Journey to Another Life Ch. 11

"We could either meet at the quay or you and Nikki could walk to The barn. We could pick a time that would be convenient for you."

"The barn?" Nikki asked. The wind rustled her skirt just enough to threaten to lift it. Because Ed knew she wore nothing underneath, his pulse moved to his throat briefly. Charles had certainly seen everything there was to see on Nikki, yet an inadvertent exposure of her pussy gave Ed some pause.

"The Barn is a rather famous place among this group of islands," Charles explained. "It's a bar on the beach where locals and visiting yachties hang out after hours to let off a little steam. It's only about 200 yards from the quay."

"Yes, I've heard about it," Ed chimed in. "Let's meet there. I'm curious to see what it's like. Shall we say 10:00?"

"Sure," Charles agreed. "That sounds good."

Minutes later, he pointed out the restaurant as well as The Barn to Ed and Nikki, and let the couple off at the restaurant. They didn't see the name of the restaurant until they got their menus: Hush.

Like so many dining establishments in the Caribbean, this one was mostly an open-air affair with strategically placed tropical plants, torches, and handmade tables and chairs. The clientele was a mix of locals and tourists, but all of them were happy and subdued, as if this hideaway was the quiet tonic they needed after a boisterous day of sun and fun. The quaint quayside setting provided a picturesque quality Nikki adored.

"Oh, Ed, isn't this perfect? Charles really knows how to pick 'em."

"Yes, it's lovely." He withheld his appreciation for Charles. The man had had enough accolades of late.

The serene atmosphere was precisely what Ed needed. As he and Nikki talked over several courses of fresh salads and vegetables and simple, savory fish platters, he began to feel more grounded, less threatened. His tension drained from his body completely by the time they'd finished dinner.

"You look relaxed," Nikki observed. The natural firelight only added to her beauty. Her cheeks glowed with health.

"Honestly, my love, I never thought I would feel relaxed and comfortable about something like this, but I do feel that way now. I can truly say I enjoyed what happened this afternoon."

Her green eyes shone as she looked at him with blatant affection. "I'm so glad, Ed. That means so much to me."

"Of course, there are some things I'm more comfortable with than others, but generally, I think I feel positive about it."

She smiled and nodded.

"The important thing for me is that we're doing this together. It's for us. I think I was worried it would be something for you and that you didn't really want me to be part of it."

She reached across the table to take his hand. "You silly man. I love you so much. I want you part of everything I do, don't you know that?"

"I do now. Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"There are moments when I forget," he said sheepishly.

"Well, we'll just have to have so many encounters that we drill those moments out of you!" she told him, giggling.

He felt especially close to Nikki that night, and as they later sat on the terrace overlooking the moonlit bay, he held her tight, bereft of words to express how much he cherished her. She smelled better than any tropical flower and looked better than any fantasy a man could concoct. He wished the night could go on forever and that their marriage would be as tranquil as the calm that existed between them now. For a few minutes, he didn't even think about Charles.

"Well, old man, would you like to take your wife back to the boat and make love to her now or are you too tired after today's activities?" she teased.

"Old man?!"

She laughed, satisfied that she'd gotten a rise out of him.

"I think you'd have to admit that the past week's activities have been enough to kill a teenager!" he pointed out.

She giggled and nodded. "A weak teenager!"

He chuckled, looked at his watch, and saw that it was 9:15. "Let's go find Charles at that barn bar. I'm dying to see what the place is like—I've heard so much about it. We'll stop off for a drink, pick up Charles, and then, young lady, I shall take you downstairs and show you there's still plenty of life in this old man yet!"

She stifled a smile. "Spoken like a true relic, but I suppose I'll tag along anyway." She shrugged and got to her feet. He took her hand and they strolled along the beach toward the barn. The loud, Caribbean music coming from the bar slowly dissipated the lovely cocoon of calm he'd felt on the terrace, but the barn was an inviting place nonetheless. It was a rustic beach shack of considerable size, considering its location. Beach fires burned on the sand outside and although the music was loud, conversation was not impossible. Ed noted as many yacht bums as locals, with a dash of tourists sprinkled in for variety. A few couples danced but most people just drank and talked. The crowd wasn't as dense as those he and Nikki were accustomed to in the city—it was actually possible to weave through the crowd without upsetting anybody's drink or elbowing somebody's ribs.

Nikki spotted Charles first and directed Ed's attention to him. Charles waved, excused himself from the man he spoke to, and joined the couple. Ed was struck once again by the man's easy grace. No wonder he'd had his share of women.

"Have a nice dinner?" he asked.

"Oh, Charles, it was fabulous. What a great recommendation!" Nikki gushed. "And it gave you a night off, which is terrific. You deserve it."

Ed stiffened. Surely she hadn't arranged this evening out to give Charles a break for his culinary duties? And that bit about "deserving it." Was she implying that Ed worked him so hard that he needed a respite? He scolded himself for his thoughts. Nikki's mind didn't work that way—he was wrong to assign those kinds of motives to her.

"Let's have a drink before we go," Ed suggested.

Sure enough, the comfortable aura the three of them had developed over the past few days re-emerged as they enjoyed cocktails at The Barn. Ed secretly enjoyed knowing their little secret and especially liked the way nobody would have suspected what the three of them had engaged in that day, or what they would undoubtedly be doing for the remainder of their honeymoon. He beamed with quiet pride, looking from his beautiful bride to his well-hung captain and just generally enjoying the tantalizing beach atmosphere.

"The beach is so gorgeous here," Nikki observed as she finished her second drink. "Can we squeeze in a little walk before we get back to the boat?"

The men eagerly agreed. The three of them left The Barn behind, with Nikki flanked by the men. Ed took her hand again but when he turned to look at her, he saw that Charles's walked a few feet back from them.

The old insecurity immediately began to surface. Were her words tonight all false? She claimed to want him all to herself yet here she had previously been openly fawning over Charles. Had she just wanted him for comfortable dinner conversation? A way to unwind? Just as his fears multiplied, she stopped walking, turned to Charles, and paused to give him a long, slow, open-mouthed kiss. She had released Ed's hand to do so.

Ed repositioned himself to make his presence more obvious. He stood in front of Nikki so that if and when she opened her eyes, she'd see him there and perhaps remember that this was supposed to be their night. He felt his throat constrict as air got more elusive.

She did open her eyes but gave him only a knowing wink as she continued to kiss Charles. When the two finally broke apart, she took both her men's hands and kept walking toward the boat. Nobody said anything about the kiss.

Eventually, they climbed aboard the anchored yacht and it was clear that Nikki had no intention of retiring to their cabin quite yet. In fact, she seemed determined to make a bit of a spectacle of herself with Charles, practically slithering onto his lap and making out with him whenever possible. Ed wanted to kick something. The few smiles and winks she tossed his way were hardly substitutes for the affection she was pouring on Charles.

What had prompted this behavior? Just seeing her black stud had apparently fired her up and made her forget about the supposed love she had for her husband. He thought about leaving the two of them there, but didn't want to appear petulant. He was pissed off, though, and if she insisted on ignoring him, he wasn't sure what he'd do to put a stop to it.

The three of them sat in the cockpit as Charles made coffee. Nikki sat across from Ed, eagerly awaiting Charles's return. Just as Ed prepared to say something particularly biting to her, she spoke.

"Tonight was wonderful, darling. A lovely dinner, and now look at those stars! Isn't it just beautiful?"

Could she really have no idea that he was hurt and angry? The night was very beautiful indeed but it would be even more so if he were alone with her. He squelched his anger and decided to play things differently. "Yes, but not as beautiful as you, my love." Would he be able to convince her to go downstairs with him in Charles's brief absence?

"Thank you, sweetie. You know, I'd love to spread out these cushions on the deck and make love under the stars tonight. It would be such a special way to end this wonderful evening, but ..."

Ed raised an eyebrow. But what, it asked?

She got up and sat next to him. With a dazzling, irresistible smile, she continued her thought. "Well, honey," she said in a voice that was nearly a whisper, "would you mind?"

"Mind what?"

"Mind if I spread out these cushions and made love under the stars?" Her face looked as if a giggle would soon follow but it didn't. Did she honestly want to make love to Charles on those damn cushions under the stars? If so, he needed to hear her say it. Maybe he wanted to feel the devastation, the pain of hearing her admit that she preferred to fuck Charles as the perfect finish to a romantic evening. Or maybe he wanted to hear her contradict his fears and tell him that it was he she wanted and not Charles, after all. Either way, he refused to show her how upset he was.

"I think I've love for us to do that after Charles goes to bed," he replied.

Her megawatt smile persisted, as did her sales pitch. "That would be nice, sweetheart, but I was thinking ..." she paused, "I was thinking I would like some sperm pumped in deep by a big black cock while you watch."

Her choice of words seemed out of place and excited him instantly. She noticed the flicker in his eyes and giggled. "That would be okay, wouldn't it?

He didn't have to answer her in words. He'd already done so with his body language.

Just as Charles returned with three mugs and a pot of coffee, she excused herself to go to the bathroom. Ed said little as Charles poured the coffee, glad that the black man couldn't see his raging hard-on under the table. Charles wasn't very talkative, either, and Ed realized it was probably because they'd already both learned that when Nikki slipped away to the bathroom these days, it was usually because she had plans for them upon her return.

True to his suspicions, and possibly Charles's, she came back to the table wearing a short, see-through robe belted tightly across her slim waist. Her hair was as loose and free as it had been all night. The men exchanged looks only once before concentrating all their attention on the alluring woman before them.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Isn't it a fine night for fucking?"