My Grumpy Billionaire Soccer Star (HOT Firefighters & Sportsmen)

24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Vaughn

T he leaves block out most of the morning sun, dappling the ground with patterns as I wake to the sound of water dripping nearby. I blink against the brightness and turn my head, taking in Rachel still sleeping beside me. Her hair is a tangled halo, and her face is relaxed, serene in a way I haven’t seen before. It washes over me in a wave of warmth, and I can’t help but smile, but I need to clear my head.

I make my way into the cool morning air and slip out of our makeshift bed, not wanting to wake her. My skin is drenched with humidity, and I seem to be wrapped in a cloud of it. I take a deep breath, trying to inhale the damp air. It feels earthy mixed with saltwater, and I begin walking along the shoreline, looking for anything that might have washed up in the night.

The rocks are uneven, the waves crashing softly against them, and I stumble about. I’ve been trying to find so little so far, and it’s frustrating. I spot each piece of debris as it is, and each piece feels like a reminder of our isolation. I kick a small rock into the surf, the rock sinking beneath the surface.

Images of Rachel fly around in my mind like fleeting shadows. It makes me think about how her laughter has dulled my anger and how her presence has moved something inside me. I think of her, and there is a peace that settles into my chest and an ease I did not think I would find out here. So, what does it mean that I feel this way?

I shake my head to clear those thoughts. Not now. I can’t afford to get wrapped up in feelings. But my feet seem to bring me back toward our shelter, to her. I feel the pull, the inexplicable need to be near her.

I can hear water splashing; my heart quickens as I make my way back. I wonder what’s making that noise, but I step carefully through the underbrush. When I round a cluster of trees and find her, I can’t help but catch my breath.

In a small pool, Rachel splashes playfully in the water. She doesn’t notice me at first, and I’m struck by the sight: the water glinting on her skin, the droplets falling from her arms. I am overwhelmed by my primal urges as the sunlight dances on her curves. I feel my desire rush, and she looks beautiful, wild, and free.

I clear my throat, and she turns at the sound, looking at me. Her gaze has no hesitation. She doesn’t shield herself or cower. Instead, she smiles—a kind of playful challenge in her expression.

“Care to join me?” she asks, her voice light and teasing.

I start to process her invitation, and my heart races. The heat is rising in my cheeks, but I want to jump into the water so badly. I dive into the pool, and the cold water wakes me up as much as it shocks me at first. The distance between us closes quickly, and I swim toward her.

She laughs, bubbles of water floating around us. “Didn’t think you’d take me up on it.”

“Will I not take a tempting offer?” I respond, my voice quivering from the rush of my pulse. I splash water, and she retaliates and laughs, the sound echoing in the air, filling it with joy.

The water tosses us together in the pool, and I can’t help but wonder how easy it is to be here together like this. Yes, the world outside our little paradise fades away. She looks at me, and the laughter fades away to be replaced by something deeper.

She says softly, her voice a whisper above a whisper, “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

Unable to say anything, I nod. The moment feels intimate around us, and I know she’s close, the water shifting slightly between us.

I look into her eyes and see mischief and vulnerability, and I remember how much I want her. I can’t ignore the hunger building inside of me—all at once thrilling and terrifying.

“Rachel,” I say, my voice low, almost hesitant.

“Yeah?” she replies, her eyes locked onto mine, filled with curiosity.

“And do you ever think about what happens after this? After we’re off the island?”

As she hesitates and her eyes skip, I can see the contemplation pass over her. “Honestly? I try not to think about it. I want to focus on now.”

“Right now is pretty good,” I agree, my heart racing as I inch closer. The water is closing in all around us, becoming a barrier, making the atmosphere even more erotic.

“I think I want to enjoy it while it lasts,” she continues, her voice a whisper, and I can feel the weight of her words.

I don’t even think about it before I lean in and capture her lips with mine. The air between us rockets with the kiss. I pull her close, feeling the warmth of her body pressed against mine.

The water around us swishes and slaps over the edge of the pool, but I’m underwater, her lips on mine.

This is unfiltered; this is raw. As I become consumed with the kiss, I can only see everything else fade into nothingness. It’s everything I want and everything I don’t know I need.

I’d wanted to kiss her for hours. I craved the taste of her on my lips, on my tongue, in my blood. And the feel of her—I think as I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her tightly against me.

Her mouth is so full, so ripe, and much more intoxicating than I’d expected. Her body shivers once against mine, first in shock, then in response. At the moment, it doesn’t matter much to me.

I keep whispering sweet nothings in her ear. At the same time, I’m peppering her face, the crook of her neck, and her exposed cleavage with kisses.

She can’t take her eyes off my erect member, and she moans as I slide my hands down her thighs and my questing fingers find the wetness between her legs.

Rachel feels my body’s instant response, my dick jerking back to life and my mouth feeding off hers. As we make out, my hands begin to take, my fingers digging in to claim her as mine.

She’s already wet and ready when she shoves me back. It’s amazing how she switches from being unwilling to taking control of the pace of our little romp.

She would have straddled me and made quick work of it, but I sense her intentions and flip her over, trapping her body under mine. I sink my teeth into her breast. Her hips jerk, her hands clamp onto mine, and she grinds her pussy against my crotch in frantic, furious demand.

My vision glazes with red as the fierce flame of need tears through my system. I fill my mouth with her perky breasts even as I shove my hand into the space between our bodies, driving my fingers into her wet pussy and fingering her brutally until she shoots over the edge.

She explodes all over my fingers, her body squirming, straining, then rearing up for another leap. Her nails dig into my back, her hips rolling until I’m as wild as she is.

We roll, struggling for more in a slippery, mindless battle that has thrill ramming into thrill. Her mouth is fevered and ravenous, her hands greedy and swift.

With her breath sobbing, she takes my erect prick and inserts it inside her with one hard thrust of her hips, and she begins to ride me like a wild horse.

Fast and hot, she rides me with a ruthless energy that turns her own body into a machine fueled by greed. For speed, for passion. For more.

When she feels my fingers grab her hips, she throws her head back and flies off the end of the world.

It’s electrifying and intoxicating, and it lingers, but then it goes deeper. It gets raw. In the water, the world around us fades from sight and sensation and desire as we feel together. The cool water caresses my skin and the warmth and softness of Rachel’s skin. Sometimes, it’s just each touch igniting the sparks and shooting all the way through me. I can’t help but pull her closer and lose myself in the moment.

With the adrenaline rush from our earlier encounter heightened by our bodies entwining, its urgency is amplified, and the intimacy of this secluded pool enhances every sensation. We’re the only two people in the world, separated from everything else. The waves hit the shore softly, a soft rhythm to all this chaos of our emotions.

We float together, the lines between us dissolving, until there is no more than this—heat, water, and this connection that pulses between us. We explore the depths of our desires, one to the other. We drown in each other, and it feels like we let everything we have been holding back finally out.

Our mouths meet again. This time, it’s different. Every touch, every taste, every need comes with a sense of belonging. I feel the blood rush back to my dick, and I grab her butt, anchoring her in place as I slide my dick inside her wet pussy.

The first time was frenzied, but this time around, I fuck her with a slow passion that can only be borne out of love.

She holds me tight and matches me beat for beat.

The emotions overtake me, sensations drown me, and all I can see at that moment is Rachel—her dark eyes, her sleek hair, her strong mouth. As I make love to her, I feel her tremble, hear her breath shudder and catch, and then her eyes become beautiful and opaque as she comes.

Her eyes lock with mine, no words spoken as she shifts.

When she straddles me, she takes me in slowly, slowly, deeply, deeply, to spin out that pleasure, and she watches it conquer me even as it overwhelms her.

Her eyes look into mine, and I can see pleasure in them, as well as power, knowledge, and everything that makes a woman compelling, dangerous, and irresistible.

She moans, a woman embracing her own power, taking her own triumph. And she never stops moving and never stops her slow, steady beat.

I have to grip her hips and hold on to her to stop myself from snatching that control and taking my release when she shakes her hair back and smiles down at me.

No words, still no words.

Watching me, her breath coming in quick little sighs, she runs her hands up her body, gliding them over her breasts until I can taste them.

She shifts, bowing down to take my mouth with hers. I feel her shudder and hear her quick gasp as she rolls over the next wave.

The sound, just that small sound, snaps my restraint.

“I can’t. I need—”

I spin her onto her back and hike up her hips. Undone, simply undone, I drive my cock into her, half-mad with pleasure when those long legs wrap around me.

This time, the force of the tide sweeps us both under.

I cannot keep track of the world outside this moment. Time slips away, and I forget the passing of time. I realize Rachel’s breath against my skin, the way her body reacts to mine, and the soft sounds of pleasure coming from her lips. It’s a melody I don’t want to end.

At the height of our passion, we create a bubble, and suddenly, there’s a noise that breaks through. My heart plunges to the bottom of the ocean as I hear voices above the water, barely there but unmistakable. Reality crashes back into my mind like a wave against the rocks, and my mind races.

“Did you hear that?” My breath comes ragged from gasping, pulling away slightly. Rachel’s features are a mixture of surprise and concern, her eyes wide.

“Yeah,” she whispers, her voice barely audible over the sound of the water. We turn our heads toward the noise, but we can’t hear what is being said. The voices grow louder, and I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

“They found us,” I murmur, a rush of relief flooding through me.

We look at each other, and in that moment, I see the same joy and disbelief in her eyes. We’re still exposed, vulnerable, here in this secluded pool—but the reality of our situation hits me now. I look around for our clothes, abandoned and haphazardly strewn about the rocks.

“Get dressed!” I urge, my voice low but firm. The excitement and panic cause us to scramble and grab our clothes. The fabric of the shorts feels foreign against my skin. After the intimacy of the water, my hands tremble slightly as I tug them on.

I can’t help but steal glances at Rachel, too. She’s hurriedly putting on her clothes, and my heart is racing. It’s hard to focus on the task at hand when her eyes flit open, and she looks flushed and beautiful. The reality of where we are hastens us both into action.

She ties her hair back and asks if they might be looking for us.

“I hope so,” I reply, pulling on my shirt and glancing back toward the shore. The voices are louder and more distinct, as is the sound of footsteps on the sand.

“Let’s go!” I say, my heart beating with the excitement of hope and anticipation. Back at the shelter’s entrance, we step out of the water, the cool breeze catching our damp skin.

Continuing through the foliage, I catch a movement on the beach. I see figures in the distance, framed against the rising sun. Their silhouettes leap across my heart.

“Over there!” I point, and Rachel’s eyes follow. I see wide-eyed smiles exchanged between us, adrenaline coursing through us.

“Could they help us?” she asks, her voice a mix of excitement and doubt.

“They have to,” I reply, feeling a surge of hope. “We’re not going to be stuck here.”

We march together toward the voices, closer to the laughter and shouts getting louder. With each step, it feels like a leap toward freedom, and I can hardly believe rescue is within reach. The weight of the last few days—days of isolation, fear, and uncertainty—begins to lift, and I can feel relief coming.

As we approach the shore, I can’t get this feeling that everything is going to change. We’ve been on the island for days, and our time here has changed us. It’s forged a connection between us that I can’t deny. I look at Rachel, her eyes wide with excitement and fear, and I know that no matter what happens— or doesn’t happen—we can’t pretend that what happened was an accident.

The voices grow louder, and I am able to see the figures now—search and rescue teams with equipment in hand, scanning the area. I feel relief, but I know that the world we’re coming back to has things of its own to deal with.

I take Rachel’s hand in mine and say, “Let’s go.”

Under her skin, the warmth against my palm is a promise and a reminder that whatever is out there, we’ll face it together.