by Ashlee Price
"You're not getting away from me that easily."
He gives me another splash and I let out a squeal of laughter.
"That's... enough!"
I hold my hands in front of my face as my back hits the edge of the pool.
He throws another splash in my direction. I turn my head and squeeze my eyes shut. Most of the water lands on my palms and cheeks.
When I open my eyes, Steff is standing beside me running his dripping fingers through his hair.
At first, I let out a sigh of relief that he's finally stopped splashing me. But then my gaze drops. I catch a glimpse of his body beneath the water and my cheeks burn.
Right. I almost forgot he's not wearing anything.
I place my hand on his shoulder and push him away. "Don't get too close to me, will you?"
His eyebrows arch. Then he grins mischievously as he moves even closer.
"Why not? It's not like you haven't seen me naked before."
I move away and he follows me.
"Besides, we're a married couple on our honeymoon."
"No, we're not," I remind him with a scowl. "Don't tell me you've forgotten that it was just an act."
Steff stands in front of me. "And don't tell me you've forgotten our agreement."
My eyes grow wide.
No. I haven't forgotten.
I remember that conversation we had about our marriage very clearly. He asked me what I had to offer him in exchange for his agreeing to that fake ceremony, and I told him that I'd pay him the same way I'd been paying him.
With my body.
Steff grabs my waist and leans forward until his face is just an inch from mine. I grab his shoulders and push him away.
"Here? Outside? In the open?" I ask him. "Are you crazy? People could see us."
His blue eyes narrow. "So you're saying you knew there was a chance people could see you and you still wore that alluring swimsuit?"
Alluring?
I glance down at what I'm wearing. It's just an old two-piece black swimsuit I've had for ages. The top is a simple crisscross bandeau and the bottom has a high waist and high leg cuts.
What could be so alluring about that?
I shake my head. "You're not making any sense, Steff."
"Maybe," he agrees with me to my surprise.
His hands, which are still on my waist, go up my sides. He leans over to whisper in my ear.
"The more time I spend with you, the more I seem to lose my mind."
His tongue flicks against my earlobe. I let out a gasp.
"Don't worry," Steff whispers. "I think we're alone here, which means you can make as much noise as you want."
I frown. "Who said I'm noi-?"
His kiss cuts me off. His tongue slips between my lips and I get a taste of wine, toothpaste and chlorine.
And him. As usual, Steff tastes great.
And feels good.
His tongue glides over mine and my mind begins to spin. He plunders my mouth and my defenses melt away. Heat erupts in my chest. It flows through my veins and my body comes alive.
My hands move to Steff's neck and my fingers caress the skin there as I kiss him back.
His hands move up even higher until his thumbs reach my bikini top. He hooks them beneath the fabric and pushes it up.
My breasts spill out. I let out a moan as my nipples stiffen in the water.
His thumbs press against the engorged peaks as his tongue wrestles mine and forces it into submission. He takes the nubs between his fingers to twist them lightly and I tremble.
My fingers tug at his hair. I press my hips against his as my body pleads for more.
A chuckle escapes Steff's lips. "And here I thought you weren't in the mood."
"And whose fault is that?" I ask breathlessly.
Ever since we had sex, my body hasn't felt the same. It burns. It yearns.
It feels like I'm Pandora's Box and now all the desires and all the naughtiness I never knew were inside me have been unleashed.
Steff grins.
I narrow my eyes. "I swear if you keep making fun of me, I'll drown you in this pool."
"Well, we can't have that, can we?"
Steff starts nibbling on my neck. I gasp.
"You know you're better when you have your mouth shut," I say as I close my eyes.
"And you're better when you let your body give me the answers I need."
He captures my lips again. His hands grip my waist and then slide to my butt as he grinds against me. I moan.
Then his fingers creep to the front and slip inside my panties. His knuckles brush against my nub.
I step back with a jolt. A gasp escapes my gaping mouth.
Steff kisses my neck again as he starts teasing that nub.
My knees wobble and I lean against the edge of the pool.
One of his knees slides between mine. His fingers move lower, and one of them slips inside me.
I grab his shoulders.
Even though we're immersed in the water, I can feel myself getting wetter, coating his finger. He slips in another and I let out a cry. My skin burns and I wonder if the water might boil.
Once again, Steff seals my mouth with his. His fingers move in and out.
Feeling weak but not wanting to surrender, I reach for his crotch. My fingers wrap around his hard cock.
He grunts but continues to stroke me. I moan and start stroking him.
For a while, our tongues mingle as our hands work in tandem. It's as if we're moving-dancing-to one rhythm. My hips move on their own as I melt from the inside out. His cock quivers against my fingers and makes them sticky.
Then Steff stops. He turns me around and pulls down my bikini bottom. Then he grips my hips and enters me from behind with one thrust.
I let out a cry as my fingers grip the edge of the pool. My toes curl. The soles of my feet rise off the floor.
This position... it's strange.
Steff seems to be going in deeper. He seems to be more in control.
I'm losing my mind.
I squeeze my eyes shut. My nails scrape the stone.
Steff moves faster. I hear his balls slapping against my skin and the water splashing faintly around us. I feel my breasts swaying beneath me. They tingle as they seem to grow heavier.
When Steff cups them in his hands as he thrusts into me, another cry spills past my lips. His fingers lightly pinch my nipples and I'm swept away.
My body trembles as wave after wave of pleasure washes over me.
Still, Steff moves behind me, pounding into me. His fingers dig into my hips.
Just when I feel I'm about to break, he grabs my leg and lifts it.
His cock plunges deeper and hits a spot inside me that sends fresh ripples of heat throughout my body.
"God!"
The word escapes me as I feel another huge wave of pleasure sweep me away. This time, as I tremble, Steff trembles as well.
He lets my leg down and manages a few more thrusts before pushing in deeper. Heat explodes inside me. His ragged breathing sounds in my ears.
As soon as Steff pulls out, I feel my legs grow weak and I grip the edge of the pool to keep myself from drowning. I fold my arms and use them as a pillow beneath my head as I catch my breath. My eyes refuse to stay open.
I feel Steff's arms around me. He's carrying me again like I weigh nothing. He lifts me out of the pool.
The breeze caresses my wet skin and I shiver. But the sound of Steff's heartbeat fills me with warmth. It echoes in my ears along with the roar of the waves in the distance.
And once again, I'm floating.
Chapter 20
Steff
I sink into the couch and run my hands through my hair in frustration.
What have I done?
Last night, I lost my self-control with Jess.
As soon as I stepped outside, I saw her floating on the surface of the pool in those skimpy pieces of clothing that barely covered her body, and my blood simmered. I saw he
r skin gleaming under the moonlight, her hair scattered around her head. I saw her in such a state of surrender that it inevitably awakened my desire to take. And when she let out that moan, I couldn't just keep away.
So I took her. Right then and there. I gave her body pleasure with my own.
But I should have been more gentle.
By the time I realized it, it was too late. Jess was already on the verge of passing out, and all I could do was carry her into the house, dry her off and tuck her to bed.
I went to my own bed afterward, but I could barely sleep. The voice in my head, the voice of guilt, kept haunting me, scolding me.
I sit back against the couch and let out a sigh.
What have I done?
The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs makes me sit up. Moments later, Jess appears in a striped robe.
She yawns. "Good morning."
"Good morning," I greet her softly. "Did you sleep well?"
"I think so, although I remember feeling cold during the night."
Jess wraps her arms around her.
I stand up and walk over to her. "I'm sorry."
Her eyebrows arch.
I bow my head. "I shouldn't have been so rough."
For a moment, Jess says nothing. Then she sighs. "It's fine."
I look up. "But..."
"I owed you, didn't I?" She meets my gaze. "Now the debt is paid."
I slap my forehead.
So Jess let me have my way with her just so she could pay her debt? I wasn't even serious when we made that agreement.
"I still should have been gentler," I tell her through gritted teeth. "I should have controlled myself."
"Well, it wasn't so bad," Jess says softly.
She rubs her arms as she gazes into the distance. A blush coats her cheeks.
My eyes grow wide.
"What I mean is that it's good to know that even you can lose control," she tells me as she meets my gaze. "What's wrong with that? I lose control of my temper all the time. It just means you're human."
I frown. "Even so..."
Jess pinches my cheek. "Enough with that already. As you can see, I'm fine."
My eyebrows crease as I rub my cheek. "Are you sure?"
Jess rubs her lower back.
"Well, I'm a little sore down there, and my back aches. Maybe I pulled a muscle. And my stomach seems a little upset this morning..."
"I'm sorry," I apologize again with my head bowed.
Jess lets out a chuckle. I lift my head.
"I was just kidding," she says. "Geez. You're acting strange."
I just stare at her.
"If you're feeling that guilty, just be more gentle next time."
Next time?
Heat stirs in my crotch at the thought.
I shake my head. No. I have to calm down. If I don't, I'll mess up again next time.
"Anyway, let that be the end of it."
Jess walks to the kitchen.
"Are you sure you're fine?" I call after her. "You don't want to stay at home?"
"No way," she tells me over her shoulder. "We've got amusement parks to visit, remember?"
~
She really does love amusement parks, I think as I glance at Jess towards the end of the Rock N' Roller Coaster.
Today, our fourth and last day in Florida, we decided to visit Disney's Hollywood Studios. Yesterday, we spent the whole day at Universal Island of Adventure, and the day before that, we were at Legoland.
I can tell she's been having lots of fun, which has made the experience fun for me as well. She's had nothing but a smile on her face, and she seems to be full of boundless energy as she drags me from one ride to another.
Then again, even when we were in Disneyland, she was already having fun. In some ways, she really is like a little girl. Amusement parks must bring out the child in her, full of wonder and excitement. It makes me want to be like a child as well.
"Why are you smiling?" Jess asks.
My eyebrows go up. I didn't even realize I was smiling.
"I'm just glad to see you having fun again," I tell her.
"Well, to be honest, there were times when I thought of my dad," she says. "Because he's the one I used to go to amusement parks with. But I just kept thinking that I want to remember him just as he was during those times and that I should be happy that we had such wonderful times together."
"That's the spirit," I cheer her on.
The ride stops and we get off. I hold her hand as we walk towards the exit.
"So, do we go around one more time, or-?"
"Your Highness!" The shout comes from the queue on the other side, the one that leads to the entrance of the ride.
I freeze.
Fuck. Did someone just recognize me?
Well, Orlando is a popular tourist destination, after all, so some Brelvans must visit. And of course they'd recognize me.
Why didn't I think of that?
"Steff?" Jess looks at me.
I take her hand and run.
"Your High..."
The voice fades as we leave the ride. Still, I keep running until we're far from it, almost at the park entrance. Only then do I stop and let Jess's hand go. I sit on a bench as I catch my breath.
She sits beside me, panting. "What... on earth... was that?"
I shrug.
"Wait. That woman... called you 'Your Highness', didn't she?"
My eyebrows shoot up.
Jess heard?
"Maybe she was at Disneyland, too, and she recognized you?"
I look at her.
Right. I was a prince there.
I smile. "Yeah. I thought that was it, and I didn't want her to make a fuss over it, so I ran."
"Still, did you have to run this far?"
"Sorry."
Jess sighs. "It's your fault you like being in the spotlight so much."
"Hey," I complain. "I wasn't the one who asked to be in the spotlight that time."
"I know. I guess you just looked too much like a prince. If we had gone to Magic Kingdom, they might have asked you to play the part again."
I fall silent.
Is that why she didn't want to go to Magic Kingdom?
"Anyway, I'm tired now." Jess stands up. "So how about we get dinner and head back? I want to spend our last night in Florida on the beach."
~
I hug my knees to my chest as I stare at the invisible horizon. The sand feels cool beneath my feet. The salty wind blows through my hair.
I listen to Jess playing the guitar against the background of the rolling waves. When she's done, I applaud.
"You really are a talented guitarist," I praise her.
Jess smiles. "I'm not as flashy as you, though."
"You're right," I agree with her. "And that's why your music can reach the hearts of your listeners even more than mine can. The people who watched me play with your band were in awe of me, but those who hear you play end up getting moved."
She falls silent.
Even under the moonlight, I can see the rosy hue on her cheeks.
I grab a handful of sand. "Have you figured out what you're going to do after your band breaks up? Are you going to join another band? Or start your own, maybe?"
She shrugs as she sets the guitar down beside her.
"I don't know yet. All I know is that I can't give up music."
"And you shouldn't," I tell her.
Suddenly, the sand spills from my fingers as an idea comes to me.
What if I help her get signed with a record label? Surely someone I know must know someone. And if connections don't work, maybe I can pay someone to give Jess a chance? But she wouldn't like that, would she?
"I don't want to think about it, though," Jess interrupts my thoughts. "I don't want to worry about a thing right now when I'm having so much fun."
I nod. "I'm sorry I brought it up."
Jess glances at me. "Now who's being overly apologetic?"
I grin.
"I've really had so much fun here in Florida." She leans back on her arms and crosses her ankles. "And it's all thanks to you."
"Me?"
"If not for our wedding, we wouldn't be having this honeymoon," Jess answers.
"Won't Keith be pissed off when he finds out we're not really married?"
Jess frowns. "Probably, but if you ask me, it's only fair. He hasn't given me a present since my seventh birthday, you know, so he owes me."
"Okay..."
"Besides, if he finds out, he'll be more pissed off that we lied to him," Jess adds. "And he'll probably be most pissed off at you."
I frown. I hope it doesn't come to that.
"What about you?" Jess asks.
She lies down on the blanket with her arms behind her head.
"Did you have fun?"
I nod as I mimic her. "Tons. And not just here in Florida. Even in Prairie du Chien. Well, not fun, exactly, but in spite of everything that happened, I'm glad I was there."
"Really?"
"I feel like I know you better now."
"It's unfair," Jess complains. "You know me better, but I still feel like I don't know you well."
She turns her head towards me.
"Tell me..."
"What?"
"Tell me something about you that I don't know already."
I pause. My heart screeches to a stop in my chest.
This is my chance to tell Jess who I really am. If I do, I won't have to run for fear of discovery the next time someone recognizes me.
And a part of me wants to. A part of me doesn't want to hide secrets from her any longer.
But the voice of reason prevails in my head.
If I tell her who I am, she'll be upset with me for not telling her in the first place. And then she'll start treating me differently. She'll distance herself from me. She'll probably even kick me out of the apartment.
No. I can't tell her. I don't want to.
I don't want to leave her side.
"Well?" Jess props her head on her elbow as she turns on her side.
"I... like to ride horses," I finally tell her.
"Hmm." Jess's eyebrows furrow. "But all rich people like to ride horses, right? Tell me something only you can do, or something that's only happened to you."
"Well..." I scratch my head. "A girl once threw a whole chocolate cake at my face."
It was when Danni and I were kids and I told her I wished I didn't have her for my attendant. She got in trouble for it, but I defended her because I realized I'd been wrong.