Ghost Cruise

The loud blast of the ships horn caused everyone to jump in surprise as the cruise prepared to get underway; Shawn scanned the gangway again beginning to feel a bit of worry creeping into his thoughts.

"Maxine and Amanda better hurry or they're going to get left behind," said Shawn turning toward his wife.

"They sent me a text just a few minutes ago, they will be here, their just running behind," replied his wife, Linda.

Shawn nodded his eyes still scanning the moving crowd below from his observation point on the deck. This cruise was a welcome break from his hectic work schedule at the law firm and a welcome reward for his making partner earlier in the year. He hoped to make senior someday and add his name to the letterhead.

"Swain would look good next to Ryerson and Masters," thought Shawn with a sense of pride. He glanced over at his wife of fifteen years, Linda still held up well for a woman pushing forty, her dark brunette hair fell in a thick cascade around her long face reaching down past her shoulders in soft waves. A shade over five-foot-six her dark brown eyes flashed with excitement, it was her first time on a cruise, and she was looking forward to the trip perhaps even more so than her husband. He watched as she turned from her observation of the crowd to give her husband a smile, her soft lips, painted a dark berry color pulled back to show her gleaming white teeth. His eyes moved downward taking in her body, a slender woman with small, perky upthrust breasts that sat high on her chest, pressing against the fabric of her white blouse.

"Hey Mister, you're supposed to be watching for our friend," said his wife laughing.

"Sorry, but the view up here was very enticing," replied Shawn drawing a blush that reddened his wife's fair skin.

"Wait! There they are!" exclaimed Linda as she turned back to the gangway just in time to catch sight of their quarry.

Shawn's gaze followed his wife's pointing finger and settled on a pair of women hurrying up the ramp even as the crew prepared to cast off.

"Better late than never," said Shawn to himself as he moved to help the ladies step aboard.

Maxine Prentiss had been friends with his wife since college, a short, dark-haired woman who barely reached five-feet in height she kept her hairstyle close-cropped in an almost pageboy cut, the raven black edges framing her round face. Her dark green eyes lit up as they fell on Shawn and Linda coming forward toward her, her full lips spreading into a smile to answer Linda's as the old friends came together in a hug. Shawn stood off to one side admiring the contrast between the two, especially Maxine's rather broad chest, her round breasts pushing against the top of her pale blue sundress as she reached up to hug her taller friend. Though she lacked height, Maxine was still quite a shapely woman who regularly ran marathons and so had muscular legs to go with her overall athletic frame, not for the first time Shawn wondered at why her husband would have ever cheated on such a sexy and sweet woman as Maxine. The two had divorced earlier that same year when her husband's infidelity had become known, Shawn had handled the proceedings for her and made sure she received a generous settlement much to Linda's delight.

"Linda! It's so good to see you!" said Maxine.

Shawn was so caught up watching the two women hug, with more than a few naughty fantasies springing to mind about what they would look like doing it without the restriction of clothing, that he almost missed the young woman standing a few feet behind Maxine. It took his brain a moment to reconcile the figure with the young girl he had known in the past. Amanda was Maxine's only child and had been away at college during the unpleasantness of the divorce between her parents, it had been nearly three years since Shawn had seen her last and in that time she had grown into a very striking woman in her own right. Favoring her father she was much taller, nearly five-foot-eight with a waterfall of long honey blond hair that fell straight and true down to the middle of her back, her small almost pixie-like face accented with thick dark eyebrows that rose above her eyes, dark green like her mothers. Her mouth was not as full but still sensuous looking, her very kissable lips covered in light pink lipstick. As the women continued to chatter away at each other, Shawn stepped toward Amanda reaching for her bag.

"Um...Hello Amanda, it's been a long time," said Shawn as she surrendered her carry on to him and smiled slightly.

"Uncle Shawn, it's good to see you too," said Amanda falling back on the nickname she had called Shawn all through her childhood though they obviously were not related.

Shawn couldn't help himself as he took a moment to take in Amanda's form from close up as he shifted her bag onto his shoulder, it was clear she spent a lot of time in the sun, her skin was a golden brown sporting a nice tan that extended from head to toe. She was wearing a short, cotton summer dress like her mother's though she didn't fill hers out in the same way, her breasts were certainly much smaller though she was definitely not wearing a bra and treating Shawn to the outline of what must be some very puffy nipples lifting the front of her outfit.

"So glad you could make the trip, I'm sure we will have a lot of fun," said Shawn.

"Oh yeah this is exactly how I wanted to spend my summer," commented Amanda with a sour expression and a hint of sarcasm. It was evident that the idea of spending several weeks on a cruise with her mother and her mother's friends was not high on her agenda of summer fun.

"Well, maybe we should go find our rooms," said Shawn turning his back on Amanda's frowning face.

The two chattering old friends threw their arms around each other and headed across the deck with Shawn and a reluctant Amanda in tow.

"I hope this isn't an omen of things to come," thought Shawn with a worried glance back at Amanda, he didn't want his vacation ruined by an unhappy sorority girl.

THAT EVENING -

The well-polished mirror reflected back Shawn's features as he wiped the last bits of shaving cream from his face, he had been careful not to damage his carefully trimmed Van Dyke beard as he removed the dark stubble from his cheeks. For a guy just about to celebrate his forty-second birthday he thought he was holding up very well, just a few stray grey hairs in his dark brown head and a handful of laugh lines around his eyes would betray that he was well past his thirties. He slapped on some aftershave before slipping back into his cabin where his wife was about to climb into her long pale green dress for dinner. She stood at the foot of the bed fiddling with her bra in preparation for putting it on. Her small, perky tits were exposed for Shawn to admire, her silver dollar sized aureoles were as dark as red wine with thick nipples a good half inch long poking out from their centers, Shawn licked his lips as he moved around behind his wife and slid his hands up her flanks to cup her soft breasts in his hands.

"You know, maybe we could be a little late for dinner," he whispered in Linda's ear while leaning in to kiss her shoulder.

"Maxine and Amanda are waiting for us, plenty of time for that fun stuff later," said his wife in an impatient tone as she stepped away, wrestling her bra into place as she moved around the bed.

Shawn let out a breath of exasperation as Linda went to step into her dress, "I get that this may not be the best time but, man Linda it's been over a month since we did, well anything."

Linda smoothed her dress into place as she answered, "Oh and that's my fault? We both have busy schedules, and this is an important time of year to gather donations for the fall."

Linda ran several charities, and Shawn was proud of her commitment to helping the less fortunate, but lately, he had started to feel like his penis was being as neglected as the poor folks Linda worked so hard to help. He walked to the closet fishing in the interior for his suit while Linda brushed her hair out and added some jewelry to improve her look.

"I get that we have a lot on our respective plates, it's just, I miss the time we used to spend together, alone if you get my drift," said Shawn with a raised eyebrow.

Linda turned back from the dresser laying down her brush as she walked back toward Shawn's powerful six-foot form, "If you're a good boy tonight maybe something nice might happen to you later."

A quick kiss on the cheek was all Shawn got for now as he went back to putting on his clothes, the past few years had seen less and less time spent in the bedroom between Linda and himself. He had hoped that this cruise might cure some of the distance that had started to grow between them but then Linda had insisted on inviting Maxine as a way to cheer her up, and that idea had lost some steam. She did take his hand in hears as they walked to the crowded dining area and found a table, the restaurant was buffet style, and Linda went to check out the available fare why Shawn looked over the wine list, he glanced up as a voice called his name.

"Shawn, I see you got us a good table," said Maxine.

Shawn politely stood from the table while at the same time fighting not to get a bulge in his pants because Maxine looked spectacular, she had chosen a very tight red dress for the evening, and her large, round breasts were very exposed in the V-neck of the ensemble. Behind her, Amanda looked almost as good as her mother in a flashy gold colored party dress that clung to her body like a second skin, her long tan legs extending from the short skirt ending with her feet in a pair of spiky high-heels.

"I did my best, and you two both look very nice, gorgeous in fact," said Shawn leaning down to kiss Maxine on the cheek as he got a whiff of her perfume that made his head spin.

"Thank you," said Maxine as she sat in the chair Shawn pulled out for her; Amanda barely acknowledged the exchanged and plopped down next to her Mother her face taking on an expression of extreme boredom.

Hoping to loosen things up Shawn ordered an expensive bottle of wine and poured drinks for everyone, the wine as well as the food was quite good, but nothing seemed to shake Amanda from her funk. As soon as dessert was cleared from the table, she excused herself to, as she put it, "Find a real party on this tub."

"You will have to excuse Amanda, she is still recovering from the divorce, I think it may have been harder on her than it was on me," said Maxine.

"That is perfectly understandable Maxine, there's nothing to apologized for at all," said Linda sympathetically.

As the dinner dishes were cleared music started to play in the expansive room and several couples took advantage of the interlude to dance off some calories from their meal.

"Would you care to dance?" asked Shawn holding out a hand to his wife.

"Oh, I think I'll sit this one out, but you should take Maxine she always loves a good dance," said Linda good-naturedly.

"Um, sure, Maxine?" said Shawn extending his hand once again.

"I would be delighted, sir," said Maxine with a laugh.

The two made their way out onto the dance floor, Shawn finding the going awkward at first; he was used to dancing with Linda who was a full head taller. Still, he had to give Maxine credit she moved with the same steady grace that she displayed running marathons, and he enjoyed the feel of her large breasts pressing into him as they danced. Looking down into her jade green eyes he felt his pulse quicken, Maxine was a gorgeous woman, and it was hard not to feel an attraction to her as they moved together.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Maxine suddenly as Shawn continued to stare.

"No! Nothing, I'm sorry I was just lost in thought, about...Um...some work stuff," finished Shawn lamely.

"Work stuff, I see," said Maxine though she had a feeling her cleavage had more to do with Shawn's dazed expression than any legal brief. Still, she didn't mind a little ogling, it had been quite a while since a man had checked her out and Shawn was a handsome devil, Linda had gotten lucky on that score.

The song ended, and they returned to their seats, Shawn ordering another bottle of wine as the evening wore on. It was quite a few glasses later when he finally got Linda back to their room, shutting the door behind them. A night of wine and dancing with Maxine's tight body had left Shawn with a raging hard-on in his pants. They barely got through the door before Shawn had Linda against the cabin wall pressing his lips to hers hungrily, seeking to slide his tongue into her warm mouth but Linda pushed him back as their lips parted with a loud smacking noise.

"Please Shawn, you've had too much to drink, and I'm tired," said Linda.

"WHAT! Ah come on Linda, you promised we could be together tonight!" said Shawn heatedly.

"I said no such thing, I said maybe, and now I'm saying no," said Linda as she walked toward the bathroom.

Shawn stood disappointed and angry but refused to go meekly to sleep, "Fine! You go to bed if you like; I'm going to find something more interesting to do."

"Where are you going?" yelled Linda to Shawn's retreating form.

"I have no fucking idea but someplace better than here!" said Shawn with a last angry look as he shut the door behind him.

Shawn walked back toward the ballroom but along the way spied a sign for the ships on board casino, though his wife did not approve of gambling Shawn was not in the mood to worry about it and he went inside and settled himself at a card table.

"May I get you something to drink?" asked a smiling young server.

"Yes, bring me a glass of Bourbon," said Shawn as the dealer started slipping cards across the felt table top, his drink arrived just as he was raking in a small pile of chips.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked.

"Yes, keep bringing these until I throw up or pass out," said Shawn holding up the Bourbon before taking a large drink.

"What do we do after that?" said the server with a frown.

"Then, we switch to Tequila," said Shawn deadpan as he downed the rest of the drink and set the empty glass back on her tray.

The following morning Shawn sat on the edge of the bed wanting to die, his head held gingerly in his hands as Linda berated him loudly.

"Two freaking grand Shawn! You lost two-thousand dollars at cards! You know how I feel about gambling," said Linda with disgust as she started to pace back and forth in front of the bed. Shawn fought to keep from throwing up as Linda continued her tirade stopping periodically to poke him in the shoulder for emphasis.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I just got a little carried away," said Shawn quietly.

"A little carried away and a lot drunk!" said Linda angrily.

"That too," Shawn agreed.

"Well, you can just stay here and sleep it off, I won't have you ruin the day Maxine, and I have planned on having to drag your sorry ass all over the island," said Linda referring to the site seeing tour they had planned now that the ship was reaching its first port.

"Fine, you guys go ahead, have a good time," said Shawn falling backward and pulling a pillow over his head.

Linda shook her head and turned to exit the cabin, Shawn was already snoring before the echo of her footsteps faded.

Linda and Maxine, with a quiet and unhappy looking Amanda following behind, joined a tour group that was examining some of the historic homes and buildings on the island.

"A little-known fact is that this house was run as a secret underground brothel in the 1920's, one of the prostitutes was killed on the premises by a jealous suitor, they say her spirit still haunts this place...oHHHHHHHH," half-joked the tour guide.

"This was the aforementioned lady of the night's room, please feel free to examine it before we move on," he continued before walking down the hallway.

Amanda made her way through the room quickly, just more antique furniture and an old creaky looking bed, she promptly exited as her mother and Linda continued to walk around the room. Maxine noticed a particularly attractive looking photo in an antique frame on the dresser that she assumed must be the poor murdered young woman, as she gazed upon it she felt almost drawn to the photo and reached out to brush her fingertips across it. A sudden blue glow seemed to leap from the edge of the frame running up Maxine's arm before she could move, for just a second her eyes flashed a brilliant blue and then back to their normal deep green.

"Maxine? Are you o.k.? I was just saying look at these amazing bed covers," said Linda.

Maxine seemed to come out of a stupor saying "Ah...Uh yes, they are unique."

"Whoops, the tour is moving on we best get going," said Linda.

As Linda left the room, Maxine paused to gaze at herself in the mirror over the mantle as her eyes suddenly glowed blue again for just a moment.

"Um, yes this body will do nicely, there is some fun to be had here," the words came from Maxine's lips but were not in her voice. As the glow faded, Maxine quickly shook herself and ran to catch up with the tour wondering why she felt so dazed.

Shawn awoke for the second time that day, a quick glance at the bedside clock telling him it was well into the afternoon, with a groan he made his way to the bathroom. A quick shower helped in restoring him to fighting trim as he cleaned up from the night before, he knew Linda had every right to be pissed at him, but he felt equally angry and disappointed at her for leading him on. He started to dress pulling on a pair of boxer briefs; he figured he should head over to the island and find the girls, perhaps he could make it up to Linda by taking them all out to a nice dinner somewhere. He was still going through his luggage looking for a shirt to match his shorts when a quiet knock came at the door, he walked over to open it and to his surprise found Maxine starring back at him.

"Maxine? I thought you were on tour with Linda and Amanda," said Shawn.

"I was, I told them to finish without me, I wasn't feeling up for any more walking," said Maxine.

"Um, I see, well I was just getting dressed to go over myself, perhaps you could rest and meet us for dinner later," said Shawn.

"Could I talk to you for a minute first?" asked Maxine and she stepped through the door and into the room before Shawn could reply.

"Yeah, sure, I guess," said Shawn with a puzzled expression as he closed the door behind his unexpected guest.

"It just occurred to me that I never really thanked you for all you did for me during the divorce," said Maxine as she walked around the room slowly circling back toward the bed from the window view of the island.

"You don't have to thank me, Maxine, it was my pleasure," said Shawn.

"Oh, but I think I do, and I think I know just the right way to repay you for everything," said Maxine her voice dropping into a sultry whisper as she ran one hand along the bedcovers while walking back toward Shawn.

"I don't understand what you mean," said Shawn though he feared he knew precisely what she meant.

"Sure you do," said Maxine and before Shawn could ask her to elaborate she stood on her tiptoes and slipped her arms around his neck pulling his mouth to hers burying her tongue into his in a hot French kiss. Shawn froze in shock if he had a dime for every time he had ever fantasized about Maxine Prentiss he could have retired years earlier and now here she was kissing him in his cabin! He struggled with is libido while his guilt beat him about the head, he knew he should push her away, but her lips felt terrific against his so soft and full, and it had been so long since a woman kissed him with such need. He couldn't even remember the last time Linda had kissed him like this, and it was so hard to pull away as Maxine expertly worked her tongue in his mouth sending soft waves of pleasure rolling through his body with each kiss. He finally, reluctantly, broke the kiss his breath coming in sharp gasps as he warred with his rapidly churning arousal.