Chapter 64

Elek picked up a flat stone off the beach and skipped it into the calm water. Moonlight sparkled off the splashes as it hopped six times before disappearing under the surface.
Naturally, this set up a friendly competition among the brothers. Even Christos left my side to join in. Dermott and I stood there laughing at their antics, and he pulled me closer to his side.
"Are they always like this?"
His chuckle held warmth and affection. "Pretty much. They can all be perfectly professional about their work, but when they're together and showing off for a pretty girl? They revert to being a bunch of half-grown cubs."
"And you? Don't you ever have the urge to goof off alongside them?"
"Actually," he swung me into his arms and looked down into my eyes. "I usually just take advantage of the situation." His lips covered mine in a deep kiss that seemed to go on forever.
He pulled me up against him until I could feel his heartbeat pounding beneath my palm. My fangs extended as his tongue swept inside, and I tasted a drop of blood. Dermott didn't seem to care. One hand slid down my back to cup one ass cheek, bringing my stomach right up against his blatant erection while his other hand grazed the side of my breast, which was already swollen and aching. A fang nicked my lower lip, meaning the flavor of my blood mingled with his, before the tiny wound healed almost instantly.
I rubbed my body against his, making him groan as his cock thickened even further.
Someone moved up behind me and began kissing the side of my throat. A warm body pressed against my back, another hard ridge pushing against the cleft of my butt. My senses whirled for a minute at the idea of being the filling in a sandwich, but in just a moment, I was too lost in the sensations to care.
A third body came up and laid a hand on my bare shoulder. "Sex on the beach is never as glamorous as it sounds." Theron leaned down and kissed the skin just above his hand. "Somebody always gets sand somewhere unpleasant."
Christos, standing on my other side nodded.
"Mmm." Dermott pulled away with one last butterfly kiss on my puffy lips. "True." He gazed into my eyes. "Shall we finish the tour or go back up to the house?"
"How long will the tour take?" I wouldn't mind a few minutes to get my scattered wits back together.
He shrugged. "Half an hour maybe."
I reached up and stroked his cheek. "Then let's do that - first."
"Okay." Dermott stepped back, but he kept one of my hands clasped tightly in his. "Ready to go, boys?"
Elek nipped my throat playfully and stepped back, finally allowing me to see that it was him kissing me from behind. "Okay."
The island wasn't large, but it was lovely by moonlight. Graceful palm trees arched in the breeze and wildflowers covered the slope up to the house. Careful hands helped me across the rocky stretches although I'd have been fine unassisted. I was so used to fending for myself in every situation that it felt odd to be pampered, but I had to admit I was enjoying it. Soon we were back on the sandy beach in front of the steps.
"Anyone up for a swim? The water's warm." Elek kicked off his sandals and stepped into the water up to his ankles.
"I didn't bring a suit down." I tried not to stare as Christos pulled off his T-shirt and joined his brother in the waves.
"Do you need one?" Dermott's voice was soft against my ear. "We're all friends here."
I could almost hear Dani's voice in my head, prodding me to "live a little".
With a simple tug, I pulled my sundress off over my head and shimmied out of my thong before turning to Dermott with a taunting smile on my lips. "You coming in?"
A slow grin spread across his lips as he pushed down his shorts and pulled off his polo shirt. "Hell yes."
Theron chuckled. "Didn't we just decide the beach was a bad place for sex?"
"Who says we're going to have sex?" Christos splashed his oldest sibling with a handful of water. "This is just a swim. Come on, worrywart."
I stepped into the water with Dermott right behind me, his hand on my waist. The sea was warm and lapped gently at my skin as I moved out deeper. I hadn't swum in the ocean in years - mostly just because I'd been too busy to bother. I walked out until I was up to my neck, closed my eyes and soaked in the sensual joy of being immersed.
Dermott wrapped an arm around my waist. "Lean back against me and let yourself float. Just relax and let the waves carry all your worries away."
Worries? What worries? For the first time in decades, if not centuries, I couldn't think of a thing to be stressed about. Yes, back in the real world, I still had deadlines to meet, proposals to write up and things to do, but I had a good, solid staff who could handle things just fine without me for a little while. How come I had never stopped and thought about that before?
I lay there against Dermott's chest, my feet pointed out toward deeper water, looking up at the star-filled sky. In the two hundred years and more of my life, they were the one thing that had remained constant. Orion was still the hunter, and the Great Bear still pointed to the North Star. So much else had changed, but the stars were still there, shining their light.