AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That was unexpected,” Ashley whispers with a smile playing on her lips and I laugh, pulling her close as I kiss her neck softly.
“What did you expect me to do when you walk around half naked in front of me?” I tease, taking in the way her eyes shine and the way her body relaxes into mine.
“Half naked? I was wearing a towel!” she says, smacking my chest and I shrug like it’s not my fault. “So, what did you want to do today?” she asks, her fingers playing with the hairs at the base of my head causing shivers to roll up and down my spine.
“Are you feeling better?” I ask, her eyes softening as she nods. “No headache, dizziness?” She shakes her head again and I breathe a sigh of relief. “Well, are you up for leaving the boat?” She looks at me confused, questions playing in her eyes.
“But I thought all the excursions left early this morning?” she questions, and I nod, already knowing all of this. “So, what are we supposed to do off the boat?” I laugh, lifting Ashley off my lap and setting her down on the bed as I stand, pulling up my pants as I do.
“Baby, we’re in Grand Cayman. There’s always something to do.” I smirk, staring at her naked form and feeling that pull deep in my gut once more, but I shake it off and promise myself to show her a good time today. “I have a plan,” I say before pulling her up and kissing her once more, loving the simplicity of this moment and hoping the next three days are enough to convince her I’m worth the risk.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ASHLEY
“Where are we?” I ask, my feet sinking into the sandy beach that spans miles on either side of us. The ocean is crystal clear, something I have never seen in person and it’s breathtaking. The sun is beating down on us, the sky the clearest it’s been all week and when I look over at Kacey, his eyes aren’t on the water like I expect, they’re on me.
“Seven Mile Beach. It’s pretty famous around here and I thought it would be a good spot for us to relax and not be cooped up on the ship.” I smile, taking his hand as he leads me further onto the beach.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper as Kacey sets down our towels and chairs, plopping the cooler he brought with him down next to us and rummaging through his backpack. “What are you looking for?” I ask right as he makes an “ah ha” sound and smirks, holding out a tube of sunscreen.
“Since you burn when there’s snow covering the ground, I thought SPF 100 would protect you the best on a day like today.” I try and hide my smirk, but I can’t stop the laughter as it spills from my chest. This man.
“Ha. Ha. You’re so funny.” He winks, motioning for me to turn around and when I do, he lightly takes the hem of my shirt, pulling it up and off my body. I’m left standing there in just my shorts and a bikini top. His lips lightly touch my shoulder, his breath cascading down my neck as his kisses follow the line of my spine.
“Fucking perfect,” he whispers so low I don’t even think he knew he said it out loud. I open my mouth to say something but before I can, he opens the tube and begins spreading it over my shoulders. I try and think of other things as his hands lather the lotion into my skin because his touch is doing things to my body, even though he made me come twice already today. I can’t seem to get enough of this man and my tether to him is beginning to make me realize just how much I want this to work. I want this kind of happiness and contentment every day for the rest of my life. I want the family I grew up falling in love with to become my family in real life and with Kacey, I know it’s possible.
Kacey spins me, taking more sunscreen in the palm of his hand and placing it on my chest. My breath hitches as his fingers splay across my cleavage, his eyes instantly connecting with mine. He says nothing. His eyes darkening is my only indication that he feels what I feel, and so I hold my breath, basking in the way his touch sends shivers up my spine.
“Can you do my back?” he asks, his voice hoarse with need and I nod, taking the sunscreen from him and motioning for him to turn around. As he turns, his hands lift, grasping his t-shirt from the back collar and pulling it up and over his head in one of the sexiest moves I’ve ever seen. “Ash?” he says with a knowing chuckle, and I shake myself out of the trance he put me in and do the same to him as he did to me, both of us breathing heavily by the time I’m done.
“So, what now?” I whisper, my hands still splayed out on his chest as my head tilts back to meet his lust-filled gaze.
“Now we wait for it to soak in and then when that’s done, I take you into the ocean.” I smile, peering over my shoulder at the expanse of water behind me. “Also, I need to wrap your arm.” I look at him confused. “You can’t get your tattoo wet for another few days, so I brought some tape and saranwrap.”
“You’re joking,” I mutter, my mouth opening wide when he holds out the box of saranwrap and proceeds to grip my arm and skillfully cover my tattoo. “Who knew going into the ocean would be so taxing,” I tease, his eyes flicking up to mine, a glimmer of humor staring back at me.
“So, does this beach live up to all the beaches you’ve seen in your lifetime? Does it live up to the hype?” he questions, and my insides flip at the fact that this man has no idea how sheltered I was growing up.
“You want to know a secret?” I whisper, his eyes flaring as his hands find my hips, pulling me flush to his chest. “I’ve never been in the ocean before.” His eyes narrow in confusion, clearly not believing me.
“How is that possible?” he says as I detangle myself from his touch and sit in the chair next to me. He does the same as he rummages through the cooler and takes out two cans of Coke. “Didn’t your parents ever take you on a trip?” I shake my head, playing with the tab of my can as I take a deep breath.
“Kace, my parents aren’t like yours. Kelsey knows more about this than you, but they weren’t loving, affectionate, or interested in me.” He sits there in silence for a minute and I wonder if he even heard me.
“But my parents always talked about the lavish vacations your parents would take every summer. Paris, London, Spain, even Australia. Are you telling me they never took you with them?” I take a breath because it’s been a long time since I’ve had to talk about my relationship with my parents with someone other than Kelsey.
“When I left for college…” I start, my eyes meeting his confused ones. “That was the first time I had ever been on a plane.” I expected him to be mad on my behalf, most people are, but what I see reflected back at me is pure rage.
“So your parents went on all these vacations, went to all these foreign countries, and they left you home alone?”
“Not alone. I was with Martha, my nanny. She made it fun as best she could. Plus, I spent a lot of time at your house, which was where I wanted to be anyway.” He opens his mouth to argue but I shake my head and stop him. “I know you want my relationship with them to be like the one you have with your parents, but it’s not. I’ve come to terms with the fact that they never wanted me, even though they say the opposite. I’m not blind. It’s the reason I haven’t spoken to them since I left for Stanford.” His eyes widen, disbelief clear in his gaze.
“I don’t know what to say,” he admits, his eyes full of pity. “What they did to you wasn’t right baby. They should have taken you with them.” When I was a kid I felt the same way. I had so much resentment toward them every time they left without me, but throughout my life, I realized how lucky I was to be left behind because it allowed me to see the truth, to find myself in their absence, and to be honest, the thought of being away with them all alone is the worst vacation idea ever.
“Honestly, I’m over it now. Now I live my life on my terms and that’s something I never thought was ever possible being under their roof.” Kacey sets down his can and turns to face me, a war of emotions behind those eyes.
“I wish I knew. I would have done something.” I laugh, lying back in my chair and staring up at the clear afternoon sky.
