My Once and Future Love

by Carla Krae

  Whoa. My eyes widened in surprise. “What for?”

  “Mischief and mayhem. Repeated violations of the dress code. Final straw was gettin’ caught smoking on campus. Mum wasn’t goin’ to pay for me to ‘act like a hooligan’, so public school was my punishment.”

  “What’d you do all that stuff for?”

  He shrugged. “Usual pissy teen angst. I’d finally gotten used to London, made friends, and she uprooted me. Took her a while to catch on to the school crap, as I wasn’t doin’ it at home. I got ratted out.”

  Explained a lot. “What would have happened if you got in trouble at our school?”

  “Dunno. I couldn’t bear havin’ her look at me like that, so disappointed… Took me a bit to straighten out, but that’s where your brilliant tutoring came in.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You didn’t need my help understanding the work. You just needed to focus. I can’t imagine you wearing a uniform.”

  “Hated it. I may have put away the bleach and chains, but have I ever come across as preppy?” He shuddered.

  I giggled. Imagining Teen-Jacob in a prep school uniform was a funny visual.

  “Did you stay here before or after the move?” I asked.

  “After. I think it was easier for my mother to go back to her old life.”

  “Do you miss your dad?”

  He shrugged. “Barely remember him. I miss the idea, sometimes, I suppose.”

  It made sense. “Thank you for telling me.” I slid my hand into his.

  He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  We walked around the neighborhood until lunchtime. It was so nice being out in public where no one recognized Jacob, or if they did they didn’t care. Sad that we couldn’t have this all the time, but like he said before, I couldn’t ask him to quit singing—if he ever did, it would have to be because he wanted to retire. Vivian went out after lunch, so we were alone for the afternoon except for the house staff.

  “Want to join me in the pool?” Jacob asked.

  “Too cold to swim.”

  “Not in a heated pool in a heated room. Or we can turn on the Jacuzzi.” He caressed my arm. “Unless you’ve gotten too soft for a few laps.”

  Ooo, tricksy man, poking my competitive streak. “You can soak in the hot tub. How do you think I rehabbed my leg?”

  “Then I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.” He kissed me, then walked to his room.

  Door to my room shut, I went to my luggage to find a suit. Celeste helped me find a few modest pieces I could mix and match in addition to a wetsuit. I changed into a swim tank and pair of board shorts with a bikini bottom underneath. They were solid navy blue, except the shorts had racing stripes on the sides. Not sexy, but functional for water sports. The unsexy was my goal today

  Jacob was already in the pool when I got there. With a glass ceiling, the room was bathed in autumn sunlight. He swam to the edge and folded his arms on the deck while I found a spot to set my towel.

  “You put your glasses on.”

  “Contacts come off underwater. Have to be safe in case you dunk me.” The big room was cool to my bare arms, so I headed for the steaming spa.

  “Not joining me?” He swam over.

  “I don’t do laps on vacation. Unlike you, my abs don’t bring in a paycheck.”

  He hoisted his body onto the wall between the Jacuzzi and pool. Yummy. “Hey, it’s my voice that pays the bills.”

  “More like your pretty face,” I teased.

  He rolled his eyes, dangling his feet in the bubbling water. “They can’t see my face on the radio.”

  “True…but all those beauty products in your bathroom aren’t for your vocal cords.” I got water splashed in my face. “Hey!”

  He slid into the hot tub. “Poke fun at your own risk, baby.” Mischief sparkled in his baby blues.

  Uh-oh. I scrambled out to dive into the pool and escape, but he caught me around the waist before I could step on the deck and pulled me back into the Jacuzzi. Damn, he was fast. If I didn’t get loose he was going to tickle me into a helpless gasping ball of nerd.

  “What were you saying, love?” The fingers of one hand dug into my ribs.

  “Let me go.”

  “But you wiggle and squeak. It’s cute.” I jerked away from his index finger.

  “I’m not a squeaker toy, Jacob.”

  He chewed on the side of my neck, I shrieked, and he gave me a look. “Sound like one.”

  I glared at him. “You suck.” His arm was too strong to break out of without hurting him.

  “Admit defeat already?”

  “Are you going to pick on me all vacation?”

  “Oh, don’t look so put out. You like being caught.”

  “I like being held. There’s a difference.”

  His hand slid to massage circles into my low back. “Like this?” That always made my body pliant and he knew it.

  “Better.” My eyelids fluttered closed.

  He nuzzled my shoulder and neck, breathing I love you into my skin, and I turned my head to kiss him, too impatient to wait for him to get there on his own. Being us, I was straddling his lap with my tongue down his throat and his hand was up my shirt when we heard:

  “…Thank you, Joseph. I’ll ask them what they prefer for supper.”

  We sprang apart; I was at the other side of the tub in seconds.

  “Déjà vu,” Jacob muttered. “Have a good outing, Mother?”

  She came around the corner in a cunning sweater set and slacks, her hair slightly windblown. “I did, but the details would bore you. The cook is asking about tonight’s supper, so…”

  Jacob looked at me and shrugged. “We’ll trust your judgment, Vivian,” I said.

  She sighed. “Guess I’ll ask them to surprise us…unless you would like to go out this evening?” We shook our heads. “Alright. An hour should give you enough time to clean up.”

  “Yes, Mum. Thank you.”

  She smiled and left, heels clicking on the cement. I dropped my head in my hands and groaned, feeling eighteen again.

  “Don’t think she suspected anything, Bethie.” He waded over to sit next to me.

  “Stop grinning like that. Almost getting caught by your mother is not funny.”

  “Sure it is. You’re just as red as you were nine years ago.”

  “Oh, god…”

  He rubbed my shoulder. “Relax…the heat of the water is a perfectly reasonable reason for your pink skin. Now where were we?”

  “Cool it, horndog.” I stood and stepped to the railing to climb out.

  “We have an hour, love…plenty of time to finish what we started and change clothes.”

  “There will be no finishing,” I said, rubbing my legs dry with my towel before wrapping it around me.

  “Fine…your rules, your show.”

  Nodding, I left the pool room and went upstairs. The devil on my shoulder known as Celeste called me crazy for walking away, but I didn’t want our first-again-time to be in a stranger’s house with his mother nearby.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Saturday was rainy and cozy, and we spent the time with Vivian. Sunday, Jacob took me into Southampton to browse and shop. It wasn’t until I turned in for the night that it registered what Monday would bring.

  I barely slept more than forty-five minutes at a shot.

  Early Monday, we boarded the jet again. He still wouldn’t say where we were going. I soon figured out it was west, but after six hours in the air, I gave up pestering him for the destination and took a nap.

  I woke up in Tahiti. Mystery solved, then, right? Nope. Another forty-five minute plane hop, then, a blindfolded short boat ride. Putting my trust in him to lead me…wherever…took effort. But, he didn’t let me trip or fall once. I heard a set of doors opening, then he finally removed the blindfold.

  “Oh, my God…how did you get this on short notice?”

  We stood in an elegant living room, decorated colonial-style and the walls paneled in wood, a door to
each side, and sliding glass doors in the back. A ceiling fan spun above our heads.

  He wrapped around me from behind.

  “The doors lead to the bedrooms. Take whichever one you want. I want to show you something first, though.”

  He led me to the sliding door, opened it, and walked out onto the deck. The bungalow came with a private small infinity pool and garden.

  “There’s a giant pool for the resort, but I figured you’d prefer less of a crowd.” He turned me to face him. “So? How’d I do?”

  I pulled his head down and kissed him, hard and quick. “It’s amazing. I’ll never doubt your vacation skills again. What time is it here?”

  “Around five. We have dinner reservations at seven.”

  “Aren’t you Mr. Thorough?”

  He smirked. “Nothin’ but the best for my girl.”

  “Well, this girl needs to change into clothes appropriate for this heat!” It was at least eighty still.

  “Okay. You know we even have air conditioning?”

  I stepped back inside. “Awesome. I’m going to unpack.” I rolled my bags into the room on my right.

  More pleasant surprises were in my bedroom. The king-size bed was dressed in crisp white linens, a pretty contrast to the wood walls and flooring. I had a private bathroom with separate tub and shower, a nice fluffy robe waiting on the counter, and even an outdoor shower through a door to the garden. Also a TV and mini-bar.

  The resort sat on Moto Toopua, a tiny island in the Bora Bora lagoon. Two restaurants, tennis courts, bar with karaoke nights, a hundred-sixty-foot pool with snack bar, and several excursion options. The list of amenities in the brochure went on and on.

  ****

  He felt pretty pleased so far. It’d been a lucky break to find the only two-bedroom villa free, and now Beth was humming happily in the other room. She only did that when she was in a really good mood. They were here for ten nights, and he had plans to explore everything the island offered. They could feed sharks, hike, learn to scuba dive…

  “Are you done in there, yet?” he called.

  “No…”

  He slowly pushed her door open and leaned against the frame. “What are you doing?”

  She was looking through her camera, standing in her bra and jeans. She squeaked and dove into the bathroom. “Jacob!” He heard her set the camera on the counter. “Knock first!”

  He grinned. “I figured if your door was ajar you’d be decent, love. Not that I regret catchin’ the view.” It’d been years since he’d seen a hint of her skin.

  She threw a brochure at his head. He ducked. “I got distracted, okay? Get out!” She charged for the door with another object in hand.

  He took his cue to step back across the threshold. She slammed the door in his face. He heard her cursing, and laughed.

  ‘Course, he didn’t think she had anything to be embarrassed about. Her bra covered more than most bikini tops at the beach, he mainly saw her from the back, since she was facing the window, and he’d seen it all before. The little dimples in her low back were cute, though. He’d forgotten about those.

  He waited on the couch, sipping a soda. She finally came out ten minutes later, dressed in a tank and long skirt, camera in hand and scowling at him.

  “Are you really still mad?” he asked.

  She sighed. “No. So what’s so urgent?”

  “Thought we’d familiarize ourselves with the place since we have a couple hours to kill.”

  “And I was blindfolded, so I have no idea where our room even is.”

  He handed her the extra key. “Hence the exploration.” He gestured to the front doors. “Milady?”

  She rolled her eyes, grabbed her purse, and walked through the open door ahead of him. The wooden pathway bridged a pond outside their bungalow. The palm trees and aquatic plants gave the sense you were in the middle of the jungle, even though other buildings were nearby. He went right, and they found the tennis courts soon after. Luckily, there were nice little wooden signs pointing where to go for what.

  “See, we don’t need a map.”

  “I didn’t say anything,” she said.

  “No, but you were thinking it when we left.”

  “No.”

  “Uh-huh…” They found the fitness center and gaming room, and finally, the restaurants.

  “Wait until you see the view from the pool.”

  “But the spa is that way.”

  “You can see it later. We’re here for ten days.” A hand on her back, he continued to guide her to the pool.

  “Fine…”

  It was a huge pool, probably big enough to hold every guest if the resort was full. From this end of their tiny island, the center of Bora Bora could be seen, a green jewel sitting in a sea of royal blue.

  “So worth it,” she said

  “I told you. That’s Mt. Otemanu on the main island.”

  “Hey, we can see it from our backyard, too.”

  “Yep. You swim in the ocean, don’t you?”

  “Well…the salt stings my eyes…”

  “Lots to do out there, Bethie. Snorkeling, diving, jet skis…” He tugged on her ponytail. “Tiny deserted islets.”

  “I don’t know if I want to let you drive a jet ski.”

  “I’m a good driver!”

  “Perhaps. But you also drive fast,” she countered. “That pool is really deep.”

  He peered over the edge. “Yeah, they use it for scuba lessons. You can hang out over there with the kiddies, though,” he teased.

  “Ha, ha. I can swim fine. Just don’t do it very often. Jacob…”

  “Yes, love?”

  “I don’t want to know how much this trip is costing you, do I?”

  “Probably not. But I can say that they were very willing to negotiate. They don’t get reservations for this many days that often.”

  “Oh. Good.”

  “Sweetheart, nothin’ we do on vacation is goin’ to bankrupt me, alright? So put it out of your mind and just enjoy it. Okay?”

  She nodded, and smiled for him. “Okay. Consider me a mushroom.”

  He pulled her closer and kissed her nose. “I love you.”

  He took her hand. It was close enough to seven to meander over to the nearby café for dinner. She looked for people to recognize, and therefore mob him in public and only relaxed when they were seated at a table without incident. It was always possible a tourist would know him, but he’d picked Bora Bora deliberately for its remoteness. With any luck, she’d be madly in love with him by the time they went home in ten days and it would be smooth sailing from here on out.

  ****

  I was enjoying a sound sleep when Jacob rapped on my door in the middle of the night. I groaned and shuffled to the door.

  “What?” Some vague corner of my half-awake brain noticed he was shirtless.

  “There’s something croaking in my room.”

  “So? Find it and put it outside.”

  “What if it’s an endangered species and I’m not allowed to touch it? You watch Animal Planet.”

  “Oh, for goodness sakes…” I followed him into his bedroom and soon located the origin of the noise. “It’s just a gecko on the bathroom wall. Look.”

  “It’s a lizard.”

  “Yeah…”

  “Why is it in here?” Oh my god, he was truly nervous over a gecko.

  “Are you afraid of an itty bitty lizard?”

  He squirmed. “It could bite me. I don’t know where it’s been.”

  “You big baby… here.” I scooped up the gecko and put it outside. “There. If it bothers you that much, I suggest you don’t leave the window open.”

  “Thanks.”

  I shrugged. “He was just looking for bugs. Can I go back to sleep, now?”

  “Sorry, love.”

  I shook my head and trudged back to my room.

  ****

  It took until Wednesday for me to acclimate to the eighty-eight degree temp and high humidity. It was
a big contrast to the chilly coast of New York we’d come from.

  As of yesterday morning, we had the breakfast buffet free at the “fancy” restaurant. Jacob proudly informed me it was one of the perks he negotiated for. He wanted to go swimming afterwards, so I sat on a deck chair with a book, letting my dark glasses hide my ogling.

  Jacob was sans shirt any time we were near water.

  I was fine with this, in principle…until women started hitting on him. Yeah, he was devastatingly gorgeous, and they were perfectly allowed to look, but did they have to start slipping their room numbers into his pockets?

  “Who was that?” I asked.

  “I dunno.” He studied me for a second. “Are you jealous?”

  “Pffft, yeah. She was what, forty-five, at least?”

  He turned on the sexy grin, the panty-melting one he was famous for. “Baby, you’re the only one that gets to touch me.”

  I chewed on my lip, looking up at him through my lashes. “Yeah?”

  His hand slid down my arm, then squeezed my hip. He leaned close to murmur in my ear, “Oh, yeah…”

  “Okay.”

  He winked, paid for his drink at the bar, and walked over to a deck chair sitting under a palm tree. When I didn’t follow, he quirked a brow and stretched back on the chair, showing off.

  I snapped out of my stupor and hastily caught up.

  “Put some lotion on my back, love? It feels a little warm.” He scooted forward so I could get behind him.

  My hands shook as I reached for the sunscreen in my tote. I admonished myself to get a grip. God, he was evil.

  He flinched at the initial cold touch, then relaxed into my hands. “Look up, Beth,” he whispered. “They’re glaring daggers at you.” Sure enough, every woman around the pool was green with envy.

  “Always putting on a show, aren’t you?”

  He glanced back, grinning. “You know you love it.”

  Not that I’d say so. In for a penny… I cupped his jaw to tilt his head back and kissed him, laying it on thick for our audience. His moan of pleasure was a delightful bonus.

  We forgot where we were, until someone stage-whispered, “Get a room!” in passing. I broke off the kiss, blushing, and stammered an excuse to go to the ladies’ room.