A Taste of Paradise
Disclaimer: Anything you recognise belongs to the BBC, it's not fair! I love them more than they do! They'd have a much happier life with me!
/
It was starting to get dark before Sandra and Robert got back to the apartment. They had decided to walk back along the beach, and had been treated to another tropical sunset as a reward.
As they walked along the surf, Sandra felt a serenity wash over her, her hand was linked with his, the sea washed over their bare feet as they strolled along the soft white sand, and the moment was perfect.
The only thing which was slightly disturbing her picture postcard moment was the presence of the two body guards. Sandra had to give them credit, they were very good at staying out of the way, in fact if she hadn't been a police officer herself, aware of the techniques of shadowing a suspect, she probably wouldn't have noticed them at all, but she knew they were there, and it was a constant reminder of the shadow lurking in the background.
When Rob had told her what the Brian had found out about Miquelle, she hadn't been one hundred percent surprised, he had set her nerves on edge, and all of her experience had told her that he was what Gerry would call a 'wrong un'.
"Penny for them." The man strolling beside her interupted her thoughts. She gave his hand a squeeze.
"Just thinking, I know they have to shadow us, what with the mediteranian Norman Bates out there, but I wish it was just the two of us."
"I know what you mean. When we were at the lagoon earlier, I felt like we had our parents watching us or something. I kept on expecting your Mother to come and tap me on the shoulder and tell me to 'unhand her daughter'."
"My Mother would probably say 'What took you so long', she would be more concerned with getting me married off than protecting my virtue." She smiled, "This lot seem pretty broad minded though, I don't think anything we did would have fazed them." He laughed.
"We were quite restrained I thought."
"We were. When we lose the shadows, do you know what I want to do?" She grinned mischieviously at him. They had reached the steps up to their apartment. He stopped and turned her to face him, he ran his hands through her hair which was shining like molten silver in the moonlight. She looped her arms around his back.
"Tell me."
"I want you to make love to me here, on the beach, I want that to be one of the memories we make which will last a lifetime."
"I think I could manage that." He captured her lips in a searing kiss, she responded, returning the kiss with equal force. They were happily getting lost in each other when the not-so-subtle clearing of a throat interupted them. They broke apart, Sandra rested her forehead on his chest for a few seconds, trying to control the urge to laugh. Robert turned his face to acknowledge the unfortunate interloper.
"Captain Thomas, It's good to see you again." He smiled at the man. Captain Thomas grinned, before letting out a laugh.
"Your manners are excellent Sir, my Mother, God rest her soul would have approved. I apologise for interrupting you. I was going to wait a little longer, but it didn't seem as though you had any plans to stop any time soon." Rob flushed scarlet and Sandra laughed. "Still, it is good to see you having a good time. I wanted to come and tell you that the Portugese police are on their way to the island to take Miquelle back to face the charges he ran from back in his homeland. They have also charged his Father for helping him to evade capture, it is now clear that he knew all along where his son was and has been actively helping him. Thank you for your help, your people back in England did a fine job, and we are only too happy to hand him back to his own police force. We have officers at Miquelle's flat and workplace, as soon as he is in custody, I will bring in the officers watching you, and you will be able to enjoy the rest of your holiday in peace."
"We are just glad we were able to help." Robert told him. The man took out a notebook.
"If it is alright, do you think I could have some contact details for you both, and some details of those who helped back in England. I have dealt with the De Martinez lawyers before, I do not want to leave anything to chance."
"Of course." Rob replied. Sandra shivered, the breeze coming in off the ocean had turned a bit chilly, and her spaghetti strap top wasn't doing a very good job of keeping her warm.
"If you don't need me, I'll go on up." She told the men, Rob had felt her shiver and nodded, fishing the apartment key out of his pocket. He handed it to her.
"I won't be long. Will you be alright?" He asked. A cold feeling had invaded his stomach, since De Martinez had shown interest in her, Robert hadn't let Sandra out of his sight unless they were safely locked inside the apartment. Sandra could sense his unease, she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm only going to be twenty feet away." She turned and trotted up the steps, pausing to unlock the patio door, she slid it open and entered, she pushed it closed again to keep the chill out.
The air conditioning in the apartment had kept the temperature steady, so where as during the day it was beautifully cool, on chillier evenings like this, is was now lovely and warm compared to outside. She went into the kitchen and got a couple of glasses ready and retrieved the bottle of wine from the fridge, she filling the glasses when she heard Rob slide the door open.
"That was quick." She called. Then she tensed as there was no answer. Her skin chilled as she heard breathing right behind her, and the touch of a hand on her shoulder. She had become used to the feel of Rob's hands, and she knew that the hand currently caressing her shoulder blade wasn't his. She mentaly cursed her carelessness, she had left the door unlocked, knowing Rob was only on the beach and would be following her up, but she hadn't thought to check the balcony, the creep must have beeen hiding out by the hot tub. She steeled herself, her instinct was to try to get away, but her police training kicked in and made her think the situation through. She knew Rob was just outside with the captain and the two other officers. All she had to do was stall Miquelle until Rob joined her.
"My English rose, why did you betray me? Why did you leave me for this toto." Sandra had no idea what a toto was, but she was fairly sure it wasn't anything good. She took a breath.
"I've known Rob for years. I never betrayed you."
"Then why did you promise yourself to me. You teased me with your golden hair and ocean blue eyes." He ran a strand of her hair through his fingers, she shivered at his touch, her blood running cold.
"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression." She knew she had to keep him talking.
"But why set the dogs on me? They do not realise that I am driven by love." He brought his other hand up to her other shoulder, he started to push the spaghetti straps down over her arms. Sandra couldn't help herself, she took a step away. He grabbed her arms forcefully, her instinct kicked in and she threw her elbow back, catching him on the bridge of the nose, he gasped in pain, letting go of her momentarily, she turned and sprinted past him heading for the door, he roared in anger and turned with her, not more than a step behind. She knew she had to get to the door, to alert Rob. She felt his hand on the back of her neck, then suddenly, an arm shot out from in front of her, palm out flat it caught the man chasing her square on the chin, knocking him backwards. Sandra ran straight into the arms of her lover. She clung to him, shaking. He whispered in her ear as he held her, trying to sooth her.
"Shhhh. It's ok sweetheart. You're safe." He felt her nod against his shoulder. Rob was watching the prone man over her shoulder, he noticed the figure was starting to regain his senses.
"Sandra, go and get Captain Thomas, he's still on the beach with his men." She saw what Rob was looking at.
"Rob, please, I know what you want to do right now, but please, don't do anything that will get you in trouble. Let the law deal with him."
"She does not want me hurt amigo, she loves me. We have been lover's for weeks." The portugese man crooned as he sat up. His face bloody, but the smirk infuriated Sandra.
"On second thoughts..." She pulled the can out of her bag and released a good dose of pepper spray straight into Miquelles face. The prone man squealed and rolled over, covering his face with his hands. Rob raised his eyebrows at Sandra, she just shrugged.
"Good God, I love you." He told her, his voice low, she smiled.
"I'll go and fetch the Captain. Won't be a moment." She brushed her lips against his cheeks and went to the door. Robert looked down at the pathetic figure on the floor. Miquelle was curled up in a foetal position, sobbing like a baby. He reached out a hand to Rob.
"Senior, please, water for my eyes." He begged. Rob took a step towards him, 'accidently' putting his shoe on the man's hand. He leaned forward, putting all of his weight down on the fingers of the hand which has been clamped onto his beloved's neck.
"Be glad the police are close by, and that it's not just the two of us." He hissed, then stood back as Captain Thomas entered with the two other officers. They hauled Miquelle to his feet and handcuffed him before dragging him off to the station. Captain Thomas watched the sobbing figure as he was dragged to the waiting car.
"He seems a little worse for wear. I expect he resisted arrest. Ah well." He bid them both a goodnight after asking them to drop by the next day to give statements. Sandra picked up her wine and took a drink. She felt Rob move in close behind her.
"Sandra? Sweetheart? Are you alright?" His voice was shakey with concern. She turned to face him.
"I'm fine." She smiled. He looked down at the floor.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered, she frowned.
"What for?"
"I promised I'd never let him get to you. And I promised the team he wouldn't get past me. Bloody lot of good I was." She saw a dark look in his eyes which she had only seen once or twice before, when he was at his most emotional. She reached for his hands.
"Rob, don't you even think of blaming yourself. I was careless, I left the door unlocked. I let my guard down. But even as he stood behind me, I knew you were only a few feet away, all I had to do was keep him busy. And I was right, when I needed you, you were there. Anyway, I think facing him down was good for me, it was empowering." She leaned in and teased his lips with her own. "Using that pepper spray felt good too." He returned the kiss, pouring his fears into the moment.
"Tell me what you want." He whispered. She smiled against his lips.
"I want to go to bed." She stated, a hungry look in her eyes. He smiled softly.
"Your wish is my command, my lady." He offered her his hand which she accepted with a small curtsey. He lead her upstairs to the bedroom, where he turned to her, brushing the hair away from her face. "God you are so beautiful." He whispered, "I must be the luckiest man alive. I keep on expecting to wake up and find this has all been a dream, and that I'm still alone in a cold bed in London."
"I'm here, and I'm real." She sighed. He ran his hands down her sides and around her back, pulling her gently against his body, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, molding her body against his. He pressed his lips against hers, pouring his soul into the most intense kiss she had experienced to date. She could feel the emotions rolling off him, the love washing over her. She felt as though she was drowning, but she had no intention of fighting the sensation, she gave herself to him, pouring all of her love back at him.
She reached between their bodies, their lips still locked together, she started to unbutton his shirt, needing to feel his skin against her hands, once all the buttons were undone, she pushed the cotton garment off his shoulders, he dropped his hands long enough to let it slide off onto the floor before wrapping his arms back around her. Sandra ran her hands across his chest and back around his shoulders, massaging the smooth skin with her fingertips. He broke the kiss and drew back, his eyes feasting over her. He slipped his hands under the hem of her top, brushing his fingers along her ribs, he peeled the top off over her head, where it joined his shirt on the floor. He ran his hands across her breasts, teasing her through her bra before reaching around her back and unfastening her skirt, which slid to the floor, making the pile of discarded clothing grow.
Rob gently guided Sandra to the bed, she had slipped out of her sandles and now stood in just her cream coloured bra and briefs. He watched, his eyes hungry as she pushed the covers to the bottom of the bed and lay down, she smiled as he approached.
"You're wearing too much." She pointed out. He raised his eyebrows. He had already removed his shoes and his shirt was in an untidy pile at his feet.
"I'm only wearing shorts." He replied. She smirked.
"Exactly!" He smiled and made display of unfastening his belt, before he slid it from the loops and threw it on the floor with the rest. He undid the button and slowly lowered the zipper. Sandra bit her bottom lip, the slow teasing strip driving her crazy. Eventually he pushed his shorts down past his hips and let them fall to the floor, he kicked them away and stood in front of her, in all his glory.
"Better?" He questioned. She nodded, and patted the bed next to her. "Now who's overdressed?" He smirked.
"Then come over here and do something about it." She teased. He didn't need any encouraging, he crawled onto the bed next to her, brushing featherlight kisses across her stomach and up to her breasts. He reached behind her as she arched up off the bed and deftly unfastened her bra. He slid it away and tossed it to the floor before bracing his hands either side of her and leaning down capturing her lips with a kiss which stole any reason from her. He kissed his way down her neck and shoulders before he brushed his lips across one of her nipples with the lightest of touches before using his tongue to tease it to diamond hardness. He swapped sides and treated her other nipple to the same, making her gasp and arch her back. He continued to tease her for several minutes before he kissed his way down her flat stomach until he met the barrier of her briefs. He knelt beside her and slipped his hands either side if her hips, sliding her last vesige of clothing down her legs and off, completing the collection on the floor. He kissed her hip and ran his hand along the inside of her thigh.
"Oh God! Robert..." She arched up as he gently blew on her most private areas. He leaned in and kissed her mound. He parted her legs slightly, and brushed her with his hand before sliding his middle finger inside her. He watched as she started to writhe against him, her need driving her beyond reason. He worked his digit in and out before adding another, pushing her to the brink. Just as she thought it couldn't get any more intense, she felt his talented mouth on her folds. She fisted her hands into the bedsheets as she felt his tongue on her sweet spot, his fingers working her to a frenzy, until she couldn't hold on any longer and let out a scream, his name echoing around the apartment as her climax exploded inside her, sending her to the brink of oblivion.
As she came back to her senses, she looked at her lover, he was sitting on his knees between her legs, his hands caressing her thighs. His eyes were almost black with desire, and his erection stood so proud, Sandra couldn't help but think it must be painful.
"God, you are gorgeous when you come." He murmured, almost too quiet to hear. "And I will never tire of hearing you scream my name."
"Come here. I want you inside me."
"Let me get..."
"No, forget the condoms, I want you. I want to feel you." She ran her hands through his hair as he braced himself above her, taking all his weight on his arms. He leaned down and kissed her as he positioned himself.
"Are you sure? We've already taken plenty of risks." He looked at her with such love she felt tears in her eyes, she nodded.
"As I said, I'm in the safe part of my cycle. I should be safe until the end of the week, but just this one night, then we'll start taking precautions. Tonight I need to feel you." She kissed him back, he nodded and guided himself into her pushing forward he sheathed himself into her with a sigh.
"I love you." He whispered as he started to move, keeping his thrusts slow and steady, trying to make the moment last as long as possible. She closed her eyes, the emotions rolling off her lover overwhelming her.
"Oh Rob... YES!" She gripped his shoulders as another climax overtook her. He picked up the pace, burying himself as deep as he could inside her, over and over until he couldn't hold back any longer and with a last hard thrust, he came hard, filling her as she climaxed for a third time.
She held him close as he rolled to the side, taking her with him so he wouldn't crush her. He kissed her lips tenderly, whispering her name over and over. She reached down and pulled the bed covers over their rapidly cooling bodies. She snuggled back down against his chest, listening to his heart as it slowed back to it's normal pace, she could feel her heart beating in time as she drifted into a content sleep.
/
Sandra woke with the first sound of the birds, signalling the first rays of daylight. She sighed as she reached over and looked at her watch, it was only just past four in the morning, she snuggled back down, into the warm body spooned behind her. Robert gently kissed the back of her neck, surprising her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She whispered, she felt him smile against her neck.
"You didn't, the bloody dawn chorus took care of that." He felt her shift and eased onto his back as she rolled to face him. "What is the time anyway?"
"It's no-where near time to get up." She answered, resting her head on his shoulder. "But I don't think I could go back to sleep." He kissed the top of her head.
"Me neither."
"Talk to me. I hardley know anything about you, if you feel uncomfortable, I'll start." She felt him nod. She brushed her hand through his chest hair. "Ok, let's see. You know about my father, how he died and why. But before that, growing up, he was the best Dad there was. He always had time for me, he'd take me to horse riding lessons on a Saturday morning, and we'd always stop for a cake and lemonade on the way home. He was so strong, I felt so safe when he was around."
"What about your mother?"
"I feel guilty now. I realise looking back that Dad never did any telling off, it was always left to her to make and enforce the rules. When he died, I felt so alone and abandoned. I took it out on Mum because... well, I suppose it was because she wasn't him. I remember lying in bed and saying a prayer, asking God why he had taken Dad and not her. I feel so bad now, I was such a spoiled little bitch."
"No, you were a child, mourning the loss of someone you idolised. When we are children, the death of someone we love is much more difficult to comprehend, it feels as though you've been abandoned in some way. That person which you look up to and depend on, is suddenly gone. It's a terrifying time for someone so young."
"You sound as though you have experience." She obvserved, she sat up slightly, leaning on her elbow, she looked down at his face, giving him an encouraging smile. He sighed.
"My mother died when I was four. I don't really remember her much. My Grandfather took me in, he died two years later. It felt like my whole world had collapsed when he died."
"What about your Father?" She saw his eyes darken.
"He's still alive." He almost growled. Sandra could see anger and hatred burning in his eyes, she caressed his cheek.
"I'm sorry, I don't wan't to pry..." She started, he put a finger against her lips.
"No, it's alright. You need to know. It's just, the only person I've ever told in the past was Kaye, and she tended to use my past as a weapon against me, to hurt me. I know you never would, but..."
"I never would. Trust me."
"I do." He paused. "My father... well...he never really forgave me for being born." He stuttered, she frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"My mother got ill while she was pregnant with me. She refused the treatment because the drugs involved would have harmed me. She never really recovered properly. Father blamed me. When she died, he sent me off to live with my Grandfather because he told me he didn't want a constant reminder of how I'd killed her."
"That's horrible! How could he say something like that to a little boy?"
"Grandfather agreed with you. The two years I spent with him was the best time of my life."
"But then he died. What happened then?"
"I was sent back to my father. I was a pretty sickly child, weak lungs. My father had a friend who had been through medical school, father got him a job in the village as GP. He told my Father that my condition wasn't medical, but psychological, he insisted that my father had to 'snap me out of it'. He didn't need any encouraging. He was brutal."
"Nobody helped you?"
"My father is a lord, nobody questioned him. I doubt anybody even new. If they did they never said anything. My older brother never said anything." He sat up and swung his legs out of bed. His head hung in utter defeat. Sandra moved behind him, hugging him from behind.
"What did you do?"
"I survived. I kept my mouth shut, got on in school, and as soon as I turned eighteen, I changed my name and joined the army. One of the instructors noticed me and suggested I go through university and get a degree and go to Sandhurst, he said I was officer material. He got me sponsored, and I think you know what happened from there." He turned and kissed her softly. "I never went back. I have only seen my brother a handful of times since."
"And your Dad?"
"As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't exist. He made his choices."
She held him tightly, he turned in her arms and lay down again, pulling her close. "Kaye used to say I scared her, that I scared the children. I never layed one finger on any of them, I never even raised my voice at the children. She knew it hurt me, to be compared to him."
"As I said before, she's a bitch." He smiled warmly at her.
"Thank you. It actually feels good to tell somebody." He said. She snuggled against him. She smiled cheekily.
"So what is your name, you know I'm really Cassandra. Was it just your surname you changed?"
"Yes. I was always Robert." He paused, "Barset. I was born Robert Barset."
"Barset. Where have I heard that before?"
"Sir Thomas Barset owns most of Berkshire, and is one of the biggest contributors to the current commissioners charity works."
"Does he know you're a policeman?"
"I have no idea. And I'm fairly sure the Commissioner has no idea who I am. He'd make much more effort to suck up if he knew."
"That is true. So why 'Strickland'?" She reguarded him, lying next to her. He shrugged.
"It's a name from my Mother's side of the family, going way back. Sir Robert Strickland fought alongside King Richard III, Story goes, that although he was on the losing side, he fought with such courage and honour that Henry Tudor allowed him to retain his land and titles. He was a sort of family legend, Grandfather told me Robert was a family name, leading back to him, that I was named for him. I suppose I was trying to keep a part of my family identity, but subtly so that my Father couldn't find me." He watched as she reached out to him and brushed her fingers through his hair. She grinned suddenly.
"Bloody hell! I've just realised something. I've been deflowered by the son of the lord of the manor!" She grinned. "Mum's going to be over the moon." He laughed.
"Just don't tell the boy's. They'd have so much fun at my expense."
"They probably would take the piss." She thought for a moment. "It's about ten o/clock there. I should phone them and let them know that Miquelle is under lock and key, they're probably worried."
"They were." He handed her the phone. She got out of bed and looked for something to slip on. She spotted his shirt and pulled it on, doing up a few of the buttons, she turned and found him watching her. "That looks better on you than me." He said.
"It's not quite long enough." She told him.
"Exactly." He grinned. She grinned back.
"You stay exactly where you are. I'll be back soon." She went to leave the bedroom, he called after her.
"Will you be alright?"
"I will be as long as you're here when I get back." She assured him and went downstairs. She switched on the coffee machine, and dialled the office number. It rang a couple of times, as she waited, she weighed up who she hoped would answer. In the end she decided it really didn't matter.
"UCOS!" It was Gerry. She took a breath.
"Hi Gerry, It's me."
"Sandra! Are you alright? What the bloody hell are you doing up at this time? We were going to call you, but not until this afternoon."
"It's about four thirty. The dawn chorus woke me up. And I'm fine."
"Look. Brian has told us what's going on. I'm not saying I'm chuffed, but I'm not about to give you a hard time over the phone. But 'he' told us about this stalker you've got. Are you safe?" Sandra could hear the edge in Gerry's voice, there was no doubt who the 'he' he was refering to was. She tried to keep her voice as normal as possible.
"Miquelle De Martinez was arrested late yesterday evening. There was a hairy few minutes, but Rob knocked him out cold. He's in the local jail, and later he's being taken back to Portugal to face charges of rape and murder. We can enjoy the rest of the holiday in peace."
"Sandra..." She waited for him to continue. There was a pausein which she could almost hear the thoughts running through the other man's head, hear all the things he wanted to say. After a few moments he continued, "...Have a good time, see you when you get back." He finished warmly, obviously changing his mind over what he wanted to say. She smiled.
"Thank's Gerry. See you soon, bye." She hung up and smiled. She poured the coffees and returned to the bedroom. Rob was waiting.
"How did it go?" He asked concerned, she smiled warmly at him.
"Good, I think. Gerry answered, he told me he's not over the moon about us, but he didn't have a go or anything. I think they'll wait until we get back to start the inquisition." He took the coffee cups from her as she shuffled back into the bed along side him. He handed hers back before sitting back and sipping at the beverage.
"At least we can face them together." He told her, she nodded.
"What about the Commissioner? Will he make things difficult for you?"
"I don't know. But if he does, I can always drop the Barset connection on him. There has to be one advantage to being the son of that bastard, I may as well use it." She kissed him on the cheek.
"You'd do that for us? Give up your anonimity."
"I'd do anything for you." He whispered. She put her now empty cup down and snuggled against him. He got rid of his cup and pulled her close. "So, what shall we do today?"
"I need to go shopping. I promised the boys a present, besides that, now that I've done the mad stalker thing, my schedule is clear. We get to enjoy the rest of the week. But there is one thing."
"What?"
"It's still not five o/clock. But that coffee means I'm not going to be going back to sleep. Can you think of anything to fill the next couple of hours?" She asked innocently, her eyes twinkling with mischief. He smiled and let his hands wander.
"I may have a few ideas." He purred.
/
Enjoy the rest of the holiday they did. They had both managed to read a couple of books while enjoying the peace of the beach, enjoying the calm sea and warm sand. They had also explored the island, delighting in the tropical fauna and flora. The moments of peace and serenity were interspaced between hot tub sunsets and unforgettable nights of passion.
Friday had come around too soon. Sandra and Rob wandered along the sand, hand in hand. He was carrying a beach bag and had insisted on surprising her. They hadn't ventured this far along the beach yet, they had been walking for nearly an hour.
"Are we nearly there yet?" Sandra whined in a childish voice, making him laugh. He squeezed her hand.
"Just about. Look." He pointed to the edge of an outcropping of rocks ahead. A beach vendor waved at them cheerfully as they passed. Rob acknowledged him as they walked around the corner and Sandra let out a gasp. A tiny little cove greeted them, beautiful tropical flowers grew out of the sheer cliff face. The sea had eroded the base of the cliff, creating a little sheltered cave, looking out to the ocean.
"Oh, this is beautiful." She whispered. Rob led her to the mouth of the cave and laid out the beach towel on the soft sand. He pulled a bottle of wine and some glasses out of the bag, He dug a small pit in the sand and buried the bottle up to its neck, to keep it cool. Sandra untied the sarong she was wearing, leaving herself clad in only her bikini. Rob had removed his shirt and leaving him in his swim shorts. Sandra lay down on the towel and sighed. Rob settled next to her.
"Roll over." He told her, she complied and rolled onto her stomach, pillowing her head on her arms. Shefelt the trickle of oil onto her back and sighed again as he started to massage the oil into her back and shoulders.
"Mmmmm. That's wonderful." She murmured. Then she started slightly as she felt the strings on her bikini top come undone. "Rob?" She questioned. He whispered in her ear.
"I enqired about somewhere private, where we wouldn't be disturbed. This is one of the islands best kept secrets. The vendor out there, his name is Charles, and for the very reasonable sum of one hundred dollars, he will make sure we are left in peace. There is one thing we need to do before we leave. That little fantasy of yours, remember." He ran his hands down her back, smoothing the oil into her skin. "A memory to make." his hands drifted down to her bikini bottoms, where he undid the strings on either side, removing the last piece of material covering her. Sandra felt a little bit exposed, she had never really been one to flaunt her body, she had always dressed to be comfortable, she had certainly never been naked in public before. She tried to relax, his hands had drifted to her legs and he was now massaging the oil into her thighs. She felt the need to grab for a towel, and every little noise was making her jump.
"If you don't want to, that's fine. We can just drink the wine and relax." His soothing voice broke into the quiet.
"I'm ok." She managed to keep her voice sounding neutral. He chuckled.
"you're as jumpy as a squirrel. I want you to enjoy this. If you feel uncomfortable, I'll stop and we can do something else."
"It's just that, well, I've never been this naked on a public beach before." She confessed, "I know on this island, people seem to be completely unconcerned, I mean I've seen more naked bodies this last week, than I think I've seen in my life. But I've always been shy about my own body."
"I don't know why. You are perfect, absolutely stunning." He leaned across and kissed the back of her neck, before pulling a face. "That oil might smell nice, but it tastes disgusting!"
Sandra couldn't help it, she began to giggle, her body shaking as the laughter took over.
"Your not supposed to eat it." She managed to remind him inbetween the spasms of laughter. She turned her head. He had lay down beside her, and was watching her. "What?"
"You really are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. And I love you so much it hurts. I don't ever want to go back to the way things were. I will fight with everything I am to be with you." She reached over and caressed his face.
"When we get home, what are we going to do? I don't want to go back to living in my flat all by myself, I've got used to having you with me."
"Why don't I bring some of my things to your flat, you can bring some stuff to mine. We can live between the two. See how things go. Then we can figure out which place we like the best, or even get rid of both and get a place together." He suggested, she smiled.
"Since mine is closer to the station, we can live there during the week, then go to yours at the weekends. That way, we won't have to get up so early."
"I like that plan." He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, she rolled onto her back and looped her hands around his shoulders and deepened the kiss. She ran her hands down his back to the waistband of his shorts and started to push them down over his hips. He drew away slightly and smiled, she grinned back.
"If I'm going to be naked, so are you."
"I suppose that's fair." He agreed. He stood and untied the drawstring, before slipping them down and kicking them towards the bag. Sandra couldn't help but sigh at the sight of him, he really was incredible. He lay back down next to her, brushing his hand across her breast.
"Is that better?"
"Much." She ran her hand along his length, making him gasp. His eyes darkened as he got harder, her hand teasing him to readiness. He leaned across her and took one of her breasts into his mouth, his tongue playing with her nipple. He swapped to the other breast, giving it the same attention as she stroked and tugged at him, until she couldn't wait any longer. She gently pushed him onto his back and sat astride him reaching into the bag. She rummaged for a second or two, until she found the little box she was looking for. She took a liitle foil square out of the box and tore it open, watching his face the whole time. He massaged and kneeded her breasts as she slipped the condom over his manhood and slowly rolled it down his hardness. He bit his bottom lip as her finger nails grazed through the fine hairs at the base and across his balls. She watched his eyes as she lifted herself up and guided herself down onto him, taking him into herself completely. She tipped her head back and looked up to the sky as the sensation of being completely filled almost sent her over the edge.
"Jesus, you are incredible." He whispered, as she looked back at him and started to move. She pulled herself almost entirely off him before sheathing him again, and again, at the same time, moving her hips in a circular motion, driving him to distraction. He gripped her thighs, using them as leverage to start to thrust upwards, driving into her as far and as fast as he could.
"Oh God! Oh yes!" Sandra cried as she felt her orgasm building, she cried out as she felt the explosion inside her, falling forward, Robert held her close, waiting for her to regain her senses, he turned them both over, still joined, kissing her tenderly. She smiled at him lovingly, he started to move again gently thrusting in and out.
"Rob, don't hold back."
"I want to make this last as long as possible." He whispered. He pushed up onto his knees, hooking her long, beautiful legs over his thighs, he braced himself over her, pulling almost all the way out, before burying himself again. She arched her back up at the sudden rush of ecstacy, fisting her hands into the towel.
"Yes!" She cried out, "Harder!" He continued to move like this, driving her to the edge of reason until he felt her go over the edge again, he sped up his thrusts, feeling his own climax building until, with one last, hard thrust he came, he let out a shout as he released, his body shuddering, he tried to brace himself on his arms, afraid of crushing her. She held him tightly, her own body still vibrating from the sensations of a moment before. He pushed himself up onto his knees, removing the condom, and settled himself alongside her. He was still breathing hard, and his face was flushed. She ran her fingers along his jawline.
"That was incredible. I don't think this moment could be any more perfect." She had never felt this complete, so utterly content with life, she knew that no matter what the real world threw a them, this man was her future. He brushed the hair away from her face, smiling nervously. He knelt up, retrieving the sarong and covered her lightly with it before reaching into the bag and rumaging around, he finaly found what he was looking for. She sat up, watching him, intreagued as he turned back to her holding a little velvet pouch. He chewed his lip in a nervous manner, she could see he was deciding whether to continue, she gave him an encouraging smile.
He undid the pouch and tipped the contents into the palm of his hand. She gasped as she recognised it. It was a simple silver band, with a single stone setting, the stone was a pure blue moonstone. She had been admiring it a few days before in the window of a jewellers in town.
"I saw you looking at it through the window." He told her.
"When I saw it, it reminded me of this place. The silver and blue, just like the sea and sand." She looked up as he lifted her hand and slid the ring onto it.
"It reminded me of your eyes." She moved her hand, causing the ring on her finger to twinkle as the sunlight caught it.
"It cost a fortune." She pointed out. He shrugged.
"You're worth every penny." He reached up and cupped her jaw, brushing his thumb lightly across her cheek. "Over the next few weeks, we're going to have some battles to fight, not just the team, they'll come round. And I can handle the bosses, but there will be the gossips, the sly nudges, sudden silences. These I can do nothing about. It won't be so bad for me, my rank will offer me some protection, but I am concerned for you."
"Don't worry, I can take care of myself."
"But that's my point. Now you don't have to. You're not alone any more, you don't have to cope alone. And any time they start to get to you, I wan't you to look at that ring and remember this place, and remember you have a white knight to do your fighting now." He smiled. "I'm not asking you to hide behind me, I know you are too strong and self sufficient for that. I'm asking you to let me stand beside you." He brushed his lips across her's, she smiled against his mouth.
"I'll try. I've looked after myself for so long I'm not going to promise it'll come easily to me, but I'll come to you if I'm troubled."
"That's all I ask."
"That's all?"
"There is one other thing." He said cryptically, she frowned.
"Okay?" She questioned. He looked down at the ring.
"The only other thing I will ever ask of you, is that you remember that those times at work, if I'm being a complete bastard, or I seem to be playing politics. It's because I have to, not because I want to. I have always been in your corner, even when it seemed otherwise. In the past I've had to tread something of a tight rope, and I can only see that rope getting tighter..." He seemed to run out of steam, Sandra nodded re-assuringly.
"I know. I'm not going to promise we'll never argue. We both know that neither of us back down from a fight. But I now know the real you, and I'll never doubt your motives again. I love you Robert."
"I love you Sandra Pullman." They're lips collided and they lay back down in the sand, pouring all the love and emotion they could muster into the forming of new memories, tasting paradise all over again.
/
Author's note; There will be an epilogue. Hopefully within the next few days. S