by Aubrey Parr
The sun had completely set and the lights along the Malecon were shining brightly. There were people everywhere. Sitting up on her perch, she watched couples walking by hand in hand. There were families with children and groups of teenagers all taking in the night life. The teenagers looked like locals and Nicole wondered if they had any idea that they lived in such a gorgeous city. She wasn’t naive enough to think they lived as the tourists did. She knew that their homes were far from the luxury of the hotels. But there was still that gorgeous view they got to see every day. That didn’t cost a thing.
She brought her attention back to the restaurant and noticed Derek had been watching her with a smile on his face. Again, the same question went through her mind. What was she doing? She knew her situation with Andrew was rather unknown at the moment. Still, she had never done anything like this before. And Derek seemed too good to be true. There was a comfort level she felt with him in three days that she had not reached with Andrew in three years. Was it the excitement of a vacation romance? She had meant to start reading those relationship books, but just hasn’t been able to crack one open yet.
“Can I order us some wine?” he asked.
“A glass of red would be great.” She opened the menu and began searching for what she would like to eat.
Nicole knew a bit about wine from her waitressing days and was taken aback when Derek asked for a bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild. She wasn’t up on all the vintages, but she knew certain years could run over a thousand dollars. She figured there was no way he was ordering one of those and went back to focusing on the menu. She remembered her fathering saying that he could never figure out how they could make something as simple as a Caprese salad so amazing. It only had four ingredients: fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and basil, yet they had somehow perfected the proportions. Her heart melted when she saw it on the menu.
Just as she was about to tell this to Derek, a man walked up to the table. It turned out he was one of the owners. As Derek said his hellos, Nicole wondered how often he visited Vallarta; he seemed to know quite a few people. Before she could think too hard on the issue, she was surprised to hear Derek say, “You know your regulars quite well. This here is Bill James’ daughter.”
The man’s face lit up and he grabbed Nicole’s hands to lift her up from the chair. He took her into a full-body hug and commented on how beautiful she was. He sprinkled in a few more things in Spanish that she didn’t understand, but ended with, “How is your father?”
How to answer that question? Tears came to her eyes as she took a deep breath. Derek didn’t even know the specifics yet. Since the funeral, she hadn’t talked out loud about the situation and honestly, she didn’t want to ruin the experience of the night. She wanted this to be a celebration of his life.
“He was in a car accident. I’m here to celebrate his life and this was his favorite restaurant. We’d love to start with the Caprese salad. It was his favorite,” she said it quickly and hoped that it didn’t lead to a full conversation.
“Mi amor! I am so sorry. Yes, of course we will celebrate your father tonight. Anything you want, you get,” he kissed her cheeks and held out her chair. Nicole was thankful that the wine had just arrived and that Derek had such a sweet look on his face. How could someone look like they want the kick someone’s ass and make love to you all at the same moment? Derek approved the wine and they were each poured a glass.
“To your father,” Derek raised his glass. Once again he knew not to push the subject. She had a feeling that when she needed to break down and deal with reality, he would be there to comfort her. But this was not that night. She raised her glass and took a drink. She could not imagine a better way to start this experience. The wine was the best she ever had. Maybe it was one of those thousand dollar bottles. At least it tasted like it could be.
“Nicole, thank you for letting me experience this with you,” Derek said sincerely, “We’ll talk about it more later. For now, let’s enjoy the night.”
She loved that idea. That was fine with her; it was a night to remember the good times. They talked mainly about her life this time. She told funny stories and he asked so many questions. He seemed to truly be interested in hearing all about her childhood with her father. It really felt like a couple out on a date night. He would occasionally reach his hand across the table to hold hers. She loved how rough they were, a feeling that could only have come from being a fighter.
At one point, Derek took a work call. Since he didn’t excuse himself from the table, Nicole could tell that it must be pretty important in his company. He sounded like a boss talking to a subordinate- not rude, but giving directions and making decisions. She liked that he had both brawn and brains. He had to send a few text messages as well, but took care that she didn’t feel ignored. He checked the messages quickly, replied, and immediately put his phone away.
The evening was perfect. The food was delicious; she could see why her father had loved it so much. She promised the owner to come back before she left. As they walked back out onto the Malecon, a little black car drove up. Derek led them to it. Nicole was surprised to see Hector driving. He hopped out of the car with as much enthusiasm as he had when he showed her to her room. He held the door open for her as she got into the backseat. As Derek slid in next to her, she whispered, “What is going on? Why is Hector picking us up?”
“He’s become my driver while I’m here. I get places quickly and he gets some extra cash,” he winked and wrapped his arm around her, “Should we have a drink at the bar?”
She couldn’t believe the words that came out of her mouth, “Let’s grab a bottle in the market next door and go up to my room. I have a balcony.”
“You heard the boss, Hector. Drop us off at the market, please.”
“Yes, of course, señor.”
Within minutes, they were back to the Romantic Zone and pulling up to the market next to her hotel. They wandered through the small aisles and again Derek kept her hand in his. There was a protectiveness about him that she loved. Feeling such strength so close to her was quite the turn on. She couldn’t believe that she wasn’t nervous. She was by no means a virgin, but she had met Derek two days ago. And she had every intention of sleeping with him tonight. Dinner was about her father, tonight was about them. Tomorrow, she would think about everything else. Perhaps after spending the night with Derek she would know what to do about Andrew. So for now, she pushed Andrew out of her head.
Derek stopped by the hotel bar and got two wine glasses and a wine key from the bartender. While they were on the short ride in the elevator, Nicole could barely look in his direction. Now it was hitting her. She stared at her feet and prayed for the doors to open. Next thing she knew, she was leading him through the door of her room. Nicole walked into the bathroom to check out how she looked. She stared back at her reflection- a little black halter-top sun dress showing off her bare shoulders, blond hair long down her back, her face and shoulders tanned from the past two days. She gave herself a reassuring look. She was doing the right thing. Nicole could hear Derek opening the wine as she walked back into the room. It was a basic room, but there was space for a king bed and loveseat and a nice view of the water.
He handed her a glass of wine and had one poured for himself.
“Should we sit outside, love?”
“Have I told you how much I love that you have a little pet name for me?” She took the glass and headed toward the balcony.
“No, you haven’t. I’m glad you like it. It suits you.” He hadn’t realized he had given her a nickname. He always did like how everyone in Mexico referred to women as “mi amor”. It must have rubbed off on him. He leaned against the balcony and watched her as she sat down. “Are you thinking about your Maybe Boyfriend back home?” he asked.
“I’m trying not to. I’m focusing on you tonight.” She set her wine glass down on the table and walked over to him. “This doesn’t feel wrong. That has to mean something, right?” she aske
d him, not really expecting an answer. “I want this to be about us, not him. I’ll worry about him tomorrow.”
He wrapped his hand behind her neck and as he pulled her to him, he whispered, “I want it to always be about us. You never have to worry again.”
This time when he kissed her there wasn’t the desperation they felt the first time. They had all night to linger and discover each other. Nicole felt like she was in a fantasy. It didn’t feel real; he didn’t feel real. She couldn’t wrap her head around how he felt about her. The things he said, could he really mean them? She was surprised how much, in this moment, she wanted them to be true.
Sex with Andrew was good. Not great, but good. Sometimes, when she wasn’t feeling inspired, she would imagine them in a different situation. She didn’t fantasize about other men, just that they were living a different life. This wasn’t going to be an issue tonight. She was living the fantasy. There’s no way her imagination could come up with something more exciting than this.
Derek’s kiss was slow but strong. His tongue searched all over her mouth. He kissed her lips, her chin, her neck, all as if he was trying to absorb as much of her as he could. He took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes.
“Let me take you inside,” he whispered.
Nicole could barely speak. She nodded her head and the next thing she knew, he reached his hands down to the backs of her thighs and picked her up off the ground. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried back into her hotel room. Derek supported her back as he laid them both down onto the bed. He was looking down at her and his breathing had quickened.
“What are you doing to me?” he asked her and this time he waited for an answer.
“I can’t explain this,” was all that she could think to say. It seemed to satisfy his curiosity because he lowered himself on to top of her and took her mouth in his again. And her fantasy continued. The night before, she had been in this very bed, imagining what it would be like to have Derek there with her. Now here he was, his weight on top of her exhilarating.
He took his time kissing her. Nicole wasn’t hugely into foreplay, but she enjoyed that he didn’t seem rushed to get to sex. She grasped the back of his shirt and lifted it up enough to feel the strong muscles along his back. A raspy moan came from his mouth and he began kissing lower on her neck. The style of dress didn’t give him full access to her breasts, so he slowly inched it from her thighs to her waist and over her chest. She lifted her arms for him. He pulled it off of her and tossed it across the room. Then he reached under her and unhooked her little black bra. That sailed through the air as well. Then she pulled his shirt off and there they were, him in linen pants and her in her little black thong.
She could see more tattoos and her heart skipped a beat again. He had some hair scattered across his chest. Even though it had a tint of grey to it, it was still extremely sexy. His chest was tanned from his trip and very muscular. He had big tattoos covering both shoulders, one on his chest, and a few that trailed down his biceps. She wanted to know what each one meant to him. Her tattoos were all meaningful to her and she wanted to know the stories behind his.
He leaned back over her, but this time began kissing the side of her breasts. He took her hands and held them both over her head and sweetly kissed the tip of her nipple. Then he put it in his mouth and it instantly hardened against him. His mouth was so warm. She pushed her head back into the pillow, taking in the sensation.
His head came back up and found her mouth again. She loved kissing him. She could feel that he was ready. She freed her hands from his and searched for his pants, working quickly on his button and zipper and pulling them down over his hips. She had long enough legs to hook a foot on the waist of his pants and boxers and push them the rest of the way down to his feet. He lifted his head and smiled at her little trick. Now that they were eye to eye, he began kissing her again, whispering sweet things to her between kisses. He talked about how beautiful she was, that she hadn’t left his mind since the moment he saw her.
He slipped off her underwear, lingering slowly down her legs as he pulled them off. When he came back to kiss her again, he was completely on top of her. She wrapped her legs around his back, ready to take him all in. He thrust slowly inside of her and kept the rhythm at a passionate pace. She grabbed onto each of his biceps and her mind went completely blank. She had never felt this much chemistry with someone, especially the first time.
He knew exactly what to do to please her. When he increased the speed, it didn’t take long to take her over the edge. Every muscle in her body contracted and released and she felt pleasure over her entire body as she reached orgasm. Just as it began to subside, he knew what to do in order to make it happen again. Over and over, he pushed her body to the limit. Finally, he pulled out, making sure not to cum inside of her. She was glad to be on birth control, realizing just then that they hadn’t even talked about it.
Derek reached for the shirt he had been wearing and quickly cleaned them both up. He laid back down and cradled her head in the crook of his arm. They rested quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the moment. He traced his finger up and down her body and she stretched her fingers in the hair on his chest. She felt more peaceful than she ever had before. All in an instant she didn’t want to think about leaving him in two weeks. She closed her eyes and hoped that, for now, he would stay the night.
CHAPTER SIX
When he woke up, Derek realized that he and Nicole had barely moved the entire night. She was still curled up with her head resting on his shoulder. Her leg had crept higher up on top of him and his hand was holding her thigh. It was early. He craned his neck to see the watch on the wrist that was underneath Nicole- 6:30am. He had a breakfast meeting with Gael, who had flown to Chicago the day before. He knew from the call last night that the trip had gone well and he was looking forward to hearing about the details.
He looked down at Nicole’s body sprawled over him. He couldn’t imagine her not being there every morning. Having a connection to Chicago was important to him now. He wouldn’t push through this deal unless it was perfect for all involved, but he realized he was considering buying a place there if it didn’t. This would be the first time he’d have a residence in the States since he was twenty-five. Nicole was worth it.
She stirred when Derek slid himself from the bed.
“Good morning,” she yawned to him as he wandered into the bathroom.
“Good morning, love,” he called back to her from the bathroom.
“Are you leaving?” she asked in the cutest voice he had ever heard.
He realized he was at a crossroads with himself. He had never told a woman about his company. Silvia didn’t even know the extent of it. She just thought he had ownership in some hotels in Puerto and Nuevo Vallarta. She didn’t know about his international business. Derek knew he didn’t want to lie to Nicole, but wasn’t sure he was ready to open up about this either. He decided the best thing to do was to explain who Gael was without going into detail about his business.
“I have a meeting this morning. The man on the phone last night is here as well and we need to meet for breakfast.” That was honest, he thought.
“Oh, I assumed you were on vacation. Are you here for work?” She wasn’t dumb, that he had already figured out. He knew he had to give her more and he was okay with that.
He walked back into the room and sat next to her on the bed. “I am originally from Detroit. But, my company does business in different areas. A few are here. I spend time in all of the locations and have been here for the past few months.” That would do. Trying to keep it light, he added, “You don’t think a guy from Detroit could have a tan like this if he hadn’t been here awhile, did you?” He winked, leaning over to kiss her.
“Must be nice,” she laughed. Then she flung her arms around him and pulled him back into bed. “Do you really have to go?” she asked and kissed him deeply. Somehow she didn’t sound desperate. He figured maybe it was
because he’d ask her the same question if it were her getting ready to leave.
“I do. Would you like to meet me on the Malecon afterwards?”
“Sure, I’ll go for a run first,” she said, “And I need to call my best friend and tell her where I am.” She looked nervous. He wondered if she was thinking about the Maybe Boyfriend as well. He’d love to get him on the phone and tell him about his amazing time with Nicole last night. His blood began to boil just thinking about this other guy. This was going to need to get figured out soon. He knew he had a protective side, but this was hovering dangerously close to insane jealously.
He kissed her one more time and pulled himself from the bed. “I’ve gotta stop by my place and change clothes. Good thing it’s acceptable to walk around shirtless here.” He wouldn’t be putting his shirt back on after last night. Nicole laughed as she remembered Derek using it to clean them both.
“Where are you staying?” she asked.
Without even thinking he answered, “The Paraíso, next door.” In the past, he avoided the question or had even lied about where he stayed. He knew he didn’t want to take that route with Nicole; there wasn’t any harm in her knowing.
“Oh good, you don’t have to go far shirtless. I don’t want you making too many women faint from those pecs,” she teased. God, he loved her personality. Not only was she gorgeous and great in bed, she was smart, interesting, and funny. This woman was the entire package. Once the Maybe Boyfriend was taken care of, at least.
“They’ll survive,” he said as put his pants on, “Meet me at 11:00am at the beach bar from yesterday. Wear a bathing suit.” and he headed for the door.
He closed the door behind him and headed for the staircase. As he came back into the lobby, he could see that the office door was open. He made eye contact with Silvia. “Shit,” he whispered. She looked pissed. Of course the fact that he was shirtless wasn’t going to help the situation. He hoped she’d stay in the office and fester about it rather than come out and make a scene in front of the entire hotel. But she stood up, so he cracked his neck and braced for the latter.