I was angry. Seething. I couldn't believe that he was seriously talking about skipping out on the trip to my mother's house back east. I asked so little of him, made very few impositions on his time – the only thing I ever asked for was that we spend New Year's with my mom out in Maine. That was it.
When he'd begged off because of a gig aboard another boat last year, I didn't give him a hard time about it. I told him I understood and made him promise that it wouldn't happen again. He swore up and down that we would make it out this year. Told me that it wasn't going to be a problem and that he would be sure to clear off his schedule so we could spend a week with my mother.
And now, it apparently wasn't going to happen.
Tears welled in my eyes and I wanted to punch him in the face. Yeah, I wasn't a frilly girly girl who dropped onto her fainting couch when things went sideways. I was a girl with a temper. I was a small but busty, curvy girl. And truth be told, I enjoyed looking like a girly girl, wearing flowery sundresses and cute ribbons in my hair. Which made most people underestimate me.
But I didn't take crap from anybody. I wasn't afraid to mix things up and get into somebody's face. I wasn't much of a brawler, to be honest, but I'd been in a few scraps in my day. I was tough and knew how to take care of myself. A fact that surprised a lot of people who assumed I'd simply wilt in the face of anger or adversity. Anybody who thought that, just because I wore strappy heels and dresses, got a big surprise when they underestimated me.
“I'm serious, Neil,” I said, my voice low. “We swore to my mother that we'd come out and spend New Year's with her this year.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. “Babe, I know,” he said. “But invitations to serve aboard the Pelican don't come around every day. Do you even know what this could do for my career?”
I fell back into the couch, my eyes closed, trying to calm myself down. His career was so important to him and had always come first. I'd known that when we started dating, but it was hard to accept it at times. Especially the further our relationship progressed. Of course, his career afforded us the nice life we were living in Huntington Beach. But the Southern California lifestyle, didn't make up for all the time he was gone.
“How about this, Sammi,” Neil said, sitting down beside me, “You go on out to your mother's for New Year's. Make it an extended trip back home and I can meet you there after my time on the Pelican is done. I can fly straight in and join you. Sure, I might miss some of the New Year's stuff, but you can still be with your mom. And we can spend some time there afterward.”
“Yeah, fine. I suppose so,” I muttered.
Neil took my hands into his, kissing the knuckles gently. “Listen, Sammi, I know I screwed up again. I really do. But I didn't even know this was a possibility for me – and it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'll join you when it's over. I swear it. Besides, it's probably good for you to spend some time with your mom alone. Just you two girls. You can probably spend some time drinking wine and bashing men.”
He stared at me with his deep, brown eyes, giving me his best puppy dog look. Neil was an attractive man – sometimes too attractive. He could use that sweet face and that charming smile to make just about anyone swoon – myself included. That sweet, gentle face of his made it hard to stay mad at him for long. But, oh did I want to try sometimes.
I knew I couldn't let him get off that easily though. I punched him playfully in the side. “You owe me for this,” I said.
I didn't want to be that bitter, controlling, needy girl. I wanted him to honor his promises though. But this was the opportunity of a lifetime for him, and I knew there might not ever be another invitation onto the vessel again if he declined. How could I make him miss out on something like that? Even if it hurt me, that was life and career – a career he'd worked so hard to build.
I'd gotten together with Neil knowing his career always came first, that he was living his dream in a field he was passionate about, and that he'd often be gone for long periods of time. I knew that and yet, I'd gotten together with him anyway.
Neil leaned forward and kissed me, as I playfully fought him, punching him in the chest. “Well, why don't I repay you right now, Ms. Harding – we happen have all the time in the world right now.”
Neil continued to kiss me, and I stopped fighting him. Instead, my playful punches turned to giggles which in turn became kisses of my own as we made out on our couch. It was so hard to stay long at him for long. He was, after all, my boyfriend – even during the difficult times.
Neil's hands worked through my hair and down my back, kneading my flesh gently as he lowered me down onto the couch. I smiled at him as I lay on my back, with him on top of me.
“Seems like you'll be getting something out of this as well,” I teased, between kisses.
“Maybe a little,” he said with a wink.
Neil removed his belt and tossed it to the floor before moving on to his zipper. I helped him with that, sliding his pants down and grabbing onto his tight ass. My boyfriend had a very nice ass, one I could appreciate grabbing onto. Neil helped remove my pants as well, before sliding himself inside of me.
Our bodies moved together, him entering me slowly at first before he began to speed up. His hands slid under my shirt and cupped my breasts, his fingers lightly pinching my hard nipples through the fabric of my bra. He continued to pump his cock into my steadily and increasingly forcefully as he circled my nipples with his fingertips. The sensation of him playing with my breasts through my bra combined with the feel of his cock pumping deep inside of me drove me crazy. I rocked my hips up to meet him, to take him deeper inside of me and moaned wildly.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and urged him to pound his cock into me deeper and harder. I enjoyed the soft lovemaking, of course, but there was something about the way he touched me, that drove me wild, that made me want it harder, and harder, and harder still.
The sensation of having Neil inside of me always drove me crazy. I loved feeling his cock buried deep inside of me more than anything in the world.
He stared down at me, his eyes filled with a look of pure bliss, love and so many emotions I couldn't make out. But as I felt his body stiffen as he came close to climaxing, he closed them, resting his head against my chest as he continued thrusting in and out of me. I felt myself tighten up and begin to grow hotter and wetter as I felt my own orgasm coming ever so close. My whole body tightened and I gripped him with my hands and legs tighter than before as my body burst into spasms of pleasure.
He groaned as he thrust into me one last time, grabbing my hips with his hands and pulling me upward so he could go as deep inside of me as humanly possible. My body was shaking as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through me, and when I felt him spurting his hot seed deep into me, it only intensified the sensation. I cried out as together, we came. Our bodies linked, we both shuddered and moaned as we came. I called out his name over and over again.
“I love you, Neil,” I said. “I love you so much.”
He let out one, long sigh as he fell against my body, depleted of energy after his orgasm. He stayed there, resting on top of me as I stroked his hair and listened to him breathing.
“I love you too,” he muttered after a few minutes, but without looking at me. His eyes were still closed as he nuzzled close to me, content and ready to fall asleep like he always after we'd made love.
******
“Come on, it'll be fun,” he said. “You'll get to see where I'll be living for nine weeks.”
I rolled my eyes playfully at the idea, but I had to admit – it would be pretty cool to get an up-close view of the Black Pelican. Not many people were able to set foot on the ship. And because of my successful, in-demand boyfriend, I would be one of few not related to the expedition to get a chance to see it.
“And who knows? Maybe you can do a write-up on it, sell it to the Times or something,” Neil said excitedly. “Talk about all the awesome work I'll be doing down there.�
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“Maybe so,” I laughed.
I didn't have the heart to tell him that I didn't know the first thing about what he was doing down there, and my expertise in writing was cultural events – stuff that happened on good ol' dry land.
I followed Neil as we walked along the shore of San Pedro, headed toward the Black Pelican. I couldn't help but smile as he proudly showed off his security clearance to everyone who asked – and even a few who didn't.
“This is my girlfriend, Sammi,” he said, pulling out more paperwork and handing it to a guard, “And here is her clearance. She's been approved to come aboard while we're docked, at any time.”
“Ooh, you had to get approval?” I said, giggling as we walked along the dock. “Makes me feel even more special about being here.”
“You are special, my love,” Neil said, kissing me. “Which is why I'm so excited to show off this part of my life to you.”
As much as it sucked that he'd be leaving me alone for several weeks during the holidays, I had to admit, I was pretty thrilled for him – once I'd gotten over my initial reaction, anyway. This was his big break, a chance he'd worked hard for. It made me happy to see him so excited.
The ship itself wasn't as large as I thought it would be, nor was it as interesting as I expected. Blame my experience with the cruise ships that often docked nearby for making me cynical. But the closer we got, the more massive it became. It was mostly black – hence its name – and for that reason, it had a foreboding appearance…
******
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