If something happened to her. . .
No, she's fine. I just need to find her.
Forcing all the terrible thoughts out of my head, I just focus on finding her. I'll never be able to live with myself if something happens to her.
Flicking my head side to side, I have no clue which direction she took off in. Desperation is causing my chest to tighten, making it hard to breathe. I just want to see her trudging back in the rain, soaked and maybe covered in sand.
Seeing her right now would mean everything, but all I see is empty beach.
Picking a direction, I head to my left, hoping I'm right. I don't really care if she gets pissed at me for looking for her. I'll let her scream at me for as long as she wants. I just need to know she's all right.
“Perri!” I call out, squinting my eyes against the rain. “Perri!”
There's no answer, and my voice is drowned out by the gusts of wind and roar of the ocean.
The rain is cold, making me shiver, but I'm not going back until I find her. There's a breakwater jetting out into the ocean, and I can see the shape of the rocks as lightning bolts brighten the sky.
“Perri!” I call out again.
I'm not even sure I could hear her if she is here, the thunder is explosive, and the lightening cracks loud as shattering glass, making the sky erupt with white light. Focusing my eyes when the light pops, I think I see a figure on the rocks.
Climbing up a few rocks, I slip slightly, and catch myself. Lightening explodes overhead again, and I get a second of clear view. Perri is sitting on one of the rocks, her back facing me as she looks out at the water.
Climbing up onto the rocks, I start to carefully walk toward her. “Perri!” I yell to her, and she finally hears me, twisting to look at me over her shoulder.
She pushes herself up, and starts to move away from me. She's heading further out on the rocks that are protruding into the water, where the waves are actually crashing over the surface.
It's too dangerous for her to be standing there. One big wave could sweep her away. Moving as quickly as I can, I come up behind her and grab her arm.
“Perri, what are you doing out here?”
“I'm trying to clear my head, Kent. Why the hell are you here?”
“I was so worried about you. I thought you'd be back by now. It's been over an hour.”
“I'm not your problem, so don't worry about me.” She spins around to face me straight on, jerking her arm free from my grasp. “You made it pretty clear, Kent, you don't want me there.”
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean the things I said. I was just frustrated and angry. I was wrong to talk to you that way.” Holding out my hand, I plead, “Please, come back, it's not safe out here, and I don't want you to get hurt.”
She thins her lips, looking down at my hand. A big gust of wind blows, causing her to rock a little. Perri reaches for my hand, but a huge wave crashes against the side of the rocks causing my foot to slip.
My arms go up in the air, and I let out a grunt as I wobble on my feet, trying to stay upright.
“Kent!” she screams, throwing her arm forward and grabbing me by the shirt. It's enough to hold me in place and give me the chance to re-balance myself. “Are you all right?” she asks, her eyes scanning me in the dark.
“Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for catching me, that could have been really bad.” Her hands are still tightly curled into the fabric of my shirt as she peers up at me. “Let's go back to the house, can we do that?”
Perri nods, and I'm relieved. I help her down the rocks, and we walk back to the house in the roaring storm. I'm holding her hand as tight as I can, because I swear I can feel her blowing around in the wind. I'm afraid to let her go, afraid the wind will take her and steal her away from me.
I can't lose her again.
The thunder booms and we both jerk in surprise as the tide washes against our feet. Reaching the house, we dart inside, and I almost have to fight the door to get it closed.
Turning to face her, she's dripping wet. Beads of water roll down her face, dripping off the edge of her nose. Her nipples are hard, and perfectly outlined under her soaking wet shirt.
Black eyeliner is smeared under her eyes and her cheeks are rosy from the cold rain and sharp wind.
And still, she looks just as damn beautiful as the first time I saw her.
The softness of her skin, wet, shiny, enticing me to come closer and touch her. I take a step, lifting my hand to her face. She's cold, her flesh almost ice under my touch.
“You're so cold,” I say, ready to wrap her in my arms to heat her body.
Perri lifts her eyes, and my heart squeezes inside my chest as she holds her gaze steady. She licks her lips lightly and pulls in her bottom lip as she reaches her hand up and captures my wrist.
She presses her cheek deeper into my palm, closing her eyes for a mere second. I watch her, taking in every single detail of her face. The thin lines across her forehead as her eyebrows arch, the way her lashes fan her eyes as she opens them again, the way her pupils expand like bottomless pools.
I'm drawn in, unable to break away, lost and held hostage by the beauty in my hands. And I love it. I love her. . .
“Perri,” I say, gently brushing my thumb across her jawline. “You were right, you were right all along. It was your father, and yes, he did want me to tell him how you were doing.” She blinks, and I feel her jaw clench. “And I told him the truth, I told him how amazing you are, how you know what you're doing, that he'd be stupid to not let you manage his properties.”
“You did? You told him that?”
“Of course I told him that because it's the truth.” She lets out a weighted breath, and her eyes flick between mine. “You don't need to be watched over and micromanaged. You're a smart woman, you know what you're doing.”
“But what about everything I did wrong? What about the pool—”
“I don't want to think about the pool. That's why finding you was so important tonight. The thought of you out there, the idea that you could have gotten hurt, or possibly even die because of me, I couldn't live with myself. You already almost died once; I won't lose you again.”
“Kent, I don't want you to worry about me like that. I'm not going anywhere.”
“That's right, you're not going anywhere because I’m not letting you go, Perri.” Scooping her face in both my hands, I keep my eyes fixed on hers. “I love you,” I say, the words full and flowing out easier than I thought they would.
“What?” she asks, quirking a brow.
“I love you,” I say it again, searching her gaze for the same answer. “I won't pretend I don't, and I won't pretend that we could break this off tomorrow and I'd move on like it never happened to me. I love you, Perri Dean, and I want you in my life forever.”
Her eyes gloss over as tears well up. She sniffles, and blinks, causing a couple tears to drop free. They slip down her cheeks, and I use my thumbs to sweep them away.
“I love you too,” she says softly as one corner of her mouth pulls up into a light smile. “I really do, I love you.”
Crushing my lips onto hers, I dig my fingers into the back of her head and grip her hair to keep her from pulling away. I want us closer. I want to share every moment of the rest of my life with her.
Perri tips her head in my hands as she wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me back with just as much passion. Her tongue slips into my mouth, crazed and excited as it twirls and dances around mine.
She tastes like salt and wine, her eyes smoldering with sparks like the flame of a candle. Perri is eager, her nails raking down my neck and over my back.
I can feel her desire, it's seeping from her body as she presses her tits against my chest, and drives her tongue deeper into my mouth. Gliding open palms down her back, I stop on her ass and tug her in until her entire body is pressed against mine.
Our kisses turn more rugged, fierce, and intense. I want this woman in every single way possible. I want her body, I want h
er heart, and I want her soul.
Because she already owns mine.
Peeling her wet shirt off her body, I let it drop to the floor with a wet plop. Breaking our kiss, Perri takes a step back and unbuttons her shorts, letting them fall around her ankles.
Growling, I bite my knuckle as my dick jerks in my pants. She's stunning. Curves like an hourglass, and tits that are perfectly shaped like giant raindrops. My mouth waters as my eyes run up and down her body.
Stepping out of the jeans, she stands there, her bra and panties sticking to her skin, the fabric now sheer from being drenched in rain and sea water. Her pink nipples are pebbled, and her pussy looks delicious beneath the sheer fabric.
“If you want me, I'm yours,” she says as she twists her toe into the floor and keeps her arms at her sides.