No Ocean Deep

by Cate Swannell

  No Ocean Deep

  Chapter One

  Mephisto stalked along the deck of the Seawolf like the silent killer he knew himself to be. The big black cat had the scent of his prey in his nostrils and he was intent on seeing the hunt through, wherever it took him. He padded down the length of the big yacht, delicately picking his way over and around the deck fittings and coiled sheets until he came to the flat transom at the stern. He sat for a few moments, taking long, deep sniffs of the sea air. There it was again. Fish. Not the fish swimming around in the dark depths under the boat. That was a background smell he was well familiar with. No, this much closer, much stronger, much more tempting.

  A low purr began in the back of the big feline’s throat and gold eyes blinked in a way that would have looked sleepy if it weren’t for the gently twitching tail signaling another thought process altogether.

  Mephisto came from a long line of ships’ cats. He recognized the smell of the ocean on the soft, warm breeze that drifted through the boat’s rigging. There was another tang there though, and he was determined to track down its source. He lifted a front leg and carefully licked his paw, then reached behind his ear and brushed forward, washing his face as he contemplated his next move.

  It was a clear night and the boat was anchored in calm waters. Mephisto looked up into a wide, black vista sprinkled with stars. There was no illumination on board, save for the yacht’s riding lights, but he didn’t need any. Cat sight was a wonderful thing. He sniffed again. And so was a cat’s sense of smell.

  He stood again and gracefully meandered around to the port side where a gentle tapping was intriguing his senses. There he found the yacht’s dinghy bumping against the hull as it drifted on the changing tide, its tethering rope afloat. Mephisto’s purr deepened as the fascinating odor strengthened. Whatever was producing the delicious aroma was in the dinghy.

  A bobbing dinghy and a proximate ocean were no obstacle to any self-respecting feline and Mephisto didn’t give it a second thought, coiling his back legs and springing into the smaller vessel with barely a sound. He tiptoed around the bits and pieces of equipment in the bottom of the dinghy, following his nose to a large plastic bucket, with a conveniently loose lid. From it emanated the smell of heaven, at least for a cat.

  Mephisto stood on his hind legs, front paws worrying away at the lid until it slid off with a satisfying thud. He looked over the edge and discovered the source of the happy smell – fish heads, lots of lovely, odorous, rank fish heads.

  “Riiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaoww,” purred the cat, stretching out with one paw to try and hook himself a head. His weight was too much for the bucket, however, and it tipped, dowsing the feline, and the bottom of the dinghy, with a wet and rotting load. Delighted, Mephisto hunched down and rubbed up against the mess, eventually giving in to his baser instincts and rolling around in it, purring loudly.

  Oh yes, Mephisto was a happy cat.

  The two women slept peacefully in each other’s arms in the luxurious, but windowless cabin. Outside, the sun was crawling its way over the horizon, but in the cool darkness inside the two lovers were oblivious, safe in the warmth they generated themselves.

  The taller woman lay on her side, long ebony hair splayed across the pillow, her shorter companion spooned into her lap, blonde head tucked under her chin. Both looked like they had slept together for years, belying the short duration of their relationship. Passion had kept them awake much of the night, and now their sleep was deep and dreamless and contented. When a four-footed visitor padded into the cabin, leaping silently onto the bed and settling into a spare corner of the bed, they slept on … at least for a while.

  Before too long something began to irritate the nasal passages of both women, though it was the dark-haired one who stirred first. Her nose twitched once, then twice before sleepy eyes blinked open, revealing brilliant blue orbs visible even in the gloom.

  “Cadie?” she murmured, letting her eyes close again once she could find nothing else that would be causing the unique aroma.

  The blonde in her arms wriggled slightly, snuggling back against her lover’s stomach. She patted the hands clasped around her stomach reassuringly and didn’t even bother to open her eyes.

  “Mmmmmmmmm?” she mumbled.

  “Darling, you know I love you, right?” came the whispered question.

  “Mhmmmm, yes I do,” the blonde replied, barely awake enough not to slur her words.

  “And you know that I love every single part of you too, right?” the half-asleep dark-haired woman persisted. “Even the nasty bits that make my eyes water.”

  There was a pause and the blonde’s green eyes flicked open as her brain finally connected her lover’s rambling conversation with the acrid odor that was still burning into her sinuses.

  “Jo…”

  “And you know I adore you right? Even though that was the nastiest, smelliest, rankest…”

  The blonde reached back and slapped her lover lightly on the thigh.

  “Not nice, Jo-Jo. Don’t blame me for your own smells, sweetheart.” She snuggled in again, closing her eyes and hoping the aroma would dissipate soon so she could fall back asleep.

  There was another pause, and then it was a pair of blue eyes which slid open again, baffled.

  “But I didn’t,” she said plaintively.

  “Didn’t what, love?” came the blonde’s sleepy response, the conversation almost forgotten.

  “Fart.”

  The green-eyed woman sighed deeply and turned in her lover’s arms, entwining herself around the long body in front of her. She burrowed her face gently into the woman’s neck and kissed her there softly.

  “Okay,” she whispered, just wishing the smell would go away.

  “No really,” Jo insisted, now curious about just what was causing the stink. “I didn’t.” She lifted her head off the pillow, ignoring the grumbles that provoked from the woman in her arms. “Shhhhhh,” she murmured as she tried to pick out details in the gloom. She could just make out her cat’s silhouette as he cleaned himself contentedly on the corner of the bed. “Mephyyyyyy,” she growled, suddenly suspicious of the smug look on the feline’s face.

  She untangled herself from the blonde’s warm embrace and sat up, leaning down to get a closer look at the cat. Her nose left her in no further doubt about the source of the stench and, as her eyes got used to the dim light, she could make out unmentionably gross globs of… something… stuck to the black cat’s fur.

  “You malodorous little bugger,” she muttered. “What the hell have you been rolling in?” She crawled closer to the smelly feline. “Get out of here you bastard,” she growled, batting the boy-cat on the rump. He flicked out a claw which she narrowly avoided before she managed to tip him off the bed. Complaining bitterly, Mephisto stalked from the room, the tall, naked woman following him just far enough to close the cabin door behind him.

  “Come back to bed,” murmured a sleepy voice from the double bunk.

  “Hang on, love,” she replied quietly. “Gotta change the sheet, or we’re gonna be living with that pong for days.” She pulled open a cabinet near the berth’s tiny head and pulled out a fresh top sheet. Quickly she reached over and snagged the corner of the soiled sheet, grimacing as another wave of the noxious fumes hit her in the face. She yanked the linen off the bed, a move which revealed a delectably nude figure curled in the center of the bed. Jo smiled as she realized her lover hadn’t moved a muscle and was probably already deeply asleep again.

  She bundled the dirty sheet into a ball, stuffed it into a plastic bag then dropped it into the laundry basket. A quick trip to the head to wash her hands followed before she threw the new sheet over the bed, and the lovely, naked form of her partner.

  My partner, she though
t with a sleepy smile as she clambered back into the bunk, snuggling in behind the blonde again. That’s gonna take a bit of getting used to. She pulled the smaller woman close once more and kissed the back of her blonde head. But I like it. A lot.

  “Mmmmmmmm,” came the contented mumble from her companion, who tangled her fingers into Jo’s.

  “Ssssshhhh. Go back to sleep, sweetheart. It’s way early.”

  “’k.”

  The sun was high over the gently rocking yacht when Cadie woke for the second time. She and Jo had shifted in each other’s arms as they slept and her eyes blinked open to the sight of her partner’s angular profile just inches away. The American was tucked into the crook of Jo’s arm, her leg thrown over the Australian’s hips.

  Cadie chuckled quietly.

  Since when did I become a limpet, she wondered, allowing her fingers to trace lazy circles on Jo’s firm, velvety stomach. Cadie watched as her lover slept on, a contented half-smile on her lips. What are you dreaming of, my love?

  She carefully raised herself up on her elbow, not wanting to disturb Jo, whose eyes were twitching beneath their lids as she worked her way through some dreamscape. Cadie found herself mesmerized by the sight.

  It's hard to believe I've only known her six weeks, Cadie thought as she continued to caress Jo's belly. It feels like I've known her forever. She thought back over the events that had overtaken them since the day they had first met. It's been a complete whirlwind, she thought. It's been wonderful to have these couple of days to ourselves, finally.

  Cadie took a deep breath and reviewed her life, smiling as her lover shifted in her sleep, moving closer to the American's warmth.

  Six weeks ago I was in a long-term relationship with a US senator - a woman I can't even imagine being with now. She laughed in quiet amazement. And now I'm on a yacht in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef with someone who... She groaned softly, closing her eyes against the delicious tingle as the woman in question nuzzled her breast. Cadie opened her eyes again and looked down at Jo. Someone I utterly adore.

  As if meeting and turning each other's lives upside down hadn't been enough, Jo and Cadie had endured a series of dramas that had ended with the tall Australian inheriting a thriving yacht charter company. The past two weeks had been a never-ending series of business meetings juggled with keeping happy the tourists who already had bookings with the firm.

  It's been great fun, Cadie decided. But, boy, do we need this time to ourselves. She was pleased to see sleep had smoothed out the tension in her lover's face, taking years off her age. Cadie brushed aside a disobedient lock of black hair that was hiding Jo's face from her, and then planted a tender kiss on the older woman's temple.

  These are the first few days we’ve had to ourselves since Ron’s funeral, she thought, smiling at the memory of Jo’s boss and mentor who had succumbed to a heart attack three weeks’ earlier. We'd better make the most of them. Things aren't going to get any simpler for us any time soon.

  Cadie let herself slide slowly back down into the warm nest of Jo's embrace. We have so many loose ends to tidy up before life settles down for us, she thought sleepily, letting herself drift off again. She smiled against the soft, black hair. But that’s okay. She yawned. We’ll work it out.

  Jo groaned and stretched, working out the kinks in her long, lean body as she woke up slowly. She was alone in the bed, though she could still feel Cadie’s warmth in the sheets next to her.

  So she hasn’t been up very long, Jo thought with a smile. Her nose told her just what her lover was up to, tantalizing cooking smells wafting in from the galley. She rolled out of bed and stood up, reaching for the one-piece swimsuit she had left draped over the arm of the chair.

  “Jo-Jo… breakfast is ready,” Cadie called out.

  “On my way,” she answered as she stepped into the suit and pulled it up, adding a t-shirt over the top. She wandered out of the cabin and had to smile at the pretty picture her lover made.

  Cadie had her shoulder blade-length blonde hair pulled back in a loose ponytail as she wandered around the yacht's large galley. She was naked except for one of Jo's loud Hawaiian-style shirts she'd thrown on and neglected to button up. The effect was rather enchanting, Jo thought.

  "Good morning, gorgeous," Cadie said cheerfully, not looking up from her task.

  "Hello," Jo replied as she walked around the galley's counter and came up behind her partner. She slid her arms around the smaller woman's waist and rested her chin on her shoulder. "Damn, that smells good."

  "Well, with a little luck, it will taste pretty good too," said the American, as she concentrated on flipping the fried eggs without breaking the yolks. Bacon sizzled in the other corner of the fry-pan and there was French toast, mushrooms and sausage links. "Think I've made enough?"

  Jo laughed quietly.

  "Honey, I think you've made enough for a small army." She squeezed the blonde gently. "But I'm starving so I'm sure I'll do it justice."

  This was the first time Cadie had cooked her anything, Jo suddenly realized. In the two weeks since Cadie had left her ex-partner Naomi at Sydney International Airport and returned to the Whitsundays, they had been in perpetual motion. Jo had been juggling two jobs - trying to get a grip on running a thriving business and her duties as skipper of the Seawolf, one of the company’s two 50-foot yachts. Cadie had been filling in for Jo’s regular crew members, Paul and Jenny, who were still on their honeymoon, while trying to maintain her own business. As a literary agent, with most of her clients based in the US, that was proving to be a logistical challenge.

  As a result, most of their meals had been snatch-and-grab affairs eaten on the run. In the evenings they had been too tired to do anything other than drop into one of the many restaurants dotted around Airlie Beach and the island resorts.

  Cadie slid their food onto warmed plates and together they wandered over to the cabin’s dining area, sitting down opposite each other across the narrow table.

  “You do realize this is about the only thing I can cook, don’t you?” Cadie said, suddenly self-conscious about her culinary skills, or lack of them. She glanced up at Jo who was tucking enthusiastically into the hot breakfast.

  “Tastes great, hon,” Jo replied, concentrating on a crispy strip of bacon that was eluding her fork. She finally managed to skewer it and happily popped it into her mouth. She looked up, noticing her companion’s silence. “So Naomi was the cook in the household, huh?” She tried to imagine the arrogant and obnoxious Republican Senator for Illinois making nice with pots and pans. “Somehow I just can’t see that.”

  Cadie didn’t meet her eyes, preferring to move her food around on its plate with her fork.

  “Um, no. She didn’t do the cooking. She could barely make herself a cup of coffee, actually. We had a housekeeper. Consuela.”

  “Ah. Makes sense. You were both busy people.” Jo continued to watch the blonde playing with her food. “Sweetheart?” She reached out and captured one of Cadie’s hands with her own. “What’s wrong?”

  Cadie dropped her fork and placed her other hand on top of Jo’s, lifting her eyes to meet the concerned blue gaze across from her.

  “I guess I’m a little embarrassed,” she muttered.

  “About not doing much cooking?” Jo asked, a little puzzled.

  “Yeah, kind of,” Cadie replied. She tried to express just what was troubling her. “I guess I’m uncomfortable about the privileged life I’ve led. Mom and Dad were always well off and when I was growing up we always had a cook and a maid. And then when Naomi climbed up the political ranks – well, we never had to struggle financially and we were busy so having a housekeeper made sense. I never had to learn how to do more than throw a fried breakfast together.” She was disconcerted to find herself blushing.

  Jo squeezed her hand reassuringly.

  “And why is that anything to be embarrassed about, darling? You can’t help the circumstances you were born into. And having a busy, successful career is a go
od thing.”

  “I know… it’s just…” She held Jo’s gaze for long seconds, finally smiling at the love and acceptance she saw there. “I think it’s left me sorely lacking in some of life’s more useful skills.”

  Jo grinned.

  “Well, if this is as bad as your cooking gets, then I don’t think you’re lacking at all,” she said with a laugh. “Don’t worry about it, love. There’s going to be plenty of opportunity for you to experiment. And I make a very good guinea pig.” She gave Cadie’s hand another squeeze before she withdrew it and resumed eating. “Honestly, if anyone should be embarrassed about money, it’s me. At least you came by yours honestly.” Now who’s feeling insecure, Jo-Jo, she told herself.

  Cadie studied her companion as the dark-haired beauty continued with her breakfast. She knew Jo had plenty of money in the bank – more than plenty, in fact. And it was true that most of it was ill-gotten gains, payment for Jo’s previous life as a drug dealer’s bodyguard in the Sydney underworld. But she also knew that apart from investing the money wisely in the intervening five years, Jo had hardly touched that money, guilt stopping her from enjoying the spoils of her criminal past.

  “You know what I think?” Cadie said, making a decision.

  Clear blue eyes looked up at her and smiled.

  “What?”

  “I think we should let go of all that stuff. The past, I mean,” she hastened to explain. She slid around the semi-circular couch until she was next to Jo and hooked her hand around the taller woman’s elbow. “You and I have led such bizarre lives, Jo-Jo. Have you noticed that?”

  Jo laughed.

  “You only just work that out, my love?” she teased, ducking her head and claiming a gentle kiss. Cadie returned it, reveling in the tingling connection between them.

  “Mmmmmm, nice,” she whispered. “And no, I didn’t just work that out. But I guess it’s only just starting to sink in. Everything’s happened so quickly. It feels like one minute I was schmoozing with lobbyists at Naomi’s last fundraiser and the next I’m head over heels in love with a beautiful yacht skipper in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. What’s more, she’s got a dark and mysterious past, a wicked knack with handguns and as an added bonus …” Cadie slowed down as she saw the serious, slightly unnerved expression on her lover’s face. “As an added bonus,” she repeated more quietly. “She’s in love with me too.”