After building myself a perfectly sized sand pillow, I lie back on my towel. I could spend hours on the beach just listening to the soothing sound of the waves, running the soft, warm sand through my fingers, and breathing the salty air. It’s almost meditative. It sounds corny, but I feel like it’s feeding part of my soul.
“This place is incredible, Penn,” Hunter says from his spot right beside me, his voice full of wonder.
I’ve been to these islands more times than I can count, but seeing it all through Hunter’s eyes is kind of like seeing it for the first time. There are so many places in the world I’d love to take him. He seems like a great traveler, which is something I wouldn’t have expected, considering he can be a little fussy and uptight. But he’s fascinated by everything new and different, and he’s curious about the history of the islands—so much so that he mentioned he downloaded a couple of historical novels set in this area. Being on vacation in the Caribbean is fucking amazingno matter what, but having Hunter here with me has brought it all to a whole other level of awesome.
We stretch out on our towels, and I close my eyes, concentrating on nothing but the warmth of the sun on my skin and the sound of my own breathing. Hunter and I are lying close together, only a hair’s breadth away from touching. Last night was incredible, but things seem pretty much back to normal this morning, so I don't know how to navigate this.
Are we going to hook up again? Are we doing some kind of friends-with-benefits thing? What’s going to happen when we get into bed tonight? What about when we get home? I don’t know any of the answers, but right now, I don’t feel like I need to chase them. Something about this place and the slower pace of life here has me simply believing that whatever will be will be, and no matter what, it will all be okay. I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed and at peace.
I must drift off to sleep because, when I look up again, the beach is more crowded. Even with the extra tourists, it still feels like a slice of heaven. Rolling onto my stomach, without a second thought, I slide my hand over the warm skin of Hunter’s belly. I freeze when I realize what I’m doing, but he makes an unmistakably pleased, growly sound before covering my hand with his and giving it a gentle squeeze before propping himself up on his elbows, giving me that smile I’m fast becoming addicted to.
“I was thinking about taking a little dip,” I say, sliding my hand back and forth across the olive skin of his taut, smooth belly. “Care to join me?”
“Absolutely.” He hops up, and we walk down to the water. I grab his hand, lacing our fingers together as we step into the sparkling clear water.
Once we’re waist-deep, I let go of him and jump straight up before diving under the water like a dolphin. I make sure to givea little kick with my feet, splashing water in Hunter’s direction, and sure enough, when I surface a moment later, he’s spluttering and laughing. The glistening water droplets on his skin catch the sunlight, making him resemble one of thoseTwilightvampires. I waggle my eyebrows at him, and a dirty grin creeps across his face before he lunges forward, grabbing me around the waist and hauling me into his chest, and dragging both of us beneath the surface. We wrestle underwater for a minute before he stands, bringing me with him since I’m still anchored firmly against his hard body.
We stare at each other for a second, blinking salt water out of our eyes, both of us wearing ridiculously goofy smiles. He closes the distance between us slowly, like he’s giving me every chance to change my mind.Yeah. Not a chance.
When he brushes his lips against mine, the electricity between us sparks and jumps, and within seconds, my cock starts to fill. God, I am completely unable to resist this man. Our laughter turns quickly into soft moans, and I jump into him, wrapping my arms and legs around him like a koala, opening up for him as he dips his tongue into my mouth. He tastes of salt and sunshine. I can’t stop the groan that escapes me as all my blood flows directly to my dick. He grinds against me, his length pressing into my abdomen.
“Fuck,” I gasp, reluctantly pulling back from him. “I’m gotta go back to the towels because if I spend any more time around you, I’ll get us arrested and thrown in jail for having sex on the beach.”
He laughs, his eyes roaming over my chest and face with such open desire I can almost feel his fingers on my skin. “Probably smart,” he mutters. “I’ll be there in a bit.”
I can’t conceal my smile as I turn away, ducking my head under the water one last time before making my way back to ourtowels once I’m sure my dick’s gone down enough that I won't accidentally put someone's eye out.
Flopping back down onto my towel, I close my eyes for a few minutes, letting the warm sun dry the water off my skin. When Hunter doesn’t come back right away, I sit up and spy him in the water, not far from the shore, floating on his back. I grin, and a sense of pride washes over me that I’ve actually managed to get Mr. Career Focus to slow down and relax, at least a little.
Reaching into my backpack, I pull out my phone, figuring now is as good a time as any to check to see whether Martin has sent any updates for me.
Opening my email, I see that I do have a note from him, but as I scan through it, I realize The Open Door may have hit the first significant obstacle. Turns out, after spending the last three full days contacting dozens of builders and contractors, Martin's had no luck finding a general contractor with any time in their schedule. Most reputable firms are booked out for at least a year right now.
“Motherfucker,” I mutter under my breath just as a shadow blocks the sun, and I look up to find Jesse, Jeff, and Danielle from the Sail Away Party standing next to me.
“Oh hey! Hi there!” I greet them, surprised.
“You look deep in thought,” Jesse says. He’s got that same sort of mischievously kind smile as his George Clooney doppelganger, but it doesn’t travel to his eyes.
“Oh, I’m just trying to figure something out,” I say, waving my hand. “Cop a squat, you guys. Hunter’s still in the water.”
As soon as they get their towels arranged beside ours, Jeff pops back up. “I think Hunter’s got the right idea. Can I interest you in a swim, lovely lady?” He extends his hand to his wife, who grabs it and giggles as he pulls her up and throws her over his shoulder, running toward the water, carrying her like a sack of potatoes.
“How long have those two been together?” I ask Jesse, who’s sitting beside me, watching his brother and sister-in-law with a sad smile playing around his lips.
“Would you believe me if I told you they’ve been together almost twenty-five years?” he says.
“You’re kidding!” I say. "They barely look old enough."
“Nope. Danielle grew up down the street from us. They’ve been together since they were teenagers.”
“That’s amazing,” I say admiringly.
He nods. “Yeah. The only problem is that they set an unreasonably high bar for what a relationship looks like. I’ve certainly never experienced a love like that.” He gives me a wry smile. “But enough about me and my sad excuse for a love life. Tell me, what were you looking so perplexed about before we got here?”
I hesitate, trying to decide whether to avoid his question or to see what it feels like to actually confide in someone about The Open Door.
“Well, I have this project I’m working on, and I think we may have just hit the first significant obstacle to getting it finished.”
