Ketchikan or Bust (Tom's Adventures in Alaska) Read online

  A deep voice breaks the silence. “I hope you’re not planning on living on this boat.”

  Tom turns around and finds the Harbor Master standing beside the rail.

  “No, I just came down here to read. I’d like some peace and quiet and I can’t seem to find any at Captain Vic’s house,” Tom says.

  The man laughs. “I can see that. Vic’s quite a character. You enjoy the quiet of the night. If you fall asleep here tonight, no big deal but I don’t want you moving on here permanently.”

  He watches the man head down the dock before turning to go into the house. Tom flips the light switch and heads out to plug in the shore power cord when the light doesn’t come on. He fumbles with the cord for a few minutes and the light comes on. It shines through the house windows. Tom looks at the glow and realizes how exposed he is through the glass. There’s no privacy in the harbor like there is out in the bays where they fished for salmon. He walks into the house and puts a pot on for tea. He sits at the table in the galley and lets the memories flood back for a few minutes while he waits for the water to boil. He decides that he’s been pretty lucky since he landed in Kodiak. He’s had some great adventures and things have turned out pretty well. He gets up when the water boils and brews a pot of tea. It steeps for a few minutes while he digs around looking for some honey. He looks around and finds his favorite cup, and he pours a cup of tea and retires to the galley to read.

  Tom sips at his tea as he reads the first volume of Pogo, noting the people, events and dates the book contains. At the end of each story line he quizzes himself on the history it covered. He memorizes the dates and relates the characters in the story to each. He sits reading the books through several cups of tea and several hours. The tea in the pot is cold when Tom ladles a bit of honey in the last cup for sweetness. He stirs the honey lazily for several minutes while reading the last pages of the current book. He’s getting tired and feels his eyes getting heavy. He sips at the tea and licks at the honey on the spoon. After finishing the book he slides the pile of books to the edge of the table. He sits for a few minutes and lets the knowledge sink in.

  Tom decides that he needs some sleep so he goes out and pulls the plug on the shore power. He hops onto the rail and sits for a few minutes to enjoy the last of the evening before he ventures below. The breeze has subsided and the harbor smells are no longer masked. He breathes deep and relaxes. Tom has become accustomed to them and he’s no longer offended by the strong odor. He stands, walks into the house and heads to the wheelhouse to find a flashlight. Tom finds a flashlight hanging from a knob on the radio and checks to see if it works. He shakes it a couple of times before the bulb shines bright. He opens the hatch and leaves it open as he ventures into the darkness below. He heads toward the crew bunks, slips into his bunk, pulls the wool blanket around his ears and quickly nods off.

  Tom feels a hand grasp his shoulder and begin to shake him. He ignores it for a few seconds and rolls over. Vic must be trying to wake him but he feels too groggy to wake up. He’s shaken again. Tom groans.

  “Wake up.”

  Tom rolls over and looks into the blackness of the small cabin.

  “Wake up, I brought you something to eat.”

  Tom smiles. “Hey lover, I wasn’t expecting you. It seemed like it was pretty late when I crawled into the bunk.”

  “I fell asleep watching TV. When I woke up I couldn’t believe how late it was. I felt so bad about not bringing you something to eat that I made you a quick basket. I came down as quick as I could. I’m sorry I fell asleep,” Swan says as she crawls into the bunk beside Tom. “I was also feeling lonely and missed you.”

  Tom scoots over next to the wall as Swan pulls the covers back to crawl in. She presses against him in the narrow bunk and runs her hands over him.

  “You sleep in your clothes? I was hoping you’d be naked!” Swan says softly as she kisses Toms neck.

  Tom runs his hand up her thigh to the small of her back. “If you’re offended by my clothes, why are you still fully clothed?”

  “It’s ok for me to crawl in with clothes, it’s more fun for you, but if you wouldn’t have had clothes on I could have woke you in a way that would have made you smile,” Swan says playfully.

  Tom slips his hand inside her shirt and caresses her back as she nudges his neck. She rolls away from him slightly inviting his hand to caress her chest. He slowly runs just the tips of his fingers across her stomach and sneaks them up to her chest. He gently circles her breasts before cupping each. Her nipples go hard under his touch and she squirms with excitement. Tom kisses her passionately and she responds to every kiss and touch. They play around in the bunk for several minutes and their passion heats up. Swan suddenly rolls away from Tom.

  “This can wait for a few minutes!” Swan says in between breaths. “Let’s go get you fed. You’re going to need all of the energy you can get later!”

  Tom lifts up her shirt and kisses her stomach. He playfully sticks his tongue in her navel. She flips over onto her stomach, away from the reach of his tongue.

  “That’s enough! My nipples are hard enough to cut glass!” Swan says with a laugh. “I want to continue but I’m going to drag it out. I want to tease you until you can’t take it anymore and then I’m going to rock your world the way you’ve done it to me.”

  Swan slips from the bunk and walks toward the ladder.

  “Come on boy, if you want some of this you better get out of that bunk and eat the food I brought you!”

  Tom throws off the covers and chases her to the ladder. He pins her against it and slips one hand under her shirt. She struggles to push him back and then turns to face him. She reaches up and pulls his mouth to hers. Her tongue darts into his mouth and she goes limp in his arms. He holds her against him as she melts with their passion. She breaks the kiss and bites his lip.

  Through clenched teeth, still biting his lip, Swan says, “I said that’s enough for now! Get up there and eat!”

  Swan turns back to the ladder and struggles away from Tom to climb up through the hatch. Tom climbs the ladder quickly and jumps through the hatch to stand beside her.

  “You can’t wake me up like that and then slither away leaving me this excited,” Tom says.

  “Don’t worry boy, your excitement isn’t going away! You go sit at the table and I’ll bring you something to eat!” Swan says as she exits the house onto the deck.

  Tom heads forward and sits at the table as instructed. In a few seconds he hears the door open as Swan comes back in. He hears the click of heels as she walks across the wood floor. She swings around the corner to the table carrying a picnic basket that she sets in front of Tom. Tom looks at her, she’s wearing high heels, jeans and her shirt is only buttoned at the bottom. Swan leans over the table and opens the basket, her shirt billows open. Tom reaches to touch her.

  “No touching the waitress! You can look but don’t you dare touch!” Swan scolds. “You sit there and enjoy the dinner and the show.”

  Swan pulls out a plate and fills it with the contents of the basket. She finishes the plate and slides it before Tom. He picks at the food while staring at her.

  “Eat up; you can’t have any dessert until you finish everything on your plate!” Swan commands.

  Tom looks at the plate, unsure if he’ll be able to wait that long.

  “Look over here! I’m going to give you a show,” Swan says. She licks her upper lip seductively.

  Swan struts into the wheel house and leans over the shelf to look out the window. Tom likes the way she looks in heels, he stares at her ass. She turns, walks back to the table and stands just out of his reach. Tom looks deep into her eyes, they glisten like morning dew. He watches her unbutton the last button and open her shirt. She tugs it onto her shoulders and then runs her hands down her bare chest. Her nipples flick back as each finger tip glides over them. Tom stops chewing and stares.

  “I’ve been playing with this body for a long time. I’ve been practicing for this mome
nt. I want you to watch carefully because seeing your excitement is really turning me on!” Swan says in a sultry voice.

  She sits down across from Tom. He hears her kick off the heels beneath the table as she runs her hands over her breasts again. She slips one foot between his legs and thrusts it into his crotch.

  “Oh, I can tell that you’re as excited as I am! I can feel it between my toes,” Swan says. “You want me as bad as I want you, don’t you?”

  She squeezes her left nipple and rocks on the seat. Tom tries to get up but she forces him into his seat with her foot. She wiggles her toes around his hardness as her hand darts to the other nipple. He watches her thrust her hips as she plays. She stares into his eyes and runs her tongue across her lips. Her body rocks and heaves against her touch and her foot digs at his crotch. Her moans get louder. She continues to touch herself and her body writhes on the bench opposite Tom. He struggles to get up.

  “No you don’t Tom! I told you that you can’t have any of this until you finish eating!” Swan says, “You just take your time, I can keep this up all night.”

  Swan flips her hair back and continues to caress herself while Tom watches. “You sit there and eat and I’ll continue the show.”

  He struggles against the urge to ravage her and continues eating. She teases him until he takes his last bite trying to drive him wild. She stands up, pulls the blankets from Vic’s bunk and wraps them around her shoulders.

  “Follow me boy, come get your dessert!” Swan says seductively, while walking away.

  Tom struggles against his hard on to get up from the table and follows Swan out to the deck of the boat. She spreads out the blanket on the cutting table and stands before him. Tom takes her in his arms and nibbles on her earlobe. She collapses in his arms.

  “Oh, Tom, you took so long to eat, it was all I could do not to jump you in there,” Swan coos into his ear.

  Tom gently bites her neck as he lifts her onto the blanket. She reaches down and unbuttons his jeans and tugs them off. They fall to the deck and Tom steps out of them. Swan pulls his shirt up over his shoulders and tosses it aside.

  “I want you to make love to me under the stars Tom. I want you to make me remember this night for the rest of my life. I’ve teased you enough, now you can have your release.”

  Chapter Eight

  Tom wakes up early and looks up into the inky predawn sky. The stars twinkle through the light cloud cover making the sky look like a paint splattered canvas. A refreshing breeze has kicked up overnight bringing in the freshness of the ocean. He likes the way it feels to have the dew fall from the air onto his skin. Tom looks around as the dawn begins to break and feels renewed. Swan snuggles in close and her warmth reminds him of her presence. He gently squeezes her and holds her close to enjoy the feel of her next to him. He caresses the small of her back and gives her small kisses hoping to wake her. She stirs for a few seconds before looking at him.

  “Morning, Love,” Swan says softly. “I hope you slept as well as I did. Waking up in your arms is the best way to start the day that I can think of.”

  Tom caresses her shoulder and looks into her eyes. He loves the way they sparkle in the dim morning light of the harbor. She flashes her eyelashes at him, smiles warmly and then leans in and gently kisses him.

  “I think we should get up before crowds start to form.” Swan says with a short chuckle. “If we get caught out here, I’ll be the talk of the town. Not that I’d mind but dad might be a little pissed. Grandpa would probably laugh and say, ‘Good for them’.”

  Swan leans over the edge of the cutting table and looks around for her shirt. She hops off and takes the top blanket with her, leaving Tom exposed. She drapes the blanket around her shoulders, snatches her shirt off the deck and quickly heads into the house of the boat dragging the blanket behind her. Tom sits up and looks around the harbor for a few minutes. Other than the boats bumping against the docks there’s nothing stirring. Except for the occasional vehicle in the distance, the town is quiet. Tom wraps a blanket around his waist and follows Swan in. She drops her blanket to the floor and tugs Tom to her. She presses her into him they stand for a few moments rocking in a lovers dance.

  “We should get that motorcycle fixed; the ferry’s here in two days. The snow is going to start flying in a few weeks, so let’s get ready and go out on this ferry if we can.” Swan says as she breaks away, “That is, if I’m invited!”

  Swan slips her panties on and tugs her jeans up. She buttons her shirt, tucks it in and stands before Tom, looking him up and down before opening the door.

  “I’ll get your clothes for you. Why didn’t you bring them in? Were you hoping to get a little more action before breakfast?” Swan says coyly as she walks through the door.

  She comes back and stands just out of his reach. He tries to grab his clothes and she runs out the door, teasing him. He chases her around the deck and catches her as she rounds the end of the cutting table. Tom takes his clothes, sets them on the table and gets dressed slowly- definitely not as gracefully as Swan. She watches and licks her lips seductively.

  “Boy, you made me see stars and fireworks last night. I’ve never been so turned on in all of my life! You keep that up and I’ll be your love slave. But only on my terms!” Swan says as she brushes against Tom and walks into the house.

  “You just keep up the teasing and I’ll let you be my slave!” Tom says with a smirk.

  “Let’s go up to the café and get some breakfast. I’m starved!” Swan says as she dumps the plate from the night before into the basket and heads back out the door.

  Tom follows her lead as she hops the rail and jogs up the dock. She slows at the ramp and walks up slowly to give Tom time to catch up. She sets the basket on the seat of her pickup and takes Tom’s arm. They walk across the street and up the sidewalk to the strip mall. Tom opens the door of the diner and Swan brushes past him. She confidently walks to a booth close to the kitchen and slides onto one bench as Tom slips in the other side.

  “You wait here! I’ll go get some coffee,” Swan says. She gets up, slips behind the counter and pours two cups of coffee. “Morning, Jen.”

  “Morning Swan, do you want your usual? Is that the new boyfriend you were telling me about? He looks like a pretty good package, enough to keep a girl really happy!” Jen says with a laugh. “Do you know what he wants for breakfast or do you think I should just make him a Big Plate? From the looks of your hair, you look like you had an energetic night. Are more hungry than usual? You know, nothing finishes off a good romp in the hay like a hearty breakfast!”

  Swan tugs her fingers through her hair. “Yeah, you better make me a Big Plate too!” Swan retorts at her friend, “I think we burned a few thousand calories last night.”

  Swan carries the coffee back to the table and sits opposite Tom. She smiles at him and rubs his leg with her foot. Tom sips at the black coffee and watches Jen plate up their breakfast. She heads around the counter walks over to stand beside the table. She slides a plate heaped with eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast before each of them.

  “Breakfast’s on the house,” Jen says as she looks at Tom, “If you ever want to mess my hair up like that, son, you come on by and I’ll close the place up just to accommodate you. I ain’t had my hair look like that for way too long. Just seeing how happy you’re making Swan makes me smile inside. I think of her like she’s one of my own. Keep it up and treat her right.”

  Swan blushes. “Thanks Jen, but you keep your hands off him. I’m going to make sure that his eyes never stray! Maybe you should hook up with Vic; he’s always looking for a little action.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever make that mistake again Swan. I’ve got a little more class than that now,” Jen says with a disgusted look on her face. “Besides, I heard that he’s hooked up with that tramp from the DQ! He was out in the bar last night bragging about his latest conquest. I heard he was even doing it while she was hanging on his arm! Pig!”

  Swan’s eyes
get big at that last part. Tom looks at the plate and starts eating. He didn’t feel that hungry but after a few bites he begins taking large bites. He tries to avoid eye contact with the two women as they discuss the local gossip that he’d help create.

  “Did you know about this?” Swan asks Tom.

  Tom nods and keeps eating so that he’s not able to join the conversation. He smiles at Jen and gives her a thumbs up for the meal.

  “Maybe that’ll take some of the edge off of that grumpy old bastard!” Swan laughs. “Poor girl must not have very high standards!”

  “Nah, he’ll use her up and toss her aside just like all the rest. I made the mistake of slipping between the sheets with him when I was a lot younger. Never again!” Jen says curtly as she turns to attend to new customers.

  “So what’s it going to take to get that bike ready to go?” Swan asks.