I close the door behind me, refusing to acknowledge the pair of scissors opening and closing in my throat. Who wanted to have sex tonight? Not me, that’s for sure. I haven’t even really processed my shark encounter. I’ll just have a nice sit-down and let the excitement of the afternoon wash over me. Maybe I’ll go out for a run. The night is young—
The door of my chalet swings open and Jason strides in, letting it bang off the wall. In the wake of the echo, he just keeps coming, stroking a hand over his beard. A giant, shirtless man on a mission. God help me, my vagina contracts with such force, I could juice a lemon.
“I’m busy, Blackbeard,” I breathe, sinking and floundering. “What do you want?”
Jason doesn’t answer me. I didn’t really think he would. Instead, he stoops down and throws me over his shoulder, turns and stomps for the door, kicking it shut behind us. The air expels from my lungs and I stutter through the beginnings of nine different protests. Except I’m smiling. I’m smiling at his dimpled lower back and flexing behind like I’ve lost my mind. Someone wants me enough to pick me up and take me. I’m wanted this badly and it’s better than I ever dreamed it could be, so I close my eyes and revel in it as we walk into the house.
Moments later, we enter Jason’s bedroom and he lifts me from his shoulder, laying me in the center of his no-frills, king-sized bed. Last time I was in here, it was shrouded in shadows and I barely got a chance to look around. I want to catalogue every single item in the space, but he’s above me, knees planted on either side of my thighs, taking up my entire universe. “What do I want?” Absently I notice the scent of lavender and wrinkle my nose, but he demands my attention when he presses a hand to the lowest point of my belly, dragging it up between my breasts, flattening it over my heart. “I want back inside of you, beauty queen. Want it like I’ve never wanted anything.” His touch shifts and a thumb drags over my nipple, blurring my vision. “Barely made it through dinner after that kiss.”
“I want you back inside me, too,” I whisper, lost in the feeling of being trapped between soft and hard, curls of hunger heating and twisting in my stomach and thighs. Lord, I just want him to press me down and never let me up.
“Yeah? Why did you leave, then?” He takes my breast fully in his hand, massaging it rhythmically, creating a wicked thrum south of my belly button. “Give me a glimpse of what goes on in that head of yours, baby.”
“You go first.”
With a sigh, he lies on his side to my right, his hand continuing its mission of arousal by ghosting over my breasts, only squeezing when I begin to squirm. “I’ll admit to some wishful thinking this morning before the dive. That’s why I had the, uh…”
“Protection?”
“Yeah. Had it for a while with our name on it, but it’s not usually stashed in my gear bag.” He leans down and breathes against my hard left nipple, brushing his lips over it and making me shudder. “Remembered the condom, forgot to clean my room.” Another brush of lips, but this time they’re smiling. “Maybe I was afraid to hope you’d ever end up here.”
Light, languorous amusement dances inside me and I thread my fingers through his hair. “You were cleaning your room for me?”
He angles himself away so I can view his efforts. “Even snuck a candle out of Birdie’s room when she was brushing her teeth. If she notices, I’ll never live it down.”
The bed shakes with my silent laughter. “Your secret is safe with me. And it smells lovely.” Knowing he went to such an effort makes me want to roll over and squeal into the bedclothes like a teenager. Although, I was never made to feel like this as a teen, was I? Never like this. “I thought you were trying to send me a hint,” I say, shaking my head. “Like today was nice, but it was enough.”
His jaw flexes. “And now you know how ridiculous that is?”
“Yes.”
“Next time, talk to me.”
“Next time, tell me you’re just tidying up,” I murmur, knowing full well there might not be a next time. He’s having the same thought, his expression tightening. But I don’t want to lose the moment, so I search for a subject change. “I liked watching you today. The water is your second home. You were standing in front of the ocean and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen you there before. Like you’ve been walking out of frame the whole time I’ve known you.”