***Day of the Boat Race***
Jennifer's alarm went off at 5 a.m. Jonathan had stayed at her house because it was closer to the marina.
She rolled over to turn it off and gave him a quick kiss.
"Morning darling".
"Morning."
He sat up, with a very happy look on his face.
"It's boat race day!"
They got up and got ready and had everything packed and ready to put in the car in about an hour.
"Darling, Max should be here any second to take us to the marina. Can we go in your car?"
"Yes, that's fine".
They got the car all loaded and then Max arrived to drive them.
"Mr. H., are you sure you don't want me to go with you? That's a long journey by yourself".
"It's fine Max. All the boats are going to anchor together at night, and besides, there's only one bed on the boat. You have fun, Max. We will be just fine".
He dropped them off at the marina, and Jennifer was surprised to see Stanley running around like crazy trying to organize everything.
Jonathan was not.
"Darling, are your employees in the race?"
"I don't think any of them entered. Stanley, the research guy I told you about is the one in the glasses. He's going to be in charge of starting us off. My other assistant, Adam Hayes, is flying to Hawaii and he will be there to declare the winner."
Jennifer and Jonathan got the boat all loaded and set up. They had everything they would need for a week's stay, from clothes to food and everything in between.
Jennifer was getting everything organized, while Jonathan was getting the two-way radios set up.
He met with the other competitors and went over the rules.
"Ok, that's it. We leave in 15 minutes. Stanley Friesen will start us off with a gunshot precisely at 8 a.m. Have a good race!"
Jennifer got the sails ready, while he primed the engine. Pretty soon, they were all lined up in a row, ready to take off.
As soon as she got the sails adjusted, she tied them down and went to go stand with Jonathan.
He put his arm around her as he steered the boat around some of the other boats.
"This is such a beautiful view".
"Such great sailing weather too".
She moved in front of him and leaned back against him. He put his arms across her shoulders and she reached up to hold on to his arms.
She looked to the left and studied the other race participants.
Far off in the distance, she caught a glimpse of something. She felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach.
"Darling, look to your right. All the way, somewhere around 2 o'clock".
He slowly turned to look.
"I don't see anything, baby. What was it?"
"Not what. Who".
"Seriously?"
"Well, there's always a chance I'm wrong, but it sure looked like him".
"Well. If he comes closer, let me know."
They alternated with him steering, and her laying in the sun, and then her steering like he told her to and him sitting down and taking a break.
Finally around sunset, they stopped and anchored. Jonathan was ahead, but not by much.
He grilled them some steaks and corn on the cob on a portable grill, and they relaxed and listened to the waves at night.
She leaned back against him, and he wrapped his arms around her.
"I love this".
"You do?"
"Yeah. Being here with you, just you and me, no Kristin distractions, no office distractions, nobody else to disturb us, the ocean, the peacefulness. It's just what you and I needed".
"I agree. And there's nobody else I would rather spend it with".
Around 9, while he was checking the anchor and locking down the boat, she went downstairs and got things ready for them to go to bed.
He came downstairs and found her rummaging through her suitcase.
"Darling, can you do me a favor?"
"Certainly".
"Stand here in the middle of the room, and say my name loud. Then count to three, and say it again. Keep counting to three and saying my name loud till I come back down here, alright?"
"Alright".
She felt a little silly but she did as he requested, and finally, about 10 minutes later, he came back.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"Great job, you passed the test".
"Excellent. So, now can you tell me why I did that?"
"Well, I was upstairs locking down the boat and I noticed that some of the other boats had linked their boats together. So, I was trying to make sure that if someone did that to this boat, that they wouldn't be able to overhear any secrets being told between you and I".
"Secrets? Like what kind of secrets?"
"Like how much you love me and how you can't get enough of me for starters".
"Jonathan!"
She kissed him a few times.
"That isn't a secret".
"Well, the good news is, I couldn't hear you, so nobody else can either".
He opened the tiny window at the top of the hallway, and the tiny window in the bathroom, so they could have some ventilation.
Jennifer came out of the bathroom in a soft pink spaghetti strap short nightgown with lace edges, and a pink robe to match.
Jonathan had turned on a fan in the corner for her.
He quickly changed into his pajama shorts and climbed into bed next to her.
"This is so cozy down here".
"Yeah, it is, isn't it? Kind of like a little hideaway".
"So where do you think we are in the race?"
"I think we are ahead, but I think the others are closing in on us. But that's ok. As long as everyone races fairly, and has fun, that's all that matters to me".
He wrapped his arm around her and held her close.
"You did good today-thanks for helping me and coming with me".
"You're welcome. And I didn't really do anything".
She leaned up and kissed him.
"Do you ever think about living on a houseboat?"
"No. But I do think about you and I buying an island sometimes and just moving there".
"Max wouldn't like living on an island, darling. No poker. No horse races".
"Yeah, that's true".
"Do you think we bother him, darling? I mean, if we are encroaching on his space, you can always spend more time with me at my place. I don't have to come to your place all the time".
"Darling, he absolutely adores you, more than I do probably. I told him back when you and I weren't speaking that I had really messed up and that I didn't know how to fix it because you were the best thing that ever happened to me. And he looked me dead in the eye and said "She's the best thing that ever happened to us". You are the only woman I've brought home that he has ever said that about".
"He's so sweet and I love how he takes care of you".
They chatted till she fell asleep. He leaned over and kissed her forehead and then fell asleep holding her, thinking about how lucky he was to have her.
***The next morning***
Jonathan woke Jennifer up at 5:30, and they got dressed and went upstairs to the deck.
He quietly drew the anchor in, and she quickly got the sails in position, and they quietly motored their way forwards.
By Jonathan's calculations, this put them ahead by about an hour or two.
Jennifer tied the sails down, and went downstairs and made them coffee, thanking God for electric coffee pots. And for houseboats with electricity.
She brought him his coffee and stood with him a little while he was steering the boat.
"How much farther do you think it is?"
"We should be there by sunset tomorrow".
"Wonderful".
They sailed all day without any complications, and finally stopped at sunset and anchored for the night.
There weren't any other competitors around.
They grilled their dinner again that night, and just relaxed with each other. The sky was clear and you could really see the stars.
Jonathan showed her the different constellations and pointed out different stars to her.
"When did you become so knowledgeable about the stars?"
"I took an astrology class in college. It was actually my favorite class".
He leaned back against her and she rubbed his chest for a little bit and kissed his head some.
They finally got up and went downstairs to bed.
She put on a black short nightgown and climbed into bed.
He climbed into bed next to her and she snuggled up to his chest.
"We aren't going to get much more alone time before the baby comes".
"Yeah, that's true. Hopefully, we can still get some after he is born. I predict that she will want me to watch him more and more after he's born so she can still go out and party".
"Darling, what if you offer her 50/50 custody? Like a week with you, a week with her? I'm sure Max and I can help out, and that way you and I will know that we will get a week of alone time all at once, every other week".
"That's a wonderful idea. I will suggest it, for sure".
He rolled on top of her and wrapped his arms around her.
"You know, people get rewarded for good ideas".
"They do? What kind of reward is it?"
She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.
"Well, in this case, it's lots of mini rewards all inside a big reward".
"Interesting".
"Here's your first mini-reward".
He leaned down and kissed her.
"I hope there's many more where that came from".
"Nope, sorry. Just the one".
"Jonathan!"
"Ok, ok. You win. The reward is hugs and kisses every day for a year".
"Well, thank you. I'll be sure to collect".
He leaned down and gave her a very passionate kiss, one that seemed to go on forever, with no plans of stopping.
"I love it when you kiss me like that".
"I promise to do it every day that you'll let me".
He pulled her nightgown straps off her shoulders and kissed his way to her bellybutton as he tugged her nightgown down her body.
She ran her fingernails across his back and down the sides of his rib cage.
He moved his kisses to her neck.
"Baby…we want this to last, right?"
"Oh yes".
"So, if you do that thing with your nails much longer, it won't".
"Got it".
She grabbed his face with her hands and used her tongue to part his lips for a very exhilarating kiss. It was the kind of kiss that made her forget where she was, that ignited her insides, that made her feel alive.
He reached down and started tugging her panties down.
She lifted her hips to help him out.
He quickly pulled her panties off her legs, one at a time. After he was done, he slid off her and took his pajama shorts off and then climbed back on top of her.
He suckled her nipples for a few minutes, as she gripped his shoulders and moaned loudly.
He expertly joined their bodies together and they began to rock their hips in synchronous motion.
"Oh baby….yes…just like that…"
"You feel so good".
"Jona…..than….oh yes….."
"Ba….by…."
He took them both over the edge a few times, and they just let their bodies enjoy it.
"That was fantastic".
"Yes it was".
He kissed her tenderly as he held her, and she lightly rubbed his back.
"I really do love you".
"And I really do love you".
He gave her a quick kiss.
"I love you love you".
She chuckled.
"I love you love you too".
"I love you till infinity".
"I love you till infinity plus a day. So ha. I win".
"You're right. You win it all".
"What's my prize this time, sailor?"
"Me".
He rolled on top of her and they went for round 2.
***The next morning***
They were up and at it again, early. It was their final day in the contest. Jennifer was so ready to be off the boat.
Around 1 p.m., she saw a boat approaching them from behind. It was still a good ways out.
She got out the binoculars and took a look.
She got up and walked over to Jonathan.
"Darling, I just took a look at our friend coming up. It's Elliott".
"Well, if we keep doing what we are doing, we will beat him for sure. I don't think he can catch us".
About 2 hours later, he told her they were very close.
"We are only about 4 mile markers away".
She adjusted the sails, and within about 30 minutes, they could see the marina, and the finish line.
There were two other boats very close to them.
Jennifer could hear the man on the loudspeaker.
"Here come the first participants into the marina. And the winner is…#12! Looks like #12 is owned by Mr. Jonathan Hart of Los Angeles, California!".
Jonathan pulled them into the marina and everyone was cheering for them.
Jennifer tied the sails down and ran and hugged and kissed him.
"I knew you could do it. I'm so proud of you".
"I couldn't have done it without you".
They shared a few kisses and then he helped her off the boat and they went to go take pictures with the race company and accept the award.
About an hour later, Jennifer headed back to the boat while Jonathan headed to get some dry ice and rent them a car.
Jennifer was downstairs packing when she heard footsteps above her.
Thinking Jonathan was back, she headed upstairs.
"Darling, is that you?"
She came up the stairs and turned to see Elliott Manning standing on the boat.
"Hello baby cakes".
"Hello Elliott".