Desire

by Simone Sowood

  “I did. My mother lost all her money. Now she only has what I give her.”

  Jay usually clammed up when I asked him about his family or his past. That he now feels comfortable enough with me to share warmed my heart.

  “What about your father?”

  His eyes shifted to the ground. “He died when I was a baby.”

  My insides welled in grief for him. “That’s terrible,” I said, going over to him and rubbing his back.

  “Bourbon Chaser was his favorite, so I named my boat after him. Anyway, it’s all long ago. Hop aboard.”

  * * *

  It was warm for October, and I even took off my jacket. Jay fired up the engines. I stood beside him as he piloted the boat out of the marina and onto the openness of Lake Michigan.

  “I like to come out here to get away from everything,” he said, looking straight ahead.

  “It’s amazing how quickly life sinks away,” I said, looking back at the Chicago skyline.

  “Exactly.”

  I gripped his arm and squeezed, his bicep taut under my touch. We traveled straight out, until the skyline was a faint outline against the sky. Jay cut the engine, and we drifted.

  “Now…” he said, grabbing my waist. He didn’t finish his sentence because he planted his lips on mine. A slow, deep kiss that could have gone on forever.

  My insides fluttered, willing his hands to rip off my clothes. Instead the kiss went on, and my hunger for him grew.

  “Is there a bed on this boat?” I broke the kiss to ask.

  “Several,” he said, kissing me again. My lips, my neck.

  “Guess we have our work cut out for us.”

  “I hope you have some sexy lingerie on under these clothes.” He toyed with the bottom of my sweater.

  “Sort of.”

  He nuzzled at my neck. “What do you mean ‘sort of’?”

  “I learned my lesson about wearing g-strings out.”

  “Oh? So what are you wearing?” He slid his hand between my skin and jeans. I sucked my tummy in, giving him easier access.

  His hand moved all the way down to my mound, and he groaned in approval when he found I wasn’t wearing any panties.

  I tugged at the bottom of the black shirt that clung to his body, wanting access to his chest. I ran my hands underneath the shirt, over his perfect body underneath. A body I could never get tired of touching.

  He broke away and said, “Come with me.”

  Jay took my hand and led me through the glass siding door at the back of the boat. A narrow set of stairs led up from it, and he herded me up them, then a second set.

  We emerged onto the fly deck, a large, open area at the top of the boat. A metal chain hung around the outside, and there was a large chest in the middle that looked like a part of the boat with built-in seating wrapping around it. The deck was otherwise empty.

  Jay unlocked the chest and opened the lid. He flicked on a speaker, took out his phone and soon after Ed Sheeran sang out across the water.

  He pulled out cushions and chucked them on the floor in front of the built-in seating they were intended for. Only then did I clue into his plan. Still bent into the chest, he came up holding a bottle of Champagne and flutes.

  “Sit,” he said, passing me a glass.

  I smiled and took the glass in my hand before making myself comfortable on the cushion.

  Jay sat beside me, and said, “To the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. My beautiful woman.”

  I blushed as we clinked glasses. I leaned against his body and we sat, drinking our Champagne and looking out across the water. The water that seemed to go on forever in all directions.

  “You know how you said we should just keep driving?”

  “What, all that time ago?”

  “Yeah, you said we should take off and leave everything behind.”

  “That was before I knew who you were.” I cringed, embarrassed at the memory.

  “We should do that.”

  “Huh?”

  “We could take this boat and go.”

  I laughed. “Before I said we should go until we run out of money.”

  “Except we’d never run out of money. Ever.”

  “And what about our responsibilities? If I remember correctly I accused you of not having any.”

  He laughed and took a sip of Champagne. “I can hire people to run my companies. Easy.”

  “Okay, where would we go? What would we do?”

  “We could boat through the lakes, out to the Atlantic and down the coast. We could winter in the Caribbean, and summer there as well. If we got bored we could fly over to Europe.”

  I looked at him, studying his face. “You sound like you have this all planned out.”

  He looked away. “I’ve been thinking about it. About what I want out of life.” He paused and looked back to me, held my eyes captive in his intense gaze. “I concluded the only thing I want out of life is you.”

  I swallowed and took several breaths while he held my eyes in his. Was he serious?

  He leaned into me, placed his hand on my cheek, and kissed me. A deeper, more loving kiss even than the one we’d shared below deck. Every iota of my body came alive, and I wondered what else I needed in life aside from this. This man, right here, right now. I couldn’t think of anything else I needed.

  Chapter 8

  He broke away and pulled off his shirt. The sight of his body caused my breath to catch. Even though I saw it every day, I always thought afterwards that my memory was embellishing how perfect it was. Each time I saw it and realized my memory was right, my heart paused.

  “These clothes need to come off, beautiful.” He pulled my sweater over my head. Underneath, I was wearing a sheer black bra he had given me.

  Jay leaned back, surveying me. He always did this. Stared at me. Raked me with his eyes. It made my heart pound every single time. As if one of these times he would look at me and come to his senses. Someone like me should not be with someone like him. He was out of my league.

  The breeze swirled around me, causing my nipples to turn to stone and poke into the thin fabric of the bra.

  “It’s a bit chilly up here,” I said.

  He laughed. “That’s the idea.”

  Jay cupped the sides of my breasts and rubbed his thumbs over my hard nipples. He leaned over, clamping his mouth onto mine. The coolness of the air was blown away by the heat he sent coursing through my body.

  This is exactly where I wanted to be forever, in his arms. I reached up and circled my arms around his powerful shoulders.

  He reached behind me and unhooked my bra. A shiver ran through me as the last bit of fabric between my breasts and the air was removed. He put his hand behind my head and laid me down on the cushion.

  I reached out to explore his muscles with my fingertips, and for a moment he let me. He watched my face, and my fingers traced the line of his pecs down to his abs, then across to the V formed by his hips. When it reached the waist of his jeans, he pushed my hand away and undid my jeans.

  He pushed them down, my most private parts now exposed to the cool air. I shivered again and Jay moved his body alongside me, closer to mine, and I sucked in his warmth.

  I kicked off my jeans the rest of the way and pulled him flat, until we were lying pressed against each other, and we kissed. The waves rocked us together in a soothing motion.

  The only thing I could think about was how amazing he was. How I could run away with him and be happy for the rest of my life as long as he was in it.

  He pushed down his own jeans then rolled me onto my back, ending up on top of me. I spread my legs to allow him between them. He supported himself on his elbows and kissed me. My lips, my cheek, my neck.

  Jay grazed his hand down my side, stopping to play with my nipple, hard from the cool air as much as his touch. I tried to pull all the warmth I could from him.

  “You’re cold,” he said, his voice soft.

  “It is October in the middle of Lake Mi
chigan.” I smiled, trying to reassure him I wasn’t annoyed. I didn’t want this to end.

  “I’m taking you inside.”

  “As long as we continue this.” I flashed him a coy smile.

  “Beautiful, is there any doubt?” He smiled, the sunlight glistening off his eyes and beaming straight into my heart.

  He laughed, a loud laugh that carried out over the water.

  We made our way back down the two flights of steps. When we were through the sliding glass door he scooped me off my feet, just as a big wave knocked into the boat. He had to put his leg back to steady us. I hugged him harder.

  “Maybe I should walk,” I said.

  “No way.”

  He opened a door and stepped over the raised frame at the bottom. We went through another door, again with a raised frame, and entered a bedroom with wood-paneled walls and a queen-sized bed centered on the far wall.

  Jay placed me on the bed. He removed his boxers, revealing his massive, erect cock. I reached my hand to him, and he lay down beside my naked frame.

  Our lips found each other, transporting me back to where I belong. I closed my eyes, letting the bliss of the moment, of him wash over me.

  My hands gripped his arm muscles as my lips found their way over his shoulders, the hard muscles a stark contrast to my soft lips. He moved out of the reach of my lips, and I rolled back to look at the ceiling as he took each of my nipples in turn into his mouth.

  Jay moved down more, kissing over my belly until he arrived at my mound. He skirted around it, instead kissing the surrounding flesh. I placed my hands on his shoulders. Steering him in, but I knew he would make me wait. Wait until my pussy was so wet it dripped with need.

  I released my grip on his shoulders to lace my fingers through his hair. He didn’t give in, and I took my hands away, letting them flop over my head. At last his tongue flickered across my lips, setting me on fire, the way he always did.

  Jay knew me, my body. How to make it dance and sing and explode in ecstasy. He could take me places Matt had never even come close to. And I was sure no other man ever could either. Because beyond all the external touching, my heart belonged to him.

  His fingers moved between my slit, spreading it to expose my clit to him. He blew across it and began swirling his tongue around it. My pulse raced, my heart pounding in my ears and chest. My pussy was desperate for his touch, for something to clamp down on.

  I started moaning, endless high-pitched cries of delight. He sucked my clit into his mouth, each tug a bolt of pleasure up my spine. My breath quickened and my eyes rolled back into my head. The world fell away, Jay and I the only things in existence.

  He slid two of his fingers into me, pushing them deep. He pressed them against the front wall of my pussy and worked them in unison with his tongue. In moments I crashed into a powerful orgasm. My legs squeezed his body, and he used his other hand to push my one leg down into the bed, holding it in place while I writhed around.

  When my body calmed, he worked his way back up, kissing my belly and breasts, my neck. Our lips met again and he kissed me, his tongue probing my mouth.

  He pushed his cock into my pussy, and I gasped. Every time I forget how big it was and how much it stretched me. He moved in a slow rhythm that built my excitement again, until my hips were tilting up and down, urging him faster.

  He leaned down, put his lips to my ear and said, “I love you.”

  I purred in response before saying, “I love you, Jay.”

  And I meant it. I loved him more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. I loved him more than any characters had loved each other in old movies.

  I wrapped my arms and legs around him, trying to pull him deeper into me, to bring us as close together as possible.

  My body was a tingling wreck. As he thrust into me, a tidal wave of joy pushed out from my pussy and overtook me.

  “Jay!” I screamed and wailed as it ripped through me, as much as my breathlessness would allow.

  He groaned and dug his cock deep into me, releasing himself. He hovered over me, both of us breathing heavily.

  Once our breathing had calmed, he rolled off me, onto his side, put his arm around me and held me close.

  “I’m serious, you know,” he said.

  “About what?”

  “About running away, just the two of us. Traveling the world.”

  I let out a soft laugh, not sure how to respond.

  Chapter 9

  We sat on the deck at the rear of the boat, watching the sun glistening on the water and feasting on our picnic of artisan bread, dips and cheese, along with more Champagne. We dreamed about running away. Of the route we would take and the things we would see. The idea of having Jay to myself was almost too much. Every second we were together, I wondered how I ever lived without him.

  “I got the crazy text photo you sent, taunting me with your body when I couldn’t do anything about it,” he said.

  I giggled, I’d forgotten all about it after the Calvin incident.

  “I’m glad you got it, I accidentally sent it to Jenny first.”

  “You have to be more careful,” he said, sternness in his tone.

  “I know.”

  “That pussy belongs to me. You have to be more careful, I’m not about to share it with anyone. No one, not even in a photo.”

  “If you don’t want any more sexts then I won’t send any.”

  “Good.”

  “But you’ll be missing out, I had some good ones planned.”

  “I won’t be missing anything because I don’t intend to be apart from you.”

  I laughed and swiped a bit of hummus down his nose and over his cheek. In a flash he had his arms around me, pinning my arms at me side rocking me from side to side.

  “It’s like that, is it?” he said, laughing.

  I giggled. “Yes, it is.”

  Jay rubbed his face against mine, transferring the hummus to my face. He swung me outwards. For a moment I thought I was going in the water and I squealed but he pulled me back, planting my feet on the deck.

  We stood on the deck, embracing so closely all the air between us had been pushed away.

  “I mean it, beautiful, I love you.”

  “I love you too,” I choked back a tear, brought on by the powerful emotions I felt for him.

  “Those clouds over there look pretty dark,” Jay said, nodding. “We’d better head back.”

  Part of me was sad. I wanted to stay out here with him, isolated from everything. But I knew he was right.

  He went inside while I packed up the picnic, throwing some of the bread to a couple of seagulls that had been hanging around the boat.

  Jay was crashing around inside. At first I didn’t pay any attention to it, but it seemed to be getting more and more frantic.

  “Fuck!” he yelled.

  I rushed in to see what was happening. One look at his face, drained of color, and I started to worry.

  “What’s going on?”

  He looked at me and regained some of his composure. “Something’s wrong. The fuel is gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “Yes, emptied. I had it filled this morning. Rats must have chewed through the fuel line and we lost all the gas.”

  “Really? Rats do that?”

  “Sure. The line’s cut. What else would it be?”

  He showed me the line, accessible from a hatch in the floor of the boat. It was cut all right, but it didn’t look like it had been chewed to me. The sever was too smooth. Surely Jay must see that. But I held back from saying anything, he was too upset. I’d ask him about it later.

  “So how do we get home?”

  “I’ve radioed for help. All we can do now is wait.”

  Jay sat on the sofa and patted the space beside him. I followed his direction, and he put his arm around me. I stared out at the lake. Seeing the line cut scared the hell out of me. Who would cut it?

  * * *

  We transferred to another boat J
ay had sent out, and managed to make it back to the marina before the clouds broke.

  “We’re going to my place tonight,” Jay said.

  I didn’t mind. He had stayed at my little condo all week, it was only fair I stayed in his sprawling mansion over the weekend.

  I followed him to his Bentley.

  “For fuck’s sake!”

  I followed Jay’s line of sight. The Bentley had been keyed, in the same way as the McLaren. From headlight to taillight, a deep stripe along its side.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. This was getting too strange.

  “Nothing’s going on. Just some punks bitter they drive around in a junker.”

  “Does this happen a lot?”

  “Not really. Sometimes. It’s fine, get in.” His voice was curt and I didn’t push him any further, telling myself I wouldn’t get any answers while he was worked up. Especially after the boat fuel line. What was going on?

  We got in and soon my knuckles were white from gripping the seat so hard. I even closed my eyes a couple of times. No wonder he didn’t use a chauffeur.

  We pulled up to his house, a sprawling gray brick three-story house. He pulled into the garage, it was the first time I’d been in it. Everything was spotless. No clutter. No junk. Nothing like our garage when I was growing up.

  Above all, there were no cars. And I knew he had at least two.

  We got out and Jay pushed a button on the wall and the floor beneath the car began to lower.

  “Where’s it going?”

  “Down with all the others.”

  “How does it work?” I regretted the question as soon as I’d asked. I have to stop being amazed by all his fancy pants billionaire stuff. I felt out of my comfort zone as it was, I didn’t need my words betraying my insides.

  “I scroll through, select which car I want and push the button. Then it appears. Magic.” He smirked, and I punched his arm in a playful gesture.

  * * *

  We sat in the den, and Jay built a fire to warm us from the October day out on the lake. Rosie brought us hot chocolate, placing the mugs on the coffee table.