THE PLEASURE CRUISE
She stood on the deck. Too far away for Rex to see her face and not far enough away for him to ever forget her. He prided himself on missing the love boat all the time, but he’d just been lying to himself really. Now, he had to step onto that very boat—literally.
“Rex!” The simultaneous call came from Mimi standing next to him and from his cell phone. He took a deep breath while his eyes never left the ship. “Yeah, Jack I just found out too. I will call you later—and thanks.” He flipped the phone shut and turned to glare at his fake love interest.
Her expression showed displeasure as shook her head at him and tucked her arm into his. “Really sweetheart, can you just leave the cell phone here?”
His entire body stiffened at her touch and for the first time in his life? His skin crawled at the touch of a woman. “What the hell is this really all about?”
Mimi gave him another dazzling smile. “My brother, remember?”
“And who is the woman?” He knew already, but couldn’t figure who Ava was in all of this.
Mimi batted her eyes. “I will make the introductions when we get aboard.”
“No, I’m not doing this.”
Mimi clutched his arm tightly. “You’d better.”
He took a deep breath. He did want to see her, but he knew in his gut that the woman standing next to him was going to use him to hurt Ava. Did he really have a choice? He gazed over at the ship. Ava was gone from the deck. Maybe she will jump ship, so I won’t have to. “Fine, let’s board then.”
“Just go with it and have some fun.”
Rex grunted. “I was having lots of that until you.”
Her laughter rang out as they walked up the plank way. “All couples feel that way, sooner or later.”
Rolling his eyes, he thought that maybe he could just stay in the cabin and avoid it all. “Yeah, but most don’t feel that at first sight.”
With his caustic remark, her laughter seemed to grow. “We have to join them for dinner at seven and we do have adjoining cabins, so I want to see what you are going to wear, sexy man.”
“What the fuck do you care?” He snapped back.
“Now honey, don’t act like that.” Her voice dripped with sugar.
“Mimi?” a voice called from their left as they stepped on board.
A tall man stood on the deck.
Must be the loving brother Rex concluded.
She let go of his arm and rushed over to embrace him. “Tino!”
Rex looked around and saw a pair of eyes from the port window, his gut tightened—he knew those eyes anywhere. He wondered how surprised she might be right now, about his presence on the boat.
“Rex!” Mimi called impatiently as if she had been calling him. He hadn’t heard if she had, all he could do was remember. He thought he’d forgotten most of it. After all, he’d been happy after the initial period when she disappeared and left that monstrous pile of cash for all their time together.
At the time, he couldn’t figure why he’d been so shocked by the money and the disappearance. He knew from the start that he was hired to be there. Still it had hurt more than he’d thought it would.
The month they’d spent together consumed by each other had erased the original premise in his mind. He had almost forgotten the deal they’d made initially, he had in fact until he awoke to see the money and her gone.
What now? Obviously, this Mimi woman knew about it.
“I want you to meet my brother, Tino.”
The man stepped forward with a friendly smile. “It is good to finally meet you, Rex.”
Rex shook his hand. Finally?
Tino looked around. “I seemed to have lost my…”
Ava appeared on the deck way.
“Wife.” Tino finished.
Rex stilled. Okay, it’s becoming clearer.
“Sweetie? This is Mimi’s boyfriend, Rex…um?”
“Harris.” Rex stretched his hand out.
Ava’s cheeks were flushed but she managed to keep her expression friendly as she shook his hand.”Nice to meet you. We have heard so much about you.”
You have? He thought and looked over at Mimi.
Her eyes were overly bright.
Oh, yes she knew exactly. So, it is a form of blackmail. Have Ava’s affair out in the open, get her ruined and the money is all yours. He glared at Mimi while his thoughts were full of the things he would like to perpetrate on this woman and none of them were sexual—another first for him.
Tino cleared his throat and Rex realized he still held Ava’s hand…he dropped it and looked her husband in the eye. “Yes, Mimi has told me so much about you as well.”
Mimi stepped over and took his arm. “Well, we can all play catchup and visit at dinner.” She gazed over at her brother. “We have the forward cabins, right?”
He nodded. “Oh, yes.”
Her expression grew concerned. “You are looking tired, Tino. Maybe a nap would help?”
“I have seen my share of beds, sis.” He shrugged.
“No, he will be resting, Mimi. Don’t worry,” Ava spoke up.
Mimi grabbed Rex’s hand. “Let’s go, then.”
Rex allowed himself to be led across the deck. I will allow all of this, until I figure some way to stop it.
The cabins were luxurious and for a ship this size, it didn’t surprise Rex.
“Nice, right?” Mimi asked from the adjoin door.
“Only if there’s a lock between your room and me,” he retorted.
Mimi laughed and strolled into his cabin. “What? Are you afraid of little me?”
Rex glared at her. “No, I’m afraid I may strangle you in your sleep.”
Her eyes widened. “My, my Tiger. I thought you were a lover, not a fighter.”
Rex turned away and looked around. A bar, dressing room, an elaborately designed bathroom. His gaze spanned around, stopping at the king-sized bed.
“Are you thinking about her?”
He flipped around. “Why? Why have you done this?”
Her eyes grew beady. “She has been unfaithful to him and she isn’t—never been good enough for my brother.”
“So, you bring me here, expecting what?”
She shrugged and went over to the bar. “Just hoping.”
“It won’t work,” he replied. “You paid a stack of money for a failed plan. Whatever the hell it was.”
Pouring a drink, she glanced over. “I could tell, how seeing her affected you.”
It was his turn to shrug as he sat on the silk covered bed. “I was surprised, that’s all.”
Mimi gazed at him. “Wasn’t it like this huge love affair?”
He scooted back to lounge on the pillows. “She was a trick, Mimi. End of love story.”
Mimi looked doubtful.
“I don’t fall for these women.”
She set her drink down on the bar. “Maybe?” She strode over to the bed. “But, I will just bet that they fall for you.”
“Oh? Why would they?” His glare could have melted ice.
She smiled. “Just look at you!”
Rex had to control his anger, he might go to jail after he killed her. He stared at her intently. “Get out.”
She shook her head at him. “I bought you remember?”
He wanted her to leave because controlling his rage was getting harder every minute he had to look at her smug face. “Well then?” He unzipped his pants.
Her eyes widened.
“Maybe, you should see the merchandise then.”
She stood her ground, though she tightened her hands into fists at her sides.
Rex smiled and unzipped.
She swallowed heavily. “Cut it out, you know I don’t—”
He reached in and stroked his bad boy.
“Oh! Stop that!”
“Mmm,” he groaned and felt his erection grow, he used his rage to punish his shaft into a hard sleek tool.
“I mean it!” she warned.
He pulled his fully erected dick from his briefs. It sprang up all by itself as he let go of it.
Mimi’s eyes rounded as her face grew red.
“Yeah, they fall in love, all right,” he purred at her.
Mimi visibly swallowed. “It’s—it’s…Disgusting!” she shouted and spun around, heading to her room.
“What? You’re not even going to try it on for size?” he taunted after her.
The door slammed behind her.
His erection immediately softened and he chuckled. “Yeah, now I know how to get Mimi-bitch to leave.” He tucked his now soft cock back in, and then he just settled back on the bed. He needed a strategy though, for how to foil this plan. He knew now that he didn’t want a penny of the 500K. He could give a flying fuck about that now.
He laughed at the thought, while remembering a real flying fuck he’d once enjoyed at 10,000 feet. With the current problem looming in front of him, his smile faded. To help Ava? He would have to make her hate him. Sexy Rex was about to become the egotistical loathsome Rex. Why not? After all, he was already paired with Mimi bitch and now they would be the perfect couple.
The dining room was no less impressive than the staterooms.
He stared as he and his so-called love interest stood in the doorway. His gaze swung around and he spotted Ava immediately, dressed in a sexy black gown. His stomach tightened as he took in her curves. Her frame was exactly the filled out kind that always tuned him on, she looked just as luscious as the day he first met her. He had an instant hard on as he stared.
Mimi grew still next to him as he froze in place, simply staring at the woman in black.
Rex realized that he had just foiled his own denials that he held no feelings for Ava. So? Make out like a hound dog, she is tasty looking after all. “I always love looking at fresh entrees,” he whispered to Mimi.
Her eyes swung over to her sister n law.
Ava had turned her back, as she seemed to be checking the food over on the buffet bar.
Rex couldn’t help himself his eyes fell on her round ass. He remembered the soft feel of it in his squeezing grasp, as if it were yesterday. He drew his head up. Dammit! He was doing it again.
Mimi chuckled low from beside him. “Yeah, you don’t give a damn, right?” she asked with a smug tone.
Rex released a breath and tugged her closer to his side. “Nah, she does have a nice ass though.” He pulled Mimi around in front of him.
Mimi gasped with utter surprise, as he tugged her close and squeezed her ass with both hands, while using all the want he had for the woman who stood across the room.
“Oh!” Mimi shouted.
Leaning close to her ear, Rex whispered, “Your ass, her ass? What’s the difference?”
Someone cleared their throat from behind them.
Mimi broke his ass gripping hold and looked over Rex’s shoulder.
Her brother stood in the hallway. He smiled at her and gave a wave.
“Oh, Tino!” she called.
With a smile on his face, he pushed by them as they blocked the small entryway. “Having fun, sis?” He let out a low chuckle.
Her face reddened and she nodded.
“Nice to see, yes it is,” Tino commented and made his way over to where his wife stood, as she was apparently still looking over the spread of food. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Does it all measure up?”
Her head rose and she smiled sweetly at him. “Everything looks perfect.”
He put his arm around her. “Let’s start then.”
Ava seemed to straighten her shoulders and she looked over at the other couple as they neared the table. “Hello, you two!” She smiled hugely. “Um, you can sit anywhere you’d like, and oh…the plates are over here at the buffet.” She gazed at Rex as though she didn’t know him at all. “Um, Ray, is it?” she asked. “I’m sorry, I’m bad with names.”
Rex’s chest tightened, as he could see that her eyes were overly bright, but the rest of her act was all too convincing. “No, it’s Rex.”
She laughed a little. “I am so sorry! Um, Rex and Mimi? Go ahead and enjoy. The steward will get your drinks.” She turned and looped her arm into her husband’s and they made their way to the table.
Rex escorted Mimi with a loving hand, pulling her chair out, she sat down, and then he moved it toward the table.
Mimi’s eyes were shining with some victorious gleam as she raised her head. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
Rex grew rigid and he used his boot to nudge her chair further into the table until he saw her face pale. He let his foot drop back. “Not at all darling, I just want you comfortable.”
Her eyes glittered at him, as her expression looked pained.
He chuckled and sat in his own chair.
Mimi looked over at him. “Oh, can you get my plate for me?”
Rex swung his gaze over. What? He thought. Okay, but I sincerely hope that you choke. “Sure, I’m sorry, how rude off me. I was just still trying to get over the…” He smiled and leaned closer to her. “Lovely feel of those sweet cheeks of yours.” He stood up and looked over at the buffet, Ava was there with her plate. His glare swung back to Mimi.
“Thank you, hun.” She winked at him.
Rex made his way over to the buffet and decided he would just play Ava’s game. He never met her before—he did not know her. He grabbed a plate and looked at all the chafing dishes in the buffet.
Ava looked over at him and smiled.
His heart thudded in his chest. Man, he’d forgotten the way it always made him feel. This was not going to be easy at all. “What’s your favorite dish?” he asked politely.
Ava looked from him to the buffet. “Well, I love the smoked salmon and the chocolate mousse.”
Yeah, I knew that already, he thought.
“But…” Ava whispered low as she leaned close and served up some potato dish onto her plate. “I would avoid the Shrimp paste or any seafood.”
Rex looked down at where she pointed.
“Some of the Pavorellis seem to be allergic.” She beamed at him.
Rex blinked his eyes. “Oh, really?” He looked at the buffet and casually moved over to the cold table. He dished up the salad mix, and then moved over to the shrimp, where he carefully dotted it along the lettuce bed.
Ava seemed preoccupied with using her tongs to pick up some chicken, she glanced over briefly. Her eyes rounded as she stared at the salad and raised her gaze to his face.
He grinned and stepped back over to the salad table. “Oh, sweetie?” he called to Mimi.
Her head swung up as she was sipping her wine. “Yes?”
“I know you usually like blue cheese dressing, but do you want ranch dressing, this time?”
Mimi looked amused by his act. “Yes, dear, go ahead and go with the ranch.”
Rex did so and covered the dots of shrimp paste with dressing, adding cheese and croutons to the top, he was rather proud of the salad. When he turned around, Ava was already back at the table she never looked up, as he grabbed a plate for himself and filled it. He made his way back and set Mimi’s specially made salad down. “I hope I got it right?”
Mimi seemed to inspect the salad. “You just gave me salad, right?”
Rex looked confused. “Well, yes. I thought you might like one before the main course.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Which I will serve to you, when you’re done.” He then sat next to Mimi.
Mimi nodded and picked up her salad fork.
Rex took his fork and started to eat.
Mimi raised a bite of salad to her mouth.
“So, Mimi?” Tino called out.
She halted the forkful of salad. “Yes, Tino?” she answered.
Rex tensed up as she paused.
“Tell us where you and Rex met.”
Mimi stilled for a second.
Rex watched her slyly from her right. I would love to know that too.
Mimi laughed. “At a club.” She popped the bite of salad into her mouth.
When she took the bite, Rex almost choked on his food.
Moaning with delight, she forked up another bite. “This is delicious, Rex.” She munched on the salad.
He swallowed and tried to smile as he watched her take yet another bite. “Yes, dear, I do try.” Watching her eat the shrimp while unaware, he then had to prevent a glorious victory smile that so wanted to break over his lips.
“So, how long have you two been an item?” Ava asked.
Item? Rex nearly choked on his wine. He wasn’t going to make it through this meal without the Heimlich maneuver.
“We’ve been together for a few months,” Mimi answered and took a sip of wine.
Rex did smile now. “It was love at first sight.”
Mimi gaped at him, before recovering from her shock.
“I just couldn’t resist her.”
Tino laughed. “Sorry, we’re just so happy about it and naturally, we are curious.”
Yeah, I’ll just bet. Rex thought. He glanced over at Mimi.
She smiled and nudged her plate away.
“Oh, are you ready now?’
Mimi nodded. “Just chicken, okay? No seafood, please.”
Rex looked perplexed. “Why? There is some great smoked—”
“Just that—okay?” She gave him a thin smile.
He nodded and went over to the buffet. All the while, he wondered how long it would be before she showed symptoms.
The rest of dinner went by pleasantly and Rex had to admit, he enjoyed it as long as he never looked over at Ava. I especially enjoyed the shrimp! He suppressed a chuckle. “Well, I think we should go and rest for awhile.”
Mimi looked over at him.
He shrugged. “Unless there are other plans?”
She gazed back at her brother. “No, I think we can all meet later, like say about nine?”
Ava nodded and looked very serene.
Tino smiled. “That sounds great we can all meet on the deck and have a nightcap.”
Rex willed his eyes to move away from Ava.
Mimi poked him in the ribs.
His head snapped up. “Well, let’s go.” He stood and pulled her chair out. He held her hand on the way out and once they were in the hall, he pulled his hand away, as if her skin was acid soaked.
“Well, Sexy Rexxy?” she called back on her way along the hall. “You did good back there. Especially, while drooling over that fat bitch!”
Rex glared at her. Fat? He shook his head and finally allowed the triumphant grin to appear on his face. “Yeah, I think I did great!” he called out to her retreating form.
Rex had slept for several hours in the cabin. After the day before of no sleep and all the stress, he had needed a nap after all.
His dreams were usually pleasant and yes, he’d often dreamt of Ava over the years. Stupid silly dreams, white picket fence and her standing on the porch in the sunlight wearing a sundress that showed her beautiful curves.
The dream he just woke to was none of that. It was a nightmare.
He found himself standing with a script in his hand on stage and was reciting his lines.
Suddenly, Mimi stood there with a gun in hand and she fired in in front of him.
Hearing a gasp, he turned and saw Ava standing there, her face pale as a bloom of crimson spread across her white blouse. She dropped to the stage and lay still.
Rex leapt forward and tried to reach her.
Mimi grabbed his arm and said, “Never mind, it is all an act, remember?”
He turned to glare at her, only she wasn’t there anymore. Everything spun around him and he looked up to find himself standing on Rodeo Drive. Women paraded by him, all sizes, all kinds, some he remembered as clients, some he barely remembered. Then Ava came along, she slowed her beautiful walk and smiled at him.
Rex got lost in that smile.
Then she waltzed past him and greeted her husband, hugging and kissing him. They both turned away and walked into the sunset.
Rex tried to catch up with them.
Again, Mimi stood in front of him. “Need I remind you again, that it is all an act?”
He blinked his eyes and heard a gunshot.
Mimi’s face went pale as she peered down and blood seeped across her chest, she had on the same white blouse Ava had worn and it rapidly filled with blood.
Rex gazed down and realized he held the gun that just shot her.
Ava then appeared and looked sympathetic as she grabbed his hand and lowered the gun. “It is okay, Rex. It is only an act.”
Rex stared at her and saw no love in her eyes, no feeling at all. It was Ava but like an empty replica of the woman he loved. “So, all of it was only ever an act?”
She smiled and turned away.
Rex shouted after her, “AVA!”
Then he woke up screaming her name.
After the cold sweat left him and his breathing returned to normal, he realized this whole thing was just that…an act. This was what the nightmare was telling him. But how could he make this bit of theater turn out the way he wanted it to?
He stretched and lay in the bed, thinking of Ava again. She seemed to be holding herself together. He wished he’d found her in a different way. Like they bumped into each other somewhere—anywhere else. He sighed. She seemed happily married, and he really shouldn’t disturb that. Especially, when that was Mimi Bitch’s entire aim, in bringing him here in the first place.
“Ahh!” A scream rent the air. “No!”
Rex sat up.
The adjoining door flung open and Mimi stood there.
Rex couldn’t help but to gape.
Her face was swollen and nearly purple, her eyes were red rimmed and puffy.
“You son of a bitch!” she screamed.
Rex batted his eyes at her shout.
“How in the hell did you do it?”
Rex shook his head. “Do it?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, pretty boy!”
Rex made sure that he looked insulted.
“You slipped me seafood!”
He nodded at her. “Yeah with the salad, I guess?”
“Oooh!” she cried.
Rex could swear she was puffing out all over, as he looked at her swollen fingers. “I really don’t know what’s going on.”
Mimi was huffing and puffing. “I will get you for this!” She slammed the door behind her.
Rex bit at his lip and covered his laugh with his hand. He then composed himself. “Who’s the fat bitch now, I wonder?”
He arrived on deck at nine. Chuckling, as he thought of Miss Puff and Stuff he didn’t think his Lover would be joining him. He figured that it might be good for him to be the third wheel, see Ava with her loving husband and let it sink in, maybe it would finally reach his other brain, the one that sprang up every time he even caught sight of her, the one he’d used to make a living for three years. The bad boy needed to quit rearing its head too, he kept chuckling, and then halted on the deck. Gazing around, he found it was entirely empty.
Rex saw someone though, movement from the side of the ship on the rope ladder, across the deck. He walked over and leaned on the railing, no one was down there, why would there be anyway? He sighed to himself. Maybe no one would show. He felt relieved and disappointed at the same time while he stared up at the full moon.
Something moved under his elbows he lifted them up while staring down at the rope ladder, so he peered over the side. All he could see was the tarp-covered lifeboat. Puzzled, he glanced down at the rope ladder again. It suddenly moved, as if someone was shaking it. He studied it, the wind maybe? It shook again, his eyes followed all the way down to the ladder and it stilled again. He shook his head watching, as it tugged and swayed back and forth.
What the hell? He looked around at the empty deck, and then climbed down the ladder. He wondered what this was all about as he got to the bottom. The tarp moved. Someone was in the boat? He then thought about climbing back up.
“Rex…”
He froze, Rex would know her voice anywhere, it had been in his dreams many times and he climbed down into the boat, under the tarp. “Ava?” he whispered. It was dark and he couldn’t see her, but he could smell her scent. The feelings it brought were powerful, ones he’d avoided for all these years. He realized just then, that he had truly never forgotten it and now it seemed to infuse the memory of her into his brain.
Her hands grasped his shirt and he was tugged forward. Lips smothered his, and that familiar flavor of her, imbued his senses. He reached his arms around her and jerked her closer.
She used those pouty lips to smother him, her kiss was fierce, in all of his tricks, no one had ever kissed him so desperately, so passionately. All sorts of things ran through his brain; she wasn’t upset? Why was she here in the life boat? Did she—?
Ava jerked his zipper down and her fingers dove into his briefs, latching onto his already hard cock. She moaned with a needy sound from her throat.
Rex was being accosted in the sexiest way possible and he didn’t think anything at all anymore, he only felt.
She broke free of his mouth and seemed to move away again into the darkness.
“Ava?” he panted his chest heaving.
Her mouth enveloped his dick and she took him all the way in, deep into her throat.
“Uh!” he breathed out and his body jumped as the warmth from her sucking motion drew the breath from his lungs.
She moved her mouth back and forth, up and down, as though she were trying to devour him.
Rex had always prided himself on delaying his climaxes but he knew if she did just one more stroke, he would explode.
Just then, she removed the velvet sexual instrument that was her mouth.
Again, he gasped. His brain wouldn’t function, his body was on fire. She pushed him back and now his eyes had adjusted to the dark, he could in fact see her silhouette. As he gazed up, the light of the moon glanced across her face.
Her eyes were bright and wild her long red hair flowing over her bare shoulders, while she slid over him, tugging his pants down from his hips.
Rex lay helpless, he could have stopped this or he could have been more aggressive himself, but he did nothing. He couldn’t seem to do anything at all except feel and immerse himself in everything that was Ava.
Her face came back into view as she ripped his shirt open, the buttons popping. He could hear her desperate panting as the steam of their breathing filled the inside of tarp covered boat.
Ava slid forward and rubbed her breasts across his bare chest as she crouched over him.
His cock throbbed painfully as he panted, with the adrenaline of pure need pulsing through him. The feel of her skin and scent of her hair brought all of it back. The hunger and thirst rose up in him with a brutal force. He did in fact, feel as if he were a man crawling through a hot arid wasteland and she was the water that he needed so desperately. Her body slid closer, and then he could see her face in the slant of moonlight again.
Her face was flushed, covered with a light sheen of moisture as she gazed into his eyes and slid her silky wet pussy over his bare stomach. Straddling his hips, she shoved herself down on his full erection with a supreme force and covered her own mouth to muffle her ecstasy laced scream.
Raising his hands, he smoothed them along those magnificent full breasts. He remembered the feel of them—the succulent taste of them. Even after all those women, this was the one he’d always remembered, every luscious full curve, every inch of her soft skin.
She breathed heavily through her nose as her palm remained over her mouth, while he could feel her riding him, lifting herself up and slamming her pussy down. The boat kept rocking from the force of it.
Rex was lost in the look she held in her eyes. This was the Ava he remembered, not the one from the dream. This was the woman he’d fallen for all those years ago. He could smell her and taste her on his lips and his brain seemed to buzz. The buzzing grew until he was capitulated into a place of pure sensual pleasure. He felt himself start to climax as he’d forgotten to hold back. In fact, he forgotten every rule he’d ever abided by in order to please a woman. Nothing he had instituted before applied to this. There was no planning or measuring a feeling as divine as this.
He held onto her hips tightly and lunged his pelvis up high, nearly spearing her with his exploding cock.
The gasp Ava drew caused her breath to expel forcefully from her lungs, as he watched her gorgeous form grow rigid with her orgasm. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her weeping and sensual moaning mixed to form a sound he’d never heard from a woman before. He knew he would never forget the beauty of it.
Ava sighed and collapsed forward, while holding onto him so tightly he almost couldn’t breathe and she covered his mouth again, kissing him gently.
Rex was panting as well, as he embraced her and allowed her to kiss him in any way she wanted. They lie that way for several minutes, clinging to one another, with their lips pressed together.
Rex wanted to talk to her and he wanted to hear her voice. What had happened before, and was she okay? What did she want for him to do, not to do? Somehow, he knew not to speak, her continued silence let him know that this was the way she needed it to be. All his years of studying women, getting to know them had taught him some things, yet he never ceased to be astonished by some, and this one in particular amazed him from the first day he met her.
She moved from him and scooted back into the darkened part of the boat.
Rex felt her leaving at that moment, like the day she’d left him at the Grande Hotel, years before. It was like a vacuum had sucked all the light from his world away. A great big drawing and he remembered it all just then—that feeling. Did he want this pain again? Something which he’d tried to rid himself of by fucking as many women as he could deal with, over the years she’d been absent.
Releasing a breath, he stayed still, she’d led this boat ride so far, and he was fine with following her lead.
In silence, she crawled over him and climbed from the boat.
He could hear her soft weeping as she made her way up the ladder.
Watching her through the slit in the tarp, she halted at the top and laid her head on the rung.
Ava was composing herself just then, he knew this. After a couple of minutes, she raised her head and seemed to be listening.
Oh, she needs to hear if anyone is on the deck.
She climbed over and disappeared from his view.
Rex laid his head back down and resolved that he would wait for a long while before emerging. He didn’t want anyone to find out and for obvious reasons. As he lay in the lifeboat, listening to the water lap up on the side of the ship, he realized that he was now the two things he swore to never become. A married woman’s affair and a one-woman man.
Rex balled his hands into fists of frustration. He also had to face the fact that he hadn’t even a choice in the matter.