Deborah Mello - Hearts Afire

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 be going up against in the poker tournament. The third man seemed most intent on diverting Maitlyn’s full attention away from her other admirers. For a brief moment she seemed quite enamored with the blond-haired man, with his striking good looks and deep blue eyes. And then suddenly she didn’t; something in her glass no longer fueled her fun.

Zak’s radar suddenly engaged as he leaned forward in his seat. Although most of the room wasn’t paying an ounce of attention, he sensed that something wasn’t quite right as he closely observed the man who was pulling Maitlyn to her feet. Without giving it a second thought, Zak crossed the room in quick strides to where they’d been sitting.

“Ms. Boudreaux, can I be of some assistance?” he asked, cutting an eye at the man who had one arm around her waist and the other clutching her elbow.

Maitlyn shook her head from side to side. “I don’t feel well,” she murmured softly. Her eyes rolled skyward, her lashes fluttering.

“I’ve got this, thank you,” her companion snapped as he moved to leave.

Zak took a step to block his path. “And you are?” he questioned, meeting the man’s annoyed gaze.

“None of your business. My wife said she wasn’t feeling well.”

“Your wife?”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

The two men still seated at the table came to their feet. Frank Barber spoke first. “Mr. Sayed, it’s good to see you.”

Zak’s gaze remained focused on Maitlyn’s new friend. He didn’t bother to respond.

“Mr. Lloyd, this is Zakaria Sayed. Mr. Sayed, this is Alexander Lloyd and the young woman is a friend of ours. She’s not feeling well, and he was just helping her to her cabin.”

Zak nodded ever so slightly. “Well, the young woman came on board with me, not Mr. Lloyd. And since she isn’t married, I know that Mr. Lloyd can’t possibly be her husband. And the fact that he lied makes me question his intent.”

The blond-haired man bristled. “She’s a very close friend.”

“I don’t feel so good,” Maitlyn repeated again in a brief moment of lucidness.

“We appreciate your help, Mr. Lloyd, but I’ll take her from here,” Zak stated matter-of-factly.

“I can take her—” the man started.

Gerard Bruner interjected, cutting a stern eye at his friend. “Not a problem, Mr. Sayed. We were all just trying to be of some assistance.”

Zak cast a brusque eye at the man, then gestured for one of the cruise ship’s employees. The man was at his elbow before he could even lower his arm.

“Yes, sir, Mr. Sayed. Is there a problem, sir?”