Cool Cruising

Nellie took the dishes down and cleaned up the galley and when she came back up Cliff placed her on watch and she decided to steer manually. Cliff went down below and booted up his computer and planned more legs of the cruise from downloaded options. They had some great places, world-renown places, to enter sheltered waters behind barrier reefs where the waters were clear, the marine life was prolific and the beaches were populated by birds and various other creatures and with adventurers much like themselves.

Cliff came back up with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Oooh."

He gawked. She was topless and they were two beauties.

"Stare if you must," she said haughtily.

"They are beauties."

"Oooh."

"You have moved your stuff into the master's cabin. I had offered you that option but you said no and took the single cabin. Am I now supposed to move out?"

"No. I have decided to sleep with you in, um, friendship. We can do that without sex can't we?"

"Of course."

"Well don't look so grumpy."

"I'm not, I reveling in the fact that you feel comfortable enough to walk out me showing your tits."

Nellie dropped her shorts and panties in the one movement.

"Now you can see all of me and I feel extremely comfortable because the male around me is you. I feel comfortable with you.

"Then you won't mind if I rush off and masturbate."

"God you are foul," she giggled. "Perhaps one day I'll ask you to demonstrate how far you can squirt when jacking off."

"Wine?" Cliff asked huskily. She said yes please and his hand shook as he poured.

He missed her big toothy smile as she caught the wobbly pour. She wasn't to know Cliff had faked that for her benefit.

Cliff took the drink to her and said looking into her eyes, "Nice tits."

Nellie tilted her head and closed her eyes and was kissed.

"God I'm so relaxed," she said, and offered, "I can even fall asleep having sex."

"How interesting," Cliff said, sitting back away from her and smoothing out his bulge and then removing his polo shirt.

At 2:30 he read the signs and said the wind that hadn't risen above a stiff breeze at its peak, was dying.

"I think we should give up, motor in to behind an inner reef and anchor."

"Aye, aye Captain."

He smiled and turned to starboard and began lowering the main while without being asked Nellie released the sheets and operated the mechanism to furl the foresail.

Nellie returned to stand beside him behind the wheel.

"You haven't attempted to touch me since I undressed?"

That sounded like an invitation or was it schoolteachers enjoy abstract concepts?

Cliff put an arm around her shoulders and rested his hand against the end of her top shoulder.

She snuggled in and said in simple approval, "That's lovely."

They chatted easily and Cliff checked the printout from his electronic charts of the nautical readings and landmarks in this area and lined up the bow of 'Bluewater Assessor' with the visual mark he'd chosen, a small gap between two groups of pines on a ridge.

"So your ex didn't get her hands on the yacht?"

"Nope because mom was smart enough to push me into getting a pre-nuptial signed and registered in which we both named respective assets we wished to have separated from marital property. The house came later so we had to split the sale of that so she did get something out of it as well as her vehicle I bought her after the marriage."

"It's tough when the crap hits the fan."

He grinned and squeezed her and said yeah.

"There's broken water not two far up ahead."

Cliff nodded.

"We appear to be in the gap in the reef but I'll go forward and keep an eye out for coral heads and rocks although I see by the reading we have plenty of water beneath."

As Nellie stepped away she had her bum smacked and squealed. Well hadn't she queried apprehensively about not being touched?

The came into the bay without mishap and anchored well off to ensure the deep keel remained clear of the bottom irrespective of tidal changes and swells.

When anchored, they looked to shore and saw the incredibly white stand and then looked over the guardrails into crystal clear water and saw nature at its best, with myriads of life forms including edible fish and, the sailors totally unconscious of each other's reaction, smacked their licked their lips.

"This is paradise," Cliff breathed.

"Oh yeah and little wonder those world-circling yachtsmen from places such as Le Havre, Cadiz, Naples, Gdynia, San Francisco, Montreal, St Petersburg, Aarthus and Buscan to name a few feel they've reached boating and beach paradise when they arrive here."

"Yeah and that was a mouthful from you. It will be island paradise providing they don't rip the bottom of the boat out on a reef," Cliff said. "But I hear what you are saying... imagine those guys being here swimming in the sea warmed to 24 degrees while their countrymen up north battle against snow and ice, sleet and messy thaw."

Cliff checked that the anchor was holding and everything that should be closed down was closed down and he then caught Nellie napping. Ripping off his shorts he called "Coming?" and went over the guardrail in a graceful swan dive and hearing Nellie yell "I saw you cock... wait for me" before his fingertips knifed through the surface of a fascinating and exotic marine world, albeit one where a few of its inhabits could harm the intruding human swimmer.

They frolicked in the water, rather like kids, both being very strong swimmers and Nellie unconcerned about being pulled underwater and not wailing 'Oh my hair'.

Twice she pulled Cliff's hand into her groin and once she went underwater and licked his half-erection but nothing eventuated. If Nellie was disappointed about the lack of sexual stimulation she didn't show it.

Eventually they climbed aboard and drying her face she looked at Cliff who was drying his hair she said, "Aren't you interested in sex?"

He stared at her and asked what had given her that idea?

"Well in the water you didn't attempt... you know."

"I'm going forward to launch the inflatable and then attached the outboard. I had this planned. While I'm doing that you get a rug, a bottle of wine, two glasses and some snacks. We'll then go ashore and fuck on the ever so soft sand."

"Oh god, I'm sorry I jumped the gun."

"It's fine. At least I know you're keen and of course you are free to hurry me along if that's how you feel."

Flashing him a dazzling smile, Nellie began humming and practically bounced down the steps into the saloon.

On the beach they fucked for the first time like animals. Nellie was practically screaming for it but even without that hot persuasion Cliff was aroused and knew where his pecker was anxious to be.

It was short, punishing and messy and lying back red-faced and panting, Nellie said, "Wow."

That acclaim satisfied them both perfectly.

They rested and she said, "So anal is out?"

"No I'm hadn't meant to give you that impression. I regard it as a possible option."

"Me too," she said sleepily. "I'm more concerned about who wants to do it to me rather than the size of his dick."

"Good thinking," he laughed. "I like it. You have an interesting way of expressing yourself. Bath in the warm sea to clean up. Our fluids on and in you will provide fish with protein. I'm off on a walk because I feel exhilarated."

"Because of me?"

"Yes entirely. You have set me free, driving away my resentment and restoring my manliness."

"Oooh. Please walk with me again later after I nap. Can you see auras around people?"

"Sometimes."

She smiled and left it at that and told him to have a drink and to kiss her before he left.

They sailed for a month and circling the main island Grand Terre and some offshore islands returned to Noumea where they stayed for three days before Nellie left for the airport to fly home and Cliff sailed back around the bottom of the island to head to Fiji.

"Thanks," she said simply and handed him another check for A$1000 to spend on provisioning.

He accepted the money without attempted refusal.

"And thanks for the sex but above all thanks for the sailing," Nellie said. "I'm now a new woman and the sex was the best it has ever been for me."

"You'd make a great lover Nellie."

She couldn't look at him but he could tell under her embarrassment she was hugely pleased. Cliff though being in such close contact with Nellie for a month, he probably knew her better than she knew herself. He could read her expressions and knew all her gestures, right to the tiniest movement. It didn't occur to him she now knew him exactly like that too.

They kissed.

Her blue eyes bored into his green eyes as she brushed back his unruly sun-bleached dark hair. "I'm not saying goodbye in the sense of terminal goodbye. I expect you to come to Sydney to see me."

"I'll have to settle back and work hard for some months. Yes I must."

"Then come and stay with me next Christmas."

"Okay that's a date. The bus driver is waiting impatiently for you."

"Christ I wish I were out sailing. Bye lover."

She kissed both her eyes and stepped aboard. The door closed with a hiss and Cliff waved sadly and was unable to see through the darkened windows of the coach.

God what an excellent month he'd had. That time had crawled beyond belief actually.

They kept in contact, calling each other every two to three weeks.

Nellie now taught environmental studies to junior classes at a high school and as they were finishing the call always said, "Remember our Christmas date" and he'd say "Confirmed".

But as Christmas approach Cliff had three options to consider:

•Being in Sydney with Nellie

•Acting as sailing skipper for a client who wished to sail from Auckland to Honolulu with his family from mid-December

•Manning the office because both his partners wished to take off six weeks from mid-December.

It was a no-brainer really. He agreed to work through summer. Nellie was devastated when he called with the news and ended the call abruptly. He didn't call her again and she didn't call him.

He'd been dating other women but it just hadn't worked. None of them fucked liked Nellie. And they really weren't up to scratch in other areas as well so it was a no-brainer and he didn't commit to any one of them. Cliff was shocked when he finally admitted what was in the back of his mind: it had to be Nellie if he were to settle on another woman. That was being ridiculous and he's probably unconsciously set her standards too high to avoid her being toppled by a promising competitor.

Ridiculous yes but there was a glimmer of hope. If he'd been unable to find a suitable replacement, had she? If she hadn't what would be her thoughts?

Cliff decided to do nothing till March when he'd email her and say he'd be in Sydney for three weeks at Easter and would like to see her.

* * *

Nellie arrived home sporting a beautiful tan and looking extremely fit and happy. Her parents were delighted.

They appeared calm and she saw them actually touch a couple of times within the first hour of being back with them. Oh that was so good. She couldn't believe it when she was at a restaurant with her father some days later when her mother had gone to stay with her mother in the Blue Mountains for a night, and he said her mother was now enjoying anal sex.

Nellie wasn't sure she should have been told that but now that she had been told she asked, "So you two have reformed your relationship?"

"Oh good question. Yes with give and take on both sides."

"With mum making the biggest concession by agreeing to take it up the butt."

Her father looked embarrassed but then smiled and said a good question. "That could be correct but I see the biggest concession was me continuing to pay all her bills but trebling her monthly allowance so that she could feel she was financially independent."

"So you are effectively paying for sex and affection?"

"Nope I don't see it that way at all," Bruce said. "I didn't want Joyce to work so that she could raise a family as well as being available to accompany me whenever I travel, and that's fairly frequently. Now she has money to go off by herself to visit friends or do anything she wishes to do without replying on my approval. What she has gained is her freedom, a real feeling of independence."

"God I have acquired very modern parents," Nellie giggled. "I approve of this radical change. I guess you feel this reformation allows you to play around."

"No," her father said smiling. "I've always played around."

Nellie was too embarrassed to keep looking at him. God what a tough bastard her father was.

She'd cried for two hours, unknown to her parents, when Cliff had called to shatter his Christmas dream. She'd had this notion he'd arrive and within a couple of days would have proposed. Well not to be. She'd cut the call abruptly.

Nellie had expected him to call back but he didn't and she waited and then felt embarrassed about calling him. Then a new guy living opposite invited her out and she accepted and within a week were screwing like crazy but after a while she realized it was only a release of passion each time they did it and nothing else came from it apart from big smiles and some accolades. She didn't get the feeling of being loved she always felt when being fucked by... well there was no need to go down that blind alley. She dumped the guy after a couple of months and guys seemed to know she needed it because they appeared and hit on her in sufficient numbers so she always had at least one date going.

When she was lunching with her father, the adulterer whom she couldn't stop loving as her dad, she finally told him about the termination with Cliff.

She'd expected him to be sympathetic but he wasn't also he did say a couple of comforting things but then spoilt that by saying brutally that he'd find someone else and she'd find someone and both of them would no longer think so intently about being connected passionately.

Oh yeah, but she would. She wondered what her mother's thoughts were when being anally penetrated by her husband. They might not be very pretty. God why were relationships often such a fuck-up?

She decided to wait and no nothing about it, thinking something would happen eventually.

Two days before Christmas Nellie received a courier package. She opened it and found an engagement ring.

She couldn't believe it and searched and searched for a message. She called the courier company and the customer services manager checked and said the package had originated in New Zealand but the sender had requested his identity not be released.

Cliff!

It was a little too tight.

She took it to a jeweler and when she returned to collect it she asked for a valuation and was told her replacement would cost approximately $3750.

Two days after she began wearing it her mother said, "That's an engagement ring."

"Yes."

"Well?"

"Oh come on Nellie, stop playing games."

"It came to me anonymously."

"Oh really? Let me look at it."

"God this is a $2000 ring. Did it come from that guy in Auckland you sailed with?"

"I expect it did."

"Then phone him to confirm."

"No I'm waiting for him to contact me."

"When will that be?"

"I have no idea."

Joyce shouted in frustrated, "I can't believe how stupid you are over this. Call him."

"No."

Her mom gritted, "What if he doesn't call you?"

"Then I'll have a beautiful ring but no engagement."

"God I'm off to have a drink."

"Have two mum, you need to calm down."

The bedroom door slammed.

Running a shallow bath, she shaved her legs, armpits and vulva and then rested back after draining the bath and began a warm water and hopefully hairless refill. She examined the ring and tried to remember details from the valuation certificate. It has 10 found side stones individually clawed into the platinum setting with a round 1.21 carat round center diamond, um ideal cut and really high clarity, S12 she thought.

Looking at the ring made Nellie thing she should go and fetch her waterproof vibrator but she felt a little lazy. She reached down and thought that was good but could be better. She twisted the ring on her finger and tried again and moaned as she every so gently rubbed her clit and it felt s-o-o-o good. She was almost asleep and with the running water quite high enough when she ejaculated and that brought her out of her state of half-dreaming, imaging the head of Cliff's cock was massaging her as he held gently worked his erection up and down over her outer pussy lips.

She signed and felt very content, reaffirming she had to wait patiently and it would happen.

* * *

Across the Tasman Sea in Auckland, New Zealand, the equally frustrated Cliff Cross was also caught in sexual and emotional limbo. His passion dulled from missing close contact with Nellie, and like her he had only himself to love but like her that wasn't enough. They both knew whom they wanted to hold, cherish and love.

Was that such a big ask?

CHAPTER 2

It happened quite unexpectedly for Cliff. He'd arrived at a dinner party at the home of the Commodore of the Royal Mt Eden Yacht Club unaccompanied and the thoughtful hostess had thoughtfully seated 'the dashing bachelor Mr Cross' beside Melanie, her adult daughter from her first marriage.

Initially Melanie probably saw nothing dashing about Cliff Cross, who looked bored to his back teeth and his suit was in need of dry-cleaning. But when he asked what did she do for a crust (what was her occupation) she replied ski instruction down in the South Island at Queenstown, he appeared to come alive.

"I adore skiing and have a week in Colorado every winter."

She asked where and named a couple of resorts.

"Yeah I've been to them. Dad and mom began taking my older sister and me to Colorado when I was nine. But these days I settle for the occasional change to Jackson Hole, Wyoming or to Vail in Colorado where I know quite a few people or I take a 6-day heli-ski package at Silverton that seems so un-American and delivers my liking for skiing fresh power."

"Silverton? Then you can really ski?"

"I think so but then are all tend to get big-headed about what we do well, don't we?"

Melanie turned to talk to him more intimately. Their knees touched and she may have meant to pull away but somehow that just didn't happen.

Much to her mother's delight, Melanie went home with Cliff that night.

Melanie went down on Cliff as he drove home in his black SUV and inside the apartment overlooking the marina they left a trail of clothes. She was strong and had endurance and obviously loved sex. She had a big pussy and small tits whereas in respect of size Cliff would have preferred had the 25-year old had those sizes reversed but really he had no complaints. Melanie was so good at it and that told him she probably only skied and fucked. The downside was she lived and worked six months in New Zealand, more than 600 miles from where he lived and worked and then for the other six months she lived and worked in the Northern Hemisphere ski season, usually in North America.

Yeah it was a downside but at least he could fly down to Queenstown every weekend more or less for six months each year to be with her. The expense would be worth it, expensive sex but worth it.

However, the bubble about some sort of permanent liaison with Melanie exploded next morning when she brought him awake feasting on his morning erection.

He loved it.

When they both lay back, sated, she said brightly, "What should we do today between bouts of sex?"

Cliff eyed the drying semen on her chest and didn't have to think, "Let's go sailing."

"Christ no, I get seasick when I step on to a jetty."

After that day their brief liaison was over.

During the lunch break a couple of days later the frustrated Cliff fucked the office manager over his desk and Mrs Adams was delighted because usually Cliff showed no interest in her. Well he was the younger partner by far.