Jinxed!

Unable to stand it, he bent to her, removing his thumb and taking its place with his tongue, sliding her a long kiss that stretched time into slow, erotic pulses. He explored her heat, pressing her body against his so she could feel his erection, feel what she did to him.

She responded with a vicious eagerness, engaging his tongue with hers, rubbing her hips against his groin until he moaned with pleasured pain. When she slid her hand between them, testing his hard-on, he clutched at her.

It seemed like he’d been waiting months for this, not weeks. He was ready to rip off their clothes and enter her, but he didn’t want that. It couldn’t be that fast and anonymous, not this time.

“Hey,” he said against her mouth, thinking that she was different now that they were on this trip alone. Less inhibited?

She drew away, laughed, her breath warming his lips. “I’m trying to beat a curse here, ’kay? Play along, please.”

A curse. Again, he wondered exactly what that old fortune-teller had told her-what Erin had left out earlier when she’d related her story. What did a curse have to do with what was happening right now?

“You’re not cursed with me,” he said, smoothing his hands below her jaw to frame her face. Such a beautiful face.

Something within her eyes shifted, white flecks among the gray clicking into a different position, like lenses changing focus.

Then, with even more determination, she undid the top button of his fly.

He stopped her, confused not only by her, but by his own refusal to accept the sex and move on.

“You don’t want this?” she asked.

“Hell, yeah, but…” He sucked in a breath.

She’d cupped him in her hand again, her fingers brushing over his balls. His cock strained to burst out of the denims.

“I’ve wanted this, too, Wes. And now’s finally the time for it.”

He couldn’t get any air into his lungs, yet he tried to talk, anyway. Why was she acting like this was some sort of mission? This wasn’t like the Erin he knew-not that he was complaining. He just hadn’t expected this strong of a come-on.

But it was working all the same. Was it ever.

She was moving one finger back and forth, as if experimenting with how much he could take. On the fringe of losing it, he pulled her back against him, kissing her roughly.

Then, outside of his kidnapped brain, he heard something like a voice amplifying around him, a physical thing pressing in and trying to force him apart from Erin. Something on the loudspeaker? Hell, it wasn’t registering…

Abruptly, Erin pulled away. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Dizzy, he tried to haul her back against him, but she shook her head, pointing to the ceiling. Eventually, the loudspeaker voice filtered through the haze of his animal need.

“…mandatory emergency drill. Please secure your life jackets-”

“Shit,” Wes said, his erection at full rev now. “I don’t suppose we can ignore that.”

“Mandatory.”

Flushed, Erin laughed in frustration, but he sensed something else in the gesture. Relief?

What the hell?

Backing away from him, she straightened her sweater, her smile shaky. “Cursed. Didn’t I tell you the negative stuff was on its way? You’re onboard with a cursed being, Wes. You’d better bail now.”

His nethers were killing him, but cool as rain, Erin went to a corner table and lifted off the top to find the life jackets.

Using a wall for balance, one hand holding himself up while the other pressed against his crotch, he attempted to contain the ache.

And she thought she was cursed?

3

AFTER THE DRILL, THEY decided to grab something to eat since Erin’s massage appointment was in only a half hour. Fortifying themselves had been her suggestion because, based on what’d happened before their playus interuptus, she had the sneaking suspicion they would need to store up on energy for when she returned to the cabin.

She’d surprised herself with her attempt at seducing Wes. Heh, yeah, attempt. That was an understatement. She’d gone at him with all guns blazing, and he’d been just as open to the attack as she’d hoped. But then they’d been forced to do that drill and…bye-bye bedroom Babylon. Hello, fortune-teller curse.

Of course, it could’ve just been a coincidence that their intimate activities had been thwarted at a most awkward time. In the heat of the moment, after she’d disengaged from Wes, she’d forgotten herself and actually joked about a damned jinx being the reason for the interruption. She’d only been letting off steam, but she couldn’t help wondering if Madame Karma was on to something…

Nah. She and Wes had the whole cruise to get it on and, in effect, allow her to get on with life as she wanted it. The farther she inched away from the disappointment of William, the better. One setback was no biggie. Sure, Wes had been forced to carry his life jacket in front of his jeans en route to their drill-meeting station on the ninth deck, and Erin herself had been flushed with such lingering desire that the color was like a scarlet letter on her skin, but they had hours, days to make up for the temporary inconvenience.

They walked to the Lido restaurant after having dropped off their jackets in the cabin, Erin linking onto Wes’s muscle-corded arm.

A curse. Ri-ight. Nothing to fret about.

It was just the sense of supreme relief she’d felt when the purser had called them for the drill that was worrying her more…

Dismissing the thought, she climbed the stairs with her date, mahogany wood surrounding them. The ship, Lady Oriana, which would sail from Long Beach to Ensenada then back before Monday morning, was a study in Victorian romanticism. With its stained glass, brass railings and an atrium in the entry parlor, the vessel offered many amusements: the spa, a disco, a coffee nook, upscale shops, a casino and even a library. Of course, the upper deck had the requisite pool with water slides and a hot tub.

As they passed by the pool, which rested empty under the salt-tinged breeze, Erin’s body hadn’t lost any of its melted surrender yet. Just the feel of Wes’s biceps brushing against her breast as they walked side by side churned the hunger in her belly.

They entered the restaurant, which had a buffet set out. In spite of the many choices, all Erin saw were the French fries and shrimp cocktail. Breaking away, she made a beeline for them.

“I can’t believe,” she said while piling her plate high, “that the food is here for the taking. This is awesome.”

Wes had snagged a burger plus a hot dog plus a giant baked potato. Real man food.

“You sure you’re gonna fit all that in your tiny body?” He reached out, wrapping his fingers around one of her biceps, squeezing slightly.

She flexed for his benefit. “Check it out-I’m buff, huh? I could so kick your butt.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“I’m not kidding.” Even with plate in hand, she aimed a jesting kick at his leg but intentionally missed. “You got lucky that time, but I’ll bet I’m really intimidating to you now.”

He raised an eyebrow, then ambled toward a table, all loose-limbed stalk. But his grin gave away his amusement as they sat down.

“Guess I should watch myself around a karate master like you,” he said.

“Kickboxing classes do have their advantages. I’m telling you-meeting me in a dark alley? Not a good thing.”

He just laughed, watching her as he bit into his burger. She watched him right back, her gaze fixed on his