Hell everything did.
The port was on the other side of the island, in a small artificial gulf. I knew the shortest route, naturally, but decided to take a longer one, to show Sydney some views. She absolutely loved it.
“I always wanted to get out more, you know?” Sydney said during a water break.
“What stopped you?”
“Work. Money. Responsibility,” she said, and I was thinking she really needed to add: My brother.
“None of those things can hold you back here.”
She smiled. “Let’s keep moving.”
We walked for another half an hour before the trail finally ended at a finely paved road. From there, it was a short walk to the docks. I pointed at the boats under the cover and said, “We could take the small one, but it’s a little boring. I think the bigger one is more fun.”
She pretended to be surprised, “I thought you had three boats?”
“Goliath II is parked in LA. Although it’s technically a yacht…”
“I get it Owen, you’re rich, geez!”
She laughed and I chased her down the dock.
I fired up the engine, while Sydney went to take a look around the boat – I had brought some wine and food for the ride.
A few minutes later she met me up on the deck, as the boat began making its way out of the gulf.
I grabbed her by the waist.
“These pants are hot as fuck.”
She rolled her eyes while I cupped her ass in my hands. “Wait, who’s driving the boat?”
I smiled. “This thing is smarter than me. With autopilot, it doesn’t need a captain. It means I can pay attention to other things.”
“Other things?”
“Yes, like your fine ass in these pants. And the way your boobs are spilling out of that sports bra.”
“Oh well then that changes everything.”
She kissed my lips, my chin, and then down to my neck. She smelled nice, of salt water and sweat, and I began unbuttoning my shirt. The wind blew her hair, and I brushed it aside. She pulled off her sports bra and my hand cupped her breast, with her left nipple between my fingers. I was kissing her chest now, she was shivering with anticipation. I teased her, going slowly, feeling her body. She was a goddess; something to be adored. And fucked. All night long. My cock hardened at the sight of her breasts hanging free. They were perfect.
I had undone my pants, which fell around my ankles to the deck, and slowly pulled down my boxers, letting my cock free. She leaned down and kissed around it, cupping my balls in one hand and grabbing onto my ass with the other. I held onto one of the ropes that stretched over my head. She was looking up at me, smiling, still teasing.
Finally, she took the head of my shaft into her mouth, sucking slowly, her tongue swirling around the tip and along its length. She looked up at me, her eyes clear and full of mischief.
I didn’t want to come just yet so I pulled my cock out of her mouth and laid her back on the boat. I pulled those delicious yoga pants off of her to find that she was more devious than I had realized.
“No panties?”
“Didn’t think I would need them,” she countered.
“Fuck no, you don’t.”
I spread her legs and kissed the insides of her thighs before dragging a finger along her opening.
She was wet already and ready for me.
Good girl.
I went down on her, kissing and licking, as she shivered in the sun. The ocean breeze sent goosebumps up and down her body, making both her nipples perk up. I kissed her thighs, while my fingers played with her clit.
“Fuck, I want you.”
I turned her over and pushed my dick between her soft folds. My fingers latched onto her clit as I pounded into her sweet pussy.
I threw back my head and closed my eyes, moaning and pounding into her soft wet pussy. I knew she liked it fast and hard. I listened to her screams as I plunged deeper inside of her. I slowed down and sucked on her neck, my cock moving inside of her, hitting all the right buttons.
She spread my arms, her hands flat on the deck, as if she was using her whole body to hold on to it. I felt my seed coming, so I paused, and then thrusted several times, hard, until she let out a short scream. My arms went around her neck, and I pulled her up to me as she came, her body twitching against me. Her pussy walls sucking every drop of seed from me.
She was breathing hard, coming off of her orgasm.
“I’m glad you didn’t wear underwear,” I whispered against her skin. “From now on, the less clothes the better.”
Chapter 15
Sydney
We continued to cruise, occasionally stopping by a cove to swim and cool off. I didn’t need a bathing suit, no one was around besides Owen. After a while I went below deck to take a nap. He could handle the boat on his own, it wasn’t like I was doing anything anyway. I wrapped a towel around myself and drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up, Owen hadn’t joined me. I was surprised. I could hear him talking, and he sounded annoyed. I snuck out of bed and tiptoed out of the room. The main cabin was cool, but Owen wasn’t in there either. As I neared the small kitchen counter, I heard his voice outside, talking on the phone. The wind carried his voice, so I couldn’t make out the words, but it sounded like it was business related.
I smiled, of course he was working. This was business to him, all of it. But it was still feeling so real to me.
Was there really something that deep between us? I couldn’t say just yet, but it was undeniable that the connection was there. We felt good around each other, we could talk for hours or be comfortably silent, and the sex was mind-blowing! I could imagine myself by his side, spending time on the island or going around town to fancy restaurants and meetings…
This was a nice break from reality, even if that’s all it was. I poured myself a drink, wrapping the towel tighter around my body. I began my way back to bed, when I unintentionally eavesdropped on Owen’s conversation. The wind must have changed, because I could make out whole sentences now as if he was in the room with me. I stuck to the wall, out of view. I wasn’t suspicious, just a little curious and bored, so I listened.
“Yes, and we’ve spoken about this at least three times! You don’t seem to understand, I’m not showing up for that meeting. I have a little something that excludes me from having to go. Nobody is hiding Baxter, but you're stirring up panic does not help.”
I frowned and took a sip from my glass. Was there trouble, after all?
“I know exactly what they want. The same thing everyone wants, especially from me. They want my money, and I’m not giving it to them!” There was a pause, during which he sighed. “Ah, fuck. I knew it. That idiot. Of course, he was. Let me think.”
He could’ve been talking about anyone, but something told me it was his ex-business partner.
“Yes, I made the decision, but that deal is on the company. The IRS can dig wherever they want, so let them, otherwise we’ll look guilty. And anyway, we’ll bury them under paperwork until next century.”
The IRS!
Were Owen’s problems much more serious than he had told me?
Shit.
He said, “Look, if they find that Lawson is laundering money, that’s on him. His schemes were shit five years ago, and they probably still are now. What we have on our side is plausible deniability. This isn’t a tax write-off, nor are we hiding this money. What we need to worry about is the DA sniffing around where he shouldn’t be. When all that went down, I didn’t know anything, you didn’t know anything, and those assholes can prove nothing. If they want to look at our taxes, we have nothing to hide!”
The IRS, tax write-offs, money laundering… Just what exactly was Owen’s business? Was his company just a cover for criminal affairs, the way that shabby bar was a front for Chicago Buyer’s Club? Had Owen really changed, or had he just moved past his former colleagues?
I took another sip from the glass and tried to hear some more, before jum
ping to conclusions.
He said, “Yes, okay, it was my fault. I might have jumped into their trap, but I’m not the only one in it. No, nobody is going to prison! Look through the papers once again, it’s all in there. All the IRS is going to see in there is an unwise business decision. So, we’ll lose a couple of million, so what? Take it from my salary. Relax, I’m telling you!”
As convincing as he tried to sound, I heard doubt in his voice. He didn’t believe a word coming out of his own mouth, which meant the trouble was real and big.
I drank the last of my wine, splashed the glass, and put it into a cupboard, fixing it in place. I tiptoed back into the bedroom, trying to convince myself I had heard nothing.
But once I was alone, lying in that bed, it began to weigh on me. Had I made a colossal mistake?
Chapter 16
Owen
I swiped off the call and almost threw the cell phone overboard. Fuck. Why was everyone so sheepish when it came to dealing with real problems? My people were afraid, and when people are afraid, they make mistakes. I didn’t want that. Couldn’t afford it. Everything was at stake, and I needed the company to be strong.
I also knew that the only way to ensure that would be to go back to Chicago to face the music. I wasn’t afraid. I could dance circles around the IRS, and if that didn’t help, I could simply pay them off. Wouldn’t be the first time for either. In the last ten years, I had discovered that everyone who had looked into our business had a family. A teenager getting ready for college, a pregnant wife, an elder parent in need of a hospital… I knew all the tricks in the book.
The truth was – I was tired. I had everything I had ever dreamt of. All the money in the world, which had only brought more problems. More bases to cover, more backs to scratch, more people to pay off. I was done. I wanted to go downstairs and lie down next to the woman who had made me happy in just a few days. She was the real thing, none of this other bullshit.
I knew what I had to do. It was the only thing that would take this weight off my shoulders, and I needed to do it as soon as possible. If there was ever any hope for us, I would have to come clean to Sydney.
But first, I raised the anchor and set the computer to take us back home. The day was still warm, but there was no sun, and it would quickly get cold out on the water. I put my phone away and went downstairs.
When I walked into the main cabin, Sydney was sitting up in the bed.
“We need to talk,” she said.
Chapter 17
Sydney
I had to know what was going on.
“Yeah we do,” he admitted. “What did you hear?”
“Enough.”
He didn’t respond so I pressed further, what was he really doing in the club that night?
I learned that Owen had known one of the investors of the club for over ten years, and wasn’t especially proud of that period of his life. Apparently, Lawson was bad news.
“Then why did you give him so much money?”
“For what?”
“For me.”
“It’s good for business. He might be an asshole, but judging by the clientele I saw the other night, the club makes money hand-over-fist. What I did, was for you.”
“That’s a lie. What you paid for me was a power play. What were you trying to prove?”
I didn’t want him to treat me like some dumb blonde, I knew something deeper was going on.
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I need to just be here with you right now, okay? We both have our shit. It happens.”
I sat up straighter, “Owen what’s going on? Why did we come here?”
He shook his head. “It’s out of the country.”
“Shit. What did you do?”
“Nothing! And technically this place is owned by a United States company, it’s an asset. So if they wanted to come get me, they could.”
“For what?”
“The DA thinks I’m involved in money laundering. I was at the club to take a picture of him.”
“Wait you’re blackmailing the district attorney of Chicago?”
This wasn’t happening.
“Sydney, it’s not like that.”
“Like hell it isn’t. So what was the money for? What you paid for me?”
“A show of power. I wanted the DA, and Lawson, to know I hold the power.”
“Great, I’m a pawn. Why ask me to stay? Why include Declan in this mess?”
His eyes became soft. “I am not fucking with your brother. I promise Sydney. I am doing that for him, for you. What I paid for you might have been a move, but getting you here, having you to myself? That’s because I want you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I want to go back to the house,” I said grabbing my clothes and going into another room to change.
Chapter 18
Sydney
As we got back to the house I was so annoyed with Owen I could barely look at him. How could he do this to me? To Declan.
I was just another business arrangement to him, he’d made that clear. I had been such an idiot. Thinking some millionaire could fall for me so fast.
I was dumb.
But as I looked at my phone, all those thoughts disappeared. There were seven missed calls from the hospital! My hands shaking, thoughts rushing through my head, it took me a moment to hit redial. I waited, feeling as my face turned red. I had fucked up. Something had happened to Declan while I was out having fun! I prayed it was nothing serious, but of course they wouldn’t have called otherwise. I waited, counting the rings. Six, seven…
“Hello? This is Sydney Mercer, calling about Declan Mercer. How is he?” I wanted to ask ten more questions and say sorry for having missed the calls, but the calm voice on the other end gave me a break.
“Miss Mercer, I’m glad we could get a hold of you. Declan is sleeping right now. But his condition has gotten worse. We’re keeping an eye on him, and he is stable, but you should come to the hospital as soon as you can. He needs you.”
Tears were streaming down my face. All the guilt I had been suppressing for the past few days suddenly rushed back in. This was on me. I should never have left him. Fallen into the stupid fantasy.
“I’m on my way,” I said, and hung up. I had to get out of there.
Thankfully, there wasn’t much to pack, so I got into my dress and hurried downstairs.
Owen was waiting for me on the couch, but as soon as he saw me there, shaken up and crying, he jumped to his feet.
“What is it? What happened?”
“It’s Declan. They’ve hospitalized him, because he got worse. I should’ve been there for him!”
He moved to touch me but I pulled away. “It’s not your fault Sydney.”
“Is the plane here? I need to go back right now.”
“The plane will be here in thirty minutes. I’ll make the call. Come on, let’s calm down a minute.”
“Calm down? Are you kidding me? You’re running from the DA and IRS, my brother is about to die from the same illness that took my Mom, and I’m half way around the world! I am not calming down Owen!”
“Fair enough. What exactly did they tell you? What do they need us to do?”
He said us. Like we were a thing. But we weren’t. Declan’s hospitalization reminded me of that. Owen was some fairytale. I had made him that way in my mind, but now the truth was out.
“They didn’t give any details,” I replied. “Just told me I should come ASAP. What if it’s something serious? How could I live with myself? I should’ve never left…”
“Sydney, we’ll sort it out. I have texted the pilot, they’ll be here shortly and ready to go.”
“I’ll sort it out. I know you’re not coming.”
He sighed, looking genuinely sorry. “You’re right, I’m not. As soon as I get back to the city they’ll pull me in for questioning. My lawyers need to get a plan together. I can’t come with you.”
“I’m not surprised. I’ve done this on my own a million tim
es before. I can do it again.” I turned away from him.
“I’ll drive you to the tarmac.”
“Fine.”
“And I’ll call the Mayo Clinic, I’m sure I can pull some strings.”
“Owen, I don’t want your strings. I just want all this to be over.”
It hurt me to say it, but I didn’t have a choice.
This had to end.
Time to go back to reality.
Time to fix this mess I made.
+++
The moment I stepped out of the Uber, I felt like a deer in the headlights. I was scared, but the weight of the situation made my legs carry me forward, to the elevators and then up to the fifth floor. I could do it, I knew I could. Things were so bad that they could only get better, I decided.
My legs felt heavy, everything did. Not only was Declan sick again, but I had shut down Owen, who could have been good for me.
Maybe.
The nurse at the reception desk was nice, and asked me to wait a moment while they checked up on Declan. She said there was nothing life-threatening for now, but that she had to make sure he would be able to take a visitor.
“He has developed an infection,” she said. “Because of the therapy, his immune system is extremely fragile, so he developed an infection that moved quickly, too quick for us to catch it. It has harmed his respiratory system. He has trouble breathing, so don’t let him talk too much. He might get sleepy, but it’s natural with all the meds, so don’t worry. We’re monitoring his condition at all times.”
“Thank you,” I said, thanking the nurse, as much as whatever higher power had been responsible for the whole mess.
A minute later I was invited into the room, and the sight of Declan in the hospital bed, with tubes around his face and all sorts of blinking equipment around him made me tear up.
“Declan!” I whispered as I leaned close. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here! How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better. Don’t worry, Julia told me you were out of town. Did you have fun?”
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