Scream For me

He walks out of the room, leaving me standing there in nothing but my top. I slip my bottoms back on, making my way to my room to shower and get ready for dinner.

I slipped on the white linen dress I bought when I was with Xana. It makes my freshly bronzed skin look even more sun-kissed. I lather on a generous amount of coconut lotion that has a shimmer to it. I let my hair air dry, the salty ocean breeze giving it a natural wave with ample body. My makeup is simple-just blush, mascara, and gloss. I step into my sandals, giving myself one last look before heading upstairs to the deck where Weston is already waiting.

His white linen shirt blows in the wind, his khakis slightly rolled at the ankles.

“I like your deck shoes.” I smile, looking down at his navy Sperrys.

“Notice I’m on a boat when I’m wearing them,” he says with a smirk before ushering me toward the smaller boat waiting to take us to shore. He places his hand on the small of my back, holding my hand as he helps me into the boat. I expect him to drop my hand but he doesn’t. Instead, he pulls me to sit next to him, interlacing his fingers with mine as we head toward the shore. When we dock, he holds my hand still, helping me out of the boat but the moment I’m steady, he drops my hand as we make our way to the restaurant at the resort.

“How was the pool?” I ask Daisy as we walk hand in hand through the resort. I’m trying not to gawk but this place is unreal.

“Fun! I played with Mason and Devon,” she says, referring to the Tallman’s grandchildren. I recognize their names as students at Crestwood but they’re not in my class.

“That does sound fun. Did you get to play on the beach too?”Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“Yeah, we built sandcastles but they kept falling over.”

“Good evening, Vaughn family, always a pleasure.” The host smiles widely, gesturing with his arm as we follow him to a table with a spectacular view of the bright-blue Bahamian waters.

“Weston,” Alec says after ordering a double scotch on the rocks, “when we were speaking with the Tallmans today, Cedric mentioned that his daughter Natalie is the head of acquisitions over at Nile Logistics.”

My ears perk up at the mention of the name Natalie… the same Natalie from the tabloids? I try to keep my focus on Daisy as she tells me a story.

“Yes, I’m aware, considering I’m in the midst of talks with them.”

“Well, I just thought it was interesting since you’ve known her half your life. Maybe it could give you a leg up on the deal. Do you two still keep in touch?”

Weston ignores his father’s comments, placing his scotch order with the waiter before turning to me. “Miss Flowers?”

“Oh, um, just water, please. Thank you.”

“Lemonade, please,” Daisy says politely to the waiter.

“Yes, Weston, she was best friends with Mirabelle after all,” his mother adds.

I see him physically tense at the mention of his late wife. “They were not best friends. She was merely a friend.”

“Who introduced you two,” his mother continues.

The tension grows and I suddenly feel awkward. I try to piece things together in my mind: she has two sons; they go to school at Crestwood, and she is a longtime friend of Weston and a business acquaintance. It all seems so aboveboard and perfectly acceptable so I’m unsure why it seems to have struck such a nerve with him. My stomach flips a little as a lingering question pops into my head about whether he’s telling the full truth regarding the extent of their relationship.

Before, I told myself it was none of my business and it wasn’t… but now, if there is something more between them, I don’t want to be the reason it falls apart and I certainly don’t want to be the other woman.

“So, Daphne”-Regina turns to me as I pick up my glass of water -“what did you get up to today?”

I attempt to swallow but choke. “Excuse me,” I say through coughs as my eyes fill with tears. “Sorry,” I say, finally regaining my composure. “I just relaxed, laid out for a bit,” I swear I see his mother’s eyes shift slightly toward Weston but maybe I’m just reading into it considering what I did today with her son. I feel my face growing red at the thought and I almost jump when I feel the soft touch of Weston’s hand on my knee beneath the table.

“And what about you, son?”

Weston sips his scotch, squeezing my knee softly. “Relaxed, worked, swam. Didn’t realize I would need to give an account for my day while on vacation.”

His mother scowls. “Did you eat today, son? I know how you get preoccupied with work on these trips when you’re supposed to be relaxing.”

Weston’s hand drifts further up my thigh, his fingertips finding the slit in my dress and now burning a path on my skin. “I did, but not nearly enough,” he says, glancing over at me with a devilish smirk.

Oh my God, I’m going to melt into a puddle right now.

I reach for my ice water again, taking several large gulps, but it does little to squelch the fire starting to burn inside me. I cross my legs, trapping his hand between my thighs so he can’t go up any further.

His parents turn their attention back to Daisy as she tells them a funny story.

“You getting shy on me now?” Weston says in a low voice as he leans in. “Uncross your legs.”

I smile, pretending to listen to Daisy’s story and ignoring his command. A second later he’s gripping my thigh so tight I have to stop myself from yelping.

“I don’t ask, Daphne. I command and you obey.”

I turn halfway to face him, lifting my glass as if it will block my mouth. “I will yell and cause a scene,” I say through gritted teeth, making him chuckle.

He leans in closer this time, pushing his fingers up further, even with my thighs trying to stop him. His thumb reaches my panties, pressing against my clit as he growls in my ear. “I like it when you’re defiant; it’s a turn-on for me but don’t think it will stop me. You might cause a scene, sweetheart, but the second I get you alone, you’ll also crawl and beg.”