Authors note: Thanks for all the kind comments and emails. I have again made this Chapter longer by combining several chapters together.
Arm in arm, Ed and Nikki boarded the gleaming 64-foot yacht.
It was a Swan 64 he'd chartered from a friend and it was small enough to be cozy and not too big to require a large crew to ruin the couples privacy.
"I hope you like it," Ed said. "It'll be home for the next 19 days."
"It's beautiful," she told him, squeezing his arm.
The husband and wife team that would be attending to sailing and food introduced themselves. Ed had heard nothing but glowing reports about Justin and Marla and had been pleased to learn they were available for his honeymoon excursion with Nikki. They had a reputation for attentiveness without intrusion. Word had it that they were also discreet.
"I hear Marla knows what to do with any kind of seafood that swims in these waters," Ed told Nikki as he shook Marla's hand. The 40-something, olive-skinned woman looked embarrassed and proud. "Thank you, Mr. Stewart. I hope I do not disappoint you."
"And Captain, your stellar reputation precedes you, as well." The men shook hands and he introduced Justin to Nikki.
The newlyweds retreated to the small but luxurious stateroom that was adorned with flowers per Ed's request. Nikki's eyes filled with tears as she turned to him.
"I swear you think of everything."
"You're my bride. If it were in my power, you'd have flowers everywhere you went."
He took her in his arms and when their lips met, he felt as light-headed as the first time he'd kissed her, many months before. He loved how perfectly she fit in his embrace and how the combination of her warmth and seductive scent weakened his knees. As their tongues did a bit of fencing with each other, his hands sought out a handful of her hair (which she'd worn loose and unadorned today, at his request). As her startling femininity reached into his soul and gave it a playful little twist, he got hard and chose not to ignore it. Instead, he pushed his erection against her and rubbed slightly. She slipped a hand between them and started to stroke.
"What do you say we test this bed?" she said softly.
They spent the rest of the day quietly, swimming to a nearby, secluded beach, enjoying lunch at a small beachside cafe, and taking in a little more sun before swimming back to the boat in time for dinner. Marla's culinary talents were indeed top-notch—she'd prepared a red-chile encrusted wahoo so delicious, Ed and Nikki barely spoke as they consumed it. Afterwards, as the sun disppeared on the horizon, they let perfectly prepared rum drinks infuse their bodies with island restlessness. Justin and Marla cleared away all signs of dinner.
"Hey," Ed whispered, eyeing his wife like a dirty old man. "How about we christen the deck?"
A wicked grin spread across her face. "You mean as only we can?"
Smiling, they got to their feet, albeit a little unsteadily. "Aren't you worried about Justin and Marla?" Nikki asked in a furtive stage whisper as her clothes piled up quickly beside her. Dressed only in the rays of the Caribbean moonlight, she looked every bit the goddess to Ed, and he didn't care who else witnessed it.
"I'm worried about absolutely nothing at the moment," he said, as she dropped to her knees before his eager hard-on.
The first signs of sunrise woke Ed. He looked over at Nikki, sleeping soundly beside him on the deck. They'd made a little makeshift bed of beach towels and chaise cushions the night before, and this morning, the haphazard arrangement brought a smile to Ed's lips. He got up slowly, careful not to wake her. Dawn was his favorite time of day and waking to greet it so directly infused him with energy.
He headed toward the bridge, but on the way, he passed Justin and Marla, already up and engaged in a heated but hushed conversation. He paused, thinking they might need him, but decided against it. If it was a marital dispute, he certainly didn't want to get involved. But on his return from the bridge, where he savored the clear morning air and the glistening water from a new perspective, Justin apprehended him.
"Please excuse me, Mr. Stewart. I'm afraid I have some bad news."
Ed felt the man's agitation and noticed that Marla's eyes were red from crying. "What is it, Captain?"
"Marla's mother back in England has had a serious heart attack. They're afraid she may not pull through."
"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry to hear that. How can I help?" Ed asked, concerned for both of them.
"Well, we hate to renege on our responsibilities here, but it appears that we do need to get to England as soon as possible. I've already secured the services of a replacement for us, and if you agree, he can begin this evening." Justin's voice was level and professional, but his eyes were dark and troubled.
Ed paused and a sob caught in Marla's throat.
"If that's not agreeable to you, I can stay here while Marla goes back without me," Justin said. Marla's eyes widened, as if his comment were the first time she'd considered the option he suggested.
"Of course, you should accompany Marla," Ed reassured him. Marla's whole body relaxed. "If you say your replacement can do the job, I trust your judgment."
"Thank you so much, sir. I thought we would dock at Antigua tonight to pick him up before we leave, if that plan suits you."
"Yes, of course. But you keep referring to this replacement in the singular. Is it only one man?"
"It is, but he's as good a sailor as he is a chef. And since the boat has computer hydraulically assisted sail settings, his navigation skills won't be as necessary as they might be on another boat."
Ed nodded. "That sounds fine. You probably know I've done a bit of sailing myself so if things get hairy for the poor fellow, I can pitch in a bit."
"Thank you," Justin said. "We appreciate your understanding."
"Not at all." He turned to Marla. "I hope your mother gets well quickly. I wish you both the best."
Marla nodded and did her best to smile.
As Ed went to tell Nikki about the change of plans, Justin headed the yacht for Antigua under sail. Nikki didn't go back to sleep after hearing the news and instead, immediately went to find Marla to give her some hope and to confirm Ed's release and good wishes. To keep out of their way, the honeymooners wiled away a quiet day on board by napping, fixing their own meals, and retreating to their room for intimate pleasures throughout the day. The sunshine was addictive, however, and most of their time was spent just lolling about on the boat's various chaise lounges. In the meantime, Justin and Marla readied themselves for departure.
Ed remembered hearing about a charming quayside restaurant, so he and Nikki tried it for dinner that night after saying their final goodbyes to the collaborating couple. The changing of the crew would be in progress shortly, and Ed thought it best to give Justin and Marla space and privacy while they acquainted the new crewmember with his duties and the boat.
It was such a beautiful sunset that Ed and Nikki decided to take a stroll along the beach before sitting down to dinner. The two of them glowed with health and happiness, and when an unexpected flash of the incident at the villa popped into his head, he squelched it as instantly as it appeared. Nikki hadn't mentioned it in nearly two days, which was a huge relief for Ed. In many ways, he liked the idea of trying the start the honeymoon over. In other words, he relished having exclusive rights to his beautiful wife.
And yet, in the middle of enjoying their lobster, Nikki filled in a brief pause in the conversation with: "So how are you feeling now about our little 'fantasy incident'?"
Ed eyed her suspiciously. "Is that what we're calling it?"
"Yes. I like it," she said, grinning as she separated a deep red claw from the lobster's body.
He felt as if a warm, damp afghan made of mohair had been tossed over him. He didn't want to discuss any of it. Hadn't they already traveled this ground the day after the fantasy incident had happened? He was losing his appetite fast but he didn't want to deny Nikki the opportunity to work through her own feelings.
"Well, I know that nothing has changed between us because of what happened," he told her, hoping all she wanted was reassurance rather than reexamination.
"Did you like watching it?" she asked him tentatively.
Damn. Back to him again. He took a deep breath as surreptitiously as he could. He didn't want her to know this line of questioning was hard for him. Besides, maybe they did need to talk about it more.
"I have some nagging guilt and I'm still a little uncomfortable about the whole thing, but I can say one thing without any reservation," he put down his lobster and wiped his hands on his napkin. "There's no denying that it lived up to my fantasies. Exceeded them, even!"
She smiled, sheepish but strangely proud. "Really?"
"I wanted to see you be a total slut and you gave me that and more. I had no idea that your definition of slut would be filthier than mine! I don't think I'd want to see it again it might be too much for my old heart " He tried to make a little joke out of the tension that was now between them. He was glad when it worked—she gave him a warm smile.
"Yeah, I guess I even surprised myself."
He couldn't read exactly what she was feeling, so he decided to prod her. "How are you feeling about it all?"
"Well, I've been thinking about a lot, as you might imagine. Constantly, you might say."
Guilt tickled Ed's cerebral cortex. Here he'd been successfully pushing it out of his head for two days while in hers, it swam mercilessly.
"While everything was happening, I loved it, I have to admit. I was in the moment and just reacting to things without intellectualizing about any of it. I let my body dictate what I did and I allowed every fantasy to come through. It was pretty damn exciting. I felt...I don't know...powerful. Does that make any sense?"
"Sure, it does." He wasn't even sure why, but he did understand what she was talking about.
