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  Aiden pulls off my pajama pants and then helps me out of my shirt. He swiftly takes off his own pants and shirt and settles back on top of me. He licks my belly button and then runs his tongue along the top of my panties. With each kiss, my body rises and falls and I close my legs to stop myself from getting wet. But it’s too late for that.

  Seeing my legs closing access, Aiden pushes them open and buries his face within them. My mouth immediately dries up, sucking all moisture within my body and concentrating it between my legs. I throw my head back in pleasure and run my hands over my rock hard nipples.

  “I’ve missed you,” Aiden says, running his tongue around my clit in small concentric circles that make me want to scream. I bury my hands in his hair and pull until he moans.

  I’ve missed him. I’ve wanted him for so long and now that he’s mine, I can’t keep my pleasure at bay. A few moments later, Aiden pulls away from me and I reach down to grab his cock.

  “I want you,” he says, taking my nipple in between his teeth.

  “I want you too,” I mumble.

  Unable to keep my body from salivating further, I push him deep within me. I relish in the surprise look on his face for a moment, until the pleasure of him being within me overwhelms me completely. My legs get that all too familiar cramping feeling, before going numb and a warm sensation starts to fill my body from my core out to every extremity.

  “I love you,” I whisper as my body gets closer and closer to that blissful release.

  “I love you, too,” Aiden moans in my ear. He pushes himself in and out of me faster and faster until we both collapse into each other’s arms a few moments later. A simultaneous orgasm. I’ve never had one before and I close my eyes to keep the room from spinning around me.

  We lay in each other’s arms in total bliss for close to an hour without really saying much. It’s nice to just be with someone without feeling the need to talk to fill dead air.

  “I love you, Ellie,” Aiden says after a while.

  “I love you too.”

  “I just wanted to tell you that when I wasn’t inside of you.”

  “Thanks? I guess. I don’t really know how to respond to that,” I laugh.

  “No, what I mean is that I didn’t want you to think that I only said that because I was overwhelmed by pleasure. I mean, I was, but I love you for real, whether or not we’re having sex.”

  I laugh.

  “Okay, that came out quite awkward as well. You’ll have to forgive me. I’ve had a very emotional twenty-four hours.”

  Wow, has it only been twenty-four hours? I wonder to myself.

  “Okay, so, I’ve been thinking about something,” Aiden says. “I don’t know where you stand on the whole engagement thing anymore, and I don’t want to pressure you in any way. But I have another proposal for you.”

  “Another proposal?”

  “Yes. Now that I’m a properly unemployed bum—”

  “With millions of dollars,” I interrupt jokingly.

  “You’re right. Now that I’m a properly unemployed bum with millions of dollars, I was wondering if you would be interested in taking a trip with me. I’m thinking of taking my yacht and sailing it down to the Caribbean.”

  I sit up and look at him.

  “For how long?”

  “I don’t know,” he shrugs. “A couple of weeks. A couple of months. Forever?”

  I inhale deeply and consider the proposition.

  “C’mon, imagine all those turquoise waters, palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze, eight-five degree weather, swimming with manatees? How can you say no to that?”

  I think about it for a moment. That does sound like an amazing experience.

  “What about your work?” I ask.

  “What work?”

  “I don’t know. But weren’t you going to try to figure out what you were going to do next?”

  “Yes. And what better place than on some white sandy beach holding a drink with a little straw hat?”

  I nod. He has a good point there.

  “And you can always write there as well. Or on the yacht. I have a number of rooms, which you can use as your office.”

  “And this would be for an indefinite period of time?” I ask.

  “For as long as or as little as you want.”

  “So, what you’re basically asking me, Aiden Black, is whether or not I want to move in with you on your yacht?” I ask, jokingly.

  “Yes, I guess I am. What do you say?”

  Who doesn’t love the idea of sailing away to some exotic place, far away from all of their problems? I’m no exception. I take one last moment to try to think of a reason to say no, but nothing comes to me.

  “Okay, why not?” I finally say.

  Aiden throws his arms around me and pushes me back down on the bed.

  “You have made me very happy Ellie Rhodes,” he whispers in my ear in between his kisses. “I just hope you give me the chance to do the same for you.”

  You already have, I think to myself and kiss him back.

  Chapter 3 - Ellie

  When I get ready…

  The idea of going to the Caribbean isn’t anything that is well-planned. But I’ve had a lot of planning for a while. It’s just something that he proposed we do and the next thing I know, we’re taking off.

  “So, you’re leaving? Just like that?” Caroline asks. I nod as I pack my bag. I don’t really know what to bring. All of my summer clothes are packed away in the back of my closet and I’m struggling to get them out.

  Caroline is pretty much up to date on everything that has been going on. Our failed engagement. The Page Six article that revealed me as a romance writer, and the yacht auction where I met and started dating Aiden Black. His firing as CEO of Owl.

  “I promise that I will be back soon,” I say. We still haven’t talked much about what happened to her in Maine. All I know is that Tom was arrested and charged with rape and assault and he’s awaiting trial. She will be the star witness against him. I am also expected to testify, since he attacked me as well. But I haven’t heard anything from the District Attorney, or her attorney, about any of this.

  “I’m going to have my cell phone with me. And I will have email as well. That way, if anything happens with the case, I will be available. I’ll take the first flight out.”

  Caroline looks away. She hates talking about this, but we have to. I need her to know that I’m going to be there for her, no matter what.

  “This whole thing…it’s just a bit much to deal with,” Caroline says. Suddenly, something occurs to me. Perhaps she wants me to stay. Maybe she needs me more than I thought she did.

  “Do you want me to cancel the trip?” I ask.

  Caroline shakes her head. “Don’t be silly.”

  “It’s not silly. It’s no problem. I mean, I’ll stay if you want me to.”

  Caroline just shrugs her shoulders and looks away. “I’m going to be fine. I’m just worrying about this for nothing. The trial isn’t for another month probably, who the hell knows. You should go and have fun.”

  “And what are you going to do?” I ask.

  “Talk to my therapist. Go to work.”

  I’m glad that she has started to see someone about this. I’ve been asking her to go for some time, but she kept resisting.

  “Go out maybe?” I ask. I know Caroline won’t be back to being her old self unless she starts to go out again and have fun.

  “Yeah, maybe.” She shrugs. Okay, maybe that was wishful thinking. For now, I should be happy that she’s just going out to work and to the therapist.

  “Is the shrink helping?” I ask. When she went to her first session, she refused to talk about it except to say that it went fine. I’m hoping to get a little bit more info about it now that some time has passed.

  “She said it’s going to be an uphill climb to get over it, but it’s going to be okay in the end.”

  I nod.

  “I just don’t think I have the energy, E
llie. I just feel so tired all the time.”

  I nod and put my arm around her.

  “I’m really, really sorry, Ellie. I just wish there were something I could do.”

  “You can.”

  “What?”

  “I want you to testify against him. No matter what.”

  “Yes, of course, I will. Caroline, just because I’m going on this trip doesn’t mean that I’m not going to testify. The minute that your lawyer or the DA need me, I’m there.”

  “Okay, that’s good,” Caroline says, wiping the outside of her eye. Is she crying? Why would she think that I wouldn’t testify on her behalf? My mind spins a mile a minute.

  “I love you,” I say and wrap my arms around her.

  “I love you, too.”

  I finish packing the rest of the time alone. Caroline says that she’s tired and goes to her room to lie down. She just woke up an hour ago, but she doesn’t have much energy these days. I again deliberate whether it’s such a good idea for me to leave her alone at this point. But when I voice my concerns out loud, she says that she’s planning on going to visit her family for a few days. So, there’s no need for me to hang around anyway. No one will be here.

  With great effort, I manage to retrieve my large box of summer clothes from the back of my closet, I look through the contents and pick out a few tank tops and shorts that I think will work well in the Caribbean. I also try on every swimsuit I own and I’m disappointed to find that they, unfortunately, do not fit as well as they did last summer. Damn the sugar and carbs that were too hard to resist in the long dark days without Aiden. I decide to not give them any more thought and just toss them into my suitcase. I’m not going to let the fact that I look (or maybe just feel) fat prevent me from taking the trip of a lifetime with the man of my dreams.

  Speaking of which, I still don’t exactly know where the hell we are really headed. When I agreed to go, I said yes to the Caribbean. But the Caribbean has hundreds of islands and at least half a dozen different countries. The precise location of where we are headed is still unknown.

  * * *

  Where exactly are we headed? I text Aiden.

  The Caribbean, he texts back.

  Yes, but where?

  It’s a surprise. I’ll pick you up at seven.

  * * *

  I smile and return to my suitcase. At first, I was thinking that a carry-on would be enough, but after going back and forth between all of my blouses and different dresses and finally deciding to take them all, nothing but a large suitcase that weighs over fifty pounds will do.

  Chapter 4 - Ellie

  When we take off…

  Aiden picks me up on time. This time, we have a driver who helps me with my bag. Aiden just stands near the car and takes me into his arms.

  “You’re not going to need this,” he whispers, petting my thick winter coat with his hands.

  “Well, it’s freezing out here and I didn’t want to be cold when we came back.”

  “And what if we don’t?”

  “Ever come back?”

  “Yep.” He presses his lips onto mine. “What if we decide to just stay and live on the yacht? Maybe go all the way across the Atlantic and then around the world.”

  I consider that for a moment. “That does sound…nice.”

  “Let’s do it then,” he says, kissing my hand. I smile at him. “Let’s just see how it goes at first.”

  I’m not sure why I’m hesitating. I don’t really have anything to come back to here. My relationship with my mom and Mitch is a bit on the rocks and I don’t really have the strength to try to make it any better. I can write and publish from anywhere. The only thing that I do have is Caroline. I hate to admit it, but one of the main reasons I want to go on this trip is to get away from her. I hate how helpless I feel around her. I want to do something to make her better, but everything I do is futile. Nothing seems to help one bit.

  “I need to come back for Caroline’s trial.”

  “Yes, of course.” Aiden nods. The expression on his face immediately turns sour.

  “You might need to testify, too.”

  “Of course.”

  We ride in silence for a while.

  “How is she?” he asks.

  “I don’t really know. She doesn’t talk much. She seems better, but she might be just pretending. I have no idea.”

  Caroline isn’t much of a pretender. She’s a sharer - an over-sharer. This is the girl who told me every sordid detail about her sex life without batting an eye. And yet, I have no idea how she’s really coping with what happened in Maine. Or with the upcoming trial.

  “She said she’s going to visit her family while I’m away.”

  “That’s good.”

  Caroline doesn’t have the best relationship with her family. Her mom is quite self-centered and I doubt that she would be much help in this type of situation. Still, I’m glad that she’s getting out of the house and doing something.

  “I sort of feel guilty leaving her.”

  “I’m sorry. I guess you can invite her along,” Aiden says.

  I look over at him. “Really?”

  He nods.

  “I never considered that.”

  “Well, consider it now.”

  Inviting Caroline will make this whole situation much less of a fun trip. I mean, if she was the old Caroline, maybe I would consider it.

  “What?” Aiden asks.

  “I’m just touched by your offer.” I pick up his hand and kiss it. “I mean, you don’t have to invite her and I really appreciate it.”

  “Listen, I know that she has been through a lot. And none of what she went through is fair. Tom is a huge asshole and I can’t wait to see him get convicted in court for everything that he has done. And I know that she’s your best friend, so why not?”

  I pat Aiden on the knee. “I don’t think she will be into it,” I say after a moment. “Besides, I’m not sure that you really know what you’re offering at this point.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah. Caroline is fun, but not this version of Caroline. Now, she’s mopey and depressed and not someone who you want accompanying you on a sexcapade.”

  “Sexcapade?” Aiden asks. “Did I hear you correctly? Is that what you’re doing?”

  “I figure.” I shrug and flash him a coy smile. “I think we’re due for some fun. And what better place than your yacht, right?”

  The town car drops us off at a private airport where two large men who look like really high-end bodyguards help us with our bags. I walk up the open-air stairs toward the door of a luxurious airplane, the likes of which I’ve only seen in movies.

  “Is this yours?”

  “Not anymore, unfortunately. Now, it’s just a rental.”

  Hmm, a rental? I had no idea that private airplanes could be rented. I enter the cabin and my mouth drops open. The seats are wide and spacious and fold all the way back like they do in very upscale movie theaters. The floors are hardwood and there’s enough space in the place to do cartwheels.

  “This plane is amazing,” I whisper in awe.

  “Yes, it’s a bit different than flying coach, isn’t it?”

  A flight attendant, who introduces herself as Alexa, asks us what we would like to drink.

  “I’m not sure,” I say shyly. I’m sort of craving some alcohol to really kick off this trip, but I’m not sure if they have any available.

  “I’d like an old-fashioned, please,” Aiden says. Alexa has long toned legs and breasts which are natural and to die for, but he barely blinks an eye. “Ellie? You want a cocktail?”

  “Yes…a mojito please.”

  Alexa comes back in a few minutes with both of our drinks. Taking a sip of mine, I lose myself in the moment as the refreshing mint mixed with rum runs down the back of my throat.

  “This is delicious,” I say.

  A few moments later, we take off. The ascent is so smooth, I barely notice a thing until my ears pop. Instead, I drink mor
e of my mojito and stare into Aiden’s piercing eyes.

  “So, are you going to tell me where we are headed?” I ask once we are cruising at thirty-thousand feet.

  “Nope,” Aiden says with a wide smile across his face.

  “Really?”

  “Really. All you have to know is that we’re headed where my yacht is waiting for us.”

  A few hours later, we land at a private airport in the middle of the night and take a helicopter to his yacht. Someone from the staff takes our bags to his stateroom while Aiden invites me out onto the top deck to look at the stars. I lean into his shoulder and look up. We stand here, looking up at the sparkling sky and the bright yellow moon above without saying a word.

  I listen to Aiden inhale and exhale deeply and smile. He looks down at me with admiration. I close my eyes and enjoy the gaze that washes over me. I want to stay in this moment forever. Somewhere in the distance, I hear the soothing voice of Adele belting out another song about heartbreak.

  I look up at him. I admire his chiseled jaw and his luscious lips. He exhales deeply, bringing me closer. Another inhale and I’m his. He pulls me toward him and presses his lips to mine. His tongue brushes against the inside of my lower lip. My hands move up his neck and bury themselves in his thick luscious hair. When I tug a little, he moans in pleasure.

  His hand presses on the small of my back and I sense that familiar hardness through his immaculate gray suit. I pull his body against mine and let him hold me as if he has no intention of ever letting me go.

  A cool breeze comes off the ocean, swirling around us. We are standing perfectly still, but I suddenly feel as if I’m falling. No, it’s as if I have jumped. From a very great height. I’m falling and the ground is getting closer and closer, and the only thing that can stop me from colliding with it is him. His love. This feeling of exhilaration consumes me.