Long Overdue Time Away Ch. 10

"I'm sorry... I didn't consider you when I asked to see this. I didn't think you would have this reaction to it. I should have thought better."

"No, don't be sorry, just because it's hard doesn't mean you are wrong to want to see it. We both have scars that will take some time to heal. What's important is that we are here. That day is over. We will continue to have our days when we struggle. I guess this is one for me.

Let's get ready, we are still celebrating our marriage, lets have fun with our friends."

We drove to the pub in the limo with Chris driving. The dynamic between Chris and I is different than it was with Al and I, we have a long history together. It was I think the first time our other friends had a chance to see the banter between us though. We are like brothers complete with the competitive nature.

The owner and brewmaster Mark met us as we got there and made sure we felt welcome. He said he recognized us from a write up a trade publication did on us about our expansion at Sanches's.

Our beers were brought to us and all of us tried what the others had ordered, all of them delicious and well brewed. Mark lingered at the table long enough for he and I to talk shop some. He is really a great guy and we hit it off right away. He sent several appetizers to our table as well as tasters of new offerings and special releases he had. Mark has a great enthusiasm for his business as well as the business of beer in general. He and I wound up in the brewery talking about our businesses and things we wanted to try. We talked about doing a collaboration after we reopened. I told him I would get in touch after I returned home. I returned to the table before our meals came. The food was great and the company even better. We spent the evening laughing and enjoying each other's company. Mark sent a few bottles of our favorites with us when we left and refused payment for our evening. Something he didn't need to do, but there was no talking him out of it.

We all wound up in front of the big fireplace in the lodge after we got back. Chris went back to the boat saying he wanted to be up early the next morning.

The rest of us continued late into the night enjoying our time together. We all retreated to our own rooms and Karen knowing how my back felt filled the jacuzzi tub and we both got in.

She started out rubbing my back and I hers and wound up with her straddling me in a slow sensual grind we kissed while she rode me. The motion in the water seemed to perpetuate our lovemaking. She kissed me with her soft lips and her tongue would make brief forays to meet mine in a familiar dance. Her lips pushed harder onto mine as our passion increased and when she climaxed I could feel her vagina grip and release my cock over and over pulling me deeper into her. Her soft moaning into my mouth became my own as my own climax built and then released in several spasms.

We were motionless for a few minutes with her on me. I was content to be right where I was with the feel on her on me. Her heartbeat slowed to where I couldn't feel it on my chest any longer. It was very late or I guess early by now and we were tired from a long day.

Tomorrow we would be leaving the lodge and continue our voyage north. Steve and Melinda would be going home they both needed to return to work, while Beth and Alex would continue with us to Whidbey Island.

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I think Chris was enjoying this new detail, part time security, part time captain. The smile hadn't left his face the whole trip. He loved the ocean as much as I did. We have spent a lot of time on it together. We would go out and fish when we returned from a detail. It always seemed to clear our heads. I trust him without and reservation and having him head up our security gave me confidence, especially in light of what we have been through. I knew he was communicating with Al in the transition and had arranged to have him work as a consultant as needed. And I knew that was giving Karen peace of mind.

I also was aware that there was follow up going on with Karens abduction and recovery. In all honesty it was something that was occupying my mind. The fact that I had been burned after the Russian embassy incident wasn't being overlooked by me.

I wasn't so much worried about how the security force would handle it, I knew they would protect me as much as they could. And they agreed to help us, partly because they felt like they owed me.

I also wasn't unaware that because it was me it could scratch a scab off with the CIA if they were to catch wind of it. They viewed my problem I had in the Russian embassy as an embarrassing international incident. It caused some bad blood between all of us involved. They knew I didn't like being abandoned so they could save face. The whole thing caused an uproar with their field agents, they all knew if it happened to me it could happen to any of them or any of the assets they counted on. There was a huge loss of trust in the security contracting community with the CIA.

I knew Chris would keep his ear to the ground and keep me up to date of anything I needed to be aware of.

When I left the security force it was on good terms, I knew they had negotiated the best possible outcome considering what had occurred. They didn't like it anymore than I did and I knew they did the best they could on my behalf.

Chris said they jumped at the opportunity to help with Karens recovery. In their mind it was a small way of repaying me for having to let me go.

My hope was the whole thing would get buried and just go away. But I'm not naive either.

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"Hey Jim do you have a few minutes?" Chris was on his way to the wheelhouse so I followed him. "Look at this weather radar, I've been tracking it and keeping an eye on the forecast. When we left port it looked like we had plenty of time to get to Whidbey. But now it looks like the weather is deteriorating and I don't think it's smart to be caught in the open ocean with the storm that's coming, they just issued a small craft advisory and maybe we could make it before it gets too sloppy but think the best move is to duck into the port at Longview and wait this one out."

"I think you are right. I looks like we can be there in a couple of hours. Better to be safe. What's the forecast for the next couple of days?"

"Looking at the National Weather Service, it doesn't look like there is much confidence in the original forecast that this would be a short lived storm, so at this point it's up in the air."

"Well if it looks like it will be more than a couple of days we may fly back to Oregon early to prepare for Sanches's grand reopening. I'll let Karen know. It might change Beth and Alex's plans as well."

Back in the cabin I let everyone know of the change of plans and the girls found a nice bed and breakfast in Longview to avoid being on the boat in rough weather. Chris would stay onboard to watch over the boat.

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"What a great location! Overlooking the coast, what a view!" Beth stood in front of a big picture window in the great room of the house we would be staying in. Alex and I brought our bags in. It was starting to rain and we wanted to be inside when it really cut loose. With the view we had we could see we wouldn't have much time before it did. It looked dark over the ocean and the wind was picking up, the trees outside were starting to sway with each gust.

Karen and Beth found the information on the coffee table that highlighted restaurants that were close by. Karen picked up a sheet, "there's a Chinese place that delivers, that'll keep us from going out in the rain. What do you guys think?"

"I'm good with what ever you guys decide." Alex agreed with me, "so Chinese it is."

We sat on the couch near the fireplace and ate dinner with our chop sticks while the storm raged outside, the rain was pounding the window now. We were almost oblivious to it deep in our conversation, it turned the direction of our sexual escapades the other night. I guess I wasn't surprised anymore about how frank we were now with each other, we were intimate with each other. Not just sexually but emotionally and how we trusted each other.

More and more our open sexuality made more and more sense, it wasn't having sex with strangers. We have a close and deep friendship with them. And the sex is an extension of that.

We indulged ourselves in our friendship that night, explored it in the depths of our shared intimacy, and desire we had for each other while it stormed outside.