Need You Now

by Yahrah St. John

  When she’d been a young girl, she’d dreamed of being in Ethan’s arms, and last night had not disappointed. She loved the taste, the touch and the feel of him. It had assaulted all of her senses and in turn it had opened her very soul to him. Of course, Ethan had no idea of her true feelings. And he never would. Kayla would let him continue to think that theirs was a natural chemistry that had been underlying between them for years. There was no way Kayla would tell Ethan she loved him and give him that kind of power over her. He already had her company hanging over her head, so she refused to give him the added satisfaction.

  Kayla didn’t hear a creak on the patio floorboard, she just felt Ethan’s hot breath on her neck seconds before his lips kissed the back of her neck. He nibbled on her neck and suckled. He sucked until Kayla’s head leaned back on his shoulder and she began to melt against his hard chest and rock-hard penis. Was he naked outside? Ethan began massaging her breasts through his shirt and Kayla couldn’t help but moan aloud.

  “Let’s take this back inside,” Ethan murmured as lust surged through him. He could feel his penis getting harder.

  Kayla turned around to face him and fused her lips with his. Ethan grabbed her buttocks, lifting her off the floor so Kayla could wrap her legs around him. Slowly, he walked backward into the villa, all the while keeping their mouths joined.

  They fell back together on the bed, a mass of naked limbs. His lips came down on hers and warmth rushed through her. His mouth commanded hers as his fingers threaded through her hair. Kayla was breathless, which gave Ethan enough time to throw her off guard. He bent down and lifted the shirt to her waist and went right to the apex at her thighs.

  He kissed, nibbled and licked the sweet nub until he found the precise flicker that set her aflutter. Her body told him when he reached the sweet spot because Kayla arched off the bed and raw-edged whimpers escaped her lips.

  Ethan continued his quest by kissing his way up her leg and tracing the smooth contours of her thighs. Kayla assisted him by removing his shirt, giving Ethan easy access to feast on her bare breasts. He rolled atop her and used his thighs to spread her legs and entered in one swift thrust. They moved together, skin-to-skin, riding wildly. When Kayla lifted her hips, Ethan seemed to understand her pleas and pulled in and out with delicious ecstasy. An undeniable hunger seemed to fuel them and they both galloped quickly to an orgasm.

  “Ohmigod!” Kayla came first, crying out with delight, and her inner muscles clamped around his throbbing member, holding him captive until he collapsed on top of her.

  Chapter 9

  Hours later, Ethan and Kayla were still in bed.

  “Is it your intention to keep me on my back our entire honeymoon?” Kayla inquired, pushing several pillows up so she could lean back.

  Ethan rested his face on his hand, looked up at Kayla and smiled broadly. “I had thought about it.”

  “Hmm…I’m not saying I mind,” Kayla responded, “but I am a little hungry.”

  “I guess I have been remiss in my husbandly duties by not feeding you.” Ethan leaned over to grab the phone. “I’m not really in the mood to cook, so how about I have something delivered?”

  “Sounds fabulous.”

  Kayla and Ethan gorged on Polynesian chicken, mango beef, coconut rice, baked sweet potatoes and guava cake while lying in bed. They hadn’t moved much out of the bedroom the entire day, other than to enjoy a tantalizingly long, hot shower together.

  “This is delicious,” Kayla said, sipping on the watermelon mai tai that had accompanied the meal.

  “I couldn’t agree more. Cheers!” Ethan clicked his glass against Kayla’s. “So is there anything that you would like to do while we’re here?”

  “You mean besides seeing you naked?” She smirked, pulling down the sheet so she could feast her eyes on his incredible pectorals.

  “Yeah, besides sex.”

  “I would love to go snorkeling,” Kayla commented.

  “I love your adventurous spirit,” Ethan stated. He leaned across the bed and grabbed her hand. “You’re on.”

  Kayla and Ethan’s week in Bora Bora was filled with making love, eating, sunbathing and a little bit of sightseeing thrown in for good measure. On their third day on the island, they finally emerged from their villa to take a tour with one of the local vendors to Bora Bora Lagoonarium and do a little snorkeling.

  “You look hot.” Ethan gave a catcall whistle when Kayla emerged from the bedroom wearing a leopard-print string bikini.

  “You like?” Kayla spun around on her flip-flops.

  “Hmm, I more than like.” Ethan reached for her, but Kayla pushed his hands away.

  “Don’t start,” Kayla said, wrapping her cover-up around her waist. “Otherwise we’ll end up back in bed, and I’m not complaining, as I’ve enjoyed every moment, but we’ve haven’t been out of this villa in two days.”

  Ethan smiled broadly. “That’s because I can’t get enough of my beautiful, sexy wife.”

  “C’mon.” Kayla grabbed her straw bag, large-brim hat to keep the sun out of her face and sunglasses and headed toward the door.

  They joined another couple of honeymooners at the main building of the resort to take a yacht over to the Bora Bora Lagoonarium.

  “It’s really beautiful out here,” Kayla said once they were on deck and zipping through the ocean on a yacht.

  “And serene.” Ethan slid behind Kayla and wrapped his arms around her middle and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Makes you want to stay out here forever.”

  “Of course that won’t be the case for too much longer,” Kayla commented, staring out over the ocean. They would have to go home eventually, and she knew it would be business as usual for Ethan. She’d caught a glimpse of the man under the ruthless corporate raider she’d always known, when he’d shared what it was like growing up with Carter as a father and constantly trying to live up to his expectations. His mother had been his escape and the person he turned to until she’d passed away.

  Ethan frowned. It was the first mention Kayla had made of returning to the States. He wondered if things would change between them once they were back home. He’d broken through Kayla’s hard exterior shell and they were enjoying themselves, but Ethan was sure he had not even touched the surface of how she felt emotionally toward him. Kayla had a wall up the size of Mount Everest. He doubted he could break through her defenses in a week, but he’d certainly try.

  The yacht suddenly stopped and the tour guide said, “All right folks, grab a mask and snorkel and jump right in.”

  And that’s exactly what they did. Kayla took a mask and snorkel from the large bin and jumped into the famous turquoise-blue water. Ethan was soon behind her and they were swimming into the lagoon.

  The water was warm against Kayla’s skin and the ocean clear. Kayla could easily see all the different fishes in the lagoon, from turtles to sharks to stingrays.

  When Ethan came to swim beside her, Kayla pointed to a nearby stingray. Ethan grasped her hand under the water and led her to another area that held a wide array of fish species.

  They stayed in the lagoon for nearly two hours. When they returned to the boat, Polynesian music and rum runners awaited them. Ethan grabbed two and handed one to Kayla.

  “Cheers!” Ethan lifted his glass.

  “Cheers!” Kayla smiled back at him.

  On their fourth day in Bora Bora, Ethan arranged for a tour of the island by 4x4 Range Rover. They drove along the rugged coastline and got to see Bora Bora’s tropical floral life that lined the hills and valleys. Coconut palm trees dominated the landscape, but the tour didn’t stop there.

  They stopped at archaeological sites, ancient stone temples and an American World War II site with several naval cannons. It gave a panoramic view of the island, and Kayla couldn’t resist taking tons of photographs of the dazzling lagoon below.

  “Who knew Tahiti had so much history?” Kayla wondered aloud as she snapped a photo.

  “History wasn’t the
reason I chose this place.”

  “Well, of course not,” Kayla returned. “You wanted a romantic, secluded location to seduce me, and you got your wish.”

  Ethan’s brow rose. “Seduce you? I don’t think I had to do too much seducing. We both wanted each other, and without all the distractions of home, we could give in to our attraction.”

  “You’re right. We certainly have no problem in the bedroom.” Kayla turned around to take another picture.

  “And I take it you think that’s all we have or can have?” Ethan inquired, peering at her.

  Kayla spun around. “Do you really want to have this discussion?” she asked. “Let’s just enjoy our last few days here, okay?” She patted his arm. “And worry about tomorrow later.”

  Ethan surveyed Kayla’s face. Now was not the time to bring up that it was possible they could have a real marriage in time, because Kayla was not open to the idea. Ethan walked toward her with his arms open so she could come to him. “No, we don’t have to talk about this now, but there will a come a point that we will have to address this.”

  “Not now,” Kayla said, standing on her tiptoes and brushing her lips across his.

  The caress of Kayla’s lips on Ethan’s mouth made his body ache with need and had him forgetting all about a talk.

  After two days of being on the go, the following day Kayla and Ethan had a leisurely day in and out of bed. They made love, sunbathed and swam in the ocean. Eventually, Ethan even whipped up some food in the kitchen so they wouldn’t have to go to the hotel.

  Time was passing quickly, and before Kayla knew it, they were on their last day in Bora Bora. They decided to spend part of the day at the resort spa. They started first with an open-air exotic foot bath and body polish followed by a couples’ massage with hair and scalp treatment. The experience ended with a splendid tropical fruit smoothie.

  Kayla couldn’t have asked for a better end to their week-long honeymoon. “So what are we going to do on our last night?” Kayla asked, sipping on her smoothie.

  “Make love until dawn.” Ethan answered quickly.

  Kayla smiled. “Besides that.”

  “I thought we would end our stay with a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach,” Ethan said. “I’ve arranged for a boat to pick us up from our terrace at the villa and take us to a secluded beach where the resort staff will be on hand to serve us the finest Polynesian delicacies.”

  “I’m impressed.” Kayla clapped her hands. “Did you leave anything up to chance on this honeymoon?”

  Ethan looked at her long and hard. “Some things.”

  Kayla dressed to impress on their last night on the island. She’d curled her hair until the tresses fell in soft waves around her face. Ethan would salivate when he saw her in this shimmery concoction with plunging V-neck and front slit that came to her thigh. Ever since that night at the premiere, she’d enjoyed showing a little leg. Luckily the dress only reached her calves, so it would be easy to get in and out of a boat.

  The dress was probably a bit much for a night on the beach, but Kayla wanted their last night to be special because it marked the last time she could just be herself with Ethan. While she was here, she’d been able to live her fantasy and immerse herself in Ethan. While she was here, she was free to express how she felt about him, if only physically. While she was here, she could forget about how she came to be Mrs. Ethan Graham.

  But once they were home, everything would change. Once they were back, she would no longer be able to deny the fact that Ethan had coerced her into this marriage and although he desired her greatly, he didn’t love her. She would no longer be able to deny that he’d used her to get her father’s company.

  Adams Cosmetics was part of Graham International, lock, stock and barrel. Kayla had no idea how she would handle the adjustment or exactly what Ethan’s expectation was of her or her family. He’d been surprisingly quiet on the subject during the weeks leading up to the wedding. His absolute focus had been on making it the event of the year, so that Kayla feared what awaited her on the other side of the ocean.

  “You ready, baby?” Ethan said, peeking his head into the bathroom where Kayla was finishing up getting ready.

  Ethan stopped short in the door. “Wow! You look sexy as hell in that dress.”

  “I thought you might like it,” Kayla said.

  “You were holding out on me?”

  “I saved the best for last, so let’s do this.”

  A uniformed chauffeur picked them up outside the deck of their villa. Kayla walked along the plank and the chauffeur helped her inside the boat. Ethan hopped in and they were on their way.

  The ride over to the resort’s islet was short and sweet. Kayla had no idea what to expect, but she was surprised when they got there. They were taken to a secluded stretch of white sandy beach and palm trees, but right in the middle of it all was a covered cabana. Kayla wondered what awaited her inside.

  After the chauffeur helped her off the boat, he said to Ethan, “I will be back for you in a couple of hours.”

  Ethan grasped Kayla’s hand and together they walked to the cabana. Another uniformed waiter greeted them at the entrance. “Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Graham,” He held open the curtain for them. “I will be your server for the evening.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.” Kayla smiled at him.

  “You will love the dinner we’ve arranged for you this evening. It’s a mixture of grilled lobster, gambas, lagoon fish, coconut rice and fresh fruits right here from Bora Bora.”

  “Sounds divine.” Kayla glanced around, and the inside of the cabana was straight out of a Saharan movie. She half expected a sheikh to come walking through the tent. The sand had been covered with large damask rugs, so they wouldn’t get sand in their toes. In the center was a candlelit table for two complete with fine champagne in a bucket of ice. Near the side were dozens and dozens of pillows of various colors and shades they could relax on after dinner. Soft music was coming from what Kayla could only imagine was a hidden jukebox.

  “Look up,” Ethan pointed to the ceiling so Kayla could see that a portion of the cabana was removed so they could see the stars at night.

  Kayla shook her head in bewilderment. “This is truly incredible, Ethan. You thought of everything.”

  “Nothing but the best for you, Mrs. Graham.” Ethan bent down to give her a kiss on the lips. It was soft and tender and not unlike the hundreds of others he’d given her over the week, but for some reason, Kayla felt like there was something more behind it. But she brushed it off. She wouldn’t let her imagination run away with her just because Ethan knew how to romance a woman.

  “Allow me.” The waiter pulled out a chair at the table for Kayla.

  “Thank you.”

  He then held out the other chair for Ethan. “Would you both care for some champagne?” the waiter inquired.

  “We would love some, thanks,” Ethan responded.

  Kayla was surprised when Ethan grasped both her hands from the other side of the table. He had an intent look on his face, like he was about say something important, but the waiter handed them a flute of champagne each.

  “You can begin serving the starter,” Ethan said, “in about ten minutes.” The waiter nodded before leaving the tent.

  “What were you going to say before?” Kayla asked. Ethan was silent for a short while and Kayla wondered what was on his mind. “Whatever it is, Ethan, you can tell me, okay?” He was making her nervous.

  “When we get back…” he began.

  “Things will change.”

  “They don’t have to,” Ethan returned quickly. “Hasn’t this week shown you that we’re good together? We’re a good team, Kayla. I know we can find common ground, in and out of bed.”

  “Ethan…” But he silenced her by reaching out to put his index finger against her lips.

  “Let me finish,” he said. “I know it’s going to be an adjustment what…with your moving to my house and away from your family and even more so a
t the office.”

  Kayla’s eyes grew big. Okay, here it comes, she thought. He’s going to tell me how to run Adams Cosmetics. He’d only given lip service to the press when he’d said she’d still be at the helm.

  “There will be some changes, Kayla. There have to be, but I can promise you that I will always consult you first.”

  Now that she hadn’t expected.

  “You’re my wife, so I will give you that respect. All I ask in return is that you do the same.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know your family hates me.”

  “Hate might be a strong word.”

  Ethan let out a hearty chuckle that could probably be heard outside the cabana. “C’mon, Kay.” He used her nickname. “Do you think I’m blind? Your family is against me. It will be an uphill battle to win their respect.”

  “Which is where I come in?”

  “Yes. At times you may have to be a mediator if you will. I just want peace and harmony at home and in the office. Adams Cosmetics won’t get back on the map if we’re at each other’s throats.”

  Kayla nodded. “You have a point.” Dissension among the ranks would only cause more strife.

  “Then you’ll have my back?” Ethan asked.

  “I am no miracle worker, but I will do my best,” Kayla answered honestly.

  Ethan smiled. “That’s all I can ask.” He reached for his flute. “To our last night in paradise. Cheers!” Ethan clicked his flute against hers.

  Their lovemaking that night was even more incredible, more passionate than it had ever been. Kayla didn’t know if it was because of their talk over dinner or if it was just nostalgia because it was their last night in Bora Bora, but she was overcome with love for Ethan.

  She nearly said she loved him when they’d come in a blaze of glory together, but she’d caught herself before she’d made a big fool of herself. No sense it putting herself out there and having Ethan stomp on her heart. He’d vowed to honor and respect her at work while of course keeping her satiated in the bedroom. What more could she ask for, right?