epilogue
A YEAR LATER, I WAKE up as soon as the rising sun hits my face.
I blink into the brightness, taking a few seconds to orient myself. I’m not entirely comfortable, and it’s not only because the sun is in my eyes.
Finally I turn my head to discover that Edmund is indeed sleeping beside me—as he nearly always is—but he’s rolled away to huddle into the thin sliver of shade available so he’s not getting the full force of the sun.
I smile like a dope at the sight of his messy hair and the clean lines of his bare back and shoulders. He’s clearly not ready to get up yet or face the day, so I resist the temptation to poke him between his shoulder blades just to see what he’ll do.
It’s his honeymoon as much as mine. He can sleep as late as he wants.
After reaching for my phone, I discover that it’s not even six yet, but I’m wide-awake and the deck surface beneath the blankets we spread out is harder than a mattress. We wanted to sleep out under the stars last night, and the deck of our yacht felt safer than the beach. But there are consequences to spending the night somewhere other than a bed, and my back is currently experiencing those consequences.
As carefully and quietly as I can, I sit up and then stand, watching Edmund’s sleeping form to make sure I don’t disturb him. I successfully manage to make it belowdecks without waking him up. There, I quickly go to the bathroom, apply sunscreen, and then change into my swimsuit. It’s only a few minutes before I’m climbing down the ladder and sliding into the ocean.
I swim over to the shore, pleased I was able to get away without waking Edmund up.
We got married five months ago but have only now been able to have our honeymoon on the island. The diplomatic situation was so complicated that it nearly ended in a stalemate until Edmund finally started throwing around more money.
He basically had to buy the island from three different nations before the issue was settled. But it’s ours now, so it will be preserved as it is. No one will ever develop it.
And we’re finally able to have our honeymoon.
When I reach the beach, I wade out of the water, dripping in a way that’s pleasant in the morning sun rather than uncomfortable. I go over to the plastic tub we brought over the day we arrived and pull out a towel to spread out on the sand for later.
I walk along the beach for a while, enjoying the vibrant colors of the sun rising over the water. After the sun is farther up over the horizon and there’s still no motion from the yacht, I decide to take a real swim since the water is calm right now and I feel better for the rest of the day if I exercise at least a little in the morning.
I’ve been alternating between freestyle and breaststroke, going back and forth parallel to the shore so I’m never out of sight of the boat for about twenty minutes when someone grabs my ankle.
I know who it is. It’s obviously Edmund. There’s no one else within hundreds of ocean miles of us, and it’s clearly a human hand that touched me.
But it startles me anyway. I jerk my head out of the water, squealing and yanking my foot away.
Treading water, Edmund bursts into laughter, his familiar face warm and fond and very wet.
It’s hard to resist him when he’s in this mood. I’ve never been any good at it, even back when he was only my boss, but ever since we got together, my heart has turned into total mush when it comes to him.
But still...
I’ll never be spineless, and such behavior deserves an appropriate response.
“You almost gave me a heart attack!”
“Who did you think it was?” He reaches out to me, obviously intending to give me some sort of a water-treading hug, but I move out of his range.
“I didn’t think through specific possibilities. I was just grabbed out of the blue. It could have been a giant octopus or something ready to drag me down to the deep.”
He laughs again. “I’m sorry, baby. I should have realized that giant octopi are real dangers around here. I won’t do it again.” He reaches out for me.
“Yes, you will.” I sniff and frown at him, managing to elude his grasp.
This clearly frustrates him, so he makes a more concerted effort to get to me.
As the only appropriate response, I swim away from him, letting him try to catch me.
He’s taller and stronger than me, but I’m a pretty good swimmer, so he doesn’t get me immediately. The longer I evade him, the more laughingly frustrated he gets.
I eventually end up in water too shallow to really swim in, so I have to stand up and try to run in the wet sand and about a foot of water.
He’s already almost gotten to me, but now he has the clear advantage.
I squeal again when I feel him grabbing me around the waist. I give him a light shove and get away for about five more seconds before he reaches out with both arms and swings me down to the sand.
He lies on top of me, pinning me down. But he’s holding his upper body up on straightened arms so he can gaze down on me. His vibrant amusement shifts slightly to something even warmer, deeper.
Some sort of laughing adoration.
It stills me. Silences me. I reach up to cup his face. His skin is wet, his hair is plastered to his head and neck, and he hasn’t shaved in three days. I love him so much.
I still can’t believe he’s mine.
“I thought you might sleep in,” I say at last. “I was trying not to disturb you.”
“I figured. Although it was a little disturbing to wake up and discover my wife was gone.”
“Your wife wasn’t gone. She was taking a swim.”
“She wasn’t anywhere in sight.” He still sounds teasing, but there’s another note underlying it.
I suck in a breath, wondering if he was genuinely scared. “I’m sorry. Were you really worried?”
“Only for a few seconds. Just long enough to have a few waking nightmares about you being kidnapped by pirates or being washed away by another rogue wave that somehow targeted only you.”
With a giggle, I pull him down into a hug. “That’s almost as crazy as my giant octopus.”
His body is shaking with silent laughter. He presses a few kisses against the crook of my neck. “I know it is. But you are everything to me, baby. I’m not sure I ever really understood what anxiety was until now. When I think about possibly losing you.”
I hold him tightly, oddly overcome with emotion even though his tone is still light. When he finally draws himself back up on his arms so he can see me, he’s smiling again.
I smile back. “You can make it sound all romantic, but I know the truth. It was the sun in your eyes that woke you up.”
He snorts, his body shaking with laughter. “Guilty. But now that I’m up, I figure maybe we can enjoy the morning together.”
“Is that what you think?”
“Yes. That’s what I think.” He leans down to kiss me lightly, lifting his head briefly to scan my face, checking to make sure I’m into it, before he kisses me a second time, this time longer and slower.
I’m definitely into it. I twine my arms around him and part my legs to make room for him between them. We spend a long time kissing and caressing each other. We’re lying on the sand, but it’s within range of the lapping waves, so most of the sand gets washed off our bodies. And the water feels like an extra caress.
Eventually he’s taken off both the top and the bottom of my swimsuit and moved down my body so he can use his mouth on my breasts while he fingers me between my legs.
Water is usually an obstacle to comfortable sex for me, but I’m really aroused right now, and he’s only using two fingers. I’m definitely getting into it.
He works me up until I’m just on the cusp of orgasm. Then he raises his head so he can watch me.
I’m panting and every muscle in my body has tensed up in preparation. I’m making a lot of whimpering sounds, and I’m squirming my hips, trying to ride his fingers.
“That’s my Autumn,” he murmurs thickly. “You’re so close now. Try not to force it.”
I make a soft sobbing sound but manage to relax my body. He’s pumping his hand hard and fast now. I breathe deeply and come hard on the third long exhale.
He’s murmuring about how beautiful I am, how good I’m coming, how he always wants me to feel this good. And everything he says somehow extends the pleasure of my release.
When I’ve come down and caught my breath, he’s grinning and he rolls over onto his back and pulls me on top of him.
The new position is a good idea since the water and the sand won’t get in the way so much like this. I lean down to kiss him, rubbing my body against his. He’s very obviously turned on—his erection folded between our bodies—but he’s not in a hurry. We take our time until I’m fully aroused again and wet enough for penetration to be comfortable.
Only then does he help me into position, holding his erection in place with one hand as I lower myself over him.
It’s tighter than normal because of the water but not enough to be uncomfortable. We both moan as I adjust around him, leaning forward and back until I find the position that works the best.
He’s staring up at me, nakedly adoring, as I start to ride him.
The expression is intoxicating. I’m not sure how anyone could not be affected by having a man who loves her so much, so openly.
I move slow and steady at first, enjoying the sensations and the sun on my skin and the look in Edmund’s eyes as he gazes up at me. But he’s really turned on now. When he starts occasionally jerking his head to the side with a gasp, I know he’s having trouble holding on to his control.
So I ride him harder. Faster. Brace myself on his shoulders as I bounce over him, my wet hair and my breasts swinging from the motion.
“Fuck, yes,” he hisses, his fingers tightening on the soft flesh of my hips. “Let go. Take what you want.”
I want him and I always will. I’m making silly little grunts as my pleasure rises with my effort. “Edmund. Love you.”
“I love you too, baby. I know how much you need this. You hold on too tight, and it’s only with me that you can let go. So do it, baby. Let go. Take everything you want. I’ve got you. I’ll always have you.”
My lungs are burning now because I’m going at it so vigorously. But I feel so safe—so capable of losing my inhibitions—because I know that Edmund is telling me the truth.
He’s got me. And he’s never going to let me go.
When I reach orgasm at last, it’s loud and sloppy and completely without restraint. He tries to talk me through it, but he can’t hold back any longer. He ends up coming himself right after me, his hips jerking wildly and his bellow of release matching my own.
I collapse on top of him afterward, gasping and giggling with some kind of giddy aftermath.
He wraps his arms around me, and I can feel him smiling as I giggle. For some reason, I just can’t stop.
“I can’t believe we managed it almost in the water,” I say at last.
“I know. That’s definitely some sort of victory.” He strokes his hand down the length of my wet hair. “That really wiped me out. I feel like I could go back to sleep.”
“Well, it’s still early. We can do it.”
“I’m all covered with sand now.”
With another giggle, I manage to heft myself up. “Me too. Let’s go back to the yacht and shower. Then we can go back to bed.”
His sated, exhausted expression brightens. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not. It’s a vacation, and we’ve both been working hard lately.” I’ve been stressed with my MBA coursework, and Edmund has been busier than he’s ever been in his life. We needed this break and not just because it’s our honeymoon. “We can sleep all morning if we want—especially after that exertion.”
So we swim back to the yacht, which is where we’ve been staying since it has power and running water and a cozy bed. We take a shower together and then change into comfortable sleep clothes before we climb into the bed in our cabin.
We kiss for a while, but we’re both too tired to take it further. So we fall asleep tangled together. When we wake up, we make love again, slow and leisurely and tender. Then we go back to the island, take a walk, and then lie on a blanket in the shade where we end up having sex again.
It’s a good day. One of the best days I’ve ever had.
And there are still five days left of our honeymoon.
***