“You were right,” she said as he looked up at her, “that really was amazing,” she finished with a wink.

  He watched as she grabbed the snorkeling gear and put it on, exactly as he had instructed. She then slid into the water with ease. It took him a moment to gather his senses before he too was geared up and in the water. He swam up beside her, and as she turned to him, he saw the unbridled joy of someone experiencing something beautiful for the first time.

  ~*~

  It was two in the morning and Masen was still wired. They had arrived back at the cabin a little after midnight and Zoe had immediately crashed out on his bed, exhausted from the day’s activities. They had spent several hours snorkeling. Zoe had never done it before and was completely captivated with everything, which had been mesmerizing to witness.

  He scrolled through the hundreds of pictures he had taken of her, enhancing and editing. He never took pictures of the women he spent time with, but as he looked at Zoe on his screen, he realized she was different, that he wanted to keep a part of her with him. He stopped on one picture and smiled. After snorkeling, they had eaten lunch and then went for a hike around some of the cliffs. Zoe was clearly not an adventurer because she tripped a few times but never gave up or wanted to quit. He leaned back, crossing his arms as he examined the picture. Zoe was lying on the blanket he had brought with them. Her arm was covering her eyes. He remembered her chest heaving slightly as her knees bent, reddened where she had fallen. She looked so vulnerable and it invoked a strong desire in him to take care of her. He glanced toward the bedroom again before turning back to the pictures. The day had been fantastic. He loved spending time with her. As he contemplated what to do later that day, he heard footsteps approaching.

  “Masen,” a mumbled voice behind him said.

  He turned in his seat to face her. She was a perfectly disheveled mess wearing only her underwear and his undershirt. Her hair was sticking out all over the place and she was rubbing her eyes, clearly not awake. She was beautiful and sexy, and he wondered briefly if this was what it would be like all the time. Would she be this adorable on a daily basis?

  “Hey baby, you okay?” he finally asked.

  She nodded. “Do you want me to sit up with you?” She inquired with a big yawn.

  He smiled wider and stood, quickly lifting her and cradling her in his arms. “Nah, let’s go to bed, sexy girl.”

  Zoe snorted a laugh and rested her head against his chest, feeling herself being lulled back to sleep by the hypnotic cadence of his heart. He laid her down, waking her again and snuggled next to her, drawing the blankets over them. As much as he wanted to make love to her, he didn’t even try. This was better he thought. Soon he felt her breathing shift and smiled as he kissed the top of her head. It hadn’t taken her long to fall completely asleep and into dreams of a beautiful, underwater oasis and the handsome surfer who had shown her the way.

  13 Ridin’ the Waves

  T he sun beat down on the young couple as they stood on the shore of the private beach outside of Masen’s rented cabin. It was a perfect day. The gentle breeze blew Zoe's hair around her face, as the sun kissed her tanning skin. She was a vision that he was having trouble ignoring.

  “So, will I eventually get in the water?” Zoe asked sarcastically.

  “Behave,” Masen smirked and slapped her rear.

  “Owww,” she exclaimed, glancing at him over her shoulder.

  He stood behind her on his board, drawing his body completely flush to hers. His hands moved up her sides and under her arms lifting them straight out. He then moved his leg slightly, forcing her right foot to move forward and then brought his hands to her waist, making her crouch into the perfect surfer’s stance. He slowly rubbed his crotch against her rear, chuckling at her sharp intake of breath. He then stepped off the board, so she could balance on her own. Zoe immediately missed their connection.

  They had been at it for over an hour. She had asked him if he could teach her how to surf. Needless to say, Masen jumped at the opportunity. He was an excellent and thorough teacher, but unfortunately, Zoe was uncoordinated. He had told her she needed to get the stance perfected before he would consider taking her out on the water. Something which seemed to be taking forever. He approached the nose of the board and kneeled, looking up at her with a playful yet lustful gaze.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  She nodded as he placed his hands on the rails of the board and started rocking it. Zoe rolled with the motion, shifting her arms for balance as Masen’s eyes lit up. This was the first time she had done it where she hadn’t landed on her rear after a minute. He rocked the board a little more and she wobbled but kept in position. Ecstatic, he jumped up and lifted her so that he could kiss her.

  “You did it! That was perfect.”

  “I have a good teacher,” she smiled against his lips.

  They heard clapping in the distance and both turned their heads to the right, seeing Cory and some others whooping and hollering. Zoe was slightly embarrassed, unaware that they had an audience. That was quickly dismissed however as Masen turned back to her, running his hands up her back.

  “Let’s practice a few more times okay?”

  Zoe nodded. She couldn’t imagine anything he asked of her that she didn’t want to do, or at least try. After the fifth time without falling off the board, Masen kissed her lightly on the lips, pulling her body close to his. She breathed in deeply at his close proximity.

  “You ready to try it for real?”

  “Yes!” Zoe exclaimed, giddy with excitement.

  He smiled and pecked her lips once more before taking her hand and moving her off the board. He grabbed both of their surfboards and brought them to the edge of the shore. He smiled at her before stepping into the cool water, one board on each side of him. He set them down and turned his head toward her with a playful, yet seductive smile on his face. Zoe grinned at the fact that he looked like he was on a photoshoot of some sort.

  “Come on, baby,” he beckoned her.

  She nodded and dipped her feet into the water. It was frigid, but she was wearing a wet suit which shielded her from the iciness of the water. The wetsuit was something that Masen had insisted on because mornings in the ocean could get dangerously cold if one was unprepared. At first, she didn’t want to wear it, but Masen said he would be wearing his as well. She couldn’t believe he could still look handsome in something that basically covered him completely. Either way, she was thankful for the protection the suit provided her.

  “Just lay down, Zoe, and copy my movement,” he said, gliding onto his board. “We’re going to paddle out.”

  She nodded eagerly and mimicked his movements, one arm over the other in a freestyle motion. She hesitated only slightly as she watched the muscles on his back and shoulders flex through his wetsuit. He was so perfectly gorgeous that it was distracting. He moved effortlessly through the water, his second home, or perhaps more truthfully it was his first.

  In the time they had spent together they had not talked about their lives in general. He had told her yesterday that it was better that they didn’t know too much about one another. In a way, she was happy about that as it might make it easier for her after she left the island to let him go. But there was a large part of her that really wanted to get to know him better. What he liked or disliked, his favorite foods and bands. This part of her wanted to know everything there was to know about him and was disappointed that she wouldn’t get the chance.

  “Okay, Zoe, get on your board like we practiced,” he said, drawing her out of her thoughts.

  She took a deep breath and slowly tried to raise herself up onto the board. Unfortunately, it tilted with the motion of the waves, causing her to drop into the water’s depths. Masen quickly slid off his board and into the water to help her. She felt his arms wrap around her body as he brought her to the surface again. She gasped, taking in the air, and trying to fill her lungs after the unexpected fall.

  “Are you alright?” he asked concerned.

  “Yeah,” she said coughing a bit. “This is a lot harder than I thought it would be,” she said, her previous enthusiasm waning.

  “Well, baby, if it was easy, everyone would do it.” He kissed her forehead and smiled. “Let’s try again okay?”

  Zoe nodded and crawled on the board and tried to rise only to once again fall into the ocean. She was trying not to be discouraged. She wanted to get this. By the fourth time, she was finally able to maneuver up successfully. She breathed in deeply as she saw the wave approaching. She could hear Masen’s steady, encouraging words, telling her to ride with the wave, not to be afraid of it.

  “If you get knocked off, just relax and allow your body to float to the top,” he said expertly. “And don’t panic, baby. If you go down, I’ll go down with you.”

  She nodded as the wave took her with it. Just having Masen behind her, knowing he would help her, made her feel confident. She crouched just slightly as she balanced herself on the surface of the wave. It felt unreal to be doing this. It was exhilarating and scary, but it also felt liberating in a way she never knew was possible. Before this moment, she thought surfers were a bit out there, she didn’t understand their fascination with this sport but now, well, now she understood deep within her soul. She got it! There’s such a fine balance between man and nature and riding this wave made her realize that she and the wave were indeed one. It could crush her or cradle her if she let it.

  “I am one with the wave,” she thought to herself.

  As the wave died and she approached the shore she jumped off the board, screaming and raising her arms in triumph. She turned quickly to see that Masen was running up to her. The look of joy and happiness on his face was palpable. She jumped on him, her arms wrapped around his neck tightly as he swung her around while both laughed excitedly. Adrenaline coursed through her as her lips found his. They kissed intensely, both caught in the moment and when she pulled away, her face was euphoric.

  “Let’s do it again,” she said with zest.

  “You got it, baby,” he replied with equal parts admiration and arousal.

  Watching her ride her first wave was the best foreplay imaginable, but seeing her face light up like it just was, was probably the pinnacle of his trip. He had seen many girls surf and even helped many do it, but Zoe was different. Everything about his experience with her so far had taken him to places he had never been before.

  “Come on,” she yelled as she snatched her surfboard up and headed toward the water.

  They paddled out again. “Ride that wave, baby,” he smirked as she rose on her board and caught the next wave.

  They surfed for the remainder of the day. With each try Zoe got better and better. She did wipe out a few times but that didn’t deter her in any way. That was one of the many things he liked about her. She never gave up. When they had finally decided to call it a night, they approached the shore to find Cory and a couple of the other guys heading their way. Masen picked up the towel on the ground and wrapped it around Zoe, giving Cory a head nod as they approached.

  “You looked great, Zoe,” Cory said with a wide smile. “You’re a natural.”

  Masen frowned as his posture stiffened with anger. He knew he had no real claim to Zoe as she wasn’t his girlfriend, but he was still upset. He didn’t like the idea of someone else flirting with her, especially right in front of him. He was filled with jealousy, something he was unaccustomed to. He narrowed his eyes and shot Cory a look that said back off. Before he could say anything, he felt Zoe’s arm wrap around his waist. She squeezed him, and he shifted his eyes to her. She gave him a shy smile and he started to relax immediately.

  “Thanks, but the student is only as good as the teacher and I had the best teacher imaginable,” Zoe said not taking her eyes off of Masen.

  Masen smiled and kissed the top of her head while Cory and the others laughed and nodded. Cory had realized quickly that he had overstepped himself as he watched Masen’s posture change dramatically. He was glad that Zoe had jumped in as it left him free to back off without any trouble. Even though he thought Zoe was extremely beautiful he knew that Masen wanted her and as such would never approach her in that way because of it.

  “Hey, we’re having a bonfire and grillin’,” he advised them. “You guys should come over.”

  Zoe glanced up at Masen who gave her a quizzical look, asking with his eyes what she wanted to do. She wanted to spend time with him, but she was also starving and didn’t want to cook. She figured maybe they could hang at the bonfire for a little while, eat and then take off. She nodded a miniscule amount and Masen turned to Cory again.

  “Give us a minute to change and we’ll be right over.”

  ~*~

  Zoe was stuffed. She had eaten way more than she had intended and now she was practically falling asleep. It didn’t help that Masen was lying back on a lounge chair with her between his legs. He had just finished gently massaging her shoulders and she was now against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. The fire was warm and inviting and the conversations had been great. She had learned all about the world of surfing but now she was starting to fade out, completely at ease and at peace.

  “She’s pretty cool,” Cory said taking a swig of his beer.

  Masen nodded, allowing his arm to cross over her shoulder. He had never been with anyone like her and for the first time in his life he wondered what it would be like to have a relationship with someone. After all, she lived in New York. He had a home in New York. Hell, he was supposed to take on the family business there. He wondered if their paths would actually cross if he was in the same city as her. Would she want to be with him if she knew who his family was? He sighed as doubt began to set in.

  “Baby, let’s go home,” he whispered in her ear, shocked at how normal and right it sounded.

  “Okay,” Zoe hummed, not wanting to move from his loving embrace. Her head tilted up as her lips found his.

  14 Sunset Confessions

  M asen brushed his hair back as his phone started to buzz. He glanced down and picked it up to see he had a new email message. He wasn’t expecting anything as he rarely got email, so he figured he better check to make sure it wasn’t something important. When he opened it, his heart dropped a bit. United Airlines was advising him that he was now able to check in online for his flight leaving tomorrow morning. He dropped the phone down and stepped back from the sink, bringing his hands to his hair and breathing in deeply. Normally, by the last day, he was evaluating how the week went and planning his next conquest. Instead, he felt uneasy and unsure. His heart felt an ache inside that he wasn’t sure what to do with. He heard movement in the bedroom and took a deep breath before exiting the bathroom.

  “Zoe, I was thinking maybe we could go check out…” he started to say but Zoe placed her fingers on his lips, stopping him. She closed her eyes and her brows furrowed.

  “Why don’t we just…” her eyes opened as she looked at him uneasily, “stay here?”

  “You don’t want to explore the island?” he asked with a quick kiss to the pad of the fingers over his lips.

  Zoe shook her head as he entwined his fingers with hers. She was already feeling a bleakness developing in the pit of her stomach. The heartbreak that she knew she would feel tomorrow starting to stir. But she would hold off on it and enjoy the time they had together. This was their last day and she wanted to spend it entirely with him, just the two of them on their own private beach in paradise.

  “We could surf and just hang out here. Didn’t you say there was a cove nearby?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty nice too.”

  “Then tonight, I can cook for us,” she continued, hoping he would feel the same.

  He smiled. “I like that plan,” he said with a heartfelt kiss.

  He pushed her back against the wall as his mouth enveloped hers. He wasn’t sure what would happen when he left tomorrow but he decided he wouldn’t focus on that. No, he was planning on concentrating completely on Zoe today. Nothing else mattered. He ground his hips against her, hearing her whimpered approval. Grabbing her leg, he jerked it up while simultaneously moving one hand over her rear. His mouth went to her neck as her hands gripped his hair.

  “I want you so much right now,” he groaned against her skin.

  “I’m yours,” Zoe whispered, fighting back the tears that were threatening.

  He grunted and lifted her other leg, which she proceeded to wrap around his waist. Their mouths touched, both kissing each other deeply. As their kiss intensified, he could feel his body responding to her and knew he needed to be inside her again. He stumbled as he made a desperate attempt to get them in the bedroom where the condoms were. Zoe was not helping the matter as she continued to grind her hips against him while pulling on his hair, moaning into his mouth. Neither would speak what they were feeling, but both felt it. Every kiss, every touch was precious as it was close to being their last.

  “Hurry, Masen,” Zoe cried out as she felt his hand move from her rear.

  He growled as they landed on the bed, hands moving wildly to remove their pants, needing to be joined once again. When he finally entered her, they both cried out, mouths and tongues moving forcefully against each other. His hips pounded against her, their need for each other becoming more and more apparent. In the midst of it all, Zoe forced him to roll on his back as she straddled his hips, swaying against him with the force of a strong current. Masen stared up at the beautiful woman above him and knew he wanted more from her. That, for once in his life, he actually cared about someone he was with. He realized with certainty that this was not an island fling. As if she could read his thoughts, she reached her hands out, motioning for him to sit up. When he did, she flattened her feet on the bed and draped her arms over his shoulders. The frenzy from only moments before subsided as she kissed him softly, lovingly. She assured him without words that she felt the same way. Her fingers played with his hair as she continued to gently move against him.