Chapter 4
4
HANNAH
T he slam echoed through my room, a satisfying punctuation to the frustration knotting my stomach. How dare he kiss me! I still don’t even have the answers as to why he fired me. Leave it to Nick Carrington to try and distract me like that.
With every step I took inside, the plush carpet squelched under my feet, an unwelcome surprise that made me freeze. My eyes traced the source of the disturbance—a burst water pipe gushing like a miniature waterfall.
"Great, just perfect!" I muttered, watching as my belongings soaked up the spreading pool. The pristine condition of my cabin aboard the Infinity Voyager was one of the few things keeping me sane on this trip, and now even that was being washed away.
"Come on, Hannah, think." I shuffled through my options, my brain working overtime as the waterlogged fabric of my socks squished with each step. Frustrated, I yanked them off and threw them into the expanding puddle with a splash. "Room assignment," I blurted out loud, grasping at the obvious solution. "I need a new room."
The panic was a living thing, writhing in my chest, threatening to choke me with its cold fingers. I had to move fast before all my possessions were damaged by the relentless stream. I reached for the phone to call reception, but it seemed dead, victim to the flood. "Of course, no phone service during a crisis. Why am I not surprised?"
I wrung my hands, feeling the weight of the situation. It was like the universe kept throwing curveballs at me, and I was tired of swinging and missing. I needed a game-changer, and I needed it now. The thought of spending the night in this aquatic disaster zone was unbearable.
"Okay, Hannah, time to march down to reception and sweet-talk your way into a dry, cozy room. You can do this." I bolstered myself with a pep talk, though the idea of dealing with more people today soured my expression. I'd have to muster every ounce of charm I had left, which, after today's fiasco, wasn't much.
I grabbed a pair of dry shoes from the closet and headed for the door, ready to face whatever bureaucratic nightmare awaited me. The water sloshed around my ankles, mocking my every move. But I was determined—no burst pipe was going to drown my spirits tonight.
The moment I stepped into the hallway, drenched and disheveled, my breath hitched. Nick Carrington, a daunting silhouette against the sleek decor of the Infinity Voyager, watched me with an intensity that could set fire to the ocean itself.
"Looks like you could use some help," Nick's commanding voice cut through the chaos in my mind, his words as direct as his gaze.
“You following me?” I asked.
“No, my room is right here,” Nick said, pointing to the room next door to mine.
“Great,” I snapped back, trying not to notice how his green eyes seemed to pierce right through me. His muscular frame leaned casually against the doorframe, tattoos peeking from under the rolled sleeves of his shirt.
"Come here and use my phone to call reception. You can hang out here until we figure things out.”
Exasperated, I agreed.
“Fine. Thanks.”
“Don’t get too excited, now,” he replied with a smugness that made my blood boil.
We made our way into Nick’s room. It was much bigger than mine. Pristine. Smelled amazing. Like Nick. The memory of the kiss we shared earlier today came flooding back. Being in here is dangerous. The temptation is too great.
I called reception and they sent up some people to help. Unfortunately the ship is almost booked solid. The only other place for me to stay is a much smaller, lower level room.
"Stay in my room." The offer hung in the air between us, bold and unexpected.
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Until yours is fixed." He straightened up, towering over me even more than usual. "You need a place to stay, Hannah. It's practical."
Practical wasn't the first word that came to mind when I thought of sharing close quarters with Nick Carrington. But with the water rising and my options sinking, I was desperate. And despite our rocky past, the man did have a certain... allure.
"Fine," I conceded, the word tasting like vinegar on my tongue. "But this is just a temporary arrangement. Nothing more." I didn’t believe my own words.
"Of course," he said, his voice low and resonant, leading the way with a confidence that seemed to make the very air around him crackle.
Following him felt like being pulled by an invisible thread, one I wasn't sure I wanted to be tangled in. Yet, here I was, trailing behind him, carrying the weight of my frustrations and the spark of something forbidden.
"Here." He tossed me a key card. "So you can come and go as you please."
"Thanks," I muttered, unsure if I was grateful or just overwhelmed. "Just until my room is fixed."
"Right," he replied, his gaze still holding mine, a silent challenge in the depths of those green eyes.
I turned away, determined to hold on to my resolve. But even as I did, I couldn't shake the feeling that this storm was far from over.
The walls of Nick's room closed in on me, the air thick with tension. The sleek furnishings and panoramic ocean view did little to ease the tightness coiling in my chest. He stood there, a pillar of raw masculinity, his brown hair tousled as if he'd run his hands through it in frustration—a gesture I found maddeningly attractive.
I watched him move, each step deliberate, commanding, as if he owned not just this room but the entire ship. My pulse quickened, anger and something far more dangerous simmering beneath my skin. "We need to talk about what happened," I said, the words escaping like steam from a valve.
"We already did that." His green eyes locked onto mine, unyielding and intense.
"No, we didn’t. You kissed me instead," I shot back. Taking a step closer, I was acutely aware of the heat radiating off his muscular frame. "Trying to distract me, I assume. Why did you fire me?"
"I didn’t want to fire you, Hannah." His tone was even, yet there was a flicker of something—regret?—in his gaze before it hardened again.
"Isn't it accurate?" I challenged, narrowing my eyes. "One day everything's fine, the next you're cutting me off like I'm a loose end."
"Things are complicated," he said, his voice dropping lower, sending a shiver down my spine despite my resolve.
"Complicated?" I scoffed. "That's the excuse you're going with?" I was close enough now to catch the scent of him—a mix of aftershave and something intrinsically Nick that drew me in against my better judgment.
"Life isn't black and white, Hannah," he murmured, his proximity igniting a fire within me that I thought I had extinguished long ago.
"Then give me some color, Nick." My breath hitched as I met his stare, our faces inches apart. "Tell me why you dismissed me."
He hesitated, and for a moment, I thought I saw the fa?ade crack. But then the mask slid back into place, and the CEO, the alpha who never showed weakness, returned.
"Reasons don't matter. What's done is done," he stated, his voice firm, but I could feel the tension vibrating off him.
"Like hell they don't matter," I said, my voice taking on a husky timbre. "You can't just—" I stopped myself, the rest of my words lost as the space between us became charged with unspoken promises and smoldering desires.
"Can't what, Hannah?" he whispered, the challenge evident in his tone as he took a step closer, erasing the last bit of distance between us.
My heart raced, and my body betrayed my fury, responding to him in ways that screamed treachery to my mind. This was Nick Carrington—the man who infuriated me as much as he enticed me. And here we were, caught in a storm of our own making, with the eye of it promising nothing but reckless abandon.
I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as a futile attempt to anchor myself in the reality of Nick’s penthouse suite aboard the Infinity Voyager. It was a room that screamed luxury and control—two things Nick had in spades—yet here we were, on the brink of chaos.
"Nick," I began, trying to keep my voice steady despite the turmoil inside, "you owe me an explanation. One minute you're mentoring me, guiding me, and the next—I'm out on my ass with no job and no reference!"
He turned away from me for a moment, his broad shoulders tense beneath the fabric of his impeccably tailored suit. When he faced me again, his green eyes were like twin flames, burning with something fierce and unreadable. "Hannah, there are complexities in business that you wouldn't understand."
"Try me," I shot back, feeling heat rise in my cheeks. His condescension was like a red rag to a bull, and I could feel my control slipping as I stepped closer to him. "Or is this about your company? The rumors of it failing?"
The words hung heavy between us, and for a split second, his facade faltered. He looked almost vulnerable—but then the mask was back up, his jaw set hard. "My company's status is not your concern."
"Isn't it?" I challenged, my blue eyes locked onto his, searching for the truth in the depths of his guarded expression. "Since it cost me my career?"
His eyes darkened, and he took a deliberate step closer, invading my personal space with the ease of someone who was used to getting what he wanted. "You don't know what you're talking about, Hannah."
"Then enlighten me!" My voice rose, a mix of anger and an undeniable thrill coursing through me as we stood inches apart. Our breaths mingled, the air charged with a tension so thick I could almost taste it.
"Dammit, Hannah." His voice was a low growl, and I felt it vibrate through me. "This isn't about you."
"Feels personal," I retorted, tilting my chin up defiantly.
The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in as the heat between us intensified. I could see the pulse throbbing at the base of his throat, a testament to his own restraint. Every fiber of my being was aware of him—the commanding presence he exuded, the magnetic pull of his nearness.
"Everything with you is personal," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper now. "That's the damn problem."
Our gazes locked, and it felt like the world fell away. There was only Nick, with his brooding intensity, and me, standing before him, heart pounding and lips parted. The unspoken attraction hung between us, a palpable force that threatened to consume us both.
"Nick," I breathed out, my resolve melting under the weight of our shared desire.
"Don't," he warned, but the word didn't match the hunger in his eyes.
"Make me," I whispered back, a reckless dare that felt like playing with fire.
Every nerve ending sparked to life as if waiting for his touch, for the collision that seemed inevitable. We were on the edge of something dangerous, something that could either burn us alive or forge something new from the flames. And as much as reason screamed at me to walk away, every other sense I possessed urged me to stay.
The heat in the room was suffocating, or maybe it was just the proximity to Nick. His green eyes burned with a fire that licked at my sanity, threatening to consume it whole. I knew I should step back, put distance between us, but instead, I found myself closing the gap.
"Nick," I said, my voice coming out more breathless than I intended.
"Stop talking, Hannah," he growled, and before I could formulate a witty retort, he crushed me to him. The force of his body against mine was like a jolt of electricity, sparking a flame that had been smoldering between us for too long.
His lips found mine with an urgency that left no room for thought. Only raw need coursed through me as he kissed me—a clash of teeth and tongue that was anything but gentle. The frustration, the anger, the bitter exchanges—all of it melted into a blaze of passion that blotted out everything else.
"Is this what you want?" he panted against my lips, his grip on my waist tightening.
"More than you know," I managed to gasp out, tangling my fingers in his hair, pulling him impossibly closer. There was no denying it now, no hiding from the truth that scorched every inch of my skin where he touched.
His hands roamed over my ample curves, each caress igniting a new wave of longing. Clothes became inconsequential barriers, discarded without ceremony as we stumbled toward the bed, our movements frantic, driven by a hunger that demanded satisfaction.
"God, Hannah," Nick murmured, his voice rough with desire as he explored the expanse of my bare skin. "I've wanted this since the moment I saw you."
"Then take it," I whispered back, arching into him, offering myself up to the storm of sensations that threatened to sweep me away.
His response was a growl of pure male hunger as he laid me down upon the luxurious sheets, his body blanketing mine. "I've got you now, and I'm not letting go."
With those words, the dam broke, and all pretense of control was washed away in a tide of passionate fervor. Every aching touch, every heated kiss, every needy moan we'd ever denied ourselves spilled forth, flooding our senses with an intensity that left us both reeling.
His tongue began at my mouth and made its way down my body. He worked his way down my neck, his tongue and lips leaving a trail of fire in its wake. He licked and teased his way down my cleavage, sucking on each hard nipple. I groaned with pleasure, arching into him, wanting more.
"I've always wondered how sweet you'd taste," he whispered against my skin. His hands were surprisingly gentle as he cupped my breasts, weighing them in his large palms. "Oh, baby," he groaned, "you're even more incredible than I imagined."
His lips trailed downward, showering my cleavage with open-mouthed kisses and feather-light bites. My nipples hardened under his expert touch, wanting more of his attention. He was devouring me like a man starved for water in the desert.
"Nick," I moaned, my hips rocking against him involuntarily. "I need you now."
He growled against my skin, the vibrations sending shivers down my spine. "Not yet, sunshine. I want you to cum on my tongue first."
With that, his skilled mouth traveled lower, until he was kneeling before me. His green eyes met mine, burning with desire as he slipped a finger inside me, teasing my entrance. "You're so wet, Hannah," he rasped. "Already for me?"
I could only manage a whimper of assent as his other hand continued to work its magic on my breast. He watched my face intently, gauging my every reaction as he added another digit and curled them inside me, hitting the spot I knew would cause me to soar over the edge while his tongue continued to suck my clit.
"Oh god, Nick," I moaned louder now, unable to contain myself any longer. I arched my hips toward him, silently begging for more. "Please don't stop."
"I won't," he whispered against my mound, before gently nipping at my swollen clit with his teeth. I cried out, my fingernails digging into the sheets above me as my climax crashed over me in a wave of white-hot release. He held me close through each tremor, his tongue lapping up every drop of my essence as if it were nectar.
As my orgasm subsided, he looked up at me, his green eyes dark with desire. "That, my dear Ms. York," he drawled, "was just the beginning."
His green eyes dark with desire, he positioned himself between my thighs, which quivered in anticipation of his invasion. I could feel his hard length pressed against me, and I couldn't wait any longer.
"Nick," I pleaded, desperate to feel his cock I knew was just within reach.
"Shh," he soothed, brushing a stray strand of hair off my face. "I've got you."
With a single, powerful thrust, he pushed himself inside me, filling me completely. Our moans mingled as our bodies connected, finally united as one. It felt like home—like all the pieces of our disjointed lives had finally clicked into place.
"God, Hannah," he groaned, his eyes squeezing shut in ecstasy. "You feel better than my wildest fantasies."
"Show me," I teased, digging my nails into his broad backside. "Prove it."
And did he ever. Nick moved within me with a primal grace that left me breathless. Faster and faster he thrust, each push deeper and harder than the last. I matched him moan for moan, my vocalizations filling the room, our bodies slapping together in a symphony of carnal desire.
"You feel so good, sunshine," he panted, his grip on my hips tightening. "So damn tight."
"More," I gasped, rocking against him, my second climax already building. "Give me more."
He obliged, slamming into me with a ferocity that stole my breath away. In that moment, there was only us—two people lost in a sea of passionate bliss. He rocked into me with abandon, our bodies slick with sweat and the evidence of our arousal.
"Nick," I whimpered, my climax building once more. "Oh god, I'm...I'm..."
"That's it, sunshine," he growled, his thrusts sending me tumbling over the precipice again. "Cum for me. Cum on my cock. Let go."
And cum I did—my second orgasm crashing over me in a wave of blinding pleasure that threatened to tear us both apart. Nick followed suit, his release deep inside me, collapsing against my quivering form as we both caught our breaths.
"Holy shit," I panted, my heart pounding in my chest.
Nick chuckled, nuzzling the side of my neck. "Oh, baby, you haven’t seen anything yet."