The cruise is coming to an end for our heroes, will their trip go out with a bang? Join them in Moving Forward. Don't forget to see what the other Briefers are up to. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
All too soon, it seemed, the last night of the cruise
arrived.
Despite all the fun they’d had, Marshall wasn’t sorry to
going back home to Burnham, and their lives there. To their own bed. Their own
business. And to Roy, the best friend they had.
The Wandering Star
would dock in Galveston the next day, then they’d have the drive back to
Burnham, where they’d part company with Denver and Dustin. At least they’d
reached an understanding between them, and Dustin had been nothing but on his
best behavior for the reminder of the cruise. It had been quite an eventful
trip, in many ways.
Marshall and Lee were dressing for their final dinner, the
same fancy clothes they’d worn at the captain’s table. They’d arranged to meet
Denver and Dustin and Roger and Kenny, and afterwards go drinking and dancing.
Live it up on this final night. They probably weren’t the only ones with that
idea.
Marshall stole a glance at Lee, watching as his long fingers
knotted the maroon tie into place. He smoothed it down and looked up to catch
Marshall watching him. The corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement.
“Like what you see?” he asked.
“You know it,” Marshall said, not the least embarrassed at
having been caught looking.
Lee turned toward Marshall, his gaze raking over him as if
inspecting him. “You look damn nice,” he said.
“We’re a handsome couple.” Marshall grinned.
“You got that right.”
Marshall leaned up and kissed Lee’s cheek tenderly.
“What’s that for?” Lee asked.
“For this trip. For having the time of my life. And because
I love you more than anything in the world.”
“I’d do anything for you,” Lee said, “and you know I feel
the same way.” He pulled Marshall closer and their lips met, softly at first,
then lingering a little longer until they stepped back to take a breath.
“Tonight’s our last chance to do it on a cruise ship,” Lee
teased. “At least on this trip. There’ll be others.”
That thought pleased Marshall very much. “Don’t think I
don’t have something in mind,” he bantered back. “I have plans for that sexy
ass of yours. Big plans.”
“Is that so? Someone seems rather sure of himself, don’t
they?”
“Yes, someone sure does.” Marshall stepped closer to Lee,
bridging the gap between them once more. His hands wound around him, coming to
rest at the base of Lee’s spine. “You objecting?”
“Did I say I was?”
“Good, glad to hear it,” Marshall said. “Maybe order up some
drinks when we get back tonight? Out on the deck?”
“I like the way you think,” Lee approved.
“I thought we’d make this last night one to remember,”
Marshall said. “I want to get a few more pictures too. I’m going to make a
digital scrapbook and file them all away.”
“Digital scrapbook? Don’t they make photo albums any more?”
Marshall laughed. “It’s the twenty-first century. Hell no.”
He noticed Lee’s eyes were dancing with amusement. He hadn’t been serious, of
course. “We can print them out, if we want to, you know, but digital is a lot
less clutter.”
“You sure do know a lot.” Lee slid his arms around
Marshall’s wait, and they stood, gazing into each other’s eyes.
“I had the best teacher in the world,” Marshall replied just
before they kissed again.
When the knock on the door came, they drew apart with
reluctance. “To be continued later,” Marshall promised as he headed for the
door, opening it to admit Roger and Kenny.
“We’re not too early, are we?” Roger asked, standing in the
doorway, looking back and forth between Marshall and Lee. “We can come back in
a few minutes.”
“Naw, we’re ready,” Lee said. “Denver and Dustin should be
there already, holding the table. Denver texted a few minutes ago.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Roger agreed, reaching for Kenny’s
hand. They waited in the hall for Marshall and Lee as Lee looked around the
cabin then closed and locked the door. The two couples walked hand-in-hand to
the elevator and rode it up to the deck where the restaurant was.
to be continued
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Loved this, I can't wait to see what happens after dinner ;)
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