Chapter 24
Beckett ledLuna by the hand to the Zodiac. It was situated on a lower deck near the front of the ship, and was dark, mostly, one bulb near the ground glowed for safety, but it was directional. Beckett shoved it with his foot to point in the other direction. Luna slithered over the big inflatable side and dropped to the bottom of the boat. “Cushy!”
Beckett climbed over and climbed on top of her, causing her to float up and down as he moved and shifted. They crashed into each other so he scooped his arms around her back and held her close until their rhythm matched. They stilled and the air stilled and the boat, and they looked into each other’s eyes and kissed and kissed.
Beckett concentrated on the side of her neck. Luna moaned and looked up at the stars. “The sky is beautiful tonight.”
He kissed her throat and her chin and her lips. “It is.”
She said, “You didn’t even look.”
He said, “You look.” While she looked up, he searched her eyes. “There, now I’ve seen.”
He kissed back down her neck to her shoulders and down and pulled up her shirt and fondled there for a moment. She ran her fingers around on the back of his head, holding him close, closer, closest. He rose on his knees over her and pulled his shirt off over his head.
She watched appreciatively as his arms stretched and his chest expanded. Then she raised her arms waiting, so he pulled hers off too. He climbed back on top of her body and ran his hands up and down her side and her front. “I’m sorry about the bandages.”
“That’s okay.”
She ran her hands down his bare back and into the top of his shorts and pushed them down while her tongue flitted inside of his lips, teasing him. He tried to catch her mouth, her lips then groaned. “I want to stay here and play and take my time but I—”
She shoved the back of his shorts down again and teased, “You want me?”
“Yeah,” He shook his head, “I can’t wait.”
She kissed him really slowly looking into his eyes. “Take off my pants.”
He yanked at her pants and pulled them to her ankles and barely off one leg. Shimmying his own off, he lowered himself back down.
She bit his lip and said, “Go.”
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Later they were still and wrapped around each other. Beckett asked, “Am I crushing you?”
She said, “No, don’t move — stay just like this.” He kissed her in the soft hair in front of her ear.
Her hands ran softly down his back, up and down, memorizing his form, the hard and soft, his breaths and small vibrations. She held tighter, wanting him still, more, longer. She repeated, “Don’t go.”
“I’m here.” His breath was hot on her neck, she inhaled it in.
