Eva’s body is something from out of any red-blooded man’s greatest fantasy.
“Come on, Raph,” Eva giggles as she dips a toe into the water. “Get in.” She’s wearing a pair of barely-there shorts and a sports bra as she waves me over. She looks good enough to eat.
Still, I stand back with my hands in the pockets of my khakis. No intention of getting into that water. “I’ll pass.”
She pouts. “Come on. Don’t be boring.” She folds her arms across her chest and her breasts look spectacular in that hot pink spandex.
“Go on, man!” the tour guide prods. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Eva nods in agreement. “Once-in-a-lifetime, Raph.”
She’s right. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because once we leave this island, it will be over. I’ll never get to touch her again, to kiss her, to put my hands on her body. I find myself approaching the bank and toeing off my shoes. As I shed my polo shirt, her eyes hood.
She watches me with so much heat it feels illicit. Her eyes scan my face and my chest before settling on my package and then they continue their journey downward. I smirk, feeling like a man, dammit. The way she watches me makes me feel strong and masculine, desired. I want to feel her eyes on me all day.
Without taking her gaze away, she speaks to Dario. “Would you take a picture of us, please?” She stretches her phone out to him.
“Eva, no pictures,” I tell her under my breath.
“It’s just for me, Raph. I won’t show it to anybody. It’s just for me. To remember this time we’re spending together…”
I find myself giving in as I always do when she pouts those perfect lips at me. The man angles the camera at us and takes a few shots. “Gorgeous couple!” he says as he hands the camera back. I should probably correct him but why bother? We’re a couple, at least for today.
Eva gives the photo an approving once over before holding it up for my inspection. I stare down at the picture and an emotion I can't quite identify fills my chest. Eva is stunning, as always, her smile outshining the sun. And when I look at my own image, I see peace, contentedness, happiness. Things I haven’t recognized in myself in years.
There’s a sharp tug in my gut, telling me that I want more moments like this. More sunshine. More laughter. More Eva. But I shove the feeling away because I know it’s irrational.
Eva hops from one rock to the next, scoffing at my warnings to slow down. She steps into the basin and water showers down on her. Leaving the safety of the bank, I follow her into the basin and she pulls me under the steady downpour of water.
Dario offers to climb a nearby coconut tree and get us some fresh coconuts. We gladly accept his offer.
Now, that Eva and I have some privacy, I do what I've wanted to do since the very beginning of this afternoon's excursion. I kiss her. Hard. My tongue slips between her sweet lips. Her fingers climb up my neck and she pulls me closer. The water bearing down on my back isn't enough to squelch the fire burning in my limbs. My hands move up and down her skin, tangle in her hair, slide into the waistband of her shorts.
We pull back for air, so that we don't drown in our lust. She runs her fingertips down my face. Her stare is soft but intense. There's something she wants to say. I trail my thumb across her wet, swollen bottom lip. "What is it?"
She smiles softly. “I’m just so glad we’re here.”
Chapter 17
Evangeline
Darkness fills the quiet cabin and the only sound is Raphael’s deep breathing. I glance over at him. He’s sleeping, head leaned back against the headrest, arms folded across his chest. He actually looks comfortable. I smile to myself, realizing that he’s probably done this so many times that it’s perfectly natural to him.
He works so hard, always on the go. Always chasing the next deal. Never making time for anything that’s not work-related. I know that these past few days have been a change of pace for him.
He made time for me.
That little fact puts a smile on my lips as I twirl my new beaded bracelet around my wrist. It’s a big deal. He put aside his money chase and swam around in the ocean with me. He left his laptop in the bedroom and had breakfast with me on the veranda overlooking the sea. He fucked me all night in front of the open windows, under the stars.
Things are different now. I felt the shift in him as we enjoyed the island and each other. I just wonder if he still means all those things he said about us ending this thing before we get to Reyfield.
I pull the blanket tighter around me and draw my legs up under me, trying to get comfortable in my seat. But all I can think about is how I’d rather be in his arms right now.
After a few minutes of trying in vain to settle in, I push the blanket aside and climb out of my seat. My heart thunders in my chest as I cross the aisle to where Raphael is sitting. I probably shouldn’t bother him. I should let him sleep. He must be so tired. But tonight is our last night together. In a few hours, we’ll land in Reyfield and I don’t know what happens next.
This moment may be all we have left.
I climb into his lap, my legs straddling either side of him. I run my hands down his strong chest as I lean in, stealing a lungful of his manly scent. I unbutton the top few buttons of his shirt and my fingers slip beneath his collar, running along his hot skin.
He’s so fucking masculine, so strong. Being around him makes me feel fragile and small. But safe, protected. How am I supposed to just walk away from him when we step off this plane?
I try not to worry about that right this minute. I want to just be in the present.
I press my lips to the base of his neck and move slowly up to his jaw, savoring the feel of him, his scent. He groans in his sleep and I feel his cock growing hard beneath me. My mouth twitches mischievously as I rub my pussy back and forth along his hardness.
“Eva…” he rasps out from a space somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.
I cup his cheek in my hand, his stubble chaffing my palm. “Shh…” I whisper as I slide my lips over his. He groans again and I brush my lips back and forth, back and forth over his. His hands slide up my spine as he stirs awake, blinking up at me. I smile at him and then pull his bottom lip into my mouth.
“Kitten…” The growl comes from deep inside of him and it sends a thrill skittering through me. I take his mouth again, loving the taste of him, the softness of his lips, the scratch of his bristle against my chin.
He reaches for the hem of my shirt, pulling it up and sliding his fingers along my skin. I keep rocking against him, keep tasting his mouth. He squeezes my breast, massaging it through the fabric of my bra.
I undo his buckle and slide his zipper down its tracks. His cock is a warm, steely rod in my hands. He pulls a condom out of his pocket and once it’s on, I ease off of him just enough to position myself over the tip. His grip on my waist is firm as he guides me down his shaft.
My jaw slackens at the sensation of being stretched. A quiet growl pours from his lips. He pulls down the front of my shirt, stealing access to my tits. His mouth drops to my chest and he buries his face in the warm flesh, kissing me there as he grinds up into me, slowly savoring my body.
“Raph…” I breathe his name into the dark cabin. Resting my elbows on his shoulders, I lock my arms behind his head, holding him prisoner in my swollen, throbbing globes.
This is heaven. Really and truly. This is heaven.
We’re tens of thousands of miles above the earth. Maybe if we stay here, we can be together forever. No one will ever have to find out. Maybe we should just stay here, kissing each other, touching each other. Maybe we don’t have to go home.
The silly thought slips from my mind when his hand slides between us and his finger passes over my clit.
“So beautiful, Evangeline.” His words are trapped against my skin. “So perfect. That pussy feels so good. Your whole body feels so good.”
I sigh against the pleasure and let my body do the talking.
As t
he movement of his finger grows faster, I rock my hips more and more furiously. I grind myself on him, bumping our pelvises in the hungry pursuit of relief.
And then, he bites my tit. His teeth sinking into my flesh, the wetness of his mouth soothing the burn. I throw my head back and ride him harder. Commotion builds in my core.
My voice is strained and hoarse. “Oh god, I’m about to come.”
“Come for me, Kitten.” He plunges up into me again and again, and his body grows more tense with each thrust.
My whole world contorts with the explosion of pleasure at my core. I cry out sharply and I see stars before my eyes. And he comes right along with me, his muscles straining, his nails scoring my flesh as the pleasure crests and slowly begins to fade away.
Our eyes find each other in the shadowy cabin. And even in the darkness, I can tell that we’re in trouble. We both feel it.
This connection between us is more powerful than either of us anticipated.
Fuck!
He swallows hard, tension crawling into his limbs. "This thing between us ends tonight, Eva,” he says in a slow, careful tone. “We can't carry on like this right beneath your parents' noses. We have to stop. Now."
Is he really saying this right now? After all that's happened over the last few days? After all that happened in the past ten minutes?
It's impossible that I misinterpreted all of that. What we have is real.
"No!" I say firmly.
"No?"
"No, I don't want to end things with you."
"Eva –"
"I care about you. And you care about me." I'm not willing to pretend that none of this happened. I want him. I want the way he makes me feel.
He makes me feel invincible. He's the steel in my spine, propping me up. I want him. I need him. And he needs me. I see the shift that’s happened in him on this trip. He’s happier, more open. He’s better.
"Eva, this was a mistake. This thing between us is inappropriate." He’s already buttoning up his shirt.
"That's what you think my father will say. I don't care what he says. I only want you."
"You're being a brat, Eva. A child."
He’s so determined to keep these walls up, to shut me out with his ethics. It drives me crazy! No, I won’t allow him to hide behind our age difference or his relationship with my parents right now. I’m not the one being immature. He is.
“You can’t just do this—“ I gesture at our post-coital state, “—whenever it’s convenient for you and then hide behind your morals when you feel shit starting to get real.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
He flings up his arms in frustration. “We talked about this before it got out of hand. We agreed.”
“’We agreed’…” I mimic his tone. “Just another business deal, huh? Just another agreement?” I push a tear away from my eye.
He doesn’t flinch. His shimmering silver irises have turned to cold, gray steel. He's serious. There's no getting through to him. He really is done with us.
Heavy silence weighs down on us, cementing his decision. A sickening ache spreads throughout my body. I thought he was starting to fall for me but I was clearly wrong about everything.
"Fuck you..." I whisper under my breath as I trudge across the aisle and drop into my seat.
I pull the blanket back around me but it isn't enough to ward off the chill penetrating to my soul. I keep my bleary gaze straight ahead for the rest of the flight.
Chapter 18
Raphael
As the runway comes into view, I finally allow myself to take a breath. I’ve been tense as fuck for the past half-hour. No, I'm not afraid of heights but I am afraid of what I'll do if I spend one more minute alone with Evangeline.
I still can't believe how out-of-control things got on that trip. It was supposed to be all business but the pleasure definitely found a way to win out. I know that she’s upset now, sitting in her seat with those delicate arms folded across her chest and a pout on those sexy lips, but long before this thing spiraled into a lust fest, we promised each other that we wouldn’t bring it to Reyfield with us.
Even still, I can’t stop thinking about the way she purred and clawed at me as if her life depended on the next kiss, the next touch, the next orgasm. Or the way she fell asleep in my arms, breathing into the curve of my neck when her beautiful, supple body couldn't handle any more of the vile things I was doing to her.
She felt so good laying on me. I just kept telling myself, "Just one more minute, just one more minute," because I can't remember the last time I felt this connected to someone.
I scrub my hand down my face again as if I can somehow wipe away what I did or what I feel. I can't. Christ! My feelings are getting out of hand.
I know that she's my best friend's little girl but with her bee-stung lips, her crystalline eyes and her long, shapely legs, how is a man supposed to resist her?
When the aircraft lands in the small airfield on the north-western edge of Reyfield, the stewardess pops open the door and I hurry down the trio of rickety stairs. Eva is right behind me.
Once on solid ground at the foot of the staircase, I offer her my hand because I'm not a total dick. She gives me a death-stare, narrowing her eyes on me and grunting before reluctantly accepting my hand. When she places her palm in mine, energy explodes all around us. We both feel it and I'm not too macho to admit that my knees go weak for a second.
But then she’s back to giving me the silent treatment as we go through the motions inside the airport terminal. Thankfully, there isn’t a crowd at this small local airport and in a matter of minutes, we’re walking out of Arrivals.
And there they are – Bob and Laurie Brooks, two of my closest friends in the world…The parents of the girl I debased all night long.
Jeez.
My eyes stay on them to see if they'll pick up on this budding chemistry between their daughter and me. As Laurie rushes toward Eva, I realize that my fears are unfounded. She shrieks as she scoops her daughter into a hug. "Baby! Look at you!"
Eva beams, hugging her mom back and planting a kiss on her cheek. "Mom, what on earth did you do to your hair?" Laurie tucks her daughter under her arm and begins to explain how her long, blond tresses have suddenly transformed into bright red spikes.
Bob comes up and claps me on the shoulder. "Hey there, buddy."
We share a quick hug. "How ya doing, man?" His pudgy stomach gets trapped between us. "I see that you're still indulging in Laurie's cooking," I joke…because really, Laurie only has one recipe in her cooking arsenal.
He runs a hand down the front of his checkered shirt and laughs. "I'm a married man, Silver. Twenty-four years this September. No need to keep myself in shape. I'm not an eligible bachelor like you."
Laurie comes over and taps him playfully on the stomach as she rolls her eyes. "You need to follow Raph's example," she says, "I'm sure his cholesterol is under control unlike some people." She tilts her head suggestively in her husband's direction as he throws an arm around their daughter. Meanwhile, Laurie pulls me in for a hug. "Oh my, you really are all rock hard muscles under there, huh?" she coos, holding on for just long enough that it starts to feel awkward.
Bob clears his throat. "Really, Laurie? Really?" He pretends to look offended. Or then again, maybe he is. Who knows? It’s hard to believe that he’s actually a few months younger than I am. He’s woefully out of shape. Plus, the checkered shirts with suspenders and hamburger-patterned socks don’t help at all.
Laurie tosses her head back and giggles. "Don't grumble. I do my part to keep things fresh and exciting.” She gently taps her garish new hairstyle in illustration. “You're the one who chooses to sit on the couch and binge-watch CNN every evening instead of going for a run with me. Us girls, we like muscles, don't we, Eva?"
My eyes go to Eva and her cheeks are flaming red, just like her mother’s hair. She avoids eye contact with anyone. "Argh, mom
. Stop it," she hisses.
Laurie sighs, frustrated that no one is enjoying her jokes. "Anyway, I'm going to fatten you up over the next few days while you're in Reyfield," she tells me, "When you texted this morning and said you were bringing Eva home, I went out and got all the ingredients for my world-famous meatloaf, I fixed up the guestroom, I –" She counts the items off on her fingers.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
I've got to put the brakes on this runaway train. Poor Laurie doesn't know that I can no longer be trusted under the same roof as her little angel.
Dirty Silver (The Dirty Suburbs Book 7) Page 9