Page 41

BLAISE

I can’t believe this is our last night in Puerto Rico.

The thought loops in my head as I nurse the same drink I’ve had for the past hour.

It’s the only drink I’ve had since I sat down at the hotel bar and dining area to celebrate the end of our trip.

Tyler’s telling some wild story about nearly capsizing the kayak he was in when we were exploring Bioluminescent Bay this afternoon and people are laughing at his antics.

I even throw in a grin here and there, just to stay part of the action. But every time I glance across the bar, my smile dies on arrival.

Willow has barely touched her drink. Not to mention she’s doing that thing where she looks at everything but me.

I watch her fingers trace the rim of her glass and it reminds me of the way she traced patterns on my chest the morning after she spent the night in my hotel room.

It drags everything about that morning back to the forefront of my mind.

Well that’s a lie because it never left.

My gaze drifts to her mouth, and I'm right back to the time we spent fucking in the mirror. The sounds she made. The way she dropped to her knees and?—

"Blaise, you listening?" Tyler's voice cuts through my thoughts.

"Yeah, man. Kayak. Nearly died. Hilarious." I take a long pull of my beer, hoping it'll cool me down, but of course it doesn’t.

But my eyes find her again. She's wearing an orangish sundress and it’s doing an excellent job of making her skin look golden in the bar lighting.

The dress also brings out the gold aspects of her green eyes and I know this even though she's not looking my way.

Instead, she's focused on Madison, nodding along to whatever she’s telling her.

Then something shifts, but I’m not exactly sure what. Madison leans closer to Willow and whispers something in her ear. Willow's eyes finally find mine across the room, and there's something different in her expression, but I can’t name it.

Then, they both stand.

My heart rate kicks up a notch as they make their way toward our table. Tyler's still talking, but his voice fades to background noise as Willow approaches. The orange dress moves with her body, and I have to grip my beer bottle to keep myself from reaching out when she’s standing in front of us.

Madison slides into the chair next to Tyler while Willow takes the empty seat across from me.

"So," Madison starts. "We could hear Tyler talking about the kayak trip from all the way across the room."

"Could you really?" Tyler asks, looking genuinely surprised. "I wasn't being that loud, was I?"

"You were being exactly that loud," Madison confirms with a grin. "But don't worry, it was entertaining. Something about almost becoming fish food?"

"Okay, that's a slight exaggeration," Tyler says while laughing. "The water was only like four feet deep where we were."

"Four feet of bioluminescent water that you nearly drowned in," Willow adds, and I'm relieved to hear her voice. She's been so quiet tonight.

"I didn't nearly drown," Tyler says defensively. "I just... almost got temporarily acquainted with the water."

Madison snorts. "Is that what we're calling it?"

“Yeah, because that’s what it was.” Tyler throws his hands up as if he’s given up trying to explain himself.

"Whatever happened to Tyler in the water," Madison pauses dramatically before she continues, "we should probably call it a night soon. Early flight tomorrow and all that."

I glance at my phone. It's barely ten-thirty. "Early? Our flight's not until?—"

"Actually," Madison interrupts, standing abruptly and stretching her arms above her head, "I'm exhausted. Tyler, want to walk me back to my room? I promised to show you the souvenirs I’m taking back home."

Tyler's face lights up. "Really? Yeah, absolutely." He's already pushing back from the table.

"Perfect." Madison grins, then turns to Willow. "You don't mind if I steal Tyler for a bit, do you? We can catch up tonight."

"Of course not," Willow says, but her voice sounds strange. "You two have fun."

"Great!" Madison practically bounces on her toes. "Tyler, come on. And Blaise?" She fixes me with a pointed stare. "Make sure Willow gets back to our room safely, okay? It's late."

Before I can respond, she's already linking her arm through Tyler's and steering him toward the elevator. Tyler throws a confused wave over his shoulder as they disappear.

And then it's just us.

"That was subtle," I say after about a minute of silence.

A small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, subtly doesn’t know Madison apparently.”

"Was she trying to be your wing woman?"

Willow's eyes finally meet mine and she says, "Maybe."

I lean forward, lowering my voice so no one nearby can hear us. "What did she say to you?"

"She asked me if I was going to spend our last night in Puerto Rico pretending I don't want to be alone with you." Willow's cheeks turn slightly pink. "And then she told me she was going to fix it."

"And what did you tell her?"

Willow takes a shaky breath. "I told her I was scared."

"Of what?"

"Of wanting this too much." Her voice drops to barely above a whisper. "Of what happens when we leave here."

I reach across the table and cover her hand with mine. I know I’m taking a risk by doing this in public, but right now, I don’t care.

"We don't have to figure out tomorrow right this second," I say. "But we do have tonight."

She stares down at our joined hands for a long moment before she speaks. "Your room, right?" she asks quietly.

My heart starts racing. "Definitely. Tyler won't be back for a while."

She nods, then finishes the rest of her drink in one gulp. "Okay."

I throw money on the table and stand, offering her my hand. She takes it without hesitation, and I help her to her feet.

We walk to the elevator in silence. Once the doors close and we're alone in the small space, Willow turns to face me.

"I've been thinking about the other night," she says softly.

"Yeah?" My voice comes out rougher than intended.

"Yeah." She steps closer. "I've been thinking about a lot of things."

The elevator dings at my floor, and the doors slide open.

I lead her down the hallway with my hand on the small of her back.

When we reach my room, I get the door open on the first try and give myself a mental pat on the back.

The door closes behind us with a soft click, and suddenly the careful distance we've been maintaining since we were both last here crumbles.

“Come here, kitten,” I say firmly, and she doesn’t make me ask twice.

Willow crosses the space between us in two steps, her hands finding my chest as I pull her against me.

When our mouths meet, there’s a feeling of desperation surrounding us because we know our time is running out.

Tomorrow we'll be back to reality, back to how complicated all of this is and the boundaries we need to keep in place. But tonight is ours.

“I want you,” she whispers against my lips. The words shoot straight from her mouth and into my soul.

“You have me,” I tell her, meaning it in ways that go far beyond just tonight. “You’ve had me for a while now.”

Her confession breaks something open inside me. I frame her face with my hands, studying every detail like I'm trying to memorize her for when this all becomes a memory even though I hope it doesn’t.

"Say it again," I whisper.

"I want you, Blaise. I want this."

That's all the permission I need. My mouth crashes against hers. My hands find the zipper of her dress, sliding it down slowly while she works at the buttons of my shirt.

When her dress pools at her feet, I have to step back to look at her. The sight of her in her strapless white bra and matching panties makes my mouth go dry.

"Fuck, you're perfect," I mutter mostly to myself.

She reaches for me, but I catch her wrists gently. "Wait. I want to try something different tonight."

Her eyes widen before she raises an eyebrow at me. "Different how? The mirror play again?"

Instead of answering, I move to the bathroom and grab a couple of towels, spreading them on the floor near the foot of the bed. When I turn back to her, she's watching me with a mixture of confusion and anticipation.

"Trust me? And if there’s anything you don’t like or don’t want, let me know and I’ll stop immediately."

She nods without hesitation, and that hits me harder than anything else could. I guide her down onto the soft towels, following her movements as she settles on her back. I take a moment to just appreciate how beautiful she looks spread out beneath me.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks softly.

"About how I want to worship every inch of you," I admit as I press small kisses along her collarbone. "About how I want to make you feel things you've never felt before.”

My mouth travels lower and I take my time to undo her bra and play her breasts before continuing down her stomach. When I reach the edge of her panties, I look up to meet her eyes.

I hook my fingers in the waistband of her panties and slowly drag them down her legs before I toss them aside. The sight of her naked under me makes my cock throb in my jeans.

I adjust myself before I say, "So beautiful. So fucking perfect."

I start slowly, pressing soft kisses to her inner thighs before finally giving her what we both want. The first taste of her makes me groan against her skin. She's already wet, and when I begin my feast, her hips buck up toward my mouth.

"Blaise," she gasps, her fingers making their way into my hair.

While my tongue has its fun with her pussy, I slide one finger and then a second inside her. The sound she makes sends heat straight to my cock. Her grip in my hair tightens as I establish a rhythm that has her breathing becoming more erratic.

"That feels so good," she whimpers.

I curl my fingers, searching for her G-Spot because I know that will drive her wild. When I find it, her whole body jerks and she cries out my name.

"Right there," she gasps. "Don't stop."

I wouldn’t dream of it. I focus all my attention on that spot while my tongue continues its relentless pace against her clit. Her breathing becomes more shallow, and I can feel her muscles starting to tense.

"I'm so close," she pants as her thighs begin to tremble around my head.

I increase the intensity, adding a third finger and stretching her carefully while maintaining that perfect angle. Her back arches off the towel, and I know she's right on the edge.

"Let go for me, kitten," I murmur against her. "I've got you."

That's all it takes. Her orgasm crashes over her with an intensity that takes us both by surprise.

Her body shakes beneath my mouth as she cries out and I move back to watch her.

Then something different happens. A rush of warmth hits my fingers and the towel beneath her as her body releases in a way I can tell is completely new to her.

"Oh my God," she gasps, her eyes flying open wide with shock and embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't—I've never?—"

"Hey, hey." I move up her body immediately, gathering her in my arms. "Don't apologize. That was incredible. You're incredible."

Her face is flushed, and I know it’s a mix of post-orgasmic bliss and mortification. "That's never happened before. Not with anyone."

"Good," I say, before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm glad I got to be your first for that."

She looks up at me and I can see that she is still slightly dazed. "Really? You're not grossed out?"

"Are you kidding me?" I stroke her hair to wipe it away from her face. "That was the sexiest thing I've ever experienced. The fact that I made you feel that good..." I trail off, shaking my head. "You have no idea what that does to me."

A small smile tugs at her lips. "I can feel what it does to you," she says as her hand makes its way to my jeans.

I groan at the contact. "We should get cleaned up first."

She nods, but I can see that she is still a little overwhelmed by what just happened. I help her sit up, making sure she's steady before I stand and extend my hand to her.

"Come on," I say gently. "Let's get you in the shower."

She takes my hand and lets me pull her to her feet. Her legs are still slightly shaky, and I keep my arm around her waist as we walk toward the bathroom.

"The towels," she says as she spares a glance back at the evidence of what we just did.

"I'll take care of them later," I assure her. "Right now, I just want to take care of you."

Deep down, I know that’s one of the top two things that I would want to do in life: take care of her and play hockey, in that order. As we make our way to the bathroom, I can’t think of a better way I could have spent my last day in paradise.