(Joanna)
Joanna reached forward grabbing her foot as she was told. With it in hand, she pulled it towards her body. Martina, the instructor, had put her foot behind her head. Joanna didn’t see that happening. She didn’t see that ever happening. Joanna had a lot more body than Martina did between her thigh and her stubbornly resistant leg.
‘Yoga is not a sport for the chubby,’ Joanna thought to herself.
As Joanna held her foot stretching it slowly towards her face, she took a second to look around. Everyone else was thin and almost malnourished. They moved with a flexibility that Joanna both envied and hated. It was clear that no one around her had the proper respect for a double-glazed exceptionally prepared cronut. And that was more than just a shame, in her book that was criminal.
“Now let’s stand for a few sun salutations,” Martina informed everyone.
Joanna let go her foot and then rolled over onto her well-padded derrière. Pulling herself to a standing position, she debated how much of a mistake she had made by coming here. When something bad happened, most people talked about moving to Canada. Joanna was way too smart for that. Canada was really cold. She instead moved to the Bahamas.
Since she didn’t know anyone or anything about the country, after quitting her job and giving up her lease, she booked a two-week stay at the yoga retreat on Paradise Island. She didn’t know anything about yoga or Paradise Island either, but how bad could either of them be. Turns out, pretty bad.
It wasn’t that the island wasn’t beautiful. My God, it was the most beautiful place that Joanna had ever seen. What she didn’t take into consideration, though, was how little everyone would appreciate her need to satisfy her sweet tooth. Not only did this place not serve meat, but everything was raw and natural. And since Joanna had never seen a cronut growing in the wild, she imagined that her vacation would be spent eating nothing but salads.
‘I have got to get out of here,’ she thought again.
As everyone bent over laying their palms on the floor like crazy people, Joanna looked around, gathered her mat, and eased herself towards the door. She was just about there when her eyes skipped across someone she hadn’t seen from her position in the center of the class. It was a guy who didn’t look like all of the other vacationing yogis. He was clearly a native.
Slowing down and reconsidering her impulse to leave, she got a better look at him. Stretching in front of her shirtless, Joanna couldn’t help but reflect on the rippling motion of his pecs and six-pack. He was built like some sort of island God. His rich, dark tan and sun-bleached hair were only a part of it. His blue-gray eyes and the soulful look on his face was really what completed the package.
Although she had only been on the island for a few days it had been a long time since she had felt the strong touch of someone so drool worthy. She could’ve licked him dry like a lollipop. He was almost enough to make her spread out her mat and rejoin the class. Almost.
Moving closer to the door, she decided she was right the first time. Yoga was not a sport for the chubby. She needed to get out of there.
Leaving the small wood-slatted room she stepped onto the wooden walkway that snaked through the sand. As she did, the sound of the ocean overtook her. If nothing else, this place was definitely a dream. The entire campus was covered in soft white sand and canopied by swaying coconut palms. It truly was an island paradise. And if it wasn’t for all of the yoga, this would’ve made for an incredible vacation spot.
Joanna continued along the wooden walkway until eventually, she approached the door of her small room. The one thing she had been happy about was her choice for a single. She couldn’t imagine spending her two weeks there with one of those overly enthusiastic yoga people. They were nice enough and all, but, come on, take it down a notch.
Entering, she had a plan for what the rest of her day was going to entail. Slipping out of her loose-fitting yoga pants and top, she reached for her all too tiny bikini and put it on. Sure, some might say that a girl her size shouldn’t wear something so revealing. But screw them. She was on vacation at a place called Paradise Island. If she couldn’t let it all hang out here, where in the world could she?
Getting everything on and taking a second and third look in the mirror, Joanna was set. Wrapping a sarong around her midsection, she grabbed a towel, and book, and headed out. She really wasn’t planning on reading the book. It was more like a garnish.
Really, her plan was to lay in the sun and take a dip in the crystal clear water. But in case there were any hot guys walking by, she wanted to make the right impression. Her choice of fine literature? ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back.’ Joanna figured that it would communicate correct impression.
Did Joanna need to get her groove back? The real question was, did Joanna have her groove in the first place? Did anyone have their groove at 23-years-old? Joanna couldn’t be sure. But Joanna knew what she liked, and she didn’t mind getting a little more of that.
Ascending past the mound that protected the campus from the constant sea breeze, Joanna exited the canopy of trees and stepped out onto the beach. Though it was winter, it was 80° outside and perfectly sunny. This truly was a magical place touched by the Gods. Finding a spot only a few feet from the splashing shoreline, she laid out her towel, set her book on the side and stretched out beside it.
Allowing the warmth to seduce her, she gave a thought to what she should really be doing. This wasn’t supposed to be a vacation no matter how much she needed one. She really should have been looking for a job and a place to live. She only had a couple hundred dollars and that was supposed to last her a few weeks. After she paid first and last month’s rent, she would barely have enough for food.
But that was all stuff that future Joanna had to worry about. This was present Joanna, and present Joanna needed her time in the sun. When five minutes passed, she turned over. 10 minutes after that, she got up, unwrapped her sarong and then headed to the water.
As calm and placid as the beach usually was, it wasn’t quite that today. Certainly, it wasn’t anything that Joanna would have to worry about. It was still quite pleasant. But she would have to stand on guard that nothing surprised her from behind. Bobbing up and down she could stay in rhythm with the waves. And as long as she stayed away from where the waves crested, there was no risk of embarrassment.
Wading into the waist deep water, she looked down at her feet. They were both visible. In fact, the water was so clear that she could spot small fish swimming past her leg. She wondered if she should be nervous about that, but she decided that she could take them in a fight if she had to. She was a lot tougher than many people would have guessed. And certainly, a palm-sized fish would rue the day it messed with her.
As Joanna considered all of the fish that she could fight if she had to, her attention was drawn to the yoga center as the gong indicated the end of class. This was her chance to see if the gorgeous guy was staying at the yoga center or if he was from the mainland. The only way into the yoga center with luggage was by boat. But if you wanted to get there on foot, you had to enter via the beach. That path was steps away from where Joanna laid her towel.
Keeping her eyes locked on the path, Joanna bounced in the water. Not noticing the waves getting higher on her body, she suddenly spotted him. Still without his shirt on, he stepped onto the beach about to turn right towards Paradise Island’s main resort.
Joanna wondered if she should try to get his attention. It wasn’t just that he was gorgeous, though he definitely was incredibly hot. He could be a good contact for her. Who better to ask about the local real estate and job market than someone from the island?
Finding her courage, Joanna raised her hand and waved. He was passing her quickly and didn’t see.
‘Should I try to call to him?’ She asked herself. ‘Why the hell not?’
“Excuse me!” Joanna beckoned hoping that she hadn’t yelled too loudly.
It worked. The gorgeous man stopped and looked at her. Even at this distance, Joanna was mesmerized by his gaze. He had to be the most beautiful man she had ever seen. A smile crept across her face and she took a step forward out of the water just as, out of nowhere, a wave crested over her head and whipped her off of her feet.
In one moment she had been successfully flirting with a gorgeous guy, in the next, she was breathing in water and tumbling unaware of which way was up. ‘This had to be what it felt like to be in a washing machine,’ she decided. And not sure if she would ever find the surface again, one of her hands touched the sand. Moments later she was deposited six feet up the beach near the spot that her towel once laid.
Coughing up water, Joanna opened her eyes.
“Are you all right?” The man asked kneeling over her.
Still coughing, it took a moment for her to get her bearings. When she did, she recognized who it was. It was the gorgeous man. He had just watched her nose dive into a wave and get deposited onto the beach like a whale. That could have been the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to Joanna. That could have been, but it wasn’t.
“Miss, are you all right?” The man asked again.
Catching her breath, Joanna looked up into his face. His eyes really were mesmerizing. She laid staring at him wondering whether he might give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. When he didn’t make a move towards her lips, she instead decided to answer his question.
‘Was she alright?’ she wondered.
Checking in with her feet and then her legs, she felt fine. Moving up, she felt as though her tummy had been scratched but it hadn’t been enough to break the skin. Realizing that she hadn’t lost a finger or hand, she was about to declare herself fit for duty when she noticed something missing. Where the hell was her bikini top, because it sure as hell wasn’t covering her breasts?
With a gasp, Joanna whipped her hands onto her breasts. Humiliation washed across her face. She squeaked in terror looking into the gorgeous man’s eyes. When the man blushed, she realized that he had probably already gotten an eye full.
“Oh my God, where’s my top?” Joanna shrieked.
Apparently, whatever concern the gorgeous man had was gone because instead of concern, he was now holding back laughter.
“It isn’t funny,” Joanna demanded.
“You’re right. It’s not funny,” he said before giving into the hilarity of the moment.
She could see that he wasn’t being mean, but still, this was humiliating for her. He shouldn’t be laughing.
“You’re still laughing,” she pointed out.
“You’re right. I’ll stop. I just need to get that picture out of my mind.”
As he closed his eyes and then chuckled again, Joanna decided she couldn’t take anymore. With her hand still tightly pressed against her breasts, she got up and looked around for her missing everything. She spotted her bikini top thirty feet down the shore tumbling in the waves, and her towel and book thirty feet in the other direction. This was the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to her. There was no doubt.
Trying to decide which she should go after first, the gorgeous man spoke up.
“Let me get that for you,” he said trying to make amends.
Still too humiliated to move, Joanna stood there as she watched the man’s rippling body chase her too-tiny bikini top down the coastline. It was such like a man to go after that one first. The towel would have been able to cover her completely. The bikini top would do less than what her hands were already doing.
“I got it,” he said lifting the cloth above his head in victory.
Jogging back, he handed it to her and then gallantly chased her towel and book in the opposite direction. Wrestling the waves for possession of both, he collected them and her sarong and then brought them back to her.
“Here they are,” the man said cheerfully. “I don’t know how much use you’re going to get out of any of them.”
Joanna snatched all of it from the man holding it like a wet ball in front of her. She opened her mouth to say something and then again noticed the broad smile on his face. She probably should’ve thanked him. She even opened her mouth to do it. But when nothing came out, she blamed it on his way too telling grin.
Without a word, Joanna turned away from him and marched back towards her room.
“Look, I’m sorry,” he insisted. “I shouldn’t have laughed.”
“No you shouldn’t have,” she said finding her voice.
“You’re right. Let me make it up to you.”
Joanna slowed her march. Whipping back around, she faced him weighing her humiliation against everything else she wanted. Not sure whether she could accept his offer after what he had seen and done, she spoke apprehensively.
“And how are you going to do that?”
“Have you gotten a chance to see the island yet” he offered temptingly.
“Not yet,” she admitted suddenly holding her breath.
“Then let me make it up to you by showing you around,” he said with a puckish smile.
Joanna stared at him hesitantly. This was what she had wanted. In every other case this would have made it up to her, but he was hot and he had witnessed the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to her. How was she supposed to get over that? When he reached out his hand and touched her forearm saying “please,” she began to understand how.
“You’ll show me the mainland?”
“If that’s what you want, then sure.”
Joanna didn’t want to seem too excited about this. After all, she still had to show him that he had made a mistake by laughing at her. She wanted him to know that it was going to take more than just a tour around the island for her to forget that. But with his hand still on her arm, she admitted to herself that it wasn’t going to take much more.
“Fine. I’ll let you make it up to me.”
“Perfect.”
“But I don’t want you showing me around just because you feel sorry for me, or anything,” Joanna said suddenly feeling self-conscious about their arrangement.
“No, don’t worry about that. You just gave me an excuse. You were in the last yoga class, right? You’re the one who left?”
Joanna felt her cheeks warm. “Yeah, that was me. I don’t think I’m much of a yogi,” she admitted.
“I thought that was you. As soon as I saw you I was trying to come up with an excuse to offer to show you around. You just made it easy for me,” he said with another smile.
Joanna couldn’t kid herself, she liked his answer. As unfortunately as their relationship had started, she sensed it taking a wonderful new turn. With a smile, she continued towards the wooden path feeling him enter her wake. Was he planning on following her to her room? That was a little presumptuous of him, but feeling a bit of a thrill by the idea, Joanna didn’t stop him.
“What’s your name?” The man asked from behind her.
Joanna again felt a little embarrassed realizing that she had just agreed to be shown around the island by someone whose name she didn’t even know.
“Joanna.”
“Nice to meet you, Joanna. I’m Paulo. Is this your first time in the Bahamas?”
Joanna wanted to keep up her show of resistance, but she couldn’t. He was too hot and way too nice.
“This is my first time.”
“How long are you here for?”
That was a good question. Joanna wanted to be there for the rest of her life, but she did have a ticket for a return flight in ten days. Purchasing a round trip ticket was mandatory.
“Two weeks, maybe longer.”
“Cool. Where you from?” Paulo asked.
“North Carolina,” Joanna stated.
“That’s so cool,” Paulo exclaimed.
“It’s okay. I think I might like it better here.”
“It’s nice here. You should definitively stick around.”
As Joanna approached her door, she wondered whether or not she should invite him in. Would it be rude to have him stand outside while she changed? Maybe. But he had already seen her topless. What was the worst that could happen?
Joanna opened the door and allowed him to follow her inside. The room wasn’t large but there was somewhere for him to sit. He immediately moved to the plastic seat and got comfortable.
“I’m going to need to change into something else, so I’ll need you to look away,” Joanna said trying to hide how titillating the whole thing began to feel.
Without resistance, Paulo turned his head. “How have you liked it here so far?”
“Do you mean at the yoga retreat?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s okay. It wasn’t quite what I expected. I don’t think I’m a yoga girl.”
Joanna hung her dripping towel across the dowel in the closet and then looked back at Paulo as she loosened the bikini from around her body.
“You seem like the perfect yoga girl to me,” Paulo replied. “Yoga is about being open and genuine. Most of these people here are just pretending to be that way. You seem like a real person. You’re more of a yogi than any of them.”
That made Joanna feel good. She was feeling very self-conscious about being there after the past few days. Paulo’s words landed in exactly the right spot. She was really liking him and instead of collecting a bra from the dresser, she dropped her bikini bottom and stood in front of him naked. Like a gentleman, he still had his head turned. But she decided that she wouldn’t mind it if he took a peek.
When a second passed and he didn’t, Joanna found a fresh towel and dabbed herself dry. Joanna couldn’t help but be turned on. There was a gorgeous man in her room and she wasn’t dressed. It took everything in her not to walk over to him and throw him onto the bed.
She was at a yoga retreat, though. There was a reason why she had chosen this place. If karmic debt was real, she had a lot of it to pay off. And perhaps jumping into the arms of the first hot guy she found wasn’t the best way of doing that. Joanna got dressed and then turned to Paulo.
“You can turn around,” Joanna said adjusting her shirt.
Paulo turned around and looked at her. He smiled. Joanna couldn’t be sure but it seemed like he was liking what he saw.
“What type of shoes should I wear?” She asked him trying to decide between her flip-flops and sneakers.
“We’ll be walking a lot,” he informed her.
“I’m kind of excited,” Joanna admitted as she slipped on her sneakers. “Where are you planning on taking me?”
“I’m going to give you the full tour,” he said with a smile.
Joanna blushed joyfully. This was not how she imagined her day going when she woke up. She was beginning to wonder if she was going to get off the campus at all. Now, here she was getting a tour around the island by the hottest native she could ever have imagined.
When Joanna left her room and crossed towards the beach, she looked around at the woman walking towards them. It was Martina, their yoga instructor. She had an unusual look on her face as her eyes darted between Paulo and her. Joanna could tell that she didn’t approve of her being with Paulo. When she passed, Joanna leaned over and whispered to the much taller man.
“What was that about?” Joanna asked.
“They’re just haters here,” Paulo explained a little saddened. “Like I said, you’re more of a yogi than any of these people will ever be.”
Joanna didn’t know what he was basing that on but she knew it felt good to hear. Maybe it was the anonymity of being on vacation, but Joanna latched her arm within Paulo’s hoping that Martina turned around and saw it. Paulo looked down at her and smiled.
Leading Joanna onto the beach, the two walked towards the skyscraping hotels. It had to be the most perfect beach that she had ever walked on in her life. The sand was soft, the water sparkled in the sunlight, and the company was perfect. It was almost disappointing when Paulo led her onto the immaculate grounds of the busy resort.
“This is really nice,” Joanna admitted looking around at the architecture.
“It’s very open feeling,” Paulo said struggling to put it into words. “Have you ever been on a motorcycle?”
“No. Is that what we’re doing?”
“It’s more like a scooter. Is that okay with you?”
A bicycle was the only thing Joanna had ever been on with two wheels. She didn’t like to admit this, but she’d always been kind of afraid of motorcycles. Always having thought of herself as bold, she was happy to confront that fear.
“Yeah, that sounds good to me,” she said hoping that he didn’t see her shake.
Paulo smiled.
Leading Joanna out of the resort and into the adjacent parking lot, she got a look at what they would be riding. They looked like small death machines and they were parked in a row next to a guy behind a desk.
“Can you wait here for a second?” Paulo asked Joanna.
“Sure.”
Paulo left her and approached the young guy like they knew each other. After saying a few things to him, Paulo pointed towards Joanna causing the young guy to look. Unsure of how to respond, Joanna waved at the two. The young man smiled back graciously and then turned to Paulo. After again saying something to the young man, Paulo looked back at Joanna and called her over.
“We have it for a few hours. That should be long enough to show you all the best spots.”
As the two approached their small vehicle, Joanna wondered if she had made a mistake. Had he not realized that she wasn’t one of those cronut starved yoga girls? How were they both supposed to sit on such a small seat?
“You don’t mind getting in close, do you?” Paulo asked with a smile.
Something about the question made Joanna tingle. No, she didn’t mind getting in close with him at all. In fact, Joanna wouldn’t mind if that was just the beginning.
“Wait, you’re not some type of murderer, are you?” Joanna said delaying the process.
“Do you know many murderers who do yoga?” Paulo said with a smile.
Joanna had to admit that he had a point. She was still a little apprehensive, though. She was known to be impulsive. Hell, after quitting her job and giving up her lease, on a whim she decided to go to the Bahamas. But impulsive decisions like this was exactly how she had gotten into trouble in the past.
This time, though, things seemed to be a little different. There was something about Paulo that drew her to him. Sure, it could have been his broad shoulders and the fact that he still hadn’t put on a shirt. But it felt like more than that. She felt comfortable around him.
“You don’t know. Murderers could do yoga too,” Joanna joked.
Paulo chuckled. “I guess you’re right. But no, I am not a murderer.”
“Isn’t that what a murderer would say?” Joanna said with a smile. Still nervous about getting on she decided to give herself another moment. “So, what is it that you do?”
“Will you feel more comfortable about allowing me to show you around the island if I told you?” He asked.
“I guess.”
“Okay. But I can do one better than that, I’ll show you what I do. We won’t even have to drive there. We can walk.”
Joanna agreed. Leaving the motor scooter behind, Joanna followed Paulo out of the parking lot and towards what looked like a canal. Stepping onto a sidewalk, Paulo surprised Joanna by taking her hand. Together they walked towards a boardwalk full of expensive shops.
None of the shops were big, but they all had names that she recognized. Next to Cartier was Gucci. Beyond that was Louis Vuitton and a very expensive restaurant named Nobu. It reminded Joanna of the time she visited Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills. And across the boardwalk from the shops, were the largest yachts that Joanna had ever seen.
Wondering which of the fancy shops Paulo would take her into, she was quite surprised when he placed his hand on the door of an art gallery. As Joanna entered, she looked around. The artwork was incredible. Considering that they were all different, Joanna knew that they couldn’t all be his. But considering that any of them could be, Joanna was impressed.
“Are you an artist?” Joanna asked surprised.
“Yeah.”
“Oh my God. That’s amazing. Which ones are yours?”
“Guess,” Paulo said with a smile.
Guess? Joanna wondered if this was the artist equivalent of a woman asking a guy how much he thinks she weighs. “No, just tell me.”
“No, no. I want you to guess.”
Joanna looked at Paulo apprehensively. Seeing that he wasn’t about to back off from his request, she resigned herself to her fate.
Letting go of his hand she began to get a closer look at the artwork. She thought that she would be able to recognize the signature, but they all ended up being abstract brushstrokes.
Taking a different route, Joanna tried to match the style of art to what she knew about Paulo. Three of the paintings were figure drawings of dark-skinned men wearing colorful costumes. They seemed to be in some sort of parade. The portraits were all strikingly beautiful, but Joanna wondered if Paulo was such a realistic guy.
The next set of paintings were what the label on the wall referred to as mixed-media. The canvas was split into sections and in each section, there was a different pattern. Stripes in one, checkerboard’s in another, while others were textured, and smooth.
These barely seemed like the work of a man who did yoga. This artist was clearly the one who was the murderer. In fact, judging from the chaos, he had probably already collected his fourth head.
The last set of paintings that Joanna looked at were far more incredible than the first. On the canvas was layers of colors. Some of them were muted and some were bold. At once, they were sensual and calming. Just looking at them made Joanna’s heart thump. They gave her an unexplainable rush that started at her sex, traveled down to her toes and then sprung back to her groin with a ferocity that took her breath away.
Joanna turned to Paulo with a questioning look in her eyes. “Is this yours?”
Paulo walked over and pointed to the signature at the bottom of the frame. “P. Lunn,” he said. “Paulo Lunn. That’s my name.”
“They’re incredible,” she said fighting through her racing heartbeats.
“Thank you. If you want one, they are only $5000 each. It’s a bargain,” Paulo said with a smile.
“They are a bargain,” Joanna admitted though she knew nothing about art.
Paulo blushed. “I wish more people agreed with you.”
“People buy art when they come here on vacation?”
“Not enough,” Paulo said again taking Joanna’s hand. “So, what do you think? Can you trust me?”
“I think I might be able to trust you for a day,” Joanna told him flirtatiously.
“Then I guess we better make this day count,” Paulo said with a smile.
The two headed back towards the scooters and Paulo started one up and got on.
“When you get on, I want you to hold on tight.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” Joanna said. “You just have to worry about me hanging on too hard.”
With Joanna swinging her leg over the seat and wrapping her arms around Paulo’s strong body, she got the first of many surprises. With the scooter running, she felt as if her legs were around a king-sized vibrator. The sensation electrified her sex sending a rush of ecstasy washing through her. She would never have expected that. For the first time ever she realized why women were so enamored with riding on the back of motorcycles.
“Are you holding on tight?” Paulo asked a final time.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Joanna replied.
“Then let’s do this,” he said getting underway.
Slowly pulling into the street, Joanna felt the warm breeze on her face and underneath the small helmet that Paulo had given her. It was an incredible sensation. Winding through the roads and then up over the fifty-foot high bridge, they descended onto the main island leaving the resort town behind.
Everything was different here. This place was vibrant and exciting. There were people everywhere and everyone seemed like a different complexion. Zipping through the heavy traffic, Paulo turned left driving them along the sea. Cutting through what Paulo described as downtown, Joanna couldn’t stop looking at the myriad of colorful buildings. Each of them could have been hundreds of years old and they were all distinct from one another as if laid out by a landscape painter. The image was like out of a dream.
Entering a long stretch further along the coastline, Joanna began to feel the cumulative effect of all of the vibration. She was sure that she had become fully aroused. She pulled Paulo tighter.
“Are you still okay back there,” Paulo asked thinking about her safety.
“I’m good,” she admitted wanting to tell him just how good she felt.
By the time the two got to a place Paulo referred to as “The Caves”, Joanna was beside herself. Her hands had slowly lowered down his body and were on the verge of crossing his waistband. She couldn’t help it. The intoxicating effects of all of it, the gorgeous guy, the incredible scenery, the giant vibrator between her legs, she could barely contain herself.
“Did you want to stop and take a look around?” he asked.
Though her thoughts were really focused on getting her hands on whatever he had between his legs, she relented. “Sure. Let’s take a look.”
Joanna got off the scooter and her legs quivered. She wanted so desperately for him to reach between her legs and quiet her rumbling. She had never felt more like a woman that she did at that moment. She was free and wanting, but more than anything else, she was as horny as hell.
Taking Paulo’s hand after he parked the bike, the two walked towards the large cave entrance.
“Apparently, these caves go on for thousands of feet. Back in pirate days, this was where a lot of them hid their stolen treasure.”
“Can we go in?” Joanna asked looking for any opportunity to get him alone.
“We can, depending on how you feel about bats.”
“Bats? Are there bats in there?”
“There’re a few. Are you scared of bats?”
Joanna wasn’t scared of many things. In fact, everything she was afraid of could be counted on one hand. The first thing was motorcycles, the second on the list was bats. If it were any other time, she would’ve run away in terror. But with Paulo’s hand in her own, and the flesh between her legs burning like it was on fire, the thought of bats sent a thrill down her spine that made her feel like she was about to explode.
“I won’t be scared if you promise one thing,” Joanna admitted.
“And what’s that?”
“That you’ll kiss me.”
Paulo didn’t say a word. Instead, he gripped Joanna’s hand tighter and then led her into the darkness. It was once they turned into a corner where no one driving by could see them that he pushed her against the wall, grabbed her behind her neck, and planted his lips on hers.
Joanna felt her back press against the cold stone wall. Her lips parted. Paulo’s strong tongue entered her mouth in search of hers. She offered it to him and the two touched. Twirling and dancing upon one another, Joanna’s mind was awash in pleasure.
Paulo wasted no time in showing his intentions. He pressed his groin against Joanna’s stomach. He was hard. The size of it made Joanna gasp. She wanted all of him, and she wanted him now.
When he grabbed her breasts, Joanna realized how large Paulo’s hands were. He practically consumed her overflowing chest. She wanted to feel his flesh on hers, though. So reaching down and slipping her hand into his loose-fitting pants, she took hold of his cock and squeezed it in her palm.
That was all it took to drive Paulo wild. With his hot breaths panting against her face, he reached down and pulled her shirt above her breasts. Before she knew it, her bra was unlatched. And before she could stop him, her nipples were exposed and his lips were headed towards them.
Feeling the light tug of his teeth around her raised flesh, she whimpered. Her chest heaved. Her body felt alive with delight, and as he leaned over sucking on her nipple, she prayed for his cock to claim its prize. She didn’t have to wait long.
Moaning from increased pleasure, Joanna lost her breath as she felt Paulo’s hand slowly slide down her body reaching for the button on her jeans. In a moment, her body was free. Pushing the denim down past her knees, Paulo left her breasts long enough to strip her naked from the waist down. She felt that everything that they were doing was wrong and she loved it. Never in her life had she experienced such ecstasy and she could never have stopped herself even if she tried.
With no need for foreplay, Paulo slipped his hands behind Joanna and grabbed her by the ass. Pulling her into his strong arms, he pressed their flesh together again kissing her on the lips. Showing the strength that she always imagined he had, he lowered her onto him causing her to wrap her legs around his waist. With both of them knowing exactly what they each wanted, Paulo’s cock pushed against her swollen lips. It slipped in and bathed in the succulent juices that dripped from them both.
“Aww!” Joanna moaned as Paulo’s large cock filled her.
He was as big as she thought he would be. He stretched her apart filling her completely. And when Paulo couldn’t push in any further, Joanna threw her head back never having been penetrated so deeply before.
Paulo pressed Joanna’s back against the wall and pulled back his cock ready to thrust in again. She lost herself in amazement as he penetrated her. At first slowly and then with the fury of a lion, Paulo devoured her. Joanna moaned overcome by spiraling ecstasy.
Further losing herself, Joanna locked her hands around his neck and dug her nails deep into his flesh. She couldn’t hold on for much longer. Her leg’s quivered as she lost strength. She was slowly becoming putty in his hands.
A powerful orgasm surged through her robbing her of her will.
“Ohhh!” Joanna bellowed not caring who heard it.
As she gripped him, Paulo lost control of himself. Slipping through the magnitudes of pleasure, he gripped one hand securely under her ass and pressed the other against the stone wall. Fucking her harder and harder, he bathed himself in her libidinous moans. Sliding towards oblivion, Paulo buried his face into her neck and then pushed one last time drawing out the orgasm that sat in the warmth of his balls.
“Yeah!” He cried as his mind swirled in electric pleasure.
The two held their exhausted positions for as long as they could. Joanna wished that they had a bed they could fall into, but they didn’t. They were in a cave on an island miles from anything she knew. What the hell was she doing? She didn’t even know who the man holding her was.
With all of her senses slowly returning to her, she had one thought, ‘What the hell was she doing?’ Was this what she wanted her new life to be like? How could she have allowed herself to get so carried away so quickly?
(Paulo)
Paulo slumped forward pressing his body against the soft curvy form underneath him. He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but he liked it. One moment he was giving her a pleasant tour of the island and the next, she was giving him every sign that she wanted him. This had never happened to him before.
Knowing just how frequently people visited the caves, Paulo lowered Joanna and pulled himself together.
“We should go,” he said slowly pulling up his pants.
“Yeah,” Joanna replied with a look of regret in her eyes.
Paulo, knowing that he couldn’t allow the mood to change so quickly, helped Joanna collect her clothing. Once she had slipped her panties on and was pulling up her pants, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“You are incredible,” he told her returning a smile to her face.
Things seemed to return to the way they were quickly after that. He didn’t want this to be awkward. He could see himself having a life with her. She was sexy, and like him, she was into yoga. It wasn’t much, but it had the beginnings of a life together.
He could see himself living in North Carolina. Truthfully, he considered anywhere to be better than here. Sure, the island was beautiful. But once you scratched the surface, there was a lot underneath that wasn’t quite as nice.
Continuing their trip around the western end of the island, Paulo was sure to show her all of the expensive homes. He knew that would impress her. It impressed everybody. And circling back through downtown, over the bridge, and onto Paradise Island, Paulo parked their scooter at a restaurant in front of another harbor.
As Paulo got off, he had second thoughts about taking her here. This was one of his usual hangouts, and he was sure that she would love it, but he wasn’t sure that things would go exactly as planned if they ate here.
Paulo’s internal debate didn’t last long. There were certain economic benefits to eating there that tipped the scales in the end. They knew him there. If he decided to pick up the tab, he didn’t have to pay right away. Paulo didn’t sell his paintings very often, but he did have a commission coming in soon. The guys behind the bar accommodated that. Hurricane Hole was one of the few places he knew he could take Joanna without having to check exactly how much cash was in his wallet.
“This is really nice,” Joanna said intertwining her fingers within Paulo’s.
“Yeah. It’s a nice hangout. I figured we could grab a drink and get something to eat while we watched the sunset.”
“That sounds nice,” Joanna agreed.
Crossing the stone walkway to the outdoor restaurant bar, the two stepped under the restaurant-sized cabana and weaved between the tables.
“Whaya say, man?” Paulo asked Jimmy the bartender allowing his island accent to come out.
“Nothing much, man. How ya bin?” Jimmy retorted.
“You know how it is. This is my friend, Joanna,” Paulo said introducing the two.
“Nice to meet you. What can I get the two of you?”
The two ordered drinks as Paulo retrieved a menu from the bar top. Looking out at the slip full of yachts, he looked back at the tables carefully choosing where to sit.
“How about here? It should give us a good view of the sunset,” he told her leaving out the real reason he chose the table.
“No, this would be amazing,” she said looking around and taking in the awesome view. “So, is this where you come every day?” Joanna asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“No, no. I couldn’t do that. I like to hang out here on a Friday or Saturday night, though. It just depends.”
“It must be amazing living here. If I could, I would live here in a second.”
Paulo tightened his lips and gave her an obligatory chuckle.
“In fact, do you know of any job openings?” She asked in a tone that made her sound like she was being serious.
“They’re all over the place,” he said wanting to give Joanna a good impression of his home.
“I’m serious, though. You know of anywhere that might be hiring? I quit my job before I left. And if there’s something here to stay for, why would I leave, right?” she asked with a smile.
Paulo liked how this was going. He liked her. She had a spirit about her that captivated him. Paulo believed that she would actually move here if she could. She seemed like such a free spirit. He really could see himself with her for a long time.
“What do you recommend?” Joanna asked staring at the menu.
Paulo didn’t have to look to make his recommendation. “Do you like squid?”
“Squid?”
“Yeah. Have you ever had it?” Paulo asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Anyway, I would say get the cracked conch with fries. It’s as Bahamian as it gets. And if you are going to stay here, you need to start acting like a Bahamian,” Paulo said with a smile.
Joanna looked at him delighted. “Okay. I’ll get it. Why did you ask about squid?”
“That’s what it tastes like. But if you’ve never had it, it doesn’t matter,” Paulo chuckled.
The two ordered the same thing when Jimmy brought over their drinks. Sipping on their rum punches, Paulo looked into her eyes.
“So, what are you passionate about?”
Joanna looked at him like she was caught off guard. “What am I passionate about?”
“Yeah. You know, what do you dream about so much that it keeps you up at night?”
Joanna looked down and away as she thought. It was like she had never considered the question before. Paulo couldn’t believe that, though. For him, life was an unending expression of passion. The idea that someone else could have no passion at all was inconceivable to him.
“I don’t know,” Joanna admitted to Paulo’s surprise. “You probably think I’m lame, right?”
Paulo looked at the beautiful woman wondering if there was a reason why she didn’t want to share her passion with him. Maybe it was too personal. They had just had sex, though. Paulo thought that should have given him some permission to ask a personal question.
“No, it’s cool.”
“No. I suppose that a guy like you can’t imagine someone who doesn’t have a passion.”
Paulo was beginning to understand. She was one of those types who didn’t consciously know what their passion was. “You have a passion. I can see it all over you. But sometimes it’s hard to see the forest through all of the trees that are blocking your view,” he said with a smile.
Joanna, who had looked distressed for a moment, relaxed her face into a warm smile. “Maybe you’re right. I guess that your passion is your art?”
“My art is my life. Painting is the only way I can breathe sometimes. My passion is going to new places. I like to travel.”
“Oh, have you traveled a lot?” She asked.
“I’ve been to Japan. And I’ve traveled around America. I don’t get to travel much, though. I’m not good with planes.”
Joanna smiled. “Your passion is traveling but you aren’t good with planes?”
Paulo smiled at the ridiculousness of it. “Yeah. That’s weird, right?”
“I wouldn’t say that it’s weird. I’d call it quirky.”
“Quirky, huh?” Paulo turned to Jimmy who was busying himself behind the bar. “Hey, Jimmy? Did you hear that? I am quirky.”
“More like weird,” Jimmy replied not looking up from the bar.
“No, quirky. Just asked Joanna.”
“It’s true,” Joanna volunteered. “He’s not weird, he’s quirky.”
“What did I tell ya?” Paulo said playfully.
“I stand corrected,” the bartender said playing along.
Paulo and Joanna chuckled. It was then that Paulo reached out and put his hand on hers. She seemed to like it. Paulo liked the way things were going. He could feel himself falling for this girl. He didn’t want his time with her to end.
“How long are you here for?”
Joanna swallowed. “I don’t know. I love it here. I would love to stay here forever.”
Paulo considered this. If she moved here, could they have a life together? And if they stayed together, could she eventually change her mind about living here and take him back with her?
“So, you don’t have a return ticket?”
“No, I do. I don’t want to go back, though. Like I said, I quit my job just before I left.”
“Why did you quit your job?”
“Because…” Joanna thought for a second before replying, “I just had to get away.”
Paulo smiled. “Are you a bank robber? Is that why you had to get away?”
“I wish. It would’ve been a hell of a lot more interesting. No, I worked as a sales attendant at a home and garden store.”
Paulo tried to imagine that.
“I know, exciting, right?”
“Hey, whatever it is that you love…”
“I did not love that job,” Joanna said insistently.
“But I bet the money was good,” Paulo suggested.
“At that job? Not even close,” she explained.
Paulo looked at Joanna confused. He understood that sometimes you had to do jobs that you didn’t want to do. But surely you don’t do them very long. And when you do them, it was just so that you can fulfill whatever passion you have. Paulo didn’t quite understand Joanna and that drew him to her more. He loved the mystery of her. He squeezed her hand wondering if he could get her naked again.
The two were interrupted when the food arrived. Paulo watched Joanna react to her food. She looked at it with a childlike innocence. Looking up at him for confirmation, he gestured for her to try it.
Cutting off a slice of the chewy meat, she stuck a piece in her mouth. Her eyes widened as the mixture of flavors washed across her tongue.
“This is amazing,” Joanna said taken aback.
“Yeah, they make it good here,” he said with a smile.
There wasn’t much talking going on after that. The two ate their meals and watched as the sun slowly sets past the horizon. The sky turned a multitude of yellows, oranges, and pinks. As it did the sea air that sometimes sprayed up from the dock a few feet away, tickled their noses. It was the perfect island evening. Paulo decided to walk Joanna back to her room hoping she would invite him in for the night.
Paulo looked up to get their check. As he looked around for Jimmy, he spotted the one thing that he hoped he wouldn’t. Devlin was walking down the dock towards the restaurant.
Paulo wasn’t in the mood to deal with Devlin tonight. So capturing Jimmy’s attention, he made a gesture for the check. Second-guessing his ability to pay, he decided to go to the bar.
“I’ll be right back,” Paulo said before leaving her to go to the bar.
As Paulo rushed to the bar, he kept one eye on Devlin as he approached. He wanted to rush Jimmy, but his friend had turned his back working the cash register. Knowing that their meeting was inevitable, Paulo decided to lower his head and delay it as long as he could.
“Are you back here?” Devlin said smiling broadly as he saw Paulo.
Paulo refused to look at him. “Hey, whaya say, man?”
“Not much. What have you been up to? I haven’t seen you around much recently.”
After looking away as long as he could, Paulo gave in and looked at Devlin. It wasn’t that Devlin was a bad guy, Paulo considered. It wasn’t even like Paulo didn’t sometimes like to hang out with him. It was just the timing of it.
Devlin had a habit of taking whatever it was that he wanted and often times it would be the women that Paulo brought to the bar. They were never girlfriends or even women he was seriously interested in, but the consistency of it rubbed Paulo the wrong way.
What bothered Paulo even more, was that he knew there was no way he could compete with Devlin. On top of being the richest man that Paulo had ever met, he was good looking and lived on a yacht. How could any normal guy compete with someone whose closing line was, “how would you like to go check out my yacht?”
Most of the time Paulo could put up with this. But he genuinely thought that he could have a future with Joanna. So the last thing he wanted to do was introduce Joanna to his good looking billionaire friend with a yacht.
“Is that your check?” Devlin asked as Jimmy put it in front of them.
Paulo looked down at the slip of paper. The number on it was a little bigger than he thought. He wouldn’t be able to cover it with the money in his wallet. He was either going to have to ask Joanna to chip in or he was going to have to negotiate with Jimmy to put it on his tab. There was one other option, though. Paulo considered it as he continued to stare at his check.
“Yeah, a friend of mine and I just ate,” Paulo admitted immediately feeling like he had sold his soul.
“Hey Jimmy,” Devlin said getting the bartender’s attention. “Put it on my tab.”
As Devlin said it, Paulo knew he couldn’t let that happen. “No, Devlin. I got it.”
“No, Paulo. Seriously, I have it,” Devlin said with a billion-dollar smile.
Paulo’s stomach churned at Devlin’s words. He hated everything about what was going on including how relieved he felt hearing Devlin offer to pay. He knew this would come with a price and it was only a matter of time before the real tab came due.
“Is that your friend?” Devlin asked looking back at Joanna.
“Yeah. But you wouldn’t be interested in her,” Paulo proclaimed.
“Don’t be silly. I like all of your friends. Are you going to introduce me?” Devlin said with an unnerving smile.
Having allowed Devlin to pick up the check, Paulo couldn’t imagine how he could now refuse a simple introduction between the two. He wouldn’t allow what usually happened to happen this time, though. Unlike the others, he really liked Joanna. He was willing to fight for her if he had to. And no matter what the good looking billionaire said, Paulo was planning on playing every card he had to win this hand.
“Yeah, of course,” he said without a smile.
Paulo looked back at the table as they walked over. Devlin had already captured Joanna’s attention. She looked at Devlin like all women did. Although Paulo wished it didn’t happen, he did understand why.
By all measures, Devlin was a handsome guy. His wavy black hair, his tanned complexion, the man was way too young to be as successful as he was. And as much as it pained Paulo to admit it, Devlin could be incredibly cool.
“Joanna, this is Devlin.”
“Hi, nice to meet you. Any friend of Paulo’s is a friend of mine,” Devlin said taking the seat across the table from Joanna.
“Nice to meet you,” Joanna said practically blushing.
“Are you here visiting?” Devlin asked eyeing Joanna.
“Actually, I was just telling Paulo how much I love it here and want to stay.”
“I had the same feeling. I came down here once for a vacation then bought a yacht and decided to stay,” Devlin replied with a devilish smile.