LOVE QUAKES: BOXED SET (BOOKS 1-4) (25 page)

Tristan laughs as he imagines my gawky, awkward fifteen year old self. I actually note that he seems relieved.

"Joanna, I'm a lucky man that you were a slow to mature young teen," he asserts with enthusiasm. "Even without a past, you're attracting attention."

"Not due to the way I looked, however. It's due mainly to my mother and her flaky marriage partners."

"Well, it's a beautiful Saturday morning and time to have some fun outside. I'll let my security team work on the NYC info. Why don't we go for a ride on my boat?"

"OK! Tell me about it."

"My yacht is named Donna and she moves through the water like a sharp knife. We can sail near the coast and up toward Catalina Island today. Incidentally, there's a wonderful view from the front bedroom."

"Sounds like a great idea, Tristan. Should I bring a windbreaker and jeans?"

"Oh, yes, you'll need protection from the wind. Also, make sure to pack some of the negligees I bought you."

"Yes, sir. Maybe I'll keep one there."

"Always prepared, Joanna."

Tristan’s POV

I'm relieved, in a sense, that the bomb meant for Joanna was not the result of one of my business or sexual deals gone wrong. What really shocks me is that someone like Richard detests my lovely Joanna enough to want her seriously injured or dead. What could a young 15 year old girl do to a man to push him over the edge to this extent?

I know the potency of Joanna's beauty and sex appeal. However, she was apparently a gawky and uncoordinated young teen then. On the other hand, Joanna has no idea how appealing she happens to be. Richard Dawson probably fell hopelessly in love with her. When she reacted to his voyeurism with revulsion, it very likely crushed him. Then again, as her stepfather, he should have known his boundaries.

Bailey and Hawk uncovered the fact that Michael, the dude I extracted from Joanna's handshake, is in fact related to Richard. They both have the same surnames. I knew Michael Dawson was bad news. Now Joanna should feel grateful for my intervention, rather than treating me like some paranoid boyfriend.

Hawk discovered and then let me know that Richard was staying with Bessie and Michael Dawson in Queens during the same dates as the psychology conference. They located the Dawson home in a rundown section of the Borough. However, Richard and Michael vacated the premises shortly after the bombing occurred. Apparently, Bessie was married to Charlie, the brother of Richard's father, until his recent death.

Charlie's experience with explosives began when he was a private in the military. Over the course of his career, Charlie became a highly trained explosives operative. That's probably how Michael or possibly Richard learned to assemble and deliver the sort of bomb that was used to blow up a portion of Marriott's 18th floor.

My guess is that Richard knew of the conference from the TTP chatter at Luigi's. When he saw Joanna with the group, he decided that it was time to make a move on her. He could have easily researched the conference dates and location on the internet.

The wild card was Michael. Was it just pure chance that Michael also happened to be in the psychotherapy field? Perhaps he signed up for the conference without really having a job in the field. After all, anyone can attend such conferences as long as they're willing to pay the registration fees.

Since Richard had family connections in NYC, his expenses were minimal. Bessie would be happy to welcome her nephew home and perhaps paid for his airfare. Then it was a matter of getting information about exactly where Joanna was staying. If Michael could get to know the two young women and find out more about their room or at least their floor, the game was simple.

Of course, all Michael really needed to do was ask the girls about whether they had a view and how far up they were in the conference hotel. Janelle or Joanna might easily have bragged about what they could see of Times Square. The trick would be for Richard to get the suitcase with explosives up to the 18th floor. That information remains to be uncovered. The Marriott should have trained their security and staff more carefully.

Bessie Dawson kindly assisted Hawk with his investigation but claimed no knowledge of her son or nephew's current location. She did admit that she paid for Richard's recent flight to NYC from San Diego and that her son, Michael, felt very close to his uncle. What stuns me is the realization that Richard appears to be quite rational to those closest to him. How can someone so psychotic act so normal?

I urge both Bailey and Hawk to share the information that they've uncovered with the police. After all, it can only help with their investigation of the bombing at the Marriott. Further, if the NYPD can keep Richard at bay, that's one less worry for me.

My current focus concerns keeping Joanna secure and happy. That's why I'm going to take her sailing on my yacht and show her a good time. Since Bailey and Hawk are hot on the heels of Richard and Michael, I'm going to spend the day just relaxing with my girl.

So that’s what we do. Once we're out on the open water of the ocean, I show Joanna some basic sailing maneuvers. I demonstrate how to "come about" by shifting the sail from one side of the boat to the other. I also unfurl the spinnaker sail to display how quickly my yacht can move through the water when all its potential gets called into play. Hmmm. That's an interesting metaphor.

It's a perfect day on the water with enough of a breeze to keep it challenging but not enough to make it daunting. Joanna's clearly impressed with my abilities. Of course, that's part of my strategy today. I need to demonstrate my skills to the woman of my dreams. She's such a naive and lovely young thing.

When we're far enough from the crowd, I decide to loosen the sails and let the boat drift about a bit. We can eat, drink and hopefully fool around a while. Maybe the rocking of my boat will aid me in my quest to make some new moves with Joanna. Her scent, body and face do amazing things to me and my favorite body part.

"Care for some snacks and a drink, baby?" I ask once the boat bobs gently in the seas. No other boat or person seems to be around us as we drift.

"Sounds wonderful," she agrees. "Can I help set things on the table?"

"Thanks, Joanna. Can you take the cheese plate, veggies and crackers up top?"

"Will do, Tristan. I've already grabbed the wine glasses and put them on a small table."

"Do you like the idea of drinking a light California Chardonnay?"

"Whatever you suggest sounds fine to me, Tristan. It’s just fun to taste various kinds of wine."

"You're so easy to please today," I remark and then pour us both a generous amount of wine.

"I just want to forget about the Marriott for now. Hopefully, Michael and Richard will remain somewhere on the east coast. Maybe the police will distract them for a while."

"Let's not think about them for now. How do you like the wine?" I ask in a ploy to get Joanna into the right mood.

"It's light, almost tastes like some sort of fruit," she responds while reclining against the cushions on the deck.

We consume our food and drink. The sun shines and there's a light breeze flowing around us. We've both got a buzz from the Chardonnay. Joanna puts her head in my lap and rests. We both doze a bit. After a while, Joanna sits up and starts to unbutton her shirt.

"What do you think you're doing, baby?" I query as my favorite body part takes notice.

"It seems so private out here. I thought I'd try to get some sunbathing in. I love the feel of the breeze on my body."

"Do you mean that you want to go topless on deck?" The thought alone makes me harden. She’s got lovely breasts.

"Wouldn't you like that?" she teases and jiggles herself a bit for emphasis.

"Of course, I'd love to see your gorgeous breasts in the light of day," I admit but worry about who else might look at them. We certainly appear to be alone at the moment.

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anyone else nearby just now," she observes and then stands, removes her shirt and pulls off her bra slowly.

I stare at her naked chest in awe for several minutes. She's got the most beautiful ta-tas and they're just the right size for me. She walks toward me and then twirls around to display her mammaries in all their glory. I'm salivating as I hold out my arms to her. I can’t wait to have my mouth and hands on her. She's quite the tease today, however.

Instead of coming toward me, she runs around the deck and makes me chase her. I love the way she jiggles as she runs. I'm off the cushions and after her in an instant. This game makes me incredibly horny. Joanna doesn't let me catch her right away.

When I finally get my hands on her, they find their way onto each of her peaches. They’re so pliable and calling out for me.

"Aren't you afraid you'll get these lovely melons sunburned, angel?"

"Not with you around," she giggles as I've already pulled her down onto a cushion.

My mouth suckles one breast hungrily while the other is getting a gentle squeeze. They're so nice and full for me. I love the feel and taste of her. She moans while I get us both fully stimulated on the cushions. She puts her arms around my back while I get her wet and ready with my tongue and mouth. I’m in absolute heaven as we make out. My cock approves.

"Why don't we go to the bedroom and get a bit more comfortable, Joanna?" I ask when I'm rock hard.

"Can't we just mess around out here in the breeze? It’s so liberating."

"I think we should have some privacy and space. We're not just going to be fooling around. I want you, Joanna. You never know when another boat or even private plane will invade our space."

She actually huffs in frustration. It's delightful.

She's quite the little brazen siren today. I pull Joanna up from the cushions and tug her hand. I love watching her walk around topless. She retrieves her bra and shirt and then follows me below deck to my large king-sized bedroom.

I quickly tug off her remaining clothing and toss her onto my mattress. She sits naked against the pillows at the top of the mattress and curls her index finger at me. I remove my clothes in a mindless manner. Before I know it, I'm kissing and fondling her for all I'm worth. Her hands quickly find my member and start massaging it with confidence. She's a quick study and an apt pupil.

Her marvelous body and firm hands have me revved up for action in no time at all. Without any concern for my ribs, I push her beneath me and kiss her passionately. She tastes divine. I've no doubt in my mind that I love this young woman.

Habit seems to take over then. The gentle rocking of the boat pushes me forward and onto her torso. I grab Joanna by the hips and work myself toward her entry. I'm so firm it's ridiculous. I make sure to put my full weight on my elbows and then angle myself into her slowly. She lets out a grateful moan when I push more of my member in. I look at her face as a cue for my next moves. She's smiling and receptive when I finally fill her to the hilt. Our connection is utter magic, as usual. I’m home when we connect.

Then I start to move with a steady rhythm. She lets out a long breath as I find a comfortable pace for our connection. Her hands are firmly clamped on my waist and her hips are lifting in sync with my pumps.

"Does this angle work for you, baby?" I ask with concern. I realize that it's a first for me to be on top of Joanna.

Her answer sends me into nirvana. "Does it ever, Tristan! You feel incredible in this position. I love the way you feel inside me."

“Oh, Joanna, this feels so incredible,” I manage to huff out as I thrust with as much power as I can muster at this point in the healing process.

I start to push and pump while over her. She's writhing with desire. "Oh Tristan. I adore this new position. It's hitting all the right spots. Just one request, can you go a little faster?"

"Just a little bit faster, baby," I assure her and really start to move while she meets my every thrust. She's just perfect. I'm surprised at her enthusiasm so I get lost in her tightness. How did I get so lucky to be the first to seduce a doll like her?  She also loves to have sex with me.

I look down at the face of my gorgeous young girlfriend. She's in an altered state. Her head is thrown back on the pillow, her eyes are shut and her mouth forms an 'o' as I thrust in and out. The rocking of the boat actually assists me in my efforts. Going out on the boat turns out to have been a genius move.