Even though she was the one bent over with her ass in the air, being fucked standing up in the wide open waters, she still felt possessive of him, of this man who wanted her, who craved her, who seemed to need her desperately. Somehow, she was the one who had him. But she also knew they were a perfect match. Perhaps that was why she felt so possessive of him and wanted him as her own for all time.

He took her like he wanted her that way too.

Pinning her to his body, he twisted her hair around his fist, pulling hard, giving him even more leverage to drive all the way into her, which is exactly where she wanted him. Her fingers dug into the rock as she held on tight, the waterfall raining down on them. Like that, the sea turtles somewhere out there and the birds flying by the only witness to their intense pleasure, she rose higher and higher. Her toes dug into the wet sand. Her body tightened as she sought release from the sheer intensity. Concentrating on the sensations that blasted through her body, she rode closer to her climax, and then she shattered—bright, brilliant diamond lights exploding behind her eyelids. In seconds, he chased her there, grunting her name as he came, his body jerking from the aftershocks.

He pulled out of her and then, and as if on cue, they both sank down in the water to their necks, enjoying the pleasant sensation of the ocean covering their bodies. He rained more kisses down on her mouth, her cheeks, her eyes, whispering words of love, words of desire, words of sweet, tender passion. She was a lucky woman. She was a happy woman. In their time together he’d made her feel so good about herself, loving her for who she was, not who he wanted her to be. That’s how he’d always treated her, from way back at the start of their friendship on through the here and now.

They played in the water, splashing each other, laughing, darting under the crystal blue waters like dolphins. She was faster and each time she popped up, her hair sleek, she’d laugh at him. “You must’ve forgotten that I was a swimmer in high school.”

“I remember. Did you think I’d forget anything about you?”

Her eyes widened and she clasped her hand over her mouth. “Uh-oh. What if we don’t have anything to say to each other? What if we know everything about the other person and there’s nothing left to talk about?” Her voice rose in mock fear.

He laughed and shook his head. “I’m not worried about a damn thing when it comes to you.”

They swam to the dock, water droplets falling off their naked skin as they climbed the stairs, and then headed inside to get ready for the wedding.

31

The Maldives, early afternoon . . .

The chiffon dress fell just below the bride’s knees, the ideal length for a beach wedding. The thin straps showed off her strong arms that were already tanned from a few short days here. Casey pinned a white orchid in Michelle’s hair, while her other bridesmaid, Sutton, sprayed the loose tendrils that framed Michelle’s face.