Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,162

still better than in the water or sand.

“Ahh…” A quick sigh escapes me at the contact of my warm skin with the fresh water. Alex keeps walking deeper into the water until our bodies are totally immersed.

“I’m not too heavy?” A stupid question, but I couldn’t help but notice how he managed to carry me all the way from the terrace to the water without straining or breaking stride.

Alex doesn’t restrain his loud chuckle. “You? Heavy?” Shaking his head in amusement, he then asks, “So, how is the water?”

“It’s perfect.” My voice comes out nauseatingly sweet as I let myself float in his embrace. Then, as I release him, I realize I can no longer stand here like he can. So, keeping my arms wrapped around his neck, I press my lips hard to his and put everything into our morning kiss. And as we look into each other’s eyes, I tell him, “I can’t believe I’m here with you. It feels too good to be true.”

He kisses me in return, and after smiling at me, he says, “Thank you for not giving up on us. Even after I had to leave.”

“I just couldn’t,” I tell him sincerely. Then, as I observe him attentively, I notice that Alex already looks so much tanner since we left New York. It’s incredible how he doesn’t get burned in the sun like I do.

Following our lazy swim in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, we go to the beach cabana, where I find two towels and two cushions for lounging, and my precious phone—alive and well. I remove my soaked shorts, and after Alex lies on the mattress, I lie on top of him and start kissing and sucking his sun-kissed neck. My chest heaves, blood pumping rapidly through my heart as I trace a line of soft kisses from his collarbone down to his torso and abs. A little grunt escapes him once I press my lips against his belly button, and I feel his hands on my hair, stroking it while my mouth keeps going down. His skin tastes just like the sea. As I reach his pelvis, I’m about to push the waistband of his swim shorts down, but Alex stops me instantly. “Petra, not here.”

Raising my head up, I look at him and ask, “Why not?”

He lets out a rush of air, before saying, “My dad or his staff could come out here.” He pauses, regaining his breath. “It’s not as private as you think.”

Oh, dear! The last thing I need is for Hendrik or his staff to witness what I had in mind! Jeez, what an embarrassment that would have been. I guess I will have to content myself with some cuddles. I move up again, and nestle myself against him, just like I’m so used to doing. As we both rest quietly on the mattress, my fiancé starts stroking my leg, my waist, and any skin he can lay his fingers on.

“Your dad truly lives in paradise,” I mumble, as I keep listening to the waves coming in and then slowly leaving the shore.

“That doesn’t mean he is happy.”

“Why wouldn’t he be?” I ask, raising my head up to meet his gaze. “He’s got everything here.”

I hear nothing but his breath. Alex seems to be ruminating about something as he stares absently out into the void. After a few seconds, though, his eyes finally land on me. “Except those he loves.”

It reminds me of the chat I had with Mona yesterday, but I ask him like I know nothing, “You mean, your sisters never come here?”

“Nope…” And the truth seems to bother him. Or maybe even hurt him. “He’s dead to them. I’m the only one who ever comes here to visit him.” Alex might disguise his pain with a smile, but as I observe him saying these words, I can tell how much this has impacted him, so I reach for his hand, holding it tight. “My dad can laugh, dance, and drink, but at the end of the day, I know he feels dead inside.” His words squeeze my heart just as if they were about my own dad. “Family means a lot to him. Much more than he’d like to admit.”

Despite all the grudges I hold against my dad, the more I think about Hendrik’s fate, the more I’d love to forgive him so he never feels like Hendrik does. A part of me still wants to believe I’ll be able to, someday,