Follow a Star by Christine Stovell

of the
Enterprise
.’
    May had a look to see if he was boasting. He wasn’t.
    ‘Anyway, when I finally stopped punishing totally innocent people I realised that it wasn’t entirely my ex-wife’s fault either. The fact was that I’d put the business first because it
was
more important to me than being with her. Somewhere along the way I just assumed that her priorities were the same as mine. Looking back, I never even stopped to ask her what she wanted and she didn’t tell me until it was too late.’
    Too late! The lovers’ death knell. It brought a terrible lump to her throat just to think about it. ‘Oh God, Bill,’ she croaked. ‘That’s so sad. You must miss her so much.’
    Bill looked staggered. ‘My marriage broke up because neither of us cared two hoots about the other. We could have spent the rest of our lives being totally indifferent to each other if Suze hadn’t found the guts to walk out the door and give us both the chance of a fresh start.’
    Now
she
felt used. ‘So if everything’s so wonderful why the hell are you dumping all this on me?’
    ‘May! What do you think I’m trying to tell you?’ He dragged a hand through his ruffled hair. ‘Look May, it’s not difficult to guess that you’re running away from something; you wouldn’t have signed up for this trip if you hadn’t been in a hurry to get away from something or someone. But whatever it is that’s troubling you you’ll probably find it’ll work out for the best anyway.’
    Fighting to control her trembling voice, May turned to him. ‘Bill,’ she mumbled.
    He looked up at her, the harsh lines of his face softened with compassion, watching her with eyes that inkily reflected an ominous sky.
    ‘Yes, May?’
    Suddenly all the blood seemed to rush back to her head at once. ‘What the FUCK has it got to do with you?’
    Giving way to a lava flow of hot angry tears May was forced to abandon the helm whilst Bill quickly hove to. Apart from the occasional tear which had, very rarely, trickled through her guard, she hadn’t really cried for months and now that the floodgates were open she couldn’t stop. Lost in her own misery May hardly noticed what was going on around her, but gradually became aware of the solid, safe, comforting warmth of another body against hers and strong arms holding her tight.
    Squinting up, May had a watery vision of a broad chest and a firm, masculine chin. Bill! Bill’s arms were holding her close to him. Bill was pulling off her ridiculous hat and sliding his hands through her hair. Bill’s lips were bent to her ear, telling her softly that everything was all right. Bill’s voice which seemed to have developed a throaty break and, like the tender caress of his fingers on her cheek, was making her forget all kinds of essentials, like how to breathe.
    If she held herself very still maybe he would forget she was there and she could remain pressed against him, suffused in the scent of warm
male body, feeling the rise and fall of the wall of his chest beneath her fingers. Certainly Bill seemed in no hurry to let her go. In fact one hand was clasping her closely to him whilst the other moved over her back in a slow, sensual caress that stopped her tears and sent shivers down her body. Any more of this and she would start to think he was quite enjoying holding her.
    ‘May?’
    Lifting her head warily, in case she woke up, her heart skipped madly as she met his gaze. Hardly daring to move, she told herself that any minute now he would release her, but hoped against hope that he wouldn’t. Her hand shot up before she could stop it and the next thing she knew she was trailing her fingertips over his face, the harsh lines of his cheekbones, his warm mouth.
    ‘Oh, May!’
    Wow! She didn’t know she had a pulse
there
,
but now all kinds of strange places seemed to be throbbing. His fingers pushed her hair back from her face and she couldn’t believe that his touch, as he stroked the soft skin behind her