Read my Lips

Epilogue Part One

A few months later…

The sunlight was sparkling across the surface of the clear blue water. Underneath, Spencer could see schools of brightly colored fish swimming in and out of the seventh largest coral reef in the world. Just below his feet, a stingray fluttered by. Eliana grasped his hand and pointed to an area a little further out, smiling when she saw a giant sea turtle break the surface of the water for a breath of air.

"Are you ready?," Eliana asked.

Spencer wasn't ready. Not even close. But he gripped Eliana's hand tighter and nodded his head anyway. Snorkeling in the Maldives seemed relatively safe. But it was not without risk. The most obvious danger was the sharks, though the only one Spencer had seen since their boat pulled out of the resort was no bigger than a housecat. The less visible danger was the possibility of a strong ocean rip current. That made him more anxious. But Spencer reminded himself that he took bigger risks than this in his everyday work life. Instead of thinking about sharks and ocean currents, he focused on Eliana's tiny white bikini as he let her pull him closer to the edge of the boat.

Eliana went through a harrowing experience. One that was bound to change her. But instead of letting what happened darken her spirit, Eliana came out of her trials with a renewed desire to take advantage of all the adventures life had to offer. Her enthusiasm was catching. And Spencer was happy to let it sweep them both away, whether that meant something as simple as eating dinner outside so they could enjoy the sunset or flying to the Maldives on the spur of the moment to get married.

Eliana kissed him one more time before she pulled her goggles down. They hit the water together, releasing their grip on each other only because they needed both of their hands free to swim. The day before, they paid for a quick snorkeling lesson in the hotel pool. But It still took Spencer a minute before he was able to get a feel for swimming with flippers and breathing through the plastic mouthpiece of his snorkel. He stayed close to the surface of the water, watching Eliana through his mask as she dove down to explore the reef.

Spencer paddled his own legs awkwardly against the gentle ocean current, watching the much smoother movements of her body. Eliana's tanned legs kicked in a graceful rhythm as she propelled herself closer to the reef. A small school of blue and yellow fish darted away from her, moving as one unit in the fascinating way fish were just born with the instinct to do.

Eliana stayed underwater as long as she could, breaking the surface with a splash. She pointed to her left, motioning for him to dive under with her this time. Spencer took a deep breath and obliged, kicking his legs as he dove under the surface. A short distance away was the giant sea turtle Eliana spotted from the boat. It circled around her as she moved towards it, skimming her fingers over the back of its giant shell. Sea turtles had an impressive life span. It was humbling and impressive to see a creature that had already lived several human lifetimes and would probably still be circling this reef long after they were both long gone. Spencer broke the surface for a quick breath of air before he dove back down. The turtle was still swimming near Eliana. Spencer moved towards them, reaching out until he was able to touch the giant beast himself. The shell felt like a well worn river rock. After he touched it, Spencer watched as the turtle slowly made its way towards the open ocean.

After their encounter with the turtle, Eliana stopped diving so deep under the surface. She stayed close to Spencer as they kicked along the surface of the water, watching colorful fish swim in and out of the reef. Spencer agreed to try snorkeling because Eliana wanted to go. But he found he was enjoying the experience much more than he expected. Reading about the ecosystem of coral reefs wasn't the same as actually seeing it unfold below him. And swimming along the surface of the water took less athletic coordination than he thought it would once he got a feel for it. He wasn't just having an adventure, he was enjoying it.

Once they had their fill of being submerged in the salty water, Spencer and Eliana swam back towards the boat. Eliana cuddled up under his towel with him on the ride back, her hand gently roaming up and down the length of his thigh. Spencer wrapped his arm around her, enjoying her warm body next to his as the wind whipped his hair around.

When Spencer and Eliana got back to the resort, they stopped at the poolside bar for a drink. Eliana ordered them both some concoction of tropical juice and liquor that came with slices of pineapple on the sides of the glasses. Since they arrived, neither of them had really gotten drunk. But they spent almost every afternoon getting buzzed on fruity drinks and rolling around with each other in bed.

"You want one more?," Spencer asked, taking the now empty glass from Eliana's hand and setting it back on the bar. She smiled at him as she shook her head. Her pupils expanded as she deliberately let her eyes roam down the length of his torso. She reached over, rubbing the inside of his thigh through the thin material of his bathing suit. Eliana laughed as he practically drug her off her barstool, rushing her all the way back to their suite.

By the time Spencer got the door shut, Eliana was already tugging at the tiny white strings that held her bikini together. She was darker complected than him even in the middle of winter. But the time she spent lounging in the sun had turned her skin a lovely golden brown against the paler outlines of her bathing suit. Spencer wasn't sure why, but her tan lines gave him an instant rush of arousal every time he saw them. The pale strips that extended across her hips from her bikini bottom were currently his favorite spot on her body to worship.

Eliana ran her hands up and down the length of his arms as he wriggled out of the very plain dark blue board shorts she bought him. When they hit the floor, she hummed her approval. The backs of her fingers skimmed across his stomach. Spencer glanced down at the spot on his body that had captured Eliana's interest. Like her, the area that was covered by his bathing suit was a lighter shade than the rest of his body. It made him laugh out loud.
"I think this is the first tan I've ever had," Spencer declared.

Spencer's excitement over the subtle change in his skin tone made Eliana giggle. She slid down his body until she was kneeling on the floor in front of him. "I like it," she said, humming again as she began to kiss along the line where his skin turned from white to slightly less white. Her lips were warm and soft against his skin. Spencer laced his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, relishing in the feel of her mouth and hands roaming over him.

His hips bucked forward when her hands found their way to the juncture of his thighs. And as she softly caressed his erection, she peppered the area around it with soft kisses. There was no urgency in her movements. Eliana was never in a hurry to get her own needs met. Spencer knew from experience that if he stayed still and let her continue to work her magic, she'd keep going until his pleasure bubbled over and he came in her mouth. But at the moment, he didn't want that. He wanted to be inside her with her tanned legs wrapped around his waist.

Spencer took half a step back before he helped Eliana back onto her feet. He smiled when she wrapped her arms around his neck, indicating that she wanted to be picked up and carried to bed. The gaunt look she got from her time in captivity was long gone. But she was still petite enough that lifting her into his arms didn't take much effort. Spencer walked slowly towards the bed, loving the feel of her head lolling against his shoulder. Her hair smelled like the ocean.

When he reached the bed, Eliana tightened her grip around his neck. She nipped at his ear before she whispered into it. "Don't put me down on this bed unless you want me to do bad things to you," she teased.

Spencer laughed as he leaned forward. Usually he lowered her down onto the bed like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. But this time he dropped her the last few inches, just to make sure she knew he was eager for whatever bad things she had planned. Eliana hit the mattress with a thump that made her squeal. Once she recovered from her sudden drop Eliana turned, grasping Spencer's arm and tugging him down onto the bed with her. They rolled around, both of them laughing as Eliana climbed on top of him and pinned his arms to the mattress above his head. She dipped her head down and kissed him, tangling her tongue tangle up with his. When she broke the kiss, she leaned further forward and arched her back so that her breasts pressed into his face.

Her skin was soft and warm. When he sucked one of her hardened nipples into his mouth, she tasted like the salt water they'd been swimming in. Eliana's game of pinning his arms above his head ended the moment he pushed back against her hold. He worked his hands over the full rounds of her breasts, teasing her with his fingers and his tongue until she started rocking her hips against him. Spencer ran his hands down her body, catching her by the waist and lifting enough of her weight off him that he was able to slide his body down lower on the bed. There was a momentary awkward shuffle of limbs as he attempted to position her with her knees on either side of his head.

Eliana giggled, letting out a little squeal when she felt him graze his teeth along the inside of her thigh. It was far from the first time he had his head between her legs, but the position was new. Eliana gripped the headboard and lifted her hips up. She giggled when Spencer grasped her by the waist and pulled her back down onto his face. The flick of his tongue against her clit turned her giggles into soft moans of pleasure. To keep anything from showing through her white bikini, Eliana waxed her entire private area before they left for vacation. Her newly bare skin made her that much more sensitive. It only took a few well practiced movements of his tongue before she was coming on his face with her head thrown back.

Spencer slipped out from under her by moving further down the bed. He rolled over, wiping his face off on the bedsheets before he rose up onto his knees behind her. Eliana was still gripping the headboard, letting the last few aftershocks of her orgasm finish rippling through her body. Her skin was flushed, giving her a rosy glow. From her wind tousled hair down the line of her back to her rounded ass, she was perfection. Spencer swept her hair across her back, tossing it forward over her shoulder to expose the cords of her neck. He cupped her breasts in his hands as he kissed the hollow of her neck. As he moved his mouth up, he was planning to whisper into her ear and ask her if it was okay before he pulled her onto his lap. But she was already shifting her body towards him. Eliana parted her thighs and arched her back, encouraging Spencer to shift his hips forward. Like when he had his mouth on her, the position was new. It took a little wriggling of both their bodies before he felt her slicked opening pressing against the base of his erection.

He was sitting back on his heels with her thighs straddling his lap. Spencer placed his hands on her rounded hips, guiding her until he was able to slip the head of his dick inside her. She was warm and slick, her insides already fluttering around him from her first orgasm. Eliana cried out when he entered her, her fingers flexing against the headboard. The decided advantage to this new position they were in was that he could reach her entire body. He stayed buried inside her, keeping his hips still as he worked her body with his hands. When his fingers grazed her clit, her hips snapped forward against his hand.

"Stop teasing," Eliana moaned. "I want you." Her body writhed as she shifted her hips, desperately wanting to feel him pumping in and out of her.

"One more and then I'll do it," he promised. The fingers of his one hand were working her clit as he gently tugged the hardened bud of her nipple with the other. She gasped as her body went stiff. And then h

Spencer felt her insides flood with heat and desire. As her orgasm washed over her, he started moving his hips. She felt so good, his plan to take it slow and build her up to another wave of pleasure was quickly forgotten. His hips snapped against her ass as he pounded into her over and over again until he was the one coming.

Spencer vaguely remembered pulling the blankets over both of them before he dozed off. When he woke it was to the soft rhythmic clatter of Eliana's fingers across the keyboard of her laptop. Her freshly washed hair was wrapped in a hotel towel.

"I thought you said no working on vacation," he teased, watching her snap her laptop closed with a grin on his face.

"I wasn't working. I was editing," Eliana replied, her face lighting up with a smile when she realized Spencer was awake and had caught her breaking her own rules. "You took a call from Emily last night."

"That was just a consult," Spencer said, laughing when he realized he sounded just as guilty as Eliana. "When do I get to read it?," he asked. If she was going to write her memoir on their honeymoon, he felt like he at least ought to be able to read it.

"What do you need to read it for?," she teased. "You were there." Eliana snapped her laptop closed as she rose from her seat.

"Am I in your book?," he asked, feigning disbelief.

"Of course you're in my book, you'remy hero," Eliana teased back as she leaned down to kiss him. When she popped her head back up, her eyes flicked towards the small clock on the bedside table. "You better get in the shower, before we're late for our own wedding." Spencer followed her gaze, feeling an instant jolt of anxiety when he saw the time. Eliana jumped back as he jolted out of bed and dashed towards the bathroom.

Despite Spencer's worry that they might miss their own ceremony, he and Eliana made it down to the beach with a few minutes to spare. Since they decided to elope on a whim, the ceremony was private and relatively simple. Eliana wore the only white dress she owned. Spencer did his best to pick out the suit that he thought made him look the least like an FBI agent. An officiant that worked for the resort joined them on the beach while they said their vows. The ceremony was quick and to the point. But the sun setting over the ocean in the background still lent its own special magic to the moment. Before Spencer was even really able to process what happened, he was having a romantic dinner with his new wife.

"Are you happy?," Spencer asked though he already knew the answer. The smile on Eliana's face hadn't dimmed since they left their hotel room. She not only looked happy, she looked like she'd never been so happy in all her life. It gave him a warm feeling in his stomach to know that he was the reason she couldn't stop smiling.

Eliana answered his question with a kiss. "I have a surprise for you," she said. Spencer leaned forward in anticipation. But she waited, giving the tension a moment to build before she continued. Eliana raised her eyebrow, trying not to giggle at how overeager Spencer was to hear whatever she was about to tell him. "Before we left, I threw away my birth control."

"What!," he exclaimed. Spencer's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. He never made her feel pressured, but she knew he was eager to start a family with her. It wasn't a secret that Spencer loved kids and wanted some of his own. Even his friends knew that.

Eliana laughed when he tugged her into his arms. There was a moment of quiet. And then Spencer's inevitable rapid fire questions started. "Why didn't you tell me? Will you get pregnant right away? Are you pregnant already? Do you think it might be a boy? Or a girl?" Spencer didn't wait for her to answer before he peppered her with the next question. His gaze lingered on the half full glass of champagne in Eliana's hand. "Should you be drinking that?"

Eliana laughed. She hadn't even missed her period yet. So she was quite sure a glass of wine wouldn't hurt her. "I'm not pregnant yet," Eliana teased, unable to keep the smile from her face. "But I know a way we can increase the chances that I will be soon…" The way they'd been going at it, she wouldn't be surprised if she missed her period when she got home. But they could worry about that when and if it happened. Eliana was just as excited as Spencer was for all the things the future had in store for them. But for now, she wanted to enjoy her wedding night in the hopes that every night for the rest of their lives would be as magical as this one.