Chapter 10
Emilee
“Dinner was lovely.Thank you.”
Leaving the beach behind, we walk toward the pool area, where they’ve almost finished erecting lounge beds with canopies along one side. A multi-layered fountain rises from the center of the pool, water spilling over its ornate edge, and tiny floating candles create a romantic setting.
He takes my hand. “Have I mentioned how lovely you look tonight?
“Yes, you have.”I whisper.I’mso thankful I thought to pack one dress perfect for an evening like this. I don’t know why I tossed it in my suitcase at the last minute. Wishful thinking? Foresight? All I know is from the moment I walked out of the bedroom, he hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off me.
He gently squeezes my fingers.
My breath hitches, and I’m acutely aware of him, of us, of the potential for something real to grow and blossom with this sexy, handsome man.
With a tug, I get him walking again. “So, I know you grew up in California and you apparently fall off horses.”
He tosses his head back and laughs; the sound is so rich and heartfelt.
I switch gears because I feel it’s safer to stay the twenty-question route rather than have him start wondering about my life in Buffalo. “Do you have any traditions that are important to you? How did they start?”
Max’sbrow furrows, and we walkin silencefor a few minutes while he thinks about it. “Every New Year’s Eve, regardless of where I am in the world, I find a body of water and go for a swim. It started when I was twenty, on a dare by my older brothers. Now, it’s my way of washing off the old year.”
He’s got at least two brothers. I wonder if they’re as good-looking as he is. “Doesn’t matter how cold?”I ask, raising an eyebrow.
He grins. “Doesn’t matter. What about you?”
I smile, tucking my hair behind my ear again after the wind blows it across my lips for the umpteenth time since we’ve been here. “Well, each Thanksgiving, I write letters to people who’ve made a difference in my year. It’s my way of saying thanks, you know, beyond the social media shout-outs.”
Max nods. “Personal touch in a digital world. I like that.”
“Okay, what’s the most random thing you’ve bought online?”I study him curiously.
A smirk lifts the corners of his mouth. “Have you seen those big dinosaur costumes? I have not one, but three. We had a Halloween party in college and me and my roommates went as dinos. Which I don’t recommend, by the way, because you can’t carry a beer in those little claws.”
We both laugh as I tell him about being the back end of the horse for my sister one year. “Okay, if you were a superhero, what would your superpower be and why?”
“Time travel,”he says. “To witness firsthand the moments that have changed the world, to understand the ‘why’behind history’s narrative.”
“Would you change anything, given the chance?”
“I’m not sure,”he whispers. “But isn’t that the scary part? The ripple effects?”
I’mcaught off guard by the feel of his fingers interlacing with mine as he spins me in front of him and pulls me close. My pulse races and every nerve ending comes alive under his touch. He looks deeply into my eyes, then wraps his arms around me as he lowers his head.
“Emilee,”he murmurs, his voice a low rumble against my ear. “You are so damn beautiful.”
Then his lips find mine in a passionate kiss that steals my breath away. His mouth is insistent, tender, and exploring, and I melt into him, the rest of the world fading away. I’m lost in the sensation—the taste of him, the firmness of his arms holding me tight, and the steady beat of his heart against my chest.
We break apart, breathless, foreheads resting against one another.
“Let’s go back to the cabin. Now,”he says, his body practically vibrating.
I can only nod and let him lead me away.
The walk back is a blur. My senses are heightened, attuned only to Max’s presence beside me. First the concrete, then the gravel beneath our feet, the gentle breeze that tosses my hair, the skittering of small reptiles into the underbrush as we pass—it all weaves together into a sensory tapestry that is as intoxicating as the man who has so effortlessly become the center of my universe.
Inside our home away from home, the electricity between us is off the charts, an intense, sexy energy that seems to charge the air itself. The heat—I’m not sure if it’s the temperature or us—is palpable.
Max reaches out and trails his fingers along my jawline. He stares into my eyes, his voice a breathy whisper. “I can’t believe how lucky I am to be here with you.”
This time, it’s my turn. Taking his hand, I lead the way into the bedroom, stopping at the foot of the queen-sized bed, thankful I had the forethought to tidy up before dinner. Slowly, we undress, our breathing growing heavier as our clothing falls away, piece by piece.
I spot the tremble in his fingers as he rushes to unbutton his shirt. Tossing it aside, he reaches over his head to yank off the cotton t-shirt he’d worn underneath. He called me beautiful, but it’s him that fits that description. Broad at the shoulders and narrow at the waist, he’s tall and muscled, with a smattering of chest hair. I’ve always been a sucker for big shoulders.
A quick tug on the straps, and my dress slips from my shoulders to land softly on the floor. My underwear follows, leaving me naked but not the least bit vulnerable in front of Max.
Under his exploring gaze, my nipples harden, and a flutter takes up residence in my tummy. I can feel the redness of a blush work its way over my flesh as I suck in my belly just a little.
When he touches me, his hands whisper over the contours of my body with reverence. His nostrils flare, and his eyes turn dark with passion. Along every nerve ending where his fingers trace, my skin feels seared by invisible flames.
Max leans in, his lips landing on the sensitive skin at the nape of my neck, eliciting a gasp from my lips. “Emilee...”He breathes, and the sound of my name on his lips is almost more sensual than any caress.
I want to touch him, too. I ache with the need to feel his body under my fingertips. Stepping into his embrace, running my hands up and down his back, I follow the path of each taught muscle. On his arms, I wrap my hand as best I can around his biceps. I lean in, close my eyes, press my nose to his chest, and inhale deeply. Then, I tilt my head back and accept his kiss.
When we pull away to take a breath, I drop to my knees, take his cock in my hand, and wrap my lips around the head, sucking gently, using the tip of my tongue to swirl around the rim of the crown.
“Sweet, Lord.”He wraps his hand into my hair as I stroke him with the flat of my tongue, up one side, down the other.
Inhaling his musky scent, I wrap my fingers around the base and take him deep into my mouth as he guides me up and down his length.
“Fuck, that feels good.”
I twist my wrist, squeezing as I increase my pace, applying more suction as I cup his balls in my free hand, tenderly rolling them.
“God, I need to taste you.”
The rough rasp of his voice sends a shiver through me while he gradually pulls free.
And then the room spins, and the next thing I know, I’m on my back on the bed, and Max is kissing his way down my body, stopping momentarily to suck a nipple between his lips. Each draw on that tight bud creates a corresponding tug further down, and I wiggle restlessly, waiting for him to find his target.
The gentle rustle of the sheets, the hushed exhales intermingled with suppressed moans that escape involuntarily—each sound reverberates off the walls of our secluded cabin for the night creatures outside the window to hear.
Shifting down the bed, Max settles between my spread thighs. He raises his head to look at me. “All through dinner, I counted the minutes until I could be right back here, doing exactly this.”Lifting my legs to rest over his shoulders, he snuggles nice and close to my core, then with a swipe of his tongue, he licks up through my slit, capturing the evidence of my arousal, and moans in pleasure.
Max takes me to heights I’ve never been. He doesn’t tease with tentative strokes. Every lap, lick, andflick of his tongue is done with purpose. He zeros in on my clit, sucking it between his lips as he pushes a finger, then two, inside of me, pumping them in and out, taking me quickly to climax.
Only he doesn’t stop there. He grants me a short reprieve before he starts over again. Spreading me wide with his thumbs, he kisses me intimately before he reaches one hand up to pinch and pull at my nipples.
Soon, I’m bucking against him, diving headlong into the pool of blissful surrender.
While I catch my breath, Max leans over the edge of the bed and reaches for his shorts. He retrieves his wallet and a condom from within.
“Max.”
His skilled and confident hands leave a trail of fire in their wake as they journey down my body. His fingers gently graze my hips, and I arch my back to meet his touch.
He groans, his voice thick with need. “From the moment I saw you in that towel, I’ve wanted you. When you stuck that room confirmation in my face, I knew we’d be a good match.”
His admission adds fuel to a fire I’d already thought extinguished. When he drops over me, lining himself up, I respond, raking my nails down his back, drawing him close, needing to feel every inch of him against me.
As our bodies move together, the world around us falls away. Once consumed by betrayal and ruin, my thoughts now burn with possibility. If only I could bottle this moment, this feeling, I’d never let it go.
Max’s every touch and caress reminds me of the man I’ve come to know in our short time on this island. I feel cherished, desired, and, above all, alive in his arms.
As we hit the peak of our passion, his lips crash down onto mine, sealing our fate as one as he pumps into me, his hips moving faster and harder until I’m ready to explode.
“Max!”I cry out, clinging to him as if he’s my lifeline, my body his for the taking. He pushes me over the edge, following with a grunt, his body shuddering in the darkness.
Beyond the cabin, the moon is high, casting the room in a ghostly glow. We lay, our limbs tangled, the sweat on our bodies cooling as our hearts return to a normal rhythm.
He turns his head, his gaze brimming with emotion. “Emilee, I...”
I place a finger on his lips, silencing him.
With a nod of understanding, his lips meet mine again, and I lose myself in the dream of believing that what we have is once in a lifetime. That we have a chance at starting a real relationship. One built on trust and commitment.
A forever.