by S. E. Rose
Vanessa goes to the front of the boat as I steer it, and I watch as she removes her sundress and lies down on a built-in hammock area. She’s smiling up at the sun, and I see her reach for her bag. She pulls out a camera and flips onto her front so she’s facing me. She snaps a photo of me, and I shake my head at her. She laughs and then takes a few photos of the boat before placing her camera back in the bag.
Some dolphins swim alongside the boat for a while, and she watches them, pointing and laughing with glee and taking some more photos. We spot a few reef sharks along the way and a manta ray. She eventually comes back to where I am steering, and I show her how it’s done. I stand behind her as she heads us toward our destination. It takes all my willpower to stand inches behind her and not touch her. I drop anchor just off the reef about two hundred yards from the small island. There’s a cluster of them along here, a few larger than the others. This one is so small you can see to the other side of it. There are no inhabitants, just a few trees that block a perfect view straight across the small land mass.
“Let’s snorkel!” I exclaim as I go to grab our gear and some towels. I help Vanessa into the water, and we make our way through the reef for the next two hours. It’s beautiful and even more full of life than the reef by the hotel, which seemed impossible, but clearly isn’t.
“This is amazing!” she yells as she pops up and looks around. Her grin is infectious, and I smile back at her. She’s been using her action cam to capture every detail of the reef and every animal we encounter. I, on the other hand, just take it all in, enjoying the scenery, both natural and human.
I try not to fixate on her body in the bikini, but it’s hard to think when all my blood is rushing to my dick. Her body is incredible. She clearly works out a ton and her legs, arms, and abdomen show her commitment to staying in shape. Still, she’s very thin and my concerns about that aren’t far from my forethought. I imagine her rigorous workouts keep her that way as does the constant performing on stage complete with dance moves and whatnot.
I catch myself hardening several times and have to force myself to think of something else. I don’t want to scare away this woman, she intrigues me. I watch as she swims to shore and lies back in the sand. I follow her lead, and we lie there for a while, talking and looking up at the palm trees. We contemplate how many people die each year from coconuts falling on them and then laugh about what might happen if this happened to us in this moment. She’s in tears as she describes how her manager and Kev would go ballistic, calling in the Navy to look for us. I tease her when I remind her that they wouldn’t have to look for long since we are under GPS surveillance.
We talk about our lives, our passions, our likes and dislikes. She’s surprisingly normal and had a normal childhood just like me. She has a brother. Her mom was a ballerina professionally for a while and now teaches ballet. Her father designs tires. She used to vacation at the same beach I did when I was a kid, and we contemplate whether we may have seen each other there; we even figure out we were there at the same time two different summers.
I tell her about my family, about how my police officer dad was killed when I was a teenager. I tell her about my sister the author and her two adopted kids, my great-nieces and nephew, which she teases me about calling me “old.” I talk about my company and my passion for adventure and environment. She talks about her work. It’s relaxing, and I don’t know how long we lie there, but eventually we grow quiet.
“Hungry?” I ask her.
She nods. I grab a recently fallen coconut, and we head back to the boat. I manage to crack open the coconut, so we can drink from it while we eat our picnic lunch.
“Thanks, Jesse,” she says with a warm smile as she sits back and takes a sip of beer. “I needed this.”
“Happy to oblige, ma’am.” I smirk. She rolls her eyes.
We spend the afternoon cruising around Moorea. I find us a shallow area where stingrays are swimming, and we stand in the shallow waters while their soft fins flap against our legs. Vanessa gives me another giant grin as she reaches down to stroke one of the rays.
“They are so beautiful,” she croons as she strokes another ray.
“Yes, they are beautiful and very graceful,” I agree. We stay there for an hour or so before heading off to snorkel again. We head back just as the sun begins to set. I dock the boat, and we sit and watch the sun disappear. The sky is lit with infinite shades of orange, red, pink, and purple. It’s beautiful.
Vanessa leans her head against my shoulder as we sit side by side waiting till the last ray of sunlight is no longer visible and the sky turns to twilight blue.
“Thanks for today,” she whispers. “It was fun to be free from bodyguards, paps, people judging me. I’d forgotten what that was like.”
“You’re welcome. I had fun too. I can’t remember the last time I took out a catamaran and just sailed it with no real charted course, just to have fun,” I murmur. After a moment I muster up my bravery and slip my arm around her. She leans in more against me, and we sit like this for a few moments, silence stretching between us.
“Shall we head back for dinner?” I ask, breaking our bubble of silence.
“I suppose,” she sighs. I chuckle.
“Well, I suppose we could sleep here, but I have a feeling if I don’t return you by midnight Kev will come find us and kick my ass,” I laugh.
She giggles and the sound and the feel of her skin against my arm has my dick throbbing once more. “You’re probably right. Plus, I might turn into a pumpkin,” she teases with a wink. She turns and kisses my cheek before standing and sticking out her hand to help me up, and although I don’t need it, I take it just so I can keep touching her.
It’s just after 7:00 p.m. when we head back to the dock on the dinghy. The beach area is silent as the other guests are all at the hotel’s one restaurant. I see Kev heading toward us the second we disembark. I talk with the man at the hut by the dock, and he calls the boat captain to come pick her up. I turn back to give the vessel one more look and decide that I have a new plan for tomorrow. I smile to myself.
“What’s that for?” Vanessa asks after she assures Kev that everything is good.
“Nothing,” I tease. “See, Kev. I brought her back in one piece.”
Kev rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, man.”
Vanessa turns to me. “Join us for dinner?”
“Sure,” I say with a nonchalant shrug.
“I’m going to shower and change. I’ll stop by on my way up there,” she says, and I nod. She leans toward me and kisses my cheek. “Thank you, again,” she whispers in my ear.
I kiss her cheek as well and whisper back, “You’re very welcome.”
Vanessa heads back to her bungalow, and I return to the small beach hut. I talk with the captain and set up my plan before retiring to my own bungalow and getting ready for dinner.
A knock on my door is earlier than I expected. I open the door and Vanessa is standing there looking amazing in a bright red sundress. Of course, the only thing I notice is how her cleavage looks in it. The dress rests low and exposes the tops of her breasts. The dress is corseted around them so that they are pushed up, and I force myself to gaze into her eyes and not her chest. As I do she gives me a knowing smirk, and I feel the color rise in my cheeks at being caught looking where I shouldn’t be looking. My reaction catches me off guard. Women don’t normally cause such reactions in me.
“Eyes up here,” she says coyly. And I laugh. I love that she has the audacity to call me out on it. She doesn’t take shit from me, and that is appealing, very appealing. Most of the women I come across, especially at resorts like this, just swoon over me and I can never tell if it’s my money or my body they want, however it most definitely is not my mind. Vanessa is different. In just a few days, I feel like she sees me for me and not for whom I am or what I look like. It’s refreshing, and I find myself relaxing around her.
“You look…beautiful,” I say softly as I lean down to kiss her cheek.<
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“Oh, this old thing,” she says with a laugh and threading her arm through mine she escorts me out the door and down to the restaurant. I smile down at her, and we walk arm in arm to the restaurant. It’s only when we arrive that I don’t see Dave or Kev.
“Where’s the entourage?” I ask as a waitress seats us.
“I gave them the night off,” she says with a smile.
“Oh really? I hope Kev is being well-fed,” I tease.
Vanessa rolls her eyes and laughs. “He had a ridiculous amount of room service when I left, so I think he’ll make it.”
“How does that work exactly?” I ask her. I’ve never had security around the clock, only at big events, and that was for my guests not for me. There’s security in my apartment and office buildings too. My new brother-in-law keeps harping about hiring private security for me, but I don’t see the point. I’m well known, but I don’t have any threats. I had thought about it recently with the crazy international thugs that threatened my sister, my niece, and her cousin. I had hired folks like Hank on contract to deal with the server break-ins at my company. OK, I was still thinking about it. It’s just hard to wrap my head around giving control of my safety over to someone else. But why not ask someone who deals with private security all the time, right? I’m pondering this when Vanessa speaks.
“What do you mean exactly?” she asks, taking a long sip of the water in front of her.
“Well, is Kev staying in your bungalow or does he have his own?”
She stifles a laugh. “Definitely his own. Although, if he had it his way, I think he’s be within ten feet of me at all times.” She pauses as we order drinks and then continues. “Dave and he are in the bungalow next to me.”
“What’s up with Dave? Why is he here?”
She rolls her eyes. “He claimed he wanted to come make sure I was OK after the whole stalking episode. But honestly, I think he wanted to spend a few days trying to convince me to push the release date up on my new album.”
“Oh? When is it due out?”
“Not for a few months. I really want to record two more songs I’ve been working on, but Dave just wants it to go ‘as is,’” she huffs and takes a sip of wine that has just been placed in front of her.
“And you have the final say?” I ask.
“Yes, I made sure that this contract gave me the final say in all my endeavors. No more letting people decide for me. I’ve done that my whole life,” she says with an air of defiance.
“So, does Kev always come with you everywhere? Or do you have other bodyguards?” I ask.
“Kev is the head of my security team. He’s always with me. I have three other guards that work with him and fill in for him when he has a day off, but otherwise it’s just those four unless we call in a bunch of security for something like a big event,” she explains.
I nod my understanding, and we order the fish special.
“I’m honestly a little surprised that you don’t have private security,” she acknowledges.
I shrug. “I can’t lie. I’ve been thinking about it lately. I don’t know. I don’t really like the idea of losing my independence.”
“I understand,” she mutters.
“So why no Kev tonight?” I ask with true curiosity.
She gives me a guilty grin. “I trust you,” she says quietly, looking down at her glass. She clears her throat. “I don’t trust many people.”
I put a hand over hers, and she looks up at me. Her big blue eyes practically melt my soul. “Thank you for that,” I offer. “I’m glad you trust me.”
I get a small smile in return. I leave my hand over hers for a moment, testing her. She doesn’t pull hers away. She instead studies my face, searching my eyes for something.
After a few moments, I remove my hand and take a sip of my vodka on the rocks. I study her as well. She’s unexpected and I haven’t decided whether I like it or not. But regardless, I’m stuck here for a few more days, and she’s so very interesting. Why not enjoy the company of this beautiful woman?
“Any word on when you’ll be able to get home?” she asks as a ceviche appetizer is set on the table.
“I haven’t heard anything today. I’d imagine another day or two,” I guess as I take a bite of the ceviche.
“Oh?” she replies.
“Do you have plans tomorrow?” I ask her.
She shakes her head.
“Good, now you do. And you can invite Kev and Dave along if you like,” I say. She gives me a look of curiosity.
“And pray tell, what do you have planned for tomorrow?” she questions.
“Something,” I answer. “Something fun.”
She laughs. “You’re an enigma. You know that?”
I laugh. “Just keeping you on your toes.”
She tells me she wants to hear more about my life, so I tell her more about what it was like helping my sister raise her children after her husband died. I talk about my niece’s husband and how I bought his company. I tell her about how I helped decode files that led to arrests in an international crime ring, even though I’m unsure if I should share this with her. Yet, I find that I can’t stop talking. She’s a patient listener, only stopping me here and there to ask questions.
As dessert is served, we both become quiet. We are the last ones in the restaurant.
“Walk?” she asks.
“Sure,” I answer, and we leave the restaurant and head toward the water. When we get there, I see the phosphorescence in the water. The water lights up as fish dart around, and I decide we need to experience this. I grab her hand.
“Where are we going?” she asks as we head toward our bungalows.
“Ever go night swimming?” I ask her.
“Uh, no,” she answers.
“Go get your bikini on,” I say as we reach her door. She raises an eyebrow.
“Isn’t it dangerous?” she asks, her eyes wide.
“No, not tonight,” I say.
She doesn’t ask again, but just goes in and pulls me with her. She motions to a chair, and I take a seat. She goes into the bathroom which has a toilet in a separate room and otherwise is open to the main room except for the giant tub and shower at the far end of the room by a closet. I can see her reflection in the mirror as she walks past the sinks, and then she disappears into what I presume is her closet, if her bungalow is anything like mine.
A moment later she reappears in the mirror. Her body is behind the wall, and I only see her reflection from the waist up. She’s in her bra. Her eyes meet mine in the mirror, and I watch mesmerized as she slowly removes her bra and lets it fall away, leaving her body beautifully naked, her breasts exposed for me to see. It’s hypnotic, and I can’t take my eyes away from her.
She pauses for a second as though giving me a private showing of her body, and then she reaches in front of her and a moment later she is fastening a polka dot yellow bikini top around those beautiful breasts. I suck in a breath and adjust my cock.
She turns the corner and comes out in only her bikini. I don’t say a word to her. I grasp her hand and pull her body against mine. I run my hand down her exposed skin to her ass, cupping it lightly. She’s warm, and although thin, she feels soft in my arms. I look down at her eyes, and I see her desire and I know she sees mine, but I want to prolong the foreplay.
“Let’s go,” I say hoarsely as I release her and take her hand in mine. I can hear her groan, and I can’t help the smile that begins to form on my lips.
We enter my bungalow, and I quickly throw on swim trunks, and we are climbing down the ladder into the reef. I hear her gasp as her leg touches the water and it lights up around her.
“What the…? What is this?” Her face peers up at me with childlike curiosity. She looks breathtaking as I peer down the ladder at her. Her face is aglow from the room light, her feet are surrounded by a luminous sparkle from the bioluminescence and her breasts heave as she adjusts to the new experience.
I grin at her. “They are called dinof
lagellates. They only light up like this during the new moon,” I explain as she slowly finishes her descent, and I turn and follow her.
When I’m submerged in the water, I turn to face her and see she’s lying on her back making snow angels in the water. Her head is up and watching her arms and legs as hundreds of little sparkles light up the water with each movement.
She splashes and the little twinkle lights fly through the air at me. She laughs, a joyous, childlike laugh. “This is amazing!” she exclaims and squeals with delight. Then she gasps as she sees a fish swimming past her, lighting up a pathway like a comet in the water.
“See, nothing will come close to us without us knowing,” I explain as I drift closer to her. It’s dark under the bungalow, only the fluorescent lights of the small creatures illuminating our surroundings. It’s well after 10:00 p.m. and the other guests are likely sleeping. We have the water to ourselves.
I lift her in my arms, and she gasps as I swirl us around in circles. She laughs and puts her arms and head back, her hands skimming the water and creating a perfect circle of light around us.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she says. “I think I’ve heard of it before, but nothing like this. It’s magical, unreal even. Now those glow-in-the-dark waves I see sometimes from my home make so much more sense.”
“I’ve swum with them several times before, but it’s always a treat,” I say as I release her and let her float on the surface surrounded by a bed of lights.
I watch her float out from under the bungalow until we are on the reef. The far-off lights of Tahiti are now disappearing as night takes over, and all I see is the sparkle of lights in the water and sky. It really is magical, I think to myself.
I swim up beside her, and she turns her face to look at me. “Is it strange that I sort of want to stay in this moment forever?” she says very quietly, almost inaudibly.
I shake my head. “It’s the magic of the luminescence,” I tease.
She shakes her head. “No,” she whispers. “I think it’s you.” And then she leans toward me and places a soft kiss on my lips. “You’re magical,” she says against them.