Chapter 9

The phone rang, waking Jack from his peaceful nap. He groped around until he located the receiver, picked it up and said hello into the mouthpiece.

"Hi, Mom, what's up?" Jack asked, falling back on the pillow and covering his eyes with his forearm.

"What's going on? We haven't heard from you kids today," Marge said.

Jack sat up, hanging his feet over the edge of the bed. "Sorry, when we got back to the hotel, we all took a nap." Jack looked at the clock. "It's almost ten o'clock!"

"I know, that's why I called. I was starting to get worried."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I set the clock for eight, but I guess I didn't do it right. Can I call you back in a few minutes? We only have fifteen minutes to order dinner."

"Okay, call me back. Are you sure everything is okay?"

"It's great, Mom. We had a great time today. I'll tell you all about it later."

Jack and his mom hung up. He shook Sally and then woke Tom and Kim. They were still half asleep, but managed to order something light before it was too late.

"It's a good thing Mom called or we would have had to go out to dinner," Jack said. "I must have set the clock wrong."

"It went off, but I hit the snooze button," Tom said. He sat up and looked at the clock. "Shit, I turned the alarm off."

"No big deal, we got our order in. I guess we should put something on before they get here with the food," Jack said.

Sally pulled the sheet up under her chin. "Can I just stay in bed?"

"If you want to." Jack looked at her and smiled. "Just keep yourself covered."

Sally nodded, tightening the sheet. Jack chuckled, found a pair of cotton shorts and pulled them on. Tom got up, putting on the jeans he had been wearing earlier, while Kim snuggled under the covers.

Jack opened the door to the room when he heard a knock. A young girl pushed a cart into the room, trying hard not to glance at the two girls in the beds. She handed Jack the bill so he could sign it, leaving quietly after he did.

The teens had ordered a snack tray. The tray had cheese, crackers, fruit, fresh shrimp and an assortment of vegetables. After removing the foil cover from the tray, Jack picked up one of the plates.

"What would you like?" Jack asked Sally.

Sally got out of bed. She stood near the cart, looking at the food arranged on the tray. As she pointed, Jack put the items on her plate. Sally took the full plate from Jack, thanking him. She sat on the bed, balancing the plate on her outstretched legs. After filling his plate, Jack joined Sally on the bed.

"This looks yummy," Kim said as she put pieces of cheese on her plate. She added some of the shrimp, a few crackers and some of the raw vegetables. Tom stood next to Kim, putting food on his plate.

"This was a great idea, Jack," Tom said as he ate an olive. "Eating something like burgers wouldn't be too smart—not at this time of night."

Sally held a grape up to Jack. He smiled, opening his mouth so Sally could put it on his tongue. Kim had watched her cousin feed her brother. She was about to make a comment about how silly Sally was acting, but she didn't. When Jack offered Sally a carrot stick, Kim smiled.

Picking up a shrimp, Kim dipped it in the red sauce on her plate. With one hand under the shrimp to catch any of the sauce that dripped, she offered the shrimp to Tom. When he took it from her, Tom kissed Kim's fingertips.

The two couples fed themselves as well as each other. Kim felt giddy as she and Tom exchanged bites of cheese and crackers. What she started out thinking was lame, turned out to be fun. One of the things that really surprised Kim was how Tom's eyes would stare into hers as she fed him the small morsels of food. She could see how they sparkled, as he gazed lovingly into her eyes.

"You have pretty eyes," Kim said softly. She smiled when Tom winked at her.

"You're beautiful period."

Kim giggled. She had never really looked at Tom's eyes, not like she was doing at the moment. When she thought about the times she and Tom had had sex, she felt shallow. Kim realized that she had thought of her cousin as just another guy that she had sex with—sex with little or no emotional attachment. Taking the shrimp Tom offered, Kim felt a chill run down her spine.

"Would you like me to get you a robe or something? You look like you're shivering," Tom said.

"I'm okay, thanks," Kim told him. She grinned and added, "You can warm me up in a few minutes."

Jack finished his snack. He called home, talking with his mother for a few minutes and telling her about the great time everyone had on the boat. After apologizing for failing to call, he told Marge he would be sure to call the next day when they got back to the hotel. Jack said goodbye and handed the phone to Kim.

"Hi, Mom," Kim said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Honey. Jack said you kids had a good time."

"Mom, it was one of the best days ever."

"Really? Why?"

"It just was. I'll tell you all about it when I see you on Thursday. We're eating right now." Kim giggled. "Tom is trying to put a piece of cheese in my mouth right now." Kim opened her mouth, taking the cheese on her tongue.

"Okay, I'll let you kids finish your dinner. We'll see you Thursday afternoon."

"See you then. Oh, we have a meeting on Thursday night. We're going to go to a fishing club meeting with Jenny, Kathy, Brad and Eddie."

"Goodnight, talk to you tomorrow. Make sure Sally and Tom call home before it gets too late."

Kim and her mom hung up. "Call your mom, Tom. My mom said she's waiting to hear from you and Sally."

Tom nodded. "Sally, do you want to call Mom?"

Sally nodded. She called home, talking to her mom for a few minutes. When she was finished, she handed the telephone to her brother. Tom told his mom about the fishing trip and how much he liked the new friends they had met. After chatting for a few moments, Tom said, "Well, I have to go. Kim is trying to stuff a shrimp in my mouth."

Tom and Anne hung up. Leaning back on the bed, he accepted a shrimp from Kim. Instead of using her fingers, Kim held the shrimp between her lips. When Tom took it from her, they kissed.

The tray was almost empty when everyone said they were full. They took turns washing up before settling on the beds. They sat up, talking for a few minutes. Sally stretched out, resting her head on Jack's leg. He ran his fingers through her light brown hair, feeling its silkiness.

Looking up at Jack, Sally said, "I'm so tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."

Jack glanced at the bed Tom and Kim were in. He was expecting a remark about what Sally said, but there wasn't one. Kim and Tom weren't paying any attention to them.

Kim sat with her legs folded to her side, her fingers stroking the top of Tom's thigh. Tom had his hand on her naked back, moving his fingers slowly. They gazed into one another's eyes, neither of them saying a word.

Jack smiled, returning his attention to Sally. "Want to go back to sleep?"

"Maybe in a little while." Sally leaned close to whisper. "Do you want to fool around first?"

Jack slid out from under Sally's head. He removed his shorts and pulled back the covers. When Sally moved under the covers, Jack got in the bed. He pulled the sheet and blanket over them before taking Sally into his arms. She snuggled against him, putting her arm over his chest. Jack worked his arm under her, resting his hand on her bottom. He rubbed her, feeling the slippery texture of her panties against his hand.

Sally wiggled, trying to get closer to Jack. Her hand drifted down his chest, coming to rest on his penis. She began fondling him, causing his penis to expand. When Sally tried to move her head lower, Jack pulled her against him, stopping her.

"Let's just cuddle for a few minutes, Sweetie," Jack whispered.

Sally nodded, rubbing her cheek against his chest. Her hand stopped moving on his member and then her breathing changed. Jack bent his head down, kissing Sally on top of her head. Shifting slightly, Jack got comfortable without waking her. A few minutes later, he was asleep too.

"Looks like the kids are sleeping," Kim whispered, giggling softly as she did.

"Yeah, they're lightweights." Tom kissed Kim's cheek. "I guess we should turn off the lights."

"Mmmm, do you want to get me in the dark?"

"Not really, I'd rather look at you." Tom kissed her again, this time on the lips.

Kim put her hand behind Tom's head, holding his lips to hers. She opened her mouth, welcoming his tongue. While they kissed, Kim squirmed against him. With their mouths locked in a passionate kiss, one of the most passionate Kim had ever experienced, they realigned themselves so they were lying on their sides, facing each other.

Tom removed his mouth from Kim's. He kissed her chin, and when she lifted her head, he kissed her neck. Kim moaned softly as his lips and tongue moved over her warming flesh. She squirmed against him, pressing her pelvis into his. Tom shifted to reduce the pressure of Kim's undulating crotch. His penis was swollen, poking out of the fly in his boxers. Tom kept his mouth moving, covering Kim's neck and shoulders with soft wet kisses. She moaned as he came closer to her breasts.

Kim ran her hand up and down Tom's side. When she approached his penis, he managed to redirect her hand. "Just relax, Baby," Tom whispered, placing his hand against her shoulder and pushing her on her back.

Tom continued to kiss Kim, avoiding her breasts. She tried to guide his head, but he rebuffed her, centering his tender kisses a couple inches above her mounds. Tom leaned back, propped his head on his hand and gazed at Kim's body. With his other hand, he stroked her, using his fingertips. He moved across her collarbones and then down between her breasts. Kim shivered as his fingers moved over her stomach and around her navel. The closer he came to her sex, the more excited she became.

Kim lifted her bottom off the bed as Tom's fingers approached her mons. Sliding his hand into her panties, he toyed with the thin strip of light pubic hair that adorned her mons, moving his fingertip in a tight circle. Lowering his head, he kissed her. Kim put her hand behind his head, pulling it tightly to her open mouth. She pushed her tongue into Tom's mouth, moaning when he gently sucked it.

Tom removed his hand from Kim's mons, putting it against her cheek. Kim wiggled on the bed, her body trying to increase the contact with his. Once again she tried to play with his penis, and once again, he stopped her.

"Don't you want me to touch you?" Kim asked.

"Sure, but there's no hurry."

"You are making me so hot, Tom. I want to make you feel good too."

"I feel great, Baby. Can't we just cuddle and kiss for a while?"

Kim sighed, nodding her head. Tom shifted so his head was on the pillow, his arm across her chest. He rubbed her side for a moment, reached over to the nightstand and turned off the lamp. Tom found Kim's lips in the dark, kissed her and then snuggled against her side.

"Goodnight, Baby—I love you," Tom whispered, and then he kissed her again.

"Goodnight? Don't you want to... ?"

"I want to hold you and fall asleep with you in my arms."

Kim took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, she rolled away from Tom, lying on her side. Tom scooted against her back, put his arm over her and pulled Kim to his chest. Her breasts rested on top of his forearm and his rigid penis pressed against her bottom.

Tom nuzzled his nose in her hair, kissed the back of her head. He told Kim he loved her again and closed his eyes. Kim put her hand on his arm, pushing it up against her breasts. She slid her hand along Tom's arm, interlacing her fingers with his when she felt his hand.

"I love you too," Kim said under her breath.

Tom smiled when he heard her, but he didn't let her know he had heard what she said. He closed his eyes, relishing the warmth of her body against his.

Kim felt Tom against her back. She could feel his chest rise and fall with each breath he took. While being in Tom's arms was soothing, Kim was frustrated and confused. She wasn't used to having her sexual advances refused. Most of the time she got what she wanted when she was horny and in need of satisfaction. Even her own brother would usually give in to her when she wanted sex.

As she thought about her sexual encounters of the past, Kim realized most of the time she did it for her and didn't really think too much about who she was having sex with. At least not their pleasure. Kim usually concentrated on her pleasure and the ultimate goal of reaching an orgasm. Tears filled her eyes while she thought about just how selfish and shallow she had been in the past.

Tom tightened his arm around Kim. She wept silently, wishing she could relive the past months. Kim decided right then and there she was going to change — change for the better. She decided that she would be more sensitive to others and pay more attention to how she behaved. Sighing, Kim realized Tom was more interested in her as a person than just someone to have sex with. Feeling better, Kim settled into a deep sleep.

"Wake up," Sally said as she shook her brother's arm. "Time to get up."

Tom rolled onto his back, removing his arm from Kim for the first time since he fell asleep the night before. Looking up, he nodded at Sally.

"Jack and I are going to take a shower. You two can have the bathroom when we're finished," Sally told Tom.

"Okay, I'll make coffee," Tom replied.

"Jack already made a pot. We've been up for a few minutes."

Sally left for the bathroom. Tom rolled onto his side, shaking Kim's shoulder gently as he gazed at her. When she rolled on her back, stretching her arms over her head, Tom kissed her.

"Morning, Sweetie." Tom kissed Kim again. "Time to get up."

"Mmmm, good morning." Kim put her hand behind Tom's head, pulling it down so she could kiss him.

Tom got up and stood next to the bed. He reached for Kim's hand, but she wouldn't let him get a hold of it. Chuckling, Tom leaned over and kissed her neck.

"Good morning, neck." Tom kissed her again, causing Kim to giggle.

"Good morning shoulder." Kim continued to giggle as Tom kissed her, saying good morning to each spot his lips touched.

"Good morning, right boob. Good morning, left boob. Good morning, left nipple. Good morning, right nipple." Kim stopped giggling. She gently stroked the back of Tom's head as he kissed and greeted body party.

"Mmmm," Kim moaned as Tom's lips journeyed down her chest to her navel.

"Good morning, bellybutton," Tom said. He poked his tongue into the indentation, making Kim's stomach quiver.

While kissing around her waist and hips, Tom worked her panties down. Kim lifted up, letting him remove the garment while his lips grazed over her skin.

"Mmmm, good morning, pussy." Tom pushed Kim's legs opened so he could touch her vulva with his lips. "Good morning, right thigh. Good morning, pussy. Good morning, left thigh. Good morning, pussy."

"Don't you think my pussy knows it's morning yet?" Kim asked, watching Tom.

"Not yet. Your pussy doesn't hear too well." Tom kissed her sex again. "It has nice lips, but no ears."

"Maybe you should kiss my pussy's lips some more; it really likes that."

Tom stood up. He bent over to kiss her mouth and Kim pulled his head down to hers. When their lips met, Kim moaned into Tom's mouth. After the heated kiss, Kim sat up on the edge of the bed. She fished Tom's erection out of his boxers and kissed the tip of it.

"Good morning, cock."

Tom and Kim chuckled. She kissed his testicles, wishing each of them good morning. Kim stood up, sliding her body against Tom's as she did. They kissed again, wrapping their arms around each other.

"You're a nut; you know that, don't you?" Kim said, looking up into Tom's eyes.

"Yeah, I know. I'm your nut if you want me."

Kim kissed Tom. "More than anything in the world."

"Okay, you two can have the shower," Sally said as she walked out of the bathroom. "We have to get going if we're going to get to the boatyard on time."

"All right, we're going, we're going," Kim said and then she looked up at Tom. "Want a cup of coffee?"

"Sure."

"Okay, I'll get it for you, Baby." Kim kissed his chin before releasing Tom and getting him a cup of coffee.

Kim gave Tom his coffee. They went into the bathroom, glancing away as each of them used the toilet. Tom took a few sips of his coffee as he watched Kim adjusting the water in the shower. When she got in the stall, Tom put his cup on the counter and joined her.

Tom and Kim took turns washing each other; stealing brief kisses as they rubbed the soap on one another. When they finished, they got out to dry themselves. Kim was quiet, watching Tom as he rubbed his towel across his back.

"Is everything okay?" Tom asked.

Kim nodded.

"You're very quiet this morning. Is something bothering you?"

Kim shook her head, but Tom knew something was on her mind. He tossed his towel on the wet towels left by Jack and Sally. Taking Kim in his arms, he held her tightly. Tom didn't say any thing as he hugged Kim. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Tom kissed her wet hair, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

Tom let his hand drift down to Kim's bottom. He brushed over it lightly, causing Kim to wiggle against him. She sighed, feeling safe and secure in Tom's arms. Kim kissed his chest, feeling his muscles respond to her lips. She looked up into his eyes, smiling at him.

As they stood in the bathroom, locked in a firm embrace, Kim felt the warmth of their closeness flowing through her body. Her heart pounded in her chest and her throat felt choked with emotion. Kim could tell something was happening to her, but she wasn't really sure of what it was. The feelings she was experiencing were new to her.

"We're going to be late if we don't get going," Kim said, her voice almost a whisper.

"I know, but I like holding you like this."

Kim stretched up so she could kiss Tom. The kiss began as a light meeting of their lips, but quickly escalated into an all out passionate kiss. Their mouths opened and their tongues dueled as they increased the tempo. Kim's body began to tingle, not like it did when she became aroused, this was different. She felt she could feel Tom's love for her fill her body and mind. Tears began to run out of her eyes while she hoped she could return the love he showed for her.

When they finally separated their mouths, Kim hugged Tom as tightly as she could. She kissed his chest, stepped back and looked at him as she held both Tom's hands.

"That was the best kiss I've ever had," Kim said. For the first time, she really meant it.

"There's plenty more where that came from, Sweetie."

Kim nodded. Glancing down, she was surprised to see Tom wasn't excited; at least his penis wasn't erect. For a moment, she thought he didn't find her attractive, but quickly realized she wasn't sexually excited either. Kim smiled when she thought that what they had shared must be love.

Tom and Kim began finishing their morning routine. They stood next to one another at the sink, brushing their teeth and doing the things they normally did alone. When Tom coated his face with shaving gel and began to shave, Kim watched his every move.

Jack and Sally were finished dressing when Tom and Kim came out of the bathroom. Kim looked at her brother, smiling from ear to ear at the look on his face. Jack could tell something was different about his sister, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Sally noticed too. She went over to Kim, put her mouth near her ear and whispered to her.

"I think someone is falling in love with my brother," Sally said.

Kim could only grin and nod her head. She surprised Sally when she gave her a hug. Neither of them said anything when they separated. Kim began to dress. She knew Sally was right about how she felt about Tom.

When the four of them left the room, Kim took Tom's hand in hers. She rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand as she swung their arms. In the elevator, she leaned against him.

"I wonder what we're going to do today?" Sally asked while they sat at a table in the restaurant waiting for their breakfast.

"Tom and I are going to be in the engine room most of the day," Jack said. "We're going to be learning how to operate all of the machinery and about the engines."

"Should we talk to April about the uniforms today?" Kim asked. "Maybe we can even go to Jenny's mom's shop this week."

"I think we should. It might take a while to have them made once we decide on what we want," Sally said.

"Don't we need to know what sizes we need?" Tom asked.

Kim giggled. "We'll just get them in size twelve and then hire girls to fit them. That way you guys won't be chasing after the help."

Tom looked at Kim. He smiled at her and said, "That won't be a problem, Sweetie."

Kim felt her heartbeat increase when Tom said what he did. She smiled at him—and believed him.

Finished with breakfast, they left for Bowman's boatyard. It was ten to eight when Tom pulled into the lot and parked the truck. Dressed in their jeans and tee shirts, the four teens prepared for their first day of working on the yacht—their yacht.

Harry Shockley met the teens as they walked toward the office. He asked them if they wanted coffee or sodas before heading to the yacht. Tom and Jack both asked for coffee. Kim and Sally told him they were okay for moment. Harry led them into the office and then to the small kitchen. He showed them where everything was, telling them to help themselves whenever they want to.

"I heard you guys had a good time on the boat," Harry said as he filled three paper cups with coffee.

"We had a great time, Mr. Shockley," Kim said. "We hope we're able to do it again."

"Look, I appreciate the fact you call me Mr. Shockley, but it seems a little strange to me. I'm not used to having my customers refer to me that way."

"Thanks, but we're not used to calling adults by their first names," Tom said and then he chuckled. "Our parents would be very upset if we did."

Harry nodded. He felt the same way about his children and had always taught them to respect adults. Harry's clients included families with teenage children, but most of them were spoiled and treated adults around them with disrespect. He never liked it, but knew it wasn't his place to say anything to the parents of the brats.

"Are you ready to get started?" Harry asked. "Jeri and April are on the yacht."

"I think we're ready," Jack said. "How long have they been here?"

"We start at six most mornings. In the summer it gets hot early so we try to work in the mornings when it's cool. The crews usually knock off at about three in the afternoon unless we're trying to meet a deadline."

"Tomorrow, we'll be here at six then," Tom said.

Shaking his head, Harry led the teens out of the office building. They walked to the shed where Tomiko was being finished and went inside. The boat was buzzing with workers, each of them busy at their task. Jeri was in the pilothouse, talking to one of the technicians that were installing the electronics.

After a brief greeting, Jeri told Kim and Sally where April was working. The two girls said goodbye to their brothers, left the pilothouse and went to find April.

"What's going on with you and Tom?" Sally asked as they worked their way down to the guest staterooms.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. I know you agreed to hang out with Tom because I wanted to be with Jack, but this morning I could tell something changed."

"I'm falling in love with him, Sally."

"I thought you did love him."

"Oh I did, but not like now. I mean I'm falling head over heals in love with him. Sally, it's all new to me." Kim grinned at her cousin. "Last night, Tom didn't want to have sex with me. I was shocked at first, but I found it was nice to just have him hold me. I've done that before, but only when I wanted it that way."

"It is nice, isn't it? I mean it's wonderful to know that someone cares about you for something other than sex."

"Sally, it's even nicer to care about someone for something other than sex. Before, I did things because I wanted to be satisfied. I didn't think about how the guy felt—not even Jack. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but I didn't do it for them, I did it for me and me alone."

"Maybe you can understand how I feel now. Maybe, you can accept the way I am. I'll do anything for Jack, anything."

Kim nodded, thinking about what Sally said. While she wasn't submissive, Kim could accept how Sally felt even if she didn't completely agree with her. After all, if that was what Sally wanted, who was she to say she was wrong.

"That's cool," Kim said, causing Sally to stop walking.

Looking at Kim, Sally said, "Thanks, Kim."

Kim and Sally found April in one of the guest staterooms. She was talking to a worker, telling him something about the head. When she saw the two girls, April stopped talking to the worker.

"Hi, Kim, Sally. How are you guys this morning?" April said.

"Good morning, April, I'm doing great," Kim said. "What do you want us to do?"

Sally greeted April, and then asked what was going on.

"I was telling the tile man how I wanted the grout sealed. On a yacht, you have a problem with mold and mildew if you don't keep up with the cleaning. Mold will grow in the grout if it's not sealed properly," April replied.

"Don't they seal it properly?" Kim asked.

"Yes, they put two coats of sealant on the grout, but I want four or five coats. These guys are real good, but there are things I know, from working on other yachts, that will make the mates' jobs easier."

"How often do they clean the heads?" Kim asked.

"Everyday, twice a day or more when we're out," April said. "When our clients are paying for a charter, we want the yacht to be spotless at all times. If one of our guests takes a shower, we'll come in and clean the head when they're finished."

"It sounds like the yacht will never get dirty," Sally said.

"It won't. It's my job to make sure it doesn't." April chuckled. "If the bed gets used in during the day, we'll change the sheets before it gets used again."

"Don't the mates get in the way at times?" Kim asked.

"Not really. When our guests come aboard, we'll talk to them about how things are done on the yacht. Most of the time, everything is fine, but sometimes they have requests that break the normal routines. We do whatever they want, as long as it doesn't mean neglecting the yacht."

"It's their charter, right?" Sally said.

"Yes, but it's my yacht. I'm responsible for making sure everything in the way of guest services is taken care of. If the guests are unreasonable, I have to work around them, but not so it affects the way things are done."

"It sounds like being a mate is hard work," Kim said.

"It can be, but it can be fun too. When we book a seven-day charter, there's twelve days of work for the crew. It takes at least three days to get the yacht ready for the charter and another two days to go through her after the charter ends. Before the guests arrive, we have to do the shopping for food and anything else the guests have requested. After the food stores are full, we wash all the bedding and towels. Then we do an extra good job of cleaning the yacht."

"How can you get it any cleaner than you keep it?" Sally asked. "From what you're saying, you clean it everyday."

"We'll wipe down all the light fixtures and the headliners, something that doesn't get done everyday. All of the lounges and deckchairs are scrubbed down. We'll do cleaning that we just can't do while we have guests onboard."

"How about the toys, you know, the wave runners and things like that?" Sally said.

"Anything that has an engine or goes in the water is Jeri's responsibility. The mates do the work, but those things don't fall under my responsibility. I take care of the inside and the sundecks."

"How do you divide up the chores?" Kim asked.

"Jeri is the captain, she will make up the duty roster for everyone. She'll ask me what I think, but she has the ultimate say. On a boat, there can only be one captain, one person in complete charge."

"We know, we've all talked about it before," Sally said.

April began going over the staterooms with the two girls. She showed them where things were going to be kept and talked about how what she would be doing while on a charter and when the yacht was in port.

Kim and Sally stayed with April, listening to her and asking questions. While the girls went through the yacht, Jack and Tom were in the engine room with Jeri and the engineer.

The engineer took the time to explain the engine room to Jack and Tom in great detail. As he went over each piece of equipment, he showed the two boys where to find information in the library of manuals kept in a fireproof cabinet. Jeri stayed with them, leaving for short stints to answer questions about things in other parts of the yacht.