to breathe, much less have sex. But finally, it was all over and we were alone—completely, totally and blissfully alone. I didn’t need flowers, limousines or a frilly dress to be happy. All I needed was his hot shaft plunging inside me. I wanted to lose myself in the pleasure that only he could give me.
When I felt my bottom hit his plush sac, I let out a happy little gasp and ground down against him, rhythmically shimmying my hips. Each sharp spark of friction against my clit was like a match strike, the sudden influx of heat inflaming my lust and inching me closer to orgasm. I bucked and moaned, stroking the dark hair sprinkled across his muscular chest. I was torn between wanting the moment to last forever, and being desperate for release. I could see the same lust smoldering in my husband’s gray eyes. I was hopelessly lost in ecstasy, but as always, he knew what to do and how to take us over the edge.
Justin lifted me off him and positioned me on my hands and knees on the bed, so quickly that he made me laugh out loud. But that exclamation of mirth turned into a loud groan as he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back against him, shoving himself inside me with one smooth motion. I glanced over my shoulder and smiled, knowing that I was in his very sexy and capable hands.
As I turned away from him, a flash of white caught my eye. It was the extravagantly priced French silk negligee that my maid of honor had insisted on giving me as a wedding gift. There it was, neatly draped over a nearby chair: a luxurious, full-length gown with a beaded bodice and delicate lace trim. I’d never even put it on. I had been considering slipping it over my head when Justin had stepped out of the bathroom, fresh from the shower. The sight of me standing there naked had been enough for him, and he’d immediately swept me off my feet and dropped me in the middle of the mattress.
Justin kept up his steady pace, pumping into me and occasionally leaning down to scatter kisses on my freckled shoulders. I tossed my head back and bucked my body against his, wanting him to thrust into me harder and faster. The slapping noise of flesh meeting flesh was hypnotic, sending me deeper into an erotic trance. Justin reached underneath me and cupped my breasts in his warm hands. His fingers danced over my nipples, making them achingly erect. He teased the tiny nubs, squeezing them between his fingers and thumbs until I gasped. The little bursts of pleasure-pain caused a rush of wetness to flood my pussy, and I began to corkscrew my hips as I continued to rock back toward him.
I may have begun our encounter with the desire to go slow, but that thought had completely flown from my head. I could hear Justin’s erratic breathing, and I knew that he was also rapidly approaching his limit. I closed my eyes and concentrated on what I was feeling: the blissful sensation of fullness that was now coupled with his fingers strumming my clit. I was so slippery wet—and thrashing about so intensely—that I wondered if he’d be able to keep up his delicious actions. But I had nothing to worry about, because after only a few minutes of his determined circles against my puffy button, I felt weeks’ worth of sexual tension disappear in a fabulous explosion of pleasure. I locked my thighs tightly together, trapping his hand and making an even tighter tunnel for his thrusting cock. Justin was clearly on the edge and didn’t let me distract him from his goal. As I shivered beneath him, he bucked into me one last time. I felt his shaft pulsing inside me as he let out one final groan and then collapsed against my back.
Gradually, my senses returned as we lay entwined on the bed. I glanced out of the window of our little cabin and saw the inky blackness of the night punctuated by the glittering stars we were never able to see at home in the city, even from our apartment building’s rooftop. The ship we were on was gliding through the Gulf of Alaska as we cruised our way toward fields of ice-blue glaciers. Most of our friends thought we were crazy, wanting to honeymoon amid snow-capped mountains, but Justin and I were never much for beaches, so we’d politely declined everyone’s well-intentioned recommendations of resorts in Jamaica and Cancun and forged our own way.
Justin lay back with me in his arms, trying to catch his breath as I lost myself in my thoughts. Sex with him had been amazing from the day we met, but I did occasionally have nagging little worries. Would we still feel the same way—have the same desire for each other—one year from now? How about ten or twenty? I’d heard married friends complain about disappearing sparks and mind-numbing routine creeping into their beds. I didn’t want that to happen to us, but I wasn’t yet convinced of the possibility of lifelong passion. I wanted to believe that it wasn’t a pipe dream. I knew there were happily married couples out there, and I hoped that Justin and I would be one of them.
Once we’d rested, we were both eager to rejoin the world. Well, the world as it was at that moment. Since we’d boarded the ship, we’d been hidden away in our tiny cabin. It was late and well past the official dinner hour, but we were ready to put on some clothes and explore what would pass as nightlife aboard our floating hotel. We weren’t expecting much, to be honest, because we’d been warned by our travel agent that the vacationers who favored that particular tour were often considerably older than us. We’d confirmed that fact during our check-in, when we’d noticed that most of the people surrounding us were elderly couples and there wasn’t a single child in sight.
I collected my tousled auburn curls, slipped on a dress and heels and headed out the door with a casually attired Justin, who led me through a maze of decks and hallways toward one of the ship’s lounges. As we approached the doorway, I could hear the smooth notes of an old standard that sounded as if it was being performed by a live band.
We crossed the threshold to find a cozy lounge lined with red velvet banquettes and dotted with small round tables. There were a handful of sweet-looking older couples slow-dancing to the band’s interpretation of an Ella Fitzgerald classic. Justin smiled and squeezed my hand as he led me out onto the dance floor. As I swayed in his arms, my eyes kept wandering to a handsome-looking man and woman who seemed to be greatly enjoying each other’s company. They appeared to be much younger than the other people who were twirling around us, but they still had a good twenty-five years on me and Justin.
The man was tall and tan, and his dark hair was fading to gray at his temples. Every time he laughed, his eyes crinkled at the corners, and he’d occasionally lean forward to kiss his companion on the top of her silver-streaked head. His dance partner was a trim lady who was smartly attired in a stylish black dress that I envied, her bare legs looking as fit as those of a woman half her age. Her hair was styled in a chin-length bob that accentuated her high cheekbones and beautifully framed her face. They effortlessly danced across the floor, looking breathtaking and elegant, and seeming to have eyes only for each other. But it wasn’t just their good looks that caught my attention. There was something about the way they interacted with each other that seemed so alive and affectionate: the way he’d stroke her cheek, the way she’d melt into his embrace. I actually wondered if they were newlyweds themselves. Don’t get me wrong, the other couples also seemed like they were having a swell time, but I didn’t sense the same sort of electricity sparking between them.
Justin pulled me closer, and we danced out the rest of the song before stopping for cocktails. As he handed me my drink, he noticed that I seemed distracted, and questioned me about it. I discreetly pointed out the arresting pair, who were still gliding across the floor. The man’s baritone laugh mingled with her lighthearted chuckle, creating a sweet melody that merged seamlessly with the music.
“They just seem so happy,” I said in an awestruck whisper, as I followed their every move.
“That’ll be us in thirty years,” Justin said, kissing me softly on the cheek. My eyes met his and I smiled. I was feeling more confident by the second that he was absolutely right.
Justin and I spent the next day enjoying all that the ship had to offer, and that evening eagerly dressed for dinner. After weeks of eating fast food on the run and dealing with seating-chart crises, it was luxurious fun to don formal attire and head off to the ship’s dining room. It was as if we were going out on a dinner date for the first time in months.
We were to share our table with only one other couple, who had not yet arrived as we took our seats. I wondered which pleasant set of grandparents we’d be spending our evening meals with. At the same time, I saw the attractive pair from the lounge enter the dining room and stride toward us. My mouth literally dropped open in surprise, but I managed to regain my composure