The Empty Nest(closed)

[cnuveau]

"Sounds good! Let's do it!" Declan said enthusiastically as he slipped off his barstool along side her. As they made their way out of the club he slipped her hand around her waist. "Let's see if it's this way."

Declan led Brenda further down the broad corridor and the thumping music began to fade as they made their way toward the front of the boat. Soon, the sound of dinging slot machines began to echo through the corridor. "Sounds like we're on the right track. You're luck seems to be turning already." he said, squeezing her a little more tightly to him for emphasis as he spoke.

The walked into the sparsely populated casino and looked around. There were a number of people gathered around a blackjack table cheering raucously as someone seemingly just made a big score. To the left and right were lines of slot a machines that sat mostly empty. "So what's your poison?" Declan ask, not wanting to assume that just because she was a woman she was going to gravitate toward the slot machines.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Declan’s enthusiasm was endearing. She knew he was game for just about anything and he seemingly wanted to spend time with her, something Bren was still trying to get use to. Still, she smiled as they navigated the corridors of the ship. Now and then, she almost lost her balance, since she didn’t quite have her sea legs yet. Declan was right there to help her. His arm slipped around her waist, hugging her to him. It made her feel…. good. The sounds of the casino caught their ears and she looked at him, smiling.

"Sounds like we're on the right track. You're luck seems to be turning already."

“Seems like it, doesn’t it. Maybe you’re my good luck charm, Declan.”

She teased him and growing bolder, Bren slipped her own arm around his waist.

"So what's your poison?"

The sounds of the slot machines, the bright lights and people milling about all descended upon her. There were slots, blackjack tables, even roulette.

“Let’s start with the blackjack tables. Maybe even try some roulette. What do you think?”

 

[cnuveau]

“Sounds good. Blackjack it is.” Declan said before leading Brenda over to the blackjack table. When they got there, there was only one seat open so he offered it to her. “I’ll just be your cheering section until another seat opens up.” He said as she slid into the seat.

Declan was actually pretty happy that he wasn’t able to sit. He didn’t really have a ton of cash to be burning at the blackjack table so he was perfectly content to watch.

The dealer exchanged Brenda’s cash for chips as Declan watched wish his hand resting on her back from behind.

The first hand that was dealt they watched as her first card landed as an Ace. “That’s a good start!” Declan said as he patted her back. When a King followed he wrapped and arm around her chest and gave her a hug. “Starting off looking like it’s your lucky night!” He said excitedly.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

In the game of Blackjack, Bren knew, it was about skill, instinct and a bit of Lady Luck. As Declan stood behind her, she was starting to feel pretty good about herself. Every time she made a bit of money and Declan praised her, she’d look over her shoulder at him and flash him a big grin. When he gave her a hug, she felt kind of special. Oh, some other part of her mind warned her that this man was still a stranger to her but she also reasoned that the cruise line had hired him, so maybe, he wasn’t dangerous. Still, she turned back to the table and waved her hand over her cards. She had sixteen and the dealer was showing a face card. It was always wise to assume he had a better card than she did OR hope he busted. In this case, he busted. Brenda got so excited that she jumped up and gave Declan a huge hug. Feeling emboldened by her success so far, Bren doubled down on the Ace the dealer had given her. When the next card was dealt, Brenda didn’t even peek. She simply waited until it was her turn to flip over her card. The dealer had two face cards. Using the edge of her Ace, she flipped over her other card and stared in amazement at a face card. 21! After the dealer paid her, Bren got up from her chair.

“You want to give it a go or would you mind moving on. I got this urge to play a bit of roulette.”

She was more than willing to be Declan’s cheering section if he wanted to sit down in the chair she had vacated.

 

[cnuveau]

Declan watched as Brenda quickly racked up her impressive winnings and her excitement was infectious. He'd never found himself all that good at blackjack and even though he'd win from time to time, those winnings only seemed to temporarily slow the dwindling of his stack until it was down to nothing.

"Nah, you're on a hot streak. Let's get you over to the roulette table." he said, passing on the opportunity to squander what little cash that he had on him or having to admit that he really couldn't afford to play here anyway.

They walked over to the roulette table which had a much smaller crowd around it and Declan scanned the betting surface. "Too bad 69 isn't an option to pick." he said offhandedly as he nudged Brenda playfully.

Though the single seat at the blackjack table provided him cover to sit out he had no such luxury here. Digging into his pocket he produced a $20 then laid it on the table to be exchanged for chips in between rounds. What his chips arrived he took half of the stack and then placed it on red figuring that it provided him the best odds not to lose.

"What are you going with?" he asked as he once again wrapped his arm around her waist then let his hand trail lower until it cradled her ass.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Declan was getting far too familiar with her person as they sat at the roulette table. Bren wasn’t sure how she felt about that. For the moment however, she was concentrating on gambling even as his hand slid down her back to cradle her ass.

"What are you going with?"

Bren wanted to tease him and reply, “With you,” but she didn’t have the guts.

Brenda planned on playing it safe for the moment. She wanted to see how Lady Luck was going to be. At a dollar per chip, she slid a small stack of four on the corner of 4, 5, 7 and 8. She placed another stack of four on 14, 15, 17 and 18. The payout wasn’t huge, but then she was just trying to feel out the table. That little ball had no memory and this game relied on odds and luck. As for Declan, she noticed he played it safe. The payout was 1:1. She played with her chips as the ball spun in the wheel. In the meantime a waitress came by, flashing Declan a sexy look.

“Drinks?” The waitress' sultry voice spoke asked them.

“I’ll have a bourbon and coke,” Bren spoke up while ignoring the flashy waitress. The young woman probably knew Declan. The drinks were on the house so long as you were playing so she wasn't going to cost Declan anything even if he did get his drinks free.

 

[cnuveau]

“Yeah, bourbon and coke sounds good. I’ll have one of those too.” Declan said as he removed his hand from Brenda. Though he wanted to make his interest known he didn’t want to push too hard and make her uncomfortable.

He watched nervously as the roulette wheel began to spin and the ball was placed in it. It wasn’t much money on the line but gambling always gave him a nervous excitement as he waited for the results.

As the wheel began to slow the clanking of the ball inside it slowed as well until if finally came to rest in its slot. They watched as the wheel slowed more trying to determine winning number.

“18…. Red” the table operator called out as the wheel came to a stop.

“Holy shit, you’re on fire!” Declan said, excitedly as the table operator raked up the losing stacks then started to count out stacks for them both.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“Holy shit, you’re on fire!”

Declan’s enthusiasm made her smile and laugh a little as she scooped in her winnings.

“Actually, I think you’re my good luck charm, Declan. You and Lady Luck.”

She looked down at her winnings. She made small pile of chips and set them on the table in the exact same places.

“Let’s see if I can do this again.”

Bren looked over her shoulder at Declan, smiling. She turned around and watched the ball spin around and around. Again, she hit. This time for more money. She jumped up and hugged Declan, impulsively kissing him before she turned again and started gathering her winnings.

 

[cnuveau]

When Brenda put more chips down on the board Declan was more than happy to pocket his winnings and watch her continue to play. It wasn't so much about the money for him at this point. The stakes they were playing with weren't that much of an issue. For him, it was more about just being present and looking for an opportunity to progress things with her. She was a lot of fun and the longer they hung out the more interested in her he became.

When she won the second time he couldn't believe her luck. The way she jumped up startled him a little and before he knew it, her arms were wrapped around him and she was kissing him. The sensation of her lips on him sent warm waves through his body but just as quickly as it happened, she was turned back toward the table collecting her winnings.

Leaning in close to her ear Declan took in the scent of her hair for a moment before leaning in closer "Maybe it's a good time to quit while you're ahead?" he questioned as he wrapped his arm around her and he let his broad hand come to rest flat on her stomach.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"Maybe it's a good time to quit while you're ahead?"

It wasn’t his words that made her shiver. It was his breath in her ear. It was his arms coming around her. It was his hand, that she was oh so aware of, resting against her stomach. For the briefest of moments, she felt a pang of loss and sadness. Bren couldn’t remember the last time Mike had held her like this. When was the last time she and her husband had gone out and had fun together? Perhaps what she was doing now, with Declan, was wrong, but she didn’t care. She felt pretty and someone wanted to be with her even if it was only for this night. Brenda turned her head slightly and gave him a small smile.

“Perhaps you’re right.”

When the dealer called last call for chips on the table, Bren gathered hers up and came away from the roulette table.

“Let’s go cash these in and figure out what we want to do next,” she purposed lightly.

 

[cnuveau]

"Sounds perfect to me!" Declan said brightly before leading Brenda over to the cage to cash out his meager stack and her far more substantial one.

"I think I have an idea for what's next." Declan said as he led her out of the casino. They made their way to the elevators with the rest of the casino crowd that was filtering out then took the elevator up to the main deck. When the elevator doors slid open the two of them stepped out then walked toward the side of the ship to one of the exterior doors. When Declan pushed the door open the stiff breeze pounded against them in the warm night air.

"Right this way madam." he said with a grin as he led her over to the roped off pool area. Declan unclipped one of the ropes then allowed Brenda to pass before re-securing it behind them. This late in the evening most of the passengers had already retired to their cabins so he had little concern about anyone passing but just in case he chose a lounge that was tucked away and out of sight.

"I thought maybe relaxing and looking at the stars might be nice." he said as he took a seat on the lounge then guided her down in front of him. Laying back onto the lounge Declan looked up at their perfect view of the stars. "Wow, you don't get a view this good back on land with all the pollution and city lights do you?" he said as he pulled Brenda back to lay against his chest and look at the stars with him. As he did, his arms wrapped around her letting one hand come to rest just below her waistline as the other lightly cradled the bottom of a breast.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Bren was a little nervous as Declan guided her down into a lounge chair with him sitting behind her. How had she gotten here? Declan’s presence did not make her nervous. However, she wasn’t sure where she wanted this to go. She had never cheated on Mike before and she was as sure as she could be that Mike hadn’t cheated on her either.

"I thought maybe relaxing and looking at the stars might be nice. Wow, you don't get a view this good back on land with all the pollution and city lights do you?"

She allowed him to pull back against his chest as they both gazed up at the stars above them.

“No. No, you don’t.”

Her reply was softly spoken. She was highly aware of Declan’s arms around her and where his hands rested. She wondered if she needed to speak up and let him know she wasn’t looking for a fling or even a night of sex. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, if she was honest with herself. She knew she was disappointed in her husband, in more ways than one and right now, she was not only disappointed but upset with him. Mike was avoiding her and she knew it. But why? Was she that hard to talk to? Bren softly sighed as her head nestled back against Declan’s shoulder.

“Declan? We need to talk.”

Bren’s voice remained soft and calm. She needed to set everything straight right now and if he was looking for a quick lay for the night, she was pretty sure she wasn’t it.

 

[cnuveau]

When Brenda's voice broke the quiet of the moment she didn't need to say another word for Declan to know what was coming next. Even though he'd hoped she might be someone that was willing to look past her commitments he respected the fact that it just wasn't that easy for her. "It's ok." he began softly, still gazing up at the stars. "That big rock on your finger didn't escape my attention. I'm not gonna lie, I'd love it if it wasn't there but I respect the fact that it is. If you need to go, I understand."

Even though Declan was accustomed to one night stands after his shows he'd always longed for something more meaningful. The fact that Brenda wasn't willing to throw what she had away for someone like him was completely understandable even if very disappointing at the time. "I hope you'll come by and see my show sometime though. I'll do a special song just for you." he added as he gave her one last gentle squeeze before what he assumed was going to be her exit for the evening.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"That big rock on your finger didn't escape my attention. I'm not gonna lie, I'd love it if it wasn't there but I respect the fact that it is. If you need to go, I understand."

“Oh, Declan, honey. I’m not sure what you w\are thinking but I needed us to be on the same page, okay?”

Bren twisted around until she was facing him and placed a hand on his chest.

“You have made your interest known and I am appreciative of that fact. You’re a handsome man, I’m sure you are more than aware of your appeal to us ladies, young or otherwise. I just want you to understand, I’m not ready to simply jump into bed with the first available, handsome, crew member I run into. I’m not saying I won’t end up in bed with you, but then again, I may not. This, “ she waved her hand around, “is all a fairy tale. No permanence to it at all. I just want you to understand that I understand. Right now, my husband is being an ass. We came on this cruise to see if we could save our marriage but he doesn’t seem to want to do that. He’s not telling me the truth or rather, not telling me everything,” she bit on her bottom lip, “I think it’s me or he’s having an affair or wants to. He comes home late every night. We haven’t had sex in months--- I’m sorry you probably don’t want to hear all this. I just---I feel old and undesirable.”

 

[cnuveau]

Declan listened as Brenda talked about what she was and wasn’t ready for and the situation she was facing with her husband. He could certainly understand what is was she was feeling even though he had no real practical frame of reference. He could see she was hurting and he wished he could offer her some insight beyond his understanding but he just wasn’t in a position to do so. The one thing he could help her with is the notion that she was old and unattractive.

“I completely understand and I’m not trying to pressure you into something you aren’t ready for. If you ever find you are, I’m not going anywhere. If it ends here tonight, that’s fine as well.” He said as he lifted his hand and placed it on top of hers on his chest. “I’m sorry to hear about what’s going on with your husband. I know that has to be hard but one thing you can be sure of is that you’re neither old or unattractive.”

As he fell silent his eyes drifted from hers down to her lips then back to her eyes. Even if it went no further he couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her. Lifting his hand from hers he cradled her face with it then brushed his thumb along her cheek for a moment before leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers tenderly.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“I’m sorry to hear about what’s going on with your husband. I know that has to be hard but one thing you can be sure of is that you’re neither old or unattractive.”

Declan’s words echoed around in her mind. So when his lips touched hers, she didn’t push him away or try to break the kiss. She savored it. He sounded sincere but there was a niggling little doubt in the back of her mind. Her hands pressed gently against his chest before they slid up to his shoulders and her fingers wove themselves into the hair at the back of his head as she returned his kiss. It was thrilling and exhilarating. The night cloaked them in darkness as the stars glimmered far above. A small moan of appreciation sounded deep in her throat. Bren pressed her chest against his. Her shawl fell to the deck beneath them, going unnoticed.

Bren wasn’t an idiot. Declan was young and attractive as hell. She was sure he had, had his share of women, young or otherwise. For this night, she was his choice and she would choose to spend it with him than spend the night fighting with her husband. When was the last time Mike had made her feel attractive or enjoyed her company?

 

[cnuveau]

When Brenda's hands lightly pressed into his chest Declan assumed she might be struggling with whether to push away from him or not. He certainly understood whatever reservations she might be fighting with but he also sensed that she needed this. It seemed insane that a woman like her was left feeling unwanted and he desperately wanted to leave her knowing that wasn't the case. When her hands slipped from his chest to his shoulders then to the back of his head he sensed whatever reservations she might have been feeling were subsiding.

Their kiss was tender at first but Declan could feel the heat building between them. His tongue parted his lips then traced a slow path along hers. His hand slipped from her cheek and combed through her hair as the other drifted lightly down her neck to her shoulder then down to her side, grazing lightly across the side of her breast as it passed.

When he met her in the elevator earlier in the evening he'd seen her as easy prey. Someone out looking for something quick and meaningless. At the time he was more than happy be the one to fill that need but now whatever was developing between them seemed like so much more.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Declan’s tongue parted her lips and slowly traced a path along them, leaving in their wake a fire that surprisingly stirred a fire in deep in her belly. His hand slid down the side of her neck, over her shoulder and grazed the side of her breast, making her moan softly against his mouth. This weas not something she had anticipated when she had stormed out of her stateroom. Nor was it something she foresaw when she had met Declan in the elevator. Yet, his lips made her blood sing and his touch was like electricity running not only across her skin but through her veins. She could feel the heat of his touch from her brain to between her legs.

A one-night stand? Possibly. It wasn’t something she had started out looking for, that’s for sure. However old Declan or she was, just didn’t seem to matter in the moment. They were simply man and woman, finding some sort of attraction between them. Did she want this? No. She was married. However, when was the last time Mike had made her feel like a desirable woman? When had the chemistry flared between them like it was doing now between her and Declan? Bren couldn’t count that. Mike hadn’t taken her bed with the intention of being intimate in what seemed like forever. Oh, she had tried to talk to him about it. He always put off the conversation. He was either too sleepy, had to work early the next day or some other lame excuse.

Desire flared between Declan and herself. There was a growing restlessness between her legs. The heat of desire and need, growing in her belly was rapidly spreading throughout her body. Her own hands flinted across Declan’s body until the palm of her hand came to rest lightly between his legs.

 

[cnuveau]

The sensation of Brenda's palm pressed firmly against Declan's growing hardness put to rest any thoughts he had that she was going to give in to second thoughts and push away. Pulling away from her for just a moment Declan looked into her eyes searching for an hint of reservation or doubt and when he found none, their lips crashed together with a renewed intensity.

As they continued to kiss Declan's hand drifted down her thigh until it found the bare skin beneath the hem of her dress then worked it slowly along the soft skin of her inner thigh until he could feel the heat radiating from her sex. His lips moved from hers then traced a slow path down her jawline to her neck as he worked his hand higher then traced his fingers along the damp fabric of her panties. His passions setting aside all thoughts of any other encumbrances she might have, Declan pushed her panties aside and traced his fingers though her damp folds as he slowly worked himself from beneath her and guided her to lay on the lounge where he had been.

Now positioned between her outstretched thighs Declan worked the straps of her dress off her shoulder and down her arms as his lips followed kissing her soft mounds as he gradually exposed them.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Declan’s fingers left a trail of fire in their wake as they slipped up under her dress that had ridden up her thighs. His lips left hers, leaving a small moan to slip[ from her own lips but not for long. His lips ignited a fire in Bren, everywhere they touched. She could feel the pulse in her neck jump, whether from his lips or from his hand tracing along her now damp panties. A dampness he created. As his fingers pushed the edge of her panties aside and his fingers drew through her wet folds, teasing her body, Bren’s hips arched upward. She could feel her crevice pulse with need.

Declan slipped out from under her and positioned himself between her trembling thighs. His eyes were on her body as his hands pushed the straps of her dress from her shoulders. She could feel the night air on her exposed breasts, hardening the tips to tight points. Declan’s mouth felt warm on her skin, although warmth seemed like a mediocre term. His mouth seared her skin and she found herself arching up as he kissed one then the other globe of feminine flesh.

Brenda’s hands were not idle by any means. Her fingers hastily pulled his shirt open and she slid her palms against his skin, reveling in the strength and the warmth she encountered. Her core was pulsing with need. A hungry need. It had been some time since Mike and she had screwed. Her woman’s body needed a cock and Declan seemed willing to provide it.

Her soft moans filled the air around them. They altered with soft words of encouragement. She had gone from hesitant to wanton in such a short time.

 

[cnuveau]

“So incredible.” Declan whispered against the skin of her breasts as he felt her hands against his own chest. He could feel the desire in her building to match his own and the world around them seemed to disappear.

Reaching down, Declan popped the button of his jeans then tugged them, along with his boxers, past his hips. Returning his lips to hers, Declan kissed her deeply as he teased the head of his cock along her damp folds then pressed into her.

Declan let out a quiet moan as he entered Brenda then slowly worked himself deeper until she’d taken his full length. “So good.” He whispered as he ground against her then slowly withdrew and pressed into her again.