by Harlow James
Chapter 11
Shayla
“Oh! I see a hat, sunglasses, and a big enough purse to conceal underwear, a change of clothes, and a toothbrush. Is someone getting lucky tonight?”
I walk down the hall as Chloe’s eyes assess my attire and my rather large bag on my shoulder, which does have all of those things in it, but I won’t give her the satisfaction of knowing she’s right.
“I was told to pack certain things, so I did.”
“I love that he’s sort of silent, yet bossy at the same time. Like a broody alpha-type. That’s so hot.”
“You have no idea,” I mumble as I check my appearance in the mirror by the door. My hair is flowing over my shoulders in soft waves under the wide brim of my hat. I kept my make-up light, which is more my style anyway, and chose a red, halter sundress with my black bikini underneath. All Wes told me was to dress for a day at the beach, so I brought all of my usual essentials, plus a light sweater for once the sun goes down just in case.
“Did you see that picture of him and his sister that I sent you?” she asks as I spin around, thrown off by her random comment.
“Yes. Why?”
“Is she as pretty in person as she looks in a photograph?”
“She’s prettier, in a money meets old-Hollywood kind of way. Classic, yet bright and full of pizzazz. Wes said she’s studying fashion and design at USC, and you can tell she has a flare for color and style just by how she dresses.”
“Did you get to talk to her much?”
I shrug, and then reach for my lip gloss, putting one more layer on. “Not really. I was working. But they seem to have a good relationship.”
Chloe shakes her head and then moves around the kitchen. “It’s just crazy. Could you imagine going out to lunch and then seeing a picture of you eating online the next day?”
“Knowing my luck, it would be one of me with food all over my face.”
She laughs. “Right? But I don’t know. Something about seeing his picture just made me realize who it is that you’re dating.” Chloe bites her lip and then looks up at me with worry in her eyes.
“You were the one convincing me to give him a chance. Now you think this is a bad idea?”
She throws her hands up. “Hell no! I hope you end up marrying the man and making miniature billionaire babies, Shayla. But I’m just worried. His life is very different from your quiet one. I just… I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Taking her words to heart, I close the distance between us and pull her in for a hug. “Believe me, no one is more terrified than me about that possibility, Chloe. I go back and forth every day about whether this is a good idea. But I’m trying to be careful, and he said he likes his privacy. I’m sure that he’ll do what he can to protect me.” I say the words and am shocked by how much I believe them—because even though I’ve only known Wes for a few weeks, I can read his protective streak clearly. The man values anonymity and stresses about how he tries to stay out of the spotlight. Surely he can sense that I want that too.
Although I can’t stay anonymous forever if I’m dating him. Eventually people will know who I am and my life will never be the same.
“Yeah, you’re right. Plus, you have to sleep with him before anything goes south. The man looks like he could be a God in bed.”
I shove her playfully before I hear a knock on the door. I don’t think I need to tell her how much I’ve fantasized about Wes’s skills in the sack over the last week, especially after our kiss and the anticipation about today. But I have no plans about what’s going to happen today, or even tonight. My plan is just to go with the flow. If something feels right, then I’ll give in. And if not, then I’ll put my foot down like I always do.
“You still don’t know where he’s taking you?”
“Nope. But I didn’t give him any limitations this time, so we’ll see just how ostentatious he gets.” I reach for the handle, knowing that Wes is on the other side, but nothing could have prepared me for how delicious he looks when I open the door.
Wearing khaki shorts, a light blue shirt, flip-flops and his Aviators, the man looks like he belongs in an Abercrombie ad, not on my front porch, waiting to pick me up for a date. His hair is styled messily and his hands are shoved in his pockets before he reaches up to take off his sunglasses and his eyes dance over me appreciatively.
“Hi,” I say breathlessly as Chloe shoves herself up behind me, almost knocking me forward.
“Hi, Wes,” she murmurs while squeezing my upper arms as if she’s more excited than I am.
And God, I hate that my reaction to him is getting stronger with each interaction.
“Shayla. You look… perfect.” His eyes are sparkling with need as he stands there, both of us just soaking up each other’s presence.
“She does look perfect, doesn’t she,” Chloe says, breaking our intense stare. “I mean, I know you really think that I look better, but I’ll let your momentary lapse in judgement pass this time.”
I elbow Chloe in the ribs before stepping forward, reaching up to touch his jaw.
“You look good too, Wes.” I contemplate jumping in his arms and wrapping my legs around his waist, but I really don’t want to give Chloe a show. And knowing her, the perv, she’d watch.
“Are you ready to go? Did you pack like I asked you to?”
“As best I could with your vague details. But I do know how to do a beach trip right, so I’m pretty sure I’m prepared.” I step back and reach inside the door for my bag and then turn to kiss Chloe on the cheek. “Be good while I’m gone.”
“Yes, mother,” she teases. “You be good, Missy. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“So, I’m free to do pretty much everything then?” I ask playfully over my shoulder as Wes reaches for my hand, and my body comes alive like a livewire.
“Yup! Have fun!” she calls out before shutting the door.
Wes leads me down the path to his car and we settle in. “How are you?” He turns to me after he pulls onto the street.
“Good. Happy to spend the day with you. Excited for a day off of work, even though I’ll miss the money.”
“You have no idea how much I’ve been waiting for today, Shayla. I’m almost embarrassed to admit it.”
I chuckle and then reach for his hand. “That’s really cute.”
“I don’t know if I like being called cute,” he says with a glance in my direction as I see him turn toward the harbor. And as I take in all of the boats around us, I gasp on instinct.
“Are you taking me out on a boat?”
He pulls into a parking space, shifts into park, and then turns to face me. “Would you be mad if I said yes?”
The poor girl from Los Angeles wants to shout, “NO! Why on earth would I be mad?” But the grown woman who fears being manipulated by money and wealth pauses for just a moment before she answers.
“Well, that depends. Why are we going out on a boat?”
He reaches for my hand again and brings it to his lips, pressing his mouth gently to my flesh as I struggle to breathe. How is it that he can make such a simple gesture positively maddening? I’m throbbing between my thighs from how much I want him, and it scares me. Because I feel my resolve slipping with each touch.
“When we went on our hike, you mentioned how the beach, the ocean, is your happy place. Well, right then I knew I wanted to give you a day out on the water in a way you’ve probably never experienced before.”
My body is firing off all kinds of signals that I’m in way over my head here with this man.
“So, what do you say? Will you let me take you out on this yacht and show you just a little glimpse at what my life can offer? And I will tell you this… I will be the one driving the boat—not just because you probably think I can’t, but because I wanted us to be alone to enjoy the day just the two of us.”
I fight my grin as I stare back at him. “Sirens are going off in my woman brain right now, telling me that going out into the ocean on a
boat alone with you is a recipe for being murdered and dumped in the water.”
He shakes his head at me as he smiles, looking down at his lap for a moment before lifting his eyes back up to mine and I see so many things there—hope, uncertainty, desire.
And I think it’s the combination of all three that allow me to agree.
“But since when have I followed the rules.” I lean forward and press my lips gently to his. “Yes, Wes. Take me out on the water.”
With a blinding smile, he exits the car and walks around to open my door, helping me out before guiding me down the dock to the steps that lead up the most beautiful boat I’ve ever seen.
I grab the chrome handle and step on the deck just as Wes comes up behind me.
“This way.” He grabs my hand and directs me toward the back of the boat, where I see two men looking over some paperwork before noticing our arrival.
“Mr. Morgan.” One of the men steps forward to shake Wes’s hand, but he keeps his other one tightly on mine.
“Charles. Dean,” he says, greeting the other man. “Is everything ready to go?”
“Sure is. We hope you two have a lovely day.” My eyes veer around the deck as they make small talk about a few things. Stationed behind me is a full seating area with two couches, lounge chairs, and aqua throw pillows. As I look up, I see the boat has multiple levels, my guess is three, and there are various vantage points on each. I can vaguely see inside the boat, which looks like a full-fledged house that is most likely bigger than mine and Chloe’s apartment. Chrome railings circle the deck and bow, and the rich wood and cream paneling is so luxurious looking, I’m moments away from pinching myself to make sure this isn’t a dream.
“Something tells me we will,” Wes replies before looking over at me and giving me a wink, bringing me back to the present. And there goes my heart again galloping like a race horse. Dear lord, I’m screwed.
The men nod at us both before exiting the boat, leaving us alone.
“Come here. We can put your stuff inside and then we’ll be on our way.” I follow him once more inside the main house part of the boat and my eyes feel like they’re going to fall out of their sockets.
“This is a house. On water!”
“Yes, it is.”
“It’s stunning, Wes. I’m almost afraid to touch anything,” I joke as we pass through a full kitchen with a black granite island, past a living room with dark brown leather couches and one of the biggest tv’s I’ve ever seen, and into what has to be a master bedroom, but looks more like a hotel suite.
“You can leave your bag in here.” He points to the bed and then to another door. “The bathroom is through there if you want to change or use it. Just come up when you’re done.” He moves to leave, but I grab his hand before he can, pulling him into me. I toss my hat on the bed before I rise on my toes and feel his arms grip my hips to pull me close to him.
“Thank you for this.”
He closes his eyes and releases a breath as if he were holding it. “I was afraid you wouldn’t like it. That it was too much. But I love this boat and couldn’t stop envisioning bringing you out here.”
“It’s amazing. And it makes me honored that you would think to bring me here.” I don’t hesitate any longer and bring my lips to his, sliding my tongue along his mouth so I can taste him, satisfy the craving he started last week with his first hungry kiss.
But this one feels different. It’s slower, savory, riddled with need, but ebbed with genuine desire. It’s a mix of knowing this feels right, and terror that it might be wrong.
Wes holds me as if I might disappear into thin air, but I reassure him I’m here with every flick of my tongue, every nip of his lips.
I’m falling, fast—and I don’t know if I want to stop even if I tried.
When we part, he rests his forehead on mine. “We need to get out of here,” he growls, tightening his grasp on me slightly before releasing me and stepping away.
“Why?” I ask breathlessly.
“Because there’s a bed behind us and I’m about two seconds away from throwing you on it.”
I bite my lip and smile simultaneously. “I don’t think I’d mind that.”
“No. I need to behave. I wanted to treat you to a day on the water, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” He grabs my hand once again—a gesture I’m beginning to love because of the authority in which he does it—and then proceeds to pull me from the room before he stops abruptly. “Wait. Did you need to change?”
I shake my head. “No. I have my suit on underneath my dress.”
He swallows, as if he realizes for the first time that I’ll be in nothing but that suit at some point, and then turns again to bring us back out to the main part of the boat. Wes offers me a tour, showing me the multiple decks to sunbathe on and the rest of the living quarters of the boat, before heading into the cockpit, preparing to take off out of the harbor.
“Are you sure you can drive this thing?” I ask, slightly nervous because I sure as hell have no idea what I’m doing.
“First, you give me shit because you think I can’t do anything for myself. And now you’re doubting my abilities when I assure you that I can?”
“Hey! Don’t get lippy with me, Mr. Billionaire. I think my question is valid since I’ve never been on a boat before and I’ve basically known you for three weeks.”
“There’s just no pleasing you, is there?” He smirks in my direction, letting me know he’s teasing me, but I decide to tease him right back.
“Oh. There are plenty of places you could please me, Wes.”
I catch the clench of his jaw as he clears his throat and then cranks the engine of the yacht. “You’re going to be the death of me, woman.” He focuses on pressing a few buttons before reaching into a compartment and then handing me a small pill. “Before I forget, take this.”
I reach out and accept it. “Yup. This is the part where you drug me, isn’t it?”
“It’s a motion sickness pill, Shayla. I know you’ve never been on the water before, and I don’t want you to get sick and not enjoy yourself. But if you don’t trust me, then don’t take it.” He shrugs.
“I trust you,” I admit, much to my own surprise. But so far, Wes has been honest with me. And he genuinely seems like he won’t hurt me. That, and Chloe installed a tracker on my phone so if I do go missing, the police will know where I was last seen.
I pop the pill in my mouth and watch him take one too. “Sometimes the waves bother me. Sometimes they don’t. But it’s been a while, so better safe than sorry.”
I can’t help but chuckle as he pulls me forward, closer to him as he maneuvers the boat from its spot in the harbor, and then slowly cruises out into open water. Once we hit a certain spot where the depth of the water is greater, indicated by a large buoy in the ocean, Wes increases speed and pushes us further out into the ocean, the sound of the boat cutting through the waves beneath us loud but drowned out by the motor, the breeze coming through the open windows sending my hair wafting all around us.
“This is amazing,” I say to him, resting my head on his shoulder as he wraps his arm around my waist, and suddenly I feel hypnotized by the circumstances I’m in right now.
But you didn’t want this, remember Shayla? You don’t want the pomp and circumstance, the fancy treatment. It’s only momentary, this high your feeling. Protect yourself.
That sliver of doubt rushes through me for a moment before I fight desperately to push it down. I don’t want to ruin this day. I’m in my favorite place with this incredible man. I can just be happy about that for right now, right?
We cruise until I start to see land come into focus in the distance. “Is that an island?”
“Yeah, but it’s not really accessible by boat. I am going to drop anchor out here though so at least we have that as a back drop and we’re far enough away from the coast to have privacy.” He brings the boat to a stop and then presses a few buttons before cutting the engine.
&n
bsp; When he turns to me, his smile is child-like and mischievous. And I’m desperate to know what kind of games he wants to play today.
Chapter 12
Wes
After I dropped the anchor and situated a few things, Shayla went to the restroom and I grabbed some snacks from the fridge—a tray of cheese, grapes, and crackers, and two bottles of water. I was going to offer her a glass of wine as well, but I wasn’t sure if she wanted that yet so I figured I’d wait to ask her in person.
I don’t mind when other people drink around me, but offering her a drink without having one myself invites the question of why I’m not also drinking, and I’m not ready to have that conversation yet.
But when I emerged from the kitchen to the sight of her in a black two-piece with her hat back on, I nearly dropped the tray of food in my hands.
I knew she’d be in a bathing suit today, but I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the temptation it would bring, not like the woman isn’t a walking temptation any way.
Her leg is propped up on one of the plush couches on the deck as she rubs sunscreen into her already tanned skin. The toned muscles in her legs hold me captive for a moment until my eyes drag up her legs to the curve of her ass and then I’m a fucking goner.
Her bottoms barely cover her ass cheeks, but I wouldn’t classify the piece as a thong. Still, there is plenty of her delectable rear-end on display and I’m silently talking my dick down as I watch her hands continue to move over her smooth skin.
As if she can sense my presence, she stops rubbing and peers at me over her shoulder. “Hey. Can you come get my back please?”
I don’t answer, afraid to choke on my own tongue, and instead move forward, setting the tray down on the table in the seating area and then taking the bottle of sunscreen from her. I squeeze a hefty drop in my hands before rubbing them together, and then press my palms to her back, moving the lotion around.
Touching her is like an aphrodisiac. I’m already hanging on by a thread, but feeling her bare skin beneath my fingers is making it very hard to be the gentleman that she deserves. I didn’t have any blatant expectations of what this day would transpire in terms of physicality, but seeing her in this skimpy suit is making my mind reel with possibilities.
