24. Galvin

galvin

. . .

T he two of them lay side by side, looking into each other’s eyes. Sail had taken her out on his family’s boat and showed her what it was like to give yourself over to the freedom of sailing. He guided and taught her, put her at ease, and made the trip as memorable as he could.

Mostly, he’d been romantic, if not a little dirty when he suggested they fool around on the boat. Galvin liked the idea of being adventurous but asked him to table the thoughts until the next time they went out. She was still uneasy, and frankly a bit scared a shark would crash into them once they got out into the open water.

Sail warned her the water could be rough, and if it was, they’d head back to the bay. Once they got out there though, the sea was calm and welcoming. He turned the navigation system on, and then they sat and enjoyed the day. Their lunch had been perfect, but the day was simply better in her mind because they were together.

“What are you thinking?” she asked him.

His hand rested on her bare hip, his thumb lazily making circles on her skin. “That had I not messed up so epically bad in September, I wouldn’t know you. Being suspended has been a god send, in many ways. It helped me get sober and find you.”

“I wasn’t lost,” she said quietly.

“I was, so maybe you showed me how to find my way back. You’ve given a glimmer of hope for the future. Our future.”

Galvin tried to mask the unease she felt when Sail said future. She didn’t see one for them, at least not right away. He had to finish school and needed to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. She already had her path and wasn’t going to let anyone stand in the way of it.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“That me thinking about our future is ridiculous. Deep down, I know it is, but I’m hopeful we’ll at least remain friends. I will be back here, regardless.”

Galvin nodded and wanted to change the subject. “What’s your favorite color?”

Sail smiled. “Blue. Yours?”

“I like pink and yellow. But it has to be the right color yellow. Not bright or orange like the sun?—”

“Buttery?”

She smiled. “Yes, exactly.” Galvin adjusted and rested her head on her hand, her elbow pushing into her pillow. The blanket covering her naked body, shifted, exposing her breast.

Sail couldn’t resist and cupped her breast, massaging it. She closed her eyes and welcomed the sensation coursing through her body. Her eyes shot open when Sail removed his hand.

“That felt nice.”

“For me too,” he told her. “But I’d rather play twenty questions.”

“Oh.”

“And then we’ll play doctor or something.”

“Doctor?”

Sail shrugged and pulled the blanket toward her chin, laughing. Galvin rolled her eyes.

“What’s your favorite childhood memory?” Sail asked.

“Hiking with my dad,” she told him. “It was something we started after my mom died to cope with sadness. We’d find new places to explore every weekend, and I used to point out flowers, which were probably weeds, and tell my dad how much mom would’ve loved it.”

“I’m sorry you lost your mom. I can’t imagine.”

Galvin lifted her shoulder slightly. “It’s been so long I barely remember her. Sometimes, I think about her and everything she’s missed or is going to miss. My dad, though, he always made sure I knew how much she loved me.”

Sail leaned over and kissed her, soft and sweet.

“What’s the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?”

Sail exhaled loudly. “Um . . . I was a tree, but I could walk. It was after I binged the Lord of the Rings trilogy.”

Galvin laughed. “That’s a good series.”

“Yeah, you like fantasy?”

She nodded.

“The next rainy day, we’re watching it.”

“Okay.”

“What’s scares you the most?”

“Failure.”

“I understand that for sure,” Sail said.

“What would you do if you won the lottery?”

“Pay back my parents the money I owe them and then travel the world by sailboat.”

“That can be dangerous,” she told him. “I’ve read articles where people go missing or are murdered.”

“No different than living,” he said with a shrug. She didn’t want to think the world was such a horrible place, but she couldn’t disagree.

“Do you believe in fate?”

“I want to say no, but it feels like I was always meant to meet you,” she told him.

“Same.” Sail ran his finger along the side of her face.

“What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?”

“Shit, just one?” Sail laughed and blew out his breath. “Uh, I’d have to say the time a bunch of us were out on the boat, swimming. I dove in and lost my shorts. My friends all sucked and no one had a towel or extra shorts, so I had to free ball it back to shore. Of course, I was the one at the helm so . . .”

Galvin covered her face and stifled a laugh. “I’m sorry.”

Sail shrugged. “Shit happens.” He adjusted in bed and moved closer to her. “What’s your guilty pleasure?”

“You,” she said and this time she winked at him. Sail blushed. “Trashy reality TV. Every season I say I’m not watching it, and I do, and I’m sucked into all the phony drama.”

“Would you ever go on a TV show like that?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“What’s the one thing on your bucket list?”

“Easy,” she said. “I want to see the Northern Lights.”

“Me, too,” Sail said. “We’ll go together.”

Every part of her wanted to believe him. “If you could live in a fictional world, where would you go?”

“Narnia. I’d find a talking animal and follow it wherever it told me to go.”

“Okay, same,” Galvin said, laughing.

Sail linked their hands. “What was the last time you felt truly happy?”

“Right now, playing this game with you,” she told him. “Full disclosure, I didn’t want to like you, Sail. I wanted you to go away and let me be. You scared me and I kept telling myself that you were annoying and bothersome. When the truth was, I could easily see myself falling for you.”

He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed the back of hers.

“What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?”

“Easy,” Sail said, echoing her earlier statement. “By the water. Reading, maybe napping under the sun, but definitely being with you.”

Galvin blushed.

“What’s the one thing people always get wrong about you?”

She thought for a minute. “That I’m confident. Most days, I’m faking it.”

“Lies,” he said, refuting her. “You’re one of the most confident people I know.”

She pointed at herself. “Fake.”

Sail rolled his eyes.

“What’s your biggest regret?”

Sail exhaled and stared at the ceiling. “Probably not standing up for myself when it came to my future. I should have.”

“It’s not too late.”

He shrugged and rolled to face her.

“If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”

“Teleportation.”

“Then you could come see me anytime you wanted,” he said quietly.

“Or the Northern Lights.”

Sail laughed. “Yes, those too. Okay, what’s a fear you’ve conquered?”

“Public speaking. I used to panic, but now it’s just a thrill.”

“I suppose you need to be good at if you’re going to be an attorney.”

“Exactly. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?”

“My grandma used to say, ‘You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.’”

“That’s perfect you.”

Sail nodded. “If you could relive any day of your life, which one would it be?”

“The day I realized my mom wasn’t going to be in my life forever. I would’ve told her then, all my hopes and dreams for my future, and asked her to leave a message on the video camera or something. I’d give anything to hear her voice again.”

Sail pulled her into his arms and held her. Galvin nestled in the crock of her neck and sighed.

“What’s something you’ve never told anyone? Her fingers traced the contours of his chest.

“That I’m falling in love with them.” Sail moved slightly to look at her. “Until now,” he added. “You’re the only one who has ever brought that emotion out in me, Galvin. You should know that’s where I’m at right now.” He looked at her for a long moment. “What’s the one thing you wish I knew about you?”

“I’m more scared of losing you than I let on.”

Sail maneuvered and hovered over Galvin. “I’m not going anywhere,” he told her. “We’ll figure it out, if it’s what we want. And we still have months before either of us have to go back to stupid reality. I will graduate in May, and then you’ll be back here, working. We’ll be together, Galvin. I believe this, deeply.”

“Okay,” she said with a nod. Tears clouded her vision.

“Please, don’t cry, babe.”

“Babe?” She let out a strangled laugh that sounded like she choked on something.

Sail shrugged as best he could. “I find it sexier than sweetie or whatever. I don’t know, I’ve never been big on pet names. But I’ve also never cared that much before, except for now.”

“Is there something you want me to call you?”

He pretended to think as his legs slipped between hers, spreading them wide. “You can call me, Daddy.”

“Only if you call me, Good Girl.” Galvin let out a boisterous laugh. As did Sail, which brought him closer to where they knew they’d end up. They both stopped laughing when she felt him rub against her.

“You’re always so ready for me.” Sail pressed his lips to her neck and worked his way down until he took her breast into his mouth. Galvin arched her back, giving him better access. She wanted him. Ached for him.

Her hand slipped between their heated bodies and gripped his shaft. Sail moaned and pushed his hips into her grasp. “Fuck,” he said through clenched teeth as she brought him closer to her, rubbing the head against her bud.

He slid his hand between them, pushing her away even though she refused to let go. Sail kicked the blankets off them and widened her hips. He sat back, resting on his knees and watched her while his fingers moved inside of her. Not once did she stop staring at him.

“This is mine,” he said as his thumb teased her clit. “You’re mine.”

She nodded and continued to pump his cock.

Each thrust of his fingers brought her closer. "Ooh," she whispered, and her hips came off her bed slightly, to meet his hand. "Ooh! Oh, oh, oh, yes, please don’t stop.”

He worked his fingers against the slick seam, muttering how fucking sexy she was, and how she was is. Every other beat, his head would fall back and groan. Galvin closed her eyes as her orgasm built, threatening to topple over.

“Look at me, kitten.” The new name about sent her over the edge. She clamped her thighs against his wrist and snapped her hips up, once, twice, three times before she froze, all the muscles in her thighs and belly and bottom tense and quivering, and he felt her contract against his fingers.

Sail removed his hand and stuck his fingers into his mouth. “You taste so fucking good.”

“I’m going to . . .”

“Not without me.”

She had no choice but to let him when he leaned toward her nightstand. They’d stocked it with condoms since he had a habit of only bringing one with him. He ripped the packet open and slipped the rubber over his cock. Sail spread her legs wide with his hands, giving her a devilish grin.

“Don’t make me wait.”

“You’re demanding, aren’t you?”

She nodded.

Sail inched closer to her, lining his cock up to her entrance. He played there, moving his dick up and down her wet folds, driving her batty. Thoughts of begging him entered her mind, but she held her tongue. He was driving himself just as mad and it was only a matter of time . . .

“Oh, fuck,” he said as he sank into her. Galvin moaned, her back arching off the bed. Eagerness won out as she started shifting her hips to meet his. His fingers dug into her the meaty flesh of her thigh. He held fell back, and he groaned as he came toward her. She slid her hands down over his back, slick with sweat, and grasped his pumping buttocks. He pressed his mouth against her neck and kissed her, his tongue working over her sensitive skin.

Sail moved faster, went deeper.

Until they both were spent.