23. An Oasis
An Oasis
Cerise
“Stop trying to plan out every detail of your life and just live.”
I couldn’t get Liam’s words out of my head. How did he do that? Always say the exact thing I needed to hear at the right moment? Chase your joy. Just live. This man was full of little inspirational quotes. I wonder if he said things like that to students too.
Probably. And I was certain they loved him for it.
We walked through the jungle, the sun now high in the sky but luckily blocked by the dense canopy, bringing tremendous relief against today’s oppressive heat and humidity.
We’d gone to bed last night without another word, both of us stewing in everything that had happened. There had been little talk today too, Liam unusually quiet. I supposed he was waiting for me to say something.
I didn’t even know where to begin.
I wanted him. Desperately. More than I had ever wanted a man in my entire life.
His endearing sense of humor. The way he always knew what I was thinking, even though it made me feel raw…
exposed. That unruly hair I wanted to brush my fingers through.
His captivating green eyes that peeled back my layers every time he looked at me.
Unfortunately, Liam was right. I was scared. There was no way this could work between us. I didn’t think I was ready to let go when I got home. I didn’t even know how.
But maybe—just maybe—I could let go a little more while we were here. Away from the expectations and confines of academia.
“I desperately need a bath,” Liam said, jarring me from my musings.
“We both do.”
Though we’d done our best to wash a few times whenever we came across a stream, the water had been so cold we hadn’t lingered. And having to put our dirty clothes back on after each pitiful cleansing attempt just made it worse.
We both smelled dreadful.
“I miss coffee,” I complained.
“I miss my warm bed.”
“I miss my cat.”
Liam turned to me. “You have a cat?”
“Yes. His name is Arthur.” My heart squeezed at the thought of him. Though I knew he was safe, I missed him tremendously. I longed to hear his little chirps and purrs as he waited patiently for his nightly treat.
“Who’s watching him?”
“Emberly’s wife.”
“You’re close with Emberly, then?” Liam lifted a low hanging vine for me to pass beneath.
“Very. She’s my best friend. We met in graduate school, then applied to work at the same university just to be near each other. I…I don’t have many friends, but she and her wife have been there for me for a decade.”
And they had been. They’d been there when I broke up with Ambrose. When I spiraled after my monthly dinner with my mother that would inevitably end with her hinting at her disappointment in me. When I worked myself too hard and got lost in the throes of projects and papers.
They were the ones I did let loose with. The ones I laughed and cried with.
“What about you?” I asked. “Close friends?”
He gave me a wide smile. “Quite a few. I’m a social person, if you haven’t figured that out.”
“And you’ve been with lots of women…”
Oh no, why did I say that?
He raised a brow. “Does that idea bother you, sunshine?”
Yes.
“Of course not. You’re a grown adult. You can be with whoever you choose.”
“Mmm hmm. Well, you’re wrong. I mean, partially. Sure I’ve been with women but I haven’t been in a relationship in years.”
“Why not?”
“Never found anyone interesting enough. Went on a few dates. But most of them were boring and I often found out later they were just after me because my family has money.”
“Ah. So not only are you charming and funny, but you’re also rich,” I teased, wiping the sweat from my brow.
“You find me charming?” He tapped my nose with the tip of his finger as we stepped around a boulder.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes. I suppose I do.”
“And funny,” he added.
“At the risk of feeding your obviously large ego, I should say no. But that would be a lie.”
“And…does it bother you that I have money?”
“I don’t care about wealth in the least. Otherwise I wouldn’t be working in academia.”
He laughed. “Good point.”
“But why are you working if you have that much money?”
“Because I love it. My father wanted to cut me off as punishment for not going into the family business. But the one person who always supported me was my grandmother. She wouldn’t let him and made sure I got my trust fund—something all the grandchildren have.”
“Trust fund? You really are rich, aren’t you?”
“I suppose so. But it’s not something I think about much. I don’t really use it. It’s just kind of sitting there.”
“Why don’t you use it?” I rolled my sleeves higher, trying to cool off. Sweat trickled down my back. I was sick and tired of this heat.
“Not sure actually. Maybe I’m waiting for something extraordinary to appear and give me inspiration. I don’t need it for my day to day life.”
I stopped, my eyes catching on something in the distance. “Speaking of extraordinary…”
“What is it?” Liam followed my gaze, his confusion turning into a disarming smile.
Snatching my hand with enthusiasm, he pulled me after him as he plunged through the brush. “The gods are shining down upon us, sunshine! Just look at this!”
Emerging from the thick trees, we stopped.
I’d never seen something so beautiful in my life.
We were in a grotto, completely surrounded on most sides—except for where we were currently standing—by moss covered cliffs.
A small waterfall cascaded into a cerulean pool.
How could something be so brightly colored and yet crystal clear at the same time?
Pink flowering vines hung from the tops of the cliffs, bright yellow butterflies flitting from bloom to bloom. And the best part? There was steam rising from the water.
“A hot spring,” I whispered.
Liam was already digging in his pack with excitement.
“Aha!” He held out the bottles of soap we’d hardly used, trying to make it last as long as possible.
“Here’s what we’re going to do. I am going to wash all our clothes.
While they dry, we’re going to revel in this stunning oasis while we bathe and relax. ”
“It’ll take at least overnight for our clothing to dry.”
“Perfect.” He gave me a mischievous grin. “That just means we’ll have more time to enjoy this place before we have to get on our way. Now start undressing.”
My stomach did a flip. “Excuse me?”
“How else am I supposed to wash your clothes? With you still wearing them?”
I knew my face was flushed, I could feel the heat creeping up my neck to my cheeks. Liam must have seen it too because his pupils widened ever so slightly as he took a step toward me, tilting my chin with the tip of his finger.
“Why are you nervous to be naked in a hot spring with me, Cerise?” His voice had gone low.
“I’m not.” I tried to sound confident, but my voice wavered.
Liam leaned in, his lips barely brushing mine. “Prove it.”
Let go. Just live in the moment, I urged myself.
With a deep breath, I pulled away, turned around, and walked to the shore, unbuttoning my shirt along the way. I stopped at the edge, tossing it behind me. Keeping my back to Liam, I kicked off my boots, nudging them aside with my foot, then undid the button of my pants, sliding them down my hips.
I could sense the heat of his gaze on me, could feel the tension growing thicker in the air.
Standing in my underwear, I bit my lip as I unhooked my bra, slowly slid it down over my arms and dropped it. Taking my time to torment him, I peeled my panties down inch by inch, revealing my bare bottom and kicking them aside.
Liam groaned behind me.
Completely bare, I walked into the water as I unbraided my hair and finger combed it, still not looking at Liam.
The water was utterly delightful, the heat soothing my aching muscles, and I couldn’t help but moan at the feel of it. Liam made a choked sound in the back of his throat.
Smirking to myself, I dove below the surface and swam, reveling in the way the warmth felt along my skin. I broke the surface, tilting my head back and smoothing my hair. I was deep enough now, the water rose to just below my collarbone. Opening my eyes, I looked to the shore.
Liam was frozen, his fist clenching the soap so hard I thought the bottle would shatter. My eyes trailed from his hand, up his body, pausing on his chest heaving. I met his gaze. His pupils were blown, his eyes filled with molten lust.
“I fear you are going to kill me,” he said quietly as he unbuttoned his own shirt, still holding the soap in his fist.
It didn’t take long for him to strip to his briefs. There was no hiding the erection he was sporting and I held my breath as he pulled them down and his cock sprang free.
Oh. Oh my.
Liam was…big. Long and thick and…I didn’t even have the words to describe how stunning he was. Every single inch.
He gave me a smirk, then sprinted to the edge of the pool, diving off a small outcropping of rock a couple of feet above the surface of the water. I watched his lithe muscular body as he swam toward me beneath the surface, coming up a couple feet from where I stood.
He tossed me one of the bottles. “You’d better hurry before I pin you against those rocks over there for torturing me.”
“Oh? Torturing? I didn’t realize I had that much power. I was just doing as you said and undressing so I could bathe.”
He was already lathering his hair and my eyes caught on the way his biceps flexed with the motion. “Cerise. Soap. Now.”
“The fun professor is bossy now, hmm?” I couldn’t help but tease him.
“You’re about to find out just how bossy I am, sunshine.” His voice had an edge to it and my thighs involuntarily clenched at his authoritative tone.
“I thought you were going to wash our clothes.”
“Later.”
I moved to the shallower end of the pool, turning so my back was to him, and poured the viscous liquid into my hand. It smelled of vanilla and something floral and I sighed in contentment as I was finally able to rid myself of the last few days of muck and grime.
How long had we been separated from the group now? A week? Two? I had no idea.