Strictly Taboo, page 11
Her blush deepened, forcing him to suppress a grin. Diane Sullivan was not only gorgeous, but she was cute, too.
“It—err—it never crossed my mind.”
She was lying. He didn’t know how he knew; he just did.
“Too bad.” He walked over to the massage table and hopped up on it. He sighed. “Might as well get started then.”
Her voice was weak, but audible. “Right. Okay then.”
She cleared her throat before nervously walking toward him. Garek stretched out on the massage table as best he could, back toward the floor, cock toward the ceiling.
“Ummm . . .” Diane cleared her throat again.
He lifted one dark eyebrow, feigning ignorance. He already knew what she was going to ask.
“Aren’t you—aren’t I—”
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you supposed to lie on your stomach?” she finally squeaked out.
Garek shrugged. “I don’t want my back massaged. I want my front massaged.” Especially my hard-on, but I’ll settle for anything at the moment! “Are you going to get started?”
She looked like a deer caught in headlights. Had he said she was cute? “Adorable” was a better word.
“Yes.” She blinked, then looked around for the massage oil. Espying it under the table, she let out a none too subtle breath as she marched toward him. Her tits jiggled with the movements, making pre-cum spill from the tip of his erection.
I’m going to explode as soon as she touches me. Control yourself, control yourself, control yourself . . .
His jaw tightened at first contact. Feeling her oiled-down hands touch his chest was sheer heaven. He breathed in deeply and exhaled as he felt her fingers massage his neck and chest. His gaze darted to the hard nipples dangling just inches above his mouth. Unable to resist, he lifted his head long enough to draw one into his mouth and give it a quick suck. She gasped when he released it, but didn’t look at him.
“You’re sexy as hell, Diane,” Garek growled.
“Thank you,” she said quickly. She blinked several times in rapid succession. “So are you.”
His heart soared at her words. It was the first verbal encouragement she’d given him—ever.
Her hands moved lower, to his six-pack belly. Garek sucked in his breath when a few of her fingers accidentally—or purposefully—brushed against the head of his erection. “You’re killing me, Diane,” he rasped.
A fire ignited her blue eyes, a look that could only be described as devilish. Her hands found his cock and squeezed, surprising him. He groaned as she began to masturbate him; he was already this close to coming.
“Do you like this?” she murmured, going from demure girl to unabashed woman in what seemed like the blink of an eye. “Does it feel good?”
His jaw was so tense it felt close to cracking. “Yes,” Garek gritted out. His cock throbbed in her hands, threatening to erupt at any moment.
“You’re very big,” she whispered, making him breathe deeply. “I don’t know if I can handle something so big.”
Sweet lord, her words came straight out of his high school fantasies. There was but a single remaining detail missing.
“I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
The remaining detail had been found.
Breathing heavily, every muscle in his body tensed up as her face neared his cock. “Oh God, Diane,” Garek gasped. “Shit.”
Her crimson-stained lips enveloped the head of his erection. He bucked up, having never felt so hard and out of control in his life. She took him in deeper, all the way, until he swore he was touching tonsils. He closed his eyes on a moan.
“Suck harder.” His eyes flicked open as he reached out for Diane’s head and sifted his fingers through her long, light-brown hair. “Christ,” he ground out, “this feels so damn good, baby.”
The more worked up and encouraging Garek became, the bolder Diane got. She sucked him off mercilessly, head to root, faster and harder. The sucking sounds of mouth meeting cock reached his ears. She began to moan a little in the back of her throat, a soft Mmmmm sound that all but drove him over the edge.
“I’m going to come, baby,” Garek said thickly.
He could barely keep his eyes open, but forced himself to so he didn’t miss a beat. Watching his erection disappear into the depths of Diane Sullivan’s throat was the most erotic sight he’d ever seen. His cock began to jerk and throb, letting him know it was time.
Her head bobbed up and down, her lips and tongue ruthlessly working him. His hand held the back of her head, pushing her face into him as close as humanly possible. He wanted the ecstasy to last forever, but he was beyond the point of turning back.
“Shit!” Garek roared, every muscle in his body tensing. “Diane.”
He came hard, violently, his body convulsing on a groan. Hot cum spurted out of his cock like a geyser, a huge eruption that put all previous orgasms combined to shame.
“Diane,” he rasped, his breathing heavy. His toes curled as he watched her lick up his juices, swallowing every drop. “Diane, you are so sexy.”
He had just come and he was already getting hard again. He wanted to fuck her more than he wanted to breathe.
But more importantly, he wanted her to realize this was going to be much more than a fuck-til-the-cruise-ends kind of thing. Garek had never thought to see Diane again. Now that she was back in his life, there was no way she was ever leaving it again.
“Thank you,” he said with paradoxically gentle roughness. His gaze found hers. “I’ve been fantasizing about that since high school.”
She didn’t know what had possessed her to behave as she had, but the timidity was returning now that Garek had come. Luckily, not so bad as before. A woman could only be so shy after sucking off a man she’d known most of her life.
Diane Sullivan had just given Garek Ennis a blowjob. What’s more, he had said he’d been fantasizing about her doing that very thing to him for years and years. Good grief.
A part of her was elated by the confession. Another part was saddened because she had never thought to see Garek again after he left for college, but now she was seeing him as a paid whore. This wasn’t a part of her dreams, those secret longings she’d harbored all of these years about making it big in Hollywood and then encountering Ennis the Menace.
Still, Garek was being very gracious about the entire situation. She wasn’t mad at him because he wasn’t treating her like a paid whore. She was just disappointed in herself, and fate in general.
“You’re welcome,” Diane said quietly. She sighed resignedly and straightened up. Unsure what to do or say, she began putting away the massage oil. “I didn’t do that for money,” she told him, her voice subdued, “so don’t you dare give me any.”
Silence.
“Will you go out on a date with me tomorrow?” Garek asked, surprising her. Her gaze darted back to his face. “You know, a real one. The boat is leaving Germany tonight and docking for a few hours in Holland tomorrow. I’d like to spend that time with you.”
Her heart began to beat dramatically in her chest. Back in high school, a blowjob might have been Garek’s fantasy, but a real date had been hers.
“That would be very nice,” she heard herself say. She smiled, the first genuine smile she’d given him since the cruise began. “I’d love to.”
Chapter 6
Getting dressed for his date with Diane, Garek felt like a giddy little kid. The only things missing from the picture were, thankfully, the acne and doofy eighties clothing. He wore a long-sleeved hunter-green shirt and black trousers, and his heart was beating with anticipation by the time he knocked on Diane’s cabin door. The smile she gave him made him hard as a rock—no surprise there.
“Wow.” Garek looked her up and down, his erection painful. Only Diane could make a simple cotton sundress and brown sandals look so damn good. “You’re beautiful.”
“Thanks.” She took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’m so excited. I’ve never been to Holland before. Or anywhere for that matter.”
He felt his own excitement rising at her confession. He rather liked the idea of showing her places she’d never seen before. Stupid, maybe, but there it was.
“Doesn’t Heinzman ever give you time off?” he growled.
Diane blushed and he immediately knew he’d said the wrong thing. “We’re allowed only one day off the entire trip. This is my first—and last—cruise,” she weakly admitted, looking down at her shoes. “I guess you could say I needed the money, but didn’t realize until I got here that I didn’t need it that badly.”
His heart soared at her words. Truth be told, he didn’t care if Diane was a seasoned prostitute or a blushing virgin. He wanted to be with her no matter what. Still, the possessive streak in him liked her words, more than a lot.
His eyes searched her face. “You don’t have to explain yourself, Diane,” he murmured. “If you hadn’t signed up to work this cruise I might never have gotten the chance to see you again.”
She blushed as she met his gaze, but smiled. More importantly, she seemed like she was finally easing up in his presence, at least a little. A small, but significant, step. “Shall we go then?”
He winked, and took her hand in his. “This way, milady. Holland awaits you.”
The village they docked in, Gouda, was quaintly fascinating. Famous for its cheese, candles, and Gothic townhall, Diane felt like she’d walked into a picture book. Garek pointed out different sights and took the time to show her most of them. They did everything from watching cheese being made to oohing and ahhing at the painted glass windows of St. John’s church. Diane couldn’t recall having ever had so much fun.
More than that, she couldn’t believe she was on a real date with Garek Ennis. This day came straight out of her high school fantasies. Back then she had wanted him to take her to the movies and Salem’s fanciest restaurant. This was a much better reality than her fevered teenage mind could have dreamt up.
You make me feel like a hopeful young girl again, Garek. I don’t think I had butterflies in my stomach like this even in high school, though.
When there was only a single hour left until they had to return to the ship, they wound their way down the narrow streets of Gouda and back toward the dock. There they had lunch in a little pub overlooking the river.
“So,” Garek said, inclining his head at Diane when their drinks were set in front of them, “tell me what you’ve been up to. I tried to find you after you graduated from high school, but nobody knew where you’d hied yourself off to.”
He had tried to find her? Her heart soared. “L.A.” Diane smiled and told him about her acting aspirations that had never come to pass. “But that’s okay. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “I’m sure you would have made a great actress.”
She shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it. The wound was still too fresh. “I finally got smart, gave up the dream, and decided to move back to Ohio to give Jenna and me a fresh start.”
“Jenna?”
Diane’s heart was in her eyes. “My daughter.”
“I didn’t know you had a daughter. How old is she?”
“Six.” Diane chuckled. “She acts like six going on sixteen half the time.”
Garek’s eyes searched hers. “That’s really cool, Diane,” he murmured. “I’d love to meet Jenna someday. Assuming her dad wouldn’t mind?”
Diane quickly expelled him of that worry. She wasn’t certain why she cared enough to do so and didn’t particularly feel up to analyzing it. “He doesn’t want anything to do with Jenna. He’s never even seen her.”
Garek sighed, frowning. “I’m sorry, Diane. It sounds like you’ve had a tough go of it.”
“No need to be sorry,” she assured him. “Jenna and I do great solo.”
Garek was silent for a protracted moment and then said, “Can I ask you a question?”
She sighed, already knowing what it was. “You don’t want to be rude, but you want to know how I ended up working this cruise. Right?”
He ran a hand over his jaw and glanced away. “Something like that,” he muttered. He looked back, meeting her gaze. “I was, uh—shocked. To put a fine point on it.”
“Me, too.” She rolled her eyes self-deprecatingly and grinned. “I thought this cruise would be an easy way to earn the down payment on the log cabin I bought in Ohio. You know, a nest-egg for me and Jenna to have while we start anew.” She shook her head, her smile fading, and blew out a breath. “The cruise was a lot easier in thought than in deed. I had no idea that seven days would feel like seven years.”
His chuckle was soft and made laugh lines appear at the corners of his eyes, an effect Diane found charming. Not to mention sinfully handsome. “I’ll just bet.” He grew serious then, his hand finding hers atop the table and gently covering it. “But I’m glad you signed up for it.”
Their gazes met and locked. Diane’s pulse picked up in tempo. “Me too,” she whispered.
He looked as though he was preparing to kiss her. Nibbling on her lower lip, she held his stare for an intense moment, then glanced away. “I’d ask what you’ve been up to for the past sixteen years, but I doubt there is a soul alive who doesn’t already know. At least in the United States. Sounds like you’re leading a very exciting life.”
He frowned. Because she’d avoided his kiss? Because she’d made his life sound more idyllic than it was? She didn’t know.
“Exciting? No. That part faded away a long time ago.”
Her eyebrows drew together. His words had sounded tired, weary. “I—I’m sorry,” she said a bit awkwardly, unsure of what to say. “The papers make your life sound like one big party.”
“In the beginning it was—I’d be lying if I said otherwise. But that was years ago, Diane,” he murmured. “Many, many years ago. Now what I’ve got is a lot of money, very few real friends, and a shattered knee.”
“Shattered knee?”
He sighed, and smiled sadly. “The doctor says I can’t risk playing ball ever again.”
Silence.
“I’m sorry, Garek,” Diane whispered.
She felt like a true jerk for all the mean thoughts she’d harbored of him before they’d become reacquainted. All this time she’d envied him for making a name for himself when she hadn’t, only to find out he didn’t really have anything in his life worth holding on to anymore. At least Diane had Jenna. Her daughter meant a whole hell of a lot more than money ever could.
His gaze found hers. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “That means a lot.”
Uncomfortable with the ensuing silence, Diane smiled, then glanced away. Her gaze landed on an ornate wall-mounted timepiece. Her smile fell.
Five o’clock. Time to board. This is when Cinderella turns back into the soot-covered peasant girl . . .
Garek turned his head to see what Diane was staring at. “Damn,” he growled. “Today flew by.”
“It did.” Diane blinked, then looked at him. “Thank you for a truly memorable day, Garek.” Her smile was luminous. “I’ll never forget this time with you if I live to be eighty.”
One dark eyebrow shot up. “You say that like it’s goodbye?”
“I—”
“Here is your bill, sir,” a waitress cut in. Her Dutch accent was thick. “Unless there is anything else I can get for you two?”
“No,” Garek snapped. He ran a hand over his jaw, regaining his patience. “But thank you.”
Diane gently cleared her throat. Pulse racing, she decided she didn’t want to continue the conversation they’d been engaged in before the waitress interrupted them. This day had been like magic, a dream come true. She didn’t want reality to ruin it. There was plenty of time for that.
“Well,” Diane breathed out, shooting up from her seat, “I guess we’d better get back to the ship before it leaves without us.”
Garek stared at her for a suspended moment before standing up and throwing down a wad of euros on the table. Diane’s heart sank as she followed him in silence from the bistro.
Chapter 7
Diane paced in her tiny room aboard The Carnal Voyage, disappointed by her earlier actions. Back in the pub Garek had asked her if this was goodbye—she felt like throttling herself for not screaming, “Nooooo!” and throwing herself into his awaiting, masculine arms.
She frowned. The acting aspirations were dead, perhaps, but apparently she still harbored something of a dramatic streak.
She plopped down onto the bed with a sigh, chin in her palm. She didn’t want it to be goodbye. Not by a long shot. She wanted more time to spend with him, for it meant more memories to take with her.
Diane wasn’t certain what had caused her to choke in Garek’s presence back in the pub—it wasn’t her style. The only explanation that seemed up to snuff was that he really did make her feel like the shy, quiet, hopelessly enamored Diane Sullivan she’d been back in high school.
If you possessed half a brain, you’d let him go. Preferably before you fall in love with him all over again . . .
Such an outcome was more than possible and she knew it. There was something special about a woman’s first crush. She could have never run into Garek again and he still would have owned a little piece of her heart until the day she took her last breath.
“Let him go,” Diane whispered to the walls of her bedroom.
When the cruise was over, Garek would go back to New York, or L.A., or wherever it was he now owned homes, and resume his glitzy life. Diane would return to Salem, Ohio, and be a mom to Jenna and a best friend to Carrie.
Diane flopped over on her back and closed her eyes. She wouldn’t go back to L.A. even if she had something—or someone—to go back to. She wanted Jenna to have a safe upbringing in a small town where you didn’t have to schlep several miles just to see a blade of grass.
Painful as it was, it was time to face facts: her life couldn’t be more different from Garek’s.
Opposites attract, but similars stay together.
