Sultry Summer Nights

by Té Russ

  "It's mine," Julie said, hopping up excitedly.

  "Let's reel it in. Hurry up and grab it."

  She snatched up the fishing pole and tried reeling it in, but she had a hard time doing it by herself.

  Dylan jumped up and started helping.

  "Wow, it must be a big one," he exclaimed. "Hold on, baby."

  Julie squealed with laughter as she leaned back against him. They nearly fell to the ground, but finally they pulled the large fish onto the boat.

  "Oh my goodness," she said, jumping up. "It's huge."

  She threw her arms around him then they looked at the fish. Dylan picked it up.

  "I'm going to take this to the kitchen. It's more than enough for both of us."

  "I caught my first fish," she said proudly.

  "Yes, you did. And you did a great job, babe."

  He stuck the fish in the cooler, and then pulled the other fishing rod out of the water.

  He loved the light in her eyes and hoped that the surprise he had for her later would make her just as excited.

  Chapter 18

  Julie dropped her fork on her plate, savoring the last of her mahi mahi that she'd caught and Dylan had cooked.

  Before he started cooking lunch, she'd watched as he went over to the cockpit off the kitchen and punched in the final destination for the day. When he turned to find her looking curiously at him, he simply smiled and said, "We'll be there soon."

  "That was...delectable," she sighed.

  "I think you're delectable," Dylan said, watching her from over the rim of his wine glass.

  She grinned at his flirtatious comment, then stood and began gathering up the dishes.

  She took them to the sink and began to wash the dishes, but was distracted when Dylan came up behind her and began kissing her neck.

  She moaned slightly and tried to push him away with her hips, but he just held on tighter.

  "I wanted to get these dishes washed."

  "Later," he rasped. "It's time for dessert." She gripped the edge of the sink as he scraped the tip of his tongue up the back of her neck.

  Her breath came out in a rush and she turned to face him. His hands slid into her hair as she wrapped her arms around the nape of his neck. Their mouths fused together in a hot kiss, and soon he was carrying her off to make love to her again.

  "Jules....wake up baby, we're here."

  Julie yawned and stretched. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw Dylan standing over her at the end of the bed, fully dressed.

  She sat up, rubbed her eyes and drowsily asked, "Where are we?"

  "Get up and come see."

  He had an eager look on his face, so she quickly hopped out of bed, and pulled her dress over her head.

  They walked out to the railing of the boat and Julie gasped.

  "Where are we?" she asked again.

  "Melody Key," he said. "It's a private island."

  "We're staying on a private island?"

  "Yes."

  "Just the two of us?"

  "Just the two of us."

  The idea that they had an entire island to themselves to enjoy each other on made her eager to get off the boat and explore.

  As if reading her mind, he said, "I'm about to pull the boat into the dock, and we can get off and go up to the villa and rest for a while."

  "Sounds good."

  She looked at him and scrunched her nose. "There is absolutely no one else on this island?"

  "Nope," Dylan assured her.

  "So...if I wanted to swim naked in the ocean..."

  "If that is what you desire to do, you have nothing to worry about. There isn't anything around here for miles."

  "And if I wanted to...make love on the beach."

  "Oh, that is definitely happening before we leave," he promised with a heated kiss on her lips, before he climbed the stairs to the cockpit.

  Chills of anticipation ran up her spine as she envisioned the two of them on the beach later. She knew she was about to experience a wonderful weekend.

  –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

  Dylan and Julie were out on the patio of the villa they were staying in on the private island, lying in a large round hammock with pillows surrounding them. It was nighttime now and they were watching the flames dance around in the fire pit Dylan lit for them.

  He kissed her shoulder then quietly said, "Can I ask you something?"

  Julie rolled over to her other side, so that she was now facing Dylan.

  "Sure."

  "That night we had dinner at the cantina, after I helped fix your car, you asked me why I agreed to dance with you that first night we met."

  "You said you found me irresistible," she said with a grin, as she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled closer to him.

  "And I still do. I think I always will," he said, holding her close to him. "But what I want to know is...why me? Why did you want to dance with me out of every other guy you could have chosen to dance with?"

  She sat up slightly and studied him for a moment. "I guess it was for the same reason as you. I couldn't seem to resist you. As I was dancing that night, I felt these eyes...your eyes, watching me. When I turned and saw you there, it was like I felt...I don't know, some kind of connection with you. I gravitated to you almost through no control of my own."

  He pushed one of the loose strands of hair that had fallen from her bun out of her face and stroked her cheek.

  "Now...can I ask you something?"

  "Anything," he said, continuing to caress her face.

  "The other night at the cantina, when I asked you to be my partner for the night, when you came over to me you whispered in my ear that–"

  "I wouldn't mind being your partner every night and day."

  "Why do I get the feeling you were talking about more than dancing?"

  "Because I was," he said directly.

  "You were?"

  He seemed hesitant to say his next words, but he appeared to steel his nerves with a fortified breath.

  "I hope what I'm about to say doesn't make you want to hop back on the boat and leave me stranded on the island," he said with a nervous laugh, "but...I have to get this out. I know we've only been seeing each other for a couple of months now, but I've never felt what I feel for you for anyone else. I constantly crave you, constantly desire to be with you and not just making love. I love your spirit, your smile, your presence. I love everything about you. And I would love to spend every day of my life showing you just how much I love you."

  "Dylan...are you asking me–"

  "I'm telling you that I love you, Jules. And I would be honored if you felt that I was worthy enough to be your partner...not just in dance, but in life as well. But I also know that I've just kind of sprung this on you, so you should take some time and think about everything I just said. The last thing I want you to feel is rushed or pressure to do anything you're not ready for."

  Julie nodded and said, "I will think about everything you said, but in the meantime..." She cupped his face and brought his mouth over hers in a sweet kiss. "To the very least, you should know I do love you too, Dylan."

  "You do?"

  She nodded, feeling her eyes suddenly fill with tears. "That night we met. I told you to find me. And you did, in more ways than even I knew I needed to be found. And I'm so grateful for that. You brought me back to life."

  Dylan kissed Julie's tears away before gently rolling her onto her back. He undid the knot of her sarong, revealing her naked body underneath and they spent the rest of the night making love on their private island of paradise, beside the fire and beneath the stars.

  Chapter 19

  Dottie came into the studio early Monday morning. She flipped the lights on in her office and was surprised to see Julie sitting on the couch.

  "Querida! You're back! Why didn't you call me? Tell me all about your weekend with Dylan. You look gorgeous, by the way, absolutely glowin
g. And you're skin has clearly been kissed by the sun."

  Julie smiled as her grandmother rambled on and on, asking questions and showering her with compliments.

  "Slow down, abuelita. The trip was great, much needed."

  "Yes, you look so much more relaxed."

  "I feel more relaxed. He took me to a private island for the weekend."

  "Que romantica. You've got a good one with Dylan," Dottie said, sitting down next to Julie.

  "Yeah, I do. And he seems to want to make it last forever."

  "What do you mean?"

  "He sort of...proposed to me–"

  Dottie yelped and pulled Julie into her arms. "He proposed? Oh, that is wonderful. Let me see the ring."

  "'Lita! I said he kind of proposed."

  "What does that mean?"

  Julie told her grandmother about their conversation they'd had that night and how Dylan had told Julie that he wanted to spend his life with her.

  "But he didn't want me to answer right then, he wanted me to take time to think about it."

  "And have you?" Dottie asked.

  "Of course I have. And I do know that I love him but...marriage? Gram, do you think we're moving too fast?"

  "There is no such thing as time where love is concerned, Julia," Dottie said wisely. "Have I ever told you the story of how I met your abuelo?"

  When Julie shook her head, Dottie wrapped an arm around Julie's shoulder and they slid back onto the sofa.

  "I'd just arrived to Miami from the Dominican Republic. My sister, your great-tia, was already here in college. She dragged me out to a club one night. We were dancing and I turned around and there he was, this tall, gorgeous black man watching me. Your abuelo, rest his soul, was a looker back then. All the girls wanted to dance with him, but he only had eyes for me. He proposed a week later."

  Julie sat up, stunned. "Only a week?"

  "And we were married for over fifty years."

  Julie was not only amazed by the length of time her grandparents knew each other before they got engaged, but she was also surprised that the way they'd met was so similar to how Julie and Dylan had first met.

  "Why have you never told me this before, Gram?" Julie asked.

  Dottie shrugged. "I guess it was never meant for me to tell you until now. I can see that the two of you are in love with each other. It's written all over your faces. We are lucky if we are able to meet that perfect partner in life. I say once you find that someone, you don't waste anytime. Enjoy life with them for as long as God grants you the privilege."

  Julie hugged her grandmother, who always knew exactly what to say to ease Julie's mind.

  "Thank you, Gram."

  The following weekend, they held the grand reopening for the dance studio. Julie and Dottie were amazed at how many people showed up, and how many people signed up for lessons. Marina had even extended her stay in Miami after Diana's wedding to join in the celebration. Diana and James were back from their honeymoon and were there as well.

  "All right guys, I think now is the perfect time to crack this open," Brent said, holding up a bottle of wine.

  "What is that?" Julie asked.

  "A new wine I'm going to be serving at my club. I finally got my shipment in from Russell Oaks."

  "Oh the couple you met on opening night of your club?" Dylan remembered.

  "Yep," Brent said, as he used a wine opener to pull the cork out.

  "I was there that night, you know," Dylan whispered in Julie's ear.

  "You were?" Julie asked, surprised.

  Dylan nodded. "I watched you dance."

  "Why didn't you come say something to me then?"

  "It wasn't the right time."

  Brent was pouring them all a drink when the door opened again.

  Mr. Fuentes from next door strolled in looking smooth in his pressed slacks and button down shirt underneath a vest. He wore a fedora hat tilted to the side and was carrying a rose in one hand and a gift wrapped box in the other.

  He stopped in front of Dottie and held the flower out to her.

  "Dorothea."

  "Javier, you made it!" Dottie said, taking the flower.

  "I wouldn't have missed it. Congratulations, it looks like you are having a great turn out."

  "We are! Thanks to Dylan's ideas, business is booming again."

  "I'm glad to hear it," Javier said, smiling at Dottie. He held the box up next. "This is for you."

  "For me?" Dottie asked. She took the box and unwrapped it. She inhaled sharply when she looked inside.

  "Javier," she breathed as she pulled out a Victorian antique tea set. "It's magnificent."

  "I'm glad you like it."

  "I think it is my favorite tea set." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

  "The pleasure is all mine," he said. "Now, I do believe you promised to save a dance for me."

  "I recall you saying a couple."

  He held his hand out to her. "Shall we dance, Dorothea?"

  Dottie handed her tea set and rose to Julie, and placed her hand in Javier's. He led her out to the dance floor as a merengue song began to play.

  Julie watched as Dottie and Javier moved across the dance floor smoothly. Her grandmother's face was bright as she swayed in the older man's arms.When the song ended, everyone clapped and cheered.

  Julie was laughing and sitting Dottie's gift down when the door opened again.

  When she heard her brother let out a string of profanities in Spanish, she turned and gasped at seeing who'd just entered the building.

  "Hey Jules."

  "Camden?"

  Camden took a step forward and said, "It's been a long time."

  Julie folded her arms across her chest. She figured they would cross paths again someday, and when they did, she thought she would be fill with more anger than she knew what to do with. But she was surprised when she realized she wasn't angry at all.

  Camden shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around nervously. "Can I speak with you Jules? In private?"

  She looked over at Dylan and his face was filled with concern for her, and what she perceived as some animosity toward Camden.

  "I'll be right back," she said to him.

  Dylan nodded, and kissed her on cheek. It was obvious that he was letting Camden know that Jules was with him now.

  She walked outside, with Camden following her.

  "You look good," Camden said, once the door closed.

  "Why are you here, Camden?" Just because she wasn't angry, didn't mean she forgot about the hurt he'd caused her. She didn't really want to do pleasantries with him.

  "I'm here, because I owe you a huge apology for the way I ended things."

  Julie's eyes grew wide. Of all the things, she hadn't expected an apology.

  "We were together for ten years Cam," she said. "How could you just leave me like that? And after I got hurt?"

  "I know, I know. It was totally screwed up of me. And what I'm about to say is probably even more screwed up, but we were always very honest with each other and you deserve to know the truth."

  Julie didn't say anything, she just waited for him to continue to explain.

  "I felt like when you got hurt, it was the perfect time for me to end things."

  "What? Why?"

  "Because you'd become so focused on winning all of the time–"

  "So it's my fault that you ended things?"

  "No, that's not what I'm saying at all. Jules, we were already drifting apart. I've reasoned that maybe you began to focus more on winning, so you wouldn't focus on the truth."

  "What truth, Camden?"

  "That we really weren't in love with each other. We were just kind of..." He paused trying to find the right words.

  "Going through the motions," she finished.

  She remembered Dylan telling her that was what had happened between him and his old girlfriend in Tallahassee.

  "Yeah," Camden said. "That's exactly what we were doing. It seemed like everyone expe
cted us to date, since we'd been dance partners most of our lives. It's like we were living everyone's fairytale for them. It wasn't fair to either of us to keep living a lie. I should have told you all of this then. I guess I was just a coward."

  Julie sighed and looked through the window of the studio.

  When she turned back to Camden, she said, "I'm glad you finally came to me and explained things."

  "I just want you to be happy, Jules," he said.

  "I am happy."

  "He clearly loves you," Camden observed.

  "And I love him, too. I hope that one day you can find someone who is your perfect partner."

  "Me too."

  He surprised her, when he reached out and pulled her into a hug.

  "I'm glad you were able to be so understanding. And that your brother didn't kick my ass."

  Julie laughed, and briefly returned his hug, before stepping out of his arms. "He still might, if you're not careful," she warned.

  Camden opened the door, and as they walked in a Viennese Waltz began to play. Camden and Julie looked at one another and smiled.

  "It's 'our song'," he teased.

  "It was..."

  "I know I'm pressing my luck here, and it's way more than I deserve, but....do you think I can have this dance. For the last time?"

  She gave him a sad smile and nodded. "Sure, why not?"

  As she danced with Camden, gliding around the dance studio, she remembered all of their time together. She'd once thought this man was her life, but now she knew better. While they may have looked absolutely perfect as they danced around the room, the connection they'd once shared was gone.

  When the music began to fade away, Camden led her over to Dylan and placed her hand in his.

  "You're a lucky man, to have found such an amazing woman," Camden said to Dylan.

  "Yes," Dylan said, "I am."

  He tilted his head slightly then he turned and walked out of the studio. Julie realized that a chapter of her life was finally over, but as she felt Dylan's warm hand wrapped securely around hers, she knew an even better chapter was just beginning.

  Another song began to play and Julie turned and began to dance with Dylan. After several moments of silence, he lifted her chin up so she could look into his eyes.