Nineteen

by E. S. Carter

  ‘Wow, is this yours?’ my voice comes out just above a whisper. This must be his, the name is too much of a coincidence.

  ‘No not mine, I’ve hired it for us for the afternoon and before you ask, I don’t have a clue about sailing, I just wanted you all to myself for a few hours.’ The look he gives me is pure sex and those darn butterflies in my belly have now made way for a herd of rhinos to trample through my innards.

  I feel my face blaze with heat, my cheeks burning from the emotions and desire that fight for equal footing within me.

  ‘Shall we?’ Jake motions to the boat and gently helps me onboard, promptly introducing me to Max, the owner of the boat. Max is a suave, flirty, older man who gallantly kisses the back of my hand in greeting.

  I try to be polite but my eyes are attempting to take in everything around us.

  This boat is stunning. I desperately want to explore and go up on deck to see the view.

  Jake organising all this just for us is very overwhelming but I could not have chosen a better way to spend the day with him for the first time.

  ‘I can’t believe you arranged all this for us.’ I do not even attempt to hide the excitement in my voice.

  I can feel Jake looking at me, while I remain wide eyed, taking in everything around me.

  ‘Like I said, I needed it to be just you and me. I have to leave on an early flight tomorrow and today is just for us. I’m selfish like that Emma, I don’t want to share you with anyone.’

  My gaze flies back to his face, he has removed his sunglasses and I get the full effect of his remarkable eyes

  ‘Thank You Jake, it is perfect.’ I want so badly to kiss him right now and convey all the words I am struggling to say but I need to be in control here. Launching myself at him is really not a good idea, we have not even set off yet.

  I turn my head away from him and look out over the boats that surround us. I am not even aware that I whisper out loud the words, ‘I don’t want to share you either.’

  Paradise; this is what it must feel like in paradise.

  The sun is shining bright in a clear blue sky, a cool sea breeze soothes my heated skin and Emma’s hand is in mine.

  We stand in comfortable silence while looking out over the ocean. If I had to use one word to describe the feeling in this moment, it would be complete; I feel utterly complete and at ease.

  How can such a simple, innocent touch of skin on skin, bring me so much contentment?

  It feels good, it feels right.

  Emma has been quiet ever since we left the harbour but the silence between us is easy, not forced.

  She seems happy just to take in the view all around her and I am happy to take in the view of her.

  I swear I could be standing in front of the seven wonders of the world, all lined up in a neat row before me and I would still be unable to tear my eyes from her.

  She undoubtedly is, the single, most beautiful creature I have ever seen and it is not just about her physical beauty, her soul seems to call to mine on a level I never thought existed.

  Does that make me shallow, to have never believed another person could affect me this way?

  I don’t think so. I have enjoyed women and they have enjoyed me.

  Yes the connection, on my part at least, has only ever been about sex but I never made any of them believe it was ever more than that.

  I have always been upfront, never used bullshit tactics of promising them more to score, never needed to insinuate that a night, hour or session with me meant securing me monogamously.

  The truth is, I have never connected with a single one of them outside of the bedroom.

  God I’ve had some amazing sex, some absolutely mind blowing sex but have I ever just held someone’s hand and felt lighter, yet more grounded, giddy, yet calm, replete yet wanting?

  No, I have never felt those things before, until Emma.

  ‘Would you like to explore the boat?’

  I break our comfortable silence with my question and Emma pushes her sunglasses up onto her head before turning to answer me.

  ‘Can we just stay on deck for a little while? I’d love to see more of the boat but right now I cannot bear to tear myself away from this view.’ She smiles softly at me, a few loose tendrils of her hair get caught across her lips, just begging me to remove them.

  Reaching out slowly, I use my fingers to move the wayward strands and cannot help but let them continue their journey, softly skimming them across her jaw.

  She allows me this pleasure and her captivating eyes appear to melt into pools of crystal clear water, far more inviting than the ocean that surrounds us.

  ‘OK, let’s go sit up on the top deck, we can relax, have a drink and still get to enjoy the view.’ I know she thinks I mean the incredible vista around us but that is not the view I will be absorbing every last drop off. My eyes are hungry for her and her alone.

  Leading her up a short flight of stairs to the top deck, I walk her towards a curved seating area where a cooler of drinks and picnic basket of food awaits us.

  ‘Champagne?’ I offer up the chilled bottle that Max has provided for us.

  ‘As much as I’d love to I’m working later tonight, does the cooler have any water?’ her voice is soft and a little shy, I think her nerves have returned or she is uncomfortable and thinks that I am trying to get her drunk to have my wicked way with her.

  ‘Tell you what, I’ll let you have water if you tell me why my little squirt of a brother calls you Jules.’ I am teasing of course but I really do want to know the story behind the pet name.

  For the next hour she shares her travel stories with me.

  She is intelligent, funny, interesting and I find that I want to know everything about her. Never have I sat with a woman before and just enjoyed listening to them talk. I normally switch off, finding their asinine conversations boring, wanting to shut them up with my dick in their mouth or ship them off.

  Emma though, I could happily sit and let her talk forever.

  I genuinely laugh at her escapades, at her zest for life and living.

  She is like a breath of fresh air that I want to greedily gulp down more of.

  The boat begins to slow and Max’s tinny voice comes over the speakers ‘This is Agua Secreto, it’s a small bay only accessible by boat and you will have to wade to shore, the water will only come up to your knees. It’s a beautiful secluded spot, shielded from the breeze and you may even see some dolphins if you’re lucky. The cooler and basket contain everything you need for your private picnic, I will drop you off and return in two hours to take you back to the mainland. Enjoy Secret Waters’.

  The excitement in Emma’s eyes at getting to explore the deserted cove is contagious. She grips my hand in hers before grabbing the basket and tugging me behind her down to the lower deck. I gently help her into the azure water, watching as it saturates the bottom of her dress.

  Not bothering to try and save it from the water, she just stands there, a beaming smile on her face, her hand outstretched waiting for me to grasp.

  We wade through the warm waters hand in hand, reaching the soft sandy beach in a matter of moments.

  Placing the basket and cooler on the sand clear of the gentle waves, we turn to see Max manoeuvre the boat away from us and out of the bay, raising his hand in goodbye.

  We remain standing in the warm ocean, until we can no longer see the boat; both of us seemingly hesitant to finally be alone.

  ‘It’s just us.’ Emma’s voice carries on the breeze, invading my chest.

  ‘Having second thoughts?’ I smile teasingly down at her, watching for any trace of worry on her beautiful face.

  She looks up at me, her eyes glinting wickedly, ‘Maybe it’s you who should have second thoughts about me, maybe I’ve got you right where I want you, alone, vulnerable, off guard. Maybe I’ll tie you to some driftwood, shave off your eyebrows, place you into some compromising positions with an octopus and sell the snaps to the tabloids for millions. I cou
ld make myself a bloody fortune in the next two hours’ she tries and fails to keep a straight face.

  I grin down at her, my patented bad boy smile stretched across my face.

  ‘Maybe, then again a lot of what you just threatened is kind of a turn on for me right now, apart from the eyebrow shaving of course, maybe I would willingly sacrifice my humiliation in the tabloids for two hours tied up with you.’

  Her cheeks instantly heat, a red bloom flushing her face.

  ‘Touché Mr Fox, maybe we can just go relax and stuff our faces with whatever is in that basket, while you tell me more about Canada, I’d love to hear all about it, that’s if you want to share it with me.’

  A warmth spreads through me, dousing my lust but evoking a feeling I cannot quite place.

  This stunning, effervescent, creature standing with her hand in mine, wants more from me than just what I can offer on the surface.

  She wants to know me.

  ‘Come, let’s eat. Then I’ll bore you to tears with my tales, I swear if you nod off on me though, you will be the one tied to driftwood and the snaps I take will not be for anyone’s viewing pleasure but my own.’

  She lets out a startled laugh and allows me to lead her onto the warm, soft, sand.

  She lays out the blanket from the basket and stretches out her beautiful body for the sun to dry her skirt. It clings to her smooth legs like a perfectly gift wrapped temptation and she catches me staring unabashedly at her shapely upper thighs.

  Shit, I am as hard as rock in my shorts, my dick appreciating the now semi-opaque qualities of the wet cotton.

  Think about something else Jake, like puppies or false teeth or H having sex with Bella.

  Yes that does it, visions of Bella riding H like seabiscuit invade my brain and my dick finally begins to soften.

  Clearing my throat, I begin to empty the contents of the basket onto the blanket, finding a small, solar powered radio at the bottom.

  ‘We have music, does it work?’

  Emma leans over to take the radio from my hands, fiddling with the nobs and buttons until she finds a station she is happy with, then she turns the volume up slightly and places the radio on a small rock to the side of her.

  The look on her face is one of sheer contentment. If I could take a picture of her lying there, head tipped up towards the sun, legs stretched out before her, a small smile on her face, I would.

  ‘Bloody focus on the food Jake’, I mentally warn myself as I feel the bulge in my shorts return to life.

  We sit enjoying the tranquillity, feasting on tapas and sharing stories on everything from childhood, to now, while staring out over the ocean, watching dolphins play in the distance.

  If someone was writing one of those cheesy, girly, romance novels that my mother reads, this would be the perfect scene.

  The only difference being, I am sure the hero wouldn’t be sitting there with a raging boner in his pants the entire time, unlike me!

  I can’t help it, her voice, her laugh, her eyes, her smile, her breasts (yes I have been looking, continuously), all cause my blood to bubble through my veins before making its way to my dick.

  It is more than that though, I am enjoying every single second I spend with her. It’s like I have found something that I never even knew I was missing.

  If I was a more romantic man, I would say that my soul recognises hers as its twin.

  ‘Dance with me?’ her voice quietly breaks into my musings and I look away from the dolphins to her captivating face.

  The clarity I see mirrored in her eyes steals my breath away.

  She knows it too; knows that our souls are slowly entwining, until we can no longer distinguish one from the other.

  My reply is to stand and offer out my hand.

  She places hers in mine and my skin automatically reacts to hers, tingles spreading up my arm and throughout my body.

  I tug her up gently, pulling her body in close to mine before linking both hands behind her lower back, while she lays her head against my chest.

  The intimacy of this moment is spellbinding.

  I tilt my head to bury my nose in her hair and inhale her clean scent, while my thumb skims over the delicate arch of her back.

  We sway, our bodies completely synchronised in a sensuous dance of heartbeats.

  The only barrier between us is our clothes, we feel like our souls; entwined.

  Easing her head up to look into my eyes, I see the want in her gaze. The same need I have in me is reflected in hers.

  So slowly I ache, I watch as she tentatively stretches up on her toes, her eyes no longer holding mine as she looks at my lips.

  I want to take control of this moment and plunder her; it takes all of my will to allow her to lead.

  I want to consume her lips, spread her out on the blanket beneath us and get lost in her body but instead I agonisingly wait. I wait for her to make this move, I need to know she wants me as much as I want her and no matter what, I will not take her until she understands I am not looking for a quick shag. One night with her will never be enough, I know this now.

  I know this deep down into my very bones.

  The kiss is soft, sweet and so tender it physically hurts.

  Her silken lips glide over mine in the lightest caress, over and over and over again I feel the plump flesh tease mine until she becomes bold and deepens the kiss, her tongue flicking over my warm skin, gently asking for entrance.

  That first touch of her tongue is all it takes for my control to splinter. I run my fingers through her hair, grasping her nape to angle her head towards mine. Her gasp creates the perfect time for me to taste her mouth, my tongue slipping against hers in an erotic dance.

  She matches my kiss, licking the inside of my mouth fervently, swallowing the groans that escape my throat hungrily, like she would die if she stopped.

  This single kiss is the hottest sexual experience of my life.

  My blood boils with anticipation, I want to own every, single, piece of her.

  Tearing my mouth from hers I stare down at her longingly, her chest heaves erratically, her lips are swollen and wet and her eyes remain closed.

  We kissed until my lungs screamed for air and my libido growled for release.

  The radio has long since stopped playing and the sky is beginning to darken.

  I know we will have to leave here soon but I do not want this to end.

  We have started something here today, although in truth, we started something many months ago. This girl in my arms has held my thoughts, wants and dreams captive for months, I may have to leave tomorrow but I will only do so once she realises that this thing between us, is something I am not willing to give up without a fight.

  Paradise; this is what it must feel like in paradise.

  Standing here with Jake on this beautiful boat, I am overwhelmed by both the crystalline waters surrounding us and the feel of his hand in mine.

  Gulls soar overhead, gliding on thermal currents of air that sweep them effortlessly higher into the sky.

  My heart feels like those gulls in this moment, weightless, free, delicate, buoyant, alive.

  Since stepping on the boat we have shared few words, yet the silence between is more substantial than any words could be.

  The connection I feel to Jake strengthens with every second that passes.

  When I feel his gaze on me I try to appear unaffected but I feel his eyes as though they are a physical caress.

  In this moment I know that Jake sees me, that he wants me. Albeit he may do so fleetingly but right now I am willing to take whatever he offers.

  If I could bottle up this moment and keep it, I would, so when he breaks the silence to ask me to explore the boat, I selfishly decline.

  There is nothing I could see on this boat that can compare to just standing here, with him.

  He graciously allows my request, seemingly as content as I am to just be.

  When he gently moves some of my hair from my face, after a particu
larly strong gust of wind, I almost buckle at his touch.

  His fingertips glide across my jaw and I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from begging him to touch me again, anywhere.

  God this man affects me; he makes me feel impulsive and yet flustered all at once.

  I wonder if it would be too brazen just to kiss him, right here, right now.

  When he guides me up to the top deck to relax, without leaving the glorious view, I feel almost woozy, drunk on sea air and him.

  I feebly refuse the Champagne he offers, not because of work like I tell him but because I need all my faculties just to stop launching myself at him and acting like a complete whore.

  I heave a sigh of relief when he teases me about the name Liam calls me, the thick silence we shared earlier needs to be broken up with light conversation or else I might do something I regret.

  ‘It’s a long story actually, one that Liam will tell differently but basically he tried to mug me of my phone outside of this beautiful church in Italy and I went all Pulp Fiction on his head.’

  I laugh remembering that day and the swan dive that allowed Liam a flash of the underwear he still teases me about.

  ‘Ah I get it, you are Samuel L. Jackson! Trust Squirt to give you such stupid nickname, he’s not all there sometimes that boy but I guess you’ve figured that out already.’

  The smile he gives me is full of humour and love for his brother and in that second, I catch a slight resemblance in their lopsided, boyish, grins.

  ‘You’re right there, I only put up with him because I feel sorry for his lonely arse.’

  The next hour flies by in a whirlwind of conversation, I say conversation, that would imply it is two way. Basically I talk, he listens.

  I try to engage him and get him to share his stories but every time he just turns my questions back at me, saying mine are more interesting than his and that he’d rather hear all about Liam’s travelling tales from me, as I would not embellish them, than listen to his exaggerated versions.