"Bibita?"

"I don't speak Italian."

"Bibita," Carmella said again, and Wendy stopped to give her an even more annoyed look. Carmella mimed drinking and gestured toward the bar.

"No," Wendy said. "I've had too much." Carmella raised her hands helplessly, so Wendy put a hand to her head. "I'm going to bed."

"Scorta." Carmella gestured at the exit and offered her arm. "Escort?"

"I don't need-" What if the crazy woman was lurking outside, she thought. She could at least get safe pa.s.sage out of the line of fire. She tucked her hand under Carmella's arm and accepted the gentle guidance to the exit.

Just the other side of the door was Sophia and her no longer angry girlfriend. At least Wendy presumed she was no longer angry because her skirt was up and Sophia's hand was down. They didn't even notice Wendy going by. She wondered if they did that little scene all the time because the make up s.e.x was hot.

Which would be pretty twisted, Wendy thought. She was glad of Carmella's arm.

"You know," she said for no reason at all, except that walking in silence seemed bizarre. "It's the first night of my vacation, and it didn't have to end quite so c.r.a.ppily. I know I won this trip for me and Brittany, but just because it was free doesn't mean I shouldn't have fun. Brittany couldn't believe it when one of our choices for the cruise was this one. Chain Maille, and we'd be within feet of them. Maybe even seated near them at dinner. Run into them at the pool or something."

They descended a flight of stairs. Carmella made the gesture of putting a key in a lock, and Wendy dug in her purse for the cabin key. Carmella examined it, gave it back and turned them toward aft.

"I know that being a groupie isn't a long-term life choice. I've only got one more year of college and then I won't be able to do this anymore. I'll have an internship to finish and all that s.h.i.t. We could have dug on Melissa, you know. We were just looking for something fun to do on our vacations. Then we get here and my best friend dumps me in the bar."

With Carmella leading the way Wendy didn't have to worry about finding the correct stairs. She was still completely turned around. The ship was beautiful and all that, but every time she went up or down a deck she lost her sense of which way was which.

"I mean this is a drag. I came on this trip to be wild and crazy, and I was well on my way to a one-night stand with a perfect stranger. But no. No, I have to pick a perfect stranger with a jealous girlfriend."

They encountered no one as they strolled the Via Condotti. It really was a lovely ship, and while Wendy had no real sense of what an Italian villa might look like, she was willing to accept this was a good facsimile, if Italian villas had casinos and shopping concourses. The sculptures of Medusa that circled the atrium on every floor were awesome.

She paused to look more closely at one of them. "Personally, I think Medusa was just having a bad hair life. She didn't want to be conventional and ends up getting her head cut off by some jerk on his own hero quest. It's really kind of sick that a lot of the hero stories in great literature include at least one instance where the dude earns his dudeness by killing a woman."

Carmella was listening politely when Wendy glanced at her. She couldn't have been even five years older than Wendy was, and Wendy had no idea what the two thin blue stripes on her sleeves meant.

"You don't understand a thing I'm saying." Not quite against her will she smiled at the woman. "But you're cute."

Her smile was returned, and Wendy felt a lot better. Carmella's gaze did a slow, suggestive glide down Wendy's front, and Wendy thought maybe the bikini wax and Wonder bra weren't a total write-off. Jesus, could it be that women in uniform were just about as attractive as heavy metal guitarists? It was a heretical thought, but at the moment the reality more likely to result in fun before sunrise.

She turned toward the shops. "I can't really afford any of the clothes down here, but that little pink number there is a wow. I mean I can picture myself putting it on and then some wonderful woman peeling it back off me. But with my luck, I'd be getting myself out of my clothes one more time."

She paused for a moment to give the pink halter dress a long look. No doubt about it, her nipple rings would show and that would look pretty d.a.m.ned hot. It probably cost a semester's tuition. "Don't you think a girl ought to get some action if she wants some? On a ship full of women who like just what she does? I guess I don't really have much to complain about, though. I'm here for free. I'll get to see my favorite band in concert all week. So what if I can't find someone to hold me down and do me until we both scream? Even if I haven't been with anyone in almost six months." She sighed. "Bad breakup. Never date the ex of an ex. That's just asking to get double-f.u.c.ked, and not in the good way."

Carmella patted her hand, and Wendy wondered if "f.u.c.k" was one of those words that sounded the same in several languages. If so, there was a chance of being partially understood.

"Sure, there's something good that comes out of any relationship, but it's usually not enough to balance out the bitterness and lies. So she showed me just how crazy it made me to get fisted, and that was some of the best s.e.x I've ever had and maybe ever will have. She was still a nut job. I just want to find someone who can do the s.e.x part and leave me alone so I don't have to endure the crazy s.h.i.t."

Carmella pulled her a little closer to her side when the ship did one of its odd lurches in mid-rise. After the floor under them steadied, Wendy didn't move away. Carmella didn't seem to mind at all.

"I really miss her mouth and her hands. You would think I could find some woman on this ship, this week, who can eat me and f.u.c.k me silly." Her little laugh was unamused. "Not to mention one who likes a lot of the same in return. Good, hard s.e.x. What's so bad about that?"

Carmella said, "A girl like you should get whatever she wants."

After she sc.r.a.ped her jaw off the floor, Wendy accused, "You speak English!"

"Sophia doesn't. She was getting somewhere without English." Carmella's shrug was elegant. "I might as well try."

"That wasn't very nice." In spite of herself, Wendy found it hard to stay mad when Carmella was smiling so charmingly. "I was telling you all my secrets."

"You are very articulate." The more Carmella said, the more Wendy loved the edges of the Italian accent that softened her words. "I was taking notes."

"I'd have never said that if I thought you could understand me.

One eyebrow lifted. "Isn't that typical of modern communication? We're only clear about what we want when we think there's no chance anyone will understand."

Wendy opened her mouth to deliver a clever retort, but nothing came to mind. She closed her mouth again, tried to find a good glare, failed, so she admitted defeat. "You're right."

"How about we be very clear about what we want?"

"I already have been," Wendy reminded her. "It's your turn."

Carmella's hands slid around her waist. "When I heard we would be hosting a LOVE trip, I was hoping to find someone who wanted, as you say, good, hard s.e.x. Someone who would let me get a year's worth in a night."

So far, so good, Wendy wanted to say, but Carmella's hands had moved from her waist to her a.s.s. "Uh huh."

"Someone who, if I said I knew of a little room, over there, would find that exciting. Would enjoy me f.u.c.king her there."

"Uhhuh."

"As usual, Sophia got to the hottest woman in the room first. What a shame someone called Leta to tell her to go look in the disco." Carmella's eyes were shining with laughter.

"Oh, what a shame." Wendy tugged lightly on the lapel of Carmella's jacket. "Then there was the bereft damsel needing an escort."

"Yes. Needing an escort. Needing much more."

Carmella pulled her in tight for a kiss that started soft but quickly escalated to a question that Wendy eagerly answered. All she had wanted was a playmate and Carmella fit the bill.

"About that little room," Wendy said when she was able. "How far is it?"

For an answer Carmella lifted Wendy off her feet, wrapping her legs around her waist. The concourse was empty as she carried her past die first shop and b.u.mped open an almost invisible door with her shoulder.

"It's right here." She set Wendy down on a counter and flipped on a light just before the door shut behind them.

Wendy had an impression of a janitor's closet before Carmella kissed her so hard that only the important facts remained in her head. For the rest of the cruise she would walk past this door and remember Carmella frantically unb.u.t.toning the sheer blouse and unhooking the Wonder bra. She would get turned on all over again recalling Carmella's grin at the sight of the nipple rings and the way she flicked both before hiking Wendy's skirt up to her waist.

"This is what you want." Carmella looked down at the thigh-high stockings and lack of panties.

"Yes." Wendy spread her legs and put Carmella's hand on the aching heat between them. "Just so we're communicating clearly, I want you to f.u.c.k me good and hard."

Carmella's eyes had gone almost completely black with l.u.s.t, and her response wasn't in English.

"I didn't understand that," Wendy said.

Carmella swallowed noisily. "I said that I want to f.u.c.k you with my hand until you scream."

Wendy leaned up for a kiss that ended with a nip of Carmella's lower lip. "We are communicating perfectly."

"Your p.u.s.s.y is hot."

"You're going to need to take that jacket off and roll up your sleeve, baby."

Carmella gave her a smoldering look as Wendy undid the b.u.t.tons. She draped her jacket over the same chair where Wendy's blouse and bra now rested. Wendy unb.u.t.toned the white dress shirt too, hoping for more skin.

She got skin. Carmella's small b.r.e.a.s.t.s were tipped with hard, deeply red nipples that responded to being pinched. A tattoo of a voluptuous angel spread over her shoulder in purples, greens and blacks. Wendy would have taken the time to appreciate the artist's work, but Carmella stepped back long enough to pull off her shirt, then her hand went directly to Wendy's c.u.n.t and she pushed inside, at least two fingers, and hard enough to make Wendy groan in antic.i.p.ation of more.

"Good and hard was the request, yes?"

"That's right." Wendy rested back on her hands and spread her legs. "f.u.c.k me good and hard."

Carmella's grin was l.u.s.t-soaked while her eyes danced with delight. She pushed in more fingers. "You feel me, don't you?"

"G.o.d, yes."

She rolled her hand so the back brushed over Wendy's c.l.i.t. "Soaking wet. You are dripping."

"So f.u.c.k me."

"Beg for it."

"f.u.c.k me! Come on, you know you want to shove your hand in me." Struggling to keep her balance on one hand, Wendy pinched one of Carmella's nipples again. G.o.d, they were perfect for that.

"Beg for it!"

Wendy could already feel the first ripples of climax from the thrusting of Carmella's fingers. "Come on, please. Shove it in. Fist me!"

Something in Italian. Then, "That's right. You want it, here it is."

Wendy cried out, loudly-it felt that good. There was nothing that meant s.e.x to her more than the layers of sensations as Carmella's hand pushed all the way inside her. Full. Stretched. Filled. f.u.c.ked. When Carmella curled her hand into a fist, Wendy's muscles adjusted again, clamping down and flexing at the same time. She trapped Carmella's hand inside her and arched her hips to make it clear she could take a good, hard f.u.c.k like this.

Carmella pulled Wendy upright enough for a bruising kiss. "Now we're going to f.u.c.k, arnica?

Wendy met Carmella, thrust for thrust, groan for groan. Her c.u.n.t was completely filled and every nerve inside her was ma.s.saged by Carmella's knuckles and wrist. It felt so d.a.m.ned good and she didn't even want to come. She wanted to f.u.c.k for a very long time.

Carmella didn't seem to mind that idea at all. She twisted and turned her hand inside Wendy, grinning l.u.s.tily at what she felt. "I have never been inside a woman who responded like you. Who could take it hard the way I want to give it."

Panting, Wendy pushed back. "This is what I wanted. G.o.d! Don't stop, f.u.c.k me good, f.u.c.k me good."

She tried to stay upright, but Carmella was winning the contest of strength. Another dozen strokes and Wendy was on her back on the counter. Carmella pulled Wendy's legs onto her shoulders and leaned in, f.u.c.king even deeper while Wendy lost the control she'd had. Her muscles were pushed open now. Her c.u.n.t felt like a river of wet. She was going to come, she realized, she was going to come and come, she didn't have a choice about that now. Carmella was pounding her with a driving beat and the only response she had left to give was a scream of pleasure as she climaxed. She screamed with pure life, with all of her senses focused on what her body could experience.

"Dio santo," Carmella said as she pulled out her hand. "Dio santo."

Brittany stumbled across the Via Condotti toward Wendy, avoiding the women milling around the shops. She also seemed to be avoiding anything bright and noisy. Wendy didn't really have any pity for her.

"You look like you had a rough night. I'm on the way to the pool. The tour doesn't leave for two hours."

"Yeah," Brittany said with a smug grin. "I had a rough night. Will you wake me up in time to get dressed for the tour? I wouldn't want to miss wherever the f.u.c.k we are today."

"Bari. We're going to see some beautiful old buildings."

Brittany obviously would not remember much of this conversation, Wendy thought. "Go ahead. I'll be your alarm clock."

"You're p.i.s.sed."

"I'm not."

"You look like you got a good night's sleep." Brittany's smug expression deepened.

"I got the night I wanted." She grinned when Brittany looked skeptical, and her gaze flicked to the door that likely only she knew was there in the paneling between two shops. "I feel like a million bucks and I'm ready for a great time."

Brittany continued her hung-over journey toward their cabin, and Wendy turned her steps toward the Apollo Lido. Along the way she pa.s.sed a white-uniformed crewwoman answering a pa.s.senger's questions. It wasn't Sophia or Carmella, but that didn't matter judging by the reaction of Wendy's pulse.

Brittany could have the musicians. They were expensive to chase and hard to attract. Women in uniform, on the other hand... yes, Wendy thought. She was ready for a great time.

Return Pa.s.sage Radclyffe "Hi, you've reached Darla Ames, cruise director. How may I help you this morning?" Darla tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder as she shuffled papers. "Today's excursion is to the Basilica of St. Nicholas. You'll find information about where to get the shuttle in the itinerary package you received when you boarded yesterday." At the sound of light tapping on the gla.s.s door to her office, Darla smiled at the voluptuous redhead standing out in the hall and motioned her visitor inside. "Yes, local guides will meet your group once you reach the island, but you should check with your tour director for the exact times." Darla pushed an errant strand of shoulder length blond hair away from her face and pointed to the chair in front of her desk. "Oh, you'll be back in plenty of time for the toga party tonight."

"One of mine?" Jessica Parry whispered as she sat down across from Darla and crossed her legs. She didn't bother to pull her skirt down when it rode high up on her thighs.

Darla shook her head and mouthed Rainbow Adventures. "That's all right, it's no trouble at all. Have a wonderful trip." She hung up the phone and pushed her paperwork aside. "You're up early this morning."

"You know how first days go," Jessica replied. "I wanted to make the rounds and make sure my group was all set for the day trip to Bari."

"It's so good to see you again." Darla came around the front of her desk and leaned against it. When she braced a hand on either side of her hips, the motion pulled her silk blouse tightly across her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Sorry I didn't get much of a chance to talk with you at the Captain's Reception last night. We booked quite a few new tour groups for this go-round, in addition to the regulars like yours, and I had to chat up all the virgin tour directors. This cruise is getting popular."

"Not too popular, I hope," Jessica said softly, watching the small round prominences in the center of Darla's b.r.e.a.s.t.s tighten and protrude. She ran the tip of her tongue lightly over her lower lip, thinking of the way Darla's b.r.e.a.s.t.s flushed when she was excited and how, when she sucked on Darla's nipples, the pale pink areola deepened to rose. "How was the Caribbean run?"

"Mercifully uneventful," Darla replied, her gaze on Jessica's mouth. "You had the Alaska trip last, didn't you?"

"Mmm," Jessica said, absently trailing her fingers over her own nipples and smiling as she saw Darla's eyes widen. "I always enjoy that cruise, but this one is my favorite."

"Really?" Darla's voice grew husky, and her b.r.e.a.s.t.s rose and fell rapidly. "Why is that?"

"Because I've never found anyone who can suck me the way you do," Jessica whispered, pinching her nipples through her cotton top. "It's been a very long four months."

"A popular tour director like you, working with one of the biggest lesbian agencies in the States?" Darla licked her lips.

"Don't tell me you don't have friends on the other ships who can help you out."

"Oh," Jessica laughed. "There are a few with talent, but you've got a magic mouth."

"The minute I saw you leading your group on board yesterday afternoon, I was wet," Darla confided. "I hardly slept last night thinking about the way you taste."

Jessica spread her legs and tilted her hips just enough to pull her skirt up another inch. Darla gasped, and Jessica knew that she had caught a glimpse of her smooth, bare p.u.s.s.y. From the way her c.l.i.t throbbed, Jessica imagined her lips were red and wet right now. "I've been thinking about this all night. When I woke up this morning, the first thing I thought about was how much I needed to come."