“SO, YOU AND THE JABBERWOCKY?” Mary Ann wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Alice looked back at her friend with a deadpan expression, “I haven’t the slightest notion what you are talking about.”

Mary Ann snorted. And then in a voice that Alice could only assume was meant to be hers, Mary Ann started calling out things like ‘more, big boy’ and ‘harder, faster.’  Alice was obviously going to have to get new friends.

Mary Ann laughed at Alice’s sour expression, “Why are you being like this? The poor man is going to fall off the airship because he can’t take his eyes off you. And the hurt expression on his face can only mean one thing.”

Alice pursed her lips, “I don’t want to know.”

Mary Ann blithely ignored her, “It means that you have given him the best nookie of his life, and then given him the cold shoulder. Tell me Alice, who are you angrier at, him or yourself?”

Alice glared at Mary Ann, “You are rapidly approaching the top spot of those to kill.”

Mary Ann’s eyes danced, “Alice, why are you so afraid of something happening between the two of you?”

Alice rolled her eyes, “First off, there isn’t anything between that man and me. We had an itch and we scratched it, end of story.”

Mary Ann nodded knowingly, “Right, that’s why you purposely made sure he had the worst cabin, and then when he refused to stay there gallantly offered to share yours.”

“I never said I would share!” Alice refuted hotly, “The bastard moved in and wouldn’t leave.”

Mary Ann tapped a long dark glossy fingernail against her chin, “And yet, after your night of non-passion he has slept in that horrible cabin instead of bunking up with you. Interesting turn of events, don’t you think?”

Alice felt a knife churning in her gut. After she had been so cold with Jay the morning after they had slept together he silently took his stuff and moved into the loud cabin. Alice knew that the man couldn’t be getting any sleep. She tried not to feel guilty about it, and occasionally succeeded.

Who was she fooling? She missed him, and his stupid skills in the sack. But Alice wasn’t about to beg for him to come back. Besides it was better this way, she told herself. They had done the deed and now knew that it wasn’t so amazing after all.

It was fucking incredible and she was ruined for all other men.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

No, Alice steeled herself, this was for the best. Jay had been cordial, but just as lukewarm to her as she had been to him. They had used the diecast phone in the Flower Gardens to try and check on Lory and Mouse. But the two hadn’t picked up.

Alice wanted to talk to him about it. But she didn’t want to see the sadness in his eyes that she was certain was her fault. Jay wore his emotions too freely, she thought savagely.

“Are you going to spend the rest of the trip glaring at each other?” Mary Ann asked as if Alice hadn’t wandered off mentally for the past few minutes.

“I am not glaring at Jay,” Alice tried to smile, and Mary Ann winced.

“No, stick to the glaring, you are not good at faking it.”

They both snickered at the dirty innuendo.

“I bet you didn’t have to fake it with him between the sheets,” Mary Ann whistled and blatantly stared at the large man who was yanking his shirt over his head to wipe his face.

“Hot damn,” Alice whispered, and Mary Ann grinned.

“I agree, my friend. Why don’t you go try and make nice with him?”

Alice felt fear and trepidation. Two emotions that she despised. With a shake of her head she tossed her long hair back and jutted out her hip. “Maybe I will.”

Jay glanced up and did a double take when he saw that Alice was walking toward him with a determined look in her eye.

She had avoided him like the plague the last few days. He had opened his eyes that morning thinking they had finally reached an understanding and she handed him his ass instead.

He didn’t understand women, but especially Alice. She was this gorgeous complex creature who was more than a little bit scary.

Jay wasn’t giving up by any means but wondered if he had been coming on a bit too strong. Deciding to take another route he moved into the cabin that he was originally supposed to stay in. The clockwork was just as loud as it had been that first day and Jay promptly bashed it off the wall.

He hoped that it wasn’t a family heirloom.

“Jabberwocky,” Alice lifted her chin in acknowledgement of his presence.

“Tart Purveyor,” he countered not missing a beat.

Alice blinked, and a spark of life shot into her eyes.

“If we are going to approach this Carlos individual we need to have a plan.”

Jay tossed the shirt he had been holding to the side and grabbed his water. He noticed the way that Alice’s eyes dropped to his chest and seemed to widen as he took all of him in.

Fuck, if she kept that up he would be hard in moments.

“Eyes up here, Cupcake,” his voice was hoarse as Alice’s surprised gaze locked on his own.

“I wasn’t ogling you!” she demanded hotly.

Now there were a lot of things that a man could take. But he knew when a woman wanted him. And there was a certain matter of pride that had to be maintained.

Jay took a step closer to her and she stepped back only she was right against the rail. He moved closer bracing his arms on either side of her hips.

Alice’s back arched over the railing, but Jay had leaned in close enough that she was pinned between his rock-hard body and the rail.

“You don’t like what you see?” he whispered against her neck. His lips grazing her skin and she felt burned where his lips lingered on her rapid pulse.

“It’s nothing special,” she croaked, wanting to kick herself for reacting this way.

Jay placed tiny open mouth kisses along the neckline of her shirt, nipping and sucking gently on her fevered skin.

Alice’s heart rate was pumping at a dangerous rate, she felt her panties moisten even further and a low moan escaped her lips when he gently thrust his hard on against her belly.

“I don’t affect you at all?” his breath teasing the shell of her ear.

Visions of his hot naked body slamming into her were almost more than she could stand. But she wasn’t about to let him win. Jay lowered his head, so his lips were a fraction of an inch away from her mouth.

Fuck it, Alice thought and went to reach for him.

But in the same instant Jay pulled away, grinning.

“If I disgust you so badly, I will try and keep my distance.”

Alice stared at his muscular back as he walked away from her.

The fucker was actually whistling. She was going to have to kill him.