BTS Book Reviews Issue 18 | Page 66

| Sex and the Single Woman | “Okay. But, no wine tonight. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I was drinking some sort of alcohol-laced cough medicine.” “Deal. No wine. Just hurry. I want to get out of this room and enjoy the weather. I’m going to run down to the front desk and make sure we don’t need reservations for the cabanas. I’ll be back up shortly.” I waved him off, all the while smiling as he left. The past twenty-four hours since we arrived on the tropical island paradise had been filled with nothing but carefree fun and romance. It was exactly what I needed to regain my footing and balance. I set my small beach bag down in the cabana and stepped inside to test the soft mattress that sat just a foot off the ground. “Oooh, Jack, feel this. This feels like a cloud.” I was bouncing on it when he came to sit beside me. He was laughing when he leaned over and kissed the tip of my nose. “What’s so funny?” “Not funny, sweetheart. I was thinking more along the lines of beautiful, adorable, absolutely enchanting.” Hopping in the shower, I washed away the day before, allowing the wine hangover haze to pour down the drain along with the water and bubbles. Since we had arrived yesterday morning, Jack and I had taken a long and romantic walk on the beach. The sand was so soft, so white, that it almost seemed unreal. “Jack.” I shied away, trying to hide my blush. I’d seen beaches that looked just as pretty in the movies, but never in real life. I could still feel the way my feet just sunk into the fine granules as I scrunched my toes on the warm surface. We had held hands, kissed, and for a short while, he’d even given me a piggyback ride through the shallow water. He was doing it again—making me melt with nothing more than his words. He had a knack for making me putty in his hands. It was a fact I wasn’t entirely sure bothered me. In fact, I rather enjoyed the way he made my body feel. We shared a light lunch on the private terrace of our villa and treated ourselves to a refreshing dip in the main pool. We’d enjoyed decadent fruit drinks embellished with fancy little umbrellas and feasted on exotic fruits until the sun got the better of us, and we took a nap in one another’s arms. With the craziness we’d faced recently with his work schedule, his delusional ex-wife, and my own insecurities, this trip was proving to be the perfect fix to an otherwise imperfect existence. Twenty minutes later, I was walking hand-in-hand with Jack on our way down to the beach. He’d reserved a private cabana for us in case the tropical sun became too much and we needed to escape. He’d also already ordered our lunch, telling me that I should trust his choice. A part of me had wanted to at least make an attempt at seeming disappointed, but the truth of the matter was I loved all of his traditionally romantic gestures. More independent-minded women might have protested, insisting to order their own meals. I wasn’t most women though, and it was nice knowing that Jack realized that as well. 66 || www.BTSeMag.com 66 www.BTSeMag.com With his index finger and thumb, he lifted my chin and raised my face until I was looking into his eyes. “You are quite amazing. When I look at you . . . there is no end to the fantasies that flash before my mind.” “I watched you last night as you slept. The way your chest rose and fell with every breath as the sweetest sounds escaped you while you dreamt. I wanted you so badly. It took every amount of restraint I had to not wake you up and kiss every inch of your body.” “Jack . . .” I whispered his name just as I felt the warm feel of his tongue glide against my lower lip. He kissed my neck, nibbling and slowly sucking along the column all the way to my ears. I fell back against the soft bed willingly, dropping my head back and moaning as his hands roamed my body, touching all of the spots that turned me from a shy girl into a needy woman. I knew we were out on the beach. I knew the only thing keeping others from seeing us was a thin layer of fabric which surrounded us, occasionally blowing in the wind. Any other time I might have protested. But, this wasn’t any other time. And Jack made everything extraordinary. Seconds passed and then minutes until finally he rid