Chapter 4
TRAVIS
She took me through the back of the Oceanwell Rescue building, opening a door that was locked in two places. It was a pool area, and it smelled like salt.
"Is this saltwater?" I asked.
"Yes, it's very important to keep them in their natural habitat."
"The pool is huge."
"Sometimes we have more than one animal—always from the same species, of course—but it becomes a bit complicated to keep them from attacking each other.
But right now, Steve is the only one here.
" She turned on the lights, going straight to a cabinet in one corner of the room, next to a door.
After taking off her coat, she took out a syringe.
I looked at the water and saw Steve was flipping around the length of the pool.
He'd been silent when we came in, so he was obviously reacting to our visit. Or to the light.
Bonnie knelt at the edge of the pool.
"I've never actually done this without getting into the water, but I don't want to hop in right now. It's always such a drag putting on the neoprene suit."
"Is it really that cold?"
"Oh yeah. Besides, there's no hot water at this hour, so I can’t shower off, and the saltwater is so bad for my skin.
The boiler only works until 7:00 p.m. Come on, Steve.
" He came up to her, resting his beak in her palm.
He was surprisingly calm when she stuck in the needle near his fin.
"That's it. You're a very good boy. I know this isn't pleasant, but it'll help you recover.
I promise you'll be healthy in no time, and then you can go back into the ocean and have fun, maybe swim back to your family if you have one.
You just have to be very careful with the fishing nets or you'll be right back here, okay? "
She was so genuinely tender that it caught me off guard.
After pulling out the syringe, she disinfected the area.
It was the first time Steve twinged, but he kept his beak in her palm for a few more minutes.
I couldn't look away from her. It was as if her biggest wish of the moment was to make sure the animal didn't suffer.
I was even more transfixed with her than I'd been during the movie, and I didn't think that was possible.
"Want to pet him?" she asked me.
"You think he'll like it?"
"Oh yeah. He's being very sweet tonight. I think he's feeling a bit sick."
I put my coat on a nearby table, then crouched next to the pool and put my hand on him. He didn't flinch away. In fact, he reached out to me the second I made contact with his cold, but surprisingly soft, skin.
She smiled. "Hey, he likes you."
"I'm glad I'm impressing someone, at least."
"Steve is a very good judge of character."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah."
He stayed like that for a few more minutes and then pulled back, doing flips in the pool. Then he came back to us.
"Okay, let's pet him one last time, and then we should go. Otherwise, he's going to make us stay for hours. I know him."
We both reached out at the same time. I was too close to the edge and balanced precariously forward. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bonnie do the same. On instinct, I turned to her, intending to stop her from falling in the pool, but then I lost my own balance, and we both fell in.
Holy fuck! This water is fucking cold.
It pierced my skin, even through my clothes. Bonnie shrieked but then began to laugh. Steve was nowhere in sight. Looking around, I noticed he was at the other edge of the pool. We'd probably scared the hell out of him.
"Oh my God, my shoes! They slid off my feet," she said.
Looking down through the water, I noticed her feet were bare. Glancing around, I saw her shoes floating in the middle of the pool.
"I'll get them for you," I said. "You get out of this water. It's damn freezing."
"My, my, you truly are a gentleman," she said between fits of laughter, walking up the metal ladder.
I grabbed the shoes quickly. Steve was still keeping his distance. I swam back to the edge, putting the shoes on it before climbing up. My own shoes were still on my feet, soaked with water. We both laughed as we stood up.
"Well, this was unexpected," she said, her teeth chattering.
"You're sure the water here isn't working?" I asked.
She shook her head. "No warm water, at least."
"Okay, then let's get out of here."
She nodded. "Let's go to my bungalow. It's closer than your hotel. While you shower, I can wash and tumble-dry your clothes. I have a quick wash and dry program setting."
"Okay."
She put her coat on, and I put mine over hers.
"No, you keep it," she said.
"You're far colder than I am.”
She nodded and pulled it tighter around her.
"Let's break into a run," I suggested as we reached the door.
“Bye, Steve,” she yelled as we stepped outside.
Then she closed the door, or at least tried to.
Her hands were trembling, and she fumbled with the key.
She couldn’t manage to put it in the lock.
The breeze was pleasant before, but now it cut into my skin.
My hands were steady though, so I took the key from her, locking the door.
“Thank you." I barely made out what she said, that was how much her teeth were chattering. “Let’s go that way." She pointed to the right and broke into a run, and I followed her.
I was surprised at the turn of events tonight. It didn’t go at all like I'd predicted it would, and I was enjoying every second.
Bonnie
My hands were shaking so badly that he had to open the front door lock as well. The second we stepped inside, I pointed to the right. "Here's the bathroom."
Immediately, I opened the door and turned on the spray of water. I waited for a few moments before putting my hand under it.
"Okay, it's warm." I took off both coats and stepped right under it. “Oh my God. I can practically feel life coming back to my body.”
Blinking my eyes open, I noticed Travis was standing in front of the tub. His body was shaking, his eyes dark.
"Come under the water," I said. "You need to warm up."
"No." The word was almost a groan.
"Come on, you don't want to stand out there. You're going to get cold. Just come here and warm up a bit, and then we can wash separately."
In the back of my mind, something told me this wasn't the best idea, but the man was trembling. He gave me his coat, for crying out loud! He must have been even colder than I was.
Eventually, he took off his shoes and came in next to me under the spray.
"This is good." Was it my imagination or was his voice different? Harder somehow.
"I know, right? I want to stay here forever. I feel like I'll never be warm again."
I had no idea how long we simply stood like that, but it seemed like forever before any feeling returned to my limbs.
Slowly, my body temperature went up, and then I became acutely aware of him, of his presence next to me, of his strong, lean body and the muscles peeking out from under his shirt.
It was plastered to him, leaving nothing to the imagination, which was good because my imagination had seriously not done him justice.
Travis didn't just have a six-pack. He had a…
was that an eight-pack? Twelve-pack? I couldn't tell, but he was ripped.
His chest was defined, and so were his arms.
Sweet Lord.
"Bonnie." My name on his tongue was nothing more than a groan. I looked up and realized he'd seen me shamelessly watching him. Now I wasn't simply feeling warm all over. I was positively burning for this man.
"Travis," I murmured.
His mouth was on mine the next second. He kissed me fast and deep and so deliciously sensually that I instantly became wet for him. Oh God, the man could kiss. His lips were firm. There was nothing gentle about it. He wanted to devour me, and I wanted nothing less.
He tore his mouth from mine, groaning again. His breath was coming out in short bursts. "Bonnie, I have to go."
"Stay," I found myself saying. What was I doing? I had no idea. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't think anything past how much I wanted to touch him. I wanted those delicious muscles, and I wanted him to touch me right back, kiss me everywhere, explore my body. "Stay."
He tilted toward me again, looking me straight in the eyes, bringing a hand under my chin. The warm water was still running, and I had to blink to clear my vision far too often. His eyes were feral, the set of his mouth thin.
"If I stay," he replied, his voice deep and rich, "I'm going to make you mine. If I stay, I'm going to make you come."
"Stay," I repeated.
Then his mouth was on mine again, and he kissed me even more wildly than before.
I felt one of his hands at the back of my neck and then fisting my hair, keeping me in place as he kissed and kissed until my entire body was on the verge of exploding.
I was shaking again, but not from the cold this time.
He moved his other hand to the zipper of my dress, pulling it down, and then his fingers were on my back.
I moaned against his mouth. The skin-on-skin contact burned me.
I pushed my pelvis into his. He was hard, and feeling his cock against my clit even through clothes sent spasms of pleasure through my body.
It ricocheted in small waves everywhere.
I pushed my dress down and then kicked it somewhere in the tub.
I was standing in nothing but my red lingerie.
He only stopped for a beat, taking a step back, looking down at me.
"You're fucking gorgeous," he said. "I'm going to explore every inch of you. Every. Fucking. Inch."
He leaned into me again, kissing the side of my neck.
I was too busy trying to undo his buttons to enjoy it.
His presence was overpowering. He looked at me intently.
Without a shadow of a doubt, I knew he would turn my life upside down tonight.
He was going to deliver on his promise of exploring me.