Cabin Fever. Jillian Burns
a moment to recover from the whiplash to his libido. He could’ve sworn she’d felt whatever had sparked between them, too. But, it was just as well. Even if she was the most interesting woman he’d met in too long to remember. And more challenging than any woman he ever dealt with. She was too uptight. Too bossy. Too...whatever.
Forget about it! He was on a cruise ship with round the clock entertainment. When would he ever get this kind of chance again? He made his way to the casino, found a stool in front of a one-armed bandit and ordered a couple more drinks while he fed it quarters.
Bleary-eyed and out of coins, he checked his cell. 1:37 a.m. He’d better head to bed. Feeling just buzzed enough to take the edge off his sexual frustrations, he stood and made his way to the elevator. But once he got in the elevator and punched his old deck number he remembered he’d switched rooms with the diva and—he couldn’t remember what his new room number was. If he hadn’t been so distracted by sexy Carly and her sweet sexy curves and those ice-blue eyes...
He shook his head to clear it and remembered. Forty-seven eighty-two. He punched the button for the fourth deck and when the elevator let him out he walked down the long hall suddenly exhausted and dizzy. Perhaps he had a bit of mal de mer, too.
Ahh, here was forty-eight seventy-two. The key card clicked and the door opened with ease. He let out a relieved breath he wouldn’t have to call someone for help and look like an idiot.
The room was pitch-dark, but he didn’t want to bother to switch on the big overhead light. Man, he was more tired than he’d realized. He flipped on the tiny light in the closet.
The cabin didn’t have a balcony as he’d expected Piper’s would have, but he didn’t care. The king-size bed awaited. He shucked his jeans, crawled onto the soft mattress, and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Still, even in his dreams he couldn’t get Carly out of his mind. Her spicy scent filled his senses and he felt her soft breasts pushing against his back. In his dream he turned over and wrapped his arms around her hot body. It seemed so real that he could’ve sworn he could feel the silky material of her nightgown catch on the calluses of his palms. He nuzzled into a sweetly soft neck, pushed his rigid erection against her stomach and heard her moan.
He stilled. Forced his heavy lids to open. And looked right into Carly’s wide-open eyes.
And then she screamed.
CARLY SHOVED OUT of Joe’s arms and scrambled off the bed. “What are you doing here? How’d you get in my room?”
“Your room?” Joe rose up on one elbow and ran a hand through his hair, all the while his gaze fixated on her...
She followed where he was staring. She wore only her thong underwear and a cami. And the underwear didn’t hide much. She snatched the comforter off the bed and draped it around her. “Yes, my room. Do you honestly think I’d sneak into your room and crawl into your bed?”
He sat up, looking around the room. The sheet fell down to his waist and Carly didn’t even try not to gape. Taut, defined muscles and dark hair that tapered to a line down past his belly button. Wow, even his belly button was sexy. He threw back the sheet and Carly spun to avert her gaze. From the corner of her eye she saw him swing his legs over the edge of the mattress on his side, his back to her. “If this is your room, then why did my key work?”
Her mind couldn’t focus. This was her room, wasn’t it? She didn’t remember using her key... The medication must have really knocked her out. She hadn’t slept so deeply in ages. But now her memory seemed to be missing parts of last night. She recalled getting Joe and Piper to switch cabins. Feeling dizzy again in the elevator and barely making it to her room, and—Oh!
She spun back to face him and snapped her fingers. “The steward!” Aha. “I didn’t have to use my key because the steward was in here turning down my bed when I—”
Joe had stood and moved around the bed, searching the floor, wearing black boxer briefs that hugged him nice and snug.
She swallowed. Out of breath all of a sudden. “—got here,” she finished lamely.
Shaking his head, he bent over and grabbed his pants off the floor. “I used the key you gave me to get in. This is the room number you told me was mine. So, if this isn’t my cabin, then it’s your fault I’m in here.” He shoved his legs—very long, very brawny legs—into the pants and yanked them up.
Carly blinked, trying to remember. Could she have given him her key?
Holding the bottom of the comforter up like the train of a long gown, she marched to the table, grabbed her bag and dug around for her key. By the time she found it and got to the door, Joe was already there, his key pulled from his pocket. He was so close his dark brown eyes looked like pools of rich, molten fudge. He smelled of sleepy linen and the faintest hint of masculine sweat. Oh, why hadn’t he put on his shirt? She realized she was staring at him.
“If my key works you’re going to owe me,” he said.
She snapped back. “Owe you what?” She didn’t owe him a thing. If he thought he could—
“Well, I was going for an apology, but if you had something else in mind...” He raised a brow and gave her a slow, suggestive smile.
Ignoring the bare chest in front of her, Carly pursed her lips. “Just try your key.”
“And if it doesn’t work are you going to leave me standing out in the hall the rest of the night?”
“Not so sure about your key, now, huh?”
His smile dropped and his eyes narrowed. “Fine.” He opened the door, stepped outside and Carly closed the door in his face.
A second later she heard the click of a key swiping, the handle turned and the door shoved open. Joe stepped inside wearing a smug expression. “So, what do you bet your key opens Piper’s room?”
Oh, no. What had she done? She stared at the key in her hand. He probably thought she’d purposely given him her key and room number. That this was all a ploy to get him. Did he think that she was so desperate for sex, or for him in particular? She’d never. She squeezed her eyes closed, too embarrassed to look at him.
“Hey, everybody makes mistakes.” His rough fingers cupped her chin and lifted her face.
She made herself open her eyes and meet his gaze. “I swear, I didn’t—”
“I know.” The fingers of his other hand caressed her cheek. He lowered his head and gently touched his lips to hers.
And that was all it took. She opened her mouth and took the kiss deep, her lips as desperate and as needy as she’d convinced herself she wasn’t minutes ago. She pressed him to her, wrapping her arms around his neck, running her hands over his taut shoulders and fingering the curls at the base of his neck.
With a low growl he took control of the kiss, teasing her with his tongue. His arms tightened around her waist. He lifted her, and she hooked a leg around his hip as he walked them to the bed. The comforter slipped down to her hips and he broke the kiss, grinned and laid her on the mattress.
Joe’s eyes flared as he stared at her body. Feeling her feminine power, Carly lay back on her elbows and raised one knee, then let it drop.
She watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. He raised a brow, unzipped his pants and got rid of them, along with his underwear.
Her breath caught. He was magnificent. How was this guy still single? Wait. Maybe he had a girlfriend.
He lowered himself over her, bracing himself with his hands. With one knee bent between her thighs, he nuzzled into her neck, nibbling the sensitive skin from below her ear to her shoulder.
Carly closed her eyes, shivering at the feel of his lips exploring,