Sea Breeze (8 page)

“Do you want me to go first? Or do you want to jump together?”

I stare down at the water as I answer. “No. I have to do this by myself. But you go ahead and I’ll meet you down there.”

He places a kiss to my temple. “You can do this.” His confidence in me is comforting, and I’m touched. A mischievous smirk adorns his face a moment later. He takes two steps back, winks, and then runs and leaps over the side of the boulder to the water down below. “Whoohoooo!”

I giggle as I watch his body hit the water. He quickly surfaces and starts sputtering about the cold again while I try to psych myself up. It’s now or never. I can do this. Never is not an option. I count down in my head from five as Eric treads water, waiting for me to jump. When I hit three, he yells up to me, “You can do it!”

I squeeze my eyes closed for a moment to block out painful memories. Finally, I take a deep inhale of air and then one, two steps, and my stomach drops out of me as my heart beats double time. “Ahhhhhhh!”

The ice water shocks my system again, even though I knew it was coming. At the surface, Eric grabs my arm and tows me over to shallower water. “I did it. I did it.” A giddy cackle escapes me. I can’t believe I actually jumped. “Can we try the rope swing next?”

A roar of laughter bursts out of him. “Hell yeah.”

Chapter Eleven

W
e each took two jumps off the rope swing before leaving the Blue Hole. I’ll never forget this place.

Our driver waits for us outside, and once we’re semi-dry, we get back into the car and head toward White River.

“That was amazing. I had so much fun. I wish the water wasn’t so cold.”

“Me too.” Eric wraps his arm around my shoulders as we drive down the bumpy dirt road. “I’m so proud of you for jumping. How did it feel?”

“Thrilling. Honestly, I was petrified, but I knew you were at the bottom waiting for me. So, yeah. Sometimes I guess you do just have to jump in.”

Eric squeezes me and then tries to kiss me quickly, but the car goes over a particularly large pothole and he misses and kisses my nostril instead. “Better hang on, this is going to be a rough ride.”

“Promises, promises,” I tease him as I clutch the door handle with one hand and hold the roof of the car with my other to prevent my head from knocking against it.

He licks his lips and drags his hand up the back of my neck, causing a shiver to run down my spine. There’s pure unadulterated lust in his eyes right now. “You drive me crazy.”

“You’ve said that before.” I smile and try and lighten the tension, seeing as we have an audience in the front seat.

“Yeah, well, I meant it.” He huffs and looks up toward the driver. “Hey there, is there a place on the way to White River where we can grab some quick juicy beef patties?”

“Yuh, mon. Mi know a place on da road ahead. Im patties good.”

I sit up in my seat. “What are patties? Are they food, because as soon as you said that I realized how starving I am, and I think I’m going to need food before we hit the river.”

“Yes, they’re meat pies. Good stick-to-your-ribs fast food. I was thinking we could have lunch after we leave White River, but right now I’m starving too.”

The driver pulls up to a roadside stand where we order six patties to go, making sure to get two for our driver. They’re different from the fried meat fritters in San Juan, but really good.

We get to White River about twenty minutes later. It’s hot. The sun pounds down on us, and on the way here I went from wet to dry to sweaty. Eric haggles for a pair of kayaks, and we paddle our way down the tranquil blue-green river surrounded by trees. We splash each other with our paddles occasionally, but for about ninety minutes, we mostly enjoy this peaceful lazy ride in silence, exchanging smiles along the way.

By the time we hit the bay, it’s already after two in the afternoon. We grab a taxi to save time and head over to James Bond Beach. Eric says it’s not as packed with tourists as the other beaches, and he’s right. There’s a bar that serves quick food and we chug a couple of bottles of water while we gobble down the most delicious jerk chicken. We only have two more hours before we have to start heading back, so, quickly finishing our food, we walk out onto the white sand beach with a couple more bottles of water to digest and relax.

Our towels laid out, Eric lies back, and I snuggle into the nook he creates for me, laying my head on his arm.

“Jordan, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.” My arm stretches across his chest.

“What did you mean, you always have to be the responsible one?”

A lump forms in my throat. I’ve had such a wonderful day, I don’t want to get into it. “Nothing. It was nothing.”

“No, it wasn’t. Do you have someone waiting for you back home?”

“Not any more... I don’t want to get into all that right now. I want to enjoy the little time we have left. Okay?”

“Does your family live in Vegas?”

“No. Come on. Look at this paradise. The sand is so soft. I can’t wait to get in the water. I’m only waiting the required twenty minutes so I don’t get a cramp.” I sit up and move to the edge of the towel, digging my feet and hands into the powdery sand. I can feel Eric’s desire to question me more, but he stays silent.

Fifteen minutes later, I walk into the warm ocean water. There are barely even ripples here, definitely no waves. We’re in a cove, and the water is smooth and perfect for swimming. Eric follows me in, and I dive under the clear salt water and swim out a little further. A few people are in the water, but it’s by no means packed. I float on my back for a bit, relaxing as I gaze up at the blue sky. Eric’s fingers thread through mine as he floats next me.
Heaven.

As I watch a small white cloud slowly move across the sky, I realize the ship returns to Ft. Lauderdale four days from now. Tears threaten to spill over at the thought of going back to Vegas. To nothing. To no one. I don’t want to think about it.

I surprise Eric while he floats, relaxed. I dunk him under water, and then make a break for the shore.

He comes up spitting water out of his mouth and pushing the hair out of his eyes. “I’m going to get you for that.” His tone is meant to be menacing, but I can’t help cackling as I try to swim back to the sand before he reaches me. I don’t make it.

He grabs me from behind, lifts me up, and then throws me back down into the water. I come up laughing and splashing him while trying to pull at one of his legs that won’t budge. “You caught me off-guard the first time, but I won’t go down again. You, however, will.”

I yelp and run parallel to the shore in the shallow water, Eric hot on my tail. We separate from the rest of the people in the water as he gives chase, and when I jump on his back to try and pull him under, he doesn’t falter. Instead, he pulls me around so my legs wrap around his waist, his hands gripping my ass, and I place a playful peck on his lips.

He smiles softly, and then his tongue is in my mouth and his hands move up around my back to my hair as my ankles lock around his waist, my hands clutching onto the wet hair on top of his head. Zero to one hundred in less than five seconds. As our tongues search each other’s mouths with desperate need, he sinks down lower into the water so we’re covered to our shoulders. One of his hands leaves my hair to fondle my bikini-clad breast while the other glides down my back and into the back of my bottoms to grab my ass. I squeal into his mouth, but he doesn’t release me. My ankles unlock from his waist and I find the sand underfoot as his kisses become more demanding, more urgent. My hand searches him out under the water and I palm him through his shorts, reveling at how I affect him. The hand on my ass comes around my hip to dip in the front of my bottoms with his long, beautiful fingers. I swallow a moan as he massages my clit, and gasp for air when he releases my swollen lips.

He pushes a finger inside me and says, “I want to make you cum, right here, right now,” and my internal muscles clench. He could fuck me right now and I wouldn’t care who was watching, I’m so aroused.

“Please.” It comes out needy and wanton, but that’s exactly what I am in this moment. I want him inside me.

“Fuck, woman. I can’t get enough of you.” He attacks my mouth again as he alternates massaging my clit and entering me with his fingers. I dip my hand past the waistband of his shorts and grasp him firmly in my hand. He’s rock hard, hot, and pulsing, even under water. My legs start to tremble as my orgasm builds. I tug and pull on him a little rougher than I would normally because of the spasms rocking my body, but he doesn’t seem to mind and thrusts his hips. I cum, clenching his fingers inside me. My head rocks back and our lips part, but only slightly while I gasp for air, our chins still touching. I manage to continue jerking him off as I come down from my climax, and when he starts to pulse in my hand, I bite his bottom lip and thrust my tongue into his mouth.

Our frantic kiss eventually slows and we part lips, our chests heaving against each other. His cheeks are pink, his lips swollen, a lazy, sated smile on his face that makes me giggle. “I can’t believe we did that.” His voice is gravelly. So sexy.

Because of Eric’s, shall we say, expertise in the sex department, I figure he has been with a ton of women. The thought makes me stabby. “You’ve never done that before?” Sarcasm drips from my lips like venom.

He pulls back his head from me as if I’ve slapped him. A moment later his hands hold my face so I look him in the eyes. “No, I’ve never done that in the ocean before.” The tone of his voice is soft as he watches me, unblinking.

My shoulders sag as I realize his sincerity. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ve been with more than a handful of women, I’m not going to lie. But…” he tips his head so our foreheads touch, “I’ve never felt this constant need for anyone else in my life.” My stomach turns inside out. “I’ve had girlfriends before and I’ve had hookups, but this… pull between us, chemistry or whatever, I’ve never experienced anything like it. Not like this.”

Oh my God.
My heart pounds against my ribcage as blood rushes through my veins. I feel like I jumped off a cliff, except I’m not sure what’s below, waiting for me. I squeeze my eyes closed, our foreheads still connected as Eric’s breath skims my cheek. “I’m getting off the ship in four days.”
Don’t cry, don’t cry.

“I know. I don’t want you to.” He kisses my lips chastely and then enfolds me tightly in his arms as I struggle to keep the tears from falling.

Chapter Twelve

W
ithout discussion, we go straight to Eric’s room once we’re back on the
Stella Maris
. Inside, he guides me to his bathroom and turns on the shower. “Let’s wash some of that salt and sand away, shall we?”

I’m afraid if I answer, I’ll burst into tears. I’m overwhelmed. Instead, I nod and step out of my flip-flops. Eric slowly pulls my shirt over my head, unbuttons my shorts, and unties my bikini top and bottom. Instead of ogling me as I stand there naked, he cups my cheek and kisses me gently on the forehead, before guiding me into the water. He takes his clothes off and joins me. He gently rubs shower gel over my sun-kissed shoulders as I watch the sand swirl down the drain. “It’s okay. Relax.” Somehow he senses I’m on the verge of breaking. I don’t know how he reads me so well after so little time. He washes my hair, gently massaging the sand from my scalp as the warm water rains down on us.