How did I get so lucky to have this gorgeous, amazing man in my life? My childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend. Younger me never saw this coming. Hell, I couldn’t imagine this would happen a few months ago. And now I can’t fathom my life without him. He’s embedded himself in my heart. My soul. Dug in so deep that I would wither up and die if we ever go our separate ways.
“You’re blushing already. Perhaps I should spend the rest of the nine-hour flight detailing the numerous ways I’m going tomake you moan over the next week,” he murmurs. His hand moves up my leg as the inferno between my thighs becomes scalding, causing me to squirm. “Describe in detail what I’m going to do with my hands. My tongue. The various positions I plan to have you in. Edge you throughout the entire flight so you come from merely a light touch when we land.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I whisper. I might combust if he continues talking in his low, raspy voice directly connected to my pussy. This man can make me wet without trying. A shiver runs through me, and I flash back to this morning when he joined me in the shower to allegedly conserve water. It wasn’t long until he was on his knees eating me out, making me scream until my legs wobbled. Then he fucked me from behind while the hot water poured over us. If airplane bathrooms weren’t tiny, I’d beg him to join the Mile High Club.
His finger slowly trails up my neck. “Are you thinking about when your hands were pressed against the bench?” he whispers. “Because I am. Fucking you in the shower is embedded in my memory. I can’t wait to be inside you again. If that’s what you want.” He drags his finger along my collarbone. “Is that what you want, Kate?”
“Uh-huh,” I pant.
“Good girl.” He leans back in his seat, adjusting himself. I chuckle, glad to see his words are impacting both of us. That’s what he gets for turning me on at the beginning of this long flight. Is it wrong to hope he has an erection for the next nine hours since I have to wear soaking wet panties?
I slouch slightly in my seat as the plane takes off, my fingers interlocked with his. Normally, flying makes me nervous, but not today. I’m completely at ease with Jake by my side because of his physical presence and the commitment he shows with his words and actions every day. Renting a house near my condo to give us privacy as we figure out our new relationship. Waking upto have coffee with me before I go to work. Planning this trip for us.
He’s made everything about this trip completely effortless for me. Handled every aspect of the planning in true Airport Dad mode. It’s refreshing because I’m usually the one responsible for each tiny detail, ensuring everyone has what they need. Not this time. He wants me to sit back and relax. He’s even provided me with a detailed itinerary with outfit recommendations to ease my travel anxiety.
I sigh, realizing how well this man knows my quirks and embraces them. Maybe it’s because of our history. Or maybe we’re meant to be. My pulse races at the thought of spending a lifetime with Jake. I don’t want to rush our relationship. I want it to evolve naturally. However, that doesn’t stop me from feeling extremely hopeful about what’s to come. I’m falling harder for him every single day.
“Oh my God, Jake! We’re so freaking close to the edge of the road,” I shout as he takes another hairpin turn on the Road to Hana in our rental Jeep. The souvenir shirt I saw last night, claiming the Road to Hana has more than six hundred curves, was no joke. This route is impossible to accurately describe without experiencing it yourself. Thank God neither of us gets motion sickness.
“Don’t worry, Kate. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Jake says confidently, placing his hand on the bare skin of my inner thigh. “Think of these curves as payment for this gorgeous view.” The canopy of rainbow eucalyptus trees stops abruptly, opening to a mesmerizing view of the Pacific Ocean as far as the eye can see. “You can’t tell me this wasn’t worth the drive.”
My mouth parts as I’m captivated by the natural beauty surrounding us. “This is amazing.” Jake squeezes my thigh in agreement, keeping his eyes focused on the winding road.
“Only a few more minutes until we’re at the black sand beach. I’m so pleased the hotel concierge was able to score us last-minute reservations.” Jake smiles as the sunlight makes his sandy-blond hair almost luminous.
“Me, too,” I reply, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ears. There’s something magical about driving this road alongside this man, with the top off and the windows down, the salty ocean air blowing against our faces.
Jake turns onto a bumpy road, following the signs until we park at Wai?anapanapa State Park. We walk hand-in-hand down the windy path and stairs until we hit the black sand beach, and then quickly slip off our flip-flops to feel the heat of the jet-black sand. We stand side-by-side, digging our toes into the sand and staring into the ocean as people frolic around us.
“Pictures don’t do this place justice,” I say, taking in the waves crashing against the volcanic rock, children laughing in the ocean, and the crystal-clear blue sky.
“Agreed,” Jake replies, smiling softly as he watches a family playing in the ocean. “We should bring our kids here one day.”
Did he just say what I think he did?Maybe I misheard him. It’s loud. He couldn’t have possibly mentioned having kids with me . That would be crazy. We’ve only officially been together a few weeks. I mean…technically, we’ve known each other for almost our entire lives?—
“Don’t freak out on me, Kate.” Jake wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into his chest. Our hearts beat in union as he gently cups my chin and stares into my eyes. “You heard me correctly. One day, I’d love to bring our children here. Because that’s the future I see for us.” He lightly kisses my lips, sucking my lower lip in between his teeth until I whimper. “I want alifetime with you.” He presses a long kiss to my forehead, then takes my hand in his, and we continue walking along the beach.
We spend the rest of the day stopping at almost every highlight on the drive, exploring lava tubes, hiking to waterfalls, and eating the best tacos I’ve ever had from a food truck. Everything about this day is picture-perfect.
fifty-two
“Ahhh!”I scream, holding my mask and jumping off the yacht. The cool water of the Pacific Ocean immediately gives me goosebumps without chilling me. I come to the surface and swim over to where Jake’s bobbing in the water, waiting for me.
“Glad you could join me,” Jake teases, snaking an arm around my waist. He leaped in about ten minutes before me because I was fretting with the fit of my snorkel mask. I wrap my legs around him, eliminating the space between us as we float in the waves. “Fuck, Kate. You can’t be getting me hard out here when I can’t do anything about it.”
I grind against him for good measure, a small payback for taunting me about taking so long. “My bad,” I reply playfully, smiling obnoxiously while wearing my mask. “See anything good in the water yet?”
“Yes. You’re going to love it. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here,” he says, releasing his hold on my waist. “Follow me.”
Every stroke through the ocean waves requires more energy than it does when swimming in a lake or pool, making it take longer than you think to swim a short distance. My speed isalso hindered by my inexperience with snorkeling, fearing I can’t breathe, and needing to stop for a moment to calm my nerves. That all goes away the moment I see my first Hawaiian green sea turtle.
Jake stops, pointing ahead to a cluster of three sea turtles diving toward the landscape of muted coral. I still my movement and stare at how the olive-green shells of the turtles stand out against the cloudy-blue water. A couple of small sucker fish appear to be catching a ride on the back of one of the sea turtles, not seeming to bother the turtle in the slightest. A school of vibrant yellow fish in various sizes swims by us, and I’m mesmerized by how much diversity can exist in one place.
When our boat captain waves us in thirty minutes later, my muscles are achy from fighting the current, but I’m blissfully happy as I climb onto the yacht. Jake hangs a towel around my shoulders, rubbing his hands up and down my arms to help dry me off with a blissful grin on his face.
Today was another core memory. An adventure we’ll never forget because of what we saw and who we were with.
I lean against the hotel balcony railing, taking in the midnight sky strewn with a small number of stars. The saltiness in the air, combined with the sound of the ocean waves, calms my senses. I wish we could stay in this magical Maui bubble forever.
