CHAPTER 12
The island was more spectacular than I could have dreamed. I kept my face pressed up to the window like a child as the town car drove through the island streets and up to the beach mansion. As the driver pulled into the rounded driveway in front of the impressive house, I pinched the inside of my arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Robbie glanced over with a frown at the slight yelping sound I made, but I just grinned at him. This was no dream.
The car parked and I stood in front of the house, just taking it all in. The air was humid and rich with the smell of the ocean and plant life. After the reds and golds of the trees up North, the lush greenness, even in the dark, was almost overwhelming. Night coated the island like a blanket, but spotlights illuminated the big house with white columns and a red tile roof, making it seem welcoming and warm.
"You ready for a nice little cruise before bed?" Robbie asked, taking my hand as I stood looking at the house. I turned toward him, my brow furrowed, and he smiled. "I did promise to take you sailing today."
I laughed. A slight breeze played with my hair, and I felt the need to be out on the water. It was a perfect evening for sailing; the stars were twinkling brightly in the sky, and the moon was just rising over the horizon. I kissed Robbie's cheek and then took off running.
Robbie was hot on my trail as I followed a small path of sand around the side of the house. I came around the corner and stopped dead in my tracks at the view. The ocean stretched out before me with thousands of stars mirrored in its shimmering depths. Robbie giggled as he dodged past me, running quickly down to the dock. He jumped easily from the small, wooden dock into a suspiciously familiar boat bobbing gently in the dark waves.
I sprinted after him, my steps falling with hollow thuds on the wood out to the boat. I slowed my steps long enough to untie the boat and then leapt aboard Avery's Hope. Robbie turned on the engine, carefully guiding us out onto the ocean. I took off my shoes, reveling in the sensation of the sea air across my bare skin and my toes on the deck. My normal sailing shoes were back in my bag at the house, but for now, barefoot was better than any shoes I could have wanted.
The water was dark blue with tips of silver moonlight. The waves caught the sparkles of the stars and the entire world felt like a giant reflective jewel. The air was cool enough to be comfortable and smelled fresh and clean like only open ocean air could. I took a deep breath and the air revitalized me after the long flight.
The shore was a faint line on the horizon when Robbie turned off the motor. I went to prep the sails, but Robbie grabbed my hand instead.
"You ready for dinner?" Robbie's eyes sparkled in the moonlight.
"Dinner?" I asked. I hadn't even realized that I was hungry, but my stomach suddenly growled an answer for me.
"Wait here," Robbie said, letting go of my hand and ducking down into the hold. I could hear him opening and closing doors and cabinets, so I sat down on the bow of the boat to wait. After a moment, he emerged and sat across from me, setting a platter of food between us. The food was arranged in beautiful patterns that I knew Robbie would never have taken the time to make.
"You had this whole thing planned, didn't you?" I asked, shaking my head.
"Yup," he replied with a cheesy grin. I laughed and peered at the plate, trying to decide what I wanted to eat first. There were fried plantains, jerked shrimp, fresh fruit in neat squares, and little tiny bite-sized versions of what appeared to be key lime pie. I popped one of the pies into my mouth, enjoying the sweet and tangy flavor.
"What else do you have planned?" I picked up a shrimp and ate it slowly; the spices of the jerk seasoning were spicy and delicious.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Robbie answered with a sly smile. His eyes gleamed in the moonlight. I laughed and kept eating, knowing I would enjoy anything Robbie had in store.
We ate in comfortable silence. The food was delicious and I was hungrier than I had expected. It felt wonderful just to be with Robbie, to have the moonlight and the ocean and only him. The boat rocked gently, caressed by the waves. It was like old times with Robbie, only better. His smile in the moonlight sent my heart to fluttering. Anything could happen out here, and I had high hopes for the evening.
"You were hungry," he observed. He smiled as his eyes followed my fingers to my mouth as I licked the last of the key lime pie from them.
I giggled and glanced at the plate. Together we had cleaned it to nothing but crumbs, and I was considering using my tongue to get those last little morsels. I felt perfectly full and very content.
"It was delicious. I think those fried plantains might be my new favorite food," I said. Robbie laughed and picked the plate up before rising. With confident steps, he padded down into the galley, and I could hear the clank of the plate against the sink as he took care of putting the dish away.
I stood, rolling my shoulders as I walked to the rail of the boat. The dark water sloshed rhythmically against the hull, and I could feel the tension in my shoulders melting into the night. A small smirk crossed my face as I heard Robbie come up behind me.
"Hey, look down there. I think I see some sort of fish," I said to him, pointing at the navy blue water. He leaned out across the railing, searching the water with his eyes. I felt him stiffen as I pushed his shoulders, but it was too late. He toppled into the water with a splash. "Yup, I definitely see a Robbie-fish!"
"Hey," he spluttered, coming to the surface. "You know, you're supposed to wait at least twenty minutes between eating and swimming!"
I laughed and went to the rear of the boat to push the steps into the water. Robbie swam with strong strokes to meet me.
"Help me up," he dared, reaching up his hand with a grin plastered on his face. I hesitated for only a second, ultimately deciding I should keep with the tradition. He pulled me into the water easily, and I laughed as I went under.
The ocean was as warm as bathwater. I surfaced, kicking water at him. He raised his arm to block the spray, but then roared and started swimming for me. I shrieked and swam away, kicking my legs and swinging my arms as he chased me through the warm waves.
Robbie was always the faster swimmer, and it was only a matter of minutes before he finally caught me by the aft of the ship. His hand wrapped around my ankle and he dunked me under with a swift downward pull. I shook my head free of the water as I emerged, opening my eyes to find him close enough to kiss. The moonlight caught the gleam in his eye as he pulled me closer to him, holding onto the boat to keep us both afloat.
"Kiss me," I said with just a hint of begging. I licked the salt from my lips. His mouth curved up into a smile and he tipped his head to the side, bringing his lips to mine. His tongue was salty with the ocean water as he tasted me, our lips dancing in the dark. Heat began to burn in my core. I didn't want to wait any longer. I wanted Robbie more than I wanted to breathe.
We broke from our kiss and I climbed up the ladder and back onto the deck of the ship, leaving a trail of water behind me. Robbie was hot on my heels, his hands grabbing the ladder's rungs just as my feet left them. I could sense his eyes on the bottom of my body as I climbed the ladder, and I liked the way that made me feel.
When I reached the deck, I quickly wriggled out of my wet sailing leggings. I tried to pull the skintight shirt over my head, cursing the wet fabric that was now sticking to my body. Just as the fabric was directly over my eyes, I felt a pair of hands run their way up my body. I shivered, the air sucking the heat from my wet skin as his fingers sent shocks of electricity through my body.
I recovered quickly. "Aren't you being a little presumptuous?" I asked, a smile on my lips. I couldn't tell if he could see that I was joking, but the last thing I wanted was for him to stop.
My hands were still stuck in the shirt on my head, and one of his hands moved to the middle of my back. He continued to stroke my skin, his other hand going to the shirt. He lifted it up over one ear and whispered softly in my ear. "I very much doubt that."
His hand moved up to my hands, stilling them and keeping me entangled in the shirt. I felt him move around to the front of me. His hand was still on my back, cradling me as if he were dipping me on the dance floor. His maddening contact was teasing me, and I felt my sense of touch begin to heighten the longer my eyes remained covered.
"You know, I thought about the last day we spent together for a long time," Robbie said.
"Me too," I agreed, surprised I could speak any words at all.
"I'm sorry that it took such a boneheaded move from me for us to get back together, but I feel like this was meant to be."
My heart raced faster and my breath caught in my chest. I thought of that time, eleven years ago, when I had my first taste of Robbie.
He moved closer to me. I could feel the drops of water falling off his shirt and onto my skin. "You stole a kiss from me, and I almost missed my chance to kiss you back. Then you went away, and a piece of me has wanted you ever since. Pined for you, even."
The confession was a little startling, but I let his emotions wash over me in waves, afraid to even speak because of the chance of ruining the moment. Maybe I hadn't pined for Robbie Saunders, but I had never forgotten that magical kiss.
I felt him lean in, and in anticipation I parted my lips. I was rewarded with the contact of his lips against mine, a tentative taste, almost as if to test if I were the same as I had been eleven years ago. He backed away, and I felt naked under his gaze, unable to cover myself or even see what he was doing. Then, he suddenly leaned in and kissed me again, this time passionately. His hands wrapped around my midriff, and I felt my body quest for his.
He backed off after a moment of thoroughly kissing me, his hands going to my shirt to help get it off. As he pulled the shirt off my head and I regained my sight, he said, "Let's get this off of you. You look ridiculous."
My jaw dropped, but he just smiled and kissed me again, his laughter sweet against my lips. I worked the shirt off of my hands and wrapped them around his body. I let my fingers grab at the bottom of his shirt, quickly pulling it up, feeling his muscular body underneath. This time, I paused with the shirt covering his eyes.
"Now who looks ridiculous?" I asked him.
He smiled. "I can't see, but I assume it's still you." I laughed, and before I could kiss him again, he swept me up in his powerful arms. He started to walk.
"Guess it's time to see if I really can navigate a boat with my eyes closed. Unless you want to help me get this shirt off my eyes."
I pulled the shirt up so one of his eyes was uncovered. It immediately dilated when it saw my body in his hands. "Good enough," he said as he began to walk. I leaned up and wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, leaning up to a kiss. I had no idea where he was bringing me, but I had a pretty good idea as I felt us begin to move down the stairs to below the deck.
In another moment, I was being laid on the small bed of the living quarters. Robbie straightened back up and removed the shirt the rest of the way, and I watched his muscles work. He looked down at me, appreciating my body.
"You know," he said, "I still have to sleep in that bed. It's very inconsiderate of you to be wearing your wet bathing suit on it."
I laughed again, but quickly pulled my bikini top off. I heard him draw his breath in sharply when he saw my breasts. They were small, and few men had ever seemed to have this kind of reaction, but I took advantage of his surprise to throw the bikini top at him. He and I both laughed as it landed on his shoulder and stuck there. I moved my fingers to my bikini bottom.
"Stop," he said. "I can take care of those."
His fingers moved to his own swim trunks, slowly revealing his manhood. The V-shape of his muscles was so sexy that I could barely stand it. Before I had a chance to really look, though, he got down on his knees at the foot of the bed and started to move his hands up my legs.
My breathing started to quicken as I felt his fingers loop under my bikini bottoms, pulling them down and exposing me. As soon as he had the swimsuit off, he spread my legs open, drinking in the sight of me.
I had been in a plane all day and had just played in the ocean, but he seemed to have no hesitation as he applied his tongue to my tender area.
The pleasure was intense. I had often fantasized about Robbie, but he was better in reality than he had been in my imagination. In my fantasies of Robbie, I had always orgasmed quickly, and I knew it wasn't going to take me long this time.
Robbie was an experienced lover. He managed to keep going at the same pace and pressure, even when I began to buck my hips. My hand went through my hair, and I thrashed like a fish on the end of a line. I wanted him. I wanted the rest of my fantasy to come true, for him to become one with me, and when I thought about that, I crested the final wave to my orgasm. Through the waves of pleasure, I could feel him smile as he continued to attack my * mercilessly.
Eventually I stopped thrashing enough to look down. His eyes were on me, looking up at me as if asking if I were done. I grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled. "I want you. Now."
He grinned from ear to ear. "Okay, hold on a second." In a flash, he was back up the stairs to above deck.
What the heck? I thought to myself. Long seconds passed as I heard him banging around above me, and then he came down the stairs. I held my hands out, as if to ask what his problem was, when he produced a square wrapper.
"I had some time to prepare, but I couldn't sneak down here to have this ready. I didn't want you to catch me and think I was being 'presumptuous,'" he said, throwing my word back at me.
I smiled. No man had ever been this thoughtful, so prepared. "Well, I guess I can forgive you."
He laughed and tossed me the condom. Then he knelt on the bed, obviously waiting for me to put it on. Now he is being presumptuous, I thought.
I sat up, getting a good look at him. He was bigger than I had imagined, and I was ready for anything. I carefully placed the condom on him, gently rolling it down. He felt so solid, so big in my small hand, I could feel myself getting more and more turned on.
"Thank you very much," he said, and I laid back down. He positioned himself over me, and in a moment he was pressing into me. His eyes locked with mine in the faint light, but I closed mine as he went deep inside of me. I ran my hands over his muscular chest, which was still slightly wet from the ocean. I opened my eyes and looked down at his hips, working hard to thrust into me. My fingers ran up his biceps, appreciating muscles that had taken a lifetime to build.
He pushed my legs to one side and then rolled me so that I was laying on my side. He got behind me, and I spread myself gently to let him in. His hand went to my shoulder and grabbed tightly as he explored my inner depths. He kissed my back gently as he rocked in and out of my body.
"Oh, you feel so good, Sam," he whispered in my ear. I started to rock against him gently, and he whispered again. "I love the way that feels." I really enjoyed it that he told me what he liked, so I kept doing exactly that. His fingers ran up and down my body, sending shivers of bliss cascading down my skin.
I pulled away and turned toward him. I pushed his arm so that he was lying on his back, then jumped on him, putting both my hands on his solid chest. He grinned at my energy, and as I lowered my body to join with his, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
I began to ride him, to grind against his body. I heard him groan in pleasure, which turned me on even more. Suddenly, he grabbed my ass and began to thrust upward, sending me to new heights. He leaned up and his tongue darted out, touching my nipple. He moved from one breast to the other, tasting me, enjoying them.
After enjoying them, he threw his head back into the bed. His thrusting seemed to get a little frantic. I knew what was coming.
"Yes!" I moaned. I leaned down and flattened myself against his body, then whispered in his ear. "Come for me."
His thrusting became quicker and suddenly I felt him grow larger. I breathed out and moaned softly into his ear. He thrust deeply one last time, followed by an erratic series of smaller thrusts. His fingers tightened around my waist, and I felt myself have a small orgasm, almost as if it had transferred from his body to mine.
For long moments he continued to thrust lazily within me, long past the point where his orgasm must have ended. Then, he relaxed, his breathing still ragged. I looked him in the eye, and we kissed tenderly as he left me.
He pulled the condom off, tying it in a knot before it could make a mess. "You know," he said with a smile, "normally I wouldn't make you sleep in the wet spot, but I'm afraid we got the entire bed wet."
I laughed. "So you're saying that this isn't just your bed?"
Robbie shrugged. "Well, I don't want to be 'presumptuous.' I don't know where else you'd sleep. Might as well just pretend it's a sleepover."
I smiled, then put my head against his chest. "We do have that big lovely house we can go back to."
"There is a big fluffy bed in the master bedroom that I think you'd enjoy." I loved the way his voice rumbled through his chest. "Besides, no one is steering the boat."
I traced my fingers along his chest, traveling the ravines and rises of his muscles. It was a landscape I wanted to live in forever. He wiggled out from underneath me, standing to dress so he could take care of the boat. He always was the one for the rules.
"I don't think I want you to get dressed," I said, looking pointedly at the boxers in his hand. His mouth curved up in a sly grin as he set them back on the floor.
"It's a good thing the house has a private beach, since I can't seem to find your clothes either." He kicked my swim suit away from the bed.
I laughed, jumping from the bed and dancing past him up to the deck. I had always wanted to sail naked in the moonlight, and we had to get home somehow...