Chapter 14
A stretch of fiery oranges, reds, and brilliant yellows infiltrated the sky on the horizon in a stunning speckled pattern. I marveled at the majestic beauty, daring to think of it as romantic while Garrett and I feasted on crab and scallops.
“Beautiful.” He cocked an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smile.
“It’s breathtaking,” I said, my eyes latching onto his.
There was nothing in the world more breathtaking than him. How could a man make me feel like he’d placed all the stars from the sky in my eyes after just a few short weeks?
“I meant you, Brooke,” he whispered, his deep stare leveling on me.
I didn’t know I’d started smiling, but I wasn’t surprised by the inevitable reaction. I was incapable of controlling the involuntary response my body had to him.
“Take a walk with me.”
“Sounds nice.”
He linked our fingers together, leading me along the edge of the low tide. My hand felt so small inside his as we trekked along the shore in the edge of twilight. The sparks from his sexual allure fogged my brain as I let him lead me through residual salty foam washing upon the shore.
How do I get over the fear of living cautiously and being reserved? How do I get to a place of letting go and being carefree, unabashed, and fearless of the what-ifs? What if we’re rescued tomorrow and all of this is over? What if this is all the time we get together?
Deep in thought, my heart contracted as if spasming in my chest. I didn’t notice us slowing our pace until he stopped altogether.
“Why do I make you nervous?”
Because the moment we’re rescued, it’ll be the end of us.
Because you’ve opened my eyes and I don’t want to close them.
I’m scared because this is starting to feel like something more than sex.
“Talk to me, Brooke. What makes you so nervous? When you’re in my arms, there’s nothing nervous about you.”
“Talking is overrated and too personal.” I turned away from him, staring across the dusky sea.
“Not as personal as me buried deep inside you.”
A blush crept into my cheeks. “That wasn’t personal. That was…what did you call it? Dirty fucking?”
“Make no mistake, I haven’t begun to dirty fuck you yet.” He leaned into me from behind, skimming his lips across the side of my neck as his arms circled around me. “When you’re in my arms, I feel how much you want this. Then when we’re doing normal things, like now, walking hand in hand, you’re fidgety.”
His lips sent a shiver zipping across my back, all the way up the base of my neck where his lips trailed, stilling my nerves. His touch veiled my fears. When we were together, he made me forget everything in the world except us. Arching my head to the side, I gave in.
“I love that when I touch you, you relax into me. It’s as if you let yourself go and fall into me. The world slips away and it’s just us. Tell me what’s going on inside that beautiful head of yours, Brooke. Tell me what’s fucking with your mind.” His teeth gently bit into my skin before he swiped his tongue over the same spot.
I swallowed hard.
Truth…it was time for truth.
“I don’t want to feel the things you make me feel.”
“But you do.” He breathed the words in my ear before trailing soft kisses down the side of my neck.
“I’m terrified, Garrett. I’m fucking my…I think it’s safe to say my ex-boss. I don’t have a clue what to expect when and if we return to Dallas, and normally I strategically plan everything in my life. For God’s sake, I have a planner filled with daily tasks, reminders, and appointments. I don’t do reckless. I don’t do casual sex. Nothing makes sense, and it scares me because I don’t give a damn…and I should.”
“Fall into it. Keep letting go and falling into me. I’ll catch you.”
“Until you decide to move on. I’m fucking up my life for the best sex I’ve ever had. Having a job with a decent salary in order to help my mom is a must, and I’ve fucked that up because I’m fucking you.” Tears stung my eyes.
“Trust me, you’ll be taken care of, Brooke, you and your mother. Trust me.”
“You’re asking me to trust you, and I want to, but—”
His lips found mine, silencing my panic, and in a blink my body molded against his chest, letting the warmth spread all the way to my toes.
“You have the power to hurt me, Garrett.”
He tensed, and surprise laced his voice. “Hurting you is the last thing I’d ever do.”
“Not physically. If I…” I let out a deep breath, at war with myself, trying to be rational. “It would be so easy to want more…and I don’t. I don’t want more, but you make it so easy to want more of you.”
“Stop trying to control it. Make no mistake, I tried to stay away and failed. When we get home, we’ll deal with it. We’ll deal with everything, and I can make everything good between us. I can’t imagine not being with you.” He pressed his forehead against mine, and I thought I felt him tremble.
Unable to help myself, I slipped into a place I vowed I’d never step foot in again, a place where it felt more like our worlds were starting to collide. Embracing me under the most alluring sunset, he made me feel warm and protected, and it felt profoundly natural.
“Unzip my dress.”
His chest stopped moving up and down and catching him off guard brought a smile to my face.
I did a slow twirl and gathered my hair in my hands, giving him full access. When he didn’t move, I glanced over my shoulder, finding his head cocked and a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“I want to go for a swim. It’s warm, and the water would feel amazing.”
“We’re not done talking.”
I rolled my eyes. “I am. I told you—talking’s overrated. Action speaks volumes.”
He rolled my zipper down in a seductive fashion and leaned into my ear again. “I can give you action, baby.”
My heart raced, and his words sent an ache between my legs. His hands glided down my hips in a feather-soft trail, pausing at the waistline of the underwear I’d replaced the shredded ones with. Before he clutched the lace, I stepped forward.
“Oh no you don’t. You’ve ripped one pair, and I’m still missing another from when you tossed them God knows where. I’d like to keep the remaining ones until we’re rescued.”
He tossed his head back, laughing, and the sound made my heart smile.
“You should laugh more often. It’s nice.” I eased out of the dainty lace before wading into the waves.
I felt his eyes burning into my backside and heard the rustle of him undressing, and I tried to control my breaths. Waves rolled over my knees as I turned toward him and crooked my index finger, gesturing for him to join me.
“Don’t keep me waiting,” I taunted.
Garrett came toward me predatorily, obviously hungry—for me. Desire filled his hooded eyes as he circled his arms around my middle, drawing me to him. In a quick move, he’d pulled my feet from the bottom of the sandy ocean, lifting me in the air. When he brought me down, I slid down his body, wrapping my arms around his neck. The hardness of his erection nudging into my abdomen drew an anxious whimper from me.
“I’ve never known anyone like you.” He pushed back a wayward strand of hair blowing in my face. “And I can’t get enough.”
I pressed my hardened nipples against him, taunting and stoking the fire. In the dusky twilight, he had wicked sin in his expression.
“These are mine, Brooke, all mine.” He dipped his lips down, taking in a pebbled bud, gently sucking. His mouth was warm, soft, and delicious. He slipped his fingers between my folds, stroking until I cried out his name. His teeth grazed my sensitive nub, and I swore I heard him growl over the sounds of the ocean. Dropping to his knees in a desperate move, his mouth covered my flesh, licking me into oblivion. My hips bucked involuntarily, and my hands latched onto the back of his silky hair, pushing him farther into me.
“This is also mine.” He pulled back, looking at me, daring me to deny it. “Say it—say it’s mine.”
“It’s yours.”
His tongue rewarded me, licking thoroughly and swiping over the bundled nerves with maddening movements through my eager wet depth. Driven wild, I couldn’t stop the declaration: “I’m all yours. Fuck me, Garrett. Please fuck me.”
“Enjoy my tongue babe. Come in my mouth.” His breath only made me throb more.
“Please, Garrett, I want you inside me.” My breath came in pleading gasps.
“I didn’t bring a condom.” He flicked his tongue over me again before shoving it deep inside me. If his hands hadn’t held my hips in an anchoring grip, I would have toppled over into the salty water.
“I’m clean and on the pill.”
“I never have sex without a condom.” Quickly he stood, and before I could blink, he had me in his arms, carrying me to the sugary beach. He gently placed me on my back and covered me with his body before gliding deep into my begging core.
“Yes. Oh God, yes.” I arched upward, meeting the intensity by wrapping my legs around his hips.
Clinging to him, I held on for dear life as he gave and I took. He felt too good for me to last as the brink of climax hit.
“Come for me, Brooke. Scream as loud as you want. No one will hear you but me.”
I shattered, lost in the passion, my body clamping down on him as he thrust hard. He shuddered and let out a feral growl until his own movements subsided.
“Damn, Brooke. Just damn.” He trembled, shifting his body to lie beside me. His arms pulled me tight against him, my head resting on his chest, his heart beat luring me to keep falling into him.
“I think I could sleep right here,” I whispered, overwhelmed with contentment.
“Me too.” His arms tightened, and he pressed his lips against my temple.
“About earlier…you wanted to know why I’m nervous—it’s time. When I have time to let myself think clearly…and then one little touch makes me forget time, makes me forget we’re stranded in the middle of the ocean, and there are a million reasons to get home and only one reason making me want to stay forever.”
He propped up on his elbow. “Brooke—”
“Let me finish while I have the courage. Don’t worry, I’m not falling in love with you, Garrett. I’m just worried you’ll grow tired of me before I’m finished with you, and I want this with you. It’s like I’m alive again. I yearn for the heat running through my veins, and I love the way you make me feel.”
He covered my mouth with his, sliding his knee between my thighs and clutching the sides of my face in the palms of his hands. Slanting his head to the side, he deepened the languid kiss, and his delicious taste overwhelmed my senses.
“I’m not anywhere near growing tired of you. Right now, all I want to do is sleep on the beach with you, wake up next to you, get to know you better, and fuck you like there’s no tomorrow.”