by Eva LeNoir
Allowing myself one last touch with my nose skimming the length of her delicate neck, I stepped back and returned to my stove, leaving her exactly as I wanted her; stunned and flushed. Wondering just how good we would be together.
"Want bacon with those pancakes?" I asked, with a wink and smirk.
Chapter 19
Jaidyn
"This baby should do the trick," Halia, Dad's surfing instructor, called out as she brought a long board onto the shore. Dad was standing over it, looking at it from every angle, probably wondering what the hell was going through his mind when he decided on this long-term bucket list adventure.
"Is that an 8-footer? I read that was the standard size for a long board," he asked, as though he knew what he was talking about.
He didn't.
"Technically, we try for three feet above your height, I guessed you were about six feet tall?" she asked but didn't wait for a response, "this one's a nine-six; nine feet and six inches, should go well for you out there."
Her words prompted me to look out into the water where the waves seemed much more approachable than the first time I'd launched myself out in the water back in San Diego, almost three years ago.
Calvin had decided he wanted to go surfing with the guys from La Jolla, although he didn't have much experience, golfing and Lacrosse being more suited to his tastes. He'd insisted I go with him, wearing me out until I gave in to his incessant begging and pleading. I knew what he wanted; Calvin preferred having an audience. When it came to showing-off, nothing was better than arriving at a beach with a girl like me on his arm.
I wasn’t pretentious, after all I knew my looks were one of my assets, that didn't mean I appreciated his need to prance me around like a show horse.
And in true Calvin form, he bought me a new surfboard that, judging by what I had learned within the first five minutes of Dad’s surf lesson, was not a beginner board. I, now, understood why my first surfing experience was hell.
"Come on, Jaybird, I've got your board over here," Marlon interrupted my thoughts, taking me by the elbow and guiding me ten yards away from my father and Halia, whose son Keao was her little helper.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, should I be..." I didn't have time to finish my phrase, Marlon knew exactly what I was about to say.
"Your dad will be just fine, trust me. I'm a good judge of character and Halia is not only reliable but she's fully aware of your father's condition," he said looking pointedly at me, making sure this information was sinking in. "Besides, we'll only be shouting distance away."
He was right, I could enjoy myself and still keep an eye out on my dad. I could do both.
What I couldn’t do was all of that and keep Marlon at a distance.
Mainly because he would have to be right there, next to me, behind me, below me...
Holy mother of baby Jesus, what if he ended up on top of me?
No.
I wasn't going there. There was no feasible reason for Marlon to find himself lying on top of me, and if by some luck of the draw he did, I would reign in my inner slut and resist, resist, resist.
Who was I kidding?
If I had Marlon all wet and hard and panting on top of me, I would instantaneously combust faster than you could say, surf’s up.
"So, basically, your first order of business is getting your visual marks," Marlon explained, running his hand over the fiberglass. “Right here,” he ran a finger in the middle of the board and looked back up at me, “is where your chest should be resting,” his eyes automatically falling to my chest, heat rising in my cheeks.
“Eyes up here, instructor dude,” I laughed, pointing my index and middle fingers at my eyes. His only response was a smirk before he continued his lesson.
“This right here,” he marked another line above the first, “is where your eye-line should be so that when you’re lying on the board, you know you’re in the right position.” I’d seen a lot of different versions of Marlon these past two weeks, from fun and flirty to helpful and reliable. This Marlon was all business; serious and contemplative.
“Now, when you’re lying on the board, you want to keep your palms on either side of your chest,” he continued his explanation, going through the motions, his abs contracting every time he slid his legs under him and putting himself in a crouching position. “See how my feet and knees are together while I’m lying on the board?” he asked, waiting for my confirmation, but my eyes weren’t on his feet or his knees. My gaze trapped by ripples of his shoulder muscles. This wasn’t a man whose fitness came from a gym. This man’s physique was earned on the waves, outdoors and natural. I didn’t know why that thought made him seem even sexier.
“Jaidyn, I can’t let you go out there if your attention is more on me than the lesson,” Marlon cut into my thoughts, his smirk belying his threat. He was enjoying my perusal and using it against me.
“I was listening, Marlon. Feet and knees together, head up, heel of palms on either side of my chest,” I gave him a satisfied grin, my multi-tasking skills on point.
“And the slide up?”
I blinked and searched my memory for anything about the slide up.
“Ah!” I cried out, snapping my fingers for further effect, “pull up, crouch down with dominant leg back and feet flat in the middle of the board,” I reiterated, Marlon going through the motions at the same time.
Growing up in San Diego, seeing surfers out on the water was second nature for me but watching Marlon going through the basic motions was inexplicably sexy.
“Right, now make sure your stance is shoulder-width apart, staying on the instep on your back foot,” he showed me again, his entire body fluid with every motion, “this will help you to compress and extend.”
“Rise and crouch?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.
“What?” confusion written all over his face.
“Compress and extend sounds pretentious. You’re rising and crouching, same thing, right?”
Rolling his eyes, Marlon stepped off the board, still safely nestled on the sand, and extended his arm in a “go ahead” gesture.
“If that’ll help you remember the steps, so you don’t screw up in the water, sure, Jaybird.”
After going over the steps a few times, with Marlon’s hands strategically placed on different parts of my body, I was supposedly ready to try out my newfound knowledge on the waves.
“Don’t forget the turtle roll, that’s super important when trying to go under the waves or the whitewash. I’ll demonstrate on my board first and then you’ll try.”
Suddenly, I felt my nerves betraying me, the unmistakeable flurries of stress dancing in my lower belly.
“You should already know all of this, didn't Calvin do this with you for your first time?" he asked, absentmindedly, as he covered the board with brand new wax.
"Uh, no. We just went out there and five minutes later I was back on the beach." I wasn't even sure if I'd lasted a whole five minutes. Needless to say, Calvin wasn't far behind me. Those waves in La Jolla were much higher and crashed with much more force than the ones I could see out there now.
When I turned to look back at Marlon again, his face looked murderous. Had I said something wrong?
"Are you okay?" I asked him, surprised by his sudden change in mood.
"Next time I see Calvin, I won't be responsible for my actions," he said, his tone dead serious.
I would have laughed if not for his eyes looking more of a black with fury than his usual bright greens filled with fun and laughter.
"It was a long time ago, Marlon, and look," I pointed to myself, "I'm fine!"
He mumbled something I didn't catch but was sure I didn’t want to know.
After running through the steps one last time, including the imaginary paddling on the sand, Marlon picked up my board, handed it to me before getting his own and we headed for the water. My father was already out there, lying on the board, face down. The gentle rhythm of the ocean making hi
s body bob up and down, didn't seem scary or even dangerous. In fact, the satisfied grin on Dad's face told a tale of relaxation and contentment. This type of activity was incredibly beneficial for his condition helping his medication to do a better job.
It was barely seven in the morning and the sun had already blessed us with a sunrise of spectacular proportions, the clear, clean backdrop of the Hawaiian ocean only making our time here seem infinite, like anything and everything was possible.
And for a little while, I was willing to play along and forget that the man I loved more than anyone in this world was going to die sooner rather than later.
Chapter 20
Marlon
Soon, I would have to put my hands on Jaidyn's body. Her wet, succulent body, all nice and tanned after our two weeks walking, swimming and visiting the key spots on the island. We hadn't yet ventured out to Honolulu, the city seemed small when compared to LA We figured Robert needed more relaxing moments and less city stress.
Being here, in the ocean with my favorite siren calling my name, was pure bliss and yet torture on my body.
"Marlon?"
Literally, calling my name.
"Sorry, was just, ah, you know," I shrugged, knowing damn well I had been busted staring at her sun kissed skin.
"You were checking out my ass, again, weren't you?" she didn't even sound put out about that and man, just the sight of her two round globes, the only bump in an otherwise perfect horizon on the deck of the board, had my mouth watering.
"Yeah, I guess I was, but can you blame me?" That was supposed to be a rhetorical question but obviously Jaidyn hadn't gotten that memo.
"Well, yes, actually. I can." Again, there was no bite to her words. In fact, she was laughing the whole time.
I enjoyed seeing her like this. Carefree, living life as she should. Experiencing new things. Which reminded me of that fucking douchebag scum, Calvin. Inept and callous, those two adjectives described him best. What a woman like Jaidyn was doing with an asshole like him was beyond my comprehension.
"Okay so now I want you to paddle out beyond the break of the waves, I'll meet you out there." I told her, getting myself ready to paddle out under the small swell of the waves.
"Wait, I'm supposed to paddle out there? Like a penguin?" She was so cute when she wasn't in charge and relinquished her control to me.
Fuck, now I was hard again.
"Yes, little bird, just like a penguin."
At first, she didn't seem convinced, looking out toward the horizon and probably analyzing the pros and cons of what she was about to do, but then her beautiful face broke out into a stunning smile making the sun jealous of her shine.
"All right, here I go!" she cried out and just like a little penguin, she headed out for the break, spending more time getting pushed back toward the land than actually advancing.
"Turtle roll, Jaidyn, turtle roll," I called out, showing her what I meant by grabbing the rails of the board and rolling the board over as the wave passed right over me, rolling back over on the other side.
The look of horror she threw my way?
I wanted to memorize it and then kiss it right off her face.
"Come on, you're not scared, are you?" I taunted, not knowing if she was prone to reacting to the friendly push.
"What are we, five?" she asked, like a schoolteacher reprimanding a naughty kid.
Yeah, I wanted to do some naughty, outright dirty, things to her.
Yet, the steeling of her spine and the jut of her chin told me my taunts worked and Jaidyn wasn't one to be undermined.
"That's my girl," I called out and then froze.
She wasn't my girl and as much as I hated that idea, I needed to remember that. She was also my client, creating a hard line between her and me.
That didn’t mean that poser, Calvin, deserved her. Not even close.
We waited for twenty minutes, talking and laughing, her sitting abreast the board facing the land, me beside her watching the swell behind us. She'd been up and down the board, trying to stand and always ending up in the water, falling back like I taught her, the leash at her ankle keeping the board close to her. She was ready to give up, but I’d convinced her to wait a little longer, try another couple of waves before hitting the sand.
And then, there it was.
The crest was well rounded, just the faintest roll of a wave calling her name. As much as I loved sitting on the water, talking about everything from biology to Liberace’s tendencies to chew on everything I owned, it was time for her to gain some confidence out there.
"This is all you, Jaybird, take it. Ride it back home," I told her, reaching out for her hand and squeezing it in reassurance.
“Remember,” I called out as she placed herself on the board, her posture exactly as I’d taught her, “watch the wave over your shoulder, follow it. If it’s big on your right, you go left and vice versa.”
At first, I thought Jaidyn would panic, let herself be carried back to shore, but that damn steel in her spine took control and in a split second, she made the decision to make that wave her bitch.
It was a beautiful thing.
The paddling, the staring at the swell like she was about to whip it into submission, the moment she gripped the rails and holy shit, when her ass rose and her feet slid under her body with the grace of a leopard, I almost came in my board shorts.
Jaidyn Hughes, riding a wave, was a fucking queen.
My queen.
I would make that woman mine; I’d fight for that privilege.
I watched from behind the break as she rode that wave all the way to the shore, and when she jumped off the board and turned to me doing what I assumed was a victory dance, the sun above couldn't rival the warmth that spread across my chest and inside my heart.
She was happy.
I'd made that happiness happen. Me.
For once in my life, I had taken something simple, something seemingly free and created unfiltered jubilation.
Next, I'd make her come and she would feel unfiltered ecstasy.
Chapter 21
Jaidyn
A month had come and gone, we were leaving the paradise of Oahu and flying out to Japan for our next adventure.
Marlon had flown back to California to attend a fundraiser that would ensure a maximum amount of donations for his organisation.
I wasn't sad about being separated from him.
Not at all.
Okay, fine. I hated it. It felt just a little gloomier when he was gone. Like the serious nature of my father’s illness was a great big cloud hanging over me. Like laughing wasn’t permitted.
So, yes. I wished he’d stayed but it wasn’t my place to ask.
With the time difference, Marlon had opted for a morning flight, giving him enough time to meet up with Ethan and Luca as well as spending some quality time with Liberace.
I still couldn't get over the fact that he had a skunk living in his house.
"Doesn’t it spray every time you step into the room with it?" I had asked him one night, curious about his living arrangements.
Dad had been asleep for an hour and we were enjoying our nightly ritual out in the pool talking about our lives and our woes.
"No," he laughed, giving me an impish, boyish look, "he only sprays when he's afraid and nothing really scares him anymore," he’d explained, shrugging his shoulders.
"But," I paused, searching for my words as I leaned against the wall of the pool, a beer in one hand, the other laid out across the wall, "what makes a sane person decide 'Hey! I'm getting a skunk, today'?" A dog? Absolutely. A cat? Sure, if vicious, end of the world plotters were your thing, but a skunk? Never.
"It's not like I planned it," he laughed, splashing me with water and turning when I did the same, "I found him, and not it by the way, in the trash. His mom was nowhere to be found and he looked so tiny and scared that I just, you know, took him home."
My heart melted at the thought of this larger-than-life Adonis savin
g a tiny, helpless creature from the cruel world of the city dumpster.
“Wait a second,” I held my hand out toward his chest as though to help me remember something important, “Are you allowed to have skunks as pets? I thought I read something about them and,” I snapped my fingers, trying to remember what else was illegal, “Oh, right. Ferrets.” Was he harboring an illegal animal?
The impish look on his face said it all.
“Oh my god! You are a,” I cried out, quickly lowering the wattage on my voice, “criminal!”
“You would be too if you’d seen his little face, Jaybird. What can I say? I’m a sucker for angels.” All the humor from a moment before was gone, the intense look in his eyes capturing my undivided attention and rendering me speechless.
"Cat got your tongue, little bird?"
"I'm," the words had been difficult to find, my feelings getting too tangled up in his presence, "Impressed. Speechless, even,"
Turned on, for sure.
"Well," he took a sip of his beer, a satisfied grin on his handsome face letting me know my approval meant something to him, "I'll have to tell you all the other stories of my life, I like impressing you."
The quiet had descended upon us, the only sounds belongs to the wind, the ocean and the nightlife.
"It's late," I'd said, needing to get away from the temptation of jumping his bones.
"Yeah," he'd agreed but neither of us moved an inch, our gazes locked on each other, our breaths dancing in tandem.
In another dimension, a life where I didn't have a boyfriend or a dying father, I would have let that intimate moment take flight.
As it were, I did have a boyfriend and my father was dying so there was no room in my life for a fling or whatever this was supposed to be.
As we waited for our flight out of Honolulu in direction of Osaka, I looked over at my dad, working on a crossword puzzle, and vowed that I needed to live life a little more. Enjoy these moments with him, laugh with him, let him live out his final years with grace and understanding.
I needed to be the daughter he'd raised. Strong and kind with a pinch of spontaneity.