“Come on.” I take her hand, pulling her off the desk. She slides gracefully to her feet, her lips pulled to the side in an irritated but good-natured pout.
She collects her things and locks up. I steer her toward my truck, holding her hand as she climbs in. I give her a smack on the ass that makes her swat at me with a grin. We drive down to the marina. It’s quiet this time of year, but the sun glitters on the water. It’s calm today. Not a single storm in the forecast for the next week. Believe me, I fucking checked.
Sutton arches a questioning eyebrow at me as I park. “You’ll see,” I say with a wink. She follows me to the new Carpenter Excursions boat. It’s an upgrade from the one that blew up; bigger, faster, and with more room for whale watchers. It also has a mega-emergency kit, tucked into a waterproof box that was designed for the military and, supposedly, can withstand a direct hit from a mortar shell. I also installed a second blower myself, just to make sure we never have another explosion.
I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks. I have the weekend alone with Sutton, and I’m going to make sure I can keep her all to myself. Maybe I’m selfish when it comes to her, but she’s just as bad about me.
She takes my hand, letting me help her onto the boat. “Stubborn woman,” I tease.
“Cocky ass.” She grins at me, repeating the words from our first boat trip. It’s our ritual, and every time she boards the boat, we repeat it. It’s almost a superstition at this point, but it fills me with so much joy.
I hand her the SeaBands I keep in the console, just for my little sea sick queen. There are almost no waves today, but I don’t want her getting queasy before we get to our destination. She takes them happily before retrieving our life jackets and tossing one in my direction. I slip it on and cross the deck, cinching hers tight and loving the way it pushes her tits up. I let out a pleased rumble, but she smacks my hands away, rolling her eyes with a pleased smile. Another ritual.
We motor out of the marina, Sutton standing next to me, hand gripping the canopy pole for support as we get up to speed. She watches me with a suspicious smile that grows into a wide grin when she sees where we’re heading. I slow the boat, crawling into the crescent-shaped cove of Wychwood Island. Giving her a quick kiss, I go about setting our anchors.
When I strip down to my trunks, she watches and shamelessly licks her lips. So much blood rushes south that I’m surprised I don’t pass out from lack of oxygen to my brain. I chuckle, readjusting myself under her hungry gaze before jumping into the water and pulling the anchor into the shallows.
I turn around after dropping it and Sutton is still watching me, her fingers unbuttoning the front of her dress. She shimmies it down her hips, standing in a white lace bra and thong. I groan as she dives off the back of the boat, surfacing a second later, saltwater sluicing off her skin and slicking her hair back.
My sultry little mermaid moves through the water, her pink nipples straining the lace of her bra. The fabric is soaked and rendered so transparent that I can see the tight outline of her areola, teasing me and begging to be sucked.
“Jesus, Sutton,” I murmur as she gets close. “How did I ever survive without you?” I hook my finger through the center of her bra, pulling her close and stroking her nipple through the sodden fabric. She gasps and I swallow it, covering her mouth, my hands roaming her body, trying to feel all of her at once. Every inch of slippery wet skin is a special torture, threatening to steal my sanity.
She makes it nearly impossible to get her anywhere without getting distracted and sucked into my desire for her. I can’t even count the number of times we’ve gotten dressed to go out to dinner, only to end up fucking on the living room floor, clothes crumpled in a corner or tossed over a lamp.
But this is important and I can’t wait another second, even with those pert nipples begging to be played with. Groaning, I break away and take her hand, leading her toward the beach.
I lied when I told her I had a double tour today. I got up early and gave myself plenty of time to set everything up. This had to be perfect because that’s what she is and perfect is what she deserves. And even if that’s not always how life goes, I’ll always do my best for my Sunshine.
Sutton spots the bag I left on the beach this morning and looks up at me, puzzled. Until now, I know she thought this was just an evening trip out to the island. We’ve talked about coming back, going for a swim and enjoying a sunset at the cove.
I grin as I open the bag, pulling out a soft white dress my sister picked out for her. She takes it from my hands slowly; the smile lighting up her face as she holds it in front of her. The light catches her eyes and they shine just for me. It takes all my control to keep my hands to myself as she strips out of her wet bra and panties, pulling the dress over her head. It makes her look like an island goddess. Her sea-soaked hair curls fall over her shoulder, setting off her soft skin and adorable freckles.
I drop my trunks and pull out the dry pants I packed, leaving the shirt behind as I pull up the pants, trying to ignore the fiery gaze she’s leveling at my dick. Insatiable little fireball. While she’s distracted, I palm a small box from a pocket of the bag, tucking it into my pocket. I’m pleased when she doesn’t catch me.
She’s not speaking, just watching me, intrigued and curious. She knows I won’t tell her until I want to, so she’s not pressing. I hand her a pair of sandals to protect her feet from the underbrush, taking her hand as she slips them on. Leading her up to the tree line, I squeeze her hand, my heart thundering in my chest. A couple yards further, she spots it.
A large, white canvas tent stands under our tree. The pine that sheltered us from the storm of a century stands tall and unassuming except for the bra I hung from a low branch. The bra she left behind in our hurry to be rescued by the coastguard.
Sutton grabs the polka dot bra and laughs. “I can’t believe you found it!” It’s dirty, torn, and no longer fit to touch her perfect breasts, but I knew it would make her laugh.
She eyes the tent, walking around it slowly and peeking inside. Her hand goes to her lips, her eyes soft as she gazes back at me. “Is this what you were up to today?” She asks, eyes welling with tears. I take her hand, nodding and pulling her into the tent. Huge cushions, blankets and pillows line the back half of the tent. A cooler sits to the side, holding food for the weekend, a bottle of champagne, and a bottle of whiskey, just for old-time’s sake, but we’ll get to that later.
Rose petals are strewn over the floor of the tent, softly blowing in the breeze. My sister said it was cheesy, but I knew Sutton would like it. And judging from the wide smile and the soft tears slipping down her cheeks, it looks like I was right. She may be tough, intellectual, and unfailingly determined, but she has a romantic side she rarely shows. It’s a hidden need and one that I love filling for her.
I drop to a knee, my heart threatening to break my ribs as it beats violently. Pulling the box out of my pocket. A sob breaks in Sutton’s throat as she covers her cheeks, smiling so hard her cheeks are going to hurt.
“Sutton,” I start, but my throat is choked by the emotion on her face. I clear it with a chuckle and take her hand.
“Sutton, I never expected to find a love like this. I didn’t know that a connection like this was even possible until you kissed me. The storm you started in my heart is nothing compared to the one we weathered out here. You’ve shown me a better life than I could have ever hoped for, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I can’t exist without you by my side. You are my perfect match and I’ll do everything in my power to be the partner and husband you deserve. If you’ll have me, I’ll spend the rest of my life cherishing every breath you take. I’ll grow old by your side and die the happiest man on earth. Sunshine—” I take a deep breath, trying to stop my hands from shaking. “Will you marry me?”
She watches my face as I make my promises, eyes filled with tears. She cups my cheek with her palm and the second I stop talking, she drops to her knees, kissing me hard, her arms winding around my neck.
“Yes!” She exclaims between kisses. “Yes. Yes. Yes.” She’s laughing and crying in equal measure, and I use a blanket to gently wipe the tears away.
“That’s the last time I make you cry,” I tell her, holding her face in my hands and studying her face, making sure I never forget the way she sees me. The way I see her. It’s true that I never expected to fall like this. But I’m a goner for Sutton O’Brien and I have the rest of our lives to show her how hard I burn for her.
* * *