by Angelo, Judy
It was calming, this rich tropical scenery that surrounded them, so Melanie did not object when Sloane took her hand and led her to the bamboo bench that looked out onto the shimmering blue water of the Caribbean Sea.
For a while they sat in silence, both of them just staring out at the ocean, watching the gentle waves rolling in to the sparkling white sand, listening to the early birds singing in the nearby trees.
“Do you want out, Melanie? Do you want to annul the marriage?”
Startled by his questions, Melanie tore her gaze away from the scenery and stared at Sloane. “I…no…I don’t.”
And she meant it. She looked directly into those intense gray eyes and she did not flinch because she knew that she wanted to be here with him. She wanted to give this her all. And, regardless of her fears, she wanted to get to know him in every sense of the word.
His brows fell as he looked at her intently. “Are you sure? Last night you said the only reason you were in my bed was because I insisted. I don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I…” How could she deny it? Essentially, that was what she’d said, and it must have been a huge blow to his ego. Sloane was a man who was used to women offering themselves to him and here, he’d gone and married one who pretty much told him she didn’t want him.
“You need to be sure,” Sloane continued, his eyes never leaving her face, “because if you decide to stay I will make love to you. And often.”
That sent a ripple up her spine and that ripple, she was sure, had nothing to do with fear. She dropped her eyes, suddenly wary about what he might see there. Because, deep down, she wanted him.
And how could she explain that, when she’d rejected him the night before? She couldn’t even explain it to herself.
“I’m sure,” she whispered, as she stared down at her tightly clasped hands. “I want to stay.”
At first Sloane didn’t answer. He continued to stare at her in silence. She could feel his eyes burning into her as she kept her head bowed. Finally, he turned away and sighed. “So where do we go from here?” The frustration was clear in his voice.
It was only then that she lifted her face to him. He did not turn to her but continued to stare out at the ocean, giving her the chance to get a good look at his face, so still and drawn, the morning shadow around his chin telling her that he hadn’t bothered to shave.
She swallowed. “Sloane, I want another chance. I can do it.”
He looked at her then, his eyes skeptical, his lips tight. It was obvious he didn’t believe her.
“Let me prove it to you,” she said, her voice a lot firmer than she really felt. “Tonight.”
His face did not soften but his eyes did not leave hers. He nodded. “Tonight.”
That was all he said but Melanie knew he would expect her to be true to her word.
Inwardly, she was quaking. She just hoped she would have the courage to deliver.
***
That evening Melanie drank three glasses of wine, which was a record for her, but she needed it.
She and Sloane had stayed at the villa, choosing to dine on the patio and enjoy a meal prepared by their private staff, rather than head over to the restaurant. The food was great – spicy pumpkin soup to start, then curried goat with rice, fried plantains and boiled yam followed by sweet potato pudding for dessert. Melanie loved the local cuisine and she knew she’d miss it when it was time to leave the island.
But tonight food was not the item that was top of mind. She’d made a promise to Sloane and to herself and, whatever it took, she was determined to keep that promise.
And so, as the evening shadows turned to night and the moon rose higher in the inky-blue of the sky, Melanie drew her courage to her and reached out and took Sloane’s hand. They’d been outdoors for hours, eating then relaxing with the sound of the gentle waves rolling in to the shore. She could delay no longer. She had to show Sloane that she was woman enough to keep her word.
She drew him inside and into the living room where she directed him to the sofa and, just like he’d done the night before, she switched on the CD player and let music fill the room. The soulful voice of Sade undulated in soft, raspy waves and as the sounds of ‘Sweetest Taboo’ flowed through Melanie walked back to the sofa, sat down beside her husband and cupped his face in her hands.
She glimpsed his momentary look of surprise just before she closed her eyes, leaned forward and placed her lips on his. It was a bold move on her part, but it was something she had to do.
At first he did not respond, his mouth so firm and tight under hers but then, just as she would have pulled back, his lips softened and his arms went up to draw her to him.
Immediately, she sank into him, relief washing through her. Maybe he still wanted her and that gave her hope. And courage. Because she knew, without a doubt, that she wanted him.
Within seconds, Melanie was no longer in control of the kiss. It was Sloane who dominated, his lips moving over hers, making her yield and open to him, and as she did, his tongue slipped in to explore the softness of her mouth.
Melanie moaned as Sloane’s kiss stoked the embers within but she could feel the fire rising in him, too, in the tightness of his hold and the pounding of his heart against her breasts. And then his kiss grew urgent, demanding, as he plundered her mouth, leaving her breathless.
Sloane’s breathing was ragged as he pulled his lips away and the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. He still wanted her. He looked ready to rip the clothes from her body and she knew exactly how he felt because she felt like doing the same to him.
And as the thought came to her she moved, reaching down to unbutton the cotton shirt that hid his body from her gaze. Ignoring his raised eyebrows, she did not stop until all buttons had been loosened and she could push her hands in to slide the garment from his shoulders. When she saw his torso, bare and beautiful in the glow of the lamp, she licked her lips, eager for his taste on her tongue.
Lowering her head, she planted her lips on his collarbone and kissed him softly, and at the sound of his groan a thrill ran through her. Emboldened, she put out her tongue and licked at the taut skin, tasting him just like she’d craved moments before. Her tongue sliding over the smoothness, she sampled the sweetness of his skin and then her lips were sliding lower till they covered a flat nipple, making him moan.
Thrilled with her newfound power, Melanie caught the stiff bud between her teeth and nibbled and sucked until Sloane groaned and sank lower in the sofa, giving her greater access to his body.
She took full advantage, sliding down with him, moving her mouth to tease his other nipple even as her hands slid down his body, stroking and caressing, until they settled just above the waistband of his trousers. Here she paused, wanting him to make the next move. She needed the rest of his clothes gone but stalled, hoping he would grant her wish.
But, deliberately it seemed, Sloane did nothing to help her, as if saying this was her call. And so she took up the challenge, sliding her hands lower to loosen the buckle of his belt then opened the button on his pants.
Hands shaking slightly, she began to push the trousers off his hips. He raised himself up and off the sofa, making her task a whole lot easier but she almost got cold feet when they fell down to his ankles, leaving him only in his shorts.
She bit her lip as she felt the blood rise to her face. Don’t chicken out now, Mel. You’ve got to prove yourself. She raised her hands again but instead of grasping his shorts and pulling, as she should have done, she leaned forward to rest her face, burning-hot with embarrassment, against his chest.
This time Sloane took pity on her. He took her hand then got up, pulling her up with him. He didn’t say a word – he didn’t have to – but simply walked into the bedroom with her in tow.
There, he laid her on the bed and slowly began to remove her clothes. Her sandals were first to go, then he slid the ankle-length cotton dress up her body and over her head, leaving her
in bra and panties. He rested a big, warm hand on her belly but then he paused, looking at her with questioning eyes. When she nodded he moved his hands higher and reached behind to unsnap her bra then pulled the undergarment off, leaving her breasts bare to his heated gaze.
Melanie dropped her eyes but said nothing. More than anything, she wanted to wrap her arms around herself, to hide herself from his stare, but she knew she couldn’t. That would spoil everything.
As the thoughts swirled in her head, Sloane was moving toward his next goal and before Melanie could pull back he had drawn her panties off her hips and down her thighs, exposing the most private part of her to his gaze. She sucked in her breath and clenched the bed sheets in tight fists.
Sloane lifted his eyes to hers. “It’s okay, honey. I’ll be gentle.”
His voice, quiet but firm, was what she needed to steady her jangling nerves. She drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly, then nodded. She would do this.
Sloane eased himself up and slid his boxer shorts down his legs. Then he climbed back onto the bed and, without warning, began to kiss her knees, then her thighs, and his lips began sliding up, tickling and teasing, moving closer and closer to that private place between her legs.
Melanie didn’t know what to do. Sex was one thing, but this – so intimate and so new – was a totally different matter. Reaching down, she put her hand on his head to halt his progress but it was like trying to stop the inevitable.
Sloane reached up and grasped her hand but his hold was gentle and almost reassuring. “Just relax,” he whispered. “Don’t tighten up. Just flow with me.”
But I've never done this before. Her mind screamed the words but she couldn’t open her mouth to say them. Sloane already thought her repressed and frigid. She didn’t dare make things worse.
And so she pulled her hand from his, dug her fingers into the bed again and bit her lip to keep from crying out. Relax, you fool, relax. He’s not going to bite. She hoped…
As she held her breath Sloane moved his lips over her mound, making her flinch, then he slid lower until his mouth settled over the center of her pleasure. And then his tongue came out and he gave the stiff bud a lick.
Melanie jumped and an involuntary gasp escaped her lips. The touch of his tongue sent a jolt of electricity coursing through her and it took all her willpower not to moan out loud.
He shifted, moving closer, and then he licked her again, sending sweet sensations shooting through her body. Then he was nibbling at the bud, then licking, then sucking so softly until her insides began to melt and she felt the tension seep out of her body.
And then it began to feel good. Oh, so good. The muscles of her legs relaxed and she sighed as Sloane stroked her there, starting a fire whose heat began to rise till it had suffused her entire body and she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted a man in her life.
She wanted to feel his hard body on hers, she wanted his muscled arms around her. But more than any of that, she wanted him inside, so deep inside her. And, to her chagrin, she grew moist at the thought…right there in her secret spot.
“Sloane,” she croaked, her voice ragged and hoarse. “Please…”
“I know, my sweet. But be patient. I want you to want this…” His voice grew muffled as he dipped his head once more and this time he flattened his tongue and gave a swipe that made her shiver from the sheer ecstasy of it.
God, where had he learned to do that?
But she could wait no longer. For the first time in her life she needed a man like she needed air but the only one she wanted was this man, her husband, who had taken it slow, pleasing her first so that she would want him even more.
“Please, Sloane. Now…” She moaned and reached down for him.
But still, he would not release her from the tantalizing spell he’d cast. After giving her one last lingering kiss he slid his lips up her body, his breath tickling her skin as he went, and paused to lick the hollow of her navel.
She sighed and reached for him again. He ignored her.
Next, he feathered kisses up and over her ribs and then he was circling her breasts, the left and then the right, until she thought she would die from the sheer torture of it.
This time she grabbed his head in both hands and he had no choice but to follow as she dragged his face up and over the stiff peak of her nipple. He lowered his lips and sucked the bud deep into his mouth, putting her out of her misery and drawing a deep groan from her throat.
“Yes,” she half sighed, half sobbed. “Oh, yes.”
When he slid over to the other breast and administered the same treatment to her throbbing nipple she moaned and her arms went up involuntarily and she hugged him to her.
At long last, Sloane slid his body up and over her and settled his hips between her legs. He dipped his head to lick the top of her ear, sending fresh new shivers down her spine, then he whispered, “Are you ready, my sweet?”
“Yes,” she whispered back.
“Are you sure?” he pressed her, giving her ear another lick, driving all sane thought from her mind.
“Yes,” she sobbed. “I want you so bad.”
“Then you may have me.” He slid his mouth across her cheek and captured her lips in a kiss so filled with passion that it drove everything except his kiss from her mind. All she could do was feel him, taste him, drink him in.
And then, as her mind spun down into the whirlpool of desire, Sloane sank into her, slowly but steadily, filling her with that part of himself that she craved so badly.
For a moment he went still, never releasing her from his kiss, but waiting for her to adjust to his invasion. And then, when her body began to relax and she began to move under him, making her desire plain, he began to move too, stroking rhythmically then thrusting into her as she moaned.
And this time her moans were soft and sensual, trembling with pleasure as he slid in and out, stroking her, feeding the fire that burned inside. This time her moans were not from pain but from a mounting tension, a sweet sensual sensation building inside her as he slid his manhood into her core.
“That’s it, honey. Just relax. Move with me.”
His whispers were soft and soothing, surprisingly gentle as he made love to her, letting her follow his every move, matching the rhythm of his hips to hers.
And then he shifted position, angling his hips so that with each thrust his pelvic bone stroked her clitoris, sending sparks shooting up her body.
“Ooh,” she hissed as the sensation swept through her.
And still he kept on thrusting, and stroking, and sweeping her up in a swirling cloud of ecstasy.
And then a ball of fire began to build in her nether region, burgeoning and billowing till it burst in a volcanic eruption that shook her body from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
Melanie screamed. She clutched Sloane’s shoulders and clung to him as she cried out his name.
Sloane stayed still, bracing himself over her as her body continued to shake as she pulsated around his manhood nestled deep inside her.
It took several seconds, almost an entire minute, before Melanie’s gasping ceased and her breathing slowed. Only then did she release her hold on Sloane and only then did she open her tear-filled eyes to stare up into his gray ones.
“Sloane,” she said in a hoarse whisper, her eyes wide with wonder, “what did you do to me? That was…wonderful.” And, to her mortification, more tears came, sliding from the corners of her eyes to roll into her hair.
He smiled down at her and she could see that he was pleased. He bent his head to give her a soft peck on the forehead. “Was it good for you?”
“It was more than good,” she breathed. “It was…I can’t even find the words to describe it. It was out of this world.” She reached up to touch his cheek. “Sloane, for the first time in my life I actually had an orgasm.” She gave him a grateful smile. “I can’t believe this is what I was missing all this time.”
Sloane’s eyes widened then he frowne
d. “The first time? Are you serious?”
“I’m dead serious,” she said, nodding. “I had no idea sex could be this good.” Then she gave him an impish grin. “I want to do it again.”
He laughed then. “No problem, honey. Any time you want, but no more for now. You’re new to this so I want you to take it slow, at least for now.”
“I’m not new,” she growled.
“Shh,” he whispered and put a finger on her lips. “To me, you are. You’re practically a virgin. Now get some rest.”
And with those words he eased himself off her and rolled over to lay beside her.
And that was when she looked down and saw him, stiff and red and standing at attention.
Melanie gasped and her eyes flew to his face. “Sloane, you didn’t come. I thought-”
“Shh,” he whispered again as he reached up to pull her down into the crook of his arm. “I’ll be all right. Remember,” he said as he stroked her arm, “we have three more nights on the island. Plenty of time for us to work up a sweat.”
At his words, Melanie shivered. But it was a good kind of shiver, a shiver of pure anticipation.
Because, if the next three nights were going to be anything like this one, she could hardly wait.
CHAPTER NINE
Sloane slammed the ball across the net and watched as Patrick dove to reach it.
No such luck. The spinning ball flew past his racquet to land just inside the white line and then it bounced up and away.
“It's over”, Sloane yelled and raised his hands in victory as Patrick threw down his racquet and stalked off the court. The guy was practically throwing a tantrum. All that was left was for him to throw himself on the ground and start screaming like a two-year old. But that was Patrick.
Grinning, Sloane ran toward the net and leaped over it then followed his friend into the club house. It had been an intense game and he’d really worked up a sweat. After months of not being on the tennis court, it felt good.