Chapter Sixteen

The fireworks came to an end and Charlie remained in Joey's arms, a dreamy smile on her face. Joey leant over her, stroking her cheek and gazing at her closed eyes, willing them to open so that she could see how pretty and blue they were. As if knowing she was being watched, Charlie's eyes fluttered open and she blushed at the way Joey was looking at her.

"This has been the best date I have ever been on," she decided.

Joey smiled and kissed her softly on the lips.

"It's not over yet," she reminded her.

"It's not?"

"Well, for starters, we have dessert to eat," Joey said.

She gently pulled Charlie to her feet and instructed her to sit back at the table. Then she ducked downstairs to prepare a honeycomb sundae she had bought all the ingredients for the previous day.

"Wow!" Charlie said, when she appeared with two glasses of ice cream.

"I know you have a honeycomb fetish," Joey recalled. "So I thought I'd take advantage."

"You can take advantage as much as you like," Charlie assured her.

Joey matched Charlie's own wicked grin as they sat down to eat together.

An hour later, with the sky getting darker, Charlie and Joey were back on the cushions, holding hands. Joey traced patterns over Charlie's skin with her fingertips, making them both tingle. Charlie smiled and closed her eyes. She smiled more when Joey leant down to kiss her. Immediately, they became more passionate. Joey moved to lie on top of Charlie while she reined kisses down on her neck and shoulder. Charlie moaned as she felt Joey run her hands expertly all over her body. Her breathing became laboured as her excitement grew. She couldn't express how happy she was that she had been granted a second chance with the woman of her dreams.

"It's a really shame we have that no sex rule," Joey murmured against her neck.

"Well, technically the date competition is redundant so the rule is totally invalid," Charlie replied.

Joey shifted to look at her, a naughty smile on her face.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" she teased.

"No, I'm giving you permission to seduce me," Charlie replied.

Joey kissed her again before drawing away. Charlie pouted at the lack of contact but followed suit and got to her feet. Joey dashed away for a moment and returned with her iPod and some speakers.

"Dance with me?" she requested.

Charlie smiled as the same song by Blanche Dubois came on, the same song that had led to an almost kiss between them, right here on this very same boat. This time, Charlie offered no hesitation. She took Joey into her arms and held her close. She rested her head on Joey's shoulder and left no air between their bodies. Joey held onto Charlie, stroking her back and kissing the top of her head. Neither of them had been this happy in a long time. Nothing had ever felt more right than to be together.

After the dance they had missed out on the first time around, Charlie and Joey retired back to the cushions.

"So, um… this date…" Charlie ventured.

Joey nodded, offering her rapt attention.

"Does this mean we're back together?"

"Do you want to be back together?" Joey asked.

"Yes," Charlie replied without hesitation.

"Then we are," Joey decided.

She smiled and kissed her, wrapping her arms around her and guiding her onto her back.

"Can I start seducing you now?" Joey whispered.

Her palm rested on Charlie's right breast and she could feel her standing to attention through the thin fabric of the dress and no bra. She slipped her thigh between Charlie's legs, allowing her dress to ride up. She pressed her lips against the pulse point in her neck.

"I really wish you would," Charlie breathed.

Needing no further encouragement, Joey guided Charlie into a sitting position, reaching swiftly behind her in order to undo her zip at the back. Charlie shifted and put her arms up so that Joey could swiftly remove her main item of clothing.

Straddling Charlie's narrow hips, Joey dumped the dress beside them and gazed longingly at her girlfriend's body.

"Wow," she murmured. "You're even more beautiful than I remembered."

She looked into Charlie's eyes and offered a cheeky smile.

"And I remembered in graphic detail," she added.

Charlie laughed and blushed all at the same time. She closed her eyes and leant back as Joey lowered her mouth to her breast, using her lips, tongue and fingers to tease her. Charlie felt a flood of excitement rush through her. She closed her eyes to the sky as she savoured Joey's every touch. Joey kissed her breasts and every surface of her skin in great detail, as if attempting to commit her body to memory all over again.

"I'd forgotten how amazing it is to be touched by you," Charlie breathed.

Joey looked up and smiled at her.

"I'm glad you're a fan," she joked.

"How could I not be?" Charlie said before Joey's wandering hands made her moan out loud.

Closing the gap between them, Joey kissed Charlie's lips again and again. Her hand slipped down, trailing her body and reaching the top of Charlie's underwear. Charlie's heart pounded and felt suddenly shy as Joey's hand moved lower. Her excitement was out of control and she worried that Joey would laugh at how wet she had become so quickly. Having dated Angelo previously, it wasn't something she'd really had to worry about. He'd never got her as hot and bothered as Joey did.

"Wow," Joey murmured as she slipped her fingers between Charlie's legs.

"Sorry," Charlie mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

Joey shifted to look at her, keeping her fingers exploring happily.

"Sorry?" she asked.

"It's embarrassing…"

"Embarrassing to make me feel wanted?" Joey asked.

"Well…"

Charlie gazed into Joey's smile and suddenly forgot why she'd been shy. Joey kissed her tenderly on the mouth before hungrily slipping down her body. She made short work of Charlie's underwear and wasted no time in parting her legs and letting her tongue explore. Charlie cried out in sheer delight as Joey licked every contour, savouring her taste and scent. Charlie moaned louder as Joey's talented tongue worked hard to please her. She felt the beginning wave of orgasm start to work its way towards a crescendo. She felt freer than she had in quite some time. Her breathing became ragged as pleasure took over. Lost in the expanse of water around them, she cried out as loudly as she needed to, as loudly as Joey deserved.

Next time… Charlie and Joey continue to spend the night together…