His kiss takes me by surprise, long, slow, like he’s cherishing every second. I close my eyes and savour the feeling. Absorbed in him. His touch, his words, his tongue, the feeling of rightness between my thighs. We move slowly, discreetly, the sun beating down around us, the sea ripples glistening. He holds me, moaning, brushing his lips against mine in a way that leaves no space for me to doubt his love. The thought flips my stomach because his actions reflect my own mind. An overwhelming sense of love, complete physical and emotional love, emulates through me. I lean forward and bite his shoulder to prevent my body from externally erupting as my climax comes. He drops his head to my neck, biting and groaning quietly as he fills me with his physical desire.
‘This is perfect,’ I mumble into his shoulder.
He strokes my hair and hums against my neck, then drops his lips to my cheek. ‘You’re beautiful when you’re happy.’ His eyes change, a switch that’s completely ordinary for Gregory but a move that I don’t want to see in our paradise. ‘I want to always make you happy.’
Shifting slightly, I meet his eyes. ‘What is it?’
He shakes his head.
‘Oh no, Gregory Ryans, don’t you dare. That’s the same look you had when you were on the phone just before. What is it?’
‘Baby, nothing to worry about.’
I sit up and try to unravel my body from his but he holds my legs around his waist.
‘Please don’t keep things from me. I thought we got past this. Everything that’s gone wrong with us is because you’ve kept things from me. If we’re going to be a team, Gregory, you have to share things with me. That’s what the big rock is supposed to mean, isn’t it? That you want us to be a team?’
‘Now that you mention it, where is the big rock?’
‘It’s in the safe; I didn’t want to wear it to frolic in the sea with you.’
‘That’s what we’re doing, baby: frolicking?’
‘Stop changing the subject.’
Any semblance of playfulness disappears.
‘Fine. Don’t tell me. Clearly, that ring doesn’t mean as much as I hoped.’ I kick back from him and start a front crawl to the boat.
‘Hey.’ He pulls my left hand back before I can lift it over my head. ‘What have I told you about that attitude?’ He drags me back to his waist.
‘Tell me.’
He sighs. ‘I’m fixing it.’
‘That’s not an answer.’
‘One of the tabloids has found out about my case.’
My brow furrows. ‘Your non-case. It’s over; you weren’t charged. Am I missing the point?’
He drops his forehead to mine and paddles so we turn in a circle. ‘I paid off most of the broadsheets and big corporate papers at the time. Sydney in PR thought that someone might have talked, given the level of sudden media attention.’
‘So this is a regional?’
‘Yes, a regional tabloid, which means I don’t have a settlement in place restricting what they print.’
‘So you’re going to have to pay them off?’ Guilt kicks me in the gut as I speak. Another reality check. I put him in this situation. He’s paying for my actions. ‘Gregory, I’d like to fix this. Before you jump in and say no, I’ll have the money from the house in a couple of weeks. You’ve paid enough. This was my doing. Let me fix it.’
He cups my face in his hands. ‘Baby, you didn’t bring this on us. I did. And I would never let you pay for my past. But you’re amazing for wanting to.’
‘There’s no I in team, right? I think we can call itourmistake andourpast now. I want all of you, Gregory: past, present and future. And let me tell you something else: I’d do it again. I’d do anything for you. Even go Dutch on paying off the tabloids.’
‘How did I find you?’
‘You were supposed to.’
He smiles as he hooks his hands under my thighs and propels me out of the water, squealing. He’s laughing when I surface, rubbing hair and salt water from my eyes.
