Cruising

By the way Scott engaged her in conversation and traded flirtatious looks, convinced Kim that he wanted to get to know her better. Of course, the attraction was mutual, something he had to know, she thought. They talked through the salad and shrimp cocktail, and then into the surf and turf meal, washed down with iced tea and Zinfandel. Kim's intuition was right; Scott had his own stateroom, he revealed. Kim revealed that she and Patrick shared a room. Scott's raised eyebrows clued her in that he might have thought that dad and daughter sharing a room was weird. "Of course, we sleep in separate beds," Kim said.

Angela Thatcher reacted with a nervous chuckle. "Well, I wouldn't think otherwise."

Kim traded pregnant looks with Patrick. Then Patrick said, "We give each other plenty of space."

'Except when he gives me plenty of cock,' Kim thought to say. She placed a hand over her mouth, stifling the urge to laugh. She could just imagine how the table would react to that little revelation.

Kim always had this fantasy of meeting a guy on vacation, perhaps on a cruise. Now that she did, she wasn't sure where or how to go with it. And would her dad mind if she went off somewhere with him? Scott's parents had each other for company, while her dad would be alone, at least during the time she was with Scott. 'I'm getting ahead of myself,' she thought. Scott appeared interested, but maybe he was just being polite. Should she make the first move, ask him if he wanted to do something after dinner, just the two of them?

Toward meal's end, Kim's guessing game was over. Scott, after finishing his key lime mousse and taking a couple sips of coffee, said, "Kim, it's been great chatting with you. Maybe we can do something later. Like take a stroll around the deck to walk off these calories."

Kim's pulse picked up a couple beats. She looked at Patrick as if to ask permission. He nodded in the affirmative. Then she said, "Yes, I'd like that."

When they stood up to leave the dining room, Kim had no doubt that this guy was over six feet. On their way outside, she said, "You're at least six-two, I bet."

"Good guess. Right on the nose," he said.

"My dad's about five-ten, and you're at least a few inches taller than him."

Once on deck, Kim realized she should have brought along a sweater or jacket. She shivered in the night breeze. Patrick, who carried a sportscoat over his arm, noticed. "Here, put this on."

"Won't you be cold?"

"Nah. These long sleeves will keep me warm."

"Thanks so much," she said, as he draped his coat over her shoulders.

"Better?"

"Much better. You're a true gentleman."

She closed the coat around her and walked beside him, momentarily into her thoughts. This handsome, true gentleman, she surmised, wouldn't think her much of a lady if he ever found out what she and her dad were doing. Not that he'd ever know. Dropping the thought from her mind, she said, "So, Scott, this is my first cruise. How about you?"

"Yep, mine too," he said. "My parents have been on a few of them. So, when I graduated and, I guess like your dad, they took me along." After a brief pause, he said, "Kim, not to get too personal, but is your mom still around?"

"Not too personal at all. Yes, she's still around, but my parents are divorced."

He nodded. "You live with your dad?"

"Um, yeah, I do," she said, feeling a nervous chill shoot down her back. "We've always been closer than mom and me."

"Daddy's girl, huh?" He looked at her and grinned.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I mean, mom and I are cool. It's just that I've always been closer to him." 'If only you knew how close,' she thought. She needed to change the subject. "So, it must be nice having a state room all to yourself."

"Yeah. My parents and I are cool, too, but not that cool that I'd feel comfortable sharing a stateroom with them. Dad joked that if I met a girl, I had the privacy to 'entertain' her. Entertain is the word he used."

Was that a not-so-subtle clue of where he planned to take her? If so, he'd be disappointed. Sure, he was hot, but she hardly knew him. "So what's your idea of entertainment?"

"A few things. Going to rock concerts, watching football and movies, reading occasionally. I'm not a big reader but if I find a good book, I can stick with it. You?"

She told him she was also a football fan, liked rock music and reading romance novels. "Not the Harlequin stuff," she clarified, "but Nicholas Sparks books. Ever read The Notebook?" He shook his head. "Great stuff."

He stopped and faced her, just a foot from the deck railing. He said, "Kim, speaking of romance, did you have any expectations of finding it on this cruise? Because, I'll be honest, I did. There seems to be mostly couples here, but I figured I might find a girl who was single."

She looked into his enchanting blue eyes. "You did? Well, it looks like you found her. But, to answer your question, no, I didn't have any expectations of finding romance on this cruise. I'm with my dad...and, well, I'll leave it at that."

He put his hands around her arms, still draped under his sportscoat. "Mind if I kiss you? You're so pretty. And you seem so sweet besides."

She still wasn't sure about this guy. For all she knew, this was a lead-in to that form of entertainment his dad Geoff had joked about. He appeared so confident, so self-assured. Maybe one of those charming guys who thinks he can get into a girl's pants just by showing up. Yet, what an ideal setting for romance, sailing at night across the sea, the breeze blowing through her hair in front of a hot-looking guy who wanted to kiss her, one she felt strongly attracted too. She could at least trust him until or unless he gave her reason not to. A cautious kind of trust, in other words. "Mind? Please do," she said. She then slipped on his coat. "Much too big for me, I know, but I wanted to free my arms."

She liked the way he kissed and hugged her, not in a ravenous or hurried way but soft and warm, affectionate. And she liked it even more when he said, "I hope we can hang out together when we get to the islands. No pressure. I know you're with your dad, and--"

"Scott, I'd like that. Now, kiss me again."

He did and then they exchanged phone numbers. They'd be able to talk because Patrick and his parents had paid extra for Cellular at Sea.

When she returned to her room, Patrick was lying on his bed, fully clothed with his shoes off, watching TV. "Well, did you have a good time? Nice guy, I hope."

Kim kicked her strapped tan and white shoes off and sat on the edge of her bed. "He is a nice guy. My first impression, anyway. He said something about hanging out together when we get to the islands."

She watched Patrick's reaction, which wasn't much of a reaction except a slight nod. "Dad, I'm here with you and I don't plan to have this guy monopolize all my time."

He sat up, then swung around to the edge of his bed. "You like him?"

"Yes, so far."

"Did he try anything? I mean, well, you know."

"I thought he might. But he was a true gentleman. Lent me his coat to keep me warm. I did let him kiss me. He told me I was pretty."

Patrick folded his arms against his chest. "Well, he's got excellent taste. You are pretty. Kimmy, if you like this Scott, spend as much time with him as you want. Don't worry about me. It makes me happy seeing you happy."

"Thanks, dad, but it wouldn't make me happy knowing you're all by yourself for the duration of this trip."

He shrugged. "Look, maybe I'll meet someone, too. Or maybe we'll all get friendly and explore the islands together. You and Scott, me and his parents. For at least some of the time."

"Maybe. But whatever happens with Scott, I'm looking forward to more of what we did earlier. Speaking of which..." She stood up, stepped toward him and lifted her dress to the top of her full white thighs. "The night's still young and I'm horny. Can you pleasure me?"

He drew a comically suspicious look. "Hmm...I wonder if this has anything to do with Scott."

"No way. Yes, I find him attractive but I'm not sure I fully trust him. I was too guarded to let myself go into that kind of mode." She spread her legs a bit wider, lifted her dress higher. "So, is it a go?"

He brushed aside the crotch of her light-blue panties and put his tongue where he knew she loved it to be. She rolled her head back and started to moan. And then he said, "You betcha."

*****

Kim awoke the next day around eight. Her dad, she knew, was in the fitness room for an early workout. The man couldn't stand to miss a workout, no matter where he was. She expected him back any minute. They planned to have breakfast together. Maybe Scott would be in the dining room also. If not, she hoped to spend part of the day with him. Should she call him or wait until he called her? Did it really matter? No, not really, she decided. Per what she had told Scott, she had no expectations of finding a "love boat" sort of romance.

As for her horniness last night, maybe Scott did have something to do with it. Even so, it took a backseat to her attraction to Patrick. He fucked her a few ways to Sunday--back, front and sideways, including from a sitting position on the desk chair. He loved it when she hiked her dress up around her waist and then straddled his lap. "So sexy," he said when she bounced up and down on his cock. If things progressed with Scott to where they became intimate, she wondered how that might affect her taboo sex life.

Aware that the scent of sex still lingered, she got up to shower. She could wear her dad's masculine scent all day but figured that no one save her dad would appreciate it. As the water poured over her, she thought of what she might do before they reached the islands tomorrow. She wanted to get to the fitness room herself. If not doing the treadmill there, laps around the jogging track were a must. Lounging around the pool was also on her agenda. Shuffleboard? She laughed. She knew that food was a big reason why people looked forward to these cruises. It was everywhere and there was lots of it. She had to watch it or else she'd have to nearly starve herself to drop the added pounds when she returned home.

Out of the shower, she dried her hair and was stepping into a pair of white slacks when Patrick entered the room wearing shorts, T-shirt and sneakers. "Have a good workout?"

"I did," he said, tossing his gym bag on his bed. "And guess who I saw?"

"Don't tell me. Scott?"

He nodded. "Strong boy. I saw him hoist a pair of seventy-pound dumbbells and do ten reps of seated presses."

"Did he ask about me?"

"He told me what a sweet daughter I had."

She buttoned her slacks, then grabbed a bra from her dresser drawer. "Did he say anything about calling me or getting together today?"

"No, but my feeling is he will. I mean, why wouldn't he?"

Kim shrugged, then snapped her bra into place. "I don't know. Men can be so fickle about what they want." She could see him grinning. "Okay, women can be also. I shouldn't judge a guy I barely know."

She was primping her hair when her phone went off. Patrick looked at her, smiled and nodded. "Gotta be your boyfriend," he said.

It WAS her "boyfriend." Scott wanted to know if she'd had breakfast yet. "No, she said, "but we will be in the dining room after my dad showers. He told me about seeing you in the fitness room."

"Yeah, we traded sets of dumbbell presses. But look, I was hoping we could eat alone, just the two of us. Is that okay?"

"Ah, hold on." She put her cell down, then whispered, "Dad, he wants it to be a twosome, just me and him."

Nodding, Patrick said, "No problem. I can understand why he wants to be alone with you. Go ahead, I'll be fine."

Kim didn't think that Patrick was totally okay with it. Still, she said yes. "I'll meet you there in about fifteen minutes."

She felt conflicted. This vacation was to be just a father-daughter thing. They hadn't even reached the islands and already, three was a crowd.

Patrick could read her mind. He hugged her and said, "Kimmy, don't worry about me. We'll have our time together. What happened last night won't be our last time on this boat."

She looked up at him. "Last night was wonderful. I sure hope it won't be our last time."

"It won't be. Now go have fun."

*****

Patrick met Kim at the dining room entrance. Then they walked up to the second level which contained smaller tables for couples. Kim wore her white pants, a blue blouse and sandals. Scott had on blue shorts and a sleeveless white "muscle shirt."

Staring at his thick delts, she said, "My dad was impressed with those heavy dumbbells you lifted."

"Well, your dad's in pretty good shape himself for a middle-aged guy. He told me he's a racquetball player."

"He is. He's pretty good, too. Good enough to have won trophies in tournaments. So where are your parents?"

"Taking a stroll around the deck. They like to eat later, around brunch time."

After a pause to peruse their menus, Scott said, "So I hope I didn't come on too strong last night. I mean, we had just met."

Kim pursed her lips and smiled. "No, not at all. If you recall, I'm the one who requested another kiss."

He nodded. "And I'm glad you did. That second kiss was all I could think about when I returned to my room. Did you and your dad do something together later?"

She felt that familiar chill shoot down her spine again. "Do something, like what?" she asked defensively.

"Oh, I don't know. Take in a movie. Hang out at the piano bar. Am I getting too personal?"

She needed to change her tone in a hurry. "No, nothing but watch TV. And I thought a lot about you also, Scott. You're a superb kisser."

Just then, a waiter came to take their order. Both ordered hot cereal, fruit and juice. The conversation flowed easy enough. They talked more about their home life. Scott's dad did something with the federal government, something too secretive for Geoff to talk much about. His mom taught middle school in the Wilmington area. Scott wandered into personal territory again by asking if Kim had a boyfriend. "Not at the moment," she said, and then asked Scott about HIS love life.

"Donna and I broke up a few weeks ago," he revealed "Believe it or not, you're the first girl I've kissed since."

"Bad breakup?"

"Well, no breakup is good, I suppose. Someone always gets hurt. We both did, even knowing it was for the best."

Kim wanted to know what was "best" about it but thought it BEST not to probe. Was he on the rebound? No, she wouldn't ask that either.

The conversation segued into what they might do today. Scott said he'd like to join Kim on the jogging track. He needed more aerobics in his fitness regimen, he said. The pool also sounded like a good idea. His parents planned to hit the pool also. So far, they couldn't complain about the weather. They decided to let their food settle, then meet on the jogging track in a couple hours.

When they got up to leave, she saw Patrick enter the dining room. They went to the first level to greet him. She thought he looked so sexy in his jeans and pull-over, his dark hair slicked back, still damp from his shower. When Scott left, she kept Patrick company on the more private upper level. Kim let him in on her itinerary. Aware that he might be feeling like a third wheel, she invited him to join them on the jogging track and at the pool.

"I don't know about jogging, but the pool sounds like a good idea. His parents will be there too?"

"Scott said they would." He started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Well, you know how I sometimes get horny at pools, especially when you're there. Somehow, I've got to keep my thing from popping up."

Kim giggled, thinking how Scott's parents might react if they saw it. "No problem. Just turn over on your stomach, like you do at our neighbor's pool."

"I'll try. But no promises."

*****

Scott could hoist heavy dumbbells, but he had a way to go before he could keep up with someone who jogged regularly. Kim went easy on him, keeping a pace that he could handle. She was impressed that he felt secure enough in his manhood to laugh about it.

Later, they shared the pool deck with their parents, along with a throng of others, relaxing on their blue canvas loungers. Angela Thatcher, Scott's mom, wore a white one-piece. Looked damn nice in it, too. Per Kim's impression, this was a woman who took care of herself. Geoff looked to be no slouch either when it came to his appearance. His physique lacked the bulging muscles of his son, but it was obvious from his slim, athletic physique that he exercised regularly.

Kim, wearing a yellow bikini, leaned over and whispered in Patrick's ear. "Is everything under control?"

Knowing what she meant, he threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah, so far. Angela looks great for her age. Now, if only I could meet someone like that on this cruise."

"Give it time, you might," Kim said, rubbing more sunscreen onto her legs.

"You look so hot doing that," he said. "If we were alone, I'd be doing it for you."

Kim nodded, looking up to see if anyone might have overheard their whispered conversation. Thinking it didn't appear so, she said, "If we were alone, I'd insist that you do more than that."

The day wore on, a day of reading, listening to music through earbuds and dips in the pool, long enough for doing laps when not so crowded. Scott and Kim made dinner plans, just the two of them. She had a feeling that their "date" would involve more than just a meal together. She still wasn't sure what she'd do if Scott asked her back to his room. 'Things can get so complicated so fast,' she thought.

Meanwhile, Patrick's wandering eye caught sight of a gal lounging across the other side of the pool. She was alone and looked to be around his age. He asked Kim, "What do you think?"

"Go for it, dad. What do you have to lose?"

"Yeah, go for it, Mr. Kellerman," Scott said, amused at the goings on.

Patrick kept looking. She was wearing a white bikini, reading a book that she had propped up against a bent leg, sunglasses atop her head. Occasionally, she'd stop to look around, then return to her book. She couldn't really be alone, could she, a cute gal like that alone on a huge cruise ship? If she was, maybe she wanted to remain that way.

He kept looking long enough to see her bookmark her place, take off her sunglasses, and then slide into the pool. Swimming underwater to the other side, she then emerged and shook the water from her short blond hair. She stayed in the water, arms resting atop the pool deck just feet from where Patrick and company were lounging.

Kim bumped him on the shoulder, then whispered, "Okay, dad, here's your chance."

He chuckled, then said to the blond, "I noticed you reading over there. Any good?"

She wiped water from her eyes and smiled. "It's called The Beach Trap. Very good. One of those books I can't put down."

He nodded. "What's it about?"

"Two sisters...well, half-sisters who were close and then became bitter enemies after a secret is revealed. I'll say no more in case you'd like to give it a try."

"Is there romance?" Kim asked.

"Yes, the blond answered. "But it's more about the relationship between the half-sisters."

Where to go with this next, Patrick wondered, among other things. "Does your traveling companion read also?"

"Companions, you mean. Yes, both my sister and her husband read."

"So, another third wheel?"

"Excuse me?"

"My daughter and I are on this cruise together. Then she met this guy (he pointed at Scott), leaving me the third wheel. I'm Patrick, by the way."

Kim, then Scott and his parents introduced themselves.

"Hmm, interesting. Well, I'm Madeline. Where y'all from?"

"Maryland, and from that accent," Patrick said, "I'd say you're from the South. Texas maybe?"