As I set our bags down in the foyer, Ivy unlocks the sliding glass door and pushes it open, stepping out onto the patio overlooking the ocean.
The sun shines above us, not a single cloud floats in the sky. Her burnt-orange dress leaves most of her back on display. She does a twirl, arms held out around her with her head thrown back.
“You like it here?”
“Like it? I think it’s safe to say I love it. Thank you for bringing me here.”
It ended up working out perfectly as it was the one weekend over the next few weeks that we had no shows. It took some convincing, but Jayde was able to give her some time off. I told her there was no choice, she was going to be here either way. She owed me a favor after the size of the crowds we had been bringing in the place.
We decide to head down to the beach. I’m not one to go swimming in the ocean, at least not since I was younger. However, I know how Ivy looks in a swimsuit, and there’s not much I wouldn’t do to see her in one again.
Her eyes keep traveling back to me, specifically my shirtless chest, as I spread out our blanket in the sand. She unwraps the sarong around her waist, showing off her sexy-as-hell legs as she moves to sit down.
Setting the umbrella up, she pulls out her sunscreen and begins rubbing it over her chest and stomach. I’m distracted watching her hands move. She doesn’t catch on right away until she looks up, noticing I’m blocking the sunlight.
“You want to help me?”
“Fuck yes,” I mutter, as an older woman who is sitting nearby with her young children whips her head in my direction. She gives me a glare that says, “Say that again, and I’ll drown you in the ocean.”
Ivy’s eyes widen as she tries to conceal her laugh.
“I mean, heck yes.” I laugh, falling to my knees as I crawl behind her. She squirts some of the sunscreen in my palm, and I begin to rub it over her back and shoulders. She moves her hair out of the way, tilting her head to the side as I lean forward, pressing a soft kiss against her skin.
“Do you know how hard it is for me to keep my hands in all the appropriate places right now?”
“Hmm,” she says, her eyes meeting mine. “How hard?”
She drags her lower lip between her teeth, and my dick grows at the visual.
“Very fucking hard,” I growl low enough for only her to hear me.
“You’re lookin’ pretty damn good yourself.” Her hands wrap around my legs on either side of her.
We spend a few hours down by the water. When I notice the apples of her cheeks turning rosy, we decide to call it a day.
I’m flipping the burgers on the grill when Ivy strolls out wearing the same dress she had on earlier that day, folding her legs beneath her when she takes a seat on the lounge chair.
“Where do you see this going between us?”
The uncertainty in her voice with her question takes me by surprise.
“What do you mean?” Holding the spatula out, I flip the last burger before closing the grill again, setting it down on the counter.
“Like, what is this to you? I leave for school in a little over three weeks. I guess I’m wondering where you see this going when the summer is over?”
“Well…” I sigh, walking over to where she’s sitting. Holding my hand out to her, I help her up, taking a seat waiting for her to crawl into my lap.
As soon as she’s situated, I wrap my arm around her using my other hand to trace a line along her back.
Her hair is pulled back, leaving little strands of hair falling to frame her face. Holding the glass of wine in her hand, she runs her lip along the edge as she takes another swallow, finishing the rest of the contents.
“I know I don’t want this to end,” I answer honestly.
Her eyes soften at the words, a sense of ease coming from her.
“It won’t be easy waking up and not having you here with me. That’s the part I think about the most.”
“Me, too.”