by Daya Daniels
I feel the soft sand slip between my toes as we take the winding path to the water. I inhale the salty ocean air and listen to the waves crash against the rocks in the distance and the birds above singing. Nico strolls alongside me. We’d stopped to a few places along the South Shore and then found a comfortable spot that overlooked Warwick Long Bay and ate fish chowder and baked chicken legs from Henry’s Pantry.
“Do you come here often?” Nico asks.
“Yeah.” I breathe out. “This is my favorite spot actually. It belongs to me.”
Nico narrows his eyes and gives me a strange look. He lifts an arm and extends it out around us. “This beach belongs to you?”
“Yes.” I say playfully. “It’s my beach.”
Nico smirks. I yank on his hand and we go left and find a private spot beneath the limestone rocks that have taken a beaten over the years from the rough waves. This place is magnificent. We stand on Chaplin Bay beach that’s completely empty of people today.
I head to the water’s edge and hiss, when the water touches my toes. Nico laughs watching me, plopping down in the sand after he spreads out a small blanket. The blazing sun that beats down on my shoulders betrays the temperature of the water. I spin around to head back to our spot, when I see Nico munching on watermelon and pieces of mango. He stands and pulls off his shirt. I halt my footsteps, keeping my eyes on him when he strips out of his shorts. He’s so at ease with himself and carefree. When he sits again, he runs a hand through his hair and continues eating. I stoop down and sit on the blanket, still wearing my shirt and shorts over my bathing suit.
Nico gives me a sidelong glance and laughs.
“What?”
“Nada. Nothing.” He chuckles.
I narrow my eyes at him and shoot up from where I sit to stand. I remove my shirt and strip out of my shorts angrily. I remove the elastic from my hair and let it cascade down my back. An appreciative hum leaves Nico’s mouth, right before I plop back down and rest on my elbows, stretching my legs out. The hot man next to me, extends his muscular legs out next to mine and simply stares at me.
“I could see how you’d want this place to be yours.”
I giggle.
“It’s beautiful here.”
“I know.” I whisper.
I meet Nico’s squinted eyes and laugh. He gestures with his hand as if to ask what’s so funny.
“I don’t do this. You’re a stranger.”
“I’m not. We met yesterday.” He mumbles, giving me a funny face.
I laugh out loud. “Yeah, yesterday. Still, I don’t really know you.”
“Well, get to know me then.”
I purse my lips. “I’m unemployed.” I remind him.
Nico gives me a strange look and then smiles but doesn’t respond.
“Cass, is that like a pick up line, because it’s the second time you’ve said it?”
I laugh. “Nope, but I just thought I’d remind you of that.”
He exhales loud. “And what makes you think I care? I’m a fisherman. You don’t care about that?”
“No, I don’t.” I whisper.
Nico nods.
“Besides, fishermen here make good money. They make a good living, especially in the months when the weather is good.” I add.
He gives me another nod. “Maybe I’m a broke one.”
I shrug again, taking in the vision of his muscular chest and his washboard abs that are covered in ink. “I don’t really care about money like that, Nico. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to be dumpster diving for food but I don’t need to be filthy rich either to be happy.”
Nico smiles. “Yeah, I get that. I don’t usually get a lot of dates when I’m down here.”
“Really?”
With the slow shake of his head from side to side, he speaks. “Nope. I assume it’s the fishing clothes and the fact that I live on Ambrose’s old boat.”
I laugh. “Maybe.”
“It doesn’t bother me though.”
“It shouldn’t.”
“I don’t want people like that around me – people that won’t and can’t, see me for me.”
A loud breath whooshes out of me. “Sounds like the type of people I’ve spent most of my adult life around, after I got a job and stuff.”
Nico nods. “Assholes.”
“Yep.” I say, accentuating the p.
I allow my eyes to scan his big body and then shift them to look at the blanket when I realize I’m staring.
“You could be a model.”
A sly smirk spreads across his face, while he runs a large hand over the stubble on his chin. “You think?”
“Yesss.” I hiss, knowing full well he’s already aware of how gorgeous he is.
“You’re super-hot yourself.”
I scoff and adjust my white bikini bottoms and scoot farther down into the sand, making myself more comfortable.
“Mango.” He offers, shoving a piece that’s between his fingers towards me.
I meet his mischievous eyes and allow him to feed me. I part my lips a little, feeling his fingers brush my lips as they slip into my mouth releasing the morsel of fruit on my tongue, allowing me to taste his fingers that are warm and salty. His index finger brushes my bottom lip when he pulls his hand away. I lift my eyes and meet his blazing ones, certain I’m already wet. Nico shifts to lie on his back, while I struggle to keep my gaze above his waistline.
A few birds hop over to where we rest, peeking around. I toss some popcorn in their direction and watch them snatch each piece and run off in the direction of the water.
Nico runs his fingers down my arm in the same way he did last night. I shut my eyes at the sensation and at what his touch does to me and keep them closed. I listen to the birds and the soft breeze that blows by and the waves that crash against the shoreline. My mind goes blank for a moment. Nico shifts and soon he’s sitting behind me. I don’t move. I don’t flinch. Something about the way he touches me, makes me want to give in - it nudges me to relax in his hold, that disarms me.
I listen to his breathing when his lips graze the shell of my ear. He places his hands on my shoulders and squeezes firmly. A moan unintentionally slips from my mouth. He scoots closer, pulling me against his hard chest. His skin is warm against my back and his hold is unrelenting and protective. I melt against him, conscious that with all his kneading and the feeling of his breaths as they puff against the hot skin on my neck, that my nipples have pebbled beneath my bikini top again...
He presses his nose into the strands of my hair and brushes through them with his fingers, bringing it all to drape over one shoulder. His knuckles skim along my neck, while the other hand caresses the length of my arm. His hardness prods into my back. I exhale and jolt forward a little only to be pulled back against him, while he nibbles on my shoulder.
“Is that okay?”
“Yes.” I nod.
He does it again, skimming his nose along the length of my neck, pressing a soft kiss to it.
“You saw me this morning.” He says.
“Yes.” I whisper, sinking into the feeling of his hands undoing me.
“Did you like what you saw?”
“Yesss.”
Nico groans into the nape of my neck. “I love the sound of that word, Cass. Especially, when it spills from your lips. I need to hear more of that word.”
“I’m sorry I lied.”
“Esta bem. It’s okay.” He laughs softly. “I was thinking about you.”
I giggle a little and moan. “We just met.”
“So.”
“I don’t know.” I giggle.
Soft lips are pressed against my neck and Nico’s hand splays across my stomach, causing my skin to quiver at his touch. I place my hands on his hard thighs and push up to my haunches, squirming out of his hold. I stand and brush my hair away from my face, observing him and the enormous hard-on in his swim trunks that curves along the inside of his right thigh.
Nico gives me a funny look, whi
le I struggle to steady myself. He stands and shifts himself blatantly in front of me, then takes my hand and eases closer.
“Do you want me, Cass?”
I crane my neck up to gaze at him, when he steps even deeper into my space. The proximity of him steals all the air away from me, along with some of my brain functioning.
“I-I.”
“Is it my job?” He asks.
“Nooo, have you not been listening to anything I’ve said?”
He only laughs. “Then, what is it?”
I brush my hair away from my face. “I don’t know. I just haven’t done this in so long.”
Nico raises his hands in the air and shifts himself again. “So what, neither have I.”
“And we just met.”
He gives me a South American shrug.
I hug my middle for a moment, taking in his porn star physique. When I meet his eyes again, he’s already staring into mine. Then he laughs and shakes his head, while mumbling words I can’t make out.
“What?”
Nico yanks me against his chest, crashing his lips against mine. His lips are soft and my mouth is filled with the sweet taste of the mango on his tongue, while he nips at my lips, teasing, playing and making me lean into him for more. He delves deeper into my mouth, not allowing me any air before his tongue tangles with mine again.
Aggressive. Commanding. Sensual.
This kiss tells me everything he hasn’t said yet. He breathes harshly through his nose against my face, while he cups the back of my head with his hand. His grip drops down to settle on the back of my neck as he plunges deeper into my mouth with his tongue. I kiss him hard, shivering at the feeling of his hard chest and abs, warm and firm crushed against my own. He moans against my lips, coaxing a whimper from my throat. He eases away from me and opens his eyes to peer into my face. I stand dizzily, skimming over everything that is this man.
He cups my face in his hands and skims my lips with his. “Let’s go in the water.”
I only nod, still unable to straighten out my tangled thoughts.
“Yes?”
“Yes.” I whisper.
Nico
Cass wraps her arms around my neck as we ease down into the cool water. The waves lap against us as I dip down further into the water, steadying my footing in the sand. This woman feels just right in my arms - tiny and warm. Droplets of water drip down her face and her mouth parts, letting out little breaths every now and again. She holds onto me tighter, folding her legs around me. I cup her ass and look straight into her brown eyes when I do it. She bites her lip and I moan at the sight.
The sun beats down on us. A school of colorful parrot fish feed off a nearby reef that’s a few feet away from the shoreline. Cass leans in and kisses me again, cupping my cheek. The feeling of her salty lips against mine shoots straight to my dick. I kiss her lips softly and press my forehead to hers.
A small wave washes over us.
“I really like you.” She whispers.
I groan and move further out in the blue water, keeping an eye on the still empty beach that feels so private. I give Cass her props for picking somewhere so secluded.
“Let me cook dinner for you later?” I offer.
Cass giggles and rests her chin on my shoulder and mumbles a few words into my skin. “On the boat?”
“Yes, on the boat.”
“You don’t have a curfew, do you?”
Cass giggles at my ridiculous joke. “No.”
I inch closer as more waves wash over us. “You’re afraid to be alone with me.”
“We’re alone now.” She faces the shore, avoiding my eyes.
Taking her hand in mine, I place a kiss to it. I pull her small body against me, allowing my breaths to ghost the shell of her ear. “In private, alone, with me. You’re afraid.”
“I’m not going to answer that.” She whispers, exhaling.
I laugh, snaking a hand up the center of her back, caressing her soft skin. I slide a hand down her thigh and curl my fingers around it pulling her against me. I want her to feel me. She squirms in my hold. I don’t know if she’s trying to feel it more and attempting to get away from it. Her eyelashes flutter and I know she’s turned on.
“What’s it like living in Brazil?”
I smile. “It’s the largest country in South America, so in certain cities there, it can be a bit crowded. The weather is decent. We love football, of course.”
Cass chuckles.
“The people are nice and the food is good. There’s crime and political corruption here just like any other country in the world.
“What about here?”
Cass sighs. “It’s nice here. It’s small, only around sixty-five thousand people. I guess it’s maybe like living in a small town in the United States. You know that feeling that everybody knows each other, etcetera.”
“Does everyone here know each other?”
“Not really but most times probably by a family or friend connection.
“Everyone thinks they know each other here, which can be annoying. And even the people that only know your name, think they know you. That sort of thing.”
I laugh.
“People can be nosey.” Cass complains while a grimace spreads across her face. “Sometimes it seems like gossip is just a part of this island’s culture, which can be socially destructive, you know.”
“I can imagine.”
Cass seems to drift off in her own thoughts for a moment. “Do you come to the island often?”
“Every year.”
“To fish?”
“Yeah mostly and to relax. I have other obligations sometimes.”
“Like what?”
“I work for my father.” I tell her, keeping it simple.
“Oh.”
“Do you get along?”
I let out a little laugh. “Sometimes but not all the time.”
Cass grinds herself into my hardness and I know she’s begging for it. “I don’t think I’m ready for this, Nico. This thing that we’re doing.”
I laugh.
“What thing? I thought we were just enjoying each other’s company.”
“We are.”
“So, if you’re not ready why are you, you know?” I ask, dropping my gaze to look at her perky breasts and her hard nipples that brush against my chest.
“I don’t know.” She whispers, kissing my lips again.
“Relax.” I whisper into her ear and she immediately becomes Gumby my grasp.
“You’ve been single for a long time?”
“Kind of.”
I’d been alone now for a while. I preferred it this way. I didn’t trust easily, which appeared to be a trait that Cass and I shared, only my reasons were much different from hers.
She giggles. “Kind of like for how long then?”
I groan. “I don’t know about five years now.”
“Oh.”
“She broke your heart?”
I laugh. It’s been a while since I thought about the disaster that used to be my year-long relationship, that should never have happened. Cass and Gaia were so different. Gaia was as materialistic as they came and all she cared about was appearances. She’d had so many alterations by now that I barely recognized her. She was a plastic surgery guinea pig - stuffed, tucked and injected with every type of beauty serum you could think of.
“Yeah, something like that.”
Cass gazes me at awkwardly but she doesn’t push.
“Have you done everything you want to do yet or at least some of it?”
I take a deep breath, letting some salt water slip into my mouth and then spit it out. “I don’t know. That’s a difficult question. A man’s plans can change each year.”
“I suppose.”
I stare into Cass’ brown eyes and cup her head with my hand. We bob in the water for a moment, while I just simply stare at her. She’s the exception.
“What are you afraid of?” I ask, nuzzling her nose with mine.
If Cass thought we’d fuck and then I’d push her out of my life, she was sorely mistaken. I had every intention of spending as much time as I could with this woman. She’s so different. Everything about her is raw and real. Even her feelings are written on her sleeve and her eyes give away nearly every thought that’s swirling around in her gorgeous head of long brown waves. She’s an open book and I’m determined to turn the pages, one by one. I hadn’t known Cass for long but I loved everything about her.
She kisses my lips. “Maybe nothing. Maybe of myself, I don’t know.”
“I want to spend time with you. I want to get to know you. Can we do that?”
The words out of my mouth, spilled like thick lies. I’d no intention of moving slow with Cass. I could barely keep my dick in my pants as it was. Each time I touched her, my cock stirred to life just begging to be let the fuck out.
She nods, clutching me tighter.
“Okay. Let me take some pictures of you.” She whispers, running a finger lazily over my shoulder.
“Clothed or unclothed?”
Cass giggles. “How’s semi-clothed.” She counters.
I groan. “It sounds okay but I thought you’d like me better if I was naked.”
She starts cracking up. “So flirty.”
“Am I charming the panties off you yet?”
She doesn’t respond, only holds me tighter. Her silence is my answer. I clutch the back of her neck, bouncing with the waves.
“Why photography?”
Cass’ sleepy eyes meet mine. “I don’t know. I guess I love the ability to capture something in a way it will never be seen again. I have the privilege of the vision firsthand and the picture is nothing but a memory.
“I’m in love with light and angles and all that silly stuff. I spend hours sometimes focusing on one object and taking photographs outdoors as the light changes. With the right light, a dirty alley can be just as interesting as a field of colorful flowers.” She explains. “I like capturing a moment I never want to forget.”
I nod. “That’s cool, Cass – real cool.”
She smiles when I place a soft kiss to her forehead. Her eyes are closed and everything about just having her in my arms feels right. There isn’t a cloud in the blue sky. It’s as clear as my thinking is.