by Denise Daye
“Not even for your wife? Come on,” she pressed.
“No,” he maintained stubbornly but soon she held his arm with both hands, urging him to sing.
“For me, come on!”
“Ugh, fine. Uh, I don’t really remember all the lyrics, but it goes something like…” He paused and closed his eyes, exhaling and then opening them again. “…Can’t I do something else?”
“You could tell me about the worst day of your life, that’s something else.”
He shuddered. “I’ll sing.”
“That’s what I thought,” she said with a triumphant smile on her face.
He cleared his throat and looked around. There weren’t a lot of people out, so he nodded and went ahead, but not before warning her not to laugh.
“I promise,” she assured him, already snickering.
“I’ll ignore that amused glint in your eyes.” He cleared his throat once again and, using a low voice, he sang totally out of tune, “Star light, star bright… what a wish I wish tonight… uhm….”
Ava bit her lip, holding back the laughter. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the rest.”
He glanced at her. “I’ve forgotten the rest.”
She laughed, soft giggles that made her body shake, her hands still on his arm as they walked.
“You promised you wouldn’t laugh, Ava. That’s not very wife-like,” he grinned.
“That is exactly what a real wife would do. But alright, alright, I’m sorry,”
“Those were simpler times, growing up; I remember those endless beautiful summers at our beach house. My father was raised there. It was small, nothing fancy, and yet, he always felt like it was his real home. We were happy there... I think you would like it.”
“I am sure I would.”
“I will take you there then. Promise.”
“That would be lovely.” Ava looked up, her fingers lightly stroking his arm. “Do you miss him a lot?”
“Who? My father or grandfather?”
“Both.”
Benjamin frowned. “Yeah, I do.”
“Are you very unhappy?” she wondered. He bit his lower lip, really thinking about her question.
“To be honest, so much has happened in the last few months. I always thought I was happy, but then I found out I wasn’t, but then I was again.” He sighed deeply and turned to face her, looked her deep into her eyes. “I still miss my grandfather. But no. I am not unhappy.” A tender smile appeared on his beautiful face. She didn’t return it.
“Is something wrong?”
“Why did you do it?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Do what?”
“The anonymous donation, why did you do it?”
He looked away, his eyes focusing briefly on another couple walking down the street. Ava’s voice brought him back.
“I told you I didn’t want to take your money. And I meant it, Benjamin. I am not a gold digger.”
“I know you are not. In fact, I don’t think I have ever met a kinder and more selfless person than you, Ava.”
His words warmed her like a sunny, summer evening.
“Did you do it for me?” her voice almost whispered.
“The church needed the money and you always talk about their struggles and—” He paused for moment as if he was changing course.
“Yes,” he then said looking deep into her eyes. Ava felt a hot tingling rush through her body.
“I did it for you,” Benjamin confirmed in a low voice, his gaze wandering off to her lips again. He stepped closer. Ava didn’t back away. It was as if she was hypnotized, her body on fire. This man had unleashed a wanting in her like she had never felt before.
He made the first move, his hand on hers. Ava gently stroked it with her thumb, making tender little cycles on his warm skin. He closed his eyes, let out a sigh of pleasure, as if he had been starving for the gentle touch of a woman who he truly cared about.
He leaned closer and paused just when his lips were inches from hers, as if having a change of heart, but then kissed her anyway.
She felt his soft lips gently pressing onto hers, brushing against them, teasing her. Shockwaves of a hot tingling sensation took over her whole body, sucked the air out of her lungs. Ava almost couldn’t bear it, pushing forward, passionately kissing him back. Never in her wildest dreams did she think a woman could feel this way. It was as if she had lost sight of all that mattered before; right now, she craved nothing else in her life than the touch of this man.
“Benjamin…” she whispered against his lips. He pulled back a few inches to look her into her eyes. He was breathing hard, his eyes dark with desire. Yet, she saw surprise in them. As if he had gone through the motions a thousand times before, but never really kissed at all.
“Get a room!” some college kids yelled over to them.
Ben pulled away more, his eyes still filled with passion. He let out a deep sigh as if he couldn’t believe what was happening to him. Ava smiled. So did he.
“Thanks for the tip,” Benjamin yelled back, making Ava laugh.
“Let’s go home,” she said locking her finger into his.
“Yes, let’s go home,” he answered her with a warm smile.
M
uch to Ava’s pleasure as well as surprise, Benjamin not only kept his promise about taking her to the beach house someday, but he made it happen the very next weekend.
That kiss they shared a few days ago had opened the gates to something both could hardly explain. For days they had been throwing each other smiles like high-school sweethearts. Every touch, accidental or an intended light brush of their fingers when they handed each other items at the dinner table, released a firework of excitement in both of them. On several occasions, Ben had pulled Ava aside to kiss her, each time pushing them both to the very edge of their desires.
Unfortunately, with all the excitement also came a fear of the unknown. It'd already been four months since they had signed the marriage papers, and although neither of them talked about it, they were still aware of that clock ticking—of how little time remained to them.
Benjamin tossed the bags into the back of the car and leaned beside it, waiting for Ava. Uncle Barney, beer in hand, sauntered over. "You guys ready to go?"
Benjamin nodded. "You sure you don’t want to come, Uncle Barney?"
"To the beach house?" His uncle held up his beer and grinned. "Nah, I hate the beach.”
“You love the beach.”
“Not if I am in the way of two newlyweds. You need the nights to yourself. And the days if you are as romantic as your good ol’ Uncle Barney… if you know what I mean.” He winked.
Ben sighed and shook his head slowly. "Don’t hold back, will ya?"
Uncle Barney grinned. “Of course not. I kinda wanted to go down there myself, check out the beach house, and then I had one of those whatch-ama-call-it? Ideas, yeah. I said, why not give those two love birds a chance, alone, you know."
"Make up your mind, Uncle Barney. Last chance to join us." Benjamin groaned.
“Nah, I’ll stay here. You know what they say about the third wheel and stuff..." He paused and slurped loudly from his drink. Benjamin waited for the last part of his sentence. Getting nothing, he asked, "What do they say?"
"What? Don't look at me, I don't know anything."
Benjamin rolled his eyes with a smile. "It's been a long time since I went over there with family. I mean… Ava is… you know what I mean."
His uncle looked around until he spotted a tall metal bin. Crumpling his empty soda can, he mimicked a skillful basketball player and tossed it towards the bin like a free throw. He missed by several feet, the can hitting a pole and rolling off into Lucy’s rose garden. He shrugged and looked at his nephew.
"Nothing better than family trips. It’s all that matters in life, my boy."
Benjamin didn’t reply. This was all still so new to him. Having a person in his life that would share
with him the good and the bad, the ugly and the pretty. It felt amazing. Never before did he realize how lonely he had been. But as wonderful as his little romance was, with that feeling also came the worry that had kept him up ever since their first kiss on that sidewalk. What would happen in a month? What if Ava did not feel the same way about him as he did about her? Would she divorce him with trumpets and flying colors? Take her money and leave?
Just the thought of it gave him anxiety. Even if he still did not want to say certain words out loud, not even in his head, there was no doubt in his heart that Ava meant the world to him.
"Consider it my treat," Benjamin said when they arrived at the beach house. Ava smiled and gasped at the Cape Cod-styled home. It was straight out of a movie. Oddly rectangular, made of glass and wood, with a white porch and fence, and colorful flowers all around it.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, feeling a warm summer breeze blowing from all directions. From where they stood, they could see the beach stretching on into the horizon, the calm blue and white shifting with the wind.
"I told you." He grabbed the bags. "Come on, we've got a big weekend ahead of us."
"What have you got planned?"
He turned around, standing by the front door. "Wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now, would it?"
"I guess not." She relieved him of the bag in his right hand. "But I don't mind spoilers either."
"Well, I do."
They stood so close, eyes searching each other's, then she looked away, images of their kiss still fresh in her mind. Ben must have thought about it too.
"We better get these inside."
"Yeah, we better," she agreed.
The day had been nothing short of amazing. Benjamin took her out to a beach restaurant for lunch. They exchanged stories and laughed as if they had been happily married for years. Then he surprised her with a horseback riding tour on the beach.
Ava got lucky with her horse, a gentle, old soul that trotted down the beach path as if it was the only thing it ever wanted to do. Ben’s horse, however, was a spirited mare who fought him from the moment he had mounted her. At some point, his horse almost ran off with him, straight into the ocean. The tour guide had to pull a fancy cowboy stunt to grab the horse’s reins and stop it.
At some point Ben, who had been on plenty of horses before, had thrown himself off into the sand in fear the horse would launch off again into the nothingness of the ocean with him. Ava had never laughed so hard in her life before.
After the horseback ride from hell, at least for Benjamin, he took her out for an early dinner at a little diner downtown. When they finally got back to the beach house, the sun was already setting.
“That horse was possessed,” Benjamin insisted as they walked in. “It should have been called Widow-maker, not Sunshine.”
Ava laughed again. “At least you got a chance to show off that ninja roll of yours.”
“Pretty impressive, huh?”
“Incredible…”
“You know, I’ve never asked what kind of movies you watch,” he said as they settled in the living room eyes on the TV. Ava came in with drinks, eager to enjoy the rest of the evening.
“I don’t really watch movies often, but I do like documentaries or historical romance movies.”
“I was hoping you would say that.” He smirked.
“Yeah, right.”
“No, really… my favorite movie in fact is called Pride and Produce,” he said as he sat down on the couch with the remote in hand. Ava laughed out loud.
“I bet. That’s why you know that it is actually called Pride and Prejudice.”
“Ok, ok.” He laughed. “You got me.”
She sat beside him. For a moment they both grew quiet, well aware how close their bodies now were. The air seemed to thicken instantly. Ava tried not to look at him, but glanced his way, nonetheless. Her heart started beating hard when she saw the way he looked at her.
“Why don’t you surprise me with a movie? You seem to be full of good ideas these days,” she said trying to distract from the arousal that grew stronger inside her by the second. Being alone with him, his smile, his eyes, his lean body… He was so incredibly handsome. Just the thought of him kissing her again or holding her on the couch made her silently beg for things she never knew a woman could beg for.
Ben gladly went along with her distraction attempt, focusing on the TV with determination.
“Let’s meet in the middle. What about an action movie where they fall in love?”
“Fair enough.”
Halfway into the movie, while bombarding him with questions and asking how this or that was possible, she pulled her legs onto the sofa.
He looked at her. “Cold?”
He didn’t wait for an answer and shifted closer and put his arm around her. She smiled as her heart started pounding so heavily, she was hoping he couldn’t hear it.
His arm went around her side, gently pulling her even closer. He leaned his head into her hair, intoxicated by her sweet smell.
“You smell good,” he mumbled out loud.
Ava grew hot, her cheeks fire red. As if it wasn’t her own body and someone else was controlling it, she looked up at him and leaned her head back. Inviting him, begging him to kiss her. Ben’s eyes darkened with passion. He lowered his face to gently brush his lips over hers.
“Ava…” he whispered as his heavy breath robbed her of her senses. She moved her hand onto his leg, slowly running it up and down, close to his manhood, teasing him. He moaned in response.
“I can barely control myself,” he whispered out of breath against her lips. “If you touch me like this again, I—” She pressed her lips against his before he could finish his sentence.
They kissed passionately, the movie playing in the background now forgotten.
Pushing away from each other, they exchanged looks in silence and then pressed their lips together again, this time faster and more intense. Deep breaths and soft moans escaped their lips as their hands moved through their clothes, peeling them off.
She whimpered softly and paused when he slipped his hand up her dress and felt the warmth of her skin.
“You okay?” he whispered, out of breath.
“Please don’t stop,” she reassured him, tightening her grip around his neck. He let out a low growl as he softly pushed her backwards onto the couch. She eagerly exposed her neck when he kissed it, his lips eagerly running down to her shoulder. They breathed hard, faces flushed, lips glistening.
“You’re so beautiful,” he moaned and kissed her again. There was no response to that. His kisses felt hot and his hard body against hers robbed her of all senses and logic. Her fingers frantically went for his shirt, loosening the buttons. He took off her dress and moved back to admire her, looking at her as if this was all just a dream, too beautiful to be real.
“I’m burning,” he whispered with a smile, his eyes piercing into hers.
“Me too.” She could barely speak.
He lowered himself onto her, planted soft kisses over her body as he moved downwards. Her fingers clawed at his back. She was paralyzed by an intense shiver of lust and anticipation. Butterflies spread all the way from her stomach into her fingertips. How could something feel so wonderful? She gasped when his lips got closer to her center.
He was gentle. Her heart was thumping fast. It had been so long since she’d felt a man’s touch and yet, no man had ever awoken such deep desires like Benjamin did…
”…My husband…” she whispered.
Just when Benjamin thought he could not get any more aroused, he heard her soft voice call him her “husband.” For a brief second he froze, swept away by the overwhelming feelings it triggered in him. She was his and his alone. A bond stronger than any other connection. Not only on a piece of paper, but in his heart and soul and everything else he had to give.
He looked down at the woman beneath him. Never had he felt like this b
efore. She was so beautiful; his heart could burst.
She opened her legs wide for him to receive him, her eyes begging for him to claim her. He let out a loud growl as she rubbed against him. Kissing her gently, he finally entered her. The little cry that had escaped her lips in response was more than he could take. Was it possible to die of lust? Benjamin was burning, every inch of his body on fire as he moved back and forth, enjoying the warmth of her skin on his.
The moans and sounds of pleasure grew louder as they moved to the same rhythm, slowly at first and then at a much faster pace, fueled by an unseen hunger. He wanted it to last forever, this feeling, but at the same time both of them could not bear to wait a moment longer. Their groans grew louder, bodies gliding back and forth. She let out a short whimper and threw her head back, her body trembling underneath him.
Feeling her body shiver under his, her hands holding him tightly, he grunted and kissed her, feeling an explosion of ecstasy rushing through his own body.
It took him a moment to gather himself. This was the most intense experience of his life. What a fool he had been with those women before her. Nothing would ever come close to what he felt with Ava, his wife.
Benjamin slowly pushed up onto his elbows. They had no idea how or when, but somehow they had ended up on the floor. Ava looked around, giggled.
The movie still running in the background, he looked down at her in disbelief about how much she meant to him. And before he could even think about what to say to her, his heart did it for him:
“I love you.”
Ava’s eyes widened as she stared at him in silence. He almost panicked. Did he scare her away?
“I-I am sorry, I—”
But she interrupted him with a passionate kiss. “I love you too,” she whispered against his lips. “I always have.”
For Ava and Benjamin, the next few weeks were nothing short of surreal. Never had Ava felt heartache like this before, but when she was away from Benjamin, she longed for him, impatiently checked her watch to see when the day was done, and she could finally drive home to him. She found herself unable to wait to feel his touch, or the gentle caress of his fingers when he held her close.