10. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Stella
I pull the swirly straw to my lips and suck, letting the golden juicy goodness of my Tequila Sunrise drench my tongue. The sun is dipping low in the sky, the warmth it’s provided all day, as I lay back in the Sky Lounge sipping cocktails with Samuel, starting to fade.
I’ve never been more relaxed. More at ease with my life.
It’s the final day of the cruise, and I’m totally not ready for it to end. This incredible journey, the vacation that I so desperately needed, has turned into something so much more. More than I ever could have imagined.
I’ve fallen in love and I know my life is about to change completely.
I glance to Samuel. He’s lying back on the lounge chair, sunglasses pulled over his eyes, ripped muscles glowing from a day spent in the sunshine. He has a beer in one hand, the other resting on my thigh. I smile as his thumb idly strokes my skin, his touch sending shivers through my entire body. It’s the smallest of touches, but it’s the protective and dominant gesture behind it – I’m his. And nothing is going to change that.
“Can you believe it’s almost over?” I ask, taking another sip of my cocktail. God, I’m gonna miss day-drinking, that’s for sure. “Two weeks has gone too quickly.”
Samuel glances out at the horizon where the land is slowly coming into view. “It’s been a hell of a time. I don’t want it to be over.”
‘Neither do I,” I admit, my heart swelling with affection for the man laying beside me. “I wish we could just keep sailing into the sunset, never getting off.”
He turns and leans on his elbow, smiling across at me. “You wanna live in the penthouse forever?”
I shrug playfully. “Think you can arrange that?”
He chuckles and reaches for my hand. His fingers slide through mine and he gives a squeeze. “I’m not sure the military would like that too much. But… we don’t have to let it end, Stella.”
I’m careful not to read too much into those words, but my chest swells with a feeling of hope anyway.
“We don’t?”
“No, we don’t. I’ve been thinking, why don’t you come back to Falls Creek with me? I want you to see where I’m from, plus, I think you’ll really like it there. It’s not so different to a cruise ship, you know?”
I grin, my tummy bursting with excitement. “So day drinking isn’t frowned upon there?”
He laughs and shakes his head. “Well, maybe a little different. But seriously, I want you to be a part of my life, not just on this ship, but after. Forever.”
Forever.
I take a second and just let those words sink in. Forever. This has all happened so fast, but nothing about it feels rushed. It’s like we’ve been destined to meet, destined to help each other. I can see the tension lifting from Samuel’s shoulders, and I like to think I’ve helped with that.
And he’s helped me too. Helped me see there’s more to life than working. There’s an entire world out there to discover, to live and to love.
“I want that, Samuel,” I say, reaching up to cup his cheek, feeling the roughness of his stubble beneath my palm. “But I don’t want to visit you there. I want to live with you. I want to wake up beside you, not at some apartment in LA. I want to be where you are, always.”
He looks at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. Then, a slow smile spreads across his face, a smile so bright and beaming it makes my heart flutter.
“You have no idea how amazing that sounds,” he says, pressing a kiss to my lips. “That makes me so happy, baby. Having you so close, all the time, I couldn’t think of anything better.”
We hold hands and just let the incredible moment take control. What started as a simple escape from my hectic life in LA has blossomed into something way more than I ever could have imagined. Together, we’ve found a peace and happiness that I wasn’t looking for, let alone thought was possible.
“Guess I’m going to have to break the news to Freya,” I say eventually, slurping the last of my drink down. “She’s not going to be happy with you, mister.”
“I reckon I can handle her,” Samuel jokes, laughing. “She’s welcome anytime. There’s plenty of room in Falls Creek for a bright and bubbly girl like her.”
I feel a bubble of excitement build in my chest as we watch the land grow closer. We’ll be docked within the next two hours, and there’s something else I need to do before we disembark. Something that’s been burning hot and urgent since we left the penthouse this morning.
I lean in close to Samuel, my voice dropping to a whisper. “We’ve only got a few hours left. Want to get out of here and make the most of it?”
Samuel’s eyes darken as he drops his beer on the table. “Let’s go.”
He launches from the deckchair and grabs my hand, leading me out of the lounge in much the same way he did on that very first night. Filled with passion, obsession and pure strength, he storms ahead of me, pulling me by the arm towards the penthouse.
We reach the door and Samuel fumbles with the key. His composure is lost, but soon, the door swings open and the second we’re inside, I’m pressed against the wall, his mouth crashing down on mine with fire and desperation.
“Fuck,” he growls, hands searching my body with an urgent need. “I’ll never get enough of you, Stella. You’re everything to me. Everything.”
I gasp into his mouth, biting at his bottom lip. “I love you, Samuel. Take me, please. I need you right now.”
Another growl rumbles low in his throat and the sound makes my nipples tighten. I clutch his muscular arms, feeling his raw strength and power as we stumble back towards the bed. He rips his shirt off and I’m clawing at the hard ridges of his stomach, his warmth and dominance making my core soak.
“Get on the bed,” he demands, ripping my tank top off as he forces me back.
I crash to the mattress and he’s on his knees at the edge of the bed, reaching for the waistband of my shorts, pulling them down with my panties all in one swift, desperate movement.
The luxurious sheets are soft and cold against my hot skin. Samuel’s hands run up the inside of my thighs, spreading my legs to reveal my needy pussy right before his eyes.
“So wet for me,” he says, leaning forward so I can feel his heavy breath on my core. “Look at you, baby. You want me to eat this pussy?”
I moan. “Yes.”
Never one to waste time, Samuel dives right in. His strong hands grip my thighs, holding them apart as his mouth attaches right on my clit. The first touch sends a jolt of pleasure through my entire body and I can’t help but arch my back.
“Oh! Yes, Samuel, right there…”
He groans against my core, lapping at my entrance, teasing and tasting me like he can’t get enough. Slow, deliberate strokes of his tongue work over me, savoring the taste of my musky juices as they flow out.
My hands grip the sheets and his tongue traces a path from my opening to my clit, swirling around the sensitive bud before flicking over it with just the right amount of pressure. My fingers dive into his hair, tugging him closer, my hips grinding against his face.
“That’s it,” he growls. “Fuck me face, baby. Take what you need from me.”
My hips writhe against the roughness of his beard, the scratch feeling so good against my heat. He hums in satisfaction, his grip on my thighs tightening as he devours me, each stroke of his tongue pushing me closer to the edge.
“Yes, don’t stop,” I moan, my voice growing breathless. “Samuel, oh, God…”
He responds to my please for more with a deep, primal growl, his tongue moving faster as he drinks me in. His hands cup my ass, lifting me slightly so he can delve deeper, his tongue plunging into me with a rhythm that has me spiraling into bliss.
I’m so close, teetering on the brink of release. The way he’s driving me wild, am I really going to have this treatment for the rest of my life? My hero, my strong, brave soldier. He’s everything to me, and he’s driving my body wild, bringing me right to the edge.
And when he wraps his lips around my clit, gives a hard suck and flicks his tongue over it with quick, precise strokes, I shatter.
Pleasure crashes over me in waves as I cry out his name. He doesn’t stop, doesn’t let up, even as my orgasm pulses through me. He licks and sucks every last drop that I give him, relentless as he takes me higher and higher, until I’m nothing but a trembling breathless mess sprawled out on the bed in his penthouse.
I see stars when my eyes open, but when my vision comes back to focus, Samuel is on top of me, his enormous chest and ripped stomach hovering over me. I look into his eyes, they’re burning with a dark desire that makes me reach out for him.
“Samuel,” I whimper, needing his touch again.
He falls around me, his strong arms caging me in, protecting me, loving me. The weight of him, the solid warmth of his body, presses me into the mattress. His gaze locks onto mine, and I feel everything in this moment.
Every touch. Every word we’ve spoken. Every tear we’ve shed on this ship.
It’s all come to this.
Me and him. Together.
No matter what.
Without breaking eye contact, he lines himself up at my entrance. I moan against his hard body, his thick, large length pressing against my slick folds. I feel him hesitate for a moment, and when I catch his gaze again, it’s not hesitation stopping him… No. He’s savoring the moment.
“I love you, Samuel,” I say, reaching for his face.
He smiles back at me, the scar above his eye lifting in a way I never thought I would see when I bumped into him two weeks ago.
“I love you too, Stella,” he says.
With one smooth thrust, he pushes forward, filling me completely. I gasp, my body arching up to meet his, the sensation of his large cock stretching me making me cry out with pleasure. A fresh wave of pleasure surges from my pussy and he sets a slow, deliberate rhythm, each thrust pushing into me with all the love and affection he’s held back for so long.
There’s no rush, no urgency. We stare into each other’s eyes, his hands sliding down to cup my face as he plunges deeper into my core, his thumbs gently brushing across my cheeks as he kisses me, soft and deep, our lips melding together as we lose ourselves and make love.
With each thrust, I feel him grow inside me. His hardness brings me closer to the edge, the steady, loving pace driving me wild with the need for that final release. I cling to him, my nails digging into his hard back, urging him deeper, faster, harder.
“Stella,” he grunts, pushing inside me with a growing pace. “Oh, you feel so good. You’re everything to me. I’m never letting you go.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say, clinging to him.
His movements grow more powerful, more intense and when we finally reach the peak together, my body tightens around him, pulling him in as he groans my name. Samuel’s hips stall in one, two, three stalled movements and the feeling of his hot cum filling me brings me down over that cliff one last time.
Our breaths mingle as we ride out the waves of pleasure, the Infinity Voyager’s horn blaring, signaling the approach to shore. Samuel crashes down beside me, breathless and naked. I curl in next to him, my eyes drawn to the window that looks out over solid ground.
“You ready to start a new life together?” I ask, snuggling against his warm body.
He wraps a big arm around me, squeezing me tight. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”