Take a Bow (The Perfect Plans Series Book 2) (11 page)

“What does that mean for you?” I attempt to lace my question with an odd mixture of nonchalance and understanding; an added forced smile in hopes of passing. I’m sure I failed.

“We shall see. I have to call them.”

“Okay,” I smile sincerely, trying to make him feel better. He’s obviously worried this may affect our little escape, and more so how I will react. The least I can do is lesson his guilt. It’s not his fault that reality is calling. “Why don’t you go make the call, I’ll get cleaned up for breakfast by the...”

“No,” he shakes his head, the return of his devilishly, delicious smile reheating my skin despite the cooling water. “I’ll go make the call,
you
stay right where you are. I have to scour every inch of you for lingering sand,” he adds, bending his legs to hover at the side of the tub. Brushing an escaped strand of my pinned hair behind my ear, he leans in to whisper a soft kiss across my lips, his tongue teasing a lick that I feel right between my legs. “Don’t go anywhere.”

I watch him walk away, leaning my chin on the side of the tub, devouring his incredible physique. My eyes linger on his perfect ass beneath his white pajama bottoms before moving up to his broad back, my nails aching to scratch down every delicious muscle as I scream his name. I stay that way, involuntarily staring towards his long retreated form, until I shiver from the chill of the water, and the loss of his touch. The chill of reality lurking.

It’s not like we can hide from it. Alone on an island or not. Sighing, I lean back into the mould of the tub.
Maybe I can hold him hostage here
, I purse my lips at my inner dreamers fanatical contribution to a solution.
Arg, pirate Aby
, I mime the title, giggling to myself. I’ve officially flown the coop. Less than two days in the sun on a tropical island certainly has its way of easing up my defensive wall. As well as being a willing prisoner of love to one
Alexander the Great
, of course. The combination has worked wonders. It feels good to let go. Being back in Alex’s arms is all I need to face the lingering fears of reality -
his
reality.
Thank God for second chances
, I smile, sitting up to unplug the drain and turn on the hot water.

Settling back into place, I dip my toes in the cascading stream, running my hands through the water to pull the renewed warmth upwards to surround me. My flesh is perked from the chill, my nipples even more so at the thought of Alex’s return. The slow reheat of the water titillates every aroused pore, and I close my eyes, basking in the anticipation of his touch.

“You’re stunning.”

My eyes dart open in surprise, a delicious flutter running through me at the sexy sight of him leaned against the doorframe watching me. “You’re not so bad yourself,” I reply breathlessly.

His sweet smile doesn’t reach his eyes, and I take a deep breath in preparation for the pending news. Folding his arms, he leans into the frame further, his jaw clenching. It’s clear he’s gauging his words - and my reaction.

I hate that I’ve created this hesitation in him at the hands of my history of bad reactions.
Pathetically
bad reactions. Well, not anymore. I need to be as strong for him as he has been for me. “Whether we have to leave today, tomorrow, or the next,” I begin with a comforting smile, “…it doesn’t matter, Alex.”

His gaze drops to the floor for a moment before he looks back up to me, a small closed-lip pull of the corners of his mouth.

I feel the pang of disappointment in my gut at his silent affirmation of the early end of our island excursion, but I don’t want him to feel it too. At least not because he feels guilty about how
I
feel about it. “As amazing as this escape has been, as long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter where we are,” I pour every ounce of love and strength into my tone and smile. “So, when do we leave?”

“Tomorrow afternoon,” are his only words of reply.

“Well, in that case, Mr. Incredibly Sexy and Romantic,” I cup my chin seductively in my palm, leaning against the side of the tub, “…what are you waiting for?”

Desire curls in around the melancholy glimmer of his irises, effectively transforming his gaze and demeanor with burning returned want. Reaching for the waist of his pajama bottoms, he pulls them down to the delight of my watchful eyes.

A devilish smile escapes me as I lean back and watch the man of my dreams, in all his glorious nudity, walk towards me, anticipation soaring through my clenching core.

THE BRIGHT SUN glitters across the pool, its warm rays dancing with the cool water beading on my slickened flesh as I float weightlessly in Alex’s arms, lost in the erotic euphoria of his hold.

“This is amaze-balls,” I close my eyes, relishing in the feel of his strong hands beneath me, gliding my body along the water.

“I’m glad you approve,” he chuckles, adjusting his grip of me to keep me afloat with one hand, cupping water in his free palm, playfully pouring it over my stomach. “If only we could stay longer. I’d keep you here forever, if I could.”

Opening my eyes, I use my hand as a shield, taking in his darkened silhouette from the brightness of the sun. His wet curls slicked back, water droplets sluicing down his cheeks, neck and wide shoulders from his recent dip, send my heart rate soaring.

“You
can
keep me forever,” I smile, reaching up to touch the perfection of his chest. “It doesn’t matter where we are, as long as I’m with you,” I remind him. “It’s
you
that’s amazing.” I need him to know that it’s not the expensive locale that has me in awe. It’s him. It’s everything about him.

“I could say the same, baby.” His shy smile makes me love him even more.

“Do you realize how hooked you have me?” I question with a playful evil eye, maneuvering from his hold. Wading the water to stand before him, I place my hands on the heated skin of his tan shoulders, desperate to feel him beneath my palms.

He welcomes the shift with a sinful smile, reaching for my waist to hold me in place, looking into my eyes with adoration.

I could stare at him forever, this man I love. Held in the engulfing dominance of his large hands, I feel precious. Protected. Loved. I don’t need to hear him say it to know how he feels. His actions speak so much louder than any words. And though I hope mine do as well, I can’t help but want to tell him over and over. But…not right now. This moment is perfect, and I don’t want to ruin it with a reminder that what I feel for him is bigger than the both of us.

To be honest, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the enormity of the love I already feel for him. Isn’t that, after all, the real reason I ran away? I’ve faced that epiphany. Shared it with him even. But we never really delved into the underlying question behind my fear - Are we moving too fast?

“Can I ask you something?” I search his gaze, running my fingers leisurely along his chest, my palms luxuriating in the heat of his skin.

“Of course, sweetheart, you can ask me anything,” the squeeze of his fingers at my hips confirms his words, the sensual pressure sending a delicious current down my core.

“Do you think this is crazy? How quickly we found each other…how quickly our relationship has developed?”

His contemplative gaze flickers in turn between my eyes. “Do you?” he questions, his bright baby-blues eying me uncertainly.

I open my mouth to respond, though no words come as my shoulders sag, heavy with guilt. I’m left gawking at him like a guppy, regretting bringing it up. Possibly spoiling a perfect moment after all.

“You’re adorable,” he reaches up to brush his fingers along my jaw, the chills of the wet touch no match to the warmth it surfaces in my cheek. “Talk to me, baby.”

His warm reminder that he isn’t giving up on me - that he
never
gave up on us - both swells and deflates my self-reproach at the same time. The latter winning out as I remember my vow…
I promised no more lies
.

Feigning a small smile through a breath of strength, I look into his eyes. “I can’t say it hasn’t crossed my mind more than once,” I begin, pausing to gauge any reaction in his loving stare. The only thing I see is silent encouragement to continue. “There’s no question we’ve had a connection from the very beginning. A connection I never thought possible outside of dreams and romance novels - an unbelievable happenstance, so much so that I ran away from it.” I look down, shuddering at the memory.

He pulls me closer, instantly reminding me how right this feels. In his arms is where I belong.

“But I keep trying to remind myself that sometimes when you know, you just know,” I add, snuggling into his hold, my cheek against his chest. “And the one thing I know…the one thing I’m absolutely sure of is that you are the one for me. The only one.”

He says nothing, though I feel the jump of his heartbeat, the quickening of his breaths.

“This feels right, Alex,” I look up into his eyes, sliding my hands up to his face to cup his jaw. “This is where I belong. With you.
Anywhere
with you.” Lifting on my tiptoes, I place a chaste kiss on his lips, pulling back to witness lust dance across his eyes.

“Aby, I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you,” his husky tone licks down my spine, a gasp released from my parted lips as he bends to cup my ass to lift me, securing my thighs around his waist. His hungry gaze devours me. “It can’t possibly come more quickly than that. But do I think it’s developed too quickly? I would say, no. I know I want you. And I’ve known from the start that you were it for me.”

The brush of his hardening cock between my legs, separated solely by the thin material of my bikini bottoms, sends my ardor careening in intense need. Everything about this man makes me so responsive. His words. His actions. Everything.

Sliding my fingers through his damp hair, I take him in a searing kiss, trying to relay every ounce of gratitude I have for having found him. Our tongues dual, our breaths coming in heated pants as he walks us towards the pool’s edge. The sudden feel of the cold, hard concrete against my back adds a delicious shiver to his assault of my senses; his firm grip of my ass at the mercy of his massaging fingers, the moan I release as he wrenches me against his hardness.

A whimper escapes my lips as he pulls away, cupping my cheeks in his hands to force my gaze. “You may have dreamt of
me
once, but I need you to know…I dreamt of you, too.”

“Alex…” I whisper, my breath taken away by his words and the sentiment in his beautiful eyes. “I love you. Madly,” I reach up, covering his hands with my own, shaking my head in awe of him.

The world around us seems to disappear as he searches my gaze, his sparkling baby-blues penetrating deep into my soul, searing me with a heat so close to fire that I fear I could combust in his arms.

I melt further into oblivion as he leans forward to place a kiss to my forehead, his lips moving to brush along my cheek, my jaw; a tender nibble on my lobe. “I love you, too,” he whispers, his words instantly bringing tears to my eyes.

A gasping sob threatens to release the swell of my emotion, and I have to remind myself to breathe as he pulls back to look at me once more, the pool of tears ready to burst before his witnessing gaze.

“You know that, right? How much I love you, Aby?”

“Yes…” I confess on a breathless whisper, pulling his face to mine. I kiss him savagely in my hunger for him, for everything he means to me. I feel like I’ve waited my entire life to find him, for him to find
me
. And now he has. We’ve found each other, and I don’t plan on wasting one second of it. I plan on showing him every moment of every day just how much I love him, adore him, worship him…

We can’t seem to get enough of each other; our lips colliding, our tongues mimicking what our bodies so desperately crave. Always crave. Our hands explore each other’s flesh, sluicing along our slickened skin, our hips gyrating, seeking measure despite our swimsuits.

I moan as his lips glide along my chin, down my neck, his nips and licks leaving me panting as I reach along his muscled back, clawing and pulling to get him closer. I want him inside me. I
need
him inside me. “Alex, I need you,
please
…” I beg as he bites my shoulder, his fingers gripping and squeezing harder on my ass.

Leaning back to look at me, his eyes are filled with fire, the emotions and love we feel for each other heightening our passion to an inferno, our bodies burning and sizzling in its magnificent blaze.

I quiver in the magnitude of his gaze, quaking in absolute need, devouring the love and desire reflected there. It’s a moment my heart longs to capture for all time, skipping a beat taking in the beauty of him, stunningly magnified in the gleaming sun.

Squeezing my ass, his fingers move to caress my thighs - thighs that tighten along his hips to hold myself in place, bracing my weight against the pool’s edge, desperate not to lose the feeling of him pressed so tightly where I need him the most.

I moan as he grinds against me knowingly, running his hands slowly along the top of my legs, his fingers teasing between my tight hold of his hips.
Oh, God, yes…touch me
, my arms pull at him in desperation, persuading the return of the supportive hold of my ass, my gripped thighs loosening to the fleeting grazing touch of his free hand. The curl of his fingers around my sex titillates an instant squeezing want.