“Always attracted to you, Hollywood. Now paint me up.” I lean my hands on the counter beside her legs, giving her enough room to work but caging her in place. Ivory repeats the motions on my face, laughing as she tries to keep the mud out of my eyes and mouth. I can’t help but laugh with her.
“Stop moving. I’m going to get it everywhere!” She laughs harder. Finally pleased with her work, she drops her hands and says, “Done!” with a bright smile that cracks some of the drying mud on her face.
“Now what?” I ask as she cleans off her hands in the sink.
“Now we wait for it to dry.”
I tell Ivory about my shopping adventure for the supplies and we talk about what to do with the rest of our time in Dangriga while our masks dry.
“I think my mask is dry now,” I say. The dried mud feels tight on my face.
Wetting a rag, Ivory wipes the crusty gray mask off my face. My hands rub her thighs every now and then as she dips the cloth back into the full sink. Some of it gets stuck in my facial hair, and she laughs as she tries to pick it out. It takes several minutes for her to get it all off but I stand there patiently the whole time.
“There,” she says, finishing up and rubbing my face with her hands. “Soft and clean.” She beams at me.
“My turn,” I say, rinsing out the cloth and the sink. Filling it with fresh warm water, I wring out the cloth and bring it to her face. Starting with her cheek, I swipe the cloth down coming away with the mud. Ivory closes her eyes. Her lashes fan over her cheeks. I gently repeat the action over and over, cleaning off the cloth as I go. I lean forward and kiss them both. Each surface I clean, I kiss as I go. I kiss the tip of her nose. I kiss both of her cheeks. I kiss her forehead.
When her face is free of mud, I run the cloth over her whole face again and kiss her lips.
Ivory Crenshaw has caught me hook, line, and sinker.
I’m happily a goner for her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Ivory
May 15
“Preston, what is this place?” He leads me down a dock.
The sun is setting and the sky gives way to oranges and pinks amongst the blue. We drove south for almost an hour while doing our own version of carpool karaoke. I got some of it on video that I can’t wait to show the girls. The whole time Preston wouldn’t tell me where we're going.
We parked in a gravel lot surrounded by jungle. If I didn’t know any better, I would say that Preston was taking me into the jungle to kill me. The sounds of birds, bugs, and water hit my ears as our feet hit the old wooden planks on the dock. At the end of the dock is a small motor boat. A man is waiting nearby.
My feet stutter as I pull Preston to a stop jerking his arm. “Preston.” I don’t mean to be scared, but we are in the middle of the jungle in a foreign country near dark and a strange man is standing near a boat at the end of this pier. There is nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. This is everythingDatelinewarns about.
Preston turns to me and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear, cupping my cheek. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course I trust you.” I do. I trust Preston with my life, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still smart to be wary.
“This guy”—Preston tips his head to the side indicating toward the man at the end of the dock—“is going to take us to the surprise. It’s perfectly safe. He comes highly recommended by the locals, and I hired him.”
“Is that even allowed right now?” I’ve heard locals talk when we go to the village that the restrictions are lessening but I didn’t think people were supposed to be doing tours right now.
“Probably not.” Preston shrugs. “But money talks.” He gives me a charming smirk. “Come on, Hollywood. Where’s that adventure bone?”
“My adventure bone doesn’t extend to getting arrested.” Smacking his stomach, I push around him. “You’ve already had me out exploring waterfalls, hiking trails, and caves that are prohibited right now. Your luck could be running out.” Preston laughs and follows me to the end of the dock. We greet the tour guide and load into the small motor boat. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?”
“What? The sunset cruise isn't enough?” He winks and throws his arm around me, pulling me into his side. Resting my head on his shoulder, I let out a deep sigh and take in the beautiful sights and sounds of the river.
“So we are going on a river cruise?”
“Yes and no.” Preston’s vagueness is annoying but it also excites me. He is a master of surprises and has turned our adventures into dates. If he’s holding out on me, it has to be good. No matter what we do together, it’s fun. We laugh. We talk. We share secrets and desires. Wants, needs, hopes, dreams. I don’t feel like I have to filter myself with him. Preston is everything I have ever wanted.
“How are you feeling about getting back to Tampa in time to report for camp?” I ask, twining our fingers together. He talked to his agent earlier and it sounds like a June start to the season. It’s not set in stone yet but there is an unofficial deadline to ourtime here. The next flight out may not be until early June, making the timing very tight for Preston to make it home in time to report to camp. Preston plays with my hand, taking a minute to answer.
“I think everything will work out how it’s supposed to. Right now, I’m just enjoying being here with you, watching this sunset, and experiencing this life together.” Preston drops a kiss to the top of my head then rests his head on top of mine. I don’t press. There is plenty of time to stress and plan later. He’s right. We are in this moment right now. We should take it in. So, I do.
