by Lauren Wood
I was relieved, a lingering concern vanishing to be replaced with a flush of warmth, a rush of gladness as Blu and I clung to one another and ran to abandon our rented room and meet Hutch in the lobby. But part of the sorrow of our stay clung to me, made even worse by my new glee. It only brought home the sorrow I’d be feeling when Hutch and Blu left the ship, and me, behind. And that was only a few days away from happening.
Chapter 16
Hutch
I knew I had to go see Capt. Ballard. Blu was in the Imax theater, Dana was taking care of some business of her own. I was fairly confident the captain would see me, even without notice. I was his only paying passenger, after all, but that was a situation he seemed to regret more and more.
He was stiff behind his well-polished desk in the little cabin, even smaller than the Presidential Suite I’d rented, a fact of which he was well-aware. But it was almost certainly the last thing on his mind.
“Thank you for seeming me, Captain.”
“Please, Hutch, sit down.” I did, adding a friendly nod. But I didn’t doubt that our civility would soon be severely strained. “How can I help you, Hutch? Everything ... satisfactory on your trip so far?”
“Actually, Captain, I’m afraid everything is not.” I wasn’t accustomed to beating around the bush. Getting right to the point was a business tactic that took my opponents off their guard and gave me the edge. And at that moment I had every right to believe that the man would wind up my adversary, at least before becoming my father-in-law. “I’m here to talk about your daughter, Dana.”
“Is that so?” Is posture stiffened and so did his tone.
“It is. You see, Seth, I’ve developed very strong feelings for your daughter.”
He rolled his eyes. “Mister Hutchinson, really, she’s just a child!”
“No, Seth,” I said, straining the use of his first name, “she’s your child, and she always will be. But she’s a woman now, she’s twenty-one years old -- ”
“But that’s just the point,” he said. “You’re her ... ” It was hard for the man to say it, and I didn’t blame him. “You’re her first significant relationship, let’s put it that way. And I don’t doubt that you’re a fine man who can provide for her everything that she needs. She may already be in love with you, if I’m not misjudging that look in her eyes. But I don’t want her to marry the first man she loves, no matter how rich or convenient he may be.”
“Convenient?”
“Timely, nearby, you know what I mean. Come on, Hutch, we’re both men of the world. Would you want your daughter to settle down with the very first man she’s ever known? Is that what you’d want for little Blu?”
“What I would want for my daughter is to be with the man she loves, the man that loves her; at whatever age, within reason, convenient or not. I would want my daughter to marry a man of integrity, of honesty, of generosity, of capability. If she met this man at twenty-one or fifty-one, if she met him first or after a hundred lovers, it wouldn’t matter to me.”
The captain said, “With all due respect, you’re years away from knowing for sure what you’d want. Things change, my friend,”
“That’s right, Seth, they do change, every second of every day. That includes you, your daughter, your lives together. I put it back to you, Captain, that we’re both men of the world. And we both know the horrors that world has in store, for our daughters and even for ourselves. I’ve read what happens on cruise ships like this one, sexual abuses among the staff -- ”
“Not on Oceania, Mr. Hutchinson, never on Oceania.”
“And that’s great, Captain. But you can’t protect her from mishap, from disease.” I took in his somber air, staring off. “Is that how you lost your wife?”
He simply nodded. “Cancer.” The captain reflected, staring off into some sad distance. “I read up about you, Hutch, what happened to your wife in Colorado. I ... I’m so sorry, it’s ... it was just tragic.”
“It was a terrible loss for us,” I said, flashes of my ex-wife’s pretty face bursting in my memory.
“Did they ever catch the men who ...” He seemed to wrestle even to say it, and I didn’t blame him. He went on, “... The men who did it?”
I could only shake my head, a cold nausea turning in my gut. “Poor Blu is just terrified. This whole trip is sort of a baby step toward getting her back out into the world, getting us both out.”
Seth looked around his cabin. “Baby step? A whole cruise ship to yourselves? That’s some big baby.” We shared a chuckle.
“But it’s important, so that she can be a strong, independent person, and make choices for herself, good choices. We can’t hide them away forever, Captain. You can’t keep Dana locked up on this floating fantasyland for the rest of her life.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” The captain turned, clearly regretting his tone and his position. Both were futile. “I ... I knew I ... I know she’ll have to go someday, but ... I didn’t think it would be so soon.”
I could only smile softly, bittersweet. “Nobody ever does.”
I left the captain’s cabin and crossed down the long hall toward the elevator. Passing an adjoining hall I was suddenly visited by Caroline, whom by that time I simply thought of as the maneater. She approached me with her head down a bit, but not so far down as she would have liked.
“Mister Hutchinson,” she said, using my formal name even after having jammed her tongue uninvited down my throat. “I ... I see you’ve been to see the captain.” I glanced back and realized then what she had in mind by stopping me. She reasonably assumed that I was complaining about her, about her forwardness, her unwanted sexual assaults. Her job could easily have been lost with just a few words from a person in my position. And in fact if I’d had more time to think about it I might have flexed my muscles in just that way. But I had bigger things on my mind and in my heart.
Getting no answer from me, which was quite deliberate, Caroline went on, “I just wanted to say, um, I heard about what happened in Hamilton, I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.”
I shrugged. “Not your responsibility. Couldn’t be helped. But it all worked out.”
“I’m sure Fantasia Cruise Lines would help anyway it could -- ”
I held out my hand, hoping to put this exchange and any further exchanges of the sort to a quick and permanent end. “Look, Miss ... ”
“Caroline, please.”
“Caroline, I really don’t think any further assistance from the cruise line ... or any of its employees ... will be required.”
“But -- ”
“In fact, a distinct lack of any further ... interference into my private affairs would be most appreciated.”
“Oh, um ... ” But Caroline could only stammer, unable to misread my true meaning.
I went on, “I will appreciate it if you’ll make yourself available to look after my daughter as required for the rest of the cruise. She has some ... familiarity with you. Other than that, I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your distance from me, is that understood?”
“Um, yes, of course, Hutch ... Mr. Hutchinson -- ”
“Very good. I’ll have you summoned by ship’s phone if I need you.” I left her with that, but I wasn’t convinced that she was entirely neutralized as a threat to my relationship with Dana. Making sure that she wasn’t was my next move, and that meant finding Dana.
Chapter 17
Dana
Things were happening fast. Oceania was already on her way back to Miami, and it would only be a few more days before I’d probably be saying goodbye to Hutch and Blu forever.
I tried not to think about it that way. If he leaves, I told myself, then I’ve had a wonderful week, an amazing experience that has changed my life for the better. It’ll be sad for a while, I’ll miss them, sure. But I’ve lost more in my life, and I got over that too. I’ll be fine, no matter what.
I was on my way to find Hector to tell him that his dream had come and gone, that he’d been clo
se, but luckily for us all he was not close enough.
“Dana, wait.” I turned to see Caroline approaching me. Her dress uniform blazer was buttoned up, her white skirt pulled as far down as she could manage, showing as little of that sexy skin as possible. “Hold on a minute, Dana.” I didn’t have any reason to want to hear what Caroline could have to say, but I was too distracted to spurn her. Arriving behind me and walking alongside, she said, “I just have to say to you personally, Dana, how sorry I am about what happened with your ... with Mr. Hutchinson. What you saw in that hallway wasn’t his fault. It was all on me, I swear.”
“Caroline, I -- ”
“No, Dana, listen to me. I was jealous, I admit that. I mean, he’s quite a catch, you of all people would have to admit.”
“Me ... of all people? Why?”
“Well, you’ve obviously become quite close, and I think that’s great, Dana, I really do. I wish you both all the best, I want you to know that.”
“Um, okay.” I really wasn’t sure what to say, because I wasn’t sure that I believed her. And if she was being sincere, I had grave doubts about what was truly inspiring that sincerity. What does she want, I had to wonder, what’s she hoping to get out of all this? So I decided to stay quiet and let her talk, which was the best way to find out; let her reveal herself.
“Anyway, I’m sure you two will be very happy together. Who knows? Maybe you’ll come back, get married right here onboard. Your father could officiate!” It was a bit far ahead, but I couldn’t deny that the thought had crossed my mind, though of course I wasn’t about to admit that.
“That’s good of you to say, Caroline -- ”
“And in the meantime, we’ll take good care of him, don’t you worry.”
“Take care of him?”
“Of course! I mean, not the way you have. None of us could really bring your father that kind of support, obviously. But he’s a grown man, after all, the captain of a cruise ship. I think he can handle life on his own. Though I guess it’s been a long time since he’s been alone. Probably not since he was a young man.”
“My mother was his childhood sweetheart.”
Caroline nodded and set her hand on my arm. I flinched, but she left it there. “See what I mean? It’ll be good for him to get our of your shadow for a while. Who knows, maybe he’ll find a woman, get married.”
“Out here?” I asked her, as I’d asked myself dozens of times over the previous ten years. “Where? Who?”
Caroline seemed to think it through, green eyes rolling in her white face. “I dunno, a single passenger maybe. I mean, who wouldn’t want to live on a cruise ship, be a captain’s wife?” But I’d lived on a cruise ship for ten years, and I knew there were plenty of things about it that might not appeal to everybody, or to anybody once the facts came to the surface. It was isolated, it could be monotonous, and the stream of new but eligible full-time lovers was almost nil. I’d gotten amazingly lucky with Hutch, but not only didn’t that kind of thing happen very often, it was practically a miracle; and out at sea is not where you want to count on a miracle to happen. “Anyway, what matters is that you do what’s right for you, Dana. This is your life, this is your time, you can’t let it just slip by because you feel an obligation to your father and maybe ... well, never mind.”
“No, Caroline, go ahead, say what’s on your mind.”
Caroline seemed sheepish, brows arched under her brassy curls. “I’m sorry to have to say it, Dana, but I’ve been thinking it a long time and maybe you should finally hear it.”
“I’d like to.”
“It’s fear, okay? There, I said it. You’re afraid of the outside world, and so is your father. That’s why you both came out here to sea, fear of what took your mother, fear of what took that Hutchinson girl’s mother away from her. Fear of losing another loved one. But you can’t let fear guide you, Dana, you must know that. You can see it in that little girl’s life just the same way I can see it in yours. And I know you’re doing the right thing, urging her not to be afraid, helping her out of her shell. And that’s a beautiful, loving thing to do, Dana.” Caroline gave my arm a little squeeze. “I want to do the same for you, Dana.”
We chatted a moment or two more and she left me with my thoughts. Is she really thinking about my best interests? She’s not a terrible person, it could be that she feels badly about what happened. But in all the time I’ve known her, she’s always looked out for herself. I admired it, I even emulated it, now it’s beginning to worry me.
But is she trying to guilt me into staying with her talk about my responsibilities to my dad? All that bullshit about him finding somebody else; he never will, not on this floating frat-house. What she’s trying to tell me is clear, that I’m abandoning him, that I should cut Hutch and Blu loose for my father’s benefit. And she may have a point, though my father would never let me make a decision based on that, not ever.
And what about all that nonsense about me being afraid, about my father being afraid? But my blood ran cold to know that this was as true as anything Caroline had said, anything I’d ever heard her say. There was no denying it, whatever her motive was. We were both afraid, and that was no reason to make a major life decision. But what bothered me was why she’d bring it up. She must be trying to use reverse psychology, but ... to get me to leave or to stay? Why would she rather I break up with Hutch and remain here ... with her? It’s be a lot better for her if I just disappear and make my father a wealthy man in the bargain. If I were her, I’d sit tight, make friends with me, and then hit on my father ...
I stopped walking, a thrush of realization passing through me, warm and heaving. Of course! It’s too brilliant to catch, just the type of strategy Caroline would employ. But what do I do about it? I won’t go toe-to-toe with Caroline in a game of sexual manipulation, I wouldn’t stand a chance. That’s not my game anyway, that’s not the kid of person I am and not the kind of person I want to be or will ever be. Still, I can’t leave Hutch, and I can’t just leave my father in the hands of that devious seductress.
But I didn’t have much longer to think about it. Hutch himself ran up to me as I stepped into the reception area. He seemed winded, anxious; I’d never seen him like that and it instantly worried me. My first thought was of Blu. I knew Caroline wasn’t looking after her, as I’d just left her moments before.
“Where’s -- ?”
“The Imax,” he answered, knowing my question. “Dana, listen to me. I want you, Dana, you and only you.”
I broke a nervous smile, Caroline’s apology making just a little more sense. “Right here ... now?”
“No, Dana, I mean that I want you to come home with me, with me and Blu, come and live with us.”
“Hutch, I ... ” I glanced around, breaking a nervous smile. I didn’t expect this invitation, or for it to come so quickly or at that particular place and time. “Is there some rush, or -- ?”
“There is, Dana, yes. I want to know that I don’t have to face a life without you. I don’t want to spend another moment unsure of whether you’ll have us, whether you’ll give us so much yourself, and give up such a big part of what you are.” Yet another facet of this truly remarkable man revealed itself; not only the sleek, suave Master of the Universe, not only the primitive alpha male, all strength and assertion and natural hunger and drive. Here was a man who hungered for love, who had doubts he dared not reveal but to a select few, and I was among that few. I was flattered, I was honored, and I was suddenly horny as hell. “Say yes, Dana, say that you’ll come back and share your lives with us, and let us share or lives, and our love, with you.”
“Yes,” I barely managed to push out, no breath in my lungs. There was no room for breath, nor room for doubt in my heart or questions or riddles to confuse my mind. We were kissing again, that was all that mattered, and we’d go on kissing like that for the rest of our lives. But just how long or how short that would be, neither one of us could have guessed. At that moment of heated passion, love and lust, pro
mise and improbability, we didn’t want to think, we didn’t want to know.
We wanted to fuck.
Chapter 18
Dana
The last time, our first together and my first ever, had been a long, slow build to an earth-shattering orgasm that rang in my muscle memory every minute since. And I was ready to reignite that eternal, internal flame. But there were significant differences. This time, I knew it wouldn’t be the only time. This time, I wasn’t a virgin. This time, Hutch would be the one on his back.
Once we slipped into one of the private cabins, safely hidden away from Blu or any prying eyes or ears, I fell straight to my knees. His belt opened and his slacks fell quickly away, his huge cock already reaching out to me. I’d enjoyed that majestic meat before, but this was the first time I’d come face to face with the beast. It was huge, gorgeous, flawless, a long and thick chord of muscle and hot blood, glowing pink head peering at me with that one eye, a creature with its own iron will.
I grabbed it at the base with one hand and pumped that long mid-shaft with the other. Barely able to get my fingers around it, I squeezed hard and held it steady, my mouth open and already watering. This wasn’t my first experience, but it may as well have been. But I used what I knew and relied on instinct, wrapping my lips over my teeth and lowering my tongue as I took that head in. He tasted the way he smelled, salty and masculine, a musk that mean manhood, virility, and it was driving me crazy. But I tried to stay focused, licking and kissing and mouth-fucking the forward portion of Hutch’s cock, pumping the shaft with one hand and squeezing the base with the other. Hutch was weaving on his feet, his fingers finding my blonde hair, and I knew I was giving as good as I’d got.