Sex for Beginners Box Set(49)
Zoe put a hand to her temple as the incongruity of the situation hit her. What was she doing? Playing out her fantasies with a virtual stranger while on the other side of the world, her mother and a team of specialists worked to create the perfect wedding for her and her fiancé. She glanced down at her bare finger where a white tan line betrayed her. She had thought by taking off the ring, she could forget about her commitment.
And the worst part? She had.
But simply putting something out of your mind didn’t make it disappear. It was there, waiting for her. Hanging back until her fantasy week had run its course.
“Will you grab us a couple of brews from the refrigerator?” Colin called down, breaking into her troubled thoughts.
Happy for the diversion, she called, “Sure.”
Zoe turned off the phone and pushed it to the bottom of her bag. After pulling two beers from the fridge, she climbed up the stairs to rejoin him on the deck. “Nice living quarters.”
He was unwinding a rope from a cleat on the dock. “Glad you like it.”
Zoe stuck the beers in cup holders next to the captain’s chair. “What can I do?”
He looked impressed that she’d offered, then pointed to the rear of the boat. “Untie that aft line and we’ll shove off.”
She moved to the back of the boat and unwound the line, looping the length like she’d seen him do, between thumb and elbow in large, neat circles to keep it from tangling.
“Very good,” he said, nodding in approval. “You’ll make a good first mate.”
Frivolous praise, she knew, but the words evoked an unbidden image of them together…as a couple. She closed her eyes to banish the treacherous thought, telling herself to get a grip—this was all a fantasy. She’d be returning to reality—and Kevin—in a few short days.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
Zoe opened her eyes to find Colin studying her with concern.
“You’re not seasick already, are you?”
“No,” she assured him.
“Homesick?”
Guilt washed over her. She wasn’t, but she should be. Embarrassed by her feelings, she couldn’t bring herself to answer.
“No worries,” he said with a wink. “We’ll have fun today. Have a seat and a beer and we’ll be on our way.”
She took one of the bottles and settled into the rear bench seat, out of reach of the sail should it swing to the other side of the boat.
Colin used a long pole to push them away from the dock, relying on large buoys hanging over the side to ensure they didn’t bump into adjacent boats as he maneuvered out of the slip.
She loved watching him move. Besides being so handsome, he was solid and well-proportioned, agile for a big man and in command of every muscle. No wonder he was such a good lover, she mused.
Kevin is an athlete, too, her mind whispered.
Zoe glanced up at the slack mainsail flapping in the wind and frowned at the symbolism.
She lifted her beer for a swallow and pulled her hat down to shield her eyes. She was starting to see things that weren’t there…starting to read too much into small gestures…starting to listen to the voice in her head that asked what if?
There was no what if, she stubbornly reminded herself. There was only going to be.
When they were clear of the marina, Colin pulled the lines to tighten the mainsail. The stiff white fabric snapped, then caught the wind and the boat picked up speed.
“How far to Manly Beach?” she called.
“About eleven nautical kilometers—seven miles,” he shouted back, securing the line holding the sail to a cleat on the side of the boat. “We could make it in about twenty minutes, but since it’s such a fine day, I thought we’d take the scenic route, and stop by Manly for lunch.”
She smiled her agreement, and inhaled the salt-scented air, her chest billowing with pleasure. It was a fine day—postcard perfect, the deep blue water broken by small whitecaps and jumping fish. It was breathtaking to look up the mainsail to the sky above. Cottony clouds looked close enough to touch. Gulls called out as they dipped and soared.
Colin reached into side storage compartments and pulled out two life jackets, placing them within reach.
Always cautious, she thought, recalling the system of safe words he’d suggested for their sex play. Would they reach red before the end of the week? A sensual shiver ran over her shoulders.
He grabbed the other beer and settled next to her, stretching out his long, muscular legs. Zoe acknowledged that her feeling of being off balance had little to do with the gentle rocking of the vessel as they skimmed along, following the twists and turns of the bay. They were sitting low in the boat, inches from the water. She couldn’t resist leaning over the side and letting its coolness run through her fingers.
Zoe turned her head, taking in the enigmatic man next to her and their Technicolor surroundings. In a word, it was surreal.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” he said, tilting his face up to the sun.
“You must spend a lot of time in America,” Zoe remarked. “Sometimes your accent sounds diluted.”
“That would be my mother’s fault. She’s American.”
Zoe blinked in surprise. “She lives in the States?”
“No, she lives in Canberra, but after almost forty years, she still sounds like a Southern belle.”
“She’s from the South?”
“Born and raised in Atlanta,” he said, affecting a southern drawl.
Zoe smiled. “Really?” Then she caught herself. “I’m sorry—we agreed no personal questions.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I don’t mind talking about my family.”
Zoe couldn’t resist the invitation. “So your father is Australian?”
“Through and through.”
“How did they meet?”
“He was a soccer player during university, and got the chance to tour in the States.”
Like father, like son, she almost said before she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to know anything about him.
“Back then Americans hadn’t even heard of the game,” he added. “He met my mother, and within a few days, somehow convinced her to marry him and move here.”
Zoe smiled wistfully. “What a great story. Is your father still alive?”
“Oh, yeah. Stubborn old cuss. I don’t know how Mom puts up with him.”
“Do you have a big family?”
“Two younger brothers. They’re both cattlemen.”
“With families?”
“No, they’re single, too.”
He shifted on the seat and she realized she’d hit a nerve. Was he thinking about his own impending engagement?
“What’s your family like?” he asked.
Zoe gave a little laugh. “Unfortunately, my parents don’t have a love story.”
His expression dimmed. “Divorced?”
“No, worse—they should have.” She picked at the corner of the label on the beer bottle. “They’re both good people, but they bring out the worst in each other.”
“That’s too bad,” he murmured. “Do you have brothers and sisters?”
“No, it’s just me.”
“Caught in the middle, eh?”
She nodded. “The wedding—” At her gaffe, Zoe blanched. “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“It’s okay,” Colin said with a shrug. “It is what it is. You’re getting married. I’m happy for you.”
“You must think I’m a terrible person. I didn’t come to Sydney with the intention of doing…this.”
His expression turned philosophical as he sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I don’t think you’re a terrible person. I take it your fiancé isn’t adventurous between the sheets?”
She squirmed, reluctant to discuss her and Kevin’s sex life. “We’ve…been together a long time.”
“He doesn’t know that you like to be restrained,” he said matter-of-factly.
Her cheeks warmed. “He wouldn’t understand. His mind doesn’t go there.”
He wagged his eyebrows and leaned closer. “But mine does.”
Desire trumped guilt, stabbing her low and hard. “And mine,” she whispered.
Colin drew on his bottle of beer, glancing all around them, then back to her, his eyes overcast with need. “How about we drop anchor and I give you that lesson on tying knots I promised you?”
Her body instantly began preparing itself—warming, moistening, expanding. Zoe brought her hand to her forehead in a mock salute and murmured, “Aye, aye, Captain.”
11
THE DOUBLE HALF-HITCH knot across Zoe’s bare stomach that he’d used to tie her up like a package was, Colin decided, a thing of beauty. The thick cotton cord was a perfect foil for her smooth, flawless skin. Her remarkable breasts poked through the system of cross ties, the tweaked nipples pert and red. Her dark hair fanned out behind her head. Her eyes were closed while a myriad of sensations played over her expressive, lovely face—pleasure, pain, joy, frustration. She was so hot he couldn’t stand it.
He pumped into her body, reveling in the exquisite strength of her feminine walls surrounding his cock. As she contracted around his length and cried out in her second orgasm, Colin felt himself being pulled along. He gritted his teeth, trying to hold back, but he couldn’t fight the tide of lust that raged through his body. He came forcefully, shooting a full load, his groans mingling with hers as he collapsed on top of her.