by Love Belvin
“You okay?” I could smell his proximity, feel his heated frame.
I nodded. “What is this?”
“The beach,” he murmured uncharacteristically low.
My eyes flew open and lungs filled. “Sad—”
“Your luggage has arrived, Mr. Ellis.” The man swung his arm to the center of the room, where more uniformed staff were placing suitcases against the wall near a fireplace.
Sadik approached Luis, speaking at a volume too faint to hear. I turned back to the view. Excitement shot through my belly. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was.
“Let’s unpack.” Sadik reached for my hand. “Luis, this is great. Thanks for seeing us in. We’ll take it from here.”
As we ambled into the cosmic room, a tray topped with champagne flutes was placed on the cocktail table near the sofa. Candles were being lit near the bed, similar to the lower level.
The man whose name I now knew was Luis commented, “Your staff’s unit is not too far from here. Just take the walkway on the east end of the bungalow to find their villa.”
Sadik nodded, and Luis instructed his crew to leave. As they did, Sadik sauntered over to the cocktail table and grabbed a flute. As I examined the décor of the place, he handed me the champagne.
“Let’s see what Bilan packed for her graduation celebration,” he playfully voiced as he strolled over to the luggage and grabbed my lone suitcase. “Drink,” he ordered, lifting it onto the bed.
My brows narrowed as I pulled the glass up for a sip. I considered the light and crisp flavor as I watched him unzip the suitcase, swinging the flap open.
“Well, I can tell you now, you overpacked.” He pulled out a turquoise robe and tossed it onto the bed. Next were my jean shorts and a cardigan for at night if we were to be out. I always got cold in the evening. “These will never do, baby?” he conveyed as though speaking sweetly to a child lifting bras and panties. Sadik made a point of turning toward me. “As you can see, we’re in a tropical climate where you’ll wear mostly swim gear.”
My face tightened as I tried swallowing what was in my mouth. “At night. I could use them when I sleep at night.” Sadik shook his head, disapproving. “Underneath my pajamas,” I tried further explaining.
He took a deep breath and his chin lifted. “When you share a bed with me, Bilan, you wear nothing.”
My neck gave loose and face dropped to the floor. “Not even underwear?”
“They’re useless.” Casually, he turned back toward the bed. “This is cute.” He lifted a tube sundress. “I’d love to see you in a maxi.” Then his head fell to the side as he further examined the dress and mumbled to himself, it seemed, “I’d love to see your thighs in short dresses, too.”
“You’re pretty much done rambling through my things.” I rolled my eyes, gulping more champagne.
I quickly decided I liked bubbly. A lot.
“I had to, to see what needed to be replaced.” He was back over by the luggage, where he lifted one of his, and traveled it over to the bed to open it. I turned back for the ocean, hoping it didn’t disappear. Ah… “This is cute. Right?”
I twisted my neck to find a beautiful black and white-striped maxi dress. Sadik lay it on the bed, then pulled out a hot pink, silk spaghetti-strapped mini. My mouth dropped when he unfolded several more dresses and wide leg pants with a matching midriff top.
“Why didn’t you tell me to just pack toiletries?”
A wry smile formed on his face. “There was no way I’d risk your company out here.”
“Sadik…”
“Bear with me. I can be a bit…”
“Of an ultra-demanding alpha?”
The most adorable diffident smile broke on his face as Sadik snorted, eyes falling. Then he went back to the clothes on the bed.
“To show you I do have tact, I’ll fold your clothes back up and bury this suitcase in the back of a closet downstairs.” I chuckled, lifting the glass to my mouth. “Let me just make sure you don’t have anything in here you may need.” I returned to the vista out back, the imposing mountain looming with breathtaking beauty.
“Wonder what’s the name of that thing,” I mused out loud.
When I didn’t hear a response, I glanced back at Sadik. My eyes ballooned at the sight of him holding two boxes of condoms. I tried breathing and swallowing at the same time. That resulted in a light choke.
His bemused gaze met me. Sadik’s thick brows narrowed and he pouted. “Quite presumptuous, aren’t you?”
I tried clearing my throat before I explained, “I didn’t know which brand you preferred. Figured going with two would cover it.”
He lifted the one box. “Snugger Fit?”
Crap…
“I didn’t know your size and didn’t want to…” I couldn’t find the words. Embarrassed couldn’t begin to describe my sudden discomfort. I did an extensive Google search on penis sizes and popular condom brands. “The average size is six inches—”
My ranting ended when Sadik tossed both boxes into the suitcase with the discarded clothing and zipped it up.
“You tired?” He kicked off a sneaker, then the other. “I’m wired, but I’ll be crashing soon.” His shirt came off over his head.
I stood straight, unreasonably flustered at the sight of his ripped chest. His skin was…golden, a small patch of light brown hair dusted his chest. My eyes brushed over an inked shield covering his right pectoral. They fell away as I transferred the weight of my hips.
“No.” I cleared my throat, glancing down at my shoes. “Not at all.”
My regard roved back up to Sadik as he pushed down his track pants. “Good. I’m going for a swim.” Next, his thumbs hooked the waistband of his boxers and he peeled them off, too. The grooves in his inked back flexed as he bent over, pulling them under his feet. His socks were removed next. I clutched the flute to the point of pain. He stood straight, baring his full naked frame. I couldn’t look away. Clothed, Sadik was of a modest build, and while he was the same bare, he was deliciously cut all over. His thighs were columnar, as were his arms. His abs were swollen, and belly button oddly beautiful.
I wanted to avoid it, but couldn’t. It was right there resting with confidence. His dick was… I didn’t have the words. It was mean. Intimidating and buoyant. And his pubic bed was just as tangerine as the hair on his face.
My eyes shot up to his face. Sadik’s expression as blank as if the weather forecast called for rain. I closed my mouth.
“You coming?”
He didn’t wait for an answer when he began walking toward the front of the bedroom, where the ocean lay before us.
His ass!
Two muscles moving rhythmically in his casual stroll.
“Bilan?”
My head shook, and I took a deep breath. “Yeah.”
“No clothes in the ocean, either.”
Sadik ambled out to the deck, where I could see him, in perfect form, dive from the third level into the water. I dashed out there and peered over the ledge. It was clear where he landed, but it took a full patient minute to wait for him to reappear, flailing his arms to float.
“You can’t come with a glass of champagne!” he called up to me.
I backed away, feeling an uncanny sense of excitement growing as I set the glass on the table. I pulled out of my shirt, unhooked the slings of my shoes from my ankles, then kicked them off. Ignoring that small voice of fear about what he thought of my body, I shredded all of my clothes and jewelry and toed out to the deck.
“Can you swim?” he asked, floating in the water.
“A little.”
“Shit…” I could hear him cry out when I reared back, then ran toward the ledge and jumped in.
Yup. I’d officially lost my mind, eradicated all good senses and precautions, just to be in the moment with Sadik. Never had I felt so safe around a man pursuing me. It had been years since I felt protected from my father. But as I held my breath and flogged my arms to come up from the water, I
didn’t feel an ounce of fear. Not even when arms circled my frame, propelling gravity.
“You’re about to give me a damn heart attack out here, girl!”
I cleared my eyes and let a giggle rip from my lungs. That turned into full blown laughter. Soon, I was delirious with them. Even in my elation, I could appreciate the warmth and silkiness of the water. It glided over my skin like fabric.
“Hold on to me, silly!” he commanded.
In my laughing fit, I was able to obey, tasting the salt water trailing into my mouth. Sadik backstroked somehow, moving us.
“I didn’t think you’d come.”
“Me either,” I admitted.
“Glad you did, though. Can you really swim?”
“I used to at the Boys & Girls Club.”
“How long ago was that?”
I shrugged, unable to stop smiling. “When I was thirteen…fourteen maybe.”
“Shit!” he grounded out. “Don’t get out here and drown on my ass, Bilan.”
“So, I can do it when I get back to Jersey?”
“Don’t be a smart ass either.”
Sadik’s temperament was lighthearted. I decided I liked that facet of his personality, too, perhaps more than the demanding, bossy one.
“I see you can swim.”
“Of course. My mother made sure I learned a little bit of everything. Swimming was one I couldn’t avoid. There were pools everywhere we vacationed, even in cold climates.”
“Indoor pools?”
“Yup. Can you stand now?”
I looked around the moonlit water and saw we were closer to the house. Letting go, I swung my arms and stretched my legs until I felt the sanded floor beneath.
“You don’t believe me? That I can swim?”
Instead of walking into an intended fight, Sadik neared me. His attention was on my head with his hand reaching for my hair.
“It’s curly,” he murmured, fingering through it investigating.
“It’s wet.” Duh…
“It’s beautiful.” His words were but a whisper.
Still kicking my legs and arms to float, I laughed. “It’s a black girl thing.”
Was he so used to Lia that he didn’t know coarse hair drew up in water?
“Are you being a smart ass again?” he growled, grabbing me in his arms. “You don’t want to be that way with me.” I sputtered a laugh when he spun me around like a ragdoll beneath his arm. “Apologize!”
“No!” I felt intoxicated with mirth, unable to stop laughing.
Even when Sadik lifted me in the air and dunked me into the water, I came up howling. That inspired him to do it again and again. Horse playing in the water with Sadik. That’s what we did for a countless spell, engaging in unmitigated fun.
At some point, my lungs slowed, as did Sadik’s swimming. It was gradual, organically timed.
“Hang here. I’ll go get a towel,” he ordered, moving past me to leave the water. “Time to turn in.”
I followed him fixedly, shamefully ogling his glutes that were amazing in the nude. He sauntered over to a trunk, where towels I was sure weren’t there some time ago appeared. They must have been delivered while we were at play. With casual speed, Sadik wrapped a towel around his waist before waving me over. Like an obedient child, I began to wade toward the shore. He met me in the water, the line at his ankles as he held the towel open. His eyes were unapologetically all over my frame. I tried not to falter in step.
Sadik wrapped the towel around my body, then pulled me into his hard frame for a kiss.
“Let’s get showered.” He took me at the hand. “You hungry?”
“No,” I murmured behind him, taking off.
When we made it to the bedroom, I saw the mess he made of the clothes he’d purchased for me.
“You want to go first?” Sadik referred to the showers as he pored over his phones on the nightstand.
“No. You can go. I’m going to fold these clothes you threw all over the bed.”
Sadik nodded, attention to his one phone before sauntering off to the bathroom. The shower had glass walls and was only separated from the bedroom by a partition and not a door. So badly, I wanted to look, but forced myself to get busy with hanging up the pretty dresses and unpacking my toiletries. By the time Sadik was ambling back into the bedroom area, I was done.
“You sure you’re not hungry?” His eyes were tight; Sadik was tired.
“It’s late. I just need a shower and a bed.” I took off to start just that.
In the shower, I washed and conditioned my hair before tending to my body. The water pressure was amazing, but I forced myself out when I was fully rinsed. After drying off, I awkwardly stood in the mirror. He said no pajamas or underwear. What was I supposed to change into? Romance could be weird, I quickly decided.
“Sadik?” I called for him.
“Out here.”
I turned and noticed the main room was dark. With the towel around me, I toed to where a trail of rose petals and tealights led. It was the deck with the netted tarp extended over the water. Sadik was there, laying on what now looked like a bed topped with white, oversized fluffy pillows, sheets, and a comforter. The sounds of the wavy ocean played the backdrop.
“‘Bout damn time,” he complained throatily. Sadik rubbed his eyes as he flipped over the comforter, inviting me in.
The new view revealed his sinewy upper torso and his black fitted briefs. My jaw dropped. Sadik flicked his chin as if to ask me what was the hold up.
“I have to sleep naked next to all of that and you get to wear underwear?”
Sadik yawned, looking sexily youthful doing it. “My rules. Blame it on the ultra-alpha thing, I guess.”
He wasn’t relenting on this. It was clear by his impatient disposition. I rolled my eyes and tossed the towel to the side before toeing out onto the deck. The moment I laid down on the firm, yet yielding foundation, Sadik lifted me over his body so I was closest to the water. Within seconds, I was swathed in soft and freshly scented linens with a man snuggled at my back.
“You see that?” he mumbled, pointing directly ahead over the water.
“The mountain?”
“It’s a volcano. The Arenal volcano. It’s seven thousand years old. The last eruption was in two thousand eight.”
I gulped hard.
“Sheesh.” I croaked.
“Goodnight, Bilan,” he droned so sweetly behind me.
My eyes fluttered closed, and I hummed contently. “Sadik…”
“Yeah…”
“Thanks for this.”
His response was a spine-chilling kiss at the nape of my neck.
∞15∞
My eyes opened to sounds beneath us, unrelated to the waters we slept over. I pushed myself up to peer over the ledge of the catamaran net. The chef and her crew were letting themselves into the bungalow. I had to get used to their silent provisions. This resort was beyond luxurious. It was noted to be stellar with its services and amenities. While I made it clear I didn’t want people on the premises without my knowledge—because I planned to have Bilan naked around here every day—I had to allow for their presence to serve us.
I rubbed my eyes, feeling my dick throb from the smell of her. Shit… This would have to be the last morning of waking up to her naked body and not emptying inside while fucking her senseless. But the wiser of me chose patience. I had no idea how much, but it was clear to me Bilan was grossly inexperienced. I could tell each time I touched her. She’d now grown comfortable with my kiss and even reciprocated greedily. She wanted me, badly. But there was still something innocent about her that could backfire on me if I wasn’t careful.
With the least amount of movements I could make, I crept off the tarp and headed to the bathroom. It took a minute over the toilet, holding my erection but after a while, I was able to calm and relieve my bladder. I washed my hands and dried them before slipping back beneath the covers. To my right, Bilan lay on her side facing the water. She looked so pea
ceful against nature. Sexy with her short cut that was now a dry nest of messy waves. Vulnerable because she was hiked in the air naked. And innocent because I made her sleep that way. She looked like a woman who should fall asleep on the water any time she felt the need. She should be kept that way. Bilan would be surprised to know she held that type of aura. I wondered if my father was able to see that in my mother. Some women were built to be spoiled by men of wealth.
I turned toward the deck for a phone, any phone. The sudden need to capture this beautifully erotic seascape in a picture felt imminent. I snapped several, ignoring the alerts popping up on the screen.
“Sir.” I turned and found one of the cooks. She smiled. “We’re here and will have your brunch ready in about ten minutes,” she whispered.
I nodded, swiping my palm over my face. Then I turned on my side to face Bilan’s back. My hand hooking over her waist, I caressed the tiny pouch at the small of her belly. It made me wonder how it got there. The woman never ate—at least, not around me. Caressing her soft skin wasn’t a good move, considering my heightened state of arousal. I couldn’t remember the last woman who created such a strong need in me.
Bilan stirred, her arm swung over her head before she turned onto her back. Those freckles were plentiful on a makeup-free face. Damn, I could wake up like this more often. She was beauty personified.
When her eyes opened and settled on me, Bilan quickly began to shift back toward the water.
“No!” I caught her at the waist, hooked her, and pulled her back to me.
She squirmed against me, not helping my condition at all. “Aw, come on! I haven’t washed my face or brushed my teeth yet!” she squealed.
“Neither have I.” And that damn sure wasn’t going to stop me. I grabbed her at the chin, forcing her to my mouth and kissing her. She punched my shoulder with the side of her fist. And I pried her mouth open with my tongue. I wouldn’t fuck her, but would damn sure take all the comforts only a woman could provide in the morning. I could taste the initial morning staleness in her mouth, but it all faded away with her participation. Within seconds, Bilan softened beneath me, her palm now clutching me as she let go of a hum. “See. That wasn’t too bad.”