Chapter 33 #2
I turn my face to catch his teary gaze. The thought of that makes my stomach twist and my chest ache.
“You’re my home, kid. I never felt like I had a place in this world until you.
” He stares intensely at me, his ice blues clouded with unshed tears as he waits for me to speak, waits for me to react.
“Tell me what I have to do, baby. Tell me what you want.” His voice trembles and I nibble on my bottom lip.
“I want you to kiss me, Royce Lexington.”
He rushes to his feet, his hands cupping my face as he slowly turns my lips to his. “If that’s what you want,” he says, his words a ghost of a whisper.
“That’s what I want.” I swallow as he kisses me, claiming me once more.
“I love you, Athena. It scares me at how much I do.”
I nod, pressing my fingers into his tee before clutching it. “It scares me too.” My eyes settle on his. “But not because of you loving me…” I trail off. “Because I have never felt a love like this before. I’m all in, Royce. I am all in.”
He smiles against my lips as his tongue strokes across mine and I melt into him.
“I love you,” I breathe, and I can feel his heart dancing beneath my fingertips.
“Not as much as I love you.”
“This is for real this time?” I lower my face, waiting with bated breath. The grip of his fingers on my chin sends a familiar ripple of pleasure through me as he lifts my eyes to his.
“There is nothing fake about the way I love you.”
“So, this is it, we’re all in.” I squeeze the words out past the lump in my throat.
“We’re all in, Lucky.”
The sound of the soft waves clapping against the side of the yacht combined with the hot sun beating down on my body brings me so much joy. I feel at ease.
“God,” Edel groans, “I feel so relaxed.”
“I know, right?” I mutter, turning my head to look at her, my sunglasses slipping down my nose.
We jetted away at the start of the summer break, settling in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.
“Cocktail?” Nora pipes up from her sun lounger as we all lay on the sun deck.
“Yes please.” I lick my lips and I hear a grumble from Ana?s as she huffs. I push up from my elbows, looking over at her, her bottom lip turned down as her hand rests on her stomach.
“I miss cocktails.” She pouts at the three of us just as Creed walks onto the deck.
“What’s wrong, Ace?”
“She’s sad she can’t have a cocktail.” Nora rolls her eyes.
Creed sits next to Ana?s on the lounger, giving her a soft smile has his hand rubs gently across the swell of her lower stomach.
“Ugh.” Edel flops back. “I need a man.” She sighs.
My lips twist as Creed whispers something to his wife, her cheeks turning pink before he drags her away.
“Margaritas?” Nora pipes in, clearly alcohol is on her brain.
“Yes! But make mine spicy.” I lick my lips as she disappears.
“Come help,” Nora says softly, kicking the foot of Edel’s sun lounger and she protests.
“Nooo, I want to sunbathe.” She wriggles back down on the lounger.
“Up,” Nora grits, clearly trying to move her away.
“Fine.” She throws her hands up, grabbing her sarong and tying it around her waist and stomping away.
“Won’t be long.” Nora scrunches her nose then gives me a wave before she ducks into the yacht.
Sighing, I let my eyes close when I hear the sound of footsteps approaching.
I turn my head, and I see him. Sage green swim shorts with white pin stripes cling to his thick thighs.
His toned body glistens from the shimmer of water from his swim.
Long, messy black hair is pushed away from his face and his lips curl into the most devastatingly handsome smile.
“Hey, Lucky.”
“Hey, handsome.” I prop myself on my elbows, my legs bent as I sweep my eyes over him again.
“Missed you.” He sighs, closing the gap between us as he bends at the waist, kissing me. My eyes flick to his tattoo that sits just under the lobe of his air. A sound wave, made up from my moans. No one knows what it is apart from me and him.
“It’s been twenty minutes, if that,” I scoff.
“Twenty minutes too long,” he mutters, his hands tucked behind his back.
“How was your swim?” I ask, watching as he stands. I have to pinch myself that this man is mine.
“Would have been better if you came in.” He wiggles his brows and I giggle.
“I don’t like the water.” Heat pricks at my skin. “Not deep water, anyway. “Why are you hovering?” I ask as he stands there trying to contain his excitement.
“I have news.” His face presses into the hugest grin.
“Okay.” I swallow.
He slowly pulls his hands from his back and presents my manuscript. My eyes drop to it before I drag them back to his face.
“Why do you have that?” My stomach is fluttering with what feels like a thousand butterflies.
“Well…” He rolls his lips. “That email you sent...”
I suck in a breath, perspiration beading on my brow.
“It’s been picked up by a publisher.”
My mouth drops open, my eyes wide as his words crash through me in the best possible way. “No way,” I whisper and he is standing there nodding. “Oh my God.”
“You’ve done it, baby.”
I am on my feet, my arms around his neck as he lets the manuscript fall from his fingers. His arms tuck under my ass as he lifts me up effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist as I kiss him.
Our tongues entwine; a soft whimper crashes against his lips as I lose myself in him. Tears roll down my cheeks, and he kisses each one away.
His fingers tease at the soft material of my white scalloped bikini bottoms and a soft gasp pulls from my throat.
“How risky would it be for me to fuck you right here, right now?” he mutters against my mouth, nipping at my jaw as he drags his lips down.
“Risky,” I breathe, rolling my hips over his fingers.
“I told them all to fuck off,” he groans and I feel his cock harden.
“Cameras,” I whisper and he shakes his head.
“We’re tucked away in a private cove, no cameras.” He walks me to the large, pillowed area that wraps around a in the floor hot tub. “Do you know what I think is diabolical?” he says as he lays me down, one of his knees pressed against my legs.
“What?” I pant.
His fingers tease over my warm skin before he grabs one of the ties on my bikini bottoms. “That I haven’t got the chance to fuck you on my jet yet.”
My skin flames and I squeeze my pussy, a dull ache radiating through me. “Well, I suppose we better see to that when we fly home then, hm?”
I smile as he pulls on the tie and my bottoms fall away. He dives between my legs, his expert tongue rolling against my clit. My fingers are in his damp hair, and I let my eyes skate down my body, his ice blues on mine.
“Oh God,” I moan, tightening my grip as my head falls back, my hips rolling against tongue, needing more.
Clasping his face, I drag his lips to mine, tasting my arousal on his tongue. He makes quick works of pushing his swim shorts down, his large hand widening my legs as he slides his cock into me in one swift thrust of his hips.
“Fuck, I love you,” he moans into my mouth. His fingers dig into my skin as his pounds are relentless.
“Yes,” I pant, holding his face to mine as he fucks me under the late afternoon sun, sending me to a secret paradise that only me and him have the key to.
We’re sat on the deck, the warm evening upon us and we’re all here—me and Royce, Nora, Rue, Edel, Ana?s and Creed. I have never felt rich in life, not until now. I had a family I was born into that didn’t appreciate me, but this one, this one loves every fibre of me.
“This yacht is lovely,” I mutter as I lay a white cotton napkin over my lap.
We’re all dressed up. Our plans are to have dinner on the yacht and then move to the small town and enjoy a few drinks.
“Thank you, Athena.” Creed gives me a warm smile and Ana?s places her hands over her husband’s.
“Maybe try not to bet this one away, eh Dad?”
My eyes widen, a few soft giggles around the table.
“Please tell the story again.” I rest my elbows on the table, hands tucked under my chin as I look between Creed and Royce, who is sat beside me.
I wait for someone to start talking. Creed groans, dropping his face, still with that huge smile on his lips as he shakes his head from side to side.
“Back when Ana?s and I were platonic.” He side-eyes his wife.
“Platonic,” Nora scoffs and Rue giggles behind her glass.
“Give it a rest, you two.” He furrows his brow.
“Anyway, Luke, from Montcroix bet that me and Ace would become something more. I played it down that it was just a crossover of dates…” He trails off and locks eyes with his wife who is smiling all giddy.
“And not that I was going to cross a line I shouldn’t. ”
I giggle. “We made a bet in Monaco. It was between Royce or the Yacht.”
Creed turns serious for a moment. “I offered Royce instead, but they said no.”
The whole table erupts in laughter.
“No, no, of course, I threw the yacht in knowing full well I had already signed it away.”
Ana?s smiles softly, her arm tucking under her husbands as she rests her head against his bicep.
“But yes.” He chuckles. “I will not be betting anything else again.” He turns his face and kisses the top of his wife’s head.
The table falls quiet for a moment. Royce’s hand slips under the table as he gives my thigh a squeeze. Turning my face to look at him, I give him a smile.
‘I love you,’ he mouths and I lean in to kiss him.
“I love you more,” I whisper against his lips.
The sound of glasses being tapped draws our attention. Our moment is broken and I see Edel standing up, her teary eyes on me.
“A toast.” She stutters over her words. “I just want to thank Athena.” She smiles at me.
“And Nora, of course, for letting me join my best friend on this whirlwind. Not only have I seen parts of the world that I would have never seen without this opportunity, I also got my dream job.” She swallows “But this isn’t about me, this is about her.
” She points her finger towards me, and I blink back tears.
“The girl who always dreamt of more, always dreamt of spilling her soul between the pages, always dreamt of getting her book published… You’ve done that all, babe. ”
“And bagged yourself a hotshot Formula One driver,” Royce slips in and we all laugh.
Happiness trails down my cheeks and Royce is there, wiping them away with the pad of his thumb.
“This is to you. You made it, babe. You defied everything you were told growing up and do you know what I say to your parents?” Edel’s voice cracks.
She knows more than anyone about how my parents treated me, how they belittled me and told me I would never amount to anything.
“Fuck you.” The table cheers as she holds her glass towards me.
“Congratulations darling, I love you all the world.” She sniffles as we all hold our glasses out into the middle of the table, clinking them.
Royce cups my cheek, dragging my face towards him as his lips slant across mine. And finally, I know I am home. I have found my place.
“I love you, Lucky,” he whispers, his forehead pressed against mine.
“I love you more.”