by Sophia Lynn
“I do my best,” she said, pressing her way under the hot spray. “What are you doing today?”
He shrugged. “We'll be making landfall today a little later in the afternoon. Before that, there are a few logs for me to organize, and I need to make sure that I get some work back to the mainland.”
She made a face. “That sounds like too much work on your vacation,” she said, “but do you think it would go faster if I helped?”
He shook his head ruefully. “Would that it could. No, it is work that I need to do on my own. Why don't you go speak to Trinity and see what she is doing? Perhaps you can clear up my reputation a little. She was quite angry about what happened yesterday.”
“Trinity is a little overprotective,” Anastasia said with a giggle. “I guess I will do that. And maybe I'll see you once we make landfall this afternoon?”
He hesitated, making her bite her lip. “Look, never mind. Don't worry—if I see you, I see you…”
She had no more gotten the words out of her mouth then he turned to her, resolute.
“Yes, you will see me at landfall or at some point after if my work runs late. I want to spend time with you. I’m just sorry that some of my work needs to get in the way.”
Anastasia wondered at his pause from earlier. Had he wanted to get rid of her? He seemed to want to pull her back to him soon enough. Inwardly, she shrugged. At the end of the day, this was a vacation fling, and it wouldn't do her much good to get clingy and anxious.
She started to say something to that effect, but then his strong arms were around her again, and he pulled her in for a deep kiss under the spray. All of her protests died under the water, and she fell into the kiss with a will. She could already feel the pleasure sparking through her body again.
After a shower the likes of which she had never had before, she dressed while he made his way back to his cabin to change into real clothes. Dressed in a dark blue dress that made her skin glow, she wandered onto the deck to see what was going on.
She found Trinity enjoying a small bowl of orange-tinted yogurt close to the railing. She caught the scent of mango. Trinity turned to her with a happy smile that quickly turned into a look of shock.
Anastasia blinked. “What is it? What's the matter?” she asked concerned.
Without a word, Trinity touched her neck, and confused, Anastasia touched her own neck in the same place. She found a tender spot, and she groaned.
“Is that what I think it is?” she asked, and Trinity nodded briskly.
“It's just a little one, but there are only a few things that can be, I think. So who's the lucky fella?”
It was on the tip of Anastasia's tongue to say 'Augustine,' but for some reason, she paused. There were a handful of other men on the yacht, so the man who had torn her view of love to shreds the day before was not the natural choice.
Trinity studied her friend carefully, and before Anastasia could say anything, she nodded.
“This may be one of those things that you don't want to talk about,” she said confidently. “That's just fine. You are an adult, and I trust you. As long as you're having a good time, that's what matters the most to me. You are having a good time, though, right?”
Anastasia was nodding before she thought to say anything. When she thought of the pleasure that Augustine had given her the night before, her toes still curled.
“It was more than just a good time,” she said slowly. “It was…it was sweet. Kind. I…it felt really, really good…”
Trinity's smile was wide and pleased.
“I'm so happy to hear that. Sometimes, what you need isn't Mr. Right, it's Mr. Right for Now. I'm happy for you.”
Anastasia hung on to her friend's words, because after all, they were nothing but the truth. She and Augustine wouldn't fit into each other's worlds. Right now, though, they stood in a fragile world that was just for them. Instead of being on land, where they both had responsibilities that would pull them apart, they were on the water, where they could simply be with each other.
She resolved to treasure that for as long as she could, and when they couldn't have it any longer, she would let it go.
Sometime after noon, they made landfall at the small resort island of Nicea. Where Santa Olivine had been a sweetly old-fashioned island, Nicea was a modern gem in the middle of the sea. There was a small strip lined with impressively exclusive shops, and beyond lay the resort, which Anastasia soon realized was internationally renowned for its spa and luxury recreation options.
She was making her way down the dock when an unfamiliar voice hailed her name. When she looked up, she was startled to see Carlos waving to her from the railing.
Carlos was a tall man with an easy smile, one of Apolo's friends. He hailed from Spain, and if she remembered correctly, he was an industrialist of some renown.
“Oh, are you speaking to me?” she asked in surprise.
“Of course I am,” he said with a wide grin. “Tell me, Anastasia, what are your plans for today?”
“Well,” she said. “I know I'm meeting someone, and after that…”
“You don't seem sure,” he teased. “Perhaps you should come with me instead.”
She laughed at his joking tone, shaking her head.
“Oh? And do you have any specific plans that require my presence?”
She wondered if his smile grew a little more sly, a little more inviting.
“Well, we could explore the island together. Perhaps take advantage of the pool, and then after that, the hot tub…”
“Or you could come with me, as I know this island from top to bottom,” said Augustine. He smiled, but there was a dangerous light in his eyes as he approached the gangway.
“Are you escorting the lovely Anastasia today?” asked Carlos with a raised eyebrow. “She did not seem all that certain about it…”
“I am, actually,” said Anastasia with a grin. “Maybe another time, Carlos. Augustine?”
Augustine shot one more dire glance at Carlos before coming down to take her by the arm.
“It doesn't do to encourage Carlos,” he said darkly. “I've known him for years through my brother, and he's not terribly serious.”
“Oh?” asked Anastasia innocently. “I thought that 'not terribly serious' was what we were doing…”
At Augustine's dark look, she couldn't resist squeezing his arm and nuzzling his shoulder a little. He really was an outrageously handsome man, even when he looked so suspicious.
“Relax,” she said. “I told you I would always tell you the truth, and that is just what I am doing right this minute. On this trip, you're the one I want to be with, and you're the one I want to see. No one else even compares.”
Augustine looked at least partially mollified by this, and that was enough time to get them to an artisan ice cream shop full of flavors that neither of them had ever considered.
“Olive flavored ice cream…this sounds like a poor idea,” murmured Augustine looking up at the choices.
Olive ice cream, in fact, was a poor choice from the sample that they were given, and lobster ice cream was simply too salty. However, Augustine's rum and coke flavored treat was a hit, and finally Anastasia decided on a chai tea flavor that was only enhanced by a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
They made their way to the pristine beach to enjoy their treats, staring out over the water.
“I love this trip for showing me exactly what it is that I am trying to save,” Anastasia said, gazing out over the endless bright blue. She slipped her sandals off so she could curl her toes into the sand.
Augustine looked surprised.
“Trinity mentioned to me that you were active in clean water initiatives.”
“As much as someone without a degree in it can be,” she said with a small smile. “I go to rallies, I donate, I speak up when it’s called for, and I volunteer my time to do research when I can. Last year, I helped form oyster beds in Florida.”
Augustine blinked, and he looked rather cautious
when he spoke. “I would not have thought that you were someone who would farm oyster beds…”
She shot him an amused look, licking at her chai ice cream.
“What, don't I look like the type to do hard labor?”
He stammered over his response, and she started to laugh.
“No, it's a fair assumption to make. That was some of the hardest work I've done in my life. Oyster beds are amazing. Just a single square foot of oysters can purify water to an impressive degree, and when you weave together plastic mats to give the beds a place to develop, they do even better. It's an amazing process, but it wasn't easy. I was out there some twelve to thirteen hours a day, and early on, I got so sunburned that I was lobster red. We were working so hard to finish by our deadline that we must have broken some kind of labor code in the process.”
“Was it worth it?” he asked curiously, and she looked at him, disbelieving.
“Of course it was! I was part of a team that helped reclaim a little bit of water for the world. Those oysters are going to make an incredible difference to the region. I got to be a part of that, and no matter what, no one can take that away from me.”
Augustine looked thoughtful for a moment.
“I do not think that I've ever been involved in anything like that. The summer I learned to sail, however. That one took me from being a rather weedy fourteen-year-old to being someone who actually had some strength. The time was not exactly pleasant, but it was something that I was passionate about. It was a time when I collapsed into my bunk exhausted and woke up still sore the next day.”
“And you wouldn't exchange it for anything, am I right?” she asked.
He nodded, smiling a little. “Sometimes, it seems that everything worth doing brings with it a measure of pain and suffering.”
“Well, I don't know if I believe that,” she said, and she didn't realize how suggestive her words were until he laughed.
“You are a singular woman, Anastasia,” he said. “You are passionate without being unwise, and I could journey a very long way before I found your like again.”
His words were oddly touching to her. He wasn't talking about her beauty or her breeding. he was talking about the very core of her.
“You see me clearly,” she said quietly. “That's a gift in and of itself.”
For a moment, they were in a timeless place where they truly could see each other. The past and the future melted away, and here they were able to know each other thoroughly.
Without quite understanding what she was doing, Anastasia reached out to bring Augustine closer for a deep kiss. This was a different kiss from what they had experienced before. Before they had kissed with a wild passion that seemed to burn everything else out of their world. This was about the two of them in the world and a part of it.
When they pulled apart, Anastasia was breathless, her eyes lidded and her breath shallow. This close, she could see how dark his eyes truly were, like pools she could fall into endlessly.
“Anastasia…” Augustine murmured.
“Yes?”
“You're going to make a mess if you're not careful.”
For a moment, she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Then she looked down to realize that her scoop of ice cream was slipping right out of its cone. Without thinking about what she was doing, she tried to tilt it back to true, but somehow the scoop of ice cream ended up falling out even faster. Anastasia yelped as the cold treat landed flat on her bare foot.
“Oh, oh that's cold!” she cried, trying to dab it up with a paper napkin. Her napkin was very small, however, and the ice cream was quite generous in size. She was just realizing that she was really only making the situation worse when Augustine lifted her up.
“Augustine! What are you—?”
“Helping,” he said with a grin, and he started striding for the water.
She barely had any time to prepare herself before he waded in waist-deep and dropped her. She came up with a shout, drawing laughter from the other people on the beach. After a moment, the water proved to be pleasantly warm, and she stood up, dripping and with her dark blue dress clinging to her.
“Was that really necessary?” she squawked.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said with a grin. “You still have some ice cream on you…”
He pushed her back down in the water, but this time she went with a giggle instead of a yelp. Despite being soaked, the water felt amazing, and when she came up next time, she had a plan.
She reached for him as if to steady herself, and then at the moment where he pushed her in, her hands shot out and knotted themselves in his linen shirt. Then she simply let her weight do the work as she slipped towards the water.
“Gotcha,” she whispered, right before they hit, and then there was an enormous splash.
“Demented woman,” he said with a smile, standing up out of the water. “Where in the world did you get such ideas?”
“I have no idea,” she retorted. “But now that we're completely wet and our clothes are hopeless, shall we go for a swim?”
There were changing houses on the edge of the beach, and both of them had brought swimming garments with them. In the dim privacy of the changing house, Anastasia hesitated over her choice. When she swam, she preferred the sleek looks and efficiency of a dark tank. However, when she packed this particular suit, she’d had something a bit different in mind. With a shrug, she shed her soaked dress and wriggled into her swimming suit.
“After all,” she said to herself, “you packed this with him in mind…”
When she emerged into the sun, Augustine was already waiting for her. In his black swim trunks, she could appreciate the fine muscled lines of his body with ease. He looked like an ocean god come up to see the people of the shore, and Anastasia was overcome by a desire to touch him everywhere she could.
Her doubts about her swimsuit were laid to rest when she saw his dark eyes lock onto her. Augustine's gaze roved her body as if there was nothing he could do to stop himself, his mouth slightly open. Her confidence greatly restored, she sauntered out to meet him, gently closing his mouth with her hand.
“I'm glad you like my choice of swimming attire,” she said with a mischievous grin.
“Like isn't the word I would choose,” he managed. “Stunned might be a little more appropriate…”
The suit in question was a classic bikini, but when she first tried it on, she had thought it was too small for her. The saleswoman, however, had reassured her that it was perfectly in style, and so she had ended up with a bright white bikini where the top seemed barely able to hold her breasts back.
“Shall we get into the water?” she suggested. “I want to get plenty of time in the sea before we have to come back up.”
She wasn't sure she had ever had a day like the one that she had with Augustine. The water made them both playful, and when they ventured into the deeper part, they could dive and sneak up on each other. Augustine was certainly the stronger swimmer, but it turned out that Anastasia was far sneakier, able to hold her breath long enough that he was completely unprepared when she grabbed his ankle and pulled him down.
At some point, she hid from him behind some rocks, only to yelp with surprise when he materialized behind her.
“Augustine!”
“You thought you could escape so easily?” he mocked her, pinning her against the warm stone.
“Who says I wanted to escape?” she said, her voice as warm as honey.
When he leaned in to kiss her, she could feel how aroused he was against her thigh. With their bodies covered to the chest by water, she felt no compunctions against twining her legs around him and clinging to him hard.
She felt him gasp against her mouth, and their kiss became deeper, more insistent.
Could we do this right here? Anastasia wondered. In the pure water, under the bright sun?
The idea awakened a deep longing in her. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to make love with this man at right tha
t moment. There was something elemental about it, so powerful that she moaned.
“You're irresistible,” he murmured against her throat.
“So don't resist me,” she replied.
He pulled back for a moment to assess her invitation, and she could see the same dark hunger in herself reflected in his eyes.
There was no telling what they would have done before the shouts of children at play reached their ears.
“No,” Anastasia groaned, thudding her head gently against his shoulder. “No, no, no, no…”
Augustine smiled at her protestations, looking around the rock before shaking his head.
“Sorry, darling,” he murmured. “Playtime is on for that family, and over for us for the moment.”
He led her out from behind the rock, where they waved at the family that had appeared at the edge of the water close by. The children waved at them, and for a moment, Anastasia was struck by the sturdy boy with dark hair. He stood proudly in the water as if daring the waves to knock him over, and when they did, he only got back up to challenge them again.
“I bet that's what you were like when you were a little boy,” she said.
Augustine glanced at the child, shaking his head a little. “If you mean too stubborn for my own good, that was definitely true. Apolo was my older brother, and he was always the serious one. Whenever he tried his hand at a thing, chances were good that he would succeed at it. I had to be more persistent, but if I was persistent enough, I would do just fine.”
“Is that what explains sailing?”
He sighed a little.
“Shall we grab some food? This story isn't long, but it goes over better with food…”
Anastasia was amused when they found a small stand selling oysters just a short distance above the beach. They found some shade behind a stand of rocks, and as Augustine pried each oyster open with a special knife, she applied a squirt of lemon to them.
The two of them ate a dozen oysters whole, and Anastasia, who had always enjoyed the slippery, slightly metallic taste of raw oysters, was in heaven.
“Those might have been the best oysters that I have ever had,” she said with a sigh. “But don't think that’s going to distract me from your story…”
