“Thirty dollars.”
Ruby slapped on her best poker face. She could just as easily insert a mental suggestion into the man’s mind and get any price she wanted, but where was the fun in that? “For this? Have you lost your mind? I’ll give you . . .” She paused, trying to remember how much she’d paid for her last bag. When she drew a complete blank, she pulled a number out of thin air. “Fifteen.”
The vendor shook his head. “No, too cheap. That bag would cost five times as much if you bought it on Bay Street.” His eyes glinted with the thrill of the haggle. “The lowest I can possibly go is twenty-five.”
“The bag on Bay Street would be real Gucci. Twenty.”
“You drive a hard bargain.” She waited for him to toss out another price, but instead he put his hand out and said, “Deal.”
Dang, he jumped at twenty way too quickly. She should have gone for eighteen. Still, it wasn’t a bad price, so she dug a twenty from her pocket and handed it to the vendor.
“How about some sunglasses?” the man asked, angling for an additional sale. “I just got a new shipment of Armani.” He motioned toward the end of the table, to two trays loaded with bootleg eyewear.
Ruby shook her head as she slipped the Gucci knockoff over her shoulder. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Remind me to bring you along the next time I shop for a new car,” a deep, masculine voice said from behind, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She turned and found Jack staring at her, smiling. His brown eyes gleamed with humor as his gaze traveled up and down her body. At first instinct she smiled in return, but then she remembered she was still mad at him, and the smile downshifted to a scowl.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said, looking rather pleased with himself. He was casually dressed in a pair of charcoal gray shorts and a navy blue tee. A pair of sunglasses hung from the collar, dragging the fabric down just enough for her to catch a glimpse of dark chest hair.
“You didn’t frighten me. I just didn’t expect to see you here.”
His smile widened, clearly not buying her answer but wise enough not to press the issue. “Funny, I hoped to see you.”
Ruby arched a brow, a little thrill fluttering in her belly despite her residual annoyance. “Oh? And why is that?”
“Well, for starters, I want to apologize for being so . . .” He paused, as if searching for the right word.
“Pushy?” she offered.
“Insistent,” he replied, the smile slipping a few notches. “But I guess pushy would suffice.”
“Apology accepted. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” When she started to walk away, he stepped to the right, blocking her escape.
“I’d also like to make it up to you.”
Ruby cocked a hand on her hip. Whatever he had in mind, it better be good. “And how do you propose doing that?”
“Well, for starters, I’d like to buy you lunch.”
The flutter disappeared, replaced by a heavy dose of skepticism. “Why, so you can try to pump me for more information?” Emphasis on the word
try.
“No. So I can enjoy the pleasure of your company. No pumping or prying, I promise. Scout’s honor.” He raised his right hand and gave the Boy Scouts’ three-finger salute. “My cabin steward told me about this little place that makes the best conch fritters on the island. They practically melt in your mouth.”
Tempting. She hadn’t eaten lunch yet, and her stomach was beginning to rumble. “Where?”
“Walk with me and I’ll show you.”
She shot him a dubious look.
“Oh, come on, don’t you trust me?”
“Why should I?” she asked, folding her arms across her chest. She had every intention of going with him; she just wanted to make him put a little extra effort into the seduction. After all, she was worth it. “For all I know, you could be some deranged lunatic sizing up your next victim.”
“Now that hurts. Do I look like a lunatic to you?”
“No, but from what I heard, Ted Bundy possessed a lot of charm too.” She should know. She’d reaped his soul after the execution. The job gave her nightmares for a month.
“So you find me charming?” The smile returned, making him look so damn irresistible and, yes, charming that she wanted to thump him upside the head. “Come on, it’s not too far from here. My treat.”
“I’m impressed,” Ruby said a couple hours later as they stepped off the crowded jitney. Bay Street was still thick with tourists, but with the lunch rush over, the crowds were beginning to taper off. Another hour and their ship would be pulling out of port. “You made it through an entire meal without asking about my personal business.”
“I told you I knew how to behave myself.” He offered her a smile and then took a chance and reached for her hand. When she didn’t pull away he threaded his fingers with hers, relishing the press of skin against skin.
For lunch, he’d taken her to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant not too far from Arawak Cay. While the décor leaned toward the shabby side, the food had been delicious and the noise low enough for them to enjoy some casual conversation.
He’d learned his lesson and avoided any direct questions of an intimate nature. Instead, they’d talked about their dinner companions from the night before, current events, pop culture, and anything else that didn’t fit under the umbrella of personal privacy. After an appetizer and a cocktail, she’d relaxed, and every now and again she’d inadvertently divulged some tiny nuggets of personal trivia. A knowledge of firearms. An affinity for Dusty Springfield’s music. The fact that she never went anywhere without a choker around her neck. Nothing earth-shattering, but Jack noted every detail, more determined than ever to unlock the mystery.
All the while he studied her, taking in the sights, the sounds, the nuances that made up the essence of Ruby.
Indeed, she was a complicated woman, an intriguing patchwork of contradictions. Outwardly carefree, but with an underlying air of caution. Intelligence buried beneath layers of self-deprecation and Southern charm. And while she appeared to be in her early twenties, she had a small round smallpox vaccination scar near the top of her left arm.
“So what do you want to do now?” Ruby glanced down to check her watch. “We still have some time before we have to get back on board.” Her focus flickered toward the ship, and the confidence in her expression faltered.
Ah, yes. He’d almost forgotten about her distaste for boats. No wonder she wanted to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.
“Well, we could check out the shops along the pier,” Jack offered.
“Yeah, I hear there’s a great place for body shots.” She slanted a sideways glance in his direction as she hitched her purse on her shoulder. “Jessica’s going to be mighty disappointed if you don’t take her up on her offer.”
Jack shook his head. “No, thanks. Drunken sorority sisters aren’t quite my style. I prefer my women to have a little more substance.” He’d always had a soft spot for strong women, and Ruby certainly fit the bill. So what if she didn’t quite meet the standard definition of human? For the time being, he was willing to overlook that one minor detail.
She smiled at the compliment. “Why, Jack, if you keep this up you’re going to make me blush.”
“I seriously doubt anything could make you blush.” He turned to face her, saw the glint of humor in her expression. “Am I right?”
“You’re very intuitive, a rare quality to find in a man.” She let out a low chuckle as she peered up at him through lowered lashes. Her voice turned low, husky. “Are you intuitive enough to figure out what I want you to do now?”
Even if he hadn’t felt the hot blast of desire, it wouldn’t have taken a genius to figure out what she wanted. And he didn’t intend to disappoint. He moved closer, filling the gap between them.
“I’m going to kiss you,” he said, his fingers curling around the nape of her neck. His pulse quickened, anticipation firing his blood. “You got a problem with that?”
“Not at all.” She shook her head, a slice of wicked curving her mouth. “As long as you make it worth my while.”
And with that she went up on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his.
Jack’s mind fogged, swamped with the pleasures of taste and touch. Her kiss held the flavors of dark Caribbean rum, tangy pineapple, and something far more exotic and inherently Ruby. Those lush lips, sliding against his mouth with such heat and intensity he lost the ability to form coherent thought. He wrapped an arm around her waist, dragging her closer, savoring the warmth of her body leaning flush against his.
In an instant, the curse flared to life, soaking up Ruby’s sexual energy like a thirsty sponge. Jack ignored its demands for more, forcing it to settle for the token offering.
Not now. Later.
Ruby pulled back on a contented sigh. Eyes heavy-lidded, she tilted her head a little to the left and dove right back in for round two, giving his bottom lip a gentle nip that sent all of the blood in his brain south.
He groaned, his body flooded with arousal. It had been a while since he’d been so turned on by a woman, so desperate for the exquisite pleasures of flesh against flesh. He wanted to taste every inch of her body, to discover all the spots that made her whimper and moan, to watch her eyes glaze over when she climaxed beneath him.
Too bad they were standing on a dock full of people.
“Hey!” Ruby jerked back, her eyes fixed on the guy running down the pier toward Bay Street, a pale blue bundle tucked under his arm.
And too bad someone had just snatched Ruby’s purse.
“Jack, wait!”
Too late. He was already gone, tearing down the pier in hot pursuit of the punk who’d stolen her fake Gucci handbag.
If he’d waited, she could have told him not to bother. She kept everything of value stashed in the side pockets of her Capri pants. Cash, passport, room key, cell phone, lip balm—with her job, she made a habit of traveling light. The only time she actually carried a purse was when she wore clothing that lacked adequate pockets to store the necessities. And while losing the handbag ticked her off, she found satisfaction in knowing the thief would be twice as mad once he realized he’d pinched an empty purse.
She took off after Jack and the thief, but by the time she turned the corner she saw no trace of either one.
“Crap.”
Ruby huffed out a breath as she debated what to do next. No sense chasing after Jack and the thief when she had no clue which direction they went. She considered buying another purse—if she hurried, she’d have enough time for a return trip to the Straw Market—but quickly abandoned the idea. For all she knew, Jack might be successful in his efforts to retrieve her handbag, and then she’d be stuck with two.
In the end, she settled on a cool Bahama Mama at the nearby bar. From her vantage point on the outside patio, she had a clear view of the pier so she could enjoy the ocean breeze while she watched for Jack. About twenty minutes later he finally reappeared, shirt scuffed, dark hair mussed, and an angry red mark along the left side of his jaw.
Purse in hand.
“Jack!” Ruby popped up from her chair, waving her arms until Jack turned his head in her direction.
The scowl on his face vanished, his full lips curving into the smuggest of smiles. Eyes never leaving hers, he cut a path across the crowded pier.
“That guy could’ve won gold as an Olympic sprinter,” he said as he handed over the pale blue Gucci knockoff. There was a small tear on one side near the strap, but otherwise it looked okay. “He would have gotten away if he hadn’t made a wrong turn into a dead-end alley.”
“Looks like he could also take bronze as a boxer. He did this to you?” She touched two fingers to the welt on his jaw and he sucked the air through his teeth.
“Ouch! Don’t do that.” He wrapped his hand around her fingers, pulling them away from his face. His brow creased when he frowned. “The guy got in a lucky shot.”
She immediately recognized the early stages of bruised male ego, a debilitating condition marked by intermittent sulking and the need to reaffirm masculinity. God knows she’d seen it enough times and knew exactly how to treat the ailment.
“Aw, you poor baby.” She brushed her lips against the side of his jaw. No hiss or flinch this time. “So brave of you, chasing down a thief like that. What if he’d had a knife? Or a gun? You could have gotten yourself killed!”
“It really wasn’t that big a deal,” Jack said with a shrug, the frown softening a couple degrees. “I was just doing what any other guy would’ve done in the same situation.”
“That’s not true and you know it.” The ship’s horn bellowed, and when Jack turned his head toward the sound she slipped her passport and room key into the bag. She pressed a kiss against his cheek, her lips lingering a little longer than before. “Thank you for getting my bag back. I don’t know how I could have gotten on board without my room key.”
His gaze slanted down, and she knew what was coming next.
“So, do I get a reward?” His voice rumbled deep and rough. Eyes darkened, he reached up, trailed the backs of his fingers down her neck and over her collarbone, stopping a few inches from the beginning swell of her breasts.
“Honey, I’ll give you a reward you’ll never forget.” The ship’s horn sounded again. A group of young women rushed past, heading toward the end of the dock. Ruby checked her watch again and sighed. Less than five minutes before the ship set sail. “But right now we better get back on board.”
Chapter 3
T
he evening had kicked into high gear by the time Jack arrived at Frenesi. All of the tables lining the perimeter were taken, and the dance floor was packed with a sea of bodies writhing to the beat of some catchy Latin rhythm, the bass so heavy he could feel it in his teeth. Strobe lights and lasers flashed to the manic pace of the music, accentuating the quickening pulse of the crowd.
Some dancers stuck to their partners like glue, while others mixed and mingled, switching partners with a practiced fluidity. Darkened corners were occupied by couples in varying stages of undress, not seeming to care if anyone watched their public displays of affection. A thickening haze of sexuality saturated the room, an open invitation to anyone with lowered inhibitions and a taste for adventure.
For Jack, the club presented a perfect opportunity to appease his baser nature. The curse fed on carnal energy, and this place practically dripped with it. Overlapping waves of sensuality rolled off the dance floor, washing over him like a velvet caress. The curse basked in the glow, soaking up the backwash of sexual energy but thirsting for far more.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked Jack once he found an open spot at the bar.
Jack took a moment to check the bottles behind the bar. “Chivas on the rocks,” he finally said, loud enough to be heard over the music.
While the bartender scanned his room card and poured his scotch, Jack took the opportunity to absorb his surroundings. The Latin song ended, replaced with a grinding beat that sounded almost tribal. The dancers quickly adjusted to the change in tempo, pairing up, moving closer, their bodies swaying to rhythms more instinctive.
Jack’s stare darted from dancer to dancer, searching for recognition among the tangled knot of humanity. His chest tightened when his focus locked on Ruby, moving with such brazen sexuality it damn near sucked the air from his lungs. Her willowy frame graceful amid the drunken revelers, she stood out like a flame in the desert. She was the epitome of temptation in a tight leather miniskirt and a low-cut, dark green sleeveless blouse that brought out the mischief in her eyes. A black velvet choker wove an intricate pattern around her slender neck, a slash of dark against ivory skin.
He watched, mesmerized, as she made her way across the dance floor, stopping every so often to pair up with a willing partner. She put her entire body into the dance, head bobbing, hips gyrating, and hands up in the air, all in perfect sync with the music. A swift spike of jealousy shot through his blood when she rubbed her body against a young musclehead in low-slung jeans and a New York Yankees T-shirt.
What was she doing with that punk? She obviously needed a real man, one who knew the proper ways to please a woman. Jack’s temper flared when the punk put his hands on her hips, grinding his crotch against her ass while his hands made a slow journey north.
Relief swept over him when Ruby slid free from the guy’s grasp, barely affording him a backward glance as she resumed her voyage across the room. When the DJ changed the pace of the music to something slower, she left the dance floor and headed toward the bar, her red hair damp and her breathing a little heavy. Those striking green eyes searched the length of the bar, for what he didn’t know, but he felt a jolt of pure pleasure when she smiled in his direction.
“Why, hello, Jack,” she said, sounding a little winded. Her gaze moved over him, from head to toes and back again, sending a hot blast of attraction in his direction. “Nice to see you again.”
“Likewise. Can I get you something to drink? If I remember correctly, you prefer the girly stuff.”
“Good memory. I like that in a man.” Her smile widened and he felt an unfamiliar tug, deep inside. She broke eye contact just long enough to turn down some skinny asshole who had the balls to ask her to dance. “I’ll take a tequila sunrise.”
Jack arched a brow. “That’s a serious drink.”
“I’m a serious woman.”
She laughed, and desire rippled through him. He sensed something else, something alien and exotic. Definitely not human, so what the hell was she? Not knowing the answer was driving him nuts.
Throughout his quest to break free from the curse, he’d encountered a host of beings that existed along the fringes of civilized society. Some blended, living in plain sight, while others chose to maintain a comfortable distance from humanity. Witches and shamans. Demons and mages. Each threw off a distinctive vibe. And they were nothing compared to the vibes he picked up from Ruby.
He caught the bartender’s attention and ordered her drink.
“So when did you get here?” she asked, her breathing gradually returning to normal. She pulled her hair back from her neck, using the long strands to fan her heated skin.
“Just a few minutes ago. I’ve been wandering around the ship, checking out the night life.” Looking for her, although he’d never admit it. They’d made no firm plans for the evening, but he’d still felt compelled to seek her out, to finish what they’d started on the dock in Nassau. He’d begun at the casino on deck five and worked his way up, hoping to run into her before night’s end. He should have known he’d find her in the spot with the most action.
“Find anything exciting?”
Yeah, about two minutes ago.
He shrugged, took a long drag off his scotch. The Chivas went down smooth, leaving a warm trail of liquid courage in its wake. “There’s a jazz club on seven with potential. And the karaoke bar looks like it’ll be good in another hour or two, once everyone gets liquored up.”
The bartender slid Ruby’s drink in Jack’s direction. Jack nodded his thanks and passed it along to Ruby.
“Thanks.” She waited a few beats while the grenadine rose from the bottom of the glass, mixing with the tequila and orange juice to form a sweet yet potent concoction. Then she took a sip, her eyes closing in a moment of pure bliss. “Oh, that hits the spot.” She took another long sip before motioning toward the dance floor. “Did you want to dance?”
Jack shook his head. When he’d learned to dance, the foxtrot was all the rage, and he doubted those moves would impress Ruby. “No, not this time. Maybe another night.”
“Suit yourself.” Another sip, and the highball glass was half empty. She gave him a long, appraising look, not bothering to mask her interest. “So, what do you want to do? The evening’s young.”
Talk about a loaded question. She was an attractive, willing woman who held no qualms about going after what she wanted. And right now her intentions were blatantly obvious.
But the curse also wanted Ruby, and the fact gave him pause. Past experience warned him about the dangers of losing control, of giving the curse the opportunity to slide beneath the radar and seize command of his faculties. Strong emotions weakened his defenses, as did heavy doses of unbridled lust. It was why he made a practice of feeding the curse only small controlled doses of sexual energy. A few kisses here, some deeper physical contact there. Sex, but never coupled with emotional involvement. Anything more and he ran the risk of giving it too much power.
Getting horizontal with Ruby was tantamount to spraying napalm on a forest fire. Not only was he physically attracted to her, but he also felt an emotional connection. A dangerous combination when it came to his baser nature. If he had a lick of common sense, he’d come up with a good excuse to go back to his cabin and avoid her like the plague for the duration of the cruise.
Yeah, right. Like that was going to happen.
Ruby plucked the cherry from her glass and popped it into her mouth. “Let me show you a little trick I learned a few years ago.” She held up a finger while she chewed on the fruit, her lower jaw trembling from the movement. Then, with a wicked grin, she pulled the stem from her mouth.
It was tied in a knot.
Sweet Jesus.
The curse flared, demanding immediate gratification. Its power surged through Jack’s body like a lion in a cage, testing for weakness, searching for a means to take over its host and slake its lust. By sheer force of will Jack maintained control, keeping the beast at bay with an iron grip and an unspoken promise of imminent satisfaction.
Ruby’s eyes locked with his, her desires unmistakable. Then her grin split into a smile, and he felt it all the way to his groin. “Would you like to go somewhere a little more private, Jack?”
Hell, yeah. It had been years—no, decades—since he’d wanted a woman so badly. Raw hunger coursed through his veins and pounded in his chest, his concerns obliterated by the insatiable need to lose himself in Ruby’s wet heat. How did she manage to push all of his buttons in the proper sequential order?
He didn’t know, and to be honest he didn’t give a shit. The only question on his mind was how quickly he could drag her someplace secluded so he could get her good and naked. He wanted to bury himself in that beautiful body, to feel her nails scratch down his back, to watch the ecstasy cloud her eyes when she came.
“My place or yours?” It didn’t matter much to him either way. Hell, at the moment he’d settle for a quiet corner or an empty bathroom stall, but he didn’t think that would go over well with Ruby.
“Yours. Mine’s the size of a refrigerator box.”
Before common sense had the chance to rear its ugly head, Jack knocked back the last of his Chivas, slapped the empty glass on the bar, grabbed Ruby’s hand, and made a beeline for the exit. Taking her to his cabin had “bad idea” written all over it in seven different languages, but it had been so damn long since he’d been so into a woman. He needed to be careful with her, with his own emotions, to make sure he maintained control so the curse never had the chance to stage a mutiny.
They’d made it halfway to the door when Ruby stopped dead in her tracks.
“Hold up a minute.” Her eyes focused on something at the opposite end of the nightclub.
“What is it?” He scanned the room but found nothing but a mash of bodies moving to the pulsing beat of the music.
She didn’t answer right away. Her features hardened, her gaze filled with the intensity of a predator tracking prey. “There,” she finally said, pointing toward the opposite end of the dance floor about fifteen feet from the ladies’ room. “See the brunette in the shiny green dress?”
It took a few moments of searching before he picked her out from the crowd. Oh, yes, there she was. Young and pretty, and a little burned from too much fun in the sun. She had rounded features and the curvy build that normally made the curse chomp at the bit. Her outfit was light on the fabric and a size too tight, showing off loads of flesh and an eclectic collection of tattoos. And by all appearances, she was blind, stinking drunk.
“What about her?” he asked, bracing for the worst. Judging from the strain in Ruby’s voice, it couldn’t be good. If he were a betting man he’d say she either stole Ruby’s boyfriend or posted nasty rumors about her online.
“The guy on the right just slipped something into her drink.” She downed the rest of her own drink and set the empty glass on a nearby table.
Wow, not even in the ballpark of what he’d expected. He eyed the two guys standing on either side of the girl. The one on the left was the asshole who’d been grinding against Ruby earlier. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. I saw the one in the Yankees shirt squirt something into her glass when she wasn’t looking.” Ruby’s hands balled into fists when the girl staggered away from the dance floor. The guy in the Yankees shirt put his hand at the small of her back and guided her toward the rear exit. He gave a smug nod to his partner in crime, a tall, heavyset guy who flanked the girl on the opposite side.
“I’ll be right back,” Ruby said, her voice gaining an edge he hadn’t heard from her before. She let go of Jack’s hand and took off like a shot across the dance floor.
“Wait, where are you going?” he asked, not sure if she’d heard him over the music. It took some effort to keep up with her as she cut a path across the room, zigzagging between bodies with increasing speed.
She didn’t break stride but spared him a quick glance over her shoulder. “Where do you think?” A few more steps and she cleared the dance floor, marching toward the exit with the grim determination of a soldier charging into battle.
He caught up with her in the main hall, matching her stride for stride down the narrow corridor.
“Look, I’m not asking for your help,” she said as they turned the corner, the sounds of the club fading into the background. “I can take care of this on my own.”
“What, are you crazy?” She couldn’t possibly be serious. “I’m not going to sit back and watch you take on two guys by yourself.”
“I’m a big girl. I can handle myself just fine.”
“I’m sure you can. But I’m still not letting you confront those guys on your own.”
She glanced in his direction, and then gave him a curt nod. “Okay. But we do this my way. Follow my lead.”
The trio stood by the elevators now, the girl sandwiched between the two men, waiting for the doors to open. The bell dinged, and just as the doors began to slide back, Ruby called out, “Hey, darling, wait up! Hold the door!”
The heavyset guy looked back, a smile on his face as he took in the sight of Ruby in her tight leather miniskirt.
Hips swinging with feigned exuberance, Ruby rushed toward the elevator. She inserted herself into the middle of the group, bent over the shorter woman, and gave her the warm hug of a close friend. “I’ve been looking all over for you, girlfriend,” she said, her Southern accent thicker than molasses and twice as sweet. “You had me worried half to death. It’s late and we got an early day tomorrow, so we best get going to bed.”
Jack made a mental note never to play poker with Ruby. Without a doubt, she could bullshit with the best of them.
The girl gave Ruby a puzzled look but was too wasted to argue. She sagged against Ruby’s hold, mumbling something only another drunk could possibly understand.