Hearts Afire. Deborah Fletcher Mello

he’s not... We’re not...” Maitlyn stammered. Her widened eyes made her look like a deer caught in headlights. She tossed a quick glance up at Zak, who was smiling. Maitlyn found herself completely smitten by the sheer beauty of it.

      Zak winked his eye at her as he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. If he hadn’t been holding on to her, Maitlyn swore she would have dropped straight to the floor, as her knees quivered like two rubber bands.

      Minutes later the two stepped onto the ship, and the cruise director greeted Zak by name.

      “Mr. Sayed, welcome aboard, sir,” the woman said. “My name’s Stacy.”

      Zak nodded.

      Stacy then gestured to the man at her side. “David will take you to your cabin, sir. If you follow him down the stairwell to the lower lobby, you’ll take those elevators to the seventeenth floor and your suite, which is on the aft end of the ship. And if there is anything we can get for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

      “Thank you,” Zak answered. He then turned his attention toward Maitlyn. “I look forward to seeing you again, Ms. Boudreaux. Enjoy your cruise,” he said casually.

      Maitlyn smiled politely as he turned and left her and the cruise director standing together. The woman glanced politely at Maitlyn’s boarding pass and pointed her in the opposite direction. Maitlyn shook her head, disappointment painting her expression. Sure, she hadn’t expected the man to walk her to the door of her cabin, but she also hadn’t anticipated him dismissing her so casually. The fact that she was even disturbed by his actions at all unnerved her because clearly Zak Sayed was a man who was more trouble than he was worth.

      As Stacy moved to help another vacationer, Maitlyn moved to stand in front of the bank of elevator doors.

      * * *

      Behind the closed door of his luxury suite, Zak took quick note of the two-deck-high stateroom with its panoramic views. The lower-level living space with the private balcony, dining area and bar would be ideal for entertaining if he felt inclined to do that kind of thing. The upper level boasted a king-size bed and shower large enough for two people to lose themselves in. The space would serve him nicely on the trip, he thought. He slid open the glass door to the balcony and stepped out to peer over the edge of the rail. The water below sloshed lazily against the side of the massive cruise ship.

      Hours earlier his thoughts had only been on the high-stakes poker game he was taking part in and the ten million dollars that had secured his participation. But since exiting the limo that delivered him to the docks, he’d thought less about the poker game and more about the beautiful woman who’d boarded the ship with him. A smile lifted his lips.

      He and Kendrick Boudreaux shared much history. Kendrick’s business dealings had brought him to Zak’s family home in Morocco. At that time he had been brokering an arms deal between two political entities. Their initial encounter might not have gone well had Kendrick not been so open and forthcoming. Zak had learned much about the man during that time, and the family he spoke of so highly. Zak also remembered how fondly he had spoken about his sisters, yet he didn’t remember Kendrick ever mentioning them being so beautiful.

      Thoughts of the lovely Maitlyn Boudreaux passed through his mind. He had turned to stare after her just before heading to his cabin and had been taken aback by the overwhelming sadness he saw on her face. He couldn’t begin to imagine what had soured her spirit, but he didn’t want to see that look on her face ever again.

      He also found it curious that she was traveling alone. Most of the beautiful women he knew would have been hard-pressed to travel all by their lonesome with no kind of entourage by their side. Most especially for the length of time they would be at sea. Zak fathomed that a woman with such confidence could either be quite intriguing or an annoyance for a man. It was a rare male who could handle a woman with such bold conviction, or who even wanted to. His lips bent slightly upward at the thought.

      But concerning himself with any woman was not something he had time for. This trip wasn’t about a good time. Zak was on a mission, and until the last card was dealt and the final hand played, that was all he could afford to concentrate on. He had far too much money on the line to allow the prospect of a woman to distract him. Shaking thoughts of Maitlyn Boudreaux from his mind, he moved back inside his cabin and secured the sliding glass doors.

      * * *

      After managing to find her cabin before the ship left the dock, Maitlyn was greeted at the door by Winston, the cabin steward, who wasn’t at all bad on the eyes. The young man’s spirited personality even had her briefly contemplating her sister’s suggestions. Because for the first time in a very long time, Maitlyn was willing to admit that she had needs that could use some serious attention. And she had Zak Sayed’s touch to thank for the reminder.

      Left on her own, Maitlyn quickly deposited her carry-on in her room and went to explore her surroundings. As she toured, she became completely enamored by the sheer size of the massive cruise ship and all the attention the cruise staff lavished on her. She thought about what it might feel like to have a man, perhaps one like Zak Sayed, to experience the moment with.

      She sighed deeply as she took a quick glance around her, hoping that no one had been watching as decadent thoughts had washed over her spirit. She imagined herself naked, enjoying the pleasure of a hard-bodied male alongside her. Her cheeks flushed a deep red. Maitlyn was suddenly embarrassed that she’d even allowed herself to give such nonsense any consideration. And then she wasn’t, pondering how she might make such an encounter occur.

      Leaning against the rail that bordered the upper deck, she stared out to where the skyline kissed the sea and the sun began its descent in the bright blue sky. Closing her eyes briefly, she took a deep breath and then a second. She prayed that taking this trip would be a good thing for her. Her parents had never steered her wrong before, and she couldn’t fathom them doing so now.

      As she stared back out over the water, the moment was interrupted when a uniformed waiter suddenly appeared at her elbow, a pretty drink decorated with a paper parasol in hand. He pointed in the direction of the man who had sent the beverage. The gentleman nodded his head as he gestured toward the empty seat at his side. His inviting smile was miles wide. With his linebacker’s build, blond hair and eyes that were as blue as the ocean water, he made quite a first impression. Nodding her gratitude, Maitlyn lifted her mouth in an appreciative smile. She then tossed her reservations aside and moved in the man’s direction.

      Chapter 3

      Something in the glass she was holding was guiding Maitlyn’s hips in a sexy shimmy that had the full attention of every man in the room. The reggae band performing on the stage had her mesmerized as she commanded the dance floor, her sensual moves in sync with the beat.

      Zak had taken notice of her the moment he’d walked into the ship’s nightclub. He had sat alone, and the ice in his drink was beginning to melt. A few days had passed since he’d last seen her and as he watched her from a table in the far corner of the room he thought back to earlier in the week when they’d first arrived together.

      She was still strikingly beautiful. Her distinctive traits acknowledged an African-Asian ancestry. Her features were soft and delicate against her warm complexion. Her eyes were slight and angular and her nose whisper thin. Her cheeks were full and high with deep dimples, and she had the most perfect, most kissable lips of any woman in the room.

      Her attire was conservative, a stark contradiction to the sultry gyrations that had the men in the room hovering around her like flies. Her loose, black cotton, button-up blouse and wide-legged slacks did nothing to flatter her figure. But with each shake of her hips a man could just imagine the lush curves and warm skin her clothes covered. As Zak found himself imagining, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

      Across the room Maitlyn had finally taken a seat at one of the front tables. Three men sat down beside her, each of them vying for her attention. Zak knew two of the men by name. Frank Barber was an attorney from New York City, and Gerard Bruner was a doctor from Zimbabwe. Both were opponents he’d