“Ladies and gentlemen,” Bob began, using the lid of the closed coffin as a lectern of sorts. The low murmur of conversation ceased. “Rick McCleary asked me to say a few words here, and so I’m speaking to you now. I knew Rick and Anne well, but not so well as I would have liked. As most of you know, Rick knew he was going to die more than a year ago, and many of you know that this last year has been harder on those of us who know Rick than it was on him. I don’t know that I’d have the strength to take things in the calm [ ...continue reading "Funeral" ]]]> Ken was nervous as he stood at the back of the chapel. He’d been
to other funerals, but this one would be different. The chapel
wasn’t full, but it was well filled as the soothing music ended
and Bob Fuller walked up to the casket.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Bob began, using the lid of the closed
coffin as a lectern of sorts. The low murmur of conversation
ceased. “Rick McCleary asked me to say a few words here, and so
I’m speaking to you now. I knew Rick and Anne well, but not so
well as I would have liked. As most of you know, Rick knew he
was going to die more than a year ago, and many of you know that
this last year has been harder on those of us who know Rick than
it was on him. I don’t know that I’d have the strength to take
things in the calm way he did, and I’m sure I’m a better man for
having known him.

“Before he died, Rick made some very special requests of some of
us, and as his minister, he consulted me on some of these re-
quests. I’m afraid that some of his requests may shock some of
you, I know they shocked me when the two of us first talked about
this together. Anyway, after hesitating a long time, I agreed to
go along with his wishes, and so, here I am.

“Ken, Anne, would you and the other pallbearers come forward?”

Ken walked to his place at the side of the coffin, opposite Anne.
She smiled a thin smile at him, then took her place opposite him
and next to the minister; the other pallbearers, two men and two
women, all good friends of Ken and Anne, took their places by the
sides of the coffin.

“Normally,” Bob Fuller said, addressing everyone. “Normally, I’d
have objected to Rick’s idea of playing a tape of him at his
funeral. It’s usually something egotistical and tacky, but this
time, I agreed to do it because of his special wish. Here it
is.”

Bob Fuller walked over to the side of the room and pushed a
button on a tape player. As he came back to his place at the
head of the coffin, Rick’s recorded voice filled the room. Ken
was a unnerved by the sound of Rick’s voice. It wasn’t the weak
voice of a dying man he had heard the week before, but the strong
healthy voice he’d almost forgotten. He guessed that the tape
must have been made months ago.

“Friends,” Rick said, and then paused. “I suppose if you’re
listening to this, I must be dead. Sorry, I don’t mean to sound
so corny. Well, if everything goes as I planned, Al, Beth, Fred
and Ellen should be around my coffin right now. I asked you four
to serve as pallbearers for two reasons. First, you are my good
friends, and second, you are all good friends of Ken and my wife
Anne, who should be serving as the other two pallbearers.

“Anne, my love of ten years, I suppose I’ve been a real pain this
last year, and in a way, I’m glad for you that it’s over at last.
I know it’s awfully unconventional to ask the widow at a funeral
to serve as a pallbearer, but I’m glad you agreed to do it. I
know enough about what you like to have felt awful about what
I’ve denied you, and, well, to be blunt, if you’ve been unfaith-
ful during my illness, thank you for being discrete, and I hope
it was with Ken.”

Ken glanced nervously at Anne, wondering what had come over Rick
to make him record such an odd tape and why Bob had decided to
play it.

“Ken,” Rick went on. “I’ve known you longer than I’ve known
Anne. Remember long ago, long before I got sick, we were joking
about things, and you said that, if it hadn’t been for me, you’d
probably be going after Anne? In a way, that’s what inspired
this whole idea of mine. Some of you might call it a damned
idea, and maybe it is.”

While Rick’s recorded voice spoke, Ken wondered what he had in
mind. He’d had some pretty weird talks with Rick after he got
sick, and on at least two occasions, Rick had more than hinted
that Anne and Ken should get together. Ken had agreed with him,
to quiet him down, but he hadn’t followed through and actually
approached Anne. He really was in love with her, but at an
honorable distance. Just the same, he was more than a bit un-
nerved by Rick’s open discussion of his interest in Anne.

Rick continued. “I’ve spoken to many of you about my hopes for
what would happen after I die, but I haven’t told my entire plan
to anyone, that is, anyone other than Reverend Fuller. He didn’t
like my idea at first, but if he’s playing this tape for you, he
must have agreed to it at last. I hope so, because I did my best
to talk him into it.

“Anyway, Anne, You also told me once that if it hadn’t been for
me, you thought Ken was as close to your dream man as they come.
You know I don’t like mourning, we’ve mourned together for more
than a year, ever since I found out that my condition was termi-
nal. Enough mourning! You know I didn’t really want a funeral
at all, I’m dead now, it doesn’t do me any good. You folks who
are still alive can remember me if you want, but don’t be sad
about it! Celebrate what I accomplished, if you wish, but spend
your time looking forward to a fun future, and while you’re here,
make friends, renew acquaintances, and enjoy yourselves.

“With that in mind, I’ve asked the Reverend to spend some of my
money and book a place for dinner after you’ve planted my re-
mains, but before you do that, I’ve got some business in mind.”

While Rick’s voice paused, Ken realized that he was looking idly
at Anne. He’d never known that Anne had any romantic interest in
him after she married Rick, although she’d occasionally teased
him and she’d always been a very open and friendly woman. As
what Rick had said sunk in, Anne smiled weakly at Ken from across
the casket, then looked down at her hands as if she might be a
bit embarrassed.

Rick thought that she looked pretty, dressed in a black dress
that he at first thought looked very modest. The dress had long
sleeves and a long hemline, and Anne wore the cowl neck of the
dress up over her head. As Ken looked more closely, Ken realized
that the dress clung revealingly to her slim figure, it was not
merely pretty, it was sexy, and it was only the black color that
made it discrete.

“Ken,” Rick’s recorded voice continued. “Do you really want to
marry Anne? If you do, and if she’s interested, do it now!
Right here.

“Anne. Please don’t mourn my passing. If you have anyone else
you’d like to love, don’t let my memory get in the way. If you
think it would be fun to marry Ken right now, do it! I’ve asked
the Reverend, and he’s agreed to do it under one condition, that
is, that I give both of you a way out if you don’t like my idea.”

Rick’s recorded voice paused again while Ken tried to deal with
the shock of what he’d said. Ken had never thought of himself as
a very proper person, but his sense of propriety was offended by
the idea of getting married to the widow at a funeral. Even so,
as he looked up at Anne’s shocked face, he felt tempted to do it.

“Here it is, and these are the last words I’ve recorded. I’ve
asked the organist to play a meditative interlude when this tape
ends, and I invite you two to whisper over the casket, consulting
with the Reverend if you want. When the interlude’s over, you’re
free to get married if you want, or free to go home single.

“You know how I’d like this to turn out, but let me say one more
thing. Don’t worry about satisfying me, I’m dead. Satisfy
yourselves. That goes for all of you who are here for my funer-
al! Bye folks!”

The recording ended, and as promised, the organist began to play
something that was quiet enough to allow whispered conversation
and loud enough to mask the sound of such a conversation from
anyone else who might try to listen in.

“This is the craziest darned thing I’ve ever heard of,” Ken
whispered.

“You’re not kidding,” Anne whispered in reply. She paused and
then went on. “It’s just like Rick, though, you know that?”

Ken looked down at his fingers on the lid of the coffin. “Right.
So what should we do?”

“Do we have any choice?” she asked.

“I guess it depends,” he whispered.

“On what?”

“On us. When Rick first suggested that I start courting you
behind his back, I was offended by the idea, it just seemed so
wrong.”

“I know what you mean,” she whispered as the music continued.
“Rick told me I should be flirting with you. I guess I took it
as a kind of joke at the time, but…”

Ken paused to let her continue, but when she didn’t, he did.
“But what? The truth is, I didn’t follow up then, but in a few
months, after things settle down, after you’ve had a decent time
to get over Rick, I was thinking of calling on you.”

She smiled quietly and reached over to put her hand on his. “I
was only going to wait a few weeks before I called you.”

“OK,” Ken whispered, smiling faintly. “But I don’t like being
manipulated like this. I liked Rick a lot, but in a way, I
resent what he’s suggesting.”

“Me too,” she said, “but is it really manipulation when someone
tells you to do something you already want to do?”

She broke off, as if startled by what she’d just said, and it
took a long moment for Ken to realize her full meaning. He
looked at her as her smile broadened, and then she leaned forward
to whisper. “Want to do it?”

Ken looked at the mischievous twinkle in her eye, stunned, and
then smiled as he realized that it would be a fitting memorial to
Rick. “OK.”

She motioned to Bob Fuller and whispered something in his ear,
and judging by his expression, he asked her a question, to which
she replied at length, glancing at Ken as she spoke. Bob looked
up at Ken and smiled, then leaned his way. “You really want to
go through with it?”

“Yes,” Ken whispered.

“OK,” Bob Fuller said, and then stood up straight at the head of
the casket and looked meditatively down at his hands while the
soft music continued. Ken tried to do the same, but he couldn’t
keep his eyes off Anne, and when he looked at her, he saw that
her eyes were on him and that she had a faint smile on her lips.

As the music came to an end, Bob Fuller stood straight. “Well
folks, we’ve all agreed, so this will be more than just a funer-
al. Anne Smith McCleary, I’ve had long talks with you while your
husband was ill, and I know that you know Kenneth Anderson quite
well and you’ve known him for a long time. Do you take Ken to be
your lawful wedded husband?”

“I do,” she said, faintly but clearly.

“Kenneth Anderson, do you take Anne McCleary to be your lawful
wedded wife?”

“I do,” he said, shaking his head with wonder.

“Then I pronounce you man and wife,” Bob Fuller said. “Rick
asked me to make a specific request at this point. He asked me
to ask that you two kiss each other over his dead body, to be
quite literal.”

There was a nervous chuckle from more than one person in the
chapel as Ken reached across the coffin to Anne and took her
hand, and then leaned over to kiss her.

“Anne,” Bob Fuller said, after they’d kissed. “Ken. I’ve known
the two of you for some years now, and I’ve known you were close
friends. Ken, you were Rick’s roommate when he was courting
Anne, but if Rick hadn’t set this up, I’d never have imagined
things working out like this. Social convention would have you
two waiting a good six months after the funeral, but you know
what? I figured that you two would marry then, and I think Rick
really is right, it’s better that you two should comfort each
other. My blessings go with you.”

The organist started playing a march as the pallbearers picked up
the coffin, but it wasn’t a funeral march, it was a wedding
march, slow and dignified, but full of joy.

—-

“Sorry about the mess,” Ken said, opening the door to his apart-
ment.

“You should see my mess,” Anne said. “I don’t really look for-
ward to going through all of Rick’s stuff, that’s one reason I
said we should come to your place.”

Ken paused after he shut the door. Somehow, his thoughts all
afternoon had been dominated by the excitement of sharing some-
thing daring with Anne, and her mention of Rick’s stuff was
shattering.

“Anne,” he said, and then hesitated. “Anne, what can I do to
help?”

She walked silently into the middle of his living room and looked
around briefly before turning to face him with a sigh. “Tomorrow
you can help me go over Rick’s stuff, separating the trash from
the keepsakes from the rest.” Her expression clouded briefly.
“I guess the rest goes to Goodwill or the crisis center.”

She paused, looking at Ken, then grinned. “Third, make that the
day after tomorrow or later! These last few weeks have been
hell, and I need to totally wrap myself up in something else for
a while. Help me do that, will you?”

Ken wasn’t entirely sure he was ready to face what she had in
mind as he took her long coat and hung it in the closet by the
door. When he looked back at her, he almost did a double take.
She’d changed the way she wore her dress again. At the funeral
service she’d worn the cowl of her long black dress up over her
head, looking properly like a modest if slim and beautiful widow.
At the dinner party Rick had set up for after the burial, she’d
worn the cowl down around her neck, but now, she’d pulled it down
off her shoulders so the cowl formed a tight band around her
upper arms and over her breasts.

She smiled at his attention and posed. “Like this?”

“Yes, that’s quite a dress.”

She grinned. “Would you believe Rick bought it for me six months
ago? He got it specifically for the funeral!”

Ken shook his head and then chuckled. “So he did it to you too?
This is the suit he told me to wear!”

“I like it,” she said, and then hugged him.

Ken enjoyed her hug and returned it warmly, enjoying the soft
inviting texture of her dress under his hands and the warmth of
her skin under it. As he swept his hands slowly down her back,
he grew uncomfortably aware of her. Her hips were pressed
against his, and as his hand swept from her back to her hip, he
could feel nothing to hint that she wore anything under the
dress.

“What a day!” Ken said, breaking the hug and sitting on the
couch.

“Is something wrong?” Anne asked, sitting next to him.

“I don’t know,” he said, putting his arm around Anne’s shoulder
more because the way she sat demanded it than because he felt
comfortable doing it. “It’s been a long day, and I’m, well, I’m
not really prepared for the way it turned out.”

She laughed gently. “I certainly never expected to get married
at my husband’s funeral, but I’m glad I did. Come on, it’s not
that late in the evening, and although we’ve known each other for
a decade, we’ve got a bit of work to do getting to know each
other.”

Ken blushed. “I thought you might want to be alone. Are you
sure you want…”

“Ken,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder and speak-
ing in a soft, sad voice. “I’ve been alone and lonely too much
these last few months, what with Rick in the hospital and all.
Every night I slept alone, I had to face the fact that my husband
was dying, and towards the end, it was awfully hard on me each
time I visited him.”

“He was my friend too,” Ken said, remembering how Rick had
changed towards the end of his hospice stay. “So what do you
want to do with the rest of our evening.”

“For now, just hold me like you are, make me feel secure.”

Her head was resting against his shoulder, with his arm around
her and his hand resting gently on her hip. As she nestled
against him, she reached out with her free hand and held his free
hand to her stomach, stroking his wrist with her fingers.

“You know,” she said, “sometimes, when Rick and I had a disagree-
ment, I used to wonder how things would have worked out if I’d
married you instead of him. Sometimes, I’d fantasize about
having an affair with you, or making love to you. How about
you?”

Ken was slowly relaxing under her touch, letting his hand rest
against the warmth of her stomach as she stroked his wrist. “I
don’t know, I guess I suppressed those kinds of thoughts, I
didn’t want to hurt my best friends by threatening their mar-
riage.”

“But you had thoughts to suppress.”

“Yes, you’re very desirable, you know. I guess I always hoped
I’d find another girl who was as bright and pretty as you, but
nobody ever came close.”

Her hand on his wrist gently urged him to shift his hand upward,
and now he found his thumb occasionally brushing the bottom of
her soft breast. “I like the way you’re holding me,” she said,
in a quiet voice. “Do you mind if I ask you how much experience
you’ve had with other girls? I mean, you introduced Rick and me
to a few of the girls you dated, but you never seemed to stay
with any of them for long.”

“Do you mean, am I still a virgin?” he asked, tensing up.

“No, I just wondered why you never found anyone. No, that’s not
really right, I guess I wanted to balance things. I mean, Rick’s
name keeps coming up, and I thought that was unfair to you.” She
was sounding flustered. “Oh hell, I guess I also wondered about
your sex life. Hold me!”

She pulled his hand up to her breast and held it there with her
hand while she continued to nestle her head against his shoulder.
He could feel her hard nipple through the tight band of her
turned down cowl, and the tip of his thumb rested against the
exposed flesh of her chest above her dress. He slid his other
hand up to cup her other breast before he went on.

“All right,” he said, and then paused. The last time the topic
had come up between the two of them must have been back when
they’d dated each other, more than a decade ago. Ken had been a
virgin then, and so had Anne. “No, I’ve had sex with a couple of
the girls I’ve dated; should I name names? Oh hell, I’ve got to
live with you now, remember Karen? We slept together on and off
for a couple of years.”

“Was she good?” Anne asked, gently stroking his wrist as he
cupped her breasts in his hands.

“Good? I liked her, I liked sex with her, we had lots of fun,
but…” He paused, wondering how to go on as he gently began to
fondle Anne’s breast. “I guess she wanted lots of independence,
and I gave it to her. We never even mentioned marriage.”

Anne sighed comfortably as he gently slid his hand over her
breast, and he wondered if she wanted him to slip his hand under
her dress. The way she’d folded her cowl down was inviting, and
he wondered how it would feel to slide his hand over her bare
breast and hard nipple. He slid his hand up and gently ran a
finger along the rolled top edge of her dress, letting it trail
under the edge a fraction of an inch.

She patted his hand with hers, then pulled at the fabric of her
dress, opening an inviting gap between fabric and flesh. He slid
his hands down over the rounded flesh of her breasts, feeling her
nipples between his fingers as he cradled her soft small breasts
under the tight band of her turned down cowl.

“So how do you like sex,” she asked, speaking softly as she held
his hands to her breasts.

“I like it,” he said, sliding one hand down to her stomach be-
neath the elastic fabric. “How do you mean?”

“What do you like doing?”

“Kissing, hugging, touching, intercourse, it’s all fun…” He
was comfortably aware of the building pressure in his penis. “I
guess we didn’t really try very many ways of doing it. Karen and
I didn’t talk about sex much, we just did it. Cindy, well, she
liked talking about sex, but we didn’t stay together very long.”

“Then maybe…” Anne said, and then paused. Without warning, she
eased his hands out from under her dress and got up from the
couch. She turned to face him, and then spoke in a low uncertain
voice. “Let me undress you, OK?”

“OK,” Ken said, excited by the prospect of being undressed by the
woman he’d loved at a distance for so long, but frustrated that
she’d pulled away from his hands. “Rick and I tried everything
in the book,” she said, undoing his tie. “You know the kind of
man he was, always wanting to try things. Well, that applied to
sex and we tried quite a bit. Just about all of it was worth the
effort, and I think, right now, I’d like to surprise you.”

Anne undid his shirt, kissing his chest and sucking on his nip-
ples as she exposed them. He’d never really paid attention to
the sexual possibilities of his own nipples before, and he was
surprised to find himself reacting to her attention. His hands
were on her shoulders, and again, he slid his hands down under
the elastic fabric of her dress, sliding his fingers over her
muscular back and down to the sides of her breasts.

He cooperated passively as she pulled his shirt off and set it
aside, but then he realized that it would be fun to take a turn
undressing her. “Can I take your dress off?” he asked.

“OK,” she said, standing in front of him.”

“How does it come off?”

“Pull down.”

He sat up and reached tentatively forward to hold Anne’s thighs
between his hands, then paused for a minute looking at her as she
stood in front of him. She was a beautiful woman. He tentative-
ly slid his hands up her hips to her waist and then up to the
sides of her chest where he took the edge of her knit cowl in his
hands.

He tugged on the turned down cowl and pulled it down to expose
her breasts. They were small but pretty, not big enough to sag,
with large brown areolas surrounding her nipples. He let go of
her dress to gently touch them, and then pulled the dress down
farther so he could free her arms from the sleeves.

“May I kiss you?” he asked, looking at her breasts.

“You don’t have to ask,” she said.

He sat forward and gently touched his lips to her nipple while he
held her hips in his hands. She held his shoulders in her hands,
gently pulling him to her, and after gently kissing her other
nipple, he went back to the first, touching the velvet soft skin
of her areola with his tongue as he savored the smell and taste
of the woman he had known and loved from a distance for so long.

As he kissed her, he ran his hands over the soft fabric of the
dress that still covered her fanny. Again, he felt no hint of
underwear through her dress and again he hesitated. Her nipples
were hard between his lips, and he was content, for the moment,
to concentrate his attention on them as she ran her hands through
his hair and down the skin of his back.

“You can slip my dress off, if you want,” Anne said.

Ken let go of Anne’s nipple as he slid his hands up to the turned
down top of her dress. He pushed down, letting his fingers slide
over her smooth skin as she slid the elastic cloth down over her
rounded bottom.

“You’re really not wearing anything under this dress?” he asked,
admiring the smooth curve of her belly and the neatly trimmed
patch of pubic hair between her legs.

“Nope,” she said, stepping out of the dress as it slid down
around her ankles. “With dresses like this one, anything you
wear under them shows. You know, panty lines, that kind of
thing. I could have worn panty hose, I suppose, but with a long
dress, it doesn’t seem to serve any purpose.” She paused.
“Besides, Rick always liked it when I went without underwear; I
hope you don’t mind.”

Ken looked at her as she stood in front of him, admiring the
clean lines of her body. “No, I don’t mind. I never
imagined…” He stopped, unsure what to say.

She knelt in front of him as he sat on the couch. “Come on,
let’s get back to getting to know each other. Stand up so I can
finish undressing you.”

He stood up and she took his hips in her hands and kissed his
belly, just above the belt, then leaned back so she could see
what she was doing as she undid the buckle. He was acutely aware
of his erect penis, only inches from her face as she opened his
belt and began to undo his pants.

“You smell nice,” she said, brushing her nose against the bulge
in his shorts as she slid his pants down.

“I do?” Ken said, surprised.

“You do!” she said, smiling as she pulling his shorts down to
free him. “I always liked the smell and taste of Rick. Come on,
sit down and relax.”

—-

“Good morning,” she said, and Ken was disoriented for a moment.
He opened his eyes and yawned while he tried to focus. Anne was
sitting up on the bed beside him, resting her hand lightly on his
chest and looking at him with a faint but pleasant smile on her
face.

“Good morning,” he said, remembering the events of the day be-
fore. Between the funeral that had turned into his wedding and
Anne’s interest in oral sex, he was surprised that he’d apparent-
ly managed to get a sound night’s sleep.

She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss. “Want to play around
a bit before breakfast?”

The idea was tempting, but Ken wasn’t sure he was ready. “No,
I’ve got to piss, then let’s get dressed and eat.”

“Don’t get dressed,” Anne said as Ken sat up in bed. “I’ve been
thinking about this since I woke up. We’ve got to get used to
each other’s bodies, and what better way to do that is there than
to spend the day nude with each other?”

“Nude isn’t always romantic,” Ken said.

“No, but so what? The point is to get over being shy with each
other.”

Ken chuckled. “If that’s what you want, you should ask to watch
me while I piss.”

“OK,” she said, surprising him. “Rick and I always kept the
bathroom a private place, but…”

“I didn’t mean to seriously suggest…” he protested.

“I don’t care if you meant it,” she said. “It’s a good idea.
Come on, go pee, I’ll watch.”

Ken got out of bed and went to the bathroom, with Anne following
close behind. He felt awkward as he lifted the toilet lid and
began to piss, but she broke the ice with a nervous giggle.

“You know something? I always knew men pissed standing up, but
I’ve never seen it done. Do you ever miss the toilet?”

“I’ve had plenty of practice,” he said, shaking the last drop off
his penis and flushing the toilet.

“I suppose so,” she said, sitting down. “Still, it seems odd.
Want to split a shower with me before we eat?”

“Sure,” he said, noticing the warm musky smell as she pissed.
The smell was very familiar, but it was a while before he could
remember why. It was a smell he remembered from his childhood,
the smell of his bathroom after his mother had used it.

Five minutes later, they were in the shower together. After they
were both wet, Anne turned off the water and then handed Ken the
soap. He lathered up his hands and then began soaping her wet
skin, starting at the neck and working his way down. Sliding his
wet hands over her soft breasts was fun, and by the time he was
soaping her fanny, he had a mild erection.

“Don’t be shy about my crotch,” she said, gently resting her
hands on his shoulders as he knelt in the tub in front of her.

He realized he’d been avoiding sliding his soapy hands into her
crotch, and even with her urging, he hesitated for a moment
longer. Finally, he slid his hand up between her legs and cupped
her pubic bone, working soap into her pubic hair before he slid
his hand back to clean her soft lips and farther back between her
cheeks.

“Did you and Rick do this often?” Ken asked, tentatively explor-
ing the warm cleft between her lips.

“That feels nice,” she said with a sigh. “No, it’s fun, but most
tubs and showers aren’t really built for two.”

He didn’t linger long with his fingers inside her, she was right
that the tub wasn’t a very convenient place for such play, and
kneeling in front of her on the hard tub began to hurt his knees.
Even so, he was very erect as he finished soaping her legs down
to her feet and then stood up to let her soap him. He expected
her to soap him as he’d soaped her, using her hands, but she
surprised him, using her soapy body to do the job. She hugged
him tightly in her soapy arms, sliding her body against his, and
only when she’d covered half of his body with soap that way did
she let go and use her hands.

After they’d rinsed and dried each other off, Ken hugged Anne,
kissing her as he enjoyed the pressure of her breasts against his
chest and the feel of her pubic hair against his still-erect
penis. She ran her fingers over his back while his hands rested
on the rounded mounds of her fanny.

After a long deep kiss on the mouth, Ken began gently kissing
Anne’s cheeks and earlobes. His lips tingled slightly with his
excitement as he touched her smooth skin and gently nibbled on
her earlobes, and each gentle kiss Anne planted on his shoulder
seemed to stick there long after she’d moved on to other places.

“Let’s go back to bed,” she whispered, between kisses.

He turned, holding her tightly as they walked back to the bed-
room. Ken pulled down the covers with one hand and sat on the
edge of the bed, still holding Anne’s waist. Her left breast was
there, so he kissed it as she began to sit, and followed her
down, never letting go with his mouth as she spread herself out
on the bed.

The forest offers so many varieties of sights and sounds. We have sought, and found, the area where humanity seldom traverses. The shade of the tall trees around us prevent the suns rays from being harsh, the air is warm. The scent of nature permeates our nostrils. There is a freshness that makes it seem as though we are the only two in [ ...continue reading "The Forest" ]]]> Walking along the trail I reminisce about all that has
passed between us. Your body striding next to mine a
constant reminder of the delights that we have shared –
and will share again. Time
has been kind to us both. We are comfortable with each
other — each knowing and trusting that the other will
never betray us nor make demands that we cannot meet.
And, as that trust grew, so did the rapture, until now
… we can be together so completely that even the quiet
time is stimulating.

The forest offers so many varieties of sights and
sounds. We have sought, and found, the area where
humanity seldom traverses. The shade of the tall trees
around us prevent the suns rays from being harsh, the
air is warm. The scent of nature permeates our
nostrils. There is a freshness that makes it seem as
though we are the only two in the universe. It is ours.
Just off the trail is a natural cavern formed by the
overhang of some bushes. The sunlight dances through
the branches creating a kaleidoscope of patterns on the
deep, lush grass beneath the soft canopy.

I glance at you — walking along, lost in your own
inner thoughts – and suddenly the urge overtakes me. I
dash forward; my laughter sounding as natural as the
tweeting of the song birds. Racing towards the cavern,
I duck and fall to the ground.

Ohhhhh! It is as cushiony as an air mattress. The
soft grasses having grown and folded over each other –
layer upon layer. I giggle watching you standing on the
trail — looking at me like I had just taken leave of
all my senses. Kneeling in this natural hut, I quickly
remove my sun top. Now the sunlight creates patterns on
the creaminess of my breasts.

You smile — awareness of my adventuresome behavior
tantalizing you at the prospect of what I might do this
time. But, teasingly, you stand –watching –waiting.
My hands push my shorts down … first exposing my
tummy, then the dark thatch — with little movement I
rock backwards on the grass and free my legs from the
constraints of the clothing. I lie there for a moment,
peeking at you from around my knees. Ahhh, smile toying at my lips> I watch you drop your shirt to
the ground. I feel the stirrings deep in the core of my
body looking at your bare chest. God! What a man you
are.

[ ...continue reading "Night by the Fire" ]]]> My head rest on his shoulder. As I look into the fireplace, the room
seems to take on a magical glow. Laying naked on a blanket, his arm around me,
the heat of the fire caresses our bodies. I can still feel the warmth of my
own cream and his semen leaking out, covering my pussy with wetness,
moistening the side of my legs and down below my vagina. I slip my hand
between my legs and begin to massage the moisture into the skin of my labia
and mons. My fingers seek more from my vagina and I place it on my abdomen,
and breast, pulling the nipples out, moistening each so they glistened with
the reflection of firelight. I want him on me, as well as in me. His eyes are
closed, and he appears to sleep. I retrieve more, and move my fingers to my
mouth tasting the moisture of our lust.

My mind wanders, as I try to understand how I find myself here.
Sometimes control seems to slip away from me. This seems like one of those
times. I don’t seek encounters or relationship. I move through my life,
keeping it as simple as possible. NO CONFLICTS. And certainly as few strangers
as possible. I select my friends very carefully. But lately I have
experimented with expression and expression of our feelings is like a disease.
It grows and spreads within you, until you are consumed by its power. Each new
revelation exposes something else and demands even more exploration and
exposure. I find deep, hidden, emotions and desires. I find lust and a sensual
part of myself, sometimes just as well left repressed. I find myself
experimenting with my own body. Shaving my pubic hair. Touching and caressing
my new softness and smoothness. Wearing clothes which slide across my body
making me aware of their texture as they become sensuous touches. When I am
at work and walking from one place to another, I find myself walking naked on
a moonlit beach, and the silky caress of my clothes becomes a soft warm
tropical breeze. And now, here I am, in a cabin, in front of a fireplace,
lying in the arms of an almost stranger, naked, full of his semen.

My hand reaches for more of our wetness, as it leaks from me. I begin
to spread it on his skin, softly, so he doesn’t waken. Each stroke touches
lightly, but more boldly. His breathing remains deep, his eyes closed. I touch
his nipple, massage it with our moisture, and find it hardens to my caress. I
plan to move and shift so my tongue can taste him, but decide the danger of
waking him too great. My finger moves to his cock, limp, soft, lying
unconcerned to the side. I begin to draw slow circles on his sacks, gently
testing his sleep and then squeezing ever so tenderly. I have to use all my
self control not to mould them to my palm and press them in my hand, feeling
there strange firmness. My clitoris moves, in response to my thoughts, asking
for attention to its own needs. I look into the fire and my eye loose their
focus as I seem to see an image of two bodies in the fire, naked and entwined
within each others arms. She is on her back, her legs wrapped around his
waist, pulling her pelves towards him. He is on his knees, his hands kneading
her breast, slamming his cock into her with all his power. And yet, her eyes
burn with a yearning for him to pour more of his passion into her.

Staring into the fire, my eyes fog and the room becomes a mystic dream
in which I am the observer as well as the woman in the blaze. The heat and
burning in which she exist, are present within me, within my pelvis, within my
breast and nipples. I am on fire. My hand now finds my own breast and nipples
as I squeeze and pull until my own passion causes me pain. I move my hand
down, between my legs, massaging my mons, stroking my lips, feeling the
increasing wetness seep from my vagina. Caressing the side of my clitoris, I
turn back and stare once again into the fire…

Now he is on his back, and she straddles him, breasts hanging down,
swaying with her motion, her nipples, pushing outward with their own rising
passion, brushing his chest as she rocks back and forth on his cock. Her eyes
stare into his, capturing his lust and revealing her own. His mouth is open,
his tongue revealed between his lips. She answers by cupping her breast in her
hands lifting them as though they were an offering to his desire. The fire
blazes around them, its heat engulfing them. As sweat pours from their bodies,
their skin glistens in the flames. As she moves more rapidly, I hear a beating
sound within my chest, and find my heart pounding like a jungle drum, distant,
steady, erotic, frightening. My hand moves faster. My fingers stroke my clit,
and I join the woman in the fire, sharing her passion. My clit and vagina burn
with her rising heat. As I gasp for air, a soft moan escape from my throat.
Then I realize he is pouring his semen into her and she is grasping his cock
and sucking it into her body with her own orgasm…and I become aware of my
own vaginal spasms as moisture and cream pour from me.

The images in the fire fade, but the magic fog of the flame still
envelopes the room and I become aware of his arm pressing me to his body. His
kisses my neck. My head turns to offer more to his lips. He seeks my lips and
his tongue touches mine. I push my breast against him, asking his arms to hold
me. He responds by pulling me to him with one hand while the other cups, then
massages my breast with increasing passion. I press the nipple into his palm,
giving myself to his touch. I am on my side facing him, one leg over his hip,
holding him to me. His cock is no longer unconcerned or disinterested. It is
hard, the head burning against my clit, raging with passion as it spreads my
labia and strokes between them, back and forth, back and forth. My cream
creates a velvety smoothness for him to slide through, as I rock my pelvis
into him.

Then I am on my back, and my legs are around him. His cock, now
presses and then my plunges into my pussy, no, not my pussy, my cunt. My
raving ravenous cunt screaming for his cock to… “Fuck me.” The words seep
from my mouth as the cream seeps from my pussy.

“Fuck me.” I plead. I am out of control.

“Fuck me.” I beg. He moves deeper and deeper with each stroke.

“Fuck me.” I demand. He responds by pounding me harder and harder with
each thrust.

“Fuck my pussy. Fuck my cunt with your cock; your firm, hard, cock.” I
feel his heat building, his cock swelling and I know we are both close.

“Fuck me. Give me your cum. Fill my cunt with your semen.” I grind my
pussy onto him, my hips arching to enclose as much of his cock as I can reach.
His mouth gasps for air as he drives into me. I’m not sure if he hears me or
if my words are only fuel for my own fires.

“Fuck me. I want to cum with you, NOW. ” And with those words he
floods me. I answer with my own orgasm. My vagina grasps, squeezes, sucks his
cum. My own cream floods my pussy with its warmth. I can’t hold all we produce
and it spills out covering his balls, my labia, his legs, my ass.

He falls on me, covering my body with his, exhausted from his passion.
I keep my legs around him. My pussy holds his cock without release. Our bodies
are covered with perspiration. As we rest in each other’s arms, my fingers
begins to draw idle circles around his nipple.

My head turns and once again I look into the fire. The images have
returned. They hold each other in the now softening flames. As I look into the
fire, I see the glowing embers reflected on their bodies and I realize they
are staring into our room. I realize they are looking at me.

Good night. Sleep tight.

Lena

These last two years have been the greatest time of my life. I have felt feelings that I had never experienced before, joy beyond my wildest dreams, and the tenderest of moments I could ever hope for.

Graduation is a time for changes – the start of a whole new life. In a few short days, I will be in a new city, starting a new job, making a new start with a clean slate.

I am truly sorry for what I must do. I know you won’t understand, and I don’t expect you to. But the time has come for me to leave you, just as I leave this city, this university, this stage in my life.

Know always that you will hold a very special place in my heart. I will always remember you with nothing but fondness, and last night will never be forgotten. My first love, my teacher and student in love – [ ...continue reading "Farewell" ]]]> My darling Liz,

These last two years have been the greatest time of my life. I
have felt feelings that I had never experienced before, joy beyond my
wildest dreams, and the tenderest of moments I could ever hope for.

Graduation is a time for changes – the start of a whole new life.
In a few short days, I will be in a new city, starting a new job,
making a new start with a clean slate.

I am truly sorry for what I must do. I know you won’t
understand, and I don’t expect you to. But the time has come for me
to leave you, just as I leave this city, this university, this stage
in my life.

Know always that you will hold a very special place in my heart.
I will always remember you with nothing but fondness, and last night
will never be forgotten. My first love, my teacher and student in
love – these things set you apart from all others. I only hope that
someday, you will know why I had to leave.

Love,

Mark

As I wrote those words, the memories came flooding back from two years
ago. Our first date – it was the first time I’d ever asked a girl out.
Liz had been in my chemistry lab and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. The
curve of her hips, her breasts straining against the fabric of the t-shirt
she was wearing that day, her shapely ass, her deep brown eyes, all had me
captured from the start. A week later, she was my first girlfriend (and I
her first boyfriend). That was the night we gave each other the gift of
our virginity.

Since then, we’d been inseparable. I figure she must have cost me a
lot of marks due to all the time we spent together, but it was worth it.
Liz and I went through a lot together these past two years, leaning on each
other when we needed strength, and sharing the good times and our bodies
with each other. But as graduation drew near, I felt it was time for a
change. I don’t really know why; I still love her as much as I ever have.
But somehow I knew, deep inside, that this past night would be our last.

We met at her apartment for a very late dinner. Liz is an excellent
cook, and I’m good at making desserts, so we always split dinners that way.
Between her lasagna, my black forest cake, and the wine, we were feeling
pretty good as we sat on her bed after dinner.

It was hard not letting her know that this would be our last evening
together, but I had decided it would be best to end on a high note, so I
tried to put the future out of my mind and concentrate on the present.
Like most other evenings, things started off with a few kisses and rapidly
progressed from there.

Liz likes to wear bulky sweaters, which makes it very easy for things
to get started, and last night was no exception. In no time, her sweater
was lying on the floor and her bra quickly followed suit. I traced around
the shape of her breasts with my tongue, finally spiralling in and concen-
trating on her left nipple. At the lightest touch of my tongue, her nipple
became erect, and I teased it. I licked it, sucked on it, and gently bit
it as her breathing became quicker and she ran her hands through my hair
and across my shoulders.

Soon, though I decided to move on downwards, planting light kisses down
her belly as my hands quickly undid her jeans and slid them as far down her
legs as I could, given that my knees were in the way. As I lingered around
her navel, my hands were inside the back of her panties, fondling the
cheeks that had helped to draw my attention to her in the first place. I
moved my face between her legs and kissed her pussy through her panties.
Doing that drives her crazy, having my mouth so close to her womanhood, yet
separated from it by a thin layer of material. The only problem is, it
drives me crazy too, and soon I had no choice but to remove her panties and
get to work for real.

I started by running my tongue lightly along her lips, touching enough
to send shivers through her body but lightly enough to just tease her. I
didn’t get to do this for long, though, as she spread her legs very wide
and used her feet to force my face right up against her pussy. But she
couldn’t make me touch her clit until I was ready, so I spent a little
while probing in her vagina with my tongue while she moaned, bucked her
hips, and pleaded with me to work on her clit.

Okay, so I lied about staying away from her clit until she’d been
teased enough … as soon as I look into those eyes of hers, I’m history,
and she’s known this since day one. She grabbed my head with both hands
and forced me to look at her face. So she got her wish. I moved my atten-
tion to her clit, first gently licking it, then sucking on it as she went
crazy. Isn’t it wonderful how a woman squirms as though she’s trying to
get away, although she never wants the feeling to end? As my tongue and
lips caressed her clit, I inserted first one finger, then two into the
warmth of her cunt. This drove her wild, and it was all I could do to keep
in contact with her clit as her body became tense. A quick nibble on her
clit and she went over the edge, arching her back as every muscle in her
body spasmed.

Once her orgasm was over, she grabbed me by the hair, pulling me up to
kiss her. She loves the taste of her own juices, and that kiss wasn’t
broken for the longest time. When she opened her eyes, they had that glim-
mer I so loved – that special look that means “It’s my turn to work now!”
She ran her hands over my chest as she unbuttoned my shirt and tossed it
somewhere on the floor, then pulled me close to her and kissed me passion-
ately as her firm breasts pressed into my chest. I love those breasts.

While we kissed, her hands were busily at work removing my jeans and
underwear, and soon we were lying naked, our bodies pressed tightly to-
gether. One of her hands found its way between us and tickled the head of
my penis for a few seconds. Soon, though, she had me rolled onto my back
and was moving downwards towards my penis, kissing my nipples and dragging
those breasts down my body as she went.

Liz isn’t into teasing like I am, so she went straight to work when she
arrived at her destination. A couple of kisses on the head, a lick or two
up and down the shaft, and straight into her mouth went my cock. I never
last long when she’s giving me head – it’s just too much, and it wasn’t
long before she was swallowing.

After that, we just crawled into bed together and lay in each other’s
arms. We often do that to cool off so that we can go through the whole
process of foreplay again since it’s such a great part of the experience.
Not to say that our hands don’t wander, though …

Soon (sooner than usual) the hormones started flowing again, and things
started heating up. This time, there was very little foreplay, as we both
wanted to get right at it. In no time at all, I was hard, she was wet, and
I was inside her.

As I said, Liz was my first (and so far only) partner, so I can’t say
if she’s good in bed or not when compared to other women. All I know is
that making love to her is heavenly. It’s the most incredible feeling I’ve
ever known, and it never fails to amaze me that something which starts off
feeling that wonderful can keep getting better and better through to the
final climax. And wouldn’t you know it – last night was the night that Liz
had a multiple orgasm, something she’d never had before. I’d never real-
ized how it felt for the man as his partner had orgasm after orgasm … and
Liz probably thought she was the only one who enjoyed that! Finally,
though, I came, and she came for the last time, and we stopped moving and
lay there as the glowing feeling slowly subsided.

We all know of the stereotype of males falling asleep after sex while
the female doesn’t … well, Liz does it, too. We drifted into sleep in
each other’s arms, my now-limp penis still between her legs.

I awoke early this morning, kissed her gently on the forehead, and got
out of bed. I quickly got dressed and went over to her desk to write the
note I’d written in my mind so many times before. It was the hardest thing
I’ve ever done, and I nearly tore it up when I looked over at her pretty
face lying there as she slept. But I had decided a few days ago and had
been trying to prepare since then, and I managed to finish the note and
placed it on top of her alarm clock, where she’d be sure to find it when
the alarm went off. As I left the room, I blew a kiss in her direction and
whispered “I love you, Liz” for the very last time. I went outside, got
into my car, and drove towards the highway.

I’m now getting on the highway, just as the clock on my car radio
changes from 7:29 to 7:30. Her alarm clock will be going off … by now,
she’ll have reached over and found the note. She’ll be smiling, expecting
another love note like the ones I’ve written so many times before. Now
she’ll be turning on the light, opening the letter and starting to read it.

These last two years have been the greatest time of my life. I
have felt feelings that I had never experienced before, joy beyond my
wildest dreams, and the tenderest of moments I could ever hope for.

Graduation is a time for changes – the start of a whole new life.
In a few short days, I will be in a new city, starting a new job,
making a new start with a clean slate.

She’ll start to wonder what I’m hinting at here, a little worried about
what I might be about to say.

I am truly sorry for what I must do. I know you won’t
understand, and I don’t expect you to. But the time has come for me
to leave you, just as I leave this city, this university, this stage
in my life.

She’ll be pausing now, re-reading that paragraph as the tears start to
come to her eyes.

Know always that you will hold a very special place in my heart.
I will always remember you with nothing but fondness, and last night
will never be forgotten. My first love, my teacher and student in
love – these things set you apart from all others. I only hope that
someday, you will know why I had to leave.

Now, she’ll have her eyes closed, trying to hold back the tears and
failing. Goodbye, my love.
–

Taken by her charms I kissed her toes, gently. Softly, I licked her toes, one by one. Kissed them lightly and while she stirred, she did not awaken. Lovingly, I placed kisses on her ankles and gently up her legs. As if she knew what I was up to, her legs parted further but she remained asleep. I continued moving my lips up her thighs, massaging softly with my tongue and almost imperceptibly, saying “mm!”

As my mouth reached her pubic mound, I brushed my whiskers upon her triangle. She moaned softly. I slipped my tongue inside her pubic lips [ ...continue reading "One Summer Night" ]]]> While taking a hike in the fields near my summer cottage
one night, I came upon her sleeping under the stars.
She was lying on her back, fully exposed to nature with
her legs slightly apart. I paused and gazed at her loveliness
for several minutes. Quietly I kneeled down and crept close,
careful not to disturb her rest.

Taken by her charms I kissed her toes, gently. Softly, I
licked her toes, one by one. Kissed them lightly and while
she stirred, she did not awaken. Lovingly, I placed kisses
on her ankles and gently up her legs. As if she knew what
I was up to, her legs parted further but she remained asleep.
I continued moving my lips up her thighs, massaging softly with
my tongue and almost imperceptibly, saying “mm!”

As my mouth reached her pubic mound, I brushed my whiskers upon
her triangle. She moaned softly. I slipped my tongue inside
her pubic lips and licked and said “mm” aloud. Her legs
spread even more widely. I worried she might become startled,
but she kept her eyes closed and moved as if she knew me… as
if she had been expecting me. I tasted her luscious fluids and
began to hum, knowing the vibrations would begin to further
arouse her. By now she was clearly into it, although her
eyes remained shut. I hummed and gently sucked on a growing
button of flesh. Softly she said, “I knew you’d come to me,”
Please, don’t stop.” Growing even more excited myself I
continued my oral massaging as her moans filled the open field.

Before long, her moans grew into loud “Ohs” and “Ahs”. My
passion intensified and so did my humming. One very loud “Oh”
and a rush of moisture saturated my beard. Her hands moved to
the sides of my head and tugged gently. She guided me until
my body was classically above hers and my lips softly touched
hers and we kissed passionately. Her tongue moved all around
my mouth as she expressed her feelings with a loud “mm!”

My firmness slipped quickly inside her as her hips thrust
against mine, distinctly welcoming me into her depths. We
danced together that way for several minutes and rolled over
so that I now had my back on the grass and she had her weight
fully upon me. My hands moved firmly over her back and sides,
exploring the terrain with firm but tender loving care.
I kissed her as my hands pulled her cheeks apart and my index
finger traced a path to her anal bud and probed inquisitively.
Moistening my finger with her juices, I pushed upon her anus.
Responding she lifted her body and as I continued my thrusts
my finger entered her back door. My ears began to flush and
my body filled with energy as I rapidly pumped with all my
soul… I exploded, filling her body and being with my all,
and my cry filled the night air with an echoing!

Then we quietly held each other as she settled down on me.
We fell asleep that way. I awoke to find her gone. I never
saw her again after that… But I think of her often as I walk
that field on starry summer nights. Life is blessed for me!

It is afternoon in the desert when my lover and I meet. The sun is cruel, unyielding in its effect. We can but clasp hands as we meet; it is far too hot for any closer contact. Yet in our eyes can be seen the passions that drive us to this place. Words would distract; they are not employed. Each knows the other’s fire as an extension of one’s own, flames hotter than the desert this summer day.

As we open the door to our motel room, the sensation of chill disorients completely. The past hours of the drive have all but convinced us that there is nothing in this place but heat. But just beyond [ ...continue reading "Desert Fantasy" ]]]> lt (This fantasy, along with another more “subtle” one, was
sent to me for use in the SIG on CompuServe, but the uproar
it caused when posted in the database was unbelievable
because too many thought it was to explicit. What’s your
reaction to it?)

It is afternoon in the desert when my lover and I meet. The
sun is cruel, unyielding in its effect. We can but clasp
hands as we meet; it is far too hot for any closer contact.
Yet in our eyes can be seen the passions that drive us to
this place. Words would distract; they are not employed.
Each knows the other’s fire as an extension of one’s own,
flames hotter than the desert this summer day.

As we open the door to our motel room, the sensation of chill
disorients completely. The past hours of the drive have all
but convinced us that there is nothing in this place but heat.
But just beyond the door, the steady white noise of an air
conditioner breaks the desert silence, even as the cold air it
emits disturbs the desert’s otherwise perfect heat.

At last is the time for embracing; at long last is the time
for words. A spell has been broken, another begun as we learn
each other’s ways again, share the dreams, toast the
successes. Afternoon slips into dusk and then evening.

The fires, so readily banked in the cool of the room, rekindle
at a glance. Garments fall in exquisite slow motion
choreography, a dance of touching. Now is the curve of breast
pressed to chest. Now are the shoulders desirous of kissing,
the hair demanding of caress.

The dance continues. She rolls the head of my sex between her
fingertips, and strokes along its shaft as it lengths to full
erection. My fingers find a drop of moisture first, then many
as they lightly trace a pattern of pleasure among the soft
hair between her legs.

Our eyes again signal the want — the need — to fuse our
growing excitement into a single sharing. There are other
times for teasing, they say. Other times for lingering, for
rocking back and forth. Other times for hungry mouths and
expressive tongues. We did not know this moment before it
arrived, yet it is now with us and the ages old theme of
projection into crevice is again enacted. I plunge, withdraw,
and plunge again; her hips rock in an ever increasing frenzy
matching my own. We cling to each other, hips leading our
bodies to rhythms from deep within. And then, a pause.

Poised on the very edge of the momentary insanity that is
orgasm, we hold our breaths and behold its beauty. Tense,
stretched, we both release a single long cry as it overtakes
us, dissolving thought and words in the face of sensation. We
have reverted to previous animal selves of purest instinct,
and wanted it to be that way.

As awareness returns we first notice our breathing, labored as
though having finished as victors a race with death itself;
the drone of the air conditioner returns to consciousness. We
talk of those things that, close as we are, cannot be told at
other times. Tomorrow will once again find us far apart, not
knowing when we may be able to join again, but for this night
we are united. We sleep.

–

I had just finished working for three days straight away from home when my life was suddenly devastated. When I entered my home, I realized something was terribly wrong. It was just too quiet. I went from room to room calling out but no one answered. I know that my wife and children [ ...continue reading "Drifter" ]]]> I was sitting on the bow of the boat watching the sun sink below
the horizon with its’ beautiful display of colors. As I get older, I
find myself be amazed by nature more and more every day. This sunset
was just one of the many that made me feel at peace with the world.
The waves were providing a gentle rocking motion that made my mind
start to wander.
I still could not believe that I was sitting on my sailboat in the
middle of a secluded bay watching the sunset. It all started almost a
year ago…..

I had just finished working for three days straight away from home
when my life was suddenly devastated. When I entered my home, I
realized something was terribly wrong. It was just too quiet. I went
from room to room calling out but no one answered. I know that my
wife and children were home when I left. Then I found the note on the
mantle of the fire place. My wife had left with the children and
never wanted to hear from me again. She cleaned out our bank accounts
and just left. I slowly sank down into a chair and just stared at the
letter for the longest time. I was shocked beyond emotions. For 15
years, I worked to build our home and give her everything she needed.
Somewhere, I failed. After some time, my mind began to work again.
Suicide–that was an option that crossed my mind, but the logical
side of me set that idea aside. What happened for the next week, I am
not really sure. Most of the details are clouded and hazy. I
remember getting the case of Jack Daniels from my closet (at least she
didn’t take that!) and sitting in the chair in front of the fire place
watching the fire sipping from the bottle. I do remember calling the
office and letting them know I was going to be gone for awhile. I told
them I was not sure when I would be back, but I was in charge and I
knew that they would get along without me. Other than that, I am not
sure what happened.
I cannot remember eating. Actually, I cannot remember anything that
I did during this time. After a week, I awoke early in the morning of
the eighth day of my “vacation” to the sound of someone pounding on
the front door. I looked down and saw 12 empty bottles of Jack Daniels
on the floor and my only thoughts were to stop the inconsiderate
person from pounding on the door–each pound echoed through my skull.
I opened the door and there was my old friend Drifter staring at me as
if I was some horrible creature another planet. Then, suddenly her
face changed from one of astonishment to that of severe anger and she
started to scream at me. I jumped back from the door and fell on my
ass and it was my turn to look astonished. She just started laughing
at me and came in and closed the door.

I had known her for many years and we were very good friends. We
were never more than friends although at times I had wished we were.
Her real name is not Drifter, but her free and easy life style, along
with her habit of traveling around the world in search for adventure,
earned her the nickname. She came into my life that day and helped me
get my life back in order….
A flash of lightening brought me back to the present. A storm was
starting to move in from the port side. I quickly looked over the
boat, a 41 foot ketch, to make sure that everything was closed and
secured for the storm. After checking the boat, I stood on the bow
watching the storm and feeling the cool air the precedes the rain. I
turned and looked through the cabin windows and there she was wrapped
in a short towel after taking a swim in the tropical waters. As I
watched her making coffee, I realized that I was holding my breath.
I started to breath again and sat on the bow to watch the storm.
Lightening and the accompanying thunder was getting closer. I just sat
watching and letting my mind wander. I was stunned by how this
wonderful woman had changed my life. She kicked me when I really
needed it and helped in more ways than one. She was a friend, a
psychologist, and yes even a lover. I was not sure if she would one
day drift away with the wind, but I did not care. She had given me
back my life and if she drifted on, I knew I could carry because she
would always be with me.

I was startled when someone grabbed my shoulder. She was standing
above me with the wind blowing her hair with two cups of coffee. “Are
you alright?” I looked into her mystic eyes and told her that I
couldn’t feel better. The rain started to come down lightly and we
moved into the cabin. Drifter stretched out on the couch and began
reading a book and I took a seat across from her, sipping the coffee
and just watching her. She looked so beautiful that I was content just
to watch her. The storm picked up in intensity and the boat began to
sway with the wind. Her breasts, which hung freely beneath the towel,
were moving with the boat. I watched as her nipples hardened from
rubbing against the towel. I was so involved in watching her, I did
not realize that she had put down the book and was watching me watch
her. We just stared at each other–there was no need for words. I
walked over to her and slowly got down on my knees next to her.
“Drifter, I don’t know what life would be like without you.” She
took my face in her hands and looked into my eyes. Her eyes were
moist. She gently kissed me and smiled. Then we kissed again, more
urgently this time. Her tongue parted my lips and our tongues
intertwined. While our tongues were locked together, I slipped my
hand down and untied the towel. I leaned back and admired her body.
Her skin was tanned light brown all over. She spent many days
sunbathing on the deck of the boat while I watched and tried my best
to keep the boat on course. Her breasts were just the right size–
they would fill a champagne glass. They were topped with light colored
nipples that were engorged with excitement. Her slim waist tapered
down to her buttocks. At the junction of her thighs, one could just
make out the vermillion lips of her sex. This was covered by a light
covering of dark pubic hair that she kept trimmed.

She reached out for me, but I stopped her. “Drifter, you have
brought so much pleasure into my life that it is time I did something
for you. Just lie back and close your eyes. Listen to the storm and
relax.” She did as I asked. I took some warm oil from the cabinet
below the couch and poured a thin line on her body starting at her
neck and running it between her breasts and down her body until it
just began to enter the nest of hair between her legs. I started to
massage her body making sure that I did not touch any areas that might
lead to her arousal. I could feel the tension leaving her body as each
muscle group relaxed.
When she was almost on the verge of sleep, I gently began to
massage her breasts. I kept away from her nipples in the beginning
watching them swell. She began to moan softly and her pelvis began to
rotate up off the couch. At this point, I bent my head to her right
breast and gently began to suck on the tender hard point. Her hands
came up and clasped my head to her breast. I gently nipped at her
breast with my teeth and then moved to the other one which received
the same treatment. I slowly kissed my way down to the juncture of her
thighs. She parted her legs and I was looking straight into her inner
core.
Beads of moisture were clinging to her lips. I stretched out my
tongue and captured these drops of nectar of love. At the touch of my
tongue, her movements began more insistent. I spread her lips and
dove right in. My tongue touched every part of her sex. I licked
around her anus and then moved up in a slow and deliberate manner.
When I reached her clitoris, her hands grabbed the back of my head and
pulled me further to her. I let her take the lead and move my head and
tongue to where she wanted it. Suddenly, she stiffened and cried out
as orgasm overtook her body. I remained where I was gently kissing her
pubic area until she opened her eyes and smiled at me. Without
speaking, she pulled me up onto the couch and clutching me to her
bosom fell into a deep sleep while the storm pounded away.

II

I awoke several hours and found myself along in the cabin. Looking
out the windows, I found that the storm was no where to be seen. The
stars were bright and clear against the dark background. My pulse
began to race–I had a small anxiety attack–could she be gone
forever? I laughed at myself for being so stupid. We are on a boat
anchored in the middle of a secluded bay. She had no where to go.
But, then I remembered that this was Drifter and if anyone could find
a place to go it would be her. I ran the length of the boat and jumped
up on the deck disregarding the stairs. “DRIFTER”, I cried out. There
was no answer. My heart began to race faster. My chest began to hurt–
where could she have gone. Laughter? I was looking out over the
crystal clear water and I was hearing laughter. I know I am a little
different but maybe now I was getting a little crazy. Suddenly, a hand
appeared over the gunwale and after the hand came the rest of her. I
sat on the deck and we just laughed for awhile. “I’ll have breakfast
ready in a moment. The coffee is ready. I’ll get you a cup.” “No, I
said. I’ll come down and get my coffee.”

I got a cup of coffee and sat down watching Drifter move about the
cabin. As she was making the eggs, I found that I could no longer help
myself. I came up behind her and held her tight. I whispered, “I love
you” in her ear. She turned and looked at me “You don’t love me. We
get along together and are good friends but you don’t love me.” What
can you say to someone like this? We had both loved many times and had
been hurt. I was sure that she just did not want to think about what I
had just said. I had told her I loved her many times during the past
years, but she always just let it go. I reached past her and turned
the eggs off. Without saying a word, I took her by the hand and lead
her to the deck where I sat down and placed her in my lap. I looked
deep into those complex eyes of hers. “Drifter, I just want you to
listen to me. Don’t say a word. I have known many people in my life.
Some were friends and some were not. I have only loved a very
select few. I know that you distrust the word love, but I am going to
tell you what love really is. When I love someone, it is not just a
passing emotion to be taken lightly. It is not just a word that I use
anytime I feel like it. It is a commitment to you that will last a
lifetime. Yes, I do enjoy the good times that we have when we are
together. But, there is more. When you are having bad times, I want to
be there to help. When you are depressed, I will be there to cheer you
up.
When you are frightened, I will be there to protect you. When you
are sad and crying, I will be there to dry your tears. I will always
be there whenever you need me. I know that you might think that I am
just another man who is out to hurt you. But, I am not like other men.
I mean what I say and would not like to see you hurt at anytime. So
now you know what I mean by saying I love you.” Drifter was extremely
quiet (which was very unusual) and she kept looking down at the deck.
I took her head into my hands and forced her to look at me.
“Drifter, I LOVE YOU.” Her eyes started to tear. One large tear
drop started to run down her cheek and soon more began the journey
down her face. I wiped away the tears and held her close. Finally, she
understood what she meant to me. I guess now it was her turn–”You
know that this is unfair. I can’t say that I love you. Not yet. Maybe
if you give me time, I will be able to deal with it. But not now.” I
continued to hold her and said “You have all the time in the world. I
will always be here for you. By the way, didn’t anyone ever tell you
that life was not fair.” She began to laugh and then she jumped up and
hit me in the chest. “Stop being so serious” was her comment. I am not
sure what came over me. I stood up and grabbed her and pulled her to
me.
“Serious, you want to see serious” I yelled. I grabbed the top of
her bathing suit and ripped it off. There in front of me were her
fabulous breasts. She suddenly looked afraid. I guess she had never
seen this side of me. I put my hands around her waist and lifted her
onto the roof of the cabin. The height was just perfect. I pulled her
bottoms off and there she sat exposed to me. She was now going to see
how serious I really was. I dropped my pants and told her to put me
inside of her. She hesitated a minute and I slapped her on her
buttocks.
Now, I said. She gently grasped by prick and placed it at the
entrance of her moist cavern. I grasped her hips and pulled her
quickly to me until I was completely buried inside her. She gasped out
in pleasure/pain.
This time I was thinking of my pleasure not hers. I began a fast
rhythm pulling myself almost completely out of her than slamming
myself back in. After several minutes of this, I felt the cum start of
boil inside of me. I kept this pace up until I began to explode inside
of her. At the same time, I felt her juices running down my legs and
onto the deck. I looked at her for a few minutes longer and then
withdrew and pulled my pants back on. I reached past her legs and
grabbed both her wrists and pulled her into a sitting position. Once
again I looked into her eyes, “You want to see the serious side of me.
Well, I am tired of holding everything inside of me.
I LOVE YOU and I want to be with you forever. I want to marry you
and make you mine. I am not a jealous person, but I can be selfish at
times and this is one of them.” Then, I walked away. I picked up my
coffee and went to the bow of the boat. I sat down with my feet
dangling over the edge of the boat and just looked out over the blue
water and let my mind wander. I did notice that Drifter picked up her
bathing suit and went below. I hope I didn’t hurt her but the time had
come for her to realize exactly what she meant to me. I thought I was
supposed to feel good about expressing my feelings but now I just felt
like a number one royal asshole.

III

Drifter came out a short time later carrying her brushes and
paints. She set up an easel and began to paint the shoreline. She
never said a word to me. She just sat with her back to me as if I did
not exist. Emotions welled up inside my mind began to cook and came
to a boiling point. I got up and walked slowly towards the stern being
careful not to make any noise. I did not want to disturb her
concentration. I sat down on the roof of the cabin and watched her
work. Her paintings always amaze me because I had tried to paint but
did not have the talent for it.
She was a natural. Once again I began to think of what I had done.
She looked over her shoulder and pushed her hair off her face and
stared at me. I became extremely uneasy. It was as if she could send
messages to me without saying a word. I finally could not take it any
more and the tears that were in her eyes earlier were now in mine. I
think this surprised her. I always tried to hide my inner emotions
just as she did, but I could no longer hide within myself. “Drifter,
I’m sorry.
I know excuses won’t help. I just wanted you to understand how I
felt and how serious I was. ” Drifter slowly turned around and sat and
stared at me for several minutes. I could not stop the tears. Then
she said “I know how you feel about me. I am not so ignorant as to not
notice the messages you keep sending. But, you also have to understand
that I am not yours to have. I belong to no one but me.” With that,
she returned to her painting and I, looking like a lost pup, sat on
the cabin roof watching her. I thought over the time we had spent
together and the words that she had spoken. I had made a terrible
mistake.
I looked inside myself and thought what now asshole. You have just
killed the perfect friendship. Well, I decided that I was going to do
something about it. I was not going to allow her to just drift off to
another adventure with bad feelings and never hear from her again. I
got down from the roof and sat down behind her. She turned and looked
at me. It was one of those times that if looks could kill I could have
died instantly.
“Drifter I know that you are upset. I would jump overboard never
to be seen again if it would make you feel better, but there is
nothing that I can do that can erase today.” She turned back to her
painting and continued working on the image that was off the port side
of the boat. I went below and crawled into a bunk and stared at the
ceiling for a long time. I guess I fell asleep because I suddenly
realized that it was past midnight. I also found that I was alone. I
went up on deck and found her sleeping on the deck. She looked so
peaceful sleeping there, however, it was beginning to get cool. She
had sometime during the evening changed into jeans and a T-shirt. She
was curled up in a ball. I bent down and slid my arms under her and
lifted her up. She opened her eyes and asked me what I thought I was
doing.
I told her that I was just going to put her in a bunk so that she
would be comfortable and warm. I was not trying to anything else and I
would sleep on the deck. This seemed to satisfy her and she allowed me
to place her in the bunk and cover her up. I went on deck and watched
the stars for awhile, but I needed time to think. I jumped over the
side and swam to the beach. The swim was long but the physical
exertion made me feel a little better. I wandered around the Island
for awhile and then sat in the sand and watched the boat rocking in
the waves.
When the sun began to come up, I swam back to the boat and made a
fresh pot of coffee. While the coffee was brewing I pulled out the
charts and prepared a course back to our home harbor. I prepared the
boat and was all set to get underway in a short period of time. I
poured a cup of coffee and added a little cream and took it down into
the cabin.
“Drifter its’ time to get up.” She sat up in bed and took the
coffee I offered her.
She said, “The coffee is great. Thank you.” “No problem. I have
prepared a course back home and we should be set to go as soon as you
are ready.” I guess this took her by surprise. “What do you mean. I
thought we were going to stay here for a little while longer.” “Well,
I thought that it would be best to go now. I figured you would want to
get away from this fool that brings you coffee in bed.” She thought
about that for some time before she spoke. “I want to stay here on
the boat with you.” This was just another surprise in life. “Ok,
we’ll stay as long as you would like.” I took my coffee and went on
deck to watch the day progress. Drifter showered and came up with her
paints and began to finish the landscape. As I watched her work, I
became aware of the overwhelming need to be close to her. I took a
number 6 paint brush and began to lightly run it up and down the
bottom of her foot.
She kept on working not even seeming to notice what I was doing. I
worked the brush up her calves. Using light stokes, I moved the brush
in up and down movements. She still was not responding to me or the
brush. I worked the brush higher until I was stroking her inner
thighs. Ah, was that a smile I detected? I continued to stroke her
inner thighs for over 20 minutes. Finally, she leaned back. “That
feels marvelous darling. Please do continue.” Well, I never try to
disappoint a lady.
I continued to stroke her thighs.
“This calls for a different approach.”
I picked up a large flat brush and began making long strokes up and
down each one of her legs. After a few minutes of this, I picked up
one of her small brushes. “Its’ time to work in a little detail on
this painting”, I said as I knelt down between her thighs. I took the
small brush and began to work on the outline of her mons.
She spread her legs and this allowed me access to her genitals
through the leg opening in her shorts. Her labia were flushed with
excitement. I took the small brush and lightly traced their outline.
I kept doing this until suddenly she pushed me out of the way. I felt
a fight coming on, but was presently surprised when she removed her
clothes and lay back down. I dreamily went back to my work. Now, I
traced her inner lip with the brush being careful not to touch her
clit.
Little beads of moisture began to seep from her. “I don’t want any
parts to feel left out.” I picked up the flat brush again and began to
circle her breasts. Her nipples began to harden. I moved the brush up
her neck where I knew she was extremely sensitive. She smiled at me
and then closed her eyes. I tickled her earlobes and then began to
move back down her body. When I reached her breasts, I picked up the
small brush again and worked the brush over her nipples. When they
became hard points, I got down between her legs and circled the small
brush around her clit. She began to moan and shout for more. I worked
over her clit with the brush and brought her to the point of orgasm
and stopped. I replaced the brush with my tongue and quickly brought
her to a climax. After she calmed down, I slowly licked up all of her
musky juices.
I looked up at her and asked, “Am I forgiven?”
She said, “No you are not. I know what you are trying to do. You
want me to settle down and stop wandering around the world. You want
to keep me for yourself.” I stood up and walked over to the edge of
the boat and looked out over the water. I had nothing to say. She was
right. I wanted her and I knew that she was not mine to have. I could
not face her. She kept on, “Who do you think you are? I have been
taking care of myself for years and I don’t need anyone to care for
me. I am quite capable. ”
I knew she was right. She was more than capable of taking care of
herself. What could I do? I continued to stare out over the ocean
trying to hide my feelings. “Don’t try to ignore me”; she shouted. I
turned and looked at her. I could not look into her eyes. “Damn you.
You’ve done it to me.” These words confused me. What did she mean.
Finally, I looked deep into her eyes and she said, “Yes you. No one
else could have done this.” I asked her what she meant. Her eyes
started to get wet, “I love you.” I could not believe she said this.
I continued to look on, dumbfounded. “There are you happy. I said it.
I love you. And at the same time, I am pissed off that you did this to
me. I didn’t want to love you. I just wanted to have fun and be me. I
didn’t want anything serious to happen. Now look what you’ve done.” I
sat down beside her and took her into my arms. Our lips met and our
tongues started to dance together. For the rest of the day, we just
sat together not saying a word. Just looking into each others eyes–
but that was more than enough.

IV

The hours seemed to have flown by. First came the evening with a
radiant full moon that seemed to fill the sky. Drifter sat between my
legs with her head against my chest and my arms wrapped around her.
Every once in a while I would look down at her angelic face framed by
her wild hair and I thanked the powers of the universe for allowing me
this pleasure. We remained this way until the sun began to inch its’
way over the horizon. The sunrise was spectacular–the sun came up
with an infinite medley of colors and there were just enough scattered
clouds in the sky to make this sunrise one that would be remembered
for a lifetime. I looked down at the lovely creature that was nestled
in my arms. Perfection. I moved my hand to her breast and gently
tweaked her right nipple to hardness between my fingers. She stirred
and began to wake. I stood up, slipped my arms around her, and lifted
her up. I smiled at her and then dropped her overboard. She plunged
into the tepid tropical waters. As she broke the surface, I yelled
“Good Morning” and jumped into the water. She tried to swim away from
me, but I was able to catch her rather quickly. We wrapped our arms
around each other and floated together in the water. She said, “You
know we really need to talk about what has happened the last few
days.”
I playfully splashed water in her face and swam towards the boat.
“Look who’s being serious now”, I called to her as I swam. We climbed
back on the boat, and I got some towels for us to dry off with. I told
Drifter to go take a shower and I would fix something for breakfast.
She headed for the shower and I went into the galley. Breakfast was
easy. I had the eggs benedict ready just as she was finishing. I
reached into the cooler and pulled out a bottle of Asti Spumonte and
popped the cork just as she came out of the head. She sat down at the
table as I poured the wine and wanted to know what the occasion was.
“Drifter, every day with you is special. This is just a small token of
thanks.” Ah, I finally said something right. Her smile gave her away.
We quickly finished eating and took the bottle of wine on deck. We
kicked back on the deck sipping the wine and watching the day
progress. I got up and turned on the tape deck. I put on her favorite
song by Grason Hughs–Let’s Talk It Over. Smiling at myself, I sat
back down and watched the dreamy look come over her. “Well, Drifter
go ahead and talk. You said we need to talk and that’s fine with me.
But, this time you do the talking. I can write but I defiantly have a
problem talking.” She sat back and looked out over the water. “I don’t
know what you did to me last night but it was not fair. I listen to
other peoples’ problems and try to help them.” I looked over at her
and said, “Drifter look at me.” She turned and looked into my eyes.
“You have helped me through many difficult times. I am sorry if my
feelings for you confuse you. It is time that you stopped hiding
behind the force field that you have built up over the years and trust
someone. I want that someone to be me, but if you can do this with
someone else that is fine. Yes, I love you but I also respect and
trust you. I think it is time that you learned to trust some others as
well.” “Fine”, she yelled at me. “You want to know what my problem is-
-its’ you. You do things to me that no one has done in a long time.
You make me feel good when I am down and make me feel even better when
I’m not.” She paused for a minute, and then in a very quiet voice
said, “I’m scared. I am having feelings now that I would not let
myself have for a long time and I don’t know how to handle them.”
“You don’t have to handle them Drifter. Just relax and let the
feelings come.” She thought about this for a long time. It was quiet
on the boat. You could hear the ropes creaking and the waves lapping
up against the hull. Finally she said, “I’m sorry, but I’m really
confused over all of this. I do know that I do want to stay here with
you and relax for awhile and enjoy your company.” We came together and
kissed. Once again we ended up without clothes on. If we kept this up,
we were going to end up sun burnt in all the wrong places. We sank to
the deck. I was about to lie down between her legs when she told me to
stop. “I want to please you too. Lie down here on the deck.” I did
just like she asked and suddenly she turned around and knelt down just
above my head. What a beautiful sight. I was looking right up at my
favorite desert. Before I could finish taking in the view, she
engulfed me completely in her mouth. It felt so good that a shiver
ran up my body, it was like lying in a blanket of snow. Of course,
being a gentleman, I reciprocated. We played each other like a pair of
fine tuned violas. The notes rose and fell slowly and we remained
entwined for a long time. Then it was time for the finale. I sucked
her clitoris deep into my mouth. She began to shake and move her head
up and down my shaft faster and faster. We could only take this pace
for a few moments before we both came together. After a brief rest,
we got up and kissed. Our tongues fought a duel. We broke apart and
at the same time said “You taste great.” We both laughed at and with
each other. What a way to start the day.

V
A friend of mine arrived that afternoon to bring us fresh food and
supplies. He arrived shortly after noon flying his seaplane at treetop
level and making a spectacular landing on the calm bay. We unloaded
the supplies and I went below deck to start putting everything up. I
heard the seaplane start up and begin to taxi for takeoff. I thought
it was strange that Dan did not stay awhile, but then Dan has always
been a little strange. I called out for Drifter to come and help me
but she did not answer. I went up on deck, but no one was there. I
didn’t think anything about it, and went back to continue unpacking. I
figured that she swam ashore. I finished unpacking, opened a cold
beer, and went to sit on the stern of the boat to await her return.
Then, I noticed a note attached to the wheel. I took the note and sat
down to read it. Drifter had obviously left it; I’d know that hand
writing anywhere. It read: “I am sorry that it has to be this way. I
left with Dan. I know that you will be hurt but I hope you understand
that I need to be me. I am not ready to deal with the emotions that
emerge every time I am with you. You are a great person. You have
taught me things about life and myself and I can never repay that
debt. I hope you have a good life. Signed, Drifter.

I just sat there staring at the letter. Emotions–there were none.
I was drained of life just as if a vampire had sucked all the blood
from my body. Once again something precious had left my life just
when I thought everything was fine. What was wrong with me? It must
be something. Was I too intense? Was I too demanding? I had thousands
of questions but no answers. I wanted a friend and companion and I
guess I wanted something more also. Should I have just settled for a
friend? The more questions I asked of myself the less answers I
found. Then, logic took over. I realized that I wanted something that
Drifter was unable to give me. Hopefully, one day we would meet again.
I spent the next several days cleaning the boat and prepared to make
the voyage home alone. I found the only thing that she had left was
the tape. I placed it in the player and turned the volume all the way
up. “..I never meant to hurt you…” echoed throughout the bay.

VI

After I returned home, I remained secluded on the boat for several
months. My business was doing fine and some of my short stories were
published. I was doing fine financially, but a piece of my life was
missing. Every day I thought of Drifter even though the memories hurt.
I had not heard a word from her since she had left. I prayed that she
was doing well. I framed her good-bye letter and it now hung over the
stove in the galley. I kept myself busy working on the boat and
sailing around but it wasn’t the same.

One dark and stormy night, I went to a local pub that I had begun
to frequent a little too often. The rain was coming down in thick
sheets and lightning flashed through the skies. I had several Jack
Daniels and was in a somber mood. I knew that drinking would not solve
my inner problems so I paid the bartender and went back to the boat.
Being on a boat during a storm can be very peaceful. I sat at the
table and began to write a short story for a local magazine. Then,
somehow my tape deck came on. “…let’s just talk it over in bed..”
My heart jumped into my throat. In my heart, I knew that it couldn’t
be her. I grabbed my gun from the dresser, chambered a round, and
pulled open the hatch. There was someone sitting on the deck. It was
dark and I could not see very well but this person did not look right.
The lightning flashed and I could tell that there was a woman huddled
up against the deck wall slumped over. She was soaking wet and the
rain continued to pour down. I put the gun in the waist band of my
pants behind my back and picked her up. I took her below and lay her
down on the bunk. Her clothes felt wet all the way through. I turned
on the lights and went forward to get towels and blankets for this
stranger. When I returned, she was still on the bunk. She was not
moving and appeared to be unconscious. Then, I looked closely at her
and I almost fainted. Drifter. What the hell had happened to her. I
gently undressed her, dried her off, and wrapped her in blankets.
While I was cleaning her up, I noticed that she had several large
bruises on her. Numb with anger, I sat in the chair across from her
and kept a careful eye on her throughout the night. When the dawn
came, she was still sleeping. I got up and pulled the boat out of the
slip and set sail south. When I was sure that everything was in order,
I set the automatic pilot and went below. I brewed a pot of coffee and
poured two cups. From the ice chest, I got the cream and fixed her
coffee. I had always taken my coffee black, but I also always kept
fresh cream in hopes that one day she would return. I sat down next to
her and shook her. She opened her eyes and when she saw me, she
wrapped her arms around me and started to cry. “I’m sorry I came here
but I had nowhere else to turn.” “Drifter I told you that I would
always be here when you needed me. You don’t have to be sorry.” I gave
her the coffee and she sat back and relaxed. She must have felt the
boat moving because she asked where we were going. I told her that I
thought she needed to get away and think for awhile so we were headed
south with no set destination in mind. She looked in the mirror in
horror at her reflection. She threw me out of the cabin so she could
take a shower and get cleaned up. I took my coffee and went to check
the course of the boat.

She opened the hatch and smiling stuck her head out and said; “Hi
Pal.” I just shook my head and started to laugh. She ran up the stairs
and threw her arms around me and wrapped her legs around my waist. I
was not sure how to handle this situation, but I hugged her back and
told her that I had missed her. Our lips found each others and our
bodies fit together perfectly. She started to unbuckle my belt and I
stopped her. “Drifter, don’t. I am not sure what is going on here and
I don’t want this to happen yet.” She took this rejection hard. I
pulled her to me and held her close. “Just let me hold you. My life
has not been the same since you left and now you are suddenly here and
you can’t expect to take up where we left off. I love you very much,
but right now I just want to hold you. In my arms, you are safe from
everything.” She lay her head on my shoulders and the gentle motion of
the boat slipping through the waves put her fast asleep.

VII
By the time Drifter woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
She stretched her lithe body upon the couch and smiled up at me. I
went below and brought up the lunch I had fixed for her. I sat at her
feet while we ate a light lunch of fresh fruits and salad with a light
tangy dressing. After eating, I took the plates into the galley and
began washing the dishes. I knew that Drifter was feeling pretty bad
since she did not argue about me doing these chores for her. Drifter
has always been an independent soul and she really dislikes having
things done for her. After I finished cleaning up, I changed course
for a nearby cove to spend the night. Drifter was standing on the bow
just staring out over the water. A small group of porpoises began to
swim along the bow and she sat down and watched them play. I watched
her for a long time–worrying about her. She had not spoken very much
since her sudden arrival on the boat. She appeared deeply troubled,
but for now, I just let her be.

We anchored the boat in a small cove off the Bimini Coast. Drifter
continued to remain seated on the bow just staring off into space. I
felt it was time to do something. I went forward and knelt down behind
her. She never stirred or acknowledged my presence. I gently reached
up to her neck and began to slowly massage her back. She still
remained silent but I could feel the tension begin to leave her body.
I moved her so that she was lying on her stomach on the deck and
slowly worked each muscle group from her neck to her toes. After
about an hour, I finally felt her entire body relax. At this point, I
raised her leg into the air and playfully sucked on her toes. She
rolled over onto her side and said; “Just what do you think you are
doing?” Perfect, I was waiting for the old Drifter to start to come
back. “Me, I’m just trying to help you relax. Nothing more.” “Well, in
that case, continue.” She rolled back over on her stomach. Once again,
I started sucking on her toes and slowly moved my way up her body. Her
perfectly shaped calves were begging for attention. I continued my
upward progress, nibbling on her thighs. When I got to her inner
thighs, her hips began an up and down movement. I reached up and
lowered her bikini bottom and bit her on the left cheek. She rolled
over and playfully slapped at me. “What was that for?”, she asked. I
was just testing your reflexes. She laughed at me and rolled back
over. “Well, just kiss my ass”, was her statement. I was never one to
deny a lady, especially one as desirable as Drifter. I bent over her
prone from and gently kissed her behind. Her legs began to drift apart
and her moist cavern was exposed to me. I lied down on the deck and
grasping her hips manipulated her so that her vagina was positioned
over my mouth. My tongue snaked its’ way through the forest of pubic
hair and gently titillated her clitoris. I teased her by just touching
her with the tip of my tongue. Suddenly, she lowered herself down
further so that I could attack every inch of her sex. Moisture started
to flood down from her tunnel. I gulped her juices down savoring their
musky flavor. Looking up her body, I could watch her heaving breasts
bouncing up and down. I reached up for them and massaged her breasts
while she rode my tongue. Her orgasm seemed to last for hours. She
finally rolled off of me and then came over and gave me a french kiss
that aroused my desires even more. I realized that it was getting
late, and instead of continuing with our love play, I went below to
fix dinner. Drifter followed me down below and tried to push me out
of the galley. “I’ll make dinner.” “Drifter, you will not make dinner.
Just go over there and sit your ass down and watch.” “Fine–Just
Fine!” She huffed off and sat down at the table. I found the package
of shark meat in the ice box and began to season it. Pepper, salt,
lemon, and everything else I could find was being dumped onto the
shark steaks. Suddenly, Drifter yelled out, “Hey, this is about me.”
She had found the work I had been writing and was sitting there
reading it. I ignored her and went back to preparing the meal. I
finished cooking and set the table. She was halfway through reading
the manuscript when dinner was served. I poured us each a glass to
chilled white wine and sat down next to her. She put the papers aside
and started to eat. Looking over at me she said, “This is good.” I
asked her if she meant the book or the fish. She said both. We
finished eating in silence and while I cleared the table she took the
papers and her wine on deck to finish reading. I joined her a short
time later. I sat watching her read for a long time. When she was
finished, she took the papers below and called for me to join her. I
found her lying on the bunk in all of her naked splendor. I quickly
undressed and climbed in next to her. Our lips met and her body felt
so soft and sensuous that I was content to just lye next to her. She
started to speak and I just sat back and listened. “I know you want to
know what happened to me but I just want to forget everything that has
happened to me since I left. I have done a lot of thinking since then,
and I want you to know that not a day passed without my thinking of
you. You mean a lot to me and if you will have me, I am yours.” I
stared up at the ceiling for awhile letting her words sink in. “What
do you mean?” “Just what I said. I am ready to settle down a little. I
am tired of running around the world. I want to have some place to
call my own. And, if you are willing, I want you to be there.” I was
too choked up for words. I lowered my lips to hers and gave her a kiss
that would reach her soul. I whispered in her ear. “Welcome home,
pal.” We spent the rest of the night making passionate love to each
other until the sun began to come over the horizon.

–