“Aiden?” I hoped the almost absurd amount of happiness in my voice didn't scare him off.
“You want to go fishing with me?” he asked.
“Fishing?” I repeated, making sure I had heard the correct word.
“Do I have to answer in the form of a question?” I could hear the smile in his voice. “Yes, fishing. I have a boat at the docks and the weather is beautiful.”
I thought about it for a moment. I had never really understood the appeal of putting worms on a hook and hoping something ate one, but the idea of spending the afternoon out on the water with Aiden sounded absolutely fantastic. “Sure! Let me change and I'll be right there.”
“Okay,” he said, sounding excited. “Dock two. I'll see you soon.”
I hung up the phone and did a happy dance across the room. I had the rest of the day to play with my new favorite person. I quickly changed into a cute, red two-piece with polka dots, a pair of board shorts, and a light t-shirt. Sunscreen and a towel went in a bag and with a pair of sandals on my feet, I was out the door in no time.
I easily found the dock on the water's edge. Aiden waved to me from the bow of a speed boat and I hurried over to him. The boat was painted a sparkly, deep blue and had two leather seats in the front and a larger square area in the back where we could sit and fish.
“Ahoy, matey,” Aiden called out as I came over. I grinned.
“Ahoy,” I repeated, feeling like a pirate. “Permission to come aboard?”
Aiden grinned and reached a hand out over the boat. “Permission most certainly granted.”
I took his hand, soaking in the warmth and strength as he helped me up onto the boat deck. My sandals slipped on the smooth surface of the deck, but he kept me up. I gave him a bashful grin.
“It's easier if you just go barefoot,” he advised. I noticed he wasn't wearing shoes either, so I slipped them off and tucked them into my bag. “Ready?”
I nodded and together we sat down in the two leather seats in the front of the boat. The engine purred to life and he carefully navigated us out into open water.
“Where'd you get the boat?” I asked, pulling my hair up into a ponytail. “It's nice.”
“I rented it from the resort,” he explained. The water was darker as we went out further, but still just as clear. “I know a great little fishing spot not too far from here. Ready?”
“Sure,” I replied, peering down at the water. It looked like I could reach out and touch the bottom of the ocean the water was so clear, but I had a feeling that it was far deeper than I could reach. “I hope you're not spending all your money on me.”
“Don't you worry about what I'm spending,” he chastised. “It all gets written off by the company anyway. Just enjoy yourself and don't think too much.”
Aiden revved the engine and the boat took off. I squealed in delight at the sudden speed as we zoomed across the water. The wind and spray of the ocean were exhilarating. I giggled as he zigged and zagged through the waves, turning tight circles and catching air off some of the waves. My hair streamed out behind me and my eyes watered from the speed, but I didn't want him to stop. I loved it.
All too soon he slowed the boat to the original slow putter before stopping it completely. I could just barely see the faint outline of the island on the horizon. Other than some birds and the fish, the two of us were completely alone in a world of blue sky and sapphire water. It was suddenly very quiet without the roar of the engine and the wind rushing past my ears.
“That was awesome,” I said breathlessly. My face hurt from smiling so wide. “Where did you learn to do that?”
“One of the guys I went to college with had a brother who was really into sailing. I spent a lot of time out on the water with him.”
“This isn't exactly a sailboat,” I said, looking at the very important lack of sail on our speedboat.
“I know,” Aiden replied with a grin. “His brother and I would specifically take out a speedboat just to piss him off.”
Aiden stood from the driver's seat and went to the back of the boat. I followed him with my eyes as he lifted one of the seat cushions in the back and pulled out a picnic basket. “You hungry?”
My stomach growled, answering for me. “I guess so,” I replied with a laugh.
I moved carefully to the back of the boat to sit on the bench next to Aiden. He placed the basket on the floor and began to pull out food. There were sandwiches, chips, several cans of soda, cookies, and a big bowl of fresh fruit.
“I didn't know what kind of sandwich you would want,” he told me as he pulled out more sandwiches than we could possibly eat. “So I got turkey, PB&J, and ham. Condiments are all on the side.”
“I'm a PB&J kind of girl, but turkey is a good second,” I said choosing one of the plastic wrapped sandwiches. “This looks wonderful. Thank you.”
“You are very welcome. I guess that means more ham and cheese sandwiches for me,” he replied with a grin. He picked a ham sandwich up and immediately squirted four packets of mustard onto the bread. I raised my eyebrows and gave the sandwich a sidewise look. It was a lot of mustard.
He shrugged. “What? I like mustard.”
I laughed, and I dug into my peanut butter and jelly with gusto.
“So, I told you about my brother and father,” Aiden said after a moment of quiet. “What about your family? You said you have a sister?”
I swallowed the last bite of my sandwich and reached for the bag of chips. “My parents, Lou and Mina, were high-school sweethearts. My sister, Louisa, just started college. It's a three hour drive, so I haven't seen much of her since she left home.”
“Your parents are Lou and Mina,” he repeated, enunciating their names carefully. “And they have two daughters named Louisa and Lena?”
“Yup.” I nodded slowly. We had gotten plenty of grief through our lives on the similarity of all our names. “They wanted to name our dog Lucina, but Louisa and I decided to name her Casey.”
Aiden laughed, taking out another sandwich and again applying a ridiculous amount of mustard. “You close with your parents?”
I shrugged. “I guess. They live just outside Chicago, so I try and see them when I can. Work keeps me pretty busy, though.”
He nodded. His work must keep him busy as well. He pulled out another sandwich, drenching it with mustard before digging in.
“What about you? What does your dad think of you working for Travel, Inc.?” I asked, taking a handful of chips.
He chewed slowly before finally swallowing. “It's complicated.” His tone of voice told me that it wasn't really something he wanted to discuss.
“Oh.” I chewed on my lip for a moment, trying to think of something that he would want to talk about. His dad was definitely a sore subject with him. “What's your favorite place that you've gone to for work? Besides here, I mean.”
“This is definitely one of my favorite places,” Aiden replied, his shoulders relaxing and the easy smile coming back to the corners of his eyes.
“Las Vegas? Tokyo?” I watched as he shook his head. Where would a man as handsome and charming as Aiden want to go? “Ibiza?”
“Ibiza was amazing and a constant party,” Aiden said. He grinned. “But my favorite would have to be the Grand Canyon.”
“The Grand Canyon?” I was a little surprised. I had expected a something flashy and full of excitement, not a giant hole in the ground.
“I liked the way it made me feel,” he explained. His eyes went distant as he remembered. “All my problems were so small and inconsequential there. You can feel the eons there, and it just puts everything into perspective. Plus, the stars at night are absolutely breathtaking.”
“I've never been there,” I said with a shrug. “The pictures look amazing, though.”
“The pictures don't do it justice.” His hazel focus came back to me. “I'll take you there someday.”
A flutter went through my stomach at the casual reference to us seeing one another after this trip.
“I'd like that,” I replied honestly. “I really, really would.”
He grinned and moved to kiss me. His kiss tasted faintly of mustard, but I still thought it was wonderful. I treasured that mustard kiss like it was gold.
“You'd have to find the time off from being a lawyer to come with me,” he said when we broke apart. “I would want to show you all of it.”
Cold ice settled in the pit of my stomach. Guilt threatened to overtake my happiness. “Oh, yeah. Right.”
I knew I needed to tell him. I knew I should just blurt out the words, “I'm not a lawyer!” but nothing came out. This was so perfect. He wanted to take me to his favorite place in the world. Telling him now would only ruin things. Plus, we were out on the middle of the ocean in a boat. I hated the idea of driving back in silence. It could wait until later.
He brushed hair from my face and back behind my ear. I loved that he did that. It made me feel cherished. “You are so beautiful.”
I looked up, my guilt melted by the heat in his eyes. Want made his gaze burn and set my soul aflame. He kissed me again, this time slower and with more purpose. His tongue infused raw desire straight into my mouth. He reached for my shirt, lifting it easily up over my head.
I moaned his name against his kiss as the shirt cleared. “I thought we were fishing...” I murmured as his hands caressed the fabric of my swim top, my nipples hardening and responding to his touch.
He nibbled on my shoulder, sending heat straight down my spine and to my core. “I can stop if you want...”
“No, no, no... don't stop,” I gasped as he used put his mouth to the delicate skin of my neck and sucked. He smiled against my skin. I bit my lip and looked out across the water. There wasn't a soul for miles, but the idea of doing it out in broad daylight had a delicious naughtiness to it.
He released the tension of his kiss, causing my skin to sting. I hoped he hadn't left too much of a hickey, especially since I couldn't get away with wearing a turtleneck in the Caribbean. He blew on the now incredibly sensitive skin, chuckling as I shivered and goosebumps raced down my arms. It almost hurt when he kissed the spot again, trailing his tongue down the curve of my shoulder and distracting me while he untied my top.
My cute swimsuit fell away before I had a chance to press it up. I didn't fight him as he untied the back string and left me completely exposed in front of him. We were alone out on the water and I had no reason to stop. Just the opposite, in fact.
His hand cupped my bare flesh and he instinctively groaned with pleasure. The sound of his want drove me wild. Unbearable need was heating my core like a furnace and only he could put out my flames. The fact that he was now using his fingers to turn my nipple into a hard pebble only fed the fire.
I shimmied out of my shorts and bottoms as he used both hands and mouth on me. He palmed and pinched while sucking and kissing my shoulders and neck. Aiden had found a spot just along my jaw line that was making my thighs moist.
The Caribbean sun was hot on my skin, but the cool breeze off the water made it tolerable. I decided that Aiden had far too many clothes on and that he should remove them in order to be as comfortable as I was. I grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head. He didn't resist and moved his arms to help me, but never stopped touching and kissing.
His chest was all muscle under my hands. I pushed his shoulders hard, making him stumble back onto the bench. I loved the view of him looking up at me, hazel eyes wide and practically drooling as I straddled his hips. I smiled as I writhed my naked body against him. His swim trunks were struggling to contain his erection. Even through the fabric, he was hard and ready to take me.
His physical reaction was like a drug. It was visceral and stroked my ego that I could inspire this kind of desire. I loved that I turned him on. With that thought on my mind, my hips started to rock against his length.
In return, he pressed his mouth to my breast and began to suck. Using teeth, tongue and suction, he drew the want straight from my core up my entire spine until I was undulating with need. Every flick of his tongue made me moan and writhe harder.
I couldn't stand it anymore. I could feel his cock pressing against my opening, begging for entrance and I wanted to give it to him. It was all I could think of. Every fiber in my body ached with desperate need to have him inside of me.
I reached down, moved his shorts to the side and took out his length. His hip arched in a primal response to my touch, searching out the way to complete me. I stroked him, feeling the blood rushing through and pulsating in my hand.
“I want you,” I whispered, palming his hardness and feeling my insides contract with want.
“The basket,” he groaned. “In the side pouch.”
I kept one hand on him as I leaned back and searched the basket with the other. The condom square was easy to find.
“So sure you were going to get lucky, weren't you?” I teased, tearing open the package.
“I was certainly hoping for the best.” His joking tone was betrayed by his wide pupils and the sheer desire painted in broad strokes across his face. “Never hurts to be prepared.”
The corners of his lips tipped up in a smile, but there was obvious tension in his shoulders as he struggled to contain himself. He wanted me so badly he was practically shaking.
I slipped the condom down his hard length and then followed it with myself. His body reacted as soon as mine touched his. Arching his hips and grabbing my waist, he pushed himself to the hilt. He filled me so completely, so wonderfully, that I forgot to breathe. Luckily, my body knew what to do.
Aiden's eyes drifted shut and he tipped his head back with a groan as I started a slow grind. I held onto his solid shoulders and worked circles and arches, rocking and rolling my hips to have him touch every inch of my insides.
He gripped my hips to the point where I thought his fingers might leave bruises, but I didn't care. We were dancing the ageless dance of lovers. We matched our rhythm and movements, slowly pulling one another up the incline to climax.
My hair fell down my back as I arched my back, feeling the crescendo building between us. Looking down, our eyes met. They were more beautiful than the turquoise waters surrounding us. I dove into them, losing myself in his eyes as he lost himself in my body.
His pace intensified. Raw need blazed between us, threatening to overwhelm every sense. I matched him thrust for thrust, until I tipped over the edge into Aiden's oblivion. I heard my voice cry out in pleasure, but I didn't remember opening my mouth. For a long time, everything but Aiden spun out of control. I clung to him as pleasure racked both our bodies.
I collapsed forward, gasping for breath. Aiden wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as if he was still spinning out of control too. My mind took it's time returning to my body as I sat up. Aiden was smiling at me.
“Wow,” I gasped, struggling to find my voice. It was hoarse from screaming I only vaguely remembered.
“I don't know how you do that to me,” he whispered, touching my cheek with his fingers. “You are amazing.”
Pride flushed my cheeks. “Thanks. You're pretty amazing yourself.”
“Well, obviously,” he responded as if I had said he had two eyes and a nose. “I'm the best there is.”
“Cocky much?” I pushed his shoulders slightly. In response, he thrust his hips up to demonstrate his position of cockiness. It made me whimper with pleasure.
“It's not ego if it's true.”
I had no comeback for that. As far as I was concerned, it was true. He was the best lover I had ever had. I knew that if I told him that though, he would go straight to his head, so instead I just kissed him.
I didn't want to break away from him, but nature was telling me it was inevitable. I pulled back, staying on his lap for just a moment longer. “Do we still get to fish today, or was this the whole purpose of the boat?” I asked, nodding to our location.
Aiden chuckled. “If this were the whole purpose, I would have gotten a comfier boat.”
C
hapter 14
I sat on the edge of the boat, my feet dangling in the water and my head resting on Aiden's shoulder in complete bliss. I didn't care if we caught a single fish for the rest of the day—I was having a fantastic time.
I could see a boat in the distance, but I didn't pay them much attention until it was clear they were headed straight for us. For a moment, I wondered if they had somehow heard my screams of pleasure and thought I needed rescuing.
The boat was slightly larger than ours, but with more storage and less speed. A man with aviator glasses and jet black hair was steering while a woman in a wetsuit gave him directions from the on-board computer. They silenced their engines to a throttle as they came alongside ours.
“I'm going to need to see your fishing licenses,” the man asked. I didn't see any official emblems on their boat, but I supposed they could be with the coast guard. I hoped Aiden had the appropriate documentation needed.
“And I'm going to need to talk to your supervisor,” Aiden retorted without looking up from his fishing line. I felt my eyes go wide at his flippant tone, but kept the rest of my face still. It certainly wasn't the tactic I would have used to get out of a ticket.
“Then you should probably stop by the facilities and see her sometime,” the woman in the other boat replied. “I'm still trying to get in touch with your brother. We're booked out for months because of him, but he won't answer my calls.”
“As much as I know Logan appreciates your interest, he's with Olivia now,” Aiden said, grinning up at them. These people were his obviously his friends. He changed his expression to look scandalized. “Besides, what would your husband think?”
“It would really just depend on what I would get in return. Olivia's pretty cute,” the dark-haired man answered with a wink I could see over his sunglasses. The woman smacked his chest in pretend disgust at his sexualized comment.
“I wondered if we might run into you out here.” Aiden laughed, rising to his feet. I mimicked his motion, but stayed quiet since I didn't know them. “Izzy can't stay away from me when I'm on a boat.”
Barefoot Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story Page 10