Arizona Skies: The Muse (5 page)

“Yeah, well, I’ve never known Shelly to not have a good time. That’s one of the things I like about her; she’s a lot of fun to be with,” I said.

“Oh, but I thought you told me you were having a good time?”

“Yes, I am, but not like that,” I said, gesturing toward the two exhibitionists out on the dance floor. Jesse chuckled, taking my hand in his.

“It’s hot in here; let’s take a walk,” he suggested.

“That’s a very good idea,” I said, eager to get away from my friend getting it on in front of everyone. He took my hand; we said good night to John and headed out of the bar room into the dark night. The stars seemed so much bigger, covering the night sky as they shone down on the ocean, which now looked black and frightening. The moon was bright orange and illuminated the deck as we walked hand in hand.

“Bailey, you’re so gorgeous,” he said, stopping to look me in the eyes.

“That’s funny; I was just thinking the same thing about you,” I said slapping my hand over my mouth.

He smirked, “You think I’m beautiful?”

I nodded, turning around to hold onto the railing.
Oh my God, I just told this guy I think he’s beautiful; what is wrong with me?
I thought to myself.
Damn wine
.

“You seem a lot shyer than your friend,” he said, stepping up to the railing next to me to hold my hand.

“Yeah, I think that’s why we get along so well; we’re exact opposites,” I chuckled.

“I think I’d better be careful so I don’t screw this up,” he said, motioning between us with our entwined hands.

“Oh, I’m not sure that’s possible,” I blurted out before I realized it.

“Really!” he smiled. He kissed the back of my hand and leaned over for another sweet kiss. I kissed him back as his body came closer to mine.

“Bailey, what are you doing to me?” he whispered in my ear. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off you!” He put his hand into my hair at the base of my neck so I was looking into his eyes. “Do you believe in fate?”

“Yes,” I confessed, blushing and looking down at our entwined hands.

“I usually have so much more self-control with women, but not with you. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel uncomfortable,” he said, pulling my chin up to look at him.

He was smiling, and it felt like he was looking right into my soul. I was at a loss for words, wanting so much more, but scared at the same time. I’d never been turned on by a man before and wasn’t sure how to handle it. He leaned his head down, silently asking permission to kiss me again. I raised my head, sliding my arms around his neck. That was all the encouragement he needed; he pulled me close and kissed me deeper. I ran my fingers through his silky hair, enjoying the closeness we shared.

He was a good kisser and smelled wonderful, a woodsy, citrus scent that had my head spinning. As he looked at me, my heart pounded so hard I was afraid he could hear it. This was a moment in my life I had always dreamed of, this incredible man kissing me under the moonlight—the stuff songs are written about.

But once again our moment was interrupted when I heard footsteps behind us, and then someone cleared his or her throat. We both looked up, and there stood Shelly and Scott, hand in hand, watching us. Shelly’s eyes were sparkling as she winked at me with a big grin.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. Yeah, sure she was, as she gave me this devilish smile. Scott was wrapped around her like a glove.

“We thought we would go somewhere for a nightcap; want to join us?” she asked, looking between Jesse and me.

“Ahhhh…OK, if Bailey wants to,” Jesse said, looking at me.

“Sure, you lead the way,” I said, pulling myself out of Jesse’s embrace.

Jesse gave me a raised-eyebrow look. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but we fell in step with everyone else. Keith joined us with a blonde on his arm, introducing her as Liza. I figured he must have picked her up in the bar. We walked around the deck to a small, intimate, and much quieter bar. We were talking and laughing when the waitress came over to take our drink orders. I ordered water, knowing that I’d had enough wine for one night. Shelly was sitting on Scott’s lap—boy, that girl moved fast. Liza and Keith were lost in a very quiet conversation; she was smiling at him as he held her
hand. Jesse was playing with my hair as we made plans to meet up tomorrow.

“I really enjoyed myself tonight,” I said to Jesse.

“Believe me, it was my pleasure, Bailey. I’m so glad you didn’t run when I approached you this afternoon. You looked a little apprehensive when I told you I’d been looking for you,” he chuckled.

“How do you know that I wasn’t looking for you too?” I said. I slapped my hand over my mouth again.
Damn wine, there I go again. I need to learn to keep my mouth shut when I’ve been drinking
.

“Is that true?” he smiled.

“Maybe or maybe I’m just trying to make you feel better for stalking me,” I smirked.

“Touché,” he chuckled. “It doesn’t matter. The point is that I did find you and got to spend time with you, and tomorrow I’ll get to see you again,” he smiled as last call was announced. “Come, I’ll walk you to your room.”

We waited for Scott and Shelly to catch up and leisurely strolled toward the stairs. I had the feeling that Shelly was going to have company in her room tonight. She and Scott were kissing and groping each other. I hoped the walls were thick so I didn’t have to hear them.

Keith and Liza went their separate way, saying good night and strolling away hand in hand. The night air felt good on my heated skin, cooling me down. When I got a chill, Jesse must have noticed, because he took his jacket off and put it around my shoulders. It smelled of him as I pulled it around me. He followed me down the stairs to my floor, holding my hand as I led the way to my door. Shelly and Scott said good night and disappeared into her room.

“Would you like to spend the afternoon at the pool tomorrow?”

“That sounds great,” I said, smiling as I leaned against my door, anxious for him to kiss me again.

“Good,” he said, putting his arm around my waist to pull me close to him. “Come here, Bailey; I want to kiss you.” He bent his
head down. I slid my arms around his neck and melted into his hard body. Loud giggling was coming from Shelly’s room, and immediately my face flushed. Jesse started chuckling. The giggling continued, making me squirm a little. He kissed me once more, released me, and stepped back. His eyes were gleaming as he looked at me.

“I’ll pick you up around two o’clock; is that OK?”

“Yes” was all I said, still embarrassed by the thrashing and moaning sounds that were coming from Shelly’s room.

“I hope you get some sleep tonight,” Jesse said with raised eyebrows, nodding toward Shelly’s room.

“I brought my iPod,” I chuckled.

“I think you’re going to need it. Scott isn’t the quietest person in the world, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“Neither is Shelly. I think they may be a perfect match,” I said.

“Are you going to be all right?”

“Yeah, that’s one of the main reasons we got separate rooms. I knew she’d find someone; she always does,” I said, giving away too much information about my friend.

I decided I’d better shut up and let him leave. This was too early for me to even think about getting naked in the sheets with this guy, even though I had a strong desire to give it a try. I wasn’t comfortable with my sexuality like Shelly was. I had to trust him before I gave that part of myself away.

“Well, I’d better go while I still can,” he said, giving me one more very sweet kiss. The laughter next door was getting louder, and we heard a couple thumps. Jesse’s eyebrow lifted again, and I blushed.

“Good night, Bailey,” he said, turning around as he headed toward the stairs.

“Good night, Jesse,” I said, watching him walk away. I realized I still had his jacket wrapped around my shoulders. I took one more sniff and raced after him. “Jesse, your coat,” I said, holding it up.

“You could have kept it and dreamed of me,” he said as he took it from my hands.

“No worries there, I will definitely dream of you.”
Damn, I did it again
. I slapped my hand over my mouth.
Why do I keep doing that?

He chuckled. “That’s good, because I’ve been dreaming about you for a long time Bailey, now I have a name to go with the face,” he said, taking my chin to plant another delicious kiss on my lips. “I’ve got to go,” he sighed as he turned toward the stairs and walked away, leaving me swooning as I watched his long legs and broad shoulders disappear from sight.

I think I floated back to my room. I unlocked my door and collapsed on my bed.
What a perfect night
, I thought as I lay there for a long time, just replaying the entire day in my mind. Remembering the moment he caught my eye on the steps of the ship, how he looked at me, and the immediate attraction we both felt—it was like we were destined to be together. I was shocked when he said he felt the same way. This couldn’t be happening to me. I actually pinched myself to see if this was real. I was glad Shelly wasn’t around to see me.

The noise from Shelly’s room had changed; the giggling had stopped, replaced by moaning and loud thrashing noises. I grabbed my iPod and put in my ear buds. I wasn’t listening to her cry out in ecstasy while I lay in my room all alone. Even they weren’t going to ruin my dreams tonight.

I fell into a blissful sleep, dreaming about Jesse and all the things he’d said to me today. This trip was going to be one I’d remember for the rest of my life. I was sure my life was never going to be the same!

Jesse

S
cott and I decided to wait inside the doorway to the dining room for the girls so they wouldn’t have to look around for us.
I was nervous and anxious to see her again as I kept my eyes on the door. Scott talked about our gig tomorrow night in his usual enthusiastic way as he jumped around, getting looks from people while we stood there. Finally the doors opened, and a vision in silver walked in with this little blue fairy by her side. Bailey was stunning in a silver dress that hugged her slim body, making my cock jump at the sight of her. She’s so damn sexy; I wanted her like no other woman I’d ever seen. I decided to take it slow, somehow I instinctively guessed that she wasn’t very experienced; I didn’t want to scare her away. I reached for her hand, feeling those sparks going off. I noticed men in the room looking at her and suddenly felt like a caveman, not wanting to share her with anyone. God, I had it bad.

John knew it too, damn him. He sat at the table watching us with a knowing smirk on his face. The asshole was gloating as I lead her to our table. . I tried stroking her back, but she moved her chair,
too much too soon Greene
, I reminded myself. I could tell she was nervous, but after a glass of wine, she seemed to relax as we all fell into our usual playful banter. These guys were fun; we always had a good time together. I was glad she was laughing and having fun. Her friend Shelly and Scott had paired off, leaving Keith alone.

The food here was delicious and because we’re part of the entertainment we got extra special service. I didn’t want the evening to end, so I suggested we go dancing after dinner and was relieved when she agreed. Our evening was planned, and I was looking forward to holding her in my arms. I wanted to feel that incredible body close to mine. She glanced at me every so often, melting my heart with those big, brown eyes. Her hair was like silk cascading down her bare back; I couldn’t resist putting my hands in it which made her blush. I knew I was pushing my luck and pulled my hand away.

She was definitely shy, but I was determined to see every inch of that beautiful body before this cruise was over. After dinner I suggested that we take a stroll along the deck to watch the sunset, just wanting a few minutes alone with her. My body was responding to
her as she stood in the moonlight looking so beautiful. I wanted to ravish every inch of her body but settled for holding hands. It was peaceful and I was actually enjoying the view. She had this calming effect on me and just standing there with her was enough somehow.

Of course my friends would show up and spoil the moment. They were all headed to a bar where a band was playing; they wanted to check out the competition. Bailey and I followed them as we watched Scott entertain everyone we came in contact with along the way. What a comedian he was, just carefree and crazy, making people laugh as we walked around the ship.. We held hands as we followed them into the dark bar. It didn’t take me long to realize this band wasn’t as good as ours. I glanced over at John who made a face, I knew he agreed; but I didn’t say anything out loud, Bailey didn’t need to know about our band right now.

I couldn’t wait to pull her onto the dance floor so I could wrap my arms around her. I knew the song and instinctively started singing in her ear as she leaned into my body. I held her tight as we moved to the beat. It was intimate, and the feel of her body next to mine was intoxicating. I had to taste her at least once, so I took a chance and lowered my head to give her a soft kiss. She didn’t pull away and kissed me back. I felt like I’d won the lottery and my body morphed into hyper drive.
Keep it together Greene
, I told myself as I pulled my head away and continued to dance. I inhaled her scent of coconuts and orchids and was lost in the moment. After a couple slow dances, I was pretty worked up, struggling to keep my composure. My inner playboy wanted to take over very badly, and a fight within me ensued. But I wasn’t going to screw this up. When the beat picked up, I took her hand to lead her off the dance floor. I needed some space to calm my raging hormones down.