"Come on, Pacey Witter!" Nicole knocked loudly on his door. "This isn't some leisure cruise!"

"Actually, from what I understand, it is." He looked at her from the opposite side of the hall. "Any luck getting my lazy as out of bed?"

"You're awake."

Pacey ruffled his damp hair. "That's a generous description."

"The maid rang the bell in your room and there was no response, so they sent me up here to get you."

"They did? Or did you take it upon yourself?" He moved past her and opened his door, walking into the room. "You know, since I'm your father's summer gift to you."

"That's not what I meant last night."

Pacey grabbed his duffel bag off the end of the bed, which was as pristine as if it hadn't been slept in. "It doesn't matter if it was or wasn't." He faced her, his blue gaze riveted on her. "I'm not interested. I'm not in the market for a summer fling, romance or flirtation. I'm not…"

"Taken." She raised an eyebrow. "Obviously. Since if you had been, you'd have mentioned that right off the bat. Besides, Daddy told me that you'd broken up with your girlfriend. Mr. Kubelik told him."

"Either way." He shouldered the bag and looked at her expectantly. "Nothing's going to happen. I'm not interested."

"And you think I am?"

"Nicole, you're a nice girl, but you're about as subtle as a freight train. So just back off, okay?"

She gave him a long, appraising look, though this one was devoid of interested. "You think you're important here, don't you?"

"No." He didn't return her speaking glance. "I think I'm here to do a job. And I want to do it. I'm also here just so that I'm not at home. Now, I don't know what this trip means for you, but that's all it means for me."

"It doesn't mean you're away from whoever the girl was?"

"It just means I'm going to be on the ocean again, and that's really all I care about." He pushed past her, out the door, heading for the stairs. "I don't need any entanglements."

"So you said."

He stopped and looked back at her. "I don't need any friends, either."

Pacey leaned on the railing and closed his eyes; letting the smell and sound of the ocean surround him. His hands curled around the metal railing as the ghost of memory danced along his spine for a moment, then he released it and turned around. Nicole was smirking at him. "Ritual?"

"What?"

"You've done that every morning."

"I like the smell."

"Obviously."

Pacey grabbed a coil of rope and started walking, trying to ignore her as she followed him. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I come bearing a message."

"Which is?"

"We're docking today and taking on a new hand. You'll have five hours on the island before we'll need you back here for some stuff. After that, you've got all night. We leave tomorrow morning at seven am."

"Great. Thanks."

"Pacey?"

He stopped what he was doing and turned around, the tone of her voice catching his attention. She looked embarrassed, shifting from foot to foot. "What?" He asked the question more gently than he normally would have.

"I know that you think I'm some sort of spoiled, rich bitch. That's not the case."

"I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary."

She laughed briefly, bitterly. "Right. Anyway. This guy we're picking up. He sailed with us last summer, and I was…"

"No."

"No?"

"No. I'm not going to be in your little John Hughes movie. I'm not the stupid guy from the bad part of town; I'm not the bad seed that just needs a little love and affection. And I'm not the rube that you're going to use to make your ex-boyfriend, ex-lover, ex-deckhand jealous. I refuse to be Duckie." He met her eyes flatly, no emotion in the blue depths, despite his insistent speech. "Got it?"

"Got some issues there, Pace?" She sneered. "I don't need you to be anyone for me. I was just going to say I was a little rude to him at the start, and I didn't want to be that way to you. So I wanted to start over, since you don't seem like the kind of guy Rick is."

"And what kind of guy is that?"

"Well, Rick actually gave me a chance to redeem myself. He took some time to get to know me, and we ended up being friends."

"Good. Then you won't need me as one."

"What the fuck is your problem?"

"You." He set the rope down and took a step towards her. "You seemed to decide back at the airport that I was your summer project or fling or whipping boy or whatever. I'm not interested. I wasn't interested then, and I'm not interested now."

"What did this girl do to you?"

"What?" His eyes were alive now, dangerous.

"She just fucking emasculated you, didn't she? You must have been the biggest pussy-whipped zombie, walking around heeding her every command. Did you even get pussy off her?"

"I really don't need to be having this conversation with you. Not that it is a conversation so much as you insulting me for no apparent reason."

"And you just assuming that I want to get into your pants isn't insulting in any way?" She smirked at him as she walked away. "Oh, right. Because they're Pacey Witter's pants. All hail Pacey Witter."

Nicole sat down next to her father, leaning over the table to look at the newspaper. "Anything interesting?"

"Depends on your definition."

"Did any unexplained disappearances around the Cape suddenly stop when we took Pacey on board?"

"Don't like him, Punkin?"

"He's all right." She shrugged. "He could be, I don't know…nicer."

"Is he not nice to you? Should I talk to him?"

She shook her head, both elbows resting on the table as she sighed. "No. He's fine." She looked over at Pacey, talking to one of the other hands. "Really."

"The Madigans are going to be joining us at our next dock. They've been sailing with the Salisburgs, but they're going to spend the rest of the summer with us." He looked at her, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "And I'm sure a certain member of that family will take your mind off anyone else."

"He's not on my mind." Nicole blushed and pushed his hand away.

"Well, I'm sure you're on his." He stuck his tongue out impishly as he ruffled her hair again. "How can any guy resist my little girl?"

"Daaaaaaaaaddy!" She laughed and pushed his arm away again, her smile fading as she looked up to see Pacey approaching them.

"Hey, Pace"

"Hey, Mr…Roger. Sorry. We're expecting to dock in a few hours. There was a call. Your friends should be there about five hours after we get in."

"Excellent." He nodded, holding out his hand as his wife joined them. Nicole stiffened and got up, ignoring her mother. Pacey smirked as she walked toward him.

"Nicole? You wanna help me for a second?"

"We're paying you," she reminded him. "What do you need my help for?"

"You're cultured. I'm not." His smirk was firmly in place. "You gotta help me with the booze."

"I can help you with anything you need, Pacey."

Before he could respond, Nicole moved to his side. "I've got it, Mother." She followed Pacey down below, stopping as soon as they were out of sight. "Do you really need help?"

"Yeah. You know the island we're headed to. What's the best bar?"

"Like it matters. You never follow through." She returned his earlier smirk. "Why don't you save yourself some time and money? Stay aboard, drink daddy's booze and beat off. Skip the cockteasing all together."

"Thanks for your input."

"My pleasure." He moved past her, heading for his cabin. "We're picking up another family. My boyfriend's family. They'll be staying with us on the boat."

"Well then, I'll be sure to wear my fanciest shorts whenever they're around."

Pacey climbed back aboard the boat, careful not to make too much noise as he headed for the stairs. Nights like this, he could almost pretend to be back on True Love, adrift on the high seas, Joey waiting for him in her hammock, ready for him to read her to sleep.

"Pacey?"

He started, looking over his shoulder at Nicole's mother, silhouetted against the moon. "Hello, Mrs…"

"Please. Call me Victoria." She smiled. "You just missed everyone else. They headed onto the island."

"You stayed behind?"

"I'll be joining them in a bit." She stood up and walked over to him, her movements intent. "I thought I'd extend an invitation to you."

"No, thank you. I don't know that I'm much company right now. I'm a little drunk."

"So I see." She nodded. "I appreciate that you are welcome to do what you wish on your own time, Pacey. But do make sure that you're completely sober when you're on the job."

"I always am."

"I know my husband won't say anything…"

"He doesn't need to. I'm completely professional when it comes to my work."

"I've seen that." She touched his arm, her nails leaving a white trail on the tanned skin. "You should be careful out there. You never know where the women have been."

"I don't sleep around." He noticed movement behind her, focused on Nicole, watching them, smirking. "Although I appreciate your concern."

"If you're in the mood, you should look to someone a little closer." Her hand curled around his bicep, rubbing his skin lightly.

"You'll forgive me for saying so, Victoria, but I'm not exactly sure where you've been either." He pulled his arm away and smiled, taking the sting away from the words, knowing she was too far gone on alcohol or something stronger to remember the encounter anyway. "But I'll take the offer under consideration."

"So," Nicole looked over the top of her glass at Pacey as he stared out at the ocean. "Are you going to tell me what her name is?"

"Who?"

"The girl that makes you act like this. The one who obviously broke your heart and turned you into some sort of sniveling miscreant." She took a sip of the frothy concoction. "You don't look like a guy who was born without any kind of fire in him, so I'm assuming she doused it with some well placed words and actions."

"You really don't know anything about my life, so I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from psychoanalyzing what you think I'm thinking and feeling." He tilted the beer bottle until the last drops were gone, then tossed it into the container on the deck. "Besides, it doesn't matter in the slightest who she is or what she does. She's out of my life for good, good riddance."

"So why are you staring out at the water like her face is reflected in it?"

"Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic."

Nicole slid out of her seat and walked over to him, standing beside him and staring as well. "I don't think so. I think your romantic inclinations were pretty much obliterated by 'Little Miss Too Good for You', and you're looking for something else other than romance in those rolling waves."

"Yeah? And why do you think that?"

"Because, boys looking for romance don't find themselves docking in every port and checking out the island beauties. They pine away in their staterooms and write really bad poetry."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah. Island pussy doesn't even capture their attention."

"So I'm doing it wrong, is that your consensus?"

"No." Nicole leaned on the railing, deliberately avoiding his eyes. "I think you're doing it right, but then I'm a firm believer that no one is worth pining over. They fucked it up? Their loss."

"That's a lovely sentiment." Pacey walked toward the bar without glancing at her.

"You think I'm full of bullshit?" She followed him. "You've gone into every port we've stopped at, searching the local girls for someone who, I would guess, matches your ex-girlfriend's description pretty closely. You buy her a few drinks and then, when it comes to the payoff, you back off like you haven't got the balls to carry it through. Which means some chick in your hometown emasculated you and is wearing your balls around her neck on a pretty, gold chain."

"What a compelling visual."

"You're the one who's running around the Caribbean like some sort of eunuch."

Pacey popped the top off another beer as he walked over to one of the deck chairs. "What about you, sweetheart? You spend your days in port following me around? Is that what it's all come down to?"

"I'm studying psychology. I find you a fascinating subject, chock full of neuroses."

"Where I come from, you're not in the in-crowd if you don't have a whole slew of neurotic behavior to your name." He took a drink and set the bottle on the table. "So, you're following me to study my behavior? See how the pussy-whipped male acts in the wild?"

"You're more than just a pussy-whipped male, Pacey. You're an even more pathetic species. The dumped, pussy-whipped male. I'll bet you that your little ex-girlfriend doesn't give a shit where you are right now. And I'll bet that she'd be laughing her ass off if she knew that you are still so head over heels in love with her, you can't manage to get it up."

"I dumped her." He shook his head. "But I doubt she'd care enough to laugh, actually." His tone was flat and barely sad, just hinting at the potential emotion behind it. "She's otherwise occupied right now."

"So, why aren't you?"

He looked over at Nicole, perched now on the other deck chair, her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands. "Because, as you pointed out, I'm still in love with her."

"Which means you can't have a little fun? Move on with your life?"

"Sex isn't something I take lightly."

"No, Pacey." She got out of her chair and moved closer to him, insinuating herself into his lap. "Sex isn't something you can take lightly with another girl who looks like you're ex. But sex." She brushed her fingertips over his lips, smiling when they parted slightly. "Sex with someone who doesn't remind you of the ball breaker…that should be a snap."

Her fingers snapped in front of his eyes and he jerked back slightly. "Someone like your mother?"

"Well, turning her down was the one smart thing you've done on this trip."

He looked at her dubiously. "Aren't you involved with Mr. Business Man?"

"Yeah." She looked over her shoulder at the dark cabin then back at him, the offer clear in her blue eyes. "Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to fuck her out of your mind."

"Nice to meet you."

"Pacey's one of our new hands. Keeps us on course."

"Nice to meet you both," He nodded as they said hello.

"You heading out for the night?"

"Yes, sir. I'll be back before morning."

"Have a good time. And if you run into Nicole, tell her I want her in before midnight."

"I will." He jogged along the dock, nodding to Nicole's mother as he passed her.

The air was heady, redolent with tropical scents. He inhaled deeply, almost drunk on the smell. Music vibrated on the breeze as he moved away from the water to the brightly lit bar scene just past the beach.

He walked along the boardwalk, watching the women, looking them over, feeling their eyes on him. Finally, he found a bar he liked and walked inside, heading for the counter.

"Beer." He gestured to the tap and handed over his money as he took the glass. Smoke and music masked the sound of the pool table, conversations and come-ons as he picked up his glass and moved toward the dartboards. He leaned against one of the tables. "Next game?"

The redhead turned and looked him over, her eyes running down the length of him. "You can take the winner."

His gaze turned to the other woman, giving her the same appraising glance. She had short dark hair and eyes you could fall into. "Be glad to."

He watched them play, sitting so that he had a perfect view of them as they threw, the smooth lines of their breasts in high relief as their shirts pulled tight.

The redhead stood in front of him, reaching past him for her beer. "Where you from?"

"Massachusetts." He parted his legs, letting her move closer. "You?"

"Georgia. I'm Carolyn. And Kris over there is from Virginia."

"Long way from home."

She set the bottle down and moved to the shooting line as her friend came over. She ignored him, downing the rest of her drink. "You any good?"

"I can hold my own."

She grinned. "I don't care about your personal life." She nodded to Carolyn. "Because she's taking her last shot right now."

"So, I guess it's you and me?"

"Don't get too excited."

She got up as Carolyn came back, sinking into a seat. "Just put me out of my misery."

Kristen threw one dart, the bull's-eye sounding the end of the game. "You're up."

Pacey leaned against the wall, listening to the pounding waves as Carolyn licked his neck. His hand was threaded through Kristen's dark hair as she kissed him, both of their hands moving over his thighs.

Breaking the kiss, Pacey turned to Carolyn. She licked his lips, insinuating her body closer. He still held Kristen close as her hand moved over his erection, up his chest then back down again.

"Our hotel is just down the street," she whispered in his ear. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him along after her. He tugged the redhead along, the three of them a moving tangle of exploring hands.

As they reached the door, Pacey stopped, watching as they dug for their keys. Leaning in, he kissed the redhead, his hand slipping between her legs, one finger hooking under the thin material of her thong underwear. She moaned, her body moving to prolong the feeling. Pacey pulled away, sliding his arm around the brunette, feeling her firm ass.

"We're just right up here," Kristen gestured.

"I have to go."

"What?"

"I…" Pacey stepped away from them, moving back toward the beach. "I just have to go."

"You son of a bitch!"

He shrugged in apology and turned to leave, instead running into Nicole and her boyfriend. "I see you're up to your old tricks. Do you call her and make sure she gets her royalty check whenever you don't screw someone?"

"Your girlfriend's a real charmer." Pacey smirked. "I'm sure she'll fit in great with your MBA and ulcers." He brushed past them, turning back as her boyfriend looked at her. "By the way, your dad wants you in by two." Looking directly at Nicole's crotch then her boyfriend, he laughed. "I don't think he wants you in at all."

Pacey opened the door of his room and leaned against the frame, effectively blocking the entrance. "I really don't feel like having the same fight again, Nicole."

She held up her hands, a Guinness in each. "I come in peace."

Pacey took one from her, not moving. "Thanks."

"Come on, Pacey. I know you think you're irresistible."

"Actually, I don't. But I think Mr. Business Man has just turned you down, and you think that you can booze me into bed. And as attractive as that seems…"

"I just want someone to talk to, all right?" Nicole met his eyes, her own shining with unshed tears. "I thought, since you'd just been through a breakup, maybe you'd be a kindred soul. Obviously I was giving you too much credit."

Pacey closed his eyes tightly and blew out an irritated breath. "Is there more Guinness?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck." He exhaled again loudly and moved out of the doorway. "Come in."

Nicole followed him into the cabin, looking at the few things he'd done to make it his own. There were two pictures framed beside the bed. She picked one up and ran her finger over the glass. "This her?"

"I don't want to talk about Jo…" he pulled the picture away from her, stopping as he looked at it. It was True Love. "What?"

"The reason you love this so much. This crappy, underpaid job that requires you to put up with me. What's wrong with her? Why aren't you spending the summer riding the waves with her?"

"She sank."

"Oh." There was real regret in her voice as she took the picture back from him, setting it down and picking up the one of Joey. "What happened?"

"We sank." He took a drink from the bottle and looked away. "The weight of the future and the weight of the past was just too much. And we sank."

Nicole sat on the bed beside him. "Let me guess, she wanted you to be like all the other Worthington drones, talking about the Lourve or the Guggenheim, about Daddy's new Porsche, about who's wearing the latest style from Milan, about who's got the best booze, the best drugs. About who they think the best freshman lay will be."

"No. Actually, she just wanted me to be me. And for a while, we both believed that would be enough." Pacey took another drink. "So tell me about Mr. Business Man up there."

"He wants to fuck me."

"And you don't want to? Did he try and force you?"

"Slow down there, Lancelot. I don't need a white knight, thank you." She shrugged. "He wants to fuck me while our parents make deals, but in the real world, he plans on pretending I don't exist and he hasn't been sticking his cock inside me since I was sixteen."

"So you're close, then?"

"When he wants to be. But I want something more from him. Something more than a cheap summer fling. Again."

"So you're making him jealous by hanging out with the help. I had the wrong movie analogy before. This is so very 'Dirty Dancing' of you."

Nicole grinned. "Actually, I'm hanging out with the help because he appears to be a nice guy when he's not being a defensive prick."

"A nice guy? Ah, the kiss of death." Pacey informed her as he finished off his beer. "Much like being the sidekick."

"Ooh, and he's funny." Nicole shrugged. "After Mr. Business Man, I could use some funny."

"So you like this guy, huh?"

"Yeah," she shrugged.

"He like you?"

"Enough."

"Enough to get jealous?"

Nicole raised an eyebrow. "Probably."

"What do you say you and I go do a little sightseeing?"

"Making sure to be seen?"

He grinned, nodding. "Exactly."

Nicole leaned against Pacey, exhausted. "Never so much fun." She gasped the words between giggles, hefting the large bag of packages in her hand. "I think I'm too tired to get on the boat."

"Well, I ain't carrying you." He squeezed her hand, tugging as he started forward. "C'mon."

Nicole giggled again, following him onto the deck. Her father and the rest of the gathered group looked up, including Nicole's Business Man who looked over Pacey with distaste. "Hi, Daddy."

"Have a good time?"

"Yup."

"Dinner's in an hour or so. Pacey? You joining us?"

"Not tonight, thank you."

"I'll be there," Nicole smiled as she pulled Pacey along behind her, heading below deck. She led the way to his room, stopping outside his door. "Thanks."

"For?"

"A good time. A great time. You're the world's best tour guide, especially considering you'd never been here before."

"I have many hidden talents," he grinned and tilted his head toward the door. "You comin' in?"

"Sure. You can show me all the crap you bought."

"Crap? These are valuable gifts that my friends will treasure forever and always."

She pulled the first item out of the bag. It was a man, roughly the size of a Barbie doll with a barrel draped over his body. She lifted the barrel until the toy's giant penis snapped straight out, quivering. "You're kidding, right?"

"It's just what Jack needs."

"And this?" She pulled out a hideously green crocheted dress.

"Jen. She'll wear it everywhere."

"Bad porn?" She lifted out a tape, the lurid cover in Spanish, touting 'ESTRELLAS LOCALES!'

"Dude, we met that guy!" He pointed to the star's face emblazoned across the cover. "He autographed it. Nothing could possibly please Dawson more."

"You have some weird friends."

"I do. Either that, or I could be under the influence of the three pitchers of margaritas."

"You think?"

"It's gotta be the booze, because there's no way you're this much fun when I'm sober." Pacey leaned in, touching the tip of her nose with his finger.

"Right. Because I'm a bitch."

"You are." His voice was suddenly silky, husky and low. "C'mere." His hand slipped behind her head, resting on the nape of her neck, pulling her toward him. "Because it's turning me on somethin' fierce."

"Sure it's not just the booze?" She asked against his lips.

"Not *just* the booze," he murmured against her lips, opening her willing mouth with the lazy movement of his tongue. Nicole's hands slid over Pacey's hips, resting on the curve of his ass as she pulled him closer, the tight bulge in his shorts hardening as her body met his.

Pacey's tongue moved through her mouth, exploring the new territory boldly, testing her responses. Nicole opened up to him, her own tongue joining in the game, toying with his. Her hand kneaded Pacey's body through his khaki shorts, fingers digging into his ass, pulling him closer.

Pacey's hand stayed at the base of her neck, holding her loosely as his other hand moved up to cup her breast, heavy against her T-shirt. "Fuck," he whispered into the kiss, reveling in the fullness of her breast filling his hand. His other hand snaked down to measure the other one, weighing them reverently.

Nicole broke the kiss, broke away from him. Pacey watched her with hazy eyes as she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor. Knowing she had his complete attention, she unhooked her bikini top and let it fall to the floor as well. She smiled at him, cupping her breasts, raising them up toward him. "C'mere."

Pacey moved across the short distance to her, his larger, strong hands taking the creamy flesh from hers. He bent down, soft, hot breath caressing the peaked tip before his mouth closed around it, sucking the firm flesh. Nicole let out a quiet cry as her fingers wound through his hair, holding him to her chest.

His hand teased her other nipple, manipulating the tender flesh until her fingers dug into his scalp, sensation overwhelming her. "Pacey," she moaned his name, and shifted her body, aching for relief from the coiled tension settled in her stomach and lower, the insistent heat that curled around her swollen clit, soaking the thin material of her panties.

His hands left her chest as he turned his mouth to the other breast, his fingers moving over bare skin to the shorts settled low on her hips. He unfastened them and pushed them down her body, every movement as she wriggled out of her clothes sending tendrils of lust curling through his body.

He released her breast and pulled away, his eyes moving over her. Her skin was tanned, the brilliant white of covered flesh tracing her bikini lines. Her breasts were swollen, the nipples red from his skillful attention. Her stomach was flat, leading down to her pierced bellybutton and the neatly shaved triangle of hair that parted her thighs. He pulled his T-shirt off then eased his shorts and boxers over his erection. Naked as well, he took her hand and pulled her toward the bed, both of them tumbling down onto the down comforter. He sighed as her body covered his. So easy, he thought as he kissed her, his fingers slipping between her parted legs.

Falling into bed with her was the hardest easy thing he'd ever done.

Pacey stared up at the ceiling, listening to Nicole's steady breathing beside him. "For being out of practice, you're awfully good at that." When he didn't respond, she sat up, watching as his eyes went involuntarily to her bare breasts. "Am I doomed to another month of the silent treatment? Is that what you're not telling me here?"

"I'm not big on talking after sex."

"Bullshit." Nicole laughed, her tone knowing. "You're lying there hating yourself for cheating on a girl you're no longer dating, all the while wondering if it was good for me." Before he could protest, she draped her body over his and whispered in his ear. "I came all around your cock, Pacey. I fucking bit you to keep from screaming and bringing the entire boat rushing down here."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

She got off of him, her face a hard mask. "You didn't really just say that, did you?" He couldn't' look at her and she clenched her teeth. "You fucker. You can't even have fun, can you? I'm surprised you could even fuck when she's got your balls so twisted." She grabbed his cock, squeezing almost too much. "I wanted fun, Pacey. If I'd wanted to feel used, I would have fucked the Business Man."

She released him in disgust and grabbed her clothes, slipping into the least amount required to get her to her cabin. She rolled everything else up and held it against her chest as she left.

Pacey brought his legs up, turning on his side, curled up in a ball. His blue eyes were dark as he stared at the picture of Joey. Grabbing his cock in his fist, he pumped it hard, relentlessly as he stared at her laughing face. After what seemed like forever, he rolled onto his back, releasing himself then pushing off the bed. He shoved his legs into his shorts and headed for the door.

She was a blonde, obviously down for the summer. She was someone's wife, maybe even someone from the boat. He bought her a drink then fucked her in a hotel room she was more than willing to pay for. She was screaming his name by the time he finally came, unable to remember how many times her wet pussy had clenched around his cock as they'd fucked.

The deck was empty when he got back to the boat, deals made, being sealed with sex or booze behind closed doors down below. He went to the bar and grabbed a beer, against his better instincts. They were sailing at sunrise and he was already drunk.

"You broke up with her, right?"

Nicole stood at the top of the stairs, her face washed clean of make-up and sex. It glowed innocent in the moonlight.

"I ask simply because you're obviously still in love with her."

"I broke up with her." He opened the bottle and took a long drink. "And I'm still in love with her. But you didn't deserve to be punished for that, so I'm sorry."

"If your boyfriend skills are half as developed as your sexual ones, she must be devastated."

"Actually, I think she's okay with it." He shrugged and took a drink. "I thought I was."

"Bottling it all up probably doesn't help."

"I come from a town where we talk everything to death. We're like a Twilight Zone town where everyone's talking but no one says what they mean, so nothing happens, nothing gets resolved, it just all gets played out over and over again." He took another drink as she moved over to stand beside him. "Shutting up about it seemed like a really brilliant idea."

"And sex with me? Did that seem like a brilliant idea?"

"How old are you, Nicole?"

"Eighteen."

"Having sex with you," he looked away, out at the ocean. "Did not suck." He looked back at her. "And it seemed like a brilliant idea at the time."

"Thanks for that." She leaned over the railing, staring out at the moonlit water. "It's not going to happen again, is it?"

"You and me?" He felt more than saw her nod. "No."

"But that doesn't mean it won't be happening, right? You and some random woman?"

"It's really none of your business, Nicole."

"Which is a yes in disguise." She nodded, reaching for his beer and taking a long sip. "Random, casual sex isn't going to get her out of your head."

"Neither will fucking you."

"No," she agreed. "But fucking me would be more fun, safer and much less expensive." She licked the rim of the bottle, her tongue a provocative invitation.

"Fucking you, my dear," he took the bottle away from her, his mouth almost on hers. "Is dangerous."

"Because you want me so badly?"

He grinned and she could feel his smile in the air between them. "Whatever you need to believe."

Her hand moved between them and cupped his cock through his shorts. "Are you going to go all bitter again if I start fucking the Business Man?"

"Not at all. Although I might make fun of you. Actually, I can guarantee that happening."

"And if I come on to you again?"

Pacey reached down and moved her hand, easing it away from him. "I'll have to tell your father."

"Damn."

He stayed away from brunettes, anyone that reminded him of her. This one had light brown hair, laced with blonde and reddish highlights. Drunk before he even saw her, dancing with abandon. Weaving through the press of bodies, he came up behind her, resting his hand on her hip, insinuating one leg between both of hers, swaying with her.

She reached back with both hands, hooking her fingers through the belt loops of his shorts, rocking back against his body. Pacey rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice barely audible over the music. "Wanna dance?"

She released him, instead reaching up to loop her hands around his neck. Pacey's hands curved around her waist, lifting up to her breasts, moving over them. She turned her head slightly. "I'd rather fuck."

Pacey nodded. "A woman after my own heart."

"It's not your heart I'm after." She pulled away from him, grabbing his hand before she was too far away. He followed her willingly as she led him out of the club, heading for the hotels that lined the beach. She turned and looked at him, away from the smoke and noise of the bar. "What's your name?"

"Pacey."

"I'm Rebecca." She stopped outside a lush, white bungalow right off the beach. "I'm drunk." She slipped the key in the lock and turned it. The door open, she took off her shirt and tossed it over her shoulder. "And I'm horny."

"What a coincidence." Pacey followed her, pulling his own shirt over his head. She slipped her mini-skirt to the floor, turning back to Pacey, completely naked. "Because I'm feeling very much the same way."

She moved toward him, smiling predatorily as Pacey shed the rest of his clothes. "So I see."

"I'd rather you did more than that," Pacey smiled in return.

"You an adventurous type of guy, Pacey?" She stopped walking, leaning against the dresser.

"That's the rumor."

"Because," she shoved the items that littered the surface out of the way and pulled her self up on top of it. "I feel like trying something new."

Sliding the condom on was second nature now. She was somewhere past fifth on his list. She was hot and wet through the latex, her heels digging into his ass, the polished surface of the dresser guiding her onto him every time.

They moved together with the awkwardness of strangers, with the vivid ease of lust. His fingers bit into her ass, pulling her hard against him again and again until she gasped repeated prayers, like a Hail Mary of sexual satisfaction. She pushed him away and slid off the dresser, sinking to her knees before him. Her breathy calls to the almighty ended as she replaced the sheath of the condom with a mouth as hot as her pussy had been.

His hands rested on the dresser for support, his eyes staring blankly at his reflection as her lips and tongue moved over his cock until his knees almost buckled with the force of his orgasm.

He helped her to her feet, to the bed, covering her nude body with a blanket before getting dressed and heading back to the boat.

"So, does it work?"

Pacey swung the mainsail around and tied off the jib. "Does what work?" They were on a smaller boat, rented for the weekend trip to an island owned by one of Nicole's father's business associates.

"Fucking her out of your system."

"She's not in my system. I'm just fucking."

"Well, I'm honored to have been the catalyst for your descent into debauchery." She watched him move, feeling strangely satisfied. "He stares at me now, you know that? Watches us, wondering if we've fucked."

"Who?" Pacey sat down beside her, watching the water skimming along the sides of the boat.

"Franklin." At Pacey's blank look, she laughed. "My Business Man."

"His name is Franklin?"

"Right, because Pacey leaves you so much room to talk."

He grinned. "True. So, did our illicit affair have the desired effect on your relationship with him?"

"I can't quite tell yet."

"Well," He patted her knee and stood up. "Keep working at it."

"You too."

"I'm not working at anything."

"Yeah. Keep telling yourself that."

Pacey leaned against one of the palm trees watching the party progress. He reached down and grabbed a beer from the six-pack sitting at his feet as smoke drifted over from the bonfire.

Nicole was sitting beside Franklin, sharing a drink with him as they talked with the couple that owned the island. Nicole's father was at the pool, drinking martinis with Mr. Kubelik and his wife.

Grabbing his six-pack, he moved past the other deck hands, playing poker on the back patio. "Leaving the party already, Pace?"

"Pacey's probably suffering from pussy withdrawal."

"That's exactly it." Pacey snapped open another beer. "But you guys are big enough pussies to tide me over." He waved as he walked off, their laughter following him into the huge house.

He shut the door to the room he'd been assigned and stripped down to his boxers before lying on the bed. He listened to the party outside as he finished his beers. His eyes were half-closed as his door opened and the inherent knowledge that he'd known this moment was coming hardened his cock even further.

She was quiet as she stripped off her dress, her body sleek and naked. Her fingernails scraped his skin as she slipped his boxers off his body, straddling him in the darkness. Her body was hot over his, wet as her slick passage surrounded him.

They moved silently, wordlessly, soft muttered groans as her body clenched at his, slick with sweat, anticipation and come. She found his hands and brought them up to her breasts, guiding his fingers to her nipples as she rocked over him.

Pacey's thighs tightened, pulled taut as he felt the surge, pulsing at the base of his spine, desperate for release. He pressed his head back against the pillow, his mouth open as he gasped, deep and low. The pressure built and his hips arched off the bed as the door opened, light from the hallway flooding the room. "Pacey?"

The shaft of light fell directly across the bed. He stared up in disbelief at Nicole's mother as she smiled, climaxing around him as Nicole stared at them both in shock.

"Oh, shit." Pacey groaned, his erection gone. He looked past the woman astride his body to the woman in his doorway. "Nicole."

She was unable to look away. "I thought you didn't fuck brunettes, Pacey."

He didn't respond as her as her mother slipped off his body, pulling her dress on wordlessly. She brushed past Nicole, self-satisfied smile on her face. "Night, darling."

Pacey sat up. "Nicole…"

"I was worried you were in here moping about your ballbuster. I should have known you'd find another one." She shook her head and her voice caught. "I would have fucked you, you asshole."

"I thought it was you."

She looked at him as if she'd just been slapped. "And here I thought you couldn't get any more insulting."

Pacey stood at the helm of the boat, staring at the sea. The sun was just beginning to come up over the water, glinting off the foaming waves. He felt her come up behind him, but didn't turn around. "You've been quiet."

"I found I didn't have much to say to the asshole that slept with my mother."

"That was almost a month ago."

"And it stopped your whoring. Guess my mother was the fuck you were looking for?"

"I actually had no desire to fuck her, Nicole."

"Yeah. I could tell that by the fact that your dick was buried in my mother's fucking cunt."

"Do you want me to apologize?" He turned finally, facing her directly for the first time since she'd walked in on him. "I'm sorry, Nicole. Very, very sorry."

"If my father ever finds out what you did…"

"I've got no plans to tell him. Do you?"

She shook her head. "No."

He nodded. "I am sorry."

A small smile lifted the corner of her mouth. "At least I fucked you first."

He barely kept from smiling, wondering what she sort of blackmail she had intended for her mother. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"Gone. He flew back to the states. Something about me being psychotic and hung up on the cabana boy."

"Cabana boy?" He cocked an eyebrow. "Jesus, he hates me."

"He asked me if you were a better lay than he was."

"What'd you tell him?"

"I told him that I'd never fucked you?"

"Did he believe you?"

She laughed. "He's not here, is he?"

Pacey laughed as well, softly. "Something I owe you an apology for?"

"Not right now." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "But I reserve the right to demand it later."

07/18/01