Page 13 of Mile High Addiction

When she nodded, Zach straightened and held out a hand.A feeling of inevitability washed over her as she stepped next to him and placed her hand in his.

4

“So, who’s had more sex in the last month than you’ve had in the last year?”

He dropped the question so casually that she stumbled halfway up the stairs to the upper deck.

Zachary caught her arm just below the elbow and steadied her.As if she didn’t have enough to contend with, now she looked like a klutz.Which in turn annoyed her.

She faced him on the stairs, another shock exploding in her belly when her eyes clashed with his.“You were eavesdropping?”

“I was waiting for you to answer your door.You chose to speak within my earshot,” he answered without a hint of remorse as his eyes did that raking-over-her-face thing she found hot and unnerving.

“Even if that’s what happened, don’t you think it’s a bit inappropriate to repeat a private conversation?”

His lips firmed as he rested his hand a single inch from hers on the railing.“Maybe, but I can’t un-hear what I heard, Bethany.And I told you, I’m not good at pretending.So I can’t pretend I’m not interested in who you were talking to.Especially not when you were discussing a subject matter that holds a certain importance to me.”

Her heart hammered at the strangely hypnotizing effect of his words.She fought very hard to think rationally.This was the real world, albeit a rarefied one right now—but the real world nevertheless.People didn’t say things like that to each other.

“How can it hold importance to you?We met a little over two hours ago.”

He regarded her as if he could see right through her, to the heart of her every need.Her every desire.

“Answer the question, Bethany,” he said simply.

“I was talking to a friend.”She moved away from him then whirled back to face him, irritated by the compulsion to answer and also by his demand to know intimate details about her.“Let’s get something straight right now.What happened in your office doesn’t give you the right to probe into my private conversations.”

His hands fisted at his sides, and she once again got the impression that he was stopping himself from reaching for her.“I beg to differ, but if you prefer we can take this slower?—”

“Or we can stop whatever this is dead in its tracks,” she said.Bethany wasn’t afraid to admit that the direction of the conversation disturbed her.There was a look in his eyes, one that implied a possessiveness that thrilled and bothered her at the same time.No man had ever looked at her with the focus and intensity with which Zachary Savage did.It made her palms damp and her heart race as if she’d run a marathon.She passed her tongue over her lower lip and, when he zeroed in on that telling movement, sucked in a breath.“Umm, maybe this tour was a bad idea.I can get my personal guide to?—”

A single shake of his head, and a long black curl fell between his eyes.With a casual hand, he raked it back.

“No, we’ll shelve this discussion for later.I promised you a tour.I think you’ll find this upper deck even more interesting than the lower deck.”He smiled, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.He fell into step beside her and went through a wide arch.

Her eyes widened as she took in the vista before her.On the far side, a stage had been set up, clearly for music entertainment.

“We have a rock band, Friday’s Child, on board.They’ll be providing the music for the Shanghai and Aleutian Islands trips.But there are other forms of entertainment on board, too.We pick up a new crew every two cities to give the guests a fresh experience and to allow the crew a break.”

She looked over to the opposite side of the area.Intimate seating provided private entertainment areas, and even across the vast space, she saw a pole that only had one purpose.“Are the pole dancers specially invited or can anyone join in and have a turn?”

“All entertainment is provided by The Indigo Lounge, but guests are at liberty to participate as much or as little as they wish.The objective is to have a great time away from unwanted scrutiny.”

“Right, I see.”

Within another space, a private screening area had been set up, although the booths were unlike anything she’d seen in a regular cinema.They were high and extremely sequestered with indigo-colored velvet screens to ensure utmost privacy.Each seating area could accommodate a group of ten.A tallboy drawer was carved into the end of each row of seats.She pulled open the first of the five drawers and her eyes widened.

Sex toys in all shapes and sizes, including an exact replica of what she carried in her own luggage, graced the top drawer.The second contained bull whips and handcuffs in varying sizes.

Slowly, she slid the drawers shut and glanced up to find Zach’s eyes on her.

“I take it you don’t show just cartoons here?”A blush rushed to her face as their eyes clashed.

Again, that smile that barely touched his lips.“No, but if you crave cartoons, I’m sure I can find you something from our extensive selection.”

He led her through another coded door.Delicate Oriental music chimed through inconspicuous speakers.When her eyes acclimatized to the low lighting, she saw massage beds grouped in intimate pairs and surrounded by fat, unlit candles.A hostess, dressed in a short indigo tank dress with gold piping, appeared from behind a discreet curtain and bowed.

“Our masseuses offer a whole range of therapies,” Zachary explained in a low voice.“All you need to do is ask and it’ll be done.Travelling, even in the lap of luxury, can be quite exhausting,” he murmured.“What better way to relax than with a massage, either individually or with someone special?”His voice reeked pure sex.

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