The Fine Line Book One Between Worlds Series (31 page)

Waiting patiently on the airplane, Robin
looked out the window at the hustle and bustle of the airline
employees. The sun shone beautifully in Dayton, but she looked
forward to someplace even sunnier. Vacations made everything
brighter.

“
So, are you ever going to
tell me what you’ve got planned for this vacation?” she asked Matt
as she took a pamphlet out of the seat pocket in front of
her.

“
Not a chance,” he said
with a smile.

“
At least you can wear
your tropical shirt and your shorts,” she smiled.

“
And you have your hat and
bathing suit, right?”

“
Absolutely,” she
replied.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear.

“I can’t tell you how glad I am that we’re
doing this.”

His breath on her skin sent a current
throughout her body. She closed her eyes and answered,

“
Me, too.”

They arrived at the dock in Miami at 2:00
p.m. Several lines of passengers stood in the terminal waiting to
be checked in. Robin felt a little overwhelmed as she pulled her
luggage behind her frantically trying to keep up with Matt as he
led the charge. A man dressed in khakis and a white polo shirt with
the cruise line’s logo on it intercepted them. He glanced down at
Matt’s luggage with the yellow tag on it.

“
Sir,” he began, “the
V.I.P. lounge is right this way.”

“
Thanks,” Matt said as he
put his aviator sunglasses on top of his head.

“
V.I.P.?” Robin asked with
surprise in her tone.

“
Only the best, my dear,”
he replied with a sly smile.

After they were given a number, they sat in
the lounge and watched as it filled with other passengers all with
yellow tags on their luggage. Many of them drank alcoholic
beverages. Some waited patiently with their children. Others were
already inebriated.

Robin ordered a strawberry daiquiri and
joyfully sipped on it as she enjoyed watching the other people. It
had been an eternity since she’d drunk anything with alcohol in it.
She laughed at herself.

A clerk called out their number and then
offered to check them in. Afterward, they were directed to the
gangway where they walked onto the luxurious ship. Everything
sparkled with an upscale and modern flair. Robin pictured a boat
similar to
Titanic
when Matt told her they would be going on
a cruise, but the ship’s neon lights and shiny brass put that
theory to rest.

An open bar sat in the middle of the
entrance deck. Matt walked up and asked for a beer. Robin wanted
another daiquiri.

The sounds of announcements came across the
sound system. Art shows were announced along with other interesting
and entertaining events. The final announcement directed all
passengers to the pool deck for the boat drill.

The Florida sun certainly differed from
Dayton’s shiny ball of fire in the sky. Robin knew this to be
completely impossible and untrue, but the idea of it made her
smile. With the warm, positive energy surrounding her body, she
felt sure she could radiate light at any moment.

Dressed casually in khaki Capri pants, brown
flip flops, and a beige graphic t-shirt, her hair twisted on the
back of her head in a messy bun with strands flying about her face
in the ocean breeze. She felt eyes on her. She turned her head to
see Matt’s smile and his messy dark hair flying about. His arms
were folded as he tried to listen to the safety presentation, but
failed miserably. He wore a navy blue polo shirt with sleeves
tightly fitted around his biceps with his dark brown shorts and his
leather flip flops. She felt her insides suddenly burn realizing
she wanted him desperately. Yet, her feelings of vulnerability and
self-consciousness trumped her once steady confidence.

At check-in, Robin and Matt were given their
keys, so after the presentation, they found their assigned deck.
They neared their room and as they did, Matt stepped in front of
Robin.

“
I want you to close your
eyes,” he said sweetly.

She sighed and smiled. “If you insist
doctor.”

“
I insist. Now close
them,” he said.

He walked behind her and covered her eyes
with his hand.

“
I’m going to unlock the
door and then we’re walking in. I won’t let you fall, okay, but you
have to promise to keep your eyes closed.”

She nodded with her eyes still closed, his
hand still tight over them.

“
I promise.” She
said.

They walked into the room and the smell of
flowers engulfed her senses.

Matt removed his hand and whispered in her
ear,

“
Open your
eyes.”

The sight overwhelmed her. Matt had reserved
an enormous suite, complete with a balcony and hot tub. Champagne
and glasses waited on the balcony table. Vases sat everywhere in
the room filled with red roses. Rose petals peppered the floor. One
of the vases caught Robin’s attention. A card hung from one of the
rose stems.

She smiled at Matt and then walked to the
vanity where the vase was.

She picked up the card and opened it. In
Matt’s handwriting the card read,

“
To the love of my life,
my beautiful wife, Robin. You are my inspiration and the reason I
exist. Love you forever, Matt.”

Turning to him, she beamed.

“
Thank you so much for
this,” she said.

Matt walked to her and took her into his
arms. She fit in them flawlessly as always.

“
This is all perfect,” she
continued.

“
I want you to relax and
have a good time. I’ve booked a spa appointment for you this
evening. They are going to pamper you and make you feel like a
million bucks.”

“
You shouldn’t
have…”

He raised his finger to her lips.

“
No, no. There will be no
‘shouldn’t have’s’ or anything like that on this trip. You’re going
to get the royal treatment.”

“
You are too good to
me.”

After a relaxing hour on their balcony, they
went to the top deck. The ship finally set sail. The horn blew
loudly as the passengers shouted and waved at everyone standing on
the dock.

Robin planted her body up against a railing
and looking out at the ocean ahead of them. Matt snuggled in behind
her and kissed her neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist. To
feel him close against her made her yearn for his touch. She forgot
what it felt like to desire him so very much.

Robin enjoyed a relaxing three hours at the
spa. She got a facial, a manicure, a pedicure, and a massage. It
was a little piece of heaven.

She opened the cabin door and found Matt on
the balcony. She walked to the balcony door and went out. The
darkening sky sparkled on the water.

“
The spa was wonderful,”
she said.

She leaned against the railing and sighed.
Matt stayed seated in one of the metal chair with his feet propped
up on the railing. Then he stood and leaned in beside her.

The sun was right above the water. In her
ear, he whispered quietly,

“
Did you know that you can
hear the sun sizzle when it hits the water?” He paused. “Just
listen.”

As she listened, it certainly sounded as if
the water swallowed up the hot sun as it gradually fell beneath the
surface. But, the brilliant colors of purple, blue, red, orange,
and yellow made it clear the sun still existed over the
horizon.

“
Have I ever told you how
hopelessly romantic you are?” she asked.

“
I think you’ve mentioned
it once or twice,” he replied as he kissed her ear.

Her face turned toward his. For some reason
she felt as if she hadn’t kissed him before; as if it were new in
some odd way. She remembered how she had felt and how she once
battled with herself in the beginning of their relationship,
constantly worrying about his impression of her; his perceptions
and expectations. They had come such a long way since then, but the
feeling of euphoria felt brand new to her.

His lips gently touched hers, but then he
pulled away and looked into her eyes as he leaned into the railing.
He caressed her face. The passionate fire filled her body. She
didn’t want to fight the flames anymore. The heat could only be
extinguished by his touches and kisses.

“
I would love to stay here
and keep doing this,” he started, “but we have a dinner we’re
expected at in about a half hour.”

“
Wow. That feels like déjà
vu,” she said remembering when they first kissed at the
concert.

“
It does, doesn’t
it?”

“
So, what do I have to
wear to this dinner?” she asked curiously.

“
Well, we dress for dinner
each night. I brought a couple of suits for myself. Wendy let me
borrow some of her cocktail dresses for you.”

Matt left Robin to prepare for dinner. He
sat at the bar on the main deck drinking a beer while he waited
patiently. From the corner of his eye, he saw a woman making her
way down a set of spiral stairs from the deck above him. Her
features, soft and delicate, she wore a short teal cocktail dress.
The straps were thick and the front gathered perfectly around the
woman’s breasts. The shoes were teal opened toed 3 ½ inch heels
with black accents. Her hair pulled back perfectly and twisted up
with some wispy curls hanging around her face.

Finally, Matt realized this woman walking
down the staircase belonged to him. Robin dazzled him. His heart
beat just a little faster as he drank the rest of his beer

His pants tightened as he became aroused.
The desire to take her into his arms, carry her to the cabin, and
make love to her for hours nearly incapacitated him.

She smiled as her hand glided down the
railing. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes as she stepped
down in the heels, but still, she made it look effortless. He
approached her and held out his arm.

“
Shall we, M’Lady?” he
asked chivalrously.

She nodded and smirked.

“
You look quite dashing
Dr. Gregory,” she said sweetly as she touched the lapel of his
suit. He wore a charcoal gray suit with a white shirt and a red
tie. He had slicked his hair back and perfectly groomed his
goatee.

After the sophisticated dinner, they walked
the deck and took in the fresh salty air. With her heels in her
hand, Robin felt more stable. Bare feet suited her better. A slight
chill filled the air, so Matt lent her his suit coat.

“
You look delicious,” he
said as he held tight to her hand.

“
Thank you.” Her cheeks
flushed pink.

“
Ahhh, there it is,” he
said delightedly.

“
You still have that
affect on me,” she assured him.

They finally concluded the evening after
dozens of walks on the decks. Robin took a relaxing bath and
subsequently, wrapped in a towel, she walked from the bathroom into
the state room where she saw Matt sitting up in bed asleep. His
head leaned back against the wall, he had no shirt on. The light
from the television reflected off of his smooth skin. The other
lights in the room were low. The balcony door still stood open and
the sound of waves against the boat provided the perfect
atmosphere.

She stood for the longest time admiring him;
how perfectly shaped his body still was. Her blood ran hot as she
yearned to be close to him. She turned the television off and shut
the balcony door. She walked to the bed and sat down. He didn’t
stir.

Tenderly, she touched his cheek and traced
his eyebrows with her finger tips.

His eyes slowly opened and he smiled as her
fingertip outlined his lips. She smiled back at him. He sat up and
leaned toward her and glanced down at the towel wrapped securely
around her.

“
Just a towel, huh?
Planning on getting lucky Mrs. Gregory?” he said in a low
voice.

“
Well,” she said as her
eyes rolled up to the ceiling, “I thought that I might.” Her gaze
then focused on his brown eyes.

Sweeping her dark hair from her shoulder to
her back, he ran his hand down her arm, barely touching her skin.
He found the knot in the towel and released it.

Her head dropped as if she were ashamed. His
eyebrows narrowed.

“
What’s wrong?” he
asked.

“
I’m so thin,” she said
sadly. She felt exposed and embarrassed.

He tilted her chin up with his finger.
“You’re perfect.”

He pulled the towel away and touched her
breasts. Pulling her close, he kissed her lips. The passion ignited
between them. Robin lay back onto the bed as Matt moved in and
hovered over her. They continued kissing as she unbuttoned and
unzipped his pants.

His kisses were heated. His hands steadied
his weight as he placed them on each side of her. She rose up
toward him and rested on her elbows. He kissed her neck as she
threw her head back enjoying every moment; every touch. Stopping to
look at him, the intensity in his eyes was overpowering. She felt
ready.

“
Now,” she whispered.
“Please, I don’t want to wait any longer.”

He sat up and then scooted backward toward
the headboard. Her hand in his, he pulled her onto him. His hands
rested firmly on her tiny waist as she moved forward and backward
slowly. Their kisses did not cease as the intensity between them
reached higher levels. With the excitement rising, Matt’s hands
began roaming all over her bare body. She panted and moaned as she
continued moving rhythmically.