From: rdragon@ix.netcom.com(***)
Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories
Subject: The Beach (MF, romance)
Date: 14 Jul 1996 16:51:06 GMT

			      The Beach

	She said, "No you are not. I know what you are trying to do.
You want me to settle down and stop wandering around the world. You
want to keep me for yourself." I stood up and walked over to the edge
of the boat and looked out over the water. I had nothing to say. She
was right. I wanted her and I knew that she was not mine to have. I
could not face her.

	She kept on, "Who do you think you are? I have been taking
care of myself for years and I don't need anyone to care for me. I am
quite capable."

	I knew she was right. She was more than capable of taking care
of herself.

	What could I do? I continued to stare out over the ocean
trying to hide my feelings. "Don't try to ignore me," she shouted. I
turned and looked at her. I could not look into her eyes. "Damn you.
You've done it to me."

	These words confused me. What did she mean?

	Finally, I looked deep into her eyes and she said, "Yes you.
No one else could have done this." I asked her what she meant. Her
eyes started to get wet, "I love you." I could not believe she said
this. I continued to look on, dumbfounded.

	"There are you happy. I said it. I love you. And at the same
time, I am pissed off that you did this to me. I didn't want to love
you. I just wanted to have fun and be me. I didn't want anything
serious to happen. Now look what you've done."

	I sat down beside her and took her into my arms. Our lips met
and our tongues started to dance together. For the rest of the day, we
just sat together not saying a word. Just looking into each others
eyes. But that was more than enough.

	The hours seemed to have flown by. First came the evening with
a radiant full moon that seemed to fill the sky. Drifter sat between
my legs with her head against my chest and my arms wrapped around her.
Every once in a while I would look down at her angelic face framed by
her wild hair and I thanked the powers of the universe for allowing me
this pleasure.

	We remained this way until the sun began to inch its way over
the horizon.

	The sunrise was spectacular. the sun came up with an infinite
medley of colors and there were just enough scattered clouds in the
sky to make this sunrise one that would be remembered for a lifetime.
I looked down at the lovely creature that was nestled in my arms.
Perfection.

	I moved my hand to her breast and gently tweaked her right
nipple to hardness between my fingers. She stirred and began to wake.
I stood up, slipped my arms around her, and lifted her up. I smiled at
her and then dropped her overboard. She plunged into the tepid
tropical waters.

	As she broke the surface, I yelled "Good Morning" and jumped
into the water. She tried to swim away from me, but I was able to
catch her rather quickly. We wrapped our arms around each other and
floated together in the water. She said, "You know we really need to
talk about what has happened the last few days."

	I playfully splashed water in her face and swam towards the
boat.

	"Look who's being serious now," I called to her as I swam. We
climbed back on the boat, and I got some towels for us to dry off
with. I told Drifter to go take a shower and I would fix something for
breakfast. She headed for the shower and I went into the galley.

	Breakfast was easy. I had the eggs benedict ready just as she
was finishing. I reached into the cooler and pulled out a bottle of
Asti Spumonte and popped the cork just as she came out of the head.
She sat down at the table as I poured the wine and wanted to know what
the occasion was. "Drifter, every day with you is special. This is
just a small token of thanks." Ah, I finally said something right.

	Her smile gave her away. We quickly finished eating and took
the bottle of wine on deck. We kicked back on the deck sipping the
wine and watching the day progress. I got up and turned on the tape
deck. I put on her favorite song by Grason Hughs - Let's Talk It Over.
Smiling at myself, I sat back down and watched the dreamy look come
over her.

	"Well, Drifter go ahead and talk. You said we need to talk and
that's fine with me. But, this time you do the talking. I can write
but I defiantly have a problem talking." She sat back and looked out
over the water. "I don't know what you did to me last night but it was
not fair. I listen to other people's problems and try to help them."

	I looked over at her and said, "Drifter look at me." She
turned and looked into my eyes. "You have helped me through many
difficult times. I am sorry if my feelings for you confuse you. It is
time that you stopped hiding behind the force field that you have
built up over the years and trust someone. I want that someone to be
me, but if you can do this with someone else that is fine. Yes, I love
you but I also respect and trust you. I think it is time that you
learned to trust some others as well."

	"Fine," she yelled at me. "You want to know what my problem is
it's you. You do things to me that no one has done in a long time. You
make me feel good when I am down and make me feel even better when I'm
not." She paused for a minute, and then in a very quiet voice said,
"I'm scared. I am having feelings now that I would not let myself have
for a long time and I don't know how to handle them."

	"You don't have to handle them Drifter. Just relax and let the
feelings come."

	She thought about this for a long time. It was quiet on the
boat. You could hear the ropes creaking and the waves lapping up
against the hull.

	Finally she said, "I'm sorry, but I'm really confused over all
of this. I do know that I do want to stay here with you and relax for
awhile and enjoy your company." We came together and kissed. Once
again we ended up without clothes on. If we kept this up, we were
going to end up sun burnt in all the wrong places. We sank to the
deck. I was about to lie down between her legs when she told me to
stop. "I want to please you too. Lie down here on the deck."

	I did just like she asked and suddenly she turned around and
knelt down just above my head. What a beautiful sight. I was looking
right up at my favorite desert. Before I could finish taking in the
view, she engulfed me completely in her mouth. It felt so good that a
shiver ran up my body, it was like lying in a blanket of snow. Of
course, being a gentleman, I reciprocated. We played each other like a
pair of fine tuned violas. The notes rose and fell slowly and we
remained entwined for a long time.

	Then it was time for the finale. I sucked her clitoris deep
into my mouth. She began to shake and move her head up and down my
shaft faster and faster. We could only take this pace for a few
moments before we both came together. After a brief rest, we got up
and kissed. Our tongues fought a duel. We broke apart and at the same
time said "You taste great."

	We both laughed at and with each other. What a way to start
the day.

	A friend of mine arrived that afternoon to bring us fresh food
and supplies. He arrived shortly after noon flying his seaplane at
treetop level and making a spectacular landing on the calm bay. We
unloaded the supplies and I went below deck to start putting
everything up. I heard the seaplane start up and begin to taxi for
takeoff.

	I thought it was strange that Dan did not stay awhile, but
then Dan has always been a little strange. I called out for Drifter to
come and help me but she did not answer. I went up on deck, but no one
was there. I didn't think anything about it, and went back to continue
unpacking. I figured that she swam ashore. I finished unpacking,
opened a cold beer, and went to sit on the stern of the boat to await
her return.

	Then, I noticed a note attached to the wheel. I took the note
and sat down to read it. Drifter had obviously left it. I'd know that
hand writing anywhere. It read:

	I am sorry that it has to be this way. I left
	with Dan. I know that you will be hurt but I
	hope you understand that I need to be me. I am
	not ready to deal with the emotions that emerge
	every time I am with you. You are a great
	person.

	You have taught me things about life and myself
	and I can never repay that debt. I hope you have
	a good life.

						Drifter

	I just sat there staring at the letter. Emotions. There were
none. I was drained of life just as if a vampire had sucked all the
blood from my body.

	Once again something precious had left my life just when I
thought everything was fine. What was wrong with me? It must be
something.

	Was I too intense? Was I too demanding? I had thousands of
questions but no answers. I wanted a friend and companion and I guess
I wanted something more also. Should I have just settled for a friend?
The more questions I asked of myself the less answers I found.

	Then, logic took over.

	I realized that I wanted something that Drifter was unable to
give me.

	Hopefully, one day we would meet again. I spent the next
several days cleaning the boat and prepared to make the voyage home
alone. I found the only thing that she had left was the tape. I placed
it in the player and turned the volume all the way up. "I never meant
to hurt you," echoed throughout the bay.

				* * *

	After I returned home, I remained secluded on the boat for
several months.

	My business was doing fine and some of my short stories were
published. I was doing fine financially, but a piece of my life was
missing. Every day I thought of Drifter even though the memories hurt.
I had not heard a word from her since she had left. I prayed that she
was doing well. I framed her good-bye letter and it now hung over the
stove in the galley. I kept myself busy working on the boat and
sailing around but it wasn't the same.

				* * *

	One dark and stormy night, I went to a local pub that I had
begun to frequent a little too often. The rain was coming down in
thick sheets and lightning flashed through the skies. I had several
Jack Daniels and was in a somber mood. I knew that drinking would not
solve my inner problems so I paid the bartender and went back to the
boat. Being on a boat during a storm can be very peaceful. I sat at
the table and began to write a short story for a local magazine.

	Then, somehow my tape deck came on.

	"... let's just talk it over in bed... " My heart jumped into
my throat. In my heart, I knew that it couldn't be her. I grabbed my
gun from the dresser, chambered a round, and pulled open the hatch.
There was someone sitting on the deck.

	It was dark and I could not see very well but this person did
not look right. The lightning flashed and I could tell that there was
a woman huddled up against the deck wall slumped over. She was soaking
wet and the rain continued to pour down. I put the gun in the waist
band of my pants behind my back and picked her up. I took her below
and laid her down on the bunk. Her clothes felt wet all the way
through. I turned on the lights and went forward to get towels and
blankets for this stranger.

	When I returned, she was still on the bunk. She was not moving
and appeared to be unconscious.

	Then, I looked closely at her and I almost fainted.

	Drifter.

	What the hell had happened to her. I gently undressed her,
dried her off, and wrapped her in blankets.

	While I was cleaning her up, I noticed that she had several
large bruises on her. Numb with anger, I sat in the chair across from
her and kept a careful eye on her throughout the night.

	When the dawn came, she was still sleeping. I got up and
pulled the boat out of the slip and set sail south.

	When I was sure that everything was in order, I set the
automatic pilot and went below. I brewed a pot of coffee and poured
two cups. From the ice chest, I got the cream and fixed her coffee.

	I had always taken my coffee black, but I also always kept
fresh cream in hopes that one day she would return. I sat down next to
her and shook her.

	She opened her eyes and when she saw me, she wrapped her arms
around me and started to cry. "I'm sorry I came here but I had nowhere
else to turn."

	"Drifter I told you that I would always be here when you
needed me. You don't have to be sorry." I gave her the coffee and she
sat back and relaxed. She must have felt the boat moving because she
asked where we were going. I told her that I thought she needed to get
away and think for awhile so we were headed south with no set
destination in mind. She looked in the mirror in horror at her
reflection. She threw me out of the cabin so she could take a shower
and get cleaned up. I took my coffee and went to check the course of
the boat.

	She opened the hatch and smiling stuck her head out and said,
"Hi Pal." I just shook my head and started to laugh. She ran up the
stairs and threw her arms around me and wrapped her legs around my
waist. I was not sure how to handle this situation, but I hugged her
back and told her that I had missed her. Our lips found each others
and our bodies fit together perfectly. She started to unbuckle my belt
and I stopped her.

	"Drifter, don't. I am not sure what is going on here and I
don't want this to happen yet." She took this rejection hard. I pulled
her to me and held her close.

	"Just let me hold you. My life has not been the same since you
left and now you are suddenly here and you can't expect to take up
where we left off. I love you very much, but right now I just want to
hold you.

	In my arms, you are safe from everything." She lay her head on
my shoulders and the gentle motion of the boat slipping through the
waves put her fast asleep.

	By the time Drifter woke up, the sun was already high in the
sky. She stretched her lithe body upon the couch and smiled up at
me. I went below and brought up the lunch I had fixed for her. I sat
at her feet while we ate a light lunch of fresh fruits and salad with
a light tangy dressing.

	After eating, I took the plates into the galley and began
washing the dishes. I knew that Drifter was feeling pretty bad since
she did not argue about me doing these chores for her. Drifter has
always been an independent soul and she really dislikes having things
done for her.

	After I finished cleaning up, I changed course for a nearby
cove to spend the night. Drifter was standing on the bow just staring
out over the water. A small group of porpoises began to swim along the
bow and she sat down and watched them play. I watched her for a long
time worrying about her.

	She had not spoken very much since her sudden arrival on the
boat. She appeared deeply troubled, but for now, I just let her be.

	We anchored the boat in a small cove off the Bimini Coast.

	Drifter continued to remain seated on the bow just staring off
into space. I felt it was time to do something. I went forward and
knelt down behind her.

	She never stirred or acknowledged my presence. I gently
reached up to her neck and began to slowly massage her back. She still
remained silent but I could feel the tension begin to leave her body.
I moved her so that she was lying on her stomach on the deck and
slowly worked each muscle group from her neck to her toes. After about
an hour, I finally felt her entire body relax. At this point, I raised
her leg into the air and playfully sucked on her toes. She rolled over
onto her side and said, "Just what do you think you are doing?"
Perfect, I was waiting for the old Drifter to start to come back. "Me,
I'm just trying to help you relax. Nothing more."

	"Well, in that case, continue." She rolled back over on her
stomach.

	Once again, I started sucking on her toes and slowly moved my
way up her body. Her perfectly shaped calves were begging for
attention. I continued my upward progress, nibbling on her thighs.

	When I got to her inner thighs, her hips began an up and down
movement. I reached up and lowered her bikini bottom and bit her on
the left cheek. She rolled over and playfully slapped at me. "What was
that for?" she asked. I was just testing your reflexes. She laughed at
me and rolled back over.

	"Well, just kiss my ass," was her statement. I was never one
to deny a lady, especially one as desirable as Drifter. I bent over
her prone form and gently kissed her behind. Her legs began to drift
apart and her moist cavern was exposed to me. I lay down on the deck
and, grasping her hips, manipulated her so that her vagina was
positioned over my mouth. My tongue snaked its way through the forest
of pubic hair and gently titillated her clitoris. I teased her by just
touching her with the tip of my tongue.

	Suddenly, she lowered herself down further so that I could
attack every inch of her sex. Moisture started to flood down from her
tunnel. I gulped her juices down savoring their musky flavor. Looking
up her body, I could watch her heaving breasts bouncing up and down. I
reached up for them and massaged her breasts while she rode my tongue.
Her orgasm seemed to last for hours. She finally rolled off of me and
then came over and gave me a french kiss that aroused my desires even
more. I realized that it was getting late, and instead of continuing
with our love play, I went below to fix dinner. Drifter followed me
down below and tried to push me out of the galley.

	"I'll make dinner."

	"Drifter, you will not make dinner. Just go over there and sit
your ass down and watch." "Fine - Just Fine!" She huffed off and sat
down at the table. I found the package of shark meat in the ice box
and began to season it. Pepper, salt, lemon, and everything else I
could find was being dumped onto the shark steaks.

	Suddenly, Drifter yelled out, "Hey, this is about me." She had
found the work I had been writing and was sitting there reading it. I
ignored her and went back to preparing the meal. I finished cooking
and set the table. She was halfway through reading the manuscript when
dinner was served. I poured us each a glass to chilled white wine and
sat down next to her. She put the papers aside and started to eat.
Looking over at me she said, "This is good." I asked her if she meant
the book or the fish. She said both. We finished eating in silence and
while I cleared the table she took the papers and her wine on deck to
finish reading. I joined her a short time later. I sat watching her
read for a long time.

	When she was finished, she took the papers below and called
for me to join her. I found her lying on the bunk in all of her naked
splendor. I quickly undressed and climbed in next to her. Our lips met
and her body felt so soft and sensuous that I was content to just lie
next to her.

	She started to speak and I just sat back and listened. "I know
you want to know what happened to me but I just want to forget
everything that has happened to me since I left. I have done a lot of
thinking since then, and I want you to know that not a day passed
without my thinking of you. You mean a lot to me and if you will have
me, I am yours."

	I stared up at the ceiling for awhile letting her words sink
in.

	"What do you mean?"

	"Just what I said. I am ready to settle down a little. I am
tired of running around the world. I want to have some place to call
my own. And, if you are willing, I want you to be there." I was too
choked up for words. I lowered my lips to hers and gave her a kiss
that would reach her soul. I whispered in her ear. "Welcome home,
pal."

	We spent the rest of the night making passionate love to each
other until the sun began to come over the horizon.