Summary: Sharpwin honeymoon part 1 of 2!

Author's notes: Warning, this chapter (and again in another few chapters) will be rated "Mature" for mild smut and other sexual content. (It's the honeymoon, what did you expect, haha!) This fic is rated "Teen" because I didn't originally intend to have any smut, and don't want to mislead people into thinking it has more smut than it does. But I'm sure y'all would like that anyway!


January 15th, Los Angeles, 4:30 a.m.

A light chill settles itself across the room. Helen stirs from sleep shivering and scoots closer to Max's side of the bed to warm herself against his body, only to feel it empty. Through her tired eyes, she can just barely make out his silhouette on the balcony through the partially opened glass sliding door, hunched over the railing. Fumbling in the dark, Helen makes her way onto the brisk balcony, regretting last night's decision to forgo wearing socks to bed. It's a clear night, the city illuminated by the stars and half of the moon low in the sky.

She wraps her arms around Max's torso and leans her head against his back, enjoying his warmth and the steady sound of his heartbeat. "Hey, you." Pressing a kiss to his shoulder blade, she whispers, "Come back to bed."

Max turns his head ever so slightly in Helen's direction. "I can't sleep anymore," he explains, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "Stuck on Eastern Standard Time."

Something seems off. "What's on your mind, luv?"

Max doesn't budge, eyes still fixated on the sleeping city, so Helen caresses just behind his ear, guiding his face toward her. "Burden me."

Leaning back against the wall to their right, Max pulls Helen to his chest, while her hands drape behind his neck, nestling herself between his legs. "I was standing here, enjoying the view of the stars and city lights, and it made me think… about our rooftop spot at New Amsterdam." A heavy sigh escapes Max's lungs as his head droops. "When you were in London, sometimes I would go up there at the end of the day, hoping it would make me feel closer to you." He furrows his brows, remembering just how hard those three months without her had been. "But now it's just a bittersweet reminder of our time there. Elizabeth is awesome, and she's an amazing deputy and Oncology chair, but sometimes, I really miss having you at work with me. We made a great team."

Helen lightly scratches the back of Max's neck, attempting to soothe him while pondering how to respond.

"Sorry," he winces. "I don't want to make you feel bad for leaving. That's my own issue I need to deal with."

"No, that's alright. You can always talk to me about these things. That goes both ways." Helen leans her head against Max's chest, tucking her arms into herself to keep warm while looking at the speckles of light in the sky. "During my stay here in LA last year for my Dr. Helen tour, I went to the observatory. The stars make me feel close to you too. Even though we were apart for a while, then and later when I was in London, we found a way to make it work. Maybe I should pull a 'Max' and make you a surprise visit at work," she jokes, enticing a soft chuckle from Max. Helen gazes up at Max, smoothing her hands up his chest. "And even though I'm not at New Amsterdam anymore, we're still a team, now in a whole new and exciting way."

Max presses his lips to her ring finger. "I'm never gonna get tired of calling you my wife." He lifts Helen's chin and places kisses all over, first on her lips, then drops a few on her face before moving to her neck.

"Mmm," Helen moans, biting her lower lip as she pulls down on Max's head and presses herself further between his legs. A shiver runs through her body, but she's most certainly not cold anymore! Readjusting his face, Helen gives Max an open, wet kiss before dragging her lips from his jaw to his neck. "You're my husband," she muses, gently sucking on his skin. The thin sweatpants do nothing to conceal the involuntary twitch from Max's length against Helen's lower stomach.

During their wedding the previous day, Helen admired how handsome Max looked in his suit. Her imagination was running wild, the thought of dragging him to the nearest room and letting him have his way with her playing on a constant loop in her head. Later that night in bed, Max had been so generous, gentle, and tender with her, which she usually loves, but what Helen wants right now, what she needs is something rough, his hands and lips claiming her as his own. She slips her fingers inside the waistband of Max's pants, rubbing him through his boxers, then grazes her lips against his ear. "You know, we don't have to leave for our flight for several hours. How about we make use of that bed? I'm fancying a good hard shag."

Max lets out a guttural groan, excitedly shuddering at Helen's touch, then hoists her up so she can wrap her legs around him. "God, I love it when you use British slang!"

Dashing them into the bedroom, Max lays Helen on the bed and begins kissing every part of her body he can reach. As he tugs on Helen's pajama pants, she places her hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, door," she sighs, motioning to the open sliding glass door that's still allowing a cool breeze to fill the room.

Max bolts up to slide it shut, then by the time he's returned to the bed, Helen has already removed her shirt. He couldn't be more grateful that women don't wear bras to bed!

Last night, making love to each other had been passionate, yet soft and sweet. This time, Max doesn't hold back. The pace he sets is relentless, his chest occasionally pressed up against Helen's back as they join together on their knees. He reaches his hand around to massage and caress her, first her waist, her stomach, her breasts, then rubs the sensitive spot between her legs. Max's name and that of a certain deity repeatedly tumble from Helen's lips, begging for more. He holds onto her as she tips over the edge shaking in ecstasy. Max doesn't stop, not even caring if they wake the neighbors (although she swears that's his intent), until he flips Helen over so they can lock eyes. Exhausted, he collapses on top of Helen, groaning into the crook of her neck as he spills inside her.

Crossing her ankles around Max's legs and hands squeezing his ass, Helen draws him further into her body. She loves Max's heavy weight on top of her, the way he fills her in more ways than one. She feels like a horny, or in British terms, a randy teenager, and she can't get enough of it, enough of him!

Once Max has finished emptying himself, he rolls off Helen, then both rotate onto their sides, panting, to look at each other. Aided by the slightly sweaty sheen on her skin, Helen is literally glowing in the moonlight! Max drags his fingers along her temple. "You look so radiant right now!" he whispers in the near darkness.

Helen scoots closer to Max, draping her arm around his torso and up his back. "Mmm, normally, I would respond by saying that I love you or something of the sort. I mean, I do," she swipes her tongue inside his mouth, then gently nibbles his lower lip, "but that was… hot!"


Max and Helen spend the next half an hour cuddling in bed, hands lazily exploring each other's bodies, enjoying one another's company while chatting about their upcoming adventure. After both of them have gotten ready for the day, they take a leisurely stroll by the beach as the sun rises, go to a cafe for breakfast, then return to the hotel to pack up.

Max and Helen get to LAX airport at 10 a.m., pass through security, and fly out at noon. When purchasing tickets back in November, they had decided on taking a later flight since check-in at the hotel in Maui isn't until 3, not wanting to drag their luggage all around the island.

The five-and-a-half-hours long flight lands in Maui at 2:30 Hawaiian time, but to Max and Helen, it feels like it's 7:30 p.m.

Around 3:30, they arrive at their boutique hotel, a one-story wooden building with an abundance of windows, surrounded by palm trees, the ocean a few hundred yards in one direction and lush grand mountains in the other. Max and Helen roll their luggage up to the front desk, and are greeted by a young, lean, Hawaiian woman with warm skin, long wavy dark brown hair, wearing a bright red sundress cinched at the waist with a brown braided belt.

"Aloha! Welcome to Maui Tropical Paradise Inn! How can I help?"

Max lets out a tiny chuckle, loving whenever he hears someone use his favorite words. "There should be a reservation under Sharpe-Goodwin for me and my wife," he emphasizes, squeezing his arm around Helen's waist. "We're on our honeymoon!"

"Congratulations! Where are you mainlanders from?"

"New York City."

"Technically, I'm from London," Helen adds, "but I've been living in the states for over a decade."

"Ahh, a Brit! Welcome to our little island of paradise!" The woman types something into the computer, clicks the mouse a few times, then pulls something from the drawer in front of her. "We have you in our premium honeymoon suite. Here's your key for room 116. Your suite is equipped with basic cooking equipment, but we have a restaurant here as well. We stop serving dinner at 9 p.m., but offer drinks until 10, and breakfast begins at 6 a.m. We also offer a shuttle service into town," she informs them, handing them pamphlets of all the local sights and activities.

"Actually, we rented a car for our trip." Max takes the pamphlets from the woman and puts them in his back pocket. He and Helen have already planned their trip's activities but left a few days open for relaxation or something spontaneous, so it wouldn't hurt to take a look.

"Very well. Your room is down that hall to your left. Enjoy your stay!"

"Thanks! Or I guess I should say 'Mahalo!'"

They walk down the hallway to their room, then Max unlocks the door with the key. "I didn't expect it to be an actual, physical key. Very retro!" He swings open the door. "Wait!" he exclaims, placing his hand in front of Helen to stop her from walking in.

Confused, Helen watches as Max rolls the suitcases just inside the room. Returning to the hallway, he sweeps Helen into his arms, carrying her inside, bridal style! She's startled by Max pretending to almost drop her, and lets out a deep belly laugh. Max just beams at her, loving whenever he makes her smile!

"That's so cliche!" Helen teases, pulling his face down for a firm kiss.

"Only for you, babe!"

Max places Helen back on the floor, then they take a good look around their living space for the next twelve days. On the right is a kitchenette, complete with a sink, a stove, cooking utensils, pots and pans, a dark brown cabinet with a few dishes, and a miniature refrigerator. Hidden away in another cabinet is a stacked washer and dryer set. The rest of the room is painted off-white with light hardwood floors, giving it an airy feel. A sea blue couch and a wooden coffee table sit against the wall, facing a giant flatscreen TV, something Max and Helen don't think they'll use much, if at all. The end of the room has a wide sliding glass door that leads onto a large balcony. Wicker patio furniture and a glass table reside on the balcony, perfect for eating breakfast while enjoying the ocean view.

Through the door on the left is the bedroom, a queen-sized bed with a white bedspread in the center of the light gray carpeted floor. A smaller sliding glass door lets onto the balcony as well, bordered by grayish-blue curtains. On top of the light brown mahogany dresser is a mirror with a bamboo frame. The master bathroom is covered in speckled beige tiles, reminiscent of sand on a beach. Behind the pearly white marble double sink is a plain backlit mirror. In addition to a glass-encased shower is a jacuzzi with enough room for two people.

Max stares at it for a few seconds, smirks, slightly nods his head, and whispers to himself, "Nice!"

Helen chuckles and shakes her head at him. "Keep your dirty thoughts in check, mister. If you intend to impregnate me whilst we're here, we should probably pace ourselves so, you know, your swimmers aren't in short supply."

Max wraps her arms around Helen and pulls her close. "I think we should do it whenever the mood strikes!"

"I know, but as unsexy as it sounds, even in ideal fertility situations, these things do sometimes require a bit of planning. I brought along a few ovulation kits to give ourselves the best chance."

"Fine," he playfully grumbles with a slight pout on his lips. "Once a day should be okay, right? To replenish my supplies?"

"Ideally every other day. You should know that! You're a doctor too!" Helen teases, poking his chest.

"Hey, my specialty was infectious diseases! Not reproductive health!"

"Well, then, I regret to inform you that hot tubs are off-limits. The heat could damage or kill your specimen."

"Damn it! That would have been fun! Oh well," Max shrugs. "That shower looks pretty cool! I'd like to see your hand swipe against the steamy glass like in Titanic! It's always been a fantasy of mine!"

"Ha, oh my god!" Helen throws back her head, laughing. "Don't worry, we'll make good use of it! But right now, I need an actual shower." Even before the pandemic hit, Helen always felt the need to take a shower after riding in a plane. There's something about riding in a giant metal tube with a couple hundred strangers breathing each other's air she finds disgusting, no matter how good the staff claims the air-filtering system is.

"Okay." Max smoothes his hands down Helen's shoulders. "Just promise me that you won't let baby-making planning get in the way of us having a little fun! It's our honeymoon, we should go with the flow! We always have IVF as a backup option when we get home. That is, if my boys didn't already score the winning goal last night or this morning."

Helen holds a steady gaze with Max and lets out a deep, contemplative sigh. She'd like to not have to resort to IVF (though she knows they'll probably have to), but he has a point. That's one of the things she loves about him: he balances her out, and vice versa. "Yes, okay, you're right," she concedes, rising on her tiptoes to give his lips a quick peck. "We'll 'go with the flow.' Now, how about you go get us unpacked so I can wash up?"

Max brings Helen's hands up and gives them a kiss. "Anything for you, my beautiful wife!" He really never will get tired of calling her that!

Helen gives Max one more peck, then leads him back to the bedroom, gathers her things from her suitcase, and returns to the bathroom. She takes her time in the shower, releasing all the tensions of sitting in the uncomfortable airport waiting area and stiff plane seats for half a day. By the time she's finished, she's drowsy, beginning to feel the effects of the time difference.

Helen returns to the bedroom in her white floral print robe to find Max lying on the bed, half of his face smushed into the pillow, facing away from the door. From the look of it, he must have been too tired to settle himself under the covers.

She sits on the bed and places a hand on his shoulder. "Luv, do you want to wake up?"

"Hmm," he sleepily hums without opening his eyes. "Can we take a nap?"

Honestly, Helen could use one too. "What time are our dinner reservations?"

"Not til 6." He peeks one eye open and pats the bed. "Join me."

Helen can't argue with that. She changes into some loungewear, ties a silk scarf around her bun, and sets the timer on her phone for half an hour, certain that if they sleep any longer that they won't be able to fall asleep this evening. Settling herself under the covers, she scoots herself up next to Max.

He wiggles closer, drapes an arm across her waist, and sniffs her neck. Freshly showered with her Ocean Breeze-scented body wash, Helen smells like sea salt and her coconut lotion. "Mmm, you smell good."

Helen feels a blush creeping to her cheeks as her mouth breaks into a contented grin. "Go to sleep, husband."


5:40

"How do I look?" Helen exits the bathroom wearing a flowy maxi dress, deep green with large tropical floral print, a halter neck, and an open back. Her braids are all swept onto her right shoulder.

Max blinks rapidly and drops his jaw in stunned silence. "You look… gorgeous!" He stands up and takes Helen's hands as she strides over to him. "I don't know why you always ask me that, you always look great!"

Helen lets out an amused chuckle. "I don't know why I bother either. Your opinion is biased." She eyes his simple but sexy outfit. Max is wearing beige slacks, light brown leather loafers, and a long-sleeved white button-up shirt. The sleeves are partially rolled up, revealing the defined muscles of his arms. The top few buttons are undone, allowing some of his chest hair to peek out. Helen has to push away the mental image of Max in that shirt soaking wet, running his fingers through dripping hair. Raising an eyebrow, she slides her hands up his chest and hovers her lips over Max's. "Then again, so am I when it comes to you. You look very handsome," she adds before rising up to give him a deep, passionate kiss. Returning to her feet, Helen slides her hands down his arms and grabs his hands, then tugs the starstruck Max toward the door. "Come on, let's go."

Max drives them to town in their rented jeep (something they thought practical given the likelihood of offroading) to a restaurant with outdoor seating and an ocean view. The sun is just beginning to set, but the large patio is illuminated by tiki torches and string bulb lights. Surrounding the patio are some palm trees blowing from a light breeze. Max and Helen sit on wooden seats around a circular table with a white tablecloth. After a waiter takes their orders, Max reaches across the table and takes Helen's hands, gently rubbing the henna design with his thumbs.

"This is our first official dinner as a married couple! The airplane food last night didn't count."

"You're going to celebrate every little milestone, aren't you?" Helen teases with a playful smirk.

"Maybe… I want to give you all the firsts you never got to have. And even though I've done this all before, it still feels like the first time with you."

Helen feels butterflies erupt in her stomach. Max always knows what to say to make her feel special. "You've already given me so many firsts I haven't experienced before, like being a mum, and I'm so grateful for that! Although I have done some of these things before with Muhammad, like moving in together and getting engaged. But it all feels new and exciting with you too."

A tiny appreciative smile sneaks its way onto Max's lips, tinted with curiosity. "Can I ask, where's your favorite place you two went together?"

"Oh, erm… I haven't thought about that in a while. Let me think… probably Jamaica. We were only dating at the time, but it was pretty serious. He took me skydiving, snorkeling, and cave exploring. But by far the best part was swimming in this body of water called Luminous Lagoon. It's filled with bioluminescent plankton, so when it's dark out, it glows blue when disturbed."

"That sounds amazing!"

"Yeah, it was quite magical!" Helen muses. Even though she enjoyed her wild past, there's nowhere she'd rather be than with Max, whether that be on some tropical island or doing boring chores together. "What about you? Where did you and Georgia go for your honeymoon?"

Max lets out a sheepish chuckle. "Heh, we didn't actually go on one." Receiving a confused head tilt from Helen, he elaborates further. "I mean, we took a long weekend at home, but the wedding was in May. It was a busy season at the Chinatown clinic and Georgia was prepping a big show for the following month. We didn't really have time for a big trip. So when we decided to slow down and start trying for a baby, we took a week and went to the Bahamas. A month later, we found out we were pregnant. But you know what happened soon after that…" Max implies, thinking about how halfway through the pregnancy, he secretly took the job at New Amsterdam that would occupy far too much of his time, energy, and attention. "I feel kinda guilty. I never really prioritized her the way I should have."

"Hey," Helen places her hand on Max's cheek, stroking it with her thumb. "We've been over this. You've grown. Sure, you went about it the wrong way, but she forgave you. I was there when she told us that running New Amsterdam was what you needed to get you through your cancer treatment."

Helen thinks back to that day Max had stopped breathing and collapsed at Cold Spring, the first time she realized how much he meant to her. She knew he was more than a friend, but she couldn't quite put a label on it yet. Helen was so relieved to hear that Max had woken up, and wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him. She would have too had Georgia not been lying with her head on his chest with silent tears streaking her face. Probably for the best.

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, Helen brings her hand down to Max's forearm, casually stroking it. "And you've done nothing but prioritize me and Luna since. So don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"

Ardently gazing into her eyes, Max brings Helen's hand up to his cheek again and kisses her palm. "I love you."


Monday, January 16th, 5:30 a.m.

"Helen! Helen, wake up!" Max quietly exclaims, shaking her shoulder.

"Mmm, go away," she mumbles, rolling over and pulling the covers over her head.

"Helen! You gotta come see the stars with me! They're amazing!"

She still doesn't budge, then panic sets in upon feeling Max tickling her waist through the covers.

"No! Stop it! Get off me!" Helen squirms onto her back, unsuccessfully trying to push Max's hands away. "Okay, okay!" she concedes, thankful for her personal space back. Sitting up, she glares at Max's smug face. "You're lucky I didn't elbow you!"

"Violent woman!" he teases, tugging her hands as she swings her feet to the floor. Max guides her onto the balcony, wrapping his arms around her as she leans into his back. "Look! You can see the Milky Way!"

Helen closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Max, I love your enthusiasm, but could you please bring it down a level or two? It's far too early for that much energy."

"Sorry," he whispers against her temple, giving it a quick peck.

Helen rubs the sleep from her eyes, letting them fully adjust to the view of the sky. A plethora of stars fills the vast open blanket of darkness, many more than she's accustomed to seeing. "Wow! The view here is so much better than in New York without all the light pollution."

"Yeah. There's so many, it's hard to pick out the constellations." Max rubs Helen's shoulders, then wraps his arms around her as she grips onto his hand. "Hey, how about we go stargazing from the beach? We can bring some blankets, one to lay on and one to keep us warm. Maybe we can stay up and watch the sunrise too. And then that'll give us an extra early start on today's adventure."

Helen ponders the offer. Last night, she and Max had intentionally stayed up as late as they could to get themselves adjusted to the time difference, but she probably wouldn't be able to fall back asleep right now anyway. If they're going to watch the sunrise while they're here, it may as well be when their bodies are still a few hours ahead. "That sounds nice."

Max and Helen each grab a blanket and stroll onto the beach. Settling themselves onto the soft sandy ground, they cozy up to each other and relax to the sound of the waves. Max drapes his arm around Helen and absentmindedly strokes her shoulder. For the most part, they're quiet, occasionally pointing out when they find a discernible constellation, planets, or see a shooting star.

Space is so big and never-ending, so much unknown. It's one of those things that hurts Helen's head if she thinks about it too much. "Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever feel like… like there's more out there? I mean, I know we say the universe brought us together, but do you think there's some sort of higher power in charge of all this?"

Max shrugs a little. Being a man of science has taught him to think rationally. But he recalls that day nearly three years ago when a church group sat in the atrium of New Amsterdam and simply prayed. Too many weird and miraculous things had happened that day to simply be a coincidence. "I don't know. Gwen and Calvin are sporadic churchgoers, but for a long time, I didn't let myself think about it too much. Mostly in part because if there is a god, then that means he, or she," he adds, getting a silent smirk from Helen, "made me get cancer and let my sister and Georgia die. But, I mean, looking back on it now, I think part of the reason all those things happened was so I could find you. So who knows, maybe there is a higher power, some god that orchestrated all this."

Helen hasn't allowed herself to think much about the issue either, being in the world of Oncology. How can a god who claims to be good allow so much suffering and death? But she most certainly has seen the good within horrible situations, better views indeed.

"Helen?"

"Yes, luv?"

"So, uh, not sure how I've never asked you this, but where did the persona of Dr. Helen come from?"

"Oh, it's a bit of a long story."

"I wanna know everything about you! We've got nothing but time."

Helen rotates a little, draping her arm on Max's chest to keep warm. "Okay, so you already know that New Amsterdam was not my first place of employment upon moving to New York. I did my residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, so by the time I became department chair at New Amsterdam, I had already built a reputation for myself in the world of Oncology. A few months after Muhammad died, Brantley could tell my heart wasn't really in my work and suggested I take a sabbatical, but I wanted to stay busy to keep my mind off of things. So I offered to do some promotional work instead whilst Castro held down the fort at New Amsterdam. My first interview took off like wildfire. Karen thinks it was because you Americans were charmed by my accent," she teases.

"What can I say! British accents are sexy!"

"Shortly after my first interview went viral, we got a call from Oprah saying they wanted to have me on her show as well. So I suppose that's how the Dr. Helen persona came about, and it just snowballed from there. I spent months at a time on the road except for a short period when I had to let Valentina go. That was probably a month before you and I met."

Max will always be appreciative that Helen groveled through an awkward situation to bring Valentina back for him. "Well, even though it was a sad reason that you created Dr. Helen, I think she's pretty hot! She's smart, sexy, and knows how to control a room!"

"You most certainly like a woman in charge!"

"That I do!"

As the minutes pass, stars slowly disappear, replaced by the edge of the horizon lightening with the approaching sun. Max and Helen sit up, her between his legs leaning back into his chest. The sky looks like a painting, colors of pinks, purples, and oranges swirling around a blue canvas. Peeking through a thin wisp of clouds, the sun breaks through the surface of the ocean, bringing the start of a new day, a new adventure.

Helen pulls Max's arms around her. "I don't stop often enough to fully appreciate a sunrise. It's so beautiful."

Max squeezes Helen extra tight, kissing the back of her head. "Not as beautiful as you."


3:30 p.m.

Max and Helen spend the day exploring the Road to Hana trail, driving the trip counterclockwise. On one of their last hikes, they walk side by side up a path, enjoying the view of the bamboo and the warm breeze surrounding them.

Max is in the middle of a long-winded story about his childhood. "So the summer before Luna and I turned eight, we were at our neighbor's Fourth of July barbecue. They had this awesome Slip-n-Slide and always rented a bouncy house. And I was already a hyper kid, but my parents were convinced that anything with red food dye would just make me more hyper. At some point after we ate lunch, the mom offered all of us kids freezy pops. I looked over at my parents and saw they weren't watching, so I took a red one."

Helen gasps in playful indignation. "You didn't!"

"That I did! Luna told me not to, the goody-two-shoes! And I don't know if it was a placebo effect or just the fact that I already had a lot of sugar that day, but I was bouncing off the walls! Needless to say, my parents were furious, they banned me from having anything with sugar for a week!"

"Oh my god, Max! You little rebel!" Helen laughs. "You and I were very different children!"

"Alright, your turn. Tell me something I don't know about little Helen."

Helen thinks back to when she was a child. "Hmm, well, from an early age, I was a perfectionist and a rule follower. My room was always tidy and Mum used to tell me how even as a child, I would make sure that the blankets on my bed were perfectly smooth, not a wrinkle in sight."

"Ha! Why does that not surprise me?"

"If I recall correctly, I never even broke curfew whilst living at home. It wasn't until my early twenties during uni that I went through my rebellious phase."

A mile into their hike, the path ahead of them becomes rocky, water flowing all around their feet as they prepare to cross a river.

Max leads the way, testing out the stability of the rocks. "Hey, be careful up here. It's pretty slippery."

"Max, I'm accustomed to wearing heels to work every day, I think I can handle it."

"Good, because I'm not carrying you back," he half teases.

Nestled in the cove up ahead is a narrow but tall waterfall, roughly one hundred feet in height. The sun is shining through, making a rainbow in the mist. The waterfall cascades down the cliff into a giant pool of greenish-blue water with rocks surrounding it.

"This is gorgeous!" Spotting movement in her peripheral vision, Helen turns her head to see a now shirtless Max pulling down his pants, underwear and all. "Max! What on earth are you doing?!"

"What? The parking lot was empty, and there's nobody else here! Someone on the internet said this is a great place for skinny dipping! You should join me!"

Helen stares at him in shock, now butt-naked with the exception of his water-resistant hiking sandals.

"You'll regret it if you don't!" he tries to entice her while backing into the water. "Show me a bit of that Wild Helen I've heard so much about!" Max dives into the water, offering Helen a nice view of his sculpted buttocks before completely submerging. A few seconds later, he resurfaces a few feet further than when he entered, hooting and hollering while running his hands through his wet hair. "Come on! The water's great!"

The image of him standing there, the water barely covering his groin, is almost too much for Helen to handle. Resolving herself to get in, she looks behind her to make sure no one is coming up the path. She removes all of her clothes except her hiking sandals, carefully placing them on a large dry rock so they don't get lost or wet, and wades into the water.

"Yes! That's my wife!" Max cheers out, fists pumped into the air.

"You lied! The water is freezing!" Helen complains while wrapping her arms around herself, the water now reaching her mid-thighs.

"You just gotta get it over with and dive in!"

Helen can't make herself move any further, but Max trudges through the water toward her, a mischievous grin on his face. She starts to run away, but she doesn't make it very far before he sweeps her in his arms bridal style.

"Max, put me down!" she giggles, arms holding onto his neck with no actual intent of stopping him.

Max gets waist-deep into the water before plunging both himself and Helen below the surface, letting go of her so she can swim next to him. Rising back into the air, Helen shoves some water at him, splashing him in the face as she swims deeper into the pool.

"Oh no, you don't!" Max chases after Helen and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest as the roar of the waterfall deafens their laughter.

Helen is trembling, not sure if it's from the chill of the water or adrenaline. She turns around and wraps her arms around Max's neck. His hands cling to her, wrapped around her body as her tongue explores his mouth. She's so soft, yet strong, so beautiful, pliable and melting at his touch! Swimming here completely naked amongst the lush green forest, Max feels like he and Helen are Adam and Eve in their very own Garden of Eden, except she's his version of heaven!

Out of nowhere, Helen pulls her face away and pushes down on Max's head, shoving him into the water. He takes a deep breath just in time. As he rises up out of the water, Max skims his face up Helen's body, dragging his nose and lips along her inner breasts before resurfacing. Helen grips onto Max's head, keeping it firmly in place against her chest as he stands, the water just reaching his armpits. He moves his mouth to her left nipple, licking and tugging at it as she arches her back. Helen tries to wrap her legs around him, but Max pushes her away, coming to his senses, putting a little distance between them.

"Sorry, I… We shouldn't go any further, or I don't think I'll be able to stop." He looks all hot and bothered, running his fingers through his hair, then soothing his flushed neck. "As tempting as it is, having sex in here isn't the best idea. Regardless of the chance someone will come up here, medically speaking, it's not exactly sanitary with all the natural bacteria, plus the water might dry you out down there."

Helen sultrily swims closer to Max, looking eerily like a mermaid. She grips her arms around his head and presses her breasts to his upper chest. Lightly dragging her nails along his scalp, Helen hovers her lips over his. Her breath against his face makes Max shudder in anticipation. She knows what she's doing, the bloody siren, taking full advantage of her control over him!

"Then we'd best get back to our hotel in a timely manner so we can make use of that shower."