by Tabatha Kiss
“Yeah,” he says. “I did.”
I smile as heat rushes to my face.
Drew tilts his head, hinting at a kiss as he leans closer.
I retreat an inch. “Does your dad know that it’s ours for the night?”
He hesitates. “I don’t want to answer that.” I laugh as our lips graze. “Legally and for your safety, I should probably keep you in the dark...”
Fair enough.
“Come on,” I say, letting go of him to stroll up to the boat.
“I thought we were having a pleasant moment there,” he says.
I gather my skirts as I search for a way to step onto it. “Whatever, dude. Boat! Let’s go!”
Drew hops ahead of me and steps onto the back edge. He turns, looks at me with that gorgeous grin, and extends his hand.
“All aboard,” he says.
Dimples for days.
Chapter 36
Heidi
We ride away from shore with Drew at the helm. He looks as confident as a man can be whilst steering a small yacht which only highlights the fact that his upbringing was very, very different from mine.
Still, my heart swells as I watch him work. He fiddles with dials and turns knobs and adjusts the wheel, and all I can do is sit here in this giant leather chair by his side and look pretty.
Drew glances away from his controls to gaze at me. His eyes travel the length of my grey dress and he smiles.
Obviously, I’m doing my job as well as he is.
Once I convince myself it’s safe to walk around on a giant moving boat, I stand up slowly and take a few short paces toward the open doorway of the helm. The cockpit stretches outward into a small sitting area that wraps around the entire top section of the deck. Beneath the seats, according to Drew and his quick tour a few minutes ago, are several coolers stocked with food and drinks for our night out on the water. I can only imagine the shenanigans Drew and Seth and the other bad boys of Delta Xi have gotten into on this thing — especially if they had their boat rights confiscated by the Glenn Rose himself.
I turn around again, curious to see how far away from shore we’ve gone. The Chicago skyline is bright, but small, and getting smaller by the minute. We’re at least a dozen miles out, I’d guess. We’re all alone here. Truly isolated. My heart skips twice at the possibilities. No Jenna interruptions. No frat brothers. No brothers, period.
We can just be... us.
“What?” Drew asks.
I look at him. “What?” I repeat.
“You’re smiling.”
I chuckle, overwhelmed. “I don’t know what to even say.” I scan the dark, seemingly endless horizon. “This is beautiful, Drew.”
Again, he admires my dress. “Yes, it is,” he says, suave as ever.
I abandon him with a roll of the eyes and a hidden smile and step out on to the deck again. Another few minutes pass before Drew brings the boat to a slow stop. I wait as he sets the anchor, still marveled that he knows all about... however the hell you operate a small yacht.
When he returns to me, he opens the cooler on the seat beside me. There’s a bottle of champagne inside, hidden within a mound of ice.
“Oh, fancy,” I say.
He retrieves two flutes from the galley. “It’s a fancy boat,” he says.
“And I’m wearing a fancy dress!” I say as I swing my skirt a little.
Drew laughs as he tilts the bottle away and expertly keeps hold of the cork as he twists. I lean back, expecting it to fly off, but the bottle opens with a light fuzz sound instead.
“Wow,” I say, impressed. “Not even one drop lost.”
“Pet peeve of my mom’s,” he says as he pours our glasses. “She hates it when people do that.”
“Well, duh. Fun is for poor people,” I joke.
He snickers as he hands me a glass. “True.”
I raise it and wait for him to set the bottle down. He turns to me with his glass in hand, the strings of light reflected in his perfect eyes as he gazes back.
“You want to make a toast?” he asks.
I bite my lip in thought, but only for a second. “To learning new life skills,” I say.
“Like jump-starting cars?”
“Or opening champagne bottles.”
“I like it,” he says with a nod. “It’s a classic for a reason.”
We tap our flutes together and take a slow sip. Bubbles rush through me, igniting the heat in my cheeks as I just can’t stop smiling.
Drew hums as if he forgot something. “Hold on,” he says as he hops back into the helm.
I stand still, filling my lungs with fresh air. Tonight, this perfect night. And it’s only just begun.
Music fills the air from small, hidden speakers somewhere along the boat. It’s Marla’s Song by Criminal Records; a smooth, slow song I know by heart.
Drew returns and snatches my glass from my fingers. He sets them down and comes back, slinking in close to dance with me.
I laugh, happy to oblige. I take his hand and place the other on his shoulder. He rests a hand on my side. We drift into a casual, almost lazy, sway beneath the strings of lights.
“I love this song,” I say, my heart smiling.
“I know,” Drew says. “Jenna told me this was your favorite album.”
I raise a brow. “When did you two get so chummy?”
“We have a lot in common.”
“Like what?” I ask.
“You.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
Drew takes a breath. “Yesterday morning, we talked a lot about you while you were out with Seth.”
“You did?”
He nods. “She told me about a dance you had in tenth grade.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting this.
“Okay...” I look down, my stomach turning a bit. “Why would she even bring that up?”
“She didn’t. Not really. It came up while she was bandaging my nose. She said she broke hers once, I asked how, and...”
I nod.
Charlie Nolan.
“Is that why you asked me to the mask ball?” I ask.
“Partially, I think,” he says. “I guess I thought if you went with me, then I could make you forget all the shitty things that happened to you.” He shakes his head. “But I realize now that’s not my job.”
“Your job?”
“I can’t change your past any more than you could change mine,” he says. “What’s happened has happened. I can’t protect you from it. The best I can do is promise to protect you from now on.” He looks me in the eye. “Heidi, I would never do anything like that to you. I want you to know that.”
I tremble, his words a warm, soothing comfort. “Thank you,” I whisper.
His hand on my side draws me even closer. “And I will never let Seth do anything like that to you again,” he says.
My breath hitches. My chin dips, but he quickly catches it and nudges my face right back up. I dive deep into his eyes, swaying with the waves, basking in my favorite song, and I never want to leave.
“If I kiss you, will it hurt your nose?” I ask.
Drew chuckles. “I’ll bear it,” he says.
I kiss him, soft and slow, and he wraps his arms around me in a firm, protective embrace. I rest my head on his shoulder. He kisses my head. He smells my hair. He gives small, tender shows of affection that radiate down to my knees.
I listen to the swift pounding of his heart and I know he’s telling me the truth. I trust him when he says he’ll protect me. I believe him when he says that he’ll even defy my brother to do it.
“You look so beautiful tonight,” he whispers in my ear.
I laugh as I swallow the tears in my eyes. “Thank you.” I raise my head. “And you look rather dashing yourself.”
“I do?”
“Yeah, you clean up nicely.”
“I don’t usually like to, but...” he smirks, “it was definitely worth it tonight.”
Drew tilts his head at me again. I clo
se my eyes, a girl about to be kissed. His lips caress mine with a simple, soft spark as we continue our dance, lost in our own little world. I submit to the deep feeling taking over me; a feeling destined to leave me breathless and wanting more.
He touches my shoulder, his fingers slowly inching beneath the strap of my gown. He pushes it to the side and bends down to kiss my left shoulder above my new tattoo. His breath feels warm and heavy on my skin. I tingle all over, wanting more of it. I long to feel his lips on every part of me again.
I want him to be my first.
I want to give myself to him.
I want to give him everything.
Tonight.
I take his hand and entwine our fingers together as I take a simple step toward the small stairs through the galley. “Show me the inside,” I say with a curious smile. “I want to see more.”
Chapter 37
Heidi
I gather my skirt as I step down the narrow stairs. Drew leads the way with the champagne bottle in his other hand and one eye on me, watching to make sure I don’t trip. We come to a short hallway within the boat, barely wide enough to fit the two of us side-by-side. There are three doorways; one on our left, another to the right, and a third at the very end.
Drew pauses by the first door on the left. “Through this door,” he says as he slides it open, “we have our VIP stateroom.”
I poke my head inside. A large bed. A mounted TV. “Fancy,” I say.
“When I was younger, my sister and I used to have to share this one on family trips,” he says, reminiscing.
“Oh, well. Now it feels cramped.”
“It was, especially when she used to sneak her boyfriends on board after our parents went to sleep.” He chuckles. “I usually ended up on the deck with a sleeping bag, watching the stars.”
I picture it with a smile. “That sounds like fun, actually.”
He nods before giving the door on the right a quick tap. “Restroom,” he says. “Or the head, in boat-talk.”
I slide the door open wide, very curious to see what the head looks like on a small yacht. Thick towels. Vanity lights. A shiny toilet.
I glare. “That’s not fair.”
He peeks inside. “What isn’t?”
“Your boat has a nicer bathroom than I do.”
Drew laughs. “Sorry.”
“Shanty Row really needs to step up her game,” I quip.
He gives my hand a little squeeze, and we continue down the hallway to the last door. I grow more excited with each step, more curious about what else this night has in store.
“Wait,” he says, pivoting toward me. “Close your eyes.”
I arch a brow. “Why?”
“Just do it,” he whispers.
I obey. I feel a gentle push of air as Drew waves his hands in front of me to confirm I’m blind. “They’re closed!” I say, laughing.
“Good.”
The door slides open. I force myself to stay in the dark, determined not to ruin whatever surprise Drew has for me inside.
He takes hold of my arm and guides me into the room. “Don’t open them yet,” he says. “Stay there.”
His touch disappears. I stand still, biting my lip to smother my giggle as I hear him shuffle around the room.
“No peeking!” he says.
I laugh. “I’m not!”
Finally, he steps in behind me. His arms curl around my waist and his gentle voice tickles my ear as he leans in close and whispers, “Open your eyes.”
I open them and my smile digs in deeper.
Perfect.
It’s another bedroom, but it’s larger than the last one. Every corner has several flameless candles, perfectly spaced to illuminate the room with a soft, romantic atmosphere. Tinted windows provide a perfect view of the water, including the small, Chicago skyline off into the distance.
“And this,” he says, “is our master stateroom.”
“Now, this is fancy,” I say.
Drew kisses my neck. “I wanted to give you the full boat experience.”
I turn around, shifting my arms up onto his shoulders as I move. “This is beautiful,” I whisper, eager for another kiss. “Thank you, Drew.”
He smiles with his eyes on my lips. “Don’t thank me,” he says. “Just kiss me.”
Our lips touch, striking a match deep inside. It’s a simple kiss, but one powerful enough to make my heart beat faster than ever. His hands glide up my sides as we sway together without music. I run my fingers through his thick hair, coaxing him to kiss me again. His lips stray along my cheek. He leaves gentle, heated kisses on my neck as I lower my arms from his shoulders. I push his jacket back and he lets it fall to the floor. His arms wrap right back around me again, this time pulling me even closer to him as his kiss marks my collarbone.
“Drew,” I whisper. He kisses me again, deeper and wilder as heat rises between us. “Do you have a condom?” I ask.
Drew stops, but his arms stay tight around me. “Are you sure?” he asks.
I nod.
His shadowed eyes widen with surprise, then desire, then... disappointment. “No,” he answers. “I don’t have one.”
“No?”
“I wasn’t expecting sex.” His face screws up. “Should I have expected sex?”
“You brought a girl onto a yacht with a bedroom full of candles and champagne and you weren’t expecting sex?”
“I...” He pauses. “I don’t know how to answer this question without getting in trouble.”
I laugh to show I’m just teasing. “It’s okay. I brought some.”
Drew blinks. “You did?”
I reach into the pocket of my dress and pull out one of the three condoms I stuffed in there earlier. “One thing to love about Jenna,” I say. “Her dresses always have pockets.”
He admires me for a moment more. “Why did you bring that?” he asks, though I suspect he already knows. He just wants me to say it.
“Because I’m ready. Because I want it to be you.” I tilt closer, aching for his lips again. “It’s always been you.”
We kiss and the world stands still. We kiss, and I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I’ve made the right choice. There’s no twist in my gut or second thoughts. He’s mine. I’m his. It was always meant to be him.
I sit down on the edge of the bed. Before Drew can sit down with me, I reach for his belt and tug him a little closer to stand over me. His breath sharpens as he looks down, but he doesn’t stop me as I unzip his pants. He pushes my hair back from my face and rests a firm hand on the nape of my neck. I quiver as I look up, delighting in the now-familiar feeling of being claimed. I’m his girl. I’m the only one who gets to please him like this, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
I take him into my mouth. His fingers caress my neck as I work my tongue around the head of his cock. He groans and breathes harder above me, each delicious sound a jolt to the throbbing crevice between my thighs. I look up as I slowly bob my head back and forth, making eye contact with him, but the aching lust in his eyes makes it worse. My pussy clenches, wet and greedy. I want to feel him inside of me. I need to feel him fill me.
My cheeks cave as I suck harder. My throat opens as I take him deeper. I moan as sweet tension threatens to split me in two.
Drew pulls back on my hair; a firm, gentle tug. He takes his cock out of my mouth and tightly pinches the base, purposefully keeping it out of reach of my tender lips. “Wait, wait,” he breathes with a laugh. “Any more of that and I’ll come into your throat.”
I bite my bottom lip. “Promise?”
He cants his head with a scolding glance. “Damn, you’re perfect.” He yanks me up off the bed, cupping my face as he pulls me against him. “Your turn,” he whispers.
I gasp as he spins me around. He kisses my neck from behind as he pushes the straps of my dress down my shoulders. The dress hangs loosely over my chest, one simple nudge away from slipping down my body, but Drew takes his time. His kisses go deeper, warm
and inviting, meant to turn me on, and they’re working. I shudder even more with each swipe of his tongue on my skin or roaming caress of his hand on my chest or the hard, prominent push of his erection on my lower back. My skin blooms with warm, simple pleasure. I never want him to stop touching me.
I turn my head back, offering my lips. Drew kisses me hard as he squeezes my breast, giving the dress that one last nudge it needs to fall. It tumbles over my hips, landing in a soft clump at my feet.
“Bend over,” he whispers.
My nerves catch fire. I happily do as he says. I bend at the waist, placing my palms on the bed and standing still in nothing but my white panties and shoes. Somehow, I stay calm as Drew hooks my panties and lowers to his knees behind me.
He puts his hands on my bare ass, one palm on each cheek. It feels filthy and wrong, but my wetness surges at the thought of that part of me being so exposed to him.
Drew sticks his tongue in my pussy. I jolt in surprise, but his firm grip on my rear holds me steady. Shock surges through me and I moan, feeling every quick thrust of his tongue inside. He flicks fast, pushing in closer to attack my clit.
I dig my nails into the bed. “Fuck,” I say, breathless.
“Spread your legs,” he growls.
I widen my stance. Drew spins around and sits beneath me on the floor with his back to the bed. He pulls me closer, forcing me to mount his face. I gasp, nearly falling forward as his mouth latches on my clit again. I right myself with a knee propped on the bed above his shoulder, my legs wobbling and thighs shaking as he grabs hold of me and refuses to let go.
I submit to pleasure, cautiously balanced on his face. “What about your nose?” I ask, still gasping.
“I’ll live,” he says, jerking his face back and forth to ravage my dripping pussy.
I moan louder. I grip his hair between my thighs. I grind on his chin, aching and shaking and praying for sweet release.
Drew moans and groans, vibrating my clit. He reaches up my body. He gropes me and my nipples twist into even harder nubs. My sensitivity spikes. My heat ignites. My pussy explodes with a dripping deluge as he tongue-fucks me again and again.
