by Allie Gail
“I tried to warn you…”
“Warn me? You were the one distracting me!” I scoop up a handful of slimy seaweed and toss it at her.
“Oh, wait. Check it out.” Gathering up more of the stuff, she piles it on her head and pats it down carefully. “Who am I?”
“I don’t know…the creature from the blue lagoon?”
“Don’t you mean black lagoon?”
“I may be getting my movies mixed up here. Brooke Shields wasn’t kidnapped by a big lizard, was she?”
“No, but that would’ve been a great movie!” Scowling, she shakes a finger at me. “I’m Oscar the Grouch. You rotten kids stay away from my garbage can or else!”
“That was a terrible impression,” I tell her, amused.
“Yeah, you’re better at imitating Oscar the Grouch than I am.”
“What?”
“That’s who you reminded me of the first time I met you.”
Well, she got me there. “I’m just gonna assume you mean cute and fuzzy.”
“If you say so, Oscar.” Smiling impishly, she pats the mound of greenish-brown algae on her head. “Hey, have you ever been to the Gulfarium?”
“Not since about the fourth grade. I think we went there on a field trip.”
“I have a friend who’s a dolphin trainer there. I could check to see if she’s working tomorrow, if you want to go. She’ll let us in for free. We can play with the dolphins, too. And she’ll let us feed the seals and sea lions.”
“You have a friend for every occasion, don’t you?” I observe.
“Not quite. I’m always on the lookout for someone who’ll let me use their employee discount at the Silver Sands outlet.”
“You don’t need a discount. I’ll buy you anything you want from there.”
She rolls her eyes. “I was joking, Myles.”
“So was I.” Winking, I drop another handful of seaweed onto her head and laugh as she tries to arrange it into a mohawk.
The truth is, I’d empty my bank account and sell my left nut to get her anything her heart desires. Just to see that smile, to hear that laugh. Her happiness gratifies me in a way I can’t begin to explain.
I want her to always be happy.
Always.
The afternoon melts away like cotton candy, sweet and mellow. We alternate between soaking up the sun, floating on the waves, sipping lemonade from the snack bar, and digging for shells and sand dollars and porous bits of coral.
We help two little boys build a giant sand castle with a deep moat surrounding it, and find hermit crabs to guard it.
We laughingly record a video of a happy toddler in floaties and a swim diaper as she chases a seagull while calling it dog.
And we stroll hand in hand along the shore, the sea spray misting our legs as the sun sets against a violet sky.
The fireworks begin just after dark, set off from a barge so the whole display is reflected over the water. The bursts of colors explode in pops and bangs, raining down glittering trails of red and blue and silver and green.
Of course, the truth is, I think I miss most of the show. I’m too distracted by the radiance of Leah in the moonlight.
Chapter Twenty-One
“It wasn’t supposed to rain today.”
Peering out the window, I check the sky to see if there’s any indication of the clouds starting to clear. All I see is gray, which hardly corresponds with the weather channel’s promise of sunny skies and a scant ten percent chance of rain.
Yesterday the forecast called for a thirty percent chance, and it didn’t rain a drop. We spent most of the day at the Gulfarium with my friend Tamara, who had the day off but came in to show us around anyhow. My phone is loaded with pictures of us swimming with dolphins, snorkeling with stingrays and getting high-fives from Ollie the sea lion. After all that, we treated Tamara and her boyfriend to dinner at the Lazy Heron.
Another perfect day.
I’m ready to get this one started, but the unexpected downpour is holding things up.
“Florida,” Myles rationalizes. As if our location explains everything. Which…well, I guess it does. We do have some erratic weather in the south. The skies can be blue without a cloud in sight, and next thing you know you’re dodging raindrops from a thunderstorm that’s rolled in out of nowhere.
“Surely it’ll pass over soon.” Sighing, I turn and stalk back to the sofa where Myles is sprawled out. He moves his legs out of the way so I can sit down beside him.
“It’s only ten o’clock,” he yawns lazily. “What’s your hurry?”
“I wanted to take Charlie to the dog park for a little while before we go to the WaveRunner place.”
“We can still do that. There’s plenty of time.”
“I know. I just wish it would stop raining.” I hope he doesn’t guess the reason why I’m getting antsy. What I really wanted was to stay busy today, keep my mind occupied so I don’t start obsessing over what tomorrow will bring. It’s hard to keep my thoughts from straying off in that direction. I can’t help but wonder. What will the damage be this year?
In spite of myself, I begin to consider the options.
I’ll be isolating myself at home with the doors locked and my cell phone shut off. That’s so nobody has a chance to contact me with bad news. And since I have no intention of going looking for trouble, that means if trouble wants to find me, it’s going to have to get creative. Ultimately, the nasty entity in charge of bad juju will be forced to come to me.
A freak tornado, maybe? Tree falling on the roof? A lightning strike, perfectly placed so that it fries all the electronics in the house? Or possibly Charlotte will decide to move back in and bring all her relatives to infest my house with eight-legged creepy crawlies. That would throw a wrench in my plans not to leave the house, wouldn’t it? Not only would I leave, but I’d end up with a Leah-sized hole in the door when I couldn’t get it open fast enough.
Spiders. Ugh! I’d almost rather have the fried circuits.
Wouldn’t it be nice if my annual misfortune was limited to nothing more egregious than a head cold or a toothache?
Oh, wait. I just thought of something. I still have my appendix!
“Does that gas grill out back work?” Myles asks, distracting me from my overactive imagination.
“Um…the grill?” I put my dark thoughts on hold for now. “As far as I know, it works fine. Shane’s the one who bought it. Why?”
“Instead of eating out tonight, you want me to cook us up a couple of steaks?”
“You can if you want to, but we’re leaving tonight,” I remind him. “It might be easier to just go out so we don’t have to clean up afterwards. Don’t you think?”
“Oh. About that…” Myles looks up from his channel surfing with a taciturn smile. “Change of plans. We’re not leaving just yet.”
My forehead furrows as a seed of suspicion takes root. He’s up to something, and already I don’t like the sound of it. “What are you talking about? Yes, we are. We already had this conversation, remember?”
“You had that conversation. I chose not to listen. We men are notorious for our selective hearing. Didn’t you know that?”
Does he think he’s being funny or something? I don’t know what he’s trying to pull here, but… “You better clean those ears out then, pal! Because we are going back home tonight. End of story.”
His calm, decisive tone is even more infuriating than the glib smile. “Nope. Don’t think so. I’ve decided we’re staying here through your birthday. Until Saturday, at least – just to prove to you that nothing bad is going to happen. And don’t even bother trying to argue with me, because I’ve already made plans and it’s happening.” Returning his attention to the TV, he concludes, “Curse or no curse, you’re stuck with me all day tomorrow. Better just deal with it, toots.”
I stare at him, my mouth hanging partway open. He’s infuriating! And he’s right, of course – I was poised to argue with him. I’m still considering unleashing
a few choice words. But really, what’s the point? As he just reminded me, I’m at his mercy. We took his car, so unless I want to hitchhike or call someone to come pick me up, I’m not going anywhere.
And do I really want to?
No. Of course I don’t. The past few days have been the best of my life.
I’m just terrified of what might happen. I’m crazy about him – no, in all honesty I’m falling for him – which leaves the door wide open to so many painful possibilities. None of which I am equipped to face.
Like it or not, though, I don’t have much choice. I can’t avoid it forever. Time to put on my big girl panties and look at this from a sensible standpoint. I mean, what if this actually turns into something more permanent? Am I going to spend every single July seventh hiding from him, hoping he isn’t plotting to dump me? What kind of life is that? And besides, I’m sick of it. Sick of this ridiculous phobia. Fed the fuck up. I’ve had enough of the summer solstice bringing nothing but dread for a single day.
Biting my lip, I concentrate on tracing a perfect heart on his knee with my fingertip. “All right then.”
I don’t have to look over at him to know that assent without a protest wasn’t at all what he was expecting.
For a moment he says nothing. Then, with amusement in his voice he confesses, “I kinda figured you’d put up more of a fight than that.”
“Well, you did drive,” I point out. “And it’s a long walk home. Besides, now you’ve got me curious. Do you really have something planned for tomorrow?”
“Nothing major. Just a little something I thought you might enjoy.”
“It isn’t some gross sex fetish thing, is it?” I’m joking. Well…half joking.
“Not at all.” His sexy mouth curves into a devious grin. “Unless there was something you had in mind…?”
Did I say I was falling for him? I was wrong. It’s more like freefalling. If I haven’t already hit the ground, then God help me, I’ll be there soon enough.
“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” I pout.
“Nope. Sorry.”
“Not even…” Feeling suddenly playful, I walk my fingers up his leg until they reach the bulge under his thin cotton sleep pants. “…if I do that thing you like?”
He raises an eyebrow. “Oh, so you wanna play dirty, do you?”
“I learned from the best.”
“You still have a lot to learn, grasshopper.” Folding his arms behind his head, he gazes at me with a twinkle in his eye. “Starting with, never wake the sleeping dragon unless you’ve come fully prepared to slay him.”
“What makes you think I’m not prepared?”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure you are. At least in one aspect.” Scrutinizing my expression, he asks, “That prescription pill you’ve been taking in the mornings…what is it?”
I blink, caught off guard by his question. “Birth control.”
“I thought so.”
“It helps regulate my period,” I tell him defensively. What’s this all about? Do I really need to explain to him that I don’t parallel park with every attractive face that comes along? I thought I’d already made my position clear. I’m no saint, but I don’t exactly have a turnstile in my bedroom either.
“And prevents pregnancy,” he adds.
“Yes. And that.” Obviously.
“So if I were to suggest that we skip the condom…how would you feel about that?”
Oh. Oh-h. So that’s why he brought it up.
Hm. Well, it’s not like I hadn’t thought about suggesting it myself. I just wanted to make sure this was going somewhere first. I guess it’s a little silly, seeing how we’ve already been about as intimate as two people can get.
“Because I’m clean,” he offers. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I wasn’t worried.” I crawl over him to straddle his hips, smiling as his ever-present erection stirs to life beneath me. “Do I look worried to you?”
“Just thought I’d put it out there.”
“I’ll take your suggestion under advisement.” Bouncing lightly against the thickening ridge in his pants, I announce the obvious. “Talking about this is making you horny, isn’t it?”
“Everything you do makes me horny.”
“Everything?”
“Every…damn…thing.”
“That could get a little awkward when we’re out in public, don’t you think?”
“Don’t care.” Reaching for my hands, he weaves his fingers between mine. “Who needs to go out? I'm fine right where I'm at.”
“Did I ever tell you that Shane and Melanie got stuck here during Hurricane Elliott?”
“Yeah? Lucky break. I wouldn’t mind being stuck here with you.”
“Technically, we’re kind of stuck here now,” I hint, indicating the rain.
“True. So…however should we spend our time?”
“We could watch a documentary and expand our minds,” I suggest, struggling to keep a straight face.
“Yes,” he agrees, playing along. “We could do that.”
“Or we could give Charlie a bath.”
“That is also a viable option.”
“Or…we could take off all our clothes and see about slaying that dragon.”
The blue eyes light up with interest. “Considering you’re the one who woke him, I’d say that’s only fair. He’s pretty hungry, though. Think you’re up to the challenge?”
“Always.” Untangling my fingers from his, I slide my hands underneath his t-shirt and rub the smooth, warm ridges of his abs. “Go ahead, big guy. Release the Kraken.”
Myles gazes up at me with a smirk. “I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted by that comparison. But just for future reference, the Kraken was a sea monster. Not a dragon. There’s quite a difference there.”
“If you wanna debate a bunch of mythical monsters, then you go ri-i-ight ahead.” Climbing off him, I sashay off in the direction of the bedroom. “Me? I’ll be back here. And for your own future reference, know that I will start without you.”
He calls after me, “Will you now? That is something I’d very much like to see.”
“I’ll bet you would!” Stripping off my oversized Frankie Says Relax shirt, I drop it on the floor and turn around to find him standing right behind me. With nothing on. Holy cow, how did he manage to shed his clothes so fast? What is he, the Flash?
“Did I miss anything?”
I stare at him, mesmerized. No matter how many times I see him like this, I am always awed by the raw appeal of his naked body. Words can’t describe how beautiful he is. Like a work of art. I feel like one of those cartoon characters that just stand there diddling their bottom lip going bibbidy-bibbidy-bibbidy ’cause they’re too dumbstruck to think of anything to say.
Kneeling in front of me, he showers a few light kisses along my belly before tugging at my panties with his teeth, insisting, “These have to go.” He slides them down, and I step out of them one leg at a time, balancing myself with my hands on his shoulders. He’s so strong and sturdy. What is it about muscles that makes a girl go weak in the knees?
“Mmm…” I tangle my fingers in his hair as he trails his tongue along my newly bare mound. Oh, my. I swear, I will never again doubt anything Autumn says. Ever! “That feels good.”
“I like this,” Myles approves, his breath warm on my skin. “Very much.”
“Do you?” God love Claudia – she is getting one hell of a generous tip next time I see her.
“Hell yes, I do.” Sliding a hand beneath one of my thighs, he urges my leg around his neck while he dives in, exploring me enthusiastically with his mouth. My supporting leg nearly buckles from the extreme pleasure.
“Oh-h-h…” Both my hands are now gripping his head, maybe tugging at his hair a little too hard, but I can’t stop myself. The feeling is indescribably intense, sapping every ounce of strength from my body and replacing it with mindless rapture. His hungry mouth sucking, his hot tongue circling
my clit…dear God, the sensation is so sublime it’s almost unbearable.
My leg has become a wet noodle that doesn’t want to hold me up anymore, so too soon he stops, rising to his feet to compensate me with a deep and lingering kiss. I love the way he tastes. Right now it’s a mixture of both of us blended together, a decadent and exotic flavor. Something about the taste of me on his tongue is perversely delicious. I must be a little on the freaky side, because it’s seriously turning me on. I don’t know, maybe it’s because I know where that luscious mouth of his just was.
He backs me against the bed until I fall back on the comforter, taking him with me. I can feel the solid length of his hard-on pressed against me, throbbing, straining for release. As for me, I’m already so keyed up, if he so much as slides that thing against me I’m going to explode like a cement mixer full of nitroglycerin. How is it he makes me so horny, so effortlessly?
“Hang on. Give me just a second, hon.” He moves to pull away, and I know what he’s going for.
“Don't,” I blurt. Biting my lip, I peer up at him a little sheepishly. “Um…I mean, you don't have to bother with that. If you don't want to.” This is a first for me. Before now, I've always insisted on that additional layer of protection.
Not that I'm looking to get pregnant, by any means. God, no! Not at all. It's just that I've basically come to the conclusion that whatever happens, I want Myles to be the first to truly touch me there. I want to feel what it’s like to have him come inside me. I want to know every part of him, without any barriers between us.
“If I don't want to?” He laughs softly at that. “You're funny. Funny girl.”
“I’ve never done it without using protection before,” I confess, feeling a little unworldly by my lack of experience. “Will it feel any different?”
“You’ve never…” He continues to gaze at me, his expression phasing from disbelief to surprise to something I can’t quite identify. For a moment he says nothing. He seems to be trying to make up his mind how to explain it. “Well…it’ll mostly feel better for me, I think. You may not notice that much of a difference.”