by ANDREA SMITH
"There - much better," I said, slinging them over my other shoulder as I leaned into his strong body, breathing in the salt air and his musky, masculine scent. He had an arm wrapped around my shoulder as we walked toward the beach to my villa. The breeze off of the ocean whipped my hair back from my face. I felt the sand now under my bare feet and it was warm and moist. Suddenly, E.J. stopped and pulled me closely against him. I immediately dropped my shoes onto the sand and looked up into his face, trying to understand why we had stopped.
"Such beautiful hair," he commented, taking several locks and rubbing them between his fingers. He dropped the locks, and moved his thumb to my face, gently grazing it back and forth against my cheekbone.
He gazed into my eyes and I felt butterflies in my belly. I hadn't felt butterflies in a really long time. The way he studied me at that moment made me feel as if he were debating something.
I melted against him, raising my face upward to his, closing my eyes, wanting only to feel his full, sensual lips on my own. His lips captured mine, very gently at first, but as we continued, his tongue found mine and our kiss grew in passion. His tongue teased mine, his teeth nipped at my lower lip as I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck and molded my body to his. I felt his hands lower to my butt, gripping and aligning every inch of me to every inch of him. Every inch.
I was on fire for this man and wasn't sure why aside from the obvious. I mean he was sexy, single, gorgeous and in the perfect place at the perfect time - did I mention just how fucking sexy he was? I wanted him to fuck me - yes I did. Right here. Right now. On this beach. I wanted another man's cock inside of me. I couldn't explain my rationale at the moment, only that having another man fuck me would give me a sense of relief, knowing it wasn't Darin who was the last one there if that made sense. Hell, it made sense to me in my current state of mind and I was determined.
I pulled back a bit and lowered my hand cupping him, gently massaging his erection which seemed enormous. He stopped kissing me suddenly and pulled back.
"What are you doing, Nicole?"
Isn't it obvious?
"I - I just thought we might want to take this to my villa," I stammered, confused by his reaction.
"I see. Well let's find your villa, okay?"
"Sure," I said, stooping down to pick up my shoes from the beach, shaking the sand out of them. I smoothed my dress down feeling my cheeks flush as he continued his relentless observation. "Follow me," I said, heading down the beach towards the cluster of villas.
When we reached mine, I fumbled for the key in my clutch. I was inexplicably nervous now, as if I had totally lost my buzz. I finally found the key and inserted it in the lock when I felt his hand gently on my arm. I turned to face him and saw an edge of humor in his expression.
"Thanks for having dinner with me. I enjoyed this evening more than you know. Perhaps we'll meet again."
Seriously?
"What? I thought . . ." I couldn't finish that thought. I was dumbfounded and a bit humiliated if I was reading him correctly.
He pulled me close to him, capturing my hands in his, raising them up to his lips where he kissed them both.
He leaned, his lips brushing my ear. “Baby,” he said on a rough whisper, "I want to fuck you in the worst way possible. What I don't want is to be some revenge fuck of yours in order to get back at your cheating boyfriend who you'll most likely get back with before you land in D.C. I'm not that guy, love. When I fuck you, there'll be no doubt in your mind as to who you're with and why you're with me, understand?"
I swallowed nervously, nodding my head. He lowered my hands and cupped my chin, kissing my lips again softly and sweetly.
"Get some rest."
And then he was gone.
I woke up the following morning to a grueling headache, cotton mouth, and nausea that had the room spinning. My parents were due in early this afternoon and I needed to get my shit together before that. My mother would be grilling me on more details of the whole Darin thing which caused me to dry heave again.
I finally managed to pull it together and jump in the shower. I couldn't shake the whole incident with E.J. the previous evening. Did I completely misread the guy? I know I was shit-faced, but still, I knew how it felt when our bodies were pressed together. I felt his hardness while we were kissing, there was no mistaking that. I couldn't help the feeling of total rejection that seeped in now in the light of soberness. I couldn't possibly deal with double rejection; first Darin, now E.J. Yeah, I knew it was not the same thing, but rejection in any form is still fucking rejection!
After my shower I dressed in shorts and tank top. I ordered room service for breakfast and popped some Advil for my headache. I went to the exercise room on site and worked out until sweat was pouring down my face and back.
My mom called right before I was heading out with my poolside supplies to get some sun without sand. She let me know that she and Daddy had not been able to book a single villa at the resort, they were staying in one of the two-unit condos just down the beach from me. Truthfully I was relieved. I loved my parents but having them hovering over me while I was here was not going to help. In particular, it would definitely cramp my style if I wanted to hook up.
I headed down to the Olympic-size pool that was just up from the beach. Luckily, this resort was not kid-friendly, so no worries about having screaming, whiney kids splashing and pissing in the pool. There were a scattering of people on chaise lounges and in the water. I located a chaise with a table next to it for the pool-side cocktails I'd be ordering later. (Hair of the dog and all that.)
I got settled in the chaise, pulling off my beach cover-up so anyone who cared to feast their eyes on my new Agua Bendito Brazilian-cut monokini (which was almost entirely comprised of criss-cross strings and not much else) could do so. I had sprayed on sunscreen before putting it on at the villa. I dug my iPad out to read a steamy novel I'd downloaded, adjusting my sunglasses on my nose to look around to see if anyone interesting was pool-side.
Un-friggin’-believable.
Lacee was stretched out on a chaise right across the pool from me, in a hot pink string bikini that should have been illegal in at least forty-one States. She was on her back, her already tanned skin glistening with oil, one leg propped up on the chaise, her light blond hair was pulled up in a perky ponytail. She had sunglasses on which made it impossible to know if she was looking at me, but somehow her boobs were spilling over the teeny-tiny triangle of material that barely covered anything! She saw me observing her, so I quickly pulled my iPad up blocking her view of my face at least. I tried my best to put her out of my mind as I started my book.
Hmm - wonder where E.J. is right now? Maybe I should consider going blond . . .
After a very colorful argument with just my thoughts in general, I forced myself to re-read the words on the current page for the third time. I hadn't read more than a few pages when I heard a chaise being scraped against the concrete surface surrounding the pool as it was moved right next to mine. I peered up from my iPad observing a young, well-built, blond guy getting settled into it.
"Hi there. Hope you don't mind me sitting next to you. It looks like you're alone here, too. Thought you might enjoy some company. I'm Eli." He pulled his tee shirt up and over his head, tossing it to the ground next to his chaise.
I raised my sunglasses to get a better view of this friendly and totally ripped dude.
"Not at all, Eli," I said, providing him with a dazzling smile. "My name's Nicole."
Might as well continue with the charade.
"Nice to meet you, Nicole. I can tell you're from the States. For a quick sec I thought maybe you were from France or Spain. You've got that European look going on, you know?"
"Really? You know. I was contemplating going blond."
"Oh no," he said quickly, "I think you're gorgeous with your dark brown hair and sapphire-blue eyes. It's my favorite combination."
"You're too nice, Eli," I cooed, flashing him another smile.
I was checking out Lacee in my peripheral vision; she was still over there all by herself. I made sure I put a giggle out there for good measure. I saw her squirm in her chair, and then she rolled over onto her belly.
Eli and I chatted for a few more minutes. He was from Denver, Colorado and was actually going to be interviewing for a position with the resort the following day. He said winters in Denver were not his thing, he much preferred sand to snow. I filled him in on just enough, not mentioning the thing with Darin, only that I was meeting my parents here for winter break. He was the same age as me, having recently graduated from the University of Colorado.
"So, Nicole, are you going in the pool anytime soon?" Eli was watching me with his boyish grin going on strong.
I glanced over at the gorgeous pool. "Well, I'm not sure. I think this suit might be 'dry-clean only.'"
"What?" he asked, his voice incredulous. "I think you're full of shit. I think it's time we find out if that suit can take being wet."
Before I knew what was happening, Eli took my iPad from me, placing it on the table, scooped me up into his strong, muscular arms and headed towards the pool. I was laughing and kicking in faux protest, making enough noise to draw Lacee's attention, I'm sure.
"Eli," I squealed, "Put me down. I don't want to go in just yet! Pretty please?"
"Too late, beautiful," he replied, laughing. "You're going in, baby!" He jumped into the pool with me still in his arms, shrieking and giggling as we both went under the water and sprang back up. Eli let go of me, laughing, and dared me to race him to the end of the pool.
My sunglasses were still on and as I looked over at Lacee, I saw that E.J. was standing right there, next to her chaise. He had observed the whole thing with Eli and me, his expression was unreadable; Lacee's not so much as a slow smile graced her full, pouty lips.
E.J. wasn't dressed in pool garb; he was dressed casually in a pale blue polo, and casual cargo pants. He looked magnificent. I watched as he apparently instructed Lacee that she was done at the pool. She quickly gathered her towel, sandals and suntan oil, getting up from the chaise, where I heard E.J. instruct her in a brusque tone to put on her cover-up. He apparently was not happy with her. Again.
I turned my attention back to Eli who was swimming towards me now, dipping beneath the surface of the water where he grabbed an ankle and pitched me up in the air, causing me to fly a few feet and go under. When I sputtered to the surface, all signs of Lacee and E.J. were gone. I felt a bit deflated.
I finally managed to escape Eli's attention in the pool and climbed out, going back over to my towel on the chaise. He followed a few minutes later, shaking his wet blond locks on me as he passed my chair with a laugh.
"You're a brat," I said, drying myself off again.
"Are you mad?" he asked, seriously thinking that I just might be.
"Well, you can make it up to me if you bring me a frozen strawberry daiquiri, how's that?"
His replying grin was fully-watted. "You've got it, babe," he said, grabbing his wallet from beneath his towel and heading over to the Tiki bar. I settled back down in my chair, relaxing and letting the sun soothe my raw nerves. Why did this whole thing with E.J. bug me more than the deal with Darin? It was like I wasn't even thinking about Darin any longer; not so with E.J. though.
Eli and I enjoyed a couple of daiquiris over the next hour. I was feeling fairly relaxed when my cell phone rang. It was Mom.
"Hi Darcy, Daddy and I will be at the resort in about an hour and a half. We're staying in Unit 12B in the Cocoanut Grove Condo complex. It's just east of the villas. Do you want us to come to your place, or do you want to come to ours?"
"I'll come to your condo, Mom," I replied quickly. "I'm at the pool right now, but I'm heading back to shower and get changed."
"Okay, darling. Why don't you stop by the condo around dinnertime and we'll go together?"
"Sounds great, Mom. See you then."
I turned to Eli who was reading a magazine. "Got to go. Meeting the parents and I gotta’ get ready. It was good meeting you. It’s been… interesting.” I shot him my famous smile.
"Do you have plans for dinner?" he asked.
“I’m having dinner with my parents,” I deadpanned
“Oh sure, right.” He quickly put on his shirt, and grabbed his shades that were lying idle on the small table between us.
Ah fuck.
"I mean if you'd like to join us, I'm sure they'd have no problem with that --"
Except he thinks my name is Nicole . . .
"I'd love to if you're sure it's okay with you."
“Sure,” I shrugged like it was no biggie that I was kind of inviting a guy I’d just met. But the hell with it! This was my vacay and he seemed like a pretty chill guy. Maybe a little lonely… and I knew what that was like.
We exchanged cell numbers and I promised to call him once I was ready so that he could pick me up at my villa and we would head to their condo together.
Once I got back to my villa, I showered, shaved, and gave myself a facial. I went through my closet, selecting a newly purchased Stella McCartney designed cocktail dress. It was a clingy, silhouette-enhancing two-tone dress. The major portion of the dress was Fern-green; the side inserts at the waist to the top of the hips were black mesh.
It was sexy, yet conservative enough not to upset my parents. Yeah, the ones that used to wear tie-dyed shirts with peace signs, love beads and bell-bottom jeans that were frayed because they drug the ground - those parents. I put on a pair of new Prada open-toed strapped heels, and a clutch shoulder bag to match. I left my hair down, taking pains to straighten it flat; humidity was not my friend. I was ready to call Eli, but I wanted to check in with Mom first. I needed to clue her in on what was happening. She answered her cell phone sounding kind of flustered.
"Mom? It's me. Did you guys get in okay?"
"Yes, we've been here for over an hour now."
"Is something wrong? You sound kind of frazzled. Does the condo suck?"
"Oh no, it's not that. As a matter of fact, it's breathtakingly beautiful with a great view and a lovely outside terrace that's to die for. It's just that it's a double and the people in the "A" unit are kind of noisy. The walls must be kind of thin, I guess."
"Noisy? Do they have kids or something?"
"No, no - they're noisy and seem to be on some sort of a sex marathon as far as I can tell."
I had to giggle at the way she described it. "Well, Mom, maybe they're honeymooners or something."
"God! I'd hate to think so with the language and tone they're using. They sound like two people that hate each other but decided to fornicate all afternoon for the hell of it."
At this I burst out laughing. Yeah, my mom didn’t usually talk that way. As in: at all. And it was kind of hilarious as hell hearing her use the word ‘fornicate'. "Mom, why don't you call the office and see if the property manager can request they hold it down?"
"I tried that," she replied with a sigh. "It seems that this particular condo is owned by the guy currently inhabiting Unit A. In fact, he owns all four of them on this beach. The property manager was not inclined to make that call. In fact, he said the owner specifically wanted the unit free of guests while he was using it this week, but apparently a clerk made a mistake in letting us rent it, so I was told I should be grateful and advised to keep a low profile."
"Well," I said, trying my best to console her so that we could change the subject, "We'll be out for dinner soon so maybe they'll get it out of their system."
"We can only hope," she replied. "Are you ready to come down? Your daddy found a seafood restaurant down the main road that he'd like to try. We made reservations and since we have a rental car, no sense in not putting it to use."
"Sounds good to me. There's one thing though. I met a really, really nice guy at the pool this afternoon. His name's Eli and I invited him to come along with us for dinner. Is that okay?"
I could feel her smile over the phone. "Well of course, darli
ng. He's more than welcome to join us this evening. I'm glad you're getting back out there and not sitting around crying over Darin."
"Great! There's just one more thing, Mom; can you and Daddy refer to me as 'Nicole' instead of Darcy?"
Silence from her end.
"Darcy Nicole, what are you up to?"
"Nothing Mom - it's just that since I've been here, I've been introducing myself as Nicole instead of Darcy."
"Why would you do that?" I could almost feel her churning over thoughts in her head about how her daughter was probably having personal identity issues.
"I don't know. Maybe I just wish I was a 'Nicole' instead of a 'Darcy.' The name Nicole sounds so much more together, you know?” She was so going to speed-dial her shrink after she got off the phone, probably wanting to make an appointment for me as soon as this trip was over.
"I'm not going to be a part of any game you're playing so to answer your question - no. And I think I can speak for your father as well on this. Your first name is Darcy and that's what we call you and will continue to call you, understood?"
I rolled my eyes. It really wasn’t that big of a deal, I thought.
"Sure, Mom. I'll explain it to Eli before we get there."
"That's my girl," she said. "Deception almost never works out, remember that, okay? It's always better to speak the truth than have your deception come back to haunt you."
"I know, Mom. You're right of course. Eli and I'll see you and Daddy soon."
"Not soon enough for me," she replied, her tone now totally exasperated."They're at it again next door. Hurry up and get here so we can get the hell out. You're daddy doesn't seem to mind all the racket, but I sure do. He probably has plans for me tonight after hearing all that dirty talk next door for the past couple of hours. My God, the language . . ." I could practically feel her cringing.
"Okay, Mom," I replied, smiling.
I called Eli and he was at my villa shortly after looking fantastic, I might add, in a summer sport jacket and cotton trousers. His blond locks were gelled, and slightly spiked which was a good look for him.