Page 55 of Redemption

“Someone should stay on the boat,” I grumbled. “Keep an eye on things.”

She spun around in the water. “There’s no one here. We have this entire deserted island paradise to ourselves. When will this ever happen again?”

Likely never.

I was still in disbelief that this was my current reality.

Still, I was supposed to be protecting Sloan. Not allowing myself to be distracted by the coral reef and her bare skin. Not when it made me want to cross lines I shouldn’t.

When I continued to hesitate, Sloan said, “As your captain, I order you to join me.” Then she hastily added, “If you want to, that is,” with a smile.

Of course I wanted to. When it came to Sloan, it had never been a question of want.

I glanced around once more, satisfied we were completely alone. Safe from outside threats apart from those posed by mother nature. I stripped out of my shirt, gratified when Sloan couldn’t take her eyes off me. I could feel her gaze lingering on my skin, and the fact that I’d stolen her attention from the reef felt like a prize of its own.

I grabbed some goggles and checked our position and the forecast once more before jumping in. Sloan squealed—splashing water at me as soon as I’d surfaced.

“You scared away all the fish with your cannonball,” she teased, and I slicked water away from my face.

“Hopefully all the sharks too,” I joked, though we both knew they could show up at any time. If we were lucky, we’d only see the more harmless kinds—lemon, nurse—if any.

I peered beneath the water with my goggles, amazed by the colors and vibrancy of the reef and all its beautiful creatures. Sunlight filtered through the surface, spearing the water with its rays. A school of dark black fish with brilliant cobalt fins and tails darted by.

“Look over here!” Sloan called, and I swam closer, smiling at her excitement. It was almost more fun to watch her than the show beneath the water.

She grabbed my hand and pointed in the distance where a sea turtle swam among the reef. I smiled, unable to focus on anything beyond the fact that she was touching me. Holding my hand. We swam for a while, pointing out various things to each other and reveling in our discoveries.

I tried to capture the moment in my mind, the feeling of being with Sloan. I didn’t want this to end. Not just today, or even the trip, but my time with her.

Sloan had made it very clear she didn’t want to revisit the past, but being with her called so many memories to mind. So many good memories, even ones I’d long forgotten or suppressed.

And now, we were creating new memories together. Exploring new places. Revealing new facets to each other.

When I was younger, for a long time, I’d thought being discharged from the SEALs was the biggest mistake of my life. But seeing her now, I knew what had happened with Sloan was my biggest regret. I should’ve never let her go.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Jackson and I had spent the afternoon snorkeling the reef. The pads of my fingers were wrinkled, and my body was exhausted.

I climbed up the sugar sloop, feeling Jackson’s eyes on me the entire time as he followed. For a second, I thought I felt the brush of his hands on me, but then I told myself I was imagining it. Maybe I just wanted it. Wanted him to touch me. Want me.

Wanted to know if it would be the same as it had always been—electric. Shattering my world and then putting me back together in the way that only he could.

“That’s it, Sloan. That’s it,” he urged, his own movements becoming more frantic.

My pleasure had been building and building, and I didn’t know how much more I could take. I’d never felt so full. So complete. I couldn’t imagine sharing this moment with anyone else.

Jackson cupped my cheek, pressing his lips to mine. Claiming me. With his cock buried deep inside me, it was the most intimate and intense thing I’d ever experienced.

“I’ve got you, Sloan,” he whispered, urging me on. “I’ve got you.”

Stars exploded in my vision, my mind emptying completely. I didn’t have to think; I only had to feel. And everything felt…wonderful.

Jackson’s movements turned frenzied, until he was panting out my name. Unleashing his own release. He was there with me. We were falling together. Always together.

We fell back on the bed in a tangle of limbs, and I could feel his heart racing beneath his skin. It matched the cadence of my own.

“Fuck, baby. That was incredible.”

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