Finding You (Finding You Series Book 1) (18 page)

I felt like I owed him some kind of explanation at my mood swing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cry. It’s just, well, that is the nicest thing a man has ever said to me. I feel the same. I like who I am when I’m around you. You make me feel again. I’d forgotten what that was like. I guess the fears and anxiety about going home were stronger than I thought, too. These emotions I have for you make it even harder.”

“We’ll work it out, I promise. Tomorrow isn’t going to be goodbye, though. Understood? This is just the beginning of something real and good. I know it is.” Bringing our mouths together, he brushed his lips over mine, slightly opening his mouth.

He still held me up and I let him while I focused on his crazy soft lips working mine, no tongues, just mouths.

I wanted this. It was everything I’d ever dreamed of. The stuff fairy tales were made of. My prince charming was going to take me away from the life I had known and give me one that I’d fantasized about since I was a child. It was almost too good to be true.

“I want what you want. I need to know that when I finish my visit back home, I can come to you and spend time getting to know you more.”

“I’ll be waiting.” He did a sweep of my face with his eyes as if photographing it and I did the same with his.

“So…what have you got planned for our last night together?” I was an expert at changing the subject.

“Just leave it to me. It will be special, don’t worry,” he hinted with a twinkle in his eyes before kissing me again.

Shadows danced through the windows of the hut, letting us know that time was quickly passing whether we wanted it to or not.

“Mmm. As much as I’d love to keep on kissing you, we have a hot date tonight and need to get ready. I’m going to go change and then I’ll come get you in an hour.”

“Okay, that would be great. What should I wear?”

“Nothing too formal. Something comfortable.” He kissed my nose and then made for the door, leaving me questioning our night ahead.

Casual meant we weren’t going clubbing or to dinner. Not that I minded as long as we were together. Comfortable clothing I could do. Most of my outfits were casual. The more I thought about it, the more I decided that not being around too many people would be perfect. We could just enjoy each other’s company quietly. As much as I’d had a ball clubbing and dining on the island, I much preferred more intimate nights.

With a bit of time to spare since I’d already showered, I did a scout around the hut to make sure I hadn’t left anything behind and pulled out one of the sundresses I’d purchased with a pair of sandals.

I tied my hair up in a ponytail and applied some lip gloss, feeling like that was sufficient if we weren’t going anywhere too flash.

Looking at the time on my phone and seeing it was only six o’clock, knowing I still had half an hour before Kyle came knocking, I grabbed a piece of paper from my bag along with a pen and settled on my bed to write a short letter.

I was better at putting words on paper than expressing them verbally. This was a letter I needed to write. It was everything that I hadn’t been able to say but wanted to. I would leave it in the drawer until I left for the airport in the morning and would then set it on the bedside table so it could be found once I was gone.

After penning the first sentence, the rest just flowed out of me like a river. It wasn’t too long but it was heartfelt. I finished off on the back page with my name and some hearts and kisses before folding it in half, writing the name on the front and placing it in the drawer of the bedside table. I just needed to remember to get it out before I left. Suddenly thinking of something else to add, I rose and got my expensive Balenciaga perfume that I’d treated myself in the duty-free shop and sprayed the note. There. Done!

Fidgeting with my hands, I leaned back against the bedhead to wait, listening to my stomach grumble, remembering Kyle mention not to eat anything as we would be having dinner together. Almost like the last supper. Did that mean that we were going to a simple café for our last dinner together? I couldn’t think about where else it could be.

Kyle finally arrived at my hut right at six-thirty and it was none too soon. Being alone meant over-thinking and that in itself was my downfall.

“How’s my beautiful girl?” he asked, cheerily, entering through the door I’d left open for him, walking over to me and planting a kiss on my lips. He smelled good enough to eat. Maybe Kyle would be my dinner. Suddenly I was famished.

“I’m better, now that you’re here. Getting a little hungry, though…” I wondered if he’d pick up on the double meaning. I knew he had when his eyes half-closed and he did a pouty thing with his lips that I had worked out meant he was definitely thinking lewd thoughts.

“I’ve got plenty for you to eat, beautiful.”

Thinking he was leaning in for the kiss of all kisses his mouth veered off to my ear where he whispered, “Follow me outside.”

Okay. Not what I was expecting as I closed my parted lips, silently cursing at the lack of contact.

He took my hand and pulled me off the bed, leading me out the door and down onto the sand. We turned left and walked about twenty feet. There, waiting just for us in semi-darkness, was a large rug beside a table that had two silver trays with lids. A wine cooler on legs stood off to the side with a bottle poking out the top. A portable CD player filtered out romantic music as he pulled me down onto the carefully arranged blanket.

“I bet you’ve never had al-fresco on the beach before.”

“Ahhh, no. I can’t say that I have. When did you do all this?”

“It only takes me a few minutes to get ready so the rest of the time I was setting this up. I tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to reveal my surprise.”

“Well, you succeeded. I had no idea.” It touched me to think he had gone to so much trouble. I really would have been happy with a burger at a café.

The night’s first stars twinkled into the twilight, a purple hue painting the horizon as the evening beckoned.

The fluorescent sand granules blanketing the shore enhanced the green of the palms. The coolness of the sand could be felt underfoot.

It was like stepping into another world as night sounds differed from the day. A barn owl hooted hauntingly and a bat rose to start its day. Kyle’s voice snapped me to the present.

“Hey, come and lie down here with me.”

We sprawled out on our backs and looked up at the vast universe as the soft tones of Bon Jovi’s “Bed of Roses,” swept over us.

“You remembered.” I turned to look at him, smiling brightly.

“Yeah. I found the CD while browsing through a store in town the other day. I was going to play it for you as a surprise at some stage but now that you have to leave early, I thought this song would be perfect for tonight.”

“It is perfect. It’s one of my favorites.”

“And now it’s one of mine.”

I’d loved the band Bon Jovi since I was seventeen and had been to two concerts. Maybe I was showing my age but some music just stuck with you for a lifetime.

“Your eyes remind me of a thousand stars, all molded together and twinkling brightly. Whenever I look up at the night sky, I’ll constantly be reminded of you.”

How could this man say such perfect things to me? I had yet to find fault with him.

Hearing him utter those words helped strengthen my resolve. I could get through anything now. There was no changing our feelings for each other. They were what they were, plain and simple. Kyle would wait for me and I would go to him. There would be no other.

My stomach let go again so Kyle sat up, laughing. “I think we better get you fed.” He pulled the two silver trays down and pulled the lids off, handing me mine. It was warm to the touch. Silver cutlery lay neatly to the side.

“You cooked this evening up with Ramah, didn’t you?” Where else would he have gotten silver service?

“Guilty. It was my idea but Ramah came through for me as far as food went. They were having another buffet tonight so she gave me a bit of everything.”

“Oh my God. This is so awesome!” I looked down at the platter of food, all neatly segregated to try and keep each dish separate.

“Care for some wine?”

“Mmm. Yes, please.” While wine wasn’t my favorite alcoholic beverage, it was fitting for the evening. Plus, Kyle had gone to so much trouble, how could I refuse?

Instead of wine glasses, he had tumblers, which I was grateful for. I was able to set it beside me on the towel without it falling over and spilling.

I looked over at Kyle, grinning. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”

“Uh huh. Plus, Ramah wasn’t too keen about giving me her best crystal to bring down to the beach. As it was I had to fight to get these trays.”

I laughed as I dug in. “And here I thought you were just being practical.”

After swallowing a mouthful of his food and taking a swig of wine he said, “Maybe I just wanted to get you drunk by giving you a bigger glass and then I can take advantage of you.”

My eyes widened, “Why, Mr. Rutherford. I took you for a complete gentleman.”

“What can I say? I guess you bring out the animal in me.”

“Roaaarrr.” I couldn’t stop myself from giggling as I said it. I never was any good at doing impersonations.

Kyle nearly choked on his food as he burst into laughter at my attempt at roaring. “Remind me never to get on your bad side!”

“Haha. Very funny! I bet you can’t do much better.”

Kyle looked at me with challenge in his eyes and leaned in close to my ear after placing his plate of food on the blanket. He let a guttural, husky growl go, igniting my blood and turning it into molten lava. I tingled all over and thrust my head back when his lips and tongue stroked the skin on my neck.

I was breathless as I tried to stammer out, “Y-you…win.”

I could feel his smile against my skin as he nibbled my ear and then pulled away, taking his plate on his lap again as if nothing had transpired.

Meanwhile, I was an erotic mess. I watched him nonchalantly fork his food and devour it with a half-smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes as he sat facing the ocean, not game to look at me.

“Beautiful night.”

Was that all he could come up with? Now he was teasing me. As I proved earlier today, I could play dirty.

I thought of a way I could turn the tables, mentally cheering at myself when an idea hit me.

Easing my dress up my hips I took hold of my panties, lifted my butt, and pulled the thin cotton down my legs and off, seeing Kyle in my peripheral vision turn to watch me. I wasn’t finished there, though. Might as well keep going. I pulled my bra strap from under my dress and down my arm so I could pull my hand though to slip it off, repeating the process with the other side and then pulling it up and over my head.

Throwing both on the blanket, I sat staring out to the ocean, waiting to see what would happen next. I had his full attention, I knew that much and I was pretty sure he had stopped eating to watch the show.

On the next inhale, I was pounced on, my back pressed against the picnic rug, Kyle draping me with his lithe torso. His hands delved into my hair while his mouth sought mine. He tasted of chicken and wine. My feet came up to rest on his butt cheeks.

“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!” I sang, pulling him down with the heels of my feet.

He feasted on my mouth with his eyes and in the next second I was being eaten. Well and truly! There was no other way to describe the way he was kissing me.

He seemed to be pouring everything into it so I reciprocated fully, knowing that it might be the last time I had Kyle in my arms for a while. I wanted the night to be more than just a memory, I wanted it to be the beginning of forever.

Hearing talking nearby we both jerked into sitting positions, spying a couple walking along the beach towards us. Kyle and I glared at each other, embarrassed that we’d been groping openly for all to see. Even though most of the time at night the beach was deserted, it was such a clear, still evening that tourists were taking advantage of it.

“Let’s finish our meals and pack up,” Kyle offered.

I agreed, eating as much food as I could and finishing off the glass of wine.

“I’ll bring everything up to your balcony so that the kitchen staff can collect it in the morning.” Kyle took both our trays with lids up to the outside table and returned for the wine cooler, taking it inside in case we wanted more to drink after.

I carried the blanket and my underwear, grinning at the reaction I’d forced from him.

Once inside, Kyle locked the door and pulled me over to the bed.

“Now. Where were we?”

I fell on top of him and murmured, “I think we were about here,” before I took charge and locked our mouths together, grappling with his shirt, needing to feel the contours of his body.

He lifted both arms above his head and I tore my mouth away only long enough to peel the shirt over his head and throw it on the floor before we slammed together again, the magnetic pull of lust driving us into a frenzy of tangled limbs, frantic mouths, and writhing bodies.

I was desperate for this man. Completely and utterly.