“I offered to—”
“Don’t even say it,” she snapped. Everyone burst into laughter, Cole included, the fear temporarily forgotten.
His worry returned at the sight of planes landing outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. His palms were sweating when the four of them reached the arrivals lines, his breathing rapid by the time they plodded through customs into the main terminal.
“You look green,” Ava said, dragging him out of his spiralling thoughts. “Are you okay?”
“I should probably let you know,” Cole answered, “I get a bit freaked out by planes. Uh... sorry. Thought I’d give you fair warning.”
Ava grinned up at him. Her hair had grown long during the school year and she had it pulled back into a ponytail, wayward strands framing her face.
“Really?” she asked, perplexed. “Why?”
Cole shrugged, walking faster, moving his carry-on baggage to the other shoulder. A blush rose up his neck. He didn’t want to talk about it.
“Not sure,” Cole mumbled. “I just...I dunno, kind of like being in control of things and when I’m stuck inside a plane, I have none.”
The excuse sounded lame to him, but that was as clear as he could make it. Next to him, Ava quickened her pace, her strides matching his. She grinned mischievously and grabbed his hand, dragging him toward the restaurants and lounges that lined the mezzanine.
“What...?” Cole asked nervously. He recognized the impish look. She giggled, raising her eyebrows and pulling him into a bar.
“Sounds like it’s time to get primed for the trip!”
: : : : : : : : : :
Cole was happily buzzing when they reached their gate. He was warm and content... and not just a little bit distracted by Ava standing at his side. There was something about the way she kept laughing and leaning into him, her fingers reaching up to brush her lips that made him want to push her up against the wall and fuck her right here. He grinned as the thought came to mind.
‘Yup, definitely drunk,’ his mind observed dryly. ‘...drunk AND horny.’
They wandered up the aisle of seats, hand in hand. They had just reached the end of the line when Chim’s eyes lifted from the book he was reading: The World is Flat. He eyed Cole suspiciously.
“What’s up with you?”
Ava giggled, pulling Cole along with her like a little boy. She’d been drinking too, though she’d had one drink for every three of Cole’s. His hands found the base of her shirt as she stopped in front of Chim. Cole ignored Marcus and all the other people waiting for the plane. He focused on the smoothness of Ava’s skin and the thought of all of it, exposed to him... soon.
“Cole and I just figured we’d get a head start on things...” Ava explained. He dropped his mouth to her neck and she giggled, squirming out of his grasp. “Get the party going a bit early.”
Suzanne muffled a laugh behind her hand. Chim scowled in irritation, nose flared. He looked like Frank Thomas when he did that. Cole snorted with half-suppressed laughter.
‘Not feeling so bad anymore...’
“I’m not sitting next to him on the plane then...” Marcus warned. “He looks like he can hardly walk.”
“He’s fine,” Ava drawled. “I’m sure Cole can handle a few shots.”
She pulled him back against her, her hip bumping against his. Suddenly that was the funniest thing that had happened all day. Cole began to laugh while other passengers glanced up in concern. Chim began rummaging through his bag. He stood up, handing Ava several air-sickness bags.
“You started this, Booker,” he growled. “You deal with it.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Don’t need a dad, Mar-cus,” she taunted. “I’ve got one. A’right?”
Chim pushed them into Cole’s hands instead.
“Here,” he insisted. “Just take ‘em.”
Cole fumbled, dropping the bags onto the floor. Ava laughed and then so did he. (Marcus grumbled before sitting back down and hiding behind his book.) Cole pulled Ava into a sudden kiss. She tasted of tequila, hot and burning on his tongue. There were people around them, but he didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around her, grinding her against his hips.
Cole was vaguely aware of someone coughing.
“Uh... you might want to tone that down kids,” Suzanne chided, “I’d rather we all were allowed onto the plane.”
Cole let go of Ava, noting how dark with desire her eyes were.
‘Yup,’ Cole’s swirling mind thought. ‘Damned good way to start the trip...’
: : : : : : : : : :
An hour into the flight and Ava's plan had dismally failed. Cole was very sick and she was next to him, helping with the air sickness bags while the contents of his stomach came back up again and again. She glanced up to see Marcus peeking over the headrest ahead of them with a ‘told-you-so’ look that made her want to punch him.
He peered down at Cole, opening his mouth to say something. Ava interrupted.
“Say it and you’re a fucking dead man,” she hissed, eyes dangerous.
For the first time since high school, she really did want to punch Marcus Baldwin. He rolled his eyes instead.
“Go. Away. Chim.” Ava growled. Next to her, Cole heaved again.
“You know,” Chim said cheerfully, “I think you guys have reached the next level in your relationship. Pretty cute, you know: you holding Cole’s hand while he pukes.”
Ava swore under her breath, glaring at the passengers watching her and Cole with wary eyes. Cole groaned and Chim laughed, dropping back down to his seat. Cole vomited loudly and Ava looked away, catching the gaze of a steely-haired woman watching them with wide-eyed indignation.
“WHAT?!” Ava shouted, furious.
Around her, people averted their eyes. She heard giggling coming from the seat in front of her and she slammed her fist against her thigh, fighting the urge to beat the shit out of Marcus right then and there. She could just imagine the phone call to her father…
‘Yeah, hi, Dad. I’m in jail. They had to turn our flight around because I freaked out on Chim….’
Next to her, Cole opened his eyes, skin grey under the overhead lighting of the plane.
“God, Ava...” he mumbled, “I’m so sorry.”
He swallowed convulsively. Ava handed him a can of ginger ale.
“Drink the soda and stop worrying, Cole,” she said with a tired sigh, squeezing his shoulder. “I’m sure you’d hold my hair for me.”
He nodded, and the second hour of the endless flight began.
Chapter 24: Postcards from Martinique
They arrived at Trois Îlets after nightfall and awakened to a world transformed. Their sense of being out of place was enhanced by the French language. Suzanne was the only one who spoke it, so she became their official translator and guide, leading them through their days.
They'd rented a rural chateau. It was in poor repair, with cracked mortar and water-stained wallpaper, but there was still an air of grandeur to the place. Ghosts lurked in the wide hallways and palm-shaded rooms, faint chamber music sneaking into their dreams.
Chim and Suzanne had set up in a bedroom at one end, Cole and Ava at the other. The chateau provided plenty of room for hanging out without getting in each other’s way. The weather in Martinique was not so hot that they had to escape it midday, and balmy enough that they spent late nights on the patio drinking beer and laughing.
Chim teased Cole mercilessly about spending the first night of their vacation sick as a dog. This continued until the third day when they went out for dinner and Chim ordered out-of-season clams.
Revenge was sudden and sweet.
They all spent their days sunbathing, exploring, and snorkeling. Mid-week, when Ava and Cole were swimming in the crystalline water, he grabbed her hand, pointing excitedly beneath them. There, in the shimmering blue depths, was a large Hawksbill turtle. They watched until the animal disappeared into a forest of seaweed, their hands clasped together. Beneath them, the
light through the water pulsed to some beat no one could hear.
‘Ripples…’
Ava had intended to start the books that Nina had given her, but every moment seemed filled with activity. She dragged the novels from spot to spot, but ended up becoming distracted in the best possible ways. One afternoon, lounging on a quiet beach, she decided to begin. They’d come in by catamaran. Chim and Suzanne were out snorkeling, but Ava stayed back, determined to get through the first few chapters.
Cole, of course, decided to stay too.
Ava lay out her towel, flicking through her mp3 player to find a playlist for the beach: Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffet and some harder rock tunes. She had just laid down on her back, sighing contentedly, when she felt Cole bump up against her. He was smiling down on her, his face in shadow, only the white of his teeth visible against the brilliant light.
“I think you need more sunscreen,” he said.
He waggled the bottle. Ava smirked.
“Reading today, Cole... you know Nina’s going to ask me about the books when we get back.”
He laughed, pouring the liquid into his hand and positioning himself at her feet.
“Go ahead and read then,” he murmured. “Just ignore me...”
She nodded, but didn’t move to pick up the books. Ava closed her eyes, smiling as Cole’s fingers dropped to her calves. She relaxed, body melting as he moved past her knees to her thighs, his fingers tugging at the string tie on her black bikini.
“Cole...” she warned, opening one eye. “Public beach.” Her voice was stern, but she was grinning.
He shrugged, letting go of the strings, moving to her other leg. This time his fingers dug deeper, leaving Ava sighing with pleasure. Cole Thomas knew how to use his hands. As he reached her inner thigh, his thumb slipped under the edge of her suit. Ava gasped.
“Cole, please...” she said quietly, voice wavering. She hadn’t even lifted the book yet.
Her lids fluttered open to find Cole backlit, his body blocking her from the rest of the people. He moved forward, bracing himself on either side of her, his face a few inches from her own.
“No one can see, Ava...” he whispered, voice husky. “Just don’t make noise.”
She let out a huff of frustration and desire at his words, her eyes closing as Cole continued to massage sunscreen into her skin. He spent a few minutes at her thighs, going up to her hips, then teasing inward until she began to writhe. Grabbing his hands, Ava squinted, chest heaving.
“Cole, seriously... you need to stop that right now!”
He grinned, pulling back and Ava relaxed under his ministrations. Cole shifted to her stomach and then up her chest, fingers sneaking under the edge of her bikini top, rolling her nipples. She moaned and Cole chuckled.
“Quieter, Ava...” he warned. “The creepy guy by the palm trees just looked at you.”
Ava blinked, head tilting to the side and laying back again. There was a pink-skinned tourist peeking over a New Yorker magazine, wide-eyed and curious.
“This isn’t helping with my plans to read,” she muttered.
Cole leaned in again.
“Forget the book... let me touch you.” The sound of his voice was the same one he used in the dark, telling her what he wanted her to do. A shiver ran the length of her body.
“Alright,” she whispered, closing her eyes, body humming in anticipation.
Cole worked her arms and shoulders first. He had sculptor’s hands, strong and deft, finding and working out the knots under her skin. She’d almost fallen asleep when he asked her to turn over. He massaged her back, moving down to her buttocks and legs, the buzz under her skin returning. His fingers kneaded and traced the lines of her spine. With his knowledge of anatomy from figure drawing classes, he accurately followed the striations of her muscles, leaving her moaning with relief and pliant beneath his fingers. She was half drugged by sheer pleasure when Cole finished.
She turned back to him, shocked by the expression on his face: frustration so intense it was pain. Ava licked her lips, nodding to the water.
“You want to swim for a bit?”
Cole scowled.
“Baby, you know what I want.”
Ava sat up, her mouth next to Cole's ear.
“You remember that place just up the beach that Suzanne pointed out as the catamaran arrived?” Ava asked breathlessly. “The one that’s hidden by the rocks on either side.”
“Yeah.”
Ava shrugged.
“Well, let’s go… the catamaran doesn’t leave for another three hours; we’ve got time.”
Cole’s eyes widened. In seconds, he was on his feet, grabbing her hand and pulling her up after him.
“Lead the way,” he said with a grin.
: : : : : : : : : :
They wandered along the edge of the forest where the overgrown brush met the water, heading toward the hidden section of beach. There was no one sunbathing here, as the creepers and lush plant life reached almost all the way to the water. Cole had a towel wrapped around his waist and so did Ava. They were hand in hand when they finally made it past the last jetty of rocks, finding the alcove. Ava and Cole tossed their towels onto the narrow band of sand, stepping into the water together.
It was a sheltered tidal pool, the size of a small swimming pool, and just as clear, brilliant azure blue. It was sandy on the bottom, protected from the ocean beyond by a small ring of rocks that broke the surface of the water. With high tide scouring the bottom on a daily basis, and separated from the ocean at low tide, the pool was completely clear of any plant life. Ava sighed happily as she sank her toes into it.
“Oh god, that feels good,” she murmured. “So warm.”
Cole's eyes were on her mouth, body throbbing in anticipation.
“Where?” he asked, eyes heavy-lidded, intense. Ava smiled, glancing around. They were completely alone. She took his hand.
“In case anyone comes up the beach,” she explained, breath quickening. “I mean we saw this place... someone else could have, too.”
He nodded, following her further into the tidal pool. Partway out, she pulled him down to a crouch, their bodies floating in the salt water.
“Love you,” Ava said, her arms over his neck.
His mouth crashed down like a wave as his control disappeared. She floated next to him and wrapped her legs around his waist to tether herself to him as his lips and tongue worked her mouth. His fingers were insistent, shucking the bikini top up under her armpits, leaving his hands free to roam her breasts. Ava gasped, breaking the kiss as he reached her nipples, rolling them roughly between his thumb and forefingers.
“Tell me what you want,” Cole ordered, voice dark and low.
She giggled, turning her face away from him in embarrassment.
“You know,” she muttered, leaning in to kiss him again. His hands moved up from her breasts to her chin, holding her face steady, forcing her to look at him.
“Tell me...” he said quietly, voice raw. “Tell me what you want me to do to you...”
“Cole…”
“I want to hear you say it. Out loud.”
She moaned, body aching with need.
“Kiss me first,” she said, wavering nervously. It felt odd giving him directions in the bright light of day, rather than in the darkness of her bedroom.
He kissed her. It was almost brutal in its intensity, over as fast as it began, like being sucked into a tidal wave and thrown back out again. Ava groaned in desperation as he pulled back.
“Tell me how you want to be kissed...” Cole prompted, one hand dropping to her waist, grinding against her. The frustrating barrier of their swimsuits left little to the imagination.
She tightened her arms around his shoulders, whispering in his ear.
“Cole, I want you to kiss me… hard, on the mouth… and I want your fingers…” she giggled again, dropping her face to his neck.
“Where...?” he asked, teeth grazing the lobe of her ear. “Where do you
want my fingers, Ava?”
She looked back up at him, mouth parted with desire.
“Inside me…”
: : : : : : : : : :
The week was over too quickly and they boarded the plane sated with sun and surf. Chim and Suzanne slumped down in seats on one side of the aisle. Across from them, Ava and Cole followed suit.
Cole was completely sober this time, and though he squeezed Ava’s fingers painfully during takeoff, he made it through without incident. He grinned as the plane levelled off, releasing her hand from his grip, then lifting it gently to his mouth to kiss.
“Thanks,” he said shakily. “Not so bad this time.”
“Not nearly as dramatic though,” she teased.
He laughed at her answer. Ava reached down to pull Nina’s books from inside her carry-on, determined to give them at least a partial once-over in case Nina asked her about them. While Cole looked out the window, she opened the first page.
A piece of paper fluttered to the floor.
Ava leaned over, picking it up from between the seats. She stared down at it for a long moment, her eyes tracing over the text once and then again, her fingers starting to shake.
“Cole...?”
He turned back toward her, face anxious, hearing her tone.
“What’s wrong?”
She handed him the paper without answering. His face blanched, eyes drawn to the neat cursive text, written in a looping hand. Picture perfect, just like her.
“This is Nina’s handwriting.”
Ava nodded.
Cole stared, a line of concern appearing between his brows as he read the message. His eyes lifted to meet hers. She could see the pain and confusion in them.
“I think you’re going to need to talk to them both when you get back,” Ava said.
With a sigh, Cole handed back the piece of paper, staring back out the window. Seeing Cole’s withdrawal into himself, Ava was desperately glad she hadn’t opened the book until just now.
Her eyes dropped down to the note once more:
Ava,
I can only tell you that the affair was just the start. There’s far more to the story, but Frank will have to be the one to share the rest. He isn’t ready yet, but I’ll talk to him again today.
Intaglio: Dragons All The Way Down Page 16