Captain

by Katherine Rhodes

  Allen’s arms were suddenly around me, pulling me fully onto the bed, where he joined me, hovering above me and never letting go of our kiss. He moved to my side, where he freed one of his hands and softly wrapped it around my breast, plumping and petting it. I groaned fully into him. He unfastened the clasps of my dress at my neck and pulled it down and out of the way, taking my strapless bra with it.

  A moment later his mouth left mine and he trailed wet, searing kisses down my flushed skin, finding the hard bead of my nipple a moment later. He ravaged my breasts, licking, sucking, flicking with his burning mouth as his fingers pinched and pulled and caressed the other. I couldn’t stop the moans escaping, and I moved toward him, pulling him closer at the same time.

  “Shit, Allen,” I breathed.

  He suddenly pulled back and looked at me laying there. “No.”

  “Allen…” My voice was a whimper.

  “No, no, gorgeous. No.” He moved back off the bed. “This isn’t going to happen.”

  I could see he was rock hard, tenting forward, straining. I wanted him. Naked. Now. I reached for him again. “Please, Allen…”

  “No.” He was firm, but didn’t admonish me. He walked to my suitcase and after rummaging a moment, pulled out the satin nightshirt I had a packed. “Come on, time for bed.”

  “Allen,” I whispered. He shook his head and had me sit up so he could slip the nightie over my head. He pulled it over my naked breasts and I saw a pained little shadow dance across his face as they disappeared under the satin. “I want you to come to bed with me.”

  “Not tonight,” he answered, wiggling me out of the dress and pulling the nightie down so as not to expose any more skin.

  “Don’t you want to sleep with me?”

  Allen grabbed my hand and rested it on the steel cock that was hidden behind the zipper. “Baby, you have no idea how much I want to crawl into that bed with you and finish what I started at your tits.” He pulled my hand away gently. “But you are shit-faced and incoherent. And if I’m going to crawl into bed with you and fuck you, I want you to remember it, and I want you dead-to-rights sober.”

  He pulled the light sheet up and over me, but I didn’t want to be deterred from getting this gorgeous double-oh-seven in my bed. “Please, Allen, stay.”

  “Sober, Glenda, dead sober.” He kissed my forehead. “I hope you remember this tomorrow and we can talk about it. Because as soon as I saw your fine ass in that bathing suit and sundress in the lobby, I wanted you in my bed.”

  I grabbed his shirt and tried to kiss him, but once again he took over and it was him kissing me. I couldn’t stop thinking about that stone-hard erection the pants were hiding from me as he conquered my mouth with his tongue. Before I managed to get enough of my wits about me to grab him, he pulled away again. “No, no. No. Drunk sexy thing. No. If you feel this way when you’re sober, we’ll talk.”

  “No talk,” I grumbled.

  “Sleep, gorgeous.” It was a command, and he pressed me back into the pillows.

  Allen wasn’t a handful of steps away from the bed when I fell asleep.

  Chapter 3

  I woke up. That was as far as I got.

  Everything started screaming: my head, my stomach, my liver. Why had I done that? I didn’t think that I was going to be able to move at all the whole day.

  “Glenda?” The name was accompanied by a tapping on the door.

  I tried to grumble a hello, but even my jaw hurt. After clearing my throat at least twice I was able to get the words out. “Come in.” My voice hurt.

  A slow creak accompanied the door and with all I had, I flopped my head to the other side to find the extremely sexy, extremely not hungover Allen walking into the room. My embarrassment was functioning at normal—I instantly flushed bright red and wanted to die.

  Once again, I wanted to stand and rush him out of the room, but my body wouldn’t obey. He must’ve noticed my attempt because his face tried to contain the grin. “Good morning.” He appeared next to the bed. “I have something for you, and you’ll want to sit up for it.”

  “I can’t move,” I grumbled.

  “This will help that,” Allen answered. “But you have to sit up.”

  Slowly, with searing pain running through me, I managed to rise up on my elbow. My back hurt, too—I probably hadn’t moved all night. “Allen, I’m so sorry about last night. I don’t know what I was thinking…”

  “I do,” he winked. “Here. Tylenol and a bottle of water. Keep hydrated. It’s eight-thirty so you have time for the drugs to kick in and to take a shower.” I took the pills gratefully and twisted the top off the water bottle. I tossed it back and before I knew it I had downed half the bottle of water. “Since we’re on the same tour today, I’m going to make sure that you’re drinking enough water. We’re going to be out in the sun, and you’re in a bad way.”

  “You have no idea,” I grumbled. “Allen—”

  “We’ll talk about it later,” he smiled at me. “I’m going to run down and grab some breakfast. Want anything?”

  “Greasy bacon.” I didn’t even have to think about it. “Piles of greasy bacon and a roll to mop up the grease.”

  He nodded, walking out of the room. “Take it easy, I’ll be back in a little bit.”

  Take it easy. I looked at the light filtering through my water bottle. Sure. Why not. I had thrown myself at the hot guy who was nice enough to buy me dinner and drinks and slop me over his shoulder when I got too drunk. And all less than a day after I had broken up—on vacation!—with my boyfriend of eighteen months.

  I sighed. It was going to be a long day. I had to face him and Bill at the same time on a tiny thirty-five foot catamaran for five long hours. This vacation was not relaxing. I was going to need a vacation from my vacation.

  I sat still in the bed for nearly fifteen minutes waiting for the Tylenol to do its job. It didn’t disappoint; I was able to climb out of the bed and wander, ever so slowly, into the bathroom. I put the water on hot and waited for the room to steam a bit before shedding the nightshirt and stepping under the hot water.

  It felt wonderful to have the heat thrumming down on my skin. It helped to relax and massage the oddly overtired muscles I was dealing with. I closed my eyes and just leaned against the side, letting the water run down me.

  And the first thing my mind decided to supply was the feel of Allen’s mouth on my breast… My whole body instantly lit up with the memory. He’d been greedy and teasing, and his kiss had been starved for more—as though something that hot hadn’t had a chance to be let out of his cage in years.

  Which might, I realized, be the truth. With an ex-wife and two kids, he might not have found time to have a girlfriend or even just have a fling. I might very well have been the first kiss he’d had in ages.

  That was a sin, if it were the truth.

  I ran a hand over my breast, finding my own nipple and gently pinching it, with the memory of Allen’s mouth on it. I couldn’t believe how incredible he’d felt against me; after having every part of me, save one thing, completely ignored for so long, having him latched onto my skin was wonderful. My other hand slipped up and found my other nipple and imagined his mouth there as well. Did he really find me attractive? What would have happened if he had let it go on?

  Why was I doing this to myself? He was a handsome stranger who had the presence of mind to stop a drunk chick from allowing herself to be taken advantage of. I dropped my hands to the side of the shower and let them rest on the cool tile. I was this starved for sexual attention? I was going to stand in the shower and get myself off while thinking about someone I would probably never see again.

  Bill had really done a number on me.

  I let out a deep, cleansing breath and got down to the business of taking a shower—not diddling myself off. I was just going to have make friends with Mister Rabbit again. By the time I was done with the shower, I was feeling more human and more balanced.

  I still couldn’t get beyond w
anting to jump Allen, but at least I was able to squelch it.

  There were four or five different bathing suits I could choose from that day, but because I was going to be around Bill, I decided I was going to show him what he was missing. I wasn’t model thin, but I was curvy in all the right places, and I took pride in the fact that I could pull off a bikini and turn heads. So I picked the more modest one with boy shorts and substantial straps, since I did plan on snorkeling. I covered the whole ensemble in a wrap and started putting my beach bag together.

  Allen was waiting in the kitchen area with the requested pile of bacon. He was wearing board shorts and a swim shirt, as well as deck shoes, and he looked incredible. I wanted to see what he looked like without a shirt and then I mentally slapped myself. I was in deep enough with this guy.

  I walked to the table and shoved a whole piece of bacon into my mouth, considering him. When I was done with it, I cleared my throat. “Allen, I’m sorry about last night.”

  He turned his head. “Are you really?”

  “I was drunk,” I answered. “I’m glad you had your head, because there was no way I was stopping that.”

  He shrugged. “You were drunk and that’s why I stopped it.” The words were kind of a puzzle in my still fuzzy brain, but he continued a moment later. “No harm done, save for the liver and brain cells you’ve lost. Eat your bacon—we need to head to the dock in about ten minutes.”

  “Thank you for dinner,” I said. “It was very nice of you.”

  “I had a nice time,” he smiled, and the smile just made the room brighter. “I’d be happy to have you join me again tonight.”

  “Let me pay?”

  He paused. He really didn’t want to let me pay. “Well, all right, but the drinks are still on me.”

  “Christ, stop me at the appletinis, please,” I groaned.

  His laugh rang through the room. “Okay, I’ll stop you at the appletinis.” He looked at the clock. “Now, hurry up, Cinderella, or the boat’s gonna leave without us.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Cinderella?”

  “You lose your shoes after midnight.”

  Laughing, I grabbed another piece of bacon. “Just one. One shoe.”

  He stood and walked to the stairs. “I’m going to get my stuff. We’ll be off when I come down.”

  “Aye, Captain!” I saluted him.

  * * *

  It turned out to be one of the hottest, windiest days that the captain of the catamaran had seen all season. He was glad for the wind because the sun was burning. I was glad for the wind because I could feel the spray on my face and it felt wonderful.

  The woman that had been with Bill the night before gave me the nastiest look when I climbed aboard. Considering I had been Bill’s girlfriend at the start of the trip, I really felt like she had no business giving me such a stink face. But she did, and I wanted to flip her off.

  Taking my mind off her completely, Allen’s hand slipped onto my waist and helped me up onto the boat. It was a soft, guiding touch, and I didn’t really want him to let go. For more than one reason.

  Bill went out of his way to ignore me as I walked across the netting in the center of the boat. Allen picked a spot on the outside of the boat and helped me to sit down. We were under way about ten minutes later after the other couple—Steven and Tanya? —finally ran up the dock. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to the crystal blue waters and kicked against the side.

  Allen was determined to keep me hydrated; he was insisting on a bottle of water every thirty minutes from the moment we had left the room. I felt human for now, but I knew that he was right to keep the water flowing.

  As the boat raced along the water, I sat on the edge with my feet dangling off the side. The water skimmed by and I just watched as we flew around the island. I finally felt myself starting to relax, even with Bill and the Floozy less than fifteen feet away. I couldn’t be upset when I was on a gorgeous boat, flying around a gorgeous island with a gorgeous guardian angel keeping me healthy.

  The captain of the boat had to have two of the stronger passengers help him and the two crew wrestle the sail down so we wouldn’t get pushed away while we were snorkeling in the cover he had brought us to. It was sheltered and calm, though the wind was still a force here and the first mate tossed out a secondary anchor so there wasn’t too much drift on the boat.

  I peered over the edge into the endlessly clear water, and could see down to the corals at the bottom. It wasn’t clear because of the choppy surface water, but I knew as soon as my facemask hit the water it would clear, and I would be taken with the colors below.

  Of course, though, Bill and Floozy were yukking it up behind us, and she was making kissy-suck-face noises with him. It was just annoying to everyone on the boat, and I had the feeling that even the two people they were with were getting annoyed when they walked to the front of the boat for some privacy.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” the captain called out, “welcome to our snorkel spot. We’ll be here for about an hour and a half. Feel free to swim, snorkel, wade ashore if you feel like it—it’s a short swim. Keep in mind there is some fire coral in the mixture down there. You shouldn’t be touching the corals anyway, but do be careful. If you’re stung, please come up right away and we’ll treat the stings.

  “We have some beverages and snacks on board for everyone to enjoy. The ladders are the back. The snorkeling gear is near the ladders. Take care, and have fun.”

  Two of the guys on the boat dove over the side, and I could see their partners roll their eyes. I saw Tanya and Steve walk to the back, and morbid curiosity made me seek out Bill’s position on the deck. He was waiting by the front railing with the Floozy, who was making quite the production of putting on suntan lotion. And it looked like suntan lotion, not sunblock. Who tanned anymore?

  “Going in?” Allen asked.

  “Oh, yeah,” I smiled, standing up. I looked for Bill, who was suddenly staring at me. I dropped the cover-up I was wearing on the deck next to Allen, and purposefully bent down to grab my towel to put it near the ladder. I stood again and then glanced down at Allen. “Coming?”

  Allen cleared his throat and ripped his eyes away from me. “Uh, yeah. Give me a minute.”

  I smiled, wondering for just a moment why he was hesitating, and then I remembered what I had just done to show off to Bill. He’d seen the same show. I didn’t say anything, but I bent down to fold my cover-up. I couldn’t miss the tent in his board shorts. I headed for the ladder at the back, trying to hide my smirk.

  I grabbed a mask and snorkel and rinsed them out on the back deck of the boat, inspecting for holes and scratches. They were acceptable, and I wrapped the strap around my arm. The water had felt somewhat warm, and there was a chicken taking their time down the ladder, so I opted to dive in.

  The almost-warm, overly-salty water rushed over me and it felt damn good. I didn’t get to swim in saltwater nearly enough. I pushed back up to the surface and flipped my hair out of the way. After I attached the snorkel, the mask slipped around my head and I had to adjust a little bit. I settled the glass over my eyes and nose and swam over to where Allen was still sitting, dangling his feet.

  “Are you coming in? I’m okay with it if you’re not. I get it.”

  He shook his head. “I still need a minute. Someone is hogging the ladder.”

  Yeah, right. I popped the snorkel mouthpiece in after sticking my tongue out at him. He raised an eyebrow.

  I stuck my face in the water, and was rewarded with a stingray swimming by near the insanely bright coral clusters that were there. There were fish everywhere, and the water was wonderfully clear this far from the beach, despite the choppy water. I got a mouthful or two of water as a sudden small wave broke over my snorkel, but it didn’t bother me. I suddenly turned into a six-year-old and blasted it back out like I had a blow hole.

  I swam once around the boat and wound up back where Allen was still sitting. I popped back up and pulled the mask off. “Seriously, are y
ou coming in? It’s totally okay with me if you don’t want to. I get that some people are creeped out.”

  “The last thing I am is creeped out,” he called.

  I smirked and pulled my mask back on. I swam closer to the boat. “Issue?”

  “You look amazing in that bathing suit,” he said. “And now you’re all wet and I can’t stand up until you stop swimming by me. For at least five minutes.”

  Laughing, I went for another teaser. I dove in, arching through the water, and tossing my ass up where he could see it. I swam for a little while under the water and popped up about twenty feet down the boat. I kicked out a little bit so I could see him and he was shaking his head and still not moving. I ducked back and wet my hair again to get it out of my face.

  I saw a look of horror slide over Allen’s face. “Glenda!” he screamed. “Look out!”

  I tried to turn—

  Chapter 4

  “Roll her!”

  My lungs burned and there were suddenly several sets of hands on me, propping me up on my side. The burning changed to a heaving, and a moment later my lungs spasmed and I started vomiting half of the Caribbean Sea. It tore my throat up and I heaved and jerked, forcing all of the water out of my lungs.

  “Hold her there,” someone said calmly.

  “She’s done,” I heard Bill say.

  “No, she’s not,” the other person explained.

  A gigantic cramp started in my stomach, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, my stomach finally clenched, and I rid my stomach of the other half of the Sea. I started coughing and spitting and drooling.

  I looked around, finally getting my eyes to work with me and open. Bill was kneeling by my ankles, Steve was at my thigh, a tall, lanky black man was at my waist, Allen by my shoulders, and the first mate of the boat at my head.

  The next sensation was my shoulder screaming in pain, and for some reason it brought back images of the surface of the water bubbling violently and receding from my reach. With the pain, I was expecting that my memory would bring up blood in the water… but there was none. But my shoulder still throbbed.