Page 73 of Rum Sips and Salty Lips

“My ex.”

“Carina, you could have told me.” His free hand cups my face as he examines me, concern flooding his eyes.

I don’t know how to explain this to Orion. How I constantly strive to be better every day so my dad will finally approve of my business and of me. But I’m not there yet. I’m not ready to let Orion see the weakest part of me.

I kiss him. I can save this. He doesn’t need to think about me crying over my father and asshole ex. I can make him think of something else. We’ll kiss our way to my bedroom and take off my clothes. He likes it when I’m naked. Then we don’t have to talk about my inadequacies.

He presses me against the desk, holding me flush against him. He can lift me up from here. He’s strong enough. I reach under his shirt and touch his damp skin. He didn’t even fully dry off from his shower before coming over.

He pulls away. “Carina.” His voice is breathy, the way I like it. “Let’s pick this up later.”

Oh.

Fuck.

“Right. I’m a mess. You don’t want…”

“That’s not it.” He holds me tight—his hand gently presses me into his chest, protectively. “You’re thinking about them and not about us. I’ll fuck you when I have your full attention.”

How does he not know he always has my full attention?

I unravel myself from him. “Whatever. We should eat. I have chicken marinating in the fridge.” He looks at me like I’m deliberately missing the point. But if I take these words at face value, then I have to take everything he says that way.

I feel raw and vulnerable and stripped. I want him to help me forget.

“Carina.” He runs his fingers down my arm. “Don’t take those pictures down.” I can’t read the expression on his face.

“I won’t,” I promise. I don’t believe what my father said. I should post pictures of how it’s possible to move in my products. If my existence is too much for some of my investors, then I’m not sure I want them anyway, as much as I’m afraid I need them.

Orion cares because I look hot and he took some of the pictures on his boat. We went out right before sunset. I brought my paddleboard and attempted to teach him how to stand. Hewas adamant there was no point in standing when he could sit perfectly fine in his kayak.

The lines I drew made sense before. We were friends who yelled at each other and we had sex once. Nothing was happening again because I didn’t want a messy life around my home. Or maybe because it was doomed since he was always leaving. But it kept happening.

But then he held me when we woke up and I want him so bad. Not only for the sex, but for the moments in between.

I’ve tried to keep him at arm’s length but it’s not working anymore—I want him to be here when I’m sad and tell me to stick up to my father and tell me I’m enough as I am. But I’m not sure I would believe him because no one’s taken care of me before. The people who were supposed to stopped, figuring I could make it on my own.

“I got some things for us at the market. Let me make you a salad,” he says, moving us to the kitchen.

“That would be great.” I’m dying to ask how shopping went but I don’t want to sound clingy. I don’t think Haley’s interested in him, even with her recent breakup, but she always likes a guy who cooks, and Orion does. She wasn’t serious with Eric, so she could’ve moved on already.

He washes some vegetables while I head outside to preheat the grill and start the chicken. A few moments later, he comes out with the salad while I’m finishing setting the table. Orion takes off his shirt so he’s only in his swim shorts and wades into the pool.

He’s so fucking handsome I can’t handle it.

“You coming in?” he asks.

“I have to watch the chicken,” I say.

“Set a timer. It takes twenty minutes. That’s plenty of time.”

I don’t ask for what. My backyard faces the beach on the side, but the fence is high enough no one can directly see in. On theother side is Orion’s place. We can see into each other’s yards from our porches, but he’s not there to spy on me. The house behind me is blocked from viewing anything by the lush plant growth on both sides of our fences.

I take my dress off, revealing my bikini, and step into the water. I see the way his eyes track my body and I wonder what’s changed for him in the last few minutes.

But he’s reaching for me, and suddenly I don’t care about anything else.

His mouth finds mine in a familiar way, but I won’t take it for granted. His arms envelop me and he lifts me, my legs naturally wrapping around his waist. I press hard into the long and thick length of him.

---