Page 11 of Caffeine & Chaos

“Oh, that feels good.” Nadia continued to bounce lightly against him; the feeling of his iron-hard flesh pulsating through the fabric of his pants amplified the slickness of her sex, soaking through her panties, and likely her jogging tights as well.

Nadia slid down off his lap onto her knees, clawing at the button of his jeans, eager to expose the rigid pulse of his arousal. Ryan fisted her hair and groaned in anticipation but just as Nadia eased down the zipper of his fly, Ryan’s hands were on her shoulders, gently pushing her away.

The abrupt stop left Nadia trying to collect her thoughts. Once again, her head was swimming with hormones, and she couldn’t think clearly. Her top still pulled up, she became painfully aware that she was sitting on the deck, exposed, in the middle of Boca Chita Key. She ripped her shirt back down and stood up on unsteady legs. Ryan stood up and reached to balance her, but she tore her arm from his grip.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” She spat at him. “Does it turn you on to get me all worked up and then basically tell me to fuck off?” Her voice cracked, tinged with a sharp edge of desperation. She couldn’t bear another rejection; each one felt like a blow to her already fragile sense of self.

Ryan took her in his arms and squeezed her against him, despite her attempts to push him away. “Nadia, I’m sorry about the dance club and the washroom. I am not going anywhere, I promise. It’s just that this location isn’t exactly private,” he stated, gesturing around.

She had been so ravenous in her pursuit of his body; she had completely forgotten they were adrift in the bay.

“There are a lot of people who would pay good money to get a comprising picture of me. I want you, god I want you, but not here.” Ryan searched her face for understanding.

Nadia brushed away the tears welling up in her eyes. Adrenalin was still pumping through her body and the emotional rollercoaster she had been on since he entered her life was threatening to overcome her. She felt like a fool. She had practically written the book on detachment, and yet she couldn’t seem to quell her growing desire to win Ryan’s affection by any means necessary. Burying her head in his chest, she attempted to conceal her emotional distress, though the trembling of her shoulders betrayed her struggle to regain control of her breath.

Ryan slipped his hand under her chin and lifted her face up towards his. Nadia tried to avert her eyes; god she didn’t want him to see her like this. She felt small and weak and wasn’t ready to give him this kind of power over her.

“Hey, hey. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Nadia.” He scooped her face into his hands and brushed away more tears from her eyes. “I can make this feel good. No more games, no more taking off on you.” He leaned down and kissed her, the same reassuring kiss that radiated warmth through her when she’d first gotten into the car.

“I’ve got to get the engine back up and running, we’re drifting dangerously close to the coastline.” He gave her a nod and a smile, squeezed her hands, and then headed towards the controls.

Nadia savored the quiet moment, grateful for the chance to collect herself. Inhaling deeply through her nose and exhaling slowly through her mouth, she felt the tremors gradually ebb away. So much had unfolded in just a couple of hours with Ryan. Unlike her past relationships, which she never allowed to deepen, Ryan had swiftly broken through her barriers. In mere days, he had ignited a connection unlike any she had experienced before, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable in ways she hadn’t imagined possible.

Shifting her attention to the scenery, Nadia took in the stunning view. The downtown skyline sprawled before them, a breathtaking sight against the foreground of the bay. The sun danced off the glass facades of the towering buildings, casting brilliant flashes of light across the water. Against the backdrop of the cloud-speckled sky, the jagged silhouette of the city’s skyscrapers etched a striking profile on the horizon. It was a scene straight out of a postcard, capturing the essence of Miami living.

“The silhouette of the city must be breathtaking from here at night!” Nadia shook her head in amazement, trying to make sense of the moment. Here they were carrying on a casual conversation only moments after they had nearly devoured each other. And oddly enough, it didn’t feel weird. The awkwardness Nadia had come to expect after screwing, or in this case nearly screwing someone, was oddly missing.

Ryan kept the Pelican Skipper close to the shoreline as they made their way over to the island. As Nadia looked at the gnarled and tangled trunks of the Mangroves along the coast, she couldn’t help but draw a comparison to her own life. She was so twisted and tangled up in Ryan she had trouble recognizing herself.

As they navigated into Boca Chita’s harbor, Nadia looked at the historical lighthouse with fascination. Constructed of limestone, the lighthouse stood tall, its slender windows stacked vertically along its body. Near the top, an observation deck with a wrought iron railing, caught her eye. She couldn’t help but wonder about the lighthouse’s storied past, contemplating how many ships it had guided safely into the key during its years of operation.

She moved over to where Ryan was sitting behind the wheel. “Do you know when the lighthouse was decommissioned?”

“Actually, it was never used to guide ships into port. It was built in the nineteen-thirties as an ornamental monument.” He turned the wheel to get them into position to moor the boat.

“Oh. It looks so old and dignified, I would have never thought it was less than a hundred years old.” She continued to study the lighthouse, trying to discern any features that might give away its true age. The glass around the lantern room looked newer, but she had just assumed that it had been replaced recently.

“I hope to become dignified one day,” Ryan said, flashing her a wide grin as he got up from the captain’s chair. “Only I’d like the rest of the description to indicate I look younger than I really am, not older.”

“There’s no doubt that you’ll grow older, it’s the dignified part that will take some work,” Nadia teased.

Ryan playfully waggled a finger at her cheeky comment before hopping out onto the harbor to secure the boat. Extending a hand to Nadia, he gestured for her to step onto the gangway. As she took his hand, a surge of electricity coursed through her, igniting her skin with a tingling sensation. The warmth of his touch sent a wave of heat rippling from her hand, coursing up her arm and spreading across her chest, leaving her breathless in its wake.

Ryan kept her hand as they strolled along one of the paved paths that criss-crossed the tiny island. As she took in the islands features, a picnic table in the distance, sitting under the shade of a palm tree, caught her eye.

“Is that white linens I see waving in the breeze over there?” She tilted her head in the direction of the table.

“It is, but I was hoping the landscape would keep your attention until we got a little closer. I was looking for a big reaction when you saw the trouble I went to,” he teased, feigning exasperation as he turned abruptly. “I guess the day is ruined. Come on, let’s go.” Nadia gave his arm a playful tug, eliciting a chuckle from him. “I take it you still want to see what’s happening over there?”

“Well, I’m sure Armand went to a lot of trouble. We wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings.”

Ryan placed his hand over his heart, pretending to be wounded. “Give a guy some credit. The idea was all mine. Armand simply executed my plan, you see.” He gave a little bow and gestured towards the table like Vanna White revealing a letter on Wheel of Fortune.

Nadia’s eyes swept across the table. “Oh, this does look good. I can see Armand has excellent taste.” Ryan rolled his eyes dramatically at her. “Crab cakes, sushi rolls, fresh strawberries, and-” Nadia stopped short. Sitting on the table, next to another bottle of expensive champagne was a plate of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. She whipped her head around to study Ryan.

He smiled with satisfaction. “I told you my people did some poking around.”

Little Debbie Swiss Rolls were Nadia’s favorite trashy snack. As part of their Sunday night binge-watching ritual, she and Mandy would devour a whole box on Sunday nights, along with a bottle or two of wine.

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