Think. Think.
The only response was a heavy throb between her legs, and Keri cursed. Fine. It seemed there would be no thinking until she dealt with this outlandish need burning through her veins. She tugged at her T-shirt before giving in. The fabric came off one direction, her bra the other. Folding her palms over her breasts and squeezing let her deal with a bit of the urgency.
It wasn’t enough. There was no way she could go back out there and do any kind of positive work without first letting off a little steam. She unzipped and slid her fingers into her pants.
The brunette he’d just passed in the hall? Man, sometimes life sucked. She appeared to be just his type—feminine yet slightly on the naughty side. When they’d caught a glimpse of each other in the crew quarters earlier, he’d thought she’d checked him over with interest as well.
But Jared didn’t poach. Love the ladies, love them thoroughly, but even within the sexually open shifter community there were rules. Keeping balls and body together was an important item on his to-do list, so in spite of her flushed skin and wild-eyed interest, he had walked away, escaping onto the deck.
And found himself at a dead end, any stairs headed toward the dock inaccessible from where he stood. Unless he wanted to leap over another railing—and thanks, no thanks, once a day doing that was his quota—he needed to find a new way down. Time was a-wasting.
Pacing the deck brought him to another dead end, and he growled in frustration. There wasn’t a soul around—somehow he must have gotten into an area that was closed right now or something. He doubled back with the intention of retracing his steps through the hall. There had to be a way out of the maze. Jared glanced to the left and froze in his tracks as a very fine pair of breasts bounced at him.
He blinked.
They bounced again, and Jared moved closer to the window set into the metal wall and snapped his jaw shut. Suddenly leaving the ship wasn’t nearly as important as it had been a few seconds ago. He tucked himself farther around the corner, making sure to maintain a clear view through the tiny window.
His mystery woman had stripped to the waist, leaning back as if she were a smorgasbord offering. When her hand slipped out of sight under the edge of her open jeans, he slapped his own hand over his groin in self-defense.
If he hadn’t just seen her lip-locked with another guy, he’d be in there. Helping her find a more comfortable position, preferably on his tongue.
A stiff breeze kicked up, and he twisted away from it, being careful he didn’t obey his first instinct which was to press his face full against the glass like some panting dog to get a better view. Instead, he snuck to the next window where he was tucked around the corner and hidden from sight. Maybe he hadn’t seen a soul for the past ten minutes, but no need to take a chance.
His wolf rumbled, but he beat the beast down. Poor thing was always getting at him for one reason or another. While that side of his nature was constantly there, didn’t mean he had to act like an animal.
A low moan carried through the wall, and the fact they were both shifters made him very happy. He felt comfortable watching, confident she wouldn’t really mind. On the whole, sex was cool. But not cheating—that was completely ix-nay, out of bounds.
Watching wasn’t cheating. It was just…admiring and taking notes. In case he did get a chance with her in the future. That’s all.
Luckily he was a genius at rationalization.
She slid lower on the platform, opening up more room in her pants. He watched the fabric move against her hand, the noises she made driving him crazy. A groaner. Hmmm. Bet he could make her scream. He loved women who were noisy in bed.
One rapid glance ensured there was no one around, so Jared pulled out his cock. Tucked behind a large pillar, he was hidden from easy view of anyone who might wander past. There was no way he could resist joining in on the sly. He stroked his shaft, letting his gaze roam over her in admiration. Her skin was lighter than his own, yet slightly tanned, the lines from her bikini top clearly marked against her bare flesh. A faint scattering of freckles were there, and he longed to lick his way from one to the next to the next, creating a mosaic of pleasure over her entire body.
Another moan echoed in his ears as she arched hard, nipples pointed skyward. Her pace picked up and he obliged her unspoken direction. Harder, faster. Full measure each time as his fist surrounded his erection with a firm grasp. His gaze remained fixated on her body, on the way her breasts shook as she breathed erratically. The way she tossed her head from side to side, her gasps increasing in volume. As her passion rose, a pulse at the base of his balls began a drumbeat loud enough to deafen him.
“Ahhh…”
Her cry pushed him over the edge. Jared cupped his right hand over the head of his cock to stop from spraying all over the barrier between himself and his mysterious angel. Then he stumbled back a quarter pace to lean on the wall and let it hold him vertical, because damn if he remembered how to stand.
“Sweet mercy.” The world spun.
They both remained motionless for a full minute. If he’d attempted to move sooner, Jared figured he’d have tripped over his own feet and landed on his ass, cock still hanging from his jeans.
He wiped himself clean and smiled at the woman who’d now slid all the way onto her back, her panting evident from the rocking motions of her torso. She dragged herself upright and blew out a big breath of air.
She pulled on her bra and rearranged the rest of her clothing, turning just enough he had a chance to spot the gorgeous ink on her lower back. Damn, what he wouldn’t give to be able to take a closer look. Jared put everything back in place, feeling slightly amused they were so connected—they could have had sex for how well their timing worked out.
But, unfortunately, that wasn’t to be. He flipped a salute her direction and slipped out from his hidden alcove. Now he simply had to get going, as much fun as the interlude had been. He strolled down the deck toward the hallway he’d first come out, admiring the mountains on his right, the majestic vista passing rapidly as a strong wind blessed his face.
Jared jerked to a stop and stared in dismay. The mountains were moving, more than him glancing past them should make them move. He raced to the railing and clung to it, grip tightening to the point of pain.
There was no gangplank. There was no dock. Nothing but wide-open ocean greeted his frantic search. While he’d been busy getting off in his little voyeuristic manner, the crew had been busy as well, and the ship had left port.
He was trapped on the cruise ship indefinitely.
Chapter Three
Keri made her way down the hallway toward the grand ballroom, lingering sexual frustration hovering like a carrion bird. At some point she would step back over the line between aching need and romping desire, and heaven help anyone caught between her and Mark when she snapped, because it wouldn’t be pretty.
But ten days. Surely she could hold off the edge for ten days. She simply had to avoid him completely. Keep away from his addictive scent. If she concentrated hard enough she could do this. Heck, she’d heard of others holding off their mating drive for longer than ten days.
She sighed. The fact that the people in those stories were mainly stronger wolves had probably helped. Yet another reason being in the middle of the pack was a pain in the ass. Not only could more powerful wolves in the hierarchy boss her around, but her own body could as well.
Her wolf shuffled inside, almost…gloating. She slapped the beast down, as far from the surface as she could. Fine. She would do this. Show the lupine hussy the human had hidden depths. Maybe her wrist would get sore from masturbating, but she would not follow through on the mating just because her wolf said so.