Ariana's POV:
"Don't you dare." I warned Zayn when his hand wandered to my hips and grabbed ahold from behind. I smack his hands away and turn to look at him.
The sand runs through the crevices of my toes- even with my flip flops on. It's actually really hot sand and I find myself repeatedly shaking it out of my shoes.
We had all just set out our towels on some dry sand a few feet away from the currents. The ocean is beautiful this afternoon. The sound of the waves crashing onto the surface is a joyful noise.
"What?" He's grinning from ear to ear. "What's wrong, baby?"
"You know what." I glared and his smile only grows. "Don't you dare even try to throw me into the ocean."
He places his hands up like he's surrendering. "How do you know I was going to do that? Maybe I was just trying to massage your sides. Your beautiful, curvy, breathtaking hips."
"Go away." I mumbled.
"Oh but you don't want me to." He said and it's completely true. I love when he teases and touches me.
"Does Delaney have her life jacket on?" I changed the subject.
"Yeah, Harry put it on her." He said and my eyes find them both. She's secured in the floating device next to Harry.
I watch as Harry holds her hand and they walk onto the damp sand. Delaney used to be much like Zayn- afraid of the water but she's grown out of it. Well, only until she slipped in a few days ago. I'm sure she's fine though.
I look around a bit and see Lexi talking to Eleanor. They've met once when the guys and I were all together.
"Come in with me?" Zayn asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Aren't you still scared to swim?" I teased.
He rolls his eyes. "No. I saved our daughters life in a pool earlier this week. Didn't that prove it?"
"Hm. I don't know. Isn't it known that if something drastic happens, one can get a rush of adrenaline and be able to so something they wouldn't normally do?" I continued to tease my boyfriend.
He cracks a smile. "You really need to learn to shut up."
"So do you."
He pulls my wrist and my body comes clashing into his. He looks down at me and after a few seconds, I find his lips on mine.
Nothing runs through my mind much as we kiss. I'm so relaxed- it's probably because of this scenery. I enjoy the beach a lot.
"Let's go." He pulled away. I nodded and felt his hand connect with mine. I slip off my shoes and we then start walking into the damp sand. It feels much nicer than the dry, hot sand.
A few seconds later, I feel the coolness of the water on my feet and ankles. It's refreshing and makes me only want to walk in more.
With Zayn's hand in mine, I pull him into the water more. So far that we are now knees deep.
"Stop being so slow, Zayn." I complained. He looks at me and I can't really read his expression but I can sense it. "Oh c'mon Zayn, it's just water."
"Just water? Just water? Ariana, there are billions of fish in this water- most of which can kill you." He gives me a horrified look.
"You big baby." I pulled my hand from his. "I bet any other man would take my hand and walk out deeper with me."
He glares a little. "You can sure as hell bet, but it won't happen. I won't allow it."
"I'm just saying." I gave him a look- hoping to pull him in just by my face. "I need a man in my life and if you won't c-"
"Shut up, Ariana." He snapped a little and moves so he's closer to me. We are now waist deep.
The water splashes around him as he makes his way to me. I had gone deeper than him- further away until he catches my hips.
"No other man- no matter the circumstances, will ever, and I mean ever be able to be yours." He said sternly, firmly pressing his lips onto mine.
I smile against his lips in victory. He wraps his arms around the small of my back and pulls me completely into him and kisses me harder.
"So you're not scared?" I asked and then continued to kiss him.
"Hell no." He lied and kissed me some more.
The water had gotten deeper around us and it's over my hips. I like being further out.
"Hop up." He mumbled against my lips. I respond by jumping and wrapping my legs around his torso without breaking the kiss.
His hands find their way down to my bottom and he cups me. I wrap my arms around his neck and run my fingers through his hair.
"How sexy is this?" He asked, breathlessly. "Having your hot legs wrapped around my waist. Kissing your soft lips while we get hit with waves."
I press my lips to his again, shutting him up. A wave of water hits us again but we don't stop kissing.
"You know, if it was a job, I'd be the manager at kissing you all day." He murmured.
"Stop talking." I demanded, kissing him again. He chuckles against my lips and lets his tongue roam my mouth. I slip mine into his too, enjoying this.
I ignore the taste of cigarettes and focus on him. He's so freaking beautiful.
He ordered those mechanical cigarettes but they haven't arrived yet, unfortunately.
His hands move to the inside of my bottoms and onto my bare bottom. I gasp a little, pulling away.
"Zayn I-"
"I know, you want me to stop." He said.
"No- just don't go any further, I'm not ready yet." I reminded him.
"I know baby, I know." He presses his lips to the area in between my breasts. He pushes my body up more so my legs around wrapped around his stomach and I'm higher than him.
"Zayn," I mumbled quietly.
"Yeah?"
"What if the guys are watching?" I asked.
"I don't care. We are just kissing." He said.
"You're kissing near my-"
"I know, who cares?" He asked, looking at me in the eyes. "And besides, I can tell how much you love this."
I smile awkwardly.
"You love being kissed." He said, pressing his lips onto my chest above my breasts. "What would you do if I just pulled the strings out of your bottoms?"
The way he mumbles against my skin sends shivers down my spine.
"I would smack you repeatedly." I promised. "Don't even go there."
He pulls back and smiles. "I won't, but I'm tempted to."
"You better not." I warned him.
"I told you that I won't." He replied. A waves of water his us and splashes over his face. He spits out water and coughs once.
"You all right?" I questioned.
"Just peachy." He coughs a bit more. "Yeah I'm okay. This water taste like crap."
"Well, tons of fish have actually crapped in it so I would assume." I joked. He rolls his eyes.
I look down at his tattooed filled chest and suddenly find myself curious of them.
One of my hands unwraps from Zayn's neck and I touch a bird on his chest. I feel Zayn's eyes on me but I don't look at his face, I just study his stunning creations.
I unwrap my legs from him and sink onto my feet. Zayn secures his arms around my waist again.
There's a tattoo of a kiss with red lipstick between the two birds and right smack in the middle of his chest. I've seen all of his tattoos before but I've never really been interested until now.
I press my lips to the tattoo of a kiss on his chest and kiss him myself. I feel Zayn's body freeze and then completely relax.
His skin tastes of salt water and a bit of cologne. My lips wander from his chest to all the way up his collar bone and to his neck.
I kiss his neck a little with my arms wrapped around his neck as well.
I know damn well that I've found his sweet spot when a raspy noise leaves his lips. Followed by more and more as I suck and bite.
"You can leave a mark, baby. Everyone needs to know that I'm yours." He said in a low voice. My insides tingle.
I suck onto one spot for a long time and slither my tongue over the spot. Zayn's whole body tenses and he grips onto my waist even tighter.
I bite gently on the new wound and he jumps a bit. I giggle against his skin and suck for a few more seconds before letting my lips move from his neck and to his lips.
He pulls away and a hand moves away from my waist and onto his neck. Right there, there's a light purple mark from me. I gave him a hickey.
"It's the good pain." He told me. "That's so hot. Thank you." I half smile. "Let's go more inland and sit, yeah?"
"We could build a sandcastle!" I cheered, coming up with the idea. It's so cliché but it's always so much fun.
"You could be the princess." He smirked a little. We walk towards the land and keep our hands laced.
"You could be the butler." I said and he shoves me lightly. "Or the maid."
"Or your prince." He kisses my cheek.
"Nah." I said and he chuckles.
"I'll be your prince." He said in a serious tone and kisses my cheek again.
"Okay then. But if you turn into a frog, I'm not kissing you." I played along.
"Not even for true love?" He asked.
"Maybe." I smile.
We make it to a more shallow area where the water only makes it to our ankles. He pulls his hands out of mine and wraps his arm around my waist. He pulls me into him and we walk over to our towels.
All of the guys are in the water and Harry is with my daughter. On the other hand, Eleanor and Lexi are sitting on their towels tanning.
Zayn squeezes my side and I yelp, catching the attention of the girls. I pull away from him and smack his chest, hard.
"Ow!" He complained, giving me a look. "That actually really hurt."
"Good." I replied. "It hurt when you squeezed my side too."
He rolls his eyes at me.
"Damn, you too are already arguing after just having a heated make out session in the ocean?" Lexi spoke and I instantly feel my cheeks burning. "Yeah, we all saw that."
"Sorry." I said.
"Don't be." She responded. "But I swear, you too are bipolar. One second you're all lovey dovey and then the next second you're arguing."
"He's the one who squeezed my side." I complained, glancing at him. He stands beside me with a small smile on his lips.
"It's your fault for wearing that swimming suit." Lexi admitted and I glare lightly.
"Thank you!" Zayn threw his hands in the air dramatically.
"What are you, my best friend or a therapist?" I asked, hands on my hips.
"Both. Now come tan with us." She insisted and I roll my eyes. "Zayn, you can go with the guys. We need some girl time."
"Yeah, I don't want to be here when you all are all weird and shit." He said, chuckling.
"And we don't want to be there when you and the guys are all weird and shit, either." Lexi replied and I laugh a little.
Zayn only smiles and then walks off towards the water. I watch him and search for my daughter while I'm at it. She's with Niall in the shallow which I'm grateful for.
"So, is that a hickey I saw on his neck?" Eleanor spoke up and when I look at her, I see a grin and raised eyebrows.
I sit down on the towel beside Lexi and one over from Eleanor. I feel my cheeks burning.
"Uh, yeah." I said, looking away.
"Don't be embarrassed, it happens." She said with a little chuckle.
I smile a little and look out into the ocean. It's perfect weather and just peaceful, especially since we have this whole beach to ourselves and body guards are watching over the entrances to this beach.
I lay down on my back and close my eyes. The sun feels so warm and relaxing on my body and I love it. I wish I had more free time to do things like this.
"Do you want to tell me what's on your mind now?" I asked Lexi, with my eyes still shut.
I hear her sigh. "Not right now, Ari. It's really important and I want it to be later after we've done all that we're doing today."
"Will it upset me?" I asked curiously.
"No- well, I don't know. It shouldn't really." She responded immediately.
"Okay." I replied. "I can tell it's upsetting you though. You're all nervous and stuff."
"Well, yeah. This isn't exactly easy." She muttered. "When you find out, you'll understand completely."
"Okay then." I said, sort of ending the conversation.
I respect the fact that she wants to wait till later to tell me but I can't help but become really curious and it's eating me alive.
For a while, I stay laying and think of things that could be roaming in her mind. What could possibly be freaking her out this much?
--
"Mommy! Mommy!" I'm jolted awake by my screaming daughter. I hadn't even realized that I fell asleep- especially on a beach. It was nice though.
I sit up and look around. Delaney comes running to me, we hair soaking wet and sand all over her legs. I notice that her life jacket isn't on so I'm assuming she's been playing in the sand.
"Yes sweetie?" I asked, my voice hoarse from sleeping.
"Come build a sand castle with us! Daddy's helping! So is Harry and Niall and Liam and Louis!" She said happily. "Oh! And so is Auntie Lexi and Ellie."
I look beside me to see that the girls are no longer beside me. I suddenly feel bad for falling asleep and this feeling in my stomach annoys me like I've missed something.
"Okay." I stand up and stretch a bit.
"Hurry!" She complained and grabs my hand. My daughter basically drags me over to everyone who's a surrounding a big pile of sand.
"Well good morning sleeping beauty." Lexi greeted me and I send her a tired smile.
"Sorry." I responded. "I didn't realize I was tired."
"No worries. Come and help us." She insisted and I nod, letting go of Delaney's hand.
She runs over to Harry and sits on the sand on her knees beside him.
I look for Zayn and find him already walking towards me. He smiles and when he makes it to me, he kisses my forehead and wraps hers arms loosely around my hips.
"How was your sleep?" He mumbled against my skin.
"Good." I said, yawning. Good timing.
"Well obviously not good enough." He pulls away and smiles.
"Have they given you a hard time about, you know?" I asked curiously, raising my hand to touch his neck.
He smirks a little. "Yeah."
"Sorry." I smile.
"Don't be." He kisses my cheek. "Harry said this, and I quote 'I didn't know she was like that. But I guess I owe her an apology for thinking so innocent of her'."
I giggle a little bit. "Did he really?"
He nodded. "They all thought you were so innocent but I never did. I know you really well, baby. I know the truth that they don't."
I shove his chest a bit. "You make it sound like some sort of sex thing."
He raises an eyebrow. "It could be."
"But it won't be." I reminded him.
"For now." He cheekily replied. "But I do understand and respect your wanting to wait."
"I know that. Thank you." I stand on my tippy toes and peck his cheek.
"But really," He brought his lips to my ear. "Even if you don't say dirty and not innocent things, I know damn right that you're thinking them."
"What are you, a mind reader?" I teased.
"Need I remind you of the other night at my apartment when you couldn't look away from me...down there." He kisses my ear.
I instantly blush and push him away. I have no words to respond to that.
He pulls me back into his chest. "You're most definitely not innocent." He murmured into my ear again.
"Okay, if y'all are done being gross, join us." Lexi interrupted our moment.
I pull away from Zayn again and he winks at me. I look away and sit next to Lexi.
For the next 45 minutes, we all take part in attempting to build a cool sand castle. Most of us try to build the walls but it usually just tumbles down. It's actually really frustrating.
During this period of trying to be artsy, I can't help but mentally smack myself for thinking that Zayn would let that night when my eyes wandered go. But he didn't and I should've known that.
Every time I make eye contact with him now, he smirks a little at me. I usually just roll my eyes and try to cover my face so it doesn't look like I've been blushing.
A few more minutes pass by and we call it quits. The castle is like a giant rectangle with some holes around it.
"I love it!" Delaney squealed and every single one of us awes at her.
"Well, I think it's horrible." Lexi admitted from beside me. Delaney gives her a glare and I bite my lip to keep from laughing.
She has such an imagination that this castle that everyone but her sees probably doesn't exist in her mind. It's probably some marvelous castle with princesses and ponies. I wish I could see through her eyes for a while.
"I feel this weird urge to smash it." Niall said randomly.
"Me too." Louis agreed.
And within seconds, everyone except me and Delaney has smashed the entire thing that we spent way too much time on.
While everyone is laughing about it, I look at Delaney for a reaction. I automatically stand onto my feet when I see her bottom lip quiver and tears pour out of her eyes.
I rush over to her, kneel down, and wrap my arms around her. She lets out a heartbreaking cry and suddenly everyone's laughing dies down.
"It was so good, mommy!" She cried to me. "I liked it a lot and now it's gone!"
"Awe, honey. We can build a new one. We are going to be here all weekend." I reminded her but she shakes her head.
"It will never be the same!" She said, tears streaming down her cheeks. I grab ahold of her sides and lift her.
I stand up straight and she wraps her legs around me. I don't really care that sand is in uncomfortable places now.
"It will be okay." I said soothingly. "Do you want a snack?"
She sniffles and wipes her cheeks. "Yeah."
"Okay. And then when you're done, we can go in the water and we can swim together. You and I." I said and she nods. I let her down on her feet.
"We're sorry babe." Liam spoke first, looking at Delaney. "We can build a new one before we leave on Sunday."
Delaney nodded.
"I'm sorry, sweetie." Zayn said too. "I love you."
He stands up and walks over to us. Zayn lifts her in the air and hugs her. "I love you too, daddy."
I smile a bit and walk towards our towels. When I get there, I grab some fruit snacks that the guys brought down.
Delaney meets me over here and I hand her a package. She smiles gratefully and opens it up and starts eating them.
--
"We'll meet you guys down there." I told the guys who decided to race us back up to the room and beat us. By the time we got there, they've completely changed and are on their way down.
They all race each other back down. They're making a fire with a fire pit and they're placing it on the sand so we can enjoy the ocean while enjoying a warm fire.
"Del, come here." I instructed, walking into our room. She comes trailing behind me, slightly shivering from the coolness of the air conditioning. "You're gonna shower really quick, okay?"
"I don't wanna." She whined a little.
"It'll warm you up." I said. "I'll take one with you."
She groaned a faint "okay".
We end up taking a quick shower together. We don't do a deep clean because we'll be getting back in the water tomorrow so it doesn't take long.
"Here babe." I grab a towel and wrap it around her. I grab another and wrap it around myself as well. "Let's go change."
We walk together out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. I walk to my bag and grab out some undergarments, shorts, and a tank top.
Delaney grabs some things from her bag too and then we both get dressed quickly. When she's clothed, she wears shorts and a plain pink t-shirt. She's so cute.
"Grab a brush and I'll do your hair." I said to her and she nods, doing exactly as I instructed.
.
.
.
________________________
A/N:
Awkward ending lmao.
Thanks for getting super close to my goal (I told y'all I would update anyways cause it was shorter notice).
Y'all are getting better at voting and commenting. I love seeing new accounts commenting. It's so cool!
Idk what else to say besides the fact that I'll try to update soon. It should be around Monday/Tuesday ish.
Chapter goals are basically the same as always... 20 votes, about 10 comments.
Thanks loves.
-Mackenzie xoxo