by A. m Madden
“No,” she quipped. “I made the bed. They’ll only be sending a maid once a week to supply clean linens, towels, and groceries.”
“Once a week?” Just kill me now. “So, who was at the door?”
“A messenger.” She waved the envelope. “He dropped this off.”
“What is it?” I walked over to stand next to her. My waist was practically at her eye level. Watching her blush was quickly becoming one of my favorite things.
“Can you please put some clothes on? And I don’t know what it is. It’s addressed to both of us.”
Leaning down, I whispered, “You should turn your head, or you’re going to get an eyeful.” With a chuckle, I walked to the dresser and opened one of the few drawers she was so kind to leave empty for my stuff. “Can you read that so I know what to wear?”
She angled herself away from me.
Jude and Brae,
We hope you’re enjoying your home away from home. Today, you’ll need to work together to steer yourselves down the right course. Use this time to understand each other’s strengths and help each other in times of weakness. Just like relationships, your ability to work together will be necessary in order to maneuver yourselves to the finish line. Your ride will arrive this afternoon to take you to Caneel Bay.
Love and Sparks,
Chip & Barbi
I stepped into a pair of navy swim briefs and black shorts before shrugging into a black tank top. Since we were going to a bay, I assumed this involved water. “You can turn around now. That’s all it says?”
She flipped the card over. “Yes, that’s all it says. What do you think it means?”
“Water sports? Why don’t you get ready?” She grumbled something while rummaging through the top drawer before disappearing into the bathroom with a few articles of clothing.
The door creaked open. “I made a pot of coffee. I can guarantee it’s much better than my chicken.” She smiled before closing the door behind her.
I helped myself, and moaned in pleasure at my first sip. Thank God it was good. Not knowing how long we’d be gone, and not wanting to repeat the hunger pains I had last night, I scoured in the fridge for breakfast.
Nothing appealed to me, until I saw pancake mix in the small pantry.
She was in the bathroom long enough for me to make a large stack of pancakes, cut up some fresh fruit, and fry some bacon. I couldn’t resist.
I could smell that green apple shampoo she used before I saw her. She turned the corner and smiled. Her simple lilac sundress wasn’t sexy in any way, but the visible deep purple string around her neck sure as fuck was. Goddamn, I could only imagine what she looked like in a bikini. And in a short while, I’d be finding out.
“Smells delicious.” When she stepped beside me to snatch a berry from the bowl, I had to resist leaning in to sniff her hair. “Is all this for you, or are you sharing?”
“I guess I’ll share,” I mumbled, pretending to be put out by doing so. I lifted a piece of bacon and hovered it near her lips. “Pork?”
She clenched her mouth into a tight line and leaned backward. “No thank you.”
“Suit yourself.” I snapped a piece off with my teeth and released an erotic groan while I chewed. Her face tensed as she did her best to contain a smile.
One day, I’d make sure she’d devour bacon. So long as I was making guarantees, one day I would devour her. I had sex with women I liked a lot less than Brae. Compared to her, they were Fords when she was a Rolls. So, who could blame me for wanting to test drive before I committed?
Chapter 10
Brae
“Welcome to today’s adventure,” a very handsome man greeted us as soon as we arrived on a different part of the island. He was a few inches shorter than Jude, but just as muscular. Where Jude was drop dead gorgeous, Roberto, as the nametag on his tank top read, was handsome in a free-spirit kind of way, with longer hair and darker skin.
Roberto’s chocolate brown eyes were on me, mine were on him, and I could feel Jude’s eye’s drilling holes through the side of my head.
“I’m Roberto, and I’ll be your kayaking guide here at Caneel Bay.”
“Kayaking?” I asked, panicked.
Jude sensed my apprehension through my tone and appeased me by saying, “Don’t worry, Sparky. I was on the rowing team at Yale.”
Of course he was.
“Together, you’ll navigate the beautiful bay where you will see colorful coral and an abundance of marine life, including some of the most spectacular turtles in the Caribbean.”
“Are they snapping turtles? I’m not wearing a cup,” Jude snorted, and I elbowed him in the ribs.
“Be respectful,” I said, but internally laughed at his joke, immediately remembering his jockstrap comment during the game show. “This is his home, and he’s proud of it.” He muttered something in Swedish, and I could only imagine what it was based on the grin he sported.
Unfazed, our guide continued. “You can stow your clothing in the foot locker by the palm tree. Once you’re ready, meet me by the yellow kayak.”
Before I knew it, Jude lowered his shorts to reveal a European cut bathing suit American men didn’t wear. As if my eyes were paralyzed, I couldn’t stop staring when he pulled his tank over his head. His body was like a work of art. Each muscle moved with purpose, and his tattoos made him even sexier.
“Are you just going to stand there gawking or do you plan on kayaking in that dress you’re wearing?” Jude chuckled at his joke before he threw his clothes haphazardly into the locker and shoved his sandy shoes right on top of the pile.
I felt my face heat with embarrassment at being busted. As quickly as I could, I stripped down to my bikini and stowed away my neatly folded dress on top of his mess, putting my sandals away on the shelf at the bottom.
When I turned and saw him now gawking at me, I immediately assumed he was making fun of my OCD again. Just as I was about to defend myself, he said, “Purple.”
“What? Purple is my favorite color.” I folded my arms, waiting for the insult.
“Purple . . . looks . . . good on you.” Our eyes met and held.
“Um . . .” Using the small backpack I brought with me as an excuse to change the subject, and never having been in a kayak before, I looked to Jude for advice. “Do you think I can bring this with us?”
“Do you need it? What do you have in there?” Taking it from my hand, he pulled the top apart, widening the opening. “Do you really need all this stuff?” He reached in and pulled out a tampon. With his sexy leer, he asked, “No sex tonight, dear?”
Mortified, I snatched the bag away from him and closed it. “I’ll just ask Roberto.”
“Screw Roberto.” He stepped closer, taking the bag from my hand. “You don’t need this. We’ll only be gone an hour or so.” Taking control of the situation, he put the bag in the locker and slammed it shut.
“Wait, I need my sunscreen.” I flipped open the locker again, grabbed the tube, squirted a glob of lotion in my palm, and rubbed it over my exposed skin. “Would you like some?”
I added a dollop to his palm, and in a swift motion, he smoothed some over his face and arms. My eyes feasted on his toned skin that now glistened in the sun. On instinct, my tongue moistened my lips. Even the way his muscles contracted when he pushed the locker closed affected me. “We good now?” He cocked his lips to the side.
At my nod, he took my hand and led me to the yellow kayak of death waiting for us. I couldn’t even allow my fear to fester. All I could think about was my hand in his. It wasn’t the first time, but it wasn’t any less thrilling.
We came to stand beside Roberto, and Jude positioned himself between us. Roberto handed each of us a bright red life vest. Jude dropped my hand to put his on, and I followed his lead. The problem was, he snapped his black straps easily into their receivers, and mine had at least four inches between them. Glancing up, his eyes danced as he laughed at me.
“Mine doesn’t fit.”
&nbs
p; “Sparky,” he said, his tone scolding. “You need to adjust the straps to accommodate the girls.”
Roberto moved closer to help, but Jude intercepted, saying, “I’ve got it.” The snark in his tone was unmistakable, but again, Roberto seemed oblivious. The man must have taken a happy pill.
Jude came toe to toe with me, his hands first releasing the tension on the top strap and then the bottom. As he concentrated on my vest, I stared up at his face. If I just lifted on my toes, my lips could be on his. My eyes honed in on the way his lips parted just enough for me to see his tongue pressed against his front teeth while he concentrated. His green-brown eyes followed the movement of his large hands. By the time his fingers closed the pieces together across my boobs, my entire body was pulsing.
“There, now they’re safe and sound.” He took both hands and patted the padded vest right over my boobs, an obnoxious grin on his face. Then, he did it again, keeping them there the second time.
“Are you done?” I arched a brow.
“Yep,” he said with a prideful nod.
Roberto witnessed the whole exchange with a smile. “You make a very beautiful couple.”
“Thank you,” we both responded at the same time.
Jude’s eyes connected with mine and held—again. Whenever he did that, stared at me in that way that made me feel like he wanted me desperately, my brain always malfunctioned. I barely listened through the instructions Roberto recited. I did hear him say, “To complete your challenge, you must kayak out to the red buoy and back. Do you need accompaniment?”
I then heard Jude say, “No, we’re good.”
That snapped me back to reality. “Good?” My heart pounded in panic. “I’ve never done this before.”
“Trust me, I’ve got us.” I glanced out to the bay we would be navigating, completing a mental check. No waves, thank God. No obstacles to maneuver around. Really, it was just one big, open, calm pond. This shouldn’t be too hard.
Minutes later, there we were cutting through the calm waters. I held my paddle in a way where neither end touched the surface. We picked up speed, and the gentle breeze blew my hair away from my face.
I tilted my head up toward the sun, enjoying the ride, until he barked, “You plan on helping me, Sparky?”
“You seem to be doing a good job. You don’t need me.”
“Yes, I do. Because if I take a break, this is what will happen.” He stopped paddling and the kayak bobbed and tipped dangerously. With trembling fingers, I gripped my paddle in a false sense of security and gasped.
“Okay, stop shaking it. I’ll help.” He chuckled and caused even more rocking. “I said I’ll help!” I yelled, my veins humming with anxiety.
“That’s what I thought. Now, do what I do. Sweep.”
“Sweep what?”
“Your left. Sweep, then right is draw. Sweep. Draw.” Confusion caused my body to freeze like a mannequin. I startled when he barked, “You’re not listening.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I turned to glare at him, the motion dipped us to the right, and before I knew it—splash!
Beneath the surface, I heard him yell, “Knulla!” I came up sputtering beside him.
Once I caught my breath, I quipped, “Is that another rowing term, Mr. I Was on the Yale Rowing Team?”
“No, it means fuck! As in what the fuck! Good job, Sparky,” he scolded.
“You can’t bark orders I don’t understand. I’ve never done this before.” By the way he stared at me, I could tell he wasn’t listening. He reached over with his thumb and pointer finger and touched my lips, picking something off them. I swore I felt it everywhere.
The cool water did little to cool me off. He lifted his fingers, and said, “Seaweed.”
There was nothing remotely sexy about having a piece of seaweed stuck to my lips. But holy hell, my brain shut down without warning. Every part of me in comparison sparked to life. I felt myself sinking, and his arm wrapped around my waist. The damn vests kept our chests apart—too far apart. His long legs dangled with mine beneath the surface. With each move he made, I could feel his manhood brush against my thigh.
I held onto his vest, gripping the edges near his bare arms. “Sparky, don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” My words were barely a whisper. His gaze moved to my lips, then back up to my eyes. “We need to get back on,” he said in a sexy rasp. His warm breath fanned my face. Without moving a muscle, he added, “I’ll lift you first.”
I’d rather stay right where we were, until something not human brushed against my leg. Just as he placed his hands on my waist, I shrieked and bucked enough to send the kayak floating away from us.
“You’re killing me, Sparky.” With a hand on my vest, he towed me toward the kayak and steadied it with his other hand. “I’m going to lift you. Don’t touch the kayak with your hands or you’ll tip it again. Keep them on your vest.” I did as I was told as he turned me to face the kayak.
That was when two large hands grabbed my ass cheeks before stilling. When it didn’t look like he’d be moving them, I said, “The only reason I’m allowing this is because I want out of this water. Can you get on with it?”
“In a minute. I’m having too much fun.” He chuckled at my glare. “Hey, cut me a break. It’s the little things.” He flexed his fingers, getting a good grip on my ass, and pushed me up.
Forgetting everything he said, I reached out with a hand, tilted the vessel to the right, and sent it spiraling away from us.
“Sparky! I said not to touch the side.” His brows pulled together in an annoyed expression.
“I’m sorry.”
Instantly, his features softened. “Please, let me do this or we’ll be here all day. And I really don’t want to find out the hard way that there are snapping turtles in here.” Repeating the steps again, his vest hit the side, causing it to flip upside down.
“I swear I didn’t touch anything.”
His only response was a sigh. After a few more failed attempts, I was beginning to think we’d never get out of that water. Where it was pristine and gorgeous when we started, it suddenly turned murky. Things kept touching my legs, and I was getting the heebie jeebies the longer we were submerged.
Jude glanced toward the shore. “Can you swim to the shore?”
I followed his gaze, and shrieked, “Hell no! Are you nuts? That’s like a mile.”
“It’s like fifty yards, but fine. We’ll get in this fucking banana one way or another. I’ll hold it still. Climb me and get in.”
“Climb you?” My thoughts immediately went to Vanessa and how she told me to climb him like a tree. My nipples pebbled, and it didn’t have anything to do with the water surrounding us.
“Yes,” he said like I was a five-year-old. “Hold my vest, put your foot on my thigh, then the other, and climb into the kayak.”
Doing as I was told, I found myself sitting just where I was supposed to be. Flashing a smile he couldn’t see, I bragged, “Yay, I did it.”
“Good girl. Now, don’t move,” he threatened. “It’s going to rock. Just sit still.” I sat stone still as he retrieved our paddles from nearby and handed them to me. When the kayak leaned dangerously close to the surface of the water, my heart stopped. My gut instinct was to scream and jump, but his voice repeated, “Don’t move!”
I barely blinked for fear of getting in trouble, and waited until he situated himself behind me. He released a very audible breath, and said, “Okay. Let’s try this again. Sweep.”
“Are you kidding me? Just say left or right.”
“Fine, Sparky. Left.” A moment later, he deadpanned, “Your other left.”
Jude
I’d never been so happy to see dry land. Once we removed our life vests, Roberto raked his eyes over Brae while smiling wide as we approached him. He took our vests, and asked, “Did you have a good time? You looked like professionals once you got the hang of it.”
“Thank you. It was just wond
erful.” Brae smiled with pride as if she just rowed the English Channel. “It was spectacular. Such smooth, clear water. Kayaking should be something everyone tries. I’d do it every day if I lived here.” I shook my head in disbelief at her exaggerated reply.
Roberto clapped his hands together. “You are welcome anytime, and if your boyfriend is busy, I’d be happy to go with you.”
“Thank you. I’ll remember that.”
Did she just bat her eyes? She had to be one hell of a sales person. She had me sold even though I experienced that disaster with her. There wasn’t a question whether Roberto was also sold on her. His eyes kept roaming her body and a perpetual smile lifted the corners of his stupid mouth.
Brae laughed. “As soon as I understood what sweep and draw meant, I did much better.”
Roberto grinned. “You can just think left and right. The idea is to relax your mind and enjoy the ride.”
Cutting her eyes to mine, she smiled sweetly, “We’ll remember that next time, won’t we, honey?”
Honey? Hello, green light. “You better believe it, sweetheart.” In one swift motion, she was in my arms. Just like in a dance, I dipped her backwards, making a production of it, and stared into her eyes like a long lost lover. The hollow of her neck pulsed as she worked down a swallow. When her lips parted in an attempt to say something, I closed the small gap between us.
As the kiss progressed, so did my want for her. With one hand on the back of her neck, I could feel her pulse pound beneath my fingers. My other hand, having a mind of its own, gripped her thigh and brought her leg up to wrap around my hip. The more we made out in front of that tool, Roberto, the more I wanted to stretch her out in the sand and really give him a show.
Brae’s hands squeezed my biceps. This move could have been interpreted in a couple of ways. She either, A, wanted more of me, or B, was signaling for me to stop. Naturally, I chose option A, but of course I was wrong.
