by Orton, D. L.
She sits up and dusts off her hands. “That bullshit is my life, Tego. What’s left of it, anyway. It’s why I came back, but I’m done trying to convince you.” She glances down the beach at Rick’s Café. “So go back to your soccer friends. Have a lite beer on me. Live long and prosper.”
My heart is pounding in my chest, but I don’t move.
“Look at me. Please.”
I take a slow breath and then meet her gaze, drowning in her turbulent green eyes.
“I don’t have any idea why our lives are intertwined, but they are. Across time and space—and even death. You just met me, but in your heart, you already know what’s possible between us. I can see it in your eyes, and I have to believe you can see it in mine.”
She’s right, as hard as that is to admit.
“But she’s going to betray you in the worst possible way, Tego, and break your heart. But you have to stay the course no matter how hard she tries to push you away, no matter how angry she makes you.” She looks out at the dark sky. “I know it won’t be easy, and I know there’ll be times when you’re sick to death of being the fall guy, but you have to keep fighting. You have to keep coming back.”
“Shit, Isabel, you ask a lot.”
She meets my gaze. “Don’t do it for me, Tego, do it for you. Because if—against all odds—you manage to make this relationship work, it will be worth all the pain and suffering. A hundred times over, a thousand. For both of you.” She turns away. “For the whole fucked up world.”
I lie there in the sand, watching night fall and the first stars pop out. The breeze carries the scent of her skin, tugging at my heart and filling me with hope and fear and longing.
There are so many conflicting emotions bumping around inside my head that I am days, perhaps weeks, away from sorting them all out. I stare at her sitting in the sand, an arm’s length away from me, her head on her knees and her shoulders rising and falling in the gathering darkness.
The moon rises out of the ocean, framing her in light, and I realize that my anger has burned out, and all that’s left is emptiness. Yes, she’s making me crazy with all her lecturing and warnings and demands, but the thought of losing her is worse.
Way worse.
I sit up and reach out to her.
But she stands up, brushes off her clothes, and turns away, the moonlight illuminating sparkles of white sand on the back of her thighs.
“Iz?”
She shakes her head and starts walking.
“Isabel, please! I’m sorry. Don’t go.”
She strides up the sand, hurrying toward her beach house.
I jump up and run after her, and when I catch up, I take hold of her arm and try to get her to stop. “Hey. Wait a sec.”
But she pulls away from me, her eyes flashing in the moonlight. “Don’t.”
I step around in front and put my hands on her shoulders, forcing her to stop. “Please. I’m sorry. Give me another chance.”
She looks up at me, her face unreadable in the falling darkness, and then she pushes past me. “I’m done, Tego. Go back to your friends.”
Panic fills me with desperate courage. “Teach me how to be your lover, Iz. I promise not to give up, if you promise not to give up on me.”
She freezes, her hair fluttering in the light breeze. I walk up behind her, afraid to breathe. “You can make me stand out here all night, Iz,” I reach across the abyss and put my hands on her bare arms, “if that’s what it takes.” As gently as I can, I turn her around and then lift her chin so that our eyes meet. “But I’m not letting you go.”
She falls against me, her head on my shoulder, crying softly. I put my arms around her, my own eyes damp, and kiss her hair, speechless. She slides her hands up my chest and then wraps them around my neck, and we stand like that, holding on to each other, for a long time.
Finally, she lifts her head and looks up at me. “From here on out, I’m going to follow my heart.” She fingers the collar of my T-shirt. “And so are you.”
I put my lips against her forehead. “It would be my pleasure.” A tear trickles down her cheek, and I wipe it away with my thumb.
She bites her lip. “And if I say or do something that makes you uncomfortable—if things get too intense, or whatever—just tell me, and we’ll stop. Okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, smiling. “More than okay. I want to make it work for you—make it work for us. Just don’t say the word commitment.” I wink and then kiss her on the nose.
“Assuming, of course, that I don’t kill you first.”
I laugh and run my hand across her cheek. “I’m new at this intimacy balance thing, so be patient with me. I’m trying.” I tuck an escaped strand of hair behind her ear. “And you expect a lot.”
Something in her face changes, some shadow lifts, and she laughs.
“What is it, Iz? ”
She shakes her head, her eyes still sparkling.
“Tell me.”
She glides her finger slowly across my lips, her gaze following her touch. “For the first time in my life, I believe we can be that one in a million.”
I take her finger into my mouth and caress it with my tongue, wanting more of her—believing her.
She moans softly, and it fills me with heat and light.
“Come on.” I take her hand and lead her up the sand.
∞
“Let’s see,” I say when I step into the dark room. “If I remember correctly, I like to have the lights on.”
“Very funny, Tego.” She brushes past me and turns on a small lamp. It casts a spell of warmth across the cozy space, illuminating the orange seashell on her nightstand. I reach into my pocket and finger its identical twin, wondering about the connection.
“Next?” She sits down on the bed and sand falls onto the floor—a lot of sand. “Yikes. Definitely a shower.” She looks over at me. “So what’s it going to be? Take a shower alone or with me? The bathroom is pretty small, so I’ll understand if you want to have it all to yourself.”
I step into the circle of light. “That was the easiest question you’ve asked, Iz.”
She laughs and pulls her T-shirt off over her head—and then starts untying her bikini top. I stand there with my mouth open.
“Come on. Last one in is a decomposed germ cell.” She turns away, grabs a towel off the chair, and disappears into the bathroom. A second later the shower starts, and she calls out, “Are you coming in, or did you just want to watch?”
I pad over to the open door. “Now that is a tough choice.”
The bathroom is tiny, the shower tucked in the corner. An amber sconce casts a soft glow across the white sink and polished blue tile, giving everything a sepia tint.
I step in front of the shower, and my heart stops.
She is standing in the flow of the water with her eyes shut, her pale skin almost glowing. I watch in stunned silence as she lifts her hands above her head and runs her fingers through her hair, the water splashing over her upturned face. I let my gaze slide down her full breasts, slender waist, and soft hips to the dark triangle of curls between her legs.
Ay, she looks great naked, even better than in my dream.
Her eyes pop open, and I fall back against the sink, feeling like a voyeur.
“Well,” she says, her eyes mischievous. “Did you decide?”
“Let me see, I can watch a beautiful woman bathe in the nude.” I cross my arms. “Or, despite feeling awkward and way over my head, get in and actually touch her wet, naked body. Shit, that’s a tough one.”
She grabs my elbow and pulls me in. “You have to be fast or the water gets cold.”
I smile, my shirt and shorts getting soaked. “Been a while since I took a shower with my clothes on. Nice of you to offer.”
“Hah.” She runs her hands up under my T-shirt, lifting the waterlog
ged cotton away from my chest. “Off,” she orders.
I hoist it over my head and then drape it across the shower wall.
She stands with her hands on her hips, staring at me.
“Um,” I say, “that would be the ‘over my head’ part.” I nod at my T-shirt. “And this would be where the ‘awkward’ sequence commences.”
She laughs. “Maybe it is the wordplay that I love about you.” She runs her hands over my biceps and across my chest. “No need to be shy, Tego. I’ve seen it all before. Remember?” She leans her head against my shoulder blade, her breasts pressing against me as the water pours over us.
And then she slips her hands inside my shorts, and I have to force myself to breathe. “But I haven’t.”
She lifts her head and looks up into my face, and for once, I can see that she’s unsure.
“Yes?” I say, drawing out the s-sound just like she does.
She smacks me on the chest. “Okay, Mister...” she glances down at my swollen shorts, “Innocent.”
The hot water runs out and she gasps, whirls around, and wrenches off the tap. She turns back to me and shrugs. “I told you it gets cold fast.”
We stand in the half-lit bathroom, the only sound the water dripping off my shirt, and stare at each other: me in soaked shorts, hard as I get, and her, buck naked, wet nipples sticking straight out.
We both start laughing, and all the tension falls away.
I step closer and wrap my arms around her. “Best shower I ever took if you ignore the fact that my hair’s dry, I didn’t touch the soap, and I still have my clothes on.”
She gazes into my eyes, her lips parted. “God, I’ve missed you.” She pulls my mouth down to hers and kisses me, soft and warm, and it’s all I can do not to explode with desire.
She pulls her mouth away, slides her hands between us, and starts undoing my shorts. I shut my eyes and move my lips across her ear and neck, my heart pounding in my chest. She squirms against me, and when she finally manages to get my shorts undone, she slips one hand inside and wraps it around my hard cock, making my whole body go rigid.
“Shit that feels good.”
She smiles and pushes down on the sandy waistband, rubbing her breasts against me as she lifts the waterlogged fabric over my erection. When my shorts plunk to the tile floor, she kneels on them and looks up at me. “So. Is this your first time?” Her lips are almost touching the tip of my cock.
I exhale, my knees suddenly weak. “If you’re asking what I think you’re asking, then yes.”
She smiles and then tugs on my ankle, and I step out of my damp clothes. She tosses them out of the shower and stands back up. “I was hoping you were going to say that.” She grabs a towel and wraps it around herself. “But first, you have to wash those buns. They’ve got more sand on them than Waikiki Beach.”
I turn the shower back on, my heart still stuck in my throat, and step into the deluge of tepid water.
She leans against the sink, wide-eyed, and dries her hair. “I should have known you’d do that.”
I take some of her shampoo and lather my hair and chest, the smell of tropical flowers filling the small room. When I’m done, I rinse all the sand off, Gus still at attention, and then step out of the shower. “Thanks for waiting.”
“I could watch that every night for the rest of my life.”
I shrug and step back in.
She laughs and tosses a towel at me. “Oh no you don’t. I’ve got plans for you.”
I dry off, ignoring her lusty stare, and then wrap the thin cotton around my waist. “Shall we?”
She saunters out of the bathroom, and I follow, unable to take my eyes off her. But after a couple of steps, I stop and watch her walk across the room, trying to memorize the way her hips sway and the way her hair catches the light.
She shakes sand off the hand-made quilt, folds it back with the sheet, and then turns to me. “You still okay with this?”
“I have never wanted anything more in my life, Iz.”
She tugs at the corner of her towel, and it falls away from her body. I let out an astonished breath, and she laughs. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Mierda, Isabel. Even in my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined anything like this.”
She reaches out to me. “Come here, you.”
Chapter 44
Isabel: All Is Lost
Tego stands before me, the skimpy white towel wrapped low and tight around his hips and the outline of his hard-on clearly visible.
I glance up to his face. “Where were we?”
“Um, I was going to get started on that chocolate cake?”
I throw a pillow at him and grab another one. “Excuse me? I didn’t catch that.”
He scoops the cushion up off the floor and uses it as a shield. “Well, my second choice would be to kiss every millimeter of your body until you beg me to make you come.”
I feel my face flush.
“If blushing is any indication, I’d say you’re voting for the second one.”
I take the pillow out of his hands. “So what happened to the shy, reticent guy who was so torqued at me out on the beach today?”
“Oh, he couldn’t swim worth shit, so I swapped universes with him. I think he had to untie you from some railroad tracks.”
“Very funny, Tego. Good thing I wasn’t actually drowning, or we’d both be dead.”
“To be honest, you don’t seem like the type to give up without a fight, so I figured you were just testing to see if I could handle being in over my head.”
“I think you passed.”
“Does that mean I get to keep you?”
I pat the bed. “So what made you change your mind?”
“Well, after you sent me home last night, I was feeling pretty manipulated, like you were toying with me.” He sits down facing me, his eyes downcast. “And this afternoon, I felt like you were trying to cram a whole relationship into an hour—and you expected me to take notes.” He draws his fingers across my hip and thigh, his gaze following his touch. “But I was still pretty hung up on you.”
I close my eyes and bask in his touch. “You’re right about the relationship thing. That’s exactly what I was trying to do. And just for the record, I don’t recommend it.”
He slides his fingers underneath my damp hair, lifting it away from my face and shoulders and collecting it in his hand at the back of my head.
He gives it a tug, and I open my eyes.
“You’re right about what’s possible between us—and I can see it too.” He tips his head to the side, studying my face. “Which is not to say that I’m totally comfortable or anything, just that it feels right to be here with you.” He smiles. “You’re pretty irresistible, Iz, and it’s great to stop fighting the way I feel about you.”
I entwine my fingers in his. “If you’re not careful, Tego, I may not let you go.”
The corner of his mouth twitches. “It may already be too late for me.”
A powerful tightness grabs my heart, and I have to look away.
He’s not yours, Isabel. He belongs to a different world.
I force myself to breathe.
I know that, damn it. I know. But I’m madly in love with him just the same.
“I hope I didn’t just blow it.”
I run my fingertips down the inside of his arm. “There you go stepping back again.”
He lets out a disbelieving huff, and I lift his chin until our eyes meet. “I have been madly in love with you for years, Tego, so I don’t think you have too much to worry about.”
“Even though you just met me yesterday.”
“Yeah. That part is particularly painful.”
He gives me the eyebrow, and I laugh. “So where were we?”
“I was stepping back,” he says, “and
you were chastising me for it.”
I chuckle. “Ah yes. So, given the imminent arrival of the posse, shall I take matters into my own hands, or do you have the proper tool for the job?” I kiss his palm and then glance down at the lump in his towel.
“Well, miss.” His voice has a slight southern twang. “A skilled lawman knows how to choose the right tool for the job, and that—” He motions with his head, “—is not the one I plan to use right now. Sorry to disappoint.”
“I hate it when you get cocky.”
“No, you don’t.” He stands, unwraps the towel, and tosses it over the back of the chair, not the least bit shy.
I reach out and pull him down next to me. “You’re right, I don’t.”
He rolls onto his side, his head propped up on his palm. “Where have you been all my life?”
“Stuck in your future.” I push him onto his back and roll over on top of him, enjoying his wide-eyed look. I place his hands behind his head and then slide my palm across the muscles in his arm.
He turns his head to the side, watching me touch him. “I thought you loved me for my chocolate cake.”
I draw my lips across his chest, taking in his dark, masculine scent. “God, you look great naked.”
His erection swells against my thigh. “Ah, to hell with it.” He grabs my head and pulls my mouth down to his, his whole body rigid.
I let out a surprised breath and sit up on his hips, his hard cock between my thighs. “Golly, sheriff, you ain’t thinking I’m that kind of girl, now, are you?”
He lets his gaze slide from my face down to my breasts, his lips parted. “I’m pretty sure you’ve fired a pistol or two in your time, missy.”
I give him an exaggerated pout and run my fingertip down his chest until it bumps into the head of his cock. “I thought you were going to show me your six-shooter.”
“Sure thing, little lady. I’ll even let you fire it, if you like.” He stares at my mouth. “An’ I suppose you could ride my pony, if he’s not too wild for you.”
I break out laughing. “Bring it on.”
He grabs my shoulders and tries to pull me back down against his chest, but I resist.