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.

“Fuck,” 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 ass 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 damn 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 glass 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 glass 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 glass 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 glass 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 ass. “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 ass, 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 fucking 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 unbuttoned his jeans, feeling as he searched for the clasp that kept my bathing suit bound at the top. Once he snagged the strap, my breasts 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 breasts, 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?”