So, I finally finished VOD from Emily's POV. Originally I had planned on posting it as it's own stand-alone story, but then figured I could just add it on here, that way they are all in one place!

First, I want to thank my beta, Miss_Peg! She got this monster back to me in a very short period of time! Thank you so much!

Next, I'd like to thank FitchSwitch, who put it in my mind shortly after I posted the original story that I should do another piece, from Emily's POV. Well, here it is!

Also I'd like to thank Iwy'sAshes, who's pushed me and cheered me on to get this finished! Thanks babes! If you haven't read her stories, you should really do so, they're fucking fab.

Since I have you all here, I am going to take the time for a shameless self-plug. Iwy'sAshes and I have started to write a collaboration fic, and have already posted the first chapter. I have a link to our joint profile, Red'sAshes, on my profile. Go and have a look and let us know what you think.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this long second part to VOD, don't forget to review and let me know what you think!

xxxxx

It's been a beautiful day, well, with the exception of the time spent with my family. Dinner at the Fitch household is always an interesting event. Tonight's was no different. Mum was a complete bitch, as per, and my father just let her go at it. First it was against James, my younger brother, about his foul and often hilarious comments at the table. After that she calms down enough to talk to my twin, Katie, about her love life, or lack thereof. She seems to be in between men at the moment, and this gets mum started all over again. Jenna saves the worst of her sparkling personality for me. Me and my sexuality.

Yes, I'm gay. I have been for a while, and if I think back to when I was younger, even then I had girl crushes on my friends. I hadn't realized it at the time, but it was what it was. Of course my mother tried to avoid the subject, tried to ask me every night if I had found a nice boy like Katie to date. I always informed her that no, I hadn't, and no, I never would. At first I was scared to come out at all, but even my twin started to ask me questions. It was her that I came out of the closet to first. She let me know that she already knew and that she had been waiting for me to come clean. Thankfully she supported me, but that doesn't mean she doesn't make digs at me... and she's very protective regarding the girls I fancy. Then again, so did James. He was more than excited to know that one of his sisters was a fanny licker.

My dad didn't much care, that was the good thing about him, he just loved us kids, just wanted us happy. Rob was the epitome of a good parent. He more than made up for my bigoted mother. She didn't take the news quite as well. She spent the next six months trying to hook me up with random sons of her friends. Of course she never succeeded. Even Katie had tried to tell her to stop with the matchmaking routine, and that it was getting old. Jenna had nearly exploded on the spot. She tried to have a go with Katie, but her protective streak over me caused her to put Mum in her place. I was slack jawed when I stared on as my twin laid our mother open bare. It was a thing of beauty. I had never been more proud of her.

So anyway, that's a bit about my history. I suppose I should also mention that I'm a hopeless romantic. I expect to feel an electric current just by entering the same room as the one I am destined to love. As of now, I've never felt that way. Don't get me wrong, I'm no virgin, but I'm not a slag either. I've slept with a few women whilst high and drunk on whatever I could find at the time. It was never lasting, and I would make sure of that before even getting started with the girl I would pick out to seduce. God, that makes me sound like an adulterer or something. I'm not. As I said, it's only been a few times. Think of it as a mutual releasing of tension. There were no numbers exchanged and by the next morning I wouldn't even remember their names. I don't think I've won over any fans by telling you that, but I just wanted to set the stage.

xxxxx

I love my job. Spending days and weeks at a time out on the water is brilliant. Sure, being a servant to the rich and snobby isn't always fun, but I live for the cruises for the young and in love. I revel in it. Even more so, though, is when I'm lucky enough to be assigned to the singles events. It's always fascinating to watch people get to know each other, to watch the petals of love bloom before my very eyes.

Katie and I get picked up by JJ a day before we're set to sail off into the sunset with fifty or so guests. Oh, JJ, I suppose I should mention him. He's the one boy I've been with. We were both young, and I did him a favour. I guess you can say that we helped each other. I needed to feel comfortable with the fact that I was gay, and he needed to get laid, badly.

Back to the story, my apologies.

The preparation of the ship before the guests arrive is always my least favourite part of the job. It's tedious, and repetitive. Setting the rooms up, carrying and pushing crates of supplies from the dock into the storage units, making sure every inch of every surface is absolutely spotless... see what I mean, I'm already bored just by mentioning it all.

It's the next day, thankfully, and the guests are slowly arriving. Katie and JJ, along with a few other crew members, have the task of bringing the guests aboard. They try to have the male workers bring up the women, and vice versa. Of course it doesn't always work that way, but for the most part, that's how it happens. I have been assigned to make sure everyone is put in the proper rooms. I finished off my day yesterday by assigning names to the rooms. I always use last names as I place people, going in alphabetical order so as to not miss anyone. For the most part I'm behind the scenes on this cruise, with the exception of being in charge of the round robin, as I like to call it. I suppose it's a good thing though, with it being a straight singles cruise. It's safer though, seeing as I'll know the boundaries.

I'm walking along the hull of the ship and it's these moments alone that I enjoy before the journey, with the wind blowing through my hair and the scent of the ocean filling my lungs. It's beautiful. The sea is so majestic and vast. If I'm honest I'd stay on the water indefinitely. Hard to do college and stay out on the ocean. Luckily I do mostly online courses, so it's easier to do my homework from the ship.

Once the ship leaves the dock, I busy myself doing small, tedious tasks. The customers get acclimated to their new surroundings. Not everyone can handle the constant tilting of the ship on the waves, and usually it takes a day or so to be completely settled in. I've long since become used to the natural movement of the boat, and honestly I sleep better, like I'm being rocked to sleep by Mother Nature's own unlikely crib.

Enough about sleep, though. I can't think about that, not really, not when I have to get to the common room to be introduced to the new group of people that will be searching for their other half. It doesn't take me long to get there. I walk up to JJ and untie his tie, then set about redoing it for him. He's even more nervous and jittery than usual, and once I've tightened the knot and straightened it, I lean up and place a kiss on his cheek. "It's ok, JJ. Just breathe and relax."

"You want me to tie yours?" he asks shyly.

I smile to him, but shake my head and go about getting my own tie sorted out. I tighten it and turn to face my mate, "How's it look?"

He smiles at me and nods his head. We walk out together after running into my twin and stand in our predetermined spots so we can be called out in front of a bunch of people we don't know. It isn't long until I hear my name being called and I give a shy little wave. I look around and I can't help it when my gaze locks on shiny peroxide tresses. I feel my breath catch in my throat. She's fucking beautiful, no, stunning. Actually, I can't think of a word that truly captures her essence.

I force myself to look away and I feel the rush of blood covering my cheeks. Katie elbows me after she gives her own grand wave.

"What the fuck is the matter with you?" she whispers harshly into my ear.

I take a few breaths to calm myself before I whisper back, "Nothing, it's just a little warm in here."

I can see that she's sceptical about what I've just said, but she doesn't press the issue. Apart from loading the vessel, standing in front of the crowd is the other ordeal that has become one of my least favourite parts of my job. It just seems silly that we all need to be introduced by name. It isn't like we can't be picked out as workers on the ship by our uniforms, and we also wear badges with our names scrawled across them. I highly doubt that they would be unable to tell the difference between myself and someone that isn't on the staff.

I am finally able to breathe easy when the group of people disperse and my co-workers and I head to the kitchens to finish the preparations for dinner. I get assigned to one of the female corridors. I usually try to stay away from them, simply because I know they're off limits for me. I decided I would try to switch with JJ, but he had already gone out on rounds, and so had Katie, leaving me with no choice but to serve the women.

Most of the women were utter cunts. So rude and up themselves, thinking they're God's gift to men, but they're not. Their personalities made them ugly, which is a shame because some of them were easy on the eye.

I knock on the next room, and then check the name schedule. Naomi Campbell. I affix my eyes to the name for a minute. Sure, I remember her name from when I was assigning rooms, but I think I had mainly paid attention to the last name. I look to the door and knock again, but still no answer. I check the list again, and she was listed as checked in, I recognized JJ's initials next to her name as doing so.

After one more knock and more waiting, I decide to just walk in. I pull the master card from my back pocket and slide it in and pull it out. "Miss Campbell?" I call out as I open the door slowly, pulling my cart inside with me. I turn around after hearing the sounds of the ocean coming from the open sliding glass door that separates the room from the balcony. I nearly run right into the blonde goddess I had seen in the meeting just a short while ago.

I know I'm supposed to say something, but I can't seem to sort out what that is. I'm looking at her and she flashes me a brilliant smile, and I can't help but mirror it with one of my own. I finally find my voice, and even I can hear how raspy it sounds. "Something to drink with dinner?"

There's silence as she seems to be tripping over possible responses in her head. Her lips curl into a shy smile after she blurts out, "Something alcoholic?"

I keep a smile on my lips, not that it was actually difficult to do. In fact, it seems like this smile is permanently splitting my face nearly in half. "Anything in particular?" I say with a slight quirk to my smile, and I know my voice has a flirty undertone to it. I hadn't done it on purpose, but I just feel drawn to this woman.

Her head shakes and she says, "Something that goes well with what's being served for dinner?"

I nod my head and I start mentally assessing what I think she would enjoy. My fingers dance over the tops of several types of beer or ale, and I don't doubt that she would enjoy them, but it seemed too simple. She really doesn't seem like the type of girl to enjoy the fruity drinks, but there was one that was standing out in my mind. I picked up the glass and filled it with ice, then went about putting in vodka and mixing in some lemon-lime soda and then a splash of grenadine on top. I swirl it around a couple times and then pull the stem off a Maraschino Cherry and plop it into the drink. It comes out as a pink colour.

I can see the questioning look in her eyes as I offer her the drink. Her cerulean gaze moves from the drink, then up to me. I nod my head, asking her without words to just try it. I wait in anticipation as she takes her first sip. Her eyebrows lift slightly, but not in a bad way. "It's a Dirty Shirley," I explain after seeing the unasked question in her eyes, "basically a Shirley Temple with vodka in it."

She nods and then her fingers dip into the clear-pink liquid to pull out the blood red cherry. I know I should look away, or busy myself with getting her plate for her, but I'm transfixed. I watch as the small fruit makes its way up to her lips. I know I've stopped breathing when her lips part and as if in slow motion, the cherry disappears into her mouth. That has to be one of the sexiest things I've ever encountered, and my body agrees, sending white-hot flashes of desire straight between my thighs. My eyes stay glued to her lips, only diverting away when she brings the glass up to take another drink of her Dirty Shirley, effectively cutting off my line of sight in the process.

Wordlessly I hand her the tray containing her dinner, then let myself out. It isn't until I'm outside the room, in the empty corridor that I let myself breathe again. My heartbeat is racing out of control, and I feel the all too familiar flush on my cheeks coupled with the tingling at the apex of my legs. I shake my head and move back to the kitchen.

Of course I have to run into Katie with my cheeks still showing the evidence that Naomi Campbell unknowingly had on me.

"Emily, like, what the fuck? Did you put too much blush on or something?" she snaps at me.

I laugh, because after all this time, she should know that I don't use blush at all. I do use a bit of make-up, but not to the extreme like she does. "No, I didn't," I say in reply to her question.

She scoffs and shakes her head, leaving her cart for me to put away. I growl a little bit but start to put all the unused drinks and extra silverware away from both carts. JJ nearly scares me half to death when he comes up behind me. I jump and turn around to glare at him.

His playful smile turns into a full on smirk as he takes in the look on my face. "Oh Emily, you haven't..." he says.

"Haven't what?" I reply ignorantly.

"You know exactly what I mean," he states whilst crossing his arms.

I have a fairly good idea what he may be talking about, but I'm not about to give in that easy. "Not really, JJ."

He takes a step closer to me and does a quick glance around us, as if he's about to reveal the most precious secret known to mankind. His voice is soft, "You get this look about you, Emily, when you're... um... enamoured by someone. You've found a lady on this ship that tickles your fancy. I'd be wary though, it is a straight cruise, and with regards to the small percentage of women who may be bisexual on this boat with us, the chances that the girl that you've got your eye on..."

"JJ... stop..." I say insistently as I grab his arm and give it a shake, bringing him out of his little rant.

He looks up at me guiltily, "Sorry Emily, I got a bit carried away there, didn't I?"

I smile at him and rub his arm comfortingly and I can visibly see him calming back down to a more normal level. "Just a little bit," I say teasingly, which causes us both to break out in wide grins.

He's silent for a few moments as he picks up two plates for the both of us so we can have our own dinner in his room. I grab us some drinks (Sprite for me and Ginger Ale for him) and follow him down to the employee quarters. We sit back on his bed and eat in relative silence. I know he has more to say, because he keeps zoning off into his plate before snapping out of it to take another morsel of food.

"Spit it out, JJ," I say somewhat calmly after finishing my plate.

He looks at his still half full plate to my now empty one and shakes his head. "I don't know where you put all that food, Emily. There's no way that someone with a petite stature like yourself should be able to consume so much food without being the size of a Blue Whale."

I laugh at him. He is right, I do have a rather healthy appetite, but I assume I stay as fit as I am because of how my father raised us. Going to the gym every day or doing pull-ups on the naughty bar were regular occurrences for all of us Fitch kids. All of us seem to have the same lightening fast metabolism.

"I have hollow legs," I smile at him.

He looks down at my legs crossed underneath me, and then up to my face before he drawls me, "That's physically impossible."

I look at him for a moment with a blank look on my face. Sometimes I forget just how clueless JJ can be when it comes to jokes. "It's just a saying, JJ. I know I don't really have hollow legs."

It's like a light bulb goes off in his head and he laughs awkwardly. "Yeah, sorry about that," he mumbles.

I clasp him on the shoulder and give him a little shake until he looks up at me. "Not to worry, JJ. Just trying to broaden your horizons," I say with a smile.

"Thank you."

With that said and done I collect our dishes and walk to the door. "Have a good night JJ, see you tomorrow," I say as I pull on the handle and let myself out. I deposit the plates and silverware in a cart that we have sat in the employee corridor and make my way to my own room.

It feels good to relax a little bit. The first thing I do is strip down and take a shower. Our showers on the ship aren't extremely hot, but warm enough that if it's cold outside, it would chase away the chill. Luckily I wasn't cold at all; in fact I find that I'm still a bit warm from my encounter with the blonde beauty earlier. I try to remain calm as I lather my body with the sweet scented liquid soap. It just feels so good though and my already sensitive nerve endings are screaming out for a rapturous release.

I hesitate over my twin peaks, teasing around them with my soapy hands. My eyes close and I dip my head under the stream of water, letting it cascade down my body. I stop my hands when they cross over my navel, keeping them from dipping where I really want them to be. I growl a little to myself and finish my shower, not letting my touch wander to where I need it to be.

I know I've just frustrated myself to no end, and as much as I'd like that climax, I also know that the build-up will make things that much more powerful. Okay, so maybe it's presumptuous of me to think that I can nail Naomi Campbell. Right, so I can't lie to myself, it isn't just about fucking her through the bed. I swear I felt something, a connection. Maybe it's naive of me to think so, I've seen her twice and it isn't like our conversation was out of this world. It's hard to have a proper conversation anyway when serving dinner.

Of course the moment my head hits the pillow all I can think of is bleach blond hair and ice blue eyes. I just know my dreams are going to be good tonight, especially if they keep on the same subject that I've been thinking off since this afternoon. Pleasant dreams for me.

xxxxx

I find myself waking up later than I expected to, and I'm thankful that I took a shower the night before, because I don't have time to do so this morning. I rush to get some breakfast and then I'm off to the round robin room. I start to set up, pulling chairs into two circles. I then check the sound system to make sure the microphone is working properly. I probably could go without if worse comes to worse, but I was glad that it was alright. A bit of feedback and static at first, but nothing too difficult to take care of, especially when JJ walks into the room a few minutes before the guests are set to arrive.

He mumbles something to me about the sound system and the volume control and fixes my problem in about thirty seconds.

"Thanks, JJ," I respond happily into the microphone. He returns my smile.

Both our heads turn when we hear people beginning to walk into the room. I stand on one of the chairs, knowing that my short stature makes it sometimes difficult for anyone to see who's speaking to them. My eyes catch blonde tresses once again and I pause for much too long before shaking myself back into the task at hand. My voice betrays me as I sound a bit raspy as I speak my instructions into the microphone, "Ladies, please enter the circle and take a seat, gentlemen please take a seat on the outside of the circle."

I give the men and women a few minutes to get settled in. I can't help but notice that Naomi is sat one station over from me. I think I'm a bit too thankful that there is one more female than male, and that I will get to have the blonde at my station for one entire turn. I know that JJ is going to kill me. I've already planned on making the inside circle go the opposite way than it usually does so I can have the goddess at my station for the last round.

"Now, you will each have three minutes with each person and I will whistle indicating that the women need to move to the next seat. There's one less guy than girl, so for three minutes you will sit at my station," I say clearly, indicating the direction with my hand for the way they should move when the time comes.

I blow the whistle, indicating the start of the first round. I smile at the woman who got stuck with me in the first round. I say she got 'stuck' with me mostly because I'm keeping my eyes on the clock whilst also trying to listen in on the conversation that Naomi is having to the bloke beside me. She's obviously quick witted, and by the sounds of it... utterly bored out of her mind. I have to give the guy credit, he is trying, but if he would just stop fumbling on his words and slow down, he might do better. Then again, Naomi's tone of voice sounds like she couldn't be bothered with him. I start to wonder if my first assessment of her was incorrect. Maybe she's just another pretty face with a horrible attitude.

I blow the whistle after the aforementioned time and speak into the mic, "Ladies, please move to the next table to your left."

I hear JJ behind me starting to move toward me and he bends down behind me, whispering into my ear, "Emily that isn't the way we usually have the circle go."

I know he's starting to proper freak out and so I grasp his hands and I look him right in his eyes as I speak softly to him, "JJ, it's okay, I've got it all under control. It won't ruin anything; it's just a change of pace for me, yeah?"

I see him mentally calculating in his brain, trying to decide if this slight difference in our normal routine will cause any kind of major ramifications. He nods briefly and takes a step back and I pat him on the arm and sit down. I'd be completely delusional if I continued to try to hear Naomi's conversation, but I'm just mental enough to try and do it. I'm not all that successful. Once she's three people away I can't hear her voice over those closer to me or the natural noise being made by so many pairs of people trying to talk to one another.

Instead I stealthily watch her body movements. For the most part she leans back in the chair with her arms across her chest and her right leg crossed over her left. She's so disinterested in these guys that it's almost comical to watch, until she sits down opposite of a bloke Katie had been going on about called Alexander, or Xander, or Alex, or whatever the fuck he actually goes by since he can't seem to stick to one. Okay, I know I sound a bit hostile, and maybe I am.

Katie had told me about this guy, how charming he was. Now, my sister, unlike me, goes on these cruises to get her pick of fit blokes to fuck her. She's been in relationships since she was around seven years of age, and while she does claim to have a boyfriend back on shore, all bets are off whilst on the sea. My twin had prattled on about his deep green eyes and chiselled face, and his 'completely fuckable bod' and how she couldn't wait to feel his muscles holding her to him. I nearly gagged when she assessed that she figured he was well hung due to the bulge in his pants. I had no care or interest in his package and so I tuned my sister out at that point so I didn't actually vomit, though right now I wish I had paid closer attention.

I can see Naomi's shoulders loosen and her body become less rigid. I can't see her face, but I can see his. He's absolutely charming the knickers off her, I'm sure. It's the first time all day that she's actually had any kind of interest in a bloke, and it has to be the same guy that my twin is currently trying to shag. Automatically I don't like him, and I can't discern if it's because he's playing Katie, or Naomi. Either way, I manage to keep my cool for long enough to blow the whistle to get her away from him... so maybe it was fifteen seconds early, but it needed to happen.

I turn my head and say sternly, "Leave it JJ," because I know he's following the clock just as closely as I am and I'm positive that he knows I just ended that round early. He backs away and sits back down near the sound system.

I try and be polite to the next few girls that sit at my station, making small talk about how they're enjoying the trip or anything else that I truly didn't give a shit about. There was one girl that terrifies me. She's as tall as a mountain with olive coloured skin and deep brown hair and eyes. She would be pretty except she has this aura about her that makes me absolutely uncomfortable. The moment she's sat down her eyes rake down my face to ogle my tits.

I'm so flabbergasted that I can't even think of a proper reaction or response to her obvious perverse gaze over my body. Instinctively my arms come up to cover my breasts and I furrow my eyebrows at her. I try not to say anything to her, but she starts talking to me, her eyes like lasers burning through my skin. I concentrate on the time, how has it only been twenty-five seconds?!

"Do you like the beach?" she asks, and I can't keep being rude to her, so I look up.

"There isn't much of a beach out here," I respond politely, and with a smile.

Her face turns into a smirk, as if I've just given her a key to my kingdom by answering her question. I keep my face as neutral as possible. She leans in towards me, which makes me awkward because all I want to do is lean away to get from being close to her. "Oh, the things I would love doing to you on the beaches of Goa," she whispers at me, her tongue slipping between her full lips to swipe across them.

I think it was suppose to be a sexual gesture, but it was nothing compared to the cherry being placed between Naomi's lips, and I'm fairly positive that that was an innocent gesture. "I appreciate the offer, but no thank you," I say as politely as possible. Her eyes squint at me and I shuffle under her intense gaze. I glance down at my watch and end the round with a blow of my whistle.

"I'll see you around, Emily," she purrs and I feel my stomach drop in what I could only describe as fear. "Oh, and I'm called Mandy... don't forget it... you'll be screaming it later," she smirks back over her shoulder and starts speaking to the stuttering nervous bloke beside me.

I'm in too much shock to realize that Naomi is only a few seats away from me, so that if I wanted to I could probably eavesdrop on her conversation. In fact, it isn't until she's sat at the station before mine that I am able to get my wits about me to act as if nothing's wrong. That woman, Mandy, is fucking creepy.

I blow the whistle for the last round and can't help it when all thoughts of Mandy evaporate into thin air when Naomi sits down in front of me. I can physically feel my face lighting up into a smile and I find myself speaking without my permission, "Looks like you have an easy round for your last one."

Her face is kind of blank for a moment, and I can't read exactly what the look on her face means, but soon enough she introduces herself as Naomi. I did already know that, and I think she realizes that as well when her face goes a bit red and she starts to stumble over a sentence that never comes to pass. I chuckle at her lightly, she seems so shy and the bravado that I heard her carry with her speaking to the men in the room is gone. I lift my hand up over the table for her to take and decide to introduce myself, "I'm Emily, nice to officially meet you."

An electronic current races from my palm out toward the other extremities of my body the moment her hand clasps around mine. I don't pull away immediately and my gaze jets up so quickly I feel light headed from the movement. The look in her eyes tells me that I'm not the only one who felt it, in fact, she's in such a state of shock that I have to gently pull my hand away before it becomes too obvious to anyone what was going on.

As I look back up into the most beautiful crystalline blue orbs ever, I lose all elements of time and space. When I say I'm lost in her eyes, I mean I am utterly and completely enraptured by her, and willingly so. It's a connection I've never felt with another human being, and even the 'twin connection' I have with Katie is nothing compared to this. This is earth shattering to the point where I'm sure that the end of the world is going to happen any minute. Or maybe as long as we keep this connection going the world will continue to exist. Either way, I don't want to ever stop looking into her deep blue oceans.

My shoulders shake and I hum automatically. I am shaken a little bit more forcefully this time, followed by JJ's concerned tone, telling me it's already been a full five minutes and that I should blow the whistle to end the round. I blink my eyes and it brings me back to reality. I blow the whistle and slowly bring up the mic to speak into it, and I know my voice is shaking slightly, "Thank you for participating! You have a free rest of the day and lunch will start shortly. Dinner will be delivered just as it was last night, at six."

I watch as the blonde gets to her feet and I push up unsteadily. She looks at me as if she's going to say something, but nothing comes out. Instead she smiles and nods to me and I do the same. I watch the smooth swing of her hips as she walks to the door and up towards the deck for lunch. I amfinally able to exhale a breath that I didn't realize I was holding and start to move in an azure fuelled haze to clean up the chairs and small tables. Of course JJ is there helping me, but I can't even have a conversation with him like I would usually. I'm so lost within the confines of my own mind that I don't even realize that he has been talking to be. I mean, I think in my mind I knew he was, and I would hum and agree at the appropriate places, but soon he stopped altogether. He looks at me, leaning on the next chair I am going to pick up.

"Was that her, Ems?" he says quietly.

I look up to my best mate as if he just brought me back to life after being unconscious. "Was who, her?"

He gives me a small glare and then laughs slightly. "The girl you fancy." My eyes open up wide. Am I really that transparent that even JJ can notice such a thing. He continues, "Well, there are two options, actually. There's the tall one with long dark hair, and then the blonde you ended the exercise with. Though judging from your distinct lack of time control I have narrowed it down to Miss Campbell. You didn't seem to be having much of a good time with the tall girl, Mandy is her name, yes?"

"Yeah, it's Mandy, and no, it's not her. She's fucking freaky, Jay. She was blatantly checking me out," I say with an uncomfortable shiver as I remember how her eyes raked over my fully clothed body. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought she had x-ray vision or something, because she would have been through every layer of clothing that I have on.

"So it's Miss Campbell, then?" JJ hesitantly asks me.

I laugh, "Is it that obvious?"

"It wasn't so obvious, until you and Naomi just sat there and stared at each other. I kept checking the clock and after two extra minutes I just had to put a stop to it. I'm sorry I ruined your moment, Emily," he said, regret tinting his tone.

I pull my socially awkward mate into a hug and sigh into his shoulder, "Don't be, JJ, it needed to happen." Not that I wanted it to, obviously, but if it's in the cards for something to happen between us, I'm sure it will manifest itself.

JJ hums at me in response and we quickly finish the task at hand, giving us just enough time to have lunch. I'm halfway through eating when I reach into my pocket to pull out my mobile. It's not there. After a few seconds I remember that I left it on the charger in my room. I sigh to myself and let Jay know that I'm going to go run and get it.

Most of the guests are still eating their meal, so I don't expect to see anyone. I stop dead in my tracks when I see the beautiful blonde hunched over the guard rail spilling her guts into the ocean. Shit. My body goes into overdrive and before I know it I'm stood behind her, softly rubbing her back with my hand to try to soothe her motion sickness.

After being on boats so often I don't get sea sick any longer, but a lot of the guests do, and even if they are offered a patch to help quell the feeling, most don't take it, saying it isn't needed. I let my eyes linger on her pale, kissable neck as I search for a patch near either of her ears. I don't see one on either side... looks like she's a stubborn one. I hold back my laughter at her unfortunate situation and keep caressing her back.

She tries to take a step back from me, as if my touch is causing her strife, but I take a step right along with her, keeping my hand at her back to try to help her have something solid against her. It usually makes the constant swaying of the boat more manageable, and it seems like this time is no different. Once I feel her body start to relax under my touch I decide that maybe now is the time to get her some water, and a patch.

I take a step away and move into one of the many first aid cabinets hidden around the vessel. I pull out a patch and turn to walk back to her, nearly forgetting the water in my haste to get back to Naomi. I circle back around and grab a bottle, closing the kit and securing it. I'm back at the blonde's side within thirty seconds, which to me was entirely too long.

Upon my return I slide my hand along her lower back again, tracing small patterns on her shirt. I get lost for a brief moment, wondering what her skin feels like under the material. A shiver races down my back and I swallow a lump that has somehow formed in my throat. I hold out the patch toward her, but I can see the exhaustion in her eyes. She looks weighed down, as if her limbs have strings attached to anvils, keeping them from moving properly.

The water bottle gets tucked between my thighs so I have both hands free. I probably should have thought about my actions a bit more, but I'm reaching out toward her before I can stop myself. "I'm just going to..." I start to say, my voice raspy, but the sentence never is finished. I peel the back off the small square and use my left hand to brush her hair to the side. I know I'm failing to just put the patch on, because I'm revelling in the beautiful feeling of her peroxide locks against my fingertips. I breathe out and affix the patch right below and behind her ear so that it will be covered by her tresses.

I swear I hear her breathing hitch, but I figure that that is just a figment of my imagination. My whole body is tingling from the brief contact. Now that I've brushed through those gorgeous locks, I would be lying if I said I didn't want to do it again.

I try to keep a semblance of control and move my hand back to her lower back whilst simultaneously offering her the water bottle. She manages to lift her arm to grab it, but the other arm doesn't move to the cap. I reach forward and unscrew it for her.

I watch as she struggles to lift the bottle and lower her head so that she can take a much needed drink of the cool liquid. I give her a bit more time to get her bearings about her, keeping my hand gently moving along her lower back. With each movement I can feel her body relaxing into me, and I know she's feeling better when she takes another sip of the water.

"Let's get you back to your room, okay Naomi?" I ask gently. She nods her head and I go about moving myself so that my arm is around her waist whilst hers is over my shoulders. Her body is weak, and if I didn't think she'd be totally humiliated, I'd have offered to carry her. Of course with the height difference I'd have had to throw her over my shoulder to let my legs take in the added weight, but I doubt she would have allowed that.

We stagger forward and the closest lift to her floor is one for employees only. I figure this is enough of an emergency that I wouldn't get into trouble for bringing a passenger into it. In actuality, I don't give a fuck if I get in trouble for it, which unnerves me slightly because I really do enjoy my job.

Once the doors close the lift begins its decent into the lower region of the ship. I watch the blonde close her eyes and then finish off her water. I didn't even think to ask her about enclosed places. She doesn't seem to like being in the lift, and if her increased breathing is anything to go by, I'd say I'm correct in my assessment.

I feel the boat beneath my feet start to rock and I move forward on instinct as it whips back. My body presses into Naomi's to keep her steady, my leg slipping between hers and my hands pushing her hips into the wall. I hold back my moan when her arms circle my shoulders. Heat races through my body at the feeling of her body against mine. Even as the ship evens out, I still don't want to let her go, but I know it could already be obvious as it is if I don't step back from her. I do so moments after she straightens her legs, just after our eyes catch, and I'm momentarily unable to move. I quickly gather myself though, and take a step away, but not too far.

I chomp down on my gum to keep myself from lunging forward to connect our lips. Each exhale caresses my mouth and my body tries to step back into her to do just that. I become lost in her yet again.

*DING*

The lift breaks my concentration and I take a full step back so I can help Naomi the rest of the way to her room. Her legs are still shaky and I'm nearly dragging her down the hallway. One would think she was drunk from the way she was having trouble moving one foot in front of the other.

Once at the door to her cabin, she pulls her card out and opens it. We struggle through the doorway as I escort her inside to her bed. She all but collapses onto the mattress. I smile to myself and take two strides to the bedside table, writing my phone extension on it. I rip the paper from the pad and I get the distinct feeling that she was just perving on me as I was bent over writing. She has a wide-eyed look and I brush it off as I hand her the paper. I smile gently at her as I explain, "My room's phone extension. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." Somehow her legs gather the strength to let her stand and I hear her thank me, which only makes my smile grow.

I seem to turn into a statue, as does she, whilst we're stood facing one another. I take a deep breath and turn around. Once I get to the door I flash a smile and offer her a small wave. I exit hastily. I know if I am in the same room or general vicinity for much longer that I will hop into her arms and snog her within an inch of her life. My legs nearly give out on me once the door is closed behind me. What is it with that woman that just turns me into a school boy with out of control hormones?

I shake my head and sigh as I walk from her room, looking back only once to see if she has decided that she wants me to stay. Of course she doesn't. I'm a bit let down by that fact, but it isn't like she's even gay. She did come on a straight cruise, and with Mandy taking up JJ's percentage of bisexual girls, I suppose I'm just out of luck with that one.

As I walk back to the dining area, I completely forget that my whole reason for leaving lunch in the first place is to get my mobile. I make my way to my room and grab the electronic device. No calls, no texts, not that I had anyone to expect one from.

"That took a long time," JJ says, looking from his empty plate to my full one that I left sat next to him.

My cheeks flush and I bite down on my bottom lip. "I... I ran into Naomi…"

"Oh giddy giddy... Emily, you didn't..." he says, interrupting me.

My mind obviously isn't on to what he's talking about until his eyebrows lift. Oh he thinks I... shit. "No... NO. JJ, she was getting sick over the side, I just helped her to her room and left my extension in case she needed any more help."

His eyes narrow at me but his lips are upturned into a smile. "Sure..." he teasingly responds.

We both laugh, then, because my story does seem like it would be a cover up rather than the truth. He does believe me though, and I'm glad he's getting better at teasing instead of being so literal all the time.

"So, was she good?" he jokes again.

I sigh loudly and start to finish my full plate of food, hearing him, but choosing not to reply. Honestly, I just wish I could be in Naomi's room, holding her until she feels completely better again. I have about a snowball's chance in hell that that would happen, but it is a nice thing to think about. The way her body feels pressed against mine, my hands gliding under her clothes, slowly stripping away layer by layer, as if opening a present that I know I'll love.

Love.

That's quite a big step to compare her to something I love. I think I'm losing the plot, to be honest. There's no way I should feel this intensely about someone I've known for less than two days out of my entire life. The romantic in me is saying it was love at first sight, but my rational brain is telling me that that is not possible... that I've just not been laid in a little while and that my hormones are making things seem apparent that really aren't.

It isn't long until I am needed to deliver dinner to our guests. I would be lying if I said I wasn't upset at the fact that I wasn't assigned to Naomi's room. I glance down the list to see who it was that got her and I'm shocked when I see my twin's name. Maybe she would switch me since I'm scheduled to be in the guys section.

Unfortunately my idea blows up in my face when I see that I have somehow shown up late and both Katie and JJ are both already out on rounds. I curse to myself and begrudgingly gather up the plates of food and get the alcohol ready.

Everything goes by without a hitch until I reach the last room on my list. Alexander. Of all the assigned rooms I could have had, I had to serve this prick. Okay, so I don't actually know if he is, but my idea of him is a charismatic player. I knock on the door and wait for him to answer. I immediately see why Katie was going on about his eyes, because they are a beautiful shade of green, and they seem so bright. If I had any interest in men, I'm sure his orbs would have some kind of effect on me, but they don't.

He smiles brightly at me and holds the door open for me to enter. I feel my skin crawl slightly when he closes the door behind me. "Something to drink with dinner?" I ask politely.

"How about we skip right to dessert," his voice calls out, slightly deeper than I had heard it previously.

My eyes flick back to him and I see that he is shamelessly checking me out. I feel like I am going to vomit. "Drink?" I try again, my voice a bit sharp and I hope he can feel the sting. He looks unfazed by my words and continues to smirk at me.

"All work and no play makes Katie a dull girl," he chides playfully.

I answer quickly, "Good thing I'm not Katie then."

He laughs deeply and his eyes check my nametag. Apparently he thought I was my twin. "I'd love a twin thing," Alexander quips.

I must have a face like thunder, or maybe it is because I shove a bottle of water into his chest with one hand and a bottle of beer into his stomach with the other. He takes a step back and I set his plate of food on the table. I give him one last scathing look over my shoulder as I let myself out.

My face must still show my anger and agitation, because when I get back to the kitchens, JJ physically steps away from me. "What?" I ask, somewhat harshly.

He starts to speak to me, whilst continuing to keep his distance from me, "Emily, I have known you long enough to know that something is bothering you. Did something happen? You weren't even in Miss Campbell's area for you to be upset about..."

"It has fuck all to do with Naomi," I bite at him, instantly regretting it. My face relaxes and I close the gap between JJ and myself, reaching my hand out to his forearm. "I'm sorry."

He nods his head and he grabs my hand. I can tell he is trying to work something out in his head, probably trying to figure out what it is that has me acting so strangely. Or possibly he is trying to figure out how to ask me the same thing without getting snapped at again. I smile gently at him and begin to explain, "I just can't stand that guy, Alexander. He is a complete cock."

JJ looks at me seriously, "He doesn't seem to be a very nice fellow. I had to serve him the other night and he treated me like I was a second class citizen. I assure you, Emily, that we are of the same class, and if you think about it, there are very few jobs that..."

"JJ, locked on!" I exclaim.

"Sorry."

"Anyway, I don't want to talk about him, if that is okay," I request, then quickly add, "I actually should finish up so I can work on some of my coursework." I go back to putting the dishes away so that I don't have to spend much time here.

"What subject, Emily? Will you need my assistance?" JJ asks helpfully.

I smile at him; he really is a great friend. "No, thank you though. It's just an essay I need to write about the way to properly use different chemicals to determine the age of bones that have been buried underwater for hundreds of years, and also how to determine the age of the artefacts with them."

"Very good, Emily! Just let me know if there is anything I can help with."

"I will. Thank you, JJ, and goodnight," I say after finishing up with the last dish. I give my mate a hug and start to move back toward my room.

Once I've settled down with my laptop, I open up the screen and just stare. Everything I knew about the subject seems to flow out of my mind. I sigh a little to myself and end up searching the name 'Naomi Campbell'. Of course the supermodel comes up, with different photos and spreads about her. It had been quite the long shot, but I suppose I just had to try. I close the browser window and once again try to concentrate on my homework, but it still doesn't happen.

With a long sigh I realize that there is no way I will get anything productive done tonight, not with my head swirling with peroxide and azure hues. So instead I lie on my bed, crossing my ankles and tucking my right arm under my head as my left settles on my stomach. Absentmindedly my fingertips start to move across the fabric of my shirt and my eyes close. Just that simple touch, by my own fingers, and thinking about the blonde is making me hot again. I really need to get her out of my head, and quickly.

With that in mind I try to sleep, but as I start to drift off I can't seem to help it when Naomi comes into my mind's eye. I stop fighting it and let her invade my thoughts and dreams, falling asleep with a smile plastered onto my lips.

xxxxx

My body stretches and contorts when my alarm on my mobile goes off. I actually feel rejuvenated, like I've had the best night's sleep in ages. I lie there for another five minutes, still smiling, I might add, and then get up and move into the bathroom. I shower quickly and dress, making sure to spray myself with a bit of perfume and add a bit of make-up.

I feel good.

I find myself humming as I move through the familiar corridors and up to where breakfast will be served. I busy myself with mundane tasks, sub-consciously keeping an eye out for the blonde bombshell. I see Alexander sit down and he smirks at me. Filthy fucking prick. I march myself right back into the employee only area and start to slam things around, feeling particularly hostile just at the sight of him.

"Easy, Tiger," I hear behind me and I spin around to see my twin leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. "Let me guess, you found some fanny, but she isn't interested? Ems, I told you this is a straight cruise!"

"Fuck off," I sneer at her and continue to loudly stack plates. I look up to her only to realize that my twin has turned around and she's watching something very intently. My curiosity gets the best of me and I peer over her shoulder.

I nearly throw up when I see that Naomi has sat down with Alexander, and not only that, but he's reaching out to her hand. To her credit, she pulls her hand away and actually seems to be in some kind of daze, and it definitely wasn't due to him.

"What's Xander doing with that blonde bimbo?" Katie says maliciously.

I bite my tongue before I expose myself to her. It's one thing to have JJ know of my secret affections for Naomi, but there is no way I can let Katie in on it. "Maybe he's into her," I say off-handedly, knowing it will get my twin's knickers in a bunch.

"There's no way he's into her, he's just toying with her, that's all," my twin responds, though I can tell from her tone of voice that she's not only trying to convince me, but also herself.

My shoulders shrug and I try not to look too interested as I keep sneaking a look over to the pair. I wish I could read lips, or could hear what they were saying, but from this distance it's impossible to do either. She doesn't seem to be really participating in the conversation, and it almost looks like she keeps spacing out on him. I can't help but wonder what it is she's thinking about that has her so transfixed. Of course I hope it is me, but I also don't want to get my hopes up only to have them crushed.

I watch her walk away and my twin wastes no time in going straight over to Alexander. With her distracted I slip out the side and follow Naomi. I'm sounding more and more like a stalker, I think. But can I really help it? She's so very stalkable! I follow her until she moves into her room, silently letting out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding. I stand there for a few moments more before spinning around and walking back towards the kitchens.

We have quite a lot to prepare in order for the dinner dance to be complete. The large room, which I sometimes call the Grand Ball Room, simply due to its size and the fact that it is only used for formal gatherings, takes a lot of work. There's setting up tables and chairs, then the music system, the cutlery, plates, glasses, and anything else that may be needed. The food would be started right after lunch is finished, but thankfully I don't have anything to do with that part of it.

I slip my iPod buds into my ears and listen to some music as we all run around setting things up. A few people, like JJ and Katie, have to leave to serve lunch. There isn't much to do to actually serve the guests, but in case they require anything else, they need to be readily available. I, on the other hand, am left behind to continue to do repetitive work to get everything perfect for later this evening. I would have given almost anything to have switched with my twin or JJ to possibly get a glimpse of Naomi. Such is life, I guess.

It's hours later, after the dining area has been cleaned up, when JJ returns. My mate makes a straight line right for me, which makes me a bit nervous because it means he has something to tell me, and I can never read ahead of time if it is a positive or negative thing. I can't seem to see Katie anywhere, but that doesn't bother me, and the look on JJ's face has gathered my full attention.

"I saw her," he says quietly to me as I pull out my ear buds.

I'm slightly confused and shrug my shoulders and give him a look, "Saw who?"

JJ looks around to be sure that no one is within hearing distance before turning back to me, whispering a bit louder this time, "HER..."

"For fucks sakes, JJ, who's her?" I say, clearly irritated.

"Naomi..." he says with a nod, "... you know, her?"

A smile comes to my face immediately after he mentions her name, but then I realize that that most likely wasn't the information he was going to tell me. "Go on..." I urge calmly, although I can feel my stomach tighten in anxious anticipation.

His eyes flash around us both again and my patience is wearing extremely thin by the time he starts to speak. "She only grabbed a plate of finger foods and left, she didn't stay and eat in the dining room..."

I try to piece together why this information matters to me. So what if she didn't stick around for lunch. There are plenty of reasons why...

"... and Alexander never even showed up," he finishes his sentence.

There it is, the information he had been holding in. Surely that was simply a coincidence. I simply can't freak out about it. Hell, I don't even know if Naomi likes girls, but I can't deny that there is something there between us. It can't be a one way thing. I know she feels it too when she's near me. She smiles more, her eyes all but shimmer when she's looking into my own, and she seems to feel comfortable with me.

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything, JJ," I say in a composed tone. He nods his head and mumbles something under his breath. I don't ask him to repeat himself. If he had wanted me to hear it, he'd have said it louder. "Look, I need to get ready for tonight and everything is pretty much set, do you think you could finish up?"

JJ nods his head to me and I give him a quick smile before turning to go to my room. The entire walk there all I can think about is Naomi and Xander fucking. I nearly get sick in the lift down to the employee floor because it is simply consuming my thoughts. It didn't happen, it couldn't have. Naomi's not like that. Or is she? I don't really know her enough to know if she's a slag or not, but she just hasn't given off that vibe.

I sigh as I fumble with the key card to my room, cursing under my breath as I enter. If it was possible for me not to go to the event, I wouldn't. Unfortunately it isn't my choice, it's my job. It is because of this reason alone that I strip down and take a shower to get ready.

We are required to be a bit more formal at the dance than we normally would be. We can either add a vest or a suit jacket to our attire, or if the women prefer, they can wear a black skirt, white blouse, and a black sweater over it. I prefer to just wear the vest. It feels more comfortable and I won't get as hot as I would if I were to wear a jacket.

No matter what I do, I can't seem to get Naomi out of my head, which usually isn't a bad thing, except now Alexander is right there with her, his green eyes looking at me as he feels up the blonde beauty. I've had to dispel those thoughts over and over again whilst getting my hair and make-up ready. I'm not entirely happy with how I look, but right now I'm too focused to even think about my appearance.

I walk into the room at three fifteen to see the final touches being placed. We expect guests to start arriving up to thirty minutes prior to the actual stated time, so we always have to be prepared early. Everything looks to be in its place.

I see that Katie has put on a short, tight black skirt with a cleavage-revealing white blouse and some stiletto heels that make my feet hurt just looking at them. She pulled her hair into a curly up-do and applied quite a bit of makeup, including bright crimson on her lips and thick eye-liner. JJ looks as dapper as ever, his soft smile and intelligent eyes looking right at me. I send him a grin in return.

"Hey JJ," I say after giving him a hug, automatically reaching up to straighten his bow-tie. "You ready for tonight?" JJ nods at me, but as I make eye contact with him again I notice that there's something bothering him. "Alright?"

"I'm sorry, about earlier, Ems, I just didn't... I shouldn't have said anything about HER," he replied quietly.

I shook off his apology, "JJ, just stop, yeah? I barely know the girl, and she is on a straight cruise, is she not?" He nodded again, but his eyes looked conflicted. JJ never had avery good gaydar, but I could see that he liked Naomi for me. I couldn't really argue with that fact.

"So we're going to get through this night without any hitches, yeah? Maybe I'll make you dance with me," I say teasingly and this makes him grin and laugh. When it came to dancing he was probably one of the most awkward people I'd ever seen on the floor. It was cute though, in a way.

I spent the next forty-five minutes ushering people to tables and getting them hors d'oeuvres. Of course I kept my eyes constantly moving so I could watch when Naomi would enter, even if I did feel sick about the possibility of her and Alexander hooking up. I didn't take her for someone who would be late, so when four fifteen rolls around, I start to worry for her well being.

Music starts to play in the background and I walk outside of the great room. I don't travel far though, and simply hang by the entrance, opening the door for the loose stragglers who have arrived late. I pull my phone out of my pocket to see that it is now four twenty-three, and as I'm about to put the device back into my pocket it starts to vibrate. I can see that it is a call that was forwarded from my room. Part of me hopes it is Naomi, so I know she's okay, and another part of me hopes it's something to distract me from this blonde haze I've been walking through for an indeterminate amount of time.

"Hello?" I say into the mobile, and immediately I begin walking toward the quarters that Naomi is in, even before knowing it is her on the other end of the phone. When no one replies, I speak again, "Is someone there?"

"Yeah, Emily?" I hear the voice on the other line say.

I can tell it is Naomi, and I swear I hear a slight shake to her voice. Odd, that. "Ms. Campbell, is that you?" I respond formally, and maybe a little stiffly. I have no idea where I stand and so I take the professional route.

"Yes, it's me, Naomi," she replies. Well, that seems to tell me that we are at least still on a first name basis, which I'm glad for. I don't say anything back though, and there's a slightly uncomfortable silence on the other end of the line. I'm just about to say something when she speaks, "Is there any way you could come to my room... I mean... if you're not busy," she says in a rush, as if she wouldn't have been able to get it out otherwise.

I realize I'm already half-way to her room and I laugh lightly, "Anything in particular you need, Ms. Campbell?" I can hear the flirty tone in my own voice as I continue walking through the ships corridors toward her room. I purposely didn't use her first name this time, making it sound more like a tease instead.

"I, um... I'm having some issues, with my dress," she states almost shyly.

I can't help it when my eyebrows lift and I swallow a lump that has formed in my throat, now standing right outside her door. I bite down on my bottom lip and then lift up my left hand to knock on the door. I hear the echo of my knocking through my mobile, so I know she's in her room somewhere... not like she didn't just tell me that a few moments ago. "Are you going to open the door, Ms. Campbell?" I say gently.

I hear the clicking of heels against the hard wood floor on the other side of the door moments before the door flies open. I'm hit with such an extreme amount of beauty that when my jaw drops open, I almost can't close it back up, and only manage to do so after she pulls me into the room. The door closes behind me and I take a step back into it so I don't completely pass out. She is so fucking radiant. Naomi takes a step toward me and my breath hitches when her aura (and her fruity lip gloss) attacks my senses. We stand there for a few moments before she takes a step back and clears her throat.

She turns around and speaks to me over her shoulder, "I couldn't get the zip up."

My gaze drinks in the soft flesh of her back. I take a step forward and without my approval, my hand reaches up and traces down her spine, starting at the nape of her neck, all the way to the stubborn zipper of her dress. Of course I'm praising the zipper right about now, for this opportunity. Slowly I start to zip her up, sad to see the skins being hidden by the beautiful blue material. I'm halfway up when I realize she is holding her breath and I wonder if it is because the dress is that form fitting, or if there is another reason behind it.

Once I release the zipper she adjusts herself and turns around to face me. She speaks nervously, "Do I look okay?"

I'm so aroused from just the innocent touch along her spine, and now I let my eyes follow the curves of Naomi's body. The dress fits her perfectly, to a point where all her assets are driving me mental with desire. I have a brief thought that I should just have her right here, right now, but when I meet her eyes, I can see the nervousness in them.

"You look positively radiant, Ms. Campbell," I say smoothly.

She corrects me, "Naomi."

My lips curl into a light smile as I repeat her name, letting it slide off my tongue, "Naomi."

Her ice blue eyes move along my body, and I feel the nervous butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I don't call her out on it, instead I let her look until I clear my throat to get her attention away from my body and back on me.

"Sorry," she says.

I smile at her, a bit larger than a moment ago. "I believe you have a dinner to get to, and you're already fashionably late, would you mind if I escort you there, Naomi?" I say politely, making sure to use her first name this time.

I watch as she nods her head then picks up her mobile and keycard. She looks around her body, and after a few moments I realize she's trying to find a place to put the items. "Would you like me to hold those for you?" I ask without thinking, holding my hand out toward her, palm up. I feel nervous for a moment before she reaches to hand the items over to me.

I feel as if time has stopped, or at least slowed down to such a degree that everything appears to be stationary. I can feel her fingertips tickling my palm around her belongings. Every time we've made any kind of physical contact its felt like there is a jolt of electricity going from her skin to mine, and this time is no different. I let the contact continue for a few more moments before I break the trance we both seem to have fallen into and drop my hand and slip her mobile and card into my left pocket.

I look up into her eyes and she holds up a single finger before dashing into the bathroom. My heart is pounding in my chest and I can actually hear each thump as well. It makes me wonder if Naomi can also hear the life sustaining organ cracking against my ribcage. Maybe it is all in my head. It couldn't truly be that loud, could it?

Moments later she walks out the bathroom door and I can smell the alluring scent of her perfume. It isn't something I've smelled before, or if I have it wasn't memorable enough to recall. I smile brightly at the blonde beauty and hold out my arm toward her. She takes it without hesitation and I lead us both from her room, closing the door in the process.

I don't walk quickly at all, but not too slowly. Truthfully I want this time to last as long as possible and she doesn't seem to be in a hurry to get there either. Her hand is softly wrapped around my arm, squeezing every once in a while. I don't know if she's even doing it on purpose or if it is her subconscious. Either way, I let myself relish in the contact.

With my heart beating in my ears, I can't be certain if what I hear is correct, but it almost seems as if Naomi is having a hard time breathing. I look over every now and then and she seems fine, maybe a bit nervous, but otherwise fine. Sometimes I'd hear a deep intake of breath, I'd feel her hand tighten and I would slow my pace slightly then she would relax again.

I'm let down when I see the door to the great room in front of us. If it was up to me, I'd continue to walk around the ship with her on my arm. It's not though, and she didn't indicate that she didn't want to go in or that she wanted to walk around some more. So with that in mind I reach to open the door and throw it open.

We take one step inside and then it hits me in the chest that I've done my job and got her here, and now I have work to do. I drop her hand from my arm and speak softly, "You are free to have a seat wherever you'd like, Ms Campbell, I need to attend to the other guests." It feels like razorblades on my tongue when I say that and then I leave her side. I glance over my shoulder just in time to see Alexander get up and take Naomi to his empty table. Of course no one would want to sit with the fucking prick. Okay, easy Emily, surely he couldn't be that bad, could he? Still, he's with my girl.

Mine.

I roll my eyes at myself and JJ runs up to me and engulfs me in a hug before he picks up two platters. "Alright, JJ?" His smile is nearly splitting his face as he nods enthusiastically. I can't help but join in his jovial nature, at least for the moment.

"You came in with Naomi," he explains.

"Well she was having problems with her dress and called me to assist her," I reply matter-of-factly. I notice one of his eyebrows lift up and then it wiggles a little. I smack his shoulder feeling the need to defend myself, "I wasn't helping her out of the dress, JJ, I was helping her into it!"

I look over my shoulder to see that Alexander is pulling out Naomi's chair and I simply can't watch any longer.

"Ems, do you want to deliver her dinner?" JJ thoughtfully asks.

"No, no thank you... I can't stand that guy and the lamb dish might end up all over his head," I say with a mix between a laugh and a scoff slipping through my lips.

JJ's eyebrows furrow, "Why the lamb dish?"

"Because she'll want the vegetarian option," I say confidently.

"How do you know that?" JJ inquires.

I let my lips curl up and I glance over my shoulder briefly, "Just a guess."

JJ shrugs his shoulders and makes his way over to Naomi. Of course I watch like a stalker and grin when she picks the vegetarian platter. I expect JJ to come back quickly, but he's talking to them... and then I realize he's gotten locked on. He has that look on his face and he's rambling and I can't hear what it is he is saying and his lips are moving far too quickly for me to try to read them.

Shit, this can't be good. I see the blonde reach her hand out and JJ visibly takes a deep breath in and then I finally can see what he's saying, although it is a simple apology. He rushes over to me.

"What the fuck, JJ?" I whisper harshly at him.

"I didn't mean to, but you know how my mind gets locked on, and when she picked the vegetarian platter I started thinking out loud and..."

I grasp his shoulders and get him to look at me before he really gets going, "It's okay, yeah?"

He takes a breath again and nods slowly, "How did you know, Ems, that she would pick the vegetarian platter?"

I laugh lightly at him, taking a deep inhale of my own, "When I was in her room I noticed her sleeping shirt laid on the bed, it had a picture of a pig on it... it was obviously an animal activist shirt. I just couldn't imagine her wanting lamb."

He nodded and exclaimed, "So you did have insider information!"

More laughter pours from my lips. "C'mon mate, we have plenty of stuff we should be doing right now."

I'm hustling around the dining area, picking up plates, bringing bottles of wine, and anything in between. I keep looking towards Naomi and Xander though, making sure he doesn't put his hands on her. Then again, that would be her choice.

I nearly vomit when I see him get to his feet and hold his hand out towards her. I crack a brief smile when she doesn't take it right away. I can only guess that he is talking her into a dance and if the look on her face is anything to go by, she's already declined the offer.

Imagine my surprise when I come out from around the corner and see them dancing slowly. His hands around her waist, settled right above her bum, and her arms are wrapped around his neck. I growl slightly and then her eyes catch mine. I try to hold the tornado of emotions from showing clearly on my profile and turn quickly to walk outside.

Once the cool air hits my burning skin I relax a little. I'm overreacting, I'm sure of it, but seeing his hands on her and his body pressed against hers, well I got a bit jealous. I see one of my work-mates having a fag break and ask him if I could have a drag or two. He offers me the second half of his cigarette and when I take it he walks back inside. I don't often smoke, but I kind of felt the need to try to calm back down so I don't do something completely outlandish.

My head tilts back and I look up at the dark blanket of stars, letting the smoke blow away from me in the wind. The stars are probably one of the most beautiful things about being on the water as often as I am because they are so big and bright without the lights of the city dimming them down. Sometimes I feel like I could reach out and grab one of the constellations and hold it in my palm.

I feel sufficiently calmer as I finish the fag and put it out in the designated area.

When I turn around my breathing stops and my heart ceases to beat. The scene is unfolding before my very eyes. Alexander has his arm around Naomi as they look at the stars together. Angry tears start forming in my eyes and though I want to run off, I can't seem to pull myself to do so. He turns Naomi toward him and I swear he glances at me over her shoulder... though that might just be my mind playing tricks on me.

Their lips connect for much longer than a simple peck, and I can feel my heart cracking. Her head turns around and I keep eye contact for less than a second before I rush back inside. I head straight for JJ, pulling him into the employee-only area and fish in my left pocket for Naomi's belongings. "Give these to her," I state flatly, barely holding onto my resolve.

JJ looks down at the mobile and key-card, then back up to me, "Who?"

My eyebrows lift, "HER."

Realization soon covers my mate's face and he nods moments before I walk off. Things are coming to a close anyway so I decide to just fuck off to my room and let everyone else work since it's usually me and JJ who end up pulling more than our share.

I fumble with the card, trying desperately to get it to go into the slot so I can hurry inside and spend some time alone. Finally after missing two times and running into the door once in the process after thinking it was unlocked, I get inside. I don't even take anything off, though I do remove my phone from my pocket and just lie in bed, hugging onto my pillow.

I don't know how I got so emotionally attached so quickly. I mean, I've known Naomi for only a few days and I'm so enamoured by her that it hurts. Maybe it is for the best that I know now that she's not interested in me. Better now than to have things go on with me thinking something wonderful could happen only to have it shoved back in my face. She just... she confuses me. One minute I think that she's feeling exactly what I'm feeling and the next she's snogging Alexander. What the actual fuck is up with that?

My eyes close and I tuck my face into my pillow, willing the world to just fuck off and leave me alone.

Somewhere along the line I fall asleep, only to be woken up by my room phone ringing. I glance over to it and decide I don't want to talk to anyone. I breathe a sigh of relief for a moment before my mobile begins to ring. I pick up the device and look at the screen, knowing who it must be since it was forwarded from the room phone that I purposely didn't answer.

I stare at the screen for a little bit longer before answering the call and putting my mobile up to my ear, answering tiredly, "This is Emily."

There's no answer on the other end of the line and I pull my phone from my ear to verify that I haven't been hung up on. My voice is flat as I speak again, "Hello? Can I help you?"

"Yeah, Emily it... it's Naomi," I hear the forced out reply.

My eyes glance at the clock and realize just how late it really is, being half one in the morning. I can't keep the bitterness out of my tone when I respond, "Yes, Ms. Campbell, what can I do for you at this late hour?" She doesn't respond right away and I sit up against the headboard, crossing my legs at the ankles as I wait impatiently for her to explain what it is she needs from me.

"Can you come to my room?"

I lift an eyebrow, not having expected her to say that at all. The anger quickly returns when I can see her and Alex in my mind. "If there's something you require, Ms. Campbell, I will send JJ or Katie down to assist you..."

"No, please..." she says as she cuts me off, and I can hear how desperate she is, so I stay quiet as she continues, "... I need to see you, talk to you. Please, Emily."

It is my turn to be silent, unsure of which path I should take. On the one hand she is asking me to come to her room, and professionally speaking, all the staff are available at any time of the day or night. However, I'm almost completely positive that this has nothing to do with the cruise or needing something as a guest. I do want to see her though, and I swear I wouldn't be able to say no to anything she may ask of me.

Having made my decision I speak calmly into the receiver, "Give me a few minutes, I will be there shortly." I don't give her a chance to respond before I end the call.

I scoot to the edge of my bed, hanging my feet over and leaning forward with my hands on my knees. What am I getting myself into? Without being able to answer myself I quickly make a trip to the loo, then to freshen myself up a bit, flattening out any obvious wrinkles in my outfit from lying down in them. I suppose I could change, but I really can't be bothered with doing so. I almost want to call her room and tell her that I've changed my mind, but I don't.

I take my time walking to her room, not wanting to seem too excited to just be in her presence. I am just getting out of the lift when I nearly get run over by someone walking in. Of course it's Alexander. We stand there for a good half a minute, simply glaring at one another until his lips curl into a cheeky smile. I don't return the gesture and try to walk around him to get out of the elevator, but he doesn't allow it. "Pardon me," I say through gritted teeth.

I watch over his shoulder as the doors close, bringing us back up to the deck, which is not where I want to be with this prick. I sigh, frustrated, and lean back against the far wall, my hands gripping the bar so hard that my knuckles begin to turn white.

"You know, you're as cute as your sister is," he says out of nowhere.

"Uh, yeah... thanks," I say to try to get him to realize I want nothing to do with him.

Apparently my response wasn't to his liking and I find him pressed up against me, his hips moving forcefully, trapping me between his body and the wall. I struggle, panic starting to set in as I try to shove him off me. He grabs my wrists and holds them above my head. I can smell the alcohol on his breath and try not to breathe it in.

"You know, I bet you're just as much of a tiger as your twin is, and she's a real tornado."

I'm sure he's trying to use a seductive tone, but nothing about this is even remotely turning me on. "Fuck you," I growl.

"Oh it would be my pleasure... Katie's got some great lips, and they looked fucking hot around my cock," he purrs.

I think I'm going to vomit. I wouldn't want to hear about his conquests in the first place, and even less when it involves my sister. "Just let me go, Alex, I'm not interested in you or your anatomy," I say a bit more confidentially than I actually feel.

He releases my hands and takes a step back, his eyes dragging along my body and making me feel dirty just from the look, "Well let me know, I'd still love a twin thing, and Katie can't seem to get enough of me."

The doors to the lift, thankfully, open and he steps out as if the entire conversation didn't happen. I feel sick to my stomach and push the button back down to Naomi's floor. It is taking forever.

Once outside Naomi's room, I try not to think about the encounter with Alexander and straighten myself up. Shoulders back, head up, and my hands clasped behind my back after I give the door a brief knock. After a few moments the door opens and it takes all my resolve to remain impassive, "What is it, Ms. Campbell?"

Whatever it was that I thought might happen, I sincerely didn't expect to be pulled into Naomi's room by my shirt and pushed back against the now closed door. I can taste the wine and fags on her breath... she's that close to me. I'm finding it hard to concentrate and I let out a few ragged breaths. I summon the will to speak, though because of her close proximity it is little more than a husky whisper, "Can I help you?"

Her eyes are locked with mine and I feel like she is looking into my soul. I swallow a lump in my throat and my breath hitches. She wouldn't... but she does. Naomi leans in towards me and I can't help it when I close the gap, pressing my lips gently against her own.

Fireworks.

That's all I see behind my eyes as I feel her lips consume me. It starts slow and gentle, almost tentative, as our lips begin to explore. I slide my tongue across her bottom lip and she obediently opens her mouth to take me in further. Our tongues dance and I've lost any semblance of control. My hands start to slide up her sides, around her soft mounds of flesh, up beyond her collar bones until I have her cheeks in my hands. It feels so natural when her arms wrap around my lower back.

My body pushes against hers, though I never release her lips from my own, and soon my right hand is teasing the hair at the nape of her neck. I'm fairly certain that my body is on autopilot because my left hand reaches around her to grab the zip of her dress. I take my sweet time in sliding the contraption down her spine, letting my fingertips glide along her flesh in the process. I can only compare it to silk, satin, and velvet all together. Her dress is only being held up because our bodies are pressed together so tightly that it is holding the fabric between us.

Her hands are frantically trying to undo my belt, and I keep my touch along her neck and back gentle and calming. I don't fight her advances one bit, and soon she has my belt undone, as well as the button and zip on my trousers. Naomi moves to my vest and tie next, nearly ripping a couple buttons open in the process, but I couldn't care less. She could rip them clean off my body and I wouldn't care.

The anticipation is building with each moment. Our lips still connected, our tongues still duelling, and our bodies still pressed together tightly enough to keep her somewhat clothed. She undoes my shirt next and pushes it from my shoulders moments after I hear the clanking of my belt hitting the floor. I don't know why she had still been holding it, but it didn't much matter now.

Naomi pulls her face away from mine and we are both breathing hard. I watch with interest as her eyes move down to my bra-clad breasts. I bite down on my bottom lip as she pulls away and an unhappy groan escapes my lips before it dies in my throat.

Things seemed to move in slow motion as Naomi takes a step away from me and lets the beautiful blue fabric fall into a heap on the floor. My mouth goes dry and no matter how much I look at the pale flesh on display, I simply can't get enough of it. She's absolutely stunning. My gaze finds her plush mounds of flesh with beautiful pink nipples that I swear are calling out to me, but I simply can't move. She has me transfixed with her beauty. I try to wet my lips with my tongue as I stare at the very small amount of material that is hugging her hips. I can't help but think that I want those off, like five minutes ago.

The next thing I know she has kicked the dress away from her feet like it was a piece of rubbish and she has knelt down in front of me. Her hands easily start to move my trousers down my legs and I step out of them once they are bunched around my ankles. When I see her eyes open wide I am silently glad that I wore this black lacy bra and knickers set. This wasn't exactly the way I envisioned Naomi seeing them, but that doesn't matter much now, the point is that she is seeing them.

She pauses, well; it was more like she was frozen into a statue. I wait a few more seconds before I lift her chin up to look at me and I can see so many emotions passing through that icy gaze. Well I suppose that JJ was semi-right in saying that there was only one bisexual girl on the cruise, because I can see the innocence in Naomi's eyes... she's never been with a girl before.

Gently, I pull Naomi up by her chin and then softly cup her cheeks in my hands. Her mind is moving a mile a minute, telling me so many things...hopes, fears, and above all, her desires. She's trying to speak, of that I can see, but nothing pushes through those gorgeous lips. "I know..." I say calmly as I keep her gaze locked on my own.

I lean up to take her lips, much softer and less hurried than our lip lock had been up to now. I can feel her body start to relax as I brush my fingertips up her sides, which makes it horribly apparent that she isn't touching me at all. "It's okay to touch me," I whisper into her lips before retaking them in my own. Immediately her hands run up my forearms, then my biceps. Her touch feels like fucking fire along my skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake. Her touch ascends further curving around my shoulders, then up my neck.

My hands move to her almost bare hips and I pull her closer, causing my breath to audibly hitch into her mouth when our skin touches all along our forms. I hold her close to me, and I can't even fathom how soft her skin is. I feel slightly overdressed and twist my arm behind my back, easily unclasping my bra. I lean away from Naomi's exquisite form for a moment to toss the garment into the growing pile of clothes.

I suppress a moan when my painfully erect nipples brush along her heated skin as I step into her embrace once more. Our lips are still moving passionately against one another whilst I push her backwards towards the bed. She doesn't fight me until the extra push is needed to get her to sit down on the mattress. I don't allow her lips to part from mine, even if they were just sensually pressed against each other.

She moves herself backwards on the bed and I follow along with her, crawling along her body like a starved lioness on the prowl. I don't want to scare her though, even if I am already addicted to her skin and I just need to take things further. I slip to the side so I'm only half laid on top of her, using the momentum to pull her onto her side as well.

I keep things soft and gentle as I tenderly explore her body with my hands. She takes the opportunity to do the same to me. I am powerless to hold myself back when her fingertips brush along my hip, resulting in an immediately loss of breath. I lift my hand up to her beautiful breast, cupping it gently before running my thumb over the hardened nub. Her back arches slightly and I move my hand over to her other mound of flesh, brushing along her nipple in the same way I had moments before.

"Christ, Emily..." she whispers into my mouth.

God it sounds so fucking sexy the way she says my name like that, and I try to let her know that, by humming into her mouth, but it doesn't come out properly and turns into a guttural groan when her hand traces over my arse.

I release her sweet lips and start to kiss along her jawline. I whisper into her ear, "You're beautiful," which is probably the truest statement I've ever said in my life. I change directions and brush kisses along the column of her neck, then tease across her collarbones. I continue to descend until I am poised above her nipple. I'm aching to have the nub between my lips, and I look up to her, waiting.

Her crystalline blue orbs are nearly black as she lowers her gaze to my own. I continue to look into them, becoming lost in the depths before she nods her approval. I don't waste a single moment and quickly take her nipple between my lips. Again, her back arches, and the action pushes the flesh further into my hungry mouth. I flick and suck on her nub and her body responds in turn. Trembling. I take a moment to switch to her other breast, not wanting to leave a single inch of her skin untouched.

When I move back up to ensnare her lips, I gently push her onto her back. She doesn't seem nearly as nervous as she did before, and I'm glad for that. I tenderly kiss her lips and climb over her leg to be between her thighs. She doesn't fight me, and I swear I feel her hips lift slightly in anticipation. Maybe that was my own eagerness, though.

I once again move down her beautiful form, leaving kisses and small bites everywhere as I rake my fingertips down her sides. My fingers hook into her knickers and I barely grasp onto them before Naomi's hips have lifted so I can fully remove them. I take my time in removing them, gliding my hands along her long pale legs. As I drop her panties onto the floor I look up to her again to be sure that she really is prepared for this to happen.

All I can hear is the almost inaudible plea, "Please."

My face relaxes into a warm smile and I move down toward her centre. I breathe her in deeply, becoming even more intoxicated by her sweet scent. I can't even remember the last time I had such a need to taste someone, as if I would perish if I didn't immediately have her essence on my tongue.

I let my instincts take over. Slowly my tongue drags through her wetness, from the base of her slit up to her swollen clit. I moan into her as I take her clit between my lips, sucking gently and flicking it from time to time. Her hand soon slides through my hair and I look up her lithe form to see that her free hand is playing with her own tits. She's fucking stunning.

I start to increase the pressure on her bundle of nerves, sucking with more intensity and building a rhythm with my tongue. I'm completely in the zone now, and I sincerely doubt that anything short of the ship sinking would make me leave the heaven I find myself in. She's moaning and groaning with whispered curses, and it's spurring me on. Her body is slick with salty sweat and when I feel her body start to topple over, I pull back and keep her from the climax she so clearly wants.

She lets me tease her for a little while longer, bringing her up and then easing her down before I feel the pressure at the back of my head increase, pushing and holding my lips more firmly to her. "Emily... fuck... don't... stop..." she begs and it is my turn to comply to her eloquent request.

It takes me less than a minute to shove her into oblivion. Her body rocks and tightens and I keep my mouth firmly on her centre. It nearly makes me come to feel her clit throbbing between my lips as I can feel every wave that crashes down upon her through that one point of contact. When her body starts to relax I gently bring her back down to earth, letting go of her clit altogether to drink in the copious amount of liquid she's provided me with. My tongue slides around her lower lips, barely dipping into her cavern a couple times which causes her hips to jump up into my mouth.

I'm happily enjoying her wetness when I feel a pull at my hair, and not really a gentle one either. Naomi all but pulls me up to her by my hair and I wipe my chin clean of her juices before our lips crash together. It isn't hurried by any means, but I can feel her licking and sucking at my bottom lip which ignites another fire deep in my stomach.

I'm so turned on that it's painful, which makes it incredibly hard to pull away from her luscious lips. She protests, trying to pull me back to her lips but I hold myself from doing so and whisper, "You should sleep."

Her eyebrows furrow and she parts her lips to argue, "But I..."

"No..." I state firmly, "... not now. You need to rest." Of course my body doesn't agree with my decision at all, and I'm positive that my knickers are soaked through with my own desire for this blonde bombshell. However her body is spent and she really should get some rest... as should I if I am going to wake up and make it to work in the morning.

I attempt to get up, only to feel the resistance of her fingers digging into my back. My gaze drops down to hers and I can see fear racing across her expressive blue eyes. I smile down at her, she's adorable in her post-orgasmic state, and there's almost nothing more that I would want other than to stay here curled up in her arms. I do have to get up early though.

"Don't go..." she blurts out her request.

My smile increases, "I have to be up early to tend to breakfast," I say quietly.

I can still see that she is not agreeing with me having to leave and she almost looks panicked. She has hundreds of thoughts crossing her delicate features and I simply stay quiet for a moment and let her settle them.

"Set your alarm on your mobile, and I'll do the same...I'll...I'll make sure you're awake in time..."

I interrupt her with the hard truth, "At four in the morning?"

She doesn't answer right away, but it doesn't take long before she's responding again, "If that's what it takes to get you to stay, I'll do anything."

I can see the brutal honesty shining through her eyes. I have no doubt that she would attempt to do anything. The fact of the matter is, I'm not going to get much sleep at all before I wake up, and being comfortable in her arms isn't going to be much of a help in getting me up in the morning. I'll want to stay curled up and lost in my fantasy world.

But really, wouldn't it make more sense just to sleep here? I mean I'm already in a state of undress that I'd have to put on clothes before walking clear across the ship to get to my own room. By that time I'll be awake enough that I'd struggle to fall asleep quickly because I'm still so amped up from the night's events.

I lean down and peck her lips then start to get up when I'm held in place by a solid hand right over my heart. I glance to the non-offensive appendage before looking back to the scared blue eyes, "I'm getting my phone, not leaving, yeah babe? Where's yours?" Naomi points over to the table that has her key card and also a bottle of wine she must have taken earlier. I slip off the bed and rummage in the pocket of my black trousers to retrieve my mobile, and then pick hers up on my way back to bed. I sit back down and then set my alarm for four in the morning after handing Naomi her mobile to do the same thing.

I set my mobile on the bedside table and then curl into Naomi's still slightly damp body. Her arm comes around my shoulders and I can hear her heart steadily beating under my head as I rest my head on her chest. My fingers start to trace unintelligible patters along her bare stomach, simply enjoying the feeling of her skin.

My touch moves lower, right above her pubic bone to be exact, and I hear her heart start pounding. I can't help but smile knowing that even the simple touch I just administered was enough to get her blood pumping again.

What I didn't expect to happen, was for Naomi to flip me on my back. Okay, maybe I did kind of know that it would get to her, based on how sensitive her stomach was when we first started this little session. Her thigh slips between my own and I nearly come undone when she presses her thigh securely against my needy pussy. I keep a smirk on my face though, because I did kind of bait her. She ends up leaning down and teasing my lips with her own. God her lips are amazing, and I'd be lying if I didn't want to feel them all over my body.

Her body freezes, as if she was just hit with a stun gun and her gaze lowers to my body. I lift my hands and gently place them on her cheeks. She had the look of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, completely scared and unable to move. I speak softly, so as to not unnerve the wondrous creature above me, "Just relax, yeah babes?" I can see that she's trying to move, to nod, but it isn't working out so well. "Look, I should get at least some sleep, so can we just lie here together?" I pause for a moment before I see that she is about to rebut my question. "We still have a few nights before the end of the cruise, so you're more than welcome to repay the favour."

This seems to satisfy her and she rolls off of me onto her back. I cuddle into her side, throwing my arm around her stomach once more, but this time I don't move it along her skin, simply hold on. I feel a sigh bubbling up in my chest but I suppress it. I feel the body I'm cambered around start to relax and her heartbeat begins to slow back down, and it is this moment that I decide to give her heart one last dose of adrenaline when I say huskily, "You taste amazing by the way, have sweet dreams."

I was right... her heart started pounding once again and her grip around my shoulders tightened before I started to drift off to sleep, completely content, albeit a little horny (or a lot horny).

xxxxx

An annoying tone jolts me awake, although it really was only awake enough for me to shut the blasted device off. Then a second one starts up a few moments later and I pick up Naomi's mobile and manage to turn that one to silent as well. Just five more minutes, I say to myself as I curl back into the blonde's warm and completely unconscious body.

I damn near jump off the bed when another alarm goes off and this time it wakes me up enough to realize that if Naomi hadn't set this second alarm that I'd be completely fucked. I get out of bed and quickly throw my wrinkled and discarded clothes on. My gaze finds Naomi's perfectly content form, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with each intake of oxygen. She looks so peaceful and content. I can't imagine waking her up. Instead I grab a pen and write her a note, flipping it over to write more on the other side of it. I set it gently on the pillow that would have been mine if I hadn't been using Naomi as my pillow. I place a feather-light kiss on her forehead and turn to leave.

I rush to my room and get in the shower. I'm tired and excited at the same time, which is a rather confusing mix. Before long I'm dressed and ready to begin my shift.

I meet JJ in the corridor and he flashes me a smile, which only seems to get bigger when he sees just how tired I look. "Good night?" he asks.

An eyebrow rises at him as we step into the lift and I manage to keep my voice steady, "Yeah, it wasn't too bad." He laughs a little and my head turns a bit too quickly to look at him. "What?"

"Emily, I heard you leave your room last night, I can only deduce that it had to do with Naomi," he states matter-of-factly. "And... and I thought you might want this," he says in a slightly shy tone.

I look down at the small piece of paper with JJ's absurdly sloppy handwriting written on it, with a name on it and a number. I lift my eyebrow at him at how he was able to get Naomi's phone number.

"I, um...when you gave me her mobile to give to her, I got into it and got her number for you, you know...in case you didn't have it. You really should let her know that a passcode would make her mobile more secure," he said looking down at his feet.

I don't bother responding. There's really no point in it, but I am rather glad that he broke into her mobile. I jump out of the lift and head to the kitchen to start preparations. My mind keeps flitting back to last night; every touch, every sound, and every smell. It was enchanting. I quickly type in Naomi's name and her number and discard the paper in the rubbish bin.

"Hey bitch."

My eyes roll and I turn to my twin, "Yes?"

"Don't get your knickers in a bunch, ungrateful cow, there's someone asking for you on the main line," she says with a huff evident in her tone.

My eyebrows furrow. Who would be calling me right now, or at all, really. "Who is it?" It's barely after five in the morning, which makes the strange call even more odd.

"Does my title say 'Emily fucking Fitch's secretary?'" she responds snidely.

I can do little but sigh to myself and go in to answer the main phone. "Hello?" I ask unsurely.

"Is this Emily? Emily Fitch?" the feminine voice says on the other end of the phone, though I am positive that I've never heard it before.

"Yes," I say with a bit of a hesitation.

"Be careful with her," the voice cryptically says.

"With who?" I respond quickly, my eyes darting around to see if anyone is close enough to hear my conversation.

"With HER."

Well that narrowed it down. "I don't know who or what you are talking about," I explain. I'm just about to hang up the phone before I hear one single word.

"Naomi."

The line goes dead and I look at the phone as if it was possessed and then set it back on the hook. That was strange. I take a few steps and then look back at it, as if it is going to start speaking to me in German. I shake my head and walk back out to finish preparing breakfast.

I can't seem to get over the disturbing, and confusing phone call, and JJ mustnotice because he comes over to me and nudges me with his shoulder. I attempt to ignore him, but he never was one to catch on to most subtle clues.

"Alright, Emily?"

"Yeah, fine," I answer flatly. He's hovering, not saying anything; obviously somewhat aware that something is a little off. I don't really want to discuss the strange call, nor about my night with Naomi. Although that second thought brings a smile to my lips once more, at least.

Time seems to fly by being lost in my thoughts regarding Naomi and the mystery phone call. Of course I constantly look around for my blonde goddess, but I haven't seen her yet. That fact alone makes me a bit grumpy and I'm having to fake a cheery personality whenever one of the other guests enlists my assistance with something trivial...like where is the sugar, or milk, or muffins. Fucks sakes, there are little signs on everything, how do you miss that?

The moment she walks in my body physically relaxes and a true smile forms on my lips for the first time that morning. I watch her walk up to one of the tables of food and I stealthily walk up behind her. I don't realize how husky my voice is until I speak aloud from behind her, "Ms. Campbell."

She turns around and her blank expression soon lightens when her eyes make contact with mine. I know I'm smirking at her, purposely using her last name to tease her, as if I need to keep up a professional front in front of the other guests.

"Ms. Fitch," she responds with the same playful tone that I just used, picking up the small plate she just loaded up and going to sit down at the nearest table.

I move in behind her and whisper into her ear, "You'll be on land this afternoon, if you don't care to go sightseeing, we could meet to perhaps learn a bit more about each other." I pause for a moment to let that sink in and she nods. I'm not sure she's nodding because she agrees with my ideas or if she's nodding to let me know she understood what I said. "Or," I say a bit quieter, my gaze darting around to see if anyone is watching the exchange, "I have the afternoon off and into the late evening, we can go sightseeing together."

"What would you prefer?" she asks me without turning around, keeping up the guise that neither of us are talking to the other one.

I plate a few sweet strawberries and whipped cream and reach around her body to set them in front of her. I lean in even closer to her ear, knowing she can feel my breath as I whisper, "I think..." I pause for dramatic effect and I swear she's holding her breath waiting for me to finish, "... you and I should have a nice picnic."

"Naomi!"

I grit my teeth and pull away hastily when I hear, then see, Alexander coming towards us. I try to busy myself, or at least look like I'm busying myself as he comes closer, wishing he would just fuck off. Or he could just jump off the boat and I'd be completely okay if he was mauled by a shark. Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh, and it isn't like the ship wouldn't sound off that there had been a jumper, or a man overboard. I'm sure there's a dolphin or something that would help him get to shore anyway.

I manage to hear most of their conversation and I completely stop when he mentions Naomi's 'girlfriend', followed by the fact that there have been rumours that she and I are an item. Shit! I curse to myself. Obviously I wasn't as slick as I had hoped. I manage to turn around just as Naomi is declining the fruit that Alexander was offering her, only to pick up her own and take a bite. The moan that comes from her gorgeous lips sends me into a flash back to the ones I heard last night, and instantly my knickers are sodden.

Once Xander makes a quick exit I casually walk behind her, "Jesus, Naomi, that was a bit harsh, wasn't it?" Though in all honesty, I'm glad he left. Fucking wanker trying to hit on my girl. Okay, so she's not my girl, I mean... I guess we've not had a conversation about that sort of thing. So to me, she's mine, I just don't know if it rings true for her as well.

"He didn't seem to take the subtle cues I gave him to fuck off," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

I can't help but laugh lightly at that. He probably wouldn't understand a subtle hint if he was smacked in the face with it. Then again, after what he tried on with me, and what he told me about Katie, I really would have preferred for Naomi to give him a swift kick between the legs under the table. "So, are you going to take him up on his offer, or have you decided on other plans?" I inquire, trying to keep the hopeful sound out of my voice in case she doesn't decide to spend the afternoon with me.

She doesn't answer, and instead turns around so quickly that I don't even have time to take a step back to put some distance between us. My hand flies up to grab her wrist that must have scooped up a strawberry and whipped cream as she got to her feet. My gaze stays locked on hers as I slowly guide the fruit in her fingers to my lips. I bite down on the juicy fruit and her jaw drops in shock. She must not have realized how seductive it was of her to do that with Alexander sat at the table with her. Naomi seems to be in a daze for a few moments before she slips the rest of the berry into her mouth and licks her fingers clean of the juices caused by my impromptu bite.

"You still haven't answered," I say with a light laugh at her reaction.

"What was I answering?" she asks.

As if I wasn't turned on enough, it seems that my display completely wiped Naomi's mind clean of our conversation, and right now I want to pull her behind the curtain and make her come undone, again. Instead, I start to clue her in on what we had been talking about, "Once we hit land..."

I see her hesitate. I don't want to put undue pressure on her, but I also want her to know that I want to spend more time with her and get to know her better. Not just sexually, though I wouldn't mind exploring her body more, but also just being around her.

I feel my hand being grabbed from behind me and I hear my twin's unmistakable lisp, "fucking start working, lazy cow."

I can't even seem to respond as she pulls me a few more steps before Naomi comes up with a quick explanation as to why we were talking for so long. My twin takes a brochure out from her back pocket and shoves it into Naomi's chest. Katie does some kind of bow but also makes the motion as if she is doing a curtsey, but she doesn't have a skirt on, so her hands are just out at her sides with her feet close together. It looks absolutely hilarious.

Katie grasps my hand and leads me back into the employee only section and I manage to turn back to the blonde and silently say 'sorry' to her over my shoulder before disappearing behind the curtain.

"What the fuck was that?" my twin says angrily.

I really do not have the patience for her shit right now. I wasn't even able to find out if Naomi wanted to spend her time off the ship with me, or if she preferred to do her own thing. I decide not to answer and to start cleaning the dishes that have started to pile up from when I was being distracted by the attractive blonde.

"I know you heard me, bitch."

"What is it you want?" I reply in a tired tone.

Katie scoffs at me and rolls her eyes, "I asked what the fuck that was, Emily. You don't want people thinking you're a muff muncher, do you? There's already shit being said all over the place and I'm not a fan of pricks walking up to me thinking I'm you and suggesting a threesome with that blonde bitch."

I laugh lightly. "Like you haven't done it before," I snap at her.

My twin looks appalled, as if I just said something completely disgusting. "Of course I fuckinghaven't, daft bitch."

My lips curl into a cruel smile, "You mean to tell me that Danny didn't have you do a threesome with Sophia? She ate your cunt good, didn't she?"

Katie tries to protest that something like that never happened, but now I'm on a roll and I keep going, "Danny never made you come like Sophia did. All that endless thrusting did nothing compared to when you were getting a proper licking, did it, sis?"

"Fuck you," Katie said, spinning around on her heels and walking away.

I might have overdone it with that, but fucks sakes; I don't need her on my back over my lifestyle. She's the one who has a damn tally of blokes she's been with. Doesn't matter now, does it? She's not so high and mighty when she's brought down a few pegs. We'll sort it all out later, but for now she'll leave me alone so I can figure out what to do about Naomi.

I don't have a lot of time to think about much because I have to help get everything cleaned up and ready to pull into port. All the dishes need to be secured and locked into their cabinets, all of thecutlery needs to be locked in drawers, and really, everything needs to be locked up. It seems as if we just finish when we are informed that we are about to dock.

I check my mobile, and I'm crestfallen that I haven't heard from Naomi yet. At least I have her number, so if I don't hear from her soon I'll just text her. God I hope she doesn't ask me how I got it, because telling her that JJ got it out of her phone would not be a conversation that I want to have.

I sigh a bit to myself and make my way to my room to take a much needed shower. If Naomi did want to get together, I wanted to be prepared so I wouldn't have tomake her wait for me. I manage to take my time in the shower, cleaning every crevice and even giving myself a quick shave.

I never manage to bring many clothes other than for work, and though I know the coast will be a bit chilly, I realize I don't have much with the exception of my white dress that has green silhouettes of flowers along the bottom of it. My shoulders shrug a little as I put it on, finishing it off with my favourite green, slip-on shoes.

We've been docked for over an hour and a half and for the last thirty minutes I've been staring at my phone, willing Naomi to call me. I type in a text to her, and then delete it. I'm being impatient, I know, but can I be blamed when there's a gorgeous blonde I'm waiting for?

'Gorgeous Blonde, I wonder if, perhaps, you'd like to get off this fucking ship now. ~E'

The moment I hit send I feel a fleet of nervous butterflies swirling around in my stomach. Her response comes much quicker than I had expected and I thumb open the text. A smile forms on my lips when I read her response.

'My Stunning Red Head, come and get me. Take me somewhere... anywhere. XX N'

It doesn't take me more than a half a second to spray myself twice with my perfume, grab my things and run from my room. I wasn't running, but I was sure speed walking. The lift takes entirely too long and I have a smile splitting my face by the time I get to her room and knock on the door.

I don't wait long before the door opens and she's stood there, beautiful as ever. "Your stunning red head?" I inquire cheekily as I walk into her room and she closes the door behind me.

Her gaze turns down to the floor and she reaches a hand to the back of her neck, rubbing it lightly. I can see the embarrassment written clearly on her profile. "Naomi," I say tenderly, "it's not a bad thing, I was just surprised."

It seems my words make all the difference in the world to her and before I know it, her hands are gentle on my cheeks and she leans in to brush the softest of kisses against my lips. My eyes automatically close, but the kiss is over before it really begins and I let a groan of disapproval slip through my lips.

When I open my eyes I can see she has kind of a faraway look in her eyes, but the look on her face is telling me she's thinking of something... something naughty. My lips curl into a smirk and I let her think for a few more moments before I say, "Naomi?"

I might as well have shaken her shoulders, because when she pops back into the present she blinks rapidly a few times, "Yeah, babe?"

I smile teasingly at her and grab onto her hand to lead her out. She manages to pick up her bag, putting a few items into it as we get outside her door. "You're horrible, you know that right?" I say to her over my shoulder as she makes sure the door is closed securely. I almost start to laugh when she looks at me, completely perplexed. I decide to taunt her a little more, "You're perving, and by the look on your face, fantasizing."

Her cheeks begin to turn a deep red colour and I know I've caught her. "Can we just go?" she suggests.

"You're caught, babe. I'll teach you how to be subtle... though I'm horribly turned on wondering what it was that brought that look to your beautiful face," I say semi-seriously.

Naomi clears her voice, "N... nothing."

"Also a bad liar," I jest.

She gives me a cute pouting face as we begin to walk from the ship to shore. I feel her hand tighten around mine as we step onto the thin board that connects the ship to the shore. I glance over my shoulder and see that her gaze is stuck to the planks beneath her feet with her free hand sliding along the rail. It's kind of adorable, though in the back of my mind I hope her nervousness has to do with the journey off the boat and nothing to do with the fact that she's going with me.

xxxxx

I can't even count the number of times I've been to this port, but I can't remember a single one that was even half as magical as this one. I brought Naomi to all the regular tourist spots, but I didn't spend much time at them, simply showing them to her and explaining and then moving on. There was so much to see and not a lot of time to do it.

There was music playing all around us, all different kinds too. There were beautifully melodic tunes that floated on the sea air as well as some harder, darker music. I notice a band playing on a small stage, all sporting long hair and head-banging as the thrash metal cut through the air like a knife. They have a small crowd in front of them, all jumping around and into each other, having the times of their lives. I was tempted to pull Naomi over there with me, but we didn't have a lot of time, and I knew I'd lose all sense of time if I did so.

We stopped at a little buffet line under a tent that had a lot of finger foods: shrimp, fruits, cheeses, and vegetables. If we had wanted we could have had some sandwiches, but neither of us even went for them. I bring her onto a small make-shift dance floor and we sway together for a few minutes, just smiling serenely at one another. I decide to not have any alcohol, partly because I had to work later and partly because I don't know if I'd ever get back to work at all because I wouldn't be able to control myself with Naomi and the ship would leave us stranded. I'm sure we could find our way back home, and it would be one hell of an adventure, but it wasn't on my list of things to do.

During previous visits I would spend most of my time on a secluded beach or somewhere near it, anywhere that would give me a little bit of peace and quiet. With my hand still nestled in the blonde's own, I brought her to one of my favourite places. It was a deck, or walkway of sorts, that overlooked the ocean. All we could see for miles and miles was beautiful blue water. It was majestic, and made even more special when Naomi wrapped her arm around my shoulder. Okay, so I hadn't realized that it would be so cold on land, but luckily for me Naomi noticed that I was shivering and offered me some of her body heat.

I bring her to a small restaurant that I almost always visit at this port. It truly looks disgusting from the outside, but inside it's neat and clean and the food is to die for. We talk and laugh and get to know each other a little better now that we don't have the people on the cruise all around us. It's so open and relaxed, and I start to feel for her more and more with every new detail and facet of her life that I learn. She tells me a little about her best mates, Effy and Cook. Not a whole lot, but enough to have an idea about their personalities and she shows me pictures on her mobile so that I have faces to match with their names. Effy looks vaguely familiar, though I can't figure out where I may have seen her, and brush off the thought just as quickly as it came.

We don't do much but walk around after that, never letting go of each other's hands. Every once in a while she would stop and give me a kiss, and every time I get lost in the sensations she evokes within me. Her lips are simply amazing, especially when she presses them against my own, or against my neck, or cheeks, or... well... anywhere really.

We walk along the beach and she wraps her arm around me again and I slip my own around her waist, snuggling into her. She smells so good and I'm distracted for long enough to not realize that Naomi has entered her own world in her head. When I do glance up I see that she is biting down on her bottom lip and her eyes have a faraway look. I just know her mind entered into a perverse state, especially since her hand around my shoulder has started to gently caress the skin of my upper arm. I don't even think she's doing it on purpose to be honest.

After watching her for a minute or two I decide to pull her out of her daydream, "Naomi?"

Her head snaps down to look at me and she mutters, "What?"

She knows she's been caught and I laugh lightly, but the innocent look she is trying to put on her face just makes me laugh even harder. "I'd ask what you were thinking of, but I'm fairly certain of what it was," I say, though laugh, as I bring my hand up to cover my mouth, trying to stifle my guffaw.

I watch as there is a change in her eyes, going from attempted innocence to something darker, something bad, and hopefully something that has nothing to do with me. "Naoms, what's wrong?" I gently inquire.

When she doesn't answer right away I start to feel my chest tighten. Something is obviously wrong, but what could it possibly be? A slight panic starts to grip at me, though I am fighting to try to stay calm, hoping that I am making a big deal out of nothing. "Naomi," I say again, trying to draw her attention back to me.

Her crystalline blue eyes look down at me and I swear she's telling me everything with her gaze. She's telling me she's scared, scared that she is just my flavour of the week, keeping me company during the cruise to sate my sexual needs. Her gaze is screaming out that she doesn't want to be that person that she wants to be more. God, it's so intense that I wrap my arms around her and soon my body relaxes just by being pressed against her.

I can't help it when I lift myself up onto my toes so my lips are nearly pressed against hers as we share the same air. My voice is soft as I speak, "You're not some floozy that I've picked up for the week. I don't do this. I never have. That's why I don't work the gay cruises. If the girls are straight then I can admire from afar and not be involved..." my sentence stops abruptly when her tongue traces her lips and inadvertently brushes against my own. I almost lose track of what I was saying and my breath hitches at the unintentional movement of her tongue across my lips. I manage to somehow gain the wherewithal to continue on, "... and I thought I was safe this time too, until I saw you."

I feel a bit nervous after saying that, but the smile that shines through on her angelic face tells me that I've crushed her fears...at least for now. I watch as a myriad of emotions and thoughts cross her azure gaze and I decide not to interrupt them or her. When I see that her mind is slowing down I leave a tender kiss on her lips before pulling away. The way her body makes mine light on fire at the simplest of touches is absolutely mental.

I take a step back and quickly grasp her hand. I can't stand the temptation any longer and I need to get her back to the ship before I pounce on her in front of anyone who dares to watch. I walk with a bit more speed towards the boat and she asks me where I live, which I almost completely miss because I keep thinking of her luscious lips. We chat about where we live, both of us actually from Bristol, and then we move on to how we hadn't met before now and the reason being that Katie and I were homeschooled. She asks if that's why Katie is a bitch, because she's protective of me. I let her know that that is exactly why.

"I can totally understand that," she says seriously.

My eyebrows furrow a little bit before I ask, "What do you mean?" Her hands slide around my waist and I almost moan at the contact. Any time she touches me, no matter how innocent, it just sets me on fire. I'm seriously only half paying attention because her hand around me is very distracting, and what is even more distracting is her warm body pressed against my own.

"I mean, I understand how she would want you around, Ems," she responds. I smile a bit at her nickname for me before she continues, "... you're brilliant. You're more than that. You make me feel a confidence, a self-worth that I've never felt in my life."

I interrupt her before she can go any further, "You had that all along, Naomi, you just couldn't see it."

It is now her time to cease my speech as she sends a counter back at me, "No, Emily, don't discredit yourself. I know who I was. I was an unhappy, sarcastic bitch." She laughs a bit before she continues, "You unlocked something in me, Emily, and I'll never be that way again, not as long as I have you."

I don't have any control over my limbs as my hands slide up around Naomi's neck and my fingertips twirl the little hairs at the back of her neck. I don't answer her in words; instead I lean up and take her lips with mine. God, she's so beautiful.

I try to move us towards the boat even more quickly than before. We stop frequently to snog and our hands often wandered possessively and lustfully. It isn't until we're about to walk up the plank that I turn around and drop the hand that I've loved holding during my entire trip off the boat. Her blue eyes were looking into mine, silently asking why I suddenly dropped her hand. "I can't lose my job, Naomi, please," I gently request.

So I'm sure you're asking why I had no problem holding Naomi's hand when we left the ship, but now that we are returning that I couldn't do the same. When we left there was no one around, not a soul in sight from the boat, however on the way in there were co-workers and guests littered around the deck and even going up the plank, which is where we were about to walk up.

I'm glad that she doesn't fight me, but I can see that she is crest fallen about it, looking like a small animal who was just kicked into the corner. It broke my heart to see the look on her beautiful profile. It made me walk faster toward her room and I could hear the light footsteps as she trailed along behind me.

Once I get to her door I turn around toward her, watching as her hips glide from side to side with each step. I don't think I've ever felt so impatient before, but she seems to be taking her sweet time in getting to me. If she doesn't hurry up, I might not be able to wait for her to open the door; I might just take her up against it.

She drops the card whilst going to open the door and I quickly reach down and grab it, shoving the blasted plastic into the slot and opening the door. I rush in and turn around to see my blonde leaning casually against the frame. She is toying with me, I know that, and if I didn't I'd realize it by the cheeky smirk painted across her features. The cheeky smirk, however, doesn't stay on her face for long and soon there is an animalistic look in her eyes. She looks just like a jungle cat about to pounce on her prey.

I lean forward and reach around to the back of her neck, pulling her roughly inside her room, pushing her back against the door and covering her mouth with my own. I've wanted her for hours, ever since I first got to her room if I'm completely honest. Okay, probably even before that.

She's quick to start to pull my dress up and I'm struggling to remove her clothes and keep my lips on hers at the same time. I almost catch up in disrobing her, but I end up naked with her in just her knickers. Her body steps into mine ad I have to step backwards to avoid toppling over. My hands tangle in her blonde tresses, only escaping when my legs hit the bed and I'm forced to sit down. I try to reach out to her to pull her toward me but her hands don't allow it.

I'm surprised when she kneels down in front of me and pushes my thighs apart. I bite down on my bottom lip as I watch her taking me in, and moments later she grasps my wrists and holds them behind my back, forcing my shoulders back in the process and puffing out my chest. I can't take my eyes off of her, not until she leans towards my centre and firmly licks me.

"Fuck..." I groan out and by all that is holy I need her, and because of this I struggle to get my hands from behind my back so I can pull her lips back between my thighs. Thankfully she releases my wrists and I waste no time in bringing them to her blonde locks, running my fingers through the soft hair before pushing her face back between my thighs.

Though her tongue and mouth start out a bit hesitant, she starts to gain confidence when I can't keep myself quiet. Moans and groans are being ripped from my throat. "Shit, Naoms..." I say in a hushed and breathless tone of voice.

I nearly come undone when she sucks at my clit, pulling the bundle into her heated mouth and providing just the right amount of pressure. My hips tilt into her and I pull her tighter against me. She's driving me higher with each movement and the noises continue to be pulled out from deep within me. In between the groans and moans I find myself holding my breath until I have to inhale sharply, letting out a soft whimper in the process.

The movements of her mouth and tongue feel sublime, and I'm well past the point of having to guide her lips where I need them the most, but I do it one last time. I feel the burning in my lower abdomen and she reaches up to palm my tits and her fingers pinch at my puffy pink nipples.

Her tongue slaps against my throbbing clit and my voice rips out a bit louder than usual, "Fuck... Naoms... just like... don't stop..."

My head tilts back as my orgasm grips onto me and my upper body crashes against the bed, my hands still tangled in Naomi's blonde hair as I ride her mouth. She extends my climax as her tongue continues to flick over my bundle of nerves and my body trembles as the explosion takes over all of my motor functions. I feel the cool breeze of her breath on my centre as she blows onto my sensitive folds.

I pull her up forcefully and attack her lips. There's nothing that turns me on more than tasting myself on my lover's lips, and it makes it so much better that they belong to a blonde bombshell who has stolen my heart and holds it in the palm of her hands.

I taste Naomi's moan and it evokes one from me in response. My tongue slips into her mouth, claiming her pink muscle with my own before I slow everything down, easing the raw passion into a simmer from a boil. After I gently tease her mouth into a gentle kiss, I pull away from her, looking deeply into her crystalline blue orbs. Every time I look into her eyes I'm overcome with a love so deep that it would scare me if it wasn't true. I've never felt anything so real before in my life.

I glance at the clock next to the bed, "Fuck. I have to go to work. Just... fuck..." I whisper before pulling Naomi back on top of me for another sweltering lip lock. Her lips, fuck me, they're so tender and I can still taste my essence on them.

She pulls away from me and I try to pull her back down again, but she resists and crawls off me. Naomi gets to her feet and then offers her hand to me. I hesitate for a moment before setting my hand into hers. She pulls me up and I wrap my arms around her as she places soft kisses atop my head. "I want to stay," I whisper.

"I know," she replies with a small smile on her face.

"Can I nip in to take a shower?" I ask with a flirty look in my eye.

She manages to keep her cool, but only barely as she responds, "Of course."

I sigh to myself, knowing that losing my job would completely crush me, which is the only reason I spin on my heel and enter the bathroom. I turn on the water and glance over my shoulder; just to be sure that Naomi didn't follow me, not that I would have minded all that much to be honest. I step back out to pick up my scattered clothes on the ground and bring them into the bathroom with me. I don't take much time in the shower, washing my hair and body quickly because I don't want to be late for my shift.

I pick up my dress and go to put it back on but notice a huge tear along the seam. I wrap a towel around my body and exit. Naomi's eyes move up and down my barely covered body with a smirk. I can't help but feel a bit shy. "You, um... you ripped my dress when you took it off me," I say sheepishly. I can see that Naomi is about to start to apologize and I cover her mouth with one hand whilst my other holds the towel up. "Naoms," I whisper, "Do you have something I could slip into? I need to get to my room and I don't think wearing a towel is very acceptable."

Naomi moves quickly and opens her bag as she mumbles, "Oh fuck...yes...I do." She pulls out some pyjama bottoms and a white shirt that, upon further inspection, has the picture of a pig on it.

"Cute," I say with a teasing smile as I hold the large shirt in front of my petite form. I turn around and let go of the towel and it falls to the ground around my feet. I bend forward and slip the bottoms on. I can almost feel her eyes on me as if they were a physical touch and I turn around with a sparkle in my eye. The things I want to do to her right now are nowhere near clean.

Her eyes move down to my tits, and then they drag up my body. She lights a fire in me with just a look. Regrettably I slip the shirt on and thank her for the clothes. She hums lightly and I take a step toward her, leaning up and placing a feather light kiss at the corner of her lips. "If you decide to come out of your room at all, make sure you wash your face, because you smell like pussy," I say teasingly as I spin around and pick up myclothing once more.

Before I grab the handle to open the door I turn to look at the blonde again with a smile on my lips, "You are amazing, Naomi... not just... not just what you made me feel, but the way I always feel when I'm near you. Please remember that." I open the door and take a step over the threshold before I again look at Naomi, "Oh, and you probably should stay away from Katie. She's a bit overprotective, and doesn't really agree with my..." I lift two fingers up in the air and curl them twice, "lifestyle choice." Sure, Katie doesn't mind much anymore, but there is something about the blonde she doesn't exactly like, and so I feel the warning is warranted.

I smile at the woman in front of me, "I love you, Naomi Campbell." I'm not sure why I felt the need to say that, but it felt so natural to do so.

With that said I turn around and leave, closing the door behind me. I fight the urge to lean back on the door, or even to turn around and knock so that I can feel her lips on mine once more. A light sigh passes my lips as I move to my room, setting my clothes and belongings on my bed in a pile. I grab my work clothes and go into the loo to change and prepare for work.

I hear my door open and I call out, "Hello?"

"It's just me, Em, I wanted to borrow your lotion...I've ran out," Katie calls back to me.

"Go ahead," I call out to her, "It's in my bag on the far side of my bed." I shake my head and laugh a little to myself.

She's left before I walk out and my eyebrows furrow. I didn't put my mobile on the bedside table. My gaze then moves to my bag and I don't see my lotion on top of it, which is even stranger because Katie never puts my things away. I walk over and dig in my bag, finding my bottle of lotion at the very bottom. My attention goes over to my mobile again and I rush over there, opening up the screen and seeing Naomi's contact information blazing brightly. "Shit," I curse to myself. Katie didn't need my lotion at all; she was snooping in my mobile for Naomi's number.

I don't have a lot of time to worry about that, or to even send Naomi a text to warn her. I buckle my belt and rush out of my bedroom.

I enter the same room that the round robin was in, needing to get a few items in there. I am not there long but soon JJ has joined me, helping me with the tasks at hand. We're not doing much, just securing any chairs and tables.

"Hey Jay?"

JJ looks over to me, "Yeah?"

"Could you deliver something to Naomi for me?" I ask whilst biting on my bottom lip.

"Deliver something?" he inquires.

I laugh a little and walk over to him, handing him the key card to room one thirty two, "Can you give her this... discretely?"

His eyes open wide, "Emily, where did you get this?"

A chuckle escapes my lips, "I have my ways."

He takes the card and slips it into his pocket with a nod. "I have no doubt or you wouldn't have the card in the first place," he replies. "I will deliver it as you have requested."

"Thank you Jay," I say to him and kiss his cheek. "I have to go clean things up down there, and I'll be waiting, so find her as soon as you're done, yeah?"

JJ nods again, "Of course, Emily."

With that I smile at my mate and head down to the room with a rag and some cleaner. It probably is a bit dusty down there and I want to at least clean up a few areas before Naomi joins me in the room.

I open the room up and it smells a bit musty and dusty in there. I first go straight into the bedroom and I clean off the small circular window that lets the occupant look out into the ocean as it flies by. My eyes flit to the bed briefly and I decide that there is no way that I will be getting on that with Naomi. The bedclothes have probably been on that bed for months and haven't been cleaned and I don't have any to spare.

My next destination is the small room that is connected; it's the one that has a huge wall of glass, which will be the main event. I take the rag and cleaner and get the dust away, then decide to clean up the room a bit so it isn't quite so potent.

I hear a small knock on the door followed by someone calling out into the room, and I rush to find a spot to put the cleaning materials so they won't be seen. Naomi speaks again, asking if anyone is there and it is then that I enter the bedroom.

Naomi is looking out the small window that I had cleaned earlier. I observe her for a moment or two, letting my gaze glide unashamedly down and back up her alluring form. Finally I decide to make myself known and stop watching her, "Sorry I had you come down here to meet me. This room is never used, obviously, but it does have the best view under the water."

I turn on the light in the room and close the door to give us a bit more privacy. I guffaw when she states that it isn't very romantic, and really, this room isn't. It is the other one that will really throw her for a loop. I stride forward and take her hand, bringing her in to look at the wall. "This any better?" I ask cheekily.

Her jaw drops and she steps toward the completely see-through wall, giving her almost a full panoramic view of the water on the other side of it. She is so completely adorable when she asks me if it is safe, and I waste no time in informing her that it is and that every time the vessel is brought in to port that it is checked and always passes the inspections.

She takes a step from me and extends her hand against the cold glass surface. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before, to simply watch someone as they are enthralled with something vast and beautiful. The longer she has her warm hand against the cool glass, the more of a handprint she leaves with the condensation surrounding her fingers from the contrast of the temperatures. She seems to be lost in the beauty, seeing different fish swimming by, or trying to keep up with the ship.

I continue to smile over at her and she removes her hand, leaving the romance of her touch behind. Her hand lifts back up to wipe it away and I stop her and whisper, "Leave it."

I can see the question in her eyes as to why she shouldn't and I lean forward with my hand, setting it right next to the silhouette of her own with the thumbs nearly touching. I hold it there until there will be a hand print of my own left right next to hers. A smile forms on my lips as I pull away and just look at our hand prints against the glass.

Neither of us speaks, simply both staring out of the glass wall. After a while the air starts to feel thick and charged with electricity. It makes me feel nervous, and that isn't exactly a word I usually associate with Naomi when I'm near her. Perhaps it is because the cruise is nearly over and things seem so unsettled and scattered. We haven't spoken about life off the ship, if it is something that we are going to pursue or if this really did turn out to be just a fling. In my heart I know it hasn't been a fling, but the unknown is eating me alive from the inside.

I let go of Naomi's hand and cuddle into her side, gliding my hand around her lower back to hold her into my side more firmly. Her body responds by putting an arm around my shoulders. Just the simple intimacy and familiarity of it makes me feel a little bit calmer. She places a kiss on the top of my head and I let out a shaky breath before whispering, "I don't want to lose you."

Fear starts to grip at me when she doesn't answer right away, though I don't feel her body tense or any other physical clues as to why she hasn't answered. I release a breath I didn't know I was holding when she responds softly, "I don't want to lose you either."

Although her answer did quell most of my trepidation, it didn't dissolve it completely. My voice is shaking slightly when I speak out again, "So what happens when we get back to reality? Do you go back to your life and I to mine? Is that what will become of us?"

She doesn't take nearly as long to respond as the last time, which keeps my heart from pounding right through my ribcage. "No..." she begins, pausing for a moment before she continues, "... at least, I don't want us to part ways. We live in the same town, it's doable, right?"

Any confidence she had in her voice is no longer present, and now it is my turn to think about a reply. Honestly, it is totally possible to make this relationship work. It won't be easy with my job taking me away from her, and when I am home I have whatever coursework I didn't complete whilst on the ship during my limited amount of free time. But I do want to make a go of this, of us. We won't know if we never try.

"I love you, Emily," is whispered by my beautiful blonde and I nearly melt into a puddle on the floor. She's so fucking amazing.

I hold my breath, hoping that if nothing else I will remember this moment of beauty. My arm constricts around her lithe form, pulling her tighter into me because I suddenly need the contact. Maybe she misreads my silence; she must, because her arm falls away from my shoulder. I refuse to release my grip around her waist and when her back turns to me, I slip my other arm around her and press myself flush against her back. The only skin within reach of my lips is the back of her neck, and so I place a gentle kiss there.

I hear her plea and shortly after that she removes my arms from around her and she moves away. Even the small distance feels like there is an entire ocean between us. Tears start to form in my eyes as I try to make eye contact, but her gaze is steadfastly looking at the ground between our feet. I need her to look at me; I need her to know that this means something to me.

My hand reaches forward and caresses the soft skin of her cheek, and she immediately looks up at me. The words get caught in my throat at the extreme openness in here azure orbs, however I somehow manage to speak, my voice barely above a whisper, "I love you, Naomi, don't ever doubt that. This... we... us... it won't be easy. I travel for weeks at a time. Can you stand to wait for me?"

I wait with baited breath for her reply, my heart pounding, my eyes looking longingly into her eyes to just be brave and give us a shot.

"I can," she states.

My mouth starts moving before I even realize that she's accepted that we can try to be together outside of the confines of the cruise, "I can't see you for the rest of the cruise. I have so much stuff to take care of before we make it into port. But then I have a week off," I pause only briefly, "I suppose this is goodbye for now."

"Okay," her shaky voice responds.

Even though I don't like the thought of not interacting with her in some way during the last day or so of the voyage, I know that I need to get some things done before we make it to shore. I smile brightly at her, feeling like I am the luckiest girl in the world simply because Naomi has agreed to try.

I lunge forward, knowing that I will miss the blonde like crazy until I can see her again, and I want to remember the taste of her lips. My hands move into her tresses and hold her to me, not that she is resisting in the slightest, but I just want her as close as humanly possible. Electricity shoots up my spine when her hands set on my hips, squeezing gently.

I don't ever want to stop kissing her, but when her tongue glides across my bottom lip I have to or else I will end up taking her against the glass wall. "Naoms..." I half plead half moan.

She apologizes, which makes me feel horrible for even having to stop in the first place. I keep a smile on my face and I reach up to kiss her cheek, trying my best not to just press my body back against hers and delight in feeling the full length of her body flush against my own.

I have to turn away, that is the only way I'll be able to actually leave, because if I keep looking at her, I don't have a snowballs chance in hell of actually accomplishing it. "I'll see you on shore," I say over my shoulder.

"I'll miss you," she says, and I can hear the anxiousness apparent in her gorgeous voice.

I open up the door and turn around, bringing my hand up to my lips and kissing my palm before blowing it towards my blonde. Yes, I can actually call her mine now. That thought alone brings another grin to my face. "Enjoy the rest of your cruise," I say as a final farewell and exit completely, letting the door close behind me.

I pace to my room down the hallway and enter, leaning against it after it clicks closed. My hands move between my breasts, right over my heart. I feel like I'm soaring through the sky, as if I could just jump off the ground and become airborne.

I listen as she opens the door and walks down the hall. I know it sounds stalkerish of me, but I know how long it takes to get from my room to hers. I pick up my mobile and type out a text message to her, waiting until she would be at her room before sending it.

'I can't wait to see you again. xoxo E'

xxxxx

Work seems so tedious when all I want to do is spend time with Naomi. The next day of meals I end up peeking from behind the curtain to see if she is there. Of course she is there, but she seems to play with her food more often that actually eating it. Most people are leaving her alone. She looks horribly sad and I just want to run out to her and take her in my arms and kiss her face until her breath-taking smile shows not only on her lips, but in her eyes as well.

Eat, work, eat, work, eat, work, and then sleep. That is all I do in preparation for the final morning in which we will pull the vessel back to shore. I know that it has only been one full day since I saw my blonde, but I am seriously having withdrawals.

"What's your issue, bitch?" my lovely twin asks me.

"Just ready for this one to be over, I guess," I mumble back to her, clearly not wanting to have this conversation with her. It is the truth though, I want to be back on land, with Naomi, preferably very naked and going at it like the apocalypse just occurred and we're trying to repopulate it on our own.

"Since when? You love being on the water," Katie questions me.

Of all the times that she decides to care and acts like a sister, this is the one time when I don't want her to even bother. I ignore her and eventually she goes away, which is a miracle in and of itself. I don't quite believe it and keep looking over my shoulder to make sure she hasn't re-entered to set me off.

I can't stand it. I can't stand being away from Naomi this long. I look at all the things I need to do and decide a break is in order. I peek from behind the curtain, seeing Naomi immediately. I wait for her to realize it is me before I beckon her to me by curling my pointer finger in a 'come hither' type motion.

She gets up smoothly, with the air of a peroxide goddess, walking sexily toward me. Okay, so I'm pretty sure she isn't doing it on purpose, but the way her hips move with every step she makes in my direction is very distracting. I feel like a kid about to rob a sweet shop, and the anticipation is almost killing me. When she gets within reaching distance I grab the collar of her shirt and close the curtain that states the area is for employees only.

I must be an animal in heat, because my lips go straight for hers, leaving a searing kiss on her lips. I know I'm mumbling as I continue to kiss her lips, her neck, her collarbones, then back up to her mouth, saying sweet nothings into her mouth and moaning quietly. I haven't let go of her shirt, and her hands slip under my own top, teasing the skin at the base of my spine. I'll have to tuck my shirt back in after, but right now, she could rip the damn thing open and I wouldn't give two shits about it.

After I gain a moment of control over myself I pull back, noticing that the blacks of her pupils have almost completely swallowed up the blues of her irises. I'm glad I'm not the only one who is turned on after that little snogging session.

"Once you get off the ship, there's a little cafe up the road a bit, meet me there?" I request.

"Mmmhmmm," she responds back to me and she tries to lean back in to continue where we left off. I don't let that happen though, I need to get her out of this area before someone catches us.

"Good, now go, so I can watch your body and think of all the ways I will take care of you later," I say with a cheeky smirk and a small laugh.

She guffaws a bit herself and turns around. I swear, I'm about to die from being too turned on just by watching her arse, her legs, even the way she swings her arms as she walks. I almost turn to go back inside when I see her bend over. My jaw drops as I stare blatantly. I've still got my gob wide open when she turns around to glance at me... yep, still looking Naoms. She smirks at me and goes to leave, and I don't pull myself away until I can no longer see her.

"Alright, Ems?"

My head snaps up from my work to look at JJ, smiling at him and nodding incessantly.

His head tilts to the side, "Did it go well with HER then?" he asks.

I realize I haven't even seen him for longer than a few moments since I had asked him to give her the card to enter room one thirty two. "It did," I say with a huge grin.

"So you and she are going to, what, go out?" he asks, slightly confused.

I chuckle, "Yeah, I'm going to meet her at the cafe after we get let off the boat. Jay, I'm so excited I can barely stand it!"

He joins in my jovial laughter and starts working on the other side of the room until it is time to do our last jobs... getting the patrons off the ship.

xxxxx

The anticipation is flowing freely through my veins. All we have to do now is bring the guests off the ship, which isn't my job at all, just like it wasn't when we first lead them on. I get to go into their rooms behind them and make sure they haven't left anything valuable, and if they have, I have to get them sent to the address we have on file that they gave us when they first booked their reservations.

I'm glad that there is only two rooms that have anything left in them, and the items aren't considered valuables, so I don't have to log them, simply throw them in the rubbish bin and call it a day.

I put my belongings in my own bag, shoving them unceremoniously and securing the zip after having to readjust some clothing a few times to make it work properly.

"Hurry the fuck up, Ems, I got shit to do today," Katie yells at me through my cabin door.

"Just a minute," I call back and check myself in the mirror, fixing my fringe and running my fingers through my hair. With a small nod I exit the bathroom and pick up my bag and exit to see a very disturbed Katie Fitch. "I need to stop at the cafe before we go, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever," she replies with a wave of her hand as she starts to walk away from me and toward the lift.

We don't say anything as we are brought to the main floor. I glance over to my twin and she is picking at the chipped nail polish on her fingers. She often does this when she is bored or nervous, and I can't seem to be able to tell which of those she is.

Katie leads the way to the car and I get caught a bit behind when Alexander stops me in my tracks by standing right in my way. I try to get around him, but he moves in front of me again. "Can I help you?" I ask in an irritated tone.

"You always can, Emily, but I just wanted to thank you for your service, and maybe we can get a bit more intimate next time," he says with a laugh.

He's so repulsive. "Not in your wildest dreams," I sneer at him as I finally make my way around him, not even bothering to give him a parting last glance. I have a blonde waiting for me.

I deposit my bag in the boot of my car, squeezing it next to Katie's before closing it. I take a deep breath in and move towards the cafe. The first thing I see is my twin talking to a brunette girl. She looks kind of familiar, but I lose all interest as soon as I take in my beautiful blonde, who stars to walk toward me, meeting me half way.

"Hey babe," she says in an adorably shy voice.

"Hey yourself," I grin at her before looking over to my twin. "Do you know that girl that's with my sister?" I ask her.

"Yep, that would be the mysterious Effy," she responds.

It hadn't clicked until seeing her in the flesh and not in a photo on Naomi's mobile, but I now know I've seen her before. She had come into the travel agency a few months ago, asking about singles cruises. At the time I had thought she was inquiring for herself, but she didn't seem the type of girl to even go on one. She had asked my name and then Katie had walked in the door, cursing up a storm about some bloke who wasn't as well-hung as she had thought. We talked for a little bit and I ended up telling her that Katie and I usually work those cruises. She hadn't stayed much longer after that, taking a brochure and exiting just as quickly as she had appeared.

I start to laugh a little to myself before I ask Naomi, "Is the mysterious Effy trying to pick her up?" Naomi's gaze moves over to her friend and my twin and I take this brief distraction to slip my hand into hers, threading my fingers through her own. My eyebrow raises and I start to speak before Naomi can even respond, "I'd wish your friend good luck, but she doesn't seem to need it."

It was terribly obvious that Effy was flirting Katie's knickers off. My twin is giggling and smirking at the brunette, who keeps making light brushes against Katie's skin.

Naomi's voice brings my attention back to her from the obviously flirting girls just out of earshot, "She doesn't need luck... but then again... I don't either... not anymore." She looks down at me and I smile back up to her.

"No... I suppose you don't," I say gently as I step in front of her, demanding her full attention as I reach up and place a tender kiss on her lips.

I don't think I will ever tire of that, not ever.

xxxxx

Well, was it worth the wait?

I surely hope so. There are some obvious questions and holes left from both the first part and the second part of this story... that's because there will actually be a third part, from someone else's POV. Thank you to Iwy'sAshes for getting the idea stuck in my head! LOL! I've already started writing it, but I don't believe it will be nearly as long as these first two.

Let me know what you think... questions, comments, criticisms, or just to tell me if you enjoyed it or not!