Surviving Us (24 page)

And goodbye is inevitable.

“Where are we eating?” Bristol asks the group as we near the base of the mountain. “My stomach hasn’t stopped growling for the last half-hour.”

“Is that what that noise is? I thought there was some kind of indigenous creature following us down,” Kayden jests, looking back over his shoulder, smiling at her.

Biting my tongue, I continue to play nice with her guy
friend,
who I still think is a sleazy fucktard looking to get in her pants. She laughs good-naturedly at his joke, but grabs my hand reassuringly as we step down the final few volcanic rocks to the firm ground.

“I will take you for the best seafood on the island on our way back,” Dr. Secret pipes up. “I promise you will all love it.”

Two hours later, we arrive safely back at Ti Kaye with full stomachs and tired legs. The combination of eating our weight in fried fish and shrimp at the beach shack Dr. Secret took us to and the six-plus hours of hiking has all five us in a near comatose state by the time the vehicle comes to a stop.

“Wake up, babe.” I gently nudge Bristol, who’s sound asleep in my lap. “We’re here.”

She sits up slowly, rubbing her eyes, looking around in a daze. “Wow, I don’t even remember falling asleep,” she mumbles, waiting for Ashleigh and Charlotte to get out so we can too. Looking down at my thighs, she notices the small wet ring on my shorts and her cheeks stain a bright red. “Please tell me that spot is because you were excited my head was in your lap and not a drool mark.”

I chuckle and scoot across the seat behind her. “As much as I like you taking a nap in my lap, I can control
that
happening a little more than you give me credit for, drool monster.”

“Oh my God, that’s so embarrassing,” she mutters under her breath as we step out of the SUV. “I promise to never call you ‘wall kisser’ again.”

After we all thank Dr. Secret for the umpteenth time and I stealthily slip him a healthy tip for taking us around for the day, we then proceed to say goodnight to each other, despite the early evening hour. Bristol hugs each of her friends before we leave them for our cottages. The embrace with Kayden is a little too lengthy for my liking, but again, I don’t say anything for her sake. The important thing is she’ll be spending tonight, as well as the rest of the nights we’re here, in bed next to me, moaning my name as I bury myself inside her. Not with him.

I lead her to my place for the night, where we shower together and then collapse in my bed unable to keep our hands off of each other. We’re both feeling the fatigue from the day’s events, but we also both realize we’re fighting time, and neither of us wants to waste any of it.

Four more nights.

Three more full days.

One unavoidable farewell.

Over the next two days, I sign Bristol and myself up for every possible excursion I can. I want to experience everything with her while we’re here. I don’t care if I’m keeping her from her friends, as selfish as that makes me. They’ll get to continue talking to her when they all get home. I’m not sure that’ll be possible for us.

Since I’ve been here, hanging out with her, I’ve reverted back to the old Davis I used to be before the crash. She brings out something in me I thought died along with Emma and my friends in the fiery explosion, and she truly makes me want to live again. However, I’m deathly afraid when I get home and I no longer have her cheerful, smiling face to greet me each day I’ll quickly fall back into the hopeless rut of depression I’ve wallowed in for so long.

It’s not that I want to stay there; I just don’t know how to live outside of it on my own.

“So what’s on the agenda today?” Bristol asks, tapping her toothbrush on the side of the sink the morning of our last complete day in St. Lucia.

I’m standing next to her in the small bathroom, simply watching her get ready for the day in the mirror. A little creepy, I know, but I’m trying to memorize everything about her before we go.

“How does a day at the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens and Hot Springs sound?” I tilt my head, running my fingers through my hair that desperately needs to be cut.

She grins at me in the mirror, then spins around and throws her arms around my neck, kissing my cheek. “That sounds perfect. After our snorkeling and scuba lessons yesterday, I was hoping we’d do something today that involved breathing without an apparatus.”

I slide my hands in the back pockets of her signature cut-off shorts
—she may have brought as many of these as she did bikinis—and playfully squeeze her ass. “Don’t lie; you liked having a tube shoved in your mouth all day,” I tease, knowing exactly the response I’m going to get.

Her hands push off my chest as she pretends to be appalled for a few seconds, then she grabs my dick through my shorts and leans in under my chin, which is also in much need of a shave. “This is the only
tube
I like lodged in my mouth for any period of time,” she retorts.

I’m hard instantly, never, ever getting enough of her hot-as-fuck body or sassy-ass mouth. “Anytime you want it, Trouble,” I press her body flush against mine, my lips hovering over her forehead, “you just let me know.”

Her chin tilts up and she rises up on her tiptoes as if she’s going to kiss me. “I’ll keep that in mind, but I think it’s your turn for oral duty.” She runs her fingers over my two-day-old scruff and grins mischievously. “Plus, I want to know what this feels like between my legs.”

A feral growl rumbles deep in my chest as I pick her up and walk her backwards, setting her on the countertop. Drawing her lower lip into my mouth, I suck and nip at the swollen flesh as my hand falls between her parted thighs, rubbing a circular motion over her mound and pressing the thick seam of her jeans against her clit. The sexiest sound escapes her mouth as she grinds her lithe body against my hand, lustful heat penetrating through her clothes.

“Tonight,” I promise with my lips still on hers, “but we’ve got a car picking us up in fifteen minutes. Unless you’d rather stay here all day
—
”

She shakes her head, breathing hard, and lightly shoves my shoulders. “No, I want to go see the falls and gardens, but don’t expect to sleep much tonight.”

Laughing softly, I adjust myself in my shorts and step back so she can slide down. “Not a problem, that’s what the plane ride is for tomorrow.”

Her face falls at the mention of our departure, matching my own thoughts. Immediately, I pull her back into my arms, this time in more of a comforting gesture than sexual, wishing I could take the words back. “Let’s not think about tomorrow yet.” I kiss the top of her head. “Let’s enjoy today.”

“Yeah, let’s enjoy today,” she repeats softly.

Because today’s all we’ve got left.

“TODAY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE
, like something I’ve only thought happened in the movies.” I beam across the table at Davis. We’ve just sat down for dinner at a fancy waterfront restaurant in Marigot Bay, the perfect ending to the perfect day he planned for us. “I really can’t thank you enough for everything.”

He flashes me a genuine deep-dimpled grin, my favorite, and unrolls the cloth napkin, setting out his silverware in the proper arrangement. “I’m hoping you’re talking about a romantic chick flick and not a horror movie or one of those where everyone dies in the end,” he jokes.

I laugh and do the same with my napkin and utensils, following his lead. “Of course I am, silly.”

“Hey, you never know.” He reaches out with both of his hands atop the white tablecloth and takes mine in his. “I’ll gladly remind you that we both have favorite movies where pretty much every one dies at the end.”

My head cocks to the side, realizing he’s right. “Hmph. I didn’t even think about that. I just thought we were both big DiCaprio fans,” I tease. “Plus, mine is one of the highest-rated romantic movies of all times.”

“But it was far from a happily-ever-after.”

“True,” I sigh, “but maybe it’s not always about the happy ending; maybe it’s about the beauty of the story.” My heart sinks as my own words hit way too close to home, and based on the pained expression that flickers in his eyes, the double entendre isn’t lost on him either.

“Maybe,” Davis says lowly, turning his head to stare at the bay through the window, then adds, “maybe not.”

I take a drink from the glass of water sitting in front of me to soothe the sudden scratchiness in the back of my throat, thankful as the server finally approaches the table for our drink and food order.

Davis refocuses his attention towards me and offers an apologetic smile. “So what was your favorite part of today?” he asks, and just like that, the somberness that briefly joined us at the table leaves and we’re back to us.