Resilient (2) (15 page)

“If anyone is fucking hot in this room it’s you, Katrine. You’d think I’d get used to it, but I never seem to.” It was her turn to grin. They clasped hands and went to dinner.

Their resort had three different restaurants on the property, so a guest never had to leave if they didn’t choose to. They were eating at the restaurant right by the beach and the side facing the water was open to the elements. It was dark except for the tea-lights on the tables and the dim glow from the kitchen. Their table was out on the deck and the only sound to be heard was the waves. Everything on the menu had been caught that day in the very ocean that was currently serenading them. Katrine decided on the prawns and Ian the mahi mahi. The waiter brought them a crisp white wine to sip while they ate their salad course. When they brought out her food, her eyes went wide. She had never in her life seen a prawn this size. It looked like a small lobster. The red color of the shell was so vibrant it was almost unnatural.

“This thing is huge,” Katrine whispered.

“That’s what I hear,” Ian grinned and winked. She just shook her head and looked over at his plate.

“Wow, your fish looks amazing, Ian. There’s something about eating food you know they caught two hours ago.”

“I know. And look all of this fresh avocado and mango. They probably picked it from a tree by the pool.”

Katrine didn’t really eat any carbs to soak up all the wine they had with their dinner, so by the time they got up to leave, she was a little tipsy. Maybe it was because she was on vacation, but being tipsy triggered her party mode.

“Hey! Let’s go to the little disco behind the cabanas and dance.” Ian agreed, amused by her slightly drunken exuberance.

They danced and drank until the wee hours of the night. In fact, Ian had to carry Katrine part of the way and help her out of her clothes. Which would have been much sexier if Katrine wasn’t teetering like a peg-leg on a balance beam.

“Ian, I’m so sorry, I drank way too much.” Her tongue felt thick in her mouth and her words were a little on the slurry side.

“Don’t worry. I wanted you to have fun. That was the whole point of this trip. Although I’m not sure how much fun you’ll be having when you wake up tomorrow.”

“Uhhhhhgghh…I already feel like shit,” she groaned while he helped her put on a t-shirt.

“Come on. Brush your teeth and drink a huge glass of water. You’ll be okay. And all we have to do tomorrow is absolutely nothing.”

She had no time to worry about sex, snoring, or anything else because she passed out the minute her head hit the pillow.

Ian laughed and got himself ready. It had been a really good day. He pulled her into his bare chest and she slung her leg over his. He kissed her head. “Good night, baby.”

“Like when you call me that,” she mumbled, and then, a light snore.

Chapter 15

Katrine heard whistling and smelled fresh coffee. These two things prompted her to pry her lids apart. She was very relieved to find that she didn’t feel that bad, not that good, but not that bad, either. A little twinge of a headache,
that
she could deal with. Oh, and the worst case of cotton mouth she had experienced in a very long time.

Water…Need water!

That’s when she noticed a huge glass of crystal clear goodness on the table beside her pillow. She reached her hand out and was almost giddy when she felt how cold the glass was. Katrine sat up carefully, not wanting to spill a drop or to anger the hangover gods that had so graciously kept her from having massive cranial trauma this morning.

“How you feeling, princess?” Ian smirked from the chair across the room. From his princess comment she knew she must look like complete crap. She drank, no downed, the glass of water in one gulp. That earned a chuckle. “I thought you might be thirsty. And I ordered you some coffee and croissants.

“Ian, you’re my favorite person in the whole world,” Katrine said in a gravelly voice.

She had three cups of coffee, two croissants, and a bowl of fruit.

 
“Better?” Ian asked, still amused.

“Much.”

He had let her sleep in, so it was eleven by the time they hit the beach. After a light lunch they decided to go snorkeling. The boat took them to a small reef about ten miles from the shore.
 

The boat came to a stop and bobbed roughly, causing Katrine to slip a bit. She gained her footing with Ian’s help. They put on their gear and leapt in. The water was so transparent she could see at least a hundred yards below her. For just an instant the infinite expanse of water surrounding her was overwhelming. She floated to the right and saw the bottom of the boat and Ian not too far away. That calmed her. An iridescent yellow fish with a neon blue stripe across its back swam by Katrine’s face. She reached out to touch its fin, but it was too quick. She marveled at the number of different species that inhabited the tiny ecosystem just below her flippered feet.

Floating there above the reef, her limbs felt weightless and buoyant. The effect was so relaxing she thought she could doze off right there. She was jolted from her trance by a water muffled “Son of a bitch!” Her head broke the surface. Treading water, she pulled the snorkel from her mouth and put her goggles above her eyebrows. Ian was a few feet away, making sounds of distress.
 

“Ian! What’s wrong?”
 

“I think a barracuda just bit my balls!” he yelled. Katrine cackled, narrowly avoiding a gulp of sea water. She swam closer to him, still laughing. Which was difficult, considering she was trying to stay above the surface of the rocky water.

“Oh, poor baby, do you need my help? Cuz, I will cut a fish.”

“Ha ha, you wouldn’t be laughing if you were the one getting fin fucked.” That made her laugh even harder and this time she did swallow some salt water. She started to cough and choke a bit. In an instant, he had her in his arms, attempting to get her head above the waves.

“Breathe, baby, breathe,” he said softly, looking worried. She leaned her head against his, finally catching her breath.
 

“I’m okay, I’m okay… That was freaking hilarious.” Her laughter started up again and this time he was laughing, too. They were still laughing when they hoisted themselves onto the boat.

“I’m starving.”

“Katrine, when are you not hungry?”

“Hey! We’ve been snorkeling for two hours, and besides, protecting your virtue from the scaled scoundrels of the sea works up an appetite.”

“What part of laughing your ass off was protecting my virtue?” Ian asked, grabbing two ice cold beers from the boat cooler. Katrine shrugged her shoulders and took a long swig.

“Wow, that’s good…hair of the dog.” She winked and put her feet up as the boat made its way back to shore.
 

Katrine was right. Her skin had become tan and it looked even darker next to the white fabric of the strapless eyelet dress she wore. There was still a rosy tint to her nose and cheek bones, but hey, natural blush. Her hair was down and wavy. She had found a pot of vibrant red hibiscus by their private dipping pool and decided to put one behind her ear. Ian wore dressy shorts with thin stripes and a light green polo. After complimenting each other on their dinner attire, they left. Ian said he had something special planned for tonight’s meal. He led her past the pool and down onto the beach.

 
Katrine saw a small round table surrounded by four blazing tiki lamps. The white linen cloth touched the sand and the large woven chairs had thick orange cushions. Katrine stopped. “Ian, this is perfect.” She stood on her tip toes and kissed him gently. He smiled and pulled out a chair for her. A waiter dressed in white approached them and asked for their drink order. When he returned with Ian’s rum and coke and Katrine’s mango margarita, he described the courses and let them pick their protein of choice. They both chose the sea bass. There would be a ceviche appetizer and a fresh papaya and spicy avocado salad to start. Katrine was so hungry just hearing the selections had her drooling. She devoured the large piece of pineapple that garnished her glass and then the cherry. She rolled the stem around in her mouth as Ian talked. She tied it and handed it to him as a joke. He looked at her and then at the stem and she wiggled her eyebrows.

“Check, please.” He rose his hand to no one in particular.
 

The food was superb and the service was excellent. Katrine marveled at how the waiters maneuvered in the sand, carrying trays no less. The conversation was fun and light, two best friends having dinner. Two best friends that kept locking eyes and caressing fingertips.

They slow danced at the low-lit cabana bar. A deep male voice crooned softly in Spanish as a refreshing breeze swept in from the beach. Katrine had her arms wrapped around Ian’s neck and he pulled back to look down at her face. Their swaying slowed until they where no longer moving. He captured her lips, his grip on her waist tightened, causing the fabric to bunch under his fingers. Their tongues circled leisurely, and the fact that there were others around escaped them. Or they just didn’t care. Ian broke the kiss, lifted her hand to his mouth, and led her from the small dance floor.
 

Once inside their suite, Katrine found herself against the wall by the bed. Ian pulled away only to bring his lips to her ear. “I’ve wanted to be inside you for so long, Katrine. Just be with me and we’ll worry about the rest later. Be with me,” he whispered against her skin, slowly licking below her ear. She gasped and managed a nod.

Holy shit.

He slid down to the floor. He stopped using his tongue for talking, engaging in a much more worthwhile endeavor. Her eyes fluttered shut as she grabbed a fistful of his soft hair. One leg was flung over his shoulder, she flexed into him. She opened her eyes and looked down between her legs and watched him. As if sensing her voyeurism, he raised his deep blue eyes. He continued to work her over as he held her gaze. His fingers joined and she could no longer focus. After filling the room with her moans of appreciation, she leaned limply against the wall. He mmm’d and rose to his full height. Looking down at her he said gruffly, “I’m not done with you.”
 
She wasn’t usually a screamer, but he had her screaming his name… several times.

Katrine stretched, the arms above the head, toes pointed kind of stretch. She laid there awhile, loving the feel of the cool breeze on her naked skin. The door to the patio was open, and since she was alone in the massive bed, she knew where to find Ian. She smiled, remembering the night before. She waited for the regret to set in or the “oh no, what have I done?”, but it never came. In the heat of the moment sex always seems like a good idea. But the morning after sometimes evokes different emotions all together. But to her relief, this was not one of those mornings. She felt great, emotionally and physically.
 

Who knew my gentle architect would be so commanding…and have such a dirty mouth.
She laughed to herself.
It was always the one’s you least suspect.
 

After brushing her teeth, she threw on a t-shirt and went out the patio door. Ian was swimming laps, which equated to three strokes each way given his long arms and the size of the pool. He noticed when she walked out and swam up to the side, giving her a smile that would make most women drop their knickers.
 

Good thing I’m not wearing any.

She didn’t feel awkward around him after sex, another pleasant surprise. In fact, the mere sight of the water glistening off his muscled chest made her feel anything but awkward. Feeling bold and turned on, she crouched down, alerting him of her panty-free situation. He responded by running two wet fingers between her legs. It took all the balancing skills she had not to fall in the pool.
 

“Good morning,” Katrine purred.

“Morning, sorry I wasn’t in bed. When I woke up the room was so bright. I looked over and got the full affect of your magnificent body in the daylight… It was either molest you in your sleep or take a cold swim.”
 

“Next time don’t take a swim.” She winked and walked back into the room. Ian jumped out of the pool and followed in her wake.

They decided to have some drinks at the swim up bar in the large main pool. They sat on blue tiled stools that were submerged under the water. The bartender was funny and friendly. When Katrine took her seat after her second trip to the restroom, she leaned over and whispered, “Doesn’t it worry you that those guys have been drinking like fish for two hours and they haven’t left the pool once to go to the bathroom?” Ian glanced over at the men in question and shuddered a little. “Now that you mention it, that is pretty disturbing. Here, switch seats with me. By the time the urine makes it to me, the chlorine will have disinfected the water.” He made a move to grab her.
 

“Not a chance, buddy. If anyone’s getting peed on, it’s you,” she said. He raised an eyebrow. “You are a freak, Ian,” she teased.
 

 
He finished his drink. “Oh,
 
I’ll show you, freaky. Follow me…” He hopped off his watery perch and swam towards the steps. Katrine paused, she thought he was joking, but he was getting out of the pool and drying off. She looked over at the spot he’d just vacated and the pee pee twins smiled lasciviously. She decided to take her chances with Ian.

He didn’t speak, so she just followed silently. She noticed they were heading up the path that led to their private pool. He didn’t turn towards her, but extended his hand, which she took. Ian finally stopped in front of the large hammock in the shaded nook behind their bungalow. He faced her and kissed her like his life depended on it. She was left panting when he pulled away. He grabbed her waist and hoisted her up onto the woven fabric, her legs hanging off the front. He placed his hands on her knees and gently nudged them apart. The hammock was high enough that it hit him mid-thigh as he stood between her legs. Leaning over her, he tugged at the string on the right side of her bikini bottom. Her eyes went a little wide and even more so when he did the same to the left. He rubbed his palm over her and pulled the front half of the white fabric, letting it fall away. He continued to slide his palm over her and she let her head relax as her eyes closed.