The Lighthouse

[This is a story from the Pathways to Pleasure podcast. Here is the audio version.]

It hit at midnight, just as the calendar switched from 1899 to 1900. Waves hitting the rocks sent sea spray twenty feet into the air. The winds raced at near hurricane speeds in what people would later call the New Year’s Day Storm.

Kate stayed up through the night keeping the kerosene lamp burning. It’s huge, rotating fresnel lens cast a pulsing light over the sea. Her lighthouse was the only hope passing ships had to make it home safe.

From the moment she’d buried her father two years ago, Kate took over duties full-time at the Deception Island lighthouse. As a young girl she’d help him. Now she did the work alone carrying heavy equipment up and down the hundred-foot tower’s winding stairway, feeding the livestock, hauling logs from the beach, chopping firewood, and all the other tasks that living on an island required.

Lean muscle, earned from hard work, skin tanned by the sun, black shoulder-length hair inherited from her mother, and dark sea-green eyes from her father, Kate would have stopped any man, and possibly some women, in their tracks. She would have, that is, if anyone else lived on the island. She was alone and liked it that way.

By sunrise, the storm blew itself out. Waves that only hours ago threatened seaman’s lives, now looked only two feet high, rolling gently to the shoreline.

Finally, Kate could climb down the stairs and make her way up the hill to her house. But first, she took one last look from the top, scanning the horizon, then turned and looked down the beach. Something had washed ashore. She grabbed the binoculars. It was a body still halfway in the water.

“Oh, my god”

Her flight down the stairs seemed to take forever, as if the 100-foot tower had suddenly become a mile high. She ran along the beach, heart pounding, muscular legs pushing against wet sand.

It was a man lying on his back, face pale, lips blue. She kneeled, putting her ear close to his mouth. He was still breathing but in short shallow breaths. Kate knew she had to act fast or he’d be dead in minutes. Running to the barn she hitched up the horse to the wooden sled.

The sled was meant for hauling logs, but that day it would carry a more precious cargo.

He was heavy, but Kate’s strong arms managed to pull him onto the sled. She urged the horse onto the house. Then dragged the man inside and laid him on the floor in front of the fireplace. She quickly built a fire, ran to the kitchen, fired up the stove, and tossed a blanket into the oven.

As the fireplace warmed the room she started to put another blanket over him but realized his wet clothes would keep him cold. She had to take them off.

Not wanting to waste time unbuttoning it, she tore open his shirt, lifted his back, and pulled the sleeves off his arms. Laying him back down, she rubbed his chest in an attempt to warm him. Then pulled off his boots and socks. She stopped and stood up. She’d been so focused on saving his life that she hadn’t thought about what she was doing. Still, it had to be done. Those cold, wet pants had to come off.

Untying a rope belt, then unbuttoning his pants, she tugged at them. The wet cotton pants were heavy making it difficult to remove. She finally got them down to his ankles and pulled them over his feet.

Only his underpants remained. Soaked through, the cotton cloth clung to him perfectly revealing the shape of his manhood.

Kate decided to leave the underwear on. Somehow it seemed too invasive to strip this unconscientious man completely.

Running to the kitchen, she grabbed the heated blanket from the oven and laid it over him. Then put another one on top of that. His lips were getting some color back, but his breathing was still coming in shallow, shaking breaths.

Kate reached under the blankets, rubbing his chest hard, but he was still dangerously cold. She knew she had to warm him fast or she would lose her battle, and the sea would lay claim to his life.

Desperate, she looked around the room. She’d done all she could, there was nothing else to warm him. There wasn’t any time left, she had to do something. Only one way remained. Kate stripped off her clothes, then crawled under the blankets, wrapping herself around him, hoping to warm his body with hers.

With one leg crossed over him and an arm on his chest, she closed her eyes and gave in to her exhaustion.

Sunlight fell through the West window. It was late afternoon. She’d slept on him for nearly five hours. But it wasn’t just the sunlight that awakened her.

He was stirring.

Suddenly realizing her nakedness, Kate leapt off, covered him back up, and quickly dressed. His eyes opened just as she closed the last button on her pants.

Moaning, the man tried to sit up.

“No, no,” said Kate. “You’re too weak.”

He tried to speak.

“Shhh, quiet now. I’ll get you some hot tea.”

Kate checked the stove’s fire and then put a kettle on the iron plate above the firebox.

“Where, where am I?” the man stuttered weakly.

“It’s okay. You washed up on the beach. You’re at the lighthouse. God, you were almost dead when I found you.”

He lifted his blankets, looking under them. “Where are my clothes?” he asked. “And who undressed me?”

Kate came over, ignoring his question. “Ah, the tea’s almost ready” Seeing he was regaining his strength, she brought more pillows propping him up to a sitting position. The teapot whistled. “Oh, I’ll get that.” She blushed at her stupid comment. Of course, she’d get it. She was the only person in the room that could get it.

Kate handed him a cup. “Here, drink this. It’ll warm you up.”

Now fully awake, he looked at her. “It was you wasn’t it?”

“Well, yes I pulled you up from the beach on my sled and dragged you in here.

“No, I mean the clothes. You took them off me.”

Kate could feel the heat of another blush coming. She spoke sternly hoping to hide her embarrassment. “As I said, you were dying. I had to get you warm as quickly as possible and those clothes were, well still are, soaking wet. After I got them off I rubbed you down trying to warm…” Oh, shit, she taught. Too much information. “Well, I had to do what I could. You were pale and barely breathing.”

He smiled. “I’m not complaining. I hope you enjoyed it.”

“Stop it!” she snapped. “Stop trying to embarrass me. Maybe I should have left you on the beach.”

“No, sorry,” he laughed. He put his arms under the blankets and, wrestled his underpants off, handed them to her. “Ah, you forgot these.”

Damn, Katie, she thought. Stop blushing. “I’ll put them by the fire to dry with the rest of your clothes.”

She sat on the floor beside him as they both drank tea. “So, what happened to you?” she asked.

“A wave hit, knocking me overboard, and swept me quick away. I’m guessing the captain decided to sail on. I don’t blame him though. I would have done the same thing. They couldn’t have pulled me out of those heavy seas anyway, and he had the safety of his crew to think about.”

She watched him move, adjusting himself to sit up straighter. Kate quickly scanned his body –– broad shoulders and muscular chest, arms made powerful by hard work, God he looked good.

Her body tensed as she remembered lying naked on him. A warm feeling moved between her legs.

He finished his tea. “Thanks, that was good. I think I’ll get up now. I’d like to get clean. You have a bathtub here?”

“Ah, yeah, it’s just over there.” She pointed to a small room in the back.

Suddenly he stood.

Kate quickly turned away. “Oh, wait, ah… I’ll ah, get some of my father’s clothes. There’s a towel in the bathroom.”

She quickly walked to her father’s bedroom, still untouched even after two years. As she pulled a shirt from the closet, she leaned back looking through the doorway, watching him walk away. Kate felt herself moisten. Trying to ignore it, she grabbed the rest of the clothes.

Passing them into the bathroom and trying her best not to look, she said, “Here you can wear these… and, ah, there should be a towel hanging on the wall.”

“I see it,” he said. “Thanks.”

Kate sat by the fire and listened, she could hear the sound of water filling the tub.

Surprised, she found herself rubbing between her legs, then quickly pulled back. What the hell are you doing Katie girl, she scolded herself, get it together.

Kate decided to get up and fixed some food… hoping that would distract her.

It had been years since she’d been with a man. The old guy running the supply boat and that inspector who came by every other month were the only men she felt with.

But this man, this man was different.

After dinner, they sat on the couch by the fire. He talked of his work, the ships he’d sailed on. She talked about the lighthouse and her father.

“It seems my life is boring compared to yours,” Kate said.

“No, not at all. I’ve been at sea way too long, beating myself up on tossing decks, never settling at any port. But living on an island? Working a lighthouse? That sounds pretty good to me right now.”

That night he slept on the couch. Kate tossed and turned on her bed until finally giving in to her desires. She pictured herself draped across his naked body, and finally released in orgasm, she fell asleep.

Kate awoke the next morning to the smell, and sound, of bacon sizzling. “Hey, you,” a voice came from the kitchen. “Get up. Chow’s on.”

She dressed, brushed her hair, then looking in the mirror, put on a shirt, leaving the top few buttons undone.

“Where’d you learn to cook like this? It looks good.”

“I was ship’s cook awhile back. You learn quickly with a hungry crew aboard.”

“Well,” Kate said. “The supply ship gets here tomorrow, but if you’re going to cook like this, I may have to keep you here.”

He turned from the stove looking at her with wonderfully dark brown eyes. “Hmmm,” he said, smiling.

After breakfast, she took him to the top of the lighthouse. They looked over the sea. A pod of orca swam by below.

“That’s quite a life you made for yourself out there,” Kate said.

He stepped behind her, folding her into his powerful yet gentle arms. “I thought so too until you found me on the beach. There’s something special about this island.”

Almost casually he kissed her neck, gave her a hug then let her go. “Come,” he laughed. “I’ll race you down the stairs.”

“No fair, Kate laughed. You’re ahead of me and the stairway’s too narrow. I couldn’t beat you if I tried.”

“You couldn’t beat me anyway.”

They walked along the beach, then hiked up a hill and followed a long-worn path around the island.

At sunset, he built a bonfire on the beach below the towering lighthouse. “I haven’t had a fire on the beach since Dad died.”

“Well, then, it’s time you did.”

They sat on the sand, leaning against a log –– his arm around Kate’s shoulders. The sun sank below the horizon as the sky blazed red.

Neither wanted to leave the beach, so they picked up driftwood and tossed it on the fire as night gave way to a canopy of stars. The lighthouse was throwing its beam far out to sea. “I love it here,” Kate said.

He embraced her from behind, reaching around to cup her breast in one hand, gently pushing her long hair aside with the other to kiss the back of her neck.

Kate’s small, firm breasts had never required a bra so she seldom wore one. She arched her back as he continued to savor her neck. She knew he could feel her nipple hardening and smiled at the pleasure his touch brought her.

She reached back with both hands and touched his hardening bulge. He unbuttoned her shirt and, opening it, caressed her breasts, pulled it off then turned her around. “The nice thing I like about this island,” he grinned, “is we’re the only ones on it.”

He stood back and quickly undressed. Kate did the same. The moonlight painted their naked bodies in silver light. The hungry look in his eyes brought an urging between his legs she’d never felt before.

He stepped towards her. She was so ready for him. Ready for him to take her. But instead, he picked her up, waded into the water, and threw her in.

“Oh, my god!” Kate shouted. “It’s cold!”

He dove in beside her. She splashed his face as he came up. Laughing, Kate stepped behind him toppling him backward over her leg. He came up sputtering. “You’re a strong gal,” he said, then pushed her under. Phosphorescent sparks flashed in the water around them as they wrestled.

They kissed standing shoulder deep in the cool water. He dove down and, pressing on her ankles, move her legs apart. She couldn’t see him in the dark, but his caressing tongue left no doubt as to where he was.

Then they swam back to shore and stood warming themselves by the fire. “Wait here,” he said, and he ran to the house coming back with a towel and blanket.

He dried her off, moving the soft towel over her naked flesh. First her face, then her neck, her back, her breasts. Kneeling down he dried each leg, then gently pressed the towel against her pussy. She turned and he dried her bottom.

Then he stood and handed her the towel. Kate rubbed it over his chest, then pressed herself against him as she reach around and dried his back. She smiled, kneeled in front of him, and dried his legs. She gently passed the towel over his balls, then rubbed it on his cock. The sensation of terry cloth sliding over him brought on a full erection.

Kate laid down on the blanket, smiled teasingly, crossed her legs, and then hid her breasts behind folded arms.

He grinned. “Oh no you don’t. You’re not going to hide from me.” Kneeling beside her, he bent over, pressing his lips against hers.

She reached down and slowly stroked him. Chest-deep moans rumbled from him as their tongues played.

He moved down, kissed and sucked at her breasts, her nipples already hard from the night air, stiffened even more at his touch. Kate looked up, overwhelmed by the beauty of the stars above, and the sensations flowing through her.

He grabbed her ankles and uncrosses her legs. Kate bent her knees as he pushes them up towards her chest fully revealing the pussy she had tried to hide. His tongue rode up and down her wet slot, exploring every fold. Then, he put both hands to work, one pressing two fingers inside her, the other gently, oh so gently, tickling her anus.

New pleasures swept through her. No other man had ever touched her like that.

He listened to her breathing and felt her stomach rise and fall on his forehead. He continued the licking, fingering, tickling until her moans turned into screams of pleasure.

Kate took a deep breath and held it, feeling the wonderful tension, every muscle tightening waiting for release. Then she let it go, her body trembling, humping, exploding into a powerful orgasm.

He crawled up between her legs as she wrapped them around him. Taking hold of his shaft, she rubbed its head over her sensitive lips, then guided it to her opening.

“Look at me,” he said. “I want you to see who it is mounting you.”

She felt herself widen to accept his thick cock as he pressed in. He stayed shallow, only part way in, moving back and forth, watching her, waiting for her.

Kate’s desire grew until she couldn’t wait any longer. “Take me,” she breathed. “Please, I need more of you. I need it all.”

Digging his toes into the sand he plunged into her, pushing himself deeper until his full length filled her.

Kate felt his shaft gliding along her wet walls. Moving her hips in time with his powerful thrusts, she felt once again the tension building. That excruciatingly wonderful feeling of giving herself over completely. Letting a storm of pleasure consume her.

He felt her explode under him. He could wait no longer. Ramming harder, faster into her, his body quaked, muscles tightened. Then he held himself deep within her, no longer thrusting, but pressing against her, feeling the mad pleasure building and finally letting it release in massive spasms.

They slept there on the beach until the night got too cold, then walked to the house and bed.

The next morning, just as they finished breakfast, a horn blast announced the supply boat’s arrival. “Well, considering how I arrived on this island, I won’t have to pack much.”

His attempt at humor did nothing to hide the sadness in his eyes.

They walked slowly to the dock, then he helped unload the boat.

“Well, that’s it,” said the captain. “We’d better get going. I’ve got over deliveries to make.”

Kate hugged her man for the last time. Her eyes were moist, but she’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry.

He stepped into the boat then it backed off the dock, turned, and headed out. She watched only briefly, then decided it was too much, turned, and walked towards the lighthouse.

The boat was nearly a half-mile from shore when Kate heard a splash. He was swimming back to her. She waded out waist-deep. “You idiot,” she yelled, “you’re too far out. You’ll never make it!”

But he kept coming. His strokes slowing down but not stopping. Finally, reaching shore, he collapsed on the sand.

Kate stood over him, crying and laughing all at the same time.

He looked up. “So,” he said panting. “Didn’t we meet like this once before?”