“Then tonight.”
“What’s that, baby?”
“We’ll start chasing it . . . the dream.”
“I’m doing that now. Let’s sleep.” I kissed the back of her head and listened for a few minutes until her breaths became even.
Dozing off, I could hear thunder in the distance and a slow patter of rain against the window. The room got darker and the constant sound of the droplets against the window, along with Ava in my arms, made falling asleep pure bliss.
In the evening, a light from the bathroom awoke me. The water in the bathtub was running and I could see the blur of Ava’s body moving about. When I entered the bathroom, she was completely naked, bent over the faucet of the huge sunken tub, testing the water temperature.
I came up behind her and smoothed my hand over her backside. She stood up straight, surprised at my presence. I pulled her against me and she let her neck fall to the side, giving me full access. I kissed the space below her ear and felt her relax against my body. Finally, she turned out of my embrace to face me. “It rained a lot today,” she said as she moved in and kissed the hollow of my neck.
“Yes. It’s still raining now.”
She hummed lightly against my chest. “The rain is good.”
“After the bath, I think we should sit on the veranda and wait until the rain stops.”
“What will we do after the rain?”
“After the rain, you’ll make a decision. I want you to come back with me, when you’re ready of course, but I want you to live with me.”
She made no indication that she would say yes or no.
In the bathtub she said few words. I sat behind her, caressing her arm and kissing her shoulder and neck. “What are you thinking about?” I asked.
“I was just thinking that the odds are pretty good that you won’t kill yourself.”
“People would start getting suspicious, don’t you think?”
The sweet sound of her laugh echoed in the bathroom. “I’ve never laughed about it because it’s so tragic.”
“It really was a tragedy that Jake wasn’t equipped to overcome that kind of adversity, but you’re still here.” It was quiet again. She didn’t respond. “Is fear the only thing holding you back? Please tell me it has nothing to do with that night I left you at the restaurant.”
“Nothing is holding me back. I’m here with you, in your arms.”
“But you haven’t told me how you feel.”
“You said after the rain.”
She turned and straddled me and it wasn’t long before there was water sloshing and spilling over the edges. I looked at her warm, smooth skin in the dim light and watched as little droplets of water trickled down to the buds of her breasts. I licked and sucked and then pulled her forcefully against me. “I want you in the bed,” I growled.
She whimpered but didn’t answer so I stood, rather clumsily, and lifted her out of the tub at the same time. I marched to the bed with her in my arms, sopping wet, and laid her down. She giggled but her smile disappeared quickly when she saw how serious I was. Her nipples were hard. I pressed my hand against the center of her chest and felt that her skin was very hot. I hovered over her as she looked up at me with big brown eyes. “What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Just looking at you.” I grabbed her from behind the thighs and pulled her to the edge of the bed so she was open to me. I stood between her open legs, watching her chest rise and fall with her hurried breaths, her black hair wet and trailing above her. Slowly, she lifted her arms above her head, presenting her body to me. Her back arched off the bed and her knees fell to the sides as she opened herself wider to me. My heart was racing, all of the blood in my body rushing to the center. She looked away from me to the side. Even with no makeup on, her cherry lips stood out brightly against her skin.
“Look at me.” She looked back up as I bent and kissed each breast, my hands resting on her hips. She seemed uneasy. Her eyes looked urgent. “What is it?”
“You have to touch me.” I could feel her heat against my thigh and her body bucked slightly toward me. She wanted me and I was teasing her, making her wait. I stood up straight. Hovering over her, I placed my index finger on her belly and ran it south very lightly until I was touching her soft flesh. Her eyes closed and she turned her head away again.
“Open your eyes, Ava. I want to see you.”
I plunged two fingers in and let my thumb draw circles until she was writhing against me. I could feel her falling apart as her body tightened around my fingers. Just before she came, her back arched again, her eyelids fluttered, and her mouth opened in awe. I removed my hand and barreled into her while her body was still quaking from the orgasm. My hands met hers above her head, holding her in place as I moved in and out. She relaxed, letting me find a rhythm. Her hands gripped my sides, pulling me closer, her lips near my ear, kissing and sucking and making sweet sounds until I felt her reaching the pinnacle again. Arching her body into me, she went rigid. I could feel her release pulsing all around me. She came over and over until I finished, and then I collapsed on top of her. Both of our bodies were coated in sweat. I kissed her for a long time and then moved down her neck until I fell asleep, gripping her body to mine.
When we woke, the rain had stopped. We went out onto the veranda wearing matching black hotel robes. The sun peeked through the clouds.
She leaned over the balcony ledge to look out as I wrapped my arms around her from behind. “Please talk to me.”