He had to go search for Joss, and it had been surprisingly easy to find her. Not a single soul was on the beach which was shocking since he had figured everyone would be beach dwelling for the next eight hours or so. The beach was beautiful and rich; the sand was soft and smooth, and the water looked so clear that he could see the aquatic life beneath easily. But his eyes had not moved away from the sight to behold: Joss, sitting in the middle of the empty beach alone, looking like a Siren. No, much more like a goddess that beckoned him. She sat on a red beach towel in her skimpy and extremely sexy bikini. He longed for his skin to graze hers, to feel her beneath him, be inside her, and be joined intimately.
John told himself to cool his jets. She had a lot to take in and she probably had a lot of questions that he needed to answer; besides they were on a public beach even if it was uncharacteristically empty of any other human life besides him and Joss. He couldn't have her even if his cock was hardening at the sight of her, finding nothing wrong with where they were or the minor obstacles in his path to Joss.
She looked up as if she felt his steady gaze on her and her lips parted in surprise before they tilted up into a shy smile as she watched him cross the beach towards her. He had tugged on simple black swim trunks and flip-flops, and nothing else.
Joss scooted over to make room for him on her towel, patting it beside her. It was all the invitation he needed as he sat down beside her. "I didn't think I'd see you so soon," she admitted gently.
"Why not?—even spending one more minute from you seemed too long," he said as he took a deep inhalation of her sweet Jasmin scent.
She shrugged, looking sad. "You stayed away this long; I figured you'd wait and let me come search for you."
He bumped his shoulder to hers. "I wanted to come find you."
"Why didn't you, John? Why didn't you come back to see me?" she asked.
He looked away, peering out to the beautiful ocean. "I figured you had moved on and I couldn't bear to see you with another man because it took me so long to be ready for something again," he murmured. "I let Jessica go and had to watch her with another man…I didn't think I could handle it with you. With Jessica it was different because I knew it was for the best for the both of us, but I know if I saw you with another man I would have done something I wouldn't be proud of."
John felt a soft touch of her fingers on his cheek pulling his gaze to her. "We're here now," she purred as her fingers traced his jawline, creating sparks of heat wherever she touched him. His eyes drifted down from her doe eyes to her mouth that upturned into a dazzling smile as her body inched closer, her tongue darting out to lick her lips and he groaned, tugging his gaze off those sinful lips that he wanted to devour to land them back on her eyes.
He tried to focus on their conversation and not the growing urge to kiss her and never stop. John searched her gaze. "Are you saying you can forgive me for staying away for so long?" he questioned, scared of her answer; scared she didn't want him and that the kiss they shared in his cabin was all one sided and he conjured up all the passion she had showed him.
"I'm saying I really need you to kiss me now."
John was only happy to oblige even though she didn't offer any answers as he leaned over and kissed her gently, tenderly, meaning to just brush his lips against hers. But hers were so soft and her response was so palpable that he deepened the kiss at once. Tenderness faded as her lips demanded more from him which he readily gave as their need for each other threatened to consume them both. He reached a hand back and cupped her neck as he slanted his head and coaxed her lips apart. She immediately responded with a soft sigh as her lips parted for him and he slipped his tongue deep inside. His tongue rubbed across hers. He shifted and leaned closer to her, needing to be closer to her. Soon he was pushing her onto her back and he followed her down on top of her.
The kiss ended when she broke free to moan his name as his hardness pressed at her center, the thin fabric of their swimsuits were the only barriers between them.
"Tell me you want me still, Joss," he begged as he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head into the sand, eyes boring into hers.
"I want you, John."
John made a rough sound that he couldn't identify as he let go of her hands leaning back a little and immediately pushed her top down so her breasts spilled out for him to lavish and pleasure. He opened his mouth wide, taking as much as he could of one, and sucked.
"JOHN!" she moaned loudly as her back arched, as he felt her legs spread and she scored his back with her nails and he could feel sand that clung to her hands adding an extra abrasive feel, sending shivers up and down his back.
He allowed his tongue to swirl and wash over her tight nipple while his hands roamed her body to reacquaint himself with it. He grunted when he tugged at her bottoms.
"John," she moaned as he pulled back, removing the appalling scrap of material, leaving Joss completely naked to him. Her breasts out of the bikini top with nipples tight with need and her glistening sex exposed to him and beckoned him to suck on her until she was coming again and again.
"I've missed you Joss, you don't know how much," he whispered unevenly as he crouched down between her legs, spreading her for him, and inhaled her sex.
"JOHN WAKE THE FUCK UP!"
John let out an angry shout as his eyes snapped open the immediate moment something ice cold splashed across his face. Shaw jumped back as he sat up fiercely and quickly.
He sputtered before he rubbed a hand over his face to rub the water away. "Shaw," he threatened.
"I tried the nice way once, that's more than anyone else would get," Shaw said with a shrug, drinking the rest of the cold bottle of ice water. She let out a loud and satisfied 'Ah' of contentment before motioning at his crotch where his boxer-briefs were tented up. "So you were dreaming of that chick huh?—so who the hell is she?!"
John ignored her and the same old tired question she kept asking as he got to his feet. He had slept on the couch. It was uncomfortable since he was six foot two and his legs hung over the arm rest; but sleeping in the bed with Shaw even with her under the covers and him on top wasn't happening in this lifetime. Bad enough he had endured the worst kiss in his life with her, he wasn't going two for two on things he never wanted to experience.
Shaw bounced on the bed, smirking.
"Tonight is your night to occupy the couch or floor. And with the fact that a gnat is bigger than you, you'll get more rest than me!" he commented, not making eye contact with her.
"At least you won't deny it," Shaw said with her usual smirk, not biting at the obvious ploy to get her pissed.
He exhaled as he looked at her. "There is nothing to deny; I can't, because you'll just point out my erection." he stated, leaving off painful. "Yes, I dreamt about Joss, can we drop it?"
"Did I wake you up before you got to the good part which could explain why you're so grouchy?" she wondered and he glared at her. "Yep, woke you up before you got to bang her." she snickered as she bounced off the bed. "Well, go take care of it in the shower because we need to get close to Selma and Nigel. I can't have them seeing you like that, Selma might think I'm not satisfying you in bed!"
"Yes, can't upset your fragile ego Shaw."
"No, if I have to be a lame housewife then at least I have to be the best sex you ever had," she said and watched as Reese got lost in thought. Ugh. He was thinking about that chick again, wasn't he!? "Literally, go fuck yourself so you can get your mind back on the case, Reese."
He glowered at her again and was ready to throw her ass out of their cabin regardless of the fact that they were posing as newlyweds or not. But when a knock sounded he rolled his eyes when Shaw's lit up as she ran for the door. He turned to go take a shower as she opened the door for room service. He was actually going to take Shaw's advice because he needed to relieve the tension swirling in his loins or he wasn't ever going to focus on his case, which never happened to him before.
"I wanna go swimming Mommy!" Maddie announced as she hopped on the beach eyeballing the ocean with big round eyes. With them docking at eight o'clock sharp this morning for the Cococay Bahamas she had gotten her baby up at seven so they could get some breakfast in before they had a day of swimming and fun at the beach. Don had come in with the fresh fruit platter and the Daily bulletin. It was now obvious that he wasn't a butler simply because he was terrible at it. But she didn't want him to know she knew the truth because he looked like a stickler for the rules and she wasn't about to get John in trouble for trusting in her with the truth. Her baby was nearly vibrating with excitement, drawing her thoughts back to where she was currently. "Please, please, please, please, pleassssssse!" Maddie chanted over and over again.
"I know sweet-pea, but arms out," Joss instructed and Maddie turned to look back at her and immediately held out her arms. Joss had taken a moment to put sunscreen on them both; while they wouldn't burn like lighter skin people, sun was not good for anyone's skin.
Joss worked the arm floaties up her baby girl's arms and once they were in place Joss got to her feet much to Maddie's delight and they walked hand in hand to the ocean. "Mommy look!" she squealed as she saw seashells on the shoreline.
"Yea, they're pretty!"
Maddie grinned as she looked up at mommy. "Pretty like mommy."
Joss picked up Maddie into her arms and gave her dozens of kisses on her face and neck as Maddie squirmed and laughed. "Pretty like Maddie," Joss announced to the world as she hugged her daughter before setting her back on her feet. "How about we swim a little, then we'll collect some seashells before we go snorkeling." Joss suggested to her baby girl.
Maddie had no objections. Snorkeling wouldn't start until ten in the morning which she knew her and her daughter would enjoy. They were going to love to watch the aquatic life. Joss was still debating on whether or not to get Maddie a pet. Maybe they'd start off with a fish or two so she could teach her daughter on how to take care of a pet, and if it worked out then they could work their way up to something bigger.
Joss yawned heavily. She didn't sleep well at all last night. After her call with Grace she had been even more wide awake, so she had watched some TV while resting on the couch trying to relax. But her mind drifted onto John, not paying the movie any attention. That had been an utter mistake because her mind didn't drift to the things that needed to be said, no her mind drifted right to the great sex they had and how she wanted it again.
Joss had taken matters into her own hand last night when her carnal thoughts had heightened her need so much that it was either relieve the ache between her legs or she would never have gotten any sleep. And she needed a little rest as this was supposed to be a damn vacation! So she had slid a hand under her pajama shorts finding herself extremely wet with her lusty thoughts about John and his glorious body and stroked herself while lost in thoughts of what they did together. The fabric of his dress shirt she slept in had rubbed her very erect nipples causing her to remember when he had made her come as he rubbed against her bare chest while fully clothed. Joss had moved restlessly on the couch, her legs spreading wider as she got lost in the memory of John's heavy body weighing her down as his large bulge pressed against her intimately. And soon it wasn't her hand stroking her, it was John's, and her hips had jerked off the couch seeking a touch that was nothing more than memory and longing and after an embarrassing few short minutes, her climax rushed her with John's name torn from her throat softly, so as not to wake her sleeping daughter. And when she opened her eyes as the last tremors faded from the orgasm that she thought would sate her, she was disappointed instead because it had been her hand touching her and not John's.
Joss had lied on the couch, movie still playing but unseen by her, breathing heavy and more wound up than before because it wasn't enough and it certainly didn't satisfy the rapacious need she had. Her fingers weren't what she wanted, not when her body craved his or his mouth, either/or, at this point she wasn't picky and John was the only man she ever had and ever would want to have go down on her. She had turned the TV off and crawled into bed and willed herself to sleep.
All she would have for now was memories of their night as they figured things out. They had to talk and once they got that out of the way they could finally pick up where they left off as she had dreamt of for so long. She just needed some answers and then to jump over the hurdle of the fact that he has a daughter. But she shelved those thoughts away, focusing on playing and enjoying time with her daughter as she swam with Maddie in the ocean feeling the saltwater cling to their skin. They were definitely getting showers and, for Maddie, a bath before she took Maddie to the Fun Factory which were having swimming games on the pool deck from 3-5 and while Maddie was participating, Joss was going to go find John and have that talk.
John sat at one of the distant lounge chairs up at the pool deck. In one pool were tons of young children playing games with crew members obviously running the thing and in the other pool were a bunch of adults including Nigel Wixom playing water volleyball. Selma was lounging near the poolside and was sun-bathing. Shaw waltzed over to Selma in her black bikini and settled into the lounge chair next to hers. He refused to get into the pool even if he did enjoy swimming. He couldn't prevent something bad from happening if he was playing water volleyball, preferring to sit and watch. Donnelly had been in their stateroom watching the footage of Selma and Nigel's room on his break to keep an eye on their room so nothing fishy happened while they were out. They disconnected with him when he had to get back to his cover job.
But being alone allowed him a chance to think and his thoughts were, not surprisingly, on Joss again and what he wanted to say to her. Well, he hadn't fully figured out what to say to her yet. He wasn't very good at vocalizing how he felt and knew he was going to flounder during their talk but he was going to try. John just hoped Joss was a patient woman and give him a chance to explain.
But for some reason he kept circling back to the woman he had thought was Joss from behind before figuring it wasn't her. He was confused. His body knew that it was Joss…even before he knew she was on the ship, but she had a little girl by her side. He didn't see the little girl very well so he had no idea how old the child was. Adults blocked his view of her but he knew Joss had held her hand from the little he saw. So did that mean during the five years she had met someone and a daughter? John felt an intense wave of jealousy of some faceless man that had brought Joss pleasure, which was idiotic as they haven't seen each other in near five years, hell it would be five years in another eleven days so he didn't expect her to be celibate. It wasn't fair too. He hadn't, not with his two ill-fated nights of passion that resulted in stale sex that did nothing for him but get him empty release after resorting to conjuring Joss up to even get that. He had realized after the miserable attempt with Iris that Joss had ruined him and he just turned to taking matters into his own hands. It wasn't as satisfying, but it was better than leading a woman on when they weren't ever going to compare to Joss.
He climbed to his feet to go sit with Shaw and Selma to get away from his thoughts. There was no telling if Joss had another child since their night or not; and perhaps that woman truly wasn't Joss. Or maybe the woman he thought was Joss was actually Joss but the child wasn't hers but a friend's. He didn't know if she wasn't vacationing with friends or family. They hadn't talked much. John sighed as he refused to let himself blush over the fact that the reason they hadn't talked much was due to him, especially not with the fact he was going to go sit with Selma and Shaw.
"Hey John!" Selma greeted happily as he took a seat beside hers so that Shaw was on one side and he was on the other, just in case of any potential threat that could try to brazenly come after her out in the open.
He smiled. "Hey Selma,"
"I just love your wife," she said with a large genuine smile.
John hid his disbelief. "I'm glad someone does," he muttered under his breath, so quietly so neither woman heard him. He listened as Shaw worked Selma for more information as he leaned back to relax on the ivory colored lounge-chair. His eyes were drawn to the kids when he heard laughter and squeals of excitement.
He smiled as he watched them play. He always wanted a child of his own but that was one wish that wasn't ever going to come true, he accepted that a few years ago. He enjoyed being godfather and adopted Uncle to Leila. It would be enough because it had to be. His eyes found a cute little girl with light brown skin, and braids in her thick dark hair, wearing a hot pink one-piece with ruffles and little purple arm floaties on her long arms. She was cute as she bounced and laughing the loudest and John smiled as her laughter was contagious. She was standing near the pool side as other kids were doing belly flops. It appeared the game was to have the best belly flop.
John turned to look at the ladies, seeing them amused as they watched him. "He sure loves practicing for babies!" Shaw stated which earned a giggle out of Selma.
He narrowed his eyes on the ladies and realized they were laughing at him and he knew it was Shaw's doing. "Darling, perhaps I don't want to just practice anymore," he murmured, putting on his best serious face. Shaw's laughter immediately stopped. "Maybe we should try to have a baby," he suggested and grinned evilly as Shaw's face went pale before she covered it up. "Just think of the morning sickness, of adding on some weight and needing to buy maternity clothes, and an eight to ten pound baby being pushed out of your…"
"So Selma, when are you and Nigel having kids?—when you're not making fat old men with small penises cry from caring more about the environment than their wallets?" Shaw asked over him, steering the conversation away from babies. She got the memo.
John mutely listened as Shaw got Selma to talk once more and not realize she did most of the talking while they listened.
John looked back to the kids playing and his eyes found the little girl with the infectious laugh and he immediately sat up when he saw her dance as it was close to her turn and she slipped from water on the side of the pool and fell hard drawing a sharp cry of pain from the little girl.
He got up and hurried to her as she started to cry. Her tears tugged at him more so than any normal child if they had fallen which he didn't quite understand, maybe it was because just a few seconds ago she looked so happy. The crew members were in the water with the other children.
"Hey honey, are you hurt?" he murmured as he crouched down near the little girl, checking her over, making sure she didn't break anything. He sighed with relief when he saw that she hadn't.
She cried as she looked up at him and he was startled by her pale piercing blue eyes. "I fell," she answered as if he didn't see that, more tears spilling out of those large eyes that tugged at him again.
"Is she alright?" a woman asked, causing John to look up and see one of the crew members standing there in a black one-piece looking worried.
"I think so. She slipped and fell," John murmured as he helped the little girl up, still kneeling in front of her. She was still crying and pulled her arm away from the crew member who was trying to turn her towards her. "What's your name sweetie?" John asked warmly with a soft smile as he realized she was still holding his hand. Her hand was so tiny in his.
"Maddie," she answered quietly, still with tears running down her little cheeks as she wiggled with brows crunched down due to the pain from her fall.
"What a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl," he said and he saw a tiny smile on the child's face as she looked at him.
"My mommy's pretty."
"I bet she is," John agreed readily. "I'm John."
"You got blue eyes like me," Maddie stated in between sniffles.
"I do, but mine aren't as pretty as yours."
She giggled. "Yea they are," she said shyly as she pointed at them.
"They are," the woman crew member sighed and John ignored her, keeping focused on the cute little girl in front of him.
"Nope," he countered.
"Uh-huh!" Maddie said as her face lightened up and the tears were slowing down.
"Nu-uh," he argued wanting her to forget about her slip and fall.
"UH-HUH!" she said louder with laughter.
He held out his one hand. "Okay, okay you win, I learned that you never fight with a beautiful lady!" he said as he bowed out. Maddie grinned triumphantly as her tears were all but forgotten. "How old are you?"
"Four, I'll be five on my birthday!" she announced proudly and John bit the inside of his cheek to keep for laughing.
"Four almost five!" he pretended to be shocked. "Well now you're a big girl aren't you?"
"Yep," she agreed.
"I have a sweet goddaughter close to your age and whenever she gets ouchies, do you know what I do for her?" he asked gently.
"No?"
He smiled at her. "I steal her pain."
The little girl tilted her head back and her mouth formed the cutest little 'O' he ever seen. God this little girl was stealing his heart. "How?" she wondered in awe.
"With a hug," he said as he spread his arms wide.
The little girl threw her arms around his neck and he hugged her. The crew member smiled before John broke apart from her, feeling the little arms cling to him. "You feel better?" he asked as he looked her in those mirroring blue eyes. He swallowed hard as they really did look like his. He shook himself, he was seeing things because he was surprised by the fact that this little girl, who was clearly bi-racial, had blue eyes when he was assuming she would have dark eyes.
"YES!"
"Just be very careful at the pool side, it can get really slippery," he admonished gently as he got to his feet.
"Ok."
"You're really good with her." the lady murmured. John shrugged. And the woman looked at Maddie. "Maddie, are you ready to go take your turn and try to make the biggest and best belly flop?" the crew lady asked gently.
The little girl nodded but glanced at him one last time before walking hand in hand with the lady.
John turned and proceeded to walk back to Shaw and Selma, seeing they were watching him but his eyes found Joss who was sitting off in the distance at one of the lounge chairs underneath a canopy. He stopped mid-stride and was struck by her as she was wearing shorts and a pink tank top. She could wear a potato sack and she'd be the most beautiful woman in the world.
Selma and Shaw glanced to see what he was staring at, making him realize he hadn't hid his reaction as well as he should have. "Oh, it's Joss, she's our neighbor in the Royal Suites! Hey, Joss, over here!" Selma called out with a grin as she waved her over.
Joss wasn't prepared. She had gone to John's cabin to see if he was there while her baby was playing in the swimming events in the Fun Factory. She wanted to see if they could head to a restaurant for a little while and talk. But when she got to his cabin, there had been no answer and Joss left dejectedly. She knew he was working but she had been hoping to catch him there…alone. She knew she said later, after they left port, but still she had hoped.
So she had given up and decided to head up to the pool deck to watch her baby play with the other kiddies. But what she hadn't anticipated to find when arriving was John crouched down near their daughter and talking with her. She didn't know what happened but her daughter's face had lit up while with him. Her breath caught as she fought the burning sensations at the backs of her eyes as tears loomed on the horizon as she watched her daughter throw her arms around him. It was truly a sight to behold and something she had wanted for so long and had given up any hope of seeing. Joss barely contained herself from heading straight over there and telling them both the truth that they were father and daughter.
Now she was struck because John turned as their daughter walked off with the crew member to go continue to play, constantly giving John a backwards glance, and John found her off in the distance. It was as if their eyes would find each other if there were a million people in their way. And John looked downright sinful in just a wife-beater with water making it cling to his flat stomach from the hug he received from their daughter, flip-flops, and black swim trunks. His arms were defined and muscular and he was already tanning from the sun. Her eyes raked over him freely as he stood stone still in front of her.
Her eyes managed to pull free of him and saw Selma waving her over, with his partner Shaw beside her. Oh god, their target was her next door neighbor in the Royal Suites which meant she had to play pretend here too. She slowly rose to her feet and pasted on a blinding smile that she wasn't feeling, how was she ever going to pretend that she didn't know John? She could pretend, but this might be asking too much; she wasn't an Oscar Nominee or a Golden Globe Winner or something like that.
"Hi Selma, and…" Joss began but trailed off unsure of what to call Shaw. She didn't know their cover names. Hell she didn't even know what to call the woman not in cover.
"Sam!" she announced sounding completely different than when she had met with her just yesterday. The woman was clearly in cover which meant she couldn't be crude or downright rude. "This is my husband, John," Shaw made the introductions.
Joss still felt the claws of jealousy at that statement, even knowing it was just a cover and judging by the look she was getting from his partner, the decidedly evil brunette, knew it needled her. But she covered how she felt as she looked at John and watched as his expression went carefully blank as he held out his hand.
"It's nice to meet you…" he started playing his part.
"Joss," she said as she took his hand with hers and tried to ignore the surge of heat as the simple touch but couldn't. She shivered as his long fingers teased the inside of her wrist and she wanted him to touch her someplace else entirely, and pretty soon they were just holding hands until they both realized it and dropped each other's hands instantly.
John turned to look away from Joss before he did something really bad and kissed her in front of Selma and Shaw which would blow their cover. "So Sam, sweetie, are you ready to head back to the cabin?" he asked flustered.
"Oh, we both know what you want." Shaw said with a smirk as she got to her feet.
John exhaled in aggravation. "MOMMY!" John turned and saw the cute little girl that he helped was running full steam ahead and directly at Joss with a beach towel flowing behind her.
"Baby, no running by the pools!" she said fiercely and Maddie immediately stopped as she crouched down to welcome the hug as her daughter now slowly approached.
"I fell and got an ouchy and that man stole my pain, mommy! He's like a 'gician!" Maddie said as she pulled out of the hug and pointed at John. Joss risked a look at him and he was staring at her in shock.
"You mean magician?" she corrected.
"Yea! And he's got blue eyes like me, mommy!" Maddie said as she looked at John with a large smile and Joss knew they were in deep trouble because her daughter felt the connection; the father-daughter connection, whether her daughter realized it or not.
"S-she said she's four going on five, Joss, when's her birthday?" he demanded desperately sounding winded.
Joss eyed him. "She is, her birthday is in December." she answered honestly and wished this wasn't the way he was going to find out he had a daughter. She wanted to sit him down and tell him the truth but there was no going back now. There was no pleading with him to come with her someplace to talk alone because Maddie would want to come along and she needed to find out what John felt before telling her daughter that the man who stole her pain, the man that she considered a magician, was her father. Because her daughter would never give him up.
John's eyes widened and she watched as he did the math in his head, his partner looked confused, and Selma was preoccupied with her husband who approached them with water dripping and the two were giggling at each other only like newlyweds could. Then the realization burned in John's eyes that mirrored their daughter's as they fell to Maddie and he couldn't say a word because he couldn't blow his cover.
AN: Hmmmm, why do I feel like there are sharp objects pointed in my direction for ending it here? And in case you guys didn't know the beginning part was a dream sequence that I wanted to surprise you guys with, since I knew how this chapter was going to end. Yep I'm bribing you guys with a hint of sexy Careese times. Next chapter:
Ch 8: Our Little Dilemma
I had a way better title for next chapter but the stupid character limit killed it :'( Thanks for reading!
