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This one starts slow, so if you're looking for a quick stroke story, this probably isn't it. But hopefully you'll hang in there and find it worth the wait!
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Emma was already waiting on a bench outside the marina's administration building when a taxi pulled up and a distinctly uncomfortable looking Nate crawled out of the tiny backseat. Even though it was only 7 a.m., the tropical heat was building and Nate had to peel his back from the vinyl seat. His face brightened though, as soon as he unwound himself from the car and he saw Emma rising from the bench. He hastily paid the driver and started towards her.
Halfway there, he stopped, wanting to take a moment just to look at her. Her tall 6' frame was a good match for his 6'3". A low-cut sky-blue tank top hugged her upper body, revealing an enticing depth of tanned cleavage. Strong, long legs extended from her khaki shorts, and her feet were clad in pretty but sensible Teva hiking sandals. But what stopped Nate short was her grin, spread wide cross her face, and the mischievous sparkle he saw in her blue eyes.
Emma was skipping briskly towards him, hands outstretched. "Come on, time's a-wasting!" she exclaimed as she caught both of his hands in hers, walking backwards and pulling him towards the bench, where several bags were piled.
"This is going to be so much fun, I'm so glad you could come" Emma smiled with delight, giving him a quick kiss before lifting two of the bags and putting one in each of his hands.
"Uh, yes, I'm sure it is," Nate replied uncertainly, because he still didn't know what Emma's "surprise" excursion was going to entail.
All he knew was that she had called his hotel room yesterday, the second-last day of the conference they were both attending in Cancun, and asked him if he would like to skip the final day of the proceedings and accompany her on an adventure. Because his presentation was over, he readily agreed. But all she would tell him was that he should meet her at the marina at 7 a.m., and that he should bring sunscreen "and a bathing suit if you think you'll want to wear one." That remark alone had aroused his curiosity, among other things.
Widowed 3 years ago at age 45, Nate hadn't really expected to find another person who he could connect with as he had with his late wife. So the sparks that he felt when he first met Emma four months ago took him by surprise. They had met at an office mixer when their two companies had merged into one. He initially dismissed those sparks as a product of his unsatisfied libido; he hadn't had sex since before his wife's death, unless you counted satisfying himself while reading stories on Literotica.com.
As for Emma, she had survived a nasty divorce and she was happy to leave her old life behind when her company merged with Nate's and she was forced to relocate halfway across the country to St. Paul. For her, it was a fresh beginning, and while she was nervous about making friends in a new city, she somehow felt comfortable with Nate the first time they met.
As they continued to bump into each other through work, their brief "hellos" turned into 10-minute chats over coffee, and then into long lunch breaks, and before they new it, they were going out for dinner. The last few months had passed in a whirlwind of dinners, long hikes, visits to a small music club where they discovered a similar taste in music and a love for independent bands, and hours spent chatting in any number of coffee shops around the city. They felt so comfortable together, so...well...so right, that neither of them could believe their good fortune. They made each other laugh, they chased each other like kids through the park, they had so much fun just being together.
Despite their instant attraction, it was six weeks before they shared their first kiss, as tentative and shyly as teenagers, and almost three months before they first made love. It was as if they were both afraid to do anything to upset the magic they felt happening between them, and they were simply enjoying getting to know each other.
Once they passed that barrier, however, they were together at every opportunity. Unfortunately, this wasn't nearly as often as they would have liked, because Nate's daughter was home from university for the semester, and Emma was sharing an apartment with a friend for the time being. They made the most of the half dozen times they had been able to make love since that first time, exploring each others body's with all the wonder and excitement of kids on Christmas morning.
At first they thought that the conference in Cancun would allow them to spend long nights together, but with so many of their colleagues close by and their relationship not yet revealed in their workplace, they opted for caution. It drove Nate insane with frustration to see Emma across the conference room, dressed in a light sundress and sandals, without being able to go over and to hold her, kiss her, whisk her away. He was surprised he made it through his presentation okay, and was thankful that she had chosen not to attend his session because she was afraid of distracting him.
So Nate was only too willing to blow away the last day of the conference to spend a day with her. He just wondered what the day would entail. "My goodness, what's in all these bags?" he asked.
"Well, that one holds two sets of snorkeling gear" Emma said, pointing to the one in Nate's left hand. "And the other one has enough food to see us through breakfast, lunch and dinner. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
"Uh, no, I wasn't sure what your plans were...and I have to let you know, I'm not too good on boats" Nate said, eying the boats docked along the pier with trepidation.
"Oh, don't worry, we aren't going by boat" Emma said reassuringly.
"We aren't?" Nate looked around, confused, not seeing any cars.
"No, we're flying!"
"Whahhhh? As in, a plane?" Nate was uncomfortable flying in a jet, and had never been in anything smaller.
"Yes, over there, see, the red one?" Emma pointed to a four-seater seaplane tied up at the end of the pier. "Come on, let's go, Hector's waiting for us."
Nate willed his legs to follow Emma. "I can do this, I CAN do this" he muttered to himself.
"What's that?" Emma turned back to face him, only then noticing the uneasy look on Nate's face. "Oh...you aren't afraid of flying, are you? You look a bit hesitant."
"Nnn..no. Of course not!" Nate blustered. "I was just wondering what you have planned for us today, that's all."
"Well, I guess I can tell you now" Emma grinned. "My friend Susan told me about this spectacular deserted beach with amazing snorkeling. Hector's tour company is the only company that brings clients to this beach. It's ours, just the two of us, for the entire day."
