A Sailor's Second Chance

by Gail Chianese

  Casey had his boots off in a matter of seconds and as she fumbled for his belt he had her pinned against the door. His lips were hot against her cold skin. She could practically hear the sizzle between them. Her head spun. She clawed at his wet t-shirt, wanting to feel him. It might as well have been glued to him. Casey’s lips left hers and trailed down her jaw to her ear, down her neck. His nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons on her shirt. Cool air skittered across her bare skin sending chills through her body.

  “You’re cold.” Casey wrapped his arms around her and spun her around, walking her backwards toward the bathroom. “You need to get out of these wet things.”

  “I thought that’s what we were doing.”

  “Yeah, but you need to get warmed up.”

  “Trust me. I was getting there.”

  “You were shivering, sweetheart.”

  “It was a good kind of shiver.” She tugged at his shirt and pulled it over his head, dropping it on the marble floor.

  “You need a bath.”

  “There you go again, being Mr. Romance. For the record. No woman likes to be told she smells. ‘Kay? And for the record? You’re a little on the wet and dirty side too. So, join me. It’s a tub built for two.” She could imagine there was all sorts of naughty and delightful shenanigans they could try but all she could picture was the scene from Pretty Women, where Edward laid, wrapped in Vivian’s arms in the bubble bath. There was just something incredible romantic about that moment.

  “You start and I’ll join you shortly.” He stepped back and his warmth was replaced with cold.

  She pulled her shirt closed and crossed her arms. “Having second thoughts? I mean if you are, it’s okay. I’m sure Lacey still has that other room available. I could have my stuff packed up in five minutes.”

  Casey pulled her back into his arms, his breath warm on her neck, his heart pounding against her body. “No.” His tone froze her in place. “No, I’m not having second thoughts and no, you’re not going anywhere. I want to do this right. Okay?”

  She nodded, unsure to trust her voice right then. Most people—Casey’s closest friends and family included—only saw the playful, easy-going side of him. But right then, that side of him was gone, replaced with the serious, make-no-mistake-badass-take-charge-military-guy. The one who brooked no arguments. The one she rarely saw and when she did…kind of turned her to mush inside.

  The guy not only turned her on, he turned her upside down.

  She slipped into the opulent bathroom with its tub-for-two, and plush towels and ran a bubble bath fit for a queen. Stripping off the wet garments she shivered again as the cool air caressed her body. She sunk into the hot water, until only her head was visible, and hit the on button letting the jets beat against her tense muscles. A sigh escaped, followed by a chuckle.

  Casey always did know how to please her.

  Which meant, that as much as her body didn’t want them to slow down, deep in her heart and in her head, she knew they should. Today, tonight, what happened that week was so much more than just the moment or satisfying a need. They were setting the foundation of their relationship, one that she hoped would last a lifetime.

  They had gone into things fast and furious the last time. From the first moment Casey touched her, she’d about gone up in flames. She could still recall the warmth on her back from the palm of his hand. The gentle pressure, the quiet strength, the unspoken confidence that radiated from Casey. The chemistry between them could have taken out a small country. It definitely had burned up the sheets.

  But it hadn’t seen them through the worst of times.

  This time would be different. They’d take it slow, build the relationship from the ground up so that it could withstand anything. Friends then lovers. She closed her eyes and sank lower, letting the water tickle her lower lip. Her life with Casey folded out before her. They’d date for a while, at least a year. Then they’d renew their vows. He’d retire from the Navy, find a good job in the civilian world and they’d have two kids, maybe three. They’d take vacations to all the parks: Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Disney, and Universal. Hey, she could only take so much nature. It’d be a good life. The kids would grow up, go to college, get married. She and Casey would still be madly in love and at ninety they’d still hold hands.

  They just had to stay strong. Stay on course—

  “You plan to stay in there all night?” Casey’s question cut her thoughts off. She opened her eyes to see him leaning against the doorframe. He’d changed into a pair of shorts riding low on his hips and nothing else.

  Her gaze focused on his well-formed pecks.

  He was very tan, with a scattering of freckles and a light thatch of hair on his chest. Why was it hard to swallow all of a sudden? She needed water.

  Then her gaze dropped to his sculpted abs.

  Could a guy really have an eight pack? Was that really a thing? Or was it that her eyes glazed over and she could no longer see straight? She stood up, letting the water sluice off in the hopes she’d cool off.

  Her gaze dropped further down, following the trail that disappearing beneath his waistband.

  She wanted nothing more than to trace that trail with her tongue until she found the prize awaiting her. That and a really tall, cold glass of water.

  Damn, she was weak.

  ~*~

  “Whoa.” Casey grabbed the towel and lunged for Colette when she’d swayed to the left. He shouldn’t have left her so long in the hot tub, but he’d wanted to make everything perfect for her. “Come on, babe. Let’s get you out of there.”

  “I’m okay.” Colette stepped out and let him wrap the towel around her. Her cheeks were crimson and her eyes were unfocused. “Just stood up too fast.”

  Sweat rolled down his back. Not surprising since the room had resembled a sauna when he’d opened the door.

  “We’re you trying to cook yourself?” He briskly dried her off.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Sweetheart, I’ve seen well done lobster who weren’t as red as you.”

  “Aw, there you go again. Flattery will get you everywhe…oops.” She grabbed his shoulders as she went down. He scooped her up and carried her to the bed, setting her down gently.

  “Dizzy? Nausea?” he asked.

  Colette pointed to her calf. “Just a minor cramp.”

  He dropped the towel and rubbed long, slow strokes from her knee to her ankle and back. “I should have remembered how hot you liked the water. Pretty sure I lost a layer or two during our marriage.” He glanced up as she tugged the towel back around her pretty breasts.

  “I didn’t think I’d been in there that long. Thanks, that’s better.” She pulled her leg away and tucked it under the cloth. Her color was still too bright. He left the room and grabbed a shirt from his duffle. He came back to find Colette trying to pull on the plush robe the hotel provided.

  “Here,” he thrust the well-worn cotton tee her way. “You need to cool down. Let’s get this on you and get some water in you.”

  She took the shirt and with his help got it on. “I feel silly. I should have run the cold water, but it felt so good and I figured you’d be in any minute. What took you so long anyway?” She stopped short as they walked into the living/dining room.

  “This.” Casey sat her at the table while he retrieved a bottle of cold water.

  This had been his grand plan to romance Colette, to show her that she meant more to him than satisfying his lust. He’d called down to the restaurant and had dinner delivered, along with wine, candles and flowers. Soft music played in the background and he’d pulled the curtains to set the mood.

  “Casey, you went to all this trouble for me, for us?” Even in the dimmed light he could see her color returning to normal.

  “I didn’t want our first time together…back together, whatever you call it to be ordinary. I wanted it to be special. Memorable. Like you.”

  “Wow.” She smiled. “Casey Thomas does have a r
omantic streak.”

  “Shh. You’re going to ruin my playboy reputation.” He took the empty bottle from her and traded it for a full bottle of water. “Think you can eat?”

  “I can try and you know I was just kidding, right? You had plenty of romantic moments. Like that time you had to go away for training for three days. You pre-stocked the freezer with Ben & Jerry’s. You went to my favorite restaurant, Squids on the Beach, and brought home an order of shrimp po’ boy, jambalaya, and hickory smoked pulled pork and all the fixings. All I had to do was heat it up.”

  He’d forgotten all about that moment until she brought it up. “You sure that falls under the category of romance? I was just making sure you didn’t get bored and forget my while I was away.”

  “Right. Okay, how about how you always vacuumed the house for me because I hated vacuuming? Or, how you always helped with the dishes?”

  “No, that’s pulling my share. You’d weedwack while I mowed.”

  She needed more fluids. He pushed the water bottle closer ignoring her scowl. At least he didn’t have to push her to eat. He’d thought for a moment about calling the resort to see if they had a doctor on staff and then decided to wait until after she ate, if she ate. He only changed his mind because she seemed like she was back to normal and had drunk almost two full bottles of water and cleaned her plate. He realized he was probably overreacting, but damn, if he couldn’t get the image of her alone at the doctor out of his mind.

  He might never forgive himself for not being there for her. Their vows had said in sickness and in health and he’d let her down. What kind of husband did that make him? A shitty one in his mind.

  She pushed her plate away, shifted in her seat so that his shirt rose up exposing her creamy thighs. “What else is on today’s agenda?”

  Between her naked flesh and slow, suggestive voice all the blood shot straight to his south pole. “Celebrity Game Night is about to start.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” She walked her fingers up his arm, a sly smile daring him to say no.

  “Umm, no. I mean, originally, I had other plans but I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you in a diminished capacity.”

  She sat back, arms crossed under her pretty, perky breasts. “Diminished capacity? Casey, I didn’t fry my brains in the bathtub.”

  “Sorry, that came out wrong. But the last thing we should do right now is anything that brings your temperature back up. You need to rest and keep drinking fluids.”

  “By fluids, I’m guessing you don’t mean that bottle of wine I saw when you opened the fridge, do you?” Her look said it all. He didn’t even bother to answer.

  “The good news is you can have dessert. Chocolate cake and raspberry sorbet. You can even have my share.” He saw the first hint of her caving when she rolled her eyes at him. She had to have known it was killing him not to make love to her; he’d wanted to do nothing else all day. But her well-being was more important than his wants or needs and this time around, he was putting Colette first.

  “Fine. You win. Celebrity whatever and you can have your cake, but I’m eating your sorbet.”

  Chapter Nine

  Monday the mechanic had dropped off the truck fully fixed and operational, but neither she nor Casey cared. They’d spent the day lounging under a palm tree on the beach. Casey still wouldn’t let her spend more than ten minutes in the sun; afraid she’d overheat again. It didn’t matter that she felt fine. She’d stopped arguing with him after the first five or six times. Plus, it was kind of adorable how he catered to her every whim.

  Casey Thomas: personal cabana boy.

  That night they’d ventured away from the resort for the first time and had dinner at the Twisted Pelican. It had been cozy and romantic. They’d come back to the villa, swam beneath the pale moonlight, tempted, and teased. At midnight, Casey had walked her to her room, kissed her long and slow, and said goodnight like a perfect gentleman.

  Tuesday they’d gone kayaking and then to the Naples zoo where they’d gotten a behind the scenes tour from Colin Mackay whose wife, Shay worked at the resort. Colette and she had met Monday during her confinement and hit it off. It had been another perfect day, followed by a wonderful and frustrating night.

  Seriously, frustrating.

  She didn’t know how much longer Casey planned to keep up his white knight routine. But she was about at her limit, and about to take matters into her own hands.

  Literally.

  Maybe her mood showed because that morning he had another surprise in store for her. It had started out like a normal morning with Casey suggesting they hang out around the pool. Then two women in yoga pants and Eucalyptus Spa t-shirts showed up at the door with folding tables, duffle bags and tool belts. Within minutes they had transformed the living room into a private spa for two complete with aromatherapy and candles.

  They’d spent an hour being kneaded and pummeled into putty. An hour that she’d spent watching another woman touch Casey. Talk about being driven insane with jealousy. And yet, it was a little on the erotic side too. Sort of like a king and queen being prepped for each other. As the women packed up, Colette almost wished they’d leave one of those tables because let’s just say, she’d had some pretty interesting ideas of how to use them had she and Casey been alone.

  While the women hustled out, Colette wrapped her robe tighter and downed the recommended bottle of water. She turned at the faint click of the door closing to find Casey holding a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne.

  “My, haven’t you thought of everything today. Trying to live up to the nickname of Romeo?” She settled with her back against the kitchen counter as he set the tray and bottle next to her and slipped his arms around her waist.

  “There will only ever be one Juliet in my life and that’s you.” He dipped his head and kissed her with a tenderness that stole any last doubts she’d had about them away.

  “As long as we have a happier ending.”

  “We will and we’re celebrating. It’s our twelve year anniversary of the day I first asked you out.”

  What? That couldn’t be right. She quickly did the math and flipped through the events of the past in her mind. She’d never been that kind of girl who kept track of the “firsts,” but as far as she could tell he was right. Wow. It was then that it hit her, everything he’d done these past few days. It wasn’t just Casey trying to be Mr. Romance or to get her in the mood. No, he’d been taking his time, giving them a chance to get to know the people they’d grown up to be, to find out if they still liked each other, because yes, there were sparks and plenty of them, but they had to be friends too.

  He was giving them a chance to get it right.

  He was also giving them a chance to step back, to change their minds and walk away, no harm, no foul. Because yes, there was more at stake than a vacation fling. Neither one could just walk away from work without repercussions and it’d be a whole lot harder to face each other every day, smile and fake it if they’d slept together and then figured out they couldn’t stand one another.

  He was also trying to romance her.

  But for him to remember something like the day he’d first asked her out told her another thing… Casey Thomas had never stopped loving her.

  This was one of those pivotal moments in a person’s life, a crossroad where it was crucial that she make the right choice. Did she keep going down this path she and Casey had started on and hope that things turned out different, better, happy? Or did she step off, step back and hope that was the right decision. What she wouldn’t give for a magic crystal that could show her the future.

  Casey bent his head down to look into her eyes, his thumb caressing her cheek. “What’s the matter, babe?”

  “I’m scared.”

  It was the first thing that had come to her mind and one hundred percent true. She didn’t want to hurt him again. And, well, the idea of having her heart broken didn’t thrill her either.

  “Nothing
worth having comes risk-free.”

  True. Too true, but sometimes you think you want something only to find out later, you were wrong. So freaking wrong it’s unbelievable. She’d been there, done that, had totally fucked it up so bad that ten years of loneliness wasn’t enough of a punishment.

  Or maybe it was. Maybe it was time to stop punishing herself. Maybe it was time to be brave, to take a chance, roll the dice and if they didn’t land right…she’d try again.

  She was tired of denying herself and the one person she’d wanted for years was standing in front of her with nothing on but a hotel robe and a lot of oil.

  She leaned forward to nuzzle Casey’s ear, a known weakness, and as her hands undid the knot on his belt she whispered, “Ready to live dangerously?”

  Casey’s groan was all the encouragement she needed. She was busy nipping and kissing his earlobe and didn’t notice he’d untied her belt until the robe was slipping off her shoulders and his hands were on her waist as he lifted her onto the counter. His gaze dropped to her breasts and she’s pretty sure he licked his lips as if he were looking at a BBQ rib or something, which made her laugh.

  He looked up, brows drawn down, but his lips curled up.

  “You make me happy, Casey Thomas.”

  “Oh yeah? Well, I plan to make you a lot happier before the afternoon is over.”

  He didn’t disappoint.

  He took his sweet time exploring her body, covering her in tender kisses and soft caresses. She cherished every minute of just being in his arms, of basking in the love glowing out from his eyes—even if they hadn’t said it yet. It’d happen in time, she wasn’t worried. He carried her like a delicate flower from the kitchen to the bedroom and then dropped her unceremoniously onto the bed just like he’d done on their wedding night, sending her into shrieks of laughter.

  And when Casey had crawled between her legs, holding her in his arms and sighed, she knew she had made the right decision. Oh sure, they wouldn’t be walking back down the aisle the next day, but they belonged together and she had no doubts about that. He was hers and she was his. It’d been that way for a dozen years even if they’d spent a decade of them apart.