He pulled her legs open with his knee and moved his lips back up to her mouth. He removed his trunks with one hand, and when he sprang free, he placed himself inside her. Savannah breathed deeply with the first thrust. She moaned and took in every thrust thereafter. She’d missed him so much. Hadn’t found any man who made her feel the way Edward had. Her body shook with desire, and then his. She resisted her urge to cry, couldn’t understand why she was so emotional during that moment. He was making her weak again when she’d worked so hard to be strong—to remain in control. She was slowly losing it.
They lay in the sand until they finally saw the lights from Sophia in the distance.
“I guess we should get dressed,” Edward whispered.
“I guess we should,” said Savannah.
She sat up and searched for the pieces of her bikini. She glanced out into the ocean. Didn’t want to leave.
Chapter 12
Stephen tied a rope from the cleat of the boat to the dock. Edward climbed out of the boat and then helped Savannah out. He held on to her small hand, a slight grin on his face. He was gaining control of their awkward situation. His goal was to romance her until she no longer wanted to move to London, or at least until she’d agreed to leave Chloe with him. She was playing into his plan. His chest stuck out, his jaws tight. She was just about where he needed her to be.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Savannah,” said Stephen. He gave her a gentle smile. “I can’t wait to meet little Chloe. I hear she’s adorable.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you, too, Stephen. And I’m sure you’ll see Chloe before we leave the island.”
Stephen hugged and kissed her cheek. He gave Edward a thumbs-up behind her back. Savannah had managed to charm every one of his family members.
“Okay, let’s get out of here. Get over to the Grove and pick up Chloe. I’m sure that Jazzy is ready for a break.”
“I bet she is, too,” Savannah agreed. “Chloe can be a handful.”
“I’ll see you both at your parents’ anniversary party tomorrow night.” Stephen gave Edward a strong handshake. “Love you, bro.”
“Love you, too,” Edward said. “And thank you for today.”
“Always.” Stephen hopped back into the boat.
* * *
Edward and Savannah slid into the backseat of a taxicab, headed for the Grove. He watched her as she stared out the window, reminisced about their afternoon together.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She gave him a light smile. “Yes.”
“Any regrets?”
She shook her head no. “You?”
“None.”
As the cab pulled next to the curb, Edward stepped out and walked around to Savannah’s side of the car and opened her door. He reached for her hand and she stepped out. He handed the driver a Bahamian bill and the two of them walked into the Grove.
Edward peeked his head into the kitchen. “Hello, Raquel,” he greeted the Grove’s cook.
“Hello, bebby. How are you?” she asked in her Bahamian accent.
“I’m great. Have you seen my sister Jasmine and her little sidekick?”
“Oh, you mean Miss Chloe?” She giggled. “The two of them left about an hour ago. Jazzy said she was headed home to Governor’s Harbour.”
“To my parents’?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, thanks, Raquel.”
“Can I fix you and the missus some supper?” she asked.
“That would be nice. Maybe something light. Thank you.”
“I think there’s some conch salad in the fridge. Can I fix you some?”
“That sounds wonderful,” said Edward as he pulled his cell phone out to call Jasmine.
He stepped away from the kitchen.
“Yes, Edward,” Jasmine answered on the second ring.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“We’re on Governor’s Harbour,” Jasmine said.
“Are you coming back, or do you want us to come there and pick up Chloe?”
“Leave her. She’s in pajamas and watching movies with her uncle Nate. She would be disappointed if she had to leave now.”
“May I speak with her?”
“Of course,” she said, and then yelled Chloe’s name in his ear. “Here she comes.”
“You couldn’t hold the phone away instead of yelling in my ear?” Edward asked.
“Sorry.” Jasmine giggled. “Did you have a good time with Savannah today?”
“It was okay,” he tried to appear nonchalant about the evening.
“Do I hear wedding bells?” Jasmine asked.
“What? No!”
“Are you telling me that it’s completely out of the question?”
He looked at Savannah, who was hanging on his every word. “I’m telling you that I’d like to speak with my daughter, please.”
“Here, sweetheart. It’s your daddy,” he heard Jasmine say.
“Hi, Daddy.” Chloe’s voice was music to Edward’s ears.
“Hello, sweetheart. What are you doing?”
“I’m watching a movie with Uncle Nate,” she explained. “Can I spend the night? Grandpa promised me hot chocolate and pancakes in the morning.”
“Wow. Hot chocolate and pancakes? Who could say no to that? Let me just see if it’s okay with Mommy.” Edward gave Savannah a glance. She nodded a yes. “Mommy says it’s okay.”
“Yay!” Chloe exclaimed.
“Now, let me warn you... Grandpa’s pancakes probably aren’t as good as Daddy’s...”
“Stop it.” Savannah laughed.
“...but you should still be polite and eat them all up,” Edward continued. “And tell him how good they are.”
Chloe giggled. “Okay, Daddy.”
“Mommy and I will see you in the morning.”
“Okay, Daddy. I love you.”
“I love you more,” Edward said.
“Tell her I love her, too,” Savannah whispered.
“Mommy loves you, too,” Edward said.
“Love you, Mommy!” Chloe exclaimed. “Daddy, can you give her a kiss for me?”
“I certainly will.” He glanced over at Savannah and winked.
He’d give her a kiss, but not the kind that Chloe referred to. His kiss would mean something different. He became aroused at the thought of it. As much as he wanted to believe that the afternoon had been about convincing her to change her mind about taking Chloe to London, he knew there was much more going on in his heart than he was willing to admit.
* * *
They feasted on conch salad and conch fritters while relaxing in the cabana. Edward leaned back in his chair and took in the light Bahamian breeze. He sipped on a Bahamian beer, while Savannah drank her second sky juice.
“That’s my mother’s favorite drink, you know. Sky juice,” Edward stated. “She drinks them more often than I’d like her to.”
“I can see why. They’re delicious,” said Savannah. “Never had one before.”
“Careful. They sneak up on you,” Edward said.
“Wouldn’t you love for that to happen?” Savannah flirted.
“Do you think that I took advantage of you on the beach?”
“Didn’t you?”
“I thought we were two consenting adults, enjoying each other.”
“It was very emotional for me,” Savannah admitted. “It’s been a long time since we...you know...have been together. The setting was perfect and it was just so damn romantic!”
“So had there been a less romantic setting...”
“I think it was inevitable, no matter the setting.” He knew that she was becoming inebriated. “I was drawn to you from the beginning.”
&nb
sp; “From the beginning of what?” Edward laughed. He knew that he shouldn’t discuss these things with her while under the influence, but he found satisfaction in knowing her true feelings.
“Since the beginning of time, silly. I’ve loved you and wanted you since the moment I met you. That never changed.”
Edward was startled by her announcement.
“You divorced me!” he stated.
“Because you didn’t have time for us—me or our daughter. And because of Quinn.”
“She’s never been more than a friend, Savannah. I swear to you.”
“You said that,” she proclaimed. “I just never felt like Chloe and I were your priority.”
They were flirting with danger by discussing such a painful time. The Bahamas was not the place for old wounds, and this was not the time. He wasn’t willing to move backward after he’d made such strides.
“Maybe we should go upstairs, and I’ll run you a hot bath.”
“Maybe we should,” Savannah agreed.
She stood and stumbled. Edward rushed to her side, grabbed her, and escorted her back inside and up to her room. He gently placed her on the bed. He went into the bathroom and started the water in the bathtub. When he came back into the room she was struggling to remove her shoes. Finally kicked them to the floor.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” She laughed and then curled into a fetal position.
“I’m running you a hot bath. Do you have some bubbles or some smell-good stuff somewhere?”
She pointed across the room, at her bag.
He unzipped the outer pocket in search of her bath products. No luck. He looked inside, and came upon her cell phone. She’d forgotten to turn it off. He’d warned her that international rates would be astronomical. He grabbed her phone to turn it off and noticed a text message from a Florida exchange.
I can definitely get a passport for your daughter. We don’t need her father’s consent. Call my office when you return to the States and we’ll discuss it. Enjoy the Bahamas!
He tossed the phone back into the bag. He was livid. He glanced over at Savannah as light snores escaped from her mouth. She was soundly sleeping, but he wanted to shake her. He took a seat in the Georgian-style wing chair in the corner of the room, watched her as she slept. His mind raced as he tried to decide how he would confront her. He needed an explanation. Did she really think that she could go behind his back and get Chloe a passport without his consent? She had a lot of nerve.
He went into the bathroom and shut off the running water. He left the room and decided he needed to go for a walk. He went through the lobby and past the kitchen.
“Can I get you and the missus anything else tonight, Mr. Talbot?” asked Raquel.
“No thanks, Raquel. She’s sleeping.”
“You need some hot tea?”
“Something stronger.”
“It’s that bad?” Raquel gave him a knowing grin. “Drinking is only a temporary fix for things.”
“It’s all I need,” he stated and then headed for the cabana. “Good night, Raquel.”
“Good night, bebby.”
He stopped at the bar and asked for a vodka and grapefruit juice. The bartender slid the glass in front of him and he paid with a Bahamian bill.
“Keep the change, Deuce,” he told the Rastafarian bartender.
“Thank you, sir.” Deuce slipped the extra bills into the tip jar on the bar.
Edward headed toward the darkness of the beach. He plopped down into a chair and sipped on vodka. He found a relaxing Caribbean playlist on his phone and leaned his head back. Fell asleep while listening.
* * *
“What are you doing out here?” Jasmine was standing over him.
The sun stood in the corner of the sky and beamed down on his face as he struggled to open his eyes.
“What time is it?” he asked, realizing he’d been there all night.
“Seven thirty.”
“You’re here early,” he stated as he straightened in the chair.
“Your daughter’s an early riser, dude. Little girl was up at the crack of dawn having pancakes and chocolate milk with your father.”
A smile crept into the side of Edward’s mouth. “Where is she now?”
“She’s inside with Savannah,” said Jasmine. “Did you two have a fight?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Because she didn’t know where the hell you were, and then I find you out here asleep on the beach!”
“She got a little tipsy last night. Passed out. So I came out here to clear my head.”
“And you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” He stood, grabbed his empty glass, wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulder.
“Whatever’s going on, you can talk to me about it,” she said. “I’ll listen and only offer advice if you ask for it.”
He decided that he needed an ally. A confidant. “She’s trying to take Chloe away from me. She’s moving to London to be with her mother, and taking Chloe with her.”
“Seriously?” Jasmine gave Edward a puzzled look. “Can she do that?”
“She’s taking me to court to petition for it.”
“Then what are you two doing here together? I’m confused.”
“I wanted Chloe to see all of you, and thought it was the perfect time with everyone being home,” he said. “And I brought her along to try to convince her not to go, or to leave Chloe with me. I can’t live without my daughter, Jazzy.”
“She’s the air you breathe. I know that. Everyone knows that.”
“It doesn’t matter. Her mind’s made up.”
“I know Savannah. She’s a good person. She loves you, and she knows that you love Chloe. She’ll do what’s right.”
He needed Jasmine’s optimism, though he wasn’t convinced that things were that simple. He wasn’t sure that Savannah would surely do what was right. If she was able to get a passport for Chloe without his consent, she could probably get her out of the country without his knowledge as well.
Chapter 13
The Grand Room was decorated in royal blue and silver. White lilies adorned the room. It reminded Savannah of her wedding day. She’d insisted on bouquets of calla lilies for her bridal attendants. Her favorite flower was expensive, but Edward had promised that she could have whatever her heart desired.
Edward had been a handsome groom, wearing a black tuxedo with a silky gray vest and gray tie to match. He was young back then. They both were. But they’d matured over the years. This weekend, they’d found each other again. At least Savannah thought they had. She wasn’t sure which direction their relationship would go once they returned to Florida, but she knew that it wasn’t the same as it had been before coming to the Bahamas.
She watched as Edward held a glass of champagne in the air, offered a toast to his parents on their anniversary. He was their oldest child. Beverly Talbot had been pregnant with him before the couple married. They had a beautiful love story and Savannah loved listening to it, especially when Beverly Talbot told it.
Edward’s father, Paul John, had attended Howard University in Washington, DC, where he met her. She was a young student, and they hit it off right away. While Beverly studied to become a teacher, Paul John studied medicine—and in between studying, the two fell in love. After graduating from medical school, Paul John applied for residency at a hospital in Key West, and landed the opportunity with flying colors. However, this opportunity posed a problem for his new girlfriend. Beverly, who’d always called the District of Columbia her home, was offered a position to teach at a prestigious school in Maryland. It appeared that this was the end of their four-year love affair. It seemed logical that they pursue their own separate careers—after all, opportunitie
s didn’t fall out of the sky, and there were no guarantees that they’d receive them again. Neither of the two wanted to hinder the other’s progress.
Confident that he’d made the most practical decision, Paul John took a train back to Key West, leaving Beverly behind. He managed to bury himself in his work during the first several months of his residency, yet his heart still longed for her. When she showed up in the emergency room of his hospital, bags in tow and with a swollen belly, he was happier than any man could be. His life changed completely that night, and the anticipation of marriage and fatherhood had him on top of the world.
It appeared to Savannah that he remained on top of the world, even until this day—their thirty-seventh wedding anniversary. Savannah wished that she and Edward could’ve had such a story. She wished their marriage had withstood the test of time, and that they could proudly stand before Chloe one day and celebrate their thirty-seventh wedding anniversary. But things hadn’t turned out quite the way they’d anticipated. In fact, their union hadn’t even lasted two years. And for that, Savannah felt ashamed. She tried not to focus on her and Edward’s discrepancies, but instead glanced over at the beautiful lady of the hour.
Beverly Talbot looked stunning in her silver gown, her hair in a perfect bun atop her head. Her makeup was flawless. She’d sacrificed so much for her family, and Savannah admired her former mother-in-law. She’d been the strong woman in Savannah’s life after her own mother had abandoned her. Beverly Talbot had been the voice of reason on the other end of the phone many days before and after she and Edward divorced. Savannah loved her.
Tears welled in her eyes as she listened to Edward and his siblings speak with such admiration and respect for their parents. She only wished that her and Edward’s love had been long-standing. Suddenly it occurred to her that they’d given up much too easily. When things got tough, she ran to her father’s home. She wondered what would’ve been had she stayed and made it work.
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