I needed to get some fresh air. Kelsey had laid a brick on me, and she spoke as if it wasn’t a problem at all. I didn’t know what bothered me most. That Julian had set me up or that I’d taken the bait. Either way, I didn’t see my nervousness toning down anytime soon. After Kelsey left me stunned in the ladies room, I exited shortly behind her going straight for the deck of the ship. I still wore the costume, and somehow, I knew it wouldn’t be as easy getting out of it myself like when I’d been helped into the silk garment. The deck held a lounge overlooking the Arabian Gulf. I strolled to the edge and shut my eyes, inhaling the Gulf winds. My pulse slowed, and my heart rate decreased as I focused on the serenity of the moment. Reopening my eyes, I looked out over the sea. Who would’ve thought I’d ever be here, in Dubai dressed like an Arabian queen no doubt? A small smile filtered my lips. I was seconds away from being completely noncompliant, but this little moment of peace gave me clarity.

Sure, I was here on assignment, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t have some fun. I had a pep talk with myself. From this moment further, I would live a little and indulge in all Dubai had to offer. Why not? The afternoon turned into late evening, and I’d ventured over half of the yacht. I hadn’t seen much of Julian since shooting with him earlier, and I wondered what he thought of my performance. There was still that uneasiness in the back of my mind that I did horrible and they wouldn’t be able to use the pictures with me in them. Every time it crossed my mind I felt a dizzying embarrassment. After a while, I returned to the dressing room and removed the costume I still wore. Returning to my newly purchased Arabian dress and scarf, I slid my feet into my wedge heels and made sure to hang the costume where I’d seen the stylist pick it up earlier. I went to the mirror to wash my face of the foundation then second guessed myself and decided to keep it. Taking a final glance at the costume, I pushed through the double doors only to stumble into a wall of abs.

“There you are,” Julian said. His hands gripped me to help me keep my balance. “I’ve looked for you all over this yacht. For a minute there I thought you’d hightailed it out of here on the next flight smoking.” A calming smile spread across his face. “I just want you to know it was never my intention to put you in a position you’d rather not be in. If you feel I’ve manipulated you in any way, forgive me. I’d rather be mauled to death than have you think ill of me.” He held out the champagne flute in his hand. “Can I offer you something to drink?”

“I thought alcohol was forbidden in Dubai?” I said, gladly taking the champagne flute to sip the sweet liquor.

“In public, Bella, this is private.”

I arched a brow. “This is private?” I asked referring to the large ship.

Julian chuckled. “Believe it or not it is.”

He sipped from his own glass and took a step closer.

“Earlier today you spoke about it being abnormal to receive praise on a regular basis.”

I froze wanting to change the subject instantly.

“You should know, Bella, it’s abnormal for you to not hear it on a regular. And as long as we’re around each other, there is no way I would contain it.”

His words were passionate, and I wanted to ask a million times over. Why? I wanted detail but was too afraid to get it. Why did he feel the need to constantly remind me how beautiful he thought I was? As much as he alleged it was the normal thing to do, men nowadays didn’t show appreciation for women like that. Not the type of grade C men I dated before. Inwardly, I groaned, but simultaneously reveled in his words. It never failed; whenever I was in Julian’s path, I warmed all over, and the mind-numbing feeling never got old. I looked away from him and took another sip of my champagne. When Julian’s warm hand touched my face, I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly turning back to him.

“Julian,” I said, “We can both agree that we’re attracted to each other, but I don’t think—”

My words were swallowed when his heated mouth touched mine. Soft, prolonged and indulging; his lips explored the inner recesses of my own. I moaned as a blaze of molten lava traveled through me like a waterfall. His free arm circled my waist and the champagne flute, in his hand, shattered against the marble tile.

“Clean up on aisle one,” he growled against my lips.

A laugh tickled through me, but before I could speak, his mouth took me whole again, sucking my lips and spreading them forcefully with his tongue. I moaned again and my arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. I still held my champagne flute but it was seconds away from becoming friends with the one on the floor. Julian’s hands discovered my backside, reaching down to cup my butt. I was losing myself in his rough exploration and all thoughts of where we were vanished. When he lifted me, I gasped, and the feel of his strong masculine palms burned against my bare thighs. My legs had a mind of their own as they coiled around his waist. We fell into the door, re-entering the dressing room. It was then that my champagne glass fell. My fingers found his neck and trailed up to the back of his head. Julian growled into my mouth, and his erection bobbled against my now soaking wet panties. His steps didn’t stop until my back was pressed against a closet door. My heart slammed against my chest in a staccato rhythm. His fingers slipped between the thin material laying against my mound, and I shuddered at his invasion. Instantly his fingers were drenched with my cream, and he rubbed circles around my clitoris.

“Aaah,” I moaned, my head falling backward.

“Tan mojado,” he whispered against my lips. “Stop me before it’s too late, Bella,” he begged, but I was just as far away as he.

My fingers found the collar of his shirt, and I pulled, effectively popping every button that hid his spectacular broad torso from me. My desperation to feel the waves of pecs rub against my skin threatened my very sanity. Julian’s hungry kisses were a force to be reckoned with, and one of his fingers slipped inside me. I gasped, my mouth falling open. With his mouth, Julian nibbled across my jaw gliding his finger in and out of my slippery folds.

“Mmmm,” I moaned squirming in his arms.

The metallic grind of a zipper buzzed, and the pressure from his extended cock spread the walls of my vagina satisfying every conceivable inch. My mouth dropped as his girth thrust into me with bulldozing strength. I went to scream, and he covered my mouth effectively drowning out my cries. A coat of sated heat and toe curling pleasure found its way around me with inviting fervor. I hung onto Julian for dear life as he gripped my ass and bounced me up and down, impaling me repeatedly.

Connecting to his pelvis, each deep thrust pulled me closer and closer to a disrespectful orgasm; the kind that squirted out of you with no care as to your partner’s release. A shaken moan crawled up my throat and again my lips were removed from his. Pinning me against the wall, Julian’s hand slid underneath my scarf to grip my strands. Pulling my hair back, his lips thrummed down my neck and his thrusts never ceased. He dug into me with untamed passion like getting his fill would sustain his life. We breathed, panted, and bounced off each other, cast in a sheen of perspiration.

My thighs began to quake on the verge of what would be a very intense eruption. Heat poured through my womb, and a strangled cry left my throat.

“Julian!” I screamed; my manicured nails gripping the flesh on the back of his neck.

“Si Hermosa,” he responded.

My voice cracked as I tried to speak audible words.

“I’m coming…” I moaned.

My declaration seemed to fuel him. His hard-muscular thighs met my buttocks as he ruthlessly pounded my sex. My ears popped as we elevated, hitting the moon together. His language barrier crossed over from English to Spanish, to Italian and back again. I closed my eyes and screamed again as hot cum ran down my thighs coating his shaft and sac. He shuddered inside me and continued using a foreign tongue to speak. My forehead rested on his shoulder, and I was afraid of what would happen when my feet met the ground again.

Seconds turned into minutes that we held each other in a blissful euphoria. Julian’s hands trailed down my back, his lips meeting my mouth again for a slow spellbinding kiss. When I heard voices outside the door, the cloud we hovered in dissipated, bringing reality back, but not as fast as it should’ve. While I instantly froze, Julian’s lips kept up the tug and pull at mine as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

“Someone’s outside. We are going to get caught!” I said in a whisper.

A mischievous smile floated across his face.

“Are you scared, Bella?”

I panicked, my eyes jumping around the room the closer the voices became.

“Oh my God,” I said. Julian seemed to enjoy my nervousness. “We can’t get caught!” I hissed.

Julian nibbled on my jaw, his eyes heavy with low lids. He didn’t seem to have a care in the world.

“Where did this glass come from,” one voice said. They were right outside the door. To say I freaked out was an understatement. Julian chuckled then slowly pulled out of me setting me on my feet. His withdrawal made me whimper, and my hand flew to my mouth. Quickly I pulled my dress down and grabbed his hand pulling him along to the bathroom that sat beside the closet door.

That didn’t seem to be the best idea. It didn’t come to me until the moment we were inside the dark room. Julian reached for the knob and turned the lock, and the hairs on my skin rose. In a matter of seconds, my dress was gone, and I stood quivering at the glowing onyx of his dark gray eyes. He moved toward me with a stealthy determination. Whatever my fate, at that moment, had been sealed by him. He reached me swiftly, coming to a crouch before me. Strong heavy hands drug down my panties to wrap around my ankles on the cool floor. I stepped out of them coaching them to the side with my feet. Julian’s exquisite mouth touch my clitoris, and my knees buckled. With strong arms, Julian held me in placed as he lapped at my labia. A moan threatened to sail out of me, but I momentarily remembered the voices in the room. Julian was not letting up, and I was two seconds away from giving a damn.

The glide of his tongue spread over my essence sliding inside my core. My arms instinctively coupled his head, and I gritted my teeth and threw my head back on the edge of a squeal. Julian licked, then sucked, and whipped his tongue and my body tingled with heated nostalgia. Fire blistered through my veins, and just like that, I was coming. Hard.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” I whispered with a hushed shudder. The vibration spread throughout me, and the little weight I held up collapsed in Julian’s arms. He spoke to me but I couldn’t hear him with the ring that sounded in my ear drums. Julian held me as my body quaked and trembled; whispering sweet nothings into my ear in an Italian dialect. My shuddering seemed to continue for what felt like an eternity, and I closed my eyes in awe of the serenaded serendipity.

Julian kissed the top of my head, and my hearing was back. My mind whirled with thoughts of being with him again and again. The connection we had was uncanny and nothing I’d ever felt before. Finally, I sighed and moved a part from his embrace. His hand tightened just a bit around my hand, and I paused to look at him.

“Let me help you,” his thick voice drummed. We rose from the floor, and he lifted my soiled panties to his lips. “These belong to me.”

It was a dark, commanding statement. 

My nipples hardened, and I realized being around this man was going to spoil me for anyone that came after him. “Is it possible for me to make a trip to my hotel room?” I asked.

Julian covered me, bringing my Arabian dress over my head. “We’ll go right now,” he said.

I adjusted my clothing and Julian enclosed my hand in his. I stared up at his shadowy outline, and he stared back. A moment passed before he moved toward the door unlocking the latch. A woman spoke to another, and I recognized the voice as Kelsey’s. Mortified that I would get caught screwing the boss, I put my hand against Julian’s expansive chest stopping his forward progress.

“Find out who left this glass broken in here and outside the door,” Kelsey ordered someone else. “Whoever it is, is fired!” She fumed.

Their voices moved and disappeared as Kelsey continued to fuss. I dropped my hand and opened the door. Julian threaded my fingers between his. Reentering the dressing room, I made an attempt at a joke.

“Oooh, you’re getting fired,” I sang.

Julian chuckled. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m the boss then.

I pursed my lips together. “Show off,” I squeaked. Julian stopped walking and pulled my back into him tickling my sides. I balked, squirmed, and laughed slipping through his fingers, out of his arms and through the double doors. He caught up to me before I made it to the stairs and I came undone as he pulled me into him again, nibbling at my earlobe, scooping me up like a sweet snack.

I love you.

The fleeting thought sailed through me without hesitation. I froze, completely terrified by my minds turn. What was that about? Had I lost it? I stepped to the side with ease disconnecting from his touch.

“We should go,” I said.

Julian stared at me for a moment, pulling his lips in with his teeth.

“After you,” he said.

I shook my head vigorously. “I’m not falling for that again,” I said.

“Why,” he asked, “Don’t you trust me?”