Seduction of Steel: The Complete Series Read online

  And then she came back to Earth. This guy had gotten her in a lot of trouble.

  “Ryan! What are you doing here? No. Never mind. I don't care. Get away from me.” She got up to leave.

  “Jessica, wait a minute. We need to talk.” He grabbed her arm as she stood up to leave. Jessica couldn't help but notice how her skin tingled when Ryan touched her. She tried to ignore it.

  “NO! You're a criminal. You've gotten me in trouble with the authorities from three different countries. If you don't let go, I'm going to call the cops now!”

  Ryan let go, but wouldn't stop trying to talk to her. “Jessica. I can explain everything. Please give me two minutes of your time.”

  “Kristin is going to be back any minute. If I don't call the cops, she will.”

  Just then, Kristin came around the corner. Ryan quickly turned to leave.

  “Who was that?”, Kristin asked.

  “No one. Just a guy trying to pick me up. I told him that I wasn't interested. Let's go.”

  They paid their bill and took a taxi back towards the ship.

  Kristin noticed that Jessica seemed a bit uncomfortable. “Are you OK?”, she asked.

  “Yes, I'm fine. Something about that guy just creeped me out. That's all.”

  “Did he try to hurt you? Maybe you should call the police.”

  “No, I'm fine. Really. Let's do a bit more shopping before we go back to the ship. I'm still not ready to leave dry land.” They both laughed.

  They visited a couple of other stores, tried on some more clothes, and looked at some more jewelry. Kristin was putting together quite a stack of bargain clothing, but Jessica couldn't keep her mind off of Ryan.

  What did he want? What is he doing here? Has he been here for the past three months?

  Of course, she'd know the answer to these questions if she'd taken the time to talk to him back at the restaurant, but she was too angry with him to sit down and talk. Besides, Kristin was with her, and she didn't her to see Ryan.

  I'm not sure why I'd protect this guy. He's a criminal.

  After they finished their coffee, they decided to head back to the ship. The walked the short distance to the pier and got in line to board the tender.

  Jessica was certain that she could see Ryan out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to take a better look, there was no one there.

  A minute later, she thought she saw him again. She turned quickly and saw him duck behind a sign.

  She told Kristin, “You go ahead. I'm going to go back and buy a pair of earrings that I tried on earlier. I think they're too cute to leave behind.”

  Kristin went ahead and got on the tender. Jessica went looking for Ryan. She found him a few yards away, standing behind a sign for a glass bottomed boat business.

  “OK. You win. What is this all about?”, she asked impatiently.

  “Let's go get a cup of coffee.” He took her by the hand and they walked to a small coffee shop a couple of blocks off of the main road. At Ryan's urging, Jessica found a table in the corner while Ryan got a couple of lattes. He sat down and joined her.

  “You look beautiful”, he said. “It's been a long time.”

  “Not long enough”, she said, angrily. “Do you have any idea what you've put me through?”

  “I'm sorry about that. I had planned to tell you everything.”

  “Tell me everything? When? When were you going to do that?”

  “Remember that night I got left on shore? I was going to tell you later that evening when we met for a drink. What have they told you about me?”

  “They've told me that you're an industrial spy, and that you were only on the ship to steal some software or something having to do with the engines. They also said that you're a criminal and that you're going to go to jail if they catch you.”

  Ryan just smiled.

  “Some of that is true...in a way. I am a spy. But a criminal? I'm not so sure about that.”

  Jessica added some sugar to her coffee. “You are a spy? I could get arrested just by being seen with you.” She stood up to leave.

  “Hold on”, he said, again grabbing her arm. “Sit down. You're not going to get arrested. Please hear me out.”

  Jessica was reluctant, but she sat down to give him a listen.

  “It's true that I am a spy. I'm involved in industrial espionage. But I wasn't on the ship to steal the software. Not exactly.”

  “What do you mean, 'not exactly'?” She took a sip of her latte.

  “I work freelance. I steal things for hire, but I don't steal from just anyone. I steal from people who need to have things stolen from them.”

  “I don't understand.”

  “I was hired by a shipbuilding company - Eastern Shipworks. They're one of the biggest shipbuilders in the world. They also believe that MHI has infringed on their patents for their drive systems.”

  “That sounds like something for lawyers to work out.” She took another sip of coffee.

  “Yes, the lawyers would work that out, if they had proof. These ships consume unbelievable amounts of fuel. Anything that improves efficiency by even one percent could save thousands of dollars per day in fuel costs. That's per ship, by the way. Eastern thinks that MHI is building ships now that use their designs and software, but they haven't been able to prove it. So they hired me.”

  “And what makes you so special?” Jessica gave a look that suggested that she didn't believe a word that Ryan was saying.

  “I do have some talents. I'm good with a wrench, sure, but I'm also really good with computer software. That's my specialty. I'm also pretty good at infiltrating just about any place of business, such as a cruise line, without getting caught. That's kind of useful.”

  “So you were on the ship to look at the engines?”

  “Partly. I was there to photograph the engines, and if possible, to get a copy of the software that they were using to run them. Eastern is sure that the software that MHI is using is a copy of theirs, and if they can prove it, it's worth hundreds of millions of dollars in court.”

  “And why should I believe you? That's a pretty farfetched story.”

  “I can prove it. Give me time and I'll prove that I'm telling the truth.”

  “I'll think about it. Can I go now? I don't want to be late getting back to the ship.”

  “You really don't trust me, do you?”

  “Not so much. Really, Ryan. I have to go.”

  They got up to leave, and started to walk back towards the ship. As they walked past a narrow alley, Ryan grabbed Jessica's arm and pulled her aside. She tried to resist, but he did it so quickly that she didn't have time to respond.

  He pulled her to him and pressed his lips against hers. She wanted to resist, but she couldn't.

  Or did she? Jessica was still feeling quite conflicted about Ryan.

  I shouldn't be doing this. He's a criminal.

  He was kissing her, and kissing her in a way that turned her to jelly. Even though Jessica was reluctant to admit it, she wanted Ryan to kiss her all along. She missed his lips, his smell, and his firm grasp.

  His tongue danced on her lips for a second and then found its way into her mouth, exploring. She met his tongue with hers and was astonished at the intensity of his desire. Jessica's skin tingled all over as if she were on fire. Her nipples slowly became erect as Ryan's tongue continued probing. His kissing became even more passionate, and Jessica quickly became aware of the intensity of her own arousal. She was not only getting wet, but she was soaking down there. She wanted more, but at the same time, she felt that she should get away.

  She slowly pulled away. “No. We can't do this. Not now. I have to go.”

  Ryan pulled her back towards him and kissed her again, pressing his lips so firmly against hers that she didn't think that anything could pull them apart. He took his hand and rubbed her most intimate place through her dress. Jessica moaned softly.

  As they continued to kiss, Ryan rubbed her more aggressively, slipping two
fingers into her panties.

  I must stop this. I need to get away, she thought.

  He broke their kiss and said, “I want you to come. Come for me.” Ryan was insistent. It didn't really matter what Ryan wanted, as Jessica knew she was seconds away from a torrent of pleasure regardless. She could feel her juices running down her thighs as Ryan's probing fingers massaged the wet folds of her private parts.

  Jessica couldn't hold back any longer. She exploded with an orgasm that shook her from head to toe. As he continued to stimulate her, she came a second and then a third time. She stood there in the alley, shaking from the explosive wave of pleasure.

  Jessica didn't know if Ryan was a good guy or a criminal, but right now, she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  As she regained her senses, she said, “I really must get back to the ship.”

  “I know. I'll walk you back...at least most of the way.”

  Not wanting to be seen by the authorities, Ryan stopped about a block from the pier.

  “I can prove that everything I've told you is true. Be patient, and in time you will see.”

  He gave her one more slow, lingering, penetrating kiss, and then he was gone.

  Jessica just stood there quivering, still shaken by the magnitude of the orgasm he'd given her in the alley.

  She took a minute or two to compose herself, and then she took the tender back to the ship.

  Chapter 10

  Two weeks later, Jessica still hadn't gotten over her chance encounter with Ryan. She kept replaying their meeting over and over in her mind, though most of the replays centered on their quick but passionate encounter in the alley.

  She didn't know what it was about Ryan that excited her so, but just thinking about his touch made her tingle.

  She didn't, however, find the thought of being romantically involved with a criminal to be all that appealing. Would she visit him in prison? Would she wait for him for years while he served out his sentence? Or should she simply forget about him and move on?

  These thoughts began to consume her.

  The Ocean Enchantment made its weekly stop in Miami two days later. This was the weekly stop where one set of passengers disembarked, only to be replaced by another set just a few hours later. The ship was typically empty of passengers for about three hours in between cruises.

  As the last of the passengers left the ship, an announcement was made to the crew over the ship's public address system:

  All crew members of the Ocean Enchantment are to gather their personal belongings and disembark immediately. Repeat: All crew members of the Ocean Enchantment are to gather their personal belongings and disembark immediately. Everyone is to be off of the ship within two hours. Please meet in large room outside of the customs area.

  Jessica thought that this was rather odd; she'd never encountered anything like this during their weekly stops in Miami. Nevertheless, she did what she was told and she went to her room and began to pack her things. Kristin was already there.

  “Hi, Kris. Any idea what this is about?”, Jessica asked as she pulled a suitcase from the closet.

  “No. I've been on cruise ships for years and I've never seen anything like this.”

  They gathered their belongings and hauled them down the gangway. The line was rather long, and everyone was overly bogged down with suitcases, duffel bags and backpacks.

  They passed through the customs area, and after being cleared by customs, they met in the adjacent room. With all of the crew members present, the room was quite crowded and rather loud, as everyone was talking at once.

  A representative of the cruise line began speaking over a bullhorn.

  “May I have your attention, please. We regret to inform you that due to legal action, the Ocean Enchantment has been temporarily removed from service. We do not know when the ship will be permitted to sail again. Those of you who are within 90 days of the end of your contracts will be released. All others are to meet with the agents in the next room. They will provide you with your next ship assignment.

  Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience.”

  The room erupted in chaos of conversation. No one had ever heard of anything like this happening before.

  Jessica realized that her time on a cruise ship was over. Her contract had been terminated. She was free to return to whatever life she had before.

  Kristin still had six months left on her contract, so she gave Jessica a quick hug.

  “It's been great, Jess. I wish you well with your writing, or whatever it is you're going to do next.”

  “Thanks, Kris. Good luck with your next ship.”

  The cruise line had arranged transportation to the airport for anyone who wished to fly home. Jessica decided that it was probably time to return to her apartment and her roommate, Amber.

  At the Miami airport, Jessica bought a one-way ticket home and checked her bags. She noticed that she still had about two hours before her flight was to leave, so she decided to get a bite to eat before she went through security.

  She found an interesting Cuban restaurant and grabbed a seat. While she was looking over the menu, she heard a familiar voice.

  “Excuse me. Is this seat taken?” It was, once again, Ryan. Jessica's heart fluttered for a moment as she looked him over. He was clean shaven and looked positively dreamy. Jessica had a huge smile on her face. She just knew that Ryan had something to do with this morning's events.

  “Ryan! The cruise ship...it's been impounded.” Jessica was almost beside herself with happiness.

  “I know. I just saw it on the news. It has to do with the lawsuit over the drive system. The information I provided to Eastern Shipworks was a big part of that. I told you that I was telling the truth.”

  “I'm so sorry that I didn't believe you. I was under pressure from the cruise line, the police....everybody. I just didn't know what to do.”

  Ryan saw a tear coming from her eye, and reached over to wipe it away.

  “It's OK now. I'm not in any kind of trouble.”

  “I'm happy to hear that. I was so worried about you. So what will you do now? More spying?”

  “Well, it is sort of what I do, but I don't have a regular schedule. It's not as though I work a regular, 40 hour week.”

  “How do you find these jobs, anyway?”, she asked.

  “I'm pretty well connected in a number of industries. The work finds me. What about you?”

  “I'm just going home to Denver. Customer service isn't really my calling”, she said, laughing. “I think my days of working on a cruise ship are permanently over.” She smiled at him.

  “I'm not doing anything for a while. Why don't you spend a few days with me in Miami?”, Ryan asked.

  “That's nice of you, but I really just want to go home right now. Besides, I just paid a lot of money for a one way ticket.”

  “I can cover that for you. Being a spy actually pays pretty well,” he said with a grin.

  Jessica did like the idea of spending a few days with Ryan, and the thought of just lingering in a hotel and making love whenever it suited them was pretty appealing, especially after all the stress she'd endured over the past few months. At the same time, she was just worn out.

  No, it's time to move on and go home.

  “Not this time. I'm sorry, but no, I have to go home.”

  They chatted for a while longer, and Jessica realized that she needed to get to her gate to catch her flight home. Ryan escorted her to security. They held hands as they walked through the concourse.

  “May I call you? I'd love to see you again.”

  “Absolutely.” She gave him her cell phone number. “When will I hear from you?”

  “You never know. I travel a lot.”

  Ryan then gave her one of those unforgettable kisses. His soft, moist lips met hers, and that head-to-toe tingling returned once more. They shared the most passionate of kisses for a moment or two.

  “I have to go now. Goodbye, Ryan.”

>   “Goodbye, Jessica.”

  She showed her boarding pass to the security agent, and then turned to look at Ryan one more time.

  He was gone.

  Jessica shrugged and went on to her gate to catch her flight.

  As she flew home, she stared out the window, thinking that perhaps she should have stayed in Miami for a few days. What would be the harm?