Page 23

"Where to?" We jump out of Phoenix's truck. He grabs a blanket and cooler from the back.

He gestures towards a clearing in the trees and walks onto the grass. I follow. Trees line the entire park, except for a long stretch that seems to have an infinity edge.

As I get closer to the edge, I peer over and discover a gulf. "I would not want to fall down there." I back away, joining Phoenix. "So, what do we have here?" I ask, pointing to the blanket and cooler.

He must've noticed the look on my face. "As cliché as it seems, it's still cool to do sometimes.

A picnic every now and then is OK." Phoenix silently scolds me as he takes the thick, navy plaid blanket and spreads it out.

"Sit here. Just one thing, promise me you won't sneak a peek. I've got a little something planned."

"Scout's honor." I hold up three fingers and keep a straight face.

Phoenix smirks as he walks away.

You were never a Boy or Girl Scout! Stop that, stupid!

I laugh at my own terrible performance. I'm giddy, excited to see what's in store and after such a death-defying, life-changing jump, I doubt he can do anything to top that.

This sunset life! Vibrant pinks and oranges color the sky and surround the lazy sun as it dips on the horizon. A perfect ending to a mind-blowing day. I lean back on the comfy blanket, cross my legs and let my mind wander as somewhere behind me, the sizzling sound of a grill piques my curiosity.

Points for originality.

I smell the aroma of grilled seafood? Whatever it is, it smells delicious. Continuing to listen, I hear Phoenix moving around quickly, putting things together. He's intense, as if he's trying to get things just right. Before I realize it, he's back beside me.

"Dinner is ready. Are you?" he asks in a suggestive tone.

I'm tingly all over. "Sure am," I reply defiantly staring into his eyes.

"Here, try this on." Phoenix hands me a blindfold.

"What's this? I thought we were having dinner."

"We are. You were bold enough to jump out of a plane with me today, I know you can do this."

I crack a smile. "What are you up to?"

"Play along and you'll find out," he insists.

I put on the blindfold. He turns me in circles, leaving me dizzy and disoriented. Then he takes me by the hand and leads me as we walk.

"See, you can still have the element of surprise in a picnic."

I hope he's not the charming Charles Manson type.

You've trusted him thus far.

I bet all the girls said that right before they were offed.

I smirk at the absurdity of the thought.

He stops.

A little panicked, I reach forward, but feel nothing but air. I kneel and sit on my feet on yet another plush blanket. But again, there is nothing immediately in front of me that gives me any clue as to what comes next.

He sits in front of me. "Here, try this," he whispers.

I reach out to feel what he's talking about. He's holding something small and round in his hand. My hand rests on his as he brings it to my mouth. It's a grape!

"Now how was that?" he asks, waiting for my approval.

Between juice-filled bites, I confess, "That's the juiciest, most delicious grape I have ever tasted."

He feeds me a cube of cheese. The savory saltiness complements the sweetness of the grape. I rinse with a mouthful of champagne.

Between the manly texture of his hands, the sound of birds chirping wildly and the various flavors from our intimate taste testing session, I'm experiencing sensory overload.

Phoenix feeds me the citrusy deliciousness of a chunk of pineapple.

As I bite it, juice flows from the sweet fruit and drips down my chin.

Phoenix moves in closer. I feel his lips and tongue move from my lips down to my chin.

Electricity shoots through my body.

"Try this," he suggests.

I smell the mouth-watering aroma of cooked seafood and I take a bite. "Is this . . . lobster? Dipped in butter? It's perfect. You know how to cook too?"

He feeds me another piece.

He's perfect.

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"I can do this." There's a hint of a smile in his voice.

Phoenix gently pulls my top over my head, making sure not to disturb the blindfold. He leaves my sports bar on. Then he takes a warm, thick sauce and drizzles it over my cleavage. The aroma of chocolate wafts up to my nose. A cool breeze rushes past, causing chills all over my body.

What is he doing? We're outside!

"Phoenix, someone is gonna see us!" I yell with alarm. My heart flutters as the thrill of getting caught comes to mind. I pull down the blindfold to look around. Not a soul in sight.

Phoenix pulls out his phone and starts playing Miguel's "Face the Sun" featuring Lenny Kravitz. The slow seductive beat is very fitting, here under the dark night sky.

He's breathtaking in the moonlight. Dark, brooding eyes full of intensity, communicate the depth of his desire for me.

It's immense, almost bottomless. The sheer force of his will overpowers my good senses, drawing me into him, surrounding me in his lust. I grow hot as I let my eyes freely roam his body.

His perfect jawline and ever-kissable lips invite me to come closer.

My eyes appreciate his flawless physique.

Strong neck. Square shoulders. Toned arms. Magnificent abs.

Framing his manly silhouette is a dark blue sky full of twinkling stars. With waves crashing, crickets creaking and other random night noises, my senses are at full capacity. I'm floating, under the stars, like this.

This is a real man, not a boy. In this moment, I'm so very thankful for what Sebastian did. Without that, I never would know this and this is so much more.

Phoenix moves in like an alpha lion, going for the kill.

I feel him long before he touches my skin.

It's primal, like he's sniffing out a meal he's about to devour and I don't mind being the prey.

As a matter of fact, I want it more than anything, right now.

Blood pumps fiercely to all my vital parts.

My lips, my breasts, my clit. They all throb in anticipation.

I want him to touch me but he doesn't. He puts the blindfold back on.

Suddenly everything is black again. I'm forced to rely on what I can feel.

His body is near mine. The hairs on my body stand at attention as he peruses my erogenous zones.

His warm, heavy breath is near my ear. Now it's down near my neck.

He hovers for a moment as if he'll bite, then there's a tug at my sports bra.

He's taking it off, I lift my arms in compliance.

He pauses over my exposed breasts. I imagine him grazing them softly with his teeth but he keeps moving, down to my belly.

He sternly pulls my legs apart even as I'm perched, sitting on my feet.

He presses his face in between my legs, then blows hot air directly onto my clit and I all want is to press his mouth into it.

He bites at the waistline of my yoga pants. I oblige. Straightening my legs from under me, I slowly pull my yoga pants off. The blindfold is still intact.

He rewards me by finally lapping up the chocolate on my breasts.

Sucking on each breast until the sticky, sweetness is gone, I imagine but that's not nearly enough to satisfy me.

I want more. He nips at my thong. So, I obey.

I lie on my back and take them off. He rewards me with soft kisses from my knees to my inner thighs leading up to and around my clit.

Which sends me into overdrive. That familiar pulsating causes wetness to pool in between my thighs.

With his head between my open legs, he says, "It feels hot. You hot for me?" He blows cool air on my bare, uncovered clit.

I let out a long sigh. "Yes."

Instead of kissing between my thighs, he gets up and hovers over me, face to face.

The fact that he ignores my obvious yearning to feel him penetrate me only intensifies the heat.

He leans in for a kiss, tying his tongue with mine and I taste chocolate.

A decadent, rich chocolate that makes his tongue taste insanely amazing.

My mouth waters. The hunger for food has totally subsided, but my thirst for him is yet to be satisfied. Every inch of my body aches for him. He gets closer, resting in between my thighs.

His bulge grows on my thigh. It travels from the lower part of my thigh, higher. Up until his body is lined up perfectly with mine. He presses his hardness into me even with his jogging pants still on. He's making me wish there were no barriers between us. No clothes, no fabric, just skin.

Wanting to remind him of something very important, I quickly pull the blindfold away. "Do you have a —"

He smiles and playfully taps the golden wrapper against his palm. "I come prepared." Phoenix pulls his pants down and slips on the condom.

Relieved, I sit back down. Points for protection.

Now, it's skin on skin. He holds his erection in his hand and dips his throbbing hardness past my walls and into me.

Coating himself with my wetness, he teases me, moving it up and down, again and again.

Without warning he thrusts his love inside of me, entering me for the first time.

I feel like I'm about to explode with his fullness.

His thrusts go deep. In and out, long and hard in a sultry, rhythmic motion.

He abruptly pulls out, teasing me. My body pulsates from his absence, making me crave the delicious ache.

He slips back in. The heat, the hardness and the slippery wetness are overwhelming. He slips in again and pulls out, slips in and pulls out. Going faster until I can't tell if I'm coming or going.

I manage to roll over and get on top. Allowing gravity to go to work, I place my hands on his chiseled abs and let the weight of my backside drop me down as I engulf his dick again and again and again.

Phoenix grabs my hips and thrusts himself inside to the same rhythm.

We're completely in sync, tangoing to the tune of an invisible melody that only we can hear.

I'm drenched, I hear the sticky, sweet sound each time we pull away and each time we come back together.

His hands slide up my waistline as he palms a breast. The other one bounces freely as I continue to ride with wild abandon.

Phoenix goes from lying flat on his back to sitting up.

I wrap my arms and legs around him, surrounding him in the most sensual and sexual of hugs.

Then I lean back on one arm. Using a well-practiced yoga pose, I lift and open my legs, capturing a better angle.

I look him straight in the eyes, unafraid, daring him to release.

He sticks his thumb into my mouth. Then places it on my clit, swirling it around and around.

The temperature rises as he rubs me. I close my eyes, for the impact of what's coming is months in the making.

I hear myself moan, outside myself. And before I know it, an explosion beyond my control causes an earthquake to erupt in my lower region and millions of tiny specks of color to fly everywhere, like shiny pieces of confetti.

"My turn to fuck you," he whispers.

Phoenix holds my arms behind my back. Fucking me harder and faster.

Taking full advantage of the super slipperiness of my come, he pounds me into full submission.

Feeling myself reeling once again, I come.

Hard. Taking long, deep strokes, he too loses control.

His body tenses up as he releases. I hear him call out with a force equal to my own. He slows down to a halt.

We look at each other. Months of built-up tension, wanting, teasing, craving, released. He looks relaxed.

"Wow," is all I can say behind a grin that tells all.

"You drained the life out of me, Ms. Davenport," he laughs.

"Now, now Mr. Prescott, how could you say such a thing? Don't you mean I infused more life into you?"

We roll over onto our own separate space on the plush blanket.

Phoenix lies on his back, arms crossed behind his head, eyes up, marveling at the wonder that is a perfect, pitch-black sky full of white, shimmering diamonds.

I follow suit. He wraps us both in the blanket.

Laying in his arms and looking up, I let my mind carry me away in awe.