Resonating Souls: A Bermuda Nights Novella

By Ophelia Sikes

Amanda desperately needed to get away. Her whole life had been about pleasing others - her straight-laced parents, her rule-bound teachers. When her best friend, Kayla, suggested they hop a cruise from Boston to Bermuda, Amanda leapt at the chance. This was her one chance to light the night on fire.

And then Evan stepped on stage.

Evan was exactly the man her country-club parents would have disapproved of. Ripped abs and soul-deep eyes. Lightning-fast fists. One glance and she knew she has to be his - if just for these seven brief, torturously-exquisite days.

And, oh, Evan could play her. His fingers were connoisseurs of her body, drawing out her deeper notes, sending her soaring to heights she barely knew existed. She lost all sense of self, of rules.

Until the day she saw what she was never meant to see - and her world changed forever.

* * *

Half of all proceeds of this novella benefit battered women's shelters.

Resonating Souls is the first of four novellas in the Bermuda Nights series. Due to the strong sexual content and adult situations, this book is recommended for readers aged 17+. The first three novellas have cliff-hanger endings, which lead to the final novella with a happily-ever-after.

Ophelia adores Boston and has lived in the region for nearly all her adult life. She's worked in Cambridge, hanging out at the Irish pubs and watching sculling on the Charles. She was at the first Celtics game at the Fleet Center and has pub-hopped her way down Lansdowne Street behind Fenway Park. She's seen the Nutcracker at the Wang and savored Locke-Ober before they closed. Ophelia’s been on the Boston to Bermuda cruise ship run three times and highly recommends the adventure! Most of all, Ophelia cherishes the spirit of Boston - a unique city unlike any other in the world.

Boston Strong.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ophelia Sikes
• Release date: May 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311454270

Ophelia Sikes

Ophelia Sikes fervently believes that every one of us deserves heartfelt, passionate love in our lives.Half of the proceeds of this book’s sales benefit battered women’s shelters.Please send along as much feedback and suggestions as you can. The more we can polish these worlds and characters, the more we can help the cause.

Book preview

Resonating Souls

Bermuda Nights

Book One

Ophelia Sikes

Copyright © 2014 by Ophelia Sikes

Minerva Webworks LLC

All rights reserved.

Cover design by Ophelia Sikes.

Book design by Ophelia Sikes

Visit my website at OpheliaSikes.com

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No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, and events are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

First Printing: January 2014

- 8 –

SmashWords Edition

Half of all proceeds from this book benefits battered women’s shelters.

Follow your heart.

Resonating Souls

Chapter 1

Whatever our souls are made of,

His and mine are the same.

-- Emily Brontë

The gleaming white cruise ship shone beneath the brilliant October sky, its length enormous, sleek, bursting with intrigue and promises of delight. Kayla turned at my side, her long, blonde hair swirling with her movement. Her hot-pink lips curved into a smile.

Here we go, Amanda. What happens in Bermuda stays in Bermuda!

I couldn’t help but grin in return. With everything that had happened this summer, I needed this. I had nearly collapsed during Boston University’s grueling finals week. Next, despite my stellar grades, I endured four hellish months of all-day interviewing before I finally landed my first real job. On top of it all, Jeff, my boyfriend throughout junior and senior year, had texted me his terse break-up message just as I was taking my seat for my graduation ceremony. He couldn’t even spare an hour to say goodbye in person before he left for his dream job in Minneapolis.

Now that was all behind me.

I drew in a deep breath of the Boston Harbor salt air. This week laid out before me with soft beaches of pink sand, shimmering strawberry daiquiris, and a harem of handsome, tanned waiters at my beck and call.

Paradise.

Kayla and I strolled up the covered gangplank to the ship. Our eyes were drawn first to the long rows of portholes and then to the balconies higher up on the massive structure. The railings glistened as if they had been freshly polished just for us.

Kayla stumbled to a stop, gape-jawed. My gaze automatically followed hers.

There, on the balcony of one of the larger suites, a red-headed woman with thick hair nearly to her waist was leaning forward against the side wall of the patio. Her hands stretched, splayed, before her. A tall, muscular Viking of a man was behind her, sliding her black skirt up around her hips. He moved his hand to his belt. Even from here we could see that the man was proportional. Nicely proportional.

He eased his body slowly, steadily, against the woman’s. We watched as she melted back against him, as pleasure coursed through her at his controlled, teasing entry.

Kayla’s voice was rough. Good God. I want some of that.

I found I couldn’t look away. The Viking’s hand slid up beneath the red-head’s crisp, white shirt to caress her ample breast. She arched greedily into him. He rode against her eager body with steadily increasing rhythm. She threw her head back with desire, the harbor noises drowning out any cries she might have been doing her best to muffle.

A wave of envy rolled through me. Had I ever felt that surge of wild abandon with a man? Certainly not with Jeff. He had been cold, efficient, mostly interested in his own pleasure. The times he bothered to think about what I wanted, it had seemed more out of necessity, out of a balancing of his mental spreadsheets than from a real desire to connect with me.

I suddenly wished, with every cell in my body, to experience an encounter like what played out before my eyes. I craved the total release in which the woman was thoroughly immersed.

Kayla was still transfixed, and I found my voice. Kayla, I doubt the man is on call for room service. Maybe he and that red-head are on their honeymoon, I watched them in motion, the freeness in every move they made. Maybe this is their first moment together as man and wife.

Kayla shook her head, her eyes gleaming with intention. Passengers won’t be allowed in their rooms for another two hours, she pointed out, turning her gaze and striding up the gangplank with fresh zeal. He’s definitely a member of the crew. Once I track him down, he’ll be sharing that muscular body of his with more than just the maids.

I gave a wry smile, trailing after her. Kayla was a force of nature when she got an idea in her head. Tall, curvaceous, she took it for granted that men would race to please her - and most of the time she was right. I was content to watch from within her shadow. I was dark-haired, slender, and until quite recently, I’d always been with Jeff, held firm beneath his attentive thumb.

Now I was free.

The idea shimmered within me, and I took in a long, deep breath. Maybe this vacation would finally shake me apart from the clinging tendrils of my past. Maybe, for once, I could let loose and see just what life truly had in store for me.

* * *

The sail-away party was all the TV commercials made it out to be. A dreadlocked reggae band was playing full blast amidst strobing lights and massive plastic palm trees. The hot tubs were bursting with polka-dot bikinis and rippled muscles. Everywhere you turned a waiter was offering a rainbow of tropical drinks. Kayla had stopped craning her neck every five minutes in search of her blond warrior and had settled into the groove, her neon-pink bikini placing her curves on prominent display. My black one-piece was slightly more modest, although its gold edging and plunging neckline brought out my toned features. I adored swimming, and my body had been sculpted by the years of my passion for it.

A lanky guy, his face peppered with tan freckles, came over with a smile. Nice ship, huh? Amazing this’ll be our home for the next week.

Tension rippled down my shoulders, and I took a step away from him. Yes, I’m looking forward to it. My head swiveled, and I spotted Kayla leaning on one of the hot tubs. I gave the guy a nod before walking over to join her.

Her eyes danced as I reached her. That guy was totally into you, she teased. He’s been watching you for ten minutes now. And the moment he builds up the courage to go over, you flee!

My response was automatic. But if Jeff had -

She laughed out loud. Lord, Amanda, we’re going to have to break you of that habit. Jeff’s jealous streak was just one of his many flaws. You’re free of him now, girl!

It was still hard to take in. I was free. I could talk with a man for more than thirty seconds without fearing Jeff storming in on us. Each time it had been the same routine. First Jeff would say something obnoxious to drive away the intruder. Then the rest of the evening would be a non-stop harangue about my lack of control.

I gave a wry smile. It’ll take me a while to get used to this, I admitted.

She nudged me in the ribs. You’ve got one night, she instructed. "After that, I’ll be taking drastic action. You’re going to enjoy this cruise,