Magnificent Ruin (Everlasting Series Book 2) (7 page)

I follow him in, but the water is too cold for me now that my body is all warm from his lovely touches. He notices and comes to my aid, taking me in his strong arms and rubbing my skin gently underwater. He acts all noble at first but soon his hands are all over my ass and breasts.

I slap his hands away but they keep coming back until I feel him grow shockingly big all over again.

“Stay here,” he says, rushing out to get a condom.

I’m stunned that he wants to make love to me right in the ocean. I start considering the logistics of the attempt but when he enters me, in the water, I whisper in his ear that I want him to keep fucking me for all eternity.

“At your service,” he says, as he keeps pumping himself inside me, creating ripples of water that tease my overstretched clit, my legs wrapped around his powerful hips until we both come frantically. Again.

Chapter 9

T
omas is sleeping under an old beach umbrella, exhausted from last night’s intense love making and wine drinking. We stayed up with the wine and the most random of conversations until we both passed out in each other’s arms.

I’m not sure how much I slept but it can’t have been more than three hours, maybe three and a half. My body is too exhilarated and my mind too restless to stay still for long.

I’ve been building a sand castle since I woke up at the crack of dawn and quietly left Tomas’s arms to stretch my aching muscles. Something tells me I’m going to be sore for several days to come from fucking hard on the ground and then sleeping in an uncomfortable position for my back and hips.

My castle doesn’t want to grow as tall as I want it to be. It keeps crumbling down every time I attempt to add a second floor to it using a soda can and a toy shovel I found on one of the pedal boats.

To my horror, I watch two crabs walk sideways on the edge of the water and thank my good luck for not having my butt bitten during the night.

The sun’s getting stronger now. I should probably wake Tomas up before we both get a bad sunburn.

A vague feeling that I’m missing something arises. I go to Tomas but don’t wake him up just yet. Instead, I let my eyes rest on his gorgeous face and then on his naked, tanned, ripped and powerful body as it is splayed out on the dry sand in nothing but his swimming trunks. I watch him sleep with a smile on his lips as his chest rises and falls peacefully.

I raise my hand to place it on his strong abdominal muscles and then move it up to his chest. The smoothness of his skin against the hardness of his muscles feels incredibly good—like he was made to be touched.

Moving my hand back down to the ridge below his belly button, I lift the waistband of his swimming trunks a bit but then change my mind and let the fabric fall back down on his belly.

I decide to go and let him sleep a while longer when he grabs my arm.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up,” I say with a smile on my face.

“I’m glad you did,” he says, pulling me down to lie next to him.

“You were supposed to say I didn’t wake you up,” I say, kissing his cheek.

“What time is it?” he says, rubbing his eyes.

I shrug. “Not sure. It’s early still. The cell’s dead.”

“How long have you been awake?” he asks, spotting my lame excuse of a sand castle.

“Not long, maybe an hour.”

“An hour,” he says, sitting up. “You should have woken me up then.”

“But you seemed so peaceful.”

He plants a kiss on my lips and then brushes a finger against my nose. “Screw peaceful. We can’t have that cute little nose get all red and flaky.”

“Who are you?” I say, grinning.

“Seriously, we better get moving.”

“No objections from me. My hair could use some shampooing and conditioning. I can barely get my fingers through it.”

“The car, shit. We’ll have to walk all the way back to it,” he says, helping me up. “Do you see our shoes anywhere?”

Shoes. So that’s what has been missing. I knew something was missing.

We look around unable to locate a single shoe.

“What do you make of that?” I ask, not really expecting an answer.

“It’s a mystery all right,” he says, putting an arm around my waist and pulling me closer. “What are your thoughts on last night?” he asks.

“I’m thinking it was incredible, amazing.” I say, throwing my hands around his neck.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. You didn’t think so?”

All joy leaves his face. “I haven’t done much thinking. If I had, I’d hate myself.”

“Don’t go all enigmatic on me, Tomas,” I say, pulling him closer.

“I’m not, pinky swear,” he says, sporting a new smile for me. “So, how did I stack up against all the legions of your lovers?”

“Legions?” I say, unable to control a laugh.

“How would you call them? Troops? Platoons?”

“Do they have to be warriors?”

“They’d fight for you, wouldn’t they?”

I can’t deny it, it’s flattering that he thinks of me that way but it’s also important that he knows the truth. I’m not going to start this new chapter in our relationship based on false impressions.

“You assume too much,” I say. “The truth is I mostly bark but rarely bite.”

He squints his eyes curiously. “Meaning?”

“I’ve created a persona. No one knows that. Even Grace thinks I slept my way through high school.”

“And you didn’t?”

“Not even close. I’m not saying I’m an angel and I’ve definitely had my share of passionate nights but I haven’t had that many lovers.”

“How many?” he says, throwing his head back to take a better look at my face.

“I’m not going to tell you that.”

“Less than a hundred?”

“Oh my god. Did you hear a word I just said?”

“Less than fifty?” he says teasingly.

Okay, he better get his answer or this merry go round could go on for a really long time. “Yes, Tomas, less than fifty. Way less than fifty. I’m afraid I’m not the fuck goddess you thought I was.”

Is it my imagination or does he seem pleased with my confession? Am I a better trophy now that he knows I’m not easy? Or does he really care for me so much he likes it that I chose him? Will I ever be able to read him accurately?

“What about you?” I say, to change subjects. “How many lovers?”

“If there ever was a quantifiable amount, I wouldn’t know it.”

“Your modesty is humbling.”

“Modesty is for cowards and those with petty ambitions, angel.”

His lips find mine and stay there for a long, wet kiss. My lips and tongue get all tingly and happy. No man has had that effect on me since… since forever.

“I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d be such a considerate lover,” I say, biting his lower lip softly.

“I’m not,” he says, totally serious. “I take what I need.”

“But you are. Considerate, knowledgeable, passionate.”

He grabs my ass with both hands and lifts me an inch off the ground. “Stop flattering me or next time I’ll show you my true colors.”

“What makes you think there’ll be a next time?”

He sets me down to sneak a hand under my blouse. He twists my nipple hard.

“Ouch!” I protest loudly. “What the hell was that for?”

“That was for being obnoxious. And also because I love your nipples. Rosy and puffy and getting hard at the slightest provocation.”

“You love them, so you want to make them suffer?”

“Don’t be so dramatic. Your nipples love a little pain every now and then.”

“No, they don’t.”

The expression forming on his face is alarming to say the least. “Let’s test that theory of yours, shall we?”

I make a run for it but I’m not fast enough. He catches up with me easily, grabbing both my wrists with one hand behind my back. He uses his free hand to cup a breast under my blouse.

“Don’t you dare,” I say as his thumb finds my nipple, stiffened and alert with anticipation.

“And don’t you dare me,” he says, leaning in to kiss my neck. The movement is interrupted by the sound of an engine followed by the
whoosh
of sand. We turn to see a blue sedan parked nearby on the beach.

The front door opens and a man gets out. He’s in his early forties and dressed in a disheveled tuxedo.

“We’re not the only ones that stayed out all night,” I tell Tomas but he places his index finger on his lips to stop me.

The man circles the sedan to open the passenger door. A girl in a mini pink dress steps out of the car. She is tall with long, curly red hair. She comes close to losing her balance more than once as she walks on the sand in monstrous high heels.

The guy takes hold of her arm to steady her on her feet. Soon afterward, they spot us and head to us.

As they get closer, I become aware that the girl is extremely young, nineteen, maybe even younger without the makeup on. She is breathtakingly beautiful with perfectly harmonic features and porcelain skin that has been sheltered from the sun.

Tomas stands still, eyes hooked on the approaching pair. Then, as if he was just awoken, takes a few steps back to where his clothes lie on a pile. He picks up his shirt and puts it on quickly.

“Hey, Tommy,” the man says in what sounds like a Brooklyn accent, extending his hand. “Fancy finding you here.”

“Mr. De Luca,” Tomas says, taking the other man’s hand for a brief greeting. His features remain indifferent and almost in shock.

“You know each other?” I say, more than a little surprised at the coincidence.

“We’ve been acquainted,” Tomas says without looking at me.

“C’mon, Tommy, why the modesty? We’re more than acquaintances.”

Tomas says nothing. His eyes are fixed on the girl now. I wonder if he knows her as well? She’s a rare beauty, there’s no question about that, but for all his faults Tomas is not one to go after young girls.

The girl acts totally indifferent to us, her heavily painted eyes staring at the ocean vacantly.

“Hey, Amelia,” De Luca says, turning to the girl. “Remember Tommy? He was at the poker game at the villa. With the brunette lady. Remember?”

Amelia shakes her head before she turns her attention back to the ocean.

“How can she not remember? You caused quite a scene, Tommy boy,” De Luca says with an almost sinister chuckle.

“People find different things interesting,” Tomas says coldly.

De Luca turns his attention to me. There’s something vile about his expression, as if you’d need a shower if he just looked at you. “So you’re Tommy’s girl?”

I can barely open my mouth before Tomas jumps in. “You know I don’t have a girl, Mr. De Luca,” he says. “That would be like you killing only one pheasant on a hunting trip.”

De Luca looks astonished for a second but then he bursts out in laughter. “That’s a good one, Tommy,” he says. He keeps calling him Tommy in a way that is meant to be derogatory, there’s no question in my mind about that. “So who’s the lovely lady?”

“A friend of mine from back home. We had a little too much to drink.”

De Luca laughs again and I get seriously pissed. Why do we have to give him a report on what we do and why does Tomas acts like he has something to prove?

“Plenty of pussy to go around, right, Tommy?” De Luca says, patting Tomas’s cheek.

“You should know,” Tomas says before he turns to me. “We should go or we’ll get fried.”

I nod. “Let’s.”

“Don’t let me keep you,” De Luca says, pinching Amelia’s butt. Amelia squeals and then she yells something in a foreign language before she walks back to the blue sedan.

I watch Tomas’s face as his eyes dart momentarily toward the fleeing girl. I see something in there that’s more than curiosity.

“Well, I’ll see you around, Tommy,” De Luca says, turning to go.

“Is she your daughter?” I say.

“What?” De Luca takes two steps toward me, looking truly confused.

“The girl,” I say, pointing at Amelia.

His face goes dark now. He’s not amused. “What is your lady friend saying, Tommy? You should teach her some manners.”

“It’s a joke, Mr. De Luca. No harm done. Right, Taylor?”

His eyes are pleading and domineering at the same time. “Right,” I say, fuming on the inside. “Forgive me, Mr. De Luca.”

“Well, then, no harm done, as Tommy here said.”

Tomas stays put until the blue sedan has driven away. It’s impossible to tell what’s going on inside his head.

“Who was that?” I say, placing my hand on his shoulder.

“Nobody,” he says, brushing my hand off him. “An asshole. A very rich asshole. Get your things.”

My things would be my skinny jeans as I can’t find my shoes. I pick them up and put them on while Tomas does the same with his pants.

“Did you tell him I wasn’t your girl to protect me?” I ask. “What kind of trouble are you in? Tell me the truth.”

He checks his dead cell phone, acting like he didn’t hear me at all.

“Tomas,” I say, losing patience. “Why did you tell that jackass we’re nothing but friends?”

He bites the corner of his mouth before he turns his squinting eyes on me. “Isn’t that what we are?”

“I don’t know, is it?”

I’m not surprised that he chooses not to answer me. He takes a look around and then he points at the direction of the road. “It’d be faster if we walked on the pavement instead of the sand,” he says. “I doubt it’ll take more than 15 minutes to get back to the main beach and the car.”

“Fuck you,” I say. And
fuck me
if I let him treat me like that.

A bus pulls over only a few yards down the street to let out a group of swimmers in wide-brimmed hats carrying umbrellas and coolers.