by Riley, Alexa
I’ve been in the hotel business for years, so I know all the ins and outs of how they operate. There isn’t a job I don’t think of or can’t hire people to do. But never in my life have I had to do the work behind the scenes. The Mermaid is small, but Nicole does everything herself. Peter offers her a helping hand, but she insists his studies are more important. After she gives him a stern look that makes me stand up a little straighter, he agrees and goes to his room. If Nicole could hire a maid or two, she’d have only about ten percent of the responsibilities she does now, but after hearing her and Sammy talking earlier I can tell that isn’t a possibility.
I already know her finances inside and out, so I don’t know why I’m surprised. I guess I’m just disappointed in myself that I never before thought about the person running the place and what they’d have to do to make ends meet. I’ve been all about the business of things from the beginning and I never stopped to imagine who my takeover might hurt.
There’s a moment when I’m helping Nicole make a bed and we’re laughing about which one of us knows the “right” way to do it that I think I might be having my first ever morality crisis. I’m obsessed with this woman like nothing else in my life, and I can’t in good conscience do anything that would break her heart. So, the only logical answer is to do everything in my power to make her happy. And the Mermaid does that. Now I just have to figure out how to give her that while getting what I want. Which is her.
“Have you ever thought about moving off the island?” I ask as I push the laundry cart down the hall and into the washing room. I close the door behind us as she moves the cart over to the rows of machines.
“No, never.” She smiles and then turns on the machines and dumps the sheets in with the soap.
“What about if you didn’t have the Mermaid? Would you want to leave then?” My chest aches when I think about what this might mean. What if I have to leave this place and leave her behind? I can’t live here full time. It would be impossible.
“That’s actually a possibility in the near future.” Her smile drops and she shrugs her shoulders. “But I’m not sure I want to talk about finances.”
“No, I understand. I was just wondering if you didn’t have the hotel if you’d leave. Maybe visit my place?”
“Are you asking me to come see your house?” she says as she walks over towards me and places her hands on my stomach.
“I’m asking if you’d move in with me.”
Her eyes widen in surprise and she opens her mouth only to close it a second later. I grab her by the waist and set her down on top of a washing machine as I move between her legs.
“You don’t have to answer right now. I’m going to be here for a bit. But I wanted to know if you’d come with me. When the time comes for me to go.”
I trace a finger down her neck to between her breasts.
“I’d like to say yes,” she says as her own fingers go to the hem of my shirt and then under it to touch my skin. “But even if I didn’t have the Mermaid, which is a very real possibility, I couldn’t leave the island. It’s my home. This place is where I grew up, but the people here are my family.”
There’s nothing good I can say back to that, so I keep my mouth closed. Instead I lean forward and move the strap of her tank top to the side so I can kiss her bare shoulder. I reach behind her neck and untie her bikini top. Then I pull it down with her shirt, exposing her bare breasts.
“Liam,” she breathes when my mouth finds her nipple and I suck on it.
Her shorts are loose, so I pull her to the edge and slip them to the side along with her bikini. I plunge two fingers into her wetness as I reach down and undo my shorts. I pull out my bare cock and slide my fingers out before I thrust into her. I stare down at where her shorts are pushed over and my cock is disappearing inside her. We’re not using protection again and I’m not going to mention it to her. What if this is the way I get to keep her? If I can get her pregnant, then she’ll have to come with me. She might not like having to leave, but I’ll give her everything her heart desires.
“Fuck, look how pretty that is,” I say, seeing my thick cock coated in her pussy juice.
She reaches down and pulls the material more to the side, exposing her clit so I can rub it. The room is hot and humid and I can feel a trail of sweat roll down my back as I fuck her on top of this washing machine. But it’s so fucking good that I can’t stop and I’m ready to cum in her after only a few quick thrusts.
I feel her pussy rock against me, and I know I won’t last long enough to get her off if I stay like this. I pull out and get down on my knees in front of her. She cries out at the loss of my cock but moans when I put my mouth back on her. She’s so fucking wet and ready and tastes like I’ve already cum in her. I wonder what she’ll taste like when she’s pregnant?
When she cries out I know she’s close and I keep on sucking her pussy. I bury my face in it and lick her all over as she climaxes against me and calls out my name. When I think she’s almost finished I stand up and slide my cock back into her and start going hard. I don’t bother taking off her shorts now because it won’t take but a second to get off. I can still feel the clench of her pussy as her climax finishes rolling through her body. She’s so puffy and wet down there. I grunt, thrusting all the way and holding it there. My cock spurts inside her and I fill her with every drop of cum that I have while I look down at her beautiful body.
I’m weak in the legs and in my soul as I drain myself into her. She giggles shyly when I help her tie her bikini top back around her neck and arrange her tits. Never mind that I have to suck them one more time before I cover them up. I’m also reluctant to pull out of her warmth, but when she tells me about a secret spot on the beach she’ll take me to later, I slowly leave her until my cock is cold and lonely. She reaches down and strokes me, getting her fingers covered in my cum.
“Be careful,” I warn as she brings her fingers to her lips and licks then.
I want to put her on her back again, but instead, I put her bikini bottoms back in place and slide her shorts over. They’re wet in the crotch now and I know she’s going to think of me with every step she takes. When she tries to walk again, her legs are spread a little and all I can think about is, she’s getting broken in for me. I want those long legs open and ready for me any time my cock catches sight of her.
We spend the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen prepping meals and making small take-away plates for the guests. They don’t have a restaurant onsite, but she can prepare hot meals on request. There are only two other guests in the hotel now that some have checked out. So, once we’re done in there, she says she’s done for the day.
When we’re all finished, she grabs a picnic basket and tells Peter we’re going to have lunch outside. We stroll over to a golf cart at the back of the building and she gets behind the wheel.
“Should I be worried about where you’re taking me?” I ask, looking at the ocean that’s right in front of us. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a secret,” she replies and winks at me.
I hop in and put my arms around her as she takes off. She steers us around this side of the island and through a trail in the trees that’s just big enough for us to fit through.
“My grandfather discovered this lagoon after he bought the property. I don’t think anyone on the island knows about it except me,” she tells me as the trees get thicker and thicker.
“Not even Sammy?” I ask, and she shakes her head.
“I don’t know why, but I’ve always felt super protective of this place. Like if someone else knew it was here the magic might dissipate.” She laughs and shrugs. “That sounds so silly saying it out loud.”
“I think it’s kind of sweet,” I say, feeling my heart tighten. “Why do I get to see it?”
She glances over at me as she begins to slow the cart. “You’re different.” She looks away shyly and I see the pink on her cheeks. “You’re special.”
I swear right then and ther
e when we leave here I’m going to tell her the truth. I’ve been going about this all wrong, but my desire for her is getting the best of me. I have to stop thinking with my dick and be honest.
“And from here we go on foot,” she says, grabbing the picnic basket out of the back along with a blanket.
I take them from her and then hold her hand as she leads the way through a mass of bamboo and palm trees.
“No wonder no one knows this is here. It’s so far away from the beach and almost impossible to get to,” I say just as we come to a small opening in the foliage.
When she walks through I follow behind her and what I see takes my breath away—bright blue water that’s clear all the way to the bottom. There’s a waterfall to the left, big enough to stand under, and it’s making the water sparkle in the sunshine.
I glance over when I see Nicole take off her shoes in the powder-white sand. Then she takes off her tank top and shorts but doesn’t stop there. When she reaches behind her neck to untie her bikini I raise an eyebrow in question.
“Like I said, nobody but my grandfather and me knew about this place. It was our secret.” She points around the area. “We’re surrounded by cliffs on either side, so the only way to get in is the way we came.”
She takes off her top and then slides her bottoms off her hips to reveal her bare pussy. She takes a few steps into the water and then turns around, beckoning to me. I do the same as her and toss my clothes onto the ground and walk out into the water with her.
“It’s hot.” I say in surprise as we walk to where it’s waist deep.
“It’s a hot spring. In the winter it’s really nice to come out here and soak. In the summer it only feels warmer because it’s so hot outside.”
“It’s like being in a hot tub without the jets,” I say as I pull her into my arms.
“We can use the waterfall for that,” she says as I walk us into deeper water until we’re floating under the sun in clear blue water. Her legs go around my waist and my cock slips easily into her.
How could I ever take her away from this island? How can I possibly stay?
8
Nicole
I laugh as Liam throws me over his shoulder and walks into the Mermaid. I can’t stop smiling. With everything that’s been happening in my life lately, today has been one of the best of my life. Hell, I think it might be the actual best day of my life. After spending the day with Liam I’m coming to terms with what’s happening. He’s serious about me and wants to keep this going. The thoughts of a weekend fling are long gone now and he’s talking about our future.
When he reaches the porch he slides me down his body and puts me on my feet. I wrap my arms around his neck, not wanting him to let me go. Maybe I should be looking at this differently. One door is closing and another is opening. In fact, I keep thinking I’ll lose everything from my family if this place is taken from me, but maybe I’ll be starting another one with Liam.
I know it sounds crazy. We’ve only known each other a short time, but this feels right and I know he’s feeling it, too. With time we’ll get to know each other better, but I know he’s it for me and I’m not letting him go.
“Did you really mean that you wanted me to move in with you?”
“I want you with me at all times.” He leans down and kisses me. I love how he can’t keep his lips off mine.
It’s slow and lazy, like we don’t have to decide anything right away. It’s like we have all the time in the world. I actually feel pressure rising off of me and making me feel lighter. He swooped in and took away all my worries.
“I just want to make sure you weren't asking because you overheard Sammy and me today,” I admit.
I don't want him to feel guilty and I don't want a handout. I want him to ask because he can’t stand the thought of being without me. Because that’s what I’m starting to feel, too. He has a life somewhere else, so how could I ask him to stay? The Mermaid isn't going to be here for much longer. It will break my heart to lose it, but I think Liam will have no problem putting me back together.
“I asked you because this can't end. I think we both feel what’s happening. What we have is nothing like I’ve ever felt, and I don’t want to let you go.” I smile up at him. Hearing that is going to make selling this place so much easier.
“Okay. I’ll come with you. I mean, I have things to settle here and I need to make sure Peter will be okay, but I’ll come with you. If you promise we’ll visit here as much as we can.”
He stares at me for a moment and his face is unreadable.
“Hey, Nikki, you got a call.” I glance in through the front doors and see Peter sitting behind the front desk holding the phone up for me. I let my hands drop from around Liam and smile up at him.
“Give me a second,” I tell Liam and walk into the lobby.
Liam follows me and watches as I take the phone from Peter.
“Thought you might want to take it. It’s the mayor,” Peter tells me.
I glance over at Liam, whose eyes widen in surprise, reminding me he was talking to the mayor today.
“Hey, Mark,” I say, putting the phone to my ear.
“Nikki, I meant to stop by your tent today, but I got held up. I wanted to see about meeting up tomorrow to talk about the Mermaid. I’ve been made aware of a few things and I want to get this all straightened out.” I hear a shuffling of papers before he continues. “We know the place is going under and I’m sorry about that, I really am, but, well, you know what the Luxury Resort does for this island. No need to smack the hand the feeds us all around here. In time it will come to happen anyway.”
“Yeah,” I agree, because what else is there to say? I don’t really want to get into it with the mayor right now. Plus, I've already decided to sell. “Come by tomorrow around noon if you like and we’ll talk.”
“See you then.” With that, we both hang up.
Peter and Liam are watching me, and they look worried. I reach out and grab Peter’s hand. “I don’t want you to worry about anything, I’m going to sell the Mermaid. I promise that you’ll always have a place to stay and we’re getting you into college.”
“It’s okay, Nikki,” he says and pulls me into a hug. “I don’t want you to worry about me. I’ll figure it out. I’ve kinda known this was coming. I mean, I run the desk. I check some of the emails, too.”
Liam cuts in before I can. “We’re all going to figure this out. Look—”
“Mr. Armstrong! You’ve had us all so worried,” a woman cries from the entryway.
We all turn to look see a woman in a suit that’s way too hot for this weather. Her black hair is pinned up in a tight bun and there’s not a hair out of place. She looks like she belongs in a boardroom and not standing in the lobby of the Mermaid. That’s when I look behind her and see Sheriff Cyrus coming up the steps, too.
“She’s been in a fit. Tried to report your city boy missing. When she showed me a picture of him I brought her on over,” Cyrus says, looking annoyed.
“What was I to suspect?” she wails.
“Kathy,” Liam says in warning. “I talked to you this morning.”
His body is tense and I can tell he’s pissed. It’s a side of him he shows to everyone except me. With me he’s always soft and sweet. But when it comes to everyone else he’s direct and comes off as cold.
“With how you sounded I thought maybe you were kidnapped. To top it off, I hadn't heard another word from you. You haven't even opened one work email!” She says it like an accusation. Like not opening his work emails means he’s dead. “Last I heard, you wanted out of this place as soon as possible.” She turns to look at me and raises an eyebrow. If looks could kill I’d be dead. “Are you going to sell the place already, or are we taking it out from under you?”
The urge to vomit rises in my throat. Who is this woman to Liam? The whole room goes quiet until Liam breaks the silence.
“Nicole,” he says, reaching for me, but I dodge his hand.
“Armst
rong,” I say, the word tasting bitter in my mouth. “As in, Mr. Armstrong, the owner of Luxury Resorts?” I ask as everything begins to click together.
Peter makes a whistling nose. “That explains that black Amex. Wait, he’s the fucker that’s been sending you all those emails to sell the Mermaid?”
All I can do is nod because I think if I open my mouth again I’m going to be sick. But not Peter. He’s in motion before I can blink. He’s over the desk with his fist in the air and punches Liam right in the jaw. Liam doesn’t do anything. He only staggers back a step but doesn't retaliate. Cyrus runs in and grabs Peter.
“Damn it, Peter, calm down. I don’t want to take you in.”
“I’m not pressing charges,” Liam says as his eyes stay locked on me. I look away, unable to stand the sight of him.
“Get out,” I tell him.
“Blondie.” His voice is soft.
“Don’t call me that,” I snap.
“Don’t worry,” I say, looking to the woman who just barged in. For all I know she’s his lover or wife or whatever. It’s clear Liam is one good liar and I bought it all. I can’t believe I fell for his bullshit about going to live with him. He made me feel like I was safe. All of it was just to get me to sell. “Send over the offer. I’ll sign the papers.” The woman smiles at me like she's won.
I take a few steps back, and Liam tries to follow me. But both Cyrus and Peter block his path.
“Let him go right this second! Do you know who he is?” The woman rushes over.
“Yeah, and we don’t fucking care,” Cyrus retorts.
“Listen to me. Just let me explain,” Liam pleads.
I shake my head as the tears begin to form. Why does this betrayal hurt worse than losing the Mermaid?
“You slept with her?” Kathy hisses, and I can hear the jealousy clear in her voice. Great. Definitely a lover. Like this wasn't hurting enough already.
“Don’t cry.” He jerks out of the guys’ hold and ignores everyone else as he fights his way towards me. His big hands cup my face. “Please, baby, don’t cry. Just listen to me.” I jerk back from him. I hate how soft his touch is. I can’t take it. Luckily, both Cyrus and Peter are there to pull him back.
