Carter P.O.V.

Valerie's birthday was a total and utter success, if I do say so myself. Watching her every reaction poured even more happiness into my heart. She was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen. After Disneyland, she spent the next day hanging out with her brother Will, before he had to leave to fly back to New York. I liked him, he was a really nice guy. I was an only child, so it was nice to see the bond that they shared, and get to know another part of her life.

"See ya on the flip side!" Ellana bid Will goodbye with a hug and ruffle on the top of his head.

"Bye smelly Ell," he teased with a snigger.

"Ugh! Go back to New York already killjoy Will!" she blew a raspberry at him, earning a large guffaw in return.

"Aw Willy, thank you again for my birthday surprise, I loved it." Val wrapped her arms around her brother, as much as her small frame could allow, before giving him a squeeze.

"When will you stop calling me that?" he facepalmed himself with a groan.

"Never, muahaha," she cackled ominously, before he wiggled out of her grip and picked her up in a hug.

"See you later sis. Stay out of trouble okay." Will pat her on the head affectionately.

"I could say the same for you!" she retorted and pushed his hand away before stalking off to the kitchen.

"Catch ya later man," I gave him a handshake and a brief hug.

"Yeah, see you later. Thanks for everything you've done for Val by the way. She seems really happy."

"It's all her." I grinned.

"Have you told her you love her?" he asked in a lowered voice. The question left me floored for a moment. "I mean, I don't just take any random girl I like on romantic vacations," he raised an eyebrow at me knowingly.

I shuffled on my feet, brushing a hand through my hair. "Yeah... no I haven't yet." I admitted with a small, nervous chuckle.

"Well then you should bro." he encouraged, giving me a pat on the back. I nodded at the advice. Would that scare her off?

"Alright, bye guys!" Will waved one last time, before exiting the apartment.

I offered him a ride to the airport, but he simply said he didn't want to use our precious time when he could just pay someone to do their respective job. True. He was a CFO after-all.

~

"How are you feeling?" I asked Valerie as we checked in at the international terminal of L.A.X. earling Monday morning.

"I'm so excited! The only place outside the U.S I've ever been to was London, and that was like six years ago!" she spoke in a rushed voice.

"I'm excited to travel with you," I grinned. We made our way past the rigorous security checks and into the departures lounge to await boarding.

"I love watching the planes take off. It's so exciting. There are so many people out there in the world, going places each with their own unique story," she said absentmindedly, standing by the large glass windows.

I nodded in agreement, gazing out at the airfield. "Yeah, airports are a unique place. It's where families unite or say goodbye,"

"Or where people come home to stay, or run off to explore the world," she added.

I loved how we could be playful, yet also have all these deep thoughts to talk about together. You don't always find that level of intellectual or emotional connection with everyone you meet.

After an 11 hour flight that Valerie and I spent reading, napping and listening to music, we finally landed in Bora Bora, French Polynesia. The warm humid air of the pacific islands hit us immediately as we stepped off the plane. It was winter down here, but the weather was still nice and hot.

We grabbed our suitcases and went through airport security, before catching a ride to the resort we were staying at. The scenery was incredible as we drove closer to the seaside. I grabbed my camera out to record a few clips as we passed through.

"Good afternoon Mr. Bryson and Miss Delwood," the resort attendant spoke, with a small bow. "My name is Taaroa. May I?" He gestured before piling our suitcases onto a trolley.

"Welcome to Bora Bora," he grinned, as he placed a frangipani lei over each of our heads.

"Thankyou," I smiled, as Valerie giggled.

"And for the beautiful lady." He tucked a tiare, a small white gardenia behind Valerie's left ear. She looked like an island princess.

"Thank you," she beamed. Her beautiful grey eyes sparkled, resembling the likes of stardust.

"Please follow me to your room." He gestured as we began making our way down onto the boardwalk, heading towards the villas situated over the ocean.

"Wow the water is beautiful!" Valerie commented, as we strolled further out on the beach.

The sand was a stark, glowing white, bordered my luscious greenery and crystal clear blue water. There was a slight ocean breeze drifting inland as the sun beat down warm rays. This was the definition of paradise.

"Yeah! I can't wait to take a dip." I said, recording the picturesque views as we made our way out on the boardwalk.

"Let me know if I can help you with anything." Taaroa smiled before leaving us at our designated stop. I handed him a tip and thanks, before we went to explore the room.

The bungalow was made out of traditional wooden walls and thatched roofs, held up by stilts over the water. It was an open concept space with a small lounge and tv, a kitchenette, and a large, white four-poster king sized bed with two rolled up white towels and rose petals scattered atop. The bathroom was a spacious, exotic waterfall shower with a ledge, positioned behind sliding doors to the side of the room.

"Wow," Valerie breathed as she brushed her fingertips along the sheets and picked up a few petals. She made her way outside onto the deck, where there were lounge chairs, a small built in plunge pool, and steps descending into the vibrant blue ocean water.

"Carter..." she spun around towards me with wide, amazed eyes.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" I responded, equally as stunned at the sight. More so of her. She nodded slowly, walking over to push the doors wide open, and stood in the centre.

I wrapped an arm around her front and planted a kiss on forehead. "Let me order some room service whilst we get settled in okay, angel?"

"Okay," she leant her head back into me and held on to my arms, as we took in the view before us.

After we showered and refreshed ourselves from the long flight, we ate dinner and watched the sun disappear across the ocean, emitting gorgeous streaks of golds, oranges and pinks across the sky. I took out my camera to make sure I got some photos to upload for the resort promo. The sunset was gorgeous, a stark contrast to the blue of the ocean.

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" Valerie asked, sitting cross legged on the floor with her open suitcase.

"Hmm, swimming, snorkelling and kayaking?" I said as I flicked through one of the brochures to see if there was anything interesting we could add to do on this trip.

"Oooh yay," she nodded in approval, as she twisted her hair up into a bun, and pulled out some clothes.

"There's also a dinner show we can go to sometime." I added.

"Sounds perfect," she grinned, before standing up in her white fluffy robe and slippers. Her smooth tan legs were on show in the short robe as she waltzed over to me. I pulled her into my lap on the couch as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Thankyou, Carter. I don't think I'll stop saying it," she chuckled.

"Well you don't need to," I smiled. I reached forward to stroke the soft apple of her cheeks with my thumb, holding her face in my palm. This feeling never gets old.

She tilted her head to the side, before planting an innocent kiss on the tip of my finger. An electric sensation sparked alive at the action. I ran it over her bottom lip slowly, lighting a trail of heat, before she flickered the tip of her tongue out dangerously.

We're all alone on a romantic getaway.

❗️

I pushed my thumb into her mouth, as she sucked it in, releasing it with a wet pop as our darkened gazes locked onto each other. Like the flip of a switch, I slammed my lips to hers and pushed her back onto the couch roughly. I pulled at the strings of her robe, pushing away the useless pieces of material to reveal her naked body. I ran my eyes over the swells of her chest, the feminine curve of her waist and hips. Pure adoration coursed through me as I revelled in her vulnerable and trusting state.

"Carter..." the sweet chime of her pleading voice woke me from my trance.

I pressed my lips to hers as she kissed me back, causing a flutter to erupt over every line she traced on my skin. I pulled my shirt over my head to feel more contact from our bare skin. I kissed along the length of her neck, earning a soft moan from her. She reached down and softly fondled my package, accelerating the blood flow by tenfold. I groaned at the pleasant feeling, and the spike of endorphins and lust running throughout my body.

She gripped the back of my shoulders firmly as I moved my mouth onto the peaks of her breasts. I caressed the flesh with my tongue, grabbing a handful of the soft globes as I worshipped her body. I slid down to her stomach, and traced a line of hot, wet kisses to her very core. I flicked my tongue out to taste her, running firm strokes against the slick folds.

"Ohh, that feels so good baby," she moaned, writhing against my working mouth.

Hearing those words slip from her mouth did nothing but completely arouse me even more. Damn. We should skip the foreplay. I needed her right now. I got off her hastily as I went over to my bags to get protection.

Wait.

"Fuck!" I halted mid step.

"What's wrong?" Val asked, sitting up from the couch, pulling the robe up to half-cover herself.

"I forgot condoms. Fuck I'm sorry." I winced, shaking my head apologetically. "I'll have to run to a convenience store sometime." I ran my hands through my hair agitatedly, as I sat back down on the couch beside her.

"It's okay," she murmured, pulling my hand into her lap to hold. "Are you... are you clean?" she asked quietly.

"What?" I murmured before realisation hit me. "Yeah I haven't been with anyone since last time I checked. I always wear one too." I replied. She couldn't be suggesting...?

"Me too." She whispered, before planting a soft kiss on my lips. "And I'm on birth control." She added the last part in with a clear voice.

My breath hitched in my throat as I put together this information. I felt the palpable heat rise between us at the thought. I wanted it, but I would never want anything she didn't want. Fuck what is she offering?

"Are you sure Val? We don't have to." I said softly, making sure she understood her options.

"I'm sure."

The last of my willpower tore to shreds at the image of being inside her with nothing between us. I hauled her into my arms and moved us onto the bed, putting her down before we resumed our earlier activities. Her hands tugged the strands of my hair, causing a mild sting that ignited a feverish urge in me as our lips moved together. She rolled over on top, before stripping away the remainder of my clothes, releasing my manhood from its constraints. A strong surge of aching sexual tension rose in my lower regions as her body ground against my hardened groin.

"Val," I groaned. I was so damn fucking lucky. There was nothing hotter than watching her do things to me, making me feel things that were inexplicable. She moaned in pleasure as my head pressed near her core.

"Ride me baby girl." I squeezed the globes of her ass as she hovered above me. She gripped me in her hands, as we positioned my cock to her entrance. She slowly sank down on me inch by inch, before sliding up again.

"Carter," she breathed heavily, tilting her head back and slowly dipped her body back and forth. I placed my hands on her hips to guide and support her movements.

"You feel so fucking amazing," I moaned as every inch of her tight, warm wetness encased my throbbing cock. I'm not wearing a condom with her ever again. I could feel every uninhibited part of me against her, every line, bump and crevice, creating an overwhelmingly, pleasurable friction.

She placed her hands on my sturdy chest for support as her hips pumped the length of my cock. Her breasts bounced up and down, tempting me to take one into my mouth as she rode me. I reached down to circle her sensitive nub, causing her to moan even louder. I began to thrust my hips upward into her, increasing the intensity of our bodies meeting. My blood spiked tenfold at the image of me entering her over and over.

"Ah fuck," she whimpered, leaning over me with an arched back, resting her head into the crook of my neck. Her chest rubbed against mine as we moved against each other.

"Look at me." I breathed, brushing the hair out of her face. The ash blue storm clouds of her eyes drifted to my deep amber pools, intensifying every single stroke of my body inside hers. My fingers made indents into her hips, due to the strong hold I had on her bouncing figure.

"I'm going to come," she moaned. I increased the speed of my thrusts into her, pounding relentlessly as my cock slid in and out without interruption. A deep ache built within me, and a feeling like I was going to burst any second.

"Come with me Valerie," I grunted as I pumped strong, deep strokes into her and came undone, a bolt of pure pleasure striking through me. Her legs quivered as her pussy squeezed around the hard ridges of my cock, making her scream my name in ecstasy. Fuck.

Her body collapsed on top of me, before I rolled us over and helped her off. The white, sticky remnants of my orgasm ran down from her entrance as she laid down beside me breathlessly. I wrapped one arm under her head as we struggled to comprehend what we just unlocked.

I had no words to describe what we just did, and neither did she.