by Anna Lowe
“Just a sec…”
She ducked into the tiny bathroom, praying he’d wait as she rooted around for a condom, hiding somewhere in the depths of her toiletry bag. She made a tiny sound of triumph and emerged with two.
“Green or purple?” She held the condoms up.
His eyebrows jumped. “Um…green.”
She took it as a good sign that he hadn’t brought a condom along. Apparently, this evening was as much of a surprise to him as it was to her.
“Sorry about the green,” she squeaked.
He grinned. “Are you kidding? I’m thanking Neptune for green, and for prepared sailor chicks. Besides, it goes with the turtle theme.”
She handed it to him and all but crawled into his lap in relief. “Maybe not turtles,” she said, kissing him.
“Too slow?” His hands circled her waist, guiding her closer.
She shook her head. “The males latch on and force the poor females,” she said, stretching alongside him.
“None of that,” he murmured, ducking in for a kiss.
“None of that,” she mumbled back, caressing his lips with hers for a moment. There it was again, that soft-yet-hard ledge. Delicious.
His fingers danced suggestively over her hip, as his eyes shone in the dim light of the cabin. God, he was something when he was hungry. It was as if a subtle new side was coming out of him — a pirate side, maybe. A girl could hope, right?
He came down slowly over her. Too slowly.
“I didn’t mean you had to be all knight,” she murmured, a little yowl in her voice. Her right knee bent upward and wobbled as she fought with the urge to drag him in.
His rock-hard cock twitched against her hip. “You prefer a little more Viking?”
“Not just a little,” she said, sweeping a hand up his chest.
“Let the knight have a little fun first,” he said, touching her with long, lingering strokes that made her nipples harden into tight peaks.
“Kyle…” Her heart skipped a few beats and she closed her eyes, hoping for more.
A finger touched down on her lips. Dipped inside her mouth. She licked and sucked until he pulled it away and brought the tip to her nipple.
“Ah…” Her whole body rose at the warm, wet contact, and her nipple hardened to a tight, sharp peak as he circled it.
Yep, she was a goner, all right.
He brought the same finger to his mouth, licked it good and wet, then reached for the other nipple. With a sharp intake of breath, she reared into his touch, murmuring her pleasure.
“God, that’s good…”
When he swooped in and caught her nipple with his lips, she arched right off the bunk. As her leg climbed his, the anklet rubbed against his calf, then his thigh with just the right amount of friction.
“Kyle…”
That breathless plea was about as much as she got out, because his hand started skimming down her body, sending insistent red flames through her veins. He combed her tight curls, then dipped between her legs.
“God, yes…”
She’d never felt more in tune with a partner. Never felt more sure of exactly what he wanted, what he’d do next, and how perfect it was sure to be.
He circled her bud, and she moaned. “Nice…”
It was a lot more than nice, but one syllable was just about all she could get out right then.
He ventured farther, one finger toying at her entrance as she forced herself to breathe.
“Hannah…” he whispered in a voice full of wonder. A voice that said he was having as much trouble holding back as she was.
His cock was hard and thick, and she longed to hold it, but he’d pinned her arms over her head, and she was helpless. Deliciously helpless under his touch.
Her moans built to throaty cries as he quickened the pace and mimicked the motion her hips were already tingling with.
“So good…” Her anklet played along her skin as her legs climbed his. “Please.”
Kyle stretched the moment out, working her breast harder, his fingers faster. The expression on his face said he enjoyed watching her come apart almost as much as she enjoyed the feel of him on her. In her.
Her lips worked the air silently until she finally forced a few words out, faking a casual, “Hey, Kyle?”
“Hey, Hannah?”
“Inside,” she growled, freeing her hands to tug his hips into position.
“Inside,” he hummed. “Excellent plan.”
When he sat up and fumbled for the condom, she helped him roll it on like they’d done it a dozen times in the past. Then they stretched out, and her blood surged at the sight of him poised over her like that. She thrust her hips up just as he pushed down, and his sigh of satisfaction was almost as throaty as hers.
Not a Nice sunset kind of sigh. Not a Look-at-that-tropical-lagoon sigh. A heated, Give-me-more sigh. A My-best-fantasy kind of sigh, and it was aimed at her.
“Hannah…” he croaked, sliding slowly in.
She wrapped her legs around him, relishing the burn, the stretch. He inhaled and withdrew, barely keeping contact with her entrance, then plunged back in just in time to turn her protest into a cry of delight.
“Yes!”
Yes, yes, yes! her whole body sang.
When he reached around to angle her leg higher, her eyes fluttered shut, and his breath tickled her neck.
“Do it again,” she rasped, right in his ear. Please, please, do that again.
Kyle withdrew, straining every muscle to keep the head of his cock nestled at her entrance. He froze there for a split second, and she watched his glazed eyes study hers before he hammered back in, timing her own maneuver for a split second later.
Then it was his turn to cry out, because she clenched down with her inner muscles. Not just in a one tight grip but in a rippling motion that followed his cock down and in.
“Jesus. Hannah…” he mumbled. The first word was a sharp exclamation; the second, a hoarse groan.
“Do it again,” she repeated, unable to keep a grin of pride off her face.
“Only if you do it again,” he mumbled, already sliding back out.
His eyes twinkled at hers for that split second on the starting line, then squeezed shut when he thrust slowly back home, looking all the world like a man savoring every inch of the ride. Hannah coiled and tensed one ring of muscle after another, and she ground out a sound approximating his name. He seemed to be moaning something, too, something like Christ, yes! They were a custom fit, almost-but-not-quite too tight. And not just in size but in tempo, like a blues band that had been making music for years.
Another couple of fast rides to heaven later, he started thrusting at a crazy pace she could barely keep up with. A roar built in her ears and a wave built inside, spiraling higher and higher. She dug her fingers into his back, trying to hang on. His pace quickened along with his breath until the moan framed on his lips jumped over to hers and slipped out at last.
“Kyle!”
Every muscle in his body went rock hard as he shuddered his release into her.
A moment later, they were both limp, panting, and blissfully tangled in the sheets. Her mind was blank, her body drugged on the endorphins coursing through her veins.
Um… Ah… Wow… She groped for words.
Eventually, she pulled herself together long enough to pat his back absently and mumble to the ceiling.
“You, my Viking, can come raiding any time you want.”
He laughed and ran a hand over the soft flesh of her breast. “Viking, huh? Be careful what you wish for, my pirate queen.”
Pirate queen. She liked that.
He kissed her shoulder, then pulled her up against his chest. She sighed and snuggled closer, putting an ear to the heavy thump of his heart. Telling herself he was right.
Be careful what you wish for…
Her mind was already galloping away with possibilities. Like a lot more raiding, a little more plundering, and possibly some settling in.
Chapter Sixteen
Kyle closed his eyes, savoring the slow stroke of her fingers across his, marveling at the lean curve of her waist. His heart rate slowly settled down, his body warm and relaxed. Truly relaxed, for the first time in a long time. When Hannah rolled around to drop a kiss on his lips, he found himself stretching his lips, hanging on it, prolonging the moment for all he was worth.
“Kyle,” she murmured, stretching the Y and holding the L like she never wanted to let go.
They spent a long time lying face-to-face, grinning at each other like a couple of kids who’d just raided the cookie jar. His body hummed as he stroked her skin, trying desperately to think of something to say or do.
When her stomach growled, they both folded into giggles, and the awkward moment that might have been was past.
“Ready for pizza?” Hannah asked.
“Ready.”
He watched her release a mighty all-body stretch, then rise slowly, like a lion off to the hunt. Except this lioness paused for one more kiss, her small breasts swaying temptingly near as she did so. She sauntered away, found her clothes, and headed for the galley while he took up his perch on the step again, satiated — for now.
“So tell me about sailing.”
“Like what?”
“Anything. Everything.” He wanted to hear it all. He wanted to hear her voice.
Conversation came easily, a whole catalog of thoughts and ideas and experiences tumbling out of each of them, right through the baking of the Hawaiian-style pizza and devouring it in the cockpit, where they munched in amiable silence for a time.
“Come on.” Hannah led him to the bow, gesturing to the nearly full moon rising in the sky.
He watched her, fascinated by her composure. She’d gone from frisky bedmate to dinner hostess to dreamy stargazer, each time in the blink of an eye. No false modesty about her body, no forced familiarity or stiff attempt at banter.
“Look,” she said, hushed, pulling his attention back to the sky.
The moon was plump and bright, etched with a stark landscape of craters and mountains, all of them standing in sharp relief.
“Don’t get to see that in New York,” he said. Maybe even sighed. Sure, he caught the occasional glimpse of the sky between skyscrapers, but the moon seemed bigger out here in the middle of the Pacific. Brighter. Not a secondary character but the star of the celestial stage. A thousand stars twinkled around it, some straining to make themselves seen in against the moon’s bright light, others shining in pinpoints overhead. Kyle imagined them whispering, Look at me! Look at me!
A sight free for the taking, each and every day.
Especially if you’re a sailor, a little voice murmured from the back of his mind.
A spark shot across the eastern sky, and they both called out at the same time. “Shooting star!”
“Quick! Make a wish!” Hannah added.
A dozen possible wishes jumped to the tip of his tongue. Wishes that had never crossed his mind before, full of images of boats and swaying palms and Hannah in her sun hat, sitting in the back of a truck. Dangerous wishes he gulped away before they got the better of him.
No need to be greedy. Not on a night as rich as this.
Hannah stood in silence for a few seconds before slipping an arm around his waist. “You know what?”
“What?”
The way she cozied up — it felt so good, so natural, that something in him ached with hope.
The corners of her mouth curled into a shy smile and looked out across the ocean. “Just having someone around to say ‘make a wish’ to is a wish come true.”
He squeezed her closer, so close to asking why she did it, then. All those travels, all alone. But she changed the subject before he could, and the moment was lost.
“Look.” She gestured at the water.
The moon was so bright that ripples on the surface made the white sand of the bottom appear to shift like dunes in an aquatic desert.
“I can’t believe we can see the bottom at night. How deep is it here?”
“About fifteen feet. Beautiful, huh?”
He nodded. “Now I know why they don’t need TV here.”
Hannah laughed. “It gets better.”
He was about to say it couldn’t possibly get better when Hannah pulled off her T-shirt, shucked her shorts, and climbed on the bow railing.
“Come on!” she called in midjump.
He was still gaping when she sputtered to the surface, laughing. “Come on! It’s great!”
Part of him wanted to somersault in beside her, but the other part eyed the water.
“Are you really not scared of sharks?
She splashed upward and nearly got him. “It’s the windsurfers you have to watch out for.”
“Seriously, though!”
She was treading water four feet below him and looking awfully good. “Big man-eating sharks like deep, open water. They don’t come into lagoons.”
“What about reef sharks?”
“Oh, come on already!” She splashed again. “More people are killed each year by falling coconuts than in shark attacks.”
What else could he do but strip and jump? He hit the water with a yelp, and the water rushed into his ears. It licked at his skin, swallowing him up, then tossing him back to the surface. The second he opened his eyes, the night sky twinkled, dazzling him all over again.
“See?” Hannah said, coming closer.
The water was warm and welcoming; the closest he figured he’d ever get to the feeling of being a baby in a womb. The stars overhead were bright, the universe endless.
“God, this is great.”
Hannah paddled up to kiss him, then stroked toward the stern ladder. “Let’s jump again!”
She was like an eager ten-year-old, jumping time after time, cajoling him to do the same. He felt like a kid again, right on her tail. Well, a cross between the carefree eight-year-old he never really got to be and a very randy teenager hoping to score on a Friday night. He spent almost as much time admiring the view as he spent admiring her body, so pale and beautiful in the black and white shades of night. It was all so novel. Exciting. Freeing, even. Freedom from a schedule, from work, even from his own norms. Freedom from expectations and straitlaced thinking.
“Gotcha.”
He caught up to her at the swim ladder after the fifth or sixth jump and swallowed her lips in a kiss. Their bodies brushed, her legs wound through his, and that set them off on round two. Sex in the moonlight turned out to be a lot like skinny-dipping in the moonlight.
Novel. Exhilarating. Liberating.
Round three took them back to the forward bunk, and each time was hotter and harder than the previous. When he finally dropped prone on the bunk, Hannah cuddled up close, stroking his skin. When she opened her mouth to say something, his chest seized up.
This was it. She’d politely usher him back into his clothes, into the dinghy, and out of this fairy-tale world of life and love on the water. Because he was fairly sure pirate queens did not keep men in their bunks the whole night through. He should feel lucky to have landed there in the first place, right? And she had plenty to do in the morning. Another couple of laps up the mast, maybe, or changing the engine oil or monitoring barometers or some other nautical thing.
His gut flip-flopped. Why, he didn’t know, because leaving now would be perfectly in keeping with his standard procedure before he’d found the woman he thought was the one. No different, really, from the way he’d kiss a date and grab a cab home. Thanks and good-bye, right?
Except this was different — totally different — and he never wanted it to end. Not the contact, not the beauty of the night, not the warm, fuzzy feeling blanketing his soul. He raised his head from the pillow and watched Hannah rub soothing circles on his stomach.
“Will you stay the night?” she whispered.
The words raced straight into his bloodstream and pulsed through his body. Even after he flopped back on the pillow, he felt
like he was levitating above it.
She wanted him to stay — all night!
“That would be great,” he whispered, tugging her against his chest. “That would be great.”
Chapter Seventeen
One night was not going to be enough. Hannah knew it, even before daylight stole away the stars and bid the moon good-bye. Not even one night and a sweet, sensual morning, waking up in a good man’s arms.
Any minute now, she’d peel herself away, get her act together, and start work on the boat.
Soon.
Very soon.
Eventually…
She pulled the sheet over her head, shutting out the pale, dawn light. She never wanted the night to end. Never wanted to let him go.
Which was ridiculous, of course. Pretty soon, she’d be saying goodbye and have a nice life. Because that’s how one-night stands worked, right? This was just an interlude, a fantasy, and as soon as the bubble burst, she’d go straight back to being alone.
For now, though, she remained plastered to him like old, flower-print wallpaper. They were spooned together, his arm curled around her side, as it had been all night. A beautiful night to remember for a long, long time.
Kyle shifted; was he awake, too? He must have been, because his hand began stroking the soft side of her breast, sending a tingle through every waking nerve.
“Good morning,” he whispered, kissing her shoulder.
Hannah sighed, hoping the deep satisfaction of the sound said more than words.
He snuggled her closer, and it felt so right. They lay quietly, slowly waking together. She squeezed her eyes shut and let herself pretend this feeling of wholeness was for keeps.
Kyle reached a hand over her shoulder and pointed to the photos she had taped to the wall.
“Is that you?”
She blinked at them dumbly for a moment. It was a funny feeling to wake up with a lover and look at pictures of your prepubescent self.
“Yep,” she said at last. “Braces and all.”
“The legs are a dead giveaway,” he murmured.
She had to smile at that. “That’s my dad, my brother, me,” she pointed. “Cleo the dog, and my mom.”