by Krista Lakes
The ocean shushed gently to our left as we walked along the beach. The sand was still warm under my feet from the heat of the day, and it squished between my toes in the most delightful way. I wondered where Tony was taking me as we wandered away from the lights of the houses.
The ocean came further into the land in a small inlet. Tony gave my hand a gentle squeeze as we approached the water.
"This is my favorite place in the entire world," he said softly, looking out at the ocean. "I wanted to share it with you."
A delightful warmth filled my heart. I wished I had something as beautiful to share with him, to make him feel the giddy happiness surging through me.
"It's beautiful," I replied. The stars and newly risen moon lit the small beach and bounced off the waves. The inlet was shallower than the rest of the beach, giving the water a slightly different color, even in the dark. It looked like the entrance to a magical world.
"When the tide goes out, this is the best place to find shells," Tony said. "When I was a kid, I used to find sharks’ teeth here."
I lay my head against his shoulder, enjoying the view of the ocean as well as the sensation of him standing next to me. This was my idea of heaven.
"Thank you for showing me this," I whispered. I felt like he was showing me something he didn't let the outside world ever see. Something that was only for me.
"I wanted to bring you here to tell you something," he said slowly. His voice sounded shaky in the dark. He ran a hand through his black hair, the moonlight accentuating his every motion.
"What?" I asked. "You can tell me anything."
Tony moved so that he could see my face in the moonlight. His eyes shone in the dark like oceans that I wanted to dive into and never surface from.
"I love you, Kimberly." He said the words carefully, as though he were afraid I might not understand them. I understood them better than he knew. I felt the same. I had felt it since the moment we met.
I touched his face, smiling softly. His eyes searched mine. "I love you, Tony."
I had more to say. I wanted to tell him how strange it was. How we connected so easily, so deeply, so quickly. I wanted to tell him I knew this wasn't just a summer fling, that in my heart of hearts I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. If he had proposed right there, I would have said yes and not have thought about it twice.
But I didn't need to say any of that. I had said the only words that mattered. I love you. Anything more was unnecessary. He felt the same way I did. He knew that our love was unique and beautiful without me having to say a word. Perhaps that was part of why I loved him. We fit as if we had been made to be together.
Tony tucked his chin, and our mouths found one another. His lips were warm and soft, his arms strong and safe, surrounding mine in their embrace. His hands tangled in my hair as mine pulled him toward me. The kiss was everything my words couldn't say. The want. The desire. The way he made me feel. Every movement with him felt right.
I forgot to breathe. My heart forgot the need to beat. They didn't need to when I was with Tony. When we broke apart, I gasped for air as my heart struggled to restart. The kiss had frozen a moment in time that I would remember forever. I loved Tony, and Tony loved me.
"Say it again," I begged. I could listen to him say those three words to me until the end of time.
"I love you, Ladybug," Tony whispered again, his lips in my hair as he hugged me close. I closed my eyes and smiled.
We stayed there, wrapped in a loving embrace on the moonlit beach for a long time. The night became cool, and mosquitoes finally decided to drive us indoors. We hurried back to my condo, knowing that the other couples would be at the beach house. We would have our little condo all to ourselves. With it being just the two of us, it was almost as if it were real life. We had one more full day together before we had to return from vacation, and we intended to enjoy every second of it.
Chapter 8
Present Day
I lay in bed, listening to the world outside as I tried to fall asleep. The clock was ticking in the kitchen, but instead of lulling me to sleep with its constant rhythm, it was just reminding me that time was slipping away.
I closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep. I finally gave up and opened them to find I was no longer in my bedroom. Mist filled the air and I could hear the sound of gurgling water. I sat up, peering into the gray to see the silhouette of the fountain from that morning. I rose carefully to my feet, the ground hidden in the mist. It felt flat and firm, but I still stepped cautiously as I moved toward the fountain.
As I approached, the mist surrounding it cleared. A woman was sitting on the rim, trailing her hand through the clear water in the basin. She was slender and dressed in a silver, form-fitting dress that reminded me of a princess. Her long blonde hair trailed over her shoulder in a complicated braid. As I stepped forward, she turned, her bright green eyes catching me and holding me prisoner.
"Hello, child," the woman said. Her voice was clear and rang through the space like a silver bell. She smiled and motioned me to sit beside her. I moved hesitantly, still unsure of what was going on.
"Am I dreaming?" I perched carefully on the edge of the fountain. The water babbled and splashed, but somehow I didn't get wet.
"In a sense. You are asleep, but you are not dreaming. This is very real." Her light pink lips curled up in a gentle smile. Mist curled around our feet, the fountain was the only solid thing in this universe.
"Oh," I said matter-of-factly. It all seemed so natural to me. I took a deep breath. This felt real, but I knew it couldn't be. "Where are we?"
"An in-between place." The beautiful woman touched my hand. "We are in the Fountain of Love. You made a wish." She turned my hand over and placed the shiny penny into my palm that I had thrown into the fountain hours earlier
"Who are you?" I whispered, staring at the penny.
"My name is Diana. I created this fountain a long time ago," she replied. Her hand released mine.
"Does that mean that you're going to grant my wish?" I asked, my voice hopeful. I gripped the penny tightly in my hand, afraid that if I let it go, this really would be nothing but a dream.
"That's up to you, child." Diana's perfectly arched brows came together. "It is a larger choice than you think."
"But I could have Tony back?"
Her face relaxed into a soft smile. "I can send you back in time. Give you the chance to save him."
"Tony..." I whispered, not even meaning to speak.
"But there is a risk." She touched my cheek, turning me to look into her green eyes. They were magically vibrant, with shades of emerald, green apple, and evergreen. "Playing with time changes everything. Everything you now have will be gone. Choices unmade for better and for worse. You even hazard being written out of time completely."
"But I could get Tony back?" I asked stubbornly. She gave a solemn nod. "Then, yes. Whatever I have to do, I say yes."
"Are you sure? You risk all," she said. She waved her hand over the water in the basin. Images appeared in the water of my paintings, my apartment, my friends. They all faded into mist and then back to clear water. "You risk all that you are and all that you have by choosing this."
I looked at her, meeting her eyes. "Yes. I would risk everything and more to save Tony."
"You must also know that things may not turn out as you wish. It is a risk to change time." Her eyes searched mine, delving into my soul.
"I understand." I looked away from her gaze. I knew that I wanted this, that I would agree to this without hesitation. "I would rather live in a world where he existed, even if it wasn't with me, than in a world where he is gone."
"Then you shall go back." Diana stood, her silver dress pooling like water at her feet. "But know this. You must get him to go with you. If he sets foot in the place he died, he will not be able to escape his fate. Even if he knows it is coming. He must completely change his future in order for him to survive."
"I understand," I sai
d, nodding. I had to get him to run away with me then. "I want to go back to the day he left me. I have to tell him not to go."
Diana frowned slightly, but nodded gravely. "As you wish."
I stood up and faced the slim woman in silver as the mist surrounded us, obscuring everything. Diana's bright green eyes were the last thing I saw as the mist turned to darkness and I felt myself fall into it.
Chapter 9
June 9,1990
For the second time
I opened my eyes and noticed that the ceiling was different. I frowned for a moment before realizing where I was. My aunt's condo in Florida. With someone sleeping next to me.
I turned my head slowly, heart in my throat. There was Tony. He was still asleep, his chest rising and falling in an easy cadence. The pre-dawn light from the window highlighted his perfect features and made him look like an angel.
I propped myself up on an elbow and reached out a hesitant hand to touch him. I needed to know he was really there. His chest was warm and solid under my fingers, and I could feel his every breath. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes. My heart pounded in my chest and threatened to explode with happiness. He was here. He hadn't died. He was alive.
I kept my hand on him, watching him sleep. I didn't want to wake him and break the spell. Just seeing him alive and strong was giving me chills. I didn't want this moment to end. The love of my life was here in front of me. My heart ached with love. I had missed him so much.
The love of my life...
He stirred. "Whatcha looking at, Ladybug?" Tony asked, his voice still full of sleep. He cracked open one eye and looked at me.
"Just something wonderful," I whispered, surprised that my voice worked at all. I felt like I could laugh and cry at the same time. He was real. "You look so peaceful when you sleep."
His dark eyes opened and he sat up to look at me better. His eyes were exactly as I remembered them. Warm and brown and they completely absorbed me. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice still rough from just waking.
I pushed myself to sitting, touching his cheek. There was a light stubble under my fingers, but he was warm to the touch. My dreams always ended here, and yet my dream hadn't ended yet. I didn't dare pinch myself because I didn't want this to end.
"I am now," I whispered softly, knowing it was true. And then I kissed him.
Our lips met, soft and sweet. I wanted to cry with joy. He wrapped his muscular arms around my body, his taste sweet on my tongue. I remembered him being muscular, but everything about him was so solid. I could have kissed him for hours. Every nerve in my body was aflame with desire and love.
I felt his desire as he touched me, something I hadn't felt for a long time. He wanted me, despite my wrinkles, my weight, my...
I pushed him away for a moment and touched my own body. I hadn't even realized I had woke up naked, but as my fingers ran down my body, I knew why. My skin was smooth, my breasts were perky. I even felt like I had lost weight.
"Is everything okay?" Tony asked.
I laughed, sounding almost hysterical for a moment. I couldn't believe that I used to think that I weighed too much. I was hot, and I had a hot piece of meat in bed with me. I looked at the man who wanted me. "Everything's fine," I said, barely getting the words out before I began to kiss him again, this time with renewed vigor. I could feel him smile as our lips met, and I couldn't help but grin. I didn't think the smile would ever leave my face.
Tony rolled over on top of me, his hands roaming over every inch of my body. I wrapped my arms around him, my hands gripping at his strong back. His skin was warm against mine, and my breath caught in my throat as his hard pecs rubbed against my nipples. He backed away for a moment, seeming to admire my face, then dove in and began to suck on my neck.
I laughed. "Stop it! You're going to give me a hickey!" I beat on his back a little bit, enjoying how strong he felt.
He moved his lips from my neck to my ear. "Maybe that's what I want. Maybe I want everyone to know that you're mine."
Every word sent a tingle in my ear, as if the very hairs inside were turned on by his breath. I arched my back and he kissed down my neck, softer this time. His lips grazed my shoulder, touched my collar bone, and worked their way to my breast. As his tongue flicked against one nipple and then the other, I realized that no man had given me quite this amount of attention in years. This was heaven and I never wanted it to end.
His hungry attention to my breasts ended in a magnificent way as he began to kiss down my belly. I knew where he was going and I couldn't wait. My whole body tensed as he moved further and further south.
When he got to my legs, they were still pressed together slightly. As his hands began to gently pry my legs apart, I yielded quickly to his touch. In a moment, his mouth was against my sex, eagerly tasting me. I gasped in surprise. Had I always been this sensitive? I thought to myself. Whatever he was doing down there, no man had done that to me in a long time. I bucked my hips and squeezed my legs around his head, trying hard not to choke him.
I looked down and saw his eyes. Those eyes. The ones that had been in my dreams for decades now. They were looking up at me with raw desire. Lust and love flared hot in my core. The heat began to build in me quickly. I threw my head back and began to moan. I hadn't felt like this in so long...
Within another moment, I could feel his tongue settle into a rhythm, and it wasn't long before I could feel a wave of pleasure building up. My fingers clenched at the bedsheet, and my eyes squeezed shut. I began to squeak, cute little squeaks of pleasure right before I finally had an orgasm. It washed over me in a torrent, sending my muscles into spasms. I could already feel myself starting to sweat.
As my orgasm faded, I looked down at him as he continued to lick me. I leaned up and put my hands on either side of his face, pulling him into a kiss. He eagerly returned it, rising up to meet me. I let him kiss me for a moment before kneeling up on the bed, my young muscles easily making the transition. I put my hand on his muscled chest and pushed him down to the bed. I knew he was strong enough that he could have easily resisted, but he fell to the bed, surprise on his face at my sudden burst of energy.
I was so wet and ready for him. I had wanted him like this for decades. It was better than any dream I could have had. I straddled his body and began to position myself above him. He threw his head back and closed his eyes as I felt him press against the precipice and I began to lower myself down...
"Wait!" he said as his eyes flew back open. His strong hands tightened on my hips, pinning me in mid-air.
My feeling of exuberance immediately left. I knew that this was too good to be true. "What?"
He looked at me like I should know what he wanted. His voice was gruff with want. "This is how you want to do this? We've been safe all week, and now you want to have sex without a condom?"
I smiled, a sense of relief washing over my body. I remembered firmly stopping him one night after we had been drinking, letting him know that I was not ready for a child. He hadn't pressed the issue, just blushed and put a condom on as if he had been caught doing the wrong thing. Now, though...
I had gone through the past few years with my biological clock ticking. Sure, this might not have been the right time for me in my twenties, but I had waited so long. I had wanted him for so long. I didn't care. I shrugged and bit my lip with a smile, starting to slide down further. I felt the head of his beautiful cock breach my opening and we gasped together.
He tightened his grasp on my hips, suspending me above him. "Stop. You've got your career starting. I'm not going to let you risk that just for a morning quickie." The look on his face was stern.
No man I had ever known since Tony would ever have said something like that. Truthfully, my lust was so great that I tried to wriggle out of his grasp, giving him one last chance to change his mind. His strong hands kept me firmly in place. I couldn't fight his strength.
"Fine!" I said, as if I were a petulant teenager. I went to the nightstand and grabbed a condom
from the drawer, tearing it open with my teeth. He smiled as I popped it into my mouth. I remembered how much he had liked this, and as I slid it onto his magnificent erection, I made sure to get him extra wet. I couldn't wait to feel him inside me again.
As I began to suck, he groaned. "Oh no you don't. No teasing me like this," he said, his voice strained with want as he pulled me toward him. I shrieked with delight as I fell onto his chest and he positioned himself underneath me. He slid in with ease, my body already open to his advances. Again, we gasped together, and as I felt his hips began to thrust underneath me, I finally knew that this was real.
As his hands went to my hips I knelt up, letting him admire my body. Those brown eyes I dreamed of almost every night were fixated on my every move. I was a goddess in those eyes. His hands ran up my sides and grabbed my breasts as I rode him, and I could see the look of concentration in his face as he kneaded the flesh. I ran my own hands up and down my body, enjoying the feeling. I'd never let this body grow old again if I could help it.
I ran my fingers through my hair and closed my eyes as I bounced on him. Everything seemed so fresh, so new. Maybe I just missed being young again. Maybe it was all just me pining for the good old days...
I opened my eyes and looked down at him. No, I decided as I looked over the features of his face. It was Tony. I wanted him even more than I wanted this young body. I wanted him more than life itself. I would do anything it took to stop him from going over there. For now, though, I would simply enjoy the ride.
He reached up and put his hands on my back, kissing me briefly before pulling me down to lay on him. In a flash, he had flipped us over so that he was on top of me. I laughed but quickly began to moan as he filled me. I looked down at his muscular hips and ass, watching him thrust into me, a sight I knew I would never grow tired of. He looked at me in much the same way, making me smile.
He lay down next to me, grabbing me by the shoulder and pushing me over on my side. His body was hot and slick with sweat and Florida humidity, and I wanted every inch of it. I felt his chest against my back as he wrapped one of his arms around me, cupping my breast and teasing my nipple with his fingers. He lifted my leg with his other hand for a moment, pushing into me. As soon as he was in, he grabbed my other breast. I felt like I was wrapped up in a big bear hug, but most of all I felt safe. I would be safe as long as I was with him.