Chapter 54
I settledinto bed with Jasmine. Six months had gone by so fast. I wanted another six and six more after that for the remainder of my days. But my career and what I’d been striving for were not here. My heart felt like it was tearing.
Jasmine took my hand. “I’m going to miss you.”
My chest constricted. We’d never really spoken about being apart. The pain in my chest was the obvious reason why.
“I’m going to miss all of you and this place.” It was true. This was the first place that had ever felt like home. They felt like home.
“We can still talk over video.” Her voice was soft, uncertain.
“Every day if you want to.”
“I’m sure the kids will.”
“We can do other things by video too.” I gave her a soft nudge.
She rolled towards me and laughed. “Sex on Screen doesn’t work as well as Sex on Legs.”
“It just doesn’t sound the same. Should we practice now?” I gave her a quick kiss.
“Not the screen part.” She straddled me and leant down, her breasts brushing my chest. I reached out to turn the lamp on. I needed to burn this image into my brain. I knew every curve by touch. I needed to know them by sight as well. And smell. I reached my hand into her long brown hair and tangled my fingers in the softness. Pulling her closer, I took a deep breath in—ocean air and a hint of citrus.
Jasmine’s mouth crashed into mine. Her mouth was as relentless as the sea. She opened her legs wider and rubbed against me. The inside of my mouth vibrated as she moaned into it.
Her lips left mine. “Condom,” she almost begged.
“Top drawer.”
She didn’t wait for me. Within seconds, she had it in hand, ripped the packet open and was rolling it on. Then she was taking me inside her, inch by inch. Fuck, she felt good. She rested her hands on my shoulders, balancing as she rose and fell. With eyes half closed she bit her lip, letting out a sinful moan.
My dick hardened. I didn’t know it was possible to get any harder. I reached my hands up to cup her breasts, squeezing them as she quickened her pace. So soft. So malleable. I let go and watched them move rhythmically.
I ran my hands down her side and rested on her hips. My thumb found that spot of hers I’d promised to remember. I applied the smallest amount of pressure. Jasmine’s mouth dropped open. Her moan bordered on indecent. My balls tightened. Her hair fell around her face like a curtain trapping us in our own world.
Her pace slowed just a fraction, and she lowered her face to mine. Her breaths were as fast as my heartbeat. The warm air against my ear sent tingles through me.
“Fuck, Jasmine.” I thrust into her. I squeezed her hips and held her where I needed her.
“Ethan.”
Her moans matched her breaths. She lifted herself up and we locked eyes. Her body tensed above me. Tremors followed. I exploded. Spasms rocked my body. No rising and falling. No thrusting. Just coming at the same time. All the while we watched each other.
Jasmine lay down on my sweaty chest. I held her close, my hands flat against her back. No one could ever fit as perfectly as she did.
* * *
The bed shifted beside me.I cracked an eye open. Rose was climbing up the bed to lie between us. The sky outside was showing the first signs of a new day. Rose settled down close to me.
Footsteps entered. Bailey. His footsteps were softer than his sister’s. Jasmine moved over so he could lie next to her.
Rose turned to me. “I wish you were my dad.”
I gave her a hug. “I wish you were my daughter.” Said the man who never wanted children.
“If you stayed you could adopt me.”
Oh shit. I thought they understood.
Jasmine opened her mouth.
But I beat her to it. “I can’t stay. I have work to do back in San Francisco.”
She nodded. “I know. You need to teach the world about sea lions. It’s important.”
“Yes, it is important.”
Bailey shifted. “If I become a doctor too could we work together?”
I thought about how long that would take. I’d be close to retirement. But Indiana Jones wasn’t good at retirement. I could follow in his footsteps.
I sat up slightly so I could see Bailey. “Absolutely.”
“Maybe we could do some more research here so we can be a family again,” he said in a hopeful voice.
“Sounds like a plan.” A plan thwarted by a million impossibilities. But I wasn’t going to ruin his dream. It was a good dream. A great one.
Timmy jumped on the bed and nestled between Rose’s legs. “Timmy will miss you too.”
“You’ll need to send me some surfing videos so I can show him off.”
I remembered the flash of orange on that first day as he’d run after the two wild children. I smiled.
“Will Angelo still be alive then?” Rose asked. “I bet he’ll miss you.”
Angelo always sought me out now when we went swimming. He’d grown in confidence. It was good in one way, but a problem in another. Humans” position here shouldn’t encourage interaction.
Bailey shook his head. “Sea lions don’t live as long as humans.”
“How long?” Rose asked.
“Twelve to sixteen years.”
“Oh.”
The bedroom was alight with the golden light of sunrise. I took a deep breath. It was another thing I’d miss about this place. Was there anything I wouldn’t miss? I could stay lying here forever with the people I loved most in the world, but time wouldn’t stop for us. My destiny awaited. It sounded like I was going on a life-changing quest. But the truth was I’d already been on one.
Jasmine shuffled up into a sitting position. “How about you go make us some breakfast while Ethan and I have a quick shower?”
Bailey rolled out of bed and picked up Timmy on his way out the door. Rose gave me a quick hug and then followed her brother.
Jasmine went to the door and looked back at me. “Coming?”