by Tharp, Emma
She clinks hers with mine and we both have a sip. I want to move on with her. Does she feel the same? It’s too early to tell, but I’m going to do my best to show her how valuable she is to me, and help her heal from the wounds that bastard gave her. “Cheers,” she says.
Wanting to lighten the mood, I change the subject. “What do you want to do tonight? Watch a movie? Play a board game?” Make love again? I leave that out, because it seems as if she loves sex as much as I do. I’m sure we’ll be doing that again later.
It doesn’t matter what we do, I just want to be around her. I’m consumed by her. We come together naturally and I’m fully aware of how rare that is.
Finishing off dinner, we decide to get in the hot tub. Naked, of course. We’re not even in the steaming water for a minute and she’s straddling me, my length in her hand.
Tonight is going to be another long night and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sixteen
Camille
The warm sun blankets my skin. Garrett and I are lying next to the pool, dipping our toes in when we get too hot. I’ve never been this relaxed. We’ve done nothing today but play on the beach, swim in the ocean, have sex after lunch, and sunbathe. My tan is coming along nicely.
Meals have been prepared by the caretakers and drinks are delivered regularly no matter where we are on the island.
“This would be incredibly easy to get used to,” I tell Garrett as I flip from my back to my stomach, needing to even out my tan lines.
He lowers his sunglasses so I can see his eyes. “You’re more than welcome to get used to it. I don’t see how I could ever get tired of you.”
I nod, cautiously optimistic that there’s more to his words than…words. I’ve already developed feelings for him. Feelings I never expected. When someone is so kind and caring, so handsome and giving, it’s hard not to attach emotions to the experience.
Closing my eyes, I imagine a life with Garrett. I’m not disillusioned enough to think that it would be perfect, but with the connection we share and how well we work together in the office, I know we’d have a solid relationship. We’ve already got a foundation to build on. There’d be dinners cooked together, long talks, vacations, and lots of love making. My body tingles just thinking about all the places and positions we’ve tried so far. He’s a generous lover, and he’s bringing out a side of me I never knew existed. A lust-filled side that can’t get enough of Garrett’s hands all over me, his mouth on my body, and him inside me.
Rolling over, I check my watch. I must’ve fallen asleep, and when I scan the area, Garrett is nowhere to be found. My stomach sinks. It’s almost like foreshadowing of what it’ll be like when I’m back home in New York, alone in my apartment with no Garrett in sight. We’ve been attached at the hip since we got to Monroe Cay. I miss him. He can’t be far away. Maybe he went in to shower. If that’s the case, I wish he would’ve woken me.
I get up and stretch before putting my sandals on and heading up to the house. I’ve gotten used to being with Garrett all the time, but I’m still not used to his beach mansion. I don’t know if I ever could be. It’s over-the-top luxury. Entering the grand front entrance, I call out his name but hear nothing. I go up the staircase and toward the master suite, sure he’s in the shower, but when I get there, it’s empty. My heart pumps faster. Rushing back downstairs, I make my way to the kitchen and my corded muscles relax when I find him slicing a mango.
He looks up at me and tugs his earbud out. “Hey. You’re awake, sleepyhead?”
I jog to him and wrap my arms around his middle. “I thought I lost you. I couldn’t find you in this huge house.” I realize how ridiculous it sounds as it leaves my mouth. It could be the couple of drinks I had this afternoon, or the grogginess from just waking up, but when I realized he wasn’t next to me, I didn’t like it. And I didn’t like that I didn’t like it, but still desperately wanted to find him.
Pulling back, he looks me in the eye. “Were you worried about me?”
I’m not sure those are the right words for what I felt. Instead of trying to explain myself to him, I reach up to the curve of his neck, pull his face to mine, and kiss him. This kiss is filled with all the things I can’t put into words. It’s feelings: desire, passion, want, need. And confusion about what all of this means. And there’s even some fear. Fear that this might all come to an end when we leave here tomorrow. And because I can’t say any of this to him, I’m going to show him with my body.
When I decide to pull away, my head is spinning and I’m breathless. “Take me upstairs,” I tell him.
He doesn’t say anything, just bends down and lifts me up and carries me to his room. We’re in nothing but our bathing suits, which we strip off in record time.
“Lie down.” I point to the bed.
His eyes widen first, then darken to almost black. He does what I ask and lies flat on his back, naked and gorgeous. He’s staring at me, giving me a smile full of admiration yet wild, and I feel it stirring low in my belly.
I get on the bed, chewing my lip, trying to decide what I want to do to him first. I’ve never been the type of woman to dictate how the sex is going to go, preferring to let the man decide, but Garrett emboldens me, and the heat of his gaze tells me that he approves.
A kiss. I climb up his body, and brush my lips over his, sucking his bottom lip into my mouth and then the top. My tongue moves inside his mouth, tasting every sweet corner of it. I love the way our mouths move in unison, like we’ve kissed like this every day for the past twenty years, not just two days. I never want to forget the way his lips feel against mine. When the stroke of our tongues speeds up and his erection grows harder, I pull my lips away and ease my body down.
First stop, the hard disc of his nipple. I lick it while my hand slips down his hard chest to the ridges of his six-pack. He tastes like salt, sun, and paradise and feels like a Greek god. I leave a trail of kisses all the way down his chest, his stomach, and I stop at base of his sexy V.
When I glance up at him, he has his head propped up under his arm and his eyes are like fire.
My tongue slides down his length and his breath hitches and eyes close. He mumbles something that sounds like Jesus. I love seeing him this way; turned on, vulnerable, and under my control. He’s such a strong man with a commanding presence and right now, he’s mine for the taking. And take him, I will.
I go slow at first, my mouth gliding up and down. When I add my hand, pumping his smooth skin from base to tip, Garrett groans. “So good.”
Speeding up my pace, I take him deeper. “Camille. Please. You have to stop.” When I look up, my mouth full of him, his eyes are wide, almost wild. “Baby, I want to be inside you.”
As much as I want to finish him off and see him completely lost to me, right now I need him to quench the ache building inside. Will this ever go away, this insane desire I have for Garrett? I don’t know.
Suddenly Garrett flips me over on my back and lowers himself on top of me. He kisses me deeply and at the same time he enters me, waking every nerve ending in my body. My breath rushes out on a long sigh.
My hands clutch his arms, his shoulders, his back and my legs wrap around his hips. I need him close. I don’t want him anywhere but right here. The weight of him, the hard lines of his body, his masculine scent, all of it, on me, all over me.
Our kisses are all consuming, soul deep, and storytelling. There are no words, just lips caressing and tongues stroking. My only focus is pouring my heart and feelings into this. I know he feels it, too. The only time we break the kiss is when we stare into each other’s eyes. His gaze is intense, possessive, and beautiful, and I can’t look away.
Garrett moves inside me, gripping my hips—changing angles, filling me so fully and completely that my body responds by tensing tight, seconds before it lets go. A small smile plays at Garrett’s lips as he rides it out with me, never changing pace, knowing exactly what I need to keep it going.
Coming down from the clouds
, I think he might be close, too. His eyes are pinched closed and his neck muscles are corded. But I’m wrong. He grips my hips and pounds inside me, bottoming out, hitting every single nerve inside me. When one of his fingers starts caressing my clit, another orgasm rips through me, but Garrett doesn’t stop. He keeps going, pressing inside, circling outside, until I don’t even come down from one before another wave washes over me. I’m spiraling into another orbit and I don’t know how I’ll ever come down.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve let go when Garrett growls my name and his entire body tenses and shudders above me.
We hold each other close until our breathing steadies. He’s holding me like he doesn’t want to let me go. And that’s exactly what I want.
I don’t know how long we lie still, relaxing into each other’s embrace before Garrett’s breathing evens out and slows.
He’s asleep.
“I haven’t told you yet how much I appreciate everything about you. You’re the kindest man I’ve ever met. And it’s obvious how attracted to you I am. No one has ever made me feel as worshipped and desired as you do. And I’m afraid of what tomorrow is going to bring. This could all be over, and it’s going to rip my heart out if it is. But at least I got to spend this glorious weekend with you. It’s changed everything, but I’m not sure how much.” I swallow hard, the truth getting stuck in my chest. I push past it, because I won’t be brave enough to say it when he’s awake. “Garrett Monroe, I’m so in love with you.”
Seventeen
Garrett
She looks so peaceful in sleep; her face is relaxed, hair flowing in messy waves all around her. I won't wake her.
I don't know what I did to deserve this woman, but I am so grateful she's in my life.
Easing out of bed, I put on my boxer briefs and go downstairs. I let my caretakers know that I would be making breakfast this morning, so I get to it. Being with Camille for the last six weeks, I've learned what she likes. I scramble some eggs and prepare Greek yogurt with granola and fresh berries. She'll eat any fresh fruit and juice, too. Grabbing two champagne flutes out of the cupboard, I make us each a mimosa. I put everything on a tray and make my way back upstairs.
Cuddling up against her, her body is soft, warm, and inviting. I kiss her back, her shoulders, and wrap my arms around her.
She begins to stir. I move so I'm lying in front of her. She smiles as she opens her eyes, and it's the type of smile that has me putty in her hands. "Good morning."
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" I ask, knowing the answer. We don't get much sleep here. She woke me twice in the middle of the night last night to make love. She's as insatiable as I am.
She stretches her arms over her head and yawns. "I had a great night."
Leaning over to the tray, I grab our mimosas. She sits up and takes one from me. "So did I."
"Breakfast in bed. I know I keep saying this, but I could get far too used to this life."
She does say that, multiple times a day, but right now she's holding back. I'm not sure why. She's smiling, but it isn't reaching her eyes. I hate to see her sad and wonder what's changed between us. "Get used to it. I’m never going to tire of you,” I remind her, meaning it. “Are you not ready to go back to New York yet?” I guess.
She takes a sip of her mimosa and shrugs. "I know it's inevitable, but I don't have to like it. You're too good to me. That's the problem."
I give her a grin because this is my in, and I'm hoping that I can somehow win her over. My original plan was to get my groove back, so to speak. But instead, I found someone I genuinely care about and actually want to spend time with. I’m so incredibly lucky and I see no reason to rush things. After all, she is employed by me and she just spent the better part of nearly two months with me. I'm rather confident she's going nowhere, and I can spend my time now winning her over and convincing her that we’re a good fit for each other.
"Let's eat breakfast while it's still warm. I made the eggs just the way you like them. Then we can go for one last swim in the ocean before we have to go," I suggest.
"Okay."
While we eat, she's more contemplative and less chatty. She also seems to pick at her food. She isn’t devouring it like she normally does. She has to be exhausted. That must be what it is, coupled with the fact that we're going back to New York.
We put our bathing suits on and make our way to the beach. "I hate to leave this place," I say.
She swallows hard and nods.
Wanting to do something to lighten the mood, I bend over and whisk her into my arms. She's light as a feather as I run down the beach into the water, plunging us both in. The ocean is warm and when I come up for air, Camille is laughing and wiping water off her face.
She splashes me and comes toward me, throwing her arms around my neck and planting a salty kiss on my lips.
Lifting her under the knees again, I dunk us both. She springs back out of the water and does her best attempt at wrestling me. I'm twice her size, but it's cute to see her try. And I love her hands all over me.
"Our time is limited. Let's take a short walk on the beach before we pack up," I say, extending my hand to her.
She takes it and we stroll down to our favorite spot. It’s near a rocky cliff that gives us the most privacy. No, we don’t truly need it, because my caretakers are never a problem, and there’s nobody else around, but it’s a hidden area that we both enjoy. "Remember how much fun we had here yesterday?" She gives me a sassy wink.
"How could I forget? You nearly attacked me." It isn't true. We attacked each other.
Her cheeks are tinged pink and I know it isn't from her suntan. "You're right. I've been attacking you all weekend." She saunters over to me and rests her hand on my chest. Going up on tiptoes, she plants a kiss on my lips. It's slow and tender, and I open to her, our tongues mingling together in this dance of ours.
Pulling her in close, my hands roam over her body, down her shoulders and sides until they come to rest on her firm ass. I press us closer so she can feel exactly what she does to me. As if she didn't already know from all the times I’ve shown her this weekend.
Her hands slide down my chest and stomach until she gets to my swim trunks. She yanks them all the way down. My heart rate kicks up. Her eyes stare into mine, full of arousal as she palms my dick. She slides her bikini bottoms to the side and swings a leg up over my hip. We both moan when she sinks onto my length.
I lick the salt from her neck and whisper in her ear how hot she makes me. I suck one of her nipples into my mouth until it's a hard point, then give the same attention to the other side.
She's riding from up high and I'm thrusting from below with a firm grip on her hips. She writhes and shifts, taking me so deep, I must be reaching the end of her. She whimpers like she does when she's close to letting go.
It's beyond me how I can ache so much for this when it's only been a couple of hours since I've had her. I don't question it. Not now. Now’s the time to feel this, feel her.
Blood pumps hard through my veins and my breath quickens. We're both so close.
Her fingertips move from the back of my neck up to my hair and she runs her nails through it. It drives me wild when she does that. A million sensations rush up and down my spine.
It isn't long before she's clutching my shoulders and calling out my name. I'm addicted to the way it sounds. Addicted to her. She's meeting me thrust for thrust and when she lets loose and pulses around me, I join her.
Letting go of her leg, I pull her into my arms and she rests her head on my chest. I breathe her in, smelling the sunshine and her and us. My chest feels like it could burst with happiness.
We stand, hanging on to each other until our heart rates come down. Sadly, our time is limited. "As much as I'd like to stay here all day, we should go inside and pack," I say.
Her chest rises on a deep intake of breath. "Okay."
I hate the sadness in her tone, but I understand. I have a hard time leaving this place, t
oo. It’s paradise. And it’s been more than paradise with her. I hope she’ll come back here soon with me.
Our flights are smooth and we both sleep most of the way home. I have dreams of walking on the beach with her, laughing, talking…making love. She’s consuming me, even in sleep.
When my driver hauls our luggage into the back of my town car, he drives us to my penthouse. It’s strange how quiet she is on the ride. She's jumpy and biting at the corner of her thumbnail like she always does when she's nervous. I hold her hand, but it doesn’t seem to calm her or change her mood.
"Everything okay?" I ask.
"Yeah, just a little bit groggy from the flight. But why are we going back to your place?"
"Your things are still there." Looks like she’s really ready to get back to her apartment and have some time away from me. We’ve been together twenty-four seven the last six weeks. I don’t feel that way though. I’ve enjoyed every minute we’ve spent together.
She nods, seeming to accept my explanation.
Our bags are unloaded at my building and we ride up the elevator to my apartment. She goes directly to the bedroom to gather her things. I follow her.
Her shoulders are slumped and her arms hang at her sides. I wonder what’s making her so sad. Scrolling through the day’s events in my mind, it doesn't make sense. Maybe after she gets a full night’s sleep, she’ll feel better. I won’t bother her about it today. We have all the time in the world.
And all of a sudden, a light bulb goes off. How could I have been so stupid? I haven't paid her yet. I go to my office and write out the check. Going back into the room, I walk right up to her.
"I've really enjoyed our time together." I have a big grin on my face and the check in hand when she looks up at me.
Eighteen
Camille
My heart burns in my chest like someone is stomping on it.