Camera Shy

by Lauren Gallagher

  "Tourists?"

  He shrugged. "I guess so. Not really the season for them." He shrugged again.

  "But I doubt they'll find us where we're going." He winked at her. As they continued through the maze of inlets and straights, there were fewer and fewer other boats. Soon, they were completely alone.

  Simone watched the crystalline water for jumping salmon and scanned the cloudless sky for bald eagles. She loved this place. God, she loved it. Never in her life had she found a place more peaceful, more serene, more beautiful. She looked over her shoulder at Jason, watching him steer the boat, his brow furrowed above his sunglasses as he watched the water ahead of them. He glanced at her and smiled. She returned the smile and turned her gaze back to the scenery. No, there was no place in the world where she could find peace like this, and no one else in the world she wanted to share it with. She realized now that when she was in L.A. and wanted to come back, it was not just Jason, it was Tofino. She was nearly as in love with Tofino as she was with Jason.

  Wait. No. I'm not in love. No, it's too soon. This is just—it's—oh hell, I don't know. But no, I can't be in love. She bit her lip as her heart sank in her chest. She was thankful Jason couldn't see her face just now. All the guilt came rushing into her mind, weighing so heavily she half-expected the boat to list beneath her. This wasn't fair to Jason. She was leading him on.

  But at the same time, she'd never been so happy with someone. Maybe, in spite of her objections, this was the right thing for her. And with all of her fears and worries, really, what harm had come of it? She was back in the game with her career, she'd had less to drink in the last couple of months than she usually had in one night, and she was getting the best sex she could remember.

  He didn't push her to figure out how she felt, but sooner or later, he would want an answer. And he deserved one. Especially after she'd cancelled on him before at the last minute. He needed to know about Cecily, and Gregory, and everything else, sooner or later. Why couldn't she just tell him?

  She wrung her hands in her lap. He deserved an answer; she just didn't know what that answer was. And now that she knew his history, she was even more terrified of telling him the truth.

  Jason suddenly cut off the engine, startling her out of her thoughts. She turned to ask him what was wrong and he pointed off to the right. She followed his gesture

  toward shore. There, just before dry land, three round, shiny objects bobbed in the water. After a moment, she realized the objects had eyes and long, twitching whiskers. A second later, all three disappeared beneath the surface. The water shimmered in three ripples heading toward shore, where the otters shot out like bullets with barely a splash between them. The trio paused and stared at Jason and Simone, round black noses sniffing the air.

  Simone laughed aloud. She glanced back at Jason, and he gave her a smile. A moment later, the otters disappeared into the forest. Simone watched the empty shoreline for a long moment, waiting to see if they returned.

  Whatever it was that Jason and Tofino were doing to her, she loved it. The serenity of the secluded village and the calm of Jason's company intoxicated her. There was a freedom here, with him, that the bottle had never offered. It occurred to her then that she couldn't remember the last time she'd had a drink, besides the occasional glass of wine with Jason. Maybe, just maybe, this was better for her than she realized. She wasn't ready to say the words, not quite ready for the commitment that came with giving voice to what quietly simmered within her, but with each passing moment, she was more and more certain.

  I love you more than life itself, Jason, she thought. She looked at him, a shudder rippling through her in response to the sexy half-grin he shot her. I just hope you'll wait for me to be able to say it.

  They arrived at the crescent-shaped island and tied the boat. After Jason helped her out, he reached in and grabbed a small cooler she didn't remember him loading.

  "What's that?" she asked.

  He grinned. Don't give me that grin, Jason, don't you dare; don't you know what it does to me?

  He took her hand and nodded toward the cooler. "You'll see." He led her toward the shoreline where they had done her photo shoot, where they'd made love on a blanket. She shivered at the memory. Not only had he gotten her

  in front of the camera—naked, no less—he'd turned it into one of the most erotic moments of her life.

  He set the cooler in the sand and looked around. "Shit, I forgot something." He started toward the boat. "I'll be right back. No peeking in the cooler!" Simone laughed. Jason jogged down the beach to the boat, leaned in— my God it should be illegal to have an ass like that—and grabbed a folded up blanket from inside. He returned to her and laid the blanket out on the sand. He set the cooler beside the blanket. "Join me?" he asked with a grin as he sat.

  "You have to ask?" she said with a smirk.

  "Well, it seemed like the polite thing to do."

  Simone sat on the blanket and he scooted toward her.

  "I get the feeling you have something planned."

  He tried to look innocent. "What ever gave you that idea?"

  "I know you too well." She laughed.

  "Well, you're right," he said. He touched her face and brought her almost close enough to kiss. His lips still a hair's breadth away from hers, he whispered, "We're going to spend the entire afternoon out here." He was so close his voice hummed against her lip. "We're going to take our time and enjoy every second." He closed the distance between their mouths and kissed her, slowly, tenderly, his tongue exploring with no urgency at all, as if time stood still until he was satisfied. Each motion of his lips, of his tongue, of his fingers on the back of her neck, was electric on her flesh, her body reacting to every movement as if he was kissing her for the very first time.

  His hand drifted under her blouse, his feather light touch on her skin inducing an involuntary sigh. Breathing her sigh in, he pulled her closer, his hand sliding up her back, pushing her blouse up.

  He took her blouse off, and, with a swift, effortless motion of his fingers, her bra came with it. The crisp breeze raised goosebumps on her flesh, but it was the sizzling

  warmth of his lips and tongue that hardened her nipples. Simone closed her eyes and let her head fall back, gasping with each deliberate, calculated sweep of his tongue. He put a hand on the small of her back, and, his mouth never leaving her breast, he lowered her onto the blanket. He cupped one breast while his mouth worshipped the other. She ran her fingers through his soft but spiky hair. The beginning hints of an orgasm thundered within her, intensifying with each kiss, each touch. God, she wanted him, she wanted him to be inside her right then, but he was in no hurry.

  Resting his weight on his elbow, he kissed her breasts, her neck, and finally, her mouth. She grasped the back of his neck and pulled him closer, kissing him hungrily, desperately.

  He pushed his jean-clad thigh between hers. With one hand, he unbuttoned her jeans, and his fingers slid into them. His fingertips found her clit, and she shuddered with the first sweep of his finger.

  She clawed at his shoulders, her lips devouring his as he kept his subtle, delicious rhythm, sending her higher and higher with each motion. For a moment, she thought he was going to pull back and keep her from coming, tease her back and forth until he let her come, but he didn't. He just kept sending her farther and farther into orbit.

  "Oh my God, Jason," she murmured between kisses, her entire body trembling as he pushed her closer and closer.

  He kissed her neck, his breath hot on her skin. "Come for me, let me feel you come." His voice was steady, even, completely in control. Kissing the skin just below her earlobe he whispered, " Come for me."

  She did. She came hard, trembling against his body, her back arching beneath him, her hands clawing at his back. He held her, kissing her neck and whispering in her ear, his every breath on her skin sending her further into ecstasy. Her nails dug into his shoulders. A soft growl escaped his lips.

  When at last the climax s
ubsided, he held her while she caught her breath. She looked at him and he grinned back at her.

  "I love watching you come," he said, his voice ragged for the first time. Desire smoldered in his eyes. He bent to kiss her and said, "I assure you, my dear, it won't be the last time I get to watch you do so today."

  They kissed for a long, lazy moment. Then, he sat up. "Let's get all of these unnecessary clothes out of the way, shall we?"

  She smirked as she sat up. "Define 'unnecessary'?"

  He pulled his shirt over his head, tousling his unruly hair. "If you're wearing it, it's unnecessary."

  "Fair enough." She wriggled out of her jeans and tossed them aside. A moment later his landed on top of hers, but not before he got a condom out of his pocket and set it within easy reach. She laid on the blanket again, but to her surprise, he reached for the mysterious cooler.

  "So are you finally going to tell me what's in that?" she asked.

  "I'm not going to tell you," he said, pushing the lid open and reaching inside. "I'm going to show you."

  She half-expected a bottle of wine to emerge, but instead, he brought out a bottle of chocolate syrup.

  She blinked. She didn't need to ask. She couldn't have if she wanted to because her mouth had gone completely dry.

  He leaned forward and kissed her. "I've always wanted to do this," he said with a grin. "And something tells me you're a woman who might enjoy it." She nodded. It was the only reaction she could come up with.

  He popped the top on the bottle and poured a tiny drop on his fingertip. He offered it to her and she took it, sucking it off his finger.

  A boat engine startled Simone. Jason turned toward the sound, pursing his lips. Simone sat up and instinctively reached for her shirt to cover up. "I didn't think anyone else came out here."

  He shrugged and turned back to her. "Damn tourists. Don't worry about it." He grinned. "Besides, let them have a look."

  She forced a smile, but didn't relax just yet. She watched the boat come toward the island, then turn. A moment later, it disappeared. Simone held her breath until she couldn't hear the engine anymore.

  "Relax," he whispered. "They're gone."

  She exhaled and nodded. She glanced at the bottle, then back at him, but didn't lie down just yet. "So," she said. "What were you going to do with that?" He took her hand and kissed her forearm, then the inside of her elbow, sending a shudder through her. He picked up the bottle and drizzled a lazy swirl of chocolate down her arm to her wrist. The syrup was cool against her skin. He brought her arm to his lips again. He flicked his tongue across the inside of her wrist and his thumb circled her palm.

  Working his way up her arm, he kissed every drop of chocolate from her skin, lingering here and there to trail the tip of his tongue across some sensitive spot. His other hand slid around her waist as his lips found her shoulder. He laid her on her back again and picked up the bottle. He made a thin line of chocolate going up her belly, the coolness of the syrup taking Simone's breath away. Setting the bottle aside, he put his hands on her waist to steady her and touched his tongue to the end of the stripe of chocolate. The heat of his tongue with the chill of the syrup was a delicious contradiction of sensations. Simone shivered. Distantly, she heard another boat engine out on the water, but she didn't care. Let them look. Jason's words echoed in her mind, and she couldn't help but grin at the thought.

  After his tongue licked away every last drop of chocolate, Jason drizzled on more, this time making a thin swirl around her breast, slowly working his way to her nipple. She trembled with anticipation as he got closer and closer, until finally the smooth coolness of the chocolate sizzled against her nipple.

  He grinned at her and bent to lick the syrup off. Oh my God, Jason, what are you doing to me? Her skin quivered at his touch and the warmth of his tongue. But why should he have all the fun? As he licked the last couple of drops off her nipple, she picked up the bottle and brought it up just behind him. She drizzled chocolate onto the back of his neck, and he tensed, a hiss of surprise escaping through his teeth onto her skin. She licked a drop off the front of his shoulder, and he shuddered.

  "You didn't think I'd let you do all the work, did you?" She wriggled out of his grasp and moved around behind him as he sat up. The salty warmth of his skin mingled with bittersweet chocolate on her tongue as she traced the edges of his tattoos. She wanted him, ached for him, but she'd draw it out for him just as he had done for her.

  She knelt behind him, kissing the side of his neck and pressing her breasts against him. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back, groaning softly. Her hand slid under his arms and around to his chest, her fingers running through the fine hair and tracing the contours of his abs. His breath caught as her hand slid down farther, her fingertips slowly, deliberately brushing his fully erect cock. She fought to keep her own breath controlled and even, forcing her hand to remain steady as she wrapped her fingers around him.

  Her face was beside his now, and he turned toward her. He kissed her. With each slow stroke of her hand, his mouth became more insistent, more urgent.

  "I can't wait anymore," he said, his voice hoarse with desire. He didn't wait for her to respond, but turned her around and took her into his arms. They both trembled with arousal, and it took both of them to get the condom out and on, but they finally succeeded.

  She wrapped her legs around him as he laid her down, and he was inside her before her back hit the blanket beneath them. He pushed himself deeper into her with each urgent thrust. Arching her back, she dragged her nails across his shoulders and he growled into her neck, taking her hard and fast, his breath ragged against her skin.

  Jason's muscles tensed under her fingertips. His breath came in shallow, rapid gasps. He closed his eyes and let out a throaty groan as he drove himself deeper. A moment later, he collapsed beside her, breathing hard against her neck, his breath sweet with chocolate.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  They stayed on the island well into the afternoon.

  On the way back to town, there were a dozen or so boats milling around between a couple of inlets. Jason scowled at them, shaking his head. "Looks like the rental place is making a killing today." He steered his own boat in another direction. "It's usually deserted out here."

  Simone glanced at him. "Busy tourist weekend?"

  "Apparently. Bastards."

  She laughed, raising an eyebrow. "You don't like tourists, do you?"

  "I don't mind tourists," he said, trailing his fingers across her shoulder. "Except when they're interrupting my plans."

  "Plans?"

  He smirked, but said nothing. He steered them down a quiet inlet, far from any sign of the other boats, and cut the engine.

  "What's wrong?" she asked.

  He put his arms around her. "Not a damned thing. I just wanted to touch you again. Now come here."

  She laughed, staying just out of his reach. "So commanding."

  "You wouldn't make a horny man beg, would you?"

  "I absolutely would."

  He leaned forward and pulled her toward him. "She-devil." She sat on his lap, straddling him and wrapping her legs around him as he kissed her neck.

  "So what would I have to do to talk you out of this shirt?" he asked.

  "All you have to do is ask." She laughed.

  He put his hands under her shirt and quickly lifted it over her head. "I didn't feel like asking."

  "You're incorrigible."

  "So?"

  "So you should shut up and kiss me."

  He laughed and drew her in for a kiss. The sound of an engine raised the hairs on the back of her neck. They both turned and saw a boat turning sharply and roostertailing on its way out of the peaceful inlet.

  "Fucking tourists," Jason muttered.

  Simone watched the boat nervously, kept watching even as it disappeared into the distance. She scanned the mouth of the inlet, searching for more, her blood turning to ice.

  "Hey," Jason said, gently turning her face ba
ck to him. "They're gone. It's just a bunch of tourists."

  You don't know that. "Right," she said, stealing another glance at the mouth of the inlet. They don't know who I am. They're just tourists. This is a tourist destination. Relax. He touched her face gently. "You okay?"

  Just tourists. "I'm fine," she said.

  "Are you sure?"

  "You should kiss me again to make sure."

  "I can do that." He kissed her, but then broke the kiss and scowled at the mouth of the inlet as another boat motored past. He sighed. "Why don't we go back to the house? These tourists are not doing much for the atmosphere."

  "Sounds good to me." She eased herself off his lap, trying not to rock the boat in the process. As she put her shirt back on, Jason fired up the motor again, and they made their way back to Tofino.

  A tiny knot of disappointment tightened in Simone's stomach as the village came into view. The little island was paradise, and she didn't want to return to civilization. Just a few more hours, she wished. A few more hours of daylight, lounging with Jason on the secluded beach, making love until neither of them could move. But they had to go back. And soon, she had to return to L.A. Her stomach tightened with dread.

  She wouldn't think of that. Not now. For now, she was with Jason, and that was enough.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Before either of them knew it, they were standing in each other's arms in Jason's driveway, leaning against her car, postponing the inevitable goodbyes.

  "I'm glad you came," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. She smiled. "Me too. I wish I didn't have to leave again."

  "I know, but you'll be back. I hope . . .?"