“Just because my body responds to you, doesn’t mean I want you. I’d rather sleep with a stranger from the beach than have your hands on me again,” she bluffed.
“Liar,” he whispered as his head descended and he ran his tongue along the soft skin of her neck. Ari barely managed to hold the sigh in. If only he wasn’t so appealing.
“I’m cold, Mr. Palazzo. Could you please allow me to use a guest room to shower and change? I don’t have anything with me and I would greatly appreciate it if there were some clothes I could borrow,” she said through gritted teeth. It was taking all her concentration to control her breathing as his tongue circled her skin.
“Mmm, you taste salty. I’d be glad to help you clean up,” he offered as he moved back and started walking through the halls of the boat again.
“I can clean up just fine on my own,” she said as he led her up a set of stairs. His laughter was her only answer.
Soon, he was pushing open a large door and leading her inside a spacious room. She looked around at the couch and two chairs circled around a beautiful cherry table. Original paintings adorned the walls with special lighting to bring out the colors and textures of the artwork. It was remarkably decorated with a mixture of dark and light, visually appealing.
“Go through that door on the right. I’ll have some clothes brought in – unless you want to change your mind on my offer to help you.”
“I’m good,” Ari said as she raced away from him and went through the door. She was in a decent sized room with a couch and mirrors and a couple side tables. Another door was to her right and she walked through, happy to find a full size walk-in shower.
A large tub sat in the corner, but she didn’t dare take a bath. She was going to clean off as quickly as possible and pray there were clothes waiting for her in the sitting area when she was finished.
When the strong spray hit her skin, Ari jumped back. Yes, she was definitely burned, and the water wasn’t helping in the least. She turned the pressure down low, and adjusted the temperature to barely above warm. Even that felt like a scalding hot shower, but any cooler and she’d freeze up her muscles.
She suffered through the shower, carefully washing her body as best she could, feeling some relief to at least get the sand and salt water off of her skin. Finishing, she stepped out and grabbed a soft towel, wrapping it around her body before cracking the door open and peeking into the sitting room.
Relief filled her when she saw a set of clothes sitting on the counter, and no sign of Rafe. If he really tried seducing her again she was sure she’d cave in record time. Her body was humming with need from their brief hallway encounter, and knowing he wasn’t far away was like placing a match close to a flame.
When she picked up the silky blue dress lying on the counter and the incredibly skimpy black lacy thong, she felt her face heat. The dress would barely cover more than her swim suit had. He was intentionally torturing her. When she discovered no bra present, she glared at the closed door, wishing thoughts could kill. If they could, Rafe would be drowning in the ocean at that moment.
She walked back in the bathroom and rinsed out her bikini top, then went back to the sitting area and found a hair dryer and dried it before slipping back into the uncomfortable thing. With a gasp of disbelief, she slipped on the panties, no more than a scrap of material barely covering her parts before slipping the sundress over her head.
The soft fabric barely reached mid-thigh, but the dress was surprisingly comfortable, the cool material felt great against her heated skin. The longer she was out of the sun, the more she was feeling the burn covering most of her body. She really was going to feel pretty achy over the next few days.
She actually smiled when she found a bottle of pricey lotion with aloe in it. The cool cream felt heavenly as she spread it across her arms and neck and then her legs. She couldn’t reach all of her back, but she managed to cover enough of her skin to send relief coursing through her.
She’d at least make it through the uncomfortable dinner that she was sure Rafe would insist she attend. He wouldn’t miss an opportunity to make her squirm. She’d try not to give him the satisfaction of acting like she felt out of place.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming out.”
Ari jumped at the sound of Rafe’s smooth voice. She hadn’t expected him to wait on her, not when his family was aboard the ship.
“You didn’t need to stay here. I’m sure I would be able to find the dining area,” she said as she approached him.
“I wouldn’t be so rude as to leave my guest all alone.”
“I’m not your guest, Mr. Palazzo. I simply got railroaded into being here. I’ll make the best of it, but rest assure, spending the evening in your presence is going to be about as pleasant for me as having a root canal.”
He slowly stood from the couch and began prowling toward her. She wanted to take a step back – make a hasty retreat, but she couldn’t show him signs of weakness. That was like flashing your open neck to a lion. If she gave him an inch, he’d surely take a mile.
“I’ve tired of you calling me, Mr. Palazzo. You will either call me by my name, or I’ll find very enjoyable ways to torture you in front of my family. The choice is yours,” he said as he stopped with his chest just brushing across her swelling ni**les. The dress he’d given her hid nothing from his view, and he smirked at her reaction to him.
She’d really love to call him on his bluff, but she was too afraid he’d actually follow through. She didn’t know what he’d do to her, especially with witnesses, but for all she knew, his entire family could be twisted. Maybe they liked to sacrifice young women at sea by throwing their bodies to the sharks.
“What? No sarcastic comeback, Ari. That’s unlike you,” he teased as his fingers ran through the natural curls of her hair. The slight tremble that raced down her spine was a clear give-a-way of how much he was affecting her, but no matter how she scolded herself, she couldn’t control her hormones. She could hate him for the way he made her feel, but she couldn’t stop desiring him.
“I’m very hungry if you wouldn’t mind taking me to the dining room,” Ari spoke just above a whisper, avoiding calling him by any name at all.
“I wouldn’t want to keep you waiting,” he answered as he slipped her arm through his. She knew resisting him would be to no avail, so she forced herself to relax as she walked beside him, out the same door they’d come in.