Page 30 of The Lies Always Told (Baker Oaks #4)

“Well…last time we went out on the boat, you know what happened, and I’m having the hardest time wrapping my head around it.

” She lifts her glasses and flashes her pretty green eyes at me.

I let her words rest between us and continue driving.

No music. No sound. Just Nellie’s candor between us.

She raises her hands in defense when I cock my eyebrows at her.

“I’m not blaming you. I promise I’m not. I’m just worried, okay?”

“I know. It’s part of the reason why I want to do this again.

Yes, I took my medicine. Yes, I have a bag with all of them here too, and I put a bag with rescue meds to bring on the sailboat.

If it makes you feel safer, I’m happy to call Martin to come with us.

He can sail.” I point to the glove box; she takes the hint and opens it.

“My medicine bag, just like the one in my nightstand. That one stays in the car. If you look back, the black bag on the seat has my rescue meds inside. I was reckless back in the Dominican. I’m not going to do it again.”

It’s so early, the highway is practically deserted. The midnight blue sky turning into a blend of purple hues in the distance reminds me to show her the calm. She needs answers. She needs control. I can’t control my flare ups, but I can give her the tools.

“Thank you,” she whispers, sliding the bag back into the glove box, shutting the door, and resting her head back. She closes her eyes, and I take it as an invitation to turn the music on and drive.

Arriving on Amelia Island right at sunrise was perfectly timed.

The hour drive from Baker Oaks here was seamless, with very little traffic.

After parking and running to open Nellie’s door, I feel lightheaded as we walk down the sidewalk to the marina where the boats are docked.

I don’t own a sailboat here, but I rent one from time to time when I’m homesick and don’t want to fly to the Dominican just to sail.

“Are you okay?” Nellie asks when she notices me pinching the bridge of my nose.

“Yes, I’m about to be better once we’re on the water.” I squeeze her hand and guide her up on the sailboat, where Martin already waits for us. She looks up at me with questions behind her eyes.

“I told you…I want you to feel safe. I don’t mind him here, and he can sail. If something happens, he can help. Meds in bag, Martin on deck, a phone call away for a rescue. I’m fine, I promise. ”

As soon as the last words are out of my lips, she leaps into my arms, almost throwing us backward. “Easy,” I whisper into her soft hair, and she wraps me tighter in her arms.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For listening to what I said and reading between the lines.”

“Draw them for me, and I’ll follow them.

Wrap your legs around me, baby girl.” She’s already in my arms, so I might as well keep her there.

She does what I ask, and after I drop the bag I was carrying, I bring my hands under her ass and walk us to the deck.

I sit us both on the net, and she snuggles against my chest automatically.

“As much as I love you snuggling against me, my little koala, you’re going to miss the rest of the sunrise.”

“Well, if someone wouldn’t have asked me to be awake and ready at 5:00 a.m., I wouldn’t be this tired.”

“You had your coffee, but also, look—” I point to the horizon, and she follows my gaze. Purple, blue, orange, and pink paint the sky as the wind blows our way, and Martin leads us out into the water.

“Worth it,” she says, relaxing her back against my chest and grabbing my thigh. “Damn, Gus. Your skin is so cold.”

As if on cue, goosebumps break out on my leg, and I shake the feeling that this is weird. I’m never cold, but lately, my temperature regulation has been off.

“I was missing your touch. I should warm up soon.”

She chuckles and says, “You saw me three days ago.”

“Three days too many.” She shakes her head and turns to face the horizon.

I rest my chin on her head and wrap my arms around her.

I like how I feel with her. I like how she feels between my legs, resting on my chest, her hands sliding up and down my leg.

She feels soft and peaceful. She feels like the piece I didn’t know I was missing.

She feels like tender moments and wild times.

She feels like mine, and I don’t know if she should.

We’re not going far. It takes about thirty minutes of sailing to get to Cumberland Island, where I plan for us to go.

Cumberland Island is a barrier island off the coast of Georgia, only accessible by boat.

It’s really close to the Amelia Island marina, and because there’s no access via land, it’s pretty private.

Occasionally, people will come on their boats or on tours, but it’s rare the island is full of people.

It’s not Dominican beach and sand, but it’s beautiful and peaceful.

We make it as close to the beach as we can, and Martin lowers the anchor, setting us in place. I hop down into the shallow water and open my arms for Nellie.

“Don’t let me fall.”

“Never,” I reply. She jumps down, and I, of course, catch her. She looks at me and smiles.

“My soft place to land.” She kisses my lips as her whispered words caress my heart. Yes, baby girl, I want to be that and so much more, and it’s terrifying..

“Put me down. I like the salt water on my toes.” I do carefully and nod to Martin to hand me the cooler with the food I had made for us, plus the bag with towels and my medicine.

We set up a spot by the water and sit, high enough where the towels won’t get wet, but close enough to smell the ocean. Martin stays in the cabin, giving us privacy, and I pull out the mini bento boxes.

“Adult Lunchable, I like it.”

“You loved it last time I fed you cold cuts and fruit,” I tease, and her cheeks turn rosy immediately.

“I more than liked it… Are you looking for a repeat session, because I can get on board with that.” She crosses her arms above her chest and removes the dress as soon as she finishes that sentence. Such a greedy little tease.

“No, ma’am. At least not today, and not here. Not getting a ticket for licking you out here in the open.” She pouts, and I laugh.

“So greedy.”

“Only for you.” Nellie winks and opens her box, grabbing some crackers and prosciutto and taking a bite. She then grabs another one, adds a piece of cheese on top, and offers it to me.

“Open up,” she says, and I open my legs, mimicking her reaction the other day. She laughs and rolls her eyes at me, but eventually, I open my mouth and let her feed me.

My heart is racing, and my chest feels tight, which has been happening more and more lately, so I want to make sure I watch what I eat.

I grab a strawberry and feed her, and the same thing happens again.

We take turns feeding each other, and with each bite, her body comes closer to mine to the point where she’s practically tangled around my lap.

My dick is at attention always, and every time she feels it, she giggles.

I’m always like this near her. Needy for her. Craving her.

Craving her hands on my body. Her hair on my chest. Her eyes on me and my lips on her. I kiss her gently, tasting salt and sweetness with a faint mint aftertaste on her plump lips. Holding her delicate face between my hands, I try really hard to keep my word not to fuck her on this beach.

“I need you to stop kissing me like that if you’re not going to do something about it.”

“Kissing you like what?”

“Like you’re starving, and I’m your favorite snack.”

I chuckle with her lips near mine and give her another quick peck.

“I am, and you are. You wanna swim?” I ask her, because I know she must be dying to, and she nods.

I take my shirt off and get up, holding her hand and walking with her to the water.

It feels like I’m returning the ocean a piece of itself when I bring Nellie back in the water.

When I see her smile, close her eyes, and tilt her head back, lifting her feet to float, I know she feels it too .

I sit down, my ass touching the sand. The water hits me at chest level. I rest my hands under her back and hold her up—or pretend to hold her up, since she’s floating on her own.

“I love this weightless feeling,” she says with her giant sunglasses on her face, little drops of water on them.

“What do you love about it?”

“While I’m floating, I don’t think about anything else, other than my body in the water. I don’t feel heavy. I don’t feel pain. I don’t feel chaos. I just feel whole.”

“You and the ocean are the same. I called you a little fish the other day, but I think you’re a little wave. My little wave.” She smiles at my words and brings her arms closer to her body, letting my hands do more of the work, keeping her up, her face above water.

“So what’s the plan? Take Cara and Manny out for dinner when they get back and tell them…or are we talking to them separately?” Nellie asks.

“I would rather talk to him in private, personally. He’s gonna want to act like an overprotective sibling, especially if he finally told Cara how he feels about her.”

“You said he loves her, right?”

“He always has. It’s obvious to anyone who pays attention but the two of them.” Nellie sits up and lifts her glasses. I’ve come to realize this is her tell when she’s focused. Glasses up, eyes on me. I love it.

“Has he really?” I nod, and she smiles. “Is he a good man, Gus? Like you?”

“He’s the better twin. His heart is whole.”

“So is yours.”

“That’s debatable.” I mean it in more ways than one.

I don’t like these little lightheaded episodes I’ve been getting lately.

I don’t like this tightness in my chest. I’m worried it has to do with my heart, but I want to be oblivious about it, at least for now.

“Cara is safe with him, but I think we should talk to them separately. Then, maybe we can tell our parents together.”

“Wouldn’t that be something?” Nellie asks, a mischievous smile growing on her face as she adds, “You best friended too closed to the sun, and your children became lovers.” She cackles at her own sentence. “We will always be their children, but we’re adults now.”

“Yeah, yeah. Siblings first, then the parents…okay?”

“Deal. Now, let’s go swim,” she says, tossing the glasses all the way to the shore and sinking into the water as I follow.

1 ? Congratulations, sister. You deserve it.

2 ? Congratulations bro and welcome to the family