Feathers: A Novel

by Kylie Stewart

  “Hey.” His voice rolled through the silence like the rumble of thunder in the distance.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I played with the ring on my finger. “Hey you.”

  My gaze swept up and down his tanned, toned body. Muscles rippled as he stepped closer. From his broad chest, down to the ridges of his abdominals, he seemed chiseled from marble. Corded muscles moved in his biceps while veins stood out underneath his golden skin. Those damned v-lines cut along his hips, making my mouth water for what I knew lay beneath his swim trunks.

  “You ready for a swim?” He paused before me, cupping my face in his warm hands.

  All I could do was nod, words escaping me. This gorgeous man wanted me, waited for me, loved me. How lucky am I?

  Hawk did a full sweep of me with his eyes, sending warmth to every limb. My powder blue bikini could be seen beneath the delicate crocheted lace cover-up I wore over it. The ivory color sat well against my own soft glow.

  His lips pressed against my forehead, lingering for just a moment as he breathed me in. My hands instinctively slid up his chest, grounding myself in his love.

  “Come on.” He smiled softly, taking my hand and leading me barefoot out of the bathroom. We crossed through his bedroom out onto the tiled patio. When our feet touched the warm sand, he let go of my hand.

  Curling my toes in the soft granules, I struck out on my own. Eagerly walking to the water, I didn’t hesitate this time. The shock of the chilly ocean caused me to suck in a breath, but it wasn’t any worse than that of a pool. Continuing to wade in up to my knees, I watched as the waves became playful. They pushed and pulled me as if enticing me to play.

  Two strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush to his hot body. With one smooth motion of his hand, he slid my long hair over my right shoulder, exposing my neck. Hawk’s lips devoured me then, nipping and licking over the weak spot behind my ear. He nibbled along the shell of my ear, the waves playing around our legs.

  “God, I want to keep you with me like this forever, Lottie,” he confessed on a low growl.

  My head lolled back to rest against his shoulder. Strong hands ran up my sides, teasing my bare stomach until he cupped my breasts. Staring up at the blue sky, I gasped as he pinched my taut nipples through the thin fabric of my bikini.

  The sky … the place where I used to dream of soaring among the clouds. My element. We stood rooted in the ocean, the ageless, never-ending source of life. Hawk’s element. I moaned as his fingers slipped lower, teasing over my core through the thin bottoms.

  We stood where sea and sky combined on the horizon. Something new and exciting surged through my veins. I spun in his arms, raking my fingers through his shaggy hair. This was where we belonged.

  “I love you, Hawk.” I gasped as a particularly rough wave sprayed us. “And I want you here, now.”

  He groaned, nuzzling his face in the wilds of my hair. For a moment, we didn’t move. I wanted to know what he was thinking so badly it made my head and chest ache. Then he pulled me deeper into the ocean. We bobbed up and down as the waves encouraged us to continue.

  His hands dipped beneath the surface of the water, playing along my hips. I felt him tugging at the ties along the sides that held my bottoms in place. My mouth opened in a slight O as he pulled them off, sticking them into his trunk’s pocket. He then moved to work the strings of my top. This too went into his pocket. The only piece of clothing left on me was the ivory laced cover-up which clung to my skin.

  “Wrap your legs around my waist,” he instructed.

  I did as I was told, shocked to find his hard length already exposed from his trunks. He didn’t wait but slid inside. We warmed each other from the inside out, moans of pleasure swallowed by the crashing of the waves.

  We rutted against one another in shoulder-deep water. My hair quickly became soaked as he leaned me back. I learned how to use the ocean as my mattress, floating on the surface while Hawk pounded into me.

  Sex anywhere with Hawk made me feel intense, but here, everything became feral and animalistic. He picked me up, holding me fast against his chest as he walked back toward shore. Still connected, I didn’t care if anyone saw us. The logical side of my brain reminded me that this was a private beach. Yet the act of literal sex on the beach made me hot for more.

  He lowered to his knees in the shallows, kissing and licking salt water from my nipples. My hips continued their rolling assault as he thrust into me roughly. With a snarl, he tossed me onto the sand, lifting my hips in his palms. He pounded, unrelenting as my soaked laced cover fell open, exposing my breasts to the world.

  We fucked like animals in heat. I didn’t care that I’d have to take a long, hot shower to rid the sand from my hair. This meant everything to me.

  Hawk began to rub his thumb against my clit, pulling a whimper from me. Our eyes locked, never looking away. We wanted to see the other come undone. I went first. My eyes rolled back into my head, both hands cupping my own breasts as I owned my sexual prowess.

  “Oh shit, Lottie,” he grunted. His hips began to lose their smooth pace, growing harder. Then he stilled for a moment, an entire shudder rolling down his spine as he emptied inside me.

  When I opened my eyes, Hawk’s shone down on me. A strange expression I’d never seen before furrowed his brows. Carefully pushing myself up on my elbows, I gently caressed his scruffy cheek.

  “What is it?”

  He turned into my palm, kissing it gently before he glanced back at me. “I just understand so much more now.”

  Yes, so did I.

  After so much time apart, fighting for each other, for time, we could steal the other away finally.

  “I want to move in with you after I graduate, Hawk.” I spoke in a serious tone. “I need to be with you.”

  “For how long?” His question came out strained, almost afraid.

  Smiling, I quickly kissed his lips, pouring every ounce of love I could down his throat. “For as long as you want me.”

  “And if that’s forever?” he whispered against my lips.

  “Then I’m yours forever.”

  He pulled back, leaving me empty. Once he’d put himself back in his trunks, he scooped me up out of the cool ocean water. I wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my head against his chest.

  Not seeming to care if he tracked water through the house, we passed through his bedroom again. Once inside the large bathroom, he dropped his trunks to the floor and stepped into the large shower. He turned the stream of water on, the steam telling me it would be warm. The chill already settling against my skin urged me to step forward, losing the crocheted cover next to his trunks.

  Wordlessly, I stepped in with him. He slid the door shut. Warmth enveloped me, sluicing over my body in welcomed relief. His hands joined it, gently stroking every inch of available skin until he lowered himself to his knees. Parting my thighs, he lashed out his tongue and caught me by surprise.

  Both hands slapped against the tiled wall as he made a meal of me. Cries echoed off the bathroom walls while I shamelessly used Hawk’s face. My release nearly buckled my knees, but he caught and stabilized me so I wouldn’t fall.

  He rose back to his feet, cock pressing into my stomach.

  “Turn around, baby,” he whispered.

  Still high on my release, I obeyed, leaning against the shower wall as he slipped back inside me. Using one hand on my hip to anchor him, he wrapped my soaked hair as a tether, pulling gently. My back arched as he took exactly what he wanted.

  “I love you …” I sobbed, my tears mixing with the shower’s stream. An overwhelming balloon expanded in my chest as I cried tears of happiness. “I love you, Hawk.”

  He bit my shoulder, then licked to soothe the sting. “I love you so damn much, Charlotte.”

  We came together, loud and hard. He hugged me from behind, kissing along my neck and whispering the sweetest things to me. As my tears continued to fall, my legs trembled from the exhaustive pleasure.

 
“I don’t ever want to lose you,” I said softly.

  “You will never lose me, Charlotte.” Hawk left me empty again so he could turn me under the cascading shower. “I’m yours until the day I die, do you understand?”

  Swallowing hard, I nodded. “And I’ve always been yours.” I lifted my left hand between us, showing him the ring. “Forever.”

  Hawk’s usually calm demeanor changed. Those blue-gray eyes that held so much in reserve grew wet. He pulled me flush to his chest, his heart thundering against mine. After a few moments, we pulled back and set to work washing the salt from our hair. Hawk insisted on lathering me up with soap, lingering far too long on my nipples, nearly causing a third round. We somehow managed to sidestep that as we dried ourselves off and dressed in lounge clothes. Curling up on his large sofa, we watched, or attempted to watch, a few movies, but staring at each other became much more entertaining.

  Silence was our best communicator. It always had been. So we allowed silence to rule the night, even if our bodies hummed with electric hunger.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Hawk

  My new favorite thing in the morning included Charlotte’s soft warm body curled around me. No clothes separating us, just flesh to flesh. We’d reached out to each other multiple times in the night. Our bodies seemed to ignore our exhausted minds. Like they were making up for lost time.

  Neither of us minded. Charlotte’s surprising stamina thrilled me. She wanted to learn what drove me crazy and asked me to teach her. Talk about a double head rush to hear the love of your life wanted to learn how to please you.

  Watching her move around the kitchen in one of my button-down shirts with her lacy cheeky panties peeking out from underneath was quickly becoming my second. Just being in the same room as her made me feel things I’d never experienced before.

  Sure, I’d had my fair share of girlfriends and even one serious one. But even with that woman, the sparks never flew like this. One look from Charlotte and I knew exactly what she wanted. She seemed to be just as in sync with me as I was with her.

  We walked hand in hand down a busy sidewalk, the ocean on our right and a variety of shops on our left. Charlotte practically skipped along, excited to see the marina Jax and I co-owned. But I knew that her excitement really came from the prospect of seeing sea life at the sanctuary later on.

  Jax promised to bring Elise with him so Charlotte could meet her. We hadn’t been on a double date in a long time. Once he set up house with his lady, I didn’t really feel like playing third wheel. Since all Jax knew about Charlotte came from pictures and the stories I told, he’d been champing at the bit to meet her.

  While I couldn’t wait to make the introductions, the lavender-colored sundress Charlotte chose to wore teased me. Delicate lace patterns exposed her lightly tanned skin in the back of the piece. Bare arms and long legs exposed to the world as she walked along in wedge heels. She’d tamed her long, normally wavy hair into what she called a fishtail braid slung over her right shoulder. And as always, she’d adorned herself with feathers.

  I spotted Jax and Elise sitting outside of a bar in the shade of the widely stretched awning. Jax lifted his hand, a wide grin showing off rows of perfectly white teeth. Charlotte’s hand gave mine a squeeze.

  Glancing down, I offered a reassuring smile. “Jax has been excited to meet you for a while.”

  “Well, well, here she is.” Jax sauntered over to us, one arm slung around Elise’s waist. “I’ve heard only good things about you, Charlotte.”

  He held out his calloused hand, and my girl took it without hesitation. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you too.” Her grin became infectious. “It’s so nice to finally meet the famous Jax.”

  Jax fanned himself. “Please, do go on.”

  Elise gave his stomach a gentle smack. Instead of shaking Charlotte’s hand, the petite woman reached out to embrace her. “We’ve been so excited ever since Hawk told us you were coming.” The soft mix of Elise’s Cuban and Haitian heritage created a musical lilt. Her caramel-colored skin glowed in the Florida sun. Long locks decorated with tiny adornments made her appear like an island goddess.

  When I’d first met Elise, the tiny fireball that she was, I knew she was perfect for Jax. He needed a woman like her to keep him in line. She spoke a multitude of languages, so it was always fun to go out with her and eavesdrop every so often at bars.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too.” Charlotte blushed at Elise’s friendly greeting. “I’ve heard you’re the one who managed to tame Jax.”

  Elise laughed while Jax rolled his eyes dramatically. “I didn’t need taming,” he protested.

  “Just house training.” Elise winked at Charlotte. The two women fell into step with one another. I knew she’d be in good hands with Elise. Nothing in this world was scarier than a tiny woman yelling in Spanish or Creole.

  Jax slapped my shoulder, roughly shaking. “Dude, you’ve hit the jackpot.”

  Sliding my gaze over to my best friend, I arched an eyebrow. “You best be careful with what you say next.”

  He snorted. “Oh, come on, dude. I have my own lady, but she’s everything I hoped you’d get.” His expression softened as we watched Elise lead Charlotte around arm in arm. “For a while there, I wasn’t sure about it, what with the age gap and all, but seeing you and her together …” He bumped his elbow into my side. “I totally hear wedding bells in the near future.”

  Anticipation wrenched my gut as I swallowed hard. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Oh?” Jax immediately grew serious, slowing to meet my pace.

  “Yeah.” I raked a hand through my hair. “I think she’s the one.”

  He stopped walking, and I shuffled to a halt next to him. “You think, or you know?”

  “I know.” The conviction in my tone brooked no argument. “We just had our first night together a few days ago, but man … it was …”

  “Magic. Perfect. Like coming home?” Jax supplied for me, shoving a hand into his shorts pocket. “I get it, bro. That’s what I tried to explain to you about Elise.”

  “Sorry I teased you about that,” I mumbled.

  He chuckled. “Oh, it’s fine. I knew you’d get yours eventually, and I’d be the one to watch you squirm.”

  “I asked her to move in with me once she’s done with college.”

  Both of Jax’s brows rose, his eyes growing wide. “Dude, you’re like serious.”

  “I want her.” Wincing at how possessive that sounded, I tried again. “I mean, I love her, and I want her with me.”

  “Trust me, Hawk, I get it.” Jax’s voice lowered while the girls ahead of us glanced back to see where we’d gone. “Elise was it for me. Total tunnel vision. When you find her, that’s what happens.”

  Charlotte’s laughter wafted through the air, stealing my attention. Her cheeks tinged with pink as she and Elise giggled about something. Her gaze found mine, and the need to be by her side again overwhelmed me.

  “Yup.” Jax sighed. “You’re so whipped.”

  “So are you,” I retorted.

  We strode over to meet up with our women, my arm wrapping around Charlotte’s waist. She leaned into my chest, her nose nuzzling the crook of my neck.

  “Took you long enough,” she whispered.

  “Sorry, guy talk.” Flashing her a boyish smirk, I winked.

  The four of us settled into easy conversation. Both Jax and I were pleased that Elise and Charlotte got along so well. The marina came up quickly as we rounded the street ocean side. Watching Charlotte’s eyes go wide at the various yachts and sport boats made me smile. She’d never lost the innocent wonder of a child in things most people found mundane.

  She ogled over a triple decker designer yacht, asking questions a mile a minute. Jax handled the selling of the boats, so I allowed him to schmooze her like one of our many clients. My job included keeping the books, marketing, and making sure the money came in.

  I stoo
d back, smiling while she rushed all over the boat. For a moment, my memory flashed back to the little girl with the stained nightgown. Her golden hair a brown, matted mess and black streaks across her face. Now, she bustled around on a multi-million-dollar pleasure cruiser, vibrant and happy.

  She’d never have to worry about anything ever again with me. Both of my parents, at least before my father’s business went global, showered me with affection. Hell, my dad even sold his business before he passed away and left me the money as if he knew my dreams differed from his. As for my mother, I still wondered about her from time to time, but she’d abandoned me much like Charlotte’s mother had.

  The future raced before me. Sleepless nights of erotic pleasure. Thousands of shared laughs over candlelit dinners. Walks on the beach. Then two tiny figures bouncing around the house.

  Wait—what?

  Slow down. I have to get her down here first, let alone ask her to marry me.

  “You okay, Hawk?” Elise sidled up to me, her whiskey-colored eyes concerned.

  “Yeah, of course.” I forced a smile.

  Her lips pursed together, obviously seeing through my façade. “You were staring off into the distance, then got really pale.” She rested a hand on her hip. “Care to share?”

  Licking my lips, I tried to ignore the pounding of my heart against my rib cage. “Just thinking about the future.”

  “Ah, with Charlotte?” Elise tilted her head. “Did you get to the part where you want her to have your children?”

  A harsh breath escaped, admitting to her what she’d already guessed. “It’s happening so fast.”

  She giggled. “Love doesn’t have rules or a timeline, Hawk.”

  “So I’ve noticed.”

  We both watched Jax entertain Charlotte while he played tour guide. They chatted easily. A part of me relaxed seeing my best friend take to the woman I loved like a duck to water. Charlotte could be shy, but you’d never know that today.

  “You two look perfect together, by the way.” Elise bumped my hip with hers. “Don’t overthink it. Enjoy the ride.”