Page 15

Chapter 15

Swab the Deck

Easton

Haley stares in the direction the tender disappeared ten minutes ago. “They’ll be back,” she whispers to herself.

“Definitely, Firefly. They’ll be back.” I rest my arm over her shoulder and squeeze her to me.

“No need to worry, Sassy. The three of them are expert seamen. They’ll be back before dark.”

“I know.” Her eyes glow light blue in the early evening light. She turns to me and then to Dante. The tension for the last few hours has made the air thick.

“You ready?” I hitch my head to the tree house.

“Yeah.” She turns, and we walk along the trail.

“Sassy, you and Swimmer Boy should go get cleaned up at the waterfall. You know, with shampoo. Real soap?” Dante’s got his head in a bin. He picks up a container of spices and then puts it back.

“No, I’ll stay. We should get the sleeping platform ready for when they get back.”

I smile down at her. “Yes, but not you. I’ve got orders from the tree house czar that he wants to put the finishing touches on before you go up. So let’s go get cleaned up.”

“You sure?” She picks up a tub of Dante’s stuff.

He eyes her and then the tub, and then he turns back to the bin he’s sorting. “You know I like you an awful lot, Sassy,” he throws over his shoulder, “but I’m still a territorial bastard when it comes to my kitchen.”

The box thumps on the wooden plank counter. Her shoulders slump. “Right.” Dante’s oblivious. But then she rises on her tiptoes and kisses the back of his neck.

He twists quickly, catching her around her waist. “Go, Sassy, give yourself a little spa date with Swimmer Boy. I’m sure he’s been to lots of spas. He must know how to help.” Dante raises his eyebrows at me.

Fuck. I’ve never been to a spa. I’ve had plenty of massages, but they were all for physical therapy and usually hurt like fuck. Having someone dig into your muscles with a blade isn’t something I would do for fun on a Saturday afternoon.

There’s a box near the ladder that hasn’t been taken up yet. I spotted some spa scrub and shampoo there earlier. “Let’s go, Firefly. I’ll be your esthetician.” I take two clean towels, and I lift them to my nose. I want to strap the damn thing to my face it smells so good.

“So good.” Haley’s joined me.

“Right?” I laugh and hold my hand out to her. I move to the path. “You know, let’s use the soap in the ocean and then rinse the salt off in the waterfall.”

Haley nods. “Good idea. We won’t want to get soap in our drinking water.”

I take her hand, and we walk quietly back to the big rock. It’s high-tide, and the water comes right up to it. I leave the towel there. I want to ask her how she is, what she’s thinking about, if she’s okay. I flick my eyes over her. I’m terrified. I’m more scared of losing her than I am of not getting off the fucking island.

Haley takes my hand. Then she wraps her arms around my waist, pushing her head into my chest. “Are you okay?”

I laugh. “I’m good. I wanted to ask you the same thing.”

“I asked you first—you looked so sad just now. What were you thinking about?”

“The island.” I smooth her hair, holding her tight against me.

“They’ll be able to fix it. Don’t you think?”

I nod.

“Don’t you want them to fix it?” She looks up at me, her hair a golden brown in the waning light.

“Yes. I mean, that’s the answer you want?”

“I want the truth.” I feel her lips curl against my chest.

“It’s a curse and the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Damn. At night, after Zane’s done with whatever movie he’s going off about and you all talk about the foods you miss... Chocolate?—”

“Chocolate,” she sighs.

“Yes, chocolate, pizza, beer... things I’ve sworn off for years. Junk food, alcohol. I made a choice. When I train, I cut them all out of my life. Then the second whatever big event is over, I’m off the bandwagon. And it’s like that now. I shut the things I can’t have out of my mind, replacing them with what I can have. What I do have is fresh fish, no internet, no training schedule, no looming date of working with Rockwell Tire, no meetings, no expectations. It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever had.” And you. I don’t say it. She’s kind, beautiful, responsive Haley. “And it’s weird, but you all are some of the best friends I’ve ever had.”

She lifts her head from my chest and cocks her head back. “You and Calvin are friends?”

“It was rough in the beginning, but now... it’s good. I know more about the four of you than anyone else ever. My friends at home dispersed from my life when I was training. And when the training was over, the only thing that ever happened was me paying for parties, traveling. Now they’re mostly settled down and married, kids on the way... gone again. Fuck, I wonder if they even know I’m missing.”

“Of course they know you’re missing. Why would you even think that?” She squeezes me even tighter.

“That’s what I was thinking about. You asked.”

“Thank you for telling me.”

“How are you?”

“Fi— I don’t know?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me a real response.” I sit next to the towels on the big rock and pull her into my lap. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She’s shocked. I’m not sure why.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

She nods.

We’re getting too deep for her. Today was a lot. She needs time. I’m not going to rush her. I stand and let her slide to the ground. “No more. You are keeping Monsieur Chocolat waiting for your hair appointment. And he does not like to wait.”

“He doesn’t?”

“ Non .” I give it my best fake French accent. “First, we must get you out of zese clothes. Mademoiselle must tell me where she gets her couture.”

Haley laughs and lifts her hands in the air. I pull her shirt off. “Why, do you like it?”

“No, we must burn them to the ground.” I pull the bandana out of her hair and toss it on the backside of the rock near where the sand is dry. My hands trail over her breasts, and she cocks a smile.

“Really? I think it just needs a good wash.”

“No, it must be burnt.” I push my finger to the sky for emphasis at the same time I’m wiggling out of my shorts. Seriously, burning our old clothes might be too good for them. But then I guess she’s right―we shouldn’t waste anything.

Once I’m free from my shorts, I sweep Haley up with one arm. I take off running for the surf. I’ve thought about how today would go for a long time. Never did I imagine it would end with alone time with Haley. She clings to my arm, her head tilted back, laughing. I run straight into the water, and tonight it’s warmer than normal. Not that it’s gotten too cold. Once the rainy season kicks in, I imagine things will be very different. We’re not too far off from it.

That’s the thing: things change.

I stomp through the waves. When I get deep enough, I let go of Haley’s legs and take her lips in mine. She tastes of citrus. I kiss her until I’m dizzy and a wave overtakes us. I grab her hand, tethering her to me.

She coughs. “Well, that’s one way to do a pre-wash. Monsieur Chocolat, I’m going to have to talk to your manager about your strange working conditions.”

“Strange? Well, you haven’t seen anything yet.” I grab her around her waist. “Ready?” I whisper.

“Yes.” I toss her into the next wave. Her laugh is swallowed by the surf. She swims back to me, and I toss her at least a half dozen times before I haul her body against mine and kiss her again. My legs flutter, keeping us afloat. I’ve inched us out past the breakers, past the violent waves.

She’s on fire, devouring me like she hasn’t eaten. When she pulls back, her eyes are wild. Her hand pushes between us. Her fingers close around my dick. She strokes up once and then twice. And for a half second, I forget I have to kick.

“Damn, Haley,” I hiss out.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“No.” I grip her with one hand and use the other to make our way to shore. All the while, she’s working me. When my toes scrape along the sand, I give one more kick and plant a foot in the shifting sand.

“I need you.” Her eyes flash in the low light.

“I need you too. Here or on the beach?”

“Here.”

“All right then.” I hoist her leg around my hip, but she does the rest, guiding me home—into her. That’s what she is, home. “I will always be here for you, Haley.” Damn, that’s as close as I can get to I love you. Everyone I say those words to leaves me. I want to say them to her. Fuck, I want to give them to her like Green did. No, not like Green did but better. Sweeter. Like Haley deserves. When she’s ready. Because I don’t think that she was ready when Green said them. The way he shoved them at her has sent her into a tailspin. Fuck, would I say it if I could?

She sinks down on me. It’s tight, so tight. I take another step forward, getting a better footing to brace in the crashing breakers. She’s riding up and down, timing her thrusts with the waves. I grip her hip and push my hand between us. I circle her clit, giving her more.

“Easton.” She pumps on me. Her hair twirls wildly around in the surf.

Large steps have us out of the water, and I lower myself onto the rock at the shore’s edge. Firefly doesn’t miss a thrust. Her head rolls back when I put my thumb on her clit again. “There you go. Damn, Haley. I wish you could see how amazing you look.”

“Like a drowned rat. A really turned-on drowned rat.” She flicks her head back to me at the same time a large wave crashes onto our legs. We cling together, laughing.

But damn, she’s like a mermaid. She arches her back, and I grab her to keep from falling into the water. She bends farther, her hair brushing the waves. And the fact that she trusts me to keep her from falling into the water makes me even fucking harder. I will never let anything or anyone harm my girl.

“Oh, right there.” Her new position has her driving deeper onto me. My pulse pounds in my dick. I’m never coming back from this. I force my eyes open as she’s teetering on the edge of her orgasm. It’s the best fucking thing. With one hand, I grip her hip, and with the other, I rub her clit, coaxing her over.

She vibrates on top of me, her pussy flutters around me, and it takes me with her. I’m soaring into the early evening sky.

“Whoa...” She sits up. “Another inch and I would have flipped all the way over.

“I’ve got you.” I rub along her hips. She’s going to have a mark later. I had to grip pretty hard to keep her upright.

“I know you do.” She leans into me, resting her forehead on mine.

“Are you ready for your appointment now?”

“Appointment?”

I pick up the bottle of shampoo from behind me.