25. Willow
We woke up in La Terrenas, a little unknown town in the Dominican Republic in the Pueblo de los Pescadores municipality.
We spent the day hiking, swimming, and shopping—in that order. The water was sapphire blue—I’d never seen anything like it.
For several days, we swam naked under the stars. I loved the colorful houses, blinding seas, mountains, food, and people. We kayaked over water that was so clear it felt like we were in Atlantis. We had sex in secluded coves with his hand muffling my screams, then collected shells to bring back for Sailor and Aurora.
We found a shop that sold more pineapples, and Royce stocked up on them like they were going extinct. My cheeks stained with embarrassment as the salesperson beamed with satisfaction.
Royce’s touch was addictive. Whenever he fucked me, my orgasm hit me from a dozen different places all at once.
But it wasn’t just sex, it was so much more. The way he listened to me, the way he cared for me, and the way he was attuned to me. Whenever we walked the beach or swam in the crystal waters, we talked about anything and everything—my career, his businesses, our goals and dreams, our shared memories. He’d always been a big part of my life, but now, I couldn’t imagine a future without him. Without us, just like this.
“What kind of nursery do you have in mind?”
I held on to his muscular shoulders, blinking water away from my lashes. We’d been swimming for the past thirty minutes, and the pads of my fingers were becoming wrinkly.
“Hmm, a pretty one.”
His lips brushed over my jawline. “I need more details.”
I chuckled. “Honestly, being so early in the pregnancy, I haven’t given it much thought. Maybe green accents if it’s a boy and lavender if it’s a girl.”
He seemed to consider my words for a moment. “How about green regardless of if it’s a boy or a girl?”
My brows scrunched. “Why green?”
He gave me the most beautiful smile. “Because your green eyes glimmer when you’re happy.” He leaned forward, brushing his mouth against mine. “And when you come for me.” My cheeks heated, despite the cool Caribbean waters. “You’ll come for me now, won’t you, baby?”
My nipples instantly hardened, every fiber of my being relishing in his attention.
His hands roamed my body, his fingers hooking under my top, and I vibrated with anticipation. My body pressed harder against him, his skin burning mine even underwater.
“Wrap your legs around my waist.” I did without hesitation, and his palms ran up my legs. My breathing turned erratic, my core throbbing with the need to feel him inside me. He took my lips in a hard kiss, his tongue invading my mouth.
“Royce, someone might see us,” I breathed, grinding against his erection.
“Let them watch, then,” he growled, his fingers coming between my thighs and pushing my bathing suit to the side.
His finger brushed against my clit, and a moan escaped me as he began to circle the bundle of nerves in lazy motions. The image my mind conjured of someone possibly watching us only fueled my desire.
My hands roamed his body hungrily, needing to feel all of him. I shuddered as he thrust his fingers inside me, and he swallowed my whimper. Breaking the kiss, his mouth brushed against my earlobe as he said, “I can feel your greedy cunt clenching my fingers. You’re wishing it was my cock, aren’t you?”
My forehead fell against his shoulder as my breaths turned into small pants, his fingers thrusting inside me. “Yes.”
“Beg for it, wife.” His movements were relentless, his thumb circling my swollen clit, before he abruptly stopped.
“No,” I moaned, shooting him a glare. “Don’t be a bastard.”
He grinned, although his eyes shone with dark promises. “Beg for it.”
“Please.” I was a weak woman. “Please make me come.”
He slid his fingers back inside me, and I tightened my grip around his waist as I lost myself to the sensation. In and out. In and out.
My breathing hitched, ecstasy within reach.
His mouth found my neck, and he licked and nipped. I pushed my hands into his hair, holding on for dear life.
“Look at me,” he growled, and I lifted my head, our eyes locking. The unfiltered desire in them was exhilarating. He honed in on that sweet spot, powering his fingers in and out as one curled inward.
“Oh, fuck… Oh… my… God…” A cry tore through me. I pulled at his hair, my body coiling tight as shudders rippled through me. He continued thrusting his fingers, drawing out my pleasure.
“We’re not done,” he rasped as I melted in his arms. “You’ll give me more.”
The world was spinning, my lungs fighting for air.
“You’re really demanding,” I said, and he answered with a rough kiss. “And greedy,” I added against his lips.
He grinned, his strong hand tracing my thighs.
“That I am, but only when it comes to you.”
Then he showed me exactly how greedy he was.
The next day, we were out on the town, making the most of the Dominican. Royce was sipping rum and I was devouring a plate of Bandera Dominicana, a traditional dish, when his phone rang.
I watched his expression turn black, but whoever was on the line did most of the talking. His demeanor relaxed when he hung up, but my curiosity was piqued.
“Something wrong?”
His gaze flickered to my phone, lying flat on the table. He raked his teeth over his bottom lip before he answered, “We need to turn off our phones.”
I stared at him until he met my eye. “Why?”
Deep in the pit of my stomach, I knew. “Stuart’s calling around, trying to access our location.”
I wasn’t surprised, but I was disappointed. Scared. Without another word, I lifted my phone and powered it off.
“Who gave you the heads-up?”
“Alexei.”
As he paid the bill, I asked, “Where are we going next?”
“Bermuda.”
We were definitely taking the long way home.
We set sail the very same night, and as the soft island lights disappeared from view, I already missed it. There wasn’t a single moment on this island I didn’t love, and I could only hope we’d be back one day—the three of us.
This next island was a slice of paradise. Tropical trees surrounded us. The birds chirped. Waves crashed against the shoreline. The sun shone through large palm fronds, kissing our skin. It was everything I could have wanted and more.
“This is wonderful.” I stepped closer to Royce, taking a deep inhale of his fresh scent. “I didn’t realize how much I needed to stretch my legs.”
“I know how much you love physical exercise,” he remarked, and his teasing tone didn’t escape me.
I swatted his arm gently. “You make it sound like I hate it.”
He chuckled warmly.
“But you don’t love it.” I rolled my eyes, choosing to remain quiet. “I read it’s healthy for a woman to be active while pregnant, but you might not want to start vigorous exercise if it hasn’t already been part of your routine.”
Warmth rushed through me. His admission made me want to jump his bones and kiss him all over. This version of Royce that he kept closed off from the world—the one who went out of his way to read pregnancy blogs—was the one that had stolen my heart.
Wait. What?
I tripped and would have face-planted into the dirt if it hadn’t been for Royce’s reflexes. My gaze lowered to his inked arm with the mountain landscape wrapped around my waist, holding me up, and everything inside me fluttered like this was my first crush.
And, ironically, Royce Ashford was my first crush, but then I grew up and got over it. At least I thought I had.
Jesus Christ.
I’d fallen hopelessly in love with Royce again. My husband. My best friend. My lover. Somewhere in the past few weeks, Royce had burrowed into my life. Once we slept together, he’d insisted we sleep in the same bed, threatening to throw me overboard when I suggested space.
The truth was I couldn’t imagine waking up in the morning without him by my side.
“Where on the map are we exactly?” I asked, choosing not to dwell on this revelation.
“Right here.” He pointed at the middle of the screen that showed the Atlantic Ocean. “We’re only a few miles away from Bermuda.”
Once I was steady on my feet, Royce slid his hand into mine, intertwining our fingers, and we continued trekking.
“Oh, does it have a name?”
Royce’s gaze roved over the trail and into the surrounding bush, and for the first time, I realized he seemed hyper-vigilant. “It’s private, so I’m not sure.”
My eyes widened. “Please don’t tell me it’s your island.”
“No, but I’m thinking I might buy it.” He raised a brow. “Make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
“W-what? Who’s he?”
His expression remained the same. “I think it belongs to Winston’s buddy, Asher. The guy I bought the boat from. I like this island, and it’d be a good place to raise a kid.”
My brows furrowed. “I don’t want to be too far away from my family and friends.”
He grinned. “Ditto.” When I gave him a confused look, he explained, “I was joking, but I would like to teach Asher a lesson.”
I glanced around, marveling at this world where one human owned the entire freaking island.
“How… how does one even buy an island?”
“It’s easier than you’d think.”
I side-eyed him, poking his shoulder with my free hand. “It’s far too remote for us. We’ve been walking for an hour and we’ve yet to see a single soul.”
A smile broke free across his beautiful lips.
“You’re right, wife.” Phew. While I loved visiting exotic places, I preferred city life. Bouncing between Lisbon and D.C. did that to a girl. “I think we should be close to your family.”
“And yours,” I reminded him. Royce was close to his siblings, and while they didn’t often see eye to eye, they were a unit.
“Huh.”
I bumped my shoulder against him playfully. “Just like your brothers, you’re an overbearing control freak when it comes to your family. It’s an admirable trait.”
He gripped my hand, his eyes finding mine. “I’m starting to wonder something.”
“What’s that?”
“Why didn’t I marry you ages ago?”
A strange type of warmth engulfed me, and something about his words and soft touch, even his unreadable features, communicated his meaning. I understood.
“I’m starting to wonder the same thing,” I joked. “But I’m glad you’re willing to be close to my parents.”
“Of course. If my father was half the man yours is, I would have probably spent more time around him.”
None of the Ashford brothers dwelled on their difficult relationship with their father, but I knew from Aurora that they blamed him for Kingston’s kidnapping. Though, with how deep their disdain ran, there had to be more to it.
“You don’t talk about your mom much,” I noted softly. In all the years I’d known him, he’d rarely spoken of the late Mrs. Ashford.
“No.” The answer was curt, which he must have sensed because he squeezed my hand gently. “There isn’t much to say, honestly. She was good to us, loved us unconditionally, but Father demanded a lot of her attention. She made it work, and whatever time she had left over, she tried her best to shower us with it. Byron and Winston saw more of the shit going on between her and our father, so she tried to compensate for that with them. The rest of us were happy to take what we could get.”
Being an only child and witnessing my parents’ wedded bliss, I couldn’t relate, but I understood how hard it would be not to feel slighted.
“Do you hold it against her?”
Royce’s brows scrunched. “No, never against her. Against Senator Ashford, absolutely.”
“And now he’s dead,” I whispered softly.
His shoulders tensed. “May he rot in hell.”
For the next mile or so, we hiked in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts. Ten years of close friendship and I still felt like there were layers to Royce that I hadn’t peeled back.
I opened my mouth to ask him a question when we stopped at the top of the hill and a trickle sounded in the distance. Water. Royce pulled me deeper into the forest, and with each step, the rush of water grew louder.
“Is it a waterfall?” I asked in awe, my gaze darting left and right.
“I think so.”
Another half a mile and the moment the unobstructed view of the waterfalls appeared, I stopped breathing. They ran between two hills, rushing down off the cliff and into the river.
It was only then that I spotted a mansion at the base of the hill, standing out with its two-story modern architecture. Yet, somehow it fit right in amongst the beautiful greenery.
I gaped at the fairylike setting, unable to peel my gaze away. The river flowed on the left side of the manor, wide and deep enough to accommodate a boat, and disappeared inside a mountain.
“This is just… wow,” I whispered.
“I’m glad you like it. Although, I’d like to know what you’re doing on my property,” an unfamiliar voice came from behind us.
Royce and I whipped around, and my mind blanked. A Greek god stood in front of me. It was the only plausible explanation as I stared at the man with gunmetal-blue eyes and a rugged beard. His blond hair was tied with a black ribbon, pulled away to reveal a harsh but beautiful face. I cleared my throat and averted my eyes before they could dip down his chiseled chest. Instead, my gaze caught on an odd tattoo—a symbol settled in the mouth of a skull—peeking through his white shirt. I’d never seen anything like it.
“Well, well. Asher.” I shot my husband a surprised look. He knew this guy? “It seems you used me and my catamaran to transport your goods.”
Asher smirked, clearly unimpressed. “Call it payback for saving you.” His blue eyes flitted back to me. “And your wife’s ass.”
A growl vibrated in the air, mixing with the thundering waterfalls.
“Mention my wife’s ass again and I’ll kill you,” Royce gritted.
Asher threw his head back and laughed. “You Ashfords should really learn to practice restraint when it comes to your women.”
What the hell did that mean?