A Night in the Cove

I don't own these characters, just this broken down boat, and the diver. The places mentioned are real, right here near my home. This is the third installement in the series.

This should probably get an NC-17 rating.


A Night in the Cove


Max lay on his back staring up at the stars appearing one by one in the sky. Fran was lying on his chest, she'd fallen asleep. He thought about what had transpired this afternoon. They'd had a nice sail across the lake, barbequed, gone swimming...then they realized they were stranded. The wind had completely died, and the gas tank appeared to empty. Not to mention the fact that they had left the stereo on all day, and Max had forgotten to turn on the solar panels to charge the batteries. Luckily, Fran had thought ahead and bought some extra food when they'd gone to the market that morning, so they had a nice dinner. Nice...it was more than nice. Dinner tonight was foreplay, and dessert, dessert was superb. They'd admitted their feeilngs for each other, and then acted on them. Now it was getting dark, and they were both lying naked on the deck of Fran's sailboat. Max noticed a few bugs circling around, so he decided it was time to wake Fran and go inside before the "no see ums" made dinner out of them.

He started tracing circles on her back. "Fran? She stirred slightly. "Darling?"

"Mmm? Max? Did I fall asleep?" Oy, was THAT a dumb question, of course she was asleep!

"Come on, let's clean up the dishes and go inside, the bugs are coming out" Max helped her up, and they gathered up the dinner dishes and went inside. "I'm going to take a shower, Fran. Just leave the dishes in the sink, and I'll help you with them when I'm done."

Fran pulled her robe around her. "I can wash them, it's no problem, go ahead and take your shower, they'll be done by the time you get out. She tried to turn on the lights...nothing...tried the water, the pump sputtered. "Um, Max? Do the batteries run the lights and the water, too?"

Max moved his hand to his temple. "I hadn't even thought about that! We can pull some water out of the tank and warm it up with the stove for bathing, and we'll just rinse the dishes with lake water." He lifted the hatch that held the water pump and removed one side of the hose. The water flowed freely. Fran handed him a large pan, and he filled it, then replaced the hose. Fran took the pot of water and placed it on the stove.

"How do ya light this thing?" She looked at Max, puzzled.

"Let's see, first you flip this switch, that turns on the propane. Then you turn this knob, and push the starter button a couple of times." The flames jumped and the burner was lit. Once the water was heated, Max moved the pot to the bathroom and and poured half of it into the sink for himself. He gave himself a quick sponge bath, and emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist. "I left you some warm water in the pot, darling"

"Thanks, I'll be out in just a few minutes" Luckily the moonlight was coming in the bathroom window, so she could see what she was doing. Fran quickly washed herself off, toweled herself dry, and reached for her perfume. A few drops in the right places should do the trick! She decided it was too warm for her robe, so she wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out into the salon. Max had found the kerosene lamps and candles, and she found herself bathed in flickering light. "Oh, I feel so much better!" She looked around the cabin. No TV, no music, there had to be something to do. She glanced up on the bookshelf and saw a deck of card. Bingo! "How about a card game?" "Lemme just find something to throw on." She tightened the towel around her.

Max looked up at her, stuggling to keep the towel closed, and tried not to laugh. She was so adorable. They'd been lying naked outside for the last hour, and now that she was inside, she was trying to stay covered. He smiled at her. "That towel is very becoming on you!"

She looked down at the barely there towel. "It's the candlelight!" She reached into her bag and frowned. She had her negligees, sundresses, and skirts to choose from. "I'm gonna need to go shopping for some comfortable clothes!"

"There's a shocker!" Max reached into his own bag and pulled out on of his t shirts. "Here, try this for now." He tossed it to her. She pulled it on over her towel, and then grabbed a pair of underwear out or bar bag and pulled them up under the towel. She gave Max a seductive grin as she then pulled the towel from under "her" shirt.

"Ah, that's betta!" The shirt looked like a mini dress on her, but she was comfortable. She grabbed a hair clip and pulled her hair up off her neck.

Max looked at her. God, she was sexy as hell, even in that oversized shirt. HIS shirt. He reached into the refrigerator and produced two bottles of water. "How about that card game?" "Gin?"

"Sounds great! She slid onto the couch next to him. While she was bathing, he'd changed from his towel to a pair of fleece shorts, but left his shirt off. God, he was sexy!

Max dealt the cards and took a sip of water. He glanced at Fran, who was busy sorting her cards. She was sitting with her legs crossed, hair up, big shirt...she looked like a little girl. She was focusing on her cards, and her tongue came out of the side of her mouth. Was she torturing him on purpose? No, she didn't have to do that. He'd declared his love for her. Did she believe him? His mind began to wander back to their lovemaking after dinner. He ached to touch her again

"How long will it take to charge the batteries tomorrow?" Her voice brought him back to the game.

He drew a card and thought for a second. "If the sun is out, it could take all day, I'm not sure how large the solar panels are. If we get some wind, we can just sail back."

As if on cue, the boat rocked back and forth. Frans eyes got wide. "What the hell was THAT?"

Max laughed. "That, my darling, was the wind, nothing to be afraid of"

Fran reached over and slapped his arm. "Don't laugh at me!" She was pouting now. We've got no power, no water and we're stuck out here with the alligators! How did I let you talk me into this?" Tears were now welling up in her eyes, glistening in the candlelight.

Max drew her into his arms and rocked her gently. "I'm sorry, Fran. You did so well with the sailing today, I forget that you don't have any experience with boats." He kissed the top of her head. "Please forgive me?"

She looked up at him, then laid her cheek on his chest. "Well, if you're gonna hold me like this, I guess I can forgive you!"

Max smiled and shook his head. She's flirting again, that's a good sign. He'd do anything to make this woman happy. "I love you, Fran". That ought to make her feel better.

She kissed his chest, sending a shock all the way through his body. "I love you, too, Max. I really don't mean to be such a baby. This really is a great trip so far." She looked up into his eyes. "After all, I have you all to myself, no phones, no yenta butler, no kids walking in on us."

Max swallowed hard. He'd spent so long avoiding a relationship with this woman, now that was all he could think of. He looked into her eyes, leaned down and met her lips with his. Her arms moved up around his neck and she kissed him with all the love she'd held inside for him. He wasn't fighting, he wasn't pulling back.

Fran finally broke the kiss and rested her head on his chest while she caught her breath. Then she put her lips to his ear and breathed, "Take me to bed, Max." She moved out of the L shaped sofa and stood up, and Max followed. He moved his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. The boat rocked slightly, moving them even closer together. She moved her arms back around his neck and held on tightly, burying her face in his neck. Max moved his hands lower down her back and pulled her tighter to him. She could feel his growing arousal against her, and she let out a soft moan. She moved her hands from his neck to his back, and let them roam, caressing his tanned, muscular body. She played seductively with the elastic waistband of his shorts, while she let her lips caress his chest. Max reached down and removed the clip from her hair, then grabbed the bottom of her shirt, and pulled it over her head. He tossed the clip and shirt on the table and pulled her close. The feel of her bare breasts on his chest drove him wild. He kissed her neck, her chest, then brought his mouth to each nipple, caressing each one with his tongue, then biting them gently. Fran moaned with delight. "Oh, Max, yes, that feels so good!"

He wanted her. He wanted her now. He took her hand and led her to the main cabin berth. He helped her climb in first, then went back and extinguished the candles and lamps. Max pulled off his shorts, tossed them onto the sofa, and followed Fran into the V Berth. Fran laid back on the bed, and Max began exploring the increasingly familiar territory with his hands. As he got to her hips, he felt the top of her panties. These simply had to go! He slid them gently down her legs, and tossed them into the cabin with his shorts. He then moved his hand between her legs. She was more than ready for him. He slid a finger inside her, and began massing the outer area with his thumb. He moved his mouth back to her nipples, sucking one, then the other.

Fran began to feel herself slide over the edge...she wanted him. She wanted him badly. "Max" was all she got out before she felt herself climax. Max moved himself completely on top of her, kissing her neck, and nibbling her ears. As he entered her, he whispered "I love you".

Fran grabbed his bottom and pulled him into her tighter, grinding herself into him. She nibbled his shoulder, causing him to go deeper and harder inside of her. "Oh, Max, Max! She felt another climax coming on, and began to grind against him harder and faster. Max felt her walls contract, and as she climaxed, he exploded inside of her. "Oh, God, FRAN!!!" He collapsed on her, then rolled over onto his side, pulling her with him. They held each other tightly, neither one able to speak. Finally, it was Fran that broke the silence.

"I love you so much, Max." She held him tighter, kissing his shoulder.

Max held her close, thinking about how much time he'd wasted denying his feelings for this woman. Now all he wanted to do was spend the rest of his life proving to her just how important she was to him, to the children. She was his, and he was hers.

They slept peacefully in each other's arms until...

KA-BOOOOM

Fran sat straight up in the berth, hitting her head on the low cabin top. " OW! Ok, now I know THAT wasn't the wind!"

Max pulled her down to him and massaged her head. Then they heard it again. KA-BOOOM!!! Then the lightening flashed. They both laughed. A thunderstorm. The rain began falling against the hull of the boat.
Fran held Max tightly. "I HATE thunder!"

Max kissed her gently. "Then I'll just have to distract you, won't I?" He kissed her harder, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. He was immediately aroused. Why did she have this effect on him?

Their second session of lovemaking was slow and delicious, they took their time, finding each other's sensitive spots. Fran found a couple of spots where Max was extra ticklish, and delighted in exploiting them. Max found that the rib areas just to the side of Fran's breasts were extra sensitive, and he could give her goosebumps by running his fingers over the area. They made love until the storm passed, then fell into each other's arms and into a deep sleep.

**************************************

Max awoke as the first sunrays streamed into the boat. He'd have to suggest to tha that they purchase curtains. He looked at the sleeping angel next to him, her curls cascading over her face and shoulders. Life just didn't get much better than this! He quietly got up and pulled on his shorts. He went on deck and plugged solar panels into the battery charger. He looked around. All evidence of last night's storm was gone. He grinned. At least it washed all the champagne off the deck! Max went back inside and looked around the galley and in the cupboards. There had to be some coffee somewhere! Ah, Fran had picked up some local coffee at the market. He drained a bit of water out of the tank and into the percolater. He had no clue how much coffee to add, so he decided too weak rather than too strong. He put three scoops into the basket, and turned on the propane. Ok, that's done. Fran will be hungry when she wakes up...so what do I do about that? Ah, the fruit salad! He pulled out the leftover fruit salad from the refrigerator, noting that the freezer was beginning to defrost. He'd have to get those batteries back up, and fast, or they'd have no way to keep things cool! Let's see, coffee, fruit...there has to be...yes, there they are! He pulled a sack of bagels out of the fridge, along with a block of cream cheese. Perfect. He arranged everything on a tray, took it up on deck, and then went to wake his love. When he got to the V berth, she was on her stomach, up on her elbows, watching him. "Do I smell coffee? When did Niles get here?" She laughed. He leaned in and swatted her behind.

"Come up on deck, breakfast is ready!"

"YOU made breakfast?"

"Well, truthfully, I made the coffee. YOU made the fruit salad and bought the bagels and cream cheese!"

"Well, don't ever tell Niles, or we'll never hear the end of it!" Her eyes were dancing.

She got up and put on her bathing suit, then smiled and pulled Max's t shirt over the top of it. She had her own cover up, but she loved the idea of wearing his shirt. It made her feel..well, HIS.

She climbed up on deck, where Max had laid out their meal. She was starving! "Are the batteries charging?"

"That's the first thing I did, even before the coffee!" Max had finished his breakfast, and started looking around the boat. "I wonder what kind of stuff your uncle had stashed on this boat?" He opened a hatch and looked inside. "Hey, this could come in handy!" He pulled out a large yellow and blue blob of vinyl.

"What's that?"

"It's an inflatable dinghy, if it's in good shape, we can row around and explore the cove!" Max opened the boat up and found the place to put the air. He began to blow. "This will take forever! I wonder if there's a..." He looked deeper into the hatch and pulled out a foot pump. "Yes, there is! This will make inflating the boat so much easier!" He hooked the pump to the boat and began pumping. In no time, the boat was totally inflated. There didn't appear to be any leaks, so Max pulled out a small piece of line and attached it to the dinghy and tossed the little boat into the water. He tied the line onto the sailboat. "There, now we can do a bit of exploring!" He walked across the deck, caressing her shoulder as he passed.

Fran smiled at him. He wasn't acting uncomfortable around her at all. More like...could it be? A couple?
She wasn't gonna push. He was the one setting the pace, and she had every intention of letting him. She had no clue what had gotten into him, maybe the water is different in the south? Fran made a mental note to order several cases of that water and ship it home! Whatever it was, she wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth. He'd admitted he loved her, and now they had some time to try out the relationship alone before returning home to the scrutiny of family and friends. She made a second mental note to find Niles a special gift as a thank you for the push he gave Max. She finished up her breakfast, and reached for the coffee pot for a second cup. "Maxwell, this coffee is excellent! Maybe you should make the coffee at home from now on!"

Max was pulling up a bucket of lake water to rinse off the dishes. His answer to her was to reach into the bucket and grab a handful of water and splash her gently with it.

"Oh, you are gonna pay for that, mister!" She got up and headed for him. He looked at the bucket, then at her. "Don't you even THINK about it!" About that time, the entire contents of the bucket landed on her head. She stopped in her tracks. She couldn't push him in, the lifelines were too high and she might hurt him. She looked him dead in the eye, stipped off her now dripping shirt, and dove into the water. The water was murky, and it was hard to find her bearings, but she swam underwater, just deep enough so he couldn't see her, and surfaced behind the boat, out of his view.

"Fran?" "FRAN!" He still couldn't see her. He dove into the water and started diving around, trying to find her. Fran held onto the rudder and stifled a giggle. "FRAN!!!!!"

She swam over to were he was panicking and asked innocently, "Whatcha lookin' for?"

Max turn to her, swam over and hugged her close, as he went to kiss her, he saw the sparkle in her eyes, and knew what she had done.

"Gotcha! I told you that you'd pay!"

Max kissed her lightly, then smiled and dunked her under water. He pushed her just far enough under that she was close enough to his shorts to grab them and pull them off. She tossed them back up onto the boat with a laugh.

"Ok, it's Max, three, Fran, two. You don't even wanna go on with this!" Fran looked into his eyes. "Uh, oh, I guess you do". She started to swim for the dinghy, she got there before he did, and climbed in. Oh, crap! No paddles! Now what?

Max climbed into the dinghy with her. "Nice try!" He pushed her down into the bottom of the boat and rolled on top of her, pinning her down. He kissed her hard, and as he did pulled her bikini top off. He tossed it on the deck of the boat. She began to squirm as he went for the bottoms, and as he tried to gain control of her, the boat tipped, and back into the water they both went. Max took this opportunity to pull her thong off and plant it on the boat with the rest of their clothes. He grabbed Frnd pnd pulled her back to the inflatable boat, and pushed her back inside. Then he climbed up the ladder to the sailboat and retrieved the oars. He handed them over the side to Fran, and jumped into the water. By the time he came up and started swimming toward her, Fran had untied the boat and was rowing away from him. Max was a strong swimmer, and caught up with her in no time. He pulled himself up into the boat. "Leaving without me?" He smiled at her, and leaned over to kiss her gently. The boat was small, so they sat in the middle, facing each other, with their legs wrapped around one another. Max took the oars and rowed them over toward the shore, so they could get a better look..

"Is that a HOUSE in there?" No, it couldn't be. But as they rowed closer, it became obvi Th The cove was right behind someone's back yard. Fran gigg " "I hope they don't have binoculars or a telescope!"

Max flushed. "Let's get back to the boat." He reached out and stroked her arm gently. "You are getting a bit pink, I don't want you to burn".

They rowed back to the boat in silence, thinking of the potential show they'd put on over the last couple of days. Hopefully no one was home!

Max tied up the dinghy while Fran slipped over the side and back up the ladder. Max handed her the oars, and then followed her back on deck. They slipped back on their clothes, and Max went inside for some sunscreen. He came out and began to cover Fran's body with the protective lotion. He looked up and saw the breeze had picked up a bit. "What do you say we try to sail a bit?"

Fran looked at the flag. "Is there enough wind?"

"Enough to get us moving." Fran took the sunsreen and began to coat Max with a layer.

"Ok, let's give it a try...let's see if I remember how to do this!"

Max knew she was kidding. She was like a sponge. Once she learned something, she hung on to it. "I'll have to dive down and release the anchor, since we still don't have a motor. I'll be right back"

"Max, be careful!" Fran didn't like the idea of him being at the bottom of the lake, out of her sight.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll be right back". He kissed her, and dove off the bow.

What seemed like an eternity to Fran, was in reality less than two minutes, Max resurfaced and ascendend the ladder. He returned to the bow and hauled up the muddy anchor, placing it in it's proper hanger. The boat was now drifting a bit. "Darling, go man the wheel, I'm going to raise the main sail".

Fran moved into the cockpit, and stood by the wheel. As Max raised the sail, the boat began to move. She remembered what he taught her yesterday, head into the wind. She looked up the mast at the windex indicator, and adjusted the course a little to starboard. Hey, she was gettin' good at this!.

"Good, Fran. Now I'm going to raise the jib. Remember to pull the sheets in as I do it."

Fran grabbed the jib sheet and wrapped it three times around the winch. She was ready. Max hoisted the sail, she pulled the sheet tight and tied it off, quickly returning to the wheel, she turned the boat slightly, and she was sailing. "Max! We're moving!"

Max moved back into the cockpit, and saw a line over the port side. "We forgot the dinghy". He pulled the inflatable up on the deck and secured it to the cabin top. Fran was still at the helm, but looking a bit nervous. "Do you want me to take over?"

"Yes, we're starting to move faster!" Fran was right, and as soon as they cleared the cove entrance, the boat really started to move. The land had been blocking their wind, and now that they were in open water, they would have a nice sail back to the marina. They were lucky at the railroad bridge, the operator left the bridge open, so they didn't have to use the radio. Twenty minutes later they pulled into Oak Harbor Marina, and into their slip.

"I think we need to make a run to the local chandlery" Max told Fran. "There are a few things we'll need on this boat in case we get stranded again!"

They found a West Marine only 4 miles away. Max had a list. Fran had a ball. She was shopping. She had no clue what she was shog fog for, but no one was the wiser. They filled two shopping carts with supplies. Fran got a West Marine charge card so she could get ten percent off her first purchase, and they joined something called West Advantage, that gives you fifteen dollars back for every three hundred they spend. They also got the phone number for Dave the Diver, so he could come check out the bottom of the boat, and make sure it was clean. Dave and his wife also were delivery captains, so they would be able to take the boat back to New York for them. The best part, is that the diver lived in Oak Harbor as well, so they could meet him when he came to clean the boat bottom.

"Don't forget curtains, Fran!" Max remembered the early morning sun in his eyes. He should have known better than to send her down the "Interiors" aisle. She came back with the curtains, and new glasses, dishes, sheets. It was his own fault. What he was paying for the "fun" stuff wasn't even close to the "toys" he demanded for the boat. He bought a generator, a GPS, and a hand held radio, and was looking at radars when Fran stopped him. He was like a kid in a toy store. She walked over to the clothing department, and Max bought the radar anyway. She was trying on shoes, and never even noticed.

"How are we gonna get all this in our car?" Fran was eyeing all the purchases. One of the employees lived in the marina, and offered to bring the stuff home with her when she got off in an hour. Perfect! They loaded up their car, and then took the rest of the stuff to the employee's car.

"I don't want to think about this boat tomorrow, Fran. How about I take you into the French Quarter? We'll go early, have beignets for breakfast, and then find someplace nice for lunch and dinner."

"Mmm...sounds wonderful!" Max lost Fran when he said 'beignets'. "Speaking of dinner...we haven't eaten since breakfast!"

She was right. "Let's get this stuff on the boat, and let me call the person that will install the electronics. By that time, the rest of our things should be delivered. What was the name of that seafood place on the lake that we passed coming into the channel?"

"Vera's. They are supposed to have a crab stuffed shrimp that's to die for !"

"Vera's. Ok, Vera's it is!

"Now that we're back at the dock, I can take a real shower, right?" Fran was playing with her hair.

"Yes, absolutely!"

"Good...I'll be done in a few minutes. Love you! She disappeared into the cabin, and Max heard the water start up. He almost hated to be back at the dock. Being marooned the the cove with her had been wonderful. Just the two of them, no one around. He had become so comfortable with her, so relaxed. Like she was his wife. She already was in almost every way that mattered. He let out a sigh. She picks out my clothes, she runs the house, she's raising my...our...children. She's made us a family. She was his wife every way but legally. Max had some serious thinking to do. He heard her singing in the shower. What would the children say if they came home married? How would Morty and Sylvia react? The one thing he knew for sure is that he loved Fran with every fiber of his being. He'd sleep on it and see if things were clearer in the morning. In the meantime, his woman wanted shrimp. He picked up the phone to dial the man who was to install the electronics on the boat and smiled. Fran was right. This was a wonderful city!