“Whatever you need,” I promised her. “I can’t help how my body responds to yours. I can only swear I won’t pounce on you without permission.”
“That’s the problem.” She giggled. “Every time I feel you hard against me, my body wants you, as well. It’s difficult to turn down the pleasure you give me.”
“We’ll just have to suffer together then,” I said. “Let me draw you a bath.”
We were lucky. Though most cruise cabins had tiny bathrooms you could barely move in, this luxury suite had been designed for just that—luxury. And we had a nice tub for soaking.
“That sounds heavenly,” she admitted with a small sigh.
I gave my own huff as I released her and stood. I pulled a robe from one of the chairs, wanting to cover my erection so she wouldn’t feel pressured or interested. She needed a rest. I’d claimed her so many times the previous day, we were running low on protection. And I’d meant what I said to her, I wanted to put my baby inside her so badly it hurt, but we had our whole lives, and I wanted some time with her that was just mine. While our children would be the only people I’d ever share her with, they could wait.
After taking care of my morning rituals, I started the bath, ensuring the perfect water temperature and adding bubbles before coming out and offering her use of the facilities. The tub was massive, so she had plenty of time to take care of her own needs before it was full enough.
“You’re too good to me,” she purred as she climbed out of bed.
The moment I saw her standing there in all of her naked glory, I couldn’t help but pull her into my arms and kiss her again. I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life doing this. In fact, it had taken every ounce of willpower I possessed to keep that damn ring hidden in the tree yesterday. Several times, I’d considered pulling it out and demanding that she be my wife. But I wanted it to be special. I wanted everything to always be special for her.
Emerson pulled out of my arms, and I was pleased to see the reluctance to do so plain on her beautiful face. But I let her go, and she hurried into the bathroom, closing the door between us with a soft click.
After calling Marco to order breakfast, I got dressed, figuring I could shower later. I wanted Em to be able to relax in the tub as long as she wanted. Her body needed the break, and if I were being completely honest with myself, I needed a breather, as well.
The food was delivered as Emerson came out of the bedroom. She was dressed in shorts and a tank top, her hair pulled up into a ponytail. She looked good enough to eat, and part of me really wanted to take her back to bed, but I knew how much she would enjoy the day I’d planned for us, so I settled for a deep kiss before we sat down to eat.
“So what do you have in store for me today, Mr. Malloy?” she asked before taking a sip of her coffee.
“I thought we’d do a little scuba diving,” I answered innocently.
“What?” I heard the fear in her tone and instantly regretted teasing her.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly, reaching over to pull her free hand into mine. “I shouldn’t joke like that.”
“No, I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m such a baby. I know you’d never let anything happen to me.”
I stood and walked around to her. I knelt, wrapping my arms around her and resting my head on her chest.
“Emerson,” I said firmly. “You’re not a baby. Everyone has fears, and yours are completely warranted. It was callous of me to poke fun. I already dragged you onto a cruise ship without any regard to how you’d feel about it. I don’t need to make the situation worse by making light of the situation.”
“You’re too good to me,” she whispered. She leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “All is forgiven. Now, what are we really doing today?”
“I thought we’d go to the Turtle Farm,” I said as I went back to my own seat. “There are all kinds of animals to see and birds to feed. Would that be all right?”
She grinned at me and nodded. The childlike excitement on her face filled my heart to bursting. I wanted that exuberant look in her eyes for the rest of our lives together. Once again, I thought to grab the ring. Maybe, I should take it with us and propose at the sanctuary. When else would a woman be able to play with sea turtles and get engaged all in one swoop?
But no, I reminded myself. Christmas was just a couple days away now. We could both wait. I wanted her completely under my spell and unable to say no by the time I asked her. Not that I believed she’d decline. As much as I knew we were destined for each other, I was becoming sure she knew the same. She hadn’t said it, but when I spoke of forever with her, there was no fear or hesitation on her features. She looked as serene as I felt.
“What time do we have to leave?” she asked.
“Soon,” I answered sadly. “We’ll have to catch a bus to get to the farm, so we’d best finish getting ready for our day.”
* * * *
The bus ride was a harrowing experience, and as we stepped off the death machine, I seriously considered calling the cruise line to arrange alternate transportation back to the ship.
“That driver was a fucking menace,” I hissed, pulling Emerson into my arms as if to assure myself she was unharmed.
“It was fun,” she argued, laughing softly as she untangled herself from me.
“Yes, in
