by Karen Booth
“So Natalie conspired with you?” He pulled her closer as they walked and a cool but gentle ocean breeze lazed over them.
“She helped me book the inn. Her sister-in-law’s family owns it. She got me a great deal.”
They walked a few more minutes and turned up a circular stone path to the inn, which had graying clapboards and inside, a cozy lobby filled with overstuffed white furniture and sea grass rugs. The woman behind the front desk was warm and welcoming, fetching the room key as Jenna filled out the registration card.
Their room was even better than Jenna had hoped, painted in robin’s-egg blue and complete with a king bed loaded down with fluffy pillows and crisp white linens. There were wood floors and an antique wrought iron gate on the wall as art. They had a private bath with a deep tub and a window with a view to the surf.
Next to the bed, Jenna found a gift basket of sparkling wine, cheese and crackers. She plucked the card from the table. “For Jenna and Tim. Have fun. Love, Natalie.” She stuck out her lower lip. “How sweet.”
Tim swept her up into his arms. “You make me barmy when you do that with your lip.” He pressed his mouth against hers, his tongue gently mingling with hers. He snuck his hand up the back of her sweater.
He went straight for the clasp of her bra and she pulled her head back. “We should really go enjoy the beach before it gets too late. Otherwise, it will be freezing out there.”
The corners of his mouth drew down. “Really? It’s my birthday, you know.”
She traced a circle on his chest with her finger, enjoying the fact that she was obviously torturing him. “The birthday boy gets whatever he wants tonight.”
His eyes lit up and she watched as his frown turned to a sly grin. “Whatever I want?”
“Within reason.”
“A Little Bo Peep costume?”
“Depends on who’s going to be wearing it.” She giggled and dug into her bag for a clip to put up her hair. She pecked him on the lips. “I promise I won’t leave you disappointed. Now come on. The ocean is waiting.”
They walked for more than an hour on the beach, talking and holding hands, carrying their shoes. Jenna couldn’t imagine a more romantic scene as they stopped to sit in the sand while the sun dipped lower and the sky turned a wispy pink and blue. She leaned against Tim as he held her close and kissed the top of her head. The waves lapped on to the sand and the sea grass rustled atop the dunes.
He traced his finger over the bridge of her nose. “Where did all these freckles come from?”
Jenna’s hands flew to cover her face. “Oh God, I hate my freckles. They come out whenever I spend a day in the sun.”
Tim had a strange smile on his face, his eyes soft and dreamy. “I think they’re lovely.” He pecked her on the nose and looked out over the water.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked, admiring his profile.
A smile crept over his face and he turned back to her. “Just wondering how I got so lucky that I met you.”
Jenna was overcome with an inexplicable feeling that warmed her from within. “I’m the lucky one,” she muttered.
He slipped his hand beneath her jaw, raising her face to his. He tenderly kissed her lips. Her chin quaked as emotions overwhelmed her, feelings like none she’d experienced before. She wrapped her arms around his waist, never wanting to let go.
He unclipped her hair and raked his hands through the strands. He gazed into her eyes, making her feel as if he could see everything inside her. “I think that maybe we’re both lucky.”
* * * * *
Dinner that night was at a small seafood place, a few minutes’ walk from the inn. They sat outside on the dock, bundled up in sweaters—Tim ordered a seafood platter and beer while Jenna had crab cakes and a margarita. Everything he said was inordinately funny and after a while, making her laugh was like a game he played against himself, even when it got so bad that she began to snort or make other unflattering noises.
Tim moved his chair as close to hers as possible, rubbing Jenna’s wrist with his thumb. He was breathtaking in the moonlight, the crisp, briny night air making his cheeks cherry red and his hair a delightfully sexy mess.
“Can I bring you two the dessert menu?” the waitress asked as she cleared their plates.
Tim looked at Jenna, who was still collecting her composure from the last fit of laughter. “Dessert?” he asked, while furrowing his brow and shaking his head “no”.
“Just the check,” she told the waitress, her eyes never leaving Tim.
He swept her hair behind her shoulder to kiss her neck, right below her ear. She closed her eyes and wondered how they would manage the quick trip to their room at the inn. Sprinting might be advised.
“Remember when you said I could have whatever I wanted tonight?” he asked, his hot breath against her skin a sublime contrast to the brisk night air.
She smiled and stifled another giggle. “I do. Is this the part where we talk about French maid uniforms? Because I left my costume trunk at home.”
“We can save that for another time.” He slid his hand across her back and around her waist, tugging her closer. “All I really want tonight is you.”
By the time they got back to the room they were both so primed they barely had time to shut the door before they were all over each other Tim held her up against the wall, unwrapping the layers of her clothing as though she were a gift he couldn’t wait to open. Jenna worked her way through his garments with equal speed. She surprised him when she withdrew a condom from her bra.
“Aren’t you full of surprises,” he said, watching as she unrolled it onto his anxiously waiting cock.
“I told you, anything you want…”
He returned to kissing her, bending his knees so his cock could nestle in the enticing space between her thighs. She went up on tiptoe, arching against him. He hoisted her against the wall, carefully bracing her lower back as he thrust inside her.
Her arms coiled around his neck, fingers burrowed into his hair. Their bodies were so in synch, their breaths, their movements, building rapidly to an intense climax. He breathlessly lowered her to the ground, easing his way out, his mouth never leaving hers. Tim’s phone vibrated against the carpet, causing both of them to chuckle.
They flopped onto the bed together. Tim reached over to get his phone. Three new messages. All from Gavin.
“Let me see.” Jenna snuggled against Tim’s chest, reading as he scrolled through them. “Are you gonna answer him?”
“Yes.” He typed his response.
Glad things are going well. Bit busy right now. Talk later.
The phone buzzed a moment later.
Too busy to answer, eh? I take it that means I won’t have to calculate international shipping rates to post you a brassiere? Well done!
Tim snorted and snapped the phone shut but Jenna had already read it. “Post you a brassiere?”
Tim shook his head. “Old joke.”
Jenna propped herself on her elbow, both eyebrows raised. “I’m waiting.”
“No.”
“Come on…don’t make me ask Gavin.” The impish look on her face made him think she’d do it, in a heartbeat.
“Fine.” Tim groaned, raking a hand through his hair. “It’s not that interesting really.”
“Stop stalling.”
Tim closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “When I was eighteen, my oldest sister came home to visit with her friend. They were in their mid-20s and her friend was smoking hot. I was ridiculously shy with girls, but she’d gone out of her way to flirt with me all weekend and the whole time she was wearing this hot-pink bra that somehow peeked out of every outfit.”
He glanced at Jenna and found her staring intently at him, her cheek cupped in her hand. “Go on.”
He grazed his finger up and down her spine as he talked, hoping to distract her. “I was totally in lust with her, but I didn’t have the balls to do anything about it. When they left I was kicking myself for being
such a complete prat. I went to my room and found a paper bag on my bed.”
Jenna’s fingers played with the hair on his stomach, driving him mad.
“There was a note that said ‘You seemed fond of this, so I left it for you.’ It was signed with a little heart. She’d left me her pink bra.”
Jenna’s eyes got big. “That’s pretty bold.”
“Well, I thought it was pretty exciting, and I was so worked up from the whole weekend I, well, I, uh…took advantage of the garment.”
A smile spread across Jenna’s face. “Meaning?”
“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
She nodded, biting her lip but unable to keep from giggling.
“Fine. I had a nice wank with the bra wrapped around myself. And I was so engrossed in what I was doing I didn’t hear the front door, or the footsteps on the stairwell, and Gavin walked in on me.”
Jenna gasped and Tim was grateful for the darkened room so she couldn’t see how red his face was. “He screamed, I let go, but the strap of the bra was tangled around me, and even after I’d tucked myself back into my trousers the bra was still dangling from my fly. So it’s been a running joke every time I have a dry spell, Gavin asks if I need a bra.”
The laughter tumbled out of her. “I’m guessing that must have been pretty traumatic for Gavin as well.”
“Yes, he says it almost turned him straight.” Jenna flopped onto her back, consumed with giggles, her breasts bouncing with each cackle. She looked irresistible. Tim traced his fingers up her smooth belly and leaned in to kiss her. His tongue worked at hers until the laughter subsided. He pulled back, smoothing her hair away from her face. “I love you.”
She drew in a quick breath and stared at him, her eyes wide and shining in the dim light.
“I’ve known for weeks now.” He stroked her silky cheek with his thumb. “I love you, Jenna.” His heart beat madly in his ears as he wondered if he’d scared her.
Her fingers wove through his hair and he braced himself for a brush-off. “I love you too,” she said.
He felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room as he processed her words. She loves me. Then her mouth was back on his and he could no longer think at all.
Jenna awoke in the most wonderful mood. The sun streamed through the sheer white curtains, casting their hotel room in a soft glow. Tim lay sleeping next to her, on his side with his arm draped across her stomach. She loved being able to stare at him for as long as she wanted—square jaw, absurdly long lashes, touchable lips.
She couldn’t get over the fact that he’d told her those three little words. It felt even better that she’d been able to return them without hesitation. “I love you” was something she’d rarely heard over her twenty-six years on earth and that made it all the more precious.
He began to stir and she cuddled closer.
“Good morning, handsome,” she purred. She raked her hand into his hair to sweep it from his face. “Guess what?”
“The Bo Peep costume arrived?”
“Not yet.” She smoothed her hand across his chest. “I love you.” Her heart picked up at the thrill of saying the words, the anticipation of hearing them returned.
“I love you too.” He smiled and kissed her, caressing the bare skin of her hip. “Waking up next to you naked isn’t bad either.”
She ran her hand down his side to his butt. “I say we never get out of bed or get dressed.”
“Forget New York. Forget London. We’re staying in this bed forever.”
Jenna swallowed. London. She didn’t want to think about his real life, the one without her. They kissed, but now she felt the dark cloud hanging over them. She counted the days in her head. Shit. Is he really going home in two weeks? She popped up onto her elbow. “Have you looked into more studio work? To see if you can stay in New York for longer?”
He rolled away and took a sip of water from the glass on the bedside table. “They don’t have anything for me at the moment. The session I’m doing right now is probably going to end a week early. They have serious budget issues.”
“Oh.” Jenna’s lips pinched together.
“That part’s actually good news. We can spend more time together my last week. Maybe Natalie will give you some time off.”
“Maybe.”
“I’ll find something.” He looped her hair over her ear and kissed her neck.
Jenna felt her mind begin a mad scramble. She wanted to help, find a way to get this fixed, but the only thing she could think of was the last thing she wanted to do. “I could call my dad and see if he can pull some strings. He knows everybody.”
His response was swift. “No. Absolutely not.” He shook his head and gripped her elbow. “From everything you’ve told me, I’d say your dad is poison. You’re better off without him. I don’t want you to put yourself through that for me.”
“But I want to help. I don’t even want to think about you leaving.” Her voice cracked and Tim cupped her cheek.
“You can come and visit me in London. And maybe I can find some more studio work in New York in a month or two.”
“I’m too broke to go to London any time soon. All of my savings is tied up in the pieces I made for the boutique. That was all on spec.”
He furrowed his brow. “Don’t worry. We’ll sort it out. I don’t want to spend my time with you worrying about jobs and geography.” He reached around her waist and tugged her next to him. “I believe you and I said something about staying in bed all day.”
The day went by much too quickly and before they knew it, the train was rocking back and forth as it took them to the city. Jenna could still smell the beach in her hair from the walk they’d taken before catching the ferry. Tim snoozed in the seat next to her, his long legs stretched out into the aisle. She held on to his arm and shut her eyes, replaying the last twenty-four hours in her mind as if they had been a movie.
Back at Tim’s apartment the lock on the door was stuck, as usual.
“Hurry. I really have to pee,” she said, bobbing up and down on her toes.
“So this would be a bad time to talk about waterfalls and rushing rapids,” he said, attempting to turn the key in the top deadbolt. “Bloody hell.”
The lock clicked and Jenna dashed past him after he opened the door. She felt a huge wave of relief as her bladder emptied. She flushed and washed her hands, looking at her freckles in the mirror.
“That was close,” she said, emerging from the bathroom.
“My turn.” Tim went in to pee, but didn’t close the door all the way, calling out to her. “Are you hungry? I’m a bit peckish.”
“I could make you something,” she said, opening the fridge and examining the contents. “There’s more bacon. Do you want a panini?”
Tim came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He kissed the top of her head. “I would love whatever you want to make me.” Tim’s phone buzzed and rattled across the kitchen counter. He picked it up. “It’s Gavin. He’s probably hoping for the details of our trip.”
Jenna smiled and pulled some provolone and bacon from the fridge. She couldn’t wait to hear Tim recount his version of their romantic getaway.
“Gav, hello.” He sat in one of the kitchen chairs. “Yes, we had a wonderful weekend. We just got back.” He laughed. “Yes, she’s incredible. I’ll try not to muck it up.”
Jenna blushed and felt warm all over. She plugged in the panini press and cut slices of Italian bread, humming. She turned and saw Tim’s face clouded with concern. “This sounds like a bloody nightmare, Gav. When will they know something?”
Jenna set the knife on the cutting board and went to him. He wrapped an arm around her hip as he held the phone to his ear. She strained to hear, hoping she could understand what Gavin was saying, but couldn’t make out a thing.
“All right, well, thanks for the update. I’m glad you called. Let me know the minute you hear something. Even if it’s the middle of the night.” He pus
hed the end button on his phone and set it on the table, resting his head in his hand.
“What happened?”
“The adoption might not go through.” The corners of his mouth turned down. “The agency can’t find the baby. They’ve been looking for weeks and still nothing. He’s lost somewhere in the system.”
“That’s awful.”
“I just wish I could do something.” He blew out a slow exhalation and ran his hand through his hair. “He’ll be gutted if this falls through. This is all he and Phillip have wanted for years.”
Jenna was transfixed by his deep empathy for Gavin, the strength of their nearly lifelong friendship. “He’s lucky to have such a great friend.” She kneeled next to him and took his hand. “I know you’ll do whatever it takes to help. I can’t imagine you ever letting someone down.”
* * * * *
Tim’s phone vibrated. “Shit, it’s Gavin.” The adoption agency had promised a call by this afternoon about whether or not there was any chance of locating the baby.
Jenna placed her hands on Tim’s shoulders. “Answer it. He needs you.”
“Hey, Gav.”
The shriek that greeted his ear was almost enough to make him drop the phone. “They found him, he’s all right. We’ll have him by the holidays.”
Tim breathed a sigh of relief, instinctively reaching up to cover Jenna’s hand with his own. “That’s fantastic.”
“It is. I can’t stop grinning. There’s so much to do. The nursery’s not finished. Now I need to buy Christmas gifts as well. I want everything monogrammed—CLB. Cecil Lawrence Banes.”
“I’m happy for you Gav.”
“Thanks. So glad you’ll be home in time for his arrival. I’m going shopping right now.”
Tim hung up and put the phone down on the coffee table. “He’s ecstatic.”
Jenna beamed. “It’s great news. So exciting.”
The phone went off again. “Wonder what he forgot to tell me. Probably paint colors.” He answered the call. “What now?” It was Jane’s frantic voice on the other end of the line. She was taking so fast he could barely make out her words. It sounded as though she were crying. “Jane, love, I can’t hear you. Slow down.”