Little White Lies

by R. C. Matthews

  They all nodded in happy agreement.

  “Please allow me to show you the cabin area where you can store your bags and change later, as you choose,” Cynthia said and led them to the stairwell down into the cabin. She looked younger than Max, probably mid-thirties. Madalyn wondered if they were a couple. Cynthia had gorgeous, long, black hair caught up in a ponytail, with perfect olive skin. But she was short—couldn’t be above 5’1”.

  Madalyn made her way down the stairs and was pleasantly surprised by the spaciousness and beauty of the teak wood cabin. Straight ahead of them to the left was a large sitting area with an L shaped bench and two opposing chairs separated by a table. The seat cushions were dark blue and white pinstripe, matching the sailboat’s exterior colors. Directly to the left was a small galley and to the right appeared to be some sort of charting table and various instruments and electrical panels.

  Cynthia directed Jason and Susie to the bedroom behind the stairs and to the left while Mike and Liz went to the bedroom behind the stairs and to the right. Royce grabbed Madalyn’s hand and pulled her straight ahead, past the sitting area to a door. He opened it to reveal a cozy bedroom with what appeared to be a queen-sized bed. He threw their bag on the bed and then pointed out the two bathrooms on their way out, situated immediately to the left of the bedroom.

  “Come on!” he said with boyish anticipation. “Let’s go help Max prepare to leave port.”

  When they arrived on the main deck, Jason and Mike were already removing the lines holding the sailboat to the cleat hitches. Max was at the helm and used the motor to pull out of the slip and then pointed the sailboat towards the ocean.

  They made their way out of the marina at a slow pace. Madalyn looked up to the mainsail mast. “Don’t you need to let out the sails?”

  Royce grinned down at her. “You’ve never been sailing have you, baby?”

  “No. Why?”

  “We’ll cut the motor and unfurl the sails once we reach the open water and can point the sailboat directly into the wind.”

  “Oh! Well, can I help unfurl the mainsail when it’s time?” she asked.

  His eyes gleamed as he looked down at her. “Sure. You just push this button right here.”

  “What?” she asked confused. “Well then what’s all the excitement about with Mike and Jason?”

  “You’ll know once you experience it. Sailing is … liberating. There’s still a roller furling on the jib, and if the winds are right we can also enjoy the spinnaker,” he said in a language completely foreign to her.

  Her face must have contorted into a big fat question mark, because he clarified in English, “The jib is the smaller front sail and a spinnaker is a huge triangular sail set before the mainsail. It’s an amazing sight and so much fun. We’ll use it when running before the wind.”

  She gave up on understanding him and just smiled and nodded her head, “Can’t wait!”

  Royce pulled her into his arms and gently yanked on her hair to pull her face up towards his, and gave her a soft kiss. “It just means to sail with the wind behind us, Madalyn.”

  “Then why don’t you just say that, Royce?” She smiled back and rolled her eyes.

  He shrugged his shoulders and they stood side by side, watching the passing sailboats. Soon they would be out in the open water. Just as promised, Royce let Madalyn push the button to unfurl the mainsail when the time was right, while Jason and Mike made ready to unfurl the jib. Susie and Liz were sitting comfortably on benches and soaking in the sun. In minutes they were sailing a Northeast course with Royce at the helm. Cynthia and Max disappeared down into the cabin to begin preparations for lunch. The weather was perfect. Warm wind blew through Madalyn’s hair as she stood next to Royce and watched the island landscape float by.

  “Where are we headed first?” Susie asked.

  “We’ll make our way to Teagues Bay to go swimming with the tarpon,” Royce said.

  “What’s a tarpon?” Madalyn asked. She’d never heard of it before. It wasn’t surprising, because she didn’t know much about fish.

  “You’ll see soon enough,” Jason said with a huge grin. Madalyn couldn’t decide whether his grin was good or sinister.

  “Have you ever been snorkeling?” Liz asked Madalyn.

  “No, but I’m anxious to try it. I hope we see all kinds of cool things today—except for sharks. That would freak me out.”

  “Not interested in meeting Jaws?” Mike teased.

  She blushed and a guilty grin surfaced. He wasn’t far off the mark.

  “It’s unlikely we’ll see a shark,” Royce said. “But if we do, you just need to stay calm and don’t make any quick movements.”

  “Why don’t we all change into our swimsuits now,” Royce said when Max took over at the helm. “We’ll be there in no time.”

  • • •

  Madalyn decided to wear her orange and white polka dot bikini with her Detroit Tigers hat. Royce stepped into the cabin as she was tying her bikini top around her back.

  “Let me get that for you,” he said. He took the strings out of her hands and tied them swiftly in a bow, and then reached his hands around her, cupping her breasts and massaging her nipples. She leaned back into him and rested her head on his chest. Bending his head down, he placed a trail a kisses along her neck.

  “Oh, sorry,” he murmured. “I was looking for the rest of your top.” He grabbed the top stings and tied them around her neck. “Is that comfortable?”

  “Um … hmm,” she nodded her head and spun in his arms so they were face to face.

  He ran his hands slowly down her back, pulling her close to him. “I like this one too,” he said, tugging on her bikini bottoms. He leaned down to give her a deep, thorough kiss, drawing a low sexy moan out of her.

  “Hold that thought for later.” He smiled at her and let go to find his swim trunks in the bag. He pulled off his shirt and let his shorts fall to the floor, all the while watching her face.

  His broad shoulders were bronze and his chest and stomach were well defined. Super sexy. She wanted desperately to run her hands over those sculpted muscles and feel how they trembled at her touch. Her lips parted and she licked her lower lip, catching it in her teeth while she watched him change.

  “Stop looking at me like you want me for lunch,” he smirked and pulled on his swimsuit. “We’re not alone, so I can’t do all the nasty things I see in your eyes.”

  She took a deep breath and sighed at his wicked grin. She loved the way he talked. She used to think dirty talk was shameful; or perhaps she was led to believe that by Charles. Right now, coming from Royce, it was just hot.

  He grabbed her hand and led her back up to the deck where Max had laid out all the snorkeling gear. She let Royce rub her down with sunscreen and took a look around. Max was in the process of setting anchor in Teagues Bay while the others were already rummaging through the gear, trying on various sizes to see what fit.

  “What size shoe do you wear?” Royce asked, digging through the gear.

  “Um … ” she hesitated.

  He gave her an irritated look.

  “10,” she squeaked out.

  “Oh, I see now why you hesitated,” he said. “You don’t need flippers, sugar. Yours are built in.”

  “Shut up!” she laughed and pushed him. “I’m 5’7’’ Royce. That’s a normal-sized foot!”

  “You go right ahead and think that if it makes you feel better … Big Foot!” He laughed and jumped out of the way to avoid contact from her big foot in his big bottom.

  “Catch this, Madalyn,” Liz said, throwing her an orange colored mask and snorkel. “It matches your bikini!”

  “Thanks,” Madalyn said. She found a pair of flippers and listened carefully to Jason as he lowered himself into the ocean and explained how to clear her mask.

  “Eeeww. Why do I have to spit in it?”

  “It’ll keep the mask from fogging up,” Royce answered, giving her a quick hug from behind and pecking her on the ch
eek. “Forgive me?”

  “Yes.”

  She lowered herself slowly into the water and swam away to make room for the others to join in. It felt warm and inviting. She marveled at how effortless it was to stay afloat as she waited impatiently for all of the others to get situated.

  “Here, I brought this for you,” Royce said, offering her a camera. “It’s waterproof. You’ll want pictures to remember this day.”

  “That’s a great idea. Thanks, baby.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be,” she replied and watched him disappear just below the surface.

  Placing her snorkel into her mouth, Madalyn submerged her face into the water for a look around. The water was so clear she could see all the way to the ocean floor. The others were swimming away from the boat. Royce pointed off into the distance and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. That looked like a school of sharks! She yanked her head out of the water and started swimming hard towards the boat.

  “Madalyn! Where are you going?” Royce yelled to her.

  “Those are sharks!” she shouted back to him.

  He laughed. “Those are tarpon, not sharks! They’re just big fish, baby,” Royce assured her. “Tarpon can grow up to eight feet, but they’re harmless. Come take another look,” he coaxed. “You can see the shiny silver scales all over their bodies, even from this distance.”

  She swam back to where he was and they put on their snorkels once more. It was still a bit shocking to see huge fish so close, and in such large numbers. But she could see their silver scales and the unusual lower jaw that jutted out farther than the rest of the head. Upon closer inspection it was clear that these were not sharks—they were missing the telltale pectoral fins. The sheer size of the fish and the large dorsal fin threw her off. Soon she began to relax and enjoy herself.

  Swimming with the tarpon was amazing. She was able to get a lot of great shots of the group with the fish. It was thoughtful of Royce to bring the camera. After a while Royce started showing off, diving deep into the water to look up at her from below, which turned into an idiotic male contest with Mike and Jason to see who could stay under water the longest without coming up for air. Royce beat Jason by a hair.

  “Not bad for such an old man,” Jason taunted.

  “Old my ass,” Royce retorted. “I’m 38 years young but I look at least 5 years younger than you.”

  “Dude, you’re ancient,” Mike chimed in, which earned him a thorough dunking by Royce.

  “I’m young enough to beat your ass!” Royce laughed victoriously.

  Susie, Liz and Madalyn looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

  “I think we better get back on the boat before they start dunking us too,” Madalyn said, laughing.

  Chapter Nine – The Proposal

  “You didn’t put enough sunscreen on your face,” Madalyn softly scolded Royce. “Your nose is so red!”

  He snuggled up next to her in the limousine. “I’ll live, baby. Did you have a good time?”

  He buried his face in her hair as though afraid to hear her response. She knew he had put a lot of effort into planning their day. Grabbing his face in both of her hands, she gazed into his eyes.

  “It was amazing, Royce. One of the best surprises of my life!”

  A wide grin spread over his face and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder giving her a little squeeze. “Good, because I have another one planned for tomorrow.”

  She pursed her lips in an attempt to hide her smile. “Oh, really?”

  “Umm … hmm,” he said, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. His boyish smile had her grinning back at him. He looked so damned cute with his red nose. “Our honeymoon should be full of special surprises.”

  A twinge of pain pierced the center of her chest at his words. Oh, how she was beginning to wish that were true. Madalyn fought the sting of tears threatening to cascade down her cheeks as she found herself caught in a dangerous game of the heart. There was no denying Royce excited emotions in her beyond anything she had known existed: feelings that did not fall neatly into her preconceived notions of life and love. Time no longer held meaning with Royce. How could it be that she felt closer to him in the few short days they had spent together than she had ever felt with Charles after six years? It defied logic and was quickly shooting gaping holes in her tightly held beliefs.

  Susie shifted in her seat toward Royce, breaking through Madalyn’s deep thoughts. “Our lunch was amazing. The papaya and mangos were so succulent, and I’ve never eaten conch salad before. I’ll admit I was a little worried about trying it. But it was just delicious.”

  “Eh, I could take it or leave it,” Mike said. “But the avocado dip with chips,” he said rubbing his belly, “those were something else! I can’t believe Cynthia made those chips. I love me a woman who can cook!” He beat his chest caveman style, smiling broadly at Liz.

  “Stop talking about food,” Jason moaned. “I’m still stuffed, even though we must have worked it all off snorkeling. You want to talk about amazing! What was that second place called again?”

  “Purple Fingers reef,” Royce said. “It’s named after the coral.”

  Madalyn squeezed Royce’s hand and laid her head on his shoulder. “I can’t wait to see how my pictures turn out. It’s funny but the coral did look like fingers. It was simply gorgeous with all those shades of purple.”

  “The brittle star fish and eagle ray were pretty cool too,” Jason said. He gave Royce a slight punch in the arm. “Great day! I can finally say I’ve been on a Swan. And we got to use the spinnaker! That was awesome. I’ve never seen a deep purple spinnaker. Where did the name Lavender Lady come from, anyway?”

  “Lavender is known as a stress reliever,” Royce said, looking over to Jason. “Haven’t you ever heard of lavender oil being used in massage therapy?”

  Jason nodded his head. “Sure. Is your brother always so esoteric?”

  Royce shrugged. “Mark is a pharmacist. He wanted a unique name for his sailboat, but it had to have a deeper meaning. He’s quirky that way.”

  “Maybe I should change careers,” Jason said. “Who knew a pharmacist's salary could support a Swan.”

  “It doesn’t, so don’t bother,” Royce was quick to respond. “Believe me, being an auctioneer sounds much more interesting!”

  Royce hesitated for a moment and stared down at his hands before continuing. “Our father died five years ago, leaving each of us a little nest egg. Mark chose to put his into a sailboat.”

  “Oh, man. I’m sorry, Royce,” Jason said.

  Royce waved him off. “No worries. I think my dad would have loved the Lavender Lady. I wish he could have seen her.” He reflected for a moment. “He had the Swan 53 on his bucket list. It was just one of the many things he didn’t get to in time. I doubt he’ll ever admit it, but I imagine it’s one of the reasons why Mark bought it.”

  The story tugged at Madalyn’s heartstrings. She could see now why spending a day on the Lavender Lady was such a special excursion for Royce. She lifted her head and grabbed Royce’s chin, turning his face to hers.

  “Thanks for rocking my world again.”

  A shy smile turned up the corners of his lips and he kissed her forehead. “You’re welcome.”

  • • •

  They boarded The Cleopatra thirty minutes before she was scheduled to leave port. Madalyn hugged the women goodbye before they went their separate ways. She felt so much closer to the entire group now; anyone looking in might have guessed them to be old high school friends.

  Royce opened the door to her stateroom and pulled Madalyn gently into his arms as soon as they crossed the threshold. He dusted feathery light kisses along her jaw-line to her ear and then down her neck to her collarbone, sending shivers down her spine. He nibbled his way across her chest to the other side and back up again, finding her willing lips, while his hands explored her body, rubbing her back, cupping her bottom, sliding over her hips and then making the
ir way up her stomach until they landed on her breasts to pinch her taut nipples. Her belly quivered in anticipation.

  He swept her up in his arms, never letting her lips escape his gentle assault. Walking over to the bed, he slid her body down his until she stood on her feet and he held her close for a few moments, breathing in her scent. He didn’t say a word, but when he stepped back and looked down at her, his eyes spoke volumes.

  She pushed him up against the wall, with her eyes locked on his, letting him watch as her hands slowly made their way down to his shorts, pulling his shirt out and up over his head. Her tongue grazed over his chest, enjoying the feel of his warm, sun-kissed skin, while her hands opened his shorts, letting them fall to the ground. He caught her mouth with his and his tongue began a lazy exploration while he made quick work of undressing her.

  “Royce,” she moaned when his finger slid easily into her, mimicking the slow and lazy circles of his tongue on hers.

  “You’re so responsive, Madalyn,” he whispered huskily. “It lets me know you want me as much as I want you.”

  Guiding her to the bed, he laid her gently on her back and worshipped her body with his eyes as he stood at the edge of the bed, looking down on her. He took his sweet time kissing and licking and massaging her in all the sensitive places of her body, from the crook of her neck, to the swells of her breasts, pausing at her nipples and then making his way over her belly and down to her soft inner thighs. The heat of his breath caressed her and she fought the urge to squirm closer to his mouth. Just when she thought she would certainly explode with need, he slid a condom over his hard length, spread her thighs wide with his knees and snaked her arms above her head with his hands before plunging into her wetness. Her hips rose off the bed to meet him, wanting to feel him at her core. Royce locked eyes with hers before slowly pumping in long, full strokes. His eyes told her a story she desperately wanted to hear, yet feared all the same. She felt cherished wrapped up in his cocoon.