Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 26

*Shelby*

I woke up on top of the king-sized bed in my cotton robe. Apparently, I fell asleep right after getting out of the tub the night before. I didn’t even make it under the covers. My stomach growled, so I got up and put myself together.

After putting on light makeup, I picked out a strappy sundress from my new vacation wardrobe and headed for the door. My bare feet made contact with a slip of paper someone had slid under my door sometime during the night.

I can’t stop thinking about you or that k**s. I will find you tomorrow, so we can talk.

-M.

Even without recognizing the neat handwriting from his previous note, I knew it was from Michael. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of me being on his mind. I carefully placed the note with the other and the small pink sea shell before making my way down to the kitchen.

The house was completely silent; everyone was probably still in bed, nursing a hangover. I was glad that I would get to spend the morning by myself. It would give me plenty of time to wrap my head around my own feelings.

I quietly found my way around the kitchen and made myself an omelet. It felt nice to fend for myself for a meal rather than having it brought to me on a silver platter. While some aspects of this life were extremely appealing, there was something fulfilling about making your own meal.

I plated the omelet and found a quiet place on the patio to watch the waves as I enjoyed my breakfast in silence. As I took the last bite, I heard a clatter of moving dishes behind me, which let me know others were up, so I left my plate and walked towards the private beach.

I’d already explored my way down toward the gazebo, so I decided to venture in the opposite direction instead. The chirps of birds were my only company on my walk down the beach, and slowly the sand led me to a secluded cove surrounded by pine trees and rocky ledges.

The water was still and so clear I could see the schools of brightly colored fish swimming beneath the surface. I waded into the water to my ankles, but on a whim, I took a quick look around to make sure I was alone before slipping the dress from my shoulders and throwing it onto the dry sand, followed by my lace bra and panties.

I slipped slowly under the water’s surface, and the fish scattered around me.

I swam lazily through the water, daydreaming about Michael. I couldn’t wait to talk to him later, and hopefully to k**s him again.

“You’re braver than you look.”

I jumped and moved to cover myself before realizing who it was.

Michael stood on the beach watching me tread water, clearly enjoying the view.

“What are you doing here? I thought I was alone.” I said, trying my best to hide myself under the water.

“I saw footsteps in the sand on the beach; I assumed you would be the only one up already. So I took a chance and followed them. I didn’t expect to find you like this, though,” Michael said with a small laugh and a mischievous grin.

He turned around to give me privacy, likely thinking I would get out of the water and get dressed. Instead, I swam up to where he stood on the edge of the water and splashed him. He leaped forward and turned around again, a smile finding his lips.

“Are you going to be brave?” I taunted, not knowing what had gotten into me that day. I swam backward, daring him to come after me.

Michael slowly unbuttoned his shirt and slipped off his perfectly fitting shorts until he was standing there with nothing on but the wind at his back. I couldn’t help but stare at him standing naked on the shore.

He followed me into the water, although less gracefully.

“What did you want to talk about?” I asked as Michael stopped a few feet from me, treading water. It was hard to keep my eyes on his face and not let them wander down to his manhood.

“I wanted to apologize for the way I ruined last night,” Michael said.

“What do you mean ruined? I was just hoping everything was alright. I saw the worry on your face. Something big must have happened.”

“Wow, I did not expect you to react that way. What do you mean you could see the worry on my face? Am I that transparent?”

“No, I don’t think you are transparent. I just noticed the crease you get between your eyebrows when you are worried. You got the same one when you were asking me about my past with…”

I trailed off, not wanting to bring up my ex at this moment. Michael took the cue and did not push the matter any further and gracefully changed the subject.

“I am glad I didn’t ruin everything,” Michael said softly looking at me. He looked at me with unadulterated desire.

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to k**s you again.”

Michael smiled and inched closer to me in the water. I couldn’t help but notice his eyes roaming up and down my body.

“Should we, though?”

“Do you have a reason we shouldn’t?” Michael asked, the crease between his eyebrows appearing again. He stopped just short of touching me, but I felt like I could still feel him. The current between us was electric.

“What about Lauren?” I said, trying to keep control of myself. Just being this close to him, naked, made me feel breathless and excited.

“Shelby, you only need to worry about what you want. It shouldn’t matter to Lauren what happens between us, and if it does, I will handle it.”

I took a deep breath and looked at Michael’s questioning eyes. I knew he was right. I always worried more about other people’s happiness than my own. At some point, I was going to have to choose me.

Aubrey and Lin had sent so many text messages telling me to go for it with Michael. They obviously didn’t think it was a problem to date Lauren’s dad. So why should I?

“I want you to k**s me again,” I said shyly. “I want… more. I want you.”

Michael closed the distance between us and pulled me into him. Our naked bodies connected under the water, and the smoothness of our skin together electrified the water around us.

The softness from the k**s the night before had all but faded into the passionate urgency of our k****s in the water.

I wrapped my legs around his waist again, loving the way our bare bodies felt against each other.

Michael moved from kissing my mouth to kissing down my neck.

I could feel his desire, hard against my leg, and couldn’t deny I wanted him just as badly.

“Are you sure you want this, Shelby?” Michael panted between k****s on my neck, moving back up toward my mouth.

“Yes, Michael! Don’t stop!” I m****d in a breathless whisper.

“Do you still want more?” His voice caught in his throat, and I could hear the longing in each word.

“Yes,” I whispered into Michael’s ear before biting it gently.

Just as I started to feel him slipping inside me, a tree branch cracked, snapping my attention to a man holding a camera pointed directly at us.

I grabbed onto Michael and said urgently, “Michael, there is a man taking pictures of us!”

Michael turned his head, clearly seeing the man with the camera.

“s**t! Stay behind me, Shelby. I’ll get you out of this.”

Michael used his body to cover mine, and I buried my face into his neck, praying the man hadn’t already gotten a picture of my face. Michael swam for a group of rocks, hiding us behind them.

“You stay right here, and I will go handle this,” Michael said.

I latched onto one of the rocks, and Michael used a butterfly stroke to reach the beach. Sliding on his shorts, he took off in the cameraman’s direction. They both disappeared from my view in the dense vegetation and palm trees.

Hot tears streamed down my face mixing with the salt water. I swam over to the beach and slipped my dress back on before the cameraman could return. The fabric clung to my still-wet body, a feeling I absolutely hated. However, the feeling of safety the dress brought me was worth being uncomfortable.

How could I have forgotten that Michael is not only my friend’s dad, but he is also, in his own right, a famous businessman? It was easy to forget that the man was worth billions because he was so kind and generous, especially toward me.

As my heart slowed, my stomach rolled with dread. That man was likely with a magazine that would publish those pictures for the entire world to see. Pictures of me about to have s*x with Lauren’s dad!

‘Billionaire Michael Astor Spotted Skinny Dipping with Mystery Woman!’

I could already imagine the headlines and articles that would follow the scandalous pictures. There would be no way to face Lauren after she saw pictures of me naked and kissing her father.

If my identity got out, I could possibly lose my spot at Harvard, and I could k**s the job at the law firm goodbye too.

I finished getting dressed and then walked back to the mansion on my own, knowing I could not face Michael after the trouble I had just caused. I would lock myself in my room until I could sneak away to my flight tomorrow.

I kept looking over my shoulder and scanning the surrounding areas for people as I walked back. Once in my room, I leaned my back against the door. Michael and I had almost had s*x!

I smiled to myself, no longer trying to deny how good he made me feel. The thought of facing him after this scared me, but I desperately wanted to finish what we’d started.

I slid my dress off and got in the shower to wash off the sand and then snuggled into the robe Michael gave me, drinking in his scent.

I just wished things could have ended differently between Michael and me. If that was the only time I was ever going to be in his arms, I didn’t want it to be tainted by the intruder with the camera. I wanted to remember the two of us together, wrapped in each other’s arms, focusing on how amazing we made each other feel.

Hot tears slid down my cheeks. I’d known this was a bad idea, that I shouldn’t get involved with my friend’s dad, even if Lauren wasn’t the nicest person, even if she was unknowingly marrying my ex.

Going home couldn’t erase what I’d already done, but it could prevent anything worse from happening. I would miss Michael, but leaving was for the best. I knew that now… for certain.