Chapter 48: Sweet Sorrow

I saw her sitting on one of the big, padded sofas in the cockpit as I headed to the bridge, so I detoured that way and flopped down on the big, padded sofa next to hers. She jerked with a start, then a slight smile broke out.

“I’m glad you dropped by,” she began. “I wanted to apologize for...”

“No. No apologies on the fantail. Only promises are allowed out here when we’re under way,” I told her.

“That’s a pretty good line for a guy who just lost his virginity last week. Are you always this romantic?” she retorted.

I knew she had spoken with the other women and that there were few secrets on a small boat, but did I detect an air of meanness in her words? I decided to take the high road and tease her some more.

“It must be all the salt air. When you’re out here on the fantail in the sunshine, surrounded by water everywhere, with the sea breeze billowing the sail, and a beautiful woman to talk with, what can I say?”

“That was really good. You ought to write romance novels,” she replied. “You should also know that I’ve been told I don’t have a romantic bone in my body.”

“Okay. You win. I’ll take my romantic bones and head up to the bridge,” I said in mock defeat. “But you really should get some sunscreen on your skin. You’ll burn in a few minutes out here.”

“Wait!” she called out. “Don’t go. I didn’t mean it.”

I turned around and then settled next to her on her padded sofa.

“Do you know where any sunscreen is on this ship?” she asked.

I reached over and opened one of the dozens of watertight compartments scattered around the cockpit and pulled out a tube of SPF 50. “This ought to do it,” I said.

“Do you have some time to talk to me?” she asked as she applied the lotion to her chest and arms seductively. “I have some questions about what I’ve been told.”

“Sure but take it easy on me. I’m only an eighteen-year-old boy who just lost his virginity,” I teased. I couldn’t help it as my cock reacted when she leaned forward to rub the sunscreen on her legs.

“Is it true that Carina was your first kiss,” she asked as she looked at my cock lasciviously.

“I thought you weren’t going to write about my personal relationships,” I said suddenly.

“I’m not, unless you say otherwise,” she told me. “But I am trying to flesh out this enigma that is Alex Masters.”

“There is no enigma. I’m simply a kid who does okay in school, had lots of friends but no special ones. I got along well with my folks and my sisters. Well, most of the time. And I loved to play golf, but I was never good enough to play on the tour. Especially not after what happened.”

“That’s all true, I’m sure. Would you do my back?” she asked as she turned over. I’m afraid I lost my concentration for a moment as I began applying the lotion to her shoulders.

“Well, what about it?” she asked.

“Huh? What about what,” I asked.

“I asked if you had ever been in love?” she repeated.

“Not before last April,” I replied without thinking.

“So ... Mischa or Carina?” she asked quickly.

I stopped what I was doing and pulled at her shoulder to turn her over. Then swinging my leg over her torso, I slammed her wrists to the soft padding next to her head. Then holding her pinned to the large mat like the wrestlers do on TV, I moved my face over hers.

“Look. Let’s knock off the adversarial tone and call a truce. You quit trying to trick me or lead me on, and I’ll answer any question about my relationships you have. You just have to promise not to use the answers,” I told her letting her go.

“Deal!” she said quickly. “So which one was it?”

“I said I’d answer your questions, but if you put it down on paper or tape or tell anyone else, I will fry you just as quickly as I did your electronics!” I growled.

“So you’re really just a mean spirited bully with the ability to threaten anyone who doesn’t do as you say?”

I got up to walk away, but then I stopped and asked, “Is that one of your real questions?”

“Yes!” she replied.

“If protecting my adopted family is being a bully. Then yes, Ms. Blackman. I’m a bully,” I told her. “But I’m the only bully in the world that can kill someone before they can blink, so I am also the most dangerous person in the world you could possibly ever want to cross. And I would die before I let someone hurt them if I could have stopped it.”

“Thank you, Alex,” she said sweetly. “Can we go inside so I can apologize now?”