Burning For You

The Softness and Sun-Deck

"We're going today?"

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. Mum said to pack what you think you'll need, and we can buy whatever else on the ship."

"Can you help me pack some of this stuff?" Lari opened a bag and pulled out a dress.

Ezra unzipped the bag closest to him. He held up the small scraps of fabric, then realized what they were.

"Oh my God!" Lari snatched the lacy two-piece from his hands. "Your mum is a bad influence with too much money." She let out a breathy giggle and kept packing.

"So… you been to the Great Barrier Reef before?" Ezra asked, trying to change the subject.

"No. Have you?"

"Yeah. We went when I was about eight, I think."

Maria’s voice sang from the hallway. "Chop chop, darlings!"

Six hours later, Lari stood in front of the biggest ship she’d ever seen.

Once on board, they found their rooms.

"You two are sharing the suite beside us." Maria handed Lari and Ezra their key cards.

Their suitcases were already inside.

"So, what do you want to do first?"

Lari threw herself onto the bed and sighed. "I wanna have a bit of a lie-down."

Ezra sat on the lounge and looked out at the bright blue ocean sparkling beyond the balcony. "Do you like swimming?" He realized he hadn’t even asked her.

"Yeah, of course." Lari rolled across the bed to look at him. Her dark auburn hair spread across the stark white sheets.

"Well, after your little cat nap we should go to the pool deck," he suggested.

"You’ve got me curious now. Let’s go then." She stood and dug in her suitcase for the bikini. Luckily, she could just wear a wrap or a T-shirt over it. She wasn’t exactly comfortable with people being able to see so much of her body. "I’ll change in the bathroom."

When she came out, she wore a long, oversized linen shirt and white sandals, her hair messily twisted into a low bun.

"You're meant to wear a bathing suit," Ezra teased. He stood in front of her in board shorts, muscles on full display.

"I'm wearing it underneath." She shrugged and walked to the door.

As she moved, the back of her shirt rode up, revealing the curve and crease of her butt.

Ezra opened the door with a silent smirk. He led her to the pool and set their things on a lounge.

"I think I'll just sit in the sun for a bit." Lari bit her lip, sitting down and folding her arms across herself.

"C’mon, get that shirt off and we’ll hop in the hot tub where the kids won’t be."

Lari cringed. "I'd rather not."

"No one's looking except me," he whispered against her ear.

"I don’t care." She stood and stormed away.

Ezra tried to follow, but lost her in a crowd heading for the elevator. He went back for their things and returned to the cabin.

A few hours later, she finally came back. "Hey."

"Hey." She wouldn’t look at him. She slipped past and into the bathroom to change into her pyjamas.

"I was worried about you," he said as she got into bed and turned on the TV.

"I just needed some space. I’m not used to so much closeness—or care." She sighed.

"Well, I was thinking… we could go out on the deck tonight and lie in our bathing suits where no one can see us. And it'll be dark, so I won't see much either."

"I don't know. I'm kinda tired."

"You can have a nap in the fresh air."

Lari stood there thinking. It would be nice to feel the breeze on her skin. Maybe she could let herself loosen up. Maybe she could open up to Ezra.

"Fine," she said.

A wicked grin spread across his face. "You could always just wear your underwear instead of the bikini."

Somehow, a bathing suit felt less vulnerable than underwear. "No. I'll put it back on." This time she chose a loose white shift dress that fell to her knees.

They moved almost silently through the ship, passing drunk strangers and parents lugging sleeping children back to their cabins.

When they reached the sun deck, Lari’s bare feet padded across the smooth, polished wood to the railing. The moon hung over the horizon, reflected across the midnight water. Smooth rippling waves pushed toward some eternally evaded destination.

Ezra came up behind her and slowly wrapped an arm around her waist. She startled but didn’t stop him.

"It’s beautiful. Like you," he whispered teasingly in her ear.

"Whatever." She headed to a sun-lounger pod—round with a pull-over hood like a baby’s pram, big enough for two and completely enclosing them like a snow globe.

"Wait for me." Ezra slid in beside her and pulled the cover down. A hush fell over them.

Soft fabric rustled as Lari took off her dress.

"How long are we meant to do this for?" she asked.

"Dunno. Didn’t think that far ahead." His voice came out breathy and unsteady.

Lari shifted, curling up against him. She rested her head at his side.

"You're so… soft," Ezra murmured. He could feel her silky hair, smell her sweet scent right at his skin.

Feeling bold, she rolled over and hooked one of her legs over his, her head now on his chest. She tilted her face up to whisper something to him.