by Alicia Rae
So, with my mind made up, I decided to take a leap of faith. I grabbed my keys and belongings, and then I headed for my car without looking back, so I couldn’t change my mind yet again.
The half-hour drive to Damien’s house went by quicker than I’d expected, and I soon found myself pulling up to the wrought iron gate at the front of his premises where I lowered my window to press the red intercom button.
“Yeah?” Damien’s voice cracked through the speaker.
“I’m here.”
“Ah, I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show,” he teased.
I had a good hunch that he was grinning with victory.
“I almost didn’t,” I tossed back with a bit of sass, smiling.
“Don’t worry. I would have come after you.” His deep chuckle had my pulse accelerating. “Come on in, and make sure you park in front of the first stall by the garage.”
A buzzing noise sounded. Rolling up my window, I stared out my windshield and saw the gate opening. I slowly drove forward up the driveway made of concrete pavers. I navigated the curve beneath the palm trees and parked where he’d instructed. I noticed the garage door farthest to the right was open. His speedboat was inside of it with his GMC Sierra parked directly in front of it.
I grabbed my beach bag and cell phone before exiting my vehicle, so I could begin the short journey over to the black 4x4 truck. Damien was hunched over at the waist by the hitch, rapidly turning some kind of crank that was attached to the metal trailer. His back was facing me as I approached.
I was about to greet him, but I was instantly speechless by a shirtless Damien. A light sheen of sweat glistened down his shoulder blades as his right arm continued with the circular movements, causing every muscle visible to the eye to flex, while his stunning tattoos shimmered in the sunlight.
The black ink that expanded across his shoulders to his deltoids were lines that curved in all directions, and they ended with sharp points, each one predominantly standing out to cover the marred lines beneath the tattoo.
My breathing deepened at the sight before me as an endless array of emotions ran through me—aching with sympathy and understanding for what he must have endured and so many more feelings that I couldn’t get a grip on. I had so many questions, but I buried them, not wanting to stir up his past at the possibility of causing him any agony from reliving something that had to be so painful for him.
Damien suddenly rose and pivoted to give me his attention along with a full frontal view of his chiseled chest and abs, causing me to lose my breath all over again as my body overheated with desire. He was so incredibly sexy that I wanted to tackle him here on the concrete driveway.
By the time my gaze finally landed on his, he was already staring at me. His expression was guarded. He knew I’d been checking him out.
“Hey, you made it.” He beamed timidly.
“I did.” I swallowed thickly, miserably failing to appear casual.
He glanced down at my bag that was tightly clenched in my fingers before looking back at me and extending his arm. “Let me take that for you.”
I handed him my bag and watched as he spun around to open the back door behind the passenger seat of his Sierra. He set my tote on the bench and leaned in. Then, I saw him grab a white swim shirt.
Slipping it over his head, he faced me again and asked, “Ready?”
I ignored my ping of disappointment that he was going to hide his glorious upper body from me all day, and I answered, “Yes,” with a genuine smile. I was ready to spend an entire day with Damien.
Our ride to the marina was rather quiet, and the silence made me feel slightly uncomfortable. I guessed the rapid change in his mood from when I’d arrived at the front gate of his home to me standing before him in the driveway was in regard to me seeing him shirtless. Since he had anticipated my arrival and could have covered himself before I’d pulled up to the garage, I tried not to let myself feel guilty about it. Furthermore, I was somewhat annoyed that he couldn’t see that I found him exceptionally attractive.
It took less than an hour to unload the speedboat into the marina, park the truck, and settle aboard on the boat. When Damien began to steer us into the open water, I witnessed the palpable tension in his body start to ease with each passing mile. From my reclined position on the cream leather bench, I studied his side profile, awed by how rapidly his demeanor had altered.
His shoulders were loose. His jaw was relaxed. He looked completely carefree with his dark hair and clothing blowing out behind him from the strong winds.
Damien didn’t even need to speak. I could see his love for the ocean in his face. He was clearly in his element.
He continued to drive for another twenty minutes or so before he lowered the throttle to bring the boat to a standstill, and then he turned off the ignition. His bare feet padded across the floor to me, and I took this opportunity to drink in his toned arms. His black-tattooed sleeves were strikingly hot when contrasted against his white swim shirt that was paired with black trunks. His hair was now severely disheveled from the wind, making him look even more irresistible.
That handsome grin spread across his face as he perused me. “You look comfortable.”
“Oh, I am.” Mirroring his expression, I crossed my ankles on the bench.
He didn’t even hesitate as he crawled over my body, placing his knees on each side of my waist to straddle me. He was lucky this bench was so wide, or we would have ended up on the ground.
His expression sobered as he braced his forearms on either side of my head, his body towering over me. “I’m sorry for being impolite to you back at the house.” He drew his brows together and shook his head. “I don’t know what came over me. Please forgive me.”
I did, but I didn’t verbalize my thoughts. I accepted that he wasn’t ready to show that part of himself to me yet, and I didn’t want him to if it was going to make him uncomfortable.
Instead, I lifted my hand to caress his cheek. “It’s okay.”
He softly kissed the tip of my nose and murmured, “Thank you.”
My lips seemed to gravitate toward his mouth to kiss him, and when they finally touched his, butterflies leaped in my belly. He returned my embrace, tenderly kissing me, until my lungs were starved for oxygen.
His lips trailed kisses down my neck to the hollow of my throat. He continued to descend, nudging my pink tank top out of the way, until he could press his face into the valley of my breasts. I found myself utterly content with Damien surrounding me and showering me with affection.
My eyes briefly fluttered closed on a smile as my hands found his hair. I twirled a few strands around my index finger as my mind began to drift, so I asked, “Do you come out here often?”
“Yes.” He nodded against my boobs, making me giggle. “Something about the ocean helps me unwind and regroup, especially after a long and stressful week at work,” he stated before going back to running his lips across the swell of my breasts.
“Do you have many of those?” I imagined his hefty responsibilities made for countless worries.
“More than I can count,” he admitted solemnly. “Now, where was I?” His tone flipped on a dime, instantly sounding playful. “Oh, yes. I was thinking that you were wearing entirely too many clothes for being on a boat at sea.”
I wanted to tell him that I reciprocated his sentiment, but I thought better of it. This shirt barrier was going to be difficult. I wanted to see him, too.
He began making work of my tank top and shorts. I helped him by lifting a limb here and there as he removed them from my body. I was grateful that I’d worn my swimsuit underneath my clothing, which happened to be his favorite color—black.
“There.” He sat back and grinned triumphantly, admiring his handiwork. “Much better. Now, you’re ready to go tubing.”
I had noticed a tube strapped to the other bench of the boat, but I hadn’t realized we would be using it. “We’re going tubing?” I asked nervously. I’d never don
e it before.
“The water is pretty calm, so I thought it would be a perfect day for it.” He inquisitively eyed me. “You’ve never tubed before, have you?”
“No.” I was growing more anxious by the second. My upper body strength was little to none.
“Don’t be nervous.” The corner of his mouth curved up into a smile. “It’s easy.”
“Maybe easy for you,” I scoffed good-naturedly. “But I give myself sixty seconds tops before I go flying out of the tube and skipping across the water like a pebble.”
Damien threw his head back and laughed hard, his chest vibrating. Vibrant sparkling eyes landed back on mine. “You’ll be fine.” He leaned down and planted a kiss on my lips. “Don’t fret. I’ll jump in and save you if I must.”
“If you must?” I gaped at him, completely appalled, as I shoved at his chest. “Then, if you fly off when I’m driving, don’t expect me to stop!”
He feigned shock. “You wouldn’t just leave me at sea.”
“Oh, I would.” I bit back my amusement and continued to yank his chain. “And I’ll make sure I wave good-bye as I keep going and leave you for the sharks!”
“Now, you’re just being mean. Get up, so I can toss you overboard.” Damien stood to his feet, taking me with him. He effortlessly threw me over his shoulder and carried me over to the end of the boat.
“No, you can’t do that!” I screamed as I grabbed at his midsection, giggling uncontrollably. My cheeks were beginning to ache.
“Then, say that you’d come back for me.”
“I wouldn’t.” I knew I was pushing it, but I didn’t care. I was having fun.
“You would, or I’d be super fucking pissed,” he spoke each word slowly.
My mind got stuck on one word. “Super?” I taunted as all the blood rushed to my face. I was grinning like an idiot.
His palm connected with my backside, making me yelp. “Yes. Super. Now, I want you to say you’d come back for me.” His tone was domineering and sexy.
“Oh, fine,” I caved.
“Say the words, Raelyn.” His hand glided over my ass as a clear warning sign.
“Okay, okay! I’d come back for you!” I shouted. God, he is so bossy. It made me all hot and bothered.
“Good,” he stated simply. “Can you swim?” he asked out of the blue.
“Yes, but—”
I didn’t get to finish speaking because Damien extended his arms, and I instantly found myself sailing through the air on a loud scream. I hit the water with a big splash. I kicked my legs and pulled at the water until I came up sputtering.
“You son of a—” I broke off when Damien leaped off the boat, grabbed his knees midair, and landed right next to me, sending a rush of water right in my face.
I pushed my wild hair out of my eyes and gave Damien my utmost lethal stare when he surfaced. “I’m so letting your ass drown if I get the chance!”
He grinned boyishly at me. It was a rare, beautiful sight to behold. I was a complete sucker and fell for it.
“You’re too sweet to be mad at me.” Damien swam the short distance between us and pulled me into his arms. “Now, get over here and kiss me,” he demanded before seizing my mouth.
I wanted to push him away, but I didn’t have the strength to resist. Damien’s kisses were too good to pass up.
I banded my arms around his shoulders and kissed him with unreserved pure fervor while clinging to him, forcing him to be the one to keep us afloat. He did, and he made it look effortless.
When we parted, he was beaming at me. “I’d throw you in again if it meant I’d get another kiss like that.”
“Oh, shush!” I leaped at him, threw my palms flat on either side of his collarbone, and pushed with all my might.
His grin was the last thing I saw before we sank beneath the surface of the sea, and all I could think about was how happy I was.
I was living.
Damien settled his hands on the steering wheel of the boat and glanced over his shoulder at me. “You ready?” he shouted, loud enough for me to hear.
I made sure my death grip on the plastic handles of the large blue inner tube were good and tight. The tube surrounding me felt solid and well made. Damien had strapped me tightly into a life vest.
Those all had to be good signs, so I looked up at Damien and yelled, “As I’ll ever be!” I gave him a false smile. If my heartbeat went any faster, I was going to burst like a rocket.
He gave me a thumbs-up and then turned around. The boat started to move slowly, tugging me forward. I squeezed the plastic handles harder, and my knuckles turned white.
“I’m so gonna land on my ass,” I muttered to myself, accepting my doomed fate.
The inner tube began to coast through the water. I held on and kept my body steady. I got a feel for the waves as I went up and down over each ripple. It wasn’t so bad. I can do this.
Damien kept checking back on me as we cruised a straight path. After a few minutes, he turned the wheel and made a loop. Once he was going straight again, he increased his speed just a tiny bit. I braced myself to accommodate the change of pace.
As the clock ticked by, I found myself smiling and relaxing beneath the clear sunny skies while I continued to hold on. It was such an enthralling experience. The wind blew across my face as the salty water crashed against my body.
Damien was right. Out here in the ocean, I could unwind. There were no worries. I had the power to set my mind free, so I could laugh and smile and just have fun.
After teaching me the basics of how to drive a speedboat, Damien took his turn out on the water. At first, I thought it would be easy to steer. But I repeatedly found myself turning around to catch a quick glance at the sight of Damien and the way his body moved on the floating device. His arms bulged as he rode the waves. His soaked swim shirt clung to the expansion of his broad chest, giving me an impeccable view of his upper torso. He was so graceful and strong and beautiful.
Making my fifth figure eight, I recalled Damien tossing me into the ocean earlier against my will. I bit my lip in deliberation as my hand hovered over the throttle, itching to push it up a notch.
Damien had used his strength to overpower me when he decided to throw me over his shoulder, and I’d been a helpless woman, thrashing in his arms when he’d sent me airborne into the water.
Right now, I held the power. He was the impotent one.
I slowly amplified our speed with a mischievous grin plastered on my face. I glanced backward to see that he was still holding on without showing any signs of strain, so I increased our speed a little more.
I looked over my shoulder and yelled loud enough for him to hear me over the engine, “You okay?”
“Yes!” He even let go of one of the handles to give me a thumbs-up.
I did a quick scan in front of me to make sure the coast was still clear before glancing at him once again to bellow out, “Can you swim?” My delighted expression was still firmly in place. This was going to be awesome.
I saw when realization dawned on his face, and I whipped back around and cranked the wheel to the left.
“Raelyn!” he roared my name in warning.
I was slammed into the steering column from the rapid gravity of the boat as it became slightly angled. Pain reverberated through my chest.
“Whoa!” I screeched as I overcorrected my actions with a harsh right, unable to regain my balance. It went too far, so I gradually spun the wheel to the left again, positive I was going to have whiplash by the time this was over.
I yanked the throttle all the way down, brought the boat to a halt, and ran to the end of it. “Damien!” I cried, staring in horror at the empty blue inner tube. It was flipped upside down, bobbing in the water.
Without delay, I jumped in and swam toward the inner tube, thankful I was still wearing my life vest.
“Damien, where are you?” I repeated.
I was on the verge of a panic attack until he came into view from the other side of th
e inner tube.
“Damien,” I exhaled in relief.
I pushed the floating device out of my way to get to him. My eyes darted from his head to his shoulders to his arms. I even glanced down in the water to look at his legs. He was swimming, so they couldn’t have been broken. But he did appear rather disheveled.
“Are you okay?” I queried with great worry.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Damien breathed heavily, sounding exerted. He gestured toward the way I’d come. “Let’s get back on the boat.”
I did as he’d said and pushed my arms and legs through the water. Damien treaded alongside me. Then, he helped me up the ladder where he climbed up after me.
I collapsed on shaky limbs and tucked them beneath me. Damien lay on the floor right beside me, still showing signs of exertion. The eerie silence was eating me alive from the inside out.
I chewed on my bottom lip. Shit, he’s probably so mad at me.
I scooted closer to him without making a sound. Water seeped out of his swim shirt and trunks and puddled around us. Once my knees bumped into the side of his stomach, I peered down at him and set my hand on his sternum, softly stroking his shirt. I needed to feel his chest rising and falling beneath my palm to believe that he was really okay.
I repeated my concern aloud, “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m okay, Raelyn.” He reached for my arm and gently tugged me onto his chest until our faces were inches apart. “But you, on the other hand, are in a shitstorm of trouble with me.” He was glaring at me, but his eyes said something different. He was definitely laughing at me.
A shitstorm? I scrunched up my forehead and asked, “What does that mean?”
“It means that payback is a beautiful thing, Raelyn,” he drawled. He grasped my nape to pull my forehead to his, and then he nipped at my lower lip. “And you, my gorgeous girl, have it coming to you tenfold.”
My eyes widened with worry, and I pulled back from him. “That doesn’t sound good.”