Robbie scrubbed his hands through his sandy hair, irritation in his every movement. He placed both hands on the railing, closed his eyes, and took a deep, calming breath. I was half afraid he was going to tell me we should just call the whole thing off. We weren't ready.
"We almost had him. We just need more practice." Robbie opened his eyes and looked right at me. "He made mistakes too. Now we know what we're up against. We'll beat him into the lake bottom on race day."
His eyes burned with a green fire that told me he wasn't going to give this up. Robbie Saunders was going to win the Champion of Champions Invitational or die trying. He went to the helm, his every movement full of purpose. We had a lot of work ahead of us until the race, and he wasn't going to let either of us slow down or give up.
"Tacking drill number nine?" I asked, feeling some of his intensity rubbing off on me. We could do this. We were a team, and together, Robbie and I could do anything.
Robbie nodded, and I went to the sails to start the drill. We had work to do.
Chapter 15
I stumbled into the bedroom and started stripping. Everything was sore. I didn't know it was even possible for my eyelashes to ache, but somehow they did. All I wanted was to crawl into a hot shower, eat something full of carbs and fat, and crawl into bed with Robbie.
We had been sailing nonstop for three days since losing the race to Thomas Grant. Robbie had taken the loss personally and was determined to get us ready for the Invitational. We had risen before the sun today, stopping our tacking drills only long enough to eat a quick lunch. A storm was beginning to brew. Not a hurricane, but it was bad enough that the sails were tangling and the going was rough. I was grateful he had decided to let us end the day early. I was so tired I was starting to make mistakes.
We still had one more day of practice left on the island before leaving for Chicago for the race. Even though the Invitational was still three days away, I was already nervous. We had improved dramatically in the short time since our race with Grant, but I still wasn't sure if we were ready.
I could hear Robbie dropping his gear on the floor by the staircase and his heavy footsteps thudding up the stairs. A gust of wind hit the window, splattering fat raindrops across the glass. I peeled off my shirt and leggings, hearing the encrusted salt crunch as I dropped them on the floor. I kicked off my remaining clothes, enjoying the freedom of being naked, and pulled open the double doors to the master bath.
I gasped. Rose petals dotted the white marble floor and floated on a sea of iridescent bubbles in the giant bath tub. Steam from the hot bath blurred the reflection of all the candles in the mirror. I stood and stared at the flowers, bath, and candles. It was the most romantic thing I had ever seen.
"Surprise," Robbie said softly, coming up behind me. He draped his arms over my shoulders, pulling me close to him and pressing my bare back into his bare chest. "I thought you could use a little relaxation. We've both been working hard."
"How'd you do this?" I asked, enjoying the way his warm skin felt against mine. I hoped he would join me in the bath.
His chuckle reverberated through my body. "The beauty of having a butler is that not only does he make coffee in the morning, he can also set stuff up like this." He released me and stepped into the bathroom. "Come on! The water's getting cold."
I took a moment to savor the sight of his perfectly sculpted ass as he bent over the tub to check the temperature of the water. The thought of smacking it sent a shiver of delight down my spine. I suddenly wasn't quite so tired and wanted a new kind of soreness.
I slipped past him, my fingernails rubbing up his spine as I stepped into the tub. Robbie's eyes were level with my ass, and I could tell he was admiring me. I sat down, and the water level rose to meet me. When I laid back, Robbie was right there, his hand providing a pillow for me to lean against. I relaxed, snuggling into him.
"Can I get you anything? A book, a cup of tea? Perhaps a rubber ducky?" he asked me.
I looked up at those pretty eyes of his. "I'd rather just have you."
He smiled. "Here? Or in the bath with you?"
I shrugged and scooted forward. He smiled and carefully got in behind me, his legs pushing on the outside of mine. It was a big tub, so there was still plenty of room. His hands went under the water, wrapping around my chest as he leaned against the tub. I lay back as well, using him as a pillow. I closed my eyes, letting the warm water and scented bubbles take my stress away.
I felt him begin to harden behind me as his hands gripped my br**sts a little tighter. I giggled and opened my eyes.
"Shhh!" he said. "Close your eyes. If you ignore him, he'll go away."
I writhed against him slightly. "What if I don't want him to go away?"
I felt him moan softly behind me. "What did you have in mind?"
I reached behind me and ran my hand down to his loins. When I touched him, his member responded with a jump. "Wake up," I coaxed.
"If you poke him, he'll get mad!" Robbie said, laughing.
"Poke," I said, prodding him with my finger. "Poke, poke, poke."
I felt him continue to harden and grow behind my back. "Now you've done it," he said.
I laughed and sat up, turning around. The rose petals and bubbles obscured my view of what was below the surface of the water, but as I came in for a kiss, I could feel how ready he was.
He stood up, dripping water and bubbles. His huge, erect manhood was in complete view now, and I immediately knew I wanted him. He stepped out of the tub.
"Neither of us is going to relax in that tub until we take care of something first." He grabbed two towels from under the vanity and started drying off with one. When he was done, he grabbed the other towel and came back to the bathtub. He extended his hand to help me up, then wrapped me in the towel.
We were close now, just the fluffy fabric separating us. I pressed against him and our lips were almost touching. "What do we have to take care of?" I asked, leading him on.
He smiled. "Our strategy. We need to know what to do in case the motor overheats during the race."
I pulled back and he started to laugh. I gave his muscular chest a soft slap, and he caught me in the towel, wrapping me up and keeping me from making any further attempts. He hugged me tightly, then moved down to kiss me. I could feel how turned on he was, and I wanted him badly. He gave me one last rubdown, getting my exterior as dry as he could while my interior was getting as wet as possible.
The towel dropped, and our two na**d bodies once again pressed against each other. Robbie gave me a big bear hug, picking me up and carrying me to the bed. I giggled and held on tight as he sat me down on the bed. He stood before me, his groin right at eye level, and I couldn't help but reach out and grab him.