Journey to Another Life Ch. 07

Authors note: Thanks for all the kind comments and emails. I have again made this Chapter longer by combining several chapters together.

Arm in arm, Ed and Nikki boarded the gleaming 64-foot yacht.

It was a Swan 64 he'd chartered from a friend and it was small enough to be cozy and not too big to require a large crew to ruin the couples privacy.

"I hope you like it," Ed said. "It'll be home for the next 19 days."

"It's beautiful," she told him, squeezing his arm.

The husband and wife team that would be attending to sailing and food introduced themselves. Ed had heard nothing but glowing reports about Justin and Marla and had been pleased to learn they were available for his honeymoon excursion with Nikki. They had a reputation for attentiveness without intrusion. Word had it that they were also discreet.

"I hear Marla knows what to do with any kind of seafood that swims in these waters," Ed told Nikki as he shook Marla's hand. The 40-something, olive-skinned woman looked embarrassed and proud. "Thank you, Mr. Stewart. I hope I do not disappoint you."

"And Captain, your stellar reputation precedes you, as well." The men shook hands and he introduced Justin to Nikki.

The newlyweds retreated to the small but luxurious stateroom that was adorned with flowers per Ed's request. Nikki's eyes filled with tears as she turned to him.

"I swear you think of everything."

"You're my bride. If it were in my power, you'd have flowers everywhere you went."

He took her in his arms and when their lips met, he felt as light-headed as the first time he'd kissed her, many months before. He loved how perfectly she fit in his embrace and how the combination of her warmth and seductive scent weakened his knees. As their tongues did a bit of fencing with each other, his hands sought out a handful of her hair (which she'd worn loose and unadorned today, at his request). As her startling femininity reached into his soul and gave it a playful little twist, he got hard and chose not to ignore it. Instead, he pushed his erection against her and rubbed slightly. She slipped a hand between them and started to stroke.

"What do you say we test this bed?" she said softly.

They spent the rest of the day quietly, swimming to a nearby, secluded beach, enjoying lunch at a small beachside cafe, and taking in a little more sun before swimming back to the boat in time for dinner. Marla's culinary talents were indeed top-notch—she'd prepared a red-chile encrusted wahoo so delicious, Ed and Nikki barely spoke as they consumed it. Afterwards, as the sun disppeared on the horizon, they let perfectly prepared rum drinks infuse their bodies with island restlessness. Justin and Marla cleared away all signs of dinner.

"Hey," Ed whispered, eyeing his wife like a dirty old man. "How about we christen the deck?"

A wicked grin spread across her face. "You mean as only we can?"

Smiling, they got to their feet, albeit a little unsteadily. "Aren't you worried about Justin and Marla?" Nikki asked in a furtive stage whisper as her clothes piled up quickly beside her. Dressed only in the rays of the Caribbean moonlight, she looked every bit the goddess to Ed, and he didn't care who else witnessed it.

"I'm worried about absolutely nothing at the moment," he said, as she dropped to her knees before his eager hard-on.

The first signs of sunrise woke Ed. He looked over at Nikki, sleeping soundly beside him on the deck. They'd made a little makeshift bed of beach towels and chaise cushions the night before, and this morning, the haphazard arrangement brought a smile to Ed's lips. He got up slowly, careful not to wake her. Dawn was his favorite time of day and waking to greet it so directly infused him with energy.

He headed toward the bridge, but on the way, he passed Justin and Marla, already up and engaged in a heated but hushed conversation. He paused, thinking they might need him, but decided against it. If it was a marital dispute, he certainly didn't want to get involved. But on his return from the bridge, where he savored the clear morning air and the glistening water from a new perspective, Justin apprehended him.

"Please excuse me, Mr. Stewart. I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Ed felt the man's agitation and noticed that Marla's eyes were red from crying. "What is it, Captain?"

"Marla's mother back in England has had a serious heart attack. They're afraid she may not pull through."

"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry to hear that. How can I help?" Ed asked, concerned for both of them.

"Well, we hate to renege on our responsibilities here, but it appears that we do need to get to England as soon as possible. I've already secured the services of a replacement for us, and if you agree, he can begin this evening." Justin's voice was level and professional, but his eyes were dark and troubled.

Ed paused and a sob caught in Marla's throat.

"If that's not agreeable to you, I can stay here while Marla goes back without me," Justin said. Marla's eyes widened, as if his comment were the first time she'd considered the option he suggested.

"Of course, you should accompany Marla," Ed reassured him. Marla's whole body relaxed. "If you say your replacement can do the job, I trust your judgment."

"Thank you so much, sir. I thought we would dock at Antigua tonight to pick him up before we leave, if that plan suits you."

"Yes, of course. But you keep referring to this replacement in the singular. Is it only one man?"

"It is, but he's as good a sailor as he is a chef. And since the boat has computer hydraulically assisted sail settings, his navigation skills won't be as necessary as they might be on another boat."

Ed nodded. "That sounds fine. You probably know I've done a bit of sailing myself so if things get hairy for the poor fellow, I can pitch in a bit."

"Thank you," Justin said. "We appreciate your understanding."

"Not at all." He turned to Marla. "I hope your mother gets well quickly. I wish you both the best."

Marla nodded and did her best to smile.

As Ed went to tell Nikki about the change of plans, Justin headed the yacht for Antigua under sail. Nikki didn't go back to sleep after hearing the news and instead, immediately went to find Marla to give her some hope and to confirm Ed's release and good wishes. To keep out of their way, the honeymooners wiled away a quiet day on board by napping, fixing their own meals, and retreating to their room for intimate pleasures throughout the day. The sunshine was addictive, however, and most of their time was spent just lolling about on the boat's various chaise lounges. In the meantime, Justin and Marla readied themselves for departure.

Ed remembered hearing about a charming quayside restaurant, so he and Nikki tried it for dinner that night after saying their final goodbyes to the collaborating couple. The changing of the crew would be in progress shortly, and Ed thought it best to give Justin and Marla space and privacy while they acquainted the new crewmember with his duties and the boat.

It was such a beautiful sunset that Ed and Nikki decided to take a stroll along the beach before sitting down to dinner. The two of them glowed with health and happiness, and when an unexpected flash of the incident at the villa popped into his head, he squelched it as instantly as it appeared. Nikki hadn't mentioned it in nearly two days, which was a huge relief for Ed. In many ways, he liked the idea of trying the start the honeymoon over. In other words, he relished having exclusive rights to his beautiful wife.

And yet, in the middle of enjoying their lobster, Nikki filled in a brief pause in the conversation with: "So how are you feeling now about our little 'fantasy incident'?"

Ed eyed her suspiciously. "Is that what we're calling it?"

"Yes. I like it," she said, grinning as she separated a deep red claw from the lobster's body.

He felt as if a warm, damp afghan made of mohair had been tossed over him. He didn't want to discuss any of it. Hadn't they already traveled this ground the day after the fantasy incident had happened? He was losing his appetite fast but he didn't want to deny Nikki the opportunity to work through her own feelings.

"Well, I know that nothing has changed between us because of what happened," he told her, hoping all she wanted was reassurance rather than reexamination.

"Did you like watching it?" she asked him tentatively.

Damn. Back to him again. He took a deep breath as surreptitiously as he could. He didn't want her to know this line of questioning was hard for him. Besides, maybe they did need to talk about it more.

"I have some nagging guilt and I'm still a little uncomfortable about the whole thing, but I can say one thing without any reservation," he put down his lobster and wiped his hands on his napkin. "There's no denying that it lived up to my fantasies. Exceeded them, even!"

She smiled, sheepish but strangely proud. "Really?"

"I wanted to see you be a total slut and you gave me that and more. I had no idea that your definition of slut would be filthier than mine! I don't think I'd want to see it again it might be too much for my old heart " He tried to make a little joke out of the tension that was now between them. He was glad when it worked—she gave him a warm smile.

"Yeah, I guess I even surprised myself."

He couldn't read exactly what she was feeling, so he decided to prod her. "How are you feeling about it all?"

"Well, I've been thinking about a lot, as you might imagine. Constantly, you might say."

Guilt tickled Ed's cerebral cortex. Here he'd been successfully pushing it out of his head for two days while in hers, it swam mercilessly.

"While everything was happening, I loved it, I have to admit. I was in the moment and just reacting to things without intellectualizing about any of it. I let my body dictate what I did and I allowed every fantasy to come through. It was pretty damn exciting. I felt...I don't know...powerful. Does that make any sense?"

"Sure, it does." He wasn't even sure why, but he did understand what she was talking about.

"I even felt proud that I wasn't holding back. That I let every kinky idea out and acted on it."

While she spoke, she concentrated on her lobster. She couldn't seem to look at him. Her reluctance to make eye contact intrigued him—he knew her well enough to know that it meant something was bothering her.

"Nik, I hope you don't mind my mentioning this, but it seems as if you might still have some shame about it. Normally, you speak very frankly but now, well, now you're not."

Her big, green eyes met his. "I like that you know me so well," she said, a sad grin on her face. "I can't get past this embarrassment. I enjoyed myself at the time—more than I even imagined I would—but as soon as it was over, I lapsed into this weird feeling of shame. And you know that's not something I don't normally do! I liked being a slut while I was one, but now that's behind me, I can't shake feeling cheap. Also there was a nagging behind it all even while I was doing it ...it just ...Ed it just didn't seem, well like me"

"But you know you're not really a slut," he replied quickly.

"I know that. I really do know that, especially now. Oh I liked being slutty well enough. But there was no emotion involved in what I did. No real intimacy. Primates do what I did. Animals without a conscience behave like I did. If I had to do it again, I'd do it differently."

Ed stopped himself from pointing out that she never had to do it again. Instead, he asked her what she meant.

"I would have done it with a single person. someone I had gotten to know and trust a little bit, maybe. Oh I think I still would have fulfilled your fantasy of me being a slut but I would have done it less like a cheap one night stand. Have a little romance be part of things, you know?"

Ed's appetite waned further. Romance? What the hell was she talking about now? "That's where our fantasies differ, sweetheart. The sluts of my imagination aren't into romance," he said, winking at her.

She made a face and tried to smile. He continued.

"I mean, I don't think I would have been comfortable with you getting romantically involved with someone before being a total slut with him. Don't forget that it took me a while to be okay with just the sex part."

The idea of a romantic attachment for Nikki outside the marriage didn't make him feel good in even the tiniest way. But she chuckled at his comment.

"Well, it's not like I would have got involved in anything serious," she pointed out. "I just didn't like feeling like a hooker!"

"Everything okay here?" the waiter asked, trying not to eye Nikki with suspicion after hearing her last remark.

"We're fine, thanks. We'll call you when we need you," Ed said sternly.

When the man disappeared, Nikki continued. "Maybe the best way to describe it would have been, it sounds so old fashioned" she said, giggling. "To have a fling"

Ed's digestion had apparently stopped—his lobster sat in his stomach like lead. "A fling? are you serious?"

She studied his face for a couple of seconds. Was she enjoying his discomfiture? "Well, yes. Sort of. If we had agreed and you didn't mind and I happened to meet someone, then maybe. But sweetie, I can see you do mind and always will, so I have no intention of even looking. I think we have lived our fantasy and it wasn't like we hoped.

I actually feel so lucky that it hasn't damaged the most important thing which is us, I'd worry about any fantasy coming to life after that."

He knew his relief showed on his face, but it didn't last long.

"Unless you really wouldn't mind. Because, you know, maybe we'd even let you watch once in a while!"

It took a second, but he finally realized she was teasing him, albeit with unwarranted cruelty. Nevertheless, both of them started laughing and he instantly forgave her. Anyway, it wasn't often that she was able to dupe him so effectively.

"Damn!" she said. "And I was doing so well there for a while!"

He reached across the table to take her hand. "Nikki, in all seriousness, just promise me that you'll always be honest with me."

"Of course I will. You promise me the same thing."

"I promise. After all that's happened, I think it's clear that we can share just about anything together, and that we should continue that way."

"I agree."

"Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes." She smiled at him and dipped her fingers into the small bowl of lemon water near her place setting. "Let's go dancing."

Things were hopping at the Mad Mongoose but it wasn't the typical kind of tourist action. The Mad Mongoose offered a relaxed environment but was full of locals who knew and liked each other. The music rang out and several couples were on the dance floor but the majority of patrons sat at tables and at the bar, telling stories and laughing at tales only they'd find amusing. It was a convivial atmosphere, and Ed and Nikki immediately liked the vibe. As usual, several of the men didn't turn away from Nikki as quickly as they might have with a plainer woman.

"I'm just going to visit the ladies' room for a second," Nikki told him as she slipped away. Ed ordered her a drink from the bar and watched the crowd. The dancers contented themselves with interpretive moves as opposed to the standard steps typically associated with disco music. The mood felt playful and cheerful, and if there were any flirting going on, it was of a much friendlier nature than that of the urban variety.

But several heads had turned to watch the action in one corner of the dance floor, so he followed their direction, fighting the premonition that slowly dawned on him. And sure enough, there was Nikki, shaking and shimmying with two dark and smiling natives, who were nearly bursting with delight over Nikki's proximity. When she saw Ed looking at her, she waved. And then her dance partners waved, too. Ed laughed. A few minutes later, she returned to him at the bar.

"You didn't think I was going to deny you the opportunity to watch me, did you?" she asked before throwing her arms around him. She downed her drink quickly and then suggested they walk along the beach. He readily agreed—as delightful as the bar was, he craved some quiet.

They walked silently for a few minutes, hand in hand, as the ocean waves gently lapped at the shore. Ed adored these moments with her, when everything felt right and just her presence soothed him more than he could ever describe.

But then she stopped walking and turned to look at him. In an uncharacteristically grave tone of voice, she spoke. "Well, since we've decided to be totally open and honest with each other about everything, I have something to tell you."

"Okay," he said cautiously.

"I'm sorry to tell you that I think my days of sluthood with hot, black guys—or any other guys actually are behind me. I think we're just going to have to deal with being stuck with each other." Her lovely eyes shone with a dash of mischief and moonlight. "That is, unless you change your mind and really want me to have a fling my way." she giggled.

He knew she was joking but there was something behind it and that familiar rock in his gut rumbled. "I think I'm glad your sluthood days are over darling" he exclaimed.

She smiled and raised a teasing eyebrow. "You sure I can't have a fling now and then?"

He took the bait and snapped "Are you really serious about wanting that?"

She laughed openly " Oh darling your so easy at times! No I don't think I want that at all I think we have done enough already. I don't think you would like it at all judging by how easy it is to tease you about it"

He relaxed a bit but then he just had to ask one more question. He tried to put it in a joking manner but his voice was strained "Well your right, but does that mean its totally off the agenda forever and I can totally stop rising to your taunts Mrs?"

He saw her dangerously close to a smile but then something passed over her face that stopped it. Good god, Ed thought. She's actually considering this crazy idea.

She wasn't acting. There was deliberation in those saucy green eyes as she paused before answering.

"Hmmm. Here's the weird thing. As long as we're being honest."

"Of course."

"If I happened to meet someone one day in the future and we talked about it and you were totally ok with it thens could be kind of nice. I'm not saying that I'm going to be looking, mind you, but knowing that I could feel free to talk to you something like that is..."

"Something you like?"

"I think so!" She said, seemingly surprised at herself. "Just as an option," she said.

"I don't know, Nikki. This is a lot for me to think about."

"Oh god. I'm not pushing you. Please don't think I'm pushing you for anything. I know you're not the type to accept that kind of arrangement and I really want you to know I'm fine with that. What I'm actually talking about is us being able to talk about it if it ever came up in a honest and open manner to avoid anything happening that could hurt us "

"You wouldn't like it if the tables were turned.And I met a girl some day"

New light flickered in her eyes. "No, you're right. I wouldn't." She bit her lip. "I wouldn't like it at all. I should have thought about that before I came up with my nutty idea. But if you did I would really want you to be able to talk to me about it"

He said nothing, sensing that she wasn't finished yet.

"Honestly, darling, something like what I talked about might be nice one day, but," she took both his hands and lowered her voice to a sexy whisper, "you would have to really, really, really want me to have that, too. And I don't think either one of us believes that is going to happen" She giggled, leaving Ed to wonder how much of this was an act designed to discombobulate him and how much was her way of introducing the notion for his consideration.