Page 54

Chapter 24

Candlelight danced in the soft breeze blowing around us, but the gentle wind was a welcome relief from the warm night. As usual, Jacob’s intense gaze was on me as we ate our dinner on the sun deck, talking about our first day at sea, the distant lights of the Amalfi Coast flickering along the coastline.

We’d spent the day on the top deck, enjoying cocktails made by Mattias, and a delicious meal at both breakfast and lunch. When the afternoon sun became too hot, Jacob convinced me to join him for a swim in the sea.

Despite my hesitance, he promised to not let me go, and wrapped me in a life jacket. True to his word, he let me cling to him as we floated in the water, cooling our bodies down, only for them to heat again when we lost ourselves in kisses.

When Marco announced that we needed to get back on board as we were going to be moving to a new destination, Jacob and I pulled ourselves from the sea and headed to shower and change for our romantic candlelit dinner.

A buzz was working its way through my body, having finished a bottle of champagne earlier with Jacob, and was now halfway through a second. For the first time in a long time, my body was relaxed, and I couldn’t have been happier.

With every fork I brought to my mouth, I couldn’t help but let out a moan of appreciation. I’d never had authentic Italian food before, and it was to die for. I didn’t realize my groans were affecting Jacob until he set his knife and fork down, a small smirk playing on his lips.

“Angel, I’m really pleased you’re enjoying your dinner, but you’re making it impossible for me to eat over here with those little noises you keep letting out.”

His eyes dropped to his lap, and a fire spread across my cheeks at his implication. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

He chuckled, an alluring sound that made the butterflies take flight in my stomach. “You don’t have to apologize, angel. It wouldn’t be so much of a problem if I could act on it, but I’m not going back on my promise of waiting until you’re ready again.”

Regret shot through me, and I lowered my fork along with my gaze, unable to look at him any longer in fear that I had disappointed him. “I want to try again, but I’m scared it’ll hurt.”

It had been on my mind since I’d felt his erection press against me while we floated in the sea. Memories kept appearing in my head of how it felt during the times Jacob used his mouth to pleasure me, and the mind-blowing orgasms he had previously given me.

Even the night he took my virginity, seconds before the pain, my body had been alight with sparks of pleasure, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that again.

Jacob’s features twisted into concern, and he shifted his chair around the table so he could sit next to me. He took my hand, kissing the back of it and leaving tingles in the spot his lips touched. “Charlotte, I didn’t handle our first time together very well. I was too focused on finally being inside you that I didn’t consider your feelings, and for that, I am sorry.”

He released my hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear before bringing his face a hairsbreadth away from mine. He lowered his voice so only I could hear him speak—not that Mattias or Marco were nearby; they’d served dinner and had disappeared. “I should have taken my time with you.” He placed a delicate kiss on the side of my mouth. “I should have spent time between your legs, making sure you were soaked for me, and then eased in gently.” My breath hitched as he moved to kiss the other side of my mouth, and a pulse beat to life in my core. “I should have waited until you adjusted to the pain and then fucked you slowly.”

His mouth hovered over mine as if he was waiting for permission to kiss me, and when he spoke again, his words were a gentle caress against my heated skin. “But I promise you, when you’re ready, I’m going to do it right. I’m going to make you come so many times that you forget your name, and then I’m going to fuck you so slow that you’ll be begging for me to fuck you harder.”

My breath came out in quick pants, my heart pounding against my rib cage. His words were what I needed to hear, and I only wished it was twenty-four hours earlier, and this was the night I was going to lose my virginity.

Encouraged by the lust rushing through my veins—or perhaps the flow of alcohol making me brave—I grabbed his shirt, pulling him toward me, and sealing my lips to his. Our mouths opened together, his hand falling to my knee where it glided smoothly up my thigh, resting just under the hem of my dress.

The throb in my core pulsed harder as Jacob laced his fingers through my hair, tilting my head back so he could deepen the kiss. To my disappointment, though, he broke the kiss long before I was ready for it to end.

“My love, if you carry on kissing me like that, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself from spreading you out on this table and fucking you right here.”

“I think I want that,” I blurted. “Maybe not here on the table. But I think I want you to fuck me.”

His brow quirked, and he pulled back a fraction, putting a gap between us that I didn’t want. “You think, angel?”

I shifted in my chair as I released him, and as I did, the pain I’d been experiencing since he slammed into me began to burn, reminding me that it was there.

“I want to, but I’m still sore from last time,” I muttered glumly, glancing away as disappointment seeped into every pore of my body.

A sad smile tugged Jacob’s lip up to one side as he reached out and stroked a thumb over my lip. “Then we’ll wait.”

His eyes remained glued to where his thumb was on my lip before he added a little pressure to it, forcing my mouth to open. When there was a small gap, he pushed his thumb inside my mouth, and I couldn’t stop my tongue from moving to twirl around it. A rumble vibrated from Jacob’s chest, his eyes darkening, and I quickly pulled back.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I did that,” I replied, mortified.

“Fuck, angel. Don’t apologize. I’ve fantasized about what your mouth would feel like for so long.”

My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I tried to summon up courage I wasn’t feeling. “You mean my mouth around your…”

“Cock. Yes, angel.” He thumbed my lip again, and my stomach swirled with nerves. “I’d love nothing more than to feel these lips sucking me until I come down your throat.”