21. Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
Leif
“You’re sure you don’t want to come back with us to New York?” Cody asks.
“Positive. I haven’t seen this friend in a long time. I can go to New York whenever.”
He stares at me, something in his brown eyes telling me he’s trying to decide if he believes me or not. Finally, he says, “All right. Suit yourself.”
I grab the rest of my bags from the bus, hoisting my backpack and duffle up my shoulder, and grabbing the handle to the suitcase.
With all my stuff, I walk through the lot and to the front of the building to wait for my rideshare to pick me up and drive me to the house, which is costing me a pretty penny.
But it’ll be worth every cent when I get to spend the entire week with Aliko Anson, without having to worry about telling Cody where I am, where I’m going, or who I’m with.
I’m surprised he isn’t suspicious yet, though I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m just a big old whore who hooks up with someone everywhere we go.
Which is kind of true, only it’s been the same person…
The driver is cool as hell, a little older than me. We talk about music and traveling the entire ride, which takes longer than anticipated due to an accident on I-95.
It’s nearing four by the time we pull up to the cottage. Tall trees and bushes surround it, allowing you to see there is a house there, but letting you know that whoever is inside wants their privacy. It’s exactly Aliko.
“Thanks, man. Nice chatting with you,” I say to the driver as he helps me get my bags out of the trunk.
“No problem. Have a great vacation.”
I hike my bags up my shoulder, balancing my suitcase against my leg so I can send him a tip before I forget. He drives off, and I walk up the winding pathway, and up the small porch steps. The door is pulled open just as I’m about to knock.
Aliko is there on the other side, smiling a mile wide. It makes me smile too.
“You made it,” he says.
“I made it.”
He moves aside, giving me space to step in.
It’s cozy, small for what I’d think Aliko would want, but it is a cottage.
“I’m really glad you’re here, Leif,” he says, reaching down to take my suitcase.
“Me too.” I smile. “Show me to the bedroom.”
Smirking, he leads the way through the living room, down a hallway that he barely fits in, and into a bedroom that looks like it could be the biggest room in the house. The entire left side wall is floor to ceiling windows, giving a beautiful view of the ocean.
“That’s gorgeous,” I say, dropping my bags by the closet door.
“Isn’t it? I can’t wait to get in.”
“Do I get to swim with you?” I ask.
He steps toward me, wrapping me in his arms. “I hope you will.”
I lean up to kiss his jaw, which I just barely graze. “I’d love to. Only one problem.” He raises a brow. “I don’t have a swimsuit.”
Chuckling, he says, “Thankfully this is a private beach. You can go naked. I am.”
“Sounds like the type of swimming I like to do.”
Aliko grips my chin with his fingers, leaning down to kiss me firmly. He pulls back, but then goes in again, letting out a soft sound in the back of his throat. My dick twitches, but I put a hand on his chest and push him back. He hardly moves, but he gets the point.
“Swim first. Then food. Then fucking.”
“We don’t have any food.”
I roll my eyes. “Then we better order some.”
“I was hoping we could go to the grocery store together.”
Those words have me speechless for far too long. I try not to think about it. He just wants me to go with him so we can get food that I like, too.
“We can do that tomorrow,” I say. “We’re ordering food tonight.” I pat his chest and step out of his grip to tear my shirt off over my head.
When I’m completely naked, I turn to face Aliko and find him still fully clothed and staring at me.
“I thought we were going swimming?”
He nods, licking his lips as his gaze goes to my cock.
“Aliko,” I scold. “Stop looking at me like I’m a piece of meat.”
“A very attractive piece of meat,” he adds.
I laugh, shaking my head as I walk out of the room.
“Hurry up or I’ll go without you!”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
I look around the house as I wait for him to get out of his clothes, which takes less than a minute.
As expected, everything is coastal themed in light blues and coral.
Seahorses and shells hang on the walls, along with oil paintings of beaches.
In the bathroom, there’s a painting of a cartoon palm tree with the words “wash your palms” beneath it.
It’s cute and cozy. Not at all Aliko, but it’s near the ocean, and that’s all he cares about.
Aliko finds me in the kitchen, smirking as he walks by.
I take him in, very rarely getting to see him naked like this—just walking around.
I enjoy seeing him when he’s hard and ready to fuck me, but I also like being able to see him like this.
Normally. Not sexually. Like I would if we did this all the time—shared space. Lived together.
He opens the door and steps out into the sun. I follow after him, the sand hot and soft under my feet. It’s a short enough distance to the beach that it’s convenient, but far enough that when I’m halfway there, I feel too exposed being naked, even though we’re surrounded by trees and the house.
Anyone who has walked in sand knows how annoying it is, but Aliko walks through it like he was made for it, even though his feet are very much human. When he reaches the surf, he stops at the edge, looking down at his feet. I stop a good distance away, giving him this moment.
It’s been months since he’s felt the ocean. This is important for him. I don’t want to ruin it. So I let my heels sink deeper into the sand and the hot sun beat down on my back while Aliko does what he needs to do.
He takes one step forward, his foot sinking into the wet sand as the water rolls out.
When it covers his foot, his shoulders loosen, dropping a few inches at least. He takes another step so both of his feet are covered when the waves come up again, and then he keeps going until he’s knee deep.
That’s when he turns back to look at me, squinting against the sun.
“Are you coming?” he calls out.
My chest warms and I move forward until I’m at his side. His hand takes mine, our fingers locking easily, despite the size difference. I look down at them, at how perfect they look together.
“This is perfect,” he says.
I want to think he’s talking about me, about us, but really he just means the water.
Right? Of course he means the water.
“Come on,” he says softly, taking a step forward. I go with him until we’re waist deep—well, he’s waist deep and I’m well past my belly button. The waves crash against us, droplets splashing on my face, the salt hitting my tongue.
I feel the tension in Aliko—the eagerness to go. I let go of his hand.
He looks down at me, frowning.
“Go,” I say. “I know you want to.”
“We’re doing this together.”
I shake my head. “Yes, but no. You need this. And as much as I love swimming, the ocean freaks me out a little.”
“What? Why?”
“I can’t see what’s under there. What if I kick a fish? Step on a crab? Swim through a jellyfish’s tentacles?”
“That burns.”
“Exactly.” I nod. “Go. I’ll be here. Where I’m comfortable.”
“But I…” he starts, looking out at the water. When he turns back to me, he’s smiling. He leans down to kiss me, his lips lingering for a long moment. “I’ll be back.”
Aliko moves deeper until the water is up to his elbows. He dives in, and disappears beneath the surface of the water, leaving me alone.