Both her words and the way she drew his gaze with her ass cut him short of correcting the man’s mistake.
Her father cleared his throat and gave her a smile, holding his arm back out to her. With his sleeves rolled up, his thick forearm bulged with veins as she coiled her own slender arm around it. “Well, I guess we’ll go see,” he said, then nodded to the servant. “Have supper ready for us in an hour or so, otherwise we’ll tend to our own needs for now,” he said.
To which the man gave a deep bow and said, “Certainly, sir. And may I say, you have yourself a stunning bride. The most gorgeous we have ever had the fortune of seeing here.”
Her father laughed a bit awkwardly, dismissing the comment, “Don't need to tell me how lovely she is, I assure you I know.”
Bethany thought she might lose it, then and there. Jump him, lick him, ce
lebrate him for the man he was. Somehow she managed to reign it in, though. That practiced calm he’d taught her, she would bide her time until he was the one that couldn’t wait.
She had a feeling how it might go down, and she quickly stopped the servant before he left, “There’s champagne inside, right? We need to celebrate!”
Her father arched a brow and tilted his head, giving her a surprised look, but the servant immediately went on ahead, “Of course, madam. I’ll have it ready for you!”
“I didn’t know you drank,” said Sebastian in a wry lilt as they slowly sauntered along the pathway, the palm trees rustling overhead.
“Well, I do for tonight!” she replied, smiling up at him coyly. “Besides, I’m legal here.”
That coaxed a toothy grin out of him and he reached over to pat her wrist as he chuckled softly. “I think just about anything’s legal here, sweetie,” he remarked with an amused look as he took her on around the bridge around the expansive paradise getaway, looking out over the dark ocean, with the warm evening breeze kissing them.
A feeling of perfect serenity and calm relaxed her shoulders, and she knew that by tonight, he’d know how right he was for her.
Dinner was one of the best she’d ever had, thanks in no small part to the island's atmosphere. It was getting close to midnight, but she was still wired, and the champagne had excited her nerves. She was practically crawling out of her skin by the time they finished the richest, creamiest cheesecake she’d ever tasted.
She licked the fork clean, teasing her plump lips as the top of her foot brushed against her father’s pant leg for the fifth time that evening. Each time it had been intentional, with calculated purpose.
They’d had the meal brought to them before sending the servants off to their separate lodgings, and the open concept of the building let in the fresh, sea air. It was getting cool in the darkness, but Bethany felt scorching hot.
“I’m not tired at all,” Bethany said, placing her fork aside.
Her father hadn’t finished his meal, and she noticed his piercing blue eyes trailing back to her repeatedly. Soaking her in beneath the soft light of the resort.
“No? Not even all that travel could do you in, huh?” he remarked giving her a wry smile as he leaned over towards her end of the table, a hand reaching in under to pat her thigh, only finding that her dress had hiked up a bit higher with all her toying about beneath the table, so that his strong hand rested on bare skin.
“I suppose there’s no need for us to rush to bed, huh? There’s no meetings or classes waiting for us in the morning,. Nothing to do we don’t care to,” he added before finishing his glass of champagne. The real stuff, not the sparkling white wine that most called champagne.
She smiled and parted her legs at his touch, her feminine heat radiating from between her toned thighs. “We could go swimming,” she suggested, her heart beating louder in her chest, her cheeks just a touch flushed from the alcohol.
There was just a moment’s hesitation on his face before he smiled and nodded, “Sure sweetie. Midnight dip in the ocean before bed. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?” He leaned in, squeezing her thigh just a little higher as he kissed her forehead. “I’m gonna go change into my bathing shorts,” he declared before getting up.
“I’ll meet you outside?” she asked and she stood as well, teetering a bit as the alcohol hit her and the wedged heels didn’t feel so solid. She recovered quickly, though, and licked her lips. “Maybe the pool might be a bit... safer.”
He saw her wobble and reached out, his big strong hand grasping at her hip and squeezing it firmly to steady her. His tall, hard body pressed to hers as he kept her in place. Secure. “Good thinking,” he remarked with a warm smile, his fingertips grazing against her generous ass. “There’s the jacuzzi too, if you’re feeling really lazy,” he added on, a big smile upon his handsome face as he reached his free hand up to brush her long, platinum blonde hair from her eyes.
She thought maybe she was imagining it. That lust was driving her so mad that she was seeing meaning in even his most innocuous touches, but she wouldn’t let doubt throw her off. Not now. Not when she was so close to betting her life, her future, on this one endeavour.
“We’ll see how we feel when we get out there,” she smiled, biting in her lower lip.
He had such a charming, masculine smell about him. Whatever cologne he used was faint but musky--expensive, of course, but that was hardly even a question. Positioned as she was, she had a view straight through his open shirt at his bulging pecs and hard abs.
“Anything you want, babe,” he laughed, still holding her hip and cupping her cheek as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Lemme help you to your room though,” he said, pulling her arm in around his before he began to lead her down the hall towards their rooms.
She was going to rush to the pool, to pose herself perfectly for him, but this was just as good. Better, even, and she smiled broadly. The alcohol made her a bit sloppier, sure, but he seemed to like that. He responded to it.
And without a doubt, it lowered his inhibitions just that little bit more she needed.
“Don’t be long,” she said, her blue eyes flashing at him. “And bring more champagne?”