“Oh my,” Zoe whispered reverently as she glanced to the side and could see the sun starting to set over the ocean.

  “That’s one of the primary reasons why I wanted to bring you here," he said as he stood and reached his hand to her.

  “There are other reasons?” she asked meekly.

  He smiled and helped her up, leading her to the railing that overlooked the shore. It was a spectacular sight. The orange and red hues of the sunset mixed with the gentle blue waves of the ocean, resulting in a sight that only God could create. Masen glanced at her, mesmerized by the way she looked in the light of the setting sun. Unable to hold back any longer, he moved from beside her and brought his body flush against her back as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He began kissing her softly along her neck and Zoe felt her insides ignite as she lulled her head to the side, giving him permission to continue his quest. Masen smiled against her neck as he laid soft pecks along her sensitive skin. Zoe turned to him with glassy eyes as he brought his hand up to cup her face.

  “You are so beautiful.”

  His lips touched hers and it was as if she had never been kissed before that moment. It was simultaneously passionate, primal, and tender. If Zoe had any doubts about being with him, they vanished in that moment. This may be a fling. He may not care about her, but she couldn’t deny the chemistry that flowed between them. She would enjoy her time with him and if all she got was this one night, then she would take it or forever regret it. She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck as she deepened their kiss.

  Masen felt consumed by her. He wanted her, needed her. She was all he had thought about for the past two days and now to feel her entwining her fingers into his hair as her tongue took ownership of his mouth was almost better than any dream he could ever have. His hands slipped down her back as his fingers slowly started to lift the hem of her dress up. She didn’t stop him, so he continued.

  “Masen,” Zoe purred into his mouth.

  He began touching her as her hands fisted his hair in pleasure. Their bodies were responding to each other in ways that filled them with carnal want and desire. As her hands moved from his hair to his pants, a feral growl erupted within him. He quickly lowered her panties before lifting her up and placing her precariously on the railing. Zoe’s hands immediately moved back to his neck, gripping tightly as she glanced down, seeing only darkness below her.

  “Trust me, Zoe.”

  Zoe turned to him and nodded once again. “Okay.”

  He removed one of his hands and Zoe screamed slightly, startled as she swayed. He smiled and stepped closer to her, lifting one of her legs and placing it around his waist. Zoe smirked as she wrapped her legs tightly around him while he started kissing her softly. Zoe tried to kiss him more thoroughly, but he was teasing her, just giving her quick pecks around her lips and up her jaw while he dug his wallet out of his pocket. He brought it behind Zoe so that he could use both his hands to dig the condom out. He then tossed it on the floor, hearing it land near the table.

  “I’ve wanted you since we met,” he said with fire in his eyes.

  “I’ve wanted you too,” she returned.

  Masen smirked. That knowing smirk, the one that said he knew he could have had her all along. He brought the condom to her lips so that she could open it. Zoe grinned and stifled a giggle as she tore the corner of the package with her teeth. He wagged his brows as he unzipped his slacks. Zoe wanted desperately to look down at him, but her eyes were locked with his. Bringing his lips close to hers again he gave her a forceful look.

  “Zoe,” he said heatedly. “We’re gonna do this right here. You okay with that?” he asked but Zoe once again felt like he wasn’t really asking her a question but stating a fact.

  Zoe nodded and held on tight as he slid inside her. He gripped her waist tightly, holding her in place as he started to move in and out of her, slowly at first. As he increased his speed, Zoe loosened her grip on his neck and threw her head back, moaning loudly. This action caused her to shift slightly on the ledge. She startled herself once more, screeching as she jumped and grabbed him again.

  “It’s okay, baby, hold on to me,” he whispered, bringing his lips back to hers.

  Zoe did just that and more as he slipped back inside of her. She had never made love to anyone outside before, let alone as she sat on a small railing over a sea cliff. But she was excited by it all. He was everything she imagined him to be. His pace began to increase as his moans and grunts turned into breathless gasps. He was uttering several curse words into her mouth as his kiss suddenly became frenzied and wild. They both started to mumble against each other. Telling each other how much they wanted one another. Urging for more and more, until they were both panting, forced to break away from each other’s mouths until they had both reached their peak.

  “Zoe,” he murmured as he rested his head against her neck.

  He held her closely as she reveled in the most surreal and fulfilling experience she had ever had. She didn’t know what lie ahead for them, whether she would even see him after tonight, but for now she was his. Having made love to him to the sounds of the ocean below them would be a memory that would have to carry her forward for a long time to come. She had been bitten by the shark and it was a mark she would keep for a lifetime.

  “Masen,” she sighed as her fingers entwined in his hair.

  He didn’t move for a long time. He didn’t want to. Making love to her right now as they had was beyond anything he had ever experienced before. He was in awe of her. He breathed in deeply as he began to lay several soft kisses on her neck. She moaned softly as her fingers continued to play with his hair.

  “You need to stay with me, Zoe,” he said definitively as he pulled out of her and carefully lifted her off the ledge.

  He flicked the condom off, tying it and tossing it toward the makeshift trash before readjusting himself in his slacks. Zoe was still in a daze. Her mind and body had not caught up to each other. She knew he had said something but for the life of her she didn’t know what it was. Masen brought his mouth to hers again and kissed her with passion. Zoe didn’t hesitate as she grabbed his hair, fisting it in her small hands, needing their connection to continue. He pulled away from her slightly.

  “Stay the rest of the week with me.” His tone was softer now, sensual and caring.

  “I can’t leave Summer,” Zoe murmured, almost incoherently.

  He breathed in heavily. “Hold on.”

  She did just that as he lifted her up and walked them to the bench. He sat down and brought her onto his lap. She didn’t understand the expression on his face. He seemed upset and then a moment later he appeared to be almost sad. Wavering emotions flittered across his face, his brows furrowing under the pressure of his thoughts. Finally, he brought his hand up to stroke her face gently, letting his thumb trace over her lip. Zoe felt her body tremble at the gesture.

  “I’m only here for three more days,” he stated sadly. “I want to spend that time with you. Please, stay with me.”

  Zoe drew her bottom lip into her mouth. She wanted to ask what happened after the three days was up, but she already knew. They would go their separate ways and never see each other again. The inherent truth was that at this particular moment she didn’t care. It frightened her how much she needed him already. How much she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could. She swallowed thickly, looking into his perfect and beautiful face with his deep and penetrating eyes before she finally released her lip and nodded.

  “I need to stop at my hotel to get some clothes and things.”

  His smile lit up the night as his lips crashed against hers in another searing kiss. This had been what he wanted. He couldn’t express with words the level of happiness that washed over him when she said yes. He had been torn. He wasn’t sure how to convince her to stay. He didn’t own the words that could do it, so he had spoken from his heart. His hands moved along her body, up her thigh until he was touching her gently. He’d never be able to get enough of her. Not in three days, not in a lifetime.

  ~*~

  Zoe quickly ran into her room, gathering her clothes and toiletry items. She truly couldn’t believe what she was about to do but would not turn back now. She decided that she would stay with him until he had to leave and then come back. Summer would understand. After all, she had been the one pushing her to live life to the fullest, to really experience the island. That was exactly what she was doing. She grabbed the pen and paper near the phone and jotted down a note for Summer.

  Dear Summer,

  Oh, my God! I can’t believe I’m doing this but I’m taking your advice and spending the next three days with Masen. I hope you understand. I can’t wait to tell you all about it. He’s amazing. Hope you and Ethan are having a great time too!

  Love you,

  Zoe

  She smiled as she set the note on the counter. She almost wished she could see her face when she saw it. She would be ecstatic! Of course, she was likely having a great time with Ethan right now. There was no way he could resist her. She smiled at that thought and then pivoted quickly, running back outside and jumping in Masen’s vehicle.

  “You ready?” he asked with a smirk that said she was in for the time of her life.

  “Definitely! Are you?” Zoe retorted with attitude.

  He leaned over and kissed her gently. “For anything.”

  “I think I’m gonna hold you to that.”

  He chuckled and pecked her lips once again before sitting back up. Zoe looked back at the room and took a deep breath before turning to Masen again as he maneuvered out of the hotel parking area and onto the main road. Throughout the drive, Zoe had a hard time taking her eyes off him, so much so that she lost track of time and place. When they stopped, she was a bit startled. She glanced around and saw that they were parked in front of a cabin that overlooked the ocean. She could also see several other cabins and hear what sounded like music coming from a place further down the shore.

  “That’s Cory’s crew,” he said simply as he exited the vehicle.

  “Cory, as in our maître d?” she asked as he opened her door.

  “One in the same.”

  He took her hand and snatched her bag over his shoulder before leading her into his cabin. When they entered, Zoe smiled. It was not what she had anticipated. She had half expected it to be messy with clothes and old food containers around with various surfboards lying about. She almost chuckled because she wasn’t sure why she had expected that in the first place. Zoe stepped away from Masen as he set her bag down. She saw his surfboard leaning against the wall next to the door and approached it, letting her fingers slide down the smooth surface. It was almost elegant in its simplicity. She closed her eyes and could visualize him on it, in the ocean, doing his fancy maneuvers while everyone on the shore watched in utter amazement.

  “Do you surf?” he asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

  She shook her head and smiled at him but in doing so her eyes caught a glimpse of something in the corner, something she found interesting. She stepped past him and headed to a table that housed a laptop, a portable printer and two cameras, one of which looked really fancy and was probably very expensive. There were several pictures as well. All of them were scattered around but there were a few pinned to the wall. She kneeled to inspect the pictures which all seemed to be of the island. He had a great eye. The colors. The scenes. All of them looked like they should be in a magazine. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that he was watching her curiously.

  “These are very good, Masen.”

  He smiled satisfactorily. “Thank you.”

  He approached her and picked up one of the pictures. He tapped it with his index finger. “This is where we’re at. It’s called The Cove. Not far from Surfer’s Beach but this one is private.” He picked up another picture. “These are the cliffs nearby. You couldn't see them when we came in because it’s dark, but they are really stunning.”

  She nodded and pointed toward the ones pinned to the wall. “Why are those up there?”

  “Those are the ones I’m considering using in the piece. I take a lot of pictures and then usually select fifteen to twenty that I really like. The ones I think speak to the subject best, then later I will narrow it down even further,” he said, turning to her. Zoe was no longer looking at the pictures but at him.

  “That’s really… beautiful,” she said, looking into his eyes.

  He smiled and picked her up. She screamed, startled and then snickered immediately afterwards. He carried her to the bed and dropped them both down on it. Zoe laughed, as did he. He gently removed her ponytail, letting her hair fall loosely around her face before kissing her again. Zoe was in sensory overload, his kisses sent her body screaming for more, and needing everything he could give her. She broke away from their kiss and rose to her knees, lifting the lace dress over her head and tossing it on the floor. She then released her bra, which also ended up on the floor. She took in Masen’s lustful gaze and ran her tongue over her lips. She then stood on the bed and slipped her panties off. Masen allowed his hands to move up her legs, stopping at her center.

  “Come here,” he demanded, pulling her on top of him.

  His mouth touched her, and Zoe threw her head back, screaming out as her body quivered with anticipation. She gasped and moaned as Masen took care of her in ways most men could not. Her body was on fire. When her release finally came, she tried to move away from him so that she could take care of him as well, but Masen was not having that. He held her tighter to him.

  “Masen,” she moaned.

  Suddenly she was lying flat on the bed as Masen ripped his shirt off. She looked up at him with a dazed and contented smile as he removed his pants and reached for a condom in the nightstand drawer, dropping several on the surface. His look was feral as he stroked his length before rolling the condom down. Kneeling, he brought his mouth to hers as he entered her once again.

  Neither had felt this level of intensity with another person before, both suspected they wouldn’t again. Was this what one felt when they were with the person they were meant to be with? Zoe nor Masen would let that question enter their mind. This was an island fling and nothing more, or was it?

  11 Not So Perfect Ending

  E than Webster occupied one of the Master Caribbean Cove Suites at the Cove Resort. It was a beautiful place to stay, equipped with a private deck that had the most spectacular view of the ocean and all the modern conveniences one could possibly imagine, including a 50-inch flat screen television. Ethan generally did not watch television aside from various news channels, which is what he had on the entire time he had stayed there except for last night when Summer had accompanied him home.

  Summer lay in the large king-sized bed that had recently occupied her and Ethan. She closed her eyes and smiled. They had an amazing night together. They had cruised on the yacht for a couple of hours, eating and dancing under the stars and in between all of that they had made out like a couple of teenagers at prom. It had been perfect, and she knew that her feelings about Ethan were justified. He was indeed an amazing human being. She breathed in deeply and allowed her hand to run down her body, over her breasts and stomach before moving them back up. She could still feel his touches on her skin and it turned her on immensely.

  “I think that’s my job. Although, that is probably the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Ethan said walking in from the bathroom, stark naked.

  She smiled up at him, her eyes dark with desire. He pushed the covers off of her and positioned himself between her legs, kissing her lightly on the lips. She wrapped her hands in his hair, deepening their kiss, her tongue taking ownership of his as he ground his growing erection against her. It had been a while since he had been intimate with anyone and he had never had an experience where he had had intercourse more than once in the course of the night.

  Ethan’s life was extremely busy with work. He started early and ended late. He knew he had a lot to prove, being next in line for the throne, a position that came with a lot of responsibility. Relationships were few and far between. He had actually hoped that when his father made him come to the Bahamas to personally meet with an investor, one that had indicated he was leaving their firm, that he would have a bit of a break. Unfortunately, the meetings had not gone well, and his father would be disappointed. But that was nothing new. Meeting Summer had made the entire trip worthwhile. Perhaps he would extend his time on the island a little more. He pulled away from her, just slightly.

  “I think I’m going to extend my stay, Ms. O’Neal,” he muttered against her lips.

  Summer giggled with excitement, causing her body to rub against his in just the right way. She reached down and started stroking him as he nuzzled his face in her neck and moaned. This was exactly what she had hoped for. More time with him. She was confident that the more they got to know one another the better it would be. That once he loved her as she loved him it wouldn’t matter where she worked.

  “You’re going to kill me, woman!” he exclaimed as he reached for a condom on the nightstand. He sat up on his knees, rolling the condom down his length. He smiled at the woman who was literally taking his breath away. As he entered her, his lips hovered above hers. “But I can’t imagine a better way to go.”

  “Neither can I,” Summer whispered as their lips touched once again.

  ~*~

  Ethan walked to the door to allow room service in. He directed the waiter to set up at the table and looked toward the bathroom where Summer was getting ready for the day. They had showered earlier that morning after making love and then sat on the patio in their robes and slippers, courtesy of the Cove Resort, while sipping coffee and planning the day’s activities. They had stayed out there for almost an hour until they both decided that they were starving and called for room service. After the waiter left, with a sizeable tip, Ethan went to his computer. He wanted to try to rent a helicopter for the day. As he was perusing online, his phone rang. When he saw who it was, he sighed, not wanting to answer it.