Chapter 27
Maddie
We pull through the charming town of Sag Harbor, which I remember from the years of being with Nate is his favorite place in the Hamptons.
Historic houses protected by the town, unique boutiques, stunning art galleries, and, of course, this is where his precious boat is docked.
It’s nothing like what I expected.
The multi-million-dollar houses and impeccable gardens are to die for, of course. But the rich history in each town is something often left out when people describe the Hamptons.
Nate squeezes my hand and smiles over at me. “You love it, don’t you?”
I nod. “Can we walk around later so I can read all the historical signs?”
“Of course.” He picks up my hand and kisses the back of it, then easily parallel parks with the other, smirking, as I roll my eyes.
“Are you bad at anything?”
“Nope.” He opens the door, then jumps out. “You can wait here. I’m going to grab us some donuts and drinks. Then we’ll walk over to the water taxi that’ll bring us to the boat. Coffee or tea?”
“Green tea. Two—”
“Two teabags, I know, babe.” He winks, then he’s off.
I roll down the window and add, “And a jelly donut, please.”
While he’s off doing that, I jump out, put Skye’s leash on, then start unloading everything from the trunk when a bag of fresh cherries falls out.
They‘re not even in season. Where the hell did he get these things?
“Ready?” Nate startles me.
I hold up the bag of fruit. “After all these years, I still don’t get it. Why is everything cherry-flavored?”
He leans in and pecks my lips, raising a questioning brow when he tastes my cherry-flavored lip balm.
“Oh, shush. Tell me.”
“Can’t I just have a favorite?”
“No, because I know there’s a reason. I can read you like a book.”
He sighs. “It’s because of Camila.”
My heart cracks at the mention of her name. “What does she have to do with it?”
“She was allergic—”
“I remember.”
“Well, she wasn’t always allergic. So no one thought anything of it when we were sitting in Rosa’s garden and ate a whole bowl of red cherries.
She reacted so quickly that we had to rush her to the hospital when she went into anaphylactic shock.
The first thing she said when she was back to herself was that it was worth it because they were the best cherries she’d ever tasted.
The next day, she forced me to eat the rest and describe the taste to her so she would never forget.
From that day on, a liking for cherries and anything cherry-flavored slowly turned into a bit of an obsession. ”
My insides smile at the thought of him and Camila as young kids.
I stand on my tippy-toes and cup the back of his head, smashing my lips hard into his cheek. “You are a good person, Nathaniel Davenport. Literally the best person I know.”
He smiles softly, holding my gaze for a moment, then leans in to kiss me lightly on the lips. We stand for a moment in our own bubble as the world around us slowly disappears.
He brushes my bangs to the side with his thumb, then leans in to kiss my forehead, then my dimples before wordlessly stepping back and leading me to the docks.
These are the moments I missed most when we were apart.
The small, meaningful moments, where no words are exchanged, and even in the silence, you could feel the deep, mutual emotions running through us.
I squeeze his hand, and he smiles back, his eyes shining with happiness, and I know mine match his.
We make it to the water, and that’s when it all comes crashing down.
I may know how to swim now, but I’m not getting on that “boat.”
“Not happening.” I shake my head.
It’s toy-sized and barely seems big enough to fit two people.
“You can wear a life vest. We need to take the water taxi to get to my boat.” Nate points to a bunch of sailboats docked in the middle of the water. “Would I ever knowingly put you in a dangerous situation?”
“No,” I sigh. “But still.” It’s my only excuse.
“Come on, it’s less than sixty seconds, you can keep your eyes closed the whole time.” He’s already loading our stuff, then pushing me in like cattle.
Skye jumps in after me.
The guy driving the boat is a man of few words, and I can’t decide if I want to kiss him for going lightning speed and getting the ride over with quickly or kill him for scaring me half to death.
That thought is swiftly replaced with awe when we pull up alongside the boat.
“Nate,” I turn to him, “This is…” I smile dreamily, unable to get my words out.
He smiles proudly. “For you, my love.”
My eyes follow as he drags his hand in a sweeping motion across the length of the boat where the name is scripted in large black letters.
Endless Summer
They’re the words Nate spoke when we were only teenagers, promising me that we were never-ending and that, after our first summer together, it would last forever.
“You, Mads, are not a summer love…unless summer is endless.”
Nate helps Skye and me onto the boat, then unloads our supplies.
“When did you get this boat?”
His eyes dance with delight, stepping into my personal space. “Five years ago.”
I throw my arms around him, squeezing him even tighter when his arms loop around me.
I burrow my head into his neck and breathe him in, always my breath of fresh air.
“I love you,” I mumble into his neck, then lean back, taking both of his cheeks in my hands, pecking him on the lips, nose to nose.
“I love you endlessly, Nathanial. Always and forever. Thank you for waiting for me. A life without you would have been misery, because with you, I have always truly felt alive. I love you.”
There’s a tenderness between us when he smiles, one I’ve been lucky to feel many times in my life.
“I love you, Mads. My beautiful cherry bomb, goddess.” I giggle against his lips. “I love you endlessly, too.”
We kiss, embraced tightly, as the boat rocks gently against the waves, and at this moment, I know that I’m the luckiest girl alive.
My sunglasses slide down my nose, and I don’t bother pushing them back. I love watching Nate like this, completely in his element.
I hate thinking about his past and why sailing is so important to him, but the way it comes so naturally makes me think he would have always found his calling.
He’s barefoot and shirtless, sweat trickling down his tanned and toned abs as he works his boat. His hand lifts to adjust a line, his biceps bulging, while the other keeps him balanced as the wind shifts.
My eyes are half-lidded, pretending I’m sunbathing, not re-memorizing the way his forearms flex when he moves.
Boat porn could be the next best thing if someone got a good look at Nate right now.
He’s sexy as sin, ever since the first time I ever laid eyes on him.
He exudes confidence, and he does it well.
I only wish I had learned how to swim earlier in life so I could have watched him do this up close and personal. It was always only from the shoreline that I had this view.
And I sorely regret it.
I abandon the romance book I was reading and stretch my arm over my new shadow, Skye, to make sure she’s not too hot. Then close my eyes, letting the sun sink deeper into my skin, the smell of salt and sunscreen filling my lungs.
Out here, everything feels simple.
Just the open water, the wind carrying us toward Montauk, and the knowledge that wherever we’re headed, we’re getting there together.
“Fuck, you’re hot,” Nate mutters, breaking me out of my daydream.
His eyes roam my skimpy gold bikini as I lie at the bow of the boat, lingering over my chest, watching intently as my nipples harden under his glare.
He gives the line a final tug, checking the sail before stalking toward me.
“You’re one to talk,” I mutter around his lips when he leans over me, holding himself on the sides of the boat. “You’re like a walking sex advertisement.”
“Only for your eyes, babe.”
I reach up to the single bead that hangs from his chain, rubbing it between my fingers. It feels like a lifetime ago that I made this. “Damn right.”
He drops lower, gliding his chest against mine, his lips lingering against my neck, teasing me second by second as he goes lower.
My body goes limp, my eyes roll, and from just one small brush of his lips, I already need more.
Will it ever be enough?
Or will it always feel like we’re trying to catch up?
“I’ve been dying to taste you all day while you were lying here, teasing me.” He bites down on my nipple over my bikini. “Sunbathing like the goddess you are.”
“Ouch,” I hiss.
He moves the material over, then soothes my nipple with his tongue. “Ouch?” He lifts one brow.
I bite my bottom lip, hiding my smile.
I know better.
Saying “ouch” to Nate is like waving a red flag to a bull.
His tongue flicks over my nipple before he drags it between his teeth, moving the material from my other breast, and squeezes my nipple between his fingers.
Heat begins to radiate through my body, and the pulse between my legs throbs as his teeth lightly bite down. My back arches, pushing my breast deeper into his mouth.
“Nate,” I groan.
His lips smirk against my skin; he knows exactly what he’s doing. Nipple play drives me wild.
He pulls back, and my eyes snap open. His lips are turned up in a devious smile. “I need to taste you, Goddess.”
He drags a finger down the length of my body, his hooded eyes are trained on mine. My legs drop open, hitting the floor of the boat on instinct, and he drops his attention to my open and waiting center, licking his lips like a starved animal.
“I fucking love you,” he whispers.
My body breaks out in goose bumps from excitement. It feels surreal hearing Nate say those words again.
He unties the sides of my bikini and tosses them to the side, hissing as he glides his fingers over my sex. “Dripping.” He smiles darkly. “Like I knew you’d be.”
He slides two thick fingers deep inside me and begins to pump his fingers with hard, measured thrusts.
I whimper and throw my head back. “God, that feels so good.”