Forever In Time

by Charlie

  He sensed a subtle change in her over the past few days. After being so uptight that first time they’d talked in the flower shop, he was surprised by how relaxed she was around him now. In fact, she seemed to be seeking opportunities to reach out to him. She’d brushed against his arm as they’d walked down the hall, reached for his hand in the elevator and smiled up at him so trustingly. He’d thought, given her past, it might take awhile for her to warm up to him, but now he wasn’t so sure. Their relationship was progressing quickly. If things went as he hoped, the beach would provide a perfect opportunity to see how comfortable she really was around him.

  By the time they arrived at the beach, the sun was at its zenith. Waves of heat shimmered across the sand in contrast to the cool blue of the water. A breeze kept it from being unbearably hot and the beach wasn’t too crowded so they were able to find a spot that offered some semblance of privacy. Steph had put her suit on at her house and while Jake spread out the towels she hesitantly peeled off her shirt and shorts. The orange flowered tankini hugged her body, showing off her slim frame and gently swelling curves. His eyes moved from the spaghetti straps, to the conservative neckline down to where just a strip of her tummy showed and a tantalizing glimpse of her navel could be seen. The boy cut shorts suited her long legs and trim hips. “Very nice,” he commented as he stripped down to his trunks.

  She looked at him and smiled shyly. “You look pretty good, too.”

  He smirked at her comment and struck a quick pose then grabbed the bottle of sunscreen. “Your skin’s so fair. You’d better put on some of this.” He squirted some into his own hands before giving her the bottle. As he rubbed the protective lotion onto his arms, he watched her do her own arms and upper chest. She sat down and squirted more lotion onto her legs. His hands slowed and then stopped moving completely as he watched her smooth sunscreen up and down her long, shapely limbs.

  “Jake?”

  “Hmm?” With a start, he realized that he’d been staring and grinned unrepentantly at her.

  “Would you do my back?”

  “I thought you’d never ask!” He winked at her and gave a wolfish grin. Sitting behind her, he smoothed the lotion over her shoulders, sliding his fingers under the straps and then working his way down to the edge of the tank top. A small strip of her lower back was also exposed and he applied sunscreen there as well, his hands sliding around her sides, venturing onto her belly before returning to her back. Her stomach muscles had contracted under his touch and he repeated the move, before sliding his hands even lower, tracing the moon shaped birthmark on her upper thigh, while a finger from his other hand dipped into her navel. A shiver swept over her and he whispered in her ear. “I’ve always loved your birthmark.”

  “Always? You’ve never seen it before.” She craned her neck to see him, questioning his choice of words.

  “Right. I meant I’ve always liked the crescent symbol for the moon.” Seeking to distract her, he handed her the bottle of lotion. “My turn now.”

  “Pardon?”

  “My turn. I put sunscreen on your back, now you put sunscreen on mine. That’s how it works.”

  “Oh, sure.” She moved so that she was behind him. The cool lotion on his back made him jump, but then the warmth of her hands moving over his skin soon had him biting back a groan. Her fingers played over his shoulders, back and forth, up and around to skim his collar bone then back down. He felt himself relaxing under the soothing rhythm and was surprised to realize how tense he was. The past few months had been hard, but he’d done this before, he should be used to it by now. Perhaps he was getting old, he thought sardonically.

  As if she’d read his thoughts, Stephanie stopped with her hands still on his back. “Jake, your muscles are awfully tight. Why don’t you lie down and I’ll give you a massage? I’m really good at them. Paula swears by them.”

  “Sure. I was just thinking that I didn’t realize how tense I was.” He stretched out on the towel and she began to work her thumbs into the knots. This time he let the groan escape. “Oooh, Steph. That feels so good. Where’d you learn to do that?”

  “Ella, my foster mother, used to get really sore shoulders.” She laughed softly at the memory. “It was probably tension from all of those teenagers running around. Anyway, I’d give her shoulder massages. She said I had a natural talent for them.”

  “Mmm. You can use your natural talents on me, any time you like.” He closed his eyes and for the first time in weeks just concentrated on feeling. No strategizing. No second guessing. No setting up circumstances to work in his favour. It was a relief to just be a regular person for change. ‘This is what it will be like, once things are settled with Steph,’ he thought to himself.

  He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he realized that Stephanie was no longer working the kinks out of his muscles. Her fingers had been replaced by something else. Feather like kisses were trailing down his spine and her hair was brushing over him like the wings of an angel. “Steph.” Her name rumbled out of his throat on a warning note.

  “What?” There was a hint of teasing in her voice.

  “That’s not a back massage.”

  “Very good, Mr. Sinclair. Ten points for the astute observation.” She giggled, her breath tickling his back.

  He rolled over and saw that she was stretched out beside him. The sun was shining down behind her and he had to squint to see. “What do you think you’re doing?

  “You tell me.” Her head blocked the sun as she leaned over him. Gently, her mouth moved over his, the pressure gentle, light, exploring. He responded in kind. Then her tongue was tracing the seam of his lips, asking for more. He opened and her tongue slid in, stroking his, causing feelings long suppressed to come rushing to the surface. Of their own volition, his hands moved to her waist, pulling her over on top of him. The feel of her nearly naked body pressing down onto his was exquisite torture and his hands roamed hungrily over her back, pushing the tankini up so he could feel her bare skin. Her legs tangled with his and he moved against her, the blood rushing to his manhood.

  Rolling them over so that she was under him, he pulled her top over her breasts. His hands cupped the soft mounds and teased the nipples to attention while he nibbled at her throat. She was so warm and soft and willing under him. Her hands were roaming over his back, pressing him closer. The blood pounded through his veins and he knew he had to have her.

  It was the sound of laughter and a child’s screams of delight that finally broke through the haze of desire that had swept over him. He pulled away and shook his head to clear it.

  “Jake?” She looked up at him with unfocussed eyes. Her mouth was parted and her tongue slid out moistening her bottom lip.

  “Steph, we’re at a public beach… We can’t do this here.” Regretfully, he reached down and pulled her top back into place, thankful that his body had shielded hers from any prying eyes. He glanced up again at her face. She was grinning mischievously at him now.

  “Did I get rid of the tense muscles in your back?”

  “Yeah, but you replaced it with a different kind of tension in a different location.”

  “I can help with that, too.” She blushed even as the daring words left her lips.

  “I’m sure you can and later on I might even let you, but right now… ” He stood and scooped her up into his arms and began to walk across the sand. “Right now, we both have to cool off.”

  “Jake, you wouldn’t dare… Would you?”

  “Sure I would.” He leered at her evilly before tossing her into the water. She screeched and thrashed about trying to gain her footing before grabbing his legs and knocking him down into the water, too. Sputtering, he surfaced and lunged at her, but she slipped away, circling around him and launching a rear attack. After that, it was an all out war that eventually left them laughing, exhausted and shivering from the extended exposure to the cool water. Running up to their spot on the beach, they sat huddled together, wrapped in a towel while they warmed
up.

  Jake saw a family some distance away, setting out a picnic lunch. “Are you hungry?”

  Her stomach chose that minute to rumble and she giggled. “There’s your answer.”

  “There’s a hotdog vendor over near the changing rooms. Do you want one?”

  “Sure, with everything.”

  He quirked his eye brow at her. “Even onions?”

  “I will, if you will.”

  He laughed, enjoying this playful side of her. “Okay, two hotdogs with everything coming up. I’ll be right back.” Grabbing some money from his wallet, he went to get their food.

  As he stood in line, he watched Stephanie waiting for him on the blanket. She seemed to be looking at something. Squinting, he stared hard and then swore under his breath. Damn! He’d left his wallet sitting out. Rapidly, he inventoried the contents. Was there anything incriminating in there? He didn’t think so but even still, his nerves tensed as he collected their meal and made his way to where she was sitting.

  “I’m back.” He schooled his voice to sound cheerful while scanning her face for any signs of distress. She seemed fine. Maybe he was over reacting. Casually, he reached for his wallet. “There it is. I’m glad I didn’t lose it in the sand.”

  “I saw it on the edge of the towel and didn’t want it to get buried. I hope you don’t mind; I flipped through it.”

  “Find anything interesting?’ He took a bite of the hotdog, keeping his face neutral, while his eyes watched her carefully.

  “Not really.” She licked some relish off her hand. “A driver’s license, some credit cards. No pictures of old girl friends… Basically boring.” She wrinkled her nose at him and grinned.

  “Yeah that’s me; a regular, boring guy.” Inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, he chewed on his food while wondering what she’d say when she found out.

  Chapter 13

  The day at the beach had been perfect, Stephanie thought to herself. They’d had a wonderful time playing in the water, eating hotdogs and ice cream, even building sand castles. She had felt so at ease with Jake, like she’d known him all her life. Walking along the edge of the beach, the water swirling about her ankles, she leaned against him and concentrated on the rhythm of his leg brushing against hers. Everything about Jake felt so right. When she was with him, a part of her she’d never known existed seemed to come alive. Around him, she was playful and daring, boldly teasing him because somehow she knew deep inside that she really was safe with him; he’d never hurt her. She didn’t understand the change that was coming over her, but she was sure this had to have been the best day of her life and she was reluctant to see it end.

  The sun was low in the sky by time they headed back to town, tired, sandy and happy. Jake hadn’t asked if she was planning on spending the night again, instead just assuming she would. “Do we need to stop by your place for anything before heading home?”

  She liked the sound of that ‘heading home’ and was glad that he wanted her to stay with him. “I need to pick up some clothes for work tomorrow and some food for Coco. I’m late feeding her as it is and if I don’t come bearing gifts, there’ll be no end to the meowing.”

  “She does have her own way of making her needs known, doesn’t she?”

  “That’s putting it politely. I think, having grown up on the streets, she’s taken a vow, sort of like Scarlett O’Hara in ‘Gone with the Wind.’ Her motto is ‘I’ll never be hungry again.’ Don’t come between her and her food!”

  “She does look a bit chunky or maybe it’s just all fur.”

  “It’s a bit of both. Oh, that reminds me. I have to grab my allergy pills. I forgot them again today.”

  “Steph, have you sneezed or sniffled at all today?”

  “Now that you mention it, no, I haven’t.”

  “It’s like I told you. You don’t need those pills. It was probably just a summer cold and now it’s gone.”

  “I feel fine today, so maybe you’re right. I hope so, because I didn’t like the side effect of the pills; my brain was all muzzy and I felt sort of paranoid.”

  He reached over, took her hand, and held it against his thigh. “Steph, believe me. I know what I’m talking about here. Forget the pills. I’ll take care of you.”

  She liked the sound of that, ‘I’ll take care of you’. It was like he really cared and planned to be around for quite awhile. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside and she spent the rest of the ride to her house contemplating what it might be like to have a future with him. As they drove down Stephanie’s street, the headlights from Jake’s car cut a swath through the darkness. All was quiet. A few cars were parked on the road, but for the most part the street was empty. Some houses had lights on and Mr. Hardy’s dog gave a half-hearted woof in response to the sound of Jake’s car. Stephanie climbed out of the vehicle and walked up to the house fumbling in her purse for her keys. Jake gathered the newspaper from the front lawn, while she unlocked the front door. It swung open and she started to step inside but then paused. Something seemed wrong. An uneasy feeling was sweeping over her again, like someone was watching and she turned quickly to scan up and down the road, searching for the source.

  “What’s the matter, Steph?” Jake spoke from beside her and she jumped, so absorbed in looking for the source of her unease that she’d temporarily forgotten he was there.

  “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I have, like someone is watching me.”

  “Do you think he’s been back?” Jake asked glancing around the front yard and then peering over her shoulder into the house. “I can go in first, if you want.”

  “No. It’s my home. I won’t let someone make me afraid of my own house.” After one last glance up and down the road, she took a deep breath and stepped inside, recalling her earlier vow to not be a victim. Everything seemed the same; nothing obvious had been disturbed. “It’s funny. It didn’t bother me earlier today when I came to get my bathing suit. I just ran in and out without even thinking, but something about the dark makes everything more sinister.”

  “The dark doesn’t actually exist, you know. It’s just an absence of light.” She looked at him quizzically and he chuckled. “Really. I’m not making it up. It’s an actual scientific fact.”

  He appeared so serious that she couldn’t help but shake her head and laugh. “If you say so.” She walked farther into the room, looking around and relaxing slightly as the familiarity of the surroundings helped to erase her earlier unease. “I’ll just gather up a few more things that I need from my bedroom. Could you get some cat food for Coco? It’s in the kitchen. Look in the bottom cupboard, the one nearest the back door.”

  “It’s a difficult job, but I’ll do my best to carry it out.” Mockingly, he saluted her and she stuck her tongue out at him before heading off to the bedroom.

  Digging through her closet, she found some clothes to wear for work and then got fresh underwear out of her dresser, putting the items in a travel bag and then heading towards the kitchen. “Jake, did you find the cat food?” She called out to him as she walked down the hallway. He didn’t answer. “Jake?” A little spark of fear sprang to life inside of her. He had to have heard her. “Jake?” Stepping into the kitchen, she found him standing with his back to her. “Jake, why didn’t you answer?” He turned to look at her, his brow furrowed, his jaw tightly clenched.

  “You had a visitor.”

  She glanced in the direction he indicated and gasped. Scrawled on her fridge in dark red was a message: I’m watching you Stephanie—JS

  “Oh no! Oh no! Not again… ” She backed out of the room, her breath coming in short panicked pants.

  Jake followed her and grabbed her shoulders. “Steph, you’re going to hyperventilate. Breathe slowly and deeply.” He led her to the couch and put his hand on her stomach. “Breathe deep down here, in your belly. Watch my hand and make it move when you breathe. That’s it. Slowly… Deeply… ”

  Stephanie listened to the sound of his voice and tried to follow
his instructions. The rush of fear began to subside. Jake was with her; she was safe. After a few moments, she felt better and looked up at him. “Thanks. Sorry to freak out like that. The message… It’s in red. Is it—?”

  “Blood? No. I didn’t touch it but it smells like ketchup to me. Do you want to call the police or shall I?”

  “It’s my house, my problem. I’ll call.”

  As they sat waiting for the police, he held her close. “You know Steph. We’re creating our own little tradition here.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Most people end a date with a kiss at the door or coffee and some snuggling. But not us. We get together with the police.”