Page 34

Chapter 33

Lily

I t’s Tuesday, Tyler’s day off, so we decide to spend it out on the water. He claims that after how much time we’ve spent in bed, he needs to give me vitamin D. I’m not disappointed. I don’t care where we are as long as we’re together.

“I don’t know why I thought the flamingoes weren’t going to be here today, but I’m glad they are,” I tell him when he returns from packing up our picnic and putting the cooler and blanket on the boat. I’m standing at the water’s edge admiring them one more time before we leave.

Wanting to be a little less spotted, Tyler parked the boat on the opposite side of the island, which has less waterway traffic. This island is probably no bigger than a football field, and all through the middle of it are pine trees and other coastal flora. The trees are thick enough that we were able to settle underneath for lunch to stay shaded from the sun. Not long after we arrived, our flamingo friends came to see who was visiting. While they didn’t get too close, they were curious.

“I told you they would be. They’re always here. This is home,” he says as he glances at them. The two of them are standing maybe ten yards away, and they’re watching us. Both of them are about the same size; one is a little larger, and I would say they’re somewhere between three and four feet.

“Do you think they get lonely for other flamingoes? Whenever I’ve gone to a zoo, there’s always a whole flock of them.” I glance at Tyler, who’s only wearing a navy swimsuit with palm trees on it and am again hit with how handsome he is and how lucky I am.

“I don’t know. I looked it up once, and it says they are super social birds and build strong connections when in a group, so yeah, I don’t know. Other birds are here. Maybe they’re friends with them.” He looks around, and I watch as his gaze skips over a nest in the trees, seagulls that found us while we were eating lunch, and another white bird with a long, curved bill.

I love his fascination with marine life and anything that encompasses it. The only thing Dean ever cared about was football and sometimes music. In hindsight, he’s pretty one-dimensional, whereas Tyler continues to surprise me all the time.

“Well, maybe others will one day find them, and this whole island will be home to many flamingoes,” I tell him as I walk over to stand next to him. “Or maybe they’ll have babies.”

He thinks about this and then looks down at me. “Do you want kids?” he asks, almost shyly.

“I haven’t really given it too much thought lately. I mean, in my ‘big picture’ life plan, I always saw myself with a family and kids, so I guess the answer is yes. You?”

He looks back out over the island as he answers me. “I agree. It isn’t something I’ve thought about in a long time. At one time, I also saw myself with a family, but after Marissa, well, I haven’t wanted to be close enough to anyone to even entertain the thought of kids. I guess I just stopped thinking about it.”

“That makes me sad for you.” I reach for his hand and lace our fingers together.

He looks back down at me and squeezes. “I’m not sad. I’m right where I want to be.”

“Life’s funny like that. One minute, you think things are going one way, and then in the next, everything is different.”

“Are you happy here, in Tampa?” he asks, when really I know he’s asking if I’m happy to be with him.

“Very.”

A small smile ghosts over his lips. In general, Tyler is a very happy person. He’s funny with his friends, a great uncle to Vivi, but this smile, it comes from a place deep inside him and it’s just for me.

“Race you to the boat,” I call out as I rip my hand from his and take off, tromping through the water.

“You know you’ll never win, right? It’s literally my job to run people down, and, sweetheart, you’ve got nothing on them,” he says, very quickly catching up to me.

As soon as the water is deep enough, I dive forward and start to swim. I’m almost to the boat when his hand wraps around my foot, and he yanks me back. I start laughing, and I hear him chuckling too.

“I told you I would catch you,” he says as he drags me to the boat and then pushes my back up against it. Not many people are out here, but even if there were, we wouldn't be seen the way we’re positioned. I lift my legs to wrap around his waist while he’s still standing. The water is mid chest to him, but deep enough for me that my feet barely touch the ground.

Staring into his eyes, I can’t help but think that if this is my view, then I’ll let him catch me every time.

“Yeah, you caught me,” I tell him as I run my fingers through his wet hair and pull his mouth to mine.

Tyler kisses me like he’s a starved man. We’ve moved past the getting-to-know-you phase, and he has no problem taking exactly what he wants. This kiss is deep, thorough, and wet. The salt on his lips tastes delicious, and I climb him higher to try to get even closer.

“I said it before, and I meant it. I just can’t get enough of you,” I tell him as he tears his mouth from mine and then runs his tongue from my neck to my breast. Moving one side of my bikini top out of the way, he sucks my nipple into his mouth while his thumb runs over the other. My head falls back at the sensation, and even though we’re in the water, I know without a doubt I am wet for him.

This man.

He undoes me.

“Tyler.”

“Yeah, sweetheart?” He looks back up at me, and I swear his gaze reaches into my chest to steal a part of my soul.

“Sweetheart, huh?”

He chuckles, shrugs one shoulder, and then nods. “Yeah. Sweetheart.”

I’ve never given any thought to a nickname or a term of endearment, but him calling me sweetheart gives me butterflies and has me sliding down his body a little to his hips, where I find him fully hard and thick for me.

“Okay,” I tell him as I rock against him, and he groans.

Looking between us, I run my fingertip along the inside of the waistband of his bathing suit against the warmth of his stomach. “I want these off,” I tell him, glancing up to see his eyes half-lidded and extra dark with blatant need.

“Not as much as I want this off,” he tells me as he sticks one finger under the edge of my bikini bottoms on my hip and snaps it against my skin. “Better yet, what if I just push this right here out of the way?” He trails his fingers down so they run over the center of me, and then he’s shifting the fabric so his fingers can find me.

Being in the position I’m in, through the water, we can see that I’m bare. He rubs his fingers over me again and slips one inside.

“That’s not nearly enough,” I tell him as I pull on the drawstring and gently yank down on his suit. He springs free between us. I line him up, and without waiting, he pushes in. Both of us watch as he disappears inside me, the water and the boat removing my weight. Back and forth, he moves his hips, and it’s one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen until the speed in which he moves distorts the water, making it not visible.

Lifting my head, I find him watching me as he squeezes my hips with his hands and thrusts into me over and over.

“You feel so good,” I tell him, and he counters with, “You feel even better. But I think I’d be more comfortable if we moved inside. I’d hate to have to kill anyone who saw us, saw you.”

I hear what he’s saying, and I completely agree. While we think we’re alone, who knows if we really are. Should someone get this on film, not only would we be in trouble but it would massively blow up across the internet.

“Then take me inside.”

His hips slow, and the water calms. Both of us look down, and while he continues to gently rock me on him, his thumb moves forward and circles that small bundle of nerves. Every sensation instantly ramps up. I clench around him, and he hisses.

“So fucking hot,” he mutters.

Keeping me around his waist, he makes his way toward the back of the boat so we can climb on. His hands are on my butt, his chest is against mine, and his eyes are so heavy with desire the heat low in my stomach is nearly on fire.

Adjusting our clothes, he sets me free so I can climb the ladder. He runs a finger straight down my crack, and I almost slip. He chuckles behind me, but then keeps his hands to himself until he leads us down into the bedroom, and then, in one swift movement, he tosses me onto the bed.

“I see how your seduction techniques work,” I tease as he looms over me.

“Right,” he deadpans. “You are the only woman to ever be on this boat for me.”

“Good, let’s keep it that way.”

He smirks, and then with a speed I wasn’t expecting, he removes our wet suits and drops them on the floor.

“These little tan lines . . .” He drags his finger over my hip bone. “I could get used to them,” he says just before he bends down and runs his tongue from one side to the other, and then plants his mouth right on my center. His mouth is warm, his tongue is wicked, and it takes all of fifteen seconds for me to fall over the edge.

Smug satisfaction graces his face as he climbs over me and sinks inside.

“Damn,” he says as he rolls his hips. He sits back on his heels and pulls my hips with him.

Moving his hands, he runs his fingers over my sensitive parts and traces us both where he connects with me. It’s such a turn-on to watch him touch us both that my toes curl and my stomach tightens.

“I’m not going to last long like this,” he tells me.

“So don’t. Give it to me.”

And he does.