by L. P. Dover
His smile radiated mischief. “Don’t let me stop you then. I’m sure I can make things exciting for you.”
I winked. “I have no doubt.”
We spent the day exploring the cottage and walking around the island. There were so many amazing shells on the other side where the waves were. It was like our own private paradise. Not going to lie though, it was a little scary knowing we were the only ones there.
After a long day of trekking through the sand, we made it back to the cottage to shower and cook dinner. Lucas had obviously paid the owners a giant sum to stock the place with tons of food. He grilled our barbecue chicken, while I made our salads and roasted potatoes. Once my part was done, I carried it onto the back deck and set it on the table. Lucas had the tiki torches lit, giving everything a romantic glow. The sun had started to fade away and the stars were already visible.
Lucas pulled our chicken off the grill and placed it on our plates. After all the walking we did, my body was starving. I ate a bite of my chicken and sighed. “This tastes so amazingly good. I was curious to see how you’d do on the grill.”
Brows lifted, he set his beer down. “Did you not think I could?”
I shrugged. “I figured you had a chef to do everything for you.” He’d never mentioned he could cook before. “Besides, you can’t be amazing at everything you do. Maybe this wasn’t your thing.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Fuck no. I’m a master on the grill. Thought I’d surprise you tonight. I don’t like eating out all the time. It’s nice being able to cook my own food.”
I cut off a piece of chicken and it practically fell apart in my mouth. “I’m not complaining. You’ll have to come to my house one night and cook me dinner. Most of the time, I don’t get home early enough from the clinic to cook anything special.”
Grinning wide, he nodded. “I’d be happy to. You could always just give me a key. That way, I can have dinner all ready for you.”
Pursing my lips, I studied him. I’d never given anyone a key to my house, not even my ex. “You don’t know how to move slow, do you?”
The corners of his lips turned up. “What’s the point? Why move slow when you already know what’s going to happen in the end? Might as well skip to the good parts.”
“You are a bad influence, Mr. Montgomery. Someone in this relationship needs to be the sensible one.”
He shrugged. “You said it yourself. Taking risks is a part of life. Hell, I’m taking just as many as you.”
“How do you figure? Your life will be the same. Mine is the one that’s about to change drastically.”
He regarded me seriously. “Not true. Every moment I’m away from you, I’ll be worried that something’s going to happen. That someone’s going to say something to tear you away from me. We both know I don’t have the most respectable past.” He looked away. “The media can be fucking brutal. If I so much as shake someone else’s hand, they’ll have a picture of it that’ll be plastered all over God’s creation.”
“It’s going to be tough, I won’t lie. Trust will most likely be the most difficult part, but I’m willing to try if you are.”
“You know I’m willing.” He smiled sadly. “I’m also worried about them digging into your past. If there’s anything remotely scandalous, it’ll be brought forth and picked apart in the tabloids.”
I shook my head. “I’ve led a pretty vanilla life, Lucas. The only thing in my past is my ex and how he cheated on me. Other than that, I’ve been a saint . . . well, at least until I met you.”
“More like a prude,” he teased with a wink.
I grabbed one of my small potatoes and threw it at him. “Hey. A prude wouldn’t have had sex with you that first night.”
“Do you regret it?”
I looked deep into his eyes. “Not at all. From what I knew about you through the media, I’m not going to lie, I thought you’d be an arrogant prick. But I’ve had the chance to get to know the real you.”
He tossed a potato into his mouth, chewing with his wide grin. “Oh, I’m still a prick, sunshine. That’s never going to change. I just don’t want to be that way with you.”
“There’s no reason to be that way at all. You’re a good guy.”
“Shh, don’t tell anyone that.” Laughing, he finished off his beer and looked up at the sky. “Want to take a blanket to the beach and look up at the stars?”
That brought a smile to my face. “Well, aren’t you the romantic?” I ate the last bite of my chicken and drank the rest of my wine. “I’d love to. I’ll go get the quilt I saw in the other bedroom.” We cleaned up our dishes, and then I fetched the blanket.
It was dark on the island without lights to lead our way, so Lucas grabbed a flashlight and we headed down the palm tree path, hand in hand.
“What’s next for you once you leave Myrtle Beach?” I asked.
He gave my hand a squeeze. “I think I’m going to take the rest of the year off from tournaments. I’ll pick back up once the new year starts. I’m really hoping I get invited to the Masters.”
“When will you find out?”
“Probably the beginning of the year. That’s usually when the invites roll in.”
The sand felt cool against my feet. “I hope you get one. If you do, I’ll have to come watch you play.”
He stopped in his tracks and turned to me. “You will?”
“Of course. The Masters is huge.”
“I’d like that.” He smiled, and it made my heart flutter. If we were still together the following year, I wouldn’t miss it for anything. A part of me wondered how everything was going to work out once he left town, but I promised myself I wouldn’t stress over it.
We walked past the dock and down the beach a little ways. Lucas helped me spread the blanket out on the sand. It was so soft and fluffy. I laid down on my back, with my hands behind my head, while Lucas did the same beside me. The stars seemed extra bright, flickering like faraway candles.
“If you love the stars here, you should see them in Wyoming,” he murmured. “They look a lot closer there.”
I sighed. “That sounds like heaven. I’ll have to visit there one day.”
“I’ll take you,” he replied. “I’ve been dying to go back. My parents took me and Aiden there when we were just teenagers. We hiked, fished, and enjoyed the mountains. It’s a completely different world from North Carolina.”
“I would love to see places like that.” Turning to him, I leaned up on my elbow. “We went on vacations too, but it was mainly tropical destinations. I’ve never been out West.”
He looked over at me. “Don’t worry, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
“What if I want to take you? You’re not the only one with money in this relationship.”
He burst out laughing. “Hell yeah. I’m not going to turn you down. As long as I’m with you, I don’t care how we get there.”
I laid back down. “Okay, just so we’re clear. We don’t have to have your money to do adventurous things.” Silence filled the air, except for the sound of the ocean. It was beyond peaceful.
Lucas moved closer, wrapping his arm around my waist. He looked down at me, his eyes searching mine.
“You okay?” I probed.
He nodded, voice low. “Better than okay.” His gaze fell to my lips and he kissed me. My whole body lit up like it was on fire. I wanted more, but he pulled away. “There’s something I want to tell you.”
“What?” I whispered.
Gently, he brushed a hand down the side of my face. “I’m falling in love with you.”
My heart stopped, and I felt the burn behind my eyes. Deep down, I’d been waiting on him to say it, even though I knew it was moving way too fast. But there was no denying the way I felt. Fighting it only made the feelings that much stronger.
“Say something,” he murmured, looking unsure.
Smiling up at him, I captured his face with my hands. “I’m most definitely falling in love with you too.”
&nb
sp; Sighing with evident relief, he rolled on top of me, spreading my legs open so he could fit snuggly in between. Pressing his forehead to mine, he closed his eyes and squeezed them tight. “How can you love me?” he asked, his voice gruff. “I don’t deserve it. I’ve made too many bad choices in life.”
“Eh, nobody’s perfect. I have to believe people can change.” I kissed his lips and he opened his eyes. “If you promise you’ve learned from your mistakes and won’t make them again, that’s good enough for me.”
His heated gaze landed on mine, his breathing deep and raspy. The raw energy radiating from him made me tremble in anticipation. “You just fucked up, sunshine,” he growled low.
“Why is that?” I whispered. He pushed his erection against me and I moaned, desperately aching to feel him inside me.
“Because I’m not letting you go. For the first time in my life, I’m experiencing what it’s like to be with a woman I can’t get enough of. I don’t know how I’m going to leave town now.” Lowering his head, he kissed my cheek and trailed his lips down to my neck.
“What if you don’t have to?” I murmured.
He brushed his thumb across my lips and lifted his head. “What are you saying?”
My heart raced out of control. “I’m saying, there are a ton of golf courses around here for you to practice on. During the week, you could stay with me, and then, on the weekends we can go to Charlotte if you want.”
His eyes frantically searched mine. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “Yes. I want us to be together, Lucas. I’m willing to put in the effort if you are.”
“I’m more than ready, sunshine. It’ll take some work and getting used to it, but I’m ready.”
My brows lifted. “That means no more single life. Think you’ll be happy with just me?”
He stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “I’m more worried about you. I already know Rhett wants you. There’s no telling how many other men are waiting around the corner.”
Grinning smugly, I snickered. “There’s tons. They love my sexy scrubs.”
He bit my lip, sucking it between his teeth. I gasped and felt the heat rise between my legs. “Now I know I’m not letting you out of my sight.” He deepened the kiss and I opened for him, running my hands through his hair.
I moaned as he lifted my shirt and bathing suit top and tossed them into the sand. Keeping his gaze on mine, he unbuttoned my shorts and slid them down my legs, along with my bikini bottoms. Once his shorts were gone, he settled on top of me. We stared at each other, both naked on the blanket. The night had cooled off, but not so much that I was chilly.
“I’ve never made love under the stars,” I whispered.
Lucas smiled and lowered his lips to my breasts. “I’m happy to be your first.” He reached down to slip a finger inside me. As soon as he found out how wet I’d grown, he growled deep in his chest.
Instead of letting him take control, I grabbed his shoulders and flipped us so that his back was to the ground. Sitting up, I straddled him.
“What’s this?” he asked, smirking.
“You had your way with me last time. Now it’s my turn. You can’t always be in control, Ace.”
His eyes lit up and he smiled, giving me full access to his body. We had all the privacy in the world on our tiny island. And to top it off, it was exhilarating making love by the ocean, underneath the stars.
Sliding down his body, I kissed my way across his stomach and felt him jerk when my lips closed over the tip of his cock. He moaned as I licked and tasted the saltiness of his skin. I enjoyed feeling his cock grow in my mouth the more I sucked. Before too long, my clit throbbed to the point of aching. I needed friction and I needed it now.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
Crawling up his body, I straddled his waist. He settled his hands on my hips and set me on his dick, but I dropped down quickly and took him in fully. Growling, he bit his lip and squeezed my ass as I took him deep. I cried out in pleasure, it felt so fucking good.
I rode him hard, picking up speed when I knew he was close to finishing. Lifting his head, he pulled a nipple between his teeth and put his hands on my back, so I couldn’t move away. He bit and sucked so hard, I was going to have marks on my body, but I didn’t care. My insides clenched. Screaming out my release, my stomach spasmed and my body clenched, milking him dry.
Grabbing my face, he pulled me down to his lips, kissing me softly. “I’m ready for the world to know about us.”
I chuckled and kissed him back. “Soon.”
Chapter Twenty
Ashley
The three days passed by in a blur. I didn’t want it to end, but I had to get back for the rehearsal. Not to mention, my brother was back in town. We were on our way back to civilization, when my phone beeped with a gazillion messages and missed calls.
Harper: Hope you’re having fun.
Cameron: Hey! Where are you? Olivia said you had an emergency. Are you with Rhett and not telling us?
Harper: Umm . . . so Olivia must’ve thought you were with Rhett, but he just showed up here with no clue as to where you are. Now he’s worried something’s wrong. Good luck when you get back. You have a lot of explaining to do. I at least told them you were okay, so they wouldn’t call the police.
“Ugh, this is a nightmare,” I groaned. Even though I was a grown woman, my parents were probably worried sick.
We slowed down the closer we got to the dock. “What’s wrong?”
I held up my phone. “I guess when I told Olivia I had to leave for a couple of days, she assumed I was going with Rhett.”
“And you two never hooked up?”
“No,” I shrieked. “It’s never been like that. Anyway, he showed up at the resort, leaving Olivia confused. Now they’re all wondering where I am. Harper had to keep my parents from calling the police.”
He burst out laughing. “Imagine what they’re going to say when they find out you’ve been with me the whole time. Guess it’s a good thing we’re going public tomorrow.”
“Or more likely today,” I added. “But I’m hoping to wait. The last thing I want is the paparazzi at the hotel trying to get a sneak peek of you at the wedding. I don’t want anything ruining it for Olivia and Cameron.”
“I can understand that,” he replied with a nod. “Maybe you should text them to come down here to the marina. That way, we can explain in private. I’m sure they’ll understand.”
It wasn’t a bad idea. Taking a deep breath, I sent a group text to Olivia and Cameron.
Me: Hey guys! I’m back
