"Are you sure we should be here?" I whispered.
"I'm sure we shouldn't, but we're almost there," he assured me.
The hallway we walked led straight to the rear. We reached the end and found ourselves at a 'T.' We could go left or right, and in front of us was a long wall with portholes. A single door to our left and a few yards away broke the endless line of round windows, and it was to there that Max led me.
"Now watch your step. Sometimes it's slick out here," he warned me as he opened the door.
The view presented to me was of a small balcony with a thick, tall railing. Max led me onto the balcony and closed the door behind us. I cautiously stepped over to the railing and looked out.
The view was magnificent.
Behind the ship was an endless horizon of dark, clear water. Only the ship's wake disturbed the miles and miles of calm water. The sun traveled across the horizon and lit up the water with millions of tiny sparkles of light. The balcony was so quiet I could hear my heart beat, and we were so close to the water I thought I might touch it.
Max joined me at the railing and leaned on it. "What do you think?"
"It's beautiful," I whispered.
He smiled. "I thought you'd appreciate it. There's the same view from the deck, but it's not so quiet nor so close to the water."
"How did you find this place?" I asked him.
He grinned. "I talk to the staff every chance I get, and one of them tipped me off to this balcony. They come out here for a smoke. It's not officially on the design of the ship, but the captain doesn't mind."
There was quiet between us for a few minutes as we both enjoyed the sparkling view. Then a chill breeze blew across me and reminded me I wasn't clothed for weather off such deep water. I shuddered, and Max wrapped an arm around me.
"Cold?" he guessed.
I nodded. "It's not too warm up here."
"It's even colder in the water, but let's get you inside. You look like you could use a nap," he commented.
"I haven't had much sleep lately," I admitted as he led me inside.
"Well, let's have you get some sleep," he insisted.
Max led me back through the ship and to our hallway. We paused outside my door and I turned to smile at him. "Thanks for the show, and the candy. I don't know how I can repay you for such a great time."
A sly smile slid onto his lips. "There is one way you could repay me."
I frowned. "How?"
He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. A jolt of heat swept through my body. His arms wrapped around me and pressed me close against his warm, strong chest. Our lips meshed together in a passionate embrace that only the necessity of air could break, which it did. We parted, each of us gasping and with red on our cheeks.
"Wow," he murmured.
"I think your in debt to me," I teased.
He grinned. "This is the only time I'd be glad to go into bankruptcy."
I stepped back and set my hand on the door knob. "I'll guess I'll see you tonight at dinner?" I asked him.
"Definitely," he promised. "And I'll be here to pick you up at five-thirty sharp."
"I'll be here," I swore.
I slipped into my room and leaned against the closed door. My heart still thumped like a marching band, and my cheeks were so warm they nearly felt on fire. I set a palm on one cheek as I stumbled to my bedroom. Now I needed the nap just to cool off before dinner. I lay myself on my bed and, with my mind filled with wonderful thoughts of a certain young man, I drifted off to sleep.
I was awoken some hours later by a bright light. My mind conjured up images of a setting sun, but the intensity was too great. I opened my eyes and beheld the book open before me. That was nothing unheard of in my strange experiences, but what was different was that someone held the book. It was the man in black, but this time I noticed a physical connection between the book and him. Tendrils emerged from the book and plunged into his arm. Scratch that, they created his arm, and the rest of him.
I sat up and gawked at the figure. The person, or thing, or whatever it was, stared down at me with those red eyes. They were full of terrifying anger, but I had the feeling the anger wasn't directed at me.
"What. . .what are you?" I whispered.
The phantom turned away from me for a moment to set the glowing book, open, on the nightstand. It soon returned its attention to me, and seated itself on the edge of the bed close to the foot. The phantom set its palm on the sheets and tendrils slid across the cloth and up her leg. My heart quickened as I felt its smooth body caress my trembling flesh. The tendril separated into smaller arms that wrapped around my leg.
The figure placed its other hand on the sheets and more tendrils appeared. They slid up my other pant leg. I panted and crawled backwards until my back hit the headboard. The tendrils climbed higher. They emerged from the waistband of my pants and unbuttoned my jeans. Some of the creatures pulled open the zipper and dipped into my underwear while others continued their sensual climb up my body.
The tendrils reached my shirt and dipped under the fabric. Their soft, slender bodies pushed my bra above my heaving, swollen breasts and wrapped themselves around my mounds. They pressed against and massaged my breasts with a careful touch. I gasped and clutched the sheets beneath me. The dark doppelganger to Max crawled across the sheets and wrapped his tendrils arms around my back. More tendrils sprouted from him and engulfed me in their warm, soft bodies.
I was unable to escape, but escape was the last thing on my mind. The tendrils touched and teased me in all my intimate, sensitive spots. With every touch and brush they possessed me and owned me. I was theirs to take and do with what they pleased, and that thought thrilled me.
My shirt was torn wide open as their bodies ripped through it. My bra was soon to follow. The tendrils opened the seams in my pants and broke apart my underwear. I lay naked beneath their sensual attentions. I writhed in their grasp as they made slow, sweet love to me.
The Shadow Max leaned forward and pressed his warm lips against mine. I showed my acceptance when I deepened the kiss. The tendrils between my legs slithered into my warm, wet folds. I broke from the kiss and gasped as white-hot pleasure rippled across my body. My groans filled the air as the shadow over me left a trail of hot kisses down my neck.
The tendrils inside me pushed in and out. Their motions were matched by my hips as I joined in this lustful union. My body was no longer my own. I was his to control, to command, to take. The sensual pleasure in belonging to someone, even a being such as this, filled me with delicious excitement. My body ached for this union, this wonderful lust that so consumed me.
The tendrils glided over my sweat-soaked skin. They explored me as a lover would even as they penetrated me slowly, achingly slowly. I whimpered and squirmed beneath the hot, heavy blanket of lust that kept me pinned to the bed.
"Please," I whispered. My voice was so sultry and hoarse that I hardly recognized it. "Faster. Oh god, I need faster."
The tendrils continued with their slow torture. The ache inside me built to a horrible and yet wonderful pitch. I gasped and groaned. My sounds of pleasure echoed around the room. The shadow blurred until I could hardly tell it from the other tendrils, but I knew it was still there, just below the surface. I could feel its lips press against my swollen breasts. The tendrils licked at my heaving mounds. I moaned and squirmed.
"Please take me," I begged. I couldn't take this delicious torture. The lustful ache inside me had to be appeased. "Make me yours and never stop. Never let go of me."
My words spurred the tendrils into action. Their thrusts quickened and penetrated deeper into me. The teasing touches transformed into lustful groping. I writhed and flailed beneath such ravishing attentions. My entire body was alive with sensations of pleasure that penetrated me more deeply than even the tendrils.
The tendrils pushed faster. Their bodies slid over me in wonderful waves of delicious heat. The tension inside me built to horribly wonderful heights. I felt myself sli
pping into the depths of orgasmic bliss.
My body exploded with bliss as my orgasm overtook my senses. I screamed my pleasure to the empty room. My body jerked and writhed atop the covers.
There came a loud knock on the door. The tendrils retreated from my body. I turned my head to the side and watched them slip into the open book, and the cover shut itself. The glow in the room vanished, as did my pleasure. The interruption stirred an anger inside me I'd never known.
I sat up and glared through the open bedroom door at the entrance to my suite. My clothes were ruined, but I quickly flung on some others and marched to the entrance. I wrenched open the door so violently that it nearly flew from my hand and slammed into the wall.
Stuart stood on the other side with his hand raised in mid-knock. He quickly lowered it and smiled at me.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Jane, but there's been another attack," he informed me.
I glanced across the hall. The two rooms occupied by Lana and Alicia were empty, but the door to Renee's room was wide open. The captain stood just inside the door, and far into the room I could see Renee seated on the couch. She had her head cradled in her hands, and the faint sound of sobbing came to my ears.
"You can tell the captain that I didn't hear anything," I told him as I made to shut the door.
Stuart placed his palm on the door and arrested the closing. He pursed his lips and his face seemed inordinately pale. "Please, Jane. I think you need to come to this one."
I frowned. "Why?"
"The captain would like to talk to you," he explained.
I frowned, but stepped out into the hall. Stuart followed behind me as we walked across the hall. I caught a better view through Renee's door and could see that Max was seated beside the weeping woman. He had one arm over her shoulder, and his lips were pursed tightly together. He looked up at my coming in and tried to stand, but Renee sat up and grasped his hand.
"Please don't leave me," she whispered. Her eyes fell on me and they darkened. "Especially with her here."
"Miss Johnson, would you please step inside?" the captain requested. He looked past me at Stuart. "You can remain outside, Stuart."
"Yes, sir," Stuart agreed.
I stepped inside and Stuart closed the door behind me. The clack of the clasp was ominously loud in the quiet room. I looked around the space for signs of the usual struggle, but nothing was overturned. The only oddity was Renee's disheveled look. Her clothes were wrinkled and there were a few tears on the sleeves.
"As I heard Stuart tell you, Miss Johnson, there's been another attack," the captain explained to me.
"But I can't help you this time, captain. I didn't hear or see anything," I told him.
Renee jumped to her feet and glared at me. "Liar!" she screamed.
"Please, Miss Roster. Now is not the time for theatrics," the captain pleaded.
She pointed an accusing finger at me. "But she did it! She attacked me! Arrest her right now!"
CHAPTER 14
My life the last couple of days was a jumbled mix of fantasy and reality. At the point that Renee Roster accused me of attacking her I couldn't figure out whether I was in the fantasy or reality part.
I blinked at her for a moment before I swept my eyes over the two gentlemen present. "What did I do?"
Captain John pursed his lips. "Miss Roster has accused you of attacking her."
"It's not an accusation, it's true!" Renee insisted.
Max stood and set a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure there's some sort of mistake. She wouldn't-"
Renee spun around and glared at him. "Wouldn't she? She's wanted you since the first day this ship sailed, and now all three of us have been attacked."
"But I didn't do it!" I argued. "I've been in my room taking a nap!"
"How would you know you were taking a nap unless you knew when it happened!" Renee pointed out.
I opened my mouth, but stopped when I realized she was right. I was doing myself no favors by blurting out whatever defense I could think of.
The captain turned to Renee. "What time did the alleged attack occur?"
Renee's face reddened. "It wasn't alleged! It really happened."
He held up his hand. "Until we have evidence to prove guilt the incident is alleged, now please tell me what time it occurred."
Renee crossed her arms over her chest and pressed her lips together in a pout. "About half an hour ago."
Captain John looked to me. "Were you in your suite at the time?"
I pursed my lips, but nodded. "I was."
"Was anyone with you at the time?" he asked me.
I shook my head. "No one. I was asleep."
Renee scoffed. "Asleep my ass! You were in-"
"Quiet, please, Miss Roster," Captain John requested. She snapped her mouth shut, but frowned at him. The captain sighed and held out his hand to me. "I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me, Miss Johnson."
Max's eyes widened and he rushed forward. "What? But she didn't-" The captain held up his hand and shook his head.
"Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be, Mr. Archer," the captain pleaded. He placed one hand on my arm and gestured to the door. "If you would, Miss Johnson."
"Where are we going?" I asked him.
'To the surveillance room. We'll see what the cameras show and I'll make a judgment from that," he told me.
I gulped, but nodded and let him lead me from the suite. Behind me Max was definitely not professing his undying love to Renee.
"How could you do this when you know she's innocent?" he shouted at her.
"How can you believe her over me?" she snapped back.
"We're through, and this time it's for good!" I heard his footsteps storm from the suite.
A glance over my shoulder confirmed it as he stepped out into the hall. Max slammed the door behind him and looked down the hall. His tense body slumped down when his eyes fell on me. He pursed his lips and he hurried after us.
"Mind some more company?" he asked the captain as he reached the man's side.
The captain smiled at him. "I'd be grateful for another pair of eyes."
The captain walked beside me and Max behind us as we walked to the security room. We wound through the rows of desk and into the surveillance room. A new set of men were on duty, and they stood at the captain's entrance.
"We need a view of A Hall from fifty minutes ago," he commanded them.
They saluted and hurried to obey his order. The captain gestured to a chair near the door.
"If you would, Miss Johnson," he requested.
I took a seat, and Max leaned on the door frame close to my shoulder. He placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned down so he could whisper to me without being overheard.
"I know you didn't do it," he told me.
I smiled at him. "Thanks. Really."
He nodded and straightened.
"Where would you like us to play the recording?" one of the officers asked the captain.
Captain John nodded at a large screen in the center. It had a view of the wide bow. "Play it there."
"Yes, sir."
The picture changed from the bow to the hallway in which I resided. The time-stamp at the bottom right corner of the recording showed it to be fifty minutes ago. One of the men turned in their seat and looked back at us.
"What are we looking for, sir?" he asked the captain.
"We're looking for anyone entering Suite D," he replied.
The crewman nodded. "Very good, sir." He faced ahead in his seat and started the recording.
We all waited with baited breath as time ticked by in the video. The hallway started empty, and the proceeding five minutes didn't change that condition.
I started when the door to room Suite D flew open. Renee stumbled out clutching at her chest. She pressed one hand against the wall and slid down the hallway.
"Help!" she choked out. "Someone please help me!"
"Stop the tape," the captain ordered. The men
did as he asked and the recording was paused. The captain leaned back and rubbed his chin in one palm. "How strange."
"That you didn't find anything?" Max asked him.
Captain John shook his head. "That there wasn't even the shadow that was seen in the last two attacks."
"That's because nothing happened," Max insisted.
The captain turned to him and studied his old friend. "You're very sure of your opinion, Mr. Archer. Do you have something you want to share with me?"
Max's eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips. "I just know Miss Johnson, that's all, and I know she wouldn't attack anyone, even R-Miss Roster."
The captain gestured to the screen. "It seems the evidence agrees with you, so I have no choice but to release Miss Johnson from custody."
I blinked at him. "You. . .you mean I can go?"
He nodded. "Yes, but be sure to keep your distance from Miss Roster or I'll be forced to move you to another part of the ship."
Max wrapped an arm around my shoulders and grinned at his old friend. "That won't be a problem, captain. I'll keep her occupied."
The captain chuckled. "That's what I'm afraid of, but you both need to keep your noses clean the rest of the trip, or I'll be forced to eject you at the first port we come to."
"Speaking of coming to ports, don't we come to the first one tomorrow?" Max asked him.
"That's correct," the captain confirmed.
"Then I've got good news for you, John. You'll have me out of your hair tomorrow because I plan on getting off the ship at next port," Max revealed.
I whipped my head up to him and my mouth dropped open. "You're. . .you're leaving?" I whispered.
"It's for the tranquility of the ship, and to avoid my friend here-" Max gestured to the captain, "-from having a heart attack."
"I'm sorry to see you go, but I would like to live to retirement," the captain agreed.
I shrugged off his arm and stepped back. Tears sprang into my eyes and I glared at the mad billionaire who stood before me. "Then everything you told me was what? A lie? Some trick to play on a poor girl until you could get off the ship?"
Max's face fell and he reached out for me. "I can explain."
I stepped backwards out of his reach. "Save it for someone who cares!"
I turned tail and raced out of the surveillance room. Max followed after me shouting my name.