"Mahi," Mike said. "Fresh and quivering. Whole, though."

"I take," the cook said. "You see the docks? Tree boats already bring in dorado, we're still nearly out."

"It's why I parked around back," Mike admitted. "Get Jose to give me a hand with the cooler?"

When the fish had been weighed Mike held up his hand.

"Louise, got two young ladies with me," he said. "Can we get three of your delectable orange mahi?

From those?" he asked, gesturing at the fish.

"Pick," Louise said, grinning. "Finally get some girlfriend, huh? 'Bout time."

"Just friends," Mike replied, shrugging. "A couple of nice tourist girls who enjoy fishing. And any of them will do."

"This one really is still twitching," Louise said, pulling out his fillet knife and prodding one of the mahi.

"Tree orange mahi coming up. I'll get you table."

"Gimme time to wash up," Mike said. "And thanks."

"You have fun," Louise said, grinning evilly. "Two girls? You tink you're man enough?"

"They're just friends," Mike said, shaking his head on the way out.

"How'd you get us past the line?" Pam asked.

"I have friends in low places," Mike answered, pulling out her chair. "The cook was really happy to get more mahi; the tourists are eating him out."

"This is great," Courtney said, bending her head down. "But I'm still beat. And sunburned all over but my back. You were right."

"We'll aloe up when we get to the boat," Mike said, and waved at the menus. "I already ordered for us; you really need to try Louise's orange mahi. But if you want an appetizer . . ."

"G.o.d, that was great," Courtney said, polishing off the last of the mahi with a bite of rice. "And this rice .

"Fragrant rice," Mike said. "Not on the usual menu. Like I said, the cook was really glad to have the fish.

And we're friends. He used to be a Navy steward, so we keep an eye on each other."

"Can I get the check?" Pam asked. "I feel like . . ."

"We landed over sixty pounds of fish, Pam," Mike said. "The meal was more or less on the house. Even with the drinks' cost, there's a net that will go on the account I run here. Actually, I think I owe you girls some money."

"Don't," Pam said, definitely. "You wouldn't if you figured gas. Let's just call it even."

"I can live with that," Mike said. "You want some of the key lime pie?"

"I was starved and now I'm stuffed," Courtney said. "I think I just want to chill. Can we really stay on the boat tonight?"

"You can stay for weeks if you want," Mike said, getting up. "No dancing?"

"Not tonight," Courtney said, standing up and then swaying. "Definitely not tonight. Among other things, I feel like a french fry."

"Then may I take your arm?" Mike asked, offering his to both girls.

"A beautiful lady on either arm?" Pam asked. "Yes, you may."

"Every man's dream," Mike said, leading them out and around the restaurant to the boat. "Aloe first, then we'll head over to the slip. You ladies can rack out as soon as you're aloed. I need to move slightly offsh.o.r.e, though; they need the dock s.p.a.ce."

"That's fine," Courtney said, yawning as she stepped on board. "Where's the aloe?"

"All three bathrooms," Mike said. "Could I suggest that you put your suits back on for aloe? Getting it on past shirts and bras . . ."

"Will do, Captain," Pam said, smiling.

"I'll meet you in the front cabin as soon as I get this thing anch.o.r.ed," he said, casting off.

By the time Mike got the anchors down, one forward and two aft, and he got to the cabin, only Pam was there.

"Courtney is O-U-T, out," Pam said, shaking her head. "She got aloe on the worst of it and collapsed."

She had changed back into her bathing suit, a blue-and-red string bikini, and was rubbing aloe on her stomach when he came in.

"Well, your back is okay," Mike said, sitting next to her on the bed. "But the backs of your legs, I think I should have gotten them."

"Give me a hand?" Pam asked, diffidently, holding out the bottle of aloe and rolling sideways.

"I know you want a tan," Mike said, gently smoothing on the thick green after-sun gel. "But you need to take it easy. It took me a month to get this tan after I got down here."

"That feels good," Pam said, sighing. "I really am burned."

"Not too badly," Mike said, turning her to check her other leg. "Side of the thigh," he said, leaning across her long, shapely, legs and smoothing on some more of the gel. "Probably reflection from the boat or the water when you were fishing." He straightened up, looked her in the eye, then leaned forward and kissed her.

Pam had felt ready to explode as he gently rubbed on the aloe and she did explode when he kissed her, a totally unexpected wave of emotion that approached an o.r.g.a.s.m and made her moan. She found herself running her hands over his pecs and across his shoulders, humming in pleasure.

"Whoa," Mike said, pulling back and chuckling throatily. "Let's make this last awhile," he continued, lowering her down and sliding his tongue across her throat and then up to her ear, tickling the earlobe.

His hands slid up and undid her bikini top, gently sliding it out and away. Then he brought his tongue down to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, probing hard, while one hand played with her nipple.

"Oh, G.o.d," Pam moaned, running her hands over his back and shoulders. "I've wanted you to touch me allday."

"I know." Mike chuckled. "Well, I knew after a while. That's why I didn't. Antic.i.p.ation and all that."

"You evil b.a.s.t.a.r.d," she whispered, her eyes closed. "Be evil to me. Please."

"Do you know what you're asking?" Mike asked, his face hovering over hers.

"I don't . . . I . . ." Pam said, opening her eyes and looking at him with pleading in them.

"Softly tonight, love," Mike said, gently brushing one finger up her neck. "Softly. Perhaps another night we'll talk about what you're asking."

"How do youdothat?" Pam asked, shuddering. "How do you knowjustwhere to stroke?"

"Experience," Mike said, lowering his mouth to her neck again. He played with her nipples, then slid his mouth down to them, his right hand on her left arm, reading the gooseb.u.mps. When the gooseb.u.mps were up above her elbow, he knew she was having a good time. It was a trick he'd learned years before, and it stood him in good stead as he slid down from her beautiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s, nibbling at her aloe-covered stomach, down lower, the bikini bottom coming off . . .

Pam bit back a scream when she came, her legs clamping down hard. Mike had both his hands on them, though, holding them open. As soon as she came, he lifted himself up and entered her, filling her and resonating with the o.r.g.a.s.m in a way she'd never experienced. She was shouting, but she realized that his hand was over her mouth, m.u.f.fling her shrieks, his other hand on the back of her head, totally controlling her, and that just made it better, so much better that she went into a continuous stream of o.r.g.a.s.ms, shaking and moaning, scratching at his back in desperation to escape and so out of her mind she couldn't begin to think beyond the waves of pleasure . . .

Chapter Five.

When Courtney woke up, her first considered action was to brush her teeth and go to the bathroom.

She figured she'd pa.s.sed out about nine and it was after six. She tended to be an early riser and didn't usually sleep that much and she really needed to pee.

After that she slipped on her shorts and T-shirt, sans bra and panties. She knew Mike had some around somewhere, but she could survive without either for a bit.

She brushed her hair but didn't bother with makeup, instead creeping out of her room and trying the door of the cabin Pam had planned on using. Which was empty, the bed unused. Pam's bag was on the floor, so she didn't have the wrong room.

She raised an eyebrow and looked at the door to the main cabin, then crept to it and tried the door handle. Unlocked. She slowly twisted it down and slid the door open soundlessly . . .

Mike had woken up when Courtney opened the door to the bathroom. It wasn't that he was a particularly light sleeper. He could sleep through a firefight if he wasn't on duty, but he had a very acute security switch, so when someone started moving around he had to ID it. And he was curious what Courtney would do, so he stayed awake. When she headed for his door, he pulled the sheet up to cover most of Pam and simply waited.

Courtney's expression was . . . crestfallen when she looked in the room. Mike wanted to laugh, but instead he shook his head and made a motion for silence and for her to wait. Then he carefully slid his arm out from under Pam's head, gently replacing it with a pillow, and carefully, grimacing, rolled to the side of the bed. He was totally naked, but he figured Courtney could either hide her eyes or get a good look.

Getting out of bed was, as always, a trial. But he finally managed to snag his shorts and get them on, then crept to the door and past Courtney, quietly closing it behind them.

"Are you okay?" Courtney asked as he limped down the companionway.

"I will be," he said, straightening slowly until he was fully erect. "G.o.d, mornings are bad."

"You're in worse shape than it looks," Courtney said, following him into the lounge.

"Lots," Mike said, slowly bending and stretching. "I didn't get medically discharged because of this," he said, waving at the scars. "I got medically discharged because I've got major joint damage, well, all over."

He got out the makings of coffee, as well as an apple, taking a bite. "Apple?"

"So you and Pam . . . ?" Courtney asked, taking a bite of the apple and then finally getting a good look at his back. "Jesus! You're bleeding in places," she muttered around the bite.

"Yes, me and Pam," Mike said, walking over to take a bite as well. He crunched it up for a bit, then leaned down and kissed her.

The apple fell on the floor as her hand went up behind his head and pulled him in, hard. Suddenly they were on the floor, her hands running over his ruined back.

"What will Pam think?" she asked as they came up for air.

"I dunno," Mike said, his tongue sliding into the juncture between her neck and shoulder. "Let's go in and ask her."

"Oh, G.o.d," she moaned as his hand slid down into her shorts and over her a.s.s. "I wanted you to do that," she moaned.

"I've been wanting to do it," Mike admitted, pushing her shorts down her legs. He pushed her shirt up and over her head and then down, trapping her arms. "And I've been wanting to do that, too," he said, roughly.

"Oh, G.o.d," she moaned, her head falling back.

Mike ripped the shorts off her legs then balled them up, stuffing them in her mouth. Her eyes flew open but then shut again as his mouth closed on her nipple and his hand went between her legs. She bit down on the cloth, smelling her own scent and getting even more excited as Mike expertly manipulated her, slowly stroking at her pleasure center, his mouth working on her nipple, sucking and blowing and occasionally nipping lightly until she shook her head from side to side and came so hard she thought she was going to stroke out.

Suddenly he was in her, taking her, one hand clamped over her mouth and the other kneading her breast, hard, pulling at the nipples. She was beyond pleasure, beyond thought, totally in the moment and almost unable to breathe for the strength of the ongoing climax until she thought she would just die right there.

Finally it was over, and as he slipped out of her, she made a little moan of sadness and longing.

Mike pulled the shorts from her mouth and kissed her, tenderly.

"Thank you," he said, laying his forehead on hers. "Thank you, very much. I'm sorry about that."

"Thankyou," Courtney said, slipping an arm out of her entrapping shirt and her hand over the back of his neck. "How are you feeling?"

"You mean the joints?" Mike asked, backing away from her gently and smiling. "Exercise helps." He stood up and held out his hand.

"I think I need a Kleenex or something," Courtney said.

"Your wish, milady," Mike said, getting a Kleenex and handing it to her.

"I'll be right back," Courtney said, taking his hand to stand up, the other hand between her legs. "This is always embarra.s.sing."

"I don't think so," Mike said, running his hand over her back. "I'll be right here. There is cuddle time I'm missing."

When she came out he was on the couch in the lounge, nursing a cup of coffee and another by his side.

He had slipped on a pair of shorts, but she was still naked.

"I didn't know how you took it," Mike said, waving at the coffee.

"Cream and sugar," she said, picking up her shirt and shorts and shaking her head. "I'm running out of clothes."

"And you don't have any short of your car, which is far far away," Mike said, waggling his eyebrows and leering. "You are so at my mercy!"

"Oh, be merciful kind sir!" Courtney said, dropping to her knees and grasping at his legs in mock horror.

"Please don't force me to be naked and at your mercy!"

"Don't tease an old dog," Mike said, holding out the cup. "I have cream and sugar, but how much?"

"Much," she said. "Where is it?"