Snacks? Check.

Cell phone? Check.

Sunscreen and tanning oil? Check.

I headed for the living room again, walking in small circles beneath the twirling ceiling fan.

Alright. That's it.

Sadly, I could no longer wait. I picked up my tote bag from the kitchen and hurried out the front door, locking it behind me.

In no time I was in Theo's driveway, walking past his red, silver, and black bike. My finger ran across the rubber handles, my other hand drifting across the smooth leather of the seat.

"Can you believe it's still the same bike?" Theo's deep voice sounded behind me. It was close, and when I turned, he was only a few feet away, smiling with a bag slugged over his shoulder.

"This is the same one?" My eyes broadened. "The one you were about to..." I cut my sentence short. I refused to bring up the night he almost destroyed this "toy" of his.

"Yep." Grinning, he walked around me, placing his bag inside one of the leather saddlebags attached to the sides. "I like to keep up with my toys."

"Wait." I held my hands up, looking from him to the bike and then him again. "We're taking Ol' Charlie?"

"h.e.l.l yeah!" He swung his left leg over the seat and sat, the bottom of his boots landing on the concrete. He grabbed the helmets hooked on the handlebars and put his on before handing me a solid black one. When I accepted it, he steadied the bike and gripped the handles. Then he looked my way, saying, "Come on, Little Knight. Boat's waiting."

I stood, wide-eyed for a several seconds, as I held the helmet to my chest. Never had I ridden on Theo's motorcycle. When Izzy and I were younger, he refused to take us on a ride until we were sixteen or older, but when we turned sixteen, we were no longer interested in taking a ride on his bike-well, let me rephrase that. Izzy was no longer interested in riding her dad's bike, but I would have been willing and ready if the conversation of a bike ride with Theo Black ever arose.

Theo patted the spot behind him, his brown eyes warm and welcoming. Unable to prevent my toothy, child-like grin, I strapped on the helmet and hopped on.

I made sure my tote bag was secure between us, and then I snaked my arms around his solid waist. When I was settled, he brought the engine to life. At first I thought his body was vibrating from the rumble of the bike, but it turned out he was laughing, glancing over his shoulder as he reversed the bike down the driveway and the wheels touched the street.

"Ready?" he asked, peering over his shoulder.

"A little nervous," I admitted.

"Don't be. I've been doing this bike riding thing for years." He caressed the back of my hand for a short second and then pulled away, gripping the handlebars again. I looked to my left, at my house.

Margie and Dad were walking out the front door. She a.s.sisted him, most likely telling him to be careful. Dad had no clue what was going on, following her lead.

Margie looked up, eyes averting from me to Theo in less than two seconds. Theo happened to look as well. "Caregiver?" he asked over the deep grumble of the engine.

"Yes. She's nice. Don't worry."

"Hmm." He smiled at her. She returned a wary one. I gave Margie an a.s.suring grin, and when Theo asked if I was all good, I excitedly nodded my head, and he took off, leaving Primrose and Margie's line of sight.

Something about that little stare of hers made my stomach churn. It was almost like this woman could read the future, but if she could only understand that this was just a temporary thing, she wouldn't have been so worried.

I figured I knew what I was doing, and I knew Theo would be okay with me leaving once this was all over. I was riding it out, taking each day as it came. I wanted to talk with Margie more about this, but until then, I decided to forget about it.

I pressed my cheek to Theo's back, the wind causing my flat-ironed hair to flap wildly. A wave of comfort washed through me as I felt his muscles tense and then relax when he made a turn or came to a stop.

Theo was a natural at this, owning this bike of many years. He rode through Bristle Wave casually, pa.s.sing by cars, large trucks, and even pedestrians, some whom may have secretly envied us.

I could get used to this. I really could.

It took about fifteen minutes to reach the docks. Theo parked his bike in the lot a short distance away and then kicked the kick stand out. Once he helped me off, he opened the compartment and pulled out his bag. I stepped back, my legs like Jell-O, but the rest of my body completely relaxed.

"Liked the bike ride?" he asked, grabbing my hand and leading the way to the docks.

I looked up at him. "It was surprisingly fun."

It didn't take too long to get to his boat. We crossed two paths of wooden decks, and a white boat with black sails appeared. On the hull, in red print, were the words Dirty Black. Fitting.

"This is yours?" I asked, astonished as we stepped aboard. The boat swayed with the added weight.

Theo stepped onto the boat with poise, his cheek quirked up as he met my gaze. "All mine."

I looked from him to the wooden two-top table in the corner. "You said it was something simple-something to get you from point A to B."

"It is!" he laughed.

"No." I shook my head. "This is a d.a.m.n party boat." And really, it was. It was ma.s.sive. The polished wooden deck was ahead; I could spot it from a mile away. Big enough for a college crowd. There was a table and a cozy, cushioned bench in the corner, suitable to seat at least four.

"It's a cruising boat. Got it for a steal from Old Dane."

"Who used to work at Dane's? Didn't know you still kept up with him."

"Yep." His eyes lit up. "Wanna check out the inside?"

"Sure."

Theo walked around his bag and led the way down four stairs in the center. When the soles of my sandals landed on polished wood, I was completely mesmerized. It was perfect.

A curved sofa, black leather with glossy wood grain trim, hugged the wall. Sunlight filtered in from a rectangular window above it. A brown table was in front of the sofa with a short booth in the near corner. Dirty Black even had a small kitchen behind the lounging area, equipped with a small black mini fridge, a microwave, and marble countertops. This thing had to have cost him an arm and a leg.

"Sound system is over there." He pointed to my left. I spotted the gla.s.s case, a black music player in the cubby. "Used to have a TV, but it messed up."

"What happened to it?"

He shrugged. "No clue. The screen just went blank while I was watching the World Cup a few weeks ago."

"d.a.m.n. I bet that sucked."

He walked towards me. "It was h.e.l.l. It took me thirty minutes just to get back home. By the time I made it, the game was over." He pressed his lips. "You win some, you lose some."

"What exactly do you do on this boat?"

He looked around. "Chill and think." He paused. "I spend a lot of quality time with myself here. Used to watch games but... well, you know." He held his hands out, giving me one of his usual s.h.i.t happens gestures.

"Is it always just... you on here?"

He blinked, confused by what I meant at first, but his expression changed when it registered. "Oh." He scratched the scruff on his chin. "No. You're the first woman to be on my boat-the first person really." His forced out an uneasy laugh.

"Wow..." I was impressed. And pleased. But I couldn't help wondering if Theo was lying just to keep me happy like all men did. Honestly, he had no reason to lie to me. He had no reason to keep me around when this was only temporary. And if he did lie, I couldn't be upset about it. It's not like we were going far anyway.

"Ready to get the h.e.l.l out of here?" he asked as he walked in my direction, running his palm across my shoulder.

"Yeah. I'd love that."

Theo's head slanted downward, and for a second he watched my eyes. His gaze drifted down to my nose, going further down until he stopped at my lips. Then his mouth fully consumed mine. The kiss was sweet like candy; savory like a chocolate cupcake a girl on a diet finally had the chance to eat on cheat day. It was warm and only a little damp.

When he started to pull away, I smiled behind his lips. He focused on mine, blinking slow, reluctant to move. But in order for us to truly be spending time alone and together with no worries, he had to get the boat going.

"f.u.c.k," he breathed, his breath warm as it drifted down the line of my neck. "You're gonna be the death of me, Little Knight." His hand moved down my waist, rounding my a.s.s and squeezing tight. I yelped as he spanked me, and because I wore nothing but a cover up over a bathing suit, I felt the sting.

It excited me even more, and when he pulled away, I wanted to drag him back in and devour him whole. We have to go, Chloe, I told myself. You can get all you want as soon as we're at sea. Just make sure to be extra greedy. So I let him go and sat on the sofa, laughing about my internal thoughts.

It was hard not to be happy around him. With Theo, I felt like the only girl in the world. Around him, I felt like I was floating on cloud nine, wrapped in a high that didn't go away until we were apart. But even while we were apart, I'd still think of him, and although thinking of him wasn't as magnificent as being in his presence, I still felt a draft of that high.

It was d.a.m.n near impossible to believe that, at the end of this, we could never be. I didn't even want to think of how much damage we actually were to each other. We weren't a normal fling. We were unusual, rare and, sadly, the unusualness-the reality-was what stood in the way of complete happiness between us.

After Theo sailed the sea with me by his side, the breeze running through my tresses, he finally came to a stop. As he did, I scoped the area. I saw nothing but water. I glanced to my left. I could barely see Bristle Wave from here. The peaks of the hotels, homes, and towers were all I could make out. Other than that, we were completely alone.

In the middle of the ocean.

Just Theo and me.

The definition of screwed up perfection.

"Theo," I breathed after he picked up the anchor in the corner and dropped it in the water. "This is amazing." I met in front of him as he twisted around. His large hands capped the top of my shoulders, head in an angle. His face was handsome and meek. The black scruff on his jaw and around his mouth made his lips appear so full and kissable.

"Glad you like it, Knight." His tongue ran over his bottom lip, and once he released me, he turned for his bag in the corner. "We have all day," he sighed, digging through it and pulling out a gla.s.s bottle of Hennessy. My eyes popped as I studied the brown liquor. He shrugged, as if he'd just read my mind. "It's five o' clock somewhere."

Placing the bottle on the tabletop, Theo reached for the hem of his shirt, tugging it over his head. A toned, slender set of abs was exposed. There was proof that he kept up with himself, worked out hard every day and perfected his routine. As he tossed the shirt aside, looking me straight in the eyes, I knew the bottle of brown would be necessary. I had never been alone with Theo like this, in the middle of the ocean, secluded and away from the crazy world we lived in.

While we were out at sea, it was like being on our own private island, with booze, music, and an overabundance of ogling and making out. I didn't mind. I'd wanted this to happen for so long. Now that I had the chance, I wasn't going to ruin it. Quite frankly, nothing could ruin or disturb us. I checked my cellphone and had absolutely no service. I suppose that was a good thing.

Theo poured us drinks on ice, but I started with a bottle of water from the fridge. On the deck, we played a game of chess and then a game of UNO at the table. I whooped him in UNO, but he killed me in chess. Three times.

His laughter was contagious, his aura welcoming. We sat across from each other, most times gazing into each other's eyes, wondering what the other was thinking but other times truly having a good time-laughing, touching, grinning and all.

It was nearing four in the afternoon. We had all day, but I knew sooner or later, one of us would get tired of this boat thing and want to go back for some grub or even some sleep. We indulged in snacks-cheese crackers, honey buns, and potato chips-but it wouldn't be enough for long.

Picking up my gla.s.s of cognac, I took a small sip. The liquid burned as it slid down my throat, but I continued to drink. I felt wonderful around Theo while sober, but with the benefit of this drink, I knew I would feel incredible. I drank until my short gla.s.s was empty, and when Theo came back down the stairs, he looked right at me.

He noticed something was different. Quickly, his brown eyes moved to the empty gla.s.s in front of me, and when he realized what had happened, his smile couldn't be prevented.

"My naughty Knight," he said, voice deep as he walked towards me. He stepped in front of me, still without a shirt. My eyes traveled down the length of his body, stopping right on the deep lines leading to his shorts. Reaching down, he gripped my hands and brought me to a stand. I didn't dare stop him.

With stifled breath, I watched as he observed me, his hand gliding down my back, landing right on my plump a.s.s. "I've been dying to know what's beneath this dress." His voice was low now. With ease, his fingers curled around the bottom of my white cover-up dress.

Bringing it higher, he gradually exposed the curve of my a.s.s, my waist, and then my bosom. I lifted my hands, helping him get the dress off. He placed it on top of the table, but those smoldering brown eyes never left me. They roamed my slim body, a hunger present now.

"My f.u.c.king goodness." I absorbed the growl, his deep tone. He fought to hold onto restraint, keeping his hands steady as they pressed on the small of my back, right above my hips.

"What?" I whispered, voice faint. I no longer felt wonderful. I felt incredible. The drink had hit me. Hard. Ugh, I was such a lightweight.

"Tell me something," he said, the tip of his nose skidding across my cheek, lips so close to my ear I could feel the heat of them. "Did you wear this for me or were you really planning to tan on my deck?"

"I wanted to tan," I said, feeling his mouth move to the crook of my neck. "Then I realized I forgot sunscreen. But I can't lie," I murmured. "This may have also been for you."

Theo chuckled, finding my response humorous. "I don't think you're gonna get around to tanning today, baby. The sun will be long gone by the time I'm done with you."

He leaned back, and the restraint he'd just had went flying out of Dirty Black's window. His hands clutched my waist, and he swooped me up, my back hitting the plush cushion of the sofa.

My patience failed me. I stuck my hands downward and unb.u.t.toned his jeans, feeling as he searched for the clasp that kept my bathing suit bound at the top. Once he snagged the strap, my b.r.e.a.s.t.s bounced, on full display. He focused on them for a brief moment, eyes hooded. His thumb fiddled with my right nipple, and I sighed. Then, greedily, he sucked, his mouth going around my nipple and tugging with a gentle graze of his teeth until the flesh hardened. My moan was heavy as he moved to the other, licking and lapping his tongue around it, mouth sealing to capture a full taste.

Once they were just the way he wanted them to be-solid, pointed, and erect-his head came up, and he towered above me. He watched as I slid his jeans down, hovering above my full b.r.e.a.s.t.s, eyes blazing.

"This won't be quick, Chloe," he said, lowering his face. In my ear, he breathed, "I'm taking my time with you while I have you out here." Fingers slid across the slit between my legs. My body jolted, and a faint smile touched his lips as he went on. "You can moan as loud as you want. Scream, if that's what you wanna do. But what you will not do is hold back." He gripped my face in his hands, brown eyes hard. "Understand, baby?"

My teeth sank into my bottom lip, a mix of a sigh and a groan filling my throat, and instead of speaking, I nodded. But I wanted to shout yes to the rooftops repeatedly.

Pleased with my response, Theo flashed a crooked smile, and his body started to lower, trailing down, damp kisses dropping on my skin. He took my bathing suit down with him, lifting my hips with ease and sliding the one-piece down my legs.

I was completely naked before him when the suit was gone. He looked me over, studying the pink opening between my thighs. He observed it for a while, and I realized he'd never seen me in the light, so up close and personal with nothing to hold him back.

No time to limit us.

No one to bother.

He liked what he saw.

I may have purposely shaved for him the night before, knowing what was in store for later.

I could tell he didn't want to look away. See, the thing I knew about Theo was that he was good at this. I was sure he'd done this hundreds of times, but I had no clue what to expect. In a way, he was my professor and I was his student, eager and ready to learn. He was teaching me everything I needed to know, teaching me things about my body that I didn't even know I would be capable of.

Spreading my legs apart, Theo brought me to the edge of the sofa. His knees. .h.i.t the floor and he bent over in front of me, head between my knees. A soft kiss was placed on my pubic bone. I shuddered, feeling his warm breath slither through the damp opening.

He looked up, brown eyes focusing on me. Then, one of his thick fingers slid in, diving deep. A sharp breath pa.s.sed by my parted lips, and I adjusted my hips, moving closer to his face. He didn't budge. He fingered deeper, producing soft moans.

I swallowed hard, shutting my eyes, seizing each feel so I could remember later on.

"Don't look away from me, Chloe," Theo commanded, eyes trained on me as he shifted. "I need you to look at me while I taste you-while I eat this glorious, wet p.u.s.s.y like it's my only meal of the day. Can you do that?" I nodded, my eyes popping open again. "Answer me, baby. Speak." His voice still held an edge of demand. "You know I love hearing you."

"Yes," I breathed.

His finger came out and ran up to my c.l.i.t. He pressed on it, and I bucked a little. He chuckled. "I've been dying to taste this sweet p.u.s.s.y for years, you know that?" His question was rhetorical. With hungry, fierce eyes, Theo watched me as I writhed around two fingers now. His nose ran up my thigh, and when he adjusted himself, his nostrils flared. "I hate stalling."

And then he devoured, his tongue pressing on my delicate nub. He circled it with no manners at all, fingers driving deeper, curling just enough for me to feel him inside and out.