Page 63 of Rum Sips and Salty Lips

“I haven’t ordered you to do anything,” he replies.

“You basically summoned me here,” I say.

“I don’t think you take orders from anyone. You’re here because you can’t stand that something fell out of your control. You couldn’t control me, or my music, and you had to end it.”

“There are plenty of things I can’t control. I know better than to attempt to control you because you are a fucking storm.”

His lips find mine and his body presses me against the door. His hands reach for my back and pull me closer to him, as if the air between us is offensive to him.

“Boat?” I manage to moan as his kisses travel down my neck. I don’t know what this means if we have sex here. On the boat, it doesn’t count. We have a truce on the boat. This isn’t that. This is his house and presumably his bed and none of the rules apply. It doesn’t matter that he’s a storm and I was perfectly happy before he blew into my life and made a natural disaster of everything.

This house is his space. It means so much to him, and I don’t know if I can look at it every day for the rest of my life knowing I had sex here and then lost him. I could move, but my house means too much to me.

“No. Either bed, or you go home,” he says.

I don’t want to go home. “Bed.” I’ll deal with the fallout later.

He looks me in the eye. “Can I be a little caveman with you?”

I nod. I don’t know what he means but I trust him. He picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder.

“Oh fuck no. This is not happening,” I squeal.

“You don’t know where you’re going, and as much as I would love to race you to the bedroom, this is faster.”

I could struggle but I don’t. I have complete faith that he has a firm grip on me. There is nothing I can do that would cause me to fall. He would never put me in danger.

He climbs the stairs to the second story and passes two doors before he tosses me onto his bed. Like mine, his wide windows face the water, and the curtains are open. It’s early enough in theevening that I’ll experience this in the light. I’m so excited for what happens next.

twenty-three

ORION

She looksup at me from my bed and I’m struck by how much I like having her there.

I hated the distance between us over the last few days, even though it’s completely understandable. She’s been busy with Sienna and wedding planning. I’ve had sail tours.

The other day might have meant nothing to her, but it meant a hell of a lot to me.

My hands ache for her.

I need to know she’s at least with me part of the way. That these feelings I’m developing aren’t just on my side. It’s not just the sex, but her friendship and her smile and the way she’ll never let me get away with anything.

I need to clear the air. I stand a few feet away from the bed. “You can leave at any time.” I carried her up here and she protested the whole way. But I need her to feel safe.

“I know.”

“If you stay, I won’t be gentle with you.” I can’t be right now.

She presses her thighs together. “I don’t want you to be gentle.”

I step closer and wrench her knees apart. “Good. You want this?”

“Yes,” she breathes as I claim her mouth in a kiss.

I push her onto the bed so my body hovers over hers. Her hands roam down my side. I want to be consumed by her.

She pushes back on me.

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