Chapter Ten
Audrey
I wake in a tangle of sheets, the scent of salt and sweet sweat hanging in the air. Perfect warmth radiates from behind me with Wolf’s arm draped across my waist, his breath brushing the back of my neck, his body fitting snugly against mine like we’ve been made to fall asleep together.
I don’t move for several moments, a smile resting on my lips as I listen to the waves lapping against the sand outside of our perfect little villa. I want to hold on to this moment, to suspend reality for a while longer. Can I do it for the entire trip? Can I turn my head off long enough to enjoy this? I sure hope so.
“Are you awake?” His low, sexy, husky voice immediately wakes up my body. Wolf is so damn dangerous, and I really love living on the edge.
My smile grows. “I was hoping to lie here like this for the next three or four hours with the sound and smells of the sea.” He chuckles before kissing the top of my shoulder.
“Mmm, I love the sound of that, but I’ve made big plans for the day,” he says, a bit too much delight in his voice for this early in the morning when neither of us got much sleep.
“That sounds ominous,” I tell him as I wiggle my butt against his very hard arousal.
He kisses my heated skin a little more, and I hope he isn’t teasing me. He can’t wake up my body like this and leave me wanting. “It’s a day of adventure. It will be fun for both of us,” he assures me.
He turns our bodies as his hand clutches my stomach, and he shifts. His tongue slides along my neck before he slowly, beautifully inserts himself inside me. I gasp as I try to focus on what we’re talking about while he presses in and out of me. His hand slides down my stomach, he finds that beautiful cluster of nerves, and starts circling his finger over it, making me moan.
“Uh... okay,” I mumble, not caring what I’m agreeing to. It doesn’t matter. All that matters right now is that he keeps doing exactly what he’s doing.
He starts moving faster as his finger magically rub across my clit. I’m obsessed with him as pressure builds, and I get lost in the moment. The sounds, smells, and feel of this couldn’t be more perfect. He thrusts harder, and my body squeezes him as a powerful release washes through me.
He grabs my hip and thrusts harder before letting out a guttural growl as heat pumps inside of me, his pleasure combining with my own. We’re both breathing heavily as we float back down to earth from the incredible high he’s just taken us on. It’s several moments before either of us speak. I finally break the silence.
“I want to wake up every single day like this,” I say in a satisfied purr.
He chuckles as he kisses my neck again. “I might be able to arrange that.” My heart flutters.
I’m under no illusion that it can’t happen, but while we’re in paradise, I can fantasize about whatever the hell I want. And in this moment, I want to make love day and night. We finally rise from bed and move into the shower together, which takes three times as long as normal since we can’t seem to keep our hands off of each other. There are far worse things in life.
We manage to get dressed, throw some much-needed calories into our starved bodies, then rush from the house. Within about an hour I’m thousands of feet in the air in a small airplane strapped into a harness with a ridiculously cheerful instructor latched onto my back. She’s far too happy about jumping out of a perfectly functioning airplane. How in the world did I get myself talked into this? Oh yeah, he didn’t talk me into it, just told me we’re having an adventurous day, then practically tossed me into the plane.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I say as I glare at Wolf, who’s beside me all on his own. He’s done this enough that he doesn’t need someone strapped to his back. But, he’s not certified to take me with him, so he has to fly near me while I’m with the woman ready to fling me from the plane.
“Trust me, it will be the biggest high of your life,” Wolf tells me with a wink.
“I don’t think I’m trusting you on this one,” I counter, making him laugh.
I don’t get the chance to argue further. My instructor gives the signal to launch, and before I can blink, we’re moving to the wide opening on the side of the plane. And then we jump... or fall, depending on how you look at it. I scream with fear, adrenaline... and excitement as I look at the land so far below us.
Within seconds the fear morphs, and I feel uninhibited adrenaline rushing through me as the wind tears through my hair while we plummet through the sky. The view leaves me breathless as the incredibly blue ocean stretches out for unseeable miles. The emerald cliffs soar beside us, and I see whispers of clouds streaking past as we seem to move at superhuman speeds.
The noise is deafening, but I’ve also never heard anything so quiet in my head before. All of the doubt, the second-guessing, and the constant background hum of the choices in life are gone. All I feel in this beautiful moment is... alive.
It’s passing by in a blur, yet seems endless at the same time. When the chute deploys, everything slows. We drift above Maui like a dream in a perfect bliss of silence and the suspension of reality.
I look over to see Wolf a few hundred yards away, waving at me like a lunatic as he grins, perfectly at ease. I guess it doesn’t matter if he’s in a plane or attached to a parachute. The man’s made to be in the sky. I shake my head, not wanting to admit how much I’m loving this.
We near the ground, then land on a beach of packed sand. I fall to my knees, laughing and breathless, my grin so huge my cheeks hurt. Wolf lands within seconds of me, then rushes over as he tears off his gear. He lifts me from the ground and pulls me into his arms, and I squeeze him back as he spins me in a circle.
“What did you think?” he asks, already aware I loved it since I can’t wipe away my smile.
I decide to give this one to him as my heart races and my skin feels warm from the flush most likely covering my entire body. “I want to do it again,” I admit.
“That’s my girl,” he says. He leans down and kisses me with so much passion it should be indecent to do so in public. I don’t care. What he does to me with his lips is a high as big as falling through the sky... maybe even greater.
We head to a beachfront restaurant for a quick meal with plenty of hydration before we head out for the next adventure of the day. He wasn’t kidding when he said he had plans.
He takes me to a busy dock where a neon orange speedboat is waiting for us that looks like it’s won some kind of international championship for going too fast. You’d think I’d be less leery of a boat than falling through the sky, but you’d be wrong. I’ve never been a huge fan of speedboats. I love being on the water, but I don’t like going super fast.
“This is The Biting Piranha,” Wolf says. “It’s my buddy’s pride and joy, but he’s graciously allowed me to borrow it for the afternoon.”
“Oh my gosh, the silly names people come up with for their boats,” I tell him with a laugh.
“Hey, a boat name is sacred.”
“Whatever.” I shake my head. “I’m not a fan of flying across the water at inhuman speeds.”
He tosses me a life jacket before slipping on his own. Before I have a chance to protest, the boat’s in gear and we’re heading out to sea, cutting through the water like a knife through room-temperature butter. I hold tightly to the safety bar as if it owes me money as he expertly drives the boat just like he flies a plane. I don’t know if there’s anything this man can’t handle.
My cheeks are practically flapping, we’re moving so fast, and the roar of the engine is enough to make talking impossible. How is this considered fun? We hit a wave and launch into the air several feet, making me feel weightless for a second. My heart thunders as I suck in some much needed air. Then we land, and I’m laughing. I’m enjoying myself even if this isn’t something I’d want to do on a regular basis. It’s good to step outside of my comfort zone. I’ve always enjoyed doing that.
We slow down, the roar of the engine lessening so we can actually talk, and have an amazing adventure taking sharp turns and wide-open bursts of speed and trolling. We skim past sights most people don’t get to see while visiting the islands. The spray of the ocean flies over us, soaking my clothes and making my hair cling to my neck, and I don’t care. I feel free and adventurous, and I want more.
He even lets me drive the boat at one point, then looks scared as I give him an evil grin. If I flip him out of the boat, I’ll be a happy woman. Sadly, his sea legs are firmly in place, and I don’t stand a chance of sending him into the air.
By the time we pull the boat back into the cove near the resort, the sun has started sinking. I’m utterly wrecked in all of the best ways. I can honestly say this is the best date I’ve ever had in my life. I don’t see how he, or any other man, can ever top it.
My legs are wobbly as I step onto the dock, and Wolf laughs as he winds my arm through his to keep me steady. He’s not wobbling at all. Of course he’s not. I don’t think anything affects him in a negative way. I’m starving even though we had snacks on the boat. All of the adrenaline I’ve felt today has burned a lot of calories.
We head back to the villa long enough to grab the blanket and picnic basket waiting for us, then walk the short path to the beach. The sun’s slow descent is bleeding pink and gold across the sky like it knows how to stage the ultimate romantic scene.
Wolf lays out the blanket, then takes my hand as I sit before dropping down beside me and stretching out on his back. He looks across at the sunset, which is growing brighter by the second. I lie down beside him, my head resting on his solid chest as a contented sigh escapes me.
“Today was perfect,” I say, my voice dreamy.
“Better than last night?” he asks with a chuckle.
“I think you’ve short-circuited my brain. I can’t choose which I like more, flying high in the sky, gliding over the top of the water, or getting one great orgasm after the other.”
He turns our bodies so we’re facing each other, his gaze intense with the sunset behind him. There couldn’t be a better backdrop. There couldn’t be a better day.
“Good. I like keeping you on your toes with the unexpected,” he says, sincerity ringing in his tone.
“May I ask you something?” I ask, growing serious. He nods. “Why do you love this so much? All of the danger and chaos?”
He’s quiet for several heartbeats as he mulls over the question. I love that he’s not providing a generic answer, but putting actual thought into it. He smiles, secrets whispering across his eyes.
“When my parents passed, everything went still for a while. I was only twenty. One second they were off sailing for the weekend, the next we get a call, and just like that, they’re gone. It was horrible and surreal and unbearable. The silence was all-consuming. The house, the spaces they used to fill, and being aware of all of the things they’d never be able to say again.” He pauses, and I don’t interrupt, just reach out and rub my fingers along his chest, letting him know I’m listening and I’m here for him. I can’t imagine the day my parents will be gone. I know it will be hell.
“After the initial shock and trauma, I didn’t want to live in that void anymore,” he finally continues. “So I flew more, I jumped from the sky, I raced cars. I did anything I could to feel alive. I knew life could end suddenly, and I didn’t want to stand still. I wanted to live on the edge. I haven’t slowed down since.” I continue rubbing him, feeling privileged that he’s sharing this with me.
“What about your brothers?”
“We’re closer than most siblings. We had to stop acting like spoiled teens in an instant. We take care of each other and hold each other accountable. We fight every once in a while, but we never give up on one another. Losing our parents made us realize we didn’t want another loss, and we weren’t going to take advantage of those who were left.”
I lean forward and gently kiss his lips, a gesture of comfort and understanding, then lean back and smile. “I guess that’s a good reason to live like you do.”
He shakes his head and chuckles, refusing to fall into a hole of despair. “I love that I can talk about my parents now with joy. I lost them too young, but every moment we had together shaped me into who I am today. I wouldn’t take back a second of our time. I want to honor them by living the great life I know they’d want. I refuse to be bogged down in despair. That, above anything, would break my parents’ hearts.” I nod at this.
“What about you, Miss Proper. Why don’t you go on more adventures?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not as proper as you think, but I do like order,” I tell him with a chuckle. “But, undeniably, I had a pretty sheltered life with private school, polished marble floors, and more stuff than most kids get. My parents are amazing, and I love them to pieces, but I was an only child. It was lonely. The kids at school were... fake, I guess. They were empty, more worried about appearance than what truly mattered. I never was like that, and didn’t fit in with them. Then, I met Chloe, and our friendship was real. That’s when I knew true love for the first time in my life. She’s the one who dragged me from my shell and showed me a world with so many possibilities.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting her. She sounds like a great best friend.”
“She’s a force of nature. I’d kill for her, and certainly help bury the body with no questions asked,” I tell him with a laugh. He laughs with me. Some people can’t find the humor in this when I say it.
“You aren’t anything like I expected on that first fateful meeting we had on the plane,” he says.
“Oh, and what did you think of me?” I ask, wondering if I should. I don’t want to hear myself described as a snob, or some other word I can’t stand.
“Someone who’d never jump from a plane, who’d only want five-star dining, and would turn her nose up at a hot dog cart,” he tells me. I wince the slightest bit.
“Yeah, I guess if a woman holds herself with poise, people make assumptions,” I say, with a hint of accusation in my tone. “I don’t want people to see me like that, but I won’t change who I am and act in a different way. I like organization and being well-groomed. It doesn’t make me a snob.”
“You’re perfect, and I was wrong. I discovered that quickly,” he assures me.
“I can be messy,” I tell him. He laughs then leans in and kisses me, this one with a lot more heat than the one I gave him a bit ago. I’ve lost the chip on my shoulder and my breath by the time he slows the kiss.
His grin grows. “I love messy,” he assures me, his lips whispering against mine.
We kiss and touch as the sun takes its final bow and the colors fade. The air cools, but not by much, and I revel in the pleasure of his hand tracing slow circles on my hips. I run my fingers through his hair and get lost in his eyes.
We lie on the beach for hours as we talk, eat, drink, and, most importantly, touch. This isn’t simple chemistry; it’s so much more, so much deeper... and there’s no doubt we’re both feeling it... and it feels great.