by Dylan Heart
Jensen rises to his feet and crosses through the open door. His body is a shadow against the light of the moon that peers over the ocean. He pulls the door shut behind him and climbs onto the opposite side of the bed.
I’m facing the opposite direction of him as he turns onto his stomach.
“Apple?”
“Yeah?” I turn over so I can see him. The muscles on his back are contoured under the natural light of the night sky. His ass is a perfect bubble—tight and muscular.
“God,” he moans against the sheets. “You’re so beautiful.
The admission from his lips stabs me through the heart. His voice is sincere and low, but full of something I can’t pinpoint. Is it sorrow? Validation? Something else? I don’t know how to respond, and for the first time in the longest time, I have nothing to say.
“Apple?” He doesn’t wait for me to acknowledge him. “Will you lay with me?”
I chuckle out of discomfort and go for the light joke. “I am. I’m laying right beside you.”
He lifts his head up, turning to me at an uncomfortable angle. “No,” he almost growls. “Lay with me.”
I chew into my cheek before obliging. I scoot my naked body against the sheets as he turns onto his side. We’re a mere inch apart, but he craves to be closer and throws his arm around me. He pulls me by the swell in my back so our bodies rest against each other.
There’s nothing sexual about the position we find ourselves in. There’s an innocence here of a man who craves contact with another beating heart. I miss the animal he was a half hour ago, but am beyond intrigued at the man in front of me right now.
There are moments when someone does something intentionally, but plays it off as if it were an accident. Jensen pulls one of these moves and nudges his head against mine so that I roll onto my back. He pretends to be asleep as he groggily lowers his head onto the space between my neck and my naked breasts.
I don’t know why, but I run my fingers through his hair, stroking him with gentle brushes as I stare at the spinning ceiling fan above us. There’s an unfamiliar tear in my heart, a feeling I forced myself to forget long ago.
Chapter 19
My head thumps as I awake. Hangovers and I do not get along. That’s why I stick to mimosas, and they weren’t serving them at the club last night. I caress my forehead with my palm and slide my feet to the tile floor.
I slip into my shorts and pull a tee over my head.
I stretch my arms over my head and step to the sliding door. When I open it, I’m met with the warm afternoon breeze. The air smells of salt and ocean water, the absolute best scent to wake up to.
I turn to the bed to awake Jensen, but he’s not there. The bathroom door is open and the deadbolt is unlocked. He’s gone.
My stomach drops and if I wasn’t feeling queasy before… There’s a note on the bed, folded like the note I found on my bed after high school prom. I chew into my cheek, and my face flushes with anger.
I think I stare at that fucking note for a good ten minutes before I rush to the bed and snap it up.
Apple,
I’ll be gone for a few hours. There are a few things I need to take care of in town, and I figure you’ll be asleep for a while. Get your sexy ass ready, because as soon as I come back, we’re going to spend the entire day on the beach. Can’t wait to see you in a bathing suit.
Your favorite fuck buddy,
Jensen.
P.S. Don’t keep this note to use as evidence against me if I ever piss you off lol
I sigh out of relief and an inexplicable smile cracks across my face. I take a quick glance in the mirror behind me to see that I look like a fucking chipmunk when I’m this happy, so I knock the smile off my face real fucking haste.
Knock Knock.
I divert my attention to the door. “It’s unlocked,” I call out. The door opens right away and my jaw drops. “What the fuck you doing here?”
Brick yawns and plops down onto the bed without having the decency to close the damn door. “I came to see you,” he says, followed by another obnoxious yawn. He’s wearing board shorts and a grey hoodie. His hair is tussled and his eyes are heavy.
I rush to the door and slam it shut. “How did you know where I was?”
“I always know where you’re at.” He waves his phone at me. “I track you with my phone.”
“Creepy, and probably illegal.”
“Not if you gave me permission to do it.”
“I didn’t.”
“Haven’t you ever wondered what the app FINDR is on your phone?”
I scoop my phone off the dresser and scroll to the first screen. There’s a green icon with the misspelled word FINDR underneath it. “I thought it was an app to find your phone if it was lost.”
“Nope.” He shrugs and lies down on the bed, cradling his head in his hands. Because he’s an inconsiderate asshole, I’m not going to inform him that Jensen’s naked, sex-drenched body laid in that exact same spot last night.
“I’m deleting it.” I hold down the FINDR app on my phone and swipe to delete it. “Now tell me, what the hell did you travel four hours down here for?”
“I told you.” He laughs. “I wanted to see you.”
“You’re obsessed.”
He sits up in bed and stretches his legs outward. “I had to get away from Cece.”
“You’ve known her for two days,” I snap.
“She won’t get off my dick.”
“I would think you would take that as a compliment.” This has been my plan all along. I knew she wouldn’t be able to resist him—he’s the perfect model of a bad boy, and we always want what’s bad for us. “Did you record it?”
“You know me too well.” He reaches into his pocket and retrieves an SD card. I rip the card out of his hands and shove it into the pocket of my shorts. “What the hell?”
“You did your job, and I assume you did it well, but I’ll take it from here.”
“You’re going to send it to this Rafe guy?”
“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with it.” I’m lying, but I need to keep Brick at a distance when it comes to my plan.
“By the way, no more virgins for me. I’m done.”
“What about Tyra?”
“Oh, yeah…”
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
“After her, I’m done.”
“She’s nothing more than a pipe-dream, so I’d say you’re done already.” I flip my fingers through my hair and shake my tee. This hangover is making me sweat like a whore in church. “If I didn’t know you better than that, that is.”
“You’re probably right.” His acknowledgement is a rare treat.
“I know I am.” I grab him by the arm and show him the door. “Now, Jensen could be back at any moment and I’m going to need you to be gone when that happens.”
“I was thinking we could hit the beach or something.” His teeth sink into his lips. “Maybe have a quickie in the lifeguard hut.”
“The only way you’re getting close to my pussy is if you win. Only then, can you have your quickie.”
“Oh baby, it won’t be quick.”
“Yeah, whatever you say. Three strokes and your done.”
“That happened one time.” He throws his pointer finger up to me. “You wound me up for hours.”
“And I’m going to wind my foot up your ass if you don’t get gone real quick.”
“Okay, okay. Easy babe.”
I shut the door on his face, fetch the SD card out of my pocket and let out an exhausted sigh. I don’t know if it’s the hangover or if I’m having a change of heart. All I know is that everything is muddled and I can’t think straight.
I lay on my stomach, my feet kicking in the air behind me. The afternoon local news is depressing. Someone was shot last night at a gas station about three miles from the motel. I grab the remote and flip through the channels, deciding, against better judgment, to watch reruns of The Rules Of Innocence.
It’s surreal to watch something on television that’s filmed in places you’ve been. I like to call it the, hey, I’ve been there phenomena. Before I can get too interested in the lives of the rich and famous for being famous, Jensen pushes through the door. In his arms is a large brown paper bag.
“Where have you been?” I roll out of bed and confront him. “I’ve been waiting here for hours.”
His face twists. “Didn’t you get my note?”
“Yeah.”
“I had to take care of some things.” He dumps the bag onto the bed and two bottles of whiskey plop against the mattress. “I’m back now, and I’m ready to party.”
“That’s a lot of alcohol for two people.”
“Well,” he says and places his hands on my hips. “We have all day.”
“Party for two on the beach?” I pull my hair above my head, not sure if I want to spend my day getting drunk on anything other than mimosas. This is one of those, hair of the dog things, I guess. “Sounds perfect to me.”
Chapter 20
Sand beneath our toes.
Waves crashing along the shore.
Skies that are Toy Story blue.
A sun that glistens against our skin.
Wind that curls through our hair.
It’s the most romantic imagery I could ever imagine, but it’s all a façade. I know I’m playing him, but I’m starting to question if he’s playing me.
A half-drunk bottle of whiskey in my right hand.
A half-drunk bottle of whiskey in his left hand.
We’re perfect strangers, but we fuck like animals.
We carry the burden of secrets.
I know the game I play, a dangerous game of deceit and betrayal.
I can’t discern his.
My hair lays flat against my back, trailing past the top of my all-black bikini. Jensen looks as sexy in the burning light as he does in the pitch-black dark. Whether it’s the sun, or the moon kissing him, he glows enigmatic. Everything about him is wrapped in secrecy. I know nothing of his past, or his plans for the future.
I know it’s ridiculous to believe I should. Like I said, we’re perfect strangers and no matter how hard I try to put the pieces of the puzzle together, I can’t make the pieces fit—that’s what the whiskey’s for.
We find the most recluse spot we can find and drop a pair of towels onto the warm, white sand. The sun is too violent for the spring air, and I forgot my sunglasses in the room, so I lay on my stomach. I rest my eyes for only a moment…
I peel my eyes open and take notice of the plateaued, pink sky. The sun has begun to go into hiding underneath the line of beach houses behind us. I’m groggy and confused as I set up onto the towel and look out over the ocean where the pink sky reflects off the rolling tides.
“I watched you while you slept,” Jensen says from beside me. Not creepy at all. His head is rested on his hand, and his elbow sinks in the sand. “Reapplied your sunscreen every thirty minutes so you wouldn’t burn.”
With my finger, I wipe the sleep from my eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You looked peaceful.” His smile morphs into a grin. “Also, I like the silence and you have a penchant for being loud and rambunctious.”
“Shut up.” I swat at him. “What time is it?”
“Sunset.”
“That’s not a time.”
“It used to be.” He sighs and rolls onto his back. “Back before the world became so busy, back when life was slower.”
“That’s beautiful.” Did I really just fucking say that?
“So are you.” He’s on his back so it’s hard to read his face.
“What did you say?” I climb to my feet and scrape sand from my legs.
“I said you’re beautiful.” He sits up and runs fingers through his hair. “No need to make a fuss.”
“What are you doing?” I’m irritated and tired. I dig my feet into the sand and shake my head.
“Relax babe.”
Babe? “Did you smoke crack while I was asleep?”
“What?” He smiles as he dusts himself off and stands. “You know what you need?”
“Another drink.”
He steps toward me, and bites into his lip. Just when I think he’s about to say something witty, he scoops my body into his arms and takes off toward the sea. I throw an arm around his neck, and cling to him with an iron grip. “Jensen, no,” I scream, but he pays no head.
His feet land against the current as it washes onto the shore. I’m met with splashes of cold water as he tramples further outward. When we’re far enough out, and deep enough in, his running turns into a slow walk as he trudges against the tide.
The water rises with every step, until the sea collides against his nipples. Most of my body is submerged underwater, and I know my fate is in his hands. I attempt—and fail—to climb further up his body.
He treats my body like a barbell as he begins exercising. When he dips outward, my entire body, except for my head, goes under. He’s so cute, thinking we’re at the gym when we’re almost buried under the weight of a frigid ocean.
He drops his arms and swings my body side to side, taunting me. “Does Apple want to swim?”
“No.” I shake my head furiously. “She does not.”
“Does Apple know how to swim?”
“Of course I know how to swim. I’m not a fucking toddler.”
“Good enough for me.” He drops me into the water and the last thing I hear before I’m under the surface is the implication it was an accident. “Oops.”
I fumble under the surface, waiting for the crash of a large wave before kicking upward. The water is deeper, like he threw me off the edge of a drop-off. The first thing I see when I surface is Jensen swimming toward land.
“I’m going to kick your ass,” I scream at him.
“Did you say you’re going to stick your finger my ass again?” he hollers back, much to the dismay of the children swimming with their father to the right of us.
He claps his hands and bends to his knees. He’s a quarterback prepared to catch me—the ball—in his strong hands. I’m not aiming for his hands as I find my footing in the sand and charge toward him.
His brows furrow and he spins to the right. He’s not fast enough as I lunge myself onto his back, throwing my arms around him and pulling his body into the water with me. He throws his hand against the wave, spitting out a mouthful of ocean-water.
I throw my head back, laughing as I run my fingers through his short hair. “Your hair is so sexy right now.”
“You like me when I’m wet?” He scoops his arms around my back as we stand waist-deep in the water. “I would say you’re beautiful, but you tend to get pissy about little things like that.”
“I wasn’t pissed—“
“Bullshit.”
“Men call women beautiful when they want to fuck them—“
“I’ve fucked your pussy twice, and your mouth once,” he points out.
“They never mean it,” I continue, ignoring his words.
“What could have been my ulterior motive?”
“I don’t know. You’re a man.”
“Careful now, I might have to throw your ass back under the water.”
“Try me.”
He tries me, dipping me backward and submerging me under the surface once again. I swallow a large gulp of water, and when I come back up, my first instinct is to breathe.
But I can’t.
He’s kissing me on the fucking lips.
He’s kissed every part of my body, but never my lips. The occasion in which he chooses to rectify this, I’m already fighting to breathe. His lips are smooth against mine, and he steals whatever breath I have left from being forced under the salty water.
He’s a succubus, drawing the life from me and I should fight it. I should beat my hands against his chest. I should crawl away from his touch. I can’t.
When his lips pull away from me, and his eyes are fixated on my own without so
much as a blink, I choke on the rush of air swimming into my throat. I have so much to say, but he’s not ready to hear a word.
“I’m going to kiss you again.”
I don’t protest.
Chapter 21
Darkness creeps against the horizon as the pink clouds fade into hues of dying blue. Jensen chases me out of the water, and the cool evening air chills me. I shake as I reach for my towel and wrap it around my wet, sandy body.
Jensen—apparently being immune to the cold—opts to sit on his towel instead. Droplets of salt water trail down his abs as he shakes the water from his head. “Have you ever seen a sunset?” he asks and turns onto his side.
That’s an odd question. “Almost every night.”
“No, I mean, have you ever really seen one?”
“Like over the ocean?” I pull my hair into a ponytail and search through my bag for a hair tie. “Can’t say I have.”
“You should.” He peers out into the vanishing distance. “It’s the most beautiful sight in the world.”
“Why don’t you take me there sometime? Take me somewhere where I can see it for myself?” I unravel the towel from around my body and place it along the sand next to Jensen.
He chews into his cheek and scratches his chin nervously. “What am I to you?” There’s a seriousness engraved in his tone, and I immediately know we’re about to have our first real conversation.
I sigh, because I can’t answer his question with the truth, and for some reason, I can’t bring myself to lie. “That’s hard to quantify.”
“Try,” his voice is needy, but stern. He wants an honest answer.
But I just shrug. “I don’t know.”
He gestures with his hands. “Take an educated guess.”
“This is hard for me, you know.” I stare him down, waging war with the way I dig into him with just one look. “We fuck and then we don’t talk. And when we do talk, it’s never about anything that matters.”
“We hardly know each other.”