Page 26 of Where There's Smoke…
“I’m not spoiled,” I giggled as I playfully hit her. She nods, a bright smile gracing her beautiful face.
“Right, okay,” she shakes her head. “You have your brothers who would literally burn some shit down behind you. Then there’s Maddox, who would drop everything to help you in a heartbeat. Your cousin Avery treats you like you’re younger than her. And then there’s me.”
“And what about you?” I ask, teasingly.
She smirks, her hands traveling down to my ass. I gasp, falling against her as she squeezes before smacking. My hands latch onto her shirt as her cool breath tickles my ear, and her lips brush against it. “I’d happily give you the world if it meant I’d always get to see you smile,” she whispers. She lightly bites my earlobe, drawing a soft moan from me. “And these sounds you make? Damn, Sweets…I don’t know how I’ve been able to live without hearing them.”
“Phee…” I whisper, my grip tightening on her shirt. She doesn’t reply as she kisses my ear and neck. The fact that anyone passing by on a boat could see us had left my mind as I gave in to her soft kisses and caresses. It wasn’t until I heard a snap that we broke apart. “Oh, my god, what was that?!”
Ourheads snapped over to the side to see that the wire on my fishing pole was being pulled from where I left it. Phoenix quickly walks over and catches the pole before it falls into the water. She immediately started reeling it in, and I felt like I was in the middle of one of those fishing documentaries. She struggled for a bit before she finally got it under control. After another minute of reeling, she told me to get the big net. I grabbed the net she’d pointed out earlier and handed it to her.
“Here, Sweets. Hold this and don’t let go,” she tells me before handing over the pole. I was nervous, but I took it anyway. I couldn’t believe I was seconds away from seeing a real, live fish this close. “When I say so, reel it in like I showed you.” I nod. She positioned herself where she needed to be and then looked at me. “Okay, now reel!”
I follow her directions and turn the small handle as she tugs on the string. I liked to pride myself on being pretty strong, especially because lifting big sacks of flour was no easy task. However, this was different. I’d never had to pull something that was trying its best to get away from me. I could feel myself sweating, but I didn’t stop doing my task until she had the fish in the net.
She told me when to stop, and I did. I watched in amazement as she showed me the fish with a big smile. I didn’t know what kind it was, but it was about the size of a half gallon of milk. She asked if I wanted to take a picture, and I hesitated, not fully convinced that the fish wouldn’t jump at me. She noticed my concern and chuckled lightly before pulling her phone out.
“Come stand right beside me, Sweets. I’ll hold it while you take a selfie of us,” she says. “Sounds good?”
“Okay,” I nod.
We both posed, and she made sure to keep the fish away from me as I snapped the picture. Once we were done, she showed me how to unhook it and let it go. I watched quietly as she lowered the fish back into the water. It swam off without a second thought, and for some reason, I felt a sense of peace knowing that we wouldn’t kill it and cook it up for dinner. No, I’m not a vegetarian or anything, but I don’t have the stomach to go through the whole process of killing my food and then preparing it. I liked stuff that was already in packages, and the only steps that needed to be done were washing it and then seasoning it.
This was one of the main reasons I chose the pastry chef route instead of becoming a regular chef.
We spent the next couple of hours going through the same routine, and I had way more fun than I expected. We used the downtime to talk about any and all things. She told me more about her life growing up in the country, and I told her what it was like growing up in the city, even though I was born in a small town much like the one we currently lived in.
At one point, our conversation drifted to past relationships. Usually, it was a topic I avoided because I didn’t have nearly as much experience as others, but Phoenix made me feel comfortable. When I told her the full details of what went down with Nate, she promised I’d never have to go through that again as long as she had a say. She was so damn sweet and understanding. Not only did she not judge me, but she surprised me by admitting that she’d never been in anything this serious either.
She explained that many of her past relationships were more like situationships and hookups. Much like me, she worked so much that she never had time for anything more serious, and the fact that she wasn’t looking just made things easier. When I asked what about me was different, she told me that she couldn’t explain it, but her heart beat differently when she was around me. I nodded, relating one hundred percent to what she meant. I didn’t know what it was about her, but I could tell our being together was different.
Once we were all fished out for the evening, she drove us back to the dock, but we stayed on the boat to have the dinner she’d ordered. Just like she said, it was delivered to us in record time. I was even more amazed when I sank my teeth into the freshly fried fish and shrimp. There was just something about eating seafood on the lake that made everything ten times better.
When all of the food was devoured and the trash was thrown away, we moved the party down to the cabin space of the boat. I was shocked at how modern and up-to-date everything was. The most comfortable-looking queen-sized bed in the middle of the room was calling my name. So, after a quick shower in the most spacious boat bathroom I’ve ever been in, she and I cuddled up on the bed and relaxed in each other’s arms. She flicked on the TV, and we got lost in the movie that was playing.
“Sometimes I think to myself…” she says after about thirty minutes of silence. I look over at her to see her staring up at the ceiling. She sighs, finally turning to look at me. “Well...I don’t know…Ijust wonder…what if you’re my soulmate? I know. I know. Not a lot of people think that those are real. I wasn’t even sure myself, but you…you just get me, you know? And I get you. Even though we have different hobbies and likes, we click. I’ve never felt this type of connection with anyone else, and the more I’m around you, the more I’m convinced that even if we weren’t together like this, we would’ve still been great friends.”
I don’t reply as I sit up, and she follows suit. I wasn’t sure how she could always articulate exactly how I was feeling even when I couldn’t, but she did, and it always left me speechless—this woman, whom I’ve only known for about three months now. But in my heart, it felt like longer. Maybe it was that small connection we’d had since childhood when both of our parents were taken from us in the same accident. Maybe it was because we were both new to this kind of relationship. Maybe it was because we genuinely liked being around each other and took the time to get to know one another.
I wasn’t sure. All I was sure of was that I felt the same way she did. There was some invisible tether that kept us connected, and I wanted nothing but to make it tighter. The thought of being without her suddenly flashed through my mind, and I hated every second of it. I too felt like we would’ve been best friends even if we didn’t date, but I didn’t want to think about that either. How we were now was exactly how I wanted it to be.
“I agree,” I finally say with a nod. She looks at me with a smile, and I move to straddle her. She holds me in place, her hands on my ass. I wrap my arms around her neck before kissing her softly. I pull away a bit to look down at her. “I think I love you, Phoenix Preston.”
This shocks her from the way her mouth falls open. I knew this was what she wanted to say earlier, but I figured she was just scared. So, I wanted to say it first and see what she would say. However, after about thirty seconds of silence, I started to feel embarrassed. I tried to move off her lap, but she gripped me tighter.
“Nope, where are you going?” she chuckles softly, but I look away, my cheeks hot. “Look at me, Sweets.” And just like magic, I do. She licks her lips and lies back down, pulling me down with her. Once I was cuddled in her arms, she lightly stroked my hair and slowly showered me with kisses. “I love you, too, Angel. Never doubt that. You caught me off guard, is all. How can I not love you?”
“Show me,” I say simply, looking up at her. A devious smile spreads across her face, and she nods.
“With pleasure, Sweets.”
It wasn’t long before I was moaning her name like it was our first time all over. Every time was magical, and this one was no different for the most part. As we rocked our hips against one another, she continuously whispered about how much she loved me and how she couldn’t wait to take care of me for as long as she could. I think my emotions got the better of me, as undoubtedly one of the best orgasms rushed through me. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. She kissed them away and promised always to be there to do so.
I went to sleep that night with nothing but peace in my heart, thanks to her.
10
Where There’s Pleasure...
