Sailor Proof (Shore Leave 1)

“No. All good. Too good.” Keeping my eyes shut, I rode out the last of the sensations. Even the aftershocks were overwhelming in the best way possible.

“Damn, I had no idea...” He still sounded all dreamy as he gently untangled our bodies. His touch was feather-light on my skin as he flitted his fingers down my chest, over my stomach, through the streaks of come there, glancing across my still-sensitive, almost buzzing cock, and brushing lightly across where we’d been joined. The reverence in his touch was enough to make my eyes sting anew. He’d taken care of me in a way I wasn’t sure anyone ever had before. I’d been fucked, but this was something else, something more.

I wanted to say something profound, but words continued to fail me as he cleaned us both up. Curving his body around mine, he cuddled me close, like earlier but different now too. There was a peace between us, an inner calm that went beyond post-sex bliss.

I wasn’t about to ruin it with idle conversation, and he must have felt the same way because he simply lay there and held me and breathed with me.

“I don’t want to sleep,” he whispered at last.

“Me either.” I snuggled more securely, a yawn belying my words. “No tub here for a midnight bath, sadly.”

“Yeah. Guess we’ll just have to stay here in bed forever.” He kissed my temple.

“Sounds perfect.” I yawned again, but in the end, he was the one whose breathing evened out first, sleep claiming him in little huffs and soft snores. I watched him sleep until my eyes burned every bit as much as my heart. He looked younger and more vulnerable in his sleep, silky red hair tumbling across his forehead. I wanted to keep him like this forever, stay here like this for all eternity.

That was the thought I too faded away on and the one I came awake to, hours later when my phone buzzed and my heart sank. I knew.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Arthur

I knew as soon as I heard Derrick shuffling around what was happening. And even half-asleep I hated it and wanted to bury my head in my pillow and pretend to sleep through him leaving. But I couldn’t do that to him. To either of us really.

My muscles still protested as I sat up, body rebelling against this middle-of-the-night intrusion of our cozy nest. I’d rather drift on memories of the amazing sex, but if Derrick had to do this, then so did I.

“The call came?” I asked even though it so clearly had.

“Yep.” His mouth and eyes were violin-string tight. “I’ve got a couple of hours to report, but I can’t risk getting caught in morning rush hour.”

“Yeah. Traffic will be brutal,” I said inanely. Next we’d be discussing the weather.

“Ferry shouldn’t be that bad.” Derrick pulled on his pants. “I’ve got someone meeting me at the station.”

“Ferry?” I pulled the covers closer around me. “But you drove.”

“I’m leaving you my keys.” He tossed them next to me on the bed. He’d removed the car keys from his other keys, and he’d left the car ones on a fob with a dangling beaded charm one of the kids had made at camp. My chest contracted hard.

“What? You can’t leave me your car!” I protested, not making a move for those keys. Hell, I didn’t even want to look at them or think about what it meant, him leaving them for me.

“Sure I can. You like driving it.” Derrick shrugged before bending to retrieve his shirt. “I’m leaving you the contact info for my buddy who garages it for me in case you don’t want to keep it in this neighborhood, but maybe you can do me a favor and take it for a drive or two?”

“I can do that.” My voice was thick. That was all the confirmation I needed that this separation was likely to be weeks or months, not days.

“Good.”

“I’ll keep your baby safe.” I tried to smile but probably failed miserably. “Will I know when to have her ready for your return?”

It was a roundabout way of asking if there was any hope of news. I knew chances were slim of him having many opportunities to send messages, but I wanted something to cling to.

Derrick nodded sharply. “Hope so. I updated my contact info to make you my next of contact so you get all the notifications. One of the liaisons in the ombudsman or family services office can likely help if you need to get word to me in case of an emergency on this end.”

“Thanks.” I licked my parched lips. That was big. Like way more than friends hooking up sort of big, and it underscored all the overwhelming emotions I’d been battling all day. As much as I didn’t want this to be happening, I liked being that important to Derrick. Made me want to offer him something in return. “I’ll be there when you return if they get me notice.”