Crossover Crossroads (The Kell and Maille Story)

71: And twice on deck

The houseboat was equipped with two bathrooms. and one shower. Maille showered and washed her braids. rinsed them out painstakingly and then dressed in her T-shirt and shorts. It was warm inside the houseboat but not overly so. She could hear Kell moving around, and as she exited the bathroom he was standi ng on the stairway.

"Are you tired?" he asked, and there was a hopeful tone in his voice.

·'Um hm m.'' She answered. knowing it was what he wanted to hear for some reason.

"I made up a bed for you." He stepped back up the stairs towards the one bedroom with the queen bed. He saw her skeptical glance and hurried to reassure her. "They won't be here for several days, Maille."

Maille crossed the hall. A night light gleamed over the bed which was made up with silk sheets, and a blue cotton comforter and then a beautiful quilt over that. Pillows were plumped over the top of the bed and a corner was pulled back for her. The window was open and the night air freely blew into the room, ruffling her wisps of bangs now loose from their braids with all the swimm ing she'd been giving them. She stepped past him and sat on the bed gingerly.

She turned co look ac him and a light shone in her dark eyes. "I always feel so cared about. How do you do it?"

"Ideas just come to me," Kell stated with a shrug. he had looked above her as if embarrassed by her admiration. She ran a hand through his dreads, which were matted and preposterous  looking.

"You'll have to shave these, you know." She whispered watching bis mouth. the way he smiled beneath the beaded goatee.

"I'm looking forward to it. I'm told I have a very round head." He had one arm braced against the door way, the other at his side now drifted up to cup her cheek. "How tired are you?''

Maille leaned into his hand a bit. "Some:·She smiled warmly.

Kell leaned down to kiss her and then right before his lips touched hers he jerked away. He let go of the doorway and picked up her feet and put them up on the bed. Then he covered her with the sheet and comforter and tucked her in. Then he hopped up on the other side of the bed and plumped a few of the pillows up under his head. He patted his T-shirt clad chest.

Maille smiled softly and laid her head against his heart, hearing immediately the steady thumping of that life giving organ beneath her ear reassuringly. She knew she was not alone. Her eyes closed easily, sleepily, even though pa1t of her body was acutely aware of his presence, she'd also conditioned herself to fall asleep with him. The added dimension of attraction and excitement only made her feel more secure.

The last thing she saw before she drifted off to a very sound sleep was her ring against his dark hand, tightly gripped against his chest in a very loving manner.

***** 

The next days were spent lazily on the houseboat. either tanning. or sleeping. Kell and Maille found that they enjoyed the water sports very much, and snorkeled as easily as they jet skied. They