Come Away with Me

“Ah, but what a way to go.”

He laughs and kisses me tenderly, then abruptly stands up and pulls me with him, throwing me over his naked shoulder.

“I have the best view of your ass right now, my love.” I give it a little slap and he returns the favor on my own ass.

“Where are we going?”

“Skinny dipping!” He jogs – jogs! –with me over his shoulder out to the deck and down the steps that lead to the water, and just tosses me right in.

I hit the warm surface with a loud splash and come up sputtering. It’s not too deep, only about six feet, and as I push the wet hair off my face, I see Luke dive in head-first. He gracefully swims to me and I can’t help but admire the way his back muscles move.

“Hi,” I smile shyly when he surfaces before me and wrap my arms and legs around him.

“Hi.” He grins and plants his hands on my waist, then throws me through the air to land back in the water.

Oh, we’re going to play! Naked!

I squeal when I surface and splash him and he splashes me back with a laugh.

He swims for me again and I try to quickly escape, but he catches me and tosses me again.

“Are you trying to drown me?”

“Maybe I want to do some mouth-to-mouth.”

“You don’t have to kill me to do that!

I’m a sure bet.” I giggle and splash him again, enjoying the way his naked body looks in the clear water, reflecting in his perfectly blue eyes.

“God, you look beautiful right now,”

he says.

“I was just thinking the same thing.” I swim to him and wrap myself around him again.

“I enjoy playing with you,” he says and kisses my nose.

“Me too. In and out of bed.” I smile sassily and he bites his lip.

“I have to say, this morning was a first for me.”

“A good first, or a bad first?” I run my fingers through his wet hair, loving the way our naked bodies feel twined together in the warm pacific.

“Definitely good, although I have to admit, I prefer being in control.”

“Well, variety is the spice of life. I like to surprise you every once in a while.” I kiss his chin and he chuckles.

“No complaints here, baby.”

“Hmm… good.”

He lifts my hips and surprises me by slipping inside me. I lean my forehead against his as he stills, filling me.

“I love you.”

“Oh baby, I love you too. Let’s frighten the fish.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

It’s our last morning in our tropical paradise, and I purposely wake extra early to make sure I’m up before Luke.

He’s done so much for me this week –hell, this month – and I just have to do something special for him before we go back home to reality. Not that reality is all that bad, it’s just been bliss to have him all to myself this week.

After our Naked Day, as it will forever be known in my head, Luke surprised me with a shark feeding trip, which before this vacation I would have assumed would include me as the menu, but turned out to be one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I’ll never forget standing in waist-deep warm water with dozens of docile sharks floating around us to take the food from our hands.

Yesterday was spent getting romantic spa treatments for two. I’ve been to the spa more in the past two weeks that I have in the past two years.

I’m not complaining.

But today is our last day. I poke my head back in the bedroom to make sure he’s still sleeping, and then go wait on the steps leading to the water below the bungalow for our breakfast to be delivered by canoe. I set the food and coffee on a tray and go into the bedroom.

After placing the delicious smelling foods on the ottoman at the end of the bed, I climb up Luke’s body and kiss his lips.

“Luke, honey, wake up.” I nibble his lips and kiss over to his neck as he shifts beneath me.

“’Mornin’” he mumbles.

“Good morning, love. Wake up. I have something for you.”

He runs his hand down my back and frowns. “Hard to make love when you’re dressed, baby.”

I laugh as he opens those sexy blue eyes. “That’s not what I have for you.”

I get up off him and walk to the end of the bed as he sits up, the sheet pooling in his lap, and runs his hands over his face and through his hair. His morning stubble is impossibly sexy.

“Breakfast!” I set the tray on the bed between us and pull the silver dome lid off the plate. There are large helpings of pancakes, bacon, eggs and fruit. On the side is a carafe of coffee and two mugs.

“Did you order this?” he asks.

“Yeah, I thought I’d feed you for once.” He smiles and cups my face in his hand.

“Thank you, baby.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you’re hungry.” I hold a strawberry up to his mouth and he takes a bite, then I pop the rest in my own mouth.

“Starving,” he says, his lust-filled eyes on mine.

“Later,” I whisper.

“You’re no fun.” He pouts as he pours himself some coffee and I laugh.

“That’s not what you said last night.”

Thoughts of making love in the bathtub that sits out on the patio flood my mind and I bite my lip.

“No, no complaints last night.”

“What time are we leaving?” I ask.

“Not until this evening. Why?”

“Do we have any special plans today?” I eat a pancake and groan.

“God, that’s good.”

“Damn I love to watch you eat, baby.

No, I thought we’d wing it today. Did you have something in mind?”

I shrug and take another bite of pancake.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, we can do whatever you want.” I shrug, but avoid his gaze, suddenly shy. I don’t want to go anywhere today, I just want to be with him, and I don’t know why I’m suddenly so shy about speaking up and telling him so. It’s silly.

“Natalie.” His voice is stern and I catch his gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking…” I put my fork down and bite my lip. “I just want to stay here, until we have to go to the airport. I want to be alone, for as long as we can, here in our tropical bubble.” The last few words are a whisper and I glance up at him to see his reaction.

He’s smiling sweetly. “Why does that make you shy?”

I shrug again and look down. “I don’t know. I thought you might want to go have some grand adventure before we leave, but I just want you.”