Playing for Rya

25. Island Games

Song: ...Ready for it? - Taylor Swift.

The lodge resort was as beautiful and serene as Rya remembered it, only, this time, it appeared to be bustling with more activity.

Two vehicles had been waiting for them when they'd disembarked from the plane and she and Derek had separated from Elsa and Gio.

The private airfield their plane had touched down on also seemed to have an unusual amount of activity than she'd witnessed on any private tarmac in the past. There were more than the usual operatives milling about, not to mention that there were several other planes already parked.

The short journey to the lodge resort was largely uneventful and as they approached the resort, their vehicle joined the fleet of luxury vehicles that were making their way to and beyond the resort gates.

Just as before, they pulled up to the gate and waited a few moments before they were passed through.

The traffic was light enough for the gates to slide shut after each vehicle, but heavy enough that the flow of vehicles kept the iron structure sliding consistently back and forth.

Whatever the case, everyone seemed content to follow protocol and wait patiently for the security in play to carry out it's due diligence.

It was late afternoon by the time they arrived, just a couple hours before the gala was slated to begin and their vehicle parted ways from Elsa and Gio's as they made their way to their separate residences where they intended to freshen up from their long travel and prepare for the evening ahead.

Hers and Derek's had been a much longer travel experience as they'd first made their way from New York, to meet up with Elsa and Gio in Miami so they could travel as a team.

Derek's penthouse suite which was situated in one of multilevel luxury condominiums was located on the 30th floor and was just as she'd expected it to be with it's spacious and beautifully architectured rooms, tall expansive windows, wraparound terrace, marble bathrooms and general lavish design, all of which Rya absent-mindedly regarded as she took a brief tour of the place while Derek was on the phone giving orders and directions to someone she assumed was an assistant.

The conversation she'd had earlier with Elsa still weighed heavily on her mind and she'd decided that if Elsa was right and Derek was still under the impression that his sexual needs and nature was what had run her off before, she needed to have a chat with him to set the facts straight, before they headed out for evening event.

Clad in her underwear after a hot, brief shower, she sat at the pristine white dressing table in front of a mirror, in his bedroom, drying and curling her hair as she waited for Derek to wrap up his phone call before she approached him.

Her opportunity presented itself when he came into the bedroom moments later.

He'd undone a couple of buttons off the top of his shirt and had also taken off his cufflinks, his shoes and his belt.

She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as he made a beeline for her, squatting down behind her where she sat on the wide, leather-clad dressing stool, and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck as he breathed her in.

She reached behind her to slide her fingers into his hair and rub soothingly on his scalp until he raised his head several seconds later and looked at her through the mirror, 'are you sure about tonight?' he asked gruffly as a frown marred his forehead. She recognized the confliction in his gaze, it was the same look he'd had all those years ago when he and Gio had revealed their sexual proclivities to her in his hotel suite.