Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
SHELLY
I lean back, admiring Finn at the helm of the boat. His rugged, unshaven jaw suits him. With his white shirt rolled up to his elbows, exposing the ink on his forearms, he just needs a hat and would look the part of a captain. My captain.
Wind blows my hair as the boat picks up speed, powered by Mother Nature alone. At this rate, we’ll be at Turtle Rock in no time at all. A school of fish swim in my belly, anticipation making me nauseous.
Finn smiles at me as if he knows I need reassurance. But it’s his smile that’s making my stomach flip. “You all right, Shell? You’re looking a little pale.”
I cling to the side of the boat, hanging on as the speed increases by another knot. “All good,” I shout as the wind flaps my hair around. I knew I shouldn’t have bothered curling it this morning.
Finn slows the boat by reefing the sails, and my grip loosens on the rail. “We’ll find a suitable spot for anchorage. I don’t want to get too close to the rock.”
“Okay.” I twist my body to look over the side as we gently sway in the crystal blue waters. Below is a world of colour dancing under the sun’s rays like one of Finn’s paintings, sublime yet tranquil. Wild yet calming.
“You can let go of the railing now.” He drops the anchor. The chain disrupting the peace of the ocean. Finn lifts one of the seats and pulls out a picnic basket. “You hungry?”
The cork popping on the champagne startles me.
“You’re very jumpy today.” He pours me a glass of bubbly and hands it to me. “Don’t be nervous. It’s just me.”
“That’s what’s making me nervous.” I sip the champagne, hoping it will help me relax. The bubbles froth on my tongue.
“If it makes you feel any better, you make me nervous, too.”
I wouldn’t have guessed, but now I catch the slight tremble in his hand as he pours his glass of champagne.
“Why?” I can’t believe anyone would ever feel nervous around me.
He clinks our glasses together. “Because I like you. And you like me and I want this date to go well.”
I take a strawberry from the basket. “It’s going well, captain.”
Finn seems to relax, letting out a breath. “I picked up some vegan snacks. I wasn’t sure what you’d like.” He sets an array of tapas before me and I pick up an olive.
“This is delicious. I eat dairy, by the way.” I pick up a cube of feta cheese and pop it in my mouth along with the olive.
“Good to know. Here, try this Halloumi.” He feeds me a strip and I moan. His blue eyes sparkle like the sun on the ocean at hearing my appreciation.
Tingles cascade down my spine when he looks at me like that, full of heat and want. “So now you have me all alone, what are you going to do with me?”
“First, I’m going to sketch you.” He lifts a sketch pad and pencil from the basket. “If that’s all right?”
“You want to sketch me?”
Before I give him permission, he’s already putting pencil to paper. “I like to sketch. It’s my way of documenting and capturing my favourite moments or places, like a photographer would with a click of their camera.”
He works the pencil, concentration etched on his features as I pick at the Halloumi. “So this is a favourite moment?”
“I’m enjoying it so far, turtle girl. Are you?”
I smile as I pop an olive into my mouth. “The cheese board is definitely a win for me.”
He silently laughs to himself and continues to sketch. I lean back and enjoy the gentle rocking of the boat and the sun warming my face.
Eventually, he suggests, “How about a swim?”
My spine bristles. “I don’t have my swimming things.”
“It doesn’t matter. There’s nobody here. You can skinny dip.” His lips curl in the corner as if imagining me naked.
I swat his thigh. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”
“I’ll skinny dip too, if it makes you feel better.”
“That won’t be necessary. Nobody is skinny dipping. Least of all me.” I look around the boat. “How would I even get back on the boat?”
“There’s a ladder at the back.” He points to the stern. “ Just swim in your underwear. It won’t take long to dry off in this heat.”
“Is this your big plan to get me to shed my clothes?” I raise an eyebrow over my champagne glass.
“Is it working?” He unbuttons his shirt, revealing the ink that I love.
“Nope.” I sip on my drink, enjoying the striptease in front of me.
Finn stands and unbuttons his pants. Black boxer briefs cling to his muscular thighs. Kicking his shoes off, he strides to the edge of the boat. “Suit yourself.” He dives into the water, creating a splash that sprays my arm.
He floats on his back. “The water’s a perfect temperature. You’re missing out, Shell.”
With the olives in hand, I sit on the boat’s edge, feet dangling over the ladder opening. “I’m all right here.”
Finn grabs a rung on the ladder, pulling himself up. I squeal as the boat tilts. “We’re going to capsize. What are you doing?”
He grabs an olive from the tub with a chuckle. “Well, that’s one way to get you wet.”
He doesn’t know I’m already wet from looking at him, and with him so close, dripping water onto my clothes, I’m burning up.
“I’ll turn around until you’re in the water if you don’t want me to see your underwear.”
“Fine.” I lean back to toss the empty olive tub into the picnic box. “Turn around.”
He lets go of the ladder and swims away from the boat. I lift my dress over my head and fold it on the seat. My nipples pebble under my white cotton bra and I know this is a bad idea, but the pulsing between my thighs tells me otherwise. And I desperately need to cool off.
Shuffling my bottom to the edge, I push myself off the ledge and drop into the water with a splash. My head bobs under, but when I come to the surface, Finn’s there before me. I swipe the hair from my face and pat myself on the back for wearing waterproof mascara. On the one day I wear makeup, I needn’t have bothered.
We both tread water, our heads bobbing above the surface, but the cool sea does nothing to tamp down the heat running through my veins.
“Are you playing footsie?” He chuckles.
“I’m not touching you.”
He lifts his feet out of the water as he yelps. The sudden jolt of him moving backwards as he splashes in the water, makes me giggle.
A flipper grazes against my shin and when I look down through the glistening surface of the water, a large turtle swims around me. “It’s just a turtle, silly.” I splash water at Finn as I burst into a fit of giggles. “Funny that you own a boat, but are scared of sea life.”
He splashes me back. “I’m not scared. I didn’t know what it was.” He treads towards me, closing the distance between us. He slips his arm around my waist, pulling me flush with his chest. “There’s only one thing I fear, turtle girl.”
“Oh yeah. What’s that?”
“Being rejected by you.” His fingers graze my cheek and I suck in a breath.
“Is that why you haven’t kissed me yet?” My chin rests on the surface of the ocean as my mouth parts. The water laps at the pulsing in my throat, beating faster with each passing second that he’s gazing at me. “I wouldn’t reject you.”
“Good to know.” He lies back and swims away with a smirk .
I swim after him, pushing water over his smug face. “Are you ever going to kiss me?”
He laughs, pulling his wet hair back from his forehead. “You want me to kiss you?”
“I just want to know how many more of these dates I’m going to have to endure.”
The turtle lifts its large flipper out of the water, causing Finn to flinch. Another brushes against my leg and it must catch Finn as he lifts his legs up again, making me giggle.
“They’re just curious what you’re doing. Stay still and let them come to you.” I rest my hand on his shoulder.
“They’re huge compared to the babies yesterday. I’ve never seen them this big. Not in person. Unless you count the Ninja Turtles I met when I was ten.”
Another giggle leaves my lips. “You liked the Ninja Turtles?”
“Of course I did. They fought crime and are named after my favourite artists.” He jerks his body backwards as another turtle circles our feet.
“They won’t hurt. They’re a positive omen. When one comes to you, it’s a sign of good luck.” My fingers glide along the shell as the turtle breaches the water, the bone smooth against my palm.
“Does that mean I’m going to get lucky today?” He raises an eyebrow and I squeeze my thighs together.
“You’re already lucky I’m here. Don’t push it.” I take Finn’s hand and guide it to the shell.
He smoothes a hand over the green patterns. “Incredible.”
“They live to about one hundred. They used to thrive here, but over the years, I’ve noticed less and less as their home’s slowly taken away, piece by piece.”
“I see why you fight strongly for them, after what happened with your own home.” Finn strokes the shell again, his fingers tracing the shapes.
“They’re my spirit animal.”
“I wonder what mine is.”
I tilt my head, studying him for a moment. “A peacock.”
He furrows his brow. “I don’t think so.”
“You flex like one.” I giggle, waving my hand towards the boat.
“Oh, I can flex all right. And I have the stamina of a stag, the strength of a bear, and the patience of a fucking saint, waiting for you to admit your feelings for me.”
“I thought I’d made my feelings obvious.” The pulse quickens in my neck.
“I know how you feel. I wasn’t sure if you knew.”
“I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me.” I kick my legs and move my arms to push myself closer to Finn, offering myself up to him in case he needs any more confirmation of what I want.
His hand slips around to my back, holding me close. “If you want to kiss me, Shelly, I’m right here. You can kiss me anytime you want.”
I slide my fingers around his neck, swallow my pride along with the lump in my throat, and pull him to my lips. His unshaven jaw scratches my skin, igniting a fire in my belly. He nudges my mouth open with his tongue, licking the balm from my lips. I let him take control.
My bones weaken, and I cling to him, wrapping my legs around his waist. Enveloped in the kiss, we descend beneath the surface, consumed by each other. The sensation of drowning in this man is heavenly.
A turtle breaks our trance, nudging against our legs and we both kick back up to the surface, gasping for air as we take our next breaths. Finn grips my wrist, pulling me with him as he swims the short distance to the boat.
Holding on to a rung on the ladder, he wraps his other hand around my neck and kisses me again. This one more passionate than the last. His tongue diving deeper into the depths, exploring and mapping out every corner of my mouth.
He breaks the kiss, but only for a breath, and then he’s back, tasting me, licking every unspoken word from my tongue. I lick him back, telling him without words how much I want him.
“I can’t stop kissing you, Shell,” he whispers against my lips between panting breaths.
“I don’t want you to stop.” I press my lips against his mouth, my hand holding on to his shoulders for support, and I wrap my legs around him again, only this time, there’s a large bulge nestled between my thighs.
My eyes flick open. I gaze into his eyes, darkened like deep trenches in the ocean. My legs tighten around him, needing to feel more of him.
“You feel that, turtle girl?” He grabs my ass, thrusting into me. “You feel what you do to me?” He peppers my jaw with kisses. “I need you up on the deck, spread before me so I can worship every inch of you.”
My body trembles. The water is the only thing stopping me from bursting into flames.
Finn moves aside, gesturing for me to climb up the ladder.
With weak knees, I step onto the metal rung, my arms shaking as I use all my strength to haul myself from the water. The boat dips and I freeze. “I feel you should go first to balance out the weight.”
“It won’t tip. Trust me.” He places his hand on my ass as if giving me a push .
Heat flushes my skin. His hand is on my ass and probably his eyes too. Now soaked through, my white lace panties leave nothing to the imagination. “This is so embarrassing. Do you have to stand under me, looking at my ass?”
“Just admiring the view. And I’ll do more than look when I get you on deck.”
My walls clench with need, slickness pooling at my centre. “Oh heavens,” I mutter as I look up to the sky. Another pair of panties ruined.