Love on the High Seas

by Yasmin Sullivan

  “Please say yes.”

  Angelina heard the hunger in Jeremy’s entreaty and knew what it meant to be the object of human longing. She saw the rapture in his eyes and knew without hesitation that she wanted to fulfill that need. She nodded.

  Jeremy got up and took off his clothes. His firm shoulders and sculpted arms, his broad chest and tapered flank, his full thighs and thick, leaping sex—all of his masculine beauty, fully nude, came into view under Angelina’s open gaze. He pulled his wallet out of his slacks and took out a condom, and when he had sheathed himself, he joined her on the bed again.

  He pulled off her panties and touched her, lighting her on fire all over again. Angelina thought that he would climb on top of her, but instead, he turned her away, letting her breasts fall into his palm and spreading her thighs with his own so that he could feel her slippery wetness. His fingers slid over her sex, filling her with desire.

  He moved himself into place, and she couldn’t help murmuring.

  “Are you ready, baby?”

  She nodded again.

  “Safire,” he called.

  She turned back to see his face.

  “Yes?”

  “Are you sure you want this?”

  “Yes, Jeremy.”

  He kissed her and then slowly thrust inside of her. He paused and sucked in his breath and groaned. Then he moved farther inside.

  With one hand cupping her breasts and the other teasing her swollen precipice, he began to thrust inside of her. Angelina couldn’t help moaning quietly as his manhood filled her and rocked inside her, filling her with yearning and driving her toward the brink.

  His long, slow thrusts made her wince, made her center cling to his, made her toss on the bedspread, pressing back against him. His short, fast plunges massaged her pleasure points, making her writhe and groan. His lips at her back made her shiver with anticipation, and his fingers at her breasts and sex made her ready to explode. All combined, his touches drove her body to its limit of indulgence. She heard his moan and felt his body tense, and she cried out as he pushed her over that edge.

  Chapter 6

  Jeremy had pulled the cover over them, and they had slept with her spooned in his arms. Now he woke up remembering how incredibly tight Safire had been when he moved inside of her, how her womanhood had clung to his stiffness, how the waves of her climax had driven him to his own. He could tell that she had not been with anyone in some time.

  But where was she? The room was empty. His clothes were piled neatly in one of her chairs. He grabbed his shorts and his pants, pulled them on and went toward the bathroom, calling her name.

  The glass door to the balcony slid open, and she came in with a book in her hand. He moved toward her and kissed her.

  He checked his watch. “It’s after nine.”

  “You seemed so peaceful asleep.”

  “With you in my arms, I slept like a baby.”

  She flushed a little, and he kissed her cheek again. He loved the shyness in her almost as much as he loved it when she lost control.

  “We’ve docked at Puerto Rico,” she said. “I have a ticket for a tour. Care to come with me?”

  “I’d love to. Can I get a ticket now?”

  “Let’s call and check.”

  “Then a late lunch?” he asked.

  She went to him and patted his tummy. “Hungry?”

  He chuckled.

  “Starved.” He lunged for her, lifted her and carried her to the bed. “But not for what you think.”

  She scampered from his clutches, laughing.

  “It’s getting late. We have to see about another ticket.”

  He cornered her at the headboard and kissed her.

  “Okay, but tonight is another story.”

  She squealed when he pulled her down the length of the bed by her ankles and tickled her, laughing all the while. She squirmed out of his grasp and onto her feet, holding up her palms to him.

  “Okay,” he conceded.

  “You have to dress, anyway. I showered this morning, so all I have to do is change.”

  He glanced over her. “You look fine.”

  “But the tour includes one of the churches, and I want to see inside.”

  “Okay. I’ll wear something presentable.”

  “Bring your camera,” she added. “The rainforest is supposed to be beautiful.”

  “It is.”

  He winked at her, kissed her nose and left her. He strode through the hall elated, stopping to leap toward one of the recessed lights as if he was dunking a basketball into a hoop. He had that much energy. And it wasn’t all from how good it felt to make love to her finally. Playing with Safire outside of the sheets was as awesome as it had been under the covers—and that was...fantastic.

  Back in his room, he called Alistair, who was with Rudy at one of the pools, and let him know that he’d be gone for the day.

  “No surprise there. You getting any?”

  “M-Y-O-B, sweetie. Mind your own business.”

  “Whoo-hoo,” Alistair said. “I know what that means.”

  He heard Alistair and Rudy high five each other.

  “Stop it. We’re not five years old anymore.”

  “We certainly are not,” Alistair said, being saucy.

  “See you guys later.”

  Jeremy showered and changed before calling Safire. There was space available on the tour bus, but they had to skip breakfast. They were both okay with that.

  The tour started with the El Yunque rainforest. Even on the way up, the bus stopped so that they could see natural waterfalls off the side of the road. Near the top, they got out and walked up a path to the interior.

  Along the way, their guide pointed out the flora and fauna. They stopped at another waterfall, and guests had a chance to wade in the water. Jeremy wasn’t inclined, but he watched as Safire took off her shoes, tied her skirt between her legs and waded in. The sight of her that way was erotic, and when she realized he was photographing her, she started to laugh and then splashed him.

  After she had had some fun, she came over to him. He had found a comfortable rock and was relaxing. She spread one of his legs and sat on the other. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him and then laughed.

  “Am I too heavy?”

  He bounced her on his knee a couple of times in answer.

  “Show off,” she said and swatted him. She pulled his head to her chest and squeezed him. Then she kissed his forehead and let him go.

  He loved that she was getting comfortable being affectionate with him. Of course, they were in public, and nothing could come of it, but he liked it anyway. Almost as good, she didn’t seem to notice it when he touched her, or at least she didn’t seem self-conscious about it anymore. Her body still reacted to him, though, and he still liked to make it do just that. And she was laughing a lot today. He liked that, too.

  They hiked back to the bus and headed for Old San Juan. The walking tour started at La Casita and then went through the Paseo La Princesa promenade, a long walk along the city’s outer wall with gardens and street vendors. They got a picture in front of its large bronze sculpture and then another at the San Juan Gate.

  Safire spent most of her time looking at the sights, but he was spending most of his time looking at Safire. Everything about her was growing on him. The heat she kept in his loins was turning into the least of his distractions. She had a glow about her. She also has a sense of humor. She especially loved the history of things and asked questions about El Morro, one of the forts.

  She loved the San Juan Cathedral, and when the tour was over and they had some time to wander the city, they went back for more pictures. They found a restaurant farther up the street—Cristo Street—and then visited some of the near
by craft shops and art galleries.

  She seemed to love the arts and crafts. He knew that she didn’t have a lot of money to spend, but she kept thinking about an art piece at one of the galleries, as if weighing the cost against the penny-pinching she would have to do later on, when she had to make up for it. It was a painting of an old Puerto Rican couple with a basket of flowers.

  As she stared at it, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck, wondering why she liked it so much.

  “You like this one?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  But she didn’t say more. In the end, she got a small wooden statue and some postcards of the artwork as keepsakes, and they both picked up business cards from the shop. He wrapped his arm around her, and she put her arm around him, and they continued on.

  On the bus, she rested her head on his shoulder and put her hand in his. He couldn’t help inhaling the aroma of her hair and running his fingers through it, appreciating their closeness. Yes, this woman was beginning to grow on him. And even with the slight touch of their fingers together, he could feel the desire rising between them.

  Underneath his desire, Jeremy felt a growing tenderness for this woman—her inquisitiveness, her wit, her presence, her ways. He was proud to have her at his side, to be the one whose fingers linked with hers. The allure of her body had been magnified for him by the beauty of her spirit, and together, these were tugging at all of his strings. The more taken he was with her charm, the more heated his desire became. It was a powerful cycle—yearning and tenderness, more yearning and more tenderness—and Jeremy loved being trapped in its rotation.

  Back on the ship, they decided to get some swimming in before dinner.

  “Would you like to meet a couple of my friends?” he asked.

  “I guess so, if you think they’d like to meet me.”

  He called Alistair. He and Rudy were still at one of the pools and had been joined by Myron and Verniece.

  He and Safire changed into swimsuits and met up again to go to the pool.

  “You know Myron and Verniece,” he said. “This is Alistair, my oldest friend, and Rudy, my friend since college. This is Safire.”

  “Pleased to meet you.”

  Alistair was tall and lanky, but well toned from his constant occupation of the gym. He had an open face and a boyish grin. That grin now took on a sly twist as he took Safire’s arm and brought her to the lounge chairs.

  “Now let’s see who’s been occupying all of Jeremy’s time.”

  Jeremy was a little worried; his best friend was gay and fairly judgmental. Likewise, he wasn’t sure what Safire’s response would be, if she was socially conservative, but she simply smiled and settled in next to him.

  “And let me get all the dirt about this one here, who’s been monopolizing my time so that none of my work is getting done,” Safire said.

  Jeremy went to get drinks for Safire and himself, and he came back to find the two into their conversation and laughing. He returned to Rudy at the bar but kept an eye on them, wondering what they were talking about.

  “Okay, you have to set me up with Michelle,” Rudy was saying.

  Michelle was one of Jeremy’s best friends. He didn’t know if Rudy would be a good match for her.

  “What about the one-night stand you just had?”

  Rudy had made a connection their second night on the ship.

  “It was just that—a one-night stand.”

  Jeremy tore his eyes from Safire and Alistair and looked back at Rudy. His friend was on the shorter side and a bit round—plump, Rudy would say—but with a sociable disposition. Michelle was a stunner and fairly particular—not so much about looks but about overall comportment. Rudy didn’t always act his age and could be a bit adolescent at times. He might not even be earnest about this. Jeremy faced him, square and sober.

  “Are you serious about Michelle?”

  “I know I could be.”

  This wasn’t quite the answer Jeremy would have wanted, but it was honest, so he nodded.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  They touched cups as if they were wineglasses, and then Jeremy got up to go see what his friend and his girl were up to.

  When he got near, he heard a snippet of their conversation.

  “...when he was three, so when he was five, he peed in a cup of Kool-Aid to see if it would turn green.”

  Safire was laughing heartily, and Alistair was chatting away.

  “Wait. What color was the Kool-Aid?”

  “Red.”

  They both cracked up.

  “Aw,” Safire said. “If it was blue, it might have worked.”

  He had no intention of letting his friend continue.

  “How on earth did you get onto this subject?” Jeremy held his hand out for Safire.

  “Wait, wait. We’re only up to five.”

  He got hold of Safire’s hand and started to tug her upward.

  “We were having quite a good time, thank you,” Alistair said.

  “Well, you’ll have to finish later.”

  “We do,” Safire said. “Five. Don’t forget.”

  Jeremy scowled at his friend and tugged at Safire’s clothes. She was still giggling as she removed her T-shirt and shorts. He wrapped his arms around her and started edging her toward the pool. “I’ll get you later,” he called back to Alistair.

  For now, as revenge, he lifted up Safire, who was still chuckling, and tossed her into the pool.

  They swam and played for about an hour, and whatever initial shyness she might have had around his friends disappeared with their play.

  At about eight, the group started to gather for dinner. They went to one of the casual restaurants and ordered burgers. Over dinner, Safire and Alistair got them all talking about Jeremy’s bloopers and laughing. Alistair added ones from his childhood—like the time he ripped the back seat of his pants trying to learn how to ride a bicycle without training wheels.

  Both Myron and Rudy added ones from his college days. Rudy, for example, blabbed about the first time he’d tried on a condom. He pulled it the wrong way, and it snapped back against his skin. He had to put ice on his nether region and had a welt that lasted for over a week. Why had he ever told Rudy such a thing?

  Jeremy scowled at his friends, but he didn’t really mind being the butt of their stories given the smile it put on Safire’s face. And he loved the sound of her laughter.

  After dinner, the group was planning to meet again for a movie.

  “Oh, I can’t,” Safire said. “I have to do a bit of work.”

  “I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Jeremy said.

  Alistair gave him wink as he took Safire’s hand and headed toward the elevator.

  “My place first,” Jeremy said.

  “Your place?”

  “I’m still hungry,” he said, bending down to kiss her.

  “I do have a few things to do.”

  “I’ll try to get you home before it’s too late.”

  They were both still damp, but once inside his stateroom, Jeremy dispensed with the idea of them showering together and took Safire into his arms. She met his kiss and brought her arms up to his shoulders.

  He stepped back. “Let me get you out of these wet things.”

  She smiled, only the slightest hesitation in her stance. Then she let him pull the T-shirt over her head and the shorts from her hips, untying her bikini straps as he went along. She shivered, and he drew her to the bed, lifting the covers for her to climb in.

  He pulled a condom from his drawer, shrugged off his clothes, and crawled in next to her.

  At first, he just held her in his arms, liking the feel of her soft skin against his rough flesh, the feel of her peaked breasts against his hard chest, the feel o
f her silky legs against his tense thighs.

  He was already turned on, but he knew he wanted to take his time with her. He wanted this to be right. He kissed her and used his tongue to spell out his passion. One of his arms was wrapped under her body, and he ran his fingers along her shoulder. The way her body tensed told him when he reached a sensitive spot. His other hand was free, and he caressed her breasts, feeling her torso begin to twitch.

  Every signal from her body sent electricity coursing through his manhood. He was very ready, but he wanted her to be ready, too. Her nipples were hard under the spell of his fingertips, but he wanted more. He wanted to touch her. He moved downward, touching his lips to her chest.

  When his mouth covered her breast, her hips glided against him, and she murmured. Her body was lighting his on fire. He pulled her leg over his hip and moved his hand between them. She moaned and twisted as he neared her sex, and when he found it, she moaned again and shivered.

  “Oh, touch me. Please touch me,” she whispered.

  Her request, her voice, the thickness of its desire, made his manhood leap. He began to massage her, and she began to rock against his hand. When his fingers slipped inside her swollen valley, he found her slick with moisture, and how wet she was, how ready she was, made his body thicken and made him groan.

  He stopped and felt along the bed for the condom, and when he’d put it on, he raised himself over her, dragging his chest along her breasts. She hummed with pleasure. He brought himself to her entry and paused a moment to calm down, wanting to take his time.

  He felt her hips rotating beneath him. She was rubbing herself along his member, making him rigid, making him needy with every movement. He loved how she was taking pleasure from him, but he knew he couldn’t keep still for very long.

  He claimed her mouth as he plunged inside her body, swallowing her moan.

  He loved when she moaned. And he loved that she was letting herself do so freely.

  As he rocked inside of her, she tilted her hips to ride her womanhood along his lower abdomen and her breasts along his chest. She winced and thrust harder upon him.

  “Jeremy,” she called out.

  “Yes, anything.”