THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS-Chapter 453: Mouth To Mouth

It was just a day before Lauren and Steffan’s wedding and the island was already buzzing with activities as close friends and family members began to arrive on the island.

Among the last to arrive was Ariel, who had somehow convinced George to leave two days ahead of her.

Stepping off the boat, she spotted Cheryl, Kathleen, and Lauren waiting nearby with bright smiles on their faces as they saw her.

They waved her over, inviting her to join their final evening sail before the bachelorette festivities began.

"But I don’t know how to swim," she complained.

"You’re not the only one who doesn’t, Cheryl here sucks, you might even know a few more strokes than she does," Kathleen laughed.

"Really?"

"Of course, hurry up and join us," Lauren grinned already hopping into the ferry.

"Do as they say, sweetheart. They practically talked me into coming against my good judgment and now that I know I’m not the only novice, I’m somehow relieved," Cheryl encouraged.

"O..kay," Ariel agreed reluctantly and went to put away her things in the room assigned to her before rejoining them after changing into her swimming gear, though she hardly used them, but had brought it along...just in case..

Despite her fears. She still felt a surge of excitement as they set out on the shimmering waters.

As they sailed, the conversation turned playful. "I can’t believe I’ll finally be exchanging vows with my Steffan so soon," Lauren laughed as she helped Ariel to sit in the ferry.

"It’s right about time, girlfriend," Kathleen smiled back.

"And you chose the perfect location to do that. I wish life was always like this," Cheryl sighed. "Just fun, friends, and no deadlines or city chaos."

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "I bet that’s all you care about. If my brother hadn’t anchored you down with two kids, who knows which part of the world you would have disappeared to by now."

"Oh, please! Who abandoned her friends to ’go around the world in eighty days’?" Cheryl retorted.

"I and my husband needed to make up for lost years," Kathleen threw back.

Cheryl grinned and turned to Ariel, "I bet you are prepared to happily send off Ariel after her wedding with George to ’make up for lost years’ since she’s also been separated from George for ... eight long years."

"That’s different," Kathleen said as she tried to brush it off.

"There’s nothing different about the two cases. You were both plotted against and ended up living separately from your partners for years."

"I also suffered the same fate," Lauren said mournfully.

There was a pause before Kathleen and Cheryl burst into laughter.

Lauren frowned. "What’s so funny?"

"Girlfriend, yours was just a tip of the iceberg," Cheryl chuckled. "We’re talking about years here, not a few months!"

"What’s the difference," Lauren sneered, "the most important thing is that we three share something in common."

"Where does that leave me?"

Kathleen’s lips spasmed in a mysterious smile. "Do you want to suffer a similar fate?"

"God forbid," Cheryl rejected immediately. "I’m happy the way I am with my darling Jason. Anyone that have been assigned to do that to us, may a zillion bolts of thunder strike him dead before he or she fully formulates the plan in his or her head."

"Amennnnn," Lauren echoed loudly before clapsping a hand under her chin. Sometines I envy you, you know?"

Cheryl reached out to gently pat Lauren’s back who was truly looking sad. "You don’t have to be girlfriend. I believe with this wedding, an end has come to all your woes."

"Amen," Lauren said again.

Kathleen rolled her eyes, then turned to Ariel, who was finding it hard to suppress a laugh. "Promise me you’ll never join those drama queens to freak me out in the future."

Before Kathleen could extract a promise from Ariel, Lauren sneered. "What do you mean? Are you taking what I’ve been through for granted?"

"Oh, please!" Kathleen smirked and playfully reached out to Lauren. "If you don’t shut up and let me enjoy this sail, I’ll throw you into the water."

Lauren laughed and made a dramatic attempt to dodge, only to stand abruptly. The sudden movement threw Ariel off-balance just as a wave rocked the ferry. With a scream, Ariel lost her footing, tipping backward into the cold, rolling waves.

The water engulfed her instantly and her scream was swallowed by the rush of the sea.

She flailed and tried to resurface, but the pull of the waves disoriented her. Panic seized her as she tried to gasp for air, only to be met with more water. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Kathleen and Lauren frantically leaned over the side, arms stretched as they tried to reach her.

"Ariel! Grab on!" Kathleen shouted, but Ariel was floundering, her head dipping in and out of the churning waves.

Shivering with fright, Cheryl managed to scramble for her phone and, with trembling fingers, managed to place a call for help.

Five minutes later, the roar of a speedboat approached just as Kathleen and Lauren managed to haul Ariel onto the sand, but she lay motionless, her skin pale, her chest still.

George fell to his knees beside her, an intense wave of fear gripping him as he gently shook her. "Ria? Ria, please..."

"George, she’s okay," Kathleen assured him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "She just needs mouth-to-mouth."

Without waiting, George leaned over and administered a few careful breaths.

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still for him. Then, Ariel coughed and a small spray of water escaped her lips as her chest heaved with a breath. She blinked groggily, and her eyes almost widened when she met George’s gaze.

His face broke into a smile as relief washed over him. "You scared me, Ria," he whispered as he cradled her into his arms as if to merge her into him.

Ariel managed a faint smile, reaching up to touch his face, her fingers brushing against his cheek. "I... guess I owe you for saving me," she murmured, her voice soft and hoarse.

"The only thing you owe me is your love," George whispered as he pulled her into a gentle hug, unwilling to let go.

"I’m beginning to think we might just get prepared for a double wedding," Cheryl teased.

"Seeing how close Lauren and George are, I don’t doubt you. Who knows if they had planned to get married on the same day," Stanley seconded.

"Stop talking nonsense, this is Ren’s special occasion," George rebuked. "And it will only be about her. After that we can talk about us."

"Awnnn, so considerate," Lauren purred. That’s why I love you so much, dearest Cuz."

"Watch it, girlfriend, or someone might just die of jealousy attack and need rescuistation," Kathleen said.

"As long as the lips on mine is my Lauren’s, and we’re not expecting to pull apart immediately I regain consciousness, I don’t mind," Steffan said with a dreamy expression, causing everyone to break out in laughter.

"Now we need to head back so Ariel can change into something dry, we don’t want her catching a cold."

George scooped a red faced Ariel up, bridal style into the boat earning a few snide remarks from the other men but he didn’t mind.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon, when they returned. Luckily, the older generation and children were not around to see George carrying Ariel out of the boat... not that George would have minded, but Ariel would have been too embarrassed to face them.

Back in her room, after a refreshing shower, Ariel stepped out of the bathroom, only to feel a pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind.

She gasped with racing heart, as George pulled her close, his familiar scent wrapping around her as they melted into a deep, lingering kiss.

"What are you doing here?" Ariel asked as she tried to back away.

"Looking after you, of course," George muttered between kisses.

"What.. do... you mean?"

"Exactly what I’m doing."

"Hey, Stop, George. I need to dry..."

"Allow me to warm you up...properly, my love. For a moment out there, I thought I’d lost you. I don’t know what I would have done if you..."

"But I’m fine now, George."

"Yeah, and you look too delicious to resist right now," George groaned and sealed off every means of communication with his kisses.

Ariel’s mind went blank and she didn’t know when her towel slipped from where she’d secured it firmly around her chest. She only became aware when she felt George’s hands trace down her bare skin.

She arched into him, moaning his name as his exploring tongue left her mouth to trail around her cheeks, her jaw, down to her neck, momentarily settling in the hollow there before gradually moving towards the soft rounded mounds of flesh gorging with desire on her chest.

"You’re beautiful, My Ria," George mumbled against the valley between Ariel’s chest.

Ariel could hardly speak at this point as she moaned in aching need as George’s tongue trailed tormentingly downwards.

But just at things were about to get more dangerous, a small voice called from the other side of the door.

"Mom? Are you in there?" Georgia’s soft, yet curious voice echoed through the door into the room.

Ariel and George froze, eyes wide as they exchanged a look. They were both caught between laughter and surprise.

Ariel pushed George away and quickly dashed to where her bag was to put something on as George staggered back. They both chuckled helplessly as they hurried to make themselves presentable before Georgia stepped into the room.