Into Thin Air Read online

  “Lucky for me then. I get to be the only one who makes you beam like that.” I kiss her softly.

  “You’re the only one who’s ever made me happy like this, and it’s not because of the gift or because we’re on vacation.” She looks down. “I don’t care that we just met, Sam. My feelings for you don’t scare me.”

  I lift her chin so she’ll look at me. “I don’t know what’s happening between us, either, Ellie, but I like it. Please tell me it doesn’t have to end.”

  “Never. Ever.”

  Chapter 11

  Ellie

  “You have such a cute belly button,” Sam says. He circles it with his finger as sand gathers in the center. “You’d look hot with a belly ring.”

  I run my fingers through his seawater-tangled hair. “No way. Piercings aren’t my thing. My ears are pierced, and that’s enough for me. Don’t tell me you have a piercing fetish. Do you have any?” I would’ve seen them when he was naked.

  He rests his chin on my stomach and traces the infinity symbol on my skin with his finger. That’s odd… I love the infinity symbol.

  “Not really. I never got into it like some of my friends. They have a lot of tattoos. My sister has a couple. I don’t want to know if she has any piercings. If I had to choose between the two, I’d get a tattoo. Of what, I have no idea. I’ve dated some women who’ve had some piercings. Some looked good, and then there are places on the body that shouldn’t be pierced. But for some reason, I can see one on you.”

  I point at my wrist. “If I had to get a tattoo it would be of an infinity symbol like you’ve been tracing on my skin.”

  “Really? I didn’t realize I was doing that.”

  “I like how it can represent everlasting love. No beginning and no end. But I already have plenty of tattoos. Look at these freckles all over my body.”

  “They make you special. No matter what you do, I’d still think you’re beautiful. The way you’re lying on the sand right now, with your wavy hair blowing in the breeze and a flower behind one ear, you’re my very own magical mermaid.”

  “Get outta here.” I shove his shoulder playfully. “What about when I was pummeled by that wave today? It knocked me right off my feet in front of you. Where were my fins when I needed them? I had so many pebbles in the bottom of my suit.” I laugh just thinking about it.

  He sits up, then crawls over me, caging me in. Sand sprinkles everywhere like sugar crystals. “Are you saying you don’t believe me?”

  “Your compliments would make any woman swoon. Or maybe roll her eyes.” I giggle. “Well, I’ve only known you for… how many days now? I don’t even know what day it is!”

  “I couldn’t tell you. I haven’t thought about it, and I don’t care,” he confesses.

  We found this little secluded area on the beach away from the hotel earlier today. Now we’re hanging out on the sand away from other people, shaded by two massive palm trees. Giant coconuts hang overhead. All we need is a large hammock to lounge in, but the sand is good too.

  Our days together have blended into each other. I’ve lost track of time, but I would spend twenty-four hours a day with him if I could. When we’re together, we can’t stop holding hands or kissing. We’re always touching in some way or another. When he’s gone, I feel like something is missing.

  Yesterday, Sam surprised me again and took me scuba diving. I told him I’d never done it, so he arranged for us to have private lessons. I was scared at first, because I’m afraid of sharks. But once I was in the ocean, I didn’t want to get out. The coral reef and the unique fish were amazing. And all the colorful seahorses—just fabulous. But experiencing that with Sam topped the cake.

  My heart has never connected to another like it has with him. It’s like I’m addicted to him, but I could never overdose. I don’t know if my heart could survive if we had to part. If I could survive.

  His gentle touch brings me back to the present. His face is so sincere as he says, “I promise that everything I say to you is true. I have no reason to lie to you.” He pecks me on the lips, continues down my neck, and pauses between my breasts. I wrap my arms around his sexy back.

  “I love when you tease me like this. You make me breathless with your powerful lips.” Somehow, I trust him more than most people I know, but I don’t understand why.

  “I’d like to do more than tease you. But that’s for later.”

  I pat him on the butt. “Time for a distraction, then. You never told me what three of your favorite things are. You owe me, mister.”

  He rolls on his side and props his head on his hand. I miss his touch already. “Okay. First one. Sports.”

  “Shocker. I’ve noticed you when you weren’t looking too.” I smirk and he raises his eyebrows. “I saw you playing soccer with a kid the other day. You’ve got some major moves. It doesn’t hurt to watch you without a shirt on, either. Maybe you can show me how to play.”

  “Come on. You see me shirtless every day.”

  “And I sure do love it.” I turn on my side to face him.

  “I saw you, by the way. Behind the palm tree. I thought it was cute as hell.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut. “Oh man. I must’ve looked ridiculous.”

  “It doesn’t matter. It meant you were watching me as much as I was watching you.”

  “Okay. We can both say we’re stalkers. That’s a relief.”

  “I wouldn’t say it like that. We’re two mature adults who were and still are curious about each other.”

  “I like that reasoning. So, back to sports. Do you play in a sports league after work?”

  “You could say that.” He draws a tic-tac-toe board in the sand and marks an X in the middle. “Your turn.”

  I trace a heart instead of an O in one of the corners. “Just promise me you aren’t one of those guys who sits around all weekend drinking beer with his hand in his pants, watching sports shows.”

  “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Would that be a deal breaker?”

  “You’re lucky I have such a crush on you. I might let it slide.”

  He perks up, resting on his elbow. “Only a crush? I think we’re a little bit more than that. Don’t you?”

  “Maybe, maybe not.” He squints at me. “Two can play at this game,” I say.

  He chuckles, then studies the sand and makes his next move.

  “So, sports is one. What’s the second?”

  “Flying.”

  Oh no! Of all things. How can anyone love to fly?

  I prop myself on my elbow. “Wait. Are you a pilot? If you are, your sexy meter has just skyrocketed, but I might have to dump you anyway.”

  We make our next tic-tac-toe moves, but no one wins. He smooths out the sand and draws a new board.

  “I got my pilot’s license a couple of months ago. I don’t want to fly commercial airplanes. I’d rather fly helicopters. It’d be more of a hobby.”

  “I envy anyone who loves to fly anything. I hate flying with a passion, but I do it for my job. And this vacation. You wouldn’t know it by watching me, but I am a quiet mess every time I’m on a stupid plane. I’ve never told anyone this, but I carry a wooden cross necklace my father gave me everywhere I go. Especially when I fly. It protects me.

  “One time I was on a plane and we were landing. Then, right before it touched the ground, we took off again. Can you say heart attack?” I get shaky just thinking about it. “And don’t get me started with turbulence. Even a little bit puts me on edge. I’m kind of glad I was so out of it when I flew here. I don’t remember the flight at all. I felt like a zombie when I woke up on the transfer bus from the airport.”

  A gust of wind blows our way, shuffling the palms above us. I look at the sky and notice dark gray clouds in the distance, slowly approaching the sun.

  Sam grins. “And people like me think people like you are crazy. I love the entire concept of flying and how it works. I get an adrenaline rush every time I take off. There’s nothing like it.” His face lights up like he wo
n a million dollars. I wish I could take his picture, but I take a mental one instead.

  “It might be the safest way to travel, but people die from plane crashes all the time.”

  He tilts his head. “Have you ever been on a helicopter?”

  I lay my head flat on my arm with my eyes closed. “Nope. My stomach is in knots just imagining it.”

  “Does that mean you wouldn’t fly in a helicopter if I were the pilot?” he says with a hint of disappointment.

  “I’ll be honest. I don’t know.”

  “Open your eyes.”

  I open one, then the other.

  “You could bring your cross, but you wouldn’t need it because I’d protect you. You can trust me with your life.”

  “I know you would, but things happen for a reason. If a helicopter or plane is meant to go down, it will. It doesn’t matter who’s flying it. Let’s not talk about it anymore because it’ll make me think about my flight home.” I sit up on my towel and cross my legs. “Since I told you something I’m afraid of, you need to tell me one of your fears. There’s no one-way ticket here.”

  He traces the infinity symbol in the sand with his finger over and over again like he did earlier on my stomach. Then he writes a word next to it, but it’s upside down from where I’m sitting. I’m shocked when I figure out what it says.

  “Death?”

  He erases the word from the sand quickly, as if to extinguish it from the world. “I’m embarrassed to say it. I’m afraid of how I’ll die. Will I suffer? How old will I be? I’ve had this fear ever since I was little. I have no idea why.”

  “Wow. That’s pretty deep. That’s the last thing I would’ve expected.”

  “I’ve never told anyone that before. Not even my sister.”

  I weave my fingers with his. “Thank you for telling me. But why did you?”

  “I don’t know. It felt good to get it out. I know my secret is safe with you.” He holds my hand against his cheek.

  It sounds like he lives in a sad world. It breaks my heart when he says things like this. I might not have a lot of friends or family, but I do have people I can talk to. But then again, there are some things you keep close inside, never revealing the real truth.

  “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Thousands of people have the same fear. Just because you’re a man doesn’t mean you can’t be afraid of things. No need to be macho around me with your big muscles.”

  There’s still this little wall that prevents us from telling each other too much. How can he say he trusts me if he doesn’t tell me the basics about himself? But why won’t I tell him either? I want to think of this trip as a chance to have a clean slate and start over. Maybe that’s his problem too. We have no connection to each other’s lives, so we can be ourselves without being judgmental.

  The wind gets stronger and the sun disappears behind the blackened clouds. A wall of heavy rain is out in the ocean.

  “Should we go back to the hotel? It looks like the rain is coming this way.” A flash of lightning streaks through the sky. Thunder crackles seconds after. We jump up and grab our towels. “I guess that’s a yes.”

  I toss my towel over my arm and reach for his hand. At the same time he grabs mine, lightning strikes a palm tree not too far from us. We both shriek.

  “Holy shit! I can’t believe we just saw that. Let’s get out of here,” he says and pulls me away from the palm tree we were lying under.

  As we walk on the loose sand, large droplets of rain pour down like someone is dropping water balloons on us. I’ve experienced plenty of rain in my life but not this much in so little time. We don’t care about getting wet—we have bathing suits on—but the lightning is freaking me out.

  “I can see the resort. Let’s run for it,” I suggest.

  With our long legs, we approach our suites in minutes. We stop in front of our doors, laughing and out of breath. Whew! I need to start exercising again when I get back home.

  Now I know why there are so many umbrellas everywhere in this resort. This storm with its torrential rain came out of nowhere.

  Chapter 12

  Sam

  I gaze at Ellie and watch as droplets of water stream from her curls and off the tip of her slender nose. She glistens like a precious diamond as the rain rinses the sand from her body.

  Something inside me ignites, and not even the rain can put it out. She walks to her door, turns around, and rests against it. Her sultry eyes draw me to her. I toss my soaked towel to the ground and pounce.

  I place a hand at one side of her head. With my other eager hand, I tug her wet hair to the side to expose her neck. The only part of my body that touches hers is my needy tongue as I lick from her collarbone up to her earlobe. A soft moan escapes her lips. She squeezes my ass and pulls me flush against her, spiking my heart rate.

  “The salty taste of your skin drenched with fresh rain has demolished my restraint. I can’t go another minute without touching every part of your beautiful body. I need to feel you inside and out. Now. I can’t wait any longer.”

  She nods, her chest heaving, and blindly enters the code on the keypad. We’re inside, and I’ve got my arms wrapped around her before the door closes. Rainwater pools on the floor around us, but we don’t care. My lips devour hers in sinful delight. She sucks on my lower lip, then steps back while reaching for the knot of her bikini top. I pull her hand away. Her eyes widen with confusion.

  I wag my finger at her. “It’s my turn.” Her darkened green eyes flicker, begging for me to continue. She relaxes her arms at her sides.

  My hands find the back of her wet top, and I untie both knots, one at a time. She grabs it in the front and peels it off slowly, tossing it to the floor. I kiss between her perfect pebbled breasts as my hands travel down her supple curves to find the knots of her bikini bottom. I have them undone faster than the top. I step back and watch as it falls off.

  My mouth goes dry. “You take my breath away,” I say with pure hunger and desperation. My hands ache to touch her again. “Now we’re even. No migraine this time. Nothing can keep me away from you.”

  She exudes confidence as she reaches for me and traces her finger above the seam of my shorts. She circles me as she brushes her soft lips against my back and shoulders. Goosebumps form on my skin, and my heart hammers. Once she’s in front of me again, she tugs the shorts down slowly with both hands while she showers my chest with warm kisses. They fall to the floor, and I kick them out of the way.

  When she leans away, her eyes burn with hunger, and her lips part slightly.

  “See something you like?”

  “It’s a bit more than like. A lot more. Should I show you how much more?” She drags her soft fingers down my abs, following the lines of my V. “Boy, have you grown, and I’m not talking about your height. I love your body and, lucky me, I get to gaze at it all day long. But now I don’t want to just look.” Her warm hand teases me with painstakingly slow strokes.

  The air sparks, practically lighting the room. I swoop her up and wrap her sexy legs around my waist. I can feel her moist heat against me. “I want you spread out on your bed where I can finally do as I promised.”

  “Quickly. Before I lose my mind.” She squeezes her legs tighter around me and nips on my neck. “You might not like tattoos, but I might leave a mark that’ll last a couple of days. Maybe even weeks, so women know that you’re mine.”

  “I’ll always be yours.”

  We enter her bedroom and find the bed while our lips and hands explore each other urgently. I lay her on some pillows, then shove the rest to the floor. The sheer material that hangs over the canopy secludes us from the outside world. I don’t know if the drumming noise I’m hearing is distant thunder or my own beating heart. I lean over her on one hand as my other hand caresses her most sensitive spots.

  She arches her back, rubbing her chest against mine. “More, Sam. I want more.”

  “Someone’s impatient.” I kiss her softly. “I know we’ve wanted this
from the beginning, but I want to take it slow.”

  I nibble down her neck, and she squirms in delight. “Every moan and whimper you make will be a sweet sound I’ll never forget. I want to erase every guy you’ve been with from your memory and replace them with only memories of me. Of us.”

  She cups my cheek with her hand. “You did that with our first kiss. There’ll never be anyone else but you. Somehow, despite the short time we’ve known each other, you’ve stolen my heart. I’ll never be able to give it to anyone else. I don’t care what happens after this vacation. My heart and soul belong to you and only you. I promise.”

  She rises on her elbow, and her hair flows over her shoulder like a waterfall. “I need to be with you, Sam. I want to know what it feels like to make love to someone when it means everything to the both of us.”

  I lower her gently back down. She guides me to her. “This is more than everything.” I push her hair away from her face. “I love you, Ellie,” I whisper. “I have ever since the first time I met you.”

  “I love you too,” she says, her eyes glistening with tears.

  “Always.” We seal our promise against each other’s lips as I’m surrounded by her warmth inside.

  Chapter 13

  Ellie

  “Wake up, sleepyhead,” Sam says as he strokes my back gently. “I have a surprise for you.”

  I roll onto my back and instantly feel the soreness from our overactive sex drives. I love it. Every muscle in my body screams in delight from the sweet memories of last night. No words could describe the beauty we experienced.

  “More surprises. You spoil me rotten. Why?” I cover my mouth and yawn.

  “Because I love watching you light up every time we do something special. I’d surprise you every day if I could. It’s fun to make you happy.”

  Wow, wow, and wow. A surge of warmth embraces my heart. Last night was sheer heaven. We worshiped every inch of our bodies like it was the last time we’d be together. Right before we fell asleep, he wrapped me in his arms and whispered in my ear, “My love for you is infinite.” He might have thought I was sleeping. Something deep down in my soul tells me he’s the one and I should stop questioning everything. It’ll all work out in the end.