~𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩~

Suddenly, I begin feel out of place sat there—pretending like I fit in with all these people who have known each other all their lives...I've been with them, what, three, four days?

I don't fit in. I should just leave now.

Silently, I stand up and pace out of the movie theatre, up and out onto the top deck.

The sky's dark, cloudy and scattered with a couple of stars. It's peaceful; the only sound is the lapping of water against the sides of the yacht (the movie theatre is sound-proof, apparently).

I breathe in, and breathe out.

A song floats into my head...it's 'Scream it Out', by Ellie Goulding—a song on my iPod, one of my many favourites.

I think I'll let fate just take me home,

'Cause over pain, love is outgrown

I've never won a fight to understand,

I just move as my heart commands...

But what is my heart commanding? That I stay here a while longer, or that I head home?

There's nothing keeping me here in California, so why am I so torn about leaving it?

Well, 'nothing' isn't exactly the right word; there's the sea, the waves, the gorgeous scenery...Ed and his friends.

They don't need you. A voice whispers cruelly inside my head, you're just a tourist to them...someone that the son of a millionaire has just decided to let tag along for a couple of days until you're gone, or until he finds something better to do with his time. Don't you see that? They don't need yo—

"What're you thinking about?" Ed interrupts my self-depreciating thoughts.

"How none of you really want me here." I blurt out against my better judgement; I was planning on staying quiet, saying I was fine.

"What're you on about, Skye?" I can hear the frown in his voice as he comes to stand beside me. "Of course we want you here. I want you here, screw what Maddy thinks. I don't care about what she thinks, and neither should you."

"It's not just Maddy." Wrapping my arms around myself, I glare at the horizon. "I'm just a tourist. I'll be gone in a couple of days, so thanks for letting me tag along with you and your friends, it's been great. But don't worry, I promise I'll be gone soon...I can leave tomorrow if—"

"Skye, shut your beautiful mouth and just listen to me for one second." Ed cuts me off, dragging my attention to him, "I'm not just letting you 'tag along'; I want you here. I'll show you how much I want you here."

He places his hands on either side of my face, tilts my head up to his and lowers his lips onto mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes so I can continue kissing him. His lips are soft and taste like salt water and the ginger beer we were just drinking and the Doritos we were just eating.

I'M KISSING THADDEUS REILEY!!! I want to scream it out, but I want to kiss him more than I want to make that announcement to the whole of California, so I don't.

Scream it out, out
I won't let you down, down
So scream it out, out
I won't let you down, down...

Sending sensual shivers racing across my skin, he slips his tongue into my mouth, and I involuntarily moan against his lips as his strong hands grip my waist, moving me closer to his body.

"Ed..." I mutter when I gasp for air.

"Yeah, Skye?" He mutters back, lips brushing mine as he speaks.

Feeling low again, I check, biting my lip, "Are you totally sure you want me here?"

Ed lets out a low chuckle, "I'm not Cole, Skye; I don't do one-night stands. I like you."

Breathing out slowly, I nod, "Good. Because I like you too."

A blush spreads through my cheeks as Ed's eyes trail up and down my body. Sure, I'm wearing a beach cover-up of Sophie's over my slightly damp bikini, but it feels like he can see right through my clothes.

"You done undressing me with your eyes, yet?" I set a hand on my hip, jutting it out.

"Why?" He smirks, slipping an arm around my waist, "You ready for me to undress you properly?"

The front of the beach cover-up is tied with a string, and as Ed begins to untie it, my breath hitches in my throat and my heart beat thuds quickly.

"Ed..." I breathe, feeling my knees weakening, as his fingers hover millimetres away from touching my skin.

"Yeah, Skye?" His eyes flick up to mine.

"I..." I swallow, "I really like you."

"I really like you too, Skye." His hands reach up to cup my face. "I really do."

I stare up into his sea-green eyes, falling deep into their depths, getting lost in the beauty that is Thaddeus Reiley.

"Sometimes, I can barely think straight around you." I admit in a whisper, hands resting on his strong chest.

"What are you thinking right now?" He asks, also in a whisper, his eyes scanning my face.

"This." I respond and reach up to kiss his lips again.

Ed is such a good kisser...

A gasp escapes my mouth as his hands slide up my stomach to my breasts, gently caressing them through my bikini top.

"Ed..." I moan when he squeezes a bit harder.

He locks his lips back on mine, and our tongues eagerly dart in and out of each other's mouths—an elaborate dance that I never want to end.

My fingers find the buttons on his shirt and undo them, revealing his gorgeous body that I run my hands all over.

"Do you trust me?" Ed breaks the kiss and whispers against my lips.

"Yes." I nod.

"Good." He smiles, before he grabs my legs and wrap them around him in a swift motion, so that he's now carrying me somewhere.

"Where are you taking me?" I giggle, enjoying the feeling of his strong hands clasping my butt.

"Just wait." He chuckles back at me, pressing a kiss on the side of my head.

It turns out that he's taking us to the jacuzzi, and he flicks on the heating and the bubbles, before lowering me into the steamy water.

I pull off my loaned beach cover-up as I wait for Ed to join me; he's discarding his shirt.

"I want to show you something." He tells me as he climbs in next to me.

Oh my God.

"Okay..." I nod slowly.

"Chill out, Skye." He laughs at my suddenly nervous state, sitting next to me.

Some part of me makes me go sit in between his spread legs, so that my back is pressed against his chest, and that my butt is pressed right against his crotch.

He rubs my arms and whispers in my ear, "I was hoping you'd do that."

"What did you want to show me?" I half-turn around.

"Look up." He tells me, leaning back and looking up himself.

Following his lead, I lean back and look up as well.

"Oh, wow." I breathe when I see what I'm looking up at.

Stars.

So many stars.

There has to be something like a thousand stars glittering in the dark sky above us, a perfectly unarranged arrangement.

They seem to be getting brighter by the second, as we sit there in the hot tub, gazing up at them.

I'm breathless, speechless; no words or actions come to mind—the beauty of the night sky is overwhelming. Those clouds from earlier must've cleared quite quickly.

Looking over to my left, where the mainland is, there are less stars, which probably has something to do with light pollution. But out here, on the (almost) open ocean, the sky is crystal clear.

I don't know how long passes with us stargazing in silence, but it's a comfortable silence, so I'm not bothered by it.

"Ed," I begin when I finally find words, "Ed, it's so...so magnificent."

Magnificent, I feel, is the only word that can describe it.

"It is, Skye." He replies, and I can hear and feel his smile, "It is."

"Thank you for showing me." I say and turn around fully, running a hand over his jaw, his sea-green eyes locked on mine, as I move my legs to either side of him, effectively straddling him.

"Yeah, well." He shrugs a little, "Beautiful things should be appreciated."

"Should they, now?" I raise an eyebrow and slide closer to his crotch, the movement made easier by the hot water.

The night has clearly gotten colder, as steam is now rising off the bubbling jacuzzi.

"Yes, they should." He bites his lip, before leaning forward to kiss me again.

I kiss him back, just as eager as before; I don't think I could ever get tired of him kissing me.

His hands are now all over my bikini-clad body, and I can feel his excitement growing through his boardshorts.

Before I know it, we've sunk down into the hot, bubbly water some more, and Ed is in the process of undoing my bikini top.

My body is craving his touch, so I don't stop him, letting him continue.

"I can see why you were gonna be a model." He tells me, dredging up memories that I'd rather leave alone.

I look away from him, "I'd rather not talk about that."

"Oh...sorry." He cups my chin with his hand, moving my gaze back to his, "I'm sorry, Skye."

"It's okay." I nod, "You didn't know."

"You're so sexy, Skye Jameson." He tells me stroking my body, "You're so freaking sexy."

"Yeah?" I smirk, shaking my thoughts away, shivering as my body responds to his touch.

"Yes." He claims, caressing my boobs, tightening the knot of sexual tension that's building in my stomach.

"Dammit, Ed." I groan as his fingers brush across my hardened nipples.

I realise that it's been a hell of a long time since I've been touched like this, and that's probably why my body's reacting the way it is—I'm acting like the virgin that I'm not, and it's probably freaking Ed out how horny I am.

Ed places his hand on the side of my face, just under my jaw, drawing my lips to his once again.

Steadily, I grow in confidence as we kiss, and start grinding on his crotch.

"Shit, Skye." He swears and tightly grabs my butt as a reflex.

I bite my lip as he hands continue to work up into my bikini bottoms, sliding them up, prior to moving around to the front pretty damn quick.

"Hold on." I take hold of his hands before they can slip into the front of my bikini panties.

"We can stop, if you want." He tells me, kissing my collarbone, his actions contradicting his words.

"I just..." I sigh, "Look at me, Ed." I continue once his gorgeous green eyes lock onto my own boring brown eyes, "It's been a while since I've done anything like this, an—"

"And you don't want to rush what we have." He finishes my sentence, "Is that what you were going to say?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was going to say." Briefly, I smile at him, before continuing. "I don't know what we're starting here, but I don't want it just to be meaningless sex, I want it to be more."

"I want it to be more as well," Ed moves his hands down to my butt and pulls my bikini bottoms back down to how they were previously, "And when, or if, it comes to it, it won't be meaningless sex. I don't do that."

He plants a kiss on each of my boobs, before re-tying my bikini top.

"Thank you." I kiss his cheek.

"No worries." He says with a somewhat forced smile, "But I gotta, erm, go sort my...situation out now..."

Both of us look down at his boardshorts, where the evidence of his attraction to me is boldly declaring its presence.

Shit, that looks big, I can't help but think...and there I go again, acting like a freaking 16-year-old.

"Ah." I try and fail to tear my eyes away, I want to touch him so bad, "Sorry?"

"What the hell? No, Skye!" He laughs, instantly putting me at ease, "This, right here," He gestures down at his crotch, "This is not the sort of situation you apologise for."

"Okay." I blush, finally tearing my eyes away, but slowly, trailing my gaze up from the top of his boardshorts, along his abs and over his chest, finally reaching his stunning face, surveying how divine he is.

"I'm gonna go now." Ed tells me, "'Cos I don't know how much longer I can sit here with you, and not touching you, in the state I'm in right now."

"I'm gonna head in as well." I stand up and grab a towel, drying off my body, then throwing the cover-up over my head. "Do you mind if I sleep here again? I reckon it's too late to head back to Bessie tonight, but I'll go tomorrow morning."

"No, I don't mind at all." He smiles at me, but shuffles on his feet.

"Right, yeah." I supress a laugh, "Catch you later."

He nods and start walking down to the second deck.

Watching his retreating back, I can't help but shout after him, "Have fun sorting yourself out!"

"I will, Skye Jameson!" He shouts back without turning round, "Especially now you've given me something to think about!"

I laugh at that, instantly blushing, before heading back inside. The realisation hits me as I stand at the entrance to the movie theatre: there's now something tying me to California, keeping me here.

And it feels...it feels great.

The whole Maddy thing isn't even bothering me now, not now that I know how Ed truly feels about me...

My new friends have all fallen asleep watching the movie, a couple having spilt Doritos and beer in the process. The movie's still playing in the background, so I step over and flick the TV off, letting the group sleep.

Cole snores and then I think he also farts.

Charming, no wonder Jessica dumped him.

Careful not to wake them, I slowly step out of the room, gently shutting the door behind me.

"Hey, gorgeous." I hear behind me.

"Hey, sexy." I grin back at Ed, pulling his hand and walking away from the movie theatre, "They're all sound asleep in there!"

"They were watching a crap movie." Ed shrugs.

"Can I sleep in your bed again?" I ask pleadingly, "Or I could just sleep in a guest room?"

"You can sleep in my bed again." He smirks, "Do you mind me sleeping next to you?" He holds his hands up in surrender, "I won't do anything, I promise."

I roll my eyes, "Sure, it is your superyacht after all."

"C'mon then, Skye Jameson." Pretending I'm a queen or a princess, he places one hand on my lower back and stretches the other out in front of him, "Your bed awaits."

"Why, thank you, my good sir!" I giggle as he guides me to his room.

"You like history?" He asks.

"Kinda, I was gonna study it at college..." I yawn, collapsing onto his bed.

"What do you mean 'kinda'?" He frowns, "How do you not like the subject you were going to study at college? And at an Ivy League one?"

My eyes are now shut as I respond, "My dad wanted me to."

"You let your dad choose your career path for you?"

"Whatever, Eddy." I roll away from him, yawning again, "It's too late for that."

He mumbles something like 'okay', and then the last thing I remember before I drift off to sleep is Ed pushing some hair away from my face and kissing my cheek.

Contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction, and goddamn, I'm feeling it right now.