by Anthology
“Sort of. When the tide goes out, sometimes little sea critters are left behind in the pools. We have an hour to walk before tide is at its lowest. By then, we should be to the point.”
“It sounds amazing.”
By the time they get to the point, Isabella can’t believe that there are so many hidden treasures to be seen. It’s not just the sea life that is so cool, either. The cliffs are carved by the tide, creating such impressive designs. Who knew the water could be that powerful?
Taylor watches Isabella take it all in, and loves the joy he sees in her. He’s always loved walking along the rocks down here. So much beauty to enjoy, and it’s usually very secluded. Being able to share this special place with her, knowing she understands how special it is, warms his heart.
With her not paying attention to him, he takes the moment to really look at her. Her beauty is so deep. Her dark chocolate eyes and dark hair make her look shy and mysterious, but once you get to know her, you see that it’s her gentle spirit that she hides, rather than shyness. That gentleness is probably what Eric saw as weakness. Now that she’s away from him, she sees joy in the world around her again. Just being near her gives him a peace deep inside he hasn’t felt since he was a teenager.
They take their time as they make their way back to the car. “Thank you, Taylor. Today was perfect.”
He helps her in, then leans down to whisper in her ear, “It’s not over yet.”
Isabella’s body’s response surprises her when the heat from his breath makes a v-line from her ear straight through to her core, warming everything in its path. Her stomach pools with desire when she glances up and sees the heat in his eyes, but she’s nervous about what lies ahead tonight.
“I was thinking dinner out, sound good?” Taylor asks as he gets inside the car.
“Sure. I could eat.” Isabella’s heart still beats wildly in her chest, and her body hums with excitement.
“I’ve heard good things about a restaurant here in the harbor. You like seafood?”
“I love seafood.”
It’s only a couple of minutes before they are parked again. Taylor walks around to open her door and help her out. Once he closes the door, she expects him to drop her hand, but he doesn’t, and it feels right to her to walk hand-in-hand.
The hostess welcomes them to Harpoon Harry’s Seafood, and seats them at a table overlooking the water.
“It’s beautiful here,” Isabella says, as she looks out at the setting sun on the horizon.
“I hear the food is pretty good, too.”
Taylor orders a bottle of Marc Kreydenweiss Gewurtiztraminer, since they’ve both decided to have the Lobster.
“I’ve never really enjoyed wine before Taylor, but I like this one.”
“Wait until our food arrives, you’ll love it even more. It’s perfect for the Lobster.”
The ease of their conversation over dinner feels so normal, so comfortable. Just looking at him across the table makes her tummy flutter and her palms sweat.
Deciding to skip desert, Taylor pays and they head back home. The drive is quiet. Taylor worries about pushing her too fast, but he can’t deny that she is giving off the vibe that she’s ready for a bit more. After spending last night in her bed, Taylor isn’t sure he ever wants to sleep without her again, even if all they do is lie together.
Taylor helps her out of the car and walks close to her, but doesn’t grab her hand as they walk. There is a package at the door for Isabella and Taylor picks it up for her, but with no return address, she goes into her room to open it alone, leaving him confused about what to do next. It’s not long before he retreats to his room and changes into a pair of shorts to go relax in front of the television for the evening, hoping she’ll join him eventually.
After fumbling through the channels for a while, he turns it off and heads to her room, unable to put her aside for the night. His knock on her door is louder than he intended.
“Come in,” she hollers from inside.
When he enters, she’s sitting on her bed, the open box sitting in front of her. She isn’t crying anymore, but it’s obvious that she was.
“What’s is it?” he asks as he comes and sits on the other side of the bed. As much as he wants to touch her, he’s afraid to spook her when he doesn’t know why she’s upset.
“It’s from Eric.” She points, giving him permission to look.
When he looks inside, he’s not shocked to see that it’s a box of pictures and a note. “Can I read it?”
Her response is simply nodding her head.
He opens it slowly, hoping it doesn’t make her think twice about the divorce.
Dear Izzy,
I’m sorry. I never meant for things to get so out of control. These last few months without you here have shown me just how much I took advantage of you. I’m not contesting the divorce and I’m sorry I even made that difficult. I truly hope you’ll find some happiness.
Love,
Eric
“Are you okay?” Taylor wonders if this will change what’s happening between them. She’s already pretty nervous about a new relationship, but will this make it worse? Will this send her back to him? Is that Eric’s game?
“I don’t know.” She rubs her hands over her face. “I mean, I should care that he’s sorry, right? But I don’t, not really. I’m glad I won’t be fighting him in court and in five months this could all be over, but I’m not sure he’s being honest. It scares me to think about what he could be up to.”
“I kinda thought the same thing. Do you want to go through any of these pictures?”
“Not even a little.”
“Want me to put the box up in my closet and save it for when you’re ready to deal with it?”
“That would be nice. Thank you.”
Taylor closes the box with the photos and the note and takes it to his room. When he comes back to Isabella’s room, she’s changed and climbing into bed. The confusion in her eyes is gone and longing is left in its place. His heart flips a little with the idea. However, he knows he’ll have to move slowly for her.
Chapter Twenty-seven
SLOWLY, HE WALKS toward her, neither one of them taking their eyes off the other. He stops in front of her and for a moment, and both are breathing a little faster than usual. The electricity between them can’t be denied. Finally, Eric brings his hand to her cheek. When it makes contact, Isabella leans into it and closes her eyes. Taylor takes this as a green light and bends to kiss her. Their lips touch, and suddenly neither can hold back. She opens for him and he slides his tongue in. One touch is all it takes to blast through her uncertainty. Her hands dance across his chest, and around his back.
Wanting desperately to touch her skin, Taylor reaches down to the hem of her cami and pulls it up. They break their kiss to get it over her head. Once it’s out of the way, Taylor kisses his way down her neck to her breasts, then pauses, looking up for permission before going further. Isabella’s slight nod of approval encourages him and he kisses his way around one breast, avoiding her taut nipple, before moving to the other. Her soft whimper drives him to trail his tongue past her breast and down her flat stomach. He stops at the waistband of her little shorts, then picks her up and lays her on the bed, enjoying the beauty of seeing her naked from the waist up.
“So beautiful,” he says as he climbs over her, causing a blush to spread over her face and chest. With his eyes still on hers, he gently slides her shorts down her legs, leaving her only in a pair of light pink, lace-trimmed panties. “This okay?”
“Mmhmm.” Her voice is soft and breathy.
“Isabella, stop me if I’m going too far, too fast. You’ll never upset me. It’s always your choice.”
“Taylor, I want you.” With a confidence she’s never had, she reaches down and grabs his hardened shaft. “I want this, with you.”
A groan escapes Taylor’s mouth when she touches him, encouraging her to keep doing it. She slides her hand inside his shorts, while he runs
his hands over her body. He finally brings his hand to the top of her panties and slowly slides his hand inside, finding her already hot and wet. He teases her, moving around her sensitive nub without touching it, bringing her closer to the edge, but not letting her close enough to go over.
“Please, Taylor.” Her hand stops rubbing him and is now gripping the blanket on the bed.
Instead of responding, he moves his face to where his hand is. With just a few brushes of his tongue, she’s right on the edge. When he sucks her clit into his mouth, she falls over the edge with a force she’s never felt before.
Before she comes back to herself completely, Taylor has his shorts off, condom on, and is hovering over her, ready at her entrance. “You sure?”
“Yes.”
Gently, he pushes inside, loving how tight she is. He knows it’s been a while since she was last intimate with Eric, and he doesn’t want to hurt her.
“I’m okay. You don’t have to go slow. I want you . . . now.”
That’s all he needs to thrust the rest of the way in. Sensitive and overwhelmed with the emotion of finally having her, he takes a moment to let them both adjust. After seeing that she’s good, he starts pumping into her. She matches thrust for thrust, engaging in a rhythm that brings them both to the edge quickly. “Let go, Bel.”
When she finally does, he follows. While they’re both breathing deeply, he lets himself fall to her side a while he catches his breath. Before he gets up to take care of the condom, he leans over and kisses her. “Be right back.”
She watches his gorgeous, naked ass walk to the bathroom, with a smile on her face.
He comes back and climbs into bed with her, pulling her close to him and kissing her sweetly. It isn’t long before they are both fast asleep.
* * *
The next two weeks, Taylor gears up for their week at the cabin for Christmas. Nights are spent in bed together, learning everything about each other, and collapsing in exhaustion for the night.
Taylor has told the office about the package and note Isabella received. He’s not trusting Eric to do what he said in the note. With Christmas just three days away, Taylor leaves Isabella for the day so he can prepare the cabin for their arrival. It’s a long drive, but worth every minute to make it perfect. The Christmas tree he bought is against the front door when he arrives. He drags it inside, and places it in the front window. He wants it to be the first thing she sees when he brings her here. Although he wants to decorate it together, he puts the lights on it to save the time.
With the fridge is stocked and cabin decorated, he locks up and heads home. It’s been a long day.
Isabella surprises him by having dinner ready when he gets home.
“Wow, smells wonderful in here.”
“You’ve been so good to me. I wanted to do something special for you. Hope you like lasagna and garlic bread. I even made brownies for desert.”
“Sounds delicious. Let me wash up first.”
Isabella pours them each a glass of Syrah and sits at the table waiting for Taylor. When he approaches, the smile he gives hits her straight in the heart. As nervous as she is that this won’t work, she’s knows this experience with Taylor will be good for her no matter how it ends.
“Thank you for this. Are you ready for the trip tomorrow?”
“Yes. It’s nice to be able to pack for myself this time.” Her smile is fun and carefree, a look she’s been wearing a lot lately.
Chapter Twenty-eight
TAYLOR IS A little nervous driving to the mountains, hoping that everything is perfect for the week with Isabella. His family is a little disappointed that he isn’t coming home, but they understand. They remember how sad he was when he found out she was getting married. Daniel told Isabella that he’s happy she’s giving Taylor a chance and moving on. That comment is what had Taylor on edge. Isabella had just started letting him in, he was worried that Daniel’s comment would make her think she was moving on to quickly.
Getting their things inside the cabin is always fun, since it’s a narrow staircase in the front. Thankfully, it’s been a warmer winter in southern California, so there isn’t any snow on the ground.
Isabella gasps in surprise when she sees the tree set up in the front window. With a quick flip of the light switch, the tree lights up and so do Isabella’s eyes. She turns to him, her eyes glossy but happy. “Taylor.”
“I wanted to make this perfect for you. I bought decorations, we can trim the tree together.”
“Wow! I haven’t had a tree in three years. This is amazing.” A few tears trickle down her face. “Thank you.” She reaches up for his face and brings it down to hers to kiss him.
I that moment, all thoughts of her pulling away from him leave and are replaced with desire. He can’t get enough of her.
Kicking the door shut with his foot, he picks her up and walks her the short distance to the couch, kissing his way down her neck. Her shiver gives him the green light to go further, so he lays her on the couch and pulls his shirt off. Next, he helps her take her sweater off. “Pink. Bel, you look amazing in pink.”
When he won’t stop just looking at her, she finally says, “Tay, please touch me.”
“I plan to . . . all week long.” He pulls her boots off, then helps her out of her jeans, leaving her in just her pretty pink bra and panties. He leans over and kisses her before moving down her chest, and straight down her stomach to her panty line. He trails kisses along the top of her panties, from hip to hip, before pulling them down slowly and kissing her in the very spot begging for him. Then he dips his finger inside, curling it forward to hit her G-spot, making her orgasm hit hard and fast. It feels like forever before she’s back on that couch again, but when she opens her eyes, Taylor is there smiling at her.
“Gorgeous,” he says, before sheathing himself. Isabella takes control, pushes him back to a sitting position, and gently lowering herself onto him. In this position, he’s so much deeper, and she gets to control the pace. She chooses the slow torture show, but he has other ways to move her along. He bends his head and takes one of her taut nipples into his mouth, sucking and biting softly. He gets his way as she begins to move faster. With his mouth still on her, he reaches one hand down to play with her clit as she moves. It’s moments before she’s coming again, with him joining this time.
“Wow!” She is breathless, but smiling.
“I agree.” He can’t hold in his happiness. He’s always wanted her, and now that he’s got her, he plans on never letting go.
* * *
After dinner, they curl up in bed and watch a movie. However, once the movie is over, Isabella decides it’s time to thank Taylor properly. She’s tried before, but he always stops her, claiming he wants to be inside her for his release. This time, she’s not giving in. He’s done so many things just for her, this is how she wants to say thank you, knowing how much men like blow jobs.
She moves between his legs, kissing him first on the lips, then moving down his chest to his defined abs, and straight to his rock hard shaft. She licks up one side and down the other, teasing him, before taking him into her mouth.
“Bel, you don’t have to do this.” She can hear the strain in his voice, telling her that he does like it.
“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Please don’t make me stop.” She doesn’t wait for him to respond before going back to what she was doing. It doesn’t take long for her to bring him to the edge. He taps her to warn her, but she doesn’t stop. She’s never swallowed before, but for him, she’s happy to. The look on his face says that he’s happy she did.
He pulls her up to him and kisses her passionately. “Lie down,” he orders.
“Tay, I just want to lie with you. I did that for you. Now we sleep.”
“You are too good to be true, you know that?”
“Nah. It’s you that does this to me. I was never like this before.”
She settles into his arms and they both fall fast asleep.
Cha
pter Twenty-nine
CHRISTMAS EVEN MORNING, Taylor wakes before Isabella and makes waffles. He knows she loves them, even though she won’t admit it. He wants to decorate the tree together and watch Christmas movies this evening. But today, he’s taking her to the village to enjoy Christmas in the mountains. It’s not that he likes to shop, but the village will be all decorated and the view of the lake is gorgeous. He’s made late lunch reservations at a restaurant that overlooks the lake.
Isabella comes into the kitchen dressed perfectly, with a pair of skin tight jeans tucked into her tall black boots, a rich red sweater, and a red, black, and white scarf. Of course she can pull off the cute winter look, she was raised in the snow.
“You look beautiful today.”
“Thanks. I can change if we are staying in, but I was hoping we’d be going out in the beautiful winter weather.”
“We are. I have a whole afternoon planned. Then we’ll come home and decorate our first tree together. Sound good?”
Isabella’s voice is stuck behind the lump in her throat. He said first tree together. Can he really be thinking of them as a long-term thing? Yeah, of course she is, but she figured this would die out for him.
“Bel, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” He’s at her side, bending over to be at eye level with her and rubbing her arms for comfort.
“You said our first tree together.”
“I did. Isn’t that okay?”
“I don’t know.”
Her response hurts. Is this just keeping her busy until the divorce is final? He wants to find out what she’s thinking, at least he thinks he does. “I’ll just have to show you it’ll be okay. There’s no pressure, Bel. Let’s just have fun.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. I don’t want to ruin our trip. I really am having a wonderful time.”
“You’re not ruining it. If you are feeling something, talk to me, don’t hide it. I know you’re working through a lot, but it won’t hurt me if you’re honest. I can handle it.”