“Fuck,” he sharply exhales before pushing decline.
“You can answer. I’ll be quiet.”
“I don’t want to hear it from him right now. He’s either going to berate me for staying out of the public eye the last few months or praise me for getting in a fight I didn’t actually participate in.”
I can sense him staring at his phone from behind me, expecting it to ring again. And when Rich’s name fills the screen once more, Zanders declines it without hesitation, tucking his phone away.
“Get naked.”
“What?” I ask in shock, head snapping back to his.
“Get naked. Or at least get down to your bra and underwear.”
I pause, not saying a word, sitting in confusion.
“If you’re telling me you’re not wearing any panties right now, we’re about to have a real different conversation where the only words exchanged are ‘good girl’ and ‘daddy.’”
A laugh escapes me. “You wish I’d call you ‘daddy’ in bed.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why am I getting almost naked?”
“Because you’re about to follow me into the Atlantic Ocean.”
He stands from the sand behind me before walking around to face me. There’s not much light, just the slight glow from the moon, but it’s enough to see him remove his shirt and pants before reaching his hand down for me.
“Come on, sweetheart. We both know your favorite thing to do is follow me.”
I playfully roll my eyes, allowing him to pull me to my feet. “I’ve never once followed you. I’m still convinced you had some sort of tracking device on me so that you could show up wherever I was and ruin my night.” My clothes fall onto the sand with his, leaving me in only my bra and underwear.
His warm palms squeeze my ass before traveling south, lifting me and wrapping my legs around his middle. “I think the universe knew we needed to run into each other all those times. We both know you were too blind to notice the devastatingly handsome man in front of you.” He pops a kiss on my lips as he carries me into the ocean. “And I was too blind to know what I needed most in life was right there on my plane.”
“My plane,” I correct.
“Sorry, can’t hear.” He works his mouth against my neck as he steps further into the surprisingly warm ocean.
As the water surrounds us, I begin to feel light in his grasp, floating but still wrapped around his neck and waist as Zanders stands in the shallow end. The moonlight plays off the water’s surface, giving me just enough light to see the beautiful man in front of me.
Silence lingers between us, but not in an awkward way. In a peaceful way. As if we’re both right where we belong, and there are no words needed to fill the void or break the quiet. It’s content.
“Stevie?” Zanders whispers into the silence.
“Mm-hmm?”
“You are. You know that, right? You’re what I needed most in life.”
There’s a slight flutter in my chest, and it’s not that he doesn’t say these things often, but sometimes the words hit differently. And when the man who has everything in life, who has every option the world has to offer at his fingertips, tells you you’re what he needed most, well, it’s hard not to let those words affect you.
Tightening his hold, Zanders presses me into his body, our chests flush. Staring into those hazel eyes, I’m not sure if he understands how much he’s done for me. He’s changed my life because he’s changed my perspective. He reminds me that I’m worthy of being chosen, and having that confidence changes everything. Every situation, every circumstance is viewed through a new lens.
“You’re my best friend,” he continues.
Brows raising, I ask, “Have you broken the news to Maddison yet?”
“Sometimes I think he might like his wife more than me, so he can just deal with it.”
Chuckling, I lean forward, pressing my lips to his. “You’re my best friend too, Zee. Which is a huge development because just six months ago, I convinced myself I hated you.”
“You never hated me.” He brushes me off.
“I wanted to.”
“Why?”
Why? Because hating you was a whole lot less scary than acknowledging that one day, I was going to love you.
“Because you were everything I didn’t want. Athlete. Arrogant. Too many options to choose from.”
“Sex-god. Model good looks. Charming as hell,” he continues for me.