by Starr, Faith
Tingles spread throughout my limbs and settled in my heart, which was now a bigger pile of mush underneath me.
A few chatterboxes—teenagers acting goofy—advanced toward our hole.
“Another group wants to play this tee. I have to get my head back in the game and figure out how to win this round,” I said, back to being playful.
“You go right ahead and do that, but I’ll still beat you.”
“We’ll see about that, Mr. Cocky Pants.” I placed my ball on the right hole.
“I believe in you.”
His comment made me laugh.
I wiggled my hips, not in a seductive manner, rather, to get my bearings, and peered over my shoulder while standing behind my ball. “Are you afraid to lose?”
“You’ll learn I’m a wee bit competitive.” He provided a visual using his thumb and forefinger.
“I can see that. Thanks for the warning. Now, if you don’t mind, let me take my swing.”
“You’re the one who’s stalling. I’m merely standing here waiting patiently for my turn.”
And watching my ass.
9
Ryan
How long did it take to hit a ball?
Lizzie studied the fucking maze forever. I remained on the sidelines, behaving like a perfect gentleman. I had jumped the gun and gotten ahead of myself. I needed to ease up with the flirting or else I’d scare her off.
The teens behind us were loud and obnoxious. I wanted to move along because they were annoying. I also didn’t want to be recognized. That would for sure scare Lizzie off, especially since she had no clue about my profession. A baffling but welcomed and fantastic truth.
Finally, she took the swing. Of course, the ball ricocheted off the side wall and ended up nowhere near the hole.
She pouted and swooped her arm down in frustration. “Darn it.”
Calling her adorable was an understatement.
“Good try.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Alright, it’s time for you to show off your skills.”
I swallowed down a sassy comeback. Again, restraint.
“Watch and learn.” I set my blue ball on the right hole.
Interesting choice of color, because at this rate I’d have a pair of them later tonight. This girl had me on fire. I had no plans of asking her to help me out with my dick situation either. The sad truth was my hand and I would become chummy in the privacy of my bedroom when I got home.
I took the swing. The ball went around the rock, through the maze, through the tunnel, and landed an inch from the hole.
“Fuck.” I’d almost had a hole-in-one.
“You’re disappointed? Did you not see where my ball landed? How did you get yours so close to the hole?”
“I’m quite efficient at lining things up with holes.” I winked at her.
Dammit.
How quickly I had forgotten I was trying to behave myself. That comment had just sort of slipped out on its own.
“Ryan!” Her cheeks flushed red, darker than the pink she’d had earlier. Had to say, seeing her reaction was comical.
“I used to come a lot as a kid with the family.”
Those had been fun times. Family togetherness carried an entirely different meaning these days.
“Family time. That’s nice.” The manner in which she said family time made it clear she wasn’t keen on it. “Since your ball is closer, why don’t you go ahead and take the shot?”
We walked along the concrete border, and I sunk my ball. It took three or four attempts for her to get hers in, her annoyance growing with each try. Seemed someone else had a competitive gene as well.
The group of teenagers standing at the front of the hole got louder and visibly impatient with our delay. Screw them.
“Let me help you with the next maze.”
We waited for another couple to finish before starting our round. When they did, I again gestured for Lizzie to go first. I stood behind her and positioned her correctly.
“My grandpa used to tell me to imagine a railroad track. Keep your body inside the rail and the ball outside the rail.” I adjusted her hips and nudged her ankle so she’d move her foot. “And keep your feet shoulder-width apart.”
“Why do I have the feeling there was prior thought behind you helping me?”
Her mouth was within kissing distance. I held back from jumping at the opportunity. Not to worry, though, I’d kiss Lizzie soon enough.
“What kind of thought?”
“Really?” She smirked.
“What can I say?” I grinned.
She smiled in return, and we shared a moment: intense eye contact, my body cradling hers with our hands joined on the club, our chests rising and falling in perfect sync. Talk about self-control. I wanted to throw her down and take her right there and then on the felt green grass.
A kid crying at the third hole broke the spell.
“Ready?”
She nodded in response; her breathing ragged.
This girl could play coy all she wanted. The heat between us went both ways and was off the charts.
“Angle your back foot a tad.”
She did so.
“There you go.”
We swung together. The ball landed a few inches from the hole. She jumped up and down and clapped with the club still in her grasp. “Yay! What a great shot! Thanks for the help.”
“Anytime. Why don’t you finish up?”
“Okay.” She hustled over to the other side of the felt then came to an abrupt halt. “Aren’t you going to help me again?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
She focused on her stance. I adjusted her back foot. We swung with joined hands on the club, this time gently.
“Hole in two! It’s a new record for me.”
“Good for you.” I applauded.
“It’s only because you helped me.” She sulked.
“None of that.” I wiggled my finger.
“Fine, but it’s true.”
I chuckled as I prepared to take my swing. I managed to get a hole-in-one.
“Show off.” She sneered.
“Can’t let you one up me, can I?”
“Of course not. How would you be able to live with yourself?” She spoke dramatically.
Lizzie was a joy to be around. I hadn’t been out with a girl in a casual setting since before the band had taken off—as in, years. Something could definitely be said for normalcy.
After playing nine holes, we agreed to call it quits.
“That was so much fun,” she said.
“I agree. Are you hungry?”
Her eyes widened. “Starving.”
“Me too. I know a great place.”
We returned the equipment and exited the park, then hopped in my car. I drove to a local diner. A place the guys and I frequented often when in town. A place where nobody bothered us for autographs and/or selfies.
Lizzie and I sat opposite each other in a booth.
“It’s nothing fancy, but they have great burgers.” And again, I knew no one would pay me any mind. To be safe, I’d worn a baseball cap at the golf park. It had worked in my favor.
“I’d prefer this to something fancy any day.”
“My type of woman.” Not that I had an issue with splurging. “I’ll take you somewhere nicer next time.”
I took her smile to mean she was happy I’d implied another date. I definitely planned on asking her out again.
“It doesn’t matter. This is perfect. I’m having a blast. You more than impressed me with your Tiger Woods skills.”
She had me beaming. “I’ve got lots more where that came from to show you.”
With her head angled, she replied, “Here we go again. Dare I ask what exactly you are referring to?”
“Take it however you see fit.” I cocked a brow.
“Can I get you to something to drink?”
The waitress had come out of nowhere.
I nodded to Lizzie to place her order.
> “An iced tea, please.”
“Make that two.”
“Two iced teas. Are you ready to order?”
Lizzie handed the waitress her menu.
“If the burgers are as yummy as you say they are, I’ll try one,” Lizzie said to me.
“Excellent. We’ll have two burgers with fries, please.”
“How would you like them cooked?” the woman asked.
Lizzie spoke first. “Well done, please.”
“Same for me.”
The server left the table with our menus.
“What else do you plan on doing during your vacation?” Lizzie asked.
“I’d like to spend more time with you, if you’ll let me.”
The fire in her eyes instantly had me feeling relieved I wouldn’t be shot down.
“I work a lot. But I’m off on Saturday. I have plans in the morning but after that, I’m free.”
“How about Saturday night, then?”
“That would be great.”
It was odd for me not to be touchy-feely with her. My current modus operandi with women was A to Z in a heartbeat. With Lizzie, I had to consciously hold back every instinct I had to push forward because she was different.
“Tell me what you enjoy doing when you’re not working?” I wanted to know more about her, anything she would feed me. Hopefully, there wasn’t a guy in the picture.
And I’m one to talk, screwing women left and right.
In my defense, less these days, and they meant zero to me.
“Let’s see, I love running. I also meditate, read… Quiet stuff mostly.”
“Meditation, huh?”
“Have you ever tried it?”
“Not specifically but I know how it feels to be completely immersed in something, to be highly focused and in the moment.”
“I don’t know how to take that.”
“Someone has a dirty mind. Lucky me.”
Her cheeks were going to become permanently pink by the end of our date.
She backstroked. “I didn’t mean it in that respect. What I meant was, meditation for me is about clearing my mind. It’s freeing.”
“If you’re fully engrossed in something, wouldn’t that be considered a form of meditation as well?”
“I guess it could be. Meditation helps me “declutter,” so to speak. You know, slow the racing and worrisome thoughts. I prefer to meditate in nature, outside, in a quiet place. Usually, I listen to soft music. It helps me get into a deeper state.”
“Sounds relaxing. I’d be willing to try it out with you sometime.”
“Really?”
“Why do you look so surprised?”
“I don’t know.” She shifted in her seat.
“I think you do but don’t want to tell me.” I challenged her.
“Most men I know aren’t into meditation.”
“I’m not like most men.”
“I’ve already gathered that about you.”
Nice return. Now my cheeks felt warm and flushed.
We sat quietly for a few seconds, staring at each other. I again had a strong urge to kiss her. Her lips were so lush. Merely thinking about the things she could do to me with them had me getting hard. I shifted now. I also adjusted my crotch underneath the table.
The waitress brought our iced teas. She set them in front of us, which broke the odd silence.
“Tell me something about yourself I wouldn’t figure out by talking to you,” I suggested after the waitress left.
“Hmm… I have to think about that for a minute.”
“It can be anything. Doesn’t have to be personal.”
“Okay. Let’s see…” She stared off into space, squinting, noticeably contemplating my proposal. “I’m not a skilled swimmer. Actually, I’m barely a swimmer at all.”
That hit me hard.
“You live in Florida, and you’re not a proficient swimmer?”
“I didn’t have a pool growing up.”
“No sisters or brothers to teach you?”
“Nope. Just me, myself, and I. My grandma’s building had a pool. A neighbor of hers taught me the little I know. Survival skills mostly. I can get to the ledge if I need to.”
“What about at the beach? Do you go in the ocean?”
“To my knees.”
“And as a teen? You never went to pool parties?”
“None of my friends had pools either. It was never an issue.”
Hmm. I’d never met anyone who lived in Florida and couldn’t swim, other than children.
“I’ll have to change your lack of swimming abilities.”
“You’re offering to give me swim lessons?”
“Yup. Because that would mean I get to see you in a bathing suit.”
“Of course there had to be an underlying reason.” Her smile lit up her sparkling eyes.
“All kidding aside, I’d be happy to teach you. It’s a necessary skill.”
“Not if you don’t own a pool.”
“It’s something you should know how to do if you live in a place surrounded by water on all sides, which we do.”
Her expression turned serious. “You’re not joking.”
“No. I’m not. On your next free day, plan on spending some of that time in a pool with me.”
“I just said I don’t have one.”
“My building does. How about Sunday? You said you don’t work at the center and don’t have to be at the club until later in the day.”
“Saturday night. Sunday. What am I to think about this?”
“I already told you I want to spend more time with you. Come on, agree. It’ll be fun.”
“For who? Having your neighbors watch me do the doggie paddle is hardly something I consider fun.”
“When I’m done with you, you’ll be an Olympic swimmer.”
Her giggle made her eyes twinkle even more.
“I seriously doubt that.”
“Wanna bet?” I reached my hand across the table to shake hers.
She hesitated before agreeing to my terms. “And what happens if I lose?”
“Let me think for a minute. Ah, got it. Skinny dipping?”
She laughed. “No.”
The frown on my face appeared without a second thought. “Bummer.”
“At a community swimming pool? Uh-uh. Not happening. No way. No how.”
I could think of plenty of ways to have fun in a public pool with a woman. Many of those happy times had already taken place and were safely tucked away in my memory banks.
“What if it was a private pool?”
“I guess it would have to depend on the situation.”
My subconscious rubbed its palms at the notion.
“Good to know.”
“We still haven’t agreed on what I would have to do if I lost.”
Oh, I had an abundance of brilliant ideas flooding my mind. None of which I could verbalize. Yet.
“How about snorkeling?”
“Snorkeling?”
“Yeah. Snorkeling. We live near the beach. If you’ve never been out of the shallow end of the ocean, you’ve been missing out.”
She offered me her hand. “I’ll take that bet. But what if you lose?”
“I won’t. Something you’ll learn about me is I’m determined. I usually get what I want.” My eyes bore into hers, gobbling her up, causing me to lick my lips.
She swallowed hard.
The waitress brought our burgers.
“Holy cow. That’s big enough to feed a small army.”
They did serve huge portions.
“Eat what you can. Take home the rest.”
“A doggie bag man?”
“Why not?” I shrugged.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
She dug into her burger, some ketchup spilling out and dripping down her chin. Before she could wipe it with a napkin, I reached across the table and wiped it off with my finger, then licked it clean. My eyes remained on hers while doing so. She took a dee
p breath and swallowed her food.
“How is it?” I had to bite my tongue because now I wanted to taste a hell of a lot more of her.
“It’s delicious.” She swallowed her food and dabbed her lips with her white paper napkin.
And with that, we engaged in superficial chit-chat, none of it about my music career.
After dinner, I drove her back to the center so she could get her car.
“Will you let me pick you up on Saturday night so I can take you on a proper date.”
“You’re sweet. I considered this a fantastic date. I had so much fun. It’s been too long since I’ve had some.”
I reached for her hand and took hold of it. I brought it to my lips and kissed it. “Too much work and no play isn’t healthy.”
“So I’ve been told.” She sighed.
I settled our joined hands on the console between our seats. “Then it must be the truth.”
The lot at the center had barely any cars in it.
She waited in her seat for me to come around and assist her out of the car. She knew my shtick by now.
“I really did enjoy myself. Thank you for tonight.”
“Are you kidding? Guys must be lining up to take you out.”
“Eh, I wouldn’t go that far.”
“And why’s that?”
“I can be a bit standoffish. Give off the no-touch, stay-away-from-me vibe.”
Odd but I didn’t sense that about her at all.
“That I find hard to believe. I’ve only seen consideration and thoughtfulness on your part.”
“Guess you’ve managed to skate around the wall I’m so good at putting up.”
I inched her backward until her body was flush against my car. “I’m glad because what I’ve seen so far is pretty awesome.”
My idea of looking without touching had been tossed aside.
Cupping her cheek, I leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips were as soft as I’d pictured them to be. Actually, softer.
And damn could she kiss. Her tongue moved gently around mine, not rushed. Her body melted against my car in contrast to my rigid body. My cock was a rod of steel, which she had to feel against her. The thing was so hard it had no chance of hiding itself. Not that I wanted to keep it under wraps. I wanted this girl, and bad, and I wanted her to know it.
She dug her fingers into my hair. I ground my pelvis against hers. She whimpered. Her lips parted, a mere inch in front of mine, the two of us inhaling each other’s breaths.