Chapter 28
“Do we have to swim out pretty far before we see any?” I asked once we were in the water up to our hips, washing out our masks.
An incomprehensible smile darted across his face.
“What?”
“Well, you just got to have a look around.”
I mechanically looked to my right.
“Other side.”
I realized why he was so amused when I turned to the left and found myself looking into a sea turtle’s almond-shaped eyes. There were no words. I was simply speechless, overwhelmed, shocked, and enraptured.
“There-there!” I stammered, pointing frantically at the spot where the head of a sea turtle had just poked out of the water.
In the meantime, the animal had gone under again and was moving toward Vince just beneath the surface.
“It’s-moving-toward-you-it’s-moving-toward-you!
” I squeaked and felt adrenaline shooting through my veins.
Although I was pointing at the turtle with my index finger, Vince’s eyes were resting on me.
And he smiled so adorably that even I forgot for a second what was happening.
That I was experiencing a sea turtle in the wild for the first time in my life.
“There’s another one,” he said, and I wondered how on earth he could smile at me while watching the shell of another turtle protrude from the water behind me.
“Wow! That one’s even bigger!” I said.
“The honu can grow to be almost five feet long.”
My eyes grew wide in amazement. The one that was swimming past me was maybe a foot and a half and that was intimidating enough.
We pulled up our masks to follow them and exchanged one last look before going under.
Vince wagged his head to show me the direction we were going to swim, and I nodded and followed him.
Although we were barely below the surface, it was completely silent.
Peaceful. As if time stood still. Fascinated, I took in everything happening around me: the colorful fish crossing my field of vision, the algae and aquatic plants moving rhythmically back and forth, the sand I was stirring up with my movements.
And Vince, swimming with long, strong strokes next to me and pointing out something every now and then.
His eyes were more schooled than mine, and he grasped everything more quickly.
And he was the one who pointed out the turtle that was swimming just a few feet below me.
At first I was startled by the shadow, then curiosity and fascination took over.
I swam alongside it at the appropriate distance, looking at its shell and fin-like feet.
Its face, which radiated something old and wise.
For a moment, I wanted to hold onto and preserve the happy feeling that was threatening to make my chest explode.
With a blissful smile, I let the animal move on and returned to the surface. Vince came up next to me.
“All good?” he asked.
His voice was distorted through the snorkel. So as not to sound the same way, I pushed mine to the side.
“Great,” I replied, somewhat out of breath. “It’s just all a little overwhelming.”
“Yeah, it is.” He pointed toward the shore. “Break?”
I nodded, and we swam back. Wading out of the water, I realized that we’d been snorkeling for almost forty-five minutes. Worn out and wet, I plopped onto my towel and watched Vince begin to mess about with the cooler.
“Hungry?”
“Yeah,” I answered without missing a beat. I hadn’t eaten anything since my midday snack and my stomach had been growling so loud underwater it was a wonder I hadn’t scared off the sea turtles.
“Well, I’ve got some wraps. Or crackers and cream cheese. And cheese cubes. What would you like?”
“All of it?”
He laughed.
“Watersports seem to make you hungry. I noticed that when we went surfing.”
No sooner had he finished saying it than my head was full of images and memories.
Kisses, touches, sighs, wet skin, naked skin.
It looked like Vince was thinking the same things.
Or, well, at the very least he had a particular look in his eyes before he cleared his throat and asked if I’d like any water.
I nodded and took the bottle. He opted for Coke again, unscrewed the cap, and sat down next to me on my towel.
Not enough for our thighs to touch, but close enough to be able to smell the remnants of suntan lotion on his skin.
“You make these yourself?”
“Uh…no.” He smiled impishly. “But I cut the cheese cubes myself, if I get any extra points for that.”
I raised a brow. “You need some?”
“Well, after the rough start there, a few probably wouldn’t hurt.” He opened the package of crackers and stuffed a few into his mouth. We chewed away in peaceful silence. “In any event, I’m glad you decided to stick around,” he said and looked at me.
“I’m glad that you stuck around,” I replied with a nod and took a bite of my wrap.
Smiling, he lowered his eyes.
“What’s so different about this one here?” I asked, sticking my index finger beneath my bikini strap and letting it snap. “You’ve seen me in a bikini often enough.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He answered throatily, “This one’s…more revealing.”
I was about to deny it but quickly realized he was right. This turquoise bikini was indeed my sexiest. Especially because the bottoms were tied on both sides and sat lower. But that wasn’t the reason I’d chosen it.
“It’s the same color as the walls of the Ohana. That’s why I put it on.”
My words were heavy with meaning. I had chosen them on purpose.
Had looked at him with full intention. And it was no coincidence that my knee had leaned to the side and touched his.
We stayed like that for a few agonizing seconds.
There was nothing but the sound of the waves, the blue of his eyes, and the heat growing between us.
I couldn’t tell exactly which of us made the first move.
Who moved toward whom. Only that suddenly our lips were touching.
And that it felt perfect. My mouth on his.
The way his tongue stroked my lips, pushing gently but firmly between my teeth.
He tasted of saltine crackers and cola, salt water and sun.
Heavenly. A sigh escaped me as his hand stroked my jaw, moved to my ear, and pulled my face closer to his.
I tilted my head to invite him to kiss me deeper, to take more of me, and he responded immediately.
His hand dug into my wet hair as our tongues circled each other wildly.
The kiss was more impatient than our last one.
I was more impatient. A dark moan escaped his throat as I climbed onto his lap, wrapped my arms around his neck, and continued to kiss him.
His hands slid down my back. Rough and sandy, they stroked my skin.
Then suddenly they were on my backside. I felt my bikini bottoms slip as he pulled me closer.
His erection pressed against my groin, and I began to rub against it.
He gasped something that sounded like my name, and it turned me on even more.
The annoying thought briefly flashed through my mind that this probably shouldn’t be happening in public, but I was unable to stop.
Instead, I closed my eyes and let my body take over.
Our lips quivered with excitement as I rhythmically rocked my hips back and forth.
His fingers slipped under the wet fabric of my bikini bottoms from both sides, wrapped around my bottom, and squeezed just the way I needed him to right then.
Not rough, but firm. Things grew more and more uninhibited.
More tongue, more teeth. I was beyond the point where reason could say a thing.
That’s the only way I can explain the fact of my hand wandering to his waistband.
“Wait,” he panted, reaching for my wrist. “We can’t do this. Not here.”
Grudgingly I nodded. “Because someone could show up.”
“Yeah.”
His chest continued to rise and fall briskly, but looking at his tanned skin with its light film of sweat, it was hard for me not to try to convince him to risk it anyway.
“If you keep on looking at me like that, I’m gonna cum in my shorts like a teenager,” he growled, his face a mixture of desire and frustration.
I laughed, and although it was the opposite of what I wanted, I let go and eased back off his lap.
I immediately missed the heat of his body.
My own continued to quiver in anticipation of something that it wasn’t going to get.
Or, well, not right now. Not today. Or…maybe?
Were we just taking a break? Would we start back up somewhere else?
Or stay here and start back up? Or never start back up?
Everything inside me screamed at the thought.
This here was too good not to continue. Or?
I stole a glance at Vince who’d let his head fall back and was exhaling loudly.
If I kept on thinking about how wonderful it felt to rub against his arousal, the moistness between my legs wouldn’t be going anywhere either.
“So…” he began carefully, seeking out my eyes. “Maybe we should…”
Go? Yes, right away!
“Go for another round of snorkeling?”
“Snorkeling?” I croaked.
He looked downward, a little pained. “I think I need to cool off a bit.”
* * *
To my relief, the mood between us wasn’t cringey or tense when we came back out of the water a second time.
We’d seen a bunch of sea turtles again, even a manta ray.
Watching it from pretty close by was fascinating and a little scary at the same time, even though Vince explained that they weren’t venomous.
By the time we toweled off, the sun was already going down.
“We’d better get moving so that we’re at the car before it’s dark.”