Chpt. 21 APOV:

"Are you sure you can't go?" I ask Taylor as he kisses me goodbye.

"Fuck Ana, you're killing," he groans. "This project is so behind, I've got to be on site today."

"You don't mind us going without you?" Christian asks. "We can reschedule for next weekend."

"No, you two go," Taylor says. "Go have fun; you shouldn't cancel your plans because mother nature screwed my schedule up this week."

"I love you," I kiss him one last time.

"I love you too," he says before he leaves.

We made plans last weekend to take Christian's parents' boat out on the water for the day as it was the Saturday that we all had off from work. Unfortunately mother nature had other ideas; it rained nearly the entire week which delayed multiple projects but pushed Taylor's back the furthest because he was at a point that nothing could be accomplished until the concrete walls were set which couldn't happen during day after day of rainstorms. When things finally cleared up yesterday, he had to rework his schedule and the project's timeline which has him and his team working all weekend just to get close to back on the track for a very eager company that is waiting to open their new headquarters in Seattle.

"Ready to go?" Christian asks.

"Just need to grab my coffee."

"Already have it for you," he hands me my to go cup.

"Thanks," I lean in and kiss him.

He already has the small cooler that we packed this morning full of drinks and sandwiches so we head out to his truck. The drive to the marina takes longer than it should thanks to road construction, but we make it only a little later than we planned on arriving. Christian leads me to his parents' boat which is much larger than I expected it to be.

"Wow," I say in awe. "Did you parents have this when you were growing up?"

"No," he chuckles. "They always wanted a boat but waited until we were grown and out of the house before actually getting one."

"This is amazing," I take his hand and step onto the boat.

Christian gives me a tour of the boat which includes a small kitchenette, a bathroom, a covered seating area in case the weather turns and then plenty of outdoor areas. It even has a platform that lowers to allow us to swim off the boat if we wanted to. While Christian readies the boat for the water, I unpack our cooler and put everything in the fridge.

"Everything is ready up here if you are?" Christian asks a few minutes later.

"I think I'm ready."

I take the seat next to Christian and watch as he expertly navigates the boat out of the dock and through the small canal before it opens to the main water. Within minutes he increases the speed and the boat is bouncing off the waves. Even with my hair tied back, the wind whips it back and forth against my face but I could care less right now. It's so beautiful out here; I've never been on a boat and have never been to this area of Washington before today. It takes about ten maybe fifteen minutes, but just like that we're completely alone. Christian pulls into a little nook near a small inhabited island before anchoring the boat.

"This is amazing," we're less than two hours from the condo but you would think we were so much further given how far from everything we are.

"Makes you feel like you're completely alone," he sighs.

"It's hard to believe we're so close to Seattle right now; you would think we were further away."

"We spent a lot of time out here when we first came back to the states. Taylor preferred hiking, but this…this was my thing. So we would alternate, spending at least one weekend day either hiking or on the boat."

"I could see why," I look out at the vast blue water and the mountains surrounding us.

"One day I'd like to own a boat like this," he says after a few minutes of silence. "Something the three of us could use whenever we wanted."

"That sounds nice," I could easily picture it.

"Let's go sit out there," he gestures towards the front of the boat. He takes my hand and leads me out to where there is a small leather loveseat. Just as I sit down, Christian disappears to the back of the boat returning a few minutes later with cold water bottles. The sun is just starting to warm up making me glad I took Christian's suggestion to wear my bathing suit under my clothes today.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask as Christian sits down next to me.

"Sure."

"Did you and Taylor…did you guys see someone after….when you came home?"

"See someone?" he pauses. "Oh, like a shrink?"

"You don't have to-"

"We both did," he interrupts quickly. "We registered with VA center in Seattle and saw a therapist and a psychiatrist. We both had hoped it would help with…everything."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Ana, you sleep next to us each night and we're about to buy a house together, I'm pretty sure you have more of a right than anyone to ask….anything," he takes my hand in his and squeezes it. "We both saw therapists for about a year after….we came back. We also tried different medications to help, but while the nightmares would stay at bay for a few nights neither of us liked how we felt on the medication. You either felt like a walking zombie or like you had the world's worst hangover. Therapy didn't do shit, so after a year we both just stopped going."

"Oh."

"Do the nightmares…scare you?"

"No," I answer quickly. "But I hate the thought of either of you having to relive what you went through over there."

"We saw a lot of shit when we were deployed," he explains. "A lot of shit that can't be unseen. But sleeping with you wrapped around us, it helps Ana."

"I feel…helpless when either of you have one," I admit.

"So do we," he agrees. "Did you ever see a therapist?"

"Me? For what?"

"For…what happened when you were in foster care?"

"No," I shake my head. "My mother's solution was to move, which was her solution to everything. When things got tough, she ran and that's exactly what she did after…that."

"You don't talk much about her," he points out.

"I know," I sigh. "We had…an odd relationship especially when I got older. I moved around so many times when I was little; I can't tell you how many schools I went to before I graduated high school. I knew that wasn't the type of life I wanted. I wanted to be in one spot for at least a couple of years; I wanted to form friendships and not have to worry about how long they would last because I would be leaving."

"How did you end up in Seattle?"

"My senior year of high school brought me to a brand new school just after the year started," I explain. "The guidance counselor met with me and reviewed my records from all the previous schools and said that it was obvious I had potential because despite all the moving I maintained straight As. She encouraged me to apply for college and even helped me figure out how to pay for it since obviously my mother wasn't able to help with the cost. When it came time to picking a college…it's going to sound horrible but I wanted to get as far away from my mother as possible."

"How come?" his voice is gentle and non-judgmental.

"Because I knew if I were close, she would pull me into her web over and over again," I sigh. "I knew that when things got tough for her or when she broke up with yet another boyfriend, she would try to get me to leave with her. I knew if I wanted to break the cycle, I needed to be the one to leave. So I applied to a few different colleges, all on the west coast and then decided on the University of Washington because they offered me the best financial aid package."

"How did your mother react?"

"She was…torn. At first she was happy for me but then I think reality set in that I was leaving. She tried to guilt me into staying; she liked to remind me that I was the only family she had and that if I left she would be all alone."

"Ana…"

"It was really tough, but I stood my ground. I knew that I needed to leave; I couldn't live that life any longer. I needed just be in one place, even if only for a couple of years and college would give me that chance. I made it a point to fly to wherever she was living at the time at least once a year during the breaks between semesters but I never stayed for very long. It was just enough for me to see that nothing had changed and to remind myself of why I was working so hard to earn my degree."

"I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you," he says. "To leave, fly across the country and start in a new college without knowing anyone. Plus a new city, a new state…"

"It's no different than you joining the Air Force when you graduated from high school," I point out.

"But I did it with the support of my family," he reminds me. "My parents, Elliot and Mia they all supported my decision to enlist. They were there for weekly phone calls, they came to graduation, they sent letters and care packages when we were deployed. I'm guessing you didn't have that…"

"No," I chuckle sarcastically. "Half the time I barely knew where she was. I would make it a point to call her at least once every couple of weeks if I didn't hear from her. When she would call or text it was always to complain about something. It would just bring me down, so I needed to limit just how often we spoke. Sometimes I would call and her number would be disconnected; she either didn't pay the bill or moved again so I would have to wait for her to call me."

"I'm sorry Ana."

"Our relationship wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either. When…we met in Georgia, I had been struggling with that. It was hard because I had regrets that things weren't better between us, but at the same time I knew that things couldn't have been better. It just wasn't possible. She was ill and it took me a long time to accept that. Her illness was why she acted the way she did and did the things she did. It was hard to separate that from who she really was. I rarely saw the person she was without all the symptoms. I'd catch a glimpse here and there when she would suddenly decide to go back on her medication, but otherwise I didn't know that person."

"I don't know what to say."

"There isn't anything to say Christian," I rest my head on his shoulder looking out at the water. "I wish things had been different, but it's taken me the last two years since she passed away to realize that I couldn't have changed things."

"When we met you that night…I kept catching this sad look in your eyes," he says surprising me. "It would be there and gone so fast, but it was there."

"Really?"

"I obviously didn't know what caused it to be there, but I knew I wanted to make you forget whatever was making you sad even if it was only for a night."

"You both did just that," I blush at the memory of that night.

"Come here," he wraps an arm around my waist and turns us over so we're both lying on our sides. My back is pressed firmly against his chest and his arm rests under my head. "I'm glad you were in Georgia that night; obviously though I wish it were under different circumstances. But if you weren't there that night, I don't know that we would have met."

"We would have….at Kate and Elliot's wedding."

"True, but something tells me we wouldn't have it hit off the way we did in Georgia," he says. "And I can't imagine what happened in Georgia happening at the wedding between the three of us."

"No definitely not."

I can't say how long we lay like that, but eventually I doze off wrapped in Christian's arms. I wake up sometime later to find a light blanket covering me and Christian sitting up next to me doing something on his phone. I hadn't realized that I was so tired, but stretching I realize how rejuvenated I feel now that I slept.

"You should have woken me," I yawn and sit up next to Christian.

"You were tired, you needed to sleep."

"Someone must have kept me up last night," I smirk.

"Or two someones," he leans over and kisses me.

"Or two," I blush in admission.

"Did you want to go swimming before lunch?" he suggests.

"Sure," I take a drink of water before slipping out of my shorts and top.

"Fuck Ana," he groans as his eyes roam over my body taking in my bathing suit for the first time. It's a modest, yellow bikini but by the look in Christian's eyes you would think I was wearing the most revealing bikini made or that I was standing in front of him naked.

"It's just a bathing suit," I shrug.

"You're lucky we're alone out here," he growls. "Otherwise you'd have to put something else on."

"What?"

"Baby," he wraps his arm around my waist pulling me against his hard body. "You're beautiful, but I'm not going to let anyone else see what's mine."

"What's yours?"

"Well, mine and Taylors," he nips at my ear.

"I'm not showing anyone anything," I point out.

"Baby, I can practically see your nipples poking out from under the bikini," he rolls one between his thumb and finger. "And these bottoms, fuck baby," he groans as he grabs my ass.

"It's a bathing suit," I whisper feeling his erection against my sex.

"Next time we need one that…covers more," he smirks. "Keep this one for at home."

"You're too much."

"Only for you," he swats my ass when I turn away.

He walks me over to the edge of the boat where a platform has been lowered with a small ladder so you could climb on and off the boat with ease. Instead of using the ladder though, I jump from the platform purposely landing close to the boat ensuring that Christian's clothes are completely drenched. He looks surprised for a moment and the bursts into laughter. His shorts and top come off within seconds and I see a playful look in his eyes which has me swimming further away from him. Of course I'm not match for Christian; he jumps in landing right next to me splashing me just as I splashed him. His arm wraps around me and pulls me against him, both of us laughing hard.

"I love you Ana."

"I love you too," I wrap an arm around his neck and kiss him.

He slowly leads us back over by the boat, resting his arm on the platform behind him. His tongue probes mine as he deepens the kiss. With my arms wrapped around his neck, he wraps an arm around my waist anchoring me to him so I don't drift away from the waves. He encourages me to wrap my legs around his waist, which brings his erection right against my sex making us both moan in need.

"I want you," he nips at my lip.

"Here?" I squeal, immediately looking around.

"There's no one else here," he reminds me.

"But…."

Public sex? Holy shit…the thought both terrifies and arouses me. Part of me knows there's little chance of someone seeing us; not only are we underwater but we're behind the boat. But part of me also knows that a boat could pull up next to us at any time.

"You like that idea?" He whispers in my ear, reading me all too well.

"Yes," I admit in a whisper.

"I'll hold us up," he quickly lowers his swim trunks just enough to free his erection. His arm goes back up to the platform, holding us both above the water. His lips are back on mine, hungry letting me know just how much this turns him on too. With his hardness rubbing right against my clit, it's only a matter of moments before I'm ready for him. I reach between us and slide my bikini bottoms to the side before rising up enough to position Christian against me.

"Baby," he hisses as I slowly sink down on him. "I wish I could touch you right now. You look so beautiful, so sexy right now."

"Christian," I moan at his words.

With my arms wrapped around Christian's neck, I trust him to keep us above water as I slowly start to move against him. It's odd doing so in the water, with nothing to use for leverage, but we manage. Judging from Christian's moans he approves of the position. I miss having his hands on me, but having his body pressed against mine like makes up for it. When Christian starts meeting me thrust for thrust, the orgasm that was slowly building rushes to the surface.

"Come with me Ana," he groans against my lips.

His words are my undoing, when he thrusts into me the next time I erupt around him. I vaguely here him call out my name before feeling his warmth spread through me. I rock against him, slowly riding out both of our orgasms. His arm wraps around my waist, holding me tightly against him as he both pull back breathless.

"That was…" he whispers.

"Amazing," I finish.

"I'd love to stay just like this, but my arm is killing me," he admits.

"Oh! I'm sorry-"

"Don't be, it was worth it to watch you let go like that," he grins.

"I can't believe we just did that…here," I blush with the realization.

"We're alone," he reminds me. "I kept an eye out for anyone."

"You did?" he nods. "I couldn't have focused on anything else even if I wanted to."

"Watching for other boats is the only thing that kept me from coming the moment you climbed on top of me," his words once again making me blush.

As much as I would have rather not have moved, I reluctantly lift myself from Christian making sure we're both covered before we both climb back onto the boat. We towel dry off before grabbing the sandwiches and snacks from the fridge and setting them out on the loveseat where I fell asleep earlier.

"The inspection report came back," Christian checks his phone.

"Any concerns?" Christian and Taylor were both there when the inspection was completed so there shouldn't be any surprises but you never know.

"Nothing other than what was already pointed out to us."

"That's a relief."

"It's hard to think that in a week that house will be ours."

"I can't wait to get in there and start working on it."

"Is the kitchen still the first room you want to take on?"

Once the offer on the house was accepted, we set out a plan of what needs to be completed and in what order we wanted to tackle the projects. The goal is to finish the kitchen, master bedroom and bathroom before the condo sells so we could move into the house and then finish the rest of the projects. It was a tough decision, but everyone agreed to put the condo on the market the same day we closed on the house. The realtor we're working with to list the condo thinks it'll take three to four months to sell which should give us plenty of time to finish our projects on the house so we can move on.

"I think that's key," I pull the ipad from my bag. "With the kitchen done, we could then move onto the master bedroom and bathroom, using the kitchen to cook or heat up leftovers. I have a few designs that could work for the space, obviously keeping where the plumbing and gas lines are since moving them would just add too much time."

"I like this one," he scrolls back through the photos that I showed him. "But I don't cook so I'm probably the last person to decide. You should get Taylor's opinion, he's going to be in there more than I will."

"True, but you might not like the colors or style of cabinets and that has nothing to do with cooking," I point out.

"I like the darker counter tops in this one," he says.

"That's my favorite design," I admit.

"Really?"

"I like the contrast between the light colors of the walls with the dark countertops. I think with the recessed lighting it would look amazing at night."

"I can't wait to design the master suite with you," he smirks.

"I have a few ideas already," I scroll through a few more pictures stopping at the bathroom layouts which have been my personal favorite. "I found a few designs of showers that could easily be big enough for the three of us. I need to measure the space again, but if we go with one of these large showers, we should still have room for a small soaking tub in the corner. But if not, we can put one in another one of the bathrooms in the house. The shower is what I really want."

"Me too," his eyes heat up when they find mine.

"The closet should be pretty easy," I fumble through a few more pictures to show him what I had in mind. "A few built ins, but most of our clothes will be hung up. If we have everything in here than it frees up the space in the bedroom for the larger bed that we want."

Although Christian's bed is fine for the three of us, we've been talking about trying to see if a California king size bed will fit in the master bedroom of the house. It would give us just a little more space than the current bed does.

"Perfect. I think everything should fit in the closet without an issue, although Taylor and I aren't the one with the most clothes."

"I don't have that many," I argue.

"Yeah you do," he chuckles.

"I suppose I could get rid of my pajamas seeing that neither of you let me where them any longer."

"Can you blame us? We like the way you feel against us," he kisses me essentially ending the argument.