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Bravura (Portentous Destiny Series Book 3) Page 6


  “Do you like it?” he asks. I nod. “It’s—”

  “Amarula,” I finish his sentence. He gives me a look of surprise.

  “My family travels a lot,” I say with a shrug. While I’ve never been anywhere in Africa, my cousins, aunt, and even my mom have all been to various parts of the continent. “From the marula tree.”

  He nods. “Have you been?”

  I shake my head.

  “I’m glad we ran into each other again,” he says as he takes a sip of the coffee.

  I smile at him. In the firelight, his eyes look darker and more mysterious, but his face almost looks like a child’s with a sense of wonderment. “Me, too,” I admit as I let my guard drop for a moment.

  He takes my hand in his and gives it a squeeze, but he doesn’t let go after that. I can see Cami and Lena giving each other a look out of the corner of my eye. Oh geez, I will definitely not be living this down for a while.

  We proceed to make s’mores and share some funny stories from our times in Miami. Jeff and Mike aren’t originally from here but have lived here for a few years working on some bridge projects. We all laugh as I tell funny stories about coming down to Florida as a child and my parents losing me at Disney World. They are practically in tears as I recount being rescued by none other than Prince Charming himself who I proposed to and said we should move into the castle that night. I can see Cody give me a look when I mention Prince Charming. Eventually, Cami starts to fall asleep. I yawn as well.

  Cody looks at me. “You want to go for a walk?” he asks.

  “I don’t know, Cody. It’s getting rather late and I think we should get Cami to bed,” I say as I motion toward her. Cody looks over at Jeff whose shoulder Cami’s head is leaning against.

  “I think Jeff can make sure she gets up to her room alright,” he says. “Can’t you, Jeff?”

  Jeff nods and looks at Lena and me. “I promise, no funny business. I’ll make sure she gets up there.”

  “We got her. You kids have fun,” Lena says, giving me a shit-eating grin that makes me want to stick my tongue out at her in the most childish of ways.

  I look at Cody still unsure, and he pulls me to my feet with the hand he’s holding. “She’ll be fine. Jeff’s a good guy,” he whispers in my ear. I nod.

  “You two have a good night,” Lena says. I turn to see her smirk and roll my eyes.

  We walk for a while in silence, holding hands as the waves roll water over our feet. About a half mile down the shore, Cody stops and looks at me. “Seriously, Zoe, what are you thinking?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t know,” I admit. He doesn’t say anything. He stays still and looks into my eyes. “I guess I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

  “Did you want to see me again?”

  I want to say no and to walk back to the hotel and forget all about Cody. Forget his body, his laugh, his sense of humor, his smell, and the way he makes me feel with just one touch. He puts his hands on either side of my face and brings his face to within an inch of my own.

  “I’ve thought about you every day since we left Ecuador,” he says as he searches my eyes. “I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t stop myself.”

  I feel tears well in my eyes. He wipes a stray tear from my cheek. “What’s wrong, princess?”

  I shake my head. “I can’t, Cody. I just can’t.” I’ve been hurt too many times. Aaron was the last straw. I made a pact with myself, and I sure as fuck am not going to break it now. I don’t want to end up like my mother. But my will is breaking apart under Cody’s stare.

  “Why not? What are you so afraid of?”

  I shake my head again.

  “Stop hiding, Zoe,” he says. “Let me in.”

  And before I can react, his lips are on mine and I lose all my control. I kiss him back, and I feel his tongue seeking entrance and I comply. We kiss like our lives depend on it like this is our last kiss and our first kiss all in one. I savor the taste of the coffee on his tongue and it reminds me of the Galapagos, and I feel more tears fall on my cheeks. I know in that moment that I can’t stay away from this man. No matter how many men have hurt me, no matter how awful my parents’ marriage was, no matter how many walls I build, Cody will break them all down. So, I give in and let him pull me down onto the sand. He explores me with his mouth and his hands. I feel the water lapping at our feet, but I’m too lost in his kiss and his touch to care.

  I’m not sure how long we lie there on the beach. It feels like hours. Eventually, Cody pulls back and looks down at me. I’m suddenly aware that the water is now covering our feet.

  “You’re so beautiful, princess,” he murmurs as his lips brush against mine seemingly unaware that we are about to be swallowed up by the cold Atlantic waters. “I don’t want to let you go.”

  My willpower fades, and I gaze up into his eyes losing myself again in the moment. “Then don’t.”

  He kisses me passionately once more before pulling me to my feet. “Let’s go back to the hotel. I don’t want you catching a cold.” I suddenly realize that I am shivering, and he wraps his arm around me as we walk. His thumb brushes small circles on my arm causing more goose bumps. He takes me to his room. OK, it’s more than a room, it’s a suite that’s at least six times the size of mine and it’s beautiful.

  “Let’s get you warmed up, princess,” he says as he leads me to a massive en-suite bathroom. There’s a shower in it the size of my kitchen back at home. He tenderly undresses me and turns on the eight showerheads. The room fills with steam. He removes his clothes and leads us into the shower. He shampoos my hair and uses a fragrant body wash from the hotel to clean me. I return the favor and as my hand slides up his erection, I see his eyelids droop and his gaze go dark. He crushes his lips to mine and this time it’s beyond passionate, it’s frenzied and possessive and makes my toes curl. His hands run up my stomach and he caresses my breasts, squeezing my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. I cry out as I feel his erection between my legs. He slams me against the shower wall, and I rub against his thigh, desperately needing a release. He picks me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist. His erection is so hard it easily glides into me as I lower myself. I moan as I feel him spread me open, inch by inch until he’s buried all the way inside of me.

  It’s when his eyes widen that I realize he’s not wearing a condom. Damn it! I’m always so good about that.

  “I should get…,” he starts as he looks down at our joined bodies.

  “Are you clean?” I ask him. He nods.

  “I just got tested last month before the Galapagos.” He looks at me and then adds, “Part of my annual physical.”

  “So am I, and I’m on the pill.” He looks at me as though not sure what to do. “Don’t stop, Cody. I want to feel you.” The words are out of my mouth before I have time to think about the stupidity of what I’ve just said.

  And with that, he continues pounding into me. I had forgotten what it was like without a condom. He is so slick from me and glides easily in and out and the feel of his heat and his smooth skin inside of me pushes me over the edge so much faster than I anticipate. The feeling must be mutual because as I’m coming down from my orgasm, I feel his release. He leans against me, pinning me to the wall, and we both gasp for air, our foreheads against the other’s.

  “You feel so good, princess,” he says softly against my swollen lips. His lips tenderly touch mine before he lowers me to the shower floor.

  We finish with the shower. He dries us off and tosses me an extra toothbrush. I suddenly feel shy, brushing my teeth next to him. It feels too intimate. He smiles at me in the mirror as he brushes his teeth, and I can see my cheeks turning pink. I spit out my toothpaste, and he leads me to his bed. I’m suddenly exhausted. He pulls me against him so that my head is nestled under his chin.

  “Sweet dreams, Zoe,” he says as he switches off the light. I’m asleep before I have a chance to respond.

  Chapter 8

  Zoe’s Playlist: “Castle”
by Halsey

  The first thing that registers when I wake is that I am surrounded by heat. Normally, I wake up freezing. The covers are thrown off me, and I’m diagonal on the bed. This has been a lifelong problem. My parents have a ridiculous amount of photos of me sleeping like this as an infant and small child. The second thing that registers is the fact that I am not the only thing diagonal in bed. The third thing that registers is the body parts that are interlaced with my own. Strong arms and legs hold me in position and that realization wakes me like cold water being thrown in my face. My eyes pop open, and I can see Cody’s chest under my head. Oh shit! Shitty, shit, shit, shit! Why am I a glutton for punishment? I was supposed to forget this man, this incredibly sexy, really good in bed, funny, kind, caring man. I look over at his body. His chest falls and rises slowly with each breath. His muscles are well-defined and his skin tanned and slightly freckled, although I already knew this as I had memorized his body in the Galapagos. I inhale his scent. Something about it is arousing and sexy and also makes me want to curl in a ball on his lap and never leave. I feel Cody stir beneath me. He wraps his arms tighter around me, pressing my body against his. I instinctively curl against him, snuggling more into his embrace.

  “Good morning, princess,” he says as he kisses the top of my head.

  “Morning,” I murmur, shutting my eyes and letting myself enjoy this moment.

  He continues peppering the top of my head with soft kisses. I can feel his morning erection against my thigh. I can’t help it; I crawl on top of him so that I am lying completely on him. I place my hands on his chest and put my chin on my hands, looking up at his face. He smiles down at me.

  “What are your plans for the day?” I ask him. He grins at me.

  “Well, at some point I need to go down to my bridge project again and talk with some folks, but otherwise, I need to push my flight back to Bogota until tomorrow.”

  I raise my eyebrow. “Oh, really?”

  “Really.”

  “And why is that? Mr.…Mr.…” I start laughing as I realize I don’t even know Cody’s last name.

  “What?” he asks.

  “Cody, I don’t even know your last name,” I manage to get out in between my laughter, which is now bordering on hysterics.

  He smiles. “It’s Cunningham, Ms. Greene,” he says and reaches out to caress my cheek. My mouth drops open. I try to think; did he hear my name in the Galapagos. No.

  Cody chuckles. “Don’t think too hard,” he says with a smirk. I give him a quizzical look, and he keeps laughing. He puts his hands up and shrugs. “What can I say? I have good intel.”

  I shake my head. I’ve completely lost my train of thought. I just stare into those amazing aquamarine eyes. In the morning light, I can see a few flecks of green in them. The tapestry of blues is just breathtaking. I could look at his eyes all day. They are like staring at a Monet painting and picking up each brushstroke, each fleck of color that makes the total picture even more beautiful.

  “Penny for your thoughts, Ms. Greene?”

  I shake my head.

  “I want to spend another day with you, Zoe,” he says hesitantly. I feel my body tense, but as he caresses my back it relaxes again. I suck in a breath. Why am I fighting this? My father always tells me to run toward things and not away from them. Typically, I don’t listen to a thing that douchebag says but maybe he’s right about this for once.

  “OK,” I say with trepidation. He smiles. I can see in his eyes that he sees right through me, and that scares me to my core.

  “So, what shall we do today?” I ask.

  “Ever been to the Keys?” he asks.

  “Nope,” I answer.

  “Come with me,” he says. “We’ll take a separate car from Jeff and Mike. I can get you on a snorkel trip while I wrap up my meetings, and then we’ll come back here for dinner.”

  “I don’t know, Cody,” I answer. “I mean this is supposed to be a girls’ trip.”

  He smiles at me. “I’m being a bit selfish, aren’t I?” I shrug but can’t keep the smile off my face. “How about you ladies hang here today, and we can all go out to dinner tonight and go dancing again?”

  I nod. “I think that Cami and Lena might be down with that,” I agree.

  I start to get up and I’m immediately flipped over onto my back. “Not so fast, princess. If you’re making me wait all day to see you again, then I get to worship you before I go,” he whispers against my mouth. And then he sinks into me. Our eyes don’t leave each other as he slides in and out of me, over and over until I’m crying out his name. It’s so intense, I have to squeeze my eyes shut to keep the tears from welling in them. But I don’t get a chance to dwell on this as I feel the delicious movement inside of me, pulling me back into another orgasm. Cody doesn’t come until I’ve orgasmed three times. When he does, I’m literally a pile of boneless contentment on the bed.

  “Let’s go get breakfast before I leave,” he announces as he pulls out of me and heads toward the bathroom. “Come on!”

  I groan and roll over, not wanting to face the day. I feel a stinging smack on my bottom, and I yelp.

  “Cody!”

  “You’ll get another if you don’t get up, princess!”

  I begrudgingly fall out of bed. I look down as I feel the remnants of Cody’s orgasm running down my leg. I sigh, no condom again. I trust that Cody’s safe, but it’s hard to let go of the need for that physical barrier as much as the need for my emotional barriers.

  I walk into the bathroom, and Cody turns the shower on before facing me. I watch as his eyes examine my body. It sends shivers down my spine. He stops when he sees the hot liquid running down my thigh.

  “Come here, princess. Let me clean you up,” he growls as he pulls me into an embrace. He runs a finger between my legs and my body shakes from just his touch. “I think I like seeing this,” he breathes against my neck as his fingers spread his juices on my skin. He lifts me up and carries me to the shower.

  I stifle a laugh. “You’re a Neanderthal, you know that?”

  He smirks against my clavicle as he lays kisses on it. “I’ve been called worse.”

  “I’m sure,” I mutter as I let the warm water run over my body.

  Once we finish our shower, I text the girls, and we all decide to meet downstairs for breakfast. I suppress a smirk as I see Lena and Cami walk in with Mike and Jeff.

  “How was everyone’s evening?” I ask, raising my eyebrow at my friends.

  “Fine,” they all answer in unison. I glance over at Cody and the two of us burst out laughing. It isn’t long before all six of us are howling with laughter. Breakfast is actually fun. Cami has a wicked hangover, and we all tease her relentlessly.

  “So, what do you ladies have planned for today?” Mike asks as he sips his coffee.

  Lena clears her throat. “Well, I for one want some of the hair of the dog while sitting on those chaises out there by the beach. I also want some of the frozen grapes they bring around.”

  “Sounds relaxing,” Jeff says. “I wish we could chillax by the beach, but duty calls.”

  “You guys have to work today?” Lena asks.

  “Yep,” Cody says. “We have to go to the project site this morning, but we’ll be back by dinnertime. You ladies wouldn’t be interested in joining us for dinner, would you?”

  I see Lena and Cami exchange looks. “Sounds good,” Cami says at the same time Lena answers, “Absolutely.”

  “Well, excellent,” Cody says. “I’ll have a car pick you up here at six?”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Cami answers as she downs her third cup of black coffee.

  Lena and Cami excuse themselves first to go get ready for the beach. It looks like Mike and Jeff are already dressed to go, so I stand to leave, expecting Cody to stay with them. As I stand, he pulls back his chair.

  “I guess I’ll see you boys later,” I say as I smile at them and head toward the lobby. I’m waiting by the elevators when I feel a hand reach around my
waist. I jump until I feel Cody’s warm breath on my ear and his scent permeates my nostrils.

  “I’m going to miss you today, princess,” he whispers and pulls my hair to the side, so he can kiss along my neck. I feel butterflies in my stomach as my hand covers his, or as much as it can. He slowly turns me around and lifts my chin until our eyes lock. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

  I’m speechless for a moment and that is all it takes for him to crush his lips to mine, his tongue forcing entrance into my mouth. His kiss deepens and takes my breath away. His kiss is forceful and sends a clear message that he wants me as his and only his. When he pulls back, I stare into his eyes. I can’t speak for a moment because I think I’m in shock.

  “You do crazy things to me, Zoe,” he says as his thumb grazes my lower lip. I gulp, and he grins at me. He kisses my forehead and then walks away. I’m left dumbstruck in front of the elevator and don’t even notice it is open and waiting for me until a moment later when a couple walks up and asks if I’m waiting for the elevator. I turn to see the open door, and I simply nod and walk inside. What the hell just happened?

  I dress while still in a dream state. I make my way to the beach and find Cami and Lena sitting on chaise lounges and eating frozen grapes. They each have a towel under them and another towel rolled up as a pillow and, of course, some sort of tropical drink sits on each of their side tables. I’m still in a fog as a beach staffer sets out towels for me and takes my drink order. I shrug out of my cover-up and lie down.

  “Spill it,” Cami says without opening her eyes. Lena giggles and looks over at me.

  “I should be asking you two the same thing,” I say, keeping my face stoic.

  Cami turns and pulls down her shades and gives me the cold stare. I laugh. “Sorry, that look doesn’t work on the woman who invented it,” I say between laughter.

  Cami doesn’t back down, so I shrug. “It was a nice evening,” I say nonchalantly as I toss one of Cami’s frozen grapes in my mouth.

  “And how nice was it?” she asks. “Was it nice like a G-rated cartoon, or was it nice like an NC17 movie your parents forbid you to see when you were in high school?”