behind the wheel.
She made her way towards the back of the boat and took her seat. The seats were warm from the morning sun, and she watched as Mackenzie tied and untied ropes and then moved to the steering wheel. He started the engine, and slowly maneuvered the large boat away from the dock.
Lizzie watched as they moved out of the harbor and towards open water. The smell of the water blew on the breeze as the boat picked up speed. Behind her, the ships in the harbor became smaller and smaller as they reached the open water.
Mackenzie pushed another series of buttons on the console and the sail began to rise. Lizzie could see there were actually two sails with a smaller sail in the front. Looking intently at the sail above them, Mackenzie turned the front of the boat a few degrees and the sail filled with wind. Reaching down, he turned off the engine of the boat.
The quiet was amazing. All she could hear were the waves splashing on the hull as it cut through the water, and the gentle sound of the boat's riggings pulling in the wind.
Mackenzie looked back at her and smiled. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, placing her in front of him at the wheel. She felt his strong arms surround her as they both placed their hands on the ship's wheel. The feeling was amazing. She had never sailed before.
She felt safe and warm in his arms, and watched the waves spray from the front of the boat.
"Watch the headsail," Mackenzie said calmly.
"What's a headsail?", Lizzie asked nudging her shoulder into his chest.
"The tall sail in the center is the mainsail. The smaller one in front is the headsail," said Mackenzie instructively. "This is called a Bermuda rig," he added as he intently watched the water and sails.
She was turned on by how passionate he was about sailing and being out on the water. She remembered their first conversation and smiled. She was happy that she was here to share something he loved.
"How did you learn to sail?", Lizzie asked.
"My father thought me when I was really young," Mackenzie responded as he scanned the water in front of them. "He and my mother would go out all of the time. It was kind of their thing together."
Lizzie was suddenly even more flattered that Mackenzie had invited her.
"My mom, her name was Evelyn, always made my dad tell her everything that was going on at work," Mackenzie said reminiscing. "When my father had a lot on his plate, they would be gone for hours as she dragged every last detail out of him."
Mackenzie shook his head and laughed.
"That's really sweet," said Lizzie . That made sense . The ship's name, Evelyn Rose, was after his mother.
"She always said that true love doesn't have secrets," laughed Mackenzie.
"I'm going to grab something below," he said after a while. "You got this?", he asked.
She wasn't sure, but she nodded anyway, and Mackenzie disappeared below deck. Taking the wheel by herself, Lizzie gazed at the wide open water in front of her. It felt strange. When she was all by herself at the wheel of the sailboat, she felt an unbelievable sense of control. There was a primal surge she felt in doing something that slightly scared her. It seemed like Mackenzie knew exactly how to bring this out in her . Did he do that on purpose ? Mackenzie appeared with a bottle of champagne and a silver bowl of cut strawberries. He poured two glasses of champagne and handed her a flute.
Taking over at the wheel, he turned out of the wind and pushed the button to retract the sails. The boat began to slow and the rigging fluttered helplessly in the breeze.
"You know that's cheating right?", Lizzie said. "Nobody ever pushes a button in Pirates of the Caribbean."
Mackenzie set the tray down and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her from the wheel as she pretended to resist.
"Well you do make up for your sailing with things like this," Lizzie said jokingly as she smiled and
She made her way towards the back of the boat and took her seat. The seats were warm from the morning sun, and she watched as Mackenzie tied and untied ropes and then moved to the steering wheel. He started the engine, and slowly maneuvered the large boat away from the dock.
Lizzie watched as they moved out of the harbor and towards open water. The smell of the water blew on the breeze as the boat picked up speed. Behind her, the ships in the harbor became smaller and smaller as they reached the open water.
Mackenzie pushed another series of buttons on the console and the sail began to rise. Lizzie could see there were actually two sails with a smaller sail in the front. Looking intently at the sail above them, Mackenzie turned the front of the boat a few degrees and the sail filled with wind. Reaching down, he turned off the engine of the boat.
The quiet was amazing. All she could hear were the waves splashing on the hull as it cut through the water, and the gentle sound of the boat's riggings pulling in the wind.
Mackenzie looked back at her and smiled. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, placing her in front of him at the wheel. She felt his strong arms surround her as they both placed their hands on the ship's wheel. The feeling was amazing. She had never sailed before.
She felt safe and warm in his arms, and watched the waves spray from the front of the boat.
"Watch the headsail," Mackenzie said calmly.
"What's a headsail?", Lizzie asked nudging her shoulder into his chest.
"The tall sail in the center is the mainsail. The smaller one in front is the headsail," said Mackenzie instructively. "This is called a Bermuda rig," he added as he intently watched the water and sails.
She was turned on by how passionate he was about sailing and being out on the water. She remembered their first conversation and smiled. She was happy that she was here to share something he loved.
"How did you learn to sail?", Lizzie asked.
"My father thought me when I was really young," Mackenzie responded as he scanned the water in front of them. "He and my mother would go out all of the time. It was kind of their thing together."
Lizzie was suddenly even more flattered that Mackenzie had invited her.
"My mom, her name was Evelyn, always made my dad tell her everything that was going on at work," Mackenzie said reminiscing. "When my father had a lot on his plate, they would be gone for hours as she dragged every last detail out of him."
Mackenzie shook his head and laughed.
"That's really sweet," said Lizzie . That made sense . The ship's name, Evelyn Rose, was after his mother.
"She always said that true love doesn't have secrets," laughed Mackenzie.
"I'm going to grab something below," he said after a while. "You got this?", he asked.
She wasn't sure, but she nodded anyway, and Mackenzie disappeared below deck. Taking the wheel by herself, Lizzie gazed at the wide open water in front of her. It felt strange. When she was all by herself at the wheel of the sailboat, she felt an unbelievable sense of control. There was a primal surge she felt in doing something that slightly scared her. It seemed like Mackenzie knew exactly how to bring this out in her . Did he do that on purpose ? Mackenzie appeared with a bottle of champagne and a silver bowl of cut strawberries. He poured two glasses of champagne and handed her a flute.
Taking over at the wheel, he turned out of the wind and pushed the button to retract the sails. The boat began to slow and the rigging fluttered helplessly in the breeze.
"You know that's cheating right?", Lizzie said. "Nobody ever pushes a button in Pirates of the Caribbean."
Mackenzie set the tray down and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her from the wheel as she pretended to resist.
"Well you do make up for your sailing with things like this," Lizzie said jokingly as she smiled and
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