The Storm Inside (24 page)

There was every level of dress at the hotel from women completely covered head to toe, to women wearing less than me in tiny Brazilian thongs. There was absolutely no reason for me not to wear whatever the hell I wanted to.

And I’d chosen the latest fashion, my bottoms were very tiny, the kind that tucked between my cheeks and displayed most of my ass. By the bob of Jake’s eyebrows and the ridiculous grin he’d been wearing since I stepped out of the bathroom, I was pretty sure he approved.

There was certainly nothing to complain about his attire, either. Dark green board shorts were all he was wearing- his tanned body on full display for my enjoyment. As he leaned over the side of the tube the muscles of his shoulders and arms were flexed. I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

He traced an invisible design along my skin, resting his chin on the side of the tube. “It’s interesting how much you look the same, but different.”

“I could say the same thing about you… didn’t they have anything to do but workout in Iraq?”

“Are you complaining? Do I need to drop some weight?” Jake chuckled. “Because you seem to enjoy the advantages…”

Oh, yes.
The idea we could have sex just about anywhere at anytime in any position… it did things to me. We’d tested those limits again and again. Walls, counters, chairs… the list went on. Jake’s new strength was a definite advantage. “Fuck off you cocky bastard. You know I like them.”

Oh, that smile of his, it was so nice. I loved how much he smiled now. Yes, he was cocky as hell, but it suited him. And it was so much better than sad and doubtful.

“You’ve put on a lot of muscle, too,” he said quietly. His fingers were still moving along my skin, sending sensations everywhere as he moved. “You were always so skinny, it’s nice to see strength along with it.”

“It helps me keep up with you…” I murmured.

The next thing I knew Jake was dragging me to the wall. “What are you doing?”

He picked me right up out of the tube and that was when I realized Jake was aroused. The bulge in his trunks was obvious. “No!” I shouted. “Put me down, we are
not
doing this!”

Jake set me down immediately and there was no missing the complete shock on his face. “Baby, what’s going on?”

“Sit.” I demanded, pointing at the wall. Jake sat immediately, but he pulled me with him, positioning me on his lap to hide his erection.

“Talk.” he demanded.

“Have you noticed we have sex in public just as often as we have it in private?”

Jake was silent for a long moment and I began to panic a little bit. What if I was blowing this out of proportion? What if I was starting another fight on top of all the others?

“No, I hadn’t realized.” His voice was very low and questioning. “But you’re right. I thought we were just having a lot of fun… but you’re right.”

I smoothed my hand over the stubble on his cheek, “We are having fun. But it isn’t healthy. It’s one thing when we can’t keep our hands off each other, but I think there is something more going on here.”

I don’t know if it was being in Jake’s lap or having a space to think, but my brain finally seemed to be working. We were two passionate people who couldn’t get enough of each other. “I think we’re both looking for magic.”

Jake pushed his sunglasses up on his head and did the same to mine so we could see each other’s eyes. “Magic?”

“Magic,” I repeated. It was overwhelming how much I loved him. So much so that I wanted desperately to be connected to him, “You and I are magic together, Jake. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing… it’s magic. And I think right now we’re desperate to have that connection. I’ve been distant and I’ve let a lot of things get between us, it makes it hard to connect the way we need to. You and I are the same in that. When we aren’t connected both physically and mentally, everything feels off.”

Jake pulled me to him, kissing me deeply. His tongue snaked between my lips and his hands knotted in my hair. “And when we drop everything to have sex right where we are… it’s more intense than anything else we do.”

I nodded, “Exactly. It’s you and me and that overload of passion. We drop everything, we ignore everyone, and we—”

Jake’s erection pulsed underneath me. I had to admit; I was pretty wet and throbbing, too. Talking about how badly we need each other was almost as hot as actually being together.

“We
connect
,” he finished for me, pulling my body against his cock. “Does that mean you don’t want me right now?”

He was kidding; he knew full well I wanted him right now. I was flushed and panting. That was what his need for me did. It made me want him every single time. “Oh, we’re totally doing it as soon as we’re done talking.”

“Oh, babe…” he groaned, “I love how kinky you are. Seriously, I’m the luckiest fuck on the planet.”

His eyes caressed me with the love he felt for me. We weren’t just sex and passion; there was an intense love and appreciation, too.

“I don’t want to stop having fun with you. I love,” I looked right into his eyes and mouthed the word
love
again, “that we are the couple that drops everything because we can’t keep our hands off each other. But we’ve got to rein it in. Fits of passion are one thing, looking for an answer to our problems is another.”

“I agree,” he said with a firm nod. “We will talk about our problems and fuck for fun instead. Sound good?”

I rolled my eyes, “You get what I mean?”

Jake sighed and looked into my eyes, speaking very seriously, “Yes, darlin’. That’s exactly why we’re here. To talk. We will figure out what is really going on and get back to using sex for pleasure, not therapy.”

“Alright then, we seem to be on the same page.”

“Good, can I fuck you now?”

By the throb of my body I was pretty sure if we didn’t have sex right then I was going to spontaneously combust. “You have a plan?”

He shot back up with me in his arms, “Oh, baby. You know I do…”

A minute later I was in the middle of our tube, resting with my arms wrapped around the top, my body dangling in the water below, and Jake was behind me. My bottoms were pushed to the side and Jake’s cock was sliding deliciously slowly in and out of me as we floated down the river.

In and out. Slow and steady.

The lazy river was fairly empty, the gloomy morning had tempted a lot of the tourists to the theme parks, so we only had to watch ourselves when we drifted past the lifeguards and pools. Everyone else seemed to be content to be left alone, just like us.

His forehead rested on my shoulder and his arms encircled mine. His long, hard body was pressed to my back and I could feel his six-pack with every curl of his body into mine.

In and out. Slow, so slow.

It was delicious, relaxing torture. We slowly climbed higher and higher, chasing our orgasms. It was the most relaxing thirty minutes of my life. There was something so incredibly therapeutic about being slowly teased and tortured.

And he was enjoying himself, too. Jake was sighing and groaning, caressing me lovingly and whispering sweet, romantic things in my ear.

My climax came out of nowhere and Jake followed me. It was the only time we were jerky or noisy, but we couldn’t help it. He buried his face in my back, grunting into my skin as he thrust deep inside and locked himself in place while my body pulsed around him. I only wished I could have held him while I came. I wanted him in my arms, I wanted that extra piece of connection to the man I loved.

But he had me. His arms circled mine, holding me tight to his body as he came. “Fuck, Eve,” he grunted. “You feel perfect every single time. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of this. Not ever.”

Chapter 17

“Do you have any Graycliff cigars?” Jake asked the manager of the hotel gift shop.

The man’s face lit up, “Yes sir. We have the purple label. Their Chateau blend.”

Jake took the cigar the man handed him and smelled it, closing his eyes and looking quite pleased. “Perfect, I’ll take two.”

“Yes, sir. Will you need any of them cut?”

“Both, please.”

We strolled out toward the pools where Jake could sit and enjoy his purchase. He carefully lit it up, the smoke a billowing white cloud as it came out of his delicious lips. The smell was so familiar.

“Do you remember the Graycliff?”

How could I forget my favorite vacation of all time? “Fondly.”

Jake’s lips curved up, but his eyes were sad, “We should go back.”

The very idea of spending a holiday with Jake in the Bahamas’, of going back to eat on the porch at the Graycliff, of snorkeling, and relaxing on the beach… “Yes. As soon as the season is over.”

Suddenly I didn’t want the Ray’s to make the playoffs, or to at least perform very, very badly and make it a quick series. I had a hot vacation waiting for me.

Jake was looking at me with as much longing as I felt. There was a certain magic the last time we were in the Bahamas’, something incredibly special about the night we ate at the Graycliff. And neither of us had forgotten it. There are some nights that are just magic. Where everything is perfect and you can feel the love in the air. And that was our night at the Graycliff.

“Get me the dates and I will make the arrangements.” Then he looked right into my eyes in that special way he had, when I felt like he wasn’t just looking at me, but into my soul, “I will take you to the Graycliff for dinner every night if you want.”

The air around us was charged with the electricity we were putting off. If Jake didn’t stop looking at me like that I was going to jump him there on the pool deck. He looked like he wanted inside my body and to stay there forever. Desire ripped through me, pooling between my legs with a throb that was begging for attention. His attention.

“Stop,” I breathed.

His eyes widened with fear, “Stop what?” Then Jake saw me. And I mean he really saw me. He knew what was happening. He moved very methodically, putting out his cigar, collecting himself and holding out his hand. “Let’s go upstairs, darlin’.”

The anger was seething beneath my surface. It was hot and alive, my blood was pumping and my head was spinning. The very mention of vacations and happy escapes sent me over the edge. Something inside me snapped. And I think it had something to do with wanting to be free.

We couldn’t go on vacation with so many things still holding us back.

He held my hand, guiding us to the elevators. He sighed as he punched the button for our floor. He stood quietly beside me with his head held high as he prepared for whatever was to come.

It was going to be ugly. I’d held back too much for too long.

As soon as our door swung shut I attacked.

“You left me.” I hissed. “You fucking left me here all alone.”

We were standing in the middle of the hotel room: Jake on one side and me on the other, the bed between us. He turned to face me, shoving his hands into his pockets and a hollow look in his eyes. He’d put up his defenses, not because he didn’t want to take everything I was about to dish out, but to survive it. He was listening but he was being careful about it.

“Keep it coming, babe.” Jake didn’t interrupt; he didn’t even flinch. It was like he was grateful for the beating.

I unleashed it at that point. It all started pouring out of me, ten years of anger and hurt. Everything I’d ever thought about saying, whether it made sense or not. “You broke my goddamned heart and didn’t come back to make sure I was ok. You were so damned hell bent on saving yourself you left me behind.”

That one got to him. His eyes flared and his teeth clenched. And for some reason, I liked that. I wanted to pick a fight with him. I wanted him to get angry.

“Come on Jake,” I said through my teeth, “Say something.”

The muscle in his neck bulged as he tensed, “This is for you, not me.”

“You were so fucking selfish.”

“Damn you, Eve. Don’t go there.”

But I couldn’t stop. I had him on the edge, if I just pushed a little more he’d snap and give me the anger I wanted to hear. “Do you know how abandoned I felt? How alone?” The way he disappeared, it was like I’d been dumped on the side of the road; a footnote on Jake’s flee to freedom. “It didn’t feel like I mattered.”

“You had a family, Eve!” he yelled it. “You had a fucking family that loved the hell out of you. You weren’t alone for a second. You never were and you never will be.” His eyes were wild, the only time I’d ever seen him like that was the night of our graduation when he sent me away.

I had a family
. There was nothing to say to that. We stood across from each other, angry and hurt. But he was right. I did have a family. They took care of me and loved me. They helped me get back on my feet and get to work. They encouraged me to date and have a life. He was right—I was never alone.

But they weren’t him.

“You are my family, Jake.” I choked as the tears started flowing. “I am your family. You had me.”