Lincoln felt the air around him change as the Christina Rose shifted in the choppy waters. He had been sleeping, or at least he thought he was sleeping. He wasn't so sure now. He looked down at his pajama shirt; the first three buttons open revealing his tanned, and now goose flesh covered chest. The night must have turned cool he thought idly.
He shifted his gaze to the other bed in the large cabin and saw Michael's sleeping form. Everything was going well so far, or as well as could be expected when two brothers were alone on a boat in the middle of the ocean. He knew Michael missed Sara. And there wasn't a day that passed where he didn't miss Veronica.
Veronica. God how he wished she could be there with him, enjoying the open waters, laughing in the sun. He would never forget her. All she had done for him. It was nights like this he missed her the most, when all was quiet but his thoughts.
He shifted his weight in the small bed and sighed deeply pulling the blankets up to ward of the sudden chill in the air. He was drifting back to sleep with thoughts of Veronica still moving behind his closed lids when he heard a soft whisper.
He bolted upright, his eyes moving quickly to Michael. But his brother was sleeping quietly. He sat still and listened for a moment, defense mode kicking in.
All was quiet once again and he was about to lie back against the pillows and try to get back to sleep when the soft touch against his chest took the breath from him.
He felt what could only be described as warm fingers trail across his exposed chest, sending shivers along his spine. He looked down as the fingers moved down inside his buttoned pajama shirt. The fingers or whatever they were moved lower and he gasped.
"Lincoln…" The word was whispered and he jumped at the sound.
What the hell was going on?
He jumped out of bed and made his way up on deck. He was making his way around to the front of the boat when he saw her.
Her dark hair was blowing in the soft breeze as was the sheer night gown that did little to conceal her curves. He felt his breath leave him as her green eyes, like jewels from the sea locked on his.
"Veronica." That one word escaped his lips of its own accord and drifted on the wind.
She took a step towards him and his feet moved the rest of the distance until he stood in front of her. He reached his hand out in disbelief and then stopped. If she was real…If she were actually here…How? And was the alternative any better? Had he finally lost it?
He made his hand inch closer and gasped as the material of her gown blew against his fingers. And then she stepped closer until the gown was blowing against his body, its softness arousing his senses.
He felt himself reaching for her and then his arms found her, pulling her hard against him in a desperate grasp.
"Vee. It's really you. You're here, but how?"
She smiled softly in the moonlight.
"Shhh…I don't have much time, Lincoln."
Lincoln buried his face in her hair and as the remembered scent of her filled his head, he no longer cared about the how or the why of it. Veronica was here with him, now, and that was all that mattered.
She pulled away and then stepped back a little from him, her actions sending a panic through him that she might be leaving. Easing his fears, she reached and began to unbutton the remaining buttons of his shirt.
The last button was hastily undone and then the cool wind met his back as the shirt slipped down his arms and fell to the deck at his feet, leaving his tanned chest glistening in the moonlight, shivers racing through him.
Veronica's warm fingers wasted no time in finding his newly exposed flesh, trailing along his torso filling him with longing. It had been so long since he had been with her; since he had been with anyone. He had to use all of his self control not to grab her and take her on the hard deck.
She stepped closer and her fingers moved around his back, pulling him to her, pushing her arousal against his chest as her lips met his neck. He reached and cupped her face in his hands and brought his mouth down on hers in forced tenderness.
What he really wanted was to ravage her. He wanted deep kisses, but held himself in check. And then as if reading his thoughts she delved into him, her tongue searing hot. She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth and her actions grew more and more ravenous.
Lincoln's hands moved deftly over her gauzy gown, finding the subtle opening and slipping inside to stroke her soft, firm skin. His hands moved lower and cupped her ass pulling her into his painful erection, needing her closer. He was so hard. He thrust against her and a gasp escaped him. And then she was running her fingers along his back, her nails painfully erotic in her desperation.
When he could stand it no longer he eased her down on the deck and stripped away the gown, his mouth falling on her instantly. He needed to taste her. His lips, his tongue couldn't get enough of her. And with each dip of his hot tongue she squirmed hotly beneath him, her damp thighs brushing his rough cheeks as she clutched him tighter. He could hear what he was doing to her and how close she was, so he moved up, his tongue trailing along her flat stomach, pausing briefly to dip into her belly button before moving up to her waiting nipples.
He sucked one deep while kneading the other between his wet fingers. She gasped at his touch, her moans filling his ears and traveling to his groin making him throb painfully.
Unable to resist the temptation any longer he quickly pushed his pajama bottoms down and sunk himself deep into her. She moaned loudly joining his pleasured gasp as he entered her and her movements beneath him pulled him deeper still.
She felt so good, so wet, so unbelievable. He moved slowly at first finding his rhythm, each stroke building inside him as his orgasm drew closer. He sped up as her moans grew louder and were swept away on the wind. And then he felt her muscles contracting around him squeezing him closer and closer until he was filling her, each gasp spent bringing her closer as if afraid she would vanish before his eyes.
When they were both spent, he pulled her next to him on the deck, the heat of his body cooling in the gentle breeze as he held her. He had so much he wanted to ask her, so much to tell her, but his eyes were so heavy.
He fought against the pull of sleep telling himself he would not let go. But as his eyes closed against the night sky she slipped from his arms.
She walked away her pale skin luminous in the moonlight, stopping only as she drew near the end of the long deck.
And then her long hair blowing darkly behind her, she looked back at him and smiled. She watched him for a moment and then turned, her slow movements taking her further into the star drenched night.
Moments later the wind picked up lifting the gown from where it lay, blowing it off the deck and into the dark, choppy waters.