“It's not over yet,” he says, brushing my hair off my shoulder, causing sparks to shoot from my skin. “Not the important parts.”
We kiss, knowing this is likely going to be our last night in Hawaii. There’s an urgency in each caress, each touch of his hand on my skin. It’s an urgency that takes my breath away. His hands find my shirt and peel it up as I do the same to his, tears stinging my eyes as I see the hard, chiseled muscles of his chest and stomach. “Wait . . .”
“What?” I ask him, and Tony picks me up, carrying me down the beach. There’s a blanket laid out, probably leftovers from one of the challenges, and he lays me down on it. I smile, unbuttoning my shorts and sliding them down as he strips his shorts off, leaving him standing nude in front of me. I get to my knees, running my hands over his stomach as I kiss his thighs, rubbing my cheek against the velvet hardness of his cock, kissing the tip before he steps back, his eyes full of meaning.
There are no words, at least not those said with our lips as we stretch out on the blanket. Tony kisses me with a tenderness that rips through my soul. Cold and heat run through my body as I feel his hands stroke my ass, running up my back to cup my breasts and massage them even as his eyes burn with loss. I cry out in pleasure as he kisses my nipples, sucking and tugging them the way that he knows I like before kissing up to my neck and lifting my leg. I roll with him, feeling the hardness of his cock press against my pussy.
“Please, Tony,” I whisper as I reposition my hips and sink down, Tony’s strong hands guiding me as he fills me. “Tony . . .”
His name is the only thing that escapes my lips as I ride him, lifting my hips up and down as I look into his eyes. He reaches up, cupping my breasts as we ride, faster and faster. Unable to take it any more, I lean over, kissing him hotly as he plants his feet and starts thrusting up into me, grabbing my ass and holding me still as I moan into his mouth. My body squeezes him, my nerves on edge as I moan his name one more time. He thrusts hard, his cock slamming deep into me before he comes. I’m pushed over, milking him and holding him tight, clutching at his shoulders as we join fully, pure joy and sadness mixing together in something I’ve never felt before. All I can focus on is the heat of Tony’s cock erupting inside me and the look in his eyes.
Tony holds me, and I don’t know what’s going to happen. No matter what, once this moon sets and the sun rises, the results are going to come. And one of us is going to be hurt by it. I lose either way.
As I kiss Tony’s lips tenderly, getting off him, I’m also scared about what he’s become to me. I told Wesley all about it, but I still don’t understand it all myself. I know that I’ve never felt this way about a man before. But . . . he’s never told me the way he feels. What if this is just an island fantasy? What if I pour my heart out to him and we make a promise to stay in touch, and daily calls slowly become occasional Facebook messages and status likes before petering out to nothing? I couldn’t stand that. It’d kill me.
I reach for my shirt to pull it on, but Tony reaches out. “Please . . . don’t go,” he says, his voice heavy with emotion. “Spend the night here with me. I need to hold you.”
I turn and look into his eyes, nodding. “Then how about a dip in the ocean?”
Tony smiles and takes my hand. “I think a little moonlight skinny dipping sounds great. Thank you for saying yes.”
“How could I tell you no?” I ask, my voice cracking slightly as we get up. Walking with him toward the ocean, I’m struggling not to cry, and I’m glad the waves hide my harsh breathing. I don’t know what Cassie and Caleb are going to think, finding our beds empty, but right now, I don’t care. I need this.
It might be the last night we ever have.
Chapter 22
Tony
Hannah and I walk together out to the waves, holding hands as the waves wash the sweat and stickiness from our bodies. Watching her wade deeper, I feel like I’m watching a myth in reverse, Aphrodite not emerging from the sea but returning to it. But she’s taking me with her, and as the warm water laps over my chest and I turn to her, I pull her close. “Hannah, you . . .”
There are no more words as I gather her in my arms, kissing her deeply as the water washes over us. We move together back into the shallows, Hannah tracing her fingers over my face as if she’s memorizing me the way a blind person would. I kiss her salty fingertips, brushing her hair out of her eyes as we kiss again, our bodies pressing together and washed by the rolling waves.
I reach down, and she understands, lifting her legs and wrapping them around my waist as I hold her effortlessly in my arms. The water sways our bodies, my legs spread as I hold her. “Hannah,” I whisper in her ear as I feel her warmth tingle against my belly. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I want you to know . . . you’re the most special woman I’ve ever met. I knew that the first night I saw you. I was just too much of a fool to say it right. I knew there was a spark between us.”
“I—” Hannah says, but I shake my head, running my hand down and slipping a finger over her pussy.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever have the guts to say this again,” I whisper, my cock hardening again as I feel the warm wetness of her entrance. I’m quickly back to full hardness, and I adjust myself, slipping inside her, guided only by the warmth of her body. “You’re more important than this contract. You’re more important than anything to me.”
I thrust my cock deeper into her, taking away Hannah’s reply. I don’t know if I want the words. I’ve never trusted them as much as the feeling coursing through my skin and along my nerves as I hold her. The salty water makes her feel almost weightless as I thrust in time with the waves, the backwash pulling her tighter into me as she holds onto my shoulders and back. Our lips barely part, gasps and moans slipping from our mouths as I give her all I can. My fingers dig into her hips as I grip her ass, my cock pumping harder and faster inside her, just on the limits of what the ocean will allow us.
I don’t know how long I thrust, my cock aching and throbbing as we move with the ocean, our hips making waves of their own. My breath sears in my chest as Hannah’s fingers dig in. She’s coming again, and her pussy squeezes my cock so hard that I can barely keep stroking, moving with the pulse of my heart. There’s no sound except the crash of the nearby waves and our breaths as I speed up, fighting the ocean now, but I need her. I clutch Hannah to me, her breasts squashed against me as she tries to ride me too, faster and harder. I’m desperate. There’s nothing except her right now, and I feel my balls grow tight.
“Hannah!” I cry, my cock bursting deep inside her again. Hannah wails, her fingernails piercing my skin and making the wounds burn as ocean water washes over them, but I don’t feel the pain, just the burn in my heart and in my mind as I fill her with my essence.
My knees unhinge, and I start to collapse into the water when suddenly, there’s an arm under me, holding me up and helping me toward the shore. I look, and it’s Hannah, my angel, a soft smile on her face. We curl up on the blanket, the night air just this side of cool and making it comfortable as I spoon her against me.
“Tomorrow . . . I want you to be happy, no matter what,” I say. I don’t know what I’m saying, but at the same time, I do. I’ve waited all this time to hear her say that she needs more than a good vacation fantasy. I’ve waited for her to say she wants more, that she wants me with all of my imperfections and all of my mistakes.
I’ve waited, and she hasn’t said it. I understand. Neither of us has come out and directly said our feelings, but I hope she understands what I’ve tried to tell her with my body. She owns my heart, from here on out.
Hannah murmurs something under her breath, but whatever she says is cut off by a large yawn. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay, babe,” I reply, my throat tight. She snuggles against me more, and I wrap my arms around her, snagging our t-shirts to use as a pillow under her head. Within minutes, she’s snoring lightly, and I kiss her on the temple. “It’s okay, I’ve got it all . . .”
<
br /> I can’t lie anymore. I don’t have it all under control. Watching her snore in the moonlight, the first tears trickle down my cheeks. My heart is breaking in my chest, but everything will be fine if she’s the one who wins. I’ve had the time of my life with her, and I’ll never forget this.
Chapter 23
Hannah
The light is still pink in the sky when I make it back to my room. I try to be quiet, but Cassie’s already up, sitting on the bed and staring at the doorway. I don’t know if she was worried about me or just worried that we may soon be unemployed. Anxiety tightens my throat when I see she’s even already packed a lot of things up.
“Everything all right?” Cassie asks, her eyes full of meaning. “I figured you were with Tony but was still a little worried.”
Hell no, everything's not all right. “I’m a little down, but I’ll be fine,” I lie.
She stares at me for a moment and then looks away. “I’m nervous,” she finally says. “You know . . . about what the outcome is going to be.”
“Don’t be,” I reassure her. “Everything is going to turn out fine.”
Cassie snorts. She knows I’m not a psychic, and I’m just spouting bullshit. “I certainly hope so.”
“It will,” I repeat, turning away so she doesn’t see the tears in my eyes. I want to tell her how I felt this morning, waking up just as the sky started to lighten, being in his arms, enveloped in his warmth. I want to tell her how hard it was to leave his side, knowing it was probably our last time together.
But I don’t.
I strip off my dirty clothes and get a quick shower before we get dressed. But there’s a pall over our actions. Neither of us wants to be putting on the nicer, professional clothes that feel appropriate for this meeting with Wes. Downstairs at the breakfast table, I avoid eye contact with Tony. He looks handsome as usual, dressed more conservatively in gray slacks and a white dress shirt. No matter what, the next few hours are going to be hard. The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife, not just between Tony and me but between all of us.
I choke down a grapefruit and wait. Just as someone’s watch beeps, the first time I’ve heard a watch our whole trip here, Wesley comes in with Alani, Mo Mo on his shoulder.
“Good morning,” he says, smiling at us. “So I spent the night reading, thinking about what I should do. To say that I was both surprised and touched by what I read is an understatement. After reading what you both had to say, I reflected and meditated. I spoke with Alani about them, and we discussed it for hours more. Hell, I even talked to Mo Mo about this decision.”
Mo Mo squawks. “Mo Mo genius!”
He chuckles, while in my gut, I wonder if my entire fate is going to rest on the opinion of a bird that insists on calling me a big booty ho. “Ultimately, I want to do the right thing for Alani and her people. I took into account what was best for them, for the karma of the land, for which of you would do more to ensure that we maintain the spirit of tradition and respect their history while continuing forward on their journey to new sunrises. I wanted to make sure the winner would be the person who will hold this place as dear to their heart as I do. I wanted to make sure they continue in balance with the cycles of Mother Nature.”
He pauses, looking at each of us. It’s so quiet I can hear a pin drop, and I can see the former industrialist in him. He loves the spectacle of drawing out the moment of the announcement. “I took more than just your performance into account, but I’m sure you already know that. If I were still running a company, I’d offer any of you a job right now. I also looked over your proposals, the files you brought with you that I’m sure you thought I totally ignored. But most of all, I looked at your spirits, your souls, and you’ve shown me that and more. With all that in mind, I’ve decided to sell to Hannah and Aurora Holdings.”
Cassie throws her fist into the air, and despite my reservation, I get up and hug Wesley before ignoring Tony’s offered handshake to hug him tightly. “Thank you so much,” I whisper in his ear. “I have a feeling you had a hand in that.”
He whispers back. “Congratulations. You deserve it.” He has a faint smile on his face as he steps back.
“Tony—”
“Can you tell us what set them apart?” Caleb asks, cutting me off. “You realize they’re probably going to tear this place down to put up a fucking resort hotel, right?”
“One of the greatest forces on Earth is water,” Wesley says. “Water flows, but at the same time, it can crash. Water and time will even someday reduce these islands to the oceans from which they were born. Change is inevitable, Caleb.”
Tony raises his hand. “Caleb, everything’s going to be fine.”
Caleb turns to Tony. I don’t think he really wanted the philosophy speech. “I know that, Tony. I just wanted some answers, especially for Oli. Is that too much to ask?”
Caleb sighs, nodding at us even though he’s clearly not in the best of moods “Thank you for your hospitality and this crazy adventure, Wes. Congrats, ladies. You did earn it. I’m man enough to admit that. It just really sucks to be in a tough situation. But it is what it is. I’m going to go get my shit together.”
He turns and walks off, Tony staring at him but not following.
“Get your shit together!” Mo Mo screeches.
“I . . .” I begin, but Tony shakes his head.
“I’m sorry about that, you guys. I’ll talk to him. He’s just a little upset.”
“It’s okay,” Wesley says, smiling. “If you need any help with your bags, we’d be glad to help,” he says, nodding at Alani, who hands Tony a package. “Just a book for your flight home and contact information. If you ever need someone to vouch for you . . . just give me a call. Hannah, Cassie, let’s discuss business in a half hour or so.”
Wesley gives us a nod and a smile before leaving. Tony crosses the room and leans in, giving Cassie a look that she reads perfectly, ditching the room. “I think I’ll give Myra the good news, if you don’t mind.”
Cassie leaves, and Tony clears his throat in the silence. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”
“I’d like that,” I reply, while silently hoping he says the words that I’ve been praying to hear. We go out onto the porch, looking around. The day is searingly beautiful, although on the horizon, I can see rain clouds gathering. I suppose it’s appropriate, considering the way I feel. “You know, I’m going to miss this place.”
“What do you mean?” Tony asks, leaning on the railing. “You’ll be coming back here, I’m sure. Aurora is going to need a top-notch project manager.”
I shake my head. “It won’t be the same. Things will be different.”
Tony reaches over, taking my hand. “Hannah . . . even if the resort thing were true, I want you to forget what Caleb said. I want you to be happy. You fought for this. You earned it and you deserve it. Someone else would’ve bought this place if it weren’t us. Better us, or those we represent, than someone else.”
He’s saying so many nice things, but each one is like a dagger in my heart. Why won’t he say what I want him to say? Why can’t he say it first? I come close but back off. The separation is so much, and he’s going to have a lot of explaining to do when he gets back home.
I’ve always been afraid of falling in love. That level of vulnerability seems like a freefall with a mere whispered promise of being caught in the safety of his arms. I’ve always worried I’d end up hurt, or worse, sacrificing myself to the relationship. Finally, I find a man I think I’m falling in love with, and maybe worth the risk of jumping in, but this feels like the end.
“Hannah, I don’t regret saying those nasty things to you that first night we met,” Tony says, chuckling. “Because they at least allowed us to get to know each other some. And this time here . . . I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” He leans in close and pulls me in for a sweet, painful kiss. “I wish you all the best, Hannah Fowler. You’re one hell of a woman.” He stares at me for a long moment, as if he doesn’t wan
t to leave, before letting out a soft sigh. “Give me a call when everything’s settled back at work. Let me know how things are going?”
It feels like a brushoff, or at least, a finality, so I nod softly, the pain of my heart cracking and hurting too much to let me speak.
Then slowly, as if committing my face to memory for eternity, Tony turns and goes inside. Moments later, I hear him calling something to the house staff. I don’t look up as I hear the doors on Tony’s rented car close, the engine fire up, and he drives off. I whip my head up as I hear the tires crunch over a rock, but he’s already made the turn, and I can hear him accelerate. I nearly crumble as I round the corner of the house and all I see is the cherry red tail lights. “Tony . . .”
I feel like screaming, like jumping off the porch and chasing after him, but before I can, I hear a quiet voice behind me. “Hey . . . you ready?”
I turn to see Cassie, her face alight with happiness, and I swallow my tears. I still have paperwork to do, stuff to get signed. I feel the happiness too, but it’s bitter in my mouth and I swallow reflexively. “Yeah. Let’s get those papers signed . . . then . . .”
“Yeah?”
“I just wanna go home.”
Fourteen hours.
Now, normally, if I think of doing something for fourteen hours, I’m not this exhausted. I’ve done fourteen hours at work before, I’ve done fourteen hours shopping—okay, I was tired then—I even once had an ex who wanted to do a ‘sex-a-thon’ that lasted almost that long before he tapped out.
In none of them have I been this exhausted. The plane ride was hell, not because of the seats, but just because it felt like every step going through the airport, I had a huge rubber band pulling me back, telling me not to go. I couldn’t get much sleep on the plane. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Tony, and twice, Cassie shook me awake from a nightmare of chasing after Tony and him disappearing into darkness.
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