But when he started kissing his way down the V of my neckline, I stopped arguing. He might be infuriating sometimes, but mostly, he just wanted me and wanted me to be happy.

I squirmed against his grasp on my wrists, not to get away but because I wanted to help him get my shirt off me then remove his…so I could touch him everywhere.

“Do you really want me to let you go? Do you want me to stop?” he asked against my lips. “You know I won’t do anything you don’t want.”

“Don’t you dare. Or I’ll…I’ll…” I’d what? That was the thing with threats. You actually had to have something good to back up your ire.

“You’ll what?” The tone of his rumbling voice was a dead giveaway, even if I could only feel his smile as he kissed me near my ear.

“What?” I sighed, distracted. He made me feel so good, melty, tingly everywhere, and just managed to drain my brain of all thought.

“What will you do if I stop?”

“Don’t stop.” My fingers flexed, and I went to reach for him, only to realize he still held down my wrists. It almost surprised me. Usually, nothing threw me off-kilter, but everything about this man turned me sideways.

“Or…?”

“Um…or…um…”Or I’d what?“I’ll never speak to you again! Quit talking about stopping.”

“You’re the one who told me to get off you.”

“Do you want to?” I asked.

He nipped at my shoulder. “Fuck, no. Not in this lifetime.”

Given permission to go forward, though, hedidrelease my wrists. Before I could reach for him, he swept my T-shirt up over my head. It fluttered to the floor while he reached for the strings of the bikini top I wore beneath it.

“I’ve been dying to see these,” he told me as he pushed away the fabric, his mouth already kissing along one slope. “The peek you gave me the other day in the cabana was only enough to torment me. I’ve been craving these little nipples in my mouth for months.”

As if to prove his point, he covered one, sucking it deep into his mouth. I arched, crying out. My fingers speared into his soft locks while his tongue and teeth played over me. I was getting sowet, so needy with every draw, every nip. I writhed, trying to get closer. Needing…more. My entire focus was more ofFray.I just needed Fray in a way I’d never needed anyone or anything.

He moved back and forth between my breasts, driving me higher, closer toward the cliff where he’d push me over the edge, plummeting me into pleasure. But he took his time. There was no urgency to his actions, though the desperate need loomed there, thick in the air. The atmosphere vibrated with our passion, wrapping us in a tight blanket that blocked out everything but each other.

I pulled at his shirt, longing to feel his skin against me. Almost as if reading my mind, but never missing a beat, he yanked it off and tossed it away to land next to mine.

A groan escaped me as my palms splayed on his warm, soft skin. The firm muscles beneath told the story of how much time he spent taking care of this magnificent body—a lot. I knew he hadn’t been going to the ship’s gym since he’d been spending every moment with me, but he’d been active and gotten a workout carrying me around. Often. Which I liked.

My fingertips traveled down his sides to his slim hips, hitting his loose waistband. If he could touch me then…

I pushed inside and curled my grasp on his ass, pulling him closer to me. At some point, he’d wedged between my thighs. I lifted them around him, pushing my feet into the mattress while I tried to get even nearer to him. His jean-clad cock pressed into my pussy, grinding into me as I sought my pleasure.

Fray nipped the underside of one breast, making me gasp and shiver before he started a path of fiery kisses down my torso. Itightened my legs around him, trying to keep his ridge firmly against to me.

“Fray…” I complained.

“I’ve got you.” His hands were at my shorts’ button. He flicked it open and shoved down the zipper, then my pants and bikini bottoms were skimming down my legs. Memories of last night and the bliss he’d given me returned, all the fuzziness clearing to give me perfect, sublime recollection.

“Yes. Yes, Fray. Put your mouth on me again,” I rasped out, still a little reluctant to talk like that, but needing him so much. I knew he liked it. I’d do anything for him. I loved him. “I— Oh, God, yes!” I exclaimed as he spread my folds and buried his face in my center.

His wicked tongue flicked over me, gathering all my wetness and creating more. I bucked when he wasted no time adding first one finger then another to the mix. My groan came from deep in my chest when he started finger-fucking me. I’d touched myself, been touched, but it had never, ever been anything like this.

“You’re sweeter than the best dessert,” he said against me. “And all mine. This is all mine.”

“Yes, yours,” I gasped. “Oh please, Fray…”

He sucked hard on my clit, and I tumbled over the edge. But then he was leaving me.

“No,” I cried, grabbing at him.