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.Ben rose to his feet and plucked her effortlessly from the water, cradling her against his chest as he stepped out of the tub.The warm water streaming from their bodies pooled, trapped between them where her side met the hard, taut muscles of his abdomen.The light scatter of hair on his chest curled damply on the skin, and she traced the path of a trickle with her fingertip, drawing a groan from him.‘I hope you’re going to be wide awake later,’ he murmured threateningly, and she giggled and tweaked one of the curls.‘Ow! Little wretch.I’ll get you back for that after dinner,’ he promised.‘You and whose army?’ she asked cheekily, and he quirked a brow.‘Fighting talk, eh? We’ll see.’He set her down on her feet, handed her her towel and pulled on his robe.They walked back to Java Deck and he left her at her cabin door with the brush of his lips on her brow.‘I’ll deal with you later,’ he said softly.‘Oh, promises, promises!’ she teased.‘You’d better believe it!’ he laughed, and walked away, his stride confident.Maggie watched him till he reached his cabin door, and then waved before going into her cabin.Her reprieve was definitely over, and not a moment too soon.She dressed carefully for dinner, and was gratified to see his carefully controlled reaction when he entered the Frangipani Room a few moments after her.‘You,’ he murmured for her ears only, ‘are asking for trouble, and you’re going to damn well get it!’She smiled mischievously.‘Thank you.I think you look pretty special too.’He chuckled.‘Allow me to escort you to your place, Dr Wells.’He seated her courteously, and throughout the meal he behaved with the utmost propriety.Only Maggie was aware of their feet intertwined, and the subtle pressure of his thigh against hers.‘Don’t overeat,’ he warned wickedly in an undertone.His advice was unnecessary.Her appetite had deserted her, and it seemed to take the greatest effort to swallow past the pounding of her heart.When the meal was finally over, he led her through the Penang Lounge and out on deck, there taking her in his arms to the soft strains of the palm court band.They moved only slightly, their bodies close, their hearts beating in unison, and when Ben lifted his head and whispered her name she could only nod in response.He hugged is her briefly, then slipped his arm around her shoulders and led her back to the lift.It was crowded, as before, and he smiled and chatted with the passengers as befitted his position as an officer of the ship’s company.As he followed her through her cabin door, however, his smile slipped and he became just a man, haunted by a passion that turned his eyes to flame.Maggie watched, spellbound, as he turned the lock.The click was deafening in the quiet room, and as they stood facing each other she was conscious of everything about him—the breadth of his shoulders, his height, the way his hair fell forward on to his brow.The subtle scent of his cologne, mixed with something that was distinctly Ben, drifted in the still air and taunted her senses.He was waiting, she realised finally, for her to make the first move, but her body seemed frozen and beyond her control.As the seconds dragged out into minutes, she began to shake, her whole body trembling with the force of need that suddenly engulfed her.‘Hold me,’ she whispered, and then she was in his arms and he was rocking her, his voice soft, his arms firm about her, his body trembling against her.‘It’s OK,’ he told her gently.‘We don’t have to do anything you don’t want.’‘But I want it all,’ she said raggedly, and then he was kissing her wildly, passionately, and his body shuddered as he fought to contain his need.Whimpering, she tugged at his clothes, and he shed his jacket and shirt and her hands were skittering over his skin, desperate to touch him.He eased away from her and stripped to his briefs, then turned her round so that he could unfasten the back of her dress.Turning her back, he eased it down over her shoulders and let fit fall to the floor, leaving her in nothing but a scrap of silk.As Maggie watched, his eyes closed and he sucked in his breath sharply.Then his eyes opened again, and he reached out a hand as if to touch her.‘You’re so beautiful,’ he breathed, and let his eyes feast slowly on her body.She closed her eyes, unable to bear his scrutiny, and then she felt the gentle brush of his knuckles against her cheek.‘Don’t be embarrassed,’ he murmured.‘This is me, Maggie.Let me see you.’Her eyes flickered open and met his, and the look in them nearly took her breath away.Opening her arms, she reached out and clung to him, unable to bear the space between them any more [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]