Page 56 of Mr. Blackwood

I thought about that for a minute and a smile came over my face. I chuckled. “You’re the owner of Wood Venture Plaza?”

“Yes.”

That plaza had a coffee shop, a vape shop, a cell phone repair shop, threading and waxing salon, insurance office, and a bakery and ice cream shop.

“You’ve done very well for yourself, sir.”

“Thank you.”

I stood and walked to the edge of the garden. Jabari met me and linked our fingers together.

“You ready to return to the bungalow?”

“Yes.”

We walked in silence as I inhaled the aromatic herbs and fragrant orchids that dotted the land. A cool, crisp breeze tinged with ocean water misted our faces.

“Jabari, I absolutely love it here! I might not ever return home,” I teased.

He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “I could make that fantasy a reality, if you want me to.”

I smiled up at him. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying exactly what I mean. We have both done things that neither of us are proud of, but I know that you’re it for me, Camilla.”

He stopped walking, gripped the back of my neck, and brushed his lips against mine.

“I don’t even deserve you, but I’m glad that you gave me another chance.”

“I did that for one reason, and one reason alone.”

“What was that?” I asked with my lips still pressed against his.

“To see you on your knees, begging to taste me, and hearing you call me Mr. Blackwood.”

The corner of my lip tilted up, and I smiled back at him. “I think I can make that happen, sir.”

23 – JABARI

The last few days had been a whirlwind and designed to build a true connection with Camilla beyond the sexual chemistry. We knew our sexual energy was off the charts, but I wanted to see if we had a connection other than that, and we did. It had taken a lot for me to open up and trust her, but I had. I was tired of living my life in the shadows and being closed off to intimacy and relationships.

We had spent the last few days having breakfast in our floating pool, sailing on a catamaran with a private chef and full staff, sailing to the remote, uninhabited islands near Ambergris Cay, and going on a guided snorkeling excursion to capture beautiful photos of vivacious coral structures and sea turtles for her magazine.

We had eaten exotic lunches at sandbars, hiked along the coastal cliff paths and flat nature trails, received daily massages, gone deep-sea fishing for wahoo and mahi-mahi on a private charter, and taken sunset cruises while drinking the finest champagne as we watched the sun set. Our elegant dinners were often served to us with cocktails on the beautiful estate we were staying on or during our evening cruises.

This morning we had enjoyed breakfast at a restaurant that overlooked the turquoise bay and then headed to a bone fishing excursion. Our afternoon was spent in Little Ambergris Cay to enjoy the gorgeous, uninhabited wetland. On the nature reserve island, we swam in the crystal clear turquoise waters, took photos of stingrays, colorful reef fish, and other marine life, ate from a gourmet charcuterie and a raw bar spread, drank from the bar, and took naps on plush daybeds.

We were finishing our dinner on the beach just yards from our bungalow deck. The personal chef I hired had prepared a dinner as we watched and conversed over the course of the evening. He had cooked some of the wahoo and mahi-mahi we caught, prepared hand-rolled pasta, grilled vegetables, and a custom dessert of ganache petit fours and French macarons.

The saxophonist I hired played nearby while we looked out at the ocean as the waves crashed on the shore.

“This is the most romantic date I’ve ever had, Jabari.”

“I enjoy spoiling you, Cami.”

“Thank you. I’d become so used to being spoiled by my father that when we stepped out on our own after college, it was a difficult adjustment for my sister and me.”

“What was that like for you—growing up away from your parents?”