Sugar on the Edge (32 page)

“We could go lie on the beach, go snorkeling, mountain biking, sailing… you name it, Sweet. We can do it. As long as it involves you wearing that white bikini you brought.”

“Why would you want me in a bikini when I do nothing but walk around naked all day and night here?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Good question. We’re definitely not leaving this room since we have to put clothes on.”

“How, in the order of the universe, does a derelict drunk of an author meet an incredibly sweet photographer and end up with her on a hot, white, sandy beach in the Caribbean, where she makes sweet love to him day in and day out, and his heart gets hopelessly lost to her?”

Yes, we finally put on clothes and made it down to the beach.

And yes, Savannah’s white bikini is getting me quite hot and bothered.

We’re lying side by side on wooden lounge chairs. The sand is warm and soft… super fine, white crystals that sparkle in the sunlight. The water is an unbelievable clear blue, transparent as glass, and also sparkles in the sunlight. Savannah is holding my hand, our fingers lightly laced together as we bake under the sun, sip Mojitos, and watch the day drift by.

I don’t ever want to fucking go back. In fact, I wonder if I could rent a room here at Jade Mountain, keep Savannah naked, and write my next book from here.

“I find it odd that the universe gives you the talent to write dark, erotic, thriller-type books and yet, you sit there now and spout the most beautiful words to me. Put those in a book, sell them, and you’ll have women falling at your feet,” she says while gazing out over the water.

I turn my face to look at her. She has her hair piled on top of her head in a messy knot. Large, oval sunglasses sit on her delicate face, and her lips glisten from the rum drink she just took a sip of. Her bikini stands out stark against her tanning skin, being nothing more than a four triangles of material held precariously closed by a few strings.

“Is your heart getting hopelessly lost to me as well, love?”

She turns her head slowly to me, and although I can’t see her eyes behind the dark frames, by the set of her chin and the way she squeezes my fingers, I know she’s serious when she says, “So lost that I don’t know if I’d even be able to find where it went.”

“I’ll tell you where it is. It will be residing right next to mine. I’ll give you access to it any time you want, but I think I’ll keep it buried with my own, just for safekeeping.”

We stare at each other a moment more, letting our sappy words hover in the humid air, and then Savannah snorts. Her free hand comes up and she covers her mouth trying to stifle herself, then her head is thrown back and she’s laughing with gusto. I laugh with her, and it feels fucking awesome.

“God, we’re so corny,” she sighs as her giggles die down.

“Okay, so let’s talk seriously,” I tell her with a final grin and turn my face back to the water. “You said you’d continue on as my assistant, which I’m not letting you back out of by the way, but I think you should also do something with your photography.”

“Like what?” she asks lazily, taking another sip of Mojito.

“Whatever you want. What was your primary goal when you graduated college?”

“I wanted to do wildlife photography. Then I wanted my own place where I could lock myself away in a dark room and develop my pictures. Then I could frame them and sell them, and get rich, rich, rich. But mainly… I just want to take the photos of the animals. All that other stuff is just so I have a way to support my habit.”

“So, when you say photos of wildlife… you mean like on the plains of Africa type wildlife?” I ask, not really liking that idea. First, it would put her too far away from me, and second, I didn’t relish Savannah getting eaten by a lion.

“Any type,” she clarifies. “Doesn’t matter the type of animal. As long as it’s wild and in its natural habitat.”

“So, you should do that. You should take certain days to make sure you get out and shoot that type of stuff.”

“And do what with it?” she scoffs. “There’s not a huge market for that type of photography.”

“You can do whatever you want with it, Sweet. Sell it to magazines, give it as gifts, or display it in an art gallery. Hell, publish a fucking book of your photos. I can help you get that done.”

Savannah turns to look at me again and even without seeing the feeling in her eyes, I can tell she has skepticism on her face.

“The point is,” I tell her solemnly, “is that you can do whatever you want, even if it’s only to take the photos for your own pleasure, and we can look at them together while we cuddle on the couch and drink wine.”

“You make everything seem so easy sometimes,” she murmurs.

“It’s never easy, baby. But you have a passion for it… and it’s oh so much fun. So I hereby proclaim that when we get back to civilization, provided I agree to go back, then you are immediately setting up some time for you to get out each week so you can get back to following your dreams.”

I get a soft smile from Savannah and she turns her face away from me, lifting it up to the hot sun. I stroke her fingers and close my eyes.

“Gavin?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you for real?”

Her words are so soft… so unsure, I immediately sit up on my chair and swing my legs over to her side. Tugging on her hand, I urge her to sit up and face me. When she does, I pull her sunglasses off her face so I can see her eyes, and I take mine off so she can judge my truth as well.

“Why the doubt, Sweet?”

“It’s just… stuff like this doesn’t happen in real life, and it certainly doesn’t happen to me. You’re larger than life, and I feel dwarfed. You’re dark and mysterious. Sexy and charismatic. Your touch leaves me breathless, and your words hypnotize me. I feel both lost and found with you, yet many times, I feel in between those two places, which is way worse that just being lost.”

I tilt my head to her and give her an understanding smile. Pulling on her hand, I say, “Come here, baby. Sit with me and let me tell you all about it.”

She stands up and lets me pull her on top of my lap, arranging her legs in a good straddle. I love being this close to her, face to face, pussy to cock.

“You’ll get a boner in this position,” she says confidently, slyly. “You always do.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” I smirk at her. “I like you this way.”

“But everyone will see,” she says as her eyes glance around the crowded beach.

“Again, don’t give a fuck. They might see but you are the only one feeling it.”

She sucks her lower lip in between her teeth for a moment, considering my words. She lowers her hips down and makes contact with the hard-on that is indeed starting to tent my swim trunks.

“Mmmm, feels good,” I tell her but then still her progress with my hands on her hips. “Now, what were we talking about?”

“We were talking about the fact that I’m not good enough for someone like you… not really.”

Leaning forward, I place a soft kiss on Savannah’s breastbone. Her skin is hot and there’s a tang of salt on my lips when I pull back. Looking up at her, I talk to her with utter transparency. “Savannah… Sweet… you have it all backward. I’m the one that’s not good enough for you. Your light shines so brightly that I’m merely thankful to be standing near enough to let one of the rays touch me. You say you feel dwarfed by me? Well, I feel utterly overwhelmed by you. My skin hums whenever you’re near, and my heart threatens to leap out of my chest like an excited puppy. I’ve never felt that something was so right… so meant to be. It doesn’t have any reason to it, but then again, feelings and emotions aren’t meant to. All I know is that my gut, my heart, my brain… the cock that’s pushing up against you, they’re all telling me that you’re the one. So, no more doubts. Okay, baby? We’re good for each other, and that’s all we need to worry about right now.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask Gavin, which yes… I know it’s for the third time.

“I’m sure,” he says as he pulls several bottles of wine out of the rack and sets them on the kitchen counter.

“I’d understand if you weren’t sure,” I prod at him.

“I’m sure you would understand.”

“I mean… we can cancel, if you want.”

“We can’t cancel,” he says and yes, that’s a smirk on his gorgeous face.

“But if you want—”

Gavin turns on me fast and pulls me to him. He kisses me hard, swiftly, with power and control. “Shut up, Sweet. They’ll be here in ten minutes, and you’re wound up tighter than your own pussy. What’s up?”

I hardly even blush anymore because his dirty talk is getting easier to digest. “It’s just… I’m nervous about everyone coming over.”

“Why?” he asks as he kisses my forehead. “I’ve been around all your friends before. I think they like me, right?”

“Seemed to,” I grudgingly admit.

“Then what’s the problem? You wanted to invite them over for a get-together, and I told you I thought it was a fantastic idea. This will be fun.”

Sighing, I give him a squeeze and then pull out of his embrace. Turning to the refrigerator, I start pulling out all the finger foods I made. A veggie tray, sliced cheeses, grapes, and deli meats. A pot of spicy meatballs simmers in a crock-pot on the counter, and another holds a warm, buffalo chicken dip. “You’re right. It’s just… things have moved kind of fast for us, and I don’t want them to judge me.”

I expect further words of comfort and encouragement from Gavin, but he merely says, “Fuck ’em if they judge us. You don’t need them.”

Lifting my gaze to his, I see anger and protectiveness. “That’s kind of harsh,” I murmur. “And I do need them… they’re my friends.”

Gavin grabs the Macallan from the various bottles of liquors and mixers he brought up from the bar downstairs. Pouring himself a glass, he takes a sip and says, “The way I see it… maybe you’re nervous because you doubt what we have is real. You said it’s too fast—I said it’s not fast enough. Maybe we’re not on the same page like I thought.”

I blink at him in surprise, taken aback by the resentment in his words. “What? No, I don’t feel that.”

“If your heart is true, and all the things you told me in St. Lucia were true, you wouldn’t worry about what others think. You’d accept what it is and revel in it.”

Pushing away from the counter, I walk to Gavin and step in to him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I place my cheek to his heart and hear it galloping away. He doesn’t respond for a moment, then finally sits his glass down and places his arms around me, leaning his cheek to the top of my head.