Relinquishing Liberty (Second Chances)

  “Lucky for you, I have the day off.” I walked over to my overnight bag and pulled out my swimsuit. “And I just so happen to have my bikini, too. It’s a shame you won’t get to see me in it.”

  He sauntered over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Well maybe you can model it for me before I have to leave.”

  “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. With that hungry look you’re giving me right now, I pretty confident I’ll make you late for work.”

  “Liberty, I work for my dad, remember? Boat can’t leave without me.”

  Damn, he’s right.

  “All right, you win. Just let me take a shower really quick.” I left his bedroom with a little extra swing in my hips, and I could have sworn I heard him let out a low groan as I shut the door behind me. I showered and shaved in ten minutes flat, which is a new record for me, but I didn’t want him to be late for work. I really liked his dad, and it would be rude if Shayne kept him waiting.

  I slipped on the barely-there bikini that I bought just last week, and I was beginning to regret letting Maddie pick this one out. How was it that I always let her talk me into buying clothes that practically left my ass cheeks hanging out? Seriously, the bottom piece was a borderline thong. Shayne would have a fit if I wore this out in public.

  I had gone to bed in one of Shayne’s t-shirts and decided to throw it back on over my bathing suit. When I walked back into his room, he was sitting on his bed, already dressed for work and patiently waiting for me, but the grin on his face fell in disappointment.

  “Why are you all covered up?”

  “It’s…a bit…revealing.” I wrapped my arms around my body, already feeling too exposed.

  “Sweetheart, it’s just me. Come over here.”

  I dragged my feet over to him, and he pulled me closer so that I was positioned between his legs. His hands rested on my hips before reaching for the hem of my shirt and leisurely lifting it over my head. Again, my hands flew across my body in an attempt to cover up. He took my hands in his and slowly peeled them one at a time off of my body. His eyes perused me from head to toe, paying special attention to the non-existent scraps of material struggling to shield me.

  His hands came around to grip my behind, and his eyes widened when he realized there was almost nothing covering me there. “You’re right. I can’t let you wear this out there.”

  “Damn it, Maddie!” I cursed under my breath.

  Shayne let out a low chuckle. “Yeah, this does seem more her taste. Maybe you should keep my shirt on while you’re on the beach. I like you better in my clothes, anyway.” He swatted my ass before sliding his t-shirt back over my head and down my body.

  When it came time for him to leave, he tackled me on the bed and peppered my face with kisses. With one last, toe-curling kiss, he was out the door. It wasn’t even eight in the morning yet, so I crawled back under the covers and buried my face in his pillows, soaking up his delicious scent. When I finally peeled my eyelids open again, it was quickly approaching noon, so I decided it was time to drag my lazy ass out of bed.

  My stomach was threatening to go on strike if I didn’t get some food in me soon, so I moseyed into his kitchen to make something for lunch. Everything in there was spotless and organized. He really was a bit of a neat freak. I was dying to get my hands on his impressive collection of cooking gadgets, but I was too afraid of making a mess. So I decided on a simple turkey sandwich and some chips.

  While I ate, I stared out his kitchen window that faced the beach, and the water was remarkably calm today. Maybe I would finally get to go for a swim without the risk of being tossed in with my nice clothes on. I hope Shayne wasn’t serious about me keeping his shirt on all day because I was ready to soak up some vitamin D. I slid on a pair of shorts that were cut just high enough so that my tan lines wouldn’t look silly; I’m sure Shayne would at least approve of me wearing these in public.

  Before heading outside, I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, some sunscreen, and my phone. I noticed the towel from the night before was back on the deck, draped over the railing, and I could feel the heat creeping up my face as I blushed. I don’t know why I was so embarrassed thinking about it. It’s not like anyone saw us…at least I hoped not. I wasn’t really worried about it at the time. Shit, what if someone had seen us!?

  A text vibrated my phone, snapping me out of my reverie of the night before. Shayne’s name lit up across the screen, and my mouth spread into a huge grin.

  Shayne: How’s that gorgeous tan of yours coming along? Send me pics!

  I shook my head as I read the text.

  Me: I literally just stepped outside…but I’m sure I’ll be a bronzed goddess in no time.

  Shayne: You better still be wearing my shirt. I’m going to THOROUGHLY inspect that sexy-as-hell body for a farmer’s tan when I get home.

  It couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. It was so hard taking his threat seriously when I was actually looking forward to it.

  Me: I guess you’ll just have to wait and see. ;)

  Shayne: Behave yourself while I’m gone…and keep the shirt on!

  Me: Yes sir!

  Shayne: Love you, sweetheart! xo

  I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just typed out that I missed him and would see him when he got home and hit send. Why was it so hard for me to say it back? Even my fingers wouldn’t cooperate with typing out the words.

  I made my way down the beach, just a few feet from the water. I slathered my whole body with an ample amount of sunscreen and sprawled out across the towel. The sun was bearing down on me, but there was a gentle breeze coming up over the ocean that was just enough to cool me down. After my skin started to develop a rich glow, I flipped over to work on getting some color on my back.

  I could hear a group of kids laughing and playing as they ran along the beach with a small dog, and it brought a smile to face. I could easily picture Shayne and I raising a family here and enjoying warm summer days on the beach with our kids. Shayne would make such a great dad. Now why didn’t that scare the living hell out of me? I couldn’t say the words “I love you”, but yet here I was imagining a future together with him.

  The direct sunlight was beginning to fry my skin, so I decided to take a quick dip in the water. It was a lot warmer than it had been was last night, that was for sure. I settled there with my body about three-quarters submerged, just staring out at the endless ocean. It made me feel so small and insignificant…although that wasn’t all too unfamiliar to me.

  After AJ died, I sort of fell into the background and remained there unnoticed. I was never an attention-getter, but it still would have been nice to have some sort of acknowledgement that I even existed. Now I was pulling the exact same shit with my parents. I continued to ignore their daily calls and e-mails; I even went as far as buying a pre-paid phone with a different phone number when I got to Savannah. I missed them something fierce, but I still wasn’t ready to talk to them. They were going to have to prove to me first that they’ve made some major changes because I refused to get sucked back into the same routine where I was the one taking on the role of the parent.

  That feeling of insignificance slipped away the second I felt his strong arms snake around my waist. I closed my eyes and leaned back into his hard chest. Shayne just had a way of making me feel like his whole world when he held me close.

  He leaned down to whisper in my ear, “I see you’re not wearing my shirt.”

  I giggled knowing that it would be the first thing he would notice. “You’re home early.”

  Shayne spun me around and looked at me with his eyebrows pulled together. “Babe, it’s already six.”

  There was no way it was already that late. Jesus, how long have I been out here?

  “I guess I must have lost track of time.”

  “Yeah, I can tell. You’re all pruned.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my wrinkly fingertips. “Why don’t you dry off, and I’ll get started on grillin
g us some teriyaki steak kabobs?”

  “Damn, I didn’t even get a chance to snoop through your stuff today,” I pouted.

  Shayne let out a hearty laugh. “Sweetheart, what’s mine is yours. I have nothing to hide.”

  That’s what they all say. Everyone has their secrets, and eventually they all come out. I’m sure Shayne had a closet chock full of them, but to be completely honest, I didn’t want to know. Some things were best left unknown, and I had no reason to even suspect that Shayne was hiding anything from me.

  I walked into the house to grab another towel to dry off, and there was the most vibrant bouquet of sunflowers sitting in a vase on the table. The fact that he didn’t buy me roses showed me that he actually put some thought into buying these. I turned around, and Shayne was standing in the doorway with his arms stretched above him gripping the doorframe.

  “You like ‘em?”

  I’m sure the huge grin on my face said it all. “Shayne, they’re beautiful!”

  “When I saw them at the florists, I knew I had to get them. They reminded me of the day we first met. With the sun coming up, it looked like there was a halo surrounding you, and I thought, my God, she must be an angel! You just had this amazing glow scintillating off of you. I knew there was a reason you fell into my arms that day, I just hadn’t figured out yet. But now I know.”

  I stood there with my mouth gaping. How ironic was it that Shayne and I were thinking the exact same thing at the exact same moment that day? Maybe Shayne’s father had a point when he brought up the idea of fate intervening.

  Shayne was now standing beside me, and I looked up at him with tears stinging my eyes, but I did my best to hold them back. I think I’ve had my fair share of crying these past few weeks, and I wasn’t about to start that all over again. He bent down and kissed my forehead before retreating to the fridge to grab the fixings for our dinner.

  We sat outside on his deck, enjoying the beautiful weather while we ate. Shayne outdid himself again with dinner, and I literally licked my plate clean. Shayne seemed to get a kick out of my not-so-ladylike behavior. I loved that about him. There was no pressure to try to impress one another, and we could just be ourselves.

  The sun was just about to set over the horizon, and I could already tell there was going to be a gorgeous sunset. After bringing the dishes in, Shayne came around to my side of the table and lifted my hand from my lap, interlacing our fingers, and led me out onto the beach.

  “I never did get the chance to dance with you last night.” He placed my hands around his neck and trailed his fingers across my arms, over my shoulders and down my back, until they encircled my waist and drew me in closer. “I think we need to rectify that.”

  “But there’s no music.”

  Shayne’s smile grew as he pulled a remote out of his back pocket and pointed it towards the house. Music slowly drifted towards us, and our bodies began to sway together. This was so much better than dancing in any club. It was just Shayne and I, the crash of waves crawling up the beach, and the beautiful words of Ed Sheeran’s “Kiss Me” surrounding us. I thought nothing could possibly top this, but as soon as I heard the words to the song flowing from Shayne’s mouth, I was putty in his hands.

  I could feel his rapid heartbeat as he pulled me closer into his chest, and his lips came down on my neck just as those exact words played over the speakers. I couldn’t take it anymore. My heart was ready to burst.

  “Shayne, I—” He cut me off when his lips crashed into mine without any warning. He nibbled and sucked on my bottom lip greedily before his tongue delved right in, parting my lips and exploring every inch of my mouth. He must have brushed his teeth when he brought our dishes inside because he tasted of mint and Shayne. My favorite.

  Even before we broke apart, I could feel him smile against my lips when he spoke. “I know, sweetheart. You don’t need to say anything.”

  I pulled back a bit and tilted my head up so that I could look him straight in those beautiful emerald eyes. “No, I do. I need you to know that…that…” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath…in…out. “I love you, Shayne.”

  He leaned down and ran his nose along the side of my cheek before placing a kiss just beside my ear. “I told you, sweetheart. I know. I don’t need to hear you say the words to know that you love me. I see it in your eyes. I feel it in your touch.” His lips brushed against my ear as he whispered, “I can taste it in your arousal.”

  “Shayne!” I smacked his arm.

  Shayne threw his head back and laughed, clearly getting a kick out of my reaction. “Seriously, I know you love me, Liberty. I’ve never had to question that. I wouldn’t be here pouring my heart out to you if I didn’t think you felt the same way.”

  God, I felt like such an idiot for not telling him sooner. “And this whole time I’ve been afraid to say anything to you. I mean, that’s not something I take lightly, Shayne. That’s not something you can just take back.”

  There was an intensity burning in Shayne’s eyes that I had never seen before. It both frightened and excited me. “Never. I will never take it back. You’re it for me, Liberty. I told you last night that you’re mine, and I meant it. You. Are. Mine.”

  I leapt into his arms, unable to hold back the love I felt for this beautiful man and kissed every square inch of his face. Just as Lifehouse’s “Between the Raindrops” began to play, I felt a trickle of moisture hit my cheeks. That’s odd…I wasn’t crying…

  Shayne and I tilted our heads back towards the sky, and within seconds we were both soaked to the bone from the sudden downpour. We looked at each other, and burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. There was no way I was going to let that little interruption rain on my parade.

  Still wrapped up in his arms, I yelped in surprise as he lifted me high off the ground and spun me around. With my arms stretched out as though they were wings, I closed my eyes and imagined myself flying away. Away from the pain of my brother’s death. Away from the burden I’ve had to carry for so long. Away from the life I once felt trapped in, allowing me to finally open my heart up to a love I never knew existed. This is exactly why I was meant to come here. It was all so clear to me now. Everything has led up to this moment, with this man, and I knew for sure that I had found the missing piece of my heart. My missing puzzle piece.

  I wrapped my legs around his waist, desperately needing to be closer to him. He carried me into the house and led me back towards the bedroom. I didn’t want to break eye contact with him, but I could see out of the corner of my eye that there was a trail of rose petals in all different colors leading to up to door of his room.

  “When did you do all of this?”

  A bashful grin spread across his face. “When I brought our dishes in. I was really hoping you wouldn’t come inside because I didn’t want to spoil the surprise.” He turned the door handle, and it slowly creaked open. “I know how much you hate surprises, but I think you’ll make an exception for this one.”

  He turned to shut the door, and now I knew what he meant by the surprise when I took in the view of his room. Everything was illuminated by tiny candles, and the trail of rose petals ended at the foot of his bed. In the center of the bed were more petals scattered into the shape of a heart…at least I think that’s what he was going for. It looked a little more like a kidney bean, but just the thought of him doing this for me brought a huge smile to my face.

  He gently laid me down on the bed, and I disentangled my legs from around his waist so I could scoot my way up until I reached his pillows. He crawled up the length of my body like a predator stalking his prey, and I could feel his gaze languidly dragged along as though he were programming every inch of me to his memory.

  I held his face in the palms of my hands, stroking his cheeks and drawing his attention away from my body until his eyes met with mine.

  “Make love to me, Shayne.”

  His smile vanished as his expression quickly sobered. “Liberty, I don’t want you to thi
nk I did all of this to get in your pants. I just wanted to do something special for you to make up for our botched date last night. I—”

  I pressed my finger against his lips. “Shayne…shut up.” I smiled up at him and lowered my hand. “I’m ready. I’ve been ready. You said you wanted to wait until the moment was right, that you wanted my first time to be special. Well, I can’t think of a better moment than right now.”

  I pleaded with my eyes, and his smile reappeared. “Liberty, are you sure? I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing anything. I’ll wait as long as you want. There’s no hurry.”

  Burying my fingers in his hair, I pulled him down so that he was only an inch away from my mouth. “Shayne, I have never been more certain of anything in my entire life. I. Want. You. Now make love to me before I lose my mind!”

  It didn’t take much more convincing than that. His lips came down to claim mine, and he lowered his body over me, leaning on his elbows to support his weight. I could feel his cock stirring against my thigh, and all I could think about was how it would feel buried deep inside me…

  That’s when my nerves started to kick in. I had always heard that it was a little painful the first time you have sex, and Shayne wasn’t exactly lacking down there. My whole body tensed up and he must have sensed my anxiety.

  “Relax, sweetheart. Look at me.” He slowly lifted my chin, bringing his crystal clear green eyes into my field of vision. “I love you, and I would never do anything to hurt you. We’ll take it really slow, okay?”

  I swallowed hard, took a deep breath and nodded. He always had a way of reassuring me. I guess that was just part of his sweet and gentle nature. After getting to know Shayne these last few weeks, I discovered a whole new side of him. Brett had painted a much different picture in my mind, and I expected to find this arrogant, sex-driven asshole underneath all of his layers. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Shayne was exactly what I was looking for; it just took me until now to open my eyes and see it.