The Cancun Trilogy, An Erotic Beach Romance

by Lena Malick

  “Ah. Let me know where and I’ll see what I can do.” He turned and stepped off the deck onto the sand, looking up at the sky. “Fire time,” he said as he wandered off, leaving them alone.

  “Fire time?” Terra asked.

  “You’ll see. Come on,” Nik said, leading her inside the house.

  The kitchen was alive with activity. A large group of people, talking and laughing, were cooking and preparing food. Music was playing from a portable stereo, giving the place a party-like feel. It was very different from the quiet, serene place Terra remembered from her last trip.

  Her throat tightened as her insecurities grabbed hold of her. She was never much for crowds of people, always feeling out of place in cliques. She’d been surprised to find that college wasn’t much different than high school, with its fraternities and social groups—just a more formalized version of the high school social scene. Now, when she saw the group in the kitchen, her first instinct was to withdraw.

  “Hey, everyone,” Nik called out, his arm around her. “This is Terra.” Everyone looked, flashing big smiles. “Terra! You exist! We were beginning to wonder,” a girl with wild red hair shouted.

  “Hey Terra, grab this, would you?” said a portly guy with a shiny bald head, handing her a large plate of cut vegetables as he walked past.

  “Guys, we just come from airport, let her at least use the bathroom before you put her to work,” Nik said.

  “No, it’s okay,” Terra said, taking a deep breath and dropping her shoulder bag. “I’m good. Where should I take this?” she asked the bald guy. “Ask Red,” he said over his shoulder as he went out to the deck.

  “Over here,” the girl with the red hair said, waiving Terra over as she swung her hips to the music. They soon had Terra cutting vegetables and mincing garlic. Someone poured her a glass of wine. Nik joined in, telling Terra who was who as they peppered her with questions about college and recent news from the States.

  More people came in from outside, grabbing beers, bottles of wine, stacks of plates and cups, hauling it all outside. Everyone wore bathing suits and sandals, or went barefoot. Most of the guys didn’t wear shirts. There was a mix of ethnicities, but most seemed to be in their twenties or thirties. There was a casual, sexy, summer camp for adults feel to it all. Everyone was relaxed and friendly, greeting Terra with warm smiles and friendly handshakes, going out of their way to include her.

  It was nice to see Nik in a group of people. She could tell everybody liked and respected him. His easy laugh and comfortable charm seemed to bring out the best in everyone. It didn’t take long before Terra felt like she was part of the group. It was the only time in her life she felt a real sense of belonging, like she just naturally fit in.

  Terra loaded up with all she could carry and followed the others outside while Red gossiped with her about Soren, a Swedish hunk that was methodically seducing all the women. “Including you?” Terra whispered. Red gave her a knowing smile. “Well, he’s quite persuasive. I’d say watch yourself, but I think you’re the one girl here that’s safe.”

  Stepping off the deck, Terra was surprised to see an enormous beach fire going. There were more people she hadn’t met, setting things up. A couple was just coming in from the water, walking up to the fire as someone threw them a towel. Terra placed her plates on the table along with the others.

  It was a dizzying amount of food. There was fresh caught fish, mounds of pasta and rice, and large loafs of fresh baked bread. The bald guy, who Terra now knew as Allan, who used to be a banker in Boston, was roasting whole onions with some elaborate method using sticks and foil. There was a whole table of just fruits and vegetables that Terra later learned came mostly from Carmine’s garden and greenhouse.

  As soon as the plates were set down, everyone grabbed one and started piling on the food. Someone set the portable stereo on the end of the table and turned it up. They ate while sitting on the sand in circles or standing up, mixing and mingling. Everyone seemed to have the big appetites that come after a long day of hard work.

  Smelling and seeing all the delicious food, Terra suddenly realized she was famished. She had skipped the iffy looking plane food, so she hadn’t eaten since the day before. Everything tasted so delicious she had to force herself to slow down. After a steady diet of bland dorm food, her taste buds were screaming for joy.

  Terra was eventually introduced to everyone, trying hard to learn their names. Nik stayed at her side the whole time, giving her a needed sense of security. After eating, they walked down the beach together.

  Settling on a driftwood log, they could still hear the music and laughter drifting down the beach, and could see the soft glow of the fire.

  “I’ve never in my life had food that good,” Terra said. Nik smiled.

  “It’s become competitive. Everyone try to outdo the other with what they cook best. But I guess we all benefit, yeah?”

  “Yeah. Was it a special occasion tonight?”

  “No occasion. We do that every night.”

  “Really? With the fire and everything?”

  “Well, sure. Unless it rains, then we all cram into the house.”

  Terra playfully pushed her feet through the wet sand as the waves lapped the shore just a few feet away. “Everybody here is so… nice,” she said.

  “Yes. Everybody really wants to be here. I think they all feel they be a part of something special.”

  “Because of you,” she said.

  “No. I just started it, but once more people came, it became… something different. More than I ever imagined. It’s becoming a real… ah, what is the word?”

  “Community.”

  “Yes,” he said, looking at her. “A community.”

  “You’ve done a great job,” she said, touching the back of his head and stroking his hair.

  Down the beach, the fire grew as someone added more wood, illuminating Nik’s face in soft strokes. He looked at her in the same way he did in the taxi, as if he was trying to find the words to say something important.

  Terra looked into his eyes, glowing in the firelight. Tension pulled at his face. She leaned closer to him.

  “I…” he said, struggling.

  “Shhh,” she said, tracing her fingers over his lips. “Later. Okay?”

  “Yes. Okay,” he said, relieved. She intertwined her toes with his, pushing them into the sand, initiating a toe fight.

  “Hey,” he said, smiling at her, “do you want to go for a dive?”

  “Love to,” she said, grinning.

  Chapter 5

  They walked hand in hand back to the fire. Terra wondered what time it was—it had been dark for a couple of hours. Then she realized she really didn’t care what time it was. She noticed earlier that nobody here wore watches. The others were still around the fire. Nobody seemed to think it was strange when she and Nik went to the boat and pushed off.

  Nik tacked the sailboat along the coast. The moonlight created a soft glow on the face of the white cliffs as they dropped dramatically into the sea.

  When they got to the next bay, Terra could hear the sounds of the island before she saw it. She remembered it from last time—a nighttime chorus of birds and animals. The sound instantly brought her back to last summer. As the boat got closer to the island, Nik turned on a light, illuminating the shore and the line of trees set back on the beach. The sounds got louder, as if welcoming the two of them back. “I guess they’ve been expecting us,” Nik said.

  They anchored in the calm water just off shore. Nik pulled out the water lights and some masks from the hull’s storage. Without a word, they both took off their clothes and dove in.

  While Nik dove down to set up the lights, Terra floated on her back in the dark water, looking up at the stars. Her naked body felt the welcome caress of the warm saltwater supporting her. It was hard to believe that it was just yesterday that Vicki drove her to the airport, through the sweltering, urban streets of Detroit. Terra smiled, remembering Vicky’s admonishments
as she swerved her truck through traffic.

  “Call me when you land. And every other day. At least. No, every day.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “You better be or I’ll come there and drag you home myself. Don’t do anything stupid. Use your common sense.”

  “I thought you always said ‘normal rules don’t apply’ when you’re on vacation.”

  “That’s only when I’m with you. I’m a badass from the streets of Detroit. You’re a prissy white girl from the suburbs of Ann Arbor, so all the rules apply to you. You hear me? Every goddamn rule applies to you. The rules were invented for girls like you. And rule number one is, don’t get hurt. And that includes your heart.”

  “I won’t,” Terra said softly, not sounding too sure.

  “I’ve got a few years on you, you know? I’ve been to the love rodeo a few times. I’m just sayin’ be careful. I don’t want you living on saltines and soda water again.”

  The water around Terra suddenly lit up, pulling her from her daydream. Another light went on, then another. She rolled over, looking into the brightly lit water. Swirls of fish in vivid, rainbow colors fanned along the bottom. Nik was down near the reef. He looked up at her and kicked for the surface. When he broke the surface, he took her hand and stroked a few yards closer to shore where they could stand in the shallow water. He held her diving mask. “This reminds me of the first time we met,” he said. “The girl with no spit.” He handed her the mask.

  “You remember that?” she asked.

  He nodded as he slid his mask on. “Oh, I remember. I remember every second of every moment we spent together.” He rolled over and dove down. She took a deep breath and followed him.

  They dove off the reef. He showed her some free-diving techniques. He could hold his breath for so long, she was tempted to check him for gills.

  Eventually, they went back to the boat and sat on the bow, still naked, drying off. Nik made birdcalls, getting the island birds to answer him back. He went back and forth with them, like they were having a complex conversation of squawks and screeches. “They are used to it,” he said. “I tell them all my hopes and plans.”

  “Hopes and plans?” she asked. The warm night air had dried their skin, leaving a light dusting of salt.

  “Yes. You know, my dreams.” He turned and looked at her with that same expression. One of the birds squawked again, left hanging in the middle of their conversation. Say it, she thought as she looked at him, her stomach tightening into a fist. What is it? What do you want to tell me? After a moment, he called back to the bird. The bird made a chuckling sound, as if laughing at their exchange. Or teasing Nik for being a coward.

  Nik stood and reached down, taking her hand. He led her down the steps into the hull of the boat. There was a small, cozy sleeping room, about the size of a large closet, barely tall enough for him to stand in. A low, wide bed was built out of the sidewall. Nik led her to the bed and laid her on her back, then slid in next to her. There were small oval windows along the wall next to the bed, at about the same level as the water. The surface of the water bounced against the windows, giving her glimpses of the illuminated, underwater world, and brief peeks of the island beyond.

  Nik traced his fingertips along the length of her body, from her knees, over her groin, along her belly and breasts, and all the way to her neck. He danced his fingers over her face and over her lips. Though his touch was as light as the flutter of a butterfly, she felt like there was an electrical change coming from his fingertips. As his hand fluttered back down, her body arched up, eager for more contact.

  He leaned down, his mouth at her lips, and paused. His hand traced back down her torso, his fingertips doing the light dance over her skin. His lips brushed hers. She felt his breath on her face. He smelled like the earth after a rain—earthy, clean, and purely masculine. He traced her lips with the tip of his tongue in the same way his fingertips were tracing over her breasts, circling her nipples. She opened her mouth and their tongues met. She reached up, grabbing the back of his head and pulling him into a deep kiss. His hand cupped her breast, kneading and massaging.

  “Oh, God, Nik. Oh, God,” she said, breaking their kiss. She was already breathing hard. He had a mysterious command over her body, knowing just what to do. She responded in ways she only half understood, as if constantly discovering new sides of herself. He seemed to possess some key that opened her up in a way that was exotic and dangerous. It made her bold, giving up any pretense of self-control or propriety. She felt she could do anything with him and it would be okay. They were in their own little cocoon of a world, where they placed no limits on each other.

  “Nik, I want you in my mouth. I want to feel you in my mouth. I want to suck you.”

  While still sliding his fingertips over her, Nik sat up so he was on his knees, next to her head. She turned toward him, seeing how large and hard he was. He held himself. She opened her mouth, looking up at him. He guided into her mouth as his other hand palmed her crotch. She reached up and slowly stroking him as she sucked.

  She’d imagined doing this in many fevered dreams. It was so wonderfully personal, like she was sucking at the very essence of him, his life force. She loved the power and strength of him in her mouth, hard but vulnerable at the same time. Both powerful and delicate. She could feel his pulse though her hands and in her mouth.

  She pulled him in deeper, as far as she could. He let out a long, low groan as his fingers rubbed the outside of her opening. He seemed to expand further, pushing out against the inside of her mouth, growing more solid in her hands. His finger slipped inside her. She let out a whimper as his palm rubbed her.

  Nik turned and lifted himself over her, straddling her backwards. He pushed her legs wide apart with his elbows and gently pulled her open with his fingertips. When his mouth touched her she let out a long moan of pleasure. Feeling him hard and firm in her mouth while his tongue slipped inside her caused her to arch back, sliding her arms around his lower back, pulling him in tight.

  They formed a perfect union, as if synergized into a single organism. She lifted her legs and wrapped them tightly around his back. He thrust his hips gently, pushing and pulling himself in and out of her mouth as he rolled his tongue over and around her. Moving his hand under her, he slipped his finger back inside her, rolling it in circles against her inner walls. She pushed her groin up, increasing the pressure. He locked his arms around her hips and squeezed her tighter as he licked and sucked. The boat rocked forward and back to their movements, adding to their momentum. She could hear water slapping the side of the boat.

  He stopped thrusting. She clasped the base of him, feeling him beginning to spasm. His body jerked. He groaned loudly, the sound vibrating between her legs. The first eruption filled her mouth in hot bursts. The feeling put her over the edge. Her hips spasmed, then her whole body shuttered as a powerful orgasm rolled through her. He continued to release in her mouth in powerful thrusts. Her orgasm rolled on and on, shimmering and vibrating through her body. Their energy combined into one, long release of pleasure.

  Before they could even catch their breath, he disengaged and turned around. He moved up her body, kissing her stomach and breasts. He kissed her neck and behind her ear. He breathed in her ear in hot breaths, then bit her earlobe as he pulled her legs up around his waist and entered her. Supporting himself on his arms, he stared down into her eyes as he pushed deep inside her. He held himself there, filling her. She was amazed at his capacity as a lover. He’d orgasmed only moments before. She ran her hands over his chest and abdomen, then behind him to the large, hard muscles on his back and shoulders. She had dreamed of this—the feel of his raw, physical power, weighted on her.

  They made love for a long time, unhurried, luxuriating in it, kissing and looking into each others eyes. The boat tipped and rocked with their easy rhythm. Their momentum built slowly, almost imperceptibly, until their pleasure nearly peaked. He could sense exactly how close to orgasm she was. Just as she was a
bout to go over the edge, he’d back off, denying her.

  He kept her at this precipice of pleasure for so long it became nearly painful. He backed off again, then once more brought her to the brink. As he pushed her to the edge once more, she clawed at his back, whimpering, pleasure saturating her so completely she felt utterly helpless. He seemed to have complete control of her, and all she could do was give over. Just as she felt her orgasm catch hold, he pulled out, leaving her pushing her hips up, desperately wanting more.

  “Turn over.”

  She turned, completely at his command. Her body was so excited it was like a live wire that might explode at any second. He slid a pillow under her hips. She felt the weight of him on her back as he slid back into her from behind, allowing his weight to push her firmly down against the pillow. A white-hot pleasure took over her whole body. She felt like he’d just pushed her into some other dimension of physical sensation. His lips were at her ear.

  “Come for me,” he said in her ear, then pushed the hair away from the back of her neck and gently bit her neck as he pushed deep into her, pressing down with his full weight, pinning her.

  She climaxed. Her head was turned to the side, looking out one of the small windows. The water level had gone over the window so she was looking at the colorful, brightly lit fish moving in big, fanning groups, like whooshes of richly colored fall leaves.

  She couldn’t move. If he hadn’t been on top of her, she would have flown off the bed. He could feel her whole body vibrate beneath him as her orgasm held her in its grip. She let out a long cry. It felt to her like some giant gong had been hit somewhere in the ocean depths, and its deep vibrations were now centered inside her. He was still nibbling at the back of her neck, mixing a drop of exotic pain to the climatic pleasure. As he let go of her neck, the orgasm began to drift off, slipping away like the echo of a distant memory.

  Chapter 6

  They slept on the beach. He brought out blankets and pillows and laid them out. She had no idea what time it was, but she knew it was late. Or early. They lay their naked bodies down together, totally spent. She snuggled into the crook of his arm and rested her hand on his chest, watching it drift up and down. The island birds and animals were quiet in consideration of their special guests. The air was warm and fragrant, as if infused with a magical sleep potion. They fell into a deep, heavy sleep.