by Kim Cormack
He took a long drink from his straw, leaned over and whispered, “Oh, I plan to show you exactly how much I’ve missed you.” Kayn laughed and accidentally inhaled her sip of Pina Colada. He gently patted her on the back as he whispered in her ear, “We should eat. Once I get you into my room you won’t be leaving it for days.”
She felt the heat of his hand hovering above the small of her back. Kayn warned, “Don’t you dare.”
Frost chuckled as he passed her a menu. Zach asked him a question and they started talking. Frost excused himself and left the bar. Kayn opened her menu. It was all in Spanish. She was Canadian so she’d taken French in school. The Spanish language was enough like French to decipher a tiny bit of the menu.
Zach noticed her having a difficult time. He pointed at something, suggesting it to her. She looked at him and asked, “Can you speak Spanish?”
He gave her a funny look as he replied, “Of course I can. My grandparents lived with us and they didn’t speak English.”
“How did I not know this about you?” She remarked. She asked Zach to order her dinner for her just so she could hear him speak. When the waiter came over Zach ordered her something that sounded super sexy. Kayn was stupefied. She exclaimed, “How are you not using this to pick up women? It is seriously hot.”
He gave her a funny look as he answered, “I honestly didn’t even think about it. You tend to just speak what everyone else is speaking.”
She prodded, “Try it out on Melody.”
Zach grinned at her and she watched him as he strolled down the bar towards Melody. He leaned in and said something that sounded extremely naughty. Mel looked up from her menu, smiled at him and invited him to sit down beside her. How had he not been picking up girls with this? Kayn took a sip from the curly straw. Well, she’d done her good deed for the day. If that didn’t work, nothing would. Kayn was rather unsuccessfully attempting to fish the maraschino cherry out of her slushy drink when Frost snuck up behind her.
He kissed her neck, handed her a flower and teased, “Want me to get that cherry for you?”
All hail to the reigning king of innuendo. She kissed him on the cheek and sparred, “I think I can get this one.” She smelled the flower he’d just given her. Its scent was heavenly. Kayn looked at him and teased, “How are you ever going to keep this level of amazing boyfriend up?”
He slid into the empty seat beside her and replied, “We haven’t really given this a name yet but boyfriend works for me. Does that mean I get to call you my girlfriend?”
Had she just jumped the gun there? She questioned, “Do you want to call me your girlfriend?”
He intertwined his fingers with hers, kissed the back of her hand and teased, “I’d be honored but just so you know the whole relationship thing scares the shit out of me. I’m really trying to get past it. I hope you can see that.”
She could see the raw emotion in his eyes. Kayn leaned in, tenderly kissed his lips and whispered, “I can.” Her meal was placed in front of her. It was an enchilada covered in green sauce.
Frost grinned and announced, “That is definitely going to be the spiciest dish you’ve ever eaten.”
She loved spicy food. It was more than that, she now seemed to require it. Kayn cut up a tiny bite and ate a mouthful. It was amazing. It was so hot, she was sweating. She took a big sip of the slushy drink before taking another mouthful. Frost silently watched her devour the entire contents of her plate, while smiling. When they were finished eating, they wandered over to sit in the hot tub with the rest of their clan. Kayn slipped out of her sundress and stepped into the luxurious heated tub. Frost and Grey started up an animated hilarious conversation. She closed her eyes and tried to relax but all she could think about was how much she wanted to be alone with him. Frost and Grey randomly got up, raced to the pool and leapt in.
Lexy nudged her and teased, “It’s good to be back with you guys, even Zach.”
Zach was sitting in the tub between Melody and Dean. He grinned at her while replying, “Funny Lex.”
“Let’s just say, you’ve grown on me,” Lexy provoked as she splashed Zach.
Kayn felt a glow of happiness. She’d always thought of home as a place. It occurred to her now that a home was created by the people that surrounded you. The RV could be home and the in-between. This hot tub in Mexico was also home, because they were all here. Well, almost everyone. They were missing a few. She stood up and announced, “I’m going to love and leave you. That was a long drive and bathing at random public swimming pools for a whole week doesn’t leave you feeling very fresh. I need a shower.”
Lexy smiled at her and said, “You’re in bungalow five. The door is probably open. We’ll tell him where you went.”
She grabbed her backpack and wandered down the pathway towards the somewhat secluded bungalow five. Kayn opened the door and stepped inside. It was a basic little room but he already had it surrounded with privacy stones. She took her bag into the bathroom and brushed her teeth before getting into the shower. Kayn had already conditioned her hair when she heard the bathroom door close. Just knowing he was in the room made her pulse race. The curtains shifted as he stepped into the shower behind her.
Frost pressed himself against her and whispered, “Pass the soap?”
Feeling Dirty? She passed the bar of soap over her shoulder. She laughed as she felt his sudsy hands slip across her midriff and slowly began massaging her body.
He whispered against her neck, “Is something funny?”
She giggled and answered, “You usually catch those thoughts. That one was far too cheesy to ever be spoken aloud.”
Frost chuckled as he purposely missed each of her aching peaks with his soapy palms and teased, “Let me guess what you were going to say. I’ve become quite fluent in your inner dialogue. Was it… feeling dirty?”
She grinned. He’d guessed her dorky inner dialogue correctly. Frost ran his hand down both sides of her inner thigh without touching the part of her that was aching for him. He was playing the same torturously tantalizing game he’d played with her once before but the rules had changed. She knew how to make him lose control. She moved his hands to where she wanted them and shivered as the pheromones released from her skin. It was easy to trigger this ability when she was with him. Once her use of his ability had been triggered, what they felt for each other became a violent primal urge. Kayn turned to face him, she grabbed a handful of his dripping wet hair and aggressively pulled his lips to hers, starting their lustful titillating dance of tongues. His eyes flashed with dark urgency and he took her forcefully up against the side of the shower stall, until they both lost their filters and cried out as the rhythm of their ecstasy built to its gloriously mind blowing crescendo. They remained in each other’s arms as their breathing began to calm. She slipped on the soapy floor of the tub and towed him down with her. They both grabbed for the shower curtains trying to stop themselves and ended up on the bathroom floor. He cushioned her fall as she landed on top of him. They started to laugh recalling the mystery curtains on the floor of the honeymoon suite. Kayn kissed him, nipping his lip with her teeth. He’d remained within her during their decent. Frost clutched her ample backside with both hands and started up another round of tumultuously rough lovemaking on the hard tile floor. After hours of christening every possible surface of the bungalow, they filled the tub and had a relaxing bath together. Afterwards, they dried each other off and snuggled under the covers on the bed. He could make her feel more with one touch than anyone could with a thousand beautiful words.
Frost gently traced the line of her hip with one of his fingers and whispered, “If you only knew what it was like for me when you were in the Testing. I don’t let myself care for a reason. The thought of losing you…”
Kayn rolled over, met his eyes and teased, “And now that I’ve survived, you’re nothing but a scared little boy. Afraid of loving me. Terrified of what I’ll be able to do to you.”
He smiled at her as he ran one of
his hands through her damp wavy hair and replied, “I wasn’t always this way. I used to believe in the fairytale. Now, the only thing I fear is that sense of loss. The hollow feeling in my chest that whispers… it’s gone.”
She tenderly caressed his face and whispered, “Everybody fears loss.”
He smiled lovingly at her as he said, “I’ve lived long enough to know how difficult this is going to be. Relationships are tough. Most people have these unrealistic visions of valentines and flowers, but most of the time it’s gritty down in the trenches work and a shit load of forgiveness. We’re going to have to fight to stay together. Between my ability, my job description and the fact that you’re a Dragon. The cards will be stacked against us right from the start but if you can try to forgive me for the mistakes, I’m sure to make. I promise to try to forgive you, for yours. I’ll fight for you if you’ll fight for me.”
She understood what he was getting at. The reality of being Ankh was much harsher than that of humanity. At some point in the future they’d be asked to do things that would violate the sanctity of their relationship and wreak havoc on their trust for each other. They would have to make the conscious choice to see past it. She met Frost’s eyes as she answered, “I want to try.”
He pulled her to him, kissed her lips tenderly and when he pulled away there was a devious look in his eyes. He turned away from her, leaned over the side of the bed and reached for something.
What was he up to? He came up with a gift-wrapped box in his hands. He passed it to her. Kayn smiled as she pulled on one end of the bow, loosening the ribbon and it slipped off the package. He was grinning. This was going to be a joke gift, not something sentimental. She stopped trying to carefully unwrap it and tore the paper off. Kayn started to laugh as soon as she saw what the present was. It was a box of Twinkies. She shook her head at him and teased, “You know there’s more to life than just …eating Twinkies in bed?”
Frost took her hint as he slid out from under the covers and replied, “Let’s go make some memories with our clothes on.”
She got out of bed and slipped into her bikini. Frost was already standing with the door wide open, waiting for her. She wandered towards him, wrapped her arms around his neck and attempted to kiss him.
He maneuvered out of her way and verbally jousted, “Now listen here Brighton, this is PG rated memory time.” They started to walk through the door, he blocked her exit and patted down her wild mane of curls. “There you go. That looked a little obvious.”
He extended his hand towards her and she laced her fingers through his. It was the middle of the night. Nobody would even be awake to witness her scary hair. They strolled into the pitch-black cobblestone courtyard. She couldn’t see the flowers but knew where they were by the unforgettable fragrance of their blooms. Where was he taking her? It was so dark without the torches lit. All she could see was the outline of the pool area and the little outdoor bar as they made their way through it.
“You’re not going to tell me where you’re taking me, are you?” She probed.
He quietly teased, “Not a chance. Be careful, there are steps right here.”
The rushing sound of the waves became louder as he led her slowly down the wide cobblestone steps. It felt like the steps ended rather abruptly and Kayn tripped. Frost caught her in his arms before she fell. They were standing in the sand under only the sparse amount of light from the slivered moon. Their bodies began to move together and it was as though they were dancing to the crashing rhythm of the waves. Kayn couldn’t see a thing but she didn’t care. She was wildly swept away in the experience that relied solely on touch and sound. Her body swayed with his, to the music only they could hear. He dipped her. Kayn had no idea it was coming and she laughed. Frost pulled her body against his and whispered something in her ear but a wave roared right as he spoke.
She yelled at him, “I didn’t hear any of that!”
He chuckled and shouted right into her ear, “Let’s make sand castles!”
Kayn waited until the next wave hit. After its thunderous roar, she answered loudly, “But we can’t even see the sand?” She truly couldn’t see a damn thing.
Frost laughed and bellowed back, “That’s the point.”
Kayn smiled at the premise of just feeling her way around in the dark for no apparent reason. Why not? She could see his outline below her. He was already sitting in the sand. Kayn opted to sit next to him. As she raked her fingers through the grains, she recalled a time when one of her fears had been rogue waves. In this light, she wouldn’t even see one coming. As an immortal, a rogue wave would do little more than wreck her middle of the night sandcastle making experience. She got on her knees and dug her way down to the damp sand. She was going to make a moat. For some reason, as a child, she’d always been the one that wanted to make the moat. Matt and Chloe would be scrapping over the big bucket and she’d be there happily digging the hole around their creation. With no ability to see what she was doing, Kayn began to enjoy the tactile experience for what it was. There was gritty sand beneath her nails and she felt it clinging to the skin on her arms. She didn’t know what Frost was up to but she was having fun, completely childish fun. The kind people didn’t have the time for as adults. Grey would be the exception. This would be right up his alley. Once she’d completed her moat, she started writing things in the sand. Kayn wanted to write their initials in the sand but realized she didn’t even know his last name. She sat there for a second pondering that thought before reality clicked. She didn’t have a last name either, not really. Kayn Brighton was dead. They may still use her last name as a nickname from time to time, but it was just a nickname now. The Aries Group probably rigged it up to look like she’d died in that house fire with Jenkins and Matt. Did she have a tombstone? She felt a handful of sand hit her. He was listening to her thoughts. Frost started to tickle her and they wrestled around until he had her arms pinned above her head in the sand as the waves washed behind them.
He teased, “Why are you even thinking about that stuff? Keep moving forward. Anything you see in that rear-view mirror is back there because you’ve passed it.”
She smiled up at him, knowing he was right. A glimmer of light flickered on the water’s surface in the horizon. Had they really stayed up all night?
He released her from his seductive hold, sat up and urged, “Quick. Sit up. You don’t want to miss this.”
Kayn scrambled to sit upright and then shuffled back until she was leaning against him. Frost wrapped his arms around her waist and held her as the light slowly reached its way across the surface of the seemingly endless sea towards their little spot on the beach. As the stunning golden orb of light rose into the sky, he nuzzled her neck, kissed her on the cheek and spoke just as the waves crashed against the shore. She wasn’t certain but it had sounded like he’d told her, he loved her. Kayn waited until the next crash of waves to respond and whispered, “I love you too.”
He hugged her from behind and she sensed he’d heard her confession of love over the roaring of the waves. Frost scrambled to his feet, looked at their sandy creations and started to laugh. She got up and stood beside him to gaze at the wonder of their tactile artistry. She was secretly impressed. Kayn sighed, “We should get to bed before everyone else gets up.”
Frost was facing her, just beaming. He brushed the streak of wet sand off her cheek and teased, “You always get ten times dirtier than anyone else. It’s one of your most endearing traits. Just wait until you get a look at yourself in the mirror.”
Kayn looked down at her arms and they were caked with sand but she’d known about that. She was digging a moat. It was more than just her arms though… It was funny. They began the trek back to the bungalow. This time she was able to see the scenery. They’d have to come back here later and go for a swim when they weren’t so sleep deprived. If they tried to go for one now, they’d surely inconvenience the others by drowning.
Frost grinned as he flung his arm around her and teased, “
I’m not even sure a shower would help. I think we’re going to need to chisel it off.” The two of them climbed the uneven cobblestone steps, wandered back through the pool area and ran into Greydon.
Grey gave her a funny look and sparred, “I’m not even going to ask.” He winked at her and strolled away.
He was far too perky for five am. Grey always seemed to be coming back from somewhere early in the morning. What had Frost called that again? Oh, yes. He’d called it the walk of shame. When they got back to the picturesque little bungalow, they both showered separately and went back to bed.
She stirred to the clamoring of activity outside. Kayn peered over at the time. It was already noon. She snuck out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Her bikini was hanging on the shower rod, completely dry. She put it back on and wandered into the bedroom to wake up Frost. He’d stretched out on the mattress and appeared far too peaceful to disturb. She crawled onto the bed and poised herself above him. He didn’t even stir. She hovered her lips above his for a second to see if he’d notice her there. His face burst into a grin and she started to laugh as he began tickling her.
Frost rolled her over, pinned her to the bed beneath him and jokingly accused, “You called me creepy last time you caught me watching you sleep.”
She had, hadn’t she? He began trailing playful kisses from her neck all the way down to her abdomen. It tickled. She laughed so freely, she accidentally snorted and then her stomach growled like a bear. Sexy moment over.
He snickered, stopped his naughty exploration and teased, “Come on, let’s have lunch, you’re obviously starving.”
Her stomach complained like a ferocious beast once again. Frost got up. She remained there for a moment watching him walk away from the bed. She felt giddy. Her heart felt open and so full it was ready to burst. She’d fallen for him hard.
After a few minutes, he reappeared and said, “Let’s go have something to eat, grab a few drinks and find a spot on the beach in the sun.”