“Don’t let me fall asleep tonight.” Raylan cups my cheek.

I drop to my elbows, framing her face, moving in and out of her in slow concentrated movements. It mirrors the first time I made love to her. The passion, desire, and love is just as potent, but this time it swirls around us, fluttering along our skin.

I brush the hair off her forehead with my knuckles. I never want to forget the way her skin feels on mine. Raylan’s rhythmic breathing keeps me grounded as I slide in and out of her. Her heels are digging into my lower back as she clings to me, fighting to feel each sensation.

I refuse to allow myself to kiss her this time. We can kiss the rest of the morning away until it’s time to leave the ship. I need this time to soak everything about her in. I glide up and down her sweat-slicked body with each thrust.

“Please, Memphis, God! Please.” She pulls on my hair, asking for more.

Her demands are making it impossible to take it slow, so I still inside of her. She protests, but I cover her lips with mine and roll us over. Raylan’s hands plant down on my chest. It takes her a bit to adjust to the fit and feeling of being on top.

Her hips begin to roll on my cock slow and torturous at first. I dig my fingers into the flesh of her ass.

“Faster. Harder. Fuck me, Sunshine.”

She throws her head back, doing exactly what I asked her to. Her fingernails are digging into my chest, the pain welcomed. I slam her down on my cock over and over until she’s screaming out my name. It takes everything inside of me to hold back when her pussy strangles my dick.

I don’t give her time to rest on me. I sit up, her legs wrapping around my back, her hands going to my hair, and our mouths finally meeting. We stay like this, moving slow, taking in everything.

“Don’t cum, baby. I want to swallow you.” Raylan mumbles into my lips.

“Anything for you.”

* * *

“We need to get up and shower, baby.”

Raylan lifts her face from my chest. Her hair is matted to the side of her face. We are a mess from head to toe. We never went to sleep, choosing to spend the entire time making love, sucking, licking, and touching.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Memphis.”

I brush her hair back. “Do you want me to leave now? I can take my bag and shower in my room.”

“No, but I’m going to need you.”

“You got it.”

We take our time showering, following our ritual where I’m the boss. My palms touch every surface of Raylan, lathering her up with the scent that will haunt me forever. Cherry Vanilla. Once all the conditioner rinses out of her hair, Raylan turns to me, burrowing in my chest, and sobs under the spray of the shower. My sadness flows down the drain with hers. We don’t leave the shower until the water turns cold.

Packing is brutal. We both remain silent. We’ve said and done everything and now we are left here to rip our hearts out. The We-Vibe is the last thing left on the bed. I pick it up to put it away in the package including the remote.

“Sunshine, do you want this?” I turn and show her.

“Yes.”

“What bag?”

She points to her large roller. My one bag is already packed and ready to go. Raylan will need help down with her luggage.

“I think we have everything, Memphy.” She manages to crack a smile.

“C’mon.” I hold my hand out. “My little ray of sunshine.”

We wait for her bags to be taken before walking down the hallway. I eye the ice machine at the end of the hall.

“I had the biggest boner down there.” I point toward it.

“You did?” Her hair flies over her shoulder when she whips her face up to me.

“Yep, I was getting ice the night you ran into me in the hall and thought about you. I mean it was like record books boner size.”

We laugh about silly shit until we are up on the deck to exit. Brenna and Josi spot us but give us space.

Raylan reaches up on her tiptoes and kisses me while her tears are flowing from her eyes hot and thick. “You can go, Memphis. I love you so damn much it hurts. I’ll never take off my bracelet.”

I drop my forehead to hers, my throat slicing with pain. “Thank you, Raylan, for everything. You saved my life.” I crack a smile through the emotion. “Cheesy as fuck, but true. I’ll always love you wherever I end up. You’ll always be my chicken farmer.”

She shudders in my arms from her sobs, gripping onto my shirt, looking up at me through her tears. We share one more kiss, our tongues exploring each other’s mouths. Raylan pulls back first and fights to talk through her tears.

“It’s time.” The corner of her eyes crinkles in amusement. “And if I ever need a chair you’re it. Always mine. I love you, Memphis Love.”

She pushes from my chest, steps back, and nods to me. I’m frozen, unable to move. Josi and Brenna are at her side. Neither of us moves, continuing to stare at each other. I can’t turn my back on her. There’s no way. She’s the love of my life hurting and sobbing; I’m not about to be the one to leave first.

Brenna sends me a nod. They turn Raylan in their arms walking with her. I stare at the three best friends as they make their way to wait for their luggage. Each second ticks by the smaller they become. Raylan’s hair floats in the breeze and it’s the last thing I see before she disappears around a corner.

“Sea sickness is the least of my worries on this trip. It's love that made me sick, leaving me a shattered man,” I whisper to myself.