Journey to Another Life Ch. 10

The book absorbed him so completely that he never noticed Nikki's disappearance downstairs until she'd been gone for a little while. The sun was just a little hotter than Ed would have liked, making reading more of a challenge than he'd hoped. He put the book aside, and decided to simply relax and surrender to the sun.

"Would you like another drink, Ed?" came the familiar baritone.

He opened one eye to see the tall black captain towering over him. "Sure."

Charles prepared the drink quickly. Rather than slipping away after he delivered it, he hung around, cleaning areas that already sparkled. Finally, he spoke again.

"Ed, may I sit down for a moment, please?"

"Of course." Shit, this couldn't be good.

Charles paused for only a moment. "Are you okay with what's going on?"

Nope, not good at all.

"Because if you're not," Charles continued, "I can arrange for another crewmember to replace me for the rest of the charter."

When Ed made eye contact with him, he saw that concern, not frustration or annoyance, motivated the man's words. Ed gradually realized that the duality of Charles's position on the ship had not been as easy for the man to deal with as Ed might have assumed. Charles's crisis of conscience made Ed respect him more.

Ed chose his words carefully. "I won't lie to you, Charles. There are some aspects about the whole thing that I'm struggling with. It may take time for me to get used to them. But I intend to try. Nikki and I have a very honest relationship, so we've talked about this quite a bit. You might say we've even come to an arrangement of sorts," he said, grinning slightly. "And I know that she'd be very disappointed if you were to leave."

Charles fixed his gaze on the horizon. "I'm mindful that she is your wife before she is my lover," he said slowly. "If you tell me that this is really not something that you want to happen, I will bow out completely. Now or at any point on the trip. I will abide by your wishes."

"Thank you, Charles. I appreciate that."

"Well, you're welcome. I sincerely mean it."

"I can see that," Ed said quietly.

"But I wouldn't be honest if I said I didn't want this arrangement to continue. You've married the most beautiful woman in the world and I feel incredibly fortunate to have even met her, let alone be given the precious gift I feel you are bestowing on me. But if you tell me to back off or leave, or if you see something happen that just doesn't feel right, I promise to abide by your wishes if you want me gone. It would be one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I would do whatever you want me to do."

Ed had never heard him say so much at one time. Never had he expected the man who was so thoroughly satisfying his wife with the largest dick in the universe to be so self-effacing. Ed was so touched, he wasn't sure how to respond.

He loved the description of Nikki as a "precious gift" and almost wished she were present to hear it. He was so proud of her and could never tell her often enough. As he surveyed Charles's earnest face, he felt a new respect for him. If his wife was going to be fucked by another man, he was exceptionally glad it was this one.

But Charles's soliloquy also pointed out a new angle that Ed had never considered. All these weeks, Ed had felt like the victim. He always had the sense that he was having to accommodate Nikki, and even though he didn't mind accommodating her, it did seem to be Nikki who called the shots. Charles, though, saw the matter quite differently, and it was a perspective that empowered Ed.

Ed was the benefactor. Ed was the one who ultimately decided whether the precious gift would be bestowed on another. Ed was the one who determined whether Nikki's sexual adventures would include additional players.

Why had he not seen that until Charles pointed it out?

"Thank you, Charles. Your respect means a lot to me. I'm not one hundred percent comfortable with the current situation—I think Nikki probably told you I'm somewhat of a novice—but I'm determined to do whatever's possible to enjoy it," he chuckled to help lighten the mood. "Nikki wants you, and I take both pride and pleasure in giving Nikki what she wants."

Charles nodded and shifted his gaze to the deck boards. "I understand. I'd want to do the same thing in your position." He looked back out at the ocean and then finally right at Ed. "I think if you let yourself relax a bit, you could both enjoy it. It's a pretty common fantasy for couples."

This bit of information shocked him. Even during his "naughty wife" forays on the Internet, he'd never been under the impression that his fetish was a popular one. Of course, at the time, he hadn't known the true extent of his interest but that didn't keep him from prowling for more stories. He thought, though, that despite the prevalence of stories, not many men shared his secret desires. Ed was intrigued by Charles's knowledge and was eager to learn more.

"Do you mean for the husbands or the wives?"

Charles chuckled for the first time since they'd begun talking. "Well, Ed in my experience, it's often the husbands who first come up with the idea. Was that true in your case?"

Heat flooded through his body, unrelated to the sunshine. All of this had indeed started when Nikki had come upon his story stash. Her flirting with other men had not been the indicator of her desire to cheat on Ed, but rather a sign that she might be amenable to playing the role that Ed had always imagined for her.

He didn't exactly know how Charles knew that Ed's interests weren't strange or weird, but the absolution felt mighty good. He'd never been a fan of either fear or guilt, and it was wonderful to let them go at last.

"And you say this is common?" He asked Charles.

"Yes, actually, it is. I've had a little experience with couples in this situation over the years."

"I'm sure you could tell some stories!" Ed teased him.

Charles waved his hand to dismiss any air of salaciousness. "People often use travel to conduct sexual experiments," he said. "With the couples I've known, I feel they got what they wanted but I must tell you I've never had a woman who even comes close to Nikki. They play and behave in superficially sexy ways, but Nikki's heart is in everything she does. She is very special."

Ed's heart swelled with pride and relief. "Yes, she is, Charles, and it's nice that you recognize that. Thank you for talking to me like this. I feel better about everything now."

Charles looked him square in the face. "Are you sure, Ed?"

Ed nodded. "Yes, but if I change my mind at any time, your offer still stands, right?"

"Of course," Charles told him, without hesitation. "It will be hard, but I give you my word that I'll leave whenever you want me to."

"Then Charles, I'll put it this way. You may continue assisting Nikki with enjoying our trip." He smiled at the big, black man and suddenly felt that it was possibly the most genuine smile he'd ever given him.

Charles rose and extended his hand. "Thank you, Ed. I hope everything that happens is what you hope for and more. As for me, I've already had far more than I could have dreamed."

A wave of expansiveness hit Ed immediately following his talk with Charles. So extreme was his light-heartedness that he decided to sail the boat for a while.

To be relieved of the guilt he felt about getting aroused seeing his wife with other men was an incredible weight removed. He wasn't strange and he wasn't twisted. Other men had the same fantasy. Who knew? Even if it was a sick fantasy, at least it was a common one. He took enormous comfort in knowing he wasn't singularly depraved.

And why wouldn't a loving, attentive husband who knew his wife was the hottest babe on two legs derive some pleasure from sharing her with others? Not against her will, of course, but to the extent that she, too, could achieve new heights of sexiness.

He was the benevolent soul who bestowed the gift of his beautiful wife on those of his choosing. Never had he felt more powerful and at peace with himself.

"What are you smiling about?" Nikki asked upon her reappearance on deck.

"Can't a man take pleasure in communing with the sea?" Ed teased, delighted to see her and only slightly embarrassed that she'd caught him in his reverie.

"Yes, I suppose he can, but not with a shit-eating grin on his face!" She laughed and put her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're happy," she said as she pressed her cheek against his.

"I'm glad you're happy," he replied.

"Where's Charles?" she asked, breaking the embrace to sit on the polished wooden bench beside him.

"Preparing dinner," he said. Ed sat across from her. "We had a little chat while you were gone."

Amusement turned to apprehension on her face. "What happened? Did you say something to him?"

Now it was Ed's turn to be amused. He looked her up and down before he answered. "No," he finally said. "Actually, it was he who said something to me."

Her eyebrows jumped upward. "Do tell."

"He was concerned about how I was feeling about things," Ed explained.

"'Things' being the sex between him and me," Nikki interjected for clarification.

"Yes, those things," Ed said, smiling at his lovely bride. Every time he looked at her, he was struck anew by her stunning good looks. The daily exposure to the sun had bronzed her to a delectably mocha shade and the midriff top she wore made her look both wholesome and wanton. She was indeed what every man dreamed about when he envisioned the perfect woman.

"He told me that if I wanted it all to stop, I just had to say the word. He made it clear that he understood you are my wife before you're his lover."

"Wow," she said, clearly taken aback.

"Yes, that's how I felt, too. But then he said something that touched me so much, I don't think I'll ever forget it. He said that he felt honored that I'd chosen him to bestow such a precious gift on."

She paused and tilted her head. "Am I the precious gift?"

"Yes, my little cupcake. You are the precious gift. I thought that was a beautiful thing to say."

"Yes," she said softly. "It was."

"But that's not all he said."

"Hard to top that," she said, smiling.

"He said that many couples like to do what we're doing. It's actually common. Especially for husbands to want to share their wives."

"Huh," she said, pursing her lips in contemplation. "Does that make you feel a little better?"

"In a strange way, yes. Makes me feel less guilty about wanting to see and think about you with other men."

"Well, good, then. But I could have told you that you're not a pervert."

"I know. But you're an accomplice to the perversion!"

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "What else did you talk about?"

"Not much else. I was just so impressed by his respect for both of us. He understands how I might be feeling and he appreciates how special you are."

"I told you he was one of a kind."

"I think I can be one hundred percent honest when I say that if this had to happen, I'm glad it was with Charles. He's a completely trustworthy person."

She got up from where she sat to walk over and kiss him. "Thank you, darling."

Dinner took place in the usual spot, but nothing about it was quite like it had been in the past. Conversation never stopped. Awkward moments were absent. And bawdy talk flowed freely.

Nikki, perhaps emboldened by Ed's recounting of his talk with Charles, cuddled up to the black man all night. She hadn't officially dressed for dinner and Charles teased her about that.

"Nikki, I must say that my male sensibilities are disappointed by the lack of a new sexy outfit on you this evening. I was hoping for a glimpse of something to keep me hard through the meal!" he said, winking at Ed.

"Guess we've only got the food to salivate over tonight," Ed said, pretending to share Charles's disappointment.

"Are you saying that you need to see a little titty to get turned on?"

"Well, it helps!" Ed said, trying to sound chastising.

She unbuttoned her midriff top completely, revealing breastbone and a hint of soft tit flesh. "Look closely, gentlemen. If you keep teasing me like this, what you see here is all you're going to see!"

Charles moved to open her shirt further, but she was too fast for him. She ducked and his hand missed his target. In the movement, however, one breast slipped out of her blouse. A brief silence descended as both men ogled the tempting morsel. When she knew its effect had been felt, she swiftly tucked it back into the garment and grinned mischievously at her audience. "Now maybe your taste buds have been adequately stimulated?"

"It's not really my taste buds that need stimulation, sweetheart," Ed pointed out.

"But we'll start with whatever we can get," Charles interjected.

Nikki's complexion glowed. She had her two men and it was clear that she felt sexy. She was close enough to Charles to stroke his thigh under the table, and at several points, Ed was certain that she was stroking his cock, as well. Sometimes, she'd whisper in Charles's ear so softly that even Ed couldn't hear it. Other times, he heard every word.

"Is that your compass or are you just happy to see me?" she purred at one point when her hand roamed to some mysterious spot under the table.

None of it bothered Ed. He loved that she felt sexy and free enough to flirt with both of them. He knew now that losing her affections was not an issue, but that exploring the erotic possibilities as a couple with Charles most definitely was.

After dinner, they sat on deck with drinks, still enjoying the risque humor and pushing the envelope just a little further with each suggestive remark. When Charles left to bring a few dishes to the galley, Nikki excused herself—Ed assumed she intended to visit the bathroom but she still hadn't returned by the time Charles came back from the galley. As they waited, they compared notes about the comedic adventures of Pratuch and laughed all over again about the man's horrible judgment in boats.

When Nikki returned, however, all conversation stopped. She wore the flimsiest black baby doll nightie and a pair of strappy black heels that pushed her hips slightly forward. Because the nightie was trimmed at the hem in marabou, the men didn't notice until she sat down that she wore no panties—not even a thong. The spaghetti straps of the nightie looked so delicate, Ed feared even the breeze from the ocean could break them. The fabric, though dark, was transparent, with only a nipple's worth of lace to supply any coverage. She stood before the men, enjoying their speechless stares. Her eyes flashed with an alluring mix of hunger and invitation.

"You look incredible," Charles finally uttered.

She leaned forward to kiss him then turned to Ed. "I think it's time you got entertained by me and my beautiful new boyfriend here."