Love In The Fast Lane Part 17

He started the engine and the large vehicle purred to life. Brielle found herself settling in for the hour-long drive.

When they arrived at the beach house, Brielle was pleased to see that it was not an overstated mansion as she had pictured it in her head. Instead it was a nice, two-level home, with a spectacular view of the ocean.

She helped Nate unload the trunk, much to his argument, and got herself and Noah settled in.

They trotted downstairs and to her surprise found Emma and Luca in the living area.

"Hey," she exclaimed. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Nate invited us for the day," Emma explained, looking slightly embarra.s.sed. Brielle feared he had invited them to babysit her and she suddenly felt like a third wheel between her son and his father.

"Is the boat ready?" Nate asked Luca, who nodded in acknowledgement.

Brielle looked to Nate. This was his weekend and she didn't know what he had planned for Noah.

"Boat?" she asked.

"Yeah, we are going to cruise around in my boat."

"Oh ok. Go get your sunblock and hat, Noah, and then we can go."

Half an hour later, Brielle found herself walking onto a yacht. She had been expecting a dingy little speedboat but this was a statement of grandeur. A small family could live on this yacht. How much money did racing actually allow you to make?

The architecture was grand and expensive looking and Brielle wondered what it must be like to live like this. She had certainly never been exposed to such luxury. It was such a contrast to the simplicity of the beach house.

Nate and Luca had taken Noah to the upper deck of the boat where they were teaching him how to steer. Her heart burst with happiness, knowing that he now had a father present to teach him all the things that she could not.

She and Emma stripped down to their bikinis, slathered each other in suntan lotion and draped themselves on the sun deck of the yacht, away from the action of the men.

"So, you and Luca, huh?" Brielle began "What do you mean?"

"Meeting his friends on day trips, lavish boats. This is getting serious for something that started not more than two weeks ago."

"In my defense, I was only invited here because of you so that doesn't count and the boat gets thrown in with the same." Emma adjusted her bikini top and lifted her chin to the warm sun. "But it feels... nice. He came home the other night all angry and miffed about something and oh my G.o.d, he gave me the best o.r.g.a.s.m of my life."

Brielle giggled as she adjusted her sungla.s.ses on her face. "Lucky you."

"Maybe it will be 'lucky you' this weekend," she commented with a wink.

"I doubt it. He's been so distant of late. Not the usual lascivious man I had pegged him as. I guess he just wants me for my son."

"Oh you poor, s.e.x-deprived little girl."

Brielle smiled. "Doesn't this feel like those first few days in Brazil?"

"Yeah, you and me in s.e.xy bikinis, sipping on fruity alcoholic beverages. The only thing missing are those cute cabana boys."

"Oh, I could use one of those these days."

"We should go out Bree. We have become our work and we should do a girl's night."

"Easier said than done, Em. I have a child to consider; I can't leave him with just anyone and go off traipsing around like a twenty-year-old.

"No of course not. He has Nate now though and surely he can handle Noah for one night so you can go out and live vicariously through the twenty-year-olds.

"That's not a bad idea; I will give it some thought." Brielle smiled, feeling so relaxed. "Hey, that's if you can even tear yourself away from your s.e.x G.o.d over there."

Emma sighed in pleasure. "I know."

Nate was content. They had cut the yacht's motors and were drifting peacefully in the middle of the ocean. He looked into the distance and could see the outline of land ahead but from their location, the only sounds they could hear were the water lapping against the side of the large boat and the gulls overhead, squawking at the escaping fish. He was at ease.

Noah sat on his lap in the fishing chair as he taught the small child how to cast a line.

"Hold your thumb on this line, Noah," he showed him, indicating the portion of the rod.

The child mimicked as he was shown.

"Good. Release the drag on the reel and then lean it over your shoulder and then propel the line forward."

Noah gently threw the line over his shoulder and then propelled it forward as Nate had shown him.

"Now release your thumb, son!"

Noah repeated the request as the line swung deftly into the water below. The sinker hit the surface and landed with a neat "plop".

"Great job, kiddo."

Noah beamed up at Nate, soaking in the praise.

"Looks like you're going to catch our supper tonight."

"Oh boy!"

"Catch anything yet?" Luca asked, coming out from the inside cabin.

"Not yet but Noah cast a brilliant line."

Luca bent over the rail and mock-inspected Noah's casting. He nodded his head in appreciation. "Not bad."

The men shared more banter before Nate felt a tug on the line. "Looks like you got a bite kiddo. Don't tug on it now, just reel him in slowly and carefully."

Noah did as he was instructed but even Noah could feel that the fish was strongly battling the hook.

"Wow, that's a big b.u.g.g.e.r!" Luca exclaimed over the front railing. "He's splashing all over the place. Come on, Noah, you can do it."

The next few minutes pa.s.sed in a frenzy as Noah tried to reel in the fish. Seeing his son struggle, Nate reached in to help him but he could feel the pull the fish had on the line. The pull strained against his still recovering shoulder and the pain shot down to his elbow. He ignored it as he released some of the line to allow them some room and then very slowly they reeled in the fish. When they both pulled him out of the water, the large fish flopped about on the deck.

Noah laughed in giddy excitement. "Oh wow! Look Dad, I caught my first fish!!"

Nate's heart burst with emotion. Noah called him dad. He never thought such a simple word could have such an effect on him but d.a.m.n if the whole scenario had him a little misty-eyed. Dammit. The shoulder pain forgotten, he took in the moment with his boy.

The fish flopped and twisted and its movements became slower and slower as it became lifeless.

"What fish is it?" Noah asked, hopping around his catch.

Nate studied the now dead fish. He unhooked the metal from its mouth and took in its medium-sized red scales and sloped body. It had small sharp teeth and was quite long-almost twenty inches in length. He picked it up and handled its weight. Almost twenty pounds maybe.

"Looks like you have yourself a red snapper, Noah. Great job! That's a brilliant catch!"

Noah's green eyes sparkled with excitement and pride.

"Let's get a photo boys," Luca called.

"Get the fish Noah."

Noah picked it up by the tail, battling with its weight as the fish suddenly wriggled in one last attempt to get life back into its body. The boy yelped and dropped the fish and the two older men laughed at him.

"Here," Nate offered, picking up the fish by the tail. He bent down beside Noah so Luca could capture the photo. Nate looked across at his son and took in the boyish exhilaration that he exuded, happy that he could put that look on his face. Just before Luca could click the camera, Noah faked a pose as if biting into the fish and Nate threw his head back, laughing.

It was a good afternoon, a good afternoon indeed.

"Can we go show my mom?" Noah asked Nate.

"Sure thing bud."

They climbed the stairs to the upper deck and Nate found the two women sharing a few giggles as they sunbathed in their bikinis. He took one look at Brielle's nearly naked body and just about dropped the large fish. Even after having their child, her body was smoking hot. She had her one leg up, bent at the knee and he was somehow back to thinking of those photographs that were hidden at the back of the alb.u.m that Noah had shown him. Her legs looked toned and s.e.xy and led to the curve of her s.e.x that he had no doubt would be sweet to the taste. Her belly was flat and as he looked up to her chest, he saw the two perfect mounds that were her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. So deliciously full and creamy. In fact, they looked fuller than they had six years ago and he thought that he had read somewhere that motherhood did that to a woman's b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Her expression was relaxed and happy as she shared secrets with her dark-haired friend.

"Momma, Aunt Emma, look!" Noah called out.

The two women turned in unison and they could have been part of a beauty magazine advertis.e.m.e.nt. Nate looked to Luca beside him and from the dumb look on his face, he had the same thoughts.

Brielle took in her excited child as he waved in the direction of the two shirtless men before her. She barely noticed Luca as she stared at the distraction that was Nate. He wore board shorts low on his hips and absolutely nothing else but a s.e.xy grin on his face. As she remembered them, his six-pack gleamed hot and hard on his body, beckoning for her to taste them with her tongue. His eyes looked into hers, a dark green like the ocean on a troubled night. They spoke of dark sin and hot s.e.x.

"Look what I caught!" Noah exclaimed, running toward Brielle and Emma.

She snapped out of her reverie and only then noticed the large red fish in Nate's hands.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Your dinner," Nate said with a smile. "Compliments of our son."

The words out of Nate's mouth spoke too much of family bonding for her comfort but she dismissed it to gaze upon Noah.

"Really honey? Was that all you?"

He nodded vigourously, his small teeth wide in his face as his smile stretched from ear to ear. "Well, Dad helped reel him in."

Brielle stared at Noah, shocked. He'd actually called Nate 'dad.' She turned her shocked gazed to Nate, who seemed to be bursting with pride. The word obviously wasn't lost on him. But there it was again. The insinuation of family.

"That's awesome, Lovebug. I'm so proud of you." She pulled him into a big hug and smothered him with kisses.

"Well done, Bucket," Emma joined, kissing his legs and feet.

"Heeeeeelp me!" he screamed at Nate and Luca, giggling despite the female smothering. "Daaaaaad, help!"

Brielle though she heard Nate say, "You don't know how lucky you are, kiddo." But when she looked at him, he was exchanging a look with Luca.

She must have been hearing things.

Noah managed to escape and ran to Nate.

"So, who's going to clean that sucker?" Brielle pointed. "Because I surely ain't."

That night, after Luca and Emma had left for the night, Brielle cleared the dishes for the evening and set about washing them as Noah and Nate were talking fishing. Now that her son had caught his first fish, he was sucked in on the topic. He wanted to know everything about it. She was glad that they had a common interest and more than that, she was glad that they had bonded over something that she could never teach Noah. She knew nothing about fishing. The closest she had ever come was buying fresh fish from a street market. At least this was something that her son and his father had just the two of them.

She washed up the dinner dishes then poured herself more wine as she joined them in the living room. "Hey baby, I think it's bedtime for you. Best you go and wash off the fish stink."

"Oh man."

"No arguments, get going."

"Can Dad wash my back?" he asked tentatively.

"You have to ask your Dad, honey."

He looked to Nate with large green eyes.

"Sure, Buddy. Come on."

They disappeared upstairs and Brielle was left with a few moments reprieve to herself. It had been an amazing day. So relaxed and free of drama. It was exactly what she needed and reminded herself to thank Nate later for extending the invite to her. She heard the two of them giggling softly, sharing some inside jokes. Instead of feeling left out, she was glad that her son now had a father in his life. It was what she had hoped for from the day he was born and she was glad that Nate had not turned and run when he had found out about Noah.

"I'm cleeeeean, Mom!" Noah shouted from the second floor.

She put aside her wine gla.s.s and padded upstairs to join them in Noah's room.

"Let me inspect," she informed Noah. She made a grand show of sniffing his hair and then his ears and then his armpits before giving her approving nod. "That will do. In your PJs now."

To her surprise, Nate helped him into his night clothes and took great care in b.u.t.toning him up. The sight warmed her heart.

"Can Dad tell me a story tonight, Mom?"

"Sure, Sweetheart," she brushed his hair off his forehead and kissed his head. "See you in the morning, ok?"

"Ok, Momma."

"Goodnight, Lovebug."

"Goodnight, Mom."