Chapter 14
LEV
I have to hand it to Mikhail.
First of all, this place is fucking awesome.
Second, my wife is fucking awesome.
We had to get to know each other, and we needed to get to a place of trust, but we didn’t have the luxury of time that most people do. Being dropped down in the middle of nowhere in an absolute paradise and having to trust each other? It’s getting the job done.
Three days into our stay on the island, we enjoyed the private beach area, taking refreshments onto the sand. Kissing under the shaded canopy. Skinny-dipping in the ocean, with nothing but the blue sky ahead and the occasional call of a seagull.
She lives for sex, and if she has a hard limit, I haven’t fucking found one yet.
We’ve taken full advantage of the Jacuzzi and hot tub on site. She even made me do a fucking yoga routine—said something about it opening my chakras, whatever the fuck those are. She tried to guide me through meditation after, but I tackled her and fucked her in the middle of the yoga studio.
She didn’t seem too bothered by that.
It’s nice, not having technology at our fingertips constantly, notifications vying for our attention. Even though I love my family with my whole heart, it’s nice to have a little break from them.
And sex with Isabella is mind-blowing. There is nothing she won’t do, she’s a savage. I am here for it. Every time she screams beneath me or on top of me because she’s all about riding me, I feel like Superman.
“We’ve used up most of those premade meals,” Isabella says. She’s lying on the beach in a bikini, her eyes closed. I let my gaze roam over her beautiful, finely tuned body stunning.
We’ve fallen into a routine: working out together in the gym, swimming or hiking during the day, followed by lazy afternoons on the beach.
Some days, we eat light; other days, we cook a feast. She has a hearty appetite and isn’t picky.
Everything seems to excite her. She has a thirst for life that brightens my day.
She loves to explore and talk about the future…
but there’s an elephant in the room we need to address.
Two, if I’m honest.
We’ll get there.
“Mi querido jefe,” she says, her eyes closed. The sun beats overhead, but the woman doesn’t burn. She just becomes more golden.
“Yes?”
“What are we having for dinner?”
“I think we need to cook together. Are we going to survive?”
She opens one eye and gives me a sly grin. “That depends. Can you keep your hands off me?”
Well, that decided it. No.
Doesn’t matter, though. We’re the only ones here. We have a job to do, which involves me getting to know her body intimately and her getting to know mine. Bonding and all that shit.
I roll her over and kiss her until her lips are swollen and my dick is hard pressed up against her.
“What does mi querido jefe mean?”
She grins at me. “All this time, and you don’t know what it means? Really?”
“All this time? It hasn’t been that long.” It has, though, maybe not in days or minutes or hours, but life before Isabella was a lifetime ago.
“It’s been long enough,” she says with a wink. “Mi querido jefe means ‘my dear boss.’”
Jesus. I should’ve studied Spanish. “You’ve been calling me ‘your boss’ this whole time? Is this some kind of joke?” I flop back down on the sand beside her, scattering some across her skin.
“Hey! It’s not my fault you don’t know the most basic Spanish.”
“Excuse me? Are you sassing your husband again?” I quirk an eyebrow at her. She turns on her elbow and gives me a curious look, lifting her own brow in return.
“Depends. What are you going to do about it?”
“Obviously, I’m going to lift you up off that towel, carry you over to that dock, and toss you in the water. What the fuck else would I do? Brat.”
She gets up on all fours, and I stifle a moan when she does one of those yoga moves she did in the studio, lifting her neck and arching her back like a kitten.
Fuck, she’s gorgeous. I forgot what the hell she calls that move, but I know this is just a distraction.
She wants me to see her tits in that tiny little top and her gorgeous ass just begging to be smacked.
I groan. “What the fuck are you doing?” I push myself up to my knees.
And then she’s on her feet and off at a run, and I’m cursing behind her because she’s smaller than I am but faster, by a lot. Doesn’t mean I won’t fucking catch her. We’re both good at this game.
Sand flies beneath her bare feet as she screams and runs the length of the beach. I follow behind her. Even as I chase her, I know deep down in my soul, I will never actually catch her. It will always be her and me together, fighting for survival, and there will always be a chase.
There’s not a submissive bone in Isabella’s body, and I’m fucking loving it. I love the way she poses such a challenge to me. I love the way she runs. I love chasing her.
Finally, I get a break. She trips, and it slows her down for a moment, giving me the chance to catch her.
I bend my knees, toss my shoulder into her torso, and slap my hand across her little ass.
She squeals and giggles. I love the sound of her giggling.
For someone who’s been through so much, she’s incredibly resilient.
She lives life with such gusto, and I absolutely love that.
I march to the dock with her over my shoulder. “Now you’ve done it.”
"Put me down!" She slaps my back.
“You want me to put you down?”
"Lev! What are you doing?" she screams.
"You know exactly what I'm doing." I walk down the dock toward the water.
She fights me, kicking and screaming and pushing at me, but I don't let her go.
Not until we get to the end of the dock.
I smack her thigh, which makes her squeal, then slide her down off my shoulder and cradle her in my arms so I can kiss her.
"You're so beautiful," I say with a smile before I rear back and fling her.
She flails and screams, then splashes into the water before she comes up sputtering for air.
"You jerk!" she screams, her soaking wet hair straggling in her face.
"That isn't fair!" She paddles, splashing at me, but I have the advantage up on the dock.
"Come on in, Lev,” she croons. She's so pretty with her hair hanging about her beautiful face, water dripping off her.
She could be on a postcard for a beach vacation.
"Let’s go,” she says. "The water is fine, you asshole."
I lean back, enjoying the view, when suddenly her face contorts, and she screams. “Something bit me!"
I dive into the water after her without a second thought.
Suddenly, I see a jellyfish swimming away, and panic surges through me.
I yank her out of the water and swim to the dock.
Her leg has a red, swollen mark where the tentacles touched.
I quickly swim to her, cradling her in my arms as I bring her back to shore.
"Hold on, Isabella," I murmur, my voice shaking with worry. "I've got you."
She winces in pain, her breath coming in sharp gasps. "It hurts, Lev. Fuck, it really hurts.” Isabella has a high pain tolerance, but a full-on jellyfish sting is brutal.
I lay her gently on the dock, quickly inspecting the sting.
"I know. We need to neutralize the venom.
" I remember reading about jellyfish stings and the best way to treat them.
I toss sand on her leg and rub to get rid of any residual tentacles, but I must get her back to the resort for first aid supplies.
I make quick work of carrying her back, and she’s brave about it. I can feel the tension from the pain, but she doesn’t whisper a word of complaint.
“What do you do for this?”
“We need something to neutralize the sting and toxins. There will be a first aid kit.”
I sit her on a stool in the kitchen and rummage through supplies, finding a small bottle of vinegar in the cabinet. “This will work. Put your leg out.”
She gasps as the vinegar makes contact. "Is it supposed to burn?"
"A little, but it should help," I assure her.
Tears well up in her eyes, but she stays strong. "Thank you, Lev."
I look at her, and I hate that she’s in pain. "I'm so sorry this happened. Let's get you situated. Some hydrocortisone will help.”
I scoop her up in my arms and carry her to the living room and gently place her on the couch, propping her leg up. "I'll get some ice to reduce the swelling."
She gives me a weak smile. "You're really good at this, you know.”
I sigh. "I've had practice taking care of stubborn people."
As I apply the ice pack to her leg, she winces but then relaxes. "Thank you.”
I kiss her forehead. This is my job. I’m supposed to watch out for her.
Back in the room, she lies back with her foot elevated. "This is your fault," she says, but I can tell she doesn't really blame me. “If you didn’t throw me in the water…”
“If you weren’t a brat, I wouldn’t have had to throw you in.” I do feel guilty, though. "I didn't think there would be jellyfish.”
"I guess you'll have to make it up to me," she says cheerfully.
"Seriously, how does that feel?" I ask, looking at her swollen ankle.
"I won't be running away from you anytime soon. I know you're devastated. But the good news is, I don't think I'm badly hurt. I'm fine. I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Let's go cook dinner."
I anchor my hands on my hips and glare at her. "I'll go make dinner. You're going to stay right here with that leg elevated."
"I can stand just fine," she snaps.
"You are so fucking stubborn!"
"It takes one to know one," she snaps back. "I don't like people serving me. I like to cook my own food."
"Well, you're just going to have to get used to it."
"Or what?" She challenges me. Here we go again.
"I'm going to tie you to that fucking couch." I glare at her, absolutely ready to do it.
Instead of defying me, she pouts a little, which is more effective than I expect. “Lev, I am not helpless."
"Finally, just a tiny bit. Isabella, you’re my wife. Can you just let me fucking take care of you for once?"