Rescue Me(41)

She shook her head. "Don't. Let's not talk about it. I want to enjoy this day."

"Me too," he said, still staring at her so hard that she almost felt the need to avert her eyes. "Let's get out on the water."

Feeling comfortable on the boat after two weeks of learning to sail, she helped him get the boat out of the slip. They fell into a companionable silence and natural rhythm as they maneuvered the boat together into open water. She took over the helm while he worked the sails, setting them on a clear path toward a little rock cove they'd discovered one day earlier in the week.

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, and she leaned back into his chest, savoring the mix of the spicy scent of his body with the salty sting of the sea. "You're pretty amazing, you know that?" he murmured into her hair.

"Mmm, tell me more."

He laughed. "I've just never seen someone take to sailing so quickly. You're a natural."

"You're not half bad yourself," she joked, trying to keep the mood light, but it was hard with her heart in her throat. She couldn't shake the knowledge that this could be the last time she'd be with him.

They stayed like that in each other's arms as they sailed out to the tiny cove a couple miles out. It had a little grotto that offered just enough shade.

"Have you eaten?" he asked her as he moved away to drop anchor.

"No. I know I should have."

"That's perfect. I brought some food."

He pulled a small cooler out from under a bench seat and secured it to a life ring. Once he tested the ropes, he lowered it into the water. "Come on."

She looked at him curiously. "What are we doing?"

"Having a picnic." Then he kicked off his shoes and dove straight off the edge of the boat into the emerald waves.

She stared at him dubiously. "In the water?"

"No, in the grotto. Jump in, it's fine."

With a deep breath, she removed her hat, tank, and shorts. Even from atop the boat she could see his eyes heat up at the sight of her in nothing but a string bikini. Before she had time to think better of it, she dove into the water, surfacing near him and sputtering. "It's freezing!"

Cole laughed. "We are a bit further out here, so yeah. Come on, keep moving and you'll warm up."

She felt like she'd jumped into a pool of ice cubes, but she forced herself to kick and swim the short distance to the rock jutting out of the sea. Cole swam next to her, pulling the rope attached to the life ring. When they reached the grotto, she hefted herself up onto a ledge and helped Cole lift the cooler. He sprang effortlessly from the water to stand beside her.

"Let's go in here," he said, extending a hand and pulling her to her feet, then taking the cooler. She followed him through the mouth of the grotto and was surprised to find a small pool inside surrounded by a narrow ledge.

They sat on it and Meredith reached for the cooler, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled it to his lips. "Dessert first," he suggested.

"Is there any other way?" she responded, melting into his arms.

He pulled her onto his lap and dropped a trail of feather-light kisses from her jaw to her shoulder, then continued further down until his mouth hovered a breath away from her breast. Slipping a finger inside her top, he caressed her nipple into a tight peak then bit it gently between his teeth.

Crying out, Meredith rubbed her hips against him, needing to be closer. Needing to be as close as two people could possibly be. Cole took his time untying her swimsuit and tossed it aside.

She wrapped her legs tightly around him, feeling him harden beneath the thin fabric of her bikini bottom. "I need you now," she breathed.

He growled and pulled the strings, leaving her completely naked. Gripping her tightly, he shoved off the edge of the rock and they plunged into the water of the grotto's pool.

She squealed, shocked at the movement, but he landed gently on his feet and lowered her to hers. It was shallow, only waist deep, and warmer than the water outside.

Her hands fumbled with his shorts, needing to feel nothing between them but the warm, lapping water. She finally managed to get them off, and as he sprang free, she marveled again at how he was always ready for her. She loved that his appetite for her was just as insatiable as hers.

Running her hands up his chest, she pulled his mouth down to hers and let all her roiling emotions of the past twenty-four hours spill forth in that kiss. She clung to him as if her life depended on it, and in a way it did. This was their last day and she wanted to experience every minute of it without holding back.

As she let her passion break free, he ran his hands down her body and teased her with his fingers before plunging them into her. Her head fell to his shoulder and she came hard and fast, her need so desperate that she couldn't hang on. Her cries filled the cavern of the grotto as she pulsed around his fingers.

She tilted her head back and found him staring at her with that same intensity he'd had on the boat.

"Meredith," he said, his voice strained.

She felt a flood of tears tightening her throat as he looked at her like she was the most perfect being in the world. She wouldn't cry and ruin it all now. She would make this their most memorable day.

She pressed her face back against his chest briefly and let her fingers roam, exploring his body as she lavished his chest with hot kisses, alternating with tiny nips. She could feel his body tensing and tightening, flexing in her hand while she stroked him.