She laughed. “Do you want me to wear a one-piece instead? Or a tankini?”
“Hell no,” I said.
She went to change, and a few minutes later, she called to me from out back. I went out and found her in the outdoor shower, the water running hot and steam rising up around her. She was waiting for me in the very black bikini that I’d cautioned her about.
As predicted, I got hard just looking at her.
“Let me just take care of you now, baby,” she said and got on her knees. She started to stroke my balls, which got heavy at her touch. “That way we can relax and enjoy the snorkeling.” She undid my swim trunks and took me immediately in her mouth, licking and sucking my hard length until I couldn’t see straight.
Five minutes later I came so hard I forgot my name. But not hers.
Never hers.
I pulled Cole aside down on the dock. “How’s it going with Jenny?”
“Awesome. She’s incredible. I’ve never met anyone like her.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “Are you talking about her in a sexual way? Or as a person?”
“I didn’t realize it was necessary to parse this out,” Cole said. “But I meant both.”
“What’s going to happen after this trip?” I asked.
“What’s going to happen with you and Audrey?” he asked in a challenging tone. “I asked you first, if you’ll remember. Back in Boston.”
“I asked her to move to California with me,” I said. “I love her.”
“To borrow Jenny’s phrase: Ho my frickin’ God, James. I’m so proud of you.” He clapped me on the back and grinned. “I knew it.”
“Well, you were right,” I said, grinning back. “Now I want to know if I’m right about you.”
“Huh,” Cole said. “This should be interesting.”
“I think you have real feelings for this girl,” I said. “I think you might just have an emotional boner for her.”
Cole looked at me thoughtfully and nodded. “It’s obvious, right? It’s big.”
“It’s not as big as mine, but you can still see it.”
“Ha,” Cole said. He watched Jenny as she laughed and talked to Audrey. “I think I might be in love with her.” His jaw clenched as he said it.
“She told Audrey you offered to buy her a house when we get back.”
“That’s right,” Cole said. “I asked her what she wanted, and she told me she wanted a South End condo and a Range Rover. So I said done and done.”
“What if that’s not all she wants?”
“What do you mean?” Cole asked.
“What if she wants you to be her boyfriend?”
“I frickin’ hope she wants me to be her boyfriend if I’m buying her a South End condo and a Range Rover.” He looked at me, confused. “Is she upset or something? She wouldn’t even do that thing with my balls last night.”
“Cole, please—”
“No, but she always does it. And I didn’t know what was wrong. She wouldn’t tell me. And she’s not usually like that. She’s always open with me. And I mean really open—”
“Stop,” I said, holding up my hands in mock surrender. “Please, please spare me the details. All I know is that she told Audrey what you offered her and that she wants more.”
“More than a condo and a car?”
“Yes, Cole.”
“Like what?” he asked, thoroughly perplexed.
“Like you. In the condo and in the car.”
“I was planning on being in the condo and in the car,” he said. “That’s sort of the point.”
“You should tell her,” I said. “Just be really clear. Sometimes they need to hear it with an exclamation point.”
“Sounds like you, bro,” he said and gave me a lopsided smile.
Audrey
We snorkeled all afternoon, laughing and talking and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. I finally got a minute alone with Jenny on the boat when the others were in the water. The captain was out of earshot, checking his instruments.
“So, are things better with you and Cole?” I asked. They’d taken a long walk down the beach earlier. Since then, they’d been holding hands and kissing, looking very much together. “You two seem like you’re being very romantic.”