cup and helped herself to a sip.
“They’re using the boat’s inertia to swim.”
“I call that ingenious, not lazy.” She passed my cup back. “And if Cal hears you call Calypso a boat again, he’ll throw you overboard.”
I chuckled. “He and Jess have definitely taken to life on the high seas.”
“They have.” She put her elbows on the railing, staring at the ever-lightening sky. “Perhaps instead of building them an island villa, we’ll just buy them a yacht for their zoo of children. It could end up like Noah’s ark, but instead of animals, it’s just kids.”
“Ha, ha.” I placed the empty coffee cup onto the passing tray of one of the discreet staff. “Kids need earth. They need to run on a beach and climb a tree. Jump off a waterfall every now and again.”
“City kids don’t even get that.”
“Yeah, and look how they turn out.” I shuddered. “Humans who don’t have access to nature are the entire reason they’re all a bunch of fuckwits.”
Eleanor snickered. “Still don’t censor your true thoughts, I see.”
“Not when it comes to mankind, I don’t.” I pinched her ass. “I’m getting tetchy just knowing we’re about to dock and be surrounded by them. And angry divorcees, no less.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m glad we’re saving their marriages, but it doesn’t mean I want to come face-to-face with their problems.”
“You won’t. Sophie has emailed and said she’ll meet us at the pier. She’s already inspected Thimble and said it’s outstanding, so that’s one task we don’t need to complete. Then all we need to do is go over a few of her proposed ideas, inspect the two new Euphoria playrooms, and then we can leave.”
“Fine.” I huffed, grabbing a lock of her hair as strands of chocolate fire caught the rising sun. “But you owe me.”
“I owe you what precisely?” Her smile slipped into sensual. Ever since our time beneath the sea in her fantasy almost two weeks ago, we’d been insatiable. Something deeper had sprung between us. Something that I couldn’t explain but brought us evermore closer.
The past two weeks—working in the mornings thanks to the impressive internet connection and commerce facilities, having lunch with Eleanor, Cal, Jess, Pika, and Skittles on the deck before taking a swim in the pool, and then retiring to a comfy cabin where we could be as loud and as frisky as we liked—had been an experience I wouldn’t forget.
Elder Prest was right.
I could easily be converted to nautical life...if I didn’t love my islands so much. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t homesick to rush back. I had my two parrots, two friends, and wonderful wife. And even when the weather turned grey and rain pummelled the ship, we enjoyed a movie night in the fully equipped theatre, played drinking card games in the library, and even learned how to play the piano thanks to YouTube and a few tipsy video lessons.
We hadn’t needed to pull into a harbour to restock for fuel or food. We hadn’t seen another living soul apart from the odd albatross, whale, and yacht staff. It was exactly the way I liked it, and Jinx was right.
It was the only way to travel from here on out.
No fucking way would I get on a plane again. I didn’t care if it took me a month to get to a board meeting in the USA. By sailing there, I could take everything that was important to me and keep everyone safe at the same time.
“I think you’ve enjoyed this sailing lark too, Sully.” Eleanor strolled toward the loungers, sitting elegantly on the end. Her short skirt rose up her toned thighs, making me hard. “It’s been great fun.”
Last night, we entered her fantasy again. We’d shed human boringness and became scaled and finned. I’d finally shown her the other cave I’d designed, the one full of caverns and anemones along with trinkets and treasures, inspired from the Disney rendition of The Little Mermaid. Unlike that mermaid’s innocent collection of forks and candlesticks, this collection housed phallic items that I’d happily used on Eleanor until she’d screamed and shattered as I filled her in every hole she had.
Shit.
My desire for her sprang hot, and my hardening cock thickened into concrete.
If I was expected to be polite and talk to people—shudder—I needed a little stress relief first.
As I moved toward her, Pika and Skittles chose that annoying moment to appear from the interior. They fluttered and chirped with morning glee, spreading