“This would be the appetizer, fish and chili cakes salad. The starter, Salmon sashimi, and this,” he pointed directly at the platter in the center of the table. “Grilled fish grilled prawns in garlic butter sauce, Sauteed lobster in cream and Persil butter.”
“This is a ton of food.”
“It’s not everything. There’s a dessert down below in the fridge.”
I shook my head from side to side, still feeling as if this was a dream of some kind.
“Here.” He picked up a fork and scooped up a bite of food from the appetizer dish. “Open for me.”
Jesus.
His words settled right between my thighs. I parted my lips and let him feed me, withholding a moan as my tastebuds rejoiced at whatever the hell, he’d just given me. I honestly lost track on the third item.
“Good?” He questioned with a knowing smile.
I nodded enthusiastically.
The meal continued like this for a good thirty minutes with casual conversation and Cava flowing. He was so easy to talk to, just like when we would text.
“I didn’t know this place could be so quiet,” I commented during a rare lull, looking out at the dark water surrounding us.
“I told you I wanted this to be private.”
“Yeah…wait.” I turned and looked at him. “You’re the reason it’s so empty tonight?”
“Of course, I am.”
“You don’t abide by the usual rules, huh?”
“Where would the fun be in that?”
I leaned back; way too full to take a single bite more.
“I’m guessing you’re not ready for dessert?”
“No, definitely not.”
“In that case.” He slid his chair back and stood up. “Come with me.”
I accepted his offered hand and rose from my seat. He led me to the white leather beach seat in the rear of the yacht, keeping hold of me when he sat down. I sat beside him, unable to ignore how close we were now. I wondered how often he did this, brought women out here.
“You’re the first woman I’ve dated that has set foot on Baal.”
I looked over at him in surprise, finding his attention trained wholly on my face. “How did you know that’s what I was thinking?”
He grinned, flashing his perfect teeth. “Isn’t it natural for you to wonder?”
“I guess so.” I glanced away so that he couldn’t see how much that pleased me. It shouldn’t have mattered, but it did. Plus, he’d confirmed this was a date and now I was having trouble not shouting for joy.
He reached into his pocket and withdrew two red and white candies. “Peppermint?”
“Thanks.” I took the offered condiment and unwrapped it, popping the round candy into my mouth. A question I’d hesitated to ask poked around inside my head, urging me to voice it aloud.
“Do you think Gwyneth would find this weird? That I’m out here with you?”
“She would find it weirder if it weren’t you.”
“Huh?”
“What does your family think?”
“What did you mean—I don’t have a family. I have Isa.” I went to pull my hand free from his, pausing when he tightened his grip.
“Don’t do that, I wasn’t trying to upset you it was as genuine as the question you just asked me.”
I toyed with the mint inside my mouth and looked out at the water. It was still and quiet, so dark it was impossible to see the bottom or gauge how deep it was. As Draven ran his thumb over the back of my hand in a circular motion, I gradually relaxed.
“What do you think is out there?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.
I stared across the lake, looking to where a sheen of fog seemed to dance down its center. I smiled, thinking of my mother.
“Somewhere, a lighthouse.”
“You know about the lighthouse?” I could tell by his tone I’d caught him off guard.
“I didn’t know one existed. My mother used to tell me an old wives’ tale about one being behind a shield of fog, in so many words.”
“Your mother,” he mused. “You were close?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed and unintentionally flexed my fingers.
He reciprocated right away, tightening his hold on my hand. “I know her disappearing the way she did hurt you.”
I had to of misheard him. There was no way he knew the details of my mother’s disappearance.
It happened so long ago that she was nothing but grainy memories for me and Isa. Most people assumed she had passed away.
“What did you just say?”
He looked over at me with a gentle smile. “I know her not being around has hurt you. I understand the situation more than you’d imagine.”
I swallowed, unsure how to respond to that. Was he speaking generally or in a roundabout way confessing something? But, no, that didn’t make sense either. Draven wouldn’t have known my parents.
“Della.” He released my hand and took hold of my chin, bringing his body closer to mine as tilted my head back. His green-toned eyes bore into mine with an intensity that threw me further off-kilter. “You are beautiful.”
He was changing the subject again. Before I could call him out on it, his mouth on mine.
The softest lips I’d ever felt pressed against my own, the tip of his tongue teasing the seam between them until I allowed it to slip inside my mouth and intertwine with mine. It was the best, unexpected kiss.
The taste of peppermint was heavy on his tongue. He took complete control, slipping an arm around my back and damn near dragging me onto his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back with the same fervor.
He slipped one hand around to the back of my neck, threading his fingers in my hair and pulling until I whimpered softly, the action sending a pulse of desire straight through me. The arm around my back lowered until he had a hand on my ass.
The unmistakable feel of his dark dick could be felt inched from my pussy. I shifted, pausing when he released a soft growl.
It felt ridiculously thick and large through the fabric of his pants.
I wanted to feel more.
He suddenly pulled away and gently eased me off of him, bringing his hands up to cup my face.
“I can’t fuck you on my boat, Della. No matter how badly I want to feel your pussy wrapped around my dick and taste every inch of you, it can’t happen here.”
I swallowed, trying to breathe without sounding like a steam train. “You…can’t?”
He placed a kiss on my forehead and straightened, not releasing his hold on my face. “I didn’t keep you pure all of these years to fuck you somewhere like this first chance I got. I have much bigger plans for you than that.”
I blinked a few times, feeling some of the lust-filled haze clear away as his words sunk in. They brought with them the feeling that something wasn’t right. He’d made the odd comment about mom and now this?
I didn’t know what to make of it.
My ringtone began to play, Dollanger’s soft voice obliterating the quiet that had surrounded us until now.
“I should get that,” I practically whispered.
“You should,” he agreed, lowering his hands from either side of my face.
With legs of jelly, I all but stumbled over to where my purse was resting. I’d been ignoring all the vibrations and chimes of texts and alerts. A call was different. Seeing my sister’s name on the screen had my stomach sinking. She wouldn’t be calling unless something was wrong.