Still—what a lousy time to be trapped on the cruise ship.
She wondered what the chances were the gift shop had an array of sex toys to stock up on. But this was a shifter-only cruise. They probably assumed no toys were needed.
Her phone vibrated and she hauled it out, relaxing as she spotted Tessa’s name.
“What’s shaking, baby?” Keri turned the corner and stood against the wall to allow a group of travelers past her.
“I need help. There’s trouble already. I’m so screwed. It’s terrible. I want to know if I can quit now and—”
“Tessa. Full stop on the mouth.”
“Stopping.”
Acting as a troubleshooter was going to require more handholding than she’d imagined. “Are you standing up?”
“No.”
“Put the phone down, do ten jumping jacks, then pace while you explain what’s wrong.” It was the same thing she’d had to deal with back in their college days. Why Tessa thought she had to tie down her cat nature was beyond comprehension.
The scent of food—baked pastries, decadent chocolate and coffee—tugged her by the nose, and Keri slipped into one of the twenty-four-hour restaurants. Shifter-specialty cruising meant there would always be food available to keep up with shifter metabolisms, even more than on board a regular sailing. She eyed the long line of baking offered up like heavenly temptation.
This might be her saving grace while her body waged hormonal war. She would simply stuff herself constantly in an attempt to satisfy one craving with another. Rich, sweet, sticky food. Licking chocolate off her fingers, mmm, licking chocolate off Mark. Off the solid muscles of his abdomen before strolling lower and—
Great. So much for food being a distraction. She was horny again.
Her phone crackled and Tessa’s much perkier voice rang out. “Back. Thank you for the reminder. Hey, I need you to go escort one of the maintenance men to the Fedoras’ suite. They’re having issues with a couple little things and want them fixed, but don’t want just anyone in there. I assured them we would use the utmost care in their accommodation.”
“Hey, no problem. Quick thinking, by the way. You want me to join the guy downstairs or—?”
“Head straight to the suite. Chad is already giving out assignments so by the time you get to their rooms, maintenance should be waiting for you.”
“Done and done, and please, can you stay on your feet? You really can do this if you’re not trying to pretend to be a desk jockey.”
“Deal.”
It was too tempting to resist. Keri snagged a chocolate éclair before leaving the restaurant and jogging toward the service elevators. The wait for the ride was better because she had the rich burst of flavour rolling down her throat, creamy and delectable. She stuck the last bit into her mouth just as the doors opened.
A group of staff pushed out as she stepped in. Someone jostled her elbow and she dropped her cell phone. The doors closed to her right as she stooped to pick it up and came eye to eye with a pair of florescent green Crocs. Whitewashed jeans, faded in all the right places, led her gaze upward, the thread-worn patch slightly to the right of his groin showcasing a nice firm package. Hmm, big enough to cause trouble and that was before he got hard.
The trembling in her limbs made it tough to stand. Made it nearly impossible to continue her slow visual scan up past the worker’s belt lashed around his hips, to the buttons running up the front of his shirt. One. Two. Three…to where the material gaped open and a plain blue T-shirt showed.
More shaking arrived, as if she were on the verge of a seizure. She knew why—there was no way she couldn’t know, not with the aroma in the small quarters making her mouth water and her nipples tighten. The final inches of lifting her gaze were less about confirming she was alone with Mark in the elevator. No, her hesitation was more about giving herself time to resist. To lock her limbs into immobility and refuse the urge to reach out and strip him here and now.
This was the third time they’d met. Surely if they were mates, he’d say something. Do something. Maybe she was wrong? Perhaps she’d hit the wolf equivalent of a hormonal overload and it was all in her head.
All she knew for sure was the ball was in his court. No way would she make the first move, just in case. Because how awkward would that be, to assume someone was your mate and be wrong?
As their eyes met, a nice little daydream flashed through her brain. It started with her punching the emergency stop button, skipped past exactly how they got naked, hesitated and moved in slow motion long enough for her to stab herself on his cock and finished with them both screaming out in orgasm loud enough to scare the dolphins leaping in the waves off the ship’s prow.
“Hey.” His smile—lethal.
She nodded rapidly, her jaw clenched tight to stop herself from begging for…something. Of course, that meant she didn’t actually say anything. Seemed safer. Really. Or she might shout something crude and risqué.
She turned to face the elevator doors, locking her gaze on the thin vertical line between them as if it was the only safe point in the world.
Taking tiny breaths of air through her mouth didn’t help—it meant instead of his scent rolling through her brain, his taste mixed with the lingering chocolate on her tongue.
In her peripheral vision his beautiful biceps flexed and her libido fluttered, landing somewhere in her belly and continuing to flap incessantly.
Mark coughed. “I hope you don’t think I’m being forward, but there’s something we have to do.”
He leaned closer and she held her breath.
Ohmygodohmygod.
His body brushed hers briefly as he jabbed one of the elevator buttons. He stepped back and smiled easily. “Works better if you tell it where to go.”
The mechanical cage rose slowly. Keri’s mouth was full of moisture. She wanted to talk, but was afraid anything she said would be accompanied by a spray of spit. Which would be an oh-so-attractive way to begin, right?
His smile faded slowly as his chin tipped downward. A gentle concern crossed his face with the tiniest bit of a crease between his eyes. It was so adorable she wanted to rub it and make everything better. She swallowed hard, regretting the action immediately as his flavour rushed through her again. Keri closed her eyes and leaned back on the wall. Don’t touch. Don’t touch.
A whisper-soft brush against her cheek made her eyes fly open. His knuckles finished a slow drag over her skin before he pulled back and showed her dark chocolate on his fingertips.
“You were in a hurry, were you?”
Oh boy. She sucked in her courage and slapped down her wolf. She rammed her hand forward. “Keri Smith.”
He hesitated. Was he as reluctant as she was to make personal contact? Yet, why would he be, other than if he was trying to protect her?
Then he lifted his hand and licked the chocolate from his fingers. The warm buzz in her belly slipped a foot lower and attached itself to her clit. She could be wearing a strap-on rabbit-assisted vibrator right now, turned on high, and it wouldn’t have as much effect as watching him.
He wiped his hand dry on his shirt and finally wrapped his fingers around hers. “Jar—Mark Weaver. We met in the crew staff room, right?”
“Right.”
She stared, mesmerized. With his hair pulled back into a ponytail, his dark, beautiful eyes were center stage. The light creamy brown of his skin turned her thoughts back to chocolate. Bad, evil thoughts she didn’t want to have to deal with right now.