Читать книгу All Night Long - Melissa MacNeal - Страница 13

“Wipe that smirk off your face and get me outta here,” Lola muttered.

Aric had appeared out of nowhere, and had the gall to hold her robe like a perfect gentleman would hold a lady’s coat. Once again his silver-green eyes took a leisurely tour, this time lingering on the wisps of hair clinging to her sweaty neck, and on the trails of wetness that had dried on her thighs.

“Rode hard and put away wet?” he teased.

She whirled around to smack him, but he caught her by the wrist.

“You knew!” she rasped. “You knew Skandalis would just tease me while that nympho Miss Christy shamed me into—”

“So you find pleasure shameful?” Keeping hold of her hand, Cabana Boy opened the door for her. “Funny, but from the looks of you I’d swear you found shame pleasurable. You just won’t admit it.”

“Bye, now! Y’all come back!” a cheerful chirp followed them out of the spa.

Lola strode down the hallway with what little dignity she could muster. Were the other guests still at the gala, or had they gone to dinner by now? She could not be seen by normal, decent people looking like she’d been ravaged!

Especially since she hadn’t. Not the way she wanted, anyway. And not so much as a towel or a cigarette or a kiss-my-ass when Miss Christy sashayed out of the massage room, sniffing after the captain. Just left her there, feeling sticky and—used.

“Why do you find it so amusing that—why do you call it pleasure, what Miss Lusty Busty did to me?” she demanded. “You think it’s funny that the captain got me all hot and bothered, and then made me watch him put it to that—that other woman?”

Aric’s lips curved in a secretive grin. “Why do you think I’d know about this stuff?”

“Oh, get real!” she cried. “Skandalis would’ve bragged to you on his way out. Don’t pretend he doesn’t keep you informed—so you can be sure I don’t have a single moment to consider escape.”

They stepped into the staff elevator. Once again, Wonder Warden leaned against the wall right beside her, lithe as a tiger. Looking sexy as hell just pushing the UP button.

“OK. So he told me I was to get you showered and fed before I hustle your buns downstairs to find a formal dress,” Aric replied with a hint of impatience. “You think I have it easy? You think I like playing cop to a prickly little bitch who whined because she got moved to the penthouse level? And is whining because she came in the spa?”

Lola straightened her shoulders, yanking her lapels together. Those silvery eyes were looking for her Very Cherries again, and he didn’t deserve that view right now!

“I didn’t whine,” she simpered. “I merely….”

She sighed. Why was his point so very damning? So damned accurate?

Suddenly very tired, Lola went limp against the cool steel wall. “What would it take for you to let me just crash tonight? It’s been a helluva day, you know?”

“Sorry, babe. I’m not for sale.”

The elevator door slid open with a low swoosh, and then Aric unlocked the suite’s door. In their absence, the room attendant had turned down that big, beautiful bed and left mood lamps burning on the tables. It seemed a shame to have such a gorgeous suite and no chance to spend time in it.

She spotted two wrapped truffles from that high-end chocolate shop downstairs, and snatched one off her pillow. “So tell the captain I’m sick. You know damn well he only wants to—”

“Take your shower. You’ll feel better.”

“—get me all hyped up to dance with him, and then he won’t—”

Aric’s single raised eyebrow said don’t make me take you to that bathroom myself, lady.

With a loud sigh, Lola unwrapped her candy, smoothing its foil when she saw a message printed inside.

You’re about to meet a wild, wonderful lover!

“Yeah, right,” she muttered. “In my dreams.”

She popped the truffle into her mouth and then paused, letting the sweet mocha filling ooze over her tongue while her teeth tested the dark chocolate that surrounded it. Her toes curled into the plush carpet.

My God, this is fabulous. Good thing I breezed into that candy shop and breezed right back out when I saw the price tags on these things. I can already feel my ass getting fatter.

Cabana Boy, who was staring right at it, didn’t seem to notice. So she wadded up her robe and threw it at him, for spite. She padded toward the bathroom, aware he was watching her every move.

“Do you know how many women on this ship would give their right legs to dance with Captain Skandalis?” he shot at her bare back.

Lola stopped, tonguing the chocolate off her teeth as she thought about that. “Not if they really intended to dance with him, they wouldn’t,” she teased.

“OK, I’ve got it now! You don’t know how to dance!”

She slammed the shower door on that remark, twisting the faucet handle with a vengeance. What did a girl have to do to get a little peace and quiet? So much lip that kid was giving her! Another Yes Man for the captain, just like Rio DeSilva.

Closing her eyes as the warm water pulsed against her chest, Lola let herself relax against the glass wall. Let her head fall forward to catch the water. This was the best thing to happen to her all damn day!

But why? What’s so tough about playing along with Captain Skandalis and your cabana boy? In the end, you go home a free woman! Your credit gets fixed, and it’ll be business as usual.

But that was the problem, wasn’t it? She’d planned to go home married.

While she prided herself on being independent and savvy, Lola Wright still believed, deep down, that once you had that MRS in front of your name, life had direction. You had a road map to maturity, and a more secure future—and your family and friends would stop speculating about whether you were too impossible for any man to put up with. Or…girly, that way.

And once you got past the Big Three-O, the biological time bomb ticked like a grandfather’s clock marking time in a funeral parlor. Even though she’d been running a successful business for years, she felt lacking as a woman because she didn’t have a family of her own.

What ever happened to that woman who’d believed she could have it all, and do it all? And why couldn’t you just order the perfect guy online and get a set of smart, adorable kids to go with him?

Sighing, Lola lathered her hair and then scrubbed herself all over with her net scrubbie and the gel on the shower shelf. Scents of eucalyptus and green tea wafted around her in the steam, refreshing her more than she anticipated. The chocolate and sugar and caffeine from the truffle kicked in, revving her pulse.

Maybe there was hope for this evening, after all. Maybe she could give the captain an eyeful of woman he couldn’t possibly refuse—or at least get a kick out of showing herself off.

When Lola opened the door, the cloud of herbal mist filled the bathroom with a heady sense of wealth and well-being, as though a woman of mystery—a goddess!—was emerging to rule this night like the moon!

“And here I am!” she whispered, raising the back-scrubber like a scepter. “The High Priestess, stepping from her Gilded Tarot deck to dance divinely above the waters of insight and illumination!”

A low laugh came from the doorway. “Bet the captain’s never heard that one!”

Aric appeared in the mist then, holding out the thickest, fluffiest towel she’d ever seen.

“Thank you, dear,” she murmured. Despite his smart-ass remark, she maintained her regal tone and posture. “Never forget who you’re dealing with here. A Priestess has powers and secrets no mortal man can fully comprehend. Captain Scandalous doesn’t stand a chance!”

It was a head game, a pretense to get her through the night. But what could it hurt? It beat whining and feeling sorry for herself—and being told she was.

So Lola lotioned—no, she anointed—herself. Then she ate the fabulous lobster stir-fry Aric had ordered up from the galley, while he dried and arranged her hair in a sleek topknot with a riot of ringlets springing out of it. Not a style she’d ever consider in the real world, and yet…there was something very goddesslike about appearing younger and more spontaneous and—

“Very sophisticated. Yet playful.” Aric circled her, studying the overall effect of his efforts in the vanity mirror.

“That’s what you tell all the captain’s girls, right?” Lola eyed the lanky young man with a thoughtful eye, trying to figure out if his talents in cosmetology meant anything. Like, about his sexual preferences.

“So how’d you get into doing hair?” she fished as she tested the spring in those ringlets. “Or did you just write ‘miracle worker’ on your job app, so Skandalis hired you?”

There was that secretive grin again, as he peered at her from beneath his own tousled curls.

“I’m not done yet, Priestess,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. “Sit still, or Cinderella’s gonna be late for the ball.”

He worked the same sort of magic with her makeup, using the cosmetics she’d brought from home. He made her eyes grow greener and more feline with a flick of the eyeliner. Gave her a polished, classy glow she’d never achieved on her own.

Lola could only stare into the mirror, wondering who that woman was; believing the Priestess had emerged for real, and could make men kneel at her feet. A goddess like that could make the captain beg for it!

“Whatever’s on your mind right now, hold that thought!” her warden murmured. “Now let’s get you downstairs for an evening gown—”

“And what’s wrong with mine? I’ve got a black strapless number that—”

His raised eyebrow shut her up again. The kid was way too good at that move—and Lola was feeling way too good to jinx this new mood he’d created with face paints and hair spray.

By God, she’d show Captain Scandalous who he was dealing with! She’d play by his rules, all right—but this time she’d win!

Why wasn’t she surprised that Clive Kingsley, the courtly concierge, awaited them in the boutique Aric escorted her to? These guys on the Aphrodite must take as much time conferring on their walkie-talkies as teenage girls spent on their cell phones.

She didn’t complain, however. The dapper Brit had set aside three of the most exquisite dresses she’d ever seen, in colors that called out to her. And all of them were her size.

Lola tried not to gape like a clueless schoolgirl as she admired each of the gowns. “But how did you know—”

“You’re not the only one who has a practiced eye at…sizing things up,” he replied with a smug smile. “And sometimes, others have a different impression of us because they have a fresh focus. I’ve chosen colors and designs you might not try on your own, assuming they just wouldn’t be you.”

Oh, but each of these gowns spoke to something deep within her: the woman who would be Queen, but feared someone would lift the hem of her royal robe and discover her scuzzy sneakers. While she could make an ordinary businessman look like a million bucks, Lola Wright spent little time choosing her own wardrobe. Tailored suits with blouses and pumps got her through nearly every occasion.

So what a treat it was, to revel in the first gown’s diaphanous layers of pale ivory, and then to giggle at the glitzy way its iridescent beads flashed like shooting stars. When she tried it on, she felt like a fairy princess—until she stepped in front of the mirror in the main room.

Two red bull’s eyes and a patch of thatch jumped out at her.

“My God, you can see right through the—well, you can see everything,” she said with a gulp.

Clive smiled, his gaze wandering below her waist as he smoothed the shoulder seams.

“Perhaps a wax job and some nail polish remover would be the thing before you wore this one. Or not,” he added with a coy shrug. “Bait your hook for whomever you’re trying to catch, my dear.”

Right. That wild, wonderful lover I’m about to meet.

“I’m sure you’ll agree that wearing a slip would ruin the effect.”

Rolling her eyes at the concierge—a man who obviously enjoyed this part of his job—Lola took the second dress into the fitting room. Sleek and smooth, made of deep green satin, it seemed a better choice because it at least covered her uh, assets.

“I chose this one to accent your lovely hair and eyes, of course,” Kingsley crooned. “But don’t let that limit you! A gorgeous girl like yourself can wear a kaleidoscope of colors well! And your figure is so suited to styles most women can’t carry off. You should celebrate that.”

Celebrating herself! Now there was a novel concept!

Yet it impressed Lola anew as she slipped into a gown of eggplant and claret stripes: it left one shoulder bare and set the other off with a pleated sleeve cap that rose boldly into the air like a butterfly wing. Wayyyy too out-there and Parisian for a girl who grew up in Oregon! She only kept it on to humor the kind concierge, yet she was amazed by what she saw when she stepped in front of the triple mirror outside the dressing room.

“I look like someone from a different galaxy or—”

The hisssssss that escaped as Clive exhaled shut her up. And when he met her gaze in the mirror, over her bare shoulder, Lola swore she saw smoke from the fire in those blue eyes.

“Guess I’d better take this one, huh?”

“No one else can even try it on, now that I’ve seen you in it.”

She felt a glow inside, yet habit made her reach for the price tag. Kingsley, however, grabbed it first and deftly tore the paper from its string.

“We’re charging these to the captain’s account,” he murmured. “And since you’re working off debts Mr. Fletcher left you, you might as well have something to show for it. Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets, remember.”

“But I couldn’t dream of—”

“Why not?”

Clive kissed her hand, challenging her with the glint in his eye. “If you can’t dream here, on Fantasy Cruise Lines, then where? After all, you’re appearing in the ballroom at Skorpio’s command. If he’s going to play, he’s going to pay.”

Finally! A man who’s not kissing the captain’s ass!

Lola grinned at the concierge, feeling grand and giddy. And very high-maintenance!

“Right you are! I’ll take all three!” she crowed. “Now tell me which gown will wow Captain Scandalous tonight. And I’m betting you have just the right little trinkets to wear with it.”

“Indeed, I do, my dear,” he purred, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “For this evening, I suggest the deep green sheath. I’ll have the others sent to your suite.”

Was this really happening? Lola quickly changed into the elegant dress that made her eyes look large and mysterious and…provocative. Lord, she’d never felt provocative in her life—not this way! The gown fit like a glove that was custom cut for her body. In the back of her mind, her mother was telling her to ask for the proper underthings—a slip, at least—to wear beneath this sleeveless creation that dipped low to show the tops of her unfettered breasts. It also had an open side seam that revealed most of her thigh.

But of course, underwear didn’t exist that would do this dress justice! Why would she want a bra line? Or a slip that would flutter through that daring slit on the side?

And isn’t YOUR slit feeling sleazy and free? Without even a thong to cover it!

Lola chuckled, hearing sex and cigarettes in her inner voice. A killer combination, when the captain took her into his arms to dance tonight!

When she emerged from the changing room, Kingsley awaited her with the perfect accessories.

“Your magic slippers,” he said, handing her a pair that were little more than clear straps with heels like icicles. “Fuck-me shoes at their finest, don’t you agree?”

Lola’s jaw dropped. Had this proper Brit really said that?

Yet the grin twitching at his lips made her giggle. And when Kingsley deftly fastened a strand of black pearls around her neck, she didn’t have to ask if they were real. Not to mention terribly pricey.

“How can I ever repay—”

“Ah-ah!” He shushed her with a gentle finger, his face alight with sensual pleasure. “Wear it all and be wonderful, dear Lola. Wear it, and believe.”

She returned his gaze, feeling like the princess in a fairy tale—thinking miracles just might happen, and she could indeed win some private time with Captain Scandalous. Maybe upstairs in that Aphrodisia Suite.

Was that why he’d put her there in the first place?

The phone rang and Kingsley went behind the counter to answer it. As Lola turned in front of the mirror, it struck her as odd that the concierge on a ship this size would be managing such a boutique. Surely he’d have full-time duties dealing with passengers, since a well-versed saleslady could’ve assisted her with these gowns.

Or perhaps Clive Kingsley had taken her on as his personal mission. An intriguing thought, as she sneaked a peek at his face in her mirror. Brits had always fascinated her with their wry humor and impeccable etiquette and—

He held her gaze in the glass with sexy blue eyes that then wandered along her profile.

Lola melted. He did have intentions, and they went beyond seeing that Skorpio Skandalis treated her like a queen rather than a captive! Perhaps Clive intended to challenge the captain for the pleasure of her company!

“I see, sir…yes, of course, captain. I’m sure she’ll understand,” he spoke stiffly into the phone.

But she bloody well won’t like it, was what he didn’t say.

Lola frosted over. “I suppose he’s come up with some excuse—”

“Actually, our captain has been called away to an emergency. So he sends his regrets—and me,” came a voice from the doorway.

In strolled Aric, looking young and wonderful in a close-cut tux of navy blue with a cravat and cummerbund of bright lime and silver stripes. On anyone else such a combination would look outrageous, yet Lola couldn’t help gaping at him. His hair hung in loose, gleaming curls that made her fingers itch to get lost in them.

He offered her an elbow. “I guess you’re stuck with me, Priestess. Shall we dance?”