Indulge (8 page)

“Have you had a good time so far?” Karen asks.

I want in on this little deception. “Yes. It’s been a lovely honeymoon. I’m so glad we chose to come here. Aren’t you, honey?”

“Best decision ever.” He strokes the back of his fingers down my cheek. “Just like marrying you, my beloved.”

“Where are you staying?”

Uh oh. I should have kept my mouth shut. I’m blank because I’m a horrible liar. “Umm . . . shoot. I keep forgetting the name of our hotel.” I look at Beau for help.

“It’s the Grand Rose, darling.” He doesn’t miss a beat.

“What a beautiful hotel. Perfect for honeymooners.”

“It is indeed. So romantic.”

Jonathan blows a whistle, and our two dolphin friends swim toward us. “Meet Esmeralda and Seraphina, our two reigning princesses of Dolphin Bay.”

The pair come right up to us and I’m amazed by what beautiful creatures they are. “I’ve never seen a dolphin so close.”

Karen reaches out to rub the top of one’s head. “You can touch them.”

I touch the side of Esmerelda’s neck. It’s rubbery and slick. “Her skin feels just like I imagined it would.”

Beau touches Esmerelda’s nose. Or snout. Whatever it’s called. “That’s just how I imagined it as well.”

Beau and I take turns being pulled across the water by the pair while holding their top fins. It’s like a different kind of water skiing.

The only camera I have is on my phone, and it’s under lock and key inside the locker room so I’m pleased that Dolphin Bay offers photo ops by a photographer. “Give Seraphina a kiss,” she says.

We take several photos, but my favorite pose is the one of Beau and me in the center with a dolphin on each side of us, kissing our faces. “I’m buying that one for sure.”

“You’re getting all of them. That was too much fun to not take home a reminder of this day.” Totally agree. We had thirty minutes with Esmerelda and Seraphina but it was over way too quickly. I wish I could roll back time and do it all over again.

Dolphin Bay isn’t just about the dolphins. We can interact with sharks and stingrays, or do some kind of boating. “Whatcha want to do next?”

“The glass bottom kayak sounds fun. We can do some fish watching. And then maybe some fish eating. I’m getting a little hungry.”

We go through the activities one by one, including lunch, until the beach is the only thing left to do. “Want to swim or are you ready to head back to home base?”

It’s only five o’clock. I’m in no hurry to return to Indulge. That place doesn’t excite me.

“The beach works for me.”

We find a couple of loungers next to each other. I suspect the only reason we’re able to secure them is because it’s late in the day. I bet you couldn’t find one vacant chair three hours ago. “This is more my speed. Adults and children in swimsuits. That’s what you expect to see when you go to the beach.”

“You like children?”

“I must. I chose to spend nine months out of the year with them.”

“Yeah, but you teach high school. Completely different than being around kindergarteners all day.”

That’s debatable. “There are days when I could argue with you about that.”

I take the bottle of sunscreen from my bag and rub it over the front of my body. It would suck to burn when I have seven more days in paradise.

Beau is very tanned but anyone can blister in this sun. “Want some?”

“Yeah. Probably a good idea.”

“Will you get my back first?”

“Sure.”

Beau takes great care in covering every inch of my shoulders and back. Starting at my neck and shoulders, his hands soothingly rub sunscreen into my body. His hands caress lower, gently kneading my spine, my back, to the point I am nearly moaning it feels so good. I can add masseuse to his many talents. “Mmm. You can stop doing that next week.”

“Feels good, eh?”

Good is an understatement. “Mmm . . . hmm.”

“I need to tell you something, Peach. It’s been on my mind for a couple days.”

My pulse speeds. Nothing good ever follows when a person says they have something to tell you. “The last time I heard those words, my husband confessed he’d been seeing someone else.”

He laughs. “I’m not cheating on you.”

I laugh, too. “Well, that’s good to know.”

He’s silent for a moment. That makes me think he’s struggling to say whatever’s on his mind. “I told you a lie the night we met. It’s been bugging me ever since.”

“Oh?”

“I told you I didn’t know if I wanted the baby or not. That’s not the truth. I wanted that child very much.”

I’m not at all surprised to hear this. “I suspected as much.”

“How could you possibly know?”

“I heard the pain in your voice.”

“Erin wasn’t ready to leave poly behind for motherhood by any means but her real reason for aborting the baby was because she was afraid it would be like Ashlyn.”

Oh, God. That must have been a horrible thing to hear. “I’m so sorry.”

What a bitch.

“I wouldn’t have cared if it was. I’d have loved that child unconditionally, just as I do Ashlyn, and would have raised him or her without Erin.”

Shit. I just choked up a little. I clear my throat but nothing comes out. I don’t know what to say to that.

“I know that’s more baggage than you signed on for but I just needed to get that off my chest.”

I twist around and place a light kiss on his lips. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

Beau has opened a part of himself I wasn’t expecting. I’m not yet sure how I feel about that.

“Want me to get your back now?” I ask.

“Please.”

I squirt a large quantity of sunscreen in my hands and rub it together so I don’t slap cold lotion on his back. “Just warming it up a little.”

I place my hands on his skin and begin rubbing. I work his shoulders first. He’s so tense. Full of knots. “Feel good?”

He nods. “Mmm hmm.”

I’m glad. I want to make him feel good.

“Peach. Look out there in the water. What is that moving up and down?”

I lean over his shoulder to see what he’s talking about. “Where?”

He points toward a general vicinity. “Right there. What is that?”

It takes a few seconds but I finally see what he’s talking about when a child’s blond head quickly bobs out of the water and then back down again. We simultaneously dash from the lounger toward the water, but he’s much faster.

“Get a lifeguard.” His voice is saturated with panic.

I stop in my tracks and turn to run toward the lifeguard tower. “Help! Help! There’s a child drowning.”

The man blows his whistle and jumps from the stand, running toward the water, but Beau is already emerging with the boy. The child’s conscious, his arms wrapped tightly around Beau’s neck.

The boy’s mother races to Beau. “Oh my God, Nelson! Are you all right?” She’s hysterical. “I don’t know how he got out there. He was standing right next to me.”

“Mama.” He puts his arms out for his mother to take him.

She clutches the boy and kisses his face. “Thank you so much, sir. You saved my son’s life.”

“Glad he’s okay.” Beau’s voice is trembling, as are his hands.

My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it thumping in my ears. “Omigod. You just saved a kid’s life. You’re a freakin’ hero.”

Beau drops to his knees in the sand, looking out over the ocean. He’s silent except for the puffing as he regains his breath.

He rubs his hand on his swim trunks before wiping away the tears pooling in his eyes. I drop to my knees behind him and wrap my arms around his body. I prop my chin on his shoulder. I hold him, not saying a word, while telling him all the things he needs to hear.

M
eredith has texted
me umpteen times since we sat down at the restaurant. Her interest in my relationship with Beau is starting to get on my nerves a little. “Sorry. Meredith won’t leave me alone.”

Beau wrinkles his forehead as though confused. “I thought she was cool with this.”

“A little too cool. She’s reading a lot into it.”

“Why do you say that?”

I’m embarrassed to tell him what she said. I don’t want him to think I’m suggesting anything. “She hinted this morning that we could continue whatever this is after we get home.”

I hit send on the message telling Meredith to chill because she’s interrupting my date.

“You sound opposed to seeing me after we get back.” I think I may hear regret in his voice. Or am I imagining it because I want him to want me?

I
want
to see Beau at home but he scares the shit out of me. He has the power to hurt me. And I’m not sure my heart can survive another heartbreak. “I’d love to see you after we’re home, but I don’t feel like I’d ever be enough to please you. And I won’t be half of a female duo it would take to keep you happy. That would make me miserable, and I deserve better than that.”

“Of course, you deserve better. The best.”

“I won’t ask you to be someone you’re not.” That would make him miserable.

Beau closes his eyes and lifts his face to the ceiling. His sighs loudly when he shakes his head.

I don’t know what all of that means.

When he finishes what appears to be an inner self-consultation, he lowers his face so we’re looking eye to eye. He reaches across the table and takes my hand. He brings it to his mouth and kisses the inside of my wrist. “I’ve been with one woman before. I know what it’s like. Maybe I’d like to give it another whirl if that woman was you.”

I don’t answer because I’m so taken aback.

“I like what we have, Peach.”

Three days isn’t long but I already know how much I enjoy being around Beau. We felt like good friends from the first night we met.

“Think it over. That’s all I’m saying.”

Is that what I want? I’ve just gotten out of a marriage. Am I ready to do another relationship?

Now I have two things to mull over.

I look out the window. It’s dark and we have a ninety-minute drive ahead of us. “It’ll be ten o’clock by the time we make it back.”

“Need to turn in early because you have somewhere to be in the mornin’?”

“Nope. Can’t think of a single place I’m expected.” Except maybe breakfast with Meredith and Grayson. I’m sure she can’t wait to drill me about Beau.

“Will you stay with me tonight?”

I don’t say so, but I was sort of already planning to. “I will if it’s what you want.”

“I’m asking . . . because it’s what I want.”

“Then I’m accepting . . . because it’s what I want.”

We cover the top of the Jeep and its doors for the ride back since the sun has gone down. Although we changed into dry clothes, I’m concerned about getting cold.

The drive along the coastline is peaceful tonight. There’s very little traffic on the road. “I love night driving, or riding, since I’m not the one behind the wheel.” I’m completely relaxed with my hand stretched toward Beau, twirling a piece of hair at the back of his neck.

“You’re turning me on, Peach, playing with my hair like that.”

“Really?” I lean over and kiss the side of his neck before whispering in his ear. “I’d rip your clothes off and do dirty things to you if you weren’t driving.”

“You should watch what you say. There's a beast inside me.” He thinks I don’t already know that?

“I’m completely capable of pulling over to ravish you.” I think he’s serious.

“That’ll only prolong us getting back to the resort.” And I think we know what’s going to happen there.

“We’ve already established we’re in no hurry.”

He slides his hand beneath my dress between my legs until he’s rubbing my panties over my most sensitive spot. His fingers feel exquisite, and I’m certain he can feel the dampness collecting there. “I don’t think I’m the only one getting turned on.”

“It’s possible you’re right.”

“Possible, my ass. Definite is more like it, according to how wet your panties are. Do I need to pull over?” He wags his eyebrows at me.

Is he completely nuts? “You want to pull over on the side of the road for sex?”

“Hell, yeah.”

He uses his finger to push the crotch of my panties to the side. He slides his fingers up and down through the slickness pooling there. “I think someone else wants to pull over too.”

“Is it safe?”

“I have condoms.” Smartass knows that’s not what I mean.

I put my hand over the tent in his pants and rub his cock. “I’m taking that as a yes.”

Beau pulls into a picnic area across the road from the beach and slams the Jeep into park. He gets out and races around to my side. He opens my door and grabs my panties, pulling them down my legs and over my shoes. “Out. Now.”

He grabs my hands and helps me out before leading me over to a table. He puts his hands around my waist and hoists me up.

Great. We’re going to fuck on a table where a family will picnic and have sandwiches tomorrow.

He slips my flip-flops off and places my feet on the edge before he pushes my knees apart. He pops his button and unzips. “Lie back.”

I hear the rattle of a plastic wrapper. He’s at my entrance one moment and then inside me the next. It all happens so quickly.

I bring my legs up to encompass his waist while he wraps his hands around my hips. He holds me firm as he slides in and out. Once we establish a rhythm, one hand moves to my crotch to rub my clit. “That feels so good.”

“I like making you feel good.”

My legs are trembling as his fingers circle my clit slowly with the perfect amount of pressure. Tingling waves of pleasure grow in my pelvis. “I can feel my orgasm starting.”

“Right there with you.”

I stare at the stars above as my body does its own magical thing. I have no control over it, and it’s sensational when I feel those rhythmic contractions deep inside. “Ohh . . . I’m coming.”

“Ohh . . .” His body convulses with mine as we achieve our climaxes together. Perfect timing.
Fuck, this man is a sex god!

He relaxes and lowers himself to press a soft kiss against my lips. “You’re sort of kinky for a vanilla girl.”

He pulls out and removes the rubber, tossing it into the nearby trash. “I despise those things.”

I’m inclined to think he’s accustomed to skin on skin. I assume he didn’t wear them with his fiancée since she became pregnant.