7. Sinclair

I adjustmy sunglasses and glare at the horizon, the endless expanse of ocean glistening under the unrepentant sun. Amelia's voice echoes in my head, her patient tone threading with insistence. "You came on vacation with your brother. You can't abandon him the entire trip."

"Hell yes, I can," I argue without much steam, knowing she's right.

As much as I hate to admit it, I've been an ass to my dipshit brother, and I can't let the entire week pass without spending any time with him. Plus, I want to give Sullivan the chance to get to know my little mermaid.

"One day at the beach won"t kill you," Amelia reminds me as she sits back in the beach lounger on my left and reaches for her book.

I glance down at my watch, wondering where in the hell is my asshole brother. Last night I texted him and arranged for him to meet Amelia and me at the beach at ten. Here it is fifteen after and he still hasn't appeared.

"Sorry I'm late." Speak of the devil. My asshole brother strolls up and drops his towel on the lounger next to Amelia. "Since I already know everything I want to know about my dickhead brother, I'm going to relax here next to you," he tells Amelia, earning a growl from me.

"Watch it, asshole," I sternly warn him.

"Or what?" He sits up and glances over at me with a smirk on his face.

"Or I'll kick your ass."

"Okay, boys." Amelia cuts in. "That's enough." She looks back and forth between us as her phone rings.

Looking over her shoulder, I see her dad's face flash across the screen. "Come on, asshole," I tell my brother. "Let's go swim and let my girl have some privacy for her call."

"Hello," she answers as we head down the beach. "Hold on, Dad," I hear her say before she calls to me, "Sinclair, watch out for the waves."

"Yeah, Sinclair." My brother turns and smirks at me. "I had a late night, and I don't really have the energy to save your ass right now."

"Fuck off," I growl and rub my middle finger along the side of my face facing away from Amelia so she can't see the gesture.

As we dive into the water, I glance back, making sure my girl isn't upset. I have no doubt her dad is calling to check on the state of our relationship, which I understand, but there's no way I'm letting him or anyone else come between us.

The salty taste of the ocean clings to my lips as I pull another stroke through the blue-green waves, the rhythmic pull of the current soothing my mind. Beside me, Sullivan matches my pace, his laughs blending with the sound of the surf crashing in the distance.

"Race you to the buoy, Sinclair?" Sullivan challenges like the overgrown toddler he is.

Before I can answer, my attention is drawn toward the shore. Amelia stands there, a small figure waving her arms vigorously. The sunlight catches her chestnut hair, making it seem like it glows.

"Hold that thought," I say, already turning toward the beach. "Amelia wants something."

"Be careful swimming back," my brother calls behind me. "You never know when another rogue wave will come in."

I flip him off again before swimming back with long, steady strokes, the cool water slipping across my skin, each movement bringing me closer to her.

As I near the shallows, I find my footing and wade the last few steps through the soft sand. Her figure sharpens in focus, her expression a mix of amusement and impatience.

"Hey," I greet her, shaking the excess water from my hair like a dog. Amelia laughs, reaching toward me with a towel.

"Here, dry off a bit. My dad wants to talk to you."

I take the towel with a nod, wiping the water from my hands and arms first. The soft cotton is a welcome comfort after the chill of the ocean.

"Your dad, huh? Should I be scared?" I ask with a wry grin. Amelia rolls her eyes but smiles.

"He's just being his usual overprotective self," she tells me before hissing into the phone, "Dad, be nice."

Amelia hands me her phone, the bright screen shining in the midday sun. I hesitate for a moment, wiping one last drop of water from my brow before taking the device.

Talking to her father feels like walking into an unexpected riptide. I lift the phone to my ear. "Hello, Mr. Reynolds. Sinclair Midnight here."

There"s a brief pause on the other end before his pissed-off voice comes through. "Sinclair," he growls. "Why the fuck am I only just now hearing about you when you"ve been running around that island with my little girl all week?"

I ignore the hate reverberating through the line and calmly answer him. "Well, Mr. Reynolds, I've been falling in love with Amelia and doing everything in my power to make sure she feels the same way."

My words seem to take the wind out of his sails. There's a lengthy pause and I'm starting to wonder if the call dropped when he mutters. "Since my wife and daughter both insist I give you a chance, I'm willing to wait and see how things go." That wasn't so hard. I"m prematurely congratulating myself when he adds, "You're on probation until I'm satisfied you won't hurt Amelia. If you do anything to make her sad, I'll rip out your spine and beat you to death with it."

Ouch. Protesting right now won't do jack shit, so I don't even waste my breath. "I understand." I'll just have to do everything in my power to prove to him how much Amelia means to me.

The call ends abruptly, and I hand the phone back to Amelia. "Everything okay?" she asks, tilting her head slightly.

"Couldn't be better," I reply, pulling her curvy body against mine before covering her lips with mine. "Now, why don't we enjoy the rest of the day with my dipshit brother."

After spendingthe day on the beach, we pack up our things, intending to head to Amelia's bungalow to shower. "We'll meet you at the restaurant at eight if that's okay?" she tells my brother as we reach the path that takes us toward her room.

"Let's make it eight-thirty," Sullivan insists. "I'm going to take a long soak in the hot tub to get rid of my sore muscles." He winces as he stretches. "I was a little too ambitious and swam out too far." I swear the asshole was trying to show off for my girl.

"We'll see you then," I growl and lead Amelia away. As I look back, I see him disappear around the corner and lean over to whisper in her ear, "Now we have time for a long shower." I wiggle my eyebrows. "I'll wash your back if you wash mine."

We step into her bungalow, and I kick the door closed. "That's an offer I can't refuse." Amelia slips out of my grasp and pulls her bathing suit cover over her head. "Hurry up, my back is super dirty." She winks and turns to rush off to the bathroom, pulling off her swimsuit as she goes.

Stumbling behind her, I manage to kick off my sandals and drag my damp swim trunks down my legs without falling on my ass.

By the time I round the corner, she's bare-ass naked and standing in the large marble walk-in shower with the warm water cascading over her sweet curves. Fuck. I don't even know where I want to start. My cock instantly turns to stone as I step into the glass enclosure. Dropping to my knees, I spread her silky legs and run my tongue right up the middle of her wet slit.

Her legs tremble when I close my lips around her clit and suck hard. "Sit down and let me fuck your sweet pussy with my tongue." I don"t have to ask her twice. She drops down on the marble bench and spreads her legs wide.

Kneeling at her feet, I kiss and nibble my way up the inside of her silky thigh while she drags her fingers through my wet hair.

I tease her entrance with my tongue until she growls at me, "Stop messing around."

I nip at her inner thigh then throw myself into devouring her tasty cunt. After she's come a time or three, I stand up and lift her wet curves against my body. She wraps her legs around my waist and holds on as I press my cock deep into her wet pussy.

She gives an adorable little squeak when I press her back against the cool glass wall. Her pouty lips are too perfect to resist. I cover her lips with mine and kiss her to within an inch of her life.

When I reach between us and pinch her clit, she comes hard and drags her lips away from mine. I lean my forehead against hers and slow my thrusts, letting her ride out the waves of pleasure. "I love you, little mermaid."

"I love you, too," she whimpers, and I know I'll never grow tired of hearing those words falling from her lips. She runs her hands through my wet hair and holds on while I bring her to another climax. This time, she clenches her inner muscles tight around my cock, dragging my ass along with her.