by Shaw Hart
Rowan
* * *
I jog up the hotel stairs to Laylin’s room. I’m early but I really want to get out on the boat. My father has been blowing up my phone all morning and I know that once we’re out on the water, I’ll lose service. I had emailed him last night after he called and said I had spotty service and that I was going out on the boat tomorrow and I know that he’s going to call any second now, hoping to beat me before I leave land.
I knock on her door and smile when she opens it up a second later. She’s wearing her bikini with a black cover up over the top and I can’t wait to see her curves. My mouth starts to water when I picture her swimming, coming out of the water dripping wet and I clear my throat.
“Ready to go?”
“Yep, let me just grab my phone.”
She’s back a second later and I smile as she slips her room key and phone into the pockets of her cover up. I lead her out to the car idling by the curb and tell the driver to take us to the marina.
“Fancy,” Laylin says as we take off and I grin at her. If this impresses her, I can only imagine what she’ll say when she sees the boat.
The drive to the marina is over quick and I hurry Laylin out of the car and onto the docks as I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I help her onto the speed boat and show her where to sit before I untie us from the dock and take off away from the marina.
Laylin laughs and tries to hold her hair back as we speed over the water and I feel lighter already as my phone stops vibrating in my pocket. After a while, I find us a place to drop anchor and I turn to face her, stripping off my shirt.
“Ready for a swim?” I ask and she grins back excitedly.
She strips off her coverup and my mouth drops open when I see the tiny scraps of fabric trying their hardest to contain her curves. Laylin laughs when she sees my face.
“My friend, Nora, was supposed to come on this trip with me and she packed this,” she tells me and I make a mental note to send Nora some kind of thank you card.
I stand frozen, unable to tear my eyes off her as she steps onto the side of the boat and then jumps off. She giggles when her head pops back up out of the water and I’m jumping in next to her before I can think about it.
We splash each other, giggling and swimming around until the sun is high in the sky and we’re both starving. I help pull her back onto the boat and pass her a towel. My dick weeps when she wraps it around her body and blocks my view of her soaking wet body.
I had a lunch and some snacks packed for us and I pull it out now, passing her a takeout container and a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” she says and I smile at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and bright green eyes.
“My pleasure,” I tell her as I dig into my own food.
“Are you excited to go back to the states?” She asks me after she’s taken a few bites of her food.
“Not really,” I admit with a sigh.
She watches me but when I don’t elaborate, she lets it go.
“What about you? Excited to go back to the real world?”
“Yeah. I miss Nora and my apartment, but this has been awesome. I have a feeling I’ll be back home for about a minute before I’m wishing I was back here,” she says with a laugh and I smile.
I can’t remember the last time that I had this much fun and I know that I’m going to miss her the second that she leaves tomorrow. She told me that she lives in Los Angeles with her best friend, Nora, and I live in New York, working at my parents’ company. Just the thought of going back there has dread curling in my stomach.
I turn to put my food back in the cooler, standing and stretching out my back and shoulders and that’s when I see it. There’s a little island off in the distance and my eyes scan over it. It must be Isola di Giannutri since it doesn’t look like it’s inhabited.
An idea forms in my head. I know it’s dumb but what if we didn’t have to go home tomorrow. I don’t want to go back to the real world and deal with the company yet and I sure as hell don’t want to say goodbye to Laylin.
Before I can second think my plan, I’m pulling up the anchor and asking Laylin if she wants to go explore it before we head back. She nods, looking up at me with a smile on her lips and trust in her eyes.
5
Laylin
* * *
The little island is beautiful and we spend a few hours walking hand in hand around the perimeter. We’re both in flip flops so trekking through the forest part didn’t seem very smart. I sigh as we watch the sunset over the water. It’s still warm and for a second, I wish that we could stay longer. The wind picks up and I frown when I finally notice the water and how choppy it looks.
“Maybe we should stay a little bit longer,” Rowan says, his eyes on the water as well.
“If you think so,” I tell him. What do I know about boating?
We find a spot near the boat and Rowan pulls some fallen branches over, creating a little shelter. I sit in the sand and watch the boat rock not far off shore.
“I’m going to grab the cooler out of the boat and we can eat while we wait for the water to calm down.”
“Need any help?” I ask, standing and brushing off the sand.
“No, I got it,” he says with a smile and I watch him wade into the water.
I check my phone for texts from Nora and then remember that I don’t have service out here.
Rowan comes back with the cooler, dropping it near the little lean to that he built is.
“Are you hungry now?” He asks and I nod, all that walking around in the sand really worked up an appetite and we sit together in the sand and eat.
He tells me more about growing up in New York and more about his family and how his dad wants him to settle down and start learning how to run the company now that he’s twenty-five. It’s obvious from his tone that he’s not that keen to do it.
He asks me about my childhood and I tell him about my parents and growing up in northern California. I was an only child but I had Nora and when we got out of college we moved in together. We finish our food and stretch out on the sand, watching as the stars start to twinkle above us.
He asks me about my job and I tell him about going to college for marketing while Nora did public relations. We were going to find jobs together but then Nora got an offer from Luca Golding, the biggest name in tech and she couldn’t pass it up. I ask him what he would want to do if he could do anything and he smiles and says he doesn’t know yet. He wouldn’t mind running the company but he doesn’t like how they keep trying to force it on him.
“That makes you sound like a little brat,” I say with a laugh and he turns his head to study me.
“Hmm.”
“No, really! Do you know how many people would kill to run a successful company and you actually want to do it but now you don’t because your daddy is making you?”
“Well when you put it like that…” he says, trailing off and I roll my eyes, looking back up at the stars. He sighs and I turn to look at him.
“The truth is that I don’t want to fail. My dad and grandpa both built Bakeman into a success. What if I take over and everything goes to shit? I just… I don’t want to be the reason the company fails and people lose their jobs. It’s a lot of pressure,” he says, staring out at the water.
I never thought about it like that. I can’t even imagine how much pressure it must be to run such a huge company, to be responsible for everything. He seems a little upset about admitting that and I decide to let him off the hook.
“It looks like paradise out here,” I whisper after a few minutes.
“Yeah,” he whispers back and I sigh as my eyes fall closed.
The sounds of waves crashing nearby have me relaxing more into the sand and I don’t hear as Rowan leans up on his elbows and looks down at me. He brushes some hair away from my cheek and I blink my eyes up to see him hovering over me.
He studies me for a moment before his head lowers slowly and his lips meet mine. His lips g
host over mine and just about drive me out of my mind. I want him to press them against me harder. I want him to slip his tongue into my mouth so I can taste him.
As if he can read my mind, his hand cradles the back of my head and he tips it up more, pressing his lips against mine once more. I reach up and tangle my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer and he nips at my bottom lip. I moan and he grins against my mouth, using the opening to slip his tongue inside.
The sand shifts as he moves between my thighs and I rock my hips up, trying to make contact with that stiff bulge I can feel through our swimsuits. Rowan grinds down against me and heat floods my bloodstream.
“I need you,” I whimper and he groans, breaking the kiss so he can lick down the column of my neck.
The sun has set and I wish that I could see him better as he peels off our swimsuits and tosses them to the side. I push him onto his back, feeling with my hands as I rub them down his toned body. I count the abs in his six pack on my way south and smile when he hisses out a breath when my hand finally wraps around his thick cock.
I don’t tease him, instead wrapping my lips around the head and sucking. He tastes like the ocean and sunshine and I moan at the flavor as I lick and suck up and down his length.
“Shit, Laylin. Fuck!” He cries as I swallow around him.
I moan as his fingers dig into my hair and he tugs lightly on the strands. My pussy aches and I can feel my desire coating my inner thighs.
“My turn,” he says suddenly as he grabs me under the arms and flips me onto my back.
His mouth is between my thighs a second later and my back arches, my fingers finding his hair and tangling in the locks as his tongue licks along my seam.
“Fucking delicious,” Rowan growls against me and I almost climax at the sound.
His lips wrap around my clit and he rolls his tongue over it and then I really do come. My legs snap shut around his head and I tilt my chin up as pure pleasure rolls through me. I’ve barely come down when I feel Rowan’s cock pushing at my entrance.
I spread my legs wide to accommodate him and dig my nails into his shoulders. He pushes in, filling me in the most delicious way and my toes curl as my body stretches to take him.
“Perfect. You feel like heaven, Lay,” Rowan moans as he starts up an easy pace.
My hips rock up to meet his thrusts and I close my eyes as a second orgasm starts to build inside me. Sand shifts under me as he fucks me harder and I moan, wrapping my legs around his hips as his pace grows erratic. I can feel his cock swelling inside of me and when he leans down and bites lightly on one of my nipples, I let go, screaming his name as I fly over the edge.
My pussy clamps down around him and my orgasm triggers his own. I moan again as I feel his warm release fill me. That’s when the skies open up above us and it starts to pour.
“Shit!” Rowan says as he pulls out of me and bundles me into his arms.
“Let’s get you under the branches,” he says as he carries me up the beach and under the lean-to he built earlier.
He crawls in and cuddles behind me, pulling me snugly against his chest and I sigh as I let sleep take me.
6
Rowan
* * *
I wake with the sun shining in my eyes and a naked Laylin sprawled out on top of me. In short, it’s heaven.
Her thick curves are pressed against me and my cock hardens between us, looking for round two after last night. It must wake her because she shifts a second later and blinks sleepy eyes down at me.
“Morning,” she says and I grin up at her.
“Morning, gorgeous.”
She rolls her eyes at that, yawning as she rolls off of me.
“What time is it?” She asks and I shrug, tucking my hands under my head and watching her walk over to her clothes.
I frown as she starts to tug them on.
“No round two then?” I ask, crawling out of the shelter and walking over to my own clothes.
“I wish but I really need to get back. My flight leaves later today and I need to get back to the hotel and wash off before I pack.”
I nod and turn, trying to hide my disappointment. That’s when I see it.
The boat must have been damaged somehow in the storm because it seems to have sunk. Only the bow is visible above the water and my jaw drops as I look over to it.
“Oh my god!” Laylin cries as she sees it too.
I know I should probably be upset or worried but I know that someone will come looking for us eventually and, in the meantime, I’ll have more alone time with Laylin.
“It’ll be okay,” I tell her and she gives me a horrified look.
“Rowan, we don’t have any food, real shelter, clothes, water, no cell phones, and now no boat. How is this going to be alright?”
Panic fills her eyes and I smile at her, giving her a shrug.
“Someone will come looking for us eventually.”
This doesn’t seem to help calm her and she stares at me like I’m crazy.
“Why aren’t you worried about us being stuck out here?” She demands.
“Honestly? I’m not really dying to go back,” I say with a careless shrug.
She watches me for a moment, her eyes assessing.
“Did you know that it was going to storm last night?” She asks quietly and I shift uncomfortably.
“I knew that it might,” I stress.
That was obviously the wrong thing to say.
“So you put us in danger and got us stranded here all because you don’t want to have to go work for your rich daddy? Because you’re afraid that you might fail?” She spits out, her eyes flashing with anger.
I swallow hard, guilt eating away at me as I see how furious she is. Shit.
“Laylin, I-”
“No!” She yells, pointing a finger at me. “No. I can’t believe that you would do this. What kind of asshole does that?” She cries before she spins on her heels and storms away down the beach.
Okay, she probably just needs some time to cool down. Someone will come by soon and this will all blow over.
As I watch her storm further down the beach though, I’m not so sure that I believe that.
7
Laylin
* * *
I can see Rowan trailing down the beach after me and I walk faster. He picks up his pace too and I want to scream but instead I just plop down in the sand. I can’t believe that he would do this and I can’t believe that I’m stuck in this situation.
I glare at him as he walks closer and sits a few inches away from me. Regret is clear in his eyes and I turn away before my heart can start to soften. He put us in danger. He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness.
“I’m sorry, Laylin. You’re right, I was an asshole.”
I ignore him, staring straight ahead as he clears his throat and goes on.
“How can I make this up to you?”
“Get me the hell off this island.”
“I will,” he promises. “Someone will be looking for us.”
I want to roll my eyes but what he says next has my whole body freezing.
“I love you, Laylin. I’ve been falling for you over the past few days and I was worried that vacation would end and I’d lose you. I don’t want to go back to the real world and be in charge of that company but I didn’t want to go back to my life and lose you even more. I’m so sorry. I just didn’t want to lose the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I don’t know what to say to that and luckily, I don’t have to say anything because at that moment, a boat comes into view.
I leap to my feet, waving my arms to try to flag it down and relief fills me when it gets closer and they wave back. I sag with relief when they get close enough and we can wade out into the shallow water and climb on.
“Thank god you found us,” I tell them and they nod.
“Mr. Bakeman sent us out to look for you,” one of the men says and I sit down as far from Rowan as I can as they turn the boat around and he
ad back to the mainland.
I can feel Rowan watching me the entire ride back but I ignore him. As soon as we’ve docked, I’m climbing off and practically running up the dock. I pass an older man who looks just like Rowan and I know that it’s his dad. I nod my thanks as I rush past but he ignores me, his eyes locked on his son. I can feel Rowan’s eyes on my back but I ignore him as I run back to the hotel.
Luckily, it’s not that far from the marina and I still have enough time to shower off really quick before I throw everything into my suitcase and call a cab. We race to the airport and I do my best not to think about anything except catching my flight.
The tears start as soon as we take off and I know that I should be embarrassed but I’m just too tired to care. I doze on the plane, waking when we finally land back in Los Angeles. I grab my bag and trudge off, waiting in line at customs before I finally make it out.
I spot Nora right away and she takes one look at me and opens her arms wide. I rush into them, crying on her shoulder. Sher grabs my suitcase handle in one hand and my hand in the other and leads me out to her car.
I tell her all about what happened as we battle traffic on the way home and she stops and grabs us a pizza and some ice cream before we head home to our small apartment. I can tell that she’s worried about me but she lets me cry and eat junk food with her for a few hours before we both pass out on the couch.
I don’t know what I’d do without her.
8
Rowan
* * *
How many Laylins could there possibly be in California?
It’s been a month since I got back from Italy and I hired a private investigator the second we landed. So far, he hasn’t been able to find her.
I had gone back with my dad to my hotel and gotten the lecture while I packed up. I finally told him why I was hesitating to take over and we had a heart to heart. He told me how he had had the same fear when he first took over and how he had planned to stay on with me until I was comfortable. I felt dumb for worrying so much after that.
