he was considering her words, because his face lightened and he said, “That was the first thing I knew about you, after the sexy.”
He’d found her on the side of the road, gearing up for a run back into civilization. He’d found her half-dressed. And she had behaved as if she could take him or leave him. Maybe she should add foolish to her list of traits—Jake was definitely a taker.
He slid her plate closer to her and urged, “Eat. We have a long night ahead of us.” But his tone had changed. He was no longer morose, but contemplative. “I’m going to do my best to dance with you, Ivy, without turning it into foreplay.”
And Jake succeeded. Almost. They boarded the boat at six o’clock and enjoyed an open bar and appetizers while they got underway. Ivy wore a red halter sundress that was skimpy enough she wasn’t able to wear a bra, but had enough material it preserved her modesty.
“Lovely,” Jake had told her. He’d stepped close to her and ran a finger down her shoulder and along the edge of the halter, dipping inside the material to stroke the side of her breast. “And tempting.” She had left her dark hair long and he had tunneled his hand through it, holding her head as his lips opened over hers in a kiss that was claiming and hot and Ivy felt his erection stir against her belly.
“You’re going to have to harness that,” she’d told him. They would be on the boat five hours and while it was a luxury dining cruise, the vessel offered no sleeping accommodations. She had, however, prepared for that in the event there was an emergency. And the thought made her smile. She had no intention of telling Jake what she was wearing under her dress. She’d let him discover that on his own.
“No problem,” he’d said and there was a gravity to his voice that told Ivy he had built up his self control, which only made her think about ways she could pull it apart.
She’d rolled to her toes and whispered against his lips, “Oh, it might be a problem, soldier. You have no idea what I have planned.”
But she remained on her best behavior. Jake enjoyed a beer while Ivy sipped at a glass of wine. They stood on deck, looking out over the Bay, and held hands. They talked more about their childhoods, each of them reaching deep for happy memories that included tales of daring do as well as sibling rivalry and camaraderie. They danced to a live string band, their legs brushing against each other’s, Ivy’s breasts grazing his powerful chest. But she did nothing to increase their physical connection. Occasionally, Jake’s hand swept from her shoulder to the dip in her waist and her body responded with a shudder. When he pulled her close at the end of a song and held her hips against the cradle of his thighs, she gazed into his eyes and saw a sleepy arousal building in him. She let her leg slip between his, her thigh teasing his growing shaft. His hand tightened to slow her movement and she asked him,
“You feel any pantie lines, Jake?”
His palm flattened against her hip, his fingers curving over her cheek, and his eyes flared.
“You’re not wearing underwear?”
“I’m wearing something,” she promised. Something that was made of the finest silk, but very little of it.
He growled low in his throat and his hands tightened reflexively, pulling her closer so that only breath existed between them.
The bathrooms were about the same size as what you’d find on an airplane. They stepped into one, Jake bumping her from behind as he closed and locked the door. His cock nestled into the cheeks of her ass and she wiggled against him. He pulled her tightly to him and pumped his hips so that she felt him grow even larger. His hands skimmed from her hips, over her belly, and into the valley of sweet skin exposed by the deep V of her halter.
“This dress has been driving me crazy all night,” he complained.
“Touch me, Jake.”
She moved his hands to her breasts and he cupped her through the material. Her nipples peaked and she squirmed. She felt Jake’s body tense. His breath hissed in his throat.
“Look,” he said. “Watch me.”
He turned her head and she lifted her eyelids. A mirror. Jake’s hands peel back the red material covering a breast and it slipped out, bouncing deliciously in his