Chapter 3

Laurie pulled on a pair of her new shorts and a white blouse that tied just below her breasts. She drove the Cadillac carefully down the driveway and along the uneven dirt road. When she got to the cove she saw that the smaller boats were now sitting on trailers and John and George were working with ropes on the big boat. John was sweating as the muscles in his arms rippled while he pulled a rope taught. She sat in the air-conditioning watching John work duplicating ropes on the boat securing it fast to the dock.

"Hey! You've gotten a lot done!"

"Hey sleepy head! Sleep well?"

"I woke up in an empty bed this morning... I find that I don't like that."

John laughed. "Sorry sweetheart, I watched the news this morning and it looks like that storm is coming here, or at least close by. George and I have been here since the sun came up. I just have to drop storm anchors for the big boat and secure the dock so if it floats off the stays it won't go anywhere."

"Don't you have to close up the boathouse?"

"If that storm does what they say it'll do it doesn't matter. The storm surge will wash it away before the wind gets here anyway. Look at the waves already."

Laurie looked over at the beach and was surprised to find three foot waves breaking on the white sand. She looked out to the reef and saw monsterous waves crashing, setting up again and crashing again, their remnants becoming rolling swells that reared up to come crashing flat onto the sandy beach. She looked to the blue sky and could see a couple of wisps of clouds flitting across the sky, giving the illusion that they were swirling around some central point.

"John, that's so sad... That's where..." and Laurie blushed as her face said what she was too embarrassed to in front of George.

"I know... I'm sorry. I've seen the waves come in this cove before and it's not pretty. If you want to help, Miranda is in the boat house trying to get all the valuables out and to the big house before the storm hits. News says it should be here tomorrow afternoon."

Laurie walked in the boat house and met Miranda with an arm full of boxes on her way to the pickup truck. Laurie walked through the house. It had only been a couple of days and it surprised her how much this little house meant to her. It was almost like it was her birthplace, her re-birth place. Laurie and Miranda spent the day securing as much as they could taking small trips but lots of them. Laurie found that she really liked Miranda, that her first impression was right as they chatted during their work.

"So how did you meet John?" Laurie asked.

"He's kind of like an uncle." Miranda replied distantly.

"How can he be 'kind of like' an uncle... He either is or he isn't."

"My dad worked for John in one of his businesses. There was an accident, my dad survived the explosion but was badly burned. John was there when Dad got the hospital and promised to take care of our family. Dad told me before he died a couple of hours later. I didn't really know what was going on, I was too young but Mom told me that John paid off her mortgage and every month there was a deposit in our account. We weren't rich but we weren't poor either. And there was a fund for my education, that's paying my tuition. My living expenses... well, living here takes care of that. I guess you could call that an uncle can't you? I'd like to think of him as an uncle, my mom passed away last year and he's the only family I have left."

"You can call him anything you want." Laurie's reply was almost a whisper. Her heart skipped a beat as she marveled at John and felt the sadness for Miranda.

When Laurie walked out of the house she felt a steady breeze and she looked to the sky. It had become overcast with swirling clouds moving steadily across the sky. She shivered as she thought about the storm to come. John was stepping out of the pickup truck, having taken the last trailer up the road.

"Where are you taking all the boats?"

"Up near the big house. I had to tie them down and I wanted them away from the cove."

"what about the big boats?"

"As long as the storm surge isn't more than 20 feet we're ok. If its more than that the dock will float loose and they'll get smashed against the rocks. There's nothing more we can do. I'm sore, and we need to shut the storm shutters, I want to watch the news and see what's going on."

Laurie sat next to John on the couch watching the impending storm coverage. A category 4 hurricane with steady winds of 145 miles per hour, it was expected to decrease in severity a little before coming on shore. The expected center landfall was about twenty miles south of them.

John stood up and took Laurie's hand.

"Come on babe let's go look."

She heard it even over the growing wind. It was a wind now, and steady. When she got to the edge of the bluff and looked out over the pacific it was angry and gray. The waves broke and swelled off shore, the fluffy white froth whipping in the wind. She looked down and the waves were no longer breaking on the reef, but were rolling in steep walls of water to crash on the rocks below. The white sandy beach where she'd enjoyed the afternoon was now underwater as was the beach grass that led to the cliff. The water ran under the boat house and she watched as a wave pushed through the boards of the dock running its length to emerge from the close end and crash against the rocks, the white sea froth, whipped by the wind up and over the cliff, disappeared as it flew away.

"I've only seen this happen once before."

While pacific hurricanes rarely come on shore and almost never in the US, usually the steering currents force them on shore on the Baja Peninsula or steer them off into the pacific, it can happen. The cooler water streaming down the coastal currents will degrade the severity of the hurricane, slowing the winds, decreasing the rainfall but, depending on the strength to begin with, the effects of the hurricane can still be severe. John was pondering just those effects and was hoping that the hurricane would decrease and be a non-issue. On the other hand even if it dropped to a category 1 hurricane, 95 mile an hour winds are nothing to play with.

John watched the news sitting on the couch with Laurie, thinking about what else he could do to protect his house. The shutters were closed, the marina as buttoned up as he could make it, all the patio furniture was put away. He had nothing to do but sit and wait. He hated being reactionary and preferred to take charge of the battle, to be proactive.

Laurie looked at John. "I can't believe this. Just when I was getting to be happy, something like this comes along and blows it all away. Why?"

John knew it was a rhetorical question, but felt compelled to answer her anyway, to say something reassuring. "Laurie, it's going to be ok. Does the house really matter? The only thing I couldn't replace is you and I promise you'll be safe."

The outer bands of the storm were buffeting in from time to time. The winds announced their arrival and the sound of the rain smashing on the side of the house confirmed their menace. Laurie hugged John's arm as a particularly strong gust of wind shook the shutters.

"I've gotta go tighten that down Laurie... I'll be right back."

Laurie felt a chill as John rose and walked into the den to fight with the offending shutter. She knew it wasn't just from having the warmth of John removed from her side. She rose and watched as John struggled with the shutter, closing the latch tightly and then standing there to watch as the next gust of wind came in. The shutter stood quiet now, succumbing to John's will, except for the wind that came whistling through the small gaps.

"John, I'm scared."

"I know sweetheart, we'll be ok. Tonight there's just some of the outer storms rolling through, tomorrow the real storm gets here, but from what they're saying the storm will be less by then."

John closed the window and led Laurie up stairs to the master suite. He sat down in his T shirt and shorts, soccer shorts with a draw string and she pulled her new and slightly starchy robe closed as she settled on the couch next to John. John leaned over and rested his head on Laurie's shoulder, whispering into her hair as he nuzzled her neck.

"Laurie, I love you... I really do love you..."

Laurie felt protected in his embrace and held him tightly. She loved this man so much, loved the way he handled himself, loved the way he always tried to protect her, loved his smell, the feel of his arms, the depth of his passion.

"John, please don't let anything happen, please..."

"Shh baby... everything's going to be ok... Relax, rest."

Laurie lay her head down on his lap and rolled onto her side, watching the TV as his hands kneaded the muscles of her shoulders.

"You're so tense sweets..." His caresses became a massage as he rubbed her shoulders, running down the fabric of her robe to her back, seeking out the tight strands of muscles and rubbing them into submission. Laurie could feel the fear leave her body as the relaxation poured in and succumbed to his wishes. Her eyes closed slowly and she drifted into an uneasy sleep, her arm, over her head, draped over John's leg.

John watched her drift off, her beautiful eyes slowly being hidden by eyelids with visible weight. They closed slowly and John sat and watched her sleep by the dim light of the TV.

He didn't remember a conscious decision but found his hand sliding down her chest, grasping her breast, running lightly over the skin under her robe and light summer night shirt. He felt her nipple harden under his attention, her skin so soft as to be almost unbelievable. He pulled his hand back as soon as he realized what he was doing. Here he was waiting for a hurricane to come through, something that never happened, with his... well, girlfriend, who was terrified and he was caressing her, or if she wasn't awake was it molesting her?

He adjusted slightly to give his growing member room and her hand slid down to his arm and pulled his hand back to her chest in her sleep holding it close to her. He couldn't help it, the weight of her breast was something that fascinated him, the reactive nipple was something he just couldn't leave alone. God! This woman had gotten to him in a way he didn't think was possible.

"hmm..." quietly through her slumber, she rolled over to lay on her back. His hand separating the robe as it slid down over her stomach. He felt so guilty but couldn't stop himself. This girl created so much desire in him, even in her sleep. He loved to make her feel good and just couldn't stop himself. His hand found the hem of her night shirt at mid thigh and slowly slid up under the fabric, bunching the material as his hand slid upwards. He gently allowed his hand to trace her, feeling the tight compactness of her lips held tightly by the silky panties she wore. He loved the feel of her, knowing he was feeling what she felt like before any excitement, before the changes that occurred as her body prepared itself for sex.

Her pussy was firm, the sparse hair there tightly packed, her legs slightly spread, one knee bent, the other leg was laying on top of it. John slowly rubbed her where he thought her clit would be and felt it grow to life under his fingers. He traced slight circles and her legs fell farther apart and his fingers felt the first drop of moisture seep between her rapidly swelling lips. He used the moisture to coat her clit as he made gentle circles, worrying her clit back and forth just enough pressure to feel the shaft move slightly from side to side.

"hmm..." Laurie seemed to be still sleeping. He hoped she was dreaming of him as his finger tip dipped lower, her lips separating under his touch. He felt her opening and slid the finger tip in slightly, feeling her growing moisture of need. His finger slid deeper, a second finger joining, moving slowly as she roused, her breathing patterns accelerating, her hips beginning to pump slowly, moving in a quiet, erotic dance of lust on the couch.

His fingers found the fleshy spot inside and began to do the come hither flutters on her special spot inside, the angle of his arm pressing his palm against her, caressing her clit with the subtle movements of the tendons of his fingers. He lost the sense of sight as his entire world came down to the feelings of her inner walls, the movement of her body the quiet sounds she made, a low groan of appreciation. He was startled out of his reverie as she groaned.

"John... what are you doing?" A feeling of shame came over him and he began to withdraw his fingers. She grabbed his wrist and pushed his hand down forcing his fingers back into her moist tunnel. "Oh god John, don't stop... I said you could do anything, anytime... and it feels soo good."

John looked down at her, her angelic face, her nose scrunching up as her hips increased their movement, the fine chin, regal neck as her head pressed back into his lap. Her breasts forced outward and John saw the hardened nipple through her shirt, the robe falling to either side of her body.

"Oh, John... please... please... I'm going to... ohh I going to cum..."

John felt the gathering moisture between his fingers as he once again initiated the caressing of her spot, juices pooling deep inside of her. Her hips were moving, impaling herself on his fingers as he continued to increase the pressure inside, pressing his palm tightly against her mound to massage her entire pussy and with it moving her clit back and forth.

He felt the pressure of her head increase in his lap, subtle tingles emanating from his hard cock as she pressed against it, her shoulders lifting, breasts thrust out, pressing her clit harder against his hand. He watched as her body froze, her ass lifted from the couch thrusting her pussy on his fingers to the maximum possible, chasing the tingles of her impending orgasm. She shuddered, her body dropped and he felt her inner walls implode on his fingers, the forewall of her pussy pushing against his fingers, forcing the fluid of her orgasm to pool in his hand. Her body shuddered, relaxed and shuddered again as she came violently.

Her mouth was open, sucking air in as fast as she could, her chest colored with the sensation, as she pulled on her breasts, tweaking her nipple through the soft cotton, pulling the collar of the night shirt lower, exposing the slight freckles between her breasts.

"ahh! Oh! Ohh... ungf..." each sound an explosion of tingles, a shudder of her body. John had never seen anything so erotic, had never seen a woman lose herself to the sensations that deeply before. He slid his dripping fingers from her center and her eyes popped open. "no... don't stop... please..."

John watched as her hand slid down, her fingers zeroing in on her clit instantly, quickly flicking it from side to side and she rose up the slope of ecstasy quickly, her body once again shuddering in release as her legs flopped open and her hips continued to fuck an unseen cock. John slid his fingers back into her and found her spot quickly. Her eyes opened widely, then rolled back into her head as she grunted with the intensified orgasmic chill racing through her body.

Her moisture escaped from around his fingers as her pussy clenched hard, the inner walls pushing the moisture to her opening in a wave. Her finger tips a blur as she continued her pleasure on her clit. Her upper thighs were soaked, and the moisture dripped from John's fingers as she collapsed completely back onto the couch as if the air had been let out of her. John saw the total relaxation in her body as she settled.

"A girl could get used to that ya know..." her words were breathless and airy as she tried to regain her breath, her body continuing to shudder in slight aftershocks, her nipples still standing out in relief under the cotton of her night shirt. John felt such strong emotions for this woman. God she was beautiful, exciting, smart and just everything John had longed for for so long.

"Your turn?" Laurie smiled as her hand went up over her head to awkwardly rub his hardness again.

"You don't have to Laurie... I'm... I'm sorry... I couldn't help it. I just, started to feel you and... um,"

"Its ok John, it felt wonderful." She rolled over, her hand gripping him tightly as she stroked him. "I've never done that before you know..."

"Huh?"

"I've never... made myself cum in front of anyone before... You know, by myself... I mean you helped but..."

He watched as she blushed. "I liked it. I liked showing you."

He quietly responded "I liked watching. I want to do it again, but all you this time."

"Can I watch you... Now I mean?"

"Me? Now? Um uh..."

"Come on John, please?" She took his hand and placed it on the lump in his shorts. He started to rub slightly up and down. She sat up, turning over, resting her ass on his knee. "Come on John... do it right, Please?"

John slid his shorts lower, his cock bobbing with the beat of his heart as he slid his shorts down off his hips, over his knees to puddle around his ankles. "Are you sure about this?"

"Please John..."

He slid lower on the couch, taking his cock into his hand and stroking it. Laurie loved the sight of his strong forearm, the tightness of his grip, the little twist he did as he slid over the head. She watched as the tendons in his neck tightened and she slid up slightly, leaving a trail of her juice on his leg and she drug her clit over the roughness of his hair on his leg. She leaned forward which accomplished more direct contact of her clit and put her head on his shoulder. She rocked on his thigh as she whispered in his ear.

"John, this is so hot. I want to watch you cum... I want to watch it spurt baby, do it... cum for me..."

She watched as John's body tightened, the firm ridges of his abdominal muscles in clear relief as the sensation took over. She watched the now almost purple head of his cock and imagined it expanding as he began to grunt, leaning back deeply into the couch. She watched closely as his hand began to get jerky, losing the smoothness of the stroke and he thrust from the couch as a long rope of white cum burst from his cock to land on his chest. She put her hand over the head of his cock and smiled as he grunted and thrust against it, surprised by the force his cum had as it shot into her palm.

She leaned over and rubbed the head of his cock with her tongue, the cum now bubbling out, falling down over his slightly moving fingers, she shuddered with a small orgasm brought on by the slight pressure on her clit and the pure eroticism of the moment. He jumped with each movement of her tongue and she figured that perhaps it was as sensitive as her clit right after an orgasm, opening her mouth to take him in, his hand fell limply to his side. She suckled gently as his body began to relax, his taste on her tongue, coaxing the last few drops from his rapidly deflating cock.

"I came with you John. That was the sexiest thing I've ever seen."

They both jumped at the sound. A loud ripping sound, the sound of tearing wood.

"Oh shit John! What was that!"

"Go in the shop Laurie, go now!"

"Laurie jumped up and ran down the stairs to the shop, looking up she expected to see the wooden joists of the house moving. She huddled in the corner pulling her robe tight around her and listened intensely, waiting, as she expected the house to begin to come apart. She wondered what it would be like to watch the roof be torn from the house, to watch the walls crash down and wondered if she would be sucked out of the house.

What she heard surprised her and wasn't at all what she expected. Raised male voices. She stood up and slowly, dreadfully, walked to the stairway.

"I want my bitch!"

"She's not your bitch asshole, get the fuck out of my house!"

"Fuck you. Where the fuck is she?"

"Somewhere safe, leave her alone, and I'm warning you for the last time, get out of my fucking house!" John's voice raised to an ugly shout.

"Make me, you pipsqueak motherfucker."

"Remember you asked for this."

Laurie turned the corner and saw that brute of her ex standing in John's den, pieces of the broken shutter and window behind him on the floor. Just the sight of him sent a brutal chill down her spine and she dropped to her knees.

"Leave him alone Fred." Her tone was quiet, but her words were forceful. The two men squaring off turned to look at Laurie as she kneeled in the entrance to the room.

"Where the fuck you been... What did you do to my fucking boat? I'm going to fuck you up so bad when I get you home, woman."

"She's not going anywhere, asshole."

"And you're going to stop me?" Fred laughed with a snort and a sneer. He was a lot bigger than John, heavier and had the muscles of someone that worked hard for a living. Laurie was convinced that he would break John in half and couldn't watch that happen. John had given her so much in such a short time, hope, love, peace. She knew it would end, it was too good not to, and she knew she couldn't live without him. She was sure that Fred would kill her if he got her to the old house, but, perhaps she could save John, and in the end, without John she just didn't care. She hoped it would be quick.

"I'll go with you... Just don't hurt John."

John looked at her in amazement. "What?!?"

"John, he'll hurt you, then he'll kill me. This is the only way for one of us to get out of it alive."

"Laurie, he's not touching you, and you're not leaving with him."

"And you're going to stop me you little fuck? I'll break you in half."

"Go ahead asshole, take a shot."

Fred launched himself across the room at John, fury in his eyes. He was sure he was going to smash this little bastard, the one that took his wife. He was going to settle this the way he always had, a couple of swift punches, the guy'd go down and then he could kick him into submission. He wanted to kick the very life out of this little fuck.

It didn't quite go the way he planned.

John sidestepped the first rush, pushing Fred in the back as he went by, adding to his momentum and Fred slammed into the end table, falling amidst the crash of breaking wood. When Fred stood back up the fury, and now hatred, was visible in his eyes.

He rushed John again, a little less forcefully. John nimbly sidestepped again, swung his foot around his back connecting with Fred's shin at the same time his arm came up and swung back, hitting Fred squarely in the middle of the back in a move called a sweep. Fred's feet went out from under him and he hit his head on the table on the way down, with a resounding clunk.

John said quietly, just over the whistle of the wind coming in from the broken window, "I'm giving you one last chance to leave, leave now and never come back, never make another attempt to contact Laurie, she's dead to you." His voice was quiet but the menace in his voice was enough to get through even to Fred.

"She's dead alright, right after I kill you... fucker."

The only thing more dangerous than a belligerent bully was a frightened one. He knew if he tried again he would be in a fight for his life. He rose, blinked at the blood coursing into his eye from the gash that the edge of the table made. He approached more slowly, put his hands up and watched John go into a 60/40 stance, hands raised, open palmed, in the manner of Chinese martial arts.