Emma spent the entire drive to Adam's thinking about Michael. He was such an amazing friend; she certainly didn't know what she'd done to deserve him. He was an incredible man; kind, strong, honourable...Emma couldn't figure out why some lucky woman hadn't scooped him up yet. He was the sexiest man she knew; more like an actor or model, really. Emma was five foot seven inches, and he towered at least half a foot over her. He kept himself in amazing shape, covered in sinewy muscle from head to toe, and he had dark hair that he kept cropped just a little longer than his other business mogul counterparts. With women drooling over him everywhere he went, it really did baffle Emma why he was involved in so few relationships.
By the time Emma had finished pondering Michael's relationships, she had arrived in front of Adam's house. “Strange that it already seems like his house when just a few days ago it was ours,” she mused aloud. But, she had come here on a mission, so it was time to get it over with. She exited her car and made her way up the drive. She knocked when she reached the door instead of walking in or trying her key. It really wasn't home anymore.
Adam opened the door a moment later, and she stated her intent succinctly, “I've come to collect my belongings, Adam.” “But Emma. Let me just explain...can't we talk about this,” Adam started. It seemed so cliche to Emma that she nearly laughed aloud at the absurdity of it. There was no way she'd believe that he slipped and fell into Miss Nether Regions, so there really was nothing to talk about. “I'd just like to get my things, Adam, and then I'll be going back to Michael's.” “Oh, so that's where you've been. You went running straight to him, didn't you? I know exactly what's going on between you two, and you think you can give me a hard time over one stupid mistake?” he accused. Emma couldn't fathom what Adam was talking about, and right now she didn't care. “Are you going to let me in, Adam?” “Fine,” he eventually conceded. Emma made her way through the house, grabbing her few pieces of luggage from the bedroom closet and stashing her things in them as quickly as she could. When she was finished, she lugged the baggage down the stairs and headed for the door. Adam stood blocking her exit, but Emma was certain she was done with this part of her life. She glared at Adam and waited for him to move. Almost a minute later, Adam conceded his defeat and moved away from the door. She walked through it, luggage in tow, and never looked back.
Emma spent the next two days in a whirlwind of preparation. Though in truth, most of the time was spent packing, unpacking and repacking her suitcase. She had never been on a cruise before and wasn't entirely sure what she would need. In the end, Emma ended up purchasing most items new for the trip, unhappy with her ordinary wardrobe and reasoning that she hadn't splurged on herself in years. A little of everything ended up in her suitcase, from casual sundresses to formal attire. On a whim, she even picked up a few naughty pieces for the trip including sexy lingerie that she had no idea why she purchased to a string bikini she would never have been caught dead in before. While she wasn't sure she'd have the guts to put it on—full-coverage bathing suits and tankinis had always been her style—the prospect of letting loose and walking a little on the wild side appealed to her. For some strange reason, the thought of Michael seeing her walk out on the sundeck in that scrap of fabric appealed to her even more. “Jeez, I must really have taken leave of my senses,” Emma thought aloud. But, since the purchase was non-refundable, she tossed it in her suitcase and nodded her head to close the subject.
It was Thursday evening and Emma was finding it difficult to settle down to sleep. She and Michael left for the cruise ship in just seven short hours, and she was surprised to realize how excited she was for her first vacation in eons. She had been staying at Michael's house, given that she wouldn't have time to hunt for a new place until she got back, but she'd barely seen Michael at all during the past few days; he had popped in for lunch two days ago and then again yesterday for a shower and change of clothes. He apologized for his absence; apparently a last minute business commitment before the trip. Even though they departed in just a few hours, Michael still had not returned home again. So, Emma sprawled out on the living room sofa in her makeshift T-shirt and boy-cut panty pajamas, and flipped through the television channels hoping to find something dull enough it would lull her off to sleep. It must have worked because when Michael walked in the door an hour later, Emma was fast asleep. Her bare legs lay exposed to his view and her T-shirt had ridden up, showing off her perfectly-shaped ass and toned stomach. Just another inch and the hem of her shirt would expose the bottom fullness of her tits. “Damn!” Michael uttered a whispered curse. He couldn't take his eyes off the sleeping form on his sofa. God, how he wanted to walk over and run his hands along her silky smooth skin; to gently pull her T-shirt up to bare her tits; to slide off her tight little shorts and leave her naked to his view. Michael was beginning to question his decision to invite Emma on vacation. While he hoped it might provide the opportunity for a shift in their relationship, it also might be the end of him if he couldn't have that body soon. Living in close quarters with her might drive him mad.
Emma began to stir as if she could sense the tumultuous battle raging in Michael's head. Her eyes fluttered open and Michael did his best to plaster a friendly, disinterested smile on his face. “Is it morning already?” she inquired sleepily. “Nope, not for a few more hours. Go back to sleep, Em,” he whispered. “Mmm, I've missed you. Come sit with me. I was just watching TV,” Emma explained, thinking she'd only been asleep for a moment. But, when she glanced at the TV to find a late-night paid programming show, she smiled a sheepish, tired smile. “OK, maybe I wasn't watching TV,” she joked, but she moved to sit up regardless. “It's late, Em,” Michael protested weakly. Cuddling up with her half naked form seemed like an epic recipe for disaster right now. “Suit yourself,” she replied and flopped back down against the arm of the sofa, but some small part of Emma felt disappointed; she had wanted to feel Michael's body close to hers, and she couldn't understand why. Fortunately, a moment later she had drifted back to sleep. Michael, on the other hand, didn't sleep a wink all night, too painfully aware of the gorgeous woman on his couch.
At six in the morning, a sleep-deprived Michael shook Emma gently to wake her for their departure. Forever a morning person, she awoke quickly and was showered, dressed and ready to go in less than 20 minutes. She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and rolled it across the hallway to the front door. Suddenly, she was as excited as a child on her first trip to Disney World and she found it difficult to contain her exuberance. Michael laughed at her, mesmerised by her childlike delight and followed her out the door to the car and driver waiting outside. “Oh my,” Emma froze. “I take it this is here for us?” “Yeah, Em. I'm not leaving my car parked at the airport, so we're getting a ride there,” he explained matter-of-factly. It was too late to object. Besides, what girl wouldn't be at least a little excited about her first ride in a limo? The driver opened the door and Emma climbed in while Michael handed over their luggage. A moment later they were on route to the airport. It wasn't until they arrived that Emma realized they had been on their way to a private airport. Apparently they were taking a private plane to the cruise ship. Emma wasn't sure she'd ever get used to such luxuries, but within five minutes of being on board the plane, she discovered that luxuries weren't such a horrible thing. The few times she had reason for air travel, she'd always flown coach. This was definitely a new experience. “OK, but if Michael owns the cruise ship, too, I'm calling off this vacation!” she thought as she stared at the clouds out her window.
The cruise ship was nearly ready to depart by the time they arrived—a private, late boarding was apparently another perk that came with a gi-normous bank account. Michael and Emma were escorted to their room, which turned out to be a four-room suite complete with two full-size bedrooms, a living room and a luxurious bathroom with whirlpool tub and glass-walled shower. And a private balcony overlooking the ocean. Yikes! When Emma had researched the name of the ship Michael had mentioned, she had taken a
look at the online brochure with pictures of tidy and simple statesrooms. But, she had to admit this was a beautiful suite. Their luggage was deposited in the two separate bedrooms and then they were left alone to settle in as the ship began to move. “Relax and enjoy, Em,” Michael began. “I'm just going to talk to the captain quickly, and I'll be right back.” He leaned toward her and kissed her cheek before leaving, the action feeling more natural to the both of them than either would care to admit.
And then Emma was alone in the oversized suite. She walked around for a moment, taking in the elegant furnishings, and peaking out the balcony to admire the view. Then she decided it was time to take care of business. She hated living out of a suitcase, so she relished the idea of getting her clothing hung up in a proper closet. She opened her luggage and began to hang her apparel, organizing it into casual and formal attire for easy access later. She stuffed the indecent bikini in a drawer and just as she was about to toss in the naughty lingerie, Michael knocked on her door and walked in. She stuffed the ivory, satin thong, garter belt and matching strapless bra in the drawer and closed it quickly, but not before Michael had gotten a sneak peek. He imagined her in them instantly, and he was certain the image was burned in his brain forever.
“OK, so it's hours until dinner and hot enough to fry an egg on the sundeck. You wanna change and go hit the pool?” he inquired. “Um, sure. Sounds good. Just give me a few minutes to get ready,” Emma replied. He nodded and closed the door as he left the room. Emma stood frozen for a moment, suddenly realizing that in all of her packing and unpacking, the only bathing suit that made it into her bag was that little scrap of string fabric. She took three deep breaths and then presented herself with an ultimatum: go for it or hide away like a coward. Emma never was much for cowering away, so she opened the drawer and pulled out the bikini. She put it on, threw a cover-up over top and left her room. She was resolved not to fret about the issue again. Emma met Michael in the living room, dressed in swim shorts and a casual, form-fitting V-neck T-shirt. “Wow, he looks incredibly hot,” Emma thought to herself when she saw him, and then mentally shook herself. They headed out the door and down to the pool area where other passengers had begun to congregate to beat the heat. Emma was beginning to perspire from the heat on the short walk to the pool and couldn't wait for the coolness of the water to soothe her heated skin.
When they arrived, they placed their gear at a pair of chairs near the pool. Emma grabbed the hem of her cover-up and slipped it off over her head in one swift movement. Michael wasn't expecting it; he'd seen her at the beach before in a full, one-piece swimsuit, so nothing could have prepared him for this. Her toned ass was barely concealed by the bikini and the scraps of fabric covering her tits did little more than hide her nipples. He gritted his teeth against the arousal coursing through his veins, trying to force back a hard-on that would be apparent to every onlooker—and there were a lot of people looking on since Emma ditched the cover-up. She bent to lay it with her other belongings, and the sight of her barely-covered pussy nearly did him in. Fortunately, she walked over to the pool and dove in without a word, giving Michael a moment to recover before joining her in the pool. She swam up next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her tits hard against his chest. “Oh God, that feels so much better, don't you think?” Emma asked as Michael's arms moved to wrap around her waist impulsively. Thank God she couldn't see his hard cock hidden beneath the water. Her eyes moved to his and stayed locked there for a moment. “Yeah, Em. It does,” Michael replied huskily, and Emma was certain there was a double inuenndo in his response. She let go of him and pushed back slightly, caught off guard by the arousal she'd begun to experience in response to Michael.
The swim continued in somewhat awkward silence. When Emma exited the pool, Michael tried to turn away but he couldn't tear his eyes off her. He had to watch the water drip down her body; past her neck, over her tits, down her stomach to disappear in the top of her bikini bottoms. “Lucky water,” he commented drolly. Once she'd put on the cover-up, Michael left the pool and made his way over to her. He grabbed a towel and dried off as Emma watched his sinewy muscles flex and relax as he worked. She was so turned on, she could feel herself getting wet at the sight of him. It was definitely time to put a little space between them. Emma feigned a tired spell and retired to their suite. It turned out that she was more tired than she had thought, and within moments of laying down on her bed she was fast asleep, dreaming of an incredibly sexy best friend and all the things he could do to her body.
Michael knocked and opened her door a while later. “So, dinner will be served in about half an hour if you want to get ready, Em,” he announced. “Thanks,” she replied sleepily as a blush spread across her cheeks remembering the dream she was woken from. Emma had expected Michael to leave to get himself ready for this evening, but he stood there uncomfortably for a moment. “Michael, is there anything else?” she inquired. “Um, actually, I got you something, Em.” “You went shopping already?” she teased. He brought his hand out from where it had been concealed clutching a garment bag behind his back. “Here. I thought you'd like it.” Emma was uncomfortable, but took the bag and laid it down on the bed to unzip. Inside she found a cream-colored, floor-length gown. It looked like something worn by a Greek goddess with a single shoulder strap made from satin cord. “Oh, Michael, it's beautiful...but I can’t.” “Yes, you can, Em. And you can always make me take it back tomorrow,” he reasoned. Emma didn't know that he'd bought the dress the day she agreed to the cruise, nor did she know about the three-thousand dollar price tag he'd removed right away.
She nodded, thanked him and smiled a little impishly. Michael left the room, closing the door behind him. Emma instantly stripped off her clothes and began sliding on the fabric masterpiece. The neckline sat low, just barely covering the tops of her nipples, and the satin cord from the shoulder came down to wrap beneath her bust line. The long skirt was slit all the way to the top of her thigh on one side, making her feel incredibly sexy as her bare flesh peeked out with every step. She glanced in the full-length mirror on her wall and was taken aback by the image reflected back to her. She had always known she was pretty, but this woman was absolutely exquisite. She combed out her waves and that was it--the natural hairstyle complemented the gown--and walked out into the living room to wait for Michael. He was already there, dressed in a navy blue suit that accentuated his muscular breadth. And he couldn't keep his jaw from dropping the moment she walked in. Emma was instantly aware of his heated gaze, hot enough to burn a hole through her dress. She blushed and fidgeted with the gown. “Um, are you ready, Michael?” she asked uncomfortably. “Of course,” he replied, trying to relax. He offered his arm and escorted Emma to the dining room two floors down.
Once seated, Emma tried to forget about how Michael's arm had felt against hers, the sizzle that ran through her body in response to his contact. Looking at the table in front of her, she noticed the waiter filling glasses with white wine and she grabbed her glass quickly once it was full. She downed the liquid, trying to soothe her frayed nerves. It had been years since Emma had even a glass of wine and she had no idea that it would go straight to her head. Her extremities began to tingle gently after a moment, and she felt calmer. Not incapacitated, just calmer. The meal arrived a few minutes later. More accustomed to her own hurried home-cooking or local restaurant cuisine, the food on her plate tasted like a gastronomical masterpiece. She enjoyed every bite—and a second glass of wine—while engaging in polite conversation with other guests at the table, all of whom couldn't help but stare in awe at the grecian goddess sitting across from them.
When dinner was done, Emma and Michael headed back to their suite. It had been a long—hard--day for Michael and he was looking forward to the blessed respite of sleep. It wasn't until about half way there that Michael noticed Emma's unusual sway as she walked, almost slightly off-balance. And then he remembered the glasses of wine she'd downed during dinner, and how he'd never se
en her drink before tonight. He wondered what had prompted her to indulge this evening. He was still wondering when they reached their suite, but upon entering the living room, Michael turned his thoughts to slumber. Until Emma turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you for this evening, Michael,” and she kissed his lips gently. She had only meant it as a friendly kiss of appreciation, but the result was cataclysmic. The relaxing effect of the wine and the feel of Michael's lips erased the relationship boundaries that had existed between them, and there was suddenly a sexy, virile, incredible man standing before her. “Oh my God,” she whispered in awe. Emma couldn't help but be taken back by what she hadn't seen all these years. “Michael?” she knew exactly what she wanted, and was confused at the same time.
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