50 Shades of Drake 5 and 6

More Life: Chapter Forty-6ix

    "You're quiet."

     They'd spent the day frolicking in the pool and on the patio, had even spent some time at the pool's edge so they could view the ocean. If they had to stay hidden from the world, this wasn't the worst place to hide. The sun was warm and bright, the ocean sparkled in multiple shades of blue, and...seeing Aubrey shirtless was certainly not a chore. Destiny's eyes scanned down every inch of him now.

    Suntan lotion caused his chest to gleam, even indoors. Dark tattoos popped against the deep tan he was gaining from all their time spent in the sun. He reclined in one of the living room chairs while blankly staring out of the patio door windows. It had been nearly half an hour since he last spoke, but he contemplatively stroked his chin. There were comfortable silences, and then there were silences that seemed never-ending. He turned his head and peered at her, his mouth forming a small smile. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

    "You're scared," Destiny observed, her brow furrowing.

    "Scared? Who? Me?" He attempted to brush off her words, but the look in his eyes said he didn't even believe himself. With a long sigh, he tilted his head back. "I don't know. Lately, I've just been wondering how we even got here. One day, I was making music for my fans. Then I switched gears, went into big business. Instead of being a silent partner or watching by the side lines, I decided to be the big boss of a big corporation. Watching everything from day-to-day. And then I stumble across...you."

    She smiled wistfully and stared down at the floor.

    "I still remember exactly how I felt the day that I met you and the day that I came back to see you," he said softly. "What we had was a perfectly imperfect custom-made fairytale that was our own."

    "Kinky fairytale," she added.

    He laughed. "You gave me everything I wanted. Pushed me away when I tried to pull you closer. Love and understanding when I fucked up. Love and understanding when I showed you who I really was, what I really liked. The love I feel for you, and the love I feel from you are the purest things I've ever felt. Things were so good. We were beginning to really find ourselves and then...this Palmer bullshit. Snuck up on us, infiltrated our lives, the perfect world we'd created together. I look back on all of the decisions I've made...calling him out in that meeting. Calling him out in the article. Challenging him time and time again, for what? A nonprofit organization that I'm still not able to do much with, since the FBI has be tucked away from the rest of the world. Did I really have to do all of that showboating?"

    Her brows drew together as she stood from the couch and approached him. "Hey," she said gently, caressing the top of his head. "Stop blaming yourself."

    "That's the thing: I can't. When you really dig through all of the mess, all of this shit is my fault." Tears shone in his eyes. He shook his head, as if that would get rid of them. "Fuck. I'm sorry. Just...having a moment."

    Searching his face, she moved to stand in front of him. Then, she knelt before him and parted his knees so she could move even closer to him. "We've gone over this before, because you and I keep taking turns trying to blame ourselves for this," she reminded him. "There is only one person to blame for everything messed up in our lives. That person is Harry Palmer."

    Aubrey stubbornly shook his head.

    She rose up on her knees and grabbed his face in her hands. "Yes," she said forcefully. "None of this is your fault. You had a good cause and good intentions. You were right to challenge the politicians who were wasting your time and threatening to shut down creative programs in schools. Okay? You were right to do that. I don't blame you for this. Carlos doesn't blame you for this. You shouldn't blame yourself for this."

    "I couldn't protect you when you needed me the most," he said, his head ducked down so low she couldn't even see his eyes anymore. Just that strong, prominent brow that he hadn't had groomed since landing in Turks. 

    "They wanted to hurt me, and they would've found a way to do it. If not that day, another day. Sir, may I?"

    He lifted his head ever so slightly, then nodded.

    She leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. Then, she kissed both of his cheeks. His chin. Savoring each little peck and saving the best kiss for last, finally touching her lips to his.

    Leaning forward, he gathered her up in his arms and pulled her onto his lap. 

    Squealing at the cold feel of his damp board shorts, she ran her hands up and down his chest.

    He deepened the kiss and started to untie her bathing top.

   "Aubrey." She pulled back right before she was sent over the edge of all reason. "The cameras."

    "A tape is already out," he said dumbly. Dark, sexy eyes drunk with lust. He couldn't see beyond his own desires at the moment.

    Did he really switch from blaming himself for everything to throwing caution to the wind? The change up nearly gave her whiplash. She pulled back from him a bit and gasped when she realized that Carlos was standing at the room entrance. "Carlos?"

    Aubrey twisted around.

    "We don't have any TVs in this bitch and I can't use my phone," Carlos said. "As far as entertainment, you guys are it."

    The lusty look in Aubrey's eyes hadn't left, but his voice deepened as he said, "I haven't yet threatened your life, Carlos, but don't think that is a guarantee."

    Startled, Carlos clapped a hand to his chest.

    "Disappear, please," Aubrey said, turning and locking gazes with Destiny.

    "Damn. You guys do remember there are cameras all up and through this place, right?"

    "You're still here?" Aubrey asked, his eyes not leaving Destiny's face.

    Carlos backed away and moments later, his feet could be heard on the stairs.

    "You stopped me from untying your top," Aubrey stated. A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Do you understand why that was wrong?"

    "Because I'm supposed to trust you," she said, albeit a bit breathlessly.

    Staring at her defiantly, he moved a hand behind her back and proceeded to untie the bikini top. 

    She glanced around the room. The agents received orders to only monitor the outside of the house, but they're still watching the monitors. Without even meaning to, she found herself searching the room for the cameras. Two spotted in upper corners of the room. 

    "Do you want me to stop?" he asked her.

    God, I love when he checks in with me like that, she thought. "I'm just...knowing that there's already video out...they're still watching the monitors, so I'm just..."

    "Okay." He stood up, still holding her in his arms.

    She threw her arms around his neck at the last minute. "Whoa. Umm...?" 

    "We're going to get cleaned up," he announced, carrying her across the living room and up the stairs leading to the second floor of the house. "After you demonstrate for me whose dirty little girl you are."