Page 20 of Degrees of Power
“Chase, it’s starting,” I say, awed at the spray of purples, blues and pinks dancing across the horizon as the sun begins rising and continues its ascent into the sky.
“To my amazing wife and a life full of beautiful sunrises,” Chase says, toasting me.
My heart aches with the love that I feel for this man. “Absolutely gorgeous, the only thing I’ve seen that comes close to that is when we watched the sunset from this very deck,” I say, recalling the night we spent on the yacht the week we met.
The rest of the day is spent swimming and laying in the shade of the cabanas. “I think worrying about Alfrieta and the wedding preparations really took their toll. It feels amazingly relaxing and indulgent, just swimming, talking, eating and napping,” I say.
“And the sex?” Chase asks, taking my hand in his own.
“Oh, that’s the best part, Mr. Prestian.”
“Something about hot sex and being on the water,” he says, smiling at me.
“We should stay here for the next few days. It’s the best honeymoon,” I say.
“Anything you want, but we’ll go back to the resort the night before we leave,” he says.
“We can do whatever you want,” I say, feeling myself drifting off under the shade of the cabana as the warmth of the ocean breeze blows over me.
The rest of the week is spent traveling on the yacht and touring the ABC islands; Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Chase regales me with the history of the islands and ensures we see the least commercialized attractions, spend time swimming in the sea and dining in the best local and authentic restaurants.
The Bonaire restaurant Chase chooses for dinner on our last night overlooks pristine white sand beaches and our table faces the turquoise sea. The whitecaps dancing and rolling onto shore are mesmerizing, but notice him scowling at his phone again, twice in the last half hour.
“What’s wrong, Chase? You’ve been so relaxed all week and now you look concerned. You’re much less tense when we’re on the water,” I say.
“Sorry, Baby. We can see anything coming on the yacht,” he says truthfully.
“It’s been pretty quiet this week. Alfreita must not have read the news,” I say.
“I’m sure he has but Jay’s been feeding the paparazzi pictures of us tromping all over Europe,” he says.
“Really? How so?” I ask, genuinely surprised.
“Mostly pictures of us in the sea. It’s hard to tell the difference between bodies of water,” he says, shrugging.
“I guess I didn’t have time to read all the tabloids. You’ve been keeping me too busy with all of your sexual activities,” I say.
“Just the way I like it, Baby.”
CHAPTER SIX
We say goodbye toMickael before walking to the car with Jay and Sheldon, as their team gets into the car that will follow us back to the Ridalgo resort for our last night on the island. We spend the early evening having a light meal and dancing, Chase guiding me to the sultry music using his thighs to steer me around the dance floor. My face is pressed into his chest and the steady beat of his heart is against my cheek. “I think it’s time we leave, Katarina,” Chase says huskily a few hours later, guiding me towards the Mayan Tower elevator.
“Go and change into a swim suit while I take a quick call,” Chase says, once we enter the room.
I open the drawer and look at my options, selecting a black two piece that leaves little to the imagination. I slip it on and spin in front of the mirror. I shake my head at the lack of material, rummaging in the closet before I find a lacy black thigh length cover-up, pull it over my head and slip into a pair of sandals. He has already changed when I come out of the bathroom and is in a pair of blue trunks and sandals.
“Ready?” he asks.
“I am,” I say, running my eyes over his body as he pulls a t-shirt on over his bare chest.
His eyes are alight with mischief. “Patience and anticipation, Baby,” he says. I feel myself blush realizing that he knows exactly what my body wants.
We leave our sandals at the resort’s edge and he takes my hand as we walk across the white sand beach to the shore beyond. The beach is empty since most of the groups are eating dinner and still dancing. “Leave your cover here,” he says, pulling it over my head and tossing it onto an empty lounge chair as we walk into the shallow water. It is still relatively warm due to the sun’s intensity, but we take our time, allowing our bodies to acclimate to the cooler night temperatures and blowing breeze as we walk in.
I plunge under the water allowing my body to adapt to the temperature as it drenches my hair, and taste the saltiness of my lips. I stand up in the water which is chest level and feel his gaze lingering upon my erect nipples.
“Come here,” Chase says, pulling me closer, kissing me gently, his hand on my neck beneath my hair as I open for him, transferring the saltiness of my lips to his own.
