“What?” She giggles. She thinks I’m joking.
”Pack your bags. We are going away.” I declare before sitting up and moving to the edge of the bed.
“Where?” Excitement drips from her tone.
“Far from here. Far from the weight of the world. Far enough away that we can find each other all over again.” I don't even look at her as I begin packing my own items, not bothering to dress beforehand
“I’d like that. Warm weather or cold?” Her voice is closer now as I look up to find her in the doorway of the closet.
“So warm I hope to have you always naked.” I growl hungrily while fantasies dance in my mind.
“Ha-ha. Okay!” She laughs before cheering. Wasting no time, she collects bags and starts filling them with different outfits. Little does she know, I wasn’t lying moments ago. I plan to have her naked for the entire time we are away. I want her so blissfully wrapped up in our love that she never wants to come home.
Chapter Thirty
A Bet Is Only A Good One When You’re On The Winning Side
Everly POV:
Waves lap against the front of the extravagant speed boat as we race from a nearby marina into the unknown waters. Warm early morning sun casts light onto us, even beneath the canopy situated over our frames. Ghost guides the aquatic vessel while I relax against the captain seat. He randomly turns around togive me a small smile before turning back to continue driving. Some may think his behavior comes from a place of him being obsessed with me. While this may also be true, I know him better than that. He’s afraid. Fearful that if he looks away long enough, I’ll disappear again. Just his actions when I returned were enough to prove that. He fell apart the moment he saw me. Like a doll put back together with sugar and the smallest of breezes threatening its fortification, he crumbled before me. I never questioned his love after our escape from capture, he was so attentive in every aspect of the word. Though, that single moment cemented the magnitude of his love. He doesn't just desire me, his love is enraptured. It transcends our reality, moving between realms. Dancing on the waves of light and flirting with the molecules. It’s immeasurably more than just love. It is infinite and intangible all at once. If only words could convey that I am just as much his as he is mine. We are inevitably and irrevocably bound to one another.
My eyes slide over to him just as he turns around once more. Rolling my eyes I try to imagine where he's taking me. We boarded an eight hour flight filled with delicious foods and champagne. I almost begged to just keep doing that but he managed to drag me from our accommodations to an suv that drove us through some downtown, South American city to the marina which we parted ways with an hour ago. The boat we are situated on contains sleeping quarters, a full bar, bathrooms, a lounge, a dining room, and even a sauna room. As much as I would be happy with just staying here, I know wholeheartedly that it's nothing compared to what he has planned. Just as I am about to ask him for the hundredth time where he is stealing me away, when the sight of land breaks over the horizon. Within minutes, we are met by an enormous island that could be compared to a small village. Sandy shores andlush greenery coats the landscapes indiscriminately. A massive home with floor to ceiling windows sits in the middle, almost hidden away by trees and other vegetation. Slowly, the vessel glides to the dock just as Ghost drops the anchor. He collects our bags and climbs over the side, offering me his hand in the process. Taking it, I follow his actions until the weathered wood is solid beneath my feet. Walking down the pier, hand in hand, we near the slate stone pathway that leads to the front door. If I had been asked last year, whether I could imagine being here with the very person I craved violence upon, I would have demonically laughed. Being here with this man, now, gives me butterflies and has me kicking my feet like a schoolgirl. We finally make it to the french sliding doors that hold entrance to the home. He moves ahead of me to push one to the side, pulling me along with him until we stand in the main room.
“What do you think?” His husky but smooth voice quiets my thoughts.
“It’s absolutely beautiful. I love it.” Smiling, I give his hand a small reassuring squeeze.
“Enough to stay here forever?” His tone is suggestive as he pulls me into a rear facing hug. I laugh sarcastically while shaking my head.
“Very funny. Maybe not that much but definitely enough to stay for a while.” I lean my back against his chest and absorb the heat that radiates off of him. It’s like climbing under a blanket that is freshly pulled out of a dryer. Now, this is something I would never want to leave. I could live within his surrounding arms forever.
He hums as if to give my words recognition before stepping away. I watch him as he stalks away to some foreign hallwaycausing my curiosity to bubble. Following him, I find myself with an exotic bedroom covered in loose white linens and dark woods. The outside is accessible through a glass door facing the foot of the bed. Looking around, my eyes catch a fleeting shadow just ten feet away. As I near it, I find Ghost unpacking our belongings inside of a walk-in closet. His caring nature doesn't go unnoticed as the idea of repaying his efforts comes to mind. Turning on my heel before he sees me, I make my way to the kitchen. I’m pleasantly surprised to find that the refrigerator has been fully stocked with a wide selection of ingredients. Collecting the necessary items, I settle into making a dish of carbonara. While mixing the pasta into the sauce, a set of arms wraps around my waist from behind. Looking up, I am held captive by a set of icy blue eyes looking down into my own. He smiles while extending a finger until it reaches the fragrant mixture before me. Scooping a small amount onto his digit, he brings it to his mouth. Moving his tongue around, he analyzes the flavors now bursting on his palette. His eyes close as he groans, sending chills down my spine and into my needy heat. I swallow hard and attempt to remove any trace of my thoughts that may be present on my face.
“C’est presque aussi bon que toi.” He hums sensually. His words only amplify my lust but I want to savor our time together. He has spent more time inside of me than talking to me since my return.
“Later. Now, we eat.” I say sweetly while slinking out from under his grasp. He chuckles but doesn’t push any further.
Plating our food, we sit on the patio that overlooks a small pond that is continually filled by a gushing waterfall. Not too different from what is happening between my legs, I note. Ignoring my horny inner goddess, I look up to find Ghost looking off intothe distance with a haunted expression on his face. Worry sets its claws into me as I am forced to reach across the table and grab his hand. His eyes snap to mine but the expression does not leave. I feel a compulsion to interrogate him but withhold any further actions to allow time for him to come back to the present. He shakes his head softly, trying to break away from whatever haunts his beautiful mind. Finally, he speaks.
“What happened?” I tilt my head in confusion as I try to decipher his meaning.
Quickly, I come to the realization that his question is about the events that followed us parting ways. I have been informed as to what happened after the crash and how everyone thought I had died, but I refused to allow anyone to go into detail about Ghost's reaction to it. I just knew it would be too painful to hear. I nod my head while collecting my thoughts back to the question at hand. Looking back at him, I ready myself for the story ahead.
“After I had left, we made it to the runway. We boarded the jet and everyone got situated. I made sure there was plenty of food and water for them. Everything was good. While we were waiting, one of the girls asked about your pendant. I went into great detail about how it's a sign of protection and bond between two members. She expressed that she was envious of me. That she wished she could be that powerful. I had a brilliant idea of letting her try it on, because I wanted to give her that feeling, even if it was just temporary. We had begun to take off and were finally up in the sky. Just as she was preparing to remove it, there was a massive bang. We all were thrown around in our spots and people were crying. One of the attendants came over to inform me that an engine had blown. There was no time to react. One second we were in the air and then the next we were falling. The jet hit some trees and it was tornapart. I could barely hear and my nose burned from the smell of the fuel. I was okay apart from some minor injuries. I sprung into action and started looking for survivors. The captain was the first person I found, he was barely holding onto life. I had to leave him to keep searching, though. There were so many dead bodies. I saw her, the girl wearing my necklace. She was nothing but char when I got to her. I couldn’t bear to remove the necklace. I just…couldn’t. After that, I managed to find a total of eight people still alive with small injuries. We had no idea where we were. I wanted to call but decided against it in case the cartel was tracking my phone. I tossed it into the fire and set out in search of help. We walked over ten miles before we finally found a road where we had to flag down a truck. He took us to the closest town that had a phone and running water. I bribed the truck driver to get us all the way to a safe house. He was even nice enough to give me his first aid kit so that we could dress our wounds. From there, we dropped them off and he brought me home.” I’m nearly out of breath, shaking as emotions are pouring into my chest. I want to cry. For me, for the people who died, and for Ghost. The memories are all too much while they replay in my mind over and over.
“I’m so sorry.” Is all I can manage to say before the sobs take over me. Ghost rushes from his chair and pulls me into a firm hug.
“You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. You are alive. I should be thanking you for making it back to me. Even just knowing you are alive is the kindest feeling that I have ever known.” His words only make me cry harder but the emotion behind it has changed from sadness to pure bliss.
“Okay, enough of this sad shit. Can we get back to being happy again?” I ask while wiping tears frommy reddened face. He nods with a smile before pushing a small piece of hair behind my ear.
Moving back to his chair, our conversation refocuses and before I know it we are in full swing discussing our lives' funniest moments. He tells me about a time where he found himself pantless on Christmas in front of a Prime Minister and I recall once when Ryon and I spent almost six hours superglued together in the fourth grade. My stomach hurts from laughter and I am caught in a coughing fit. Come to think of it, I can’t remember a time in my life where I did laugh this much. Before long, we move ourselves into the living room and sit comfortably on the oversized couch. Ghost’s hand grazes my thigh tenderly making my thoughts cloudy. All I can find myself thinking about are his hands roaming my body. Closing the space between us, I climb onto his lap. Straddling him, his hands rest on my ass while I casually use my lips to flirt with his. My tongue darts out and slides across his bottom lip earning me a disgruntled moan.
“Will you finally let me taste you, Amore?” He begs roughly.
“I bet you would like that.” I chuckle softly, continuing my actions before moving to plant small kisses on his neck.
“I bet that I’ll have you screaming my name by the end of the night.” His voice is hoarse as he tries to contain his composure. I decide I’m going to push my luck by poking the bear.
