“Yeah, well, suffice it to say my parents were far too busy burying the dagger in each other’s backs to take on the responsibility of running a country, let alone a family. It’s a good thing that job went to Zia Ariana. She is without a doubt ‘to the throne bred.’”
Topher waved his hands away. “Nonsense,” he said. “Your mother was just as qualified. Not the right birth order. And we all know about that.”
“Toph, at least you’ll never have to worry about the problem of having to run Monaforte,” Pippa said. “I mean even Zander has a slight chance of it. Like, say, maybe if he pushed Adrian out a window or something.”
They all laughed.
“Can you imagine? Last thing Zander would want is any responsibility,” Topher said. “It’s all he can do to manage himself. It’s why I cut him such slack.”
Pippa rolled her eyes. “Cut him slack? That’s not what I heard after the wedding brunch.”
Clementine interrupted. “Pippa—”
“I’m just saying I heard there was a confrontation.”
“Look, Pippa, we both know that Zander loves to get a rise out of me. And you’re fully aware of exactly how he does it.”
Pippa and Clementine looked at each other and suppressed giggles until they could no longer hold it and burst out laughing.
“Sorry, Toph. You practically begged for that one,” Sebastian said with a wink. “After all, we know the one most likely to get a rise out of you is you, not anyone else.”
Topher looked at them all and shook his head. “I guess I deserved that one.” He flipped the finger to his friend with a laugh. “But getting back to the subject at hand...” He paused, then hit his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Seriously, can I stop with the inadvertent metaphors already?”
“I’ll drink to that,” Pippa said, taking a large swig of her wine as Sebastian refilled everyone’s glasses.
“Okay,” Topher said. “Let’s try this again. I know Zander has my back and that it’s simply his childish way of staying relevant. And now I’d better keep my mouth shut, except for eating, before I put my foot in it ten more times.”
As they ate, the foursome chatted about Monaforte and mutual friends and the various universities they attended. Just as they were finishing their meal, an oversized mango-orange moon arose and hovered over the tops of palm fronds that rustled in the wind along the nearby shore.
“Wow,” Clementine said. “This place is amazing. I don’t know how you two suffer through living on this boat. It must be a real struggle, what with all this beauty.”
“Yeah, well, somebody’s got to enjoy it. Speaking of amazing,” Sebastian said. “I almost forgot that I promised to take you over to the Willy-T for a drink.”
“The Willy-T?” Pippa said.
“It’s a huge steel sailboat anchored not far from here in the Bight at Norman Island,” Topher said. “Best known for people getting naked and jumping from the top deck or doing naked belly shots.”
“Awesome! Let’s go then,” Pippa said. “Sounds like it’ll be a great show.”
Clementine got up from the table and motioned to Sebastian to hurry over to the dinghy.
“Sorry, Pips,” she said. “But Sebastian promised to take only me. Sort of making a date of it.”
She made an exaggerated wink to Sebastian, who returned a similar wink of collusion back at her.
Pippa gave her a hard stare. “You know you’re about as subtle as a bitch in heat at a dog show.”
Clementine just smiled.
“Fine, I can take the hint,” Pippa said, holding her hands up. “Leave us here to clear the table.”
“Perfect. Because I know you of all people can then find a more enterprising use for that tabletop,” her friend said as she reached out for Sebastian’s hand to lower herself into the dinghy.
Chapter Thirteen
WITHIN minutes, the two of them were motoring away without giving Pippa a chance to even object. Which left her and Topher staring at each other over the remains of their lobsters.
“Well,” she said as she propped her elbows on the table and leaned her chin over her clasped hands.
“So,” he said, pushing his plate out of the way.
“Um, yeah,” she said, raising her eyebrows and flaring her nostrils, lips pursed.
“Yup,” he added, drumming his fingers.
Silence pervaded for about forty seconds, which felt like an hour to Pippa.
“So, are you ready to talk about things yet?” Topher said.
“What things?” Pippa said, shifting her lips to one side and rolling her eyes upward, feigning ignorance.
“Like how you’re conflating your anger at my brother with anger at me.”
“I am not.”
“Okay then. So why are you angry at me?”
Pippa paused for a minute, clearly unable to give a legitimate reason. She puffed her cheeks full of air and moved the air bubble back and forth between her cheeks. Then she cleared her throat to stall for some more time. “Oh, I dunno... Maybe because you conspired behind my back to get me here?”
Topher held up his hands in surrender. “I did no such thing. All I said to Clem was that I’d owe her a lobster dinner if she managed the impossible.”
Pippa’s eyes grew large. “She sold me out for a damned lobster? Are you kidding me? What kind of friend is that?”
“The very best kind,” he said with a smile, “who wants only the best for her good friend.”
“And you’re what’s best?” She took another large swig of wine and stared at Topher, who was actually looking better and better to her as the evening progressed and she really started to let her guard down.
“Do I have to remind you?” he said as he stood up and reached for her hand, pulling her up. A soft, Brazilian jazz song was playing, one of those tunes written for pure seduction. Before Pippa could stop him, he enveloped her in his arms and began to slow dance with her, her head tucked beneath his chin, the two of them still in their swimsuits, which meant a lot of skin on skin and felt far more delicious to her than she’d remembered. He reached behind and pulled out the band that held her tight braid, running his fingers through her hair to loosen it up.
As she moved so slowly in Topher’s arms, Pippa couldn’t help but be reminded of dancing with him at Adrian’s wedding, which quickly led to romancing, which ultimately led to all sorts of unnecessary drama, and she hated drama. But she didn’t have it in her to fight him anymore. After all, he was a really nice guy. And the sex was pretty spectacular. And that thing of his was truly record setting in size. Besides, he felt so warm and hard and, well, hard. And growing harder by the minute, from the feel of things. The motion of the boat on the gentle swell of the harbor seemed to match perfectly the music and their own rhythm.
Soon she felt his fingers gently lift her chin, as his lips quietly touched her forehead, then the bridge of her nose, then the tip of it, finally finding her soft lips as he moved her chin just enough so he could reach her mouth.
Their breathing grew louder as the kiss intensified, his tongue entwined with hers as she softened into his grip, even pulling him toward her with her hands that had settled on his behind. She heaved a sigh, and she wasn’t sure if it was one of abandonment or contentment. Either way, she knew she couldn’t fight whatever it was that kept pulling the two of them together despite her strong will.
Topher’s hands grazed her back and soon slipped beneath the edge of her bikini bottom where his warm hands settled on her behind, pulling her closer toward him as Pippa reached up to pull his head closer to hers.
They stood that way, hardly moving but for their mouths entwined, exploring one another with their tongues. He came up for air and pressed his forehead to hers.
“I think you know where I’m going with this,” he said, breathing heavily. “But I really want to be respectful of your wishes, and I definitely don’t want you to end up regretting anything we might do. So before we go any further, I need to be
sure you’re with me here.”
Pippa paused, trying to figure out what it was that she wanted, knowing damn well she wanted him, there, now, even if that might not be the wisest move on her part.
“Are you looking for me to sign a consent form, then?” she asked, licking his lips, trying to get past the chitchat and back to the action.
Man, all it takes is a few glasses of wine to oil you up, girl, she thought. So much for your strong resolve that pursuing Topher was an overall bad idea.
“I’ll settle for oral consent,” he said, his hand reaching up to tug on the string of her bikini top.
“Oral sounds good to me,” she said with a coy wink, knowing full well what she was telling him.
That was all the consent he needed, and with two short tugs he made quick work of her top, which sprang loose and tumbled to the ground. He leaned forward, weighing her breasts with his hands, alternating stroking each of her nipples with his tongue, a kid in a candy shop, indulging in as much as he could.
Reflected moonlight rippled in the soft swells of the water as Topher reveled in the soft swells in front of him, while Pippa leaned her head back, lost in the sensation his tongue bathing her nipples was sending deep within her.
Suddenly he stood up and grabbed her hand. “This is going to be so much better on the trampoline,” he said, pulling her toward the bow of the catamaran.
Pippa pictured them having sex while jumping on a trampoline and started to laugh.
“That doesn’t sound very romantic to me,” she said.
“Just you wait,” he said. “I think you’ll be glad we made the move.”
Once on the bouncy surface, he lowered himself onto the webbed netting, taking advantage of his angle to quickly shimmy her bikini bottom down as well, then pulling her toward his face and burying his tongue in her center.
“Oh, God. Baby, you’re so wet,” he said, groaning as he slipped a finger inside her.
Pippa let out a loud moan.
“Spread your legs more,” he said, helping to shift her to straddle his face.
She was happy to cooperate if this was her reward. He pressed a hand against her behind, allowing him easier access as he stroked his tongue along her clit and moved first one then two fingers in and out of her.
The gentle lapping of water against the hull combined with the enthusiastic lapping of Topher’s tongue against her wet center and the glide of his fingers were all Pippa could focus on as her breathing became heavy and her moans louder until finally she broke, shouting out his name as she came against his talented tongue and lips.
Topher wasted no time pulling his swim trunks off and Pippa on top of him, where she easily slid down over his erection and held still, pressed body to body, enjoying the sensation of being so filled up. Soon she began lifting her hips and pressing back down, joining him as he forged himself into her warmth, the two of them savoring the slide and release of their bodies. She leaned forward enough to allow his mouth to encircle her nipple, and she knew she wouldn’t last long with his tongue working magic there while his cock filled her so deeply. He began to move faster, and with one last thrust, he came in her just as she let go, falling over the abyss along with him.
They lay there, still joined and in a relaxed state of near-perfect bliss as the sailboat bobbed on the water, her head pressed against his chest as he stroked her hair, their breathing in sync. Finally Topher rolled Pippa over till his face was inches from hers.
“There, now. That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he said as he pressed his lips softly to hers. He kissed a trail to her chin, then along the column of her neck to that sensitive spot at the base of her throat.
“It was dangerously not so bad,” she said, squirming suggestively beneath him, trying to stir him into action yet again. “So much so that if I’m not careful, I could become addicted to this.”
“In that case give me a minute,” he said. “I’m as ready as you are for round two. I only need to get my friend on board.”
“I thought you finally got your friend on board,” she said, aiming her thumb at herself.
“You mean you? Seriously? That was more like a miracle for the ages,” he said. “I’m not even sure how it happened. Although I won’t question it. But getting mini me ready for another go will take a moment more.”
“I’ve got news for you, buddy. Mini me isn’t so mini.”
“You think so?”
“Trust me,” she said. “He’s your best spokesperson.”
“Wouldn’t that be spokespenis?”
They both laughed.
“Or maybe spokesmember. Sounds more socially acceptable,” Pippa said.
“So you’re telling me if I had a small cock you’d not have come back for more?”
“You make me sound so shallow,” she said. “But, uh, yeah.” She smacked him playfully. “You know what they say? Go big or go home.”
“Speaking of big,” Topher said, looking downward. “A little more attention toward him and this project will be greenlighted in no time.”
“In that case, lights, cameras, action,” she said, scooting down his hard body, taking his not-so-mini me into her mouth.
Topher groaned. It was going to be a long night. In a very good way.
Chapter Fourteen
HOURS later, Topher stirred at the sound of a dinghy motoring toward them.
“Oh, crap,” he muttered, leaning over to nudge Pippa.
“One little detail we forgot about when we fell asleep al fresco,” he said in a whisper. “Sebastian and Clem returning.”
Pippa sat up in a panic. “Christ, I’m naked!” she said. “Quick, what should we do?”
Topher pushed her down onto the trampoline again. “Keep low so they don’t see you! I’ve got an idea.”
He crawled along the webbing until he reached a hatch that opened to his cabin below. The window opening was wide enough for him to slip in head first until he was suspended, waist-deep.
“Careful! Don’t want to get those dangly bits tangled up there,” Pippa said.
“Trust me, that is of utmost concern to me right now.”
He stretched his arms and fumbled in the dark room until he grabbed ahold of his blanket and tugged hard enough to pull it loose from the bed. It was only then he realized there was no way he was going to get back out the way he had come in as his arms couldn’t provide the leverage needed to pull himself out. He shifted his hips, hoping to make enough space to perhaps slip one arm back up through the hatch so that maybe he could somehow pull the rest of his body out, but no go.
“What’s wrong?” Pippa asked with a hiss. “The motor is nearby. They’re going to be here any minute, and I’m haven’t got a stitch of clothing on!”
“Um, this probably doesn’t need to be stated, but I have my bare ass sticking up in the air straight in the direction they’ll be walking any minute now. I’m well aware of our dilemma.”
Pippa took one look at him and laughed. “Well, crap. What are we supposed to do?”
“I need you to go down below to my cabin so that you can push me up from there.”
“I can’t get down there without them seeing me!”
“Look at it this way,” Topher said. “Either way they’re going to see you. But at least this way you have control over which view they get.”
Pippa thought about that for a moment. He had a point there.
“Fine,” she said. “But I’m doing this under duress.”
“Watch that you don’t trip over the boom. It’s dark out there.”
She looked down at him, at least the half she could see, and her eyes grew large.
“Wait a minute,” she said. “You are hanging upside down from a boat hatch, completely nude, with your white butt competing with the moon in its brilliance, and you’re sporting a hard-on?”
Sure enough, he had an undeniable boner springing up.
“I can’t help it,” he said with a moan. “I started to think of you coming down to my cabin
and that I’d be looking down at you while you’re naked and pushing up on me with your tits bouncing around, and that’s all it took.”
“Men,” Pippa said, rolling her eyes. “Sometimes your gender is so pathetic.”
She started to slink low along the portside of the sailboat, hoping to stay down enough to avoid detection by the fast-approaching dinghy. But while she was busily focusing on the approaching boat, she failed to see what was right in front of her, and before she knew it, she stepped right into another hatch, this one leading to her own cabin.
“Sonofabitch,” she shouted out loud.
“Shhhhh,” Topher said. “Wait a minute. Are you okay?”
“Do you think I’d be okay if I shouted out obscenities?”
“What’s wrong?”
“My foot slipped into my hatch.” Pippa pulled her leg up to see a lovely gash bleeding from her shin. “I’m bleeding.”
“Oh, Pips, quick, get the first aid kit,” he said. “It’s in the galley, the cabinet closest to the steps.”
“I can’t deal with treating this right now,” she said. “I have to rescue you before they get back or we’ll never live this one down.”
“Great,” Topher said. “Another laughable story about you and me, and me with a hard-on, no less. Thank goodness Zander’s not here at least.”
“Look, I’m on my way. Stay where you are.”
“Pretty sure I’m not going anywhere in the foreseeable future.”
“Good point.”
Pippa hobbled toward the stern, cutting past the cockpit and the helm of the boat, which she grabbed on to for support as she limped. She climbed down the steps, through the salon, over to Toph’s cabin.
“It’s dark in here,” she said. “You’re blocking the moonlight.”
“Flip on the light,” he said. “Just to your right.”
She fumbled along the wall in the dark with her hands till she found the switch, finally illuminating the room. And what she saw, an upside-down, red-faced (not just from embarrassment) Topher, looked so damned hilarious she couldn’t help but cackle out a laugh. Really loudly.
Love is in the Heir Page 7