink from spilling.

“What’s with the freak out, Abigail?” Jessica adds, rubbing her arm where I had gripped her a bit too hard. “I thought you were vibing with Carter.”

“I was! I am. But look at him. He’s absolutely gorgeous and can get any woman he wants. Why would he want me?”

The girls roll their eyes in unison. “Look at you, Abby. You’re beautiful and don’t say you aren’t.”

“No, I’m not. Please. I’m in your dress, wearing your make-up, and the lighting is non-existent. He probably can’t even see me, or even worse, thinks I’m an easy target because I’m a big girl.”

Caitlyn glances back at the bar over her shoulder. Oh god. I hope he doesn’t see, but I know that’s too much to wish for.

“If that were the case, wouldn’t he move on to someone else who doesn’t need to discuss it with her friends first?” she asks in a meaningful tone.

“What?” Much less casually, I look over my shoulder and see Carter leaning against the bar right where we’d left him. He’s devastatingly handsome, and I feel myself go hot all over again. “Well, I did tell him to stay put.”

“Since when do guys do what they’re told?” Jessica scoffs. “Face it, Abby, he’s into you. So what are you gonna do about it?”

“I don’t know!” I shout right as the music gets quiet. A few people turn to stare at me, but a new song starts up and pulls their attention back to the dance floor. “It’s been, like… a year, at least, since the last time I… and, God, what was Ithinkingwith those snarky comebacks? That’s not me!”

Jess nods.

“It was kind of nice to see ‘Shy Abby’ break out of her shell. The shots probably helped with that too, come to think of it.”

She’s right. I was feeling the alcohol pretty good when Carter made his way to us. The situation has sobered me up now, though, not to mention the water I’ve been chugging to get my equanimity back. I really don’t want to be hungover when we get to our first stop tomorrow because it’s to the cruise line’s private island. It’s the epitome of luxury, but right now, I have more pressing issues at hand.

“Am I crazy for wanting to dance with him?”

My friends giggle.

“Sweetie, not even close. You’re not the only one hooking up with a stranger tonight. Half of the people on the dance floor just met an hour ago and look at them now. Humping like wild dogs not to mention that couple in the corner,” Jess says, squinting while trying to peer into the depths. “I wouldn’t be surprised it they’re having full-on sex right now.”

Gazing at the dirty dancing in front of us, I wonder if Jessica’s right. Could all of these people really be getting intimate with people they barely know? Is what they say true? What happens on a cruise stays on the cruise?