"Can you please put the do not disturb sign on your door so I don't get caught in your bed?" Ama says sleepily, and it takes all my strength not to jump back in bed with her.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be back as soon as I can get rid of Stella. Then we'll have all day together," I say before I kiss her. "Can I bring you back something?"

She yawns and stretches out. "Yes, please. Fruit and oatmeal."

"You got it, Beautiful." With that, I leave her to her thoughts of me and our impossible situation.

I want to have breakfast with Stella like I want a hole in my damn head. What could she possibly want? Did she think I'd take her back after what happened?

She's already there waiting and smiles when she sees me. Seriously.

"Stella."

"Gregory."

I sit across from her, wishing it was Ama instead of her.

"So, I'm here. Talk," I demand, my fingers combing through my hair.

Her expression dulls. "Can we just have a nice breakfast?"

I close my eyes, hoping she'll leave; unfortunately, she's still here when I open them.
"Honestly, Stella, I have no interest in spending more time than I have to with you," I huff.

Tears shimmer in her eyes. "Please don't be like that, Gregory."

"Don't be like what, Stella?" I shout, seeing other guests' eyes glancing toward us.

Her cheeks turn pink at the attention, and she lowers her voice, "I know that I hurt you."

"Hurt me? You fucked up my entire world," I snarl, not believing the gall of this woman.

Her lower lip trembles, and I feel nothing from seeing her turmoil.

"I'm sorry, Gregory. Please give us another chance," she begs me, her eyes pleading.

My expression hardens. "Are you kidding me? There is no us, Stella. Us came to a screeching halt when you left my ass at the altar."

The waiter arrives at the table to take our order, and without missing a beat, I say, "I'll have two bowls of fruit and oatmeal to go, please."

Stella's eyes widen. "What? Where are we going?"

I look into her sky-blue eyes that once captivated me and wonder what I've ever seen in her. "We're going nowhere. You're leaving this hotel and never contacting me again."

She reaches for my hand, and I abruptly pull it away. "Please, Gregory," she begs.

Realization dawns on my face. "You know what, Stella? I want to thank you. You saved me from a life of mediocre love. I'm not even sure that I ever loved you."

"You're just trying to hurt me because I hurt you," she cries as tears run down her face.

"No, I truly mean every word," I admit as the waiter returns with my breakfast order.
Standing, I look down at her, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. "Have a good life, Stella. Now, do us both a favor and leave."

Rushing to my room, I use my key and open my door, excited to see Ama. She's lying on my bed in her panties and the tee shirt I wore last night, playing on her phone. My heart melts at the sight of her.

"Breakfast is here, Ama," I announce before going to the deck.

Looking up at me with the most alluring smile, she gets out of bed to follow me. "That was quick."

Setting up the table with our breakfast, I tell her, "I decided that the one I wanted to have breakfast with was here."

She wraps her arms around me from behind. "Want to talk about it?"

I lift my shoulders casually. "Not much to tell; Stella apologized and wanted to get back together. I told her I didn't think I ever loved her, and she did me a favor by leaving me at the altar."

Ama releases me and takes a step back. "Really?"

I turn to face her, placing my hands on her face, my lips brushing across hers as I whisper, "Yep. I told Stella to do us both a favor and return home."

Her glistening eyes go round, and pink invades her soft cheeks. "Do you think she'll try to get back with you when you return home?"

My forehead presses against hers. "I don't want to go home without you," I confess, my heart pounding.

"What?"

I take her hands in mine. "I care about you, Ama."

She pulls away slightly, her brows drawn together, and her forehead creases in disbelief. "You care about me?"

"I have never felt this way with any other woman. Yes, Ama. I care about you," I say to give her no doubt.

"I care about you too, Gregory."

I can't help myself; I take her beautiful face and pull her to me. Our lips find each other, and we take our kiss slowly and passionately. I make love to her with my mouth as she responds to me. Our tongues sensually intertwine as I think about kissing this woman forever till we pull away to get a breath.

"Oh, Gregory," she sighs.

"Ama?"

"What are we going to do?"

Gregory and I just confessed our feelings to each other. While I'm thrilled he wants me, I'm unsure where I fit in his life and don't want to leave the island, do I?

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" His breath tickles my neck as he kisses his way up to nibble my ear lobe.

I exhale, annoyed with my train of thought. "I know this is all new, but I don't know where we go from here."

He pauses from nipping my ear and murmurs, "I know. My heart is screaming to find a way to make this work."

We sit across from each other and quietly eat our breakfast, deep in thought.

When we finish eating, he takes my hand. "Ama, I find breathing hard when I'm not with you. We only have a few more days to figure this out, but I want as much time with you as you'll give me."

"I want that, too," I say truthfully, thinking I could take some unused vacation to be with Gregory his last few days.

"Have you ever considered leaving Jamaica?"

"Not until I met you."

He smiles before his eyes look to the side, and his lips turn on one side of his mouth as he thinks before talking. "I've thought about renting or buying a house here and splitting my time between here and Chicago."

Disbelief at what I'm hearing, my eyes narrow. "That's a big step for someone you've only met five days ago."

He runs his hand through his hair before saying, "I know it sounds crazy, but I feel more for you than that woman I would have married a few weeks ago. So, buying a house on a beautiful island to be with the woman I care about and want to build a relationship with does not seem like a huge step."

My cheeks feel warm from the words Gregory just spoke to me. "You would do that for me?"

His mouth curves into a huge grin. "In a heartbeat."

I jump out of my seat, straddle Gregory's lap, and kiss his sweet lips. "You make me so happy."

He hugs me close, and I feel him breathe me in as he squeezes my waist. "So, Ama, what should we do today?" He changes the subject for now.

"Do you want the tourist side of Jamaica or a relaxing beach day? We could also rent a small catamaran. Your call, Mr. Gorgeous."

His hand goes to his chin as he thinks. "I haven't done much sightseeing since I've been here. Once I met Jamaica's most beautiful sight, I didn't need to go further."

I giggle, and pepper kisses against his neck.

"You keep that up, and we won't see the outside of this hotel room," he growls.

Laughing, I ask, "So, no tour or beach?"

"Hmm," he says, pretending to be deep in thought. "How about a relaxing beach day?"

My face lights up. "I know just the place along the Seven Mile Beach. Trai works today. I'll text her and see if she can drop off a suit for me."

I grab my phone from my pocket to text Trai.

Hey, girl! Can you bring a bathing suit to Gregory's room for me?

She immediately answers.

You caught me at the perfect time. I was getting ready to leave. I'll grab you one quick and head over.

I reply just as fast.

You're the best! Thanks!

You're very welcome. See you in ten.

Gregory is on the phone ordering us a picnic lunch. "Lunch should be here in ten minutes."

Placing my arms around his neck, I say, "Perfect! Trai should be here about that same time."

He gives my forehead a peck. "As much as I enjoy seeing you in my shirt, I can't wait to see you in a swimsuit; wait, is Trai bringing you a bikini?"

I shrug, but I know the only bathing suits Trai owns are bikinis.

He lifts me off of his lap. "I'm going to change into my suit and pray for a bikini."

His comment makes me laugh, and I watch as he removes his clothes before grabbing his suit from the chair.

He smirks. "Is that drool I see?"

I instinctively swipe my mouth with the back of my hand. "Nope," I say, popping the p.

About ten minutes later, there's a knock on the door. I'm unsure if it's room service or Trai, so I hide in the bathroom while Gregory gets the door.

"Your packed lunch, sir."

"Thank you."

I hear the door shut and go back into the bedroom. A moment later, there's another knock. To be safe, I head towards the bathroom till I hear a voice behind the door.

"Open up, love birds! I have to get to work."

I run to the door, opening it to see Train standing there with a bag. "Thank you so much, Trai."

"Anytime. Have fun!"

Gregory is using the bathroom, so I change into my suit and throw on my tank and shorts from last night. Gregory comes back and looks at me before his eyes droop in disappointment.

"Damn, I missed the show," he whines.

Walking over to him like strutting along a fashion show runway, I give him a sympathetic pat. "Sorry, Buddy, guess you'll have to wait for the unveiling at the beach." I wink before getting a hair tie from my pocket and pulling up my hair into a ponytail while Gregory pouts.

He grabs my hand and practically drags me out of his room. "Come on, let's go. I can't wait to get to the beach— Damn."

He reverses and grabs our lunch and towels. "Now, let's go."

Gregory stops for a cooler of Red Stripes at the lobby bar while I head out to my car so no one sees us leaving together before heading to the beach. When giving Gregory my car keys, you'd think I'd given him the key to the city the way his whole face lights up. Giving him directions, we soon pull into a public parking area, gather our things, and walk to a lovely secluded part of Seven Mile Beach.

We arrive and find two lounge chairs in a hidden area surrounded by palm trees, giving us a bit of privacy. Gregory sets the cooler between the chairs while I put our towels on the chair. Gregory pulls off his t-shirt. I could look at his gorgeous body for the rest of my life.

He catches me staring and grins. "Are you keeping your clothes on just to mess with me?" he says, as his mouth twitches, trying not to laugh.

"No," I say before shimmying out of my shorts. Gregory's eyes slowly look down at my legs. I pull off my tank, and his gaze moves up from my legs to my stomach, resting his eyes on my breasts.

"Like what you see?" I smirk, adjusting my top.

"Yes, ma'am," he admits before walking over with suntan lotion. He massages it into my skin, and I melt more from his touch than the sun's heat.

"My turn," I say as I take my time rubbing the lotion into his sun-kissed skin, taking advantage of touching his muscular body.

Grabbing my wrist and dragging me into his embrace he asks, "Is it too soon to go back to my room?"

I slap his arm. "Yes."

He kisses my forehead and groans. "Okay." Then he slings me over his shoulder and runs into the water.

"Ahhh! Put me down," I shriek while playfully slapping his back.

Laughing hysterically, we both go under the water.

When we emerge, I wrap my legs around his waist and grip him tightly; he moves his hand up my back and pulls me so close that my breasts crush against his chest. His lips press against mine, and we kiss slowly, building steadily into the most passionate kiss we've ever shared. I feel him growing against me, and without realizing it, I begin to grind against him.

"Shit, Ama."

I pull my mouth away from his and whisper in his ear. "Is there a problem, Mr. Gorgeous?"

"There's no problem," he says while cupping my breasts with both hands; leaning back, I give him full access.

We touch, tease, swim, and kiss each other in the water for the next hour. If it weren't for the family that set up camp near us, I would have experienced sex in the ocean for the first time.

"I'm getting hungry."

He looks into my eyes."Hmmm. Me too," he growls.

"For food!" I playfully smack his shoulder.

He chuckles as his eyes sparkle with devilishness. "Oh, food. Yes, of course."

We head out of the water to eat and have a few beers. After eating lunch, we both lay back with our bellies satisfied and bake in the Jamaican sun.

After our day at the beach, I drop Gregory off at the hotel and head home to shower and change.

We want to spend as much time as possible together. Unfortunately, I only have one more day off before his flight leaves for Chicago. It's the day before he leaves, and he wants to take that day to look at rental properties. We're planning to have dinner tonight.

I pull on a cute babydoll-style pink cotton dress, slip into black sandals, and put on the finishing touches of my makeup before heading to the hotel to pick up Gregory.

As I approach the curb, I see Gregory waiting outside the lobby door, wearing navy blue shorts and a tight-fitting light blue tee shirt. I roll down my window and call out to him, "Hey, Handsome! Need a ride?"

He jogs down the marble steps, opens the car door, and slides in beside me. "Yes, please. Where are you taking me?"

"The Rockhouse," I say as I put the car into gear and hit the gas, heading back in the direction I came from.

He buckles his seat belt and then leans back into the seat. "Do you recommend anything?"

Keeping my eyes on the road, I say, "You need to try the coconut shrimp."

We make small talk before arriving at the restaurant ten minutes later and enter the crowded parking lot.

"You look amazing, Ama." Gregory says as he opens my door, giving me his hand to help me out of the vehicle.

"Thank you." I take his hand and smile.

We walk into the restaurant hand in hand and approach the hostess. "Hello. Party of two for Jones," I say to the cute, petite woman with chocolate eyes and matching hair.

"Good evening. Right this way, please," she says as we follow her to our table.

The Rockhouse restaurant is attached to a hotel built with rocks from the local area beside the Caribbean Sea with a contemporary rendition of Jamaica's classic cuisine.
The sun is setting on the ocean's horizon, bursting with yellow, orange, and a deep shade of red.

"The view is stunning," Gregory says as we sit.

I look out across the water. "It is," I agree, then turn towards Gregory and notice that he's not looking at the view but at me, and heat works its way up my neck, settling in my cheeks.

"Enjoy your Dinner. The waiter will be right with you," the hostess says before leaving us to enjoy our evening.

Soon after the hostess leaves, the server arrives.

"Hello, my name is Devon. I'll be taking care of you this evening."

He places menus in front of us and tells us the specials for the evening. "Can I get you a drink while you review the menu?" he asks.

"I'll take water and a glass of your house white wine," I reply with my usual drink order.

"Red Stripe for me, please," Gregory adds as he picks up the menu.

"I'll get them right away," Devon says before leaving us to peruse the menu.

Gregory reaches his hand across the table and places it over mine. We intertwine our fingers, and he looks at the menu. I already know what I'm having, so I gaze at my handsome man.

A few moments later, the waiter puts our drinks on the table. "Have you decided?" he says, looking at me.

I reply, "Yes, I'll have the coconut shrimp, rice, fried plantains, and green beans."

He writes my order, then turns towards Gregory.

"You know what?" he says, closing his menu. "That sounds delicious. I'll have what she's having."

"Excellent choice, sir," Devon says, writing down the order and taking our menus.

The serene ambiance and Gregory's hands gently holding mine encourage me to tell the secret I promised my muma I would never reveal because something inside me needs to tell Gregory more about my family.

"So, do you remember when I told you I never knew my father?" I hesitantly begin looking down and studying the intricate design of the tablecloth, my heartbeat increasing and a lump forming in my throat. I'm sorry, Muma.

Gregory gently squeezes my hand. "Yes, I've wondered what the background story was, but the sadness in your eyes when you spoke of your father kept me from asking. I knew when you were ready, you'd tell me."

I look up into his caring eyes. "My father was similar to you."

His forehead creases, not understanding. "What do you mean? Was he from Chicago? Was he left at the altar?"

I laugh, appreciating that he's trying to lighten the mood. "No, of course not. Well, maybe. I don't know."

His brows draw together. "What do you mean that he's similar to me?"

My eyes, once again, are drawn to the horizon. "My father was a tourist."

His eyebrows raise. "Oh."

"All I know about him is that he had a one-night stand with my mother that resulted in me," I say quietly, my eyes never leaving the calming ocean.

He reaches over and moves my hair out of my face, and I lean into his touch. "Then I owe him because without him, you wouldn't be here."

"There's more," I tell him.

"Okay."

Taking a deep breath, I continue, "Because of what happened with my mother, she doesn't take kindly to tourists."

He nods understandingly and says, "Ah, that's why you never invited me to your house."

I look away in shame. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he says sweetly, his eyes soft and welcoming.

I force a laugh. "My mom will lose her mind when she finds out about you. She's so worried that my heart will get broken."

"That's understandable, considering what happened to her. I want you to know that I'm not that guy. Well, I guess I was that guy in the beginning," he admits, his face flushing in embarrassment, realizing that when he first met me, that's who he was. I was just a one-night stand for a tourist, just like my mother was to my father.

"Damn, Ama. I'm so sorry."

I give him a half smile. "Don't worry about it. I knew full well what I was getting into. What I didn't expect was falling for you, and I sure as hell never thought you'd fall for me."

He chuckles and pats my hand. "So, when am I going to meet your mom?"

My face pales. Never. I say to myself.

Total Words: 15,015