The Billionaire's Christmas Cruise by Dakota Rebel (my reading book txt) 📕

I walked over to her, removing the shoes and dropping them to the floor before taking her hands in mine. “Emerson, I’m not here to push, persuade or force anything on you. I’d sleep on the floor if it were necessary to protect your feelings and your honor. This was an honest mistake all around. Please, believe me.”

“Okay,” she said. “I believe you.”

“Thank you.” I leaned forward and kissed her cheek, wanting to do so much more, but now was definitely not the time. “You look positively done in. Allow me a moment in the bedroom, then I’ll let you get to sleep.”

She nodded, and I excused myself to get ready for bed. I was glad I’d packed sleep pants, since I usually slept in boxers. But I knew the more covered I was, the more she might believe I wasn’t after her body on this trip…well, not only her body.

When I returned to the living room, she was still standing there, her gaze locked on the couch.

“Are you okay?” I asked, walking up behind her and wrapping my arms around her waist, unable to resist touching her.

“I feel bad making you sleep on the sofa,” she said. “We’re adults. I think we can handle sharing the bed.”

I turned her around to peer into her eyes. She looked as if she really believed that.

“Emerson. I pride myself on being a gentleman. However, I don’t know if I have the willpower to sleep next to you and keep my hands to myself. It’s difficult enough not to ravage your beautiful mouth right now. I don’t want to put us in a situation that could lead to something you’re not ready for.”

Her gaze darkened as I spoke of kissing her, and I had to step back to avoid her noticing my body’s reaction to her expression. I half-hoped, half-dreaded she’d push the issue, that she’d ask me to the bed again, because I was two seconds from being completely undone.

When her tongue darted out to moisten her bottom lip, I actually groaned aloud. Her soft smile told me she knew exactly what she was doing. This woman would be the death of me.

Chapter Five

~ Emerson ~

I was a masochist. And maybe a sadist too, because I was getting off on Chase’s reaction to me, yet I knew there was no way we could pursue this tension between us. Not tonight anyway.

But I was torn. I was just as afraid of not being able to behave as he was, but there was no way I could let him sleep on the sofa. Besides that it was a little too short for his six-foot something frame, he’d paid a gazillion dollars for this suite.

Yes, I’d checked to see what exactly my prize was worth when I was considering ditching it or not. So the man was not paying five-figures to sleep on anything but a bed.

“Use that bedding to make a Great Wall of China in the center of the bed. You’re not sleeping on the couch.” I pivoted toward the bedroom. “I’m going to get ready for bed.”

“Emerson…”

“Full disclosure two,” I said, digging out what I needed to change and hoping my nightshirt wasn’t too ratty or revealing to this billionaire. “Don’t make me mad. You wouldn’t like me when I’m mad.”

“Okay, Hulk.”

“Glad to see you like old TV shows as much as I do.”

“Like might not be the term I’d use. Stuck at my grandparents’ cabin with no cable and a bunch of old VCR tapes is more like it.”

I laughed. “Not even DVDs? The inhumanity.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Build the wall, McGuiver,” I instructed, nodding toward the bed.

“I liked him,” he called after me.

When I came back a few minutes later, Chase was standing beside the bed. “I didn’t know which side you’d want.”

“Doesn’t matter. I doubt I’ll sleep much.”

“Look I can still—”

“It’s the water. We’ve made it out to open sea, a bit away from the shoreline. Can you feel the difference?” Seriously, we’d gone from a gently almost imperceptible rock that I could ignore to a genuine sway that felt as if it were going in a figure eight.

“Are you okay?” he asked urgently.

“I took Dramamine, earlier,” I assured him. Motion sickness wasn’t my problem. It was the insidious reminder that we were on the water. “I’ll just take this side,” I said quickly as I surged toward the nearest edge. My legs were beginning to feel like rubber because I was so unaccustomed to the feel of being on the ocean.

Quickly, I burrowed beneath the covers, my back to the beautiful temptation sharing the bed with me. I heard him sigh then felt him climb into the bed, the blankets shifting a little despite the “wall” between us. My hand fisted in my pillow. More than anything, I wanted him to toss the barrier to the ground and pull me into his arms. Somehow, I knew his embrace would make me feel safe instead of completely at sea.

* * * *

Mmm…my pillow felt nice beneath my cheek. Warm, soft…yet firm…and it smelled so—

Holy crap! My eyes flew open then widened even more at the sight of the hard pec right in front of my face.

“Oh my God,” I breathed. How did I… What did I… Oh my God!

Chase’s arms tightened around me. My first thought was Wow, his arms do feel good. The second was Chase’s arms are around me! Help!

I did need help because right now, I never wanted to move. And that could be a problem.

“Good morning,” he murmured into my hair then kissed the top of my head.

“Um, okay. How did I end up here? Where’s the other bedding?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care. Not complaining.”

He rolled me onto my back, coming partially over me, then pressed his lips to mine, devouring my mouth while I melted. My arms circled his shoulders while I kissed him back with equal fervor. When I turned, throwing a leg over him in an attempt to get closer, he pulled back. Damn,