by Kelly Moore
Letting the water carry me out a little further, I lie on my back and float in the warm water. I’ve fallen in love with the ocean and wish I never had to leave this place. I plan on enjoying every moment of my time here. I only wish I had someone to share it with. Will comes to mind immediately. I haven’t spoken with him again, but I think about his handsome face and charming ways almost every day. I’ve been tempted to call him, but I’m sure he’s been busy back in New York. He’s probably forgotten all about me by now.
I splash in the waves for a while then head to the white sand. I’ve been dying to build a sandcastle but didn’t want to risk it while my tattoos were still healing. Before I plop down in the sand, I spread coconut-scented sunscreen lotion all over my body. Almost as soon as I sit down, I can feel the chafing of the sand caught inside my bikini bottoms. I ignore it and start digging. It’s so hot out already; the prickling heat of the sun is on my back and neck. My lip is brimmed with sweat, but I keep digging further down until I have a good-sized mote surrounding where I want to build my castle.
I jump up to guzzle down a bottle of water, and I see in the distance someone walking around the back of my cottage. I can only tell that it’s a man with a dark baseball cap on.
I’m digging my phone from my bag, ready to dial 9-1-1 when I see him peek through the glass French doors in the back of the house. I quickly pull on my peach-colored cover-up and flip-flops and make my way to the cottage. He walks to the end of the deck on the porch and looks out toward the water. When he sees me, he waves like he knows me.
I stop dead in my tracks when I realize who it is. “Will!” I yell.
He takes off in a jog toward me. Wrapping his arms around me, he swings me in a hug. “There you are, beautiful.”
“What are you doing here?” I’m giggling like a schoolgirl.
“I missed you.” His lips find mine, and I taste my coconut sunscreen. “Mmmm…you taste good.” He moans against my mouth.
“I thought you were in New York,” I say, pulling back to look at him.
“I was, and now I’m here.”
Taking his ball cap off, I run my hands through his dark hair. “This is a nice surprise. How did you find me?” I take his hand and head back to my chair to grab my things.
“I stopped at the market downtown and asked around. The old man that owned the store made me give him my driver’s license before he would give me any information.”
“So you met Hank.” I giggle, picturing him giving Will the third degree.
“Yeah, he said he’d be out here to check on you later.”
“Actually, he’s coming over for dinner tonight.”
He digs his shoes in the sand, halting us. “You’re dating Hank?”
“What’s wrong with Hank? He’s got the most gorgeous blue eyes,” I say, dreamily.
“I guess I should have called first,” he says, running his hand through his hair.
I swat him in the stomach. “I’m teasing you. He and I have become friends. I rather enjoy his company. I think I’ve become the daughter he never had.”
“You had me worried for a minute. I thought maybe you had a thing for older men.” He runs a finger along the edge of my collarbone. “You look good with some color on you.”
The heat coming from him burns my skin. “How long are you here for?” I sound breathy all of a sudden.
“As long as you will let me stay.”
I grab my things. “Then you’re here for the summer.” I laugh. “I hope you found a decent place to stay.” I’m teasing him again, but he’s not finding it funny.
“I thought you might let me stay with you.” His gaze whips to mine.
“Like shooting fish in a barrel.”
“Oh…you’re teasing me.” He bends over like he’s going to tie his shoe and the next thing I know, my derriere is pointed toward the blue sky as he throws me over his shoulder and takes off running toward the cottage.
I’m laughing so hard I can’t breathe until he places my feet on the deck. He holds out his hand. “Keys.”
The look he is giving me causes a low and pleasant hum to warm my body. I dig for the keys in the bottom of my beach bag. But, instead of handing them to him, I unlock the door, step inside, and with a crook of my index finger, I beckon him to follow me.
He grabs my hand and brings it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles. The touch of his lips causes scarlet heat to caress my body. He lets go of my hand, and I shut the door. When I turn around to face him, he’s unbuttoning his white shirt.
I lick my lips at the sight of his chest. I know I’ve seen it before, but never heaving with lust. I gaze back up, and his eyes are magnetic, pulling me toward him. My heart pounds hard as I step closer to him, mere inches from his face.
“Did you come here just for this?” My voice is barely a whisper.
I close my eyes as his hand touches my face. “No, Mags. I came here to fall in love with you, but now that I’m here, I want to see what it feels like to have you lying beneath me…buried deep inside you.”
My eyes snap open with his breath tickling my ear. I want the very same thing, but I didn’t know it until right this moment. “Yes, please,”
He angles a glance down at me. “I like that,” he says, then brackets my waist, rubbing the arc of my hipbone with his thumbs.
I reach down, remove his hands, and pull my cover-up off. His brown eyes penetrate my skin as he admires my body. I inhale sharply when he toys with a tendril of my damp hair.
“You are so fucking beautiful.” His hand slides down my tattooed arm, and his fingers entwine with mine. “Where is your bedroom?” His voice cracks, and I find it endearing.
I press my lips together and don’t say a word as I lead him into my room. I sneak a glance up at him, and his bottom lip is firmly planted between his teeth.
I snake my hands under his shirt and push it off his shoulders. He shrugs out of it quickly then has his hands back on me. “I’ve wanted this since I sat on the train across from you.”
I’d like to say the same, but it wasn’t long after that. My mind is reeling that he is really here, standing inches from me with his strong hands stroking my body. “I want this now,” I whisper.
He needs no further encouragement. The ties on my bikini bottoms tickle my legs as they fall to the floor. The feel of his hand on my ass has me dizzy as his tongue swirls like silk in my mouth. I willingly sink into the hard planes of his muscular body, and my tongue teases back in rhythm with his.
Our steps take us backward until I feel the bed behind my knees. My hands leave his neck and graze down his body until I’m sitting on the edge. I boldly reach back and untie my top, throwing it to the floor. He inhales sharply and bends down, placing a kiss on that perfect spot on my collarbone. It makes me completely brazen.
His belt comes undone easily, but I fumble with the button on his jeans. I feel his smirk against my skin as he pushes me back onto the bed with his body. His hot tongue finds my taut nipple and sucks it into his mouth and provokes a hiss to escape my lips. I lick the dryness from them, and I can taste the sweetness of him in my mouth.
I let my body melt into every sensation he has lit inside me. Soft kisses trail around my belly button. Just when I think he’s going to dip between my thighs, his firm hands grasp my hips and flip me over.
He brushes my hair off my back and nibbles the base of my neck. His body is pressed into mine, and I can feel his cock through his jeans, pushing into my ass.
“You are so damn sexy.” His breath is now behind my ear, and he’s licking and kissing his way down to my shoulder.
I try to say something, but my voice won’t leave my throat. It comes out as a sensual groan. He keeps nipping and kissing until I’m nothing but a puddle of need.
“Please, Will.”
He flips me back over. “Please what, Maggie?”
“I want to touch you.”
He bites his bottom lip again. “You taste like salt and coc
onut, mixed with sand.”
He scoops me up and walks me into the bathroom, turning on the shower.
I smile and step under the spray of the water. When I open my eyes, he’s stripped naked and standing outside the shower door, staring at me.
“Are you going to gawk at me or join me?” I ask, reaching my hand out for him to take. He steps inside, and I get a better look at his saluting cock. It’s thick, but not too large. It’s the perfect size, and I find my mouth no longer dry. The water cools the flames on my skin, letting me regain my senses. I trace his abs with my fingers as his hands smooth back my hair in the spraying water.
My turn to taste his skin on my lips. I press a kiss in the middle of his chest and slowly go to my knees. I’ve never had a man in my mouth before, but I instinctively know what to do. I cup one hand underneath him as I wrap my other around his shaft. I gaze up at his face as my lips surround the tip of his cock. His head falls back as I take him in deeper. Pressing my lips together, I suck my way back up to the tip. God, it feels so smooth and silky on my tongue. I lick my lips and dip down again, but this time, he yanks me to my feet.
“That was the sweetest thing I’ve ever felt, but if you put me in your mouth again, this will be done before I’ve even gotten started.”
I swallow hard seeing how turned on he is from my touch. “I want you inside me.”
He touches my swollen lips with his fingertips. “Wait right here.” He steps out of the shower, grabs a towel, and dries his cock. Reaching down, he pulls a condom out of his jeans and rolls it on. As soon as he steps back in, he grabs my hips, lifting me up, pushing my back against the tile wall. He angles his body beneath me, bracing one leg. Then, he lowers me onto him slowly, allowing my body to adjust to his girth.
Once he is fully seated inside me, he starts to move. I watch him looking up at me gritting his teeth. “You are so tight, Maggie.”
“You feel so good.”
My words drive him crazy, and he starts to move faster. Our breaths are mingled together as we fall deeper into one another. He reaches in between us and rubs my core. I scream out his name as I start to throb. He thrusts his hips, and the throb turns into an explosion of sensations. I feel myself pulsating around his cock, pulling him deeper into me.
I can’t breathe. I can’t feel anything other than him inside me. My chest heaves as my lungs long to draw in air. A feeling of euphoria swarms over me as he continues to delve deeper and harder. This is a drug I could get addicted to.
“Maggie!” he yells, then his pulsating matches mine.
My body is limp as he lowers me to the ground.
He removes the condom and throws it on the shower floor, then wraps me tightly against his chest. I think if he wasn’t holding on to me, I’d simply slide down to the floor.
“Are you okay?” He chuckles.
“Yeah!” I smile against his chest. “That was amazing. Can we do it again?” I look up at him in time to catch his laughter.
“If you give me a minute, I’m sure we can,” he says, opening the shower door.
I grab two towels and dry us off. I lead him back over to the bed and pull down the sheets.
The hours after that are pure bliss. We get lost in each other until exhaustion takes us over.
Knocking at the door has me uncurling from Will’s arms. He’s puffing out a soft snore and tucks himself further into the bed. The knocking gets louder, and I quickly get dressed.
Hank is in mid knock again when I open the front door. He’s holding a bottle of wine and a shoebox full of pictures.
“Oh my God, Hank. I completely lost track of time. Come on in.”
“I’m glad you finally answered the door. I was going to call the cops. I thought maybe that young man that was looking for you earlier today had done something to you,” he says, stepping inside and looking around.
He did something to me all right, but not what Hank was thinking. “Will is a friend of mine.” I take the bottle of wine from him and head to the kitchen.
“Looks like more than a friend to me.” He’s pointing to a shirtless Will, who is standing in the bedroom doorway.
I laugh to keep from being embarrassed. “Will, this is Hank.”
“Yeah…we met earlier. Nice to see you again, Hank.”
He chuckles. “How about you go put a shirt on while I help our gal in the kitchen.” He shoos Will away with his hand.
“I was hoping he was the one you’ve been waiting for.”
“What? I’ve not been waiting for him.”
“I told you love had already found you.” He sits at the small table.
“You…that’s…” I’m so flustered, I can’t get the words out.
“What has you all tongue-tied, Mags?” Will is buttoning up his white shirt as he enters the kitchen.
My face flushes thinking about taking it off him. “Nothing.”
Hank chuckles again and wraps his arm around my shoulder.
Chapter 9
“That has to be the best Greek salad I’ve ever had.” Hank leans back in his chair and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Tell me, Will, have you ever been to Greece?”
“No, sir. But it is on the top of my list of places to travel.”
I pick up the plates from the table and put them in the dishwasher as Hank takes out pictures of his travels with Alice to show Will.
“She was the love of my life.” I hear the catch in his voice even with my back to him.
“She was beautiful, Hank.”
“I knew what I had in her from day one. Do you know what you have in this one?”
I turn around, and he’s pointing at me. “It’s not like that, Hank.”
Will sits back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. “What is it like, Mags?” He’s smiling.
I throw the dishrag on the counter. “You two are trouble.” I laugh at them. “Hank, we are just getting to know one another.”
“You know what you know, Maggie,” he says.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.
“The minute you lay eyes on your soul mate, you know it.”
“Maybe that worked for you and Alice, but not for everyone.”
“I happen to think he’s right,” Will chimes in.
“Wait, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying the minute I laid eyes on you, I wanted you.”
“Wanting someone and knowing they are your soul mate are two different things.” I sit at the table with them.
“Not for me it’s not. I wouldn’t want a woman without being in love with her.”
“You’re making my head spin, Will. No one said anything about love.”
“I did,” they both say at the same time.
“I knew love had already found you. I so much as told you so.” Hank has a shit-eating, I-told-you-so smile on his face.
“If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have given my business to someone else to run to spend the summer with you. I told you, I came here for you to fall in love with me.”
I press my fingers to my temples. “We barely know each other.”
“I know enough, and about an hour ago, we knew a lot about each other.” Will laughs, and I turn bright pink.
“Will!” I yell at him to stop.
“I knew I loved you like a daughter the moment you walked up to my door in the rain. We’re soul mates too, so to speak.”
“You two are too much.” I hop up from my chair. “Is there any more wine? I really need a drink.”
Hank picks up the bottle in the middle of the table and dumps it upside down. “All gone, Maggie.” He taps the bottom with his finger. Not even a drop falls out.
I grab my purse off the counter. “You two visit, I’m running to the store.”
“I’d love peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream,” Hank yells after me and throws me his truck keys.
There is only one store open when I get into town. Unfortunately, they have no wine or liquor, but they do have what Hank
wanted. I pick up the brown paper bag and head back to the truck. The stars in the sky get my attention. They’re so big and bright, I feel like I could reach out and touch them. I sit on a bench outside the store to admire them. My mind runs to the conversation with Hank and Will.
I know that I have feelings for Will, but I haven’t had time to process them. He was so unplanned for me. Phillip would tell me to go with my gut. My gut says that Will is someone that I could fall madly in love with, but I’m not sure about their instalove theory. I’m definitely attracted to him, and his touch does things to me that I don’t like to admit. And, well, I most certainly like having my hands on him. Is that love? I don’t know, but I’d like to find out. I can’t believe he’s really here for the summer. He did say he came here for me to fall in love with him. I’d like to explore my feelings for him; I just wish that my heart knew right away. I think it’s part of my DNA to be cautious. I’m so unsure of myself, how can I be certain of another person that I hardly know?
I do know the thought of Will makes me smile and warms my heart. Maybe that’s what love is. Maybe they’re both right, and I’m just cynical.
Hank’s truck sputters as I start it up. The old red faded pickup has over 300,000 miles on it. I think it’s time he bought a new one. If I know Hank, he has some story about Alice that fits into this truck, and he’ll never get rid of it. On the dark ride home, I can almost see Hank and Alice in this truck and the happy life they had. I want that more than anything, but I never thought it was in the cards for me. I’m willing to try, and the thought of a life with Will makes me tingle all over.
The truck sputters again when I drive up into the gravel driveway, and I turn it off. Walking into the kitchen with my brown paper bag, both of the men halt their card game to take the bag from me.
“Did you find cobbler,” Hank asks, rummaging through the bag.
“Yep, that and the ice cream you requested, but not wine,” I mumble.
He chuckles. “You know my market is the only one in town that sells wine and it’s closed right now.”