Passionate Ink by Jan Springer

explanations.
    Relief whispered through her. Yeah, maybe she’d had too much sun yesterday too. Too much driving the day before in her hurry to get to California. She’d pushed herself hard getting to her reserved RV campsite. Then yesterday and this afternoon she and Misty had caught up with each other’s lives since seeing each other. Of course, that’s why she’d been zoning out. Those had to be the reasons.
    She blew out a tense breath and opened the nearest window wider to allow more of a breeze to enter the warm room. The gently lapping waves as they hugged the beach about twenty feet away soothed her. From this angle, she got the perfect view of the ocean and the huge, white, full moon sitting on the horizon. Her heart picked up speed as she saw that same houseboat anchored about a mile out. The one she’d seen earlier, right after…
    Heat seared through her as she remembered the tender strokes of tentacles touching her flesh then grabbing her nipples. The intoxicating way a tentacle had slipped into her vagina, another plunging into and filling her ass to perfection. Her mouth being impaled.
    She blew out an erratic breath. Had someone from that boat attacked her? Maybe someone wearing a tentacle suit or something?
    Okay, now that was a crazy idea. She just needed to go to sleep and forget. But as she climbed beneath her sheets, she couldn’t forget the delightful green eyes of Calder, or how being around him this morning had made her fantasize about him. And then thinking he’d been a tentacle guy or whatever the hell he had been. Nor could she forget that awesome orgasm she’d experienced while being triple penetrated.
    No, she certainly couldn’t forget. She didn’t even want to.

Chapter Four
     
    Surprise washed over Catalina as she stared at the houseboat anchored in slip thirteen. This was Calder’s boat? She looked at the receipt she’d found with Calder’s credit card. Yes, slip thirteen. Gazing back at the houseboat she frowned as unease crept through her. It looked exactly like the one she’d seen anchored offshore last night. Actually, it was identical.
    “Hello! Calder! Are you home?” she called out as she stood on the dock. A small gangplank led to a one-foot-high chrome railing with steps onto the boat deck. If he had the gangplank out then maybe he’d either left or was waiting for his girlfriend to arrive? Or perhaps his girlfriend had spent the night and left?
    Knowing she shouldn’t be reacting to those questions, she couldn’t stop the uncomfortable frisson of jealousy zipping inside her. Should she board?
    She gazed around at the neighboring, colorful boats. All of them were smaller than his. There were sailboats, yachts and large fishing boats, but no one appeared for her to ask whether he was home or not.
    Well, she was already here so she may as well take a look around. Maybe he’d come back? Walking up the gangplank, she stepped over the railing and descended onto the polished, wooden deck.
    “Hello, Calder? Are you free?”
    No answer.
    Huh? Now what?
    Most of the cabin was comprised of windows, but they were frosted white so she couldn’t see inside. Maybe he was sleeping? Perhaps he was toast after a night of hot sex with that girlfriend he loved so much he’d commissioned Catalina to tattoo tentacles on him and his cock.
    Oh Cat, quit thinking this way . Despite not wanting to react, a bubble of irritation made her catch her breath. She was being silly over all this. Too emotional over a man she’d met less than twenty-four hours ago. For her, this sappy kind of attitude was totally out of character. Usually she enjoyed being alone with her own company. But since meeting Calder, she felt different. Nervous. Needy for him. Needy for a man who was already taken.
    Oh God! Cat! Stop all this whining. Knock on the door and, if he’s home, hand him the credit card or at least slip it beneath the door.
    She better just knock first. At the door, she noticed a cute,