CHAPTER 17

She felt Russ put his arm around her as he led her out of the hotel. She didn’t care that the woman behind the registration desk was looking at her strangely or that they turned the heads of a few guests. The only thing she could think about was how right it felt to walk into the sunshine with Russ. He led her over to a jeep emblazoned with hotel’s logo on the side.

Always the gentleman he held out a hand to her and helped her into the vehicle. She laughed as the jeep tires squealed as they pulled out of the hotel parking lot. When she looked over at Russ he had a huge little boy grin on his face and she couldn’t help but laugh.

Once away from the hotel the tropical feel really, set in. There were tall palm trees that swayed in the breeze, little ferns and various plants littered the sides of the narrow two-lane road. And beyond the trees that she couldn’t name you could catch glimpses of the ocean peeking through.

The road started to climb though this paradise and Amanda rested her head back against the seat and let the rumble of the Jeep lull her into peace. “This place is amazing. I have never been to a place this beautiful. The scenery doesn’t seem like it is real, like all this time has been a dream.”  She said as she turned to look at Russ’ profile. “Where are we going?”

“There’s a little place that I would like to show you. Few people other than locals know it’s here. I thought you might like it.”

As he spoke he rested his hand against her thigh. It was distracting her from the beautiful scenery, but she wouldn’t ask him to move it. They drove in silence, each content to watch the scenery and enjoy being away from the hotel. When Russ turned off the main two-lane road onto a little dirt road, Amanda sat up straighter taking in her surroundings.

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask where they were going when he pulled the jeep into a clearing and shut it off. It wasn’t a parking lot but just a small little clearing that looked more like an emergency turn off they had on the side of the highways back home up in the mountains. She wondered for a moment if it was even legal to park here.

“We have to walk a bit. Are those shoes okay to walk in?  I should have looked before I drove out here, but I wanted to get you alone before your sister found us.”  He grinned at her.

When he looked at her like that it didn’t matter what shoes she was wearing she would follow him anywhere. “Yeah they are fine as long as we’re not talking miles and miles of jungle trekking.”

“No, it’s only miles. Not miles and miles. So, you should be fine.” He jokingly told her.

Amanda loved the fact that he cared enough to walk around and open her door for her. It was such a small gesture, but it meant the world to her. She wasn’t surprised that the moment her feet hit the dirt he was lacing their fingers together again. It seemed as if he didn’t even realize he did it. Smiling she let him lead her to an overgrown path that looked like no one had trekked it in years. She knew in that moment that she would happily follow where ever he decided to lead.

They must have walked for a good fifteen minutes. About to complain that they were never going to get there she gasped as she stepped under a tree branch that Russ was holding up for her. What met her eyes was the most amazing waterfall that she had ever seen. Surprised that she had not heard it, all she could do was stare in wonder. The glistening water cascaded down the boulders that were framed on both sides by green ferns and other flowering plants.

She turned to Russ. “This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Our own little piece of paradise away from the rest of the world.”

 

Russ reached a hand up to cup her jaw. As he gazed into her upturned face, he told her “It’s the second most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”  Then he leaned down and brushed her lips with his.

The kiss was only supposed to show her how beautiful he thought she was but without thought it turned passionate. Feeling her arms slide around his neck pulling him closer he knew if they didn’t break the kiss now he would strip her then and there and make love to her on the ground. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t do that to her, reluctantly he broke the kiss and turned her in his arms. Feeling her snuggle into his side he knew without a doubt this place would always remind him of her. They stood staring at the waterfall both lost in their own thoughts.

The rightness of having her by his side lulled him into a false sense of security. He found himself telling her things without filtering them. It was dangerous considering that he wasn’t sure that he was ready to show her all of him. To completely let her in until he was sure that her feelings were as deep as his.

“I have wanted to show you this spot since the first night I met you. I have never brought anyone here. It is my special thinking spot when I need to unwind from the stress. I would come here and lose myself in the sounds of the rushing water, trying to imagine a time when the hotel would be solid. When we wouldn’t be wondering if the new direction was worth it or if it should follow the rest of the resorts. When I needed to be certain that everything I had sacrificed hadn’t been for nothing.”

“What do you mean everything you had sacrificed?” Leaning out of his embrace her eyes met his.

Shit, what had he been thinking? He hadn’t been and that was why his mouth revealed his thoughts without the use of a filter. Maybe he should just tell her. The pretense had gone on long enough, hopefully she knew him well enough that he could tell her without anything changing between them.

He felt her hand slide up his chest trying to get his gaze to meet hers, there was no way he was going to risk telling her the truth, not yet. Needing to do some back peddling he said the first plausible thing that came to his mind. “What I meant is the hotel employs a lot of good people. We have all sacrificed jobs on the mainland to be loyal to the hotel. Some days it’s easier said than done.”

At the curiosity that lingered on her face he found himself continuing. “Do you remember when I told you that this hotel is part of a larger chain?” at her nod of understanding he continued. “Well the original owners of the hotel also owned the entire island. They had decided that they were done. They wanted to retire and play with their grandkids and being strapped to the hotel day in and day out was not their idea of retirement. So, they decided to sell to a larger hotel chain but not before the hotel had started to fall into ruin.”

As he spoke, he led her toward a flat outcropping of rocks along the water. When they were both seated, he continued his story. “The couple right at the end didn’t want to put any of their money into repairs. Since they hadn’t decided what they were going to do, they waited for an offer, but the much-needed repairs hadn’t been done. Upgrades to the rooms hadn’t been done either but the worst part was a storm had swept in destroying two of the smaller private huts.”

“The island has smaller huts? I didn’t see that in the brochures.” She asked in disbelief.

“Yes, they are set away from the hotel giving the guests the feeling of seclusion. When the corporation bought the hotel, it was undecided as to what to do with this hotel. They had the choice, do the necessary repairs or close it all together and sell the island to a private buyer. The owner of the chain fought against his advisors to keep this hotel open. He thought he could make it special, make it a destination for couples to come and just unwind together. He wanted a place where the focus was on each other not on a schedule, so jam packed that it didn’t leave any room for romance. That’s the reason there are not as many activities here that most resorts have. If the guests were less distracted by scheduling activities, then they would in turn spend that time together just reconnecting.”

“You amaze me. You are almost too good to be true. I’m glad that you stuck with the hotel during the rebuild. It’s a special place and I’m glad that you were able to show it to me in a different light. Most of all I’m glad the owner didn’t sell it, then I wouldn’t have met you.”

Russ let most of her comment pass. He couldn’t get words to form around the lump in his throat. He had to change the topic.

“You have no idea how not good I can be.”  He said with a wicked grin.

“Oh?  A real bad boy huh?” she smiled a cocky grin at him. “I think I need a demonstration of just how bad you can be.”

When she reached up and pulled his face to hers Russ groaned, he couldn’t let this go much farther. Someone could come upon them at any moment. He was just about to stop it when she reached out her hand timidly and gently stroked his erection through his cargo shorts. He laid back on the outcropping of rock and pulled her across his chest. If they didn’t stop now, there was no way he was going to be able to be the voice of reason.

His hand ran across her back holding her against him while his lips pressed against hers. When she leaned back and broke the kiss he couldn’t do anything but look at her. She was gorgeous, and he felt like the luckiest guy ever to be here with her. He felt her legs come up to straddle his hips and she reached to slide his zipper down.

He knew he should stop her, but he wasn’t going to. As much as his mind told him they could be caught, the voice in his head reminded him that the falls were secluded and unless you were a local there was no way to know about them.

When his throbbing cock sprang free he groaned as she rubbed her wetness against him. He couldn’t stop himself if he tried. He reached under her skirt and found the thin straps of her G-string and pulled until they both heard a ripping sound. As soon as he removed her panties he adjusted the hem of her dress, so it covered where they were joined.

He wouldn’t believe that this was the same timid woman who had asked to take control just the previous night. Today she was a goddess, taking what she wanted. It took all of his control not to cum on the spot when he felt her hand gently wrap around his cock and guide him toward her entrance.

As soon as he was in position he lifted his hips and seated himself fully inside her. He gripped her hips and helped her to find a rhythm that satisfied them both. Her breath was coming out in quick bursts. “Russ” she panted searching for her release.

With their bodies still joined Russ felt Amanda lay her still heaving breasts against his chest. His hand slowly stroked her back through her top as they tried to catch their breath. The only sound apart from their breathing was the sound of the waterfall. The calming sound of falls had Russ closing his eyes and he took a deep breath. If he hadn’t been sure before he was now. He loved her.