“Have him make you a Slippery Nipple,” Ariel said, her husky voice floating over to me. “No one does it like him.”
I wanted to laugh at her brazen bullshit, but I just shot her a smile I hoped looked confident. “Thanks, but we have our own thing.”
She smirked, calling out a half-hearted good-bye as she left. Ivy followed close behind, waving. “See you guys.”
Jude side-eyed me. “Our own thing, huh?”
“What did she want, anyway? To talk?”
“I think she thought that it was like the other times.” He scratched behind his ear. “Picking up where we left off, and all that.”
“That much history, huh?” I suppose I didn’t blame Ariel for trying.
~
On Friday, I stayed home, packing for my weekend on the water. Jude was no help.
“Just bring your bikinis,” he said. “All of them.”
I packed those, but I made sure to pack Dramamine among my toiletries, too. I’d never spent this much time on a boat, and the last thing I needed was to spend half the trip puking over the side.
After a shower and a shave, I settled down with my laptop to check social media. Some of it made me feel wistful—the birthday parties and engagements, job promotions—but there was also the crappy stuff, stuff that reminded me of the daily grind I'd once been a part of: traffic and shitty weather, mid-terms and study groups, and job stress, and being broke for the holidays. I blew my hair out of my face, scanning the status updates and photos of people in my life. I didn't miss that at all.
Not that Crucian life was always sun-showers and rainbow beaches. There was a grind here, too. Jobs and crime and high prices. Real life. It was just...sweetened up. A scan of Nora’s most recent sonogram popped up on my Instagram feed, followed by pictures Emma had taken at Café Coco. I was tagged in a few. Cole sent out a Snap, bragging on dominoes night and inviting everyone to his house for round two.
There was a knock at the door—Jude, probably. We’d planned to leave the next morning around ten, so I’d opted to stay with him overnight.
“You ready?” he asked, kissing my cheek when I opened the door. “I made reservations at this restaurant I think you’ll like.”
“You did?” I smoothed my sundress, glad I’d thought to put it on. I missed dressing up.
His smile softened, and he reached over, touching my arm. “Yeah. Is…that okay?”
“Of course, it is.” I took a step back, gesturing. “Let me grab my bags and lock up.”
I'd thought we’d return to town, but he made a left at the main road, driving toward the North Shore.
“It’s pretty tonight,” I said, gazing out the window at the half-moon, hung high in the dark sky. The road we took clung to the cliffs, following the natural curve of the island.
The restaurant Jude had chosen was built partly over the water. Gleaming, black waves crashed beneath us, stars dripped from the sky. We enjoyed a quiet dinner of steak and lobster, flirting as we shared a bottle of wine.
“Are you trying to seduce me?” I asked, licking the last of my mousse from my spoon.
“Yes.” He winked, wiping his mouth. “You ready to go? We have an early morning.”
I doubted that was the only reason he was ready to go, but I nodded, standing. “I have to use the restroom.”
Our server was at the table when I returned. Jude signed his slip and stood, offering his hand. The hostess eyed Jude subtly as we passed by, and I bit back a smile, glad I could be open with my own perusal.
There was something different about tonight. Something electric, like somehow, over dinner, a decision had been made. We kept looking at each other in the car, our hands clasped between us. The night grew cool as we climbed the hill to his house, following the little lights in his driveway.
Jude didn’t bother with the lights once we were inside. I followed him to his room, giggling when he bumped into the dresser. We kissed. I reached for his jeans, sliding the zipper down as he pulled down the straps to my sundress. He palmed my breasts as the dress fell to the ground, rubbing his thumbs over my hardened nipples. I arched against him, dipping my head back. I wanted him to touch me…I’d been wet for him all night. Maybe longer.
We tumbled into bed, kissing. He climbed on top of me, caging me in his arms. “I love your body.”
“I love yours,” I panted, tugging his shirt up. Reaching back, he yanked it off over his head, tossing it aside before lying flat on top of me, his skin so warm and smooth.
Our kisses grew deeper, longer, slow, and wet. I scratched my nails gently down his back, sighing when he sucked at the skin of my throat. Licking a trail to my breast, he slipped my nipple into his mouth. His hands wandered down, between my legs.
“Jude,” I cried softly, my back arching when he slid his fingers inside. He worked me over until I writhed against him, so close, so close. And then he stopped. My eyes popped open. He took my hand and wrapped it around his dick, squeezing. He leaned over, extracting a condom from the table. I unwrapped it and began to put it on, letting him finish when I took too long.
Our gaze locked as I guided him inside. His smile faltered, eyes hooded and half-shut, and he pushed even deeper. We kissed again, boundless and free, no constraints or rules, just his body coalescing with mine. I lifted my legs and he slid his arms beneath my knees, opening me wide.
I moaned beneath him, whispering him closer, and he obliged, burying his face in my neck. He rolled us over, bringing me on top. I gasped at the depth of it, leaning forward to rest my hands on his chest. I rode him slowly at first, adjusting. “Is that good?”
He leaned up, capturing my nipple into his mouth. “So good.”
My eyes fluttered shut. He squeezed my hips, thrusting up into me. I’d had sex; I’d even made love. But it had never felt like this. It felt like the first time, when all was new, when love came before lust, when sex wasn’t just a means to an end but the end itself, an agonizingly sweet, little death indeed. His hands spread over me, rubbing and touching me, and I came. I opened my eyes just in time to see him close his.
“Alina.” His hands were spread wide on my hips, moving me over him.
I wanted to tell him I loved him. “You feel so good.”
No sooner had I spoken he exploded into me, his body bowed with the force of it. I collapsed over him, my body slick with sweat, his heart beating wildly against mine.
~
Humming to myself, I shut my eyes and let the lukewarm water run over me, rinsing my hair. Sun shone through the skylight, making me feel warm and golden.
There was a breeze, and then arms encircled around me. “Morning,” I said.
“Morning,” he echoed, poking me with his dick.
Smiling into the water, I reached down to touch it. “Not tired yet?"
“I was until I got in the shower.”
“If we do it now, we'll never get to the marina," I said, mentally halfway back to bed. We kissed until I grabbed the soap and pressed it into his hands. “Here. I'm getting out.”
We ate on the way, pulling into the Green Cay Marina with minutes to spare. “Do you need help?” asked Jude as I struggled along behind him. His arms were as full as mine.
“I’m okay…is that the boat?” I asked, squinting at the hotbed of activity ahead.
“Yeah.” He grabbed the cooler slipping from my grip. “Ey, Tommy! Wha’ you sayin’?”
“Hey, man—almost called you. I didn’t think you were gonna make it,” Tommy said, face breaking into an adorable smile as he hopped onto the dock. He was gangly and tall, with reddish-brown skin and dark, curly hair.
“Wouldn’t miss this for the world,” said Jude, handing the cooler and some of his bags to another guy on the boat. He and Tommy exchanged daps that evolved into a hug. “Tommy, this is Alina.”
Tommy’s smile grew. He gave me the once-over as he grabbed the rest of my bags. “Good to have you, Alina. You ready to sail?”
“I can’t wait,” I said, al
lowing Jude to help me onboard. “Thanks for letting me come.”
“Please,” he said, waving me off. “We need more women on the ship.”
Jude sucked his teeth as he helped me on-board. “Don’t tell me Raquel’s acting up again.”
“No, Jude, Raquel is not ‘acting up.’” A pale, curvy girl with thick, black hair rounded the corner, making a face. “Raquel’s doing great, thank you very much.”
Jude hugged her, introducing us. “Tommy and Raquel were the first of our friends to get married.”
“Yeah, and I still can’t get him to settle down,” Raquel said, tossing the boys a dirty look. Her accent—and Tommy’s—was way stronger than Jude’s. She glanced down at me, face sweetening. “You visiting or what?”
“Kind of. I came down last summer,” I said, following her below deck. “But I’m going back to Miami in a couple weeks.”
“That’s cool. I have a cousin in Miami.” She stopped suddenly in the cramped hallway and opened a door. “This is you and Jude. There are towels below, in that drawer.”
I’d been sailing but never on a boat quite like this. What our cabin lacked in size, it made up for in design, giving the tiny room a spacious feel. The rest of our bags were already in there, sitting on the floor. “Oh, wow.”
“I know.” Raquel tapped her fingers along the wall. “Tommy’s helping his father fix it up to sell, but…they’ve been taking it out.”
“I don’t blame them.” There was a skylight above the bed. Maybe we could stargaze later.
“Yeah. Well, come up when you’re ready.” She disappeared, her fragrance lingering behind.
Tucking my shoes and phone away, I returned to the deck. Jude met me near the steps. “You saw the cabin?”
“It’s amazing. When you said sailing, I thought we’d be roughing it.”
“I thought you’d like it.” He sipped his beer. “Come meet everyone.”
My heart skipped. These were all old friends of Jude—I was the odd one out. But, as I soon discovered, everyone was welcoming and warm. Another couple, Gabby and Don, were helping ready the boat. They welcome me on-board, offering me a drink from the bar. Miles, Tommy’s younger brother, and his friend Rakim, had already gotten the party started, holding a joint out to me.
“You burn?” Miles asked, grinning.
“No.” I shook my head, laughing. “You go ahead.”
“Oh, we will,” Rakim said, accepting the joint on my behalf as he wandered off. “Nice to meet you, by the way.”
“You need to put that shit away until we hit the water,” griped Tommy, smacking the back of Rakim’s head. “Make yourselves useful.”
I snagged a beer and joined Jude on the bow, facing into the wind as we left the marina. It was the perfect day to sail. The sun shone brightly, and the wind was with us, urging us out to sea. I took several pictures, sending them to my mom and Adam.
“You ready for another one?” asked Jude, collecting my empty bottle. It couldn’t have been too far past noon.
“Is this a drink-all-day kind of affair?” I teased, already feeling nice.
“Maybe.” He winked, jumping up.
Smiling, I closed my eyes. The sun felt so good on my skin.
“You're the girl.”
I looked up, shading my eyes. Miles squatted down beside me, grinning. He was adorable and he knew it, with his megawatt smile and easy laugh. He and Rakim had been entertaining us with their stories and antics all day.
“Um, maybe?” I tucked my legs in. “Which girl?”
“Jude took you for a ride one time, through the rainforest.”
Surprised, I nodded. “You were there,” I said, remembering Jude’s friends. They’d kept their helmets on, so I hadn’t seen their faces.
“Yeah. You’re the one who had him acting all moody and crazy.” He narrowed his eyes. “From the States, right? Miami?”
“Sounds like me, but…” I smiled, biting my lip.
Jude returned then, handing me a fresh beer. He sat beside me, resting a hand on my thigh.
“Yeah,” Miles continued, eyes twinkling with mirth. “He was plenty torn up about you. I get it now.”
“All right, dude,” said Jude, tossing a towel at Miles.
“What? She's beautiful,” Miles continued, either clueless to Jude's embarrassment or uncaring about it. “You’re beautiful, Alina. If you ever need a tour around St. Croix…”
“She gets the tours, Miles.”
Miles waggled his eyebrows at me. “Like I said...”
“I'm good for now, but I'll keep that in mind.”
“Do that. I'll give you my number when we get back.”
Jude made like he was going to get up, and Miles backed away, laughing merrily.
I smiled, leaning back. “Is he always like that?”
“Always. Swear to God, I don't think I've ever seen him angry. Everything's a joke to him.”
“I bet. He’s cute.”
“Yeah? Want me to call him back over here so you can take him up on his offer?”
“Were you really torn up over me?” I asked, looking at him.
“Not really.” He glanced past me, to where our boat cut through the water. “I had a feeling we'd end up together.”
I’d known too, hadn’t I? Inevitable. All those months of conversation, snippets at the bar, longer discussions at the beach…below the stars. I’d been falling in love with Jude little by little, slowly.
“Alina,” he said, touching my arm. “Look.”
I twisted onto my knees, looking out at the water. At first there was nothing, just the shimmery pattern of waves, but then I saw it: a fin. And then another. A splash, a leap—dolphins. A whole pod. I’d seen them before, but it had been a while. And like rainbows or shooting stars, dolphin sightings were always special.
Joy flooded my heart.
~
By the afternoon, we’d pulled into Cruz Bay. Tommy and Miles had barely anchored when Rakim threw himself off the boat, landing in the water with a brilliant splash. It was mayhem after that, the rest of us leaping in, sinking deep in the deliciously cool depths. The water was so clear it was like wearing goggles. Rays of sunlight broke through the surface, shimmering and glowing.
“There are better beaches to swim in,” Raquel admonished, smiling wryly at us as we bobbed in the water.
“This isn’t so bad,” I said with a laugh. There were lots of other boats anchored nearby. On shore, little shops and colorful buildings hugged a snug harbor.
We swam until lunch, when Raquel called us in to eat. I followed Jude up the ladder, my skin stippled in goosebumps as we left the warmth of the water. Tommy took us to Gibney Beach, which was close to Cruz Bay but more private. The boys chased each other to shore, romping up and down like puppies.
Dinner was lobster and salad, eaten on deck as the sun set. More wine. I floated, tipsy, on my back, as constellations twinkled into existence, tiny sparks of light against a sky the color of faded roses. Jude’s hands found mine, slowly pulling me to shore. We strolled along the sand, once again drunk off wine and starlight and each other…like Thanksgiving, and our first kiss. It had been barely any time at all, and yet it had been a tiny forever; so many moments that I was sufficiently hooked.
Hands swinging between us, we talked quietly—about the bar, grad school, places we’d been and longed to go. Sometimes voices and music drifted from the boat, reminding us that we weren’t totally alone, even if it felt like it.
“Can’t believe it’s almost Christmas,” said Jude, glancing sideways at me. “You’re probably excited to get home.”
“Yes and no. I can’t wait to see my mom. And Adam.”
“He seems like a cool kid,” he said. “You should bring him down sometime.”
“He’d love nothing better,” I said, imagining my little brother running around town like he owned it.
“What about your dad?”
I stepped round a piece of driftwood. “What about him?”
>
“Do you guys ever do anything for Christmas?”
“Yeah. I mean, he usually comes up for a visit.” I shrugged.
He paused, perhaps choosing his words. “I know you said you aren’t that close, but…”
“We aren’t.” I took a deep breath of fresh, night air. “I don’t hate him or anything; we’re just not that close.” Jude was silent a beat, and I knew he had questions. “He wasn’t around when I was growing up.”
Brighter Page 16