Little White Lies Page 9

  Madalyn checked out her partner. He couldn’t be more than 23 or 24 years old. He was tall, like Royce but with a slighter build. Not too bad to look at. He was wearing black, skin-tight pants that flared out dramatically at the bottom. His red silk shirt was open so low that she could see the contours of his chest muscles. Thick gold chains hung from his neck. She smiled at him, but started paying attention the moment he squared off his shoulders, assumed a wide legged stance and pulled her tightly against his chest. Why did she feel like she was about to star in Saturday Night Fever? Madalyn wondered if his name was Tony, and a little giggle erupted from her.

  Her light mood deserted her as he extended her right arm and grabbed her under the right knee, hiking it up over his hip, before gyrating her ever so slowly in a deep backward bend, so that her hair fell off her back, hanging in the air. She felt completely exposed, and was thankful Royce didn’t have a camera with him to capture the horrified look on her face.

  Holy crap! She looked to Royce, begging him once again to save her. He pointed his right index finger to his eyes and then turned it towards her mouthing, “I’ll be watching you.”

  Thanks a lot!

  His abandonment in her greatest hour of need forced her to muster up some courage and take control of the situation. How often did a woman get to learn a sexy Latin dance from a local guru anyway? If Royce wanted a show, then that was what he would get.

  When “Tony” returned her to an upright stance, he paused with a salacious grin on his face, and began to deftly move them about the dance floor. They were a whirl of gyrating motion—her dress a glorious tornado of beaded fringe. Her partner continued to twirl and dip her, grabbing her hips and making her move in ways she didn’t know were possible. Madalyn molded her body to his, letting him take control of their movement.

  She finally caught Royce’s eyes and her nipples hardened from his purely carnal look. He was totally turned on. She could see it, and it made her insides simmer. Royce made his way towards them slowly, like a cougar after his prey, his eyes never leaving hers. But her partner saw him too and moved about the tiny floor, effectively avoiding Royce until the frenzied music came to an end.

  She stood breathless and weak-kneed in “Tony’s” arms, shocked at what had just happened, when she felt Royce slide up behind her. He placed his arm around her waist and she let her head fall back on his shoulder.

  “I want to slide into you right now,” he groaned and pressed himself into her bottom.

  She felt like she might combust.

  The music began again, this time with a slow and erotic beat that matched their mood. Royce swayed their hips back and forth to the beat, continuing to push her bottom into his rock hard groin. He grabbed her hand and twirled her around to face him, catching her mouth in a deep and punishing kiss. He ravished her, oblivious to the hoard of people around them sharing the small dance floor. He seemed hell-bent on giving her some lessons of his own, not willing to be one-upped by the little puppy that had just left her side. Madalyn liked this slower, tantalizing salsa—their bodies moving as one, his eyes staring intently into hers.

  “Enough!” he groaned and pulled her by the hand out of the Café and into the fresh night air. He leaned her up against the outside wall, unable to resist another kiss. His tongue circled hers in that slow and lazy fashion, and she had the distinct feeling that he was giving her a preview of his plans for later.

  “Let’s go back to the room,” he ordered. “I want you naked.”

  She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her. “What’s gotten into you, Royce?” she teased. “I thought you said you don’t like to share?”

  “I don’t,” he insisted. “That boy wasn’t a threat, and I wanted to watch you dance. You were hot, baby!”

  All joking aside, she was turned on too. Reaching up on her tippy toes, she turned his head and whispered in his ear, “Are you ready for another experiment?”

  He immediately hailed a taxi. It was a blessedly short ride back to the ship.

  Chapter Eight – Lavender Lady

  The warmth of the sun on her face slowly brought her out of a deep sleep. She jerked up into a sitting position. What time was it? They were supposed to meet up with the others at nine o’clock in the morning to set off on their day trip to St. Croix.

  “Relax sleepy head,” Royce smiled, stepping out of the bathroom freshly showered. “It’s eight fifteen. You have plenty of time to shower and eat breakfast before we head out. I ordered room service.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” she asked with a big yawn, stretching her arms out over her head.

  “Because we had a pretty late night.”

  He sat down on the bed and rubbed her cheek softly. Her eyes danced at the thought of last night. It was . . . amazing! Old San Juan was lovely, but the X-rated playtime in her bedroom afterwards had left a lasting impression. She hadn’t known she was so flexible.

  “Now hurry up before our breakfast gets here,” he said, pulling her out of bed and into his arms for a warm hug. Then he slapped her naked butt and sent her off to shower.

  “How is it that you manage to look gorgeous and refreshed after just five hours of sleep?” she grumbled at him over her shoulder on her way to the shower.

  He shrugged his shoulders and gave her his killer smile—the one that melted her insides—causing her to crash into the bathroom door. Oh, right. Turn knob. Enter bathroom. Remember to drink coffee.

  When Madalyn stepped out of the bathroom, Royce was placing a tray of food on the small table in the corner of the room. He wore a form fitting white V-neck ribbed shirt, khaki cargo shorts and sandals, with his sunglasses propped up on his head. A small duffle bag rested on the bed half full with his swim trunks, extra shirt, some suntan lotion and a baseball hat.

  Madalyn was still a little groggy and stood staring at him with her arms crossed lightly over her chest. “So what should I wear? You need to advise me since you won’t tell what we’re doing today.”

  “Throw a swimsuit or two into the bag—preferably that little yellow suit you wore the other day,” he said with a lecherous grin. “Just wear something comfortable and cool. The weather is great, and it’ll be warm in the sun. Throw in a hat and some sunglasses.”

  She grabbed her yellow bikini as well as a bright orange one with large white polka dots and placed them into the bag along with her Detroit Tigers baseball hat and white cover up.

  What to wear? Looking into her drawer, she pulled out a pair of beige shorts and a multi-colored t-shirt; cool, comfortable and casual. She spotted her black Teva sandals peeking out from under the bed, slipped them on and then headed over to the table to see what Royce had ordered for breakfast. There was an assortment of fresh fruit, some corn flakes, juice, and coffee. Nice and light.

  “We must be going swimming today,” she said, fishing for details. “Wouldn’t it be better if we just wear our swimsuits?”

  “You can if you like,” he offered. “But you’ll be able to change where we’re going.”

  “I hope we go snorkeling,” she dug again. “I’ve never been.”

  He just winked at her. “Yes, it’s amazing. You’ll have to make sure you try it sometime.”

  “Is the beach far from where we are going?” she asked a moment later.

  He looked over the edge of his newspaper and grinned. “Madalyn, the whole island is only 28 miles long, so nothing is far.”

  “You’re not going to give me any clues are you?”

  “No.”

  “Ok, then. I’m done eating. Let’s go!” she said, anxious to get started on their adventure.

  “Give me a few more minutes to finish breakfast,” he said, making her wait.

  Was he enjoying torturing her? Madalyn threw a camera into the duffle bag and walked over to the sink to brush her teeth, and then put on some waterproof mascara and lip gloss. Royce joined her and slowly brushed his teeth while he watched her squirm with anticipation.

  “Come
on, already!” she said in exasperation.

  He laughed with his mouth full of toothpaste and spit it out.

  “So anxious,” he taunted, pulling her into his arms for a kiss.

  “Paradise awaits us!” she said. She grabbed her sunglasses and walked out of the door.

  • • •

  They had all agreed to meet on the dock of port Fredricksted rather than try to find each other in the crowd of passengers waiting to disembark the ship. As Royce and Madalyn stepped off the gangway, she spotted Jason in a blue and red Hawaiian shirt up the way. They were all dressed casually with their bags ready to go.

  “Good morning everyone!” Madalyn greeted them in a singsong voice.

  Liz turned to Royce. “What a perfect day for … ”

  “ … a wonderful time spent with new and fun friends,” he said with a wide grin.

  “Well, I think he’s taking us on one of those glass-bottom boats,” Jason threw out, poking Royce in the ribs with his elbow.

  “That’s so cheesy,” Mike said. “I think we’re going jet skiing and parasailing.”

  “Ugh, I hope not,” Susie chimed in. “I might puke if we try parasailing. I’m afraid of heights.”

  Royce looked like he was enjoying all of the speculation, but he couldn’t be prevailed upon to give any hints.

  “So do we walk from here or get a cab?” Madalyn asked.

  “Neither.” Royce smiled and nodded his head in the direction of a black stretch limousine pulling up in front of them. Her mouth involuntarily dropped open and they collectively turned to gape at Royce.

  “O.M.G.!” Liz said. “You’re not holding back.”

  “Is the bar stocked?” Mike asked the driver, who opened the door for them.

  “Of course, sir,” the driver said with a nod of his head.

  While the others piled into the limo, Madalyn turned to wrap her arm around Royce and gave him a peck on the cheek. “A little over the top, don’t you think?” she asked with a silly grin on her face. She secretly loved it.

  “You only live once, baby. We may as well do it up right,” he grinned back.

  When they were all settled into the plush leather seats, Royce pulled out a chilled bottle from a bucket. “Champagne and orange juice, everyone?”

  Madalyn handed him some glasses from the bar area and Susie found the orange juice in the mini fridge next to her.

  “Royce, you didn’t have to go all out like this,” Susie said, flashing him a brilliant smile. “But I’m glad you did!”

  “It’s the least I could do after robbing you all of the winning ticket at bingo.”

  “You’re forgiven,” Liz said, holding up her glass to him.

  They drove along the coast. The sea was a glorious vision of light and deep aqua blue waters, contrasted by lush dark green foliage on land, interspersed with exotic flowers. A patch of brilliantly colored spiky flower petals on long green stalks, surrounded by thick broad leaves lined the road. Some were deep red, others bright orange, and yet still more were golden yellow, all with splashes of blue and purple. She had never seen anything like it and wondered what they were called.

  “Those are ‘Birds of Paradise’,” Royce said, anticipating her question. “Look closely. Do you see where the flower bursts out of the green stalk? The stalk is like the head of a bird and the petals like a plume of feathers on top. They’re commonly referred to as crane flowers.”

  “Oh, yes, I see it. How beautiful,” she said, unable to contain her awe.

  “See over there?” he said, pointing. “That’s ‘Cup of Gold,’ named after the shape and color of the flower. If you look inside the cup, there is a dark burgundy star pattern. We’ll have to see if we can find one later.”

  Liz gazed out to window to see them too. “They’re huge!”

  “Believe it or not, they can grow up to 40 feet tall with a patch as long as 200 feet,” Royce added.

  Susie and Liz stared at him baffled. “How do you know so much about flowers, Royce?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I have a curious mind and an endless capacity for useless knowledge. Or so my brother tells me. But I’ve yet to tell you the most interesting tale about Cup of Gold,” Royce teased as a devilish smile crept over his face.

  “The flower is indigenous to Mexico. Traditional folk medicine believes a love potion made from its flowers and roots can increase a man’s sex drive, bring out his animalistic nature, and drive him to the lady most beloved in his heart.”

  Madalyn cocked her brow at his old wives’ tale. “Is that so? Well, no love potion for you. Your animalistic nature is already in overdrive.”

  Mike laughed and shook his head lightly. “Where do I sign up?”

  “Don’t you want to find out who is most beloved in my heart?” Royce asked softly, for her ears only.

  Whoa! Her heart raced like a horse chasing after a carrot on a stick. She knew she mustn’t take him too seriously—he was just flirting. But damn the man could be charming and sweet.

  “Not from some silly witch doctor’s potion,” she teased, grabbing him by the back of his head and pulling him down to her lips for a kiss.

  “Don’t you two ever stop?” Susie groaned. “Seriously, get a room! And for heaven’s sake, don’t take any of that love potion. You’re bad enough already as it is!”

  They both looked up to give her a grin and then Royce turned to whisper in Madalyn’s ear. “I think you’re the witch doctor working your dark magic on me.”

  • • •

  When they arrived at their destination they were all in high spirits with cheeks flushed from champagne. Getting out of the limo, Madalyn looked around and saw that they were surrounded by rows and rows of sailboats. A large sign indicated they were at Green Cay Marina. Everyone stared at Royce.

  “You chartered a sailboat?” Mike asked in wide-eyed disbelief.

  “Yes, sir,” Royce said with a brilliant smile and shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts. He looked very pleased with the group’s reaction. “Our own private tour around the island with the best snorkeling spots and lunch served on board. There’s no better way to see St. Croix than from the water looking in. Am I forgiven?” he asked with a smirk.

  “That’s very generous of you, Royce.” Jason sounded uncomfortable. “Hey look, man, you don’t need to do this. We’re happy to help out on the cost.” Mike nodded his agreement.

  “It’s on bingo!” Royce insisted and they walked down the strip with Royce leading the way.

  Susie elbowed Madalyn in the arm and silently mouthed, “Holy moly!”

  Royce stopped in front of a stunning dark blue sailboat. “Lavender Lady” was written in large white script along the back. Madalyn had never been this close to a sailboat before. It was huge.

  “Son-of-a-bitch!” Jason exclaimed turning to Royce. “This is a Swan 53! It must be the dagger board version with twin rudders,” he said staring at it in awe, running both of his hands through his hair. He looked overwhelmed and turned to Mike to punch him in the arm.

  Royce grinned. Was that a blush creeping up his neck?

  “Ouch!” Mike winced playfully at the punch and grinned from ear to ear. “You are so full of shit, Royce!”

  “Awe, man, we have been dying to try one of these out!” Jason shouted in his excitement. He could barely contain himself. His enthusiasm was contagious and Madalyn laughed, certain he would start bouncing up and down any second—boys and their toys.

  “I didn’t realize you two knew so much about sailboats,” Royce said a bit frustrated.

  “We grew up on Long Island, Royce. Sorry. No pulling the wool over our eyes!”

  “Damn,” Royce said softly, staring down at the dock with his hands on his hips.

  The women watched this exchange in complete and utter confusion. What were they talking about?

  “What’s the big deal?” Susie demanded. “It’s just a sailboat.”

  “No, baby! That’s the point. It’s not just ‘a sa
ilboat’. Swan is the crème de la crème of sailboats.” Jason said in exasperation, like he was pointing out the obvious.

  “So? Why does that make Royce full of shit?” she asked, still confused.

  “Because there is no way in hell a charter company in St. Croix uses a Swan for snorkeling excursions.”

  “Oh. Well then whose is it?” she wondered out loud.

  All eyes turned to Royce.

  “It belongs to my brother,” he admitted, looking a little embarrassed. “When he heard I was heading here on my cruise, he offered to let me take it out for the day.”

  Madalyn stared at Royce, curious as to why he hadn’t told them all of this in the first place.

  “Well, I don’t feel so bad anymore about you picking up the tab,” Mike blurted out and jumped on board. “Your brother must be loaded!”

  Bingo! That could explain it. Was Royce’s family loaded and he wasn’t comfortable sharing that information? Whatever. Madalyn wasn’t interested in getting into his wallet; she’d settle for getting into his pants—on a regular basis—for the duration of the cruise. A hot blush crept up her neck and on her cheeks just thinking about it. She had become such a hussy in just a few short days.

  Jason was chomping at the bit to get going and jumped on board too. “Come on. Let’s get going!”

  Madalyn looked at Royce as she passed him by, her face still flushed from her wicked thoughts. “Expensive is a relative term,” she said in a saucy voice.

  He smacked her gently on the butt, grinning at her play on his words from dinner, and then jumped on board behind her.

  • • •

  When they boarded the Lavender Lady, they were greeted by two staff, both dressed in crisp white uniforms. The gentleman greeted Royce warmly and welcomed all of them, “Royce, it’s so good to see you again. You’ve picked a wonderful day for sailing!”

  “Thank you Max, Cynthia,” he said, nodding his head to the woman and introducing everyone in the group.

  “Welcome,” Max said cheerfully. He looked to be in his mid-forties, tall with well-defined arms and chest, sandy blond hair and sun-kissed skin. “I hope you’re all ready for one of the most exciting days of your life. Warm sunshine, great food, and lovely waters full of amazing wildlife await you. Should we get prepared to go?”