Cindy

Sam and I had just finished our investigation of the American staff members. I'm unsure how many the FBI will list as suspects from the international list, but I feel we have three suspects worth looking into for this case.

Sam signs off and shuts his computer. "Hungry?"

I nod vigorously. "Starving! I don't know about you, but I have no desire to get dolled up tonight. Do you mind if we go somewhere extremely casual?"

He stretches and leans back in his chair. I don't miss the opportunity to glimpse at his chiseled torso. I didn't see him shirtless today, and for a second, my mind goes to how good it feels touching each perfectly formed chest muscle. I shiver at the thought.

Sam catches my involuntary shiver. "Are you cold, Babe?"

While the sun has set, and there's a gentle breeze blowing with the steady movement of the ship, it's not even chilly out. I decide to be brutally honest. "No, your little yawn and stretch action over there reminded me that I hadn't had my hands on you all day."

I can feel the heat of my rosy blush creeping up my neck and filling my cheeks as he looks at me with his dark eyes. "Damn, woman!"

I love that my words have such an effect on him. I decide to play his little game. I lean over and whisper into his ear. "Let's eat."

I stand up and leave him sitting stunned out on the balcony. "Are you coming, Sam?"

"Uh, yeah. Just give me a minute." He adjusts himself, and I giggle uncontrollably.

He finally appears from the balcony. "What's so funny?"

I glance down at the bulge in his shorts.

"What? No! I was putting my computer away, perv!"

I laugh harder. "Sure, you were!"

I see the seriousness in his face crack as his eyes sparkle with amusement. "Let's go eat."

He grabs my hand and drags me to the door. I can't help but chuckle the entire way down our corridor.

***

After a quick dinner at the buffet, we joined Pete and Millie at the casino. It was our first time there. We had walked by before but never entered it to gamble. The bright flashing lights of the slot machines spinning randomly and the dinging noise they make when you have been lucky enough to win infiltrates my senses.

There are a few card tables: Blackjack, Let it Ride, and Three Card Poker. They're full of people cheering for cards flipped by the dealer, hoping to give them a winning hand. Groans and excitement ignite as each player waits and watches in glee or disappointment.

The roulette table is a different story. While the card games take time to deal with and payout, roulette is in constant motion. Whether it's the enthusiastic players placing their bets on picked numbers that only they know the significance of or the spinning of the wheel as players hold their breath until the small, marble-sized ball bounces erratically around until it finds its home in the nook of the lucky number's placeholder. The dealer places a weight on top of the chips on the winning number, drags off the losing chips, and pulls them into a sorter. He quickly pays out the bounty, only for the player to start placing them on their choice numbers again.

Sam brings me out of my silent observation.

"What do you want to play?"

I shrug, "I'm not a big gambler. Do you think that the casino has some penny slots?"

"I think that I saw some over there." He points to the far left wall.

"That's where I'll be if you need me," Millie informs the group.

"Pete is the big gambler, not me. I think I'll go with the ladies." Sam winks at me.

"I'm going to head to blackjack. I'll find you all later, and maybe we can grab a nightcap before settling in for the night." Pete gives Millie a massive smile. She blushes and looks away.

Sam and Pete prepare to leave and grab us all a drink. "I'll meet you ladies at the slots."

He kisses my cheek as Pete lingers on Millie's lips with his.

As soon as they leave us, I whisper to Millie. "I saw that."

"Saw what, exactly?" Millie says innocently.

I cross my arms. "You and bashfulness are like Oreos without their creamy center. It just doesn't happen. Care to explain?"

Millie laughs, "Not here, but I promise that I will once we get back to our room tonight."

She leaves me standing there with my mouth gaping wide open. When I finally get back my senses, I follow her to the slot machines on the left wall. We pick the ones next to each other. Hers is mermaid-themed, and mine is the wild, wild West. I put in my money and am mesmerized by the spinning cowboy hats, boots, and lassos.

***

The four of us stumble back to our staterooms after our one nightcap turns into three. Pete was the big winner among us. Sam won some pocket change; Millie and I were the big losers. Both of us ended up losing all that we planned on spending tonight.

We stop in front of our doors. Sam and I were in front of Millie's and my door while Pete and Millie stopped at the guys' door. They're already deep into their goodnight kiss when Sam captures my lips. I lean into him and reach my wanting fingers up underneath the soft material of his tee shirt till I get to my desired location. Sam moans into my mouth as I gently tickle his hard abs with just my fingertips.

He pulls me hard into him, plastering my now-splayed hands upon his perfectly masculine chest, sweetly imprisoning me. He deepens our kiss. What had started as tender and sensual now morphs into a heated, rough passion. The warmth pooling into my center is hot enough to erupt this entire ship into a fiery inferno. Even though we're in the middle of ocean water, it can't quench the thirst of the flames that are lapping me up and causing me to become weak in the knees. I could stay in this man's arms forever.

We are unfortunately interrupted by Pete clearing his throat and Millie announcing for us to get a room, which strikes me as funny because we are literally in front of our two rooms. I would gladly take either one and give myself entirely to this man. Instead, he pulls away and chuckles. He looks at me with a heated gaze that I need extinguished.

I release the breath that I didn't realize that I was holding. "Your room or mine?" I breathe.

It's my turn to chuckle at the look on his face. He raises his eyebrows in shock at my overt comment. He recovers quickly and takes my hand. He pretends to drag me towards my door. "Well, yours is closer."

I smack his chest and giggle. We both turn around to see Pete and Millie with their jaws hanging wide open in complete surprise; Sam and I both lose it.

He kisses my cheek and releases my hand. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." I giggle, still amused.

Millie and I enter our stateroom as the boys disappear behind their door. I quickly turn towards my friend. "Spill it!"

*****