Ribbon of Steele: A Romance of Suspense

by Jq Allan

"Ok, first I'm not a prostitute, so thanks," said Lizzie giving a face of pretended shock. "Second, he doesn't fly so I don't think that's going to happen."

  "He's scared to fly?", quizzed Nicole. "What the fuck, that's weird."

  "It's not weird. A lot of people are scared to fly," responded Lizzie wishing she had kept it to herself.

  "I guess," said Nicole bending her leg to blow on her toes.

  It was a bit odd that Mackenzie was afraid to fly. He had said there was a story behind it, and she wondered what it was. When he had spoken to her about sailing, it seemed like he viewed it as almost an extreme sport.

  "Well, opera or not, I won't wait up for you this time," Nicole said with a smile.

  19

  Anderson turned and looked behind him. He had the strange feeling he was being followed, but he continued up the path to his house. He closed the door behind him and turned the deadbolt. He walked into the living room, and picked up a hardcover book from the floor. He placed it on a large stack near the couch and pulled a bottle of single malt scotch from a silver tray on the end table. The cork squeaked as it exited the bottle, and he poured himself a tumbler full of the brown liquid.

  Spying another book on the floor, he reached down and placed it carefully on the stack. He had a cleaning lady that came in twice a month, but lived the life of an old bachelor.

  He got up from the couch and grabbed his drink. Walking to his home office. He pulled out his keychain and slid a key into the door. Keeping the door of his home office locked was an old habit. There weren't many secrets kept here anymore, except one. He sat at his desk and thumbed through his keys until he found a small gold key about an inch long. He inserted the key into the top desk drawer and paused before twisting it. He removed the contents of the drawer, placing two file folders on the top of his desk. One folder was black with gold writing. The other folder was red and much thinner. He stared at them for a moment as though wary of the papers sitting before him. Placing the black folder to the side, he took another sip of scotch. Taking a long deep breath, he opened the red folder.

  20

  "So where are we headed," Lizzie asked James as he pulled away from her apartment in the Duesenberg.

  "If it is alright with the lady, I know Mr. Steele wishes you to be surprised."

  She was starting to get used to the fact that the only thing James ever revealed was perfect grammar.

  Lizzie smiled as the Duesenberg began to pick up steam. After a few turns, it was clear they were headed towards the waterfront. As the car neared the water, Lizzie could see the deck of the huge ship where she and Mackenzie had met. It already seemed so long ago. The car reached the end of a long wharf, and Lizzie saw the masts of dozens of large sailing ships reaching towards the sky. The bright color of nautical flags and rich oiled teak adorned the rows of boats as they quietly tugged on their ropes and bobbed in their slips.

  At the end of the dock was long and sleek sailboat with a hull that was so deep a color of blue, that it nearly looked black. It was one of the larger boats attached to the dock, and she could see it had one main mast towering upwards.

  From below deck, a man emerged with a long length of rope. He caught a glance of Lizzie, and stopped to smile and wave.

  She smiled as she took him in. Mackenzie's strong tan legs looked incredibly sexy in his sailing shorts. The wind held his polo shirt tight to his chest, exposing his wide shoulders and muscular stomach.

  "This is amazing," Lizzie called loudly into the wind.

  "Come on aboard," Mackenzie said smiling as he walked to the side of the ship.

  He threw the length of rope below deck and reached for her hand, pulling her onto the boat.

  "Do you sail this all by yourself," Lizzie said with a puzzled look on her face.

  "No," said Mackenzie. "That's why I asked you to come," he said squeezing her hand and giving her a wink.

  "Take a seat and make yourself comfortable," he said pointing to a horseshoe shaped seating area directly behind the wheel.

  She made her way towards the back of the boat and took her seat. The seats were warm from the morning sun, and she watched as Mackenzie tied and untied ropes and then moved to the steering wheel. He started the engine, and slowly maneuvered the large boat away from the dock.

  Lizzie watched as they moved out of the harbor and towards open water. The smell of the water blew on the breeze as the boat picked up speed. Behind her, the ships in the harbor became smaller and smaller as they reached the open water.

  Mackenzie pushed another series of buttons on the console and the sail began to rise. Lizzie could see there were actually two sails with a smaller sail in the front. Looking intently at the sail above them, Mackenzie turned the front of the boat a few degrees and the sail filled with wind. Reaching down, he turned off the engine of the boat.

  The quiet was amazing. All she could hear were the waves splashing on the hull as it cut through the water, and the gentle sound of the boat's riggings pulling in the wind.

  Mackenzie looked back at her and smiled. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, placing her in front of him at the wheel. She felt his strong arms surround her as they both placed their hands on the ship's wheel. The feeling was amazing. She had never sailed before.

  She felt safe and warm in his arms, and watched the waves spray from the front of the boat.

  "Watch the headsail," Mackenzie said calmly.

  "What's a headsail?", Lizzie asked nudging her shoulder into his chest.

  "The tall sail in the center is the mainsail. The smaller one in front is the headsail," said Mackenzie instructively. "This is called a Bermuda rig," he added as he intently watched the water and sails.

  She was turned on by how passionate he was about sailing and being out on the water. She remembered their first conversation and smiled. She was happy that she was here to share something he loved.

  "How did you learn to sail?", Lizzie asked.

  "My father thought me when I was really young," Mackenzie responded as he scanned the water in front of them. "He and my mother would go out all of the time. It was kind of their thing together."

  Lizzie was suddenly even more flattered that Mackenzie had invited her.

  "My mom, her name was Evelyn, always made my dad tell her everything that was going on at work," Mackenzie said reminiscing. "When my father had a lot on his plate, they would be gone for hours as she dragged every last detail out of him."

  Mackenzie shook his head and laughed.

  "That's really sweet," said Lizzie.That made sense. The ship's name, Evelyn Rose, was after his mother.

  "She always said that true love doesn't have secrets," laughed Mackenzie.

  "I'm going to grab something below," he said after a while. "You got this?", he asked.

  She wasn't sure, but she nodded anyway, and Mackenzie disappeared below deck. Taking the wheel by herself, Lizzie gazed at the wide open water in front of her. It felt strange. When she was all by herself at the wheel of the sailboat, she felt an unbelievable sense of control. There was a primal surge she felt in doing something that slightly scared her. It seemed like Mackenzie knew exactly how to bring this out in her.Did he do that on purpose?Mackenzie appeared with a bottle of champagne and a silver bowl of cut strawberries. He poured two glasses of champagne and handed her a flute.

  Taking over at the wheel, he turned out of the wind and pushed the button to retract the sails. The boat began to slow and the rigging fluttered helplessly in the breeze.

  "You know that's cheating right?", Lizzie said. "Nobody ever pushes a button in Pirates of the Caribbean."

  Mackenzie set the tray down and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her from the wheel as she pretended to resist.

  "Well you do make up for your sailing with things like this," Lizzie said jokingly as she smiled and pointed to the champagne.

  They sat and sipped on their champagne and chatted as the waves lapped the sides of the boat. Lizzie talked about Wendles, and a design
she was working on for a large corporate client. He smiled as she talked about growing up, her parents and her time at school.

  She loved his smile. She loved that he listened and gently stroked the top of her hand with his thumb while she talked. Sometimes she would forget what she was saying in the middle of a sentence as she stared into his eyes.

  After taking a final sip of champagne, Lizzie grabbed a fat strawberry and stood up.

  "You have to give me the full tour of this ship of yours," she said coyly reaching for his hand. He stood up and their bodies touched. Leaning forward, he kissed her deeply. She closed her eyes and felt his strong arms wrap around her.

  He slowly pulled away, and led her below the deck of the ship.

  The living quarters were separated into three areas. A main living section was flanked by a small galley kitchen and sleeping quarters at the bow of the boat.

  She led him towards the sleeping quarters to find a neatly made bed. The bed was perfectly shaped to fit in the bow of the boat. She sat on the bed and removed her shoes. Looking up at him, she pulled his shirt upwards to expose his tight stomach. She kissed the soft tight skin of his stomach as he pushed his fingers through her hair.

  Twisting the button on his shorts and slowly lowering his zipper, she exposed his cock. She massaged him with her hand as she began kissing lower and lower on his stomach. Wrapping her fingers tightly around the base of his penis, she slowly took him inside of her mouth. She felt him exhale as his head leaned backwards.

  "Baby, you feel so good," he whispered after a few moments.

  She took him deeper inside of her mouth as he pulled tightly on her hair. Watching his pleasure and feeling him pull her hair was making her wet. He let out a soft moan and pulled his cock from her mouth. Leaning over to kiss her lips, he quickly pulled her to a standing position. Kissing her neck, his fingers quickly untied the loop in her drawstring shorts and he pulled her pants and underwear to the floor.

  The cool breeze from the deck above sent a chill up her legs as he pulled her tightly against him. Lowering his hands to her waist, he raised her shirt over her breasts. As he pulled it off, he stopped and pulled tight so the last few inches of fabric covered her eyes. He pulled harder and her head moved backwards, exposing her neck. He kissed beneath her chin and she moaned.

  She pushed forward against him with her hips, feeling the hair on his cock tickle her stomach. He lowered her to the bed, still covering her eyes as he tightly gripped her shirt.

  She felt his mouth kiss her hips and the tops of her thighs, and she slowly opened her legs as he kissed the curly black hair above her growing wetness. His tongue slowly traced the inside of her thighs, and she inhaled a sharp breath. His tongue began to flick against her and she twisted her hips in pleasure. He inserted one finger, and then two as he continued to make her squirm with the flicker of his tongue. She felt her orgasm building as he moved his fingers inside of her in slow circles.

  She arched her back and pushed her fingers roughly through his hair as her orgasm arrived. For several seconds, she held his head in place until the flicker of his tongue became too intense.

  She felt him withdraw and could feel the tops of his thighs as he stood between her legs. With a single motion, he pushed his cock deep inside of her. Still wet from her last orgasm, she pushed her hips forward to accept every inch of him. Still tingling, she moaned with pleasure as his strong legs moved his cock slowly and firmly inside of her.

  In a single motion, he flipped her over, pulling her to a standing position next to the bed. He pulled tightly on the shirt, causing her to arch her back. Entering her from behind, he placed the palms of his hands on the small of her back and guided the depth of his long slow thrusts. She felt him move his hands to her ass, and he squeezed to the point of pain. She held her breath, and could feel the pleasure build deeply inside of her.

  Lizzie felt him remove his hand and then heard a slap and felt a strong stinging pain on her ass. Before she could react, she felt a second slap on her other cheek. Her ass began to feel warm and raw as she let out a scream. The pain gave way to a warm pleasure that radiated thorough her entire body. She pushed her tight ass backwards meet him and felt his hand slap her again as her orgasm made her whole body writhe in pleasure. He pushed his hips hard against her ass, and she felt his body tense as he came inside of her.

  Her ass throbbed with pain as she sighed deeply and freed herself from her shirt. He pulled his cock slowly out of her and collapsed on the bed breathing deeply. He moved his hand slowly over her ass and the small of her back, rubbing softly in slow circles and soothing the burn.

  She rolled onto her back and kissed his mouth, slowly running her fingers through his hair. After a few moments, she sat up and pulled on her shorts and shoes.

  "Where are you going," he asked rolling to his side.

  "It's my turn to drive," she grinned, still topless. He pulled on his shorts and chased her as she ran up the stairs and onto the deck. The sun was shining brightly as Lizzie grabbed the wheel and Mackenzie poured two more glasses of champagne.

  21

  Wickes took a guzzle of scotch and slammed his fist on his desk. Sitting back in his chair, he stared intently at a large renaissance portrait across the room. It featured a half naked woman with dark eyes, and he glared at the portrait for several minutes. He took another swig of scotch and grunted as he stood from his chair.

  Moving to the portrait, he placed both hands on the frame and lifted it from the wall. Behind it was a small steel safe. He placed his large fingers on the combination dial and nimbly turned it back and forth several times. He paused for a moment, and then pulled hard on a lever next to the dial. The heavy steel door of the safe smoothly glided open. Wickes stared motionless for a moment, viewing the contents.

  Inside was a large black folder and a .38 revolver. Wickes reached into the safe and took both items. He replaced the painting, and placed the items on his desk. Collapsing in his desk chair, he took a long draw of scotch. The alcohol was running through his veins and his face glowed red. He picked up the gun. Studying it for a moment, he opened his desk drawer and placed it carefully inside.

  The file folder looked a bit worn. It was black and embossed with gold.

  Taking another sip of scotch, he reached for the call button on the intercom. He found the button and released a guttural cough before pressing it.

  "Mr. Anderson, could you come in here please?"

  22

  "Where's Dizzy?" Lizzie asked Mackenzie. He had just pulled up in front of the apartment in a black Mercedes S-Series. Mackenzie smiled as he stepped into the spotless apartment and gave her a kiss on the cheek. In the last few weeks, Lizzie had gone out with Mackenzie almost every night. She had eaten at Pemlilly twice, gone to the symphony, and even had dragged him miniature golfing. Today, Lizzie had spent the entire morning folding Nicole's laundry and washing dishes. Under the clothes, she had found thirty-seven dollars, a handful of Cheerios and an original single ofThe Bengals, Walk Like an Egyptian.

  She had also found a sundress in Nicole's pile, and didn't feel a bit guilty about borrowing it for the date with Mackenzie. It was one of those unseasonably warm fall days that show up ever so briefly before winter sweeps in with its icy grip.

  "I thought we would try something different today," he answered with a smile.

  As he opened the car door for her, she wondered about his plan for their afternoon date.

  She settled herself into the luxurious seat of the Mercedes as Mackenzie opened his own door. The car smelled like him. It was a smell of clean and spice and leather, and she quietly took a deep breath to drink him in.

  "Ready?", he asked, turning the key in the ignition.

  "As I'll ever be," she said. "You're really not telling me where we're going?", she asked coyly.

  "Let's just say that it's long overdue," he said with a smile.

  What does that mean? At least I know he's not going to introduce me to his parents. God, that'
s an awful thought Lizzie. Not like I would mind meeting them if they were alive. Wow, I'm glad I didn't say that out loud. What the heck is overdue?

  They took a few turns in the city, headed north on the highway, and drove for about twenty minutes before the highway became a country road. Lizzie was totally lost, but was too mesmerized by the beauty around her to care. The rolling hills were a lush green and covered with fruit trees. She remembered their conversation about loving the outdoors and smiled.I guess he was listening.

  "Something funny?" He asked with a smile.

  "No, just taking this all in," she said. He reached his hand from the wheel and placed it on her leg. His touch sent a spark through her body. She placed her hand on top of his and sat in silence as they drove.Am I in love with him already?