Freshwater Kisses (The Kisses 3)

We ate in comfortable silence. The food was delicious and I was hungrier than I had expected. It felt wonderful just to be with Robbie, to have the moonlight and the ocean and only him. The boat rocked gently, caressed by the waves. It was like old times with Robbie, only better. His smile in the moonlight sent my heart to fluttering. Anything could happen out here, and I had high hopes for the evening.

"You were hungry," he observed. He smiled as his eyes followed my fingers to my mouth as I licked the last of the key lime pie from them.

I giggled and glanced at the plate. Together we had cleaned it to nothing but crumbs, and I was considering using my tongue to get those last little morsels. I felt perfectly full and very content.

"It was delicious. I think those fried plantains might be my new favorite food," I said. Robbie laughed and picked the plate up before rising. With confident steps, he padded down into the galley, and I could hear the clank of the plate against the sink as he took care of putting the dish away.

I stood, rolling my shoulders as I walked to the rail of the boat. The dark water sloshed rhythmically against the hull, and I could feel the tension in my shoulders melting into the night. A small smirk crossed my face as I heard Robbie come up behind me.

"Hey, look down there. I think I see some sort of fish," I said to him, pointing at the navy blue water. He leaned out across the railing, searching the water with his eyes. I felt him stiffen as I pushed his shoulders, but it was too late. He toppled into the water with a splash. "Yup, I definitely see a Robbie-fish!"

"Hey," he spluttered, coming to the surface. "You know, you're supposed to wait at least twenty minutes between eating and swimming!"

I laughed and went to the rear of the boat to push the steps into the water. Robbie swam with strong strokes to meet me.

"Help me up," he dared, reaching up his hand with a grin plastered on his face. I hesitated for only a second, ultimately deciding I should keep with the tradition. He pulled me into the water easily, and I laughed as I went under.

The ocean was as warm as bathwater. I surfaced, kicking water at him. He raised his arm to block the spray, but then roared and started swimming for me. I shrieked and swam away, kicking my legs and swinging my arms as he chased me through the warm waves.

Robbie was always the faster swimmer, and it was only a matter of minutes before he finally caught me by the aft of the ship. His hand wrapped around my ankle and he dunked me under with a swift downward pull. I shook my head free of the water as I emerged, opening my eyes to find him close enough to kiss. The moonlight caught the gleam in his eye as he pulled me closer to him, holding onto the boat to keep us both afloat.

"Kiss me," I said with just a hint of begging. I licked the salt from my lips. His mouth curved up into a smile and he tipped his head to the side, bringing his lips to mine. His tongue was salty with the ocean water as he tasted me, our lips dancing in the dark. Heat began to burn in my core. I didn't want to wait any longer. I wanted Robbie more than I wanted to breathe.

We broke from our kiss and I climbed up the ladder and back onto the deck of the ship, leaving a trail of water behind me. Robbie was hot on my heels, his hands grabbing the ladder's rungs just as my feet left them. I could sense his eyes on the bottom of my body as I climbed the ladder, and I liked the way that made me feel.

When I reached the deck, I quickly wriggled out of my wet sailing leggings. I tried to pull the skintight shirt over my head, cursing the wet fabric that was now sticking to my body. Just as the fabric was directly over my eyes, I felt a pair of hands run their way up my body. I shivered, the air sucking the heat from my wet skin as his fingers sent shocks of electricity through my body.

I recovered quickly. "Aren't you being a little presumptuous?" I asked, a smile on my lips. I couldn't tell if he could see that I was joking, but the last thing I wanted was for him to stop.

My hands were still stuck in the shirt on my head, and one of his hands moved to the middle of my back. He continued to stroke my skin, his other hand going to the shirt. He lifted it up over one ear and whispered softly in my ear. "I very much doubt that."

His hand moved up to my hands, stilling them and keeping me entangled in the shirt. I felt him move around to the front of me. His hand was still on my back, cradling me as if he were dipping me on the dance floor. His maddening contact was teasing me, and I felt my sense of touch begin to heighten the longer my eyes remained covered.

"You know, I thought about the last day we spent together for a long time," Robbie said.

"Me too," I agreed, surprised I could speak any words at all.

"I'm sorry that it took such a boneheaded move from me for us to get back together, but I feel like this was meant to be."

My heart raced faster and my breath caught in my chest. I thought of that time, eleven years ago, when I had my first taste of Robbie.

He moved closer to me. I could feel the drops of water falling off his shirt and onto my skin. "You stole a kiss from me, and I almost missed my chance to kiss you back. Then you went away, and a piece of me has wanted you ever since. Pined for you, even."

The confession was a little startling, but I let his emotions wash over me in waves, afraid to even speak because of the chance of ruining the moment. Maybe I hadn't pined for Robbie Saunders, but I had never forgotten that magical kiss.

I felt him lean in, and in anticipation I parted my lips. I was rewarded with the contact of his lips against mine, a tentative taste, almost as if to test if I were the same as I had been eleven years ago. He backed away, and I felt naked under his gaze, unable to cover myself or even see what he was doing. Then, he suddenly leaned in and kissed me again, this time passionately. His hands wrapped around my midriff, and I felt my body quest for his.

He backed off after a moment of thoroughly kissing me, his hands going to my shirt to help get it off. As he pulled the shirt off my head and I regained my sight, he said, "Let's get this off of you. You look ridiculous."

My jaw dropped, but he just smiled and kissed me again, his laughter sweet against my lips. I worked the shirt off of my hands and wrapped them around his body. I let my fingers grab at the bottom of his shirt, quickly pulling it up, feeling his muscular body underneath. This time, I paused with the shirt covering his eyes.

"Now who looks ridiculous?" I asked him.

He smiled. "I can't see, but I assume it's still you." I laughed, and before I could kiss him again, he swept me up in his powerful arms. He started to walk.

"Guess it's time to see if I really can navigate a boat with my eyes closed. Unless you want to help me get this shirt off my eyes."

I pulled the shirt up so one of his eyes was uncovered. It immediately dilated when it saw my body in his hands. "Good enough," he said as he began to walk. I leaned up and wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, leaning up to a kiss. I had no idea where he was bringing me, but I had a pretty good idea as I felt us begin to move down the stairs to below the deck.