Page 10 of Not that Sea-Rious

Beau

I t’d been years since Beau felt this exhilarated. It had nothing to do with the partial blow job he’d received and had everything to do with the beauty whose orgasm lingered on his lips. He didn’t want the evening to end. If he could capture this night in a bottle, he’d cherish it forever.

Marissa’s company obliterated the pain of Megan’s betrayal.

It was the last thing on his mind. He wanted to learn more about Marissa.

If she’d let him, he’d spend hours committing little facts about her to his memory.

Stuff like her favorite color, if she preferred to cook or eat out, her favorite brunch location.

If she was a mimosa or Bloody Mary type of woman.

All the details she’d share with him.

She was an enthralling woman and exactly what he needed to salvage this vacation.

The evening couldn’t end. Beau had absolutely no desire to return to the morose motherfucker he’d been when he boarded the ship.

This guy laughing it up with Marissa as they discussed whether one could fish off the back of the cruise ship or not and what they would do if they caught a shark was a better person than the one he was this morning and it was because of Marissa.

After closing down all the bars on the ship and getting kicked out of every lounge spot, reluctantly, the pair stumbled their way to the elevators, up to their shared deck, and down the hall. Bleary-eyed, desperately exhausted, Beau blew out a breath when they could no longer put off the decision.

Left or right?

Would he be a proper gentleman and bid Marissa good night at her door, or would he succumb to his need to keep her company?

Sheepishly, he scrubbed at the back of his neck.

How the hell was he supposed to broach this?

They were grown-ass adults well into their thirties. It shouldn’t be this hard. Just ask.

“You know,” she said, glancing in the direction of her door. “Opening that door is insanely loud.”

He arched a brow, intrigued by her logic.

“Joyce is a incredibly light sleeper, being a mom to a toddler and all. She never gets to sleep in,” she continued.

He nodded. “It’d be rude for you to go in there and wake her up.”

“That’s what I’m thinking.” She fluttered her lashes and bit on her bottom lip, looking up at him.

“Then, clearly, we have no other choice.” Beau took a step toward his door. “You should return to the pool and find a lounge chair.”

When she blinked at him, clearly unprepared for his retort, he couldn’t help but erupt into a fit of laughter.

“I’m kidding,” he reassured. “You’re more than welcome to stay with me tonight.”

Narrowing her eyes, she blew out a breath.

Had he gone too far? His sniggering subsided as worry crept into his chest.

Marissa smoothed her hands down her jeans and pursed her lips.

Dammit. He screwed up.

Glancing over her shoulder for a moment, Marissa hesitated, and his heart lodged in his throat. Had he misread their banter? Did his joking ruin their moment? He expected a more enthusiastic answer.

Turning toward him, she inhaled deeply and her chest puffed. “For Joyce.” She nodded.

“Of course,” he agreed, relief washing over him like a cool ocean wave on a warm day. He took a few more steps toward his door with Marissa right behind him. “For Joyce,” he echoed.

“It’s really the only respectable thing to do,” she continued.

He nodded as he stuck the key card into the slot. “Absolutely. Joyce is a wonderful lady and deserves her rest. Carolyn, too,” he added as the lock whirred. “I mean, she’s getting married in a few days. If anyone needs her sleep, it’s a woman planning a wedding.”

Thoroughly in agreement, once the lights blinked on the door, the two of them spilled into his room. It slammed behind them as they made their way deeper into the space. “Wow,” she marveled.

Glancing around, he tried to see the room through her eyes. With lots of space and an enormous bed with kissing swan towel animals on it, it definitely gave off a vibe.

“You have all of this to yourself?” she asked, pointing to the towel animals.

“Yeah.” He dropped himself onto the bed and purposely dismantled the stiff display.

“Impressive,” she commented, but it seemed like more words were behind that one.

Running a hand through his already messy hair, he figured he should at least somewhat address the elephant in the room. “I wasn’t supposed to be alone, but stuff happened, plans fell through, and instead of losing the money, I decided to come on my own.”

Concise and honest. He wasn’t lying. It was what happened. He’d merely omitted the dirty details.

Nodding, she stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans as she strolled deeper into the room.

Once within reach, he extended his arms, circled them around her hips, and pulled her closer to him.

He didn’t want to delve too deep into the whys and hows of when he got on the ship.

All that mattered was that he was there and she was with him.

Hopefully, she felt the same, and at this late hour, with as many drinks as they’d had, she wouldn’t press him for further information.

Marissa placed her hands on his shoulders and looked down upon him as her body met his. She smelled of sweet citrus. He couldn’t tell if that was her natural scent or the lingering cocktails on her breath.

Either way, he enjoyed it.

Turning his head, he rested it on the softness of her belly as he squeezed her tighter. “Spend the night with me,” he whispered. “I don’t want our time together to end just yet.”

Her fingers ran through his hair, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation. “Window or door?”

After one last deep inhale of her, he peered up at her in confusion. “What?”

“Window or door?” she repeated. “Which side of the bed is yours?”

Blinking, he realized he never really thought about where he slept before. With Megan, it was wherever she wasn’t. Where was that? “I don’t have a preference. Do you?”

She sighed but continued to pet him, and he realized he adored this. It wasn’t arousing, but it was intimate in the truest sense of the word. He was content to do whatever she wanted if her hand stroked him like that.

“Well, if I sleep closest to the window, in the event of an emergency, I’d have a longer route to the escape,” she said.

He nodded as he ran his fingers along the hem of her T-shirt. “Mm-hmm,” he hummed.

“But if I’m by the door, if someone were to break in, I’d be the first victim.”

Lifting the fabric, her unblemished silky skin came into view, and he pressed his lips against her flesh. “No one is coming in.”

“Also, this side is closest to the bathroom,” she said, more to herself than him.

He was busy exploring her with his tongue and lips as she worked it out. He’d be fine either way. His input wasn’t necessary anyway. There were better things he could do.

She groaned and fisted the short tips of his hair. “But I do like the feel of the sun on my face.” She sighed.

Gripping her hips, Beau kissed his way around her stomach and upward before he pulled away and peered up at her glowing magnificence. “What kind of birth control are you on?”

“An IUD,” she said without hesitation as she bent slightly, placed her palms on his chest, and urged him to his back.

Once he’d lain flat, she positioned her knees on either side of his hips and straddled him. After running his hands up under her shirt, he gripped her breasts, giving them a hearty squeeze, and she moaned. It was a glorious sound.

“Did you bring condoms?” she asked as she peeled her shirt from her body and tossed it to the side.

Shaking his head, he drank in the image of her neon-pink bra pushing up her ample bosom. He licked his bottom lip, preparing for another taste. With his cock straining against his briefs, he groaned. “No, did you?”

Her face fell. “No.”

Well, fuck him sideways.