Resonating Souls (Bermuda Nights #1)(18)

“That was just temporary,” he snapped back. “Now the company has laid me off. Said I didn’t fit well with their group. Fucking *s. So I’m back in Boston, rooming with these two guys.”

“I really don’t care! You’re out of my life. You need to stay there!”

He spit on the ground. “This musician of yours probably makes pennies a day,” he continued. “You need a guy who can treat you right. Me and my friends, we’re in investment banking now. We’ve already got a number of these rich old farts on the cruise interested in signing up with us. Just like Mikey promised.” He nudged his head at the man leaning against the wall.

I gave a snort. Jeff had barely passed his classes, and I was surprised he’d graduated. I wouldn’t let the man anywhere near my bank accounts.

I raked my gaze over Jeff. “Treating me right has nothing to do with money,” I shot back. “Something you would never understand.”

Mikey staggered to his feet, blearily blinking his eyes. “Hey, man, I thought you said this girl was all over you. That she’d come crawling back to your door.”

Jeff’s eyes shot daggers. “Yeah, well, she’s stupid. She’ll just take some smartening up.”

The other man slowly righted himself, his face green. “I’m not interested in finding those whores any more. I don’t care how cheap they are. I’m going back to the ship.”

He started staggering in that direction. Mikey took one last look at Jeff, then joined his friend.

Jeff looked after the two in furious frustration, then turned back to Evan. “You haven’t heard the last of this,” he snarled. “I wonder if this ship of yours has a brig. Let’s see if you can f*ck her through the bars.” Then he turned and strode off into the darkness.

I swallowed hard, my heart beating against my ribs as the enormity of what just happened sunk in. “Oh, God, Evan, I’m so sorry. I should have –”

He turned, shaking his head, reaching out a hand to me. “You’re doing it again.”

I blinked in confusion. “Doing what?”

He pulled me in against him. “Apologizing for him. For what he does.”

“But this is all my fault,” I insisted. “If only –”

“If only what?” he interrupted. “You can’t go back in time. You can’t undo your relationship with him. We were walking down a public street, and you didn’t do anything wrong.” His eyes shadowed. “I’m just glad I was here with you. If he had caught you alone, who knows what he might have done.”

I looked up at him in concern. “But what if he causes trouble for you on the ship?”

His mouth quirked up in a smile. “You let me worry about that. I have no regrets at all about tonight.” He traced my face with his fingers. “You deserve someone to watch over you.”

I twined my fingers into his hair. “You’re my knight in shining armor.”

His voice thickened. “And you’re my –”

He dropped his head and nuzzled his lips against my neck. For a long moment he just held me there, his breath coming in long draws, as if he were breathing in my scent. Then his mouth opened against the soft skin of my throat. His tongue darted out, tracing a path, and he pressed his lips harder, sucking in.


A shaft of pleasure coursed through me at the sensation, and I melted against him, groaning.

A shudder went through him, as if some internal restraint was slipped loose. He turned me in his arms, pressing my back against the stone wall, his mouth moving to my lips. His kiss deepened, lengthened, and my hands twined deeper into his thick hair.

I wanted him. He had fought for me, protected me, and I wanted …

He groaned as I pressed my breasts hard into his body, and his voice was tight with effort. “Amanda, I think –”

“Don’t think,” I urged, my heart pounding, my blood pumping. “I need you … Please, Evan …”

His groan was deeper this time, and he glanced quickly in both directions before driving his body hard against mine, his mouth pinning mine in place, his kiss wrenching me into another dimension. His hands slid my dress up to my waist, then with one quick motion stripped my panties down to the ground.

I gasped at the brisk air on my sex, the moisture sending bursts of sensation through me, aching, craving more than I’d wanted anything before in my life.

His mouth pressed me to the wall, while his hands flew to his buckle, his zipper. His jeans slid down his legs, then his briefs followed. There was the sound of foil ripping, a motion –

His shaft drove, hard and quick, deep into my core.

I gasped with pleasure and shock and desire, arching against him. I didn’t care we were on a public street. I didn’t care about anything beyond him and me and this need which was building like a volcano.

He eased out of me, his eyes glowing with dark heat. “Tell me you want me,” he murmured. “Tell me you want me to take you like this, take you now.” His cock throbbed against my opening, nearly sending me over the edge.

I groaned, deep within me, nearly beyond words. My voice was a guttural cry. “Take me,” I pleaded. “I need you … I need …”

His hands came around my ass, lifting me up higher. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he came in again, harder this time, slamming me back against the wall, and my moan was deeper, shaking me to my core.