Separate Cabins

The quiet wording of his question seemed to pierce through the barriers she had erected and exposed the need she’d kept behind it. She wanted to love someone again and share her life with him. She didn’t want to keep her feelings locked up inside, never giving them to anyone.

When she swung her gaze to look at him, her gray eyes were stark with longing. She had lived in loneliness for so long that she hadn’t noticed when it had stopped being grief. His dark gaze narrowed suddenly, recognizing the emotion in her expression. Rachel turned away before she showed him too much of the ache she was feeling.

“No, I don’t want to be alone forever,” she admitted in a low voice.

“Then why don’t you stop being so sensitive?” Gard suggested.

“I’m not,” Rachel flared.

“Yes, you are,” he nodded. “Right now you’re angry with me. Why? Because I think you are a very attractive woman and I’ve tried to show you that I’m attracted to you.”

“You came for your shaving kit,” she reminded him, not liking this personal conversation now that she was becoming the subject of it. “You have it, so why don’t you leave?”

She tried to brush past him and walk over to open the door and hurry him out, but he caught at her forearm and stopped her. His firm grip applied enough pressure to turn her toward him.

“I’m not going to apologize because I find you attractive and say things that let you know I’m interested,” Gard informed her. “And I’m not going to apologize because I have the normal urge to take you in my arms and kiss you.”

She looked at him but said nothing. She could feel the vein throbbing in her neck, its hammering beat betraying how his seductive voice disturbed her. She was conscious of his closeness, the hand that came to rest on the curve of her waist, and the steadiness of his gaze.

“And if the kiss lived up to my expectations, I would probably be tempted to press it further,” he admitted calmly. “It’s natural. After all, what’s wrong with a man wanting to take a woman into his arms and kiss her? For that matter, what’s wrong with a woman wanting to kiss a man?”

For the life of her Rachel couldn’t think of a thing, especially when she felt his hand sliding smoothly to the back of her waist and drawing her closer. As his head slowly bent toward her, her eyelids became heavy, closing as his face moved nearer.

His mouth was warm on the coolness of her lips, moving curiously over them. Her hands and arms remained at her side, neither coming up to hold or resist. The pressure of his nuzzling mouth was stimulating. Rachel could feel the sensitive skin of her lips clinging to the faint moistness of his mobile mouth.

Behind her outward indifference her senses were tingling to life. Her body had swayed partially against him, letting the solidness of his body provide some of her support. There was a faint flavor of tobacco and nicotine on his lips, and the clean scent of soap drifted from his tanned skin.

There was a roaming pressure along her spine as his hand followed its supple line. It created a pleasant sensation and Rachel leaned more of her weight against him, feeling the outline of his hips and thighs through the thin, clinging material of her robe. The nature of his kiss became more intimate, consuming her lips with a trace of hunger. Within seconds a raw warmth was spreading through her system, stirring up impulses that Rachel preferred to stay dormant.

She lowered her head, breaking away from the sensual kiss and fighting the attack of breath-lessness. The minute his arms loosened their hold on her, she stepped away, avoiding his gaze.

It would have been so easy to let his experienced skill carry her away. It was so ironic, Rachel nearly laughed aloud. A little sex was what her friend had recommended. There wasn’t any doubt in Rachel’s mind that Gard could arouse her physical desire, but she wanted more than that.

“You didn’t slap my face,” Gard remarked after the silence had stretched for several seconds. “Should I be encouraged by that?”

“Think what you like. You probably will anyway,” Rachel replied and finally turned around to look at him, recovering some of her calm. “If you don’t mind, I’ll ask you to leave now. I’d like to get dressed.”

“How about coffee on the Sun Deck?” He repeated the invitation that had started the whole thing.

Her wandering steps had brought her to the table where the telephone sat. Rachel pushed the call button to summon the steward, aware that his gaze sharpened as he observed her action.

“Let’s do it some other time, Mr. MacKinley,” she suggested, knowing that the indefiniteness of her answer was equal to polite refusal.

“Suit yourself.” He shrugged but his narrowed interest never left her.

There was a warning knock before the door was opened by the room steward. Curiosity flared when he saw Gard in the cabin, but he turned respectfully to Rachel. “Did you want something, Mrs. MacKinley?”

“Mr. MacKinley had left his shaving kit here. I thought you might have seen it,” she lied about the reason she had called him. “But we found it just this minute. Thank you for coming, though.”

“No problem,” he assured her. “Is there something else I can do? Perhaps I can bring the two of you coffee?”

“No thanks,” Rachel refused and looked pointedly at Gard. “Mr. MacKinley was just leaving.”

Lazy understanding was in his looks at the way she had maneuvered him into leaving under the escort of the steward. He inclined his head toward her and moved leisurely to the door the steward was holding open.

Chapter Four

There was some morning coolness in the breeze blowing through the opened windows at The Lido on the Sun Deck, but her lavender sweater jacket with its cowled hood provided Rachel with just enough protection that she didn’t feel any chill. There were a lot of early risers sitting at the tables and taking advantage of the coffee and continental breakfast being served.