Simon looked around at the blacktop and flat landscape. He could smell the water, but they were just far enough away that all he could see was spotty grass and sandy soil. When he glanced over at her again, she was still typing on her phone and talking to the local. She waved and finally headed back to him.
The sea-scented air tossed her hair around her face. “We’re in luck, there’s a ferry in about half an hour.”
He nodded to the kid who couldn’t be more than a senior in high school. He made a driving gesture.
“He’s just dropping the Jeep off to us.” She dangled keys.
His eyebrows shot up.
“Lila strikes again. She’s got us all set up. Even had that kid get us some food.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how she does it.”
Simon thumbed on his phone and sighed. This texting thing was getting old already.
DL knows how to do it up in style.
“Do I want to know what DL means?”
He grinned. They’d been calling Lila Dragon Lady for months, but it was mostly between him and Nick.
Inside joke.
She read the text and rolled her eyes. “The Jeep will come in handy. The beach house is sort of…” She trailed off and twisted her lips. “It’s kind of out of the way.”
If it was anyone else, he’d wonder if it really was a shack on the beach. Not that it would matter to him, but her folks didn’t seem the type to have a hut. “Sounds good to me,” he mouthed.
She flipped the keys on the ring and peered at him through her lashes. “It’s my favorite place, but it’s kind of unconventional.”
His eyebrow went up in question.
“Kind of hard to explain. You just have to see it.”
He held his arm out and they fell into step.
“We can walk down the beach every day, but food is another matter. We’ll need to make a few trips into town.”
He didn’t bother to ask for the keys. She knew her way around the island from the way she was acting so he climbed into the passenger seat. Their suitcases were strapped down in the back and a white cooler sat on the backseat. Lila had struck again, he was certain.
As soon as she started the Jeep, a local rock channel blared out of the speakers. He curled his fingers into his palm. His kneejerk reaction was to turn it off. If he had to live in silence, he didn’t want the music in his head either. He wanted to sing along, wanted to open his mouth and let sound out.
He hated the silence.
Music had always been in his life. Whether he was the one making it or listening to it, he couldn’t remember a time it wasn’t a part of him. But now the notes seemed to jumble in his head. Like they were stuck and couldn’t make their way out.
Fuck.
He slapped the knob and silence filled the space.
He gripped his knees and shut his eyes as frustration and anger replaced the music he longed for in his head. When her hand slipped over the top of his, he turned to her. She didn’t say anything, just laced her fingers between his for a moment before slipping away to shift gears.
It was kinda hot that she could drive a stick.
She turned onto a coastal road and he stood up, curling his fingers around the roll bar.
“Simon, sit down.”
His hair whipped around his face as he looked out on the turquoise water. Now this could be the distraction he needed.
“Do not make me stop this car.”
He looked down at her with a grin then tipped his head back and opened his arms.
“We’re not in a John Hughes movie, dammit. Sit down!”
He dropped back into his seat and leaned over to nuzzle her neck. She pushed him away, but not before her stern face melted into a smile. That was good enough for him. He put his seatbelt back on and enjoyed the ride to the pier.
There was a line of cars waiting for the ferry when they pulled up. He frowned.
“It’s a big ferry.”
Relieved, he kept himself busy people watching. He pulled a ball cap out of his duffle and shoved his sunglasses on his face. Now that they were stopped, he didn’t want someone to recognize him. True to her word, the ferry was big and the line of cars and trucks were loaded on faster than their roadies could set up a drum kit.
He climbed out of the Jeep the minute they hit open water. He muscled his way to the railing, dragging Margo behind him. He pulled her in front of him and caged her against the bow. The breeze off the water slapped at them and her dark hair floated up from the steady pace of the ship.
The view was breathtaking. He winced a little when a few people pushed him from behind, and he was crushed into Margo’s back. His tattoo was a little tender from all their activity, but he didn’t let her go.
This was a perfect slice of heaven and he didn’t want to miss a thing. Her honeysuckle scent mixed with brine and a hint of them still lingering on her skin. He was impatient to get to the house and explore the island.
Margo, however, was relaxed as he’d ever seen her. Her face was serene and she leaned back against his chest without a care in the world. It was a new side of her. He honestly wouldn’t have believed she could relax if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.
“Stop staring at me.”
He pressed a kiss to her nape in answer.
When the ferry docked, they were among the last to leave the ship. People seemed to be on vacation time and urgency was nonexistent.
When they finally departed, there was another line to get on the main roads. The removed, almost serious face that Margo perpetually wore was missing. She weaved in and out of traffic fast enough that he actually grabbed the roll bar above them.
Was that glee in her eyes?
She turned to him for a second and he couldn’t help but grin back at her. He glanced down at the speedometer and swallowed thickly, and not due to his perpetually scratchy/swollen throat for once. There wasn’t a speed marker for miles and Margo evidently was going for mach one.
Jesus fuck, they were going to die.
He saw signs for Maho Bay and was slammed into the door as she fishtailed off the highway and up a path. Because it sure as shit wasn’t a road. She seemed to have used her momentum to get them moving up the steep incline. She jammed the gear shift and revved the motor.
Evidently if they were stuck in a third world country with no roads, his girl could get them through anything. Huge green leaves the size of his head whipped against the windshield as she carved her way up a mountain.
“Hang on,” she said through gritted teeth.
Hang on? He threw a startled look at her and gripped the door and the roll bar. Wasn’t that what he’d been doing?
The nose of the Jeep dipped and bottomed out as they hit a rutted rock face. Okay, so it wasn’t actually a rock face, but it sure as crap seemed like it. The huge wheels gripped every available surface and they slowly inched their way even higher.
A crazy laugh escaped her. “It’s worth it. I swear.”
Simon was trying to picture her stuffy parents doing this kind of trip and just couldn’t. His eyes bulged as the gears ground out their distress and she made a turn that Angelina Jolie might have made in the jungle during the Tomb Raider movies.
The greens parted and a cove came into view. She pulled the parking break and laughed. “Amazing, isn’t it?”
His breath stalled and he stood up, leaning his waist against the roll bar and bracing himself with both hands. There was nothing but the deep jewel colors of aqua blue and green for miles. The sand looked like baby powder under the powerful noon-time sun.
“There’s a winding road that comes up here too, but that’s no fun. And it’s all the way on the other side of the cove. Takes forever to get up here.”
Now that made more sense. He grinned down at her and dragged her up to meet his mouth. She stood on her seat and leaned into him, the kiss sweet and soft as the breeze coming off the water. She tucked herself against his side and looked out over the water. “I never get tire
d of this view.”
He could see why. He pressed a kiss to her temple and hooked his arm around her shoulders.
“But, now is the real test. The house.”
He frowned. Why on earth would that be a test?
She slid back down in her seat and patted his knee. “C’mon, we have a little farther to go.”
He nearly swore out loud as she jerked forward and he ducked as a branch came for his head. There were only a few more feet of trees before they broke out into a clearing. Salt and pepper-colored sand hugged the rough gravel path and a pretty little tropical garden bloomed around a courtyard. A stone house—no.
No, that wasn’t a house.
A church came into view with stained glass spiring up each side of the massive bleached pine door. It wasn’t exactly churchy on the glass. It was more of a mix of blues and purples and greens in geometric patterns. Each of the huge rectangles were made up of a network of honeycomb-framed sections of glass.
She slowly rolled to a stop under a small portico beside the churchish house.
“Yeah, so church.”
His eyebrows shot up.
“I know. It was a church a long time ago. Sometime in the nineteen hundreds when they had tons of missionaries in the area. Over the years it kind of morphed into more of a house. We’ve had it in the family for a long time.”
He climbed out of the Jeep and tipped his head back. The top of the building definitely held an old spire and more windows. The large circle ones on the second floor were more of the fire and brimstone look with angels trumpeting and symbols everywhere.
“Matisse had a hand in a lot of the stained glass on the island.” She nodded to the large patterns along the front door. “Like those.”
He was no art connoisseur, but he knew a little bit from dating a few art majors in his time. He followed her to the door and took a big step back when the door swung open. A little dark-haired woman bustled out with a white apron tied at her middle. She swiped her hands over the smudged linen.
“You made it.”
Margo’s face brightened and she rushed the woman. “Kim. I didn’t expect to see you.”
“My little virtuoso comes to the island for the first time since high school and I’m not going to greet her? I think not.” The woman hugged her tight then stepped back. “Not so little anymore though. My goodness you sprouted up a few inches since the last time I saw you.”
Margo flushed. “It’s been almost ten years.”
The woman slid her hand around her hip and turned to him. “She was super skinny and used to play her violin in the courtyard every morning.”
Margo looked down and brushed her hands over her hips. “Not so super skinny anymore.”
Simon frowned and drew her into his side. He liked her curves. He swiped a hand down her hip and back to her waist, unafraid to show just how much he liked the way she was.
“I thought you were going to be a waif like your mother. I like you much better this way. Strong and capable with such pretty color in your cheeks.” Kim looked him up and down. “And who’s your young man?”
“Oh, sorry. Kim, this is Simon, my…”
Simon winked at Kim. It was weird that love had been dropped like a bomb between them and now they didn’t know what to call this thing between them. “Just hers,” he mouthed.
Kim smiled wide. “I like him. Even if he doesn’t talk.”
“Don’t mind Simon. He just had vocal surgery so he’s not allowed to talk for a couple of weeks.” She patted his chest, but didn’t make any move to create space between them. “We’re here for a little R&R while he heals up.”
“Well, if the ocean doesn’t do it, then nothing will.”
Simon nodded.
“I just took a tray of tarts out of the oven. I made raspberry and apple ones.”
“Oh, Kim. How am I going to wear a bikini with that?”
“Proudly.” Kim glanced over her cover-up. “God, I wish I had your body.”
Margo rolled her eyes and moved forward to give the woman a hug. “You always knew how to make me feel better.”
Kim stepped back and patted her arm. “I aired out the house and put fresh sheets on the loft bed. Your mother called, but she didn’t mention you would need two beds.”
Margo swallowed and swiped her hand down her middle. “One bed is fine.”
Kim looked at him then Margo. “I’m sure it will be.”
Simon pressed his lips together. There wasn’t a thing he’d say about that one, even if he could.
Kim untied the apron and opened the door. “C’mon in. I turned on the fans to get some air moving in here. It’s been very humid the last few nights. Brian brought the catamaran out of storage. It’s docked on the beach.”
“You are amazing. I didn’t even think about the boat. That’s exactly what we need.”
Catamaran? That was a fancy kind of boat, wasn’t it? He pulled out his phone and did a quick search. Oh, man. Now that’s exactly what he needed. He could happily live here. He was still scrolling through pictures as Kim and Margo talked about sheets, linens, food, and people they knew.
He wandered through the space. The place was small and huge at the same time. Vaulted ceilings made the living area look twice as large as it was. It was completely open with ocean blue chairs and a long couch that filled one area and rolled into an open kitchen with a marble slab of a table delineating the kitchen and the living room. A wide screen TV was bolted to the wall. He turned to look up and saw the loft bedroom.
More stained glass speared color all over the hardwood and brightly colored rugs. All the walls were white and more pine framed out the arches allowing the church lines to work within the home. It was pretty spectacular.
He felt a little weird about the fact that he was going to be having a whole lot of sex in a house that was formerly holy. Because it certainly wouldn’t be now.
Kim waved. “Nice to meet you, Simon.”
He crossed to the front door where more marble made one helluva entrance. He leaned down and kissed the woman on each cheek. She looked up at him and tapped his cheek playfully. “You make sure you give that girl some fun, you got me?”
Simon nodded with a wide smile.
“Good.”
Margo came up beside him and tucked herself under his arm. Surprised and pleased, he gathered her in. “Thanks so much, Kim. I’ve missed this place.”
“Brian and I have missed you too. I put my number by the phone. Just let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
They closed the door and Simon swooped her up into his arms.
“Simon!”
“Time to christen,” he mouthed.
“What?” She laughed and hung onto his neck. He mouthed it again, but she shook her head that she didn’t understand. He headed for the steps to the loft. She’d figure it out.
“Our stuff,” she said.
He ignored her and carried her up the stairs.
Chapter Eleven
Margo woke the next morning to a tangle of sheets and Simon’s head using her ass as pillow. They’d managed to haul their belongings in after dark. They’d brought the cooler of food in after the first round of lovemaking.
Getting her brains screwed out in her parents’ bed had been a little weird at first. By the third round, she was more worried about staying hydrated between bouts of crazy Simon sex. He was relentless and hilarious.
He turned a scratchy cheek along her very naked, very exposed rear cheek. His hand smoothed up the back of her thigh and she buried her face in her pillow as he dragged a knuckle between her legs. How could he want more?
She hissed and arched her lower back as his tongue swiped over the skin between her butt and her thigh. Simon was an attentive, all-inclusive lover. Nothing was off limits to his touch and his tongue. When he nibbled his way up the curve of her hip to her lower back, she sighed as he settled on top of her.
Slow, easy, and immersive…he quietly settled
inside of her. She stretched and opened for him as he rolled his hips to do the work with short thrusts. His lips slid along her shoulder blades to her neck and he drew her legs together so he could cage her on the bed.
The muscles of his arms flexed beside hers as he propped himself up enough not to squish her, but not enough that she couldn’t feel every square inch of his skin. His nipple rings rubbed against her back lightly and she wanted to flip over and tug on them until his blue eyes went wild.
But Simon had other plans.
And all of them meant she needed to lay there and take each and every thrust.
She pushed the pillow out of her way as the little thrusts became more maddening. Red and blue swirls danced across the white sheets from the stained glass. They blurred and fuzzed with each roll of his hips as he drove her closer to the edge.
Simon had an amazing way of taking her body places she had no idea it could go. Right now, they were skidding from sleepy orgasm to him being a maddening tease. He knew how to draw it out and make her scream for it.
She didn’t want to give him that satisfaction this morning. She’d done that enough the night before and at sunrise.
She liked when he let go and drove her into the mattress or wall. Sleepy sex had its place, but she preferred it in the dark. She rolled her hips in counterpoint to his and the huff of his breath on her neck changed.
Yes.
That’s what she wanted. She tried to concentrate on tightening around him from the inside, to show him just how much she could tease him back. He rose higher on his knees and he canted back for a deeper stroke. She pressed her forehead into the mattress and tried to hold out.
“God.”
He bit her shoulder and she circled her hips again. His breath went harsh along her ear as she pressed up onto her elbows and turned her head to find his lips. She bit down on his lower lip and met his bright blue eyes. The frame of dark lashes made the silver look just a little wild.
He had eyes like a Siberian Husky. So silvery blue and beautiful.
“Simon.”
His eyes brightened and fired. He always reacted so strongly when she said his name. Like he longed to hear it on her lips.
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