Ryan’s hands caressed her, moving in slow circles around her back and creeping down to her butt to pull her closer to his erection. She’d noticed it earlier and wondered if it was for her, or because of what was happening all around them.
“Feel what you do to me,” he said, his hand pressing her still closer.
“Is that for me, or because of …, well, you know, something else?”
“I’ve been on so many of these cruises that nothing happening down there fazes me. You, however, are something altogether different. I’ve wanted you since I first laid eyes on you.”
“Really?” The scumbag she almost married hadn’t been attracted to her from the first. In fact, they had dated for a month before he’d kissed her and several more before they’d had sex. Candace understood now that it had been just sex, not making love. She’d loved the bastard, but he hadn’t loved her. For two years she’d made excuses for the infrequent sex, once a month, sometimes twice, telling herself it wasn’t her fault, it was their hectic work schedules that often kept them apart. Now she knew better, knew it had been much worse than she’d suspected. Ryan’s declaration, true or not, warmed her already heated blood.
“Really, Candace.” His mouth came down on hers, demanding, yet soft. Candace leaned in to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened for his tongue to explore. His tongue brought with it a hint of the fruity drink he’d had. Candace swept her tongue over his, trying to capture his essence. He was more intoxicating than any drink and tasted better, too.
It felt so good to be wanted. Ryan’s hands pressed her closer. Evidence of his arousal pressed hard against her stomach. They swayed together to the music, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Better get a room, Monk.” Richard’s voice broke the spell they’d been under. They broke apart, but Ryan’s arm slid around her waist, pulling her hip to his. Richard stood surrounded by several women, all dressed alike in the robes provided by
Lothario
.
“Mind your own business,
Dick
.” Ryan glared at his friend. He turned to Candace. “How about we call it a night?”
She nodded her agreement and they moved off, leaving Richard and his bevy of women behind. When they were out of earshot Ryan stopped, his arm fell away, leaving her cold without his touch. “I’m sorry about that. I don’t usually make a public spectacle with women. At least I haven’t in a long time.”
“I guess we both sort of forgot where we were.” Candace averted her gaze. “I know I did.”
Ryan moved a fraction, bringing them closer together. He didn’t touch her other than to reach out and take her hand in his. He held her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back in lazy circles. The motion stirred things inside her, made her wonder what it would feel like to have his thumb rub those same lazy circles somewhere else on her body. Already blushing, she felt her skin warm more at her wicked thoughts.
“I did too.” With one finger under her chin, he lifted her face. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I’m doing and wanting things that I haven’t done or wanted in a long time.” His lips brushed hers as if he needed the contact, however brief. “I promised you would be in charge and I go and do something like that. I’m sorry.”
He sounded upset with himself, and his concern for her made her heart leap in her chest. Maybe she was two times the fool for believing him, but she did. Her track record showed she had no judgment where men were concerned, that she trusted too easily, but looking into Ryan’s eyes, she saw something she had never seen in her former fiancé’s. She saw lust, to be sure, but also sincerity and a vulnerability she wouldn’t have thought to find in such a virile, attractive man.
Candace lifted her hand to close around the throbbing pulse in Ryan’s wrist, his finger still touching her chin. “You’re doing fine, I’m fine. Remember our code word? Ice Water?” she asked. He nodded his head as his lips curved up into a genuine smile, revealing deep dimples. “I haven’t had to use it yet. I promise if I feel uncomfortable at any time I’ll use the code word. So unless you hear it, you can assume I’m okay with what we’re doing.”
“Does that mean I can kiss you again?”
“Yes, but if you don’t mind, can we go somewhere else? This hallway is drafty.” She shivered as a gust of wind swirled under her short robe and she had to free her hands to smooth it down over her bottom.
“Sure. Would you like to see more of the ship? We didn’t get to finish our drinks back there, so maybe one of the bars?”
“I’d like that. You choose.”
“Okay, but remember, this is
Lothario
and if…”
“I know,” she cut him off. “If I’m uncomfortable we can leave.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist again and pulled her close. “Exactly.”
* * * *
Candace was being a real trooper, he thought, but her first night on the ship wasn’t the time to take her to the more depraved bars. He might lose her for sure; scare her back into her cabin for the duration. With her tucked close in his protective embrace, they made their way to Dionysus.
The wine bar, decorated to resemble a grape arbor complete with secluded niches for private trysts, was the least shocking of all the bars onboard. Candace spent a good deal of time admiring the Dionysus statue in the center of the room.
“Is this real?” she asked.
“It’s a reproduction. The original is in the Louvre.” He steered her to one of the more secluded alcoves. A lattice wall covered by twining grape vines concealed the round burgundy velvet sofa. Candace leaned back and tucked her legs to one side. Ryan joined her. A waitress dressed as a nymph approached with a plate of grapes, assorted cheeses and crackers. They ordered a bottle of white wine and nibbled from the tray while they waited.
Candace sighed. “This is nice. I like the music, it’s relaxing.”
“Flutes, similar to the aulos of ancient Greece. This is the quietest place on the ship, except for the night of the Bacchanal.”
“What happens then?”
“That’s when the nymphs become maenads and this place goes wild. You might like it.”
“Why would I like it?”
“The women are in charge. They choose who they’ll be with and dictate what happens between them.”
“You’ve been to one?”
“Once.” That night and the following morning were permanently etched in his brain. He’d woken up naked with two maenads and a passenger in one of the secluded arbors. What bothered him wasn’t the fact he was nude in a public place, but that he didn’t have a clue who any of the women were. They hadn’t shared names, but they had shared their bodies. It was in that moment Ryan realized he wanted more.
He wanted to wake up with someone who knew his name, who knew him. He wanted to share more than a physical connection. Since that day he ventured out of his tower room, as Richard called it, to take care of his physical needs when they became unbearable, and he scanned the faces of every woman coming aboard for a spark of interest, any indication they were different than the masses of sex-crazed passengers who regularly filled the cabins of the
Lothario
. Until today, no one had come close to capturing his interest.
“I’ll never forget it.”
“What happened?”
He took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. He wasn’t about to tell her about his epiphany, but he could tell her about the night he’d spent. He’d had a great time fucking everything in sight until he’d heard Richard’s voice over the loudspeaker announcing that the ship had docked. “Those innocent looking nymphs transform into sex-starved maenads. They run wild with wreaths of grape leaves on their heads and little else, demanding sex with anyone they desire--and they desire everyone. Wine flows freely and inhibitions are left in staterooms.”
“It’s an orgy.”
“Yes. I didn’t want to use that word, but yes, that’s what it is.”
“Why do you think I should attend?”
He didn’t want to think about Candace with anyone but him, but if she came to the Bacchanal, he’d be there. Maybe she’d leave her inhibitions in her cabin. He’d like nothing better. “Because I’ll be here.” With one hand on her cheek, he held her face for his kiss. His lips touched hers, whisper soft at first. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue to sweep in. She tasted of sweet wine and sweeter woman. He’d never get enough of her. He pulled her closer and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. She sank against him with a sigh and kissed him back. Her lips moved against his. She thrust her tongue past his lips and they dueled, parrying and thrusting in an age-old war. When they parted, both were breathing hard. Ryan dropped his forehead to hers, his palm still pressed against her cheek. “If you go to the Bacchanal I’ll be there. I wouldn’t go again for anyone but you.”
“I’ll think about it,” she whispered. She brought one hand up to caress his face. Her tender touch sent fire racing through his veins. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything or anyone in his life.
“We’d better call it a night. I think you’ve seen enough for your first day.”
They parted, scooting off the end of the sofa. Ryan got to his feet and reached out to help Candace up. She put her hand in his. So right, he thought. He held her hand all the way to her cabin door. “You should have a newsletter in your room with a list of all the things happening onboard tomorrow. We’ll be at sea all day, so there’s plenty of time. Choose anything you want.” He pressed his lips to hers in a brief kiss. “I’ll pick you up for breakfast and we’ll go from there.”
Ryan waited outside her cabin until he heard the deadbolt slide into place before he returned to his suite. He sat at his desk and scanned the bank of surveillance monitors. The poolside mixer continued in full swing. With a wiggle of his finger on the joystick, he swiveled the camera around to pan the area. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. Couples and a few groups were scattered around the deck in various stages of sex-play. Many of the passengers on this cruise were repeat customers and it showed. Usually it took a while longer for things to heat up to this degree.
He checked the monitor outside Candace’s room. He resisted the urge to look in on her. Instead, he turned on the ship’s open channel on the television. Already there were several videos available to watch. It wasn’t unusual for one couple to upload a video to the open channel on the first night, but ten had to be a record. He clicked on the first one and recognized the two passengers as regulars. “They should move in,” he mumbled, unimpressed by their attempt at porn, and flicked to the next one. The video editors did a good job of making sure everything submitted to the open channel was, if not tastefully done, then at least inoffensive and non-violent, but Ryan made a habit of skimming the amateur videos himself, just to make sure.
The open channel had been Richard’s idea and Ryan had argued long and hard against it, but Richard had been right, the passengers loved it. The staterooms were equipped with a closed-circuit camera that could only be turned on from the control room, or Ryan’s personal control panel. Passengers had to visit guest services where they were required to sign a waiver and pay a small fee to have the camera activated for a period of time. The fee covered minimal editing and a take-home copy of the video. Many, chose to have their videos shown on the open channel for the enjoyment of the other passengers, some only wanted a souvenir.
The thing that had sold Ryan on the expense of cameras in every stateroom had been the ability to check in on passengers via the in-room cameras. Everyone coming aboard signed away virtually all their rights to privacy, but Ryan remained adamant that the system would be used only as a security tool. He’d never been tempted to break his own rule -- until tonight.
What was she doing in there? Had she gone to bed already? Was she reading the list of activities for tomorrow or trying out one of the items in her welcome basket? Maybe she was watching one of the passengers’ videos.
His hand hovered over the control panel. If he looked in on her, she’d never know. Ryan flexed his fingers and curled them into a fist. No. He wouldn’t stoop that low, not tonight. Not ever. If he gave in to his need, he’d be no better than the degenerates, both male and female, who used the
Lothario
as if it was their own floating whorehouse. His conscience ate at him. That’s what
Lothario
was, what he and Richard designed it to be. When they had come up with the idea, they’d told themselves they were providing a service, that there wasn’t anything like it out there. Nowhere on earth, except maybe in Amsterdam, could a person explore their every sexual fantasy without censure.
Throughout the years of planning and remodeling, he’d anticipated
Lothario
’s maiden voyage like a kid who had discovered his hidden birthday present a week before the big day. Eight days, seven nights, filled with no-holds-barred sensual pleasure. Who wouldn’t want that? Ryan had embraced the spirit of the cruise with enthusiasm equal to Richard’s, but The Epiphany-- he thought of it that way now, capital T, capital E-- had changed everything. Two long years later Candace had walked across the gangway and he felt alive again, hopeful.