And He Called It Research

"I didn't know him."

"Damn. Okay so you met him and you worked with him for a few days and then he moved into my house with you, or were the people that told me all wrong?"

She walked away from him and sat at the kitchen table before she admitted, "No they weren't wrong."

"First of all, one of the very few rules that you and I had was never more than just a fling. No ties and no lasting involvement. Does that sound familiar to you?"

"I know."

"Also that we were to never ever keep secrets from each other, how about that one?"

"Mac, I really screwed up and I know that."

"I don't think that even now you realize on how many levels you did screw up. How many people you have hurt and disappointed. You were sleeping with the enemy for Christ's sake, and make no mistake, sleeping with Nat was just that. You were charged with watching him and everything else to keep them honest. How the hell could you do your job that you were being paid very well to do, and have him in our bed? Our bed Didi, not your bed. You're not even defending yourself or saying anything."

"What can I say? I ruined my career, I've ruined our marriage, I'm banished from the island that I love so much and I'm living in this small apartment in town."

"Do you have any idea just how forgiving and generous Melvin has been to you? He even says that you have a chance to prove to him that you can be trustworthy. I have to say that I would not be that forgiving if I was in his shoes."

"Your sounding so righteous, but you were up there with Liz and..."

"And working. Didi, we did not live together. We did not make love either. I freely admit to kissing her a few times, but that's it, so if you're justifying what you did by assuming that I had a live in love, then there's another place where you went wrong. Oh wait, Melvin sent Kate up and she spent the night with me and we did make love. But that just happened and believe it or not, I would have told you all about that."

"Mac, I can't answer your questions because I don't know the answers myself. I can't go back and change anything even as much as I'd like to do just that."

Mac lowered his voice and said, "Well tell me that he was good in bed or that he had an impressive dick. Tell me that he knew just exactly how I touched you that you liked so much. Tell me about Nat."

"Mac..."

"Then I'll assume he had a cock as big as Earl's and he was tireless in his lovemaking. I'll assume that he said he'd get a divorce and marry you even if he wasn't telling the truth. Help me put the blame on him Didi."

"Okay, he was very good in bed, but so are you."

"Well at least I know that much about him now, what else?"

"I honestly don't know. It just happened."

"Maybe you thought that I would run off with Liz and I'd never come home to you, could that be it?"

"No."

"Okay, I give up. Didi you must know that I'm not about to move in here with you. You must know that it would be a very long time before I could even think of trusting you again. We had the perfect life and we trusted each other totally. Both of us were on the fast track to success, and Melvin was taking us in like we were family, and now all of that is dead and gone. Thankfully he still has some respect for me, and I can only hope that he doesn't hold me partially responsible in some way for your meltdown."

"What will you do Mac?"

"I'm going home and get some rest. I'm going to show Liz the island and maybe take one walk on the beach before we fly back to the states. Oh, and Liz is married and happily so as far as I can tell. I'll be at Serene Gardens for a while yet and then I'll come home and do whatever Melvin has in mind for me to do. With you still working for him, we may even cross paths once in awhile."

"So our marriage is over?"

"Right now I'll only say probably because I need more time to recover and heal from this disaster before I make any final decisions about us." Mac moved to the door, and with his hand on the knob, he said, "Let me know if there is anything of yours at the house that you want or need and I'll see that you get it."

"When Melvin evicted me I had two dockhands help me box up and move."

"Oh, and Cletus asked me to forward a message to you. None of them hold bad feelings for you and they all wish you the best." That's when she started to cry, and that's when Mac let himself out and he headed back to the dock.

Chapter Seventy Six

When Mac got home Liz wasn't there, so he drove down to the beach and started to walk east, because for some reason that seemed to him the direction she would take. He didn't walk fast , but he kept a steady pace until he saw her well ahead of him. She was walking very slowly and watching her feet as she kicked at the sand, and she seemed lost in thought. He picked his steps and silently moved up close to her before he said, "Mind if I walk with you beautiful lady?"

She twisted around and smiled and walked into his arms. "How are you doing Mac? How can I help you?"

"I'm okay Liz. I had time to think while I drove and then all the way back on the ferry. Forgive me if I'm not in a playful mood, but I'm okay. Care to walk a little farther while I tag along?"

"I'd love it."

"Why aren't you naked? In a couple of days we'll be back in a sea of population again."

"It just didn't seem important to me with you not here."

He stopped and reached for the tie on her halter and she stopped him saying, "Mac, do you think this is a good idea?"

"I think it's a terrible idea, but I'm doing it anyway. It may be a long time before we can be here again, and even then we may have resort guests in our way while we're trying to be alone."

"That's true, this might be the last time this beach is ever deserted."

"That's right," and he untied her top and pulled it away. Holding that in his hand then he unfastened her shorts and slid them down until she could kick them away and he tossed her top over to join her shorts. He smiled up at her as he knelt down and slowly slipped her panties down. She kicked them aside and then he quickly stripped to his briefs and she smiled.

"Wait, I do this part," and she knelt down and slid his underwear down, and he stepped out of them before she again kissed his cock before she got up. Holding his brightly colored briefs in her hand she said, "I'm keeping these because that was the first time I saw you naked."

"Okay, then I keep these for the same reason," and he picked up her panties and held them in his hand. "But I have to do one more thing," and he knelt down and quickly kissed her mound twice before he stood up saying, "There, now we're even and I have another reason to keep your panties."

"Mac, I hope you realize that we're breaking one of the same rules that Didi broke. Melvin would stroke if he knew that we were naked together now, because I work for you."

"I know and I have no defense to offer, but I'm not putting anything on."

"But we're going to have to go home and work together like none of this has ever happened."

"I'll work like that, but I'll never forget tonight no matter what you say."

"I wont either Mac. Let's walk okay?" Liz waited until they had gone a little distance in silence before she asked him, "Want to talk about it or would you rather I leave you alone?"

"Don't leave me alone, and there isn't a lot to say. We talked...correction, I talked, but she already knew that I wouldn't be back. She offered no explanation for her actions. No defense like, he just overwhelmed me or whatever. Nothing but, I just don't know. Had she been willing to put forth about anything I was ready to listen. I wanted to hear her say something so that I could at least forgive her or understand just a little of what happened. I'm sure she could have told me quite a bit, but maybe it's just as well that she didn't. Maybe I don't really want to know details."

"Did you tell her you would be filing for divorce or have you decided against that?"

"I haven't decided against that at all, but I didn't say I'd file either and I don't know why I didn't."

"I know why, because you still love her. You might never be able to forgive and forget, but you'll love her the way she was before Nat."

"I sometimes wonder if I even have any concept of what love is."

"I wonder how many adults, no matter their age or marital status, have times like that."

"Do you?"

"I have yes."

"But not now."

"No, now I think I know what it's like to fall in love and be in love."

"I envy you."

She smiled at him and said, "You'll know one day. It will just be there. Probably not a bolt of lightening though. Maybe you'll be one of those where it sneaks up on you. One day you'll say to yourself, damn I love her so, and you'll wonder where that came from. Okay since we aren't lovers can I ask you if you and Kate have a thing going?"

"I don't know. There again, I'm afraid to ask myself questions like, do I really care for Kate? She's a great woman. She's sexy and attractive and full of life and...well hell you're all of those things too, so that doesn't help me."

She slipped her arm through his and said, "Do you really see me as sexy and alive?"

"Of course I do. You're first day to work for me you almost melted me. Then the other night at dinner with Kate and you wore that very hot outfit."

"I hoped you would approve of that."

"I can only hope you wear that for me again some day."

"If you'd like me to, of course I will. Should I wear panties the next time?"

"You mean you weren't wearing..."

She smiled and said, "No and I was going to whisper that to you to tease you, but Kate stayed too close to us, and then disaster struck and none of that mattered anymore."

They were jumping from subject to subject as their minds were allowed to wander. "Cecelia certainly has an impressive chest."

"Doesn't she though. Large and firm looking. Oh yes, I'm sure she turns heads."

"She doesn't seem shy about showing them either."

"Fortunately for men like me, that's right."

"She should be up there with us when we have our grand opening."

"Oh Liz, you're good honey."

"I do have my moments. Sex does sell you know."

"Sex can start wars and conquer nations."

They turned around and then Mac asked her, "How much of this will you tell Darren?"

"All of it. Well not about Didi because that's personal and he doesn't need to know that part."

"And will you tell him that you kissed my manhood and I kissed your sweet mound?"

"I'll have to think about that part, but I probably will. I'll wait until we're in bed and getting involved."

"Timing can be everything."

"That's so right."

"So are Allie and Martin getting excited about their new home?'

"They're worse than Darren and me. We just have to have dinner with them when we get back. After all, we're all going to be neighbors, and I keep talking to her about you."

"And you still think they'd go out in public with me?"

She bumped his hip with hers and said, "You know they would."

"Would she let me put my hand on her hip like I'm doing with you?"

"Probably not while she's naked."

"Well what kind of neighbor will she be then?"

"I guess we'll have time to find out. And will you let her put her hand on your hip like I have mine right now?"

"Of course, and while I'm naked."

"I can only hope that I'm there to see that if it ever happens." They were almost back to the house when Liz asked Mac, "Did you and Kate make love?"

He smiled and asked her, "Now why would you even want to know that?"

"Just curious. She does seem to have a thing going for you."

"Okay nosey, yes we made love soon after she arrived."

"Well that doesn't surprise me at all."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're used to being with a woman on a pretty regular basis. More so than most married men even, and then you're shipped up there and just like that, you aren't making love to anybody. So enter long legged and sexy Kate and...well and so you two made love."

"You're right. But we'd made love before too, on the beach."

"So tomorrow we meet with Melvin and then day after tomorrow we fly home."

"That's right, so we can explore or walk in the morning tomorrow and again after the meeting, and then that's it except for an early morning walk before we leave if that's what we want to do, but right now I'm ready to go in and get some sleep."

"And you're determined that we sleep together."

"Yes. I mean why not? We've been walking together naked right?"

"Yes, but that isn't quite the same. You know, had Didi walked naked with that Nat like you and I just walked the beach, she wouldn't be banned and you two would still be together."

"Showed a little self control you mean."

"That's right."

"They could have made love many times and nobody would have even known probably, but she shouldn't have had him move in with her. That's where things went south for them."

"I guess that's true."

"Right, because even the chef knew what was going on, because he was feeding both of them every meal and every day."

"Right, that really wasn't very smart of them."

"Now that I say that, I better introduce you to Mark tomorrow so he'll know we aren't hiding anything and that Melvin is aware."

"Good idea, be proactive."

"There you go."

Back at Mac's, they washed up and Mac put his hands on her naked butt and pushed her toward the bed. As soon as they were lying down she turned to him and he caressed the side of her face as he said, "I know that you think I'm nuts and that I'm just going to drive myself crazy by having us in bed together. I just want you to know that you are absolutely right. I am crazy for wanting you here with me and I do want you so very much. But I also know that you are happily married and that you're doing this for me despite the fact that Darren wouldn't approve. I can't explain why I need you here with me, but I do."

She tried to keep the moment light, but her voice was soft and she gazed into his eyes like only a caring woman can and said, "I was beginning to think that you didn't find me at all appealing or desirable."

He moved closer to her and the kiss they shared was far more than they had enjoyed while working together. "Honey, I want you so damn much, and believe me, I wanted you well before this mess." She knew what he was going to do an instant before she felt his hand on her breast. She put her hand over his to stop him, but she pressed his hand into her and closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. She didn't want him to take his hand away, but that had to happen before she lost what little control she was holding onto.

"Oh Mac, I want you too, but you're right, we just can't. There is no way I can tell Darren everything that we've shared, or what I feel when you touch me. I don't even know how we're going to go home and pretend that we haven't kissed or that you haven't had your hands on me. I have to pretend that we didn't walk the beach together while we were naked or that you kissed my...me between the legs. I can never get those things out of my mind, but I have to find a way to put them aside so we can...well at least so I can get any work done. I say all of that, but there is one more thing that I want that I can't tell Darren about." She moved down and pushed him to his back as she took his hard cock in her hand. A moment later she slipped her mouth over him and bathed him as far down his shaft as she could manage and she was jacking him off as she tasted and teased his cock with her lips and tongue as her hand kept a steady pace up and down his shaft.

"Oh damn Liz honey, be careful because..." but she knew exactly what was going to happen and he wouldn't last long.

"Give it to me honey. I want to taste you," and she again slid her mouth down onto him as her hand continued to bring him closer. He erupted a minute later and she had to swallow fast to keep up with his donation. She stayed with his cock until it started to go soft, and she bathed it with her tongue before she moved back up and lay close to him. He put his arms around her and pressed her into him as he whispered, "Thank you honey." Then his hand went between her legs as he said, "I want to please you too baby."

She quickly put her hand over his and said, "Oh god don't Mac. I'm okay, I really am, but if you do...I want you too much baby and once you start I'm going to go crazy. Just let me put my back to you and put your arms around me. Let's fall asleep like that so I can wake in the morning with you close to me."

Chapter Seventy Seven

Liz was awake and lying on her side as Mac stirred. He opened his eyes and rubbed them as she told him, "Morning Mac."

He stretched and then turned toward her and put his hand on her side. "Morning beautiful."

"Beautiful I'm not, right now. Did you sleep okay?"

"Thanks to being under your fantastic care I slept soundly. How did you do?"

"I woke a couple of times and it was almost funny because I was a little disoriented. One time I'm not sure that I was even awake because I thought you were Darren and I was mad at you for some reason. But then I realized it was you and I settled down and put my arm across your belly."

"I'm glad you weren't armed right then."

"I'm glad you stopped when you did last night because my resistance to your charms was gone."

"Now you tell me. Okay seriously, are you worried or bothered by what you did for me last night?"

"Worried? Not at all. Bothered? That depends on how you mean that, because you bothered me a whole lot, but if you're referring to guilt, I'm doing just fine."

They showered and dressed and went to breakfast where Mac made the introduction saying, "Liz, this is Little Huey, Mark's number one man."

"Nice to meet you, but do you have a name you'd rather I know you by?"

He smiled and said, :"Little Huey is fine miss, but thank you for asking. Mark is in town and I'm to tell you that he'll catch up with you at Melvin's because they're talking about the final preparations for the Bistro, and the Cabaña."

"So those will be the dining choices for the guests."

"For this side of the island it will be, but Tropic treat will have their own dining area. They haven't settled on a name for it though."

"Sounds like you'll keep busy."

"We will, but I'm going to like it a lot better. We'll have different menus for each one of them and that means that Mark and I can get more creative and have some fun. You know, do some of the unique things that we've trained for over the years."

"Sounds great."

Next Mac drove her to the cottages at the Corals, but they looked nothing like the ones that were there before he went to the states. "Liz, these are great, and so much better than what was here." They walked around and found them unlocked so they explored different ones before he said, "We have to get a photographer out here and do some shots for brochures and general advertising."

"And the sooner the better. We can talk to Melvin about that later."

"Want to go see the beach again?"

"If we do, we can't be naked again. Mac, I loved yesterday. The long walk together and being naked with you. I loved holding you and your kisses. And honey, let me tell you right now that I loved feeling your hands on me and your cock in my mouth."

"There's a but coming."

"We really crossed the line and we both know it. I'm not sorry about anything we did, but if we don't stop right now, there will be no stopping us. At least there will be no stopping me. I'd be devastated if for any reason we couldn't work and be together when we go back north, and I'd be crushed if Melvin knew and disapproved of what we've done."

"Like you say, I know you're right, and I knew that yesterday, but I just couldn't stand the thought of us going back to the U.S. and not enjoy that beach walk together. I'm still screwed up with thoughts of Didi and all of that. Just because I can smile and not talk about her doesn't mean that's over and done with."