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  When the falls come into view, I stop and squeeze Eric’s hand. “It’s breathtaking here. All this natural beauty. Thank you for bringing us here first. I’m blown away.”

  He kisses me sweetly on the lips and then the forehead. “You’re welcome. I haven’t been here in a while and I’ve been wanting to come back, so thank you.” His smile warms my insides. We watch the water for a moment and then he points over to a little tiki bar perfectly positioned over to the side. “We’re going to be in the water most of the day, so I’d like you to do me a favor before we get wet.”

  “Okay. What do you want?”

  “Sex on the beach.”

  “What? It’s secluded up here, but not that secluded. Are you nuts?”

  Eric chuckles and walks over to the tiki bar, towing me behind him. “Hey, Isaac. How’s it going, man. Long time no see.”

  “Hey breddah Eric. Long time no see, mon.” The man comes out from behind the bar and gives Eric a hug. “Who we ‘ave ‘ere?”

  “Isaac, this is Jordan.”

  “Hello. Nice to meet you.”

  “Irie, irie. What yuh doin ‘ere? Come fer a swim, eeh?”

  “Yes, but first, I was wondering if you could help me out with a little challenge.”

  “Sure.”

  I follow Eric and Isaac behind the empty bar, and Eric points to the well. “I challenge you to a little Sex on the Beach mix-off. We don’t have enough ingredients here at Isaac’s bar to do a real mix-off. No offense, Isaac, but I can’t let you behind the bar on the ship, or I’d get fired.” I smirk, and Isaac laughs out loud. “You were talking really big last night about how Vegas bartenders are the best bartenders in the world, so let’s see who makes a better drink. You up for it?”

  “Oh, Eric. One of these days, we’ll have a real mix-off behind a full bar, no offense, Isaac.” Isaac waves me off. “And you can show me your best, but right now, you don’t stand a chance, not with something easy like that. Challenge accepted.”

  I let Eric go first and he mixes up a regular cocktail: vodka, peach schnapps, orange, and cranberry over ice. He does add a little lime juice to it and a sugar rim. I taste it, it’s good. I like the lime juice. “Tasty. Now stand back and watch how it’s done.”

  A few other visitors wander over to see what all the commotion is about, and so I decide to give them and Eric a show. Organizing the bottles I’ll need in the well, I line up eight shot glasses and grab two shakers and two pint glasses. I fill the two shakers with ice, and then pull out the cranberry and orange juices, pouring those at the same time. Next I juggle the bottle of vodka, spinning it in the palm of my hand, and then high-pouring from above my head into the shakers. Lastly, I pull the schnapps bottle out of the well, tossing it behind my back, and I high-pour it into the shakers. I smack the pint glasses into the shakers simultaneously, securing them, and then I spin one in each hand until they’re both nice and cold. A quick tap on the bar releases the pints, and I pour off one, filling half the glasses, and then dump the first shaker in the sink. I pour the last over the shot glasses, filling them almost to the brim. I top it off with a little extra kick and float a little Grand Marnier in each glass, and then, with a flick of my wrist, the bottle goes back on the shelf.

  Isaac cheers loudly and Eric smirks. I give him and Isaac each a glass, take one for me, and then offer the last five to the people who’ve been watching.

  “Her show yuh, mon. My God. Dat a beautiful ting.” Isaac throws back his shot and licks his lips.

  Clinking glasses with me, Eric drinks his shot, keeping his eyes on me. He leans in and whispers in my ear. “That was so fucking sexy to watch.”

  My heart hammers against my ribs. It’s him who’s sexy. How in the hell is he single?

  “Thanks, Isaac. Ready to get a little wet, Jordan?” Eric wiggles his eyebrows at me.

  I snicker. “Yes, please.”

  We take our leave of Isaac, leaving cash for the nine drinks we made between us, and walk back down toward the waterfalls. I toe off my sneakers and socks as Eric does the same. Pulling my shorts and shirt off, I leave my backpack on the rocks. Before Eric has a chance to warn me, I jump into the bluest water I have ever seen, the glacial water causing an almost instant heart attack. I come up to the surface sputtering and gasping for air.

  Eric is still on the rocks, his hands clasped behind his head. “I was going to warn you, but you didn’t give me a chance. Are you okay?”

  “It’s freezing.”

  “Yes, it is.” He chuckles and I splash him with water as he jumps out of the way. “Hey!” He holds up his hand for me to stop, but when I start to swim closer toward him, he ends up jumping in next to me. Pushing the hair out of his eyes, he reaches for me as I tread water next to him, my teeth chattering. “You’ll adjust in a minute. Come on, let’s go swim under the falls.”

  There’s no one else with us right now, and we swim toward the water crashing over the rocks. Briefly, I fantasize about having sex under the falls, but honestly, I don’t know if Eric could get hard in this ice cold water. He finds a foothold and pulls me over, climbing up and clinging to me in a tight embrace as we stand, trembling, under the falls.

  Half out of the water, our bodies adjust to the cold and Eric pushes my hair back off my forehead. I tip my head back to smile up at him. His gaze darts back and forth between my eyes as his hand gently holds my chin up. His lips stop trembling and he clears his throat. Lips parted, his sweet, peachy breath mixes with the mist that wafts across my face. His mouth has me mesmerized. I want to kiss him, but he’s only looking at me.

  My body flushes with desire. There’s lust in his eyes, for sure. But there’s also something more. It’s something that scares the hell out of me and thrills me at the same time. It’s like riding a roller coaster. You’re so scared, you think you’re going to die, yet you can’t help but be thrilled by the adrenaline-pumping risk of it.

  Finally, he places a gentle kiss on my lips. It’s feather-light, but so tender that it almost brings tears to my eyes when he ends it. There was no lust in that kiss, only lo— no. I can’t go there. It’s not possible. Too soon. His arms wrap around me and he squeezes me tightly as his face burrows into my wet hair. “Feel better?”

  Clearing my throat, I answer. “Yes.”

  He leaves a kiss on top of my head, and then dives back into the water.

  We swim around for a while, a few people eventually showing up at the falls. We get out of the water and walk ten minutes down to the main area where a few visitors are taking turns swinging into the baby blue pools of water on a rope swing. Some are jumping off a high set of rocks, about six feet above the water. “I want to do that.”

  “Which? The rocks?”

  “Yes. I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m scared of heights.”

  “Wait, what? How can you be scared of heights? You went zip-lining and you told me you went climbing on the rock wall.”

  I shrug my shoulders. “I’m tired of always being the responsible one. Always being safe, too scared to really enjoy life. I’m finally going to start living.” His eyebrows furrow as he listens to me, making me realize how much I’ve revealed. Before he has a chance to ask, I grab his hand. “Come on, I’m jumping and you’re coming with me.”

  My pulse pounds in my chest as I stand on the edge of a boulder that can only be about six or seven feet above the water, but to me it’s as scary as an actual cliff and plenty high. Eric stands next to me, patiently.

  “Are you sure you want to jump? You don’t have to.”

  “Yes, I do.” I’m determined, but I’m also shaking. There’s a sense of security when you’re strapped into a harness. Totally different from free-falling into a pool of ice-cold water surrounded by rocks.

  “Do you want me to go first? Or do you want to jump together?”

  I stare down at the water as I answer. “No. I have to do this by myself. But you go ahead and I’ll meet you down there.”

  He places a
kiss to my temple. “You can do this.” His confidence in me is comforting, and I’m touched. A mischievous smirk adorns his face a moment later. He takes two steps back, winks, and then runs and leaps over the side of the boulder to the water down below. “Whoohoooo!”

  I giggle as I watch his body hit the water. He quickly surfaces and starts sputtering about the cold again while I try to psych myself up. It’s now or never. I can do this. Never is not an option. I count down in my head from five as Eric treads water, waiting for me to jump. When I hit three, he yells up to me, “You can do it!”

  I squeeze my eyes closed for a moment to block out painful memories. Finally, I take a deep inhale of air and then one, two steps, and my stomach drops out of me as my heart beats double time. “Ahhhhhhh!”

  The ice water shocks my system again, even though I knew it was coming. At the surface, Eric grabs my arm and tows me over to shallower water. “I did it. I did it.” A giddy cackle escapes me. I can’t believe I actually jumped. “Can we try the rope swing next?”

  A roar of laughter bursts out of him. “Hell yeah.”

  Chapter Eleven

  We each took two jumps off the rope swing before leaving the Blue Hole. I’ll never forget this place.

  Our driver waits for us outside, and once we’re semi-dry, we get back into the car and head toward White River.

  “That was amazing. I had so much fun. I wish the water wasn’t so cold.”

  “Me too.” Eric wraps his arm around my shoulders as we drive down the bumpy dirt road. “I’m so proud of you for jumping. How did it feel?”

  “Thrilling. Honestly, I was petrified, but I knew you were at the bottom waiting for me. So, yeah. Sometimes I guess you do just have to jump in.”

  Eric squeezes me and then tries to kiss me quickly, but the car goes over a particularly large pothole and he misses and kisses my nostril instead. “Better hang on, this is going to be a rough ride.”

  “Promises, promises,” I tease him as I clutch the door handle with one hand and hold the roof of the car with my other to prevent my head from knocking against it.

  He licks his lips and drags his hand up the back of my neck, causing a shiver to run down my spine. There’s pure unadulterated lust in his eyes right now. “You drive me crazy.”

  “You’ve said that before.” I smile and try and lighten the tension, seeing as we have an audience in the front seat.

  “Yeah, well, I meant it.” He huffs and looks up toward the driver. “Hey there, is there a place on the way to White River where we can grab some quick juicy beef patties?”

  “Yuh, mon. Mi know a place on da road ahead. Im patties good.”

  I sit up in my seat. “What are patties? Are they food, because as soon as you said that I realized how starving I am, and I think I’m going to need food before we hit the river.”

  “Yes, they’re meat pies. Good stick-to-your-ribs fast food. I was thinking we could have lunch after we leave White River, but right now I’m starving too.”

  The driver pulls up to a roadside stand where we order six patties to go, making sure to get two for our driver. They’re different from the fried meat fritters in San Juan, but really good.

  We get to White River about twenty minutes later. It’s hot. The sun pounds down on us, and on the way here I went from wet to dry to sweaty. Eric haggles for a pair of kayaks, and we paddle our way down the tranquil blue-green river surrounded by trees. We splash each other with our paddles occasionally, but for about ninety minutes, we mostly enjoy this peaceful lazy ride in silence, exchanging smiles along the way.

  By the time we hit the bay, it’s already after two in the afternoon. We grab a taxi to save time and head over to James Bond Beach. Eric says it’s not as packed with tourists as the other beaches, and he’s right. There’s a bar that serves quick food and we chug a couple of bottles of water while we gobble down the most delicious jerk chicken. We only have two more hours before we have to start heading back, so, quickly finishing our food, we walk out onto the white sand beach with a couple more bottles of water to digest and relax.

  Our towels laid out, Eric lies back, and I snuggle into the nook he creates for me, laying my head on his arm.

  “Jordan, can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.” My arm stretches across his chest.

  “What did you mean, you always have to be the responsible one?”

  A lump forms in my throat. I’ve had such a wonderful day, I don’t want to get into it. “Nothing. It was nothing.”

  “No, it wasn’t. Do you have someone waiting for you back home?”

  “Not any more... I don’t want to get into all that right now. I want to enjoy the little time we have left. Okay?”

  “Does your family live in Vegas?”

  “No. Come on. Look at this paradise. The sand is so soft. I can’t wait to get in the water. I’m only waiting the required twenty minutes so I don’t get a cramp.” I sit up and move to the edge of the towel, digging my feet and hands into the powdery sand. I can feel Eric’s desire to question me more, but he stays silent.

  Fifteen minutes later, I walk into the warm ocean water. There are barely even ripples here, definitely no waves. We’re in a cove, and the water is smooth and perfect for swimming. Eric follows me in, and I dive under the clear salt water and swim out a little further. A few people are in the water, but it’s by no means packed. I float on my back for a bit, relaxing as I gaze up at the blue sky. Eric’s fingers thread through mine as he floats next me. Heaven.

  As I watch a small white cloud slowly move across the sky, I realize the ship returns to Ft. Lauderdale four days from now. Tears threaten to spill over at the thought of going back to Vegas. To nothing. To no one. I don’t want to think about it.

  I surprise Eric while he floats, relaxed. I dunk him under water, and then make a break for the shore.

  He comes up spitting water out of his mouth and pushing the hair out of his eyes. “I’m going to get you for that.” His tone is meant to be menacing, but I can’t help cackling as I try to swim back to the sand before he reaches me. I don’t make it.

  He grabs me from behind, lifts me up, and then throws me back down into the water. I come up laughing and splashing him while trying to pull at one of his legs that won’t budge. “You caught me off-guard the first time, but I won’t go down again. You, however, will.”

  I yelp and run parallel to the shore in the shallow water, Eric hot on my tail. We separate from the rest of the people in the water as he gives chase, and when I jump on his back to try and pull him under, he doesn’t falter. Instead, he pulls me around so my legs wrap around his waist, his hands gripping my ass, and I place a playful peck on his lips.

  He smiles softly, and then his tongue is in my mouth and his hands move up around my back to my hair as my ankles lock around his waist, my hands clutching onto the wet hair on top of his head. Zero to one hundred in less than five seconds. As our tongues search each other’s mouths with desperate need, he sinks down lower into the water so we’re covered to our shoulders. One of his hands leaves my hair to fondle my bikini-clad breast while the other glides down my back and into the back of my bottoms to grab my ass. I squeal into his mouth, but he doesn’t release me. My ankles unlock from his waist and I find the sand underfoot as his kisses become more demanding, more urgent. My hand searches him out under the water and I palm him through his shorts, reveling at how I affect him. The hand on my ass comes around my hip to dip in the front of my bottoms with his long, beautiful fingers. I swallow a moan as he massages my clit, and gasp for air when he releases my swollen lips.

  He pushes a finger inside me and says, “I want to make you cum, right here, right now,” and my internal muscles clench. He could fuck me right now and I wouldn’t care who was watching, I’m so aroused.

  “Please.” It comes out needy and wanton, but that’s exactly what I am in this moment. I want him inside me.

  “Fuck, woman. I can’t get enough of you.” He attacks my m
outh again as he alternates massaging my clit and entering me with his fingers. I dip my hand past the waistband of his shorts and grasp him firmly in my hand. He’s rock hard, hot, and pulsing, even under water. My legs start to tremble as my orgasm builds. I tug and pull on him a little rougher than I would normally because of the spasms rocking my body, but he doesn’t seem to mind and thrusts his hips. I cum, clenching his fingers inside me. My head rocks back and our lips part, but only slightly while I gasp for air, our chins still touching. I manage to continue jerking him off as I come down from my climax, and when he starts to pulse in my hand, I bite his bottom lip and thrust my tongue into his mouth.

  Our frantic kiss eventually slows and we part lips, our chests heaving against each other. His cheeks are pink, his lips swollen, a lazy, sated smile on his face that makes me giggle. “I can’t believe we did that.” His voice is gravelly. So sexy.

  Because of Eric’s, shall we say, expertise in the sex department, I figure he has been with a ton of women. The thought makes me stabby. “You’ve never done that before?” Sarcasm drips from my lips like venom.

  He pulls back his head from me as if I’ve slapped him. A moment later his hands hold my face so I look him in the eyes. “No, I’ve never done that in the ocean before.” The tone of his voice is soft as he watches me, unblinking.

  My shoulders sag as I realize his sincerity. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’ve been with more than a handful of women, I’m not going to lie. But…” he tips his head so our foreheads touch, “I’ve never felt this constant need for anyone else in my life.” My stomach turns inside out. “I’ve had girlfriends before and I’ve had hookups, but this… pull between us, chemistry or whatever, I’ve never experienced anything like it. Not like this.”