by Jill Sanders
“Here.” He laid the blanket out and glanced up at the house one last time. Most of the lights were off, except the back porch. They were several yards down the beach and he was pretty sure that even if someone glanced out the dark windows, the dunes were high enough to shield them from view.
“Don’t worry.” She pulled him down onto the blanket next to her. “My parents would never stoop to going out on the beach at night.”
He pulled her close, tucking her next to him as he ran a finger down the side of her face. “I’ve thought of you, like this,” he said before kissing her. “Dreamed of it.” He pulled her closer.
He was determined to go slow, enjoy himself, since he wasn’t sure if they would get any more time alone the rest of the week.
“Alan.” Just hearing his name from her stirred something deep inside him. Something he’d never felt before. No matter what happened after tonight, he knew he was in deeper than he’d ever been before.
7
She’d never been with anyone other than Corey. She’d tucked the condoms she’d packed for her honeymoon into the pocket of her shorts before heading out to the beach to meet Alan.
She’d known, after last night that she wanted to be with him. Who was she kidding? She had known from the first moment of seeing him.
She’d toyed with the question of how she would have felt about him if she’d met him with Corey there. Would she have still been attracted to Alan? Would she have dreamed about him like she had after that first night?
When he kissed her and pulled her closer, she forgot all about Corey, her parents, everything except the way he made her feel.
“Please,” she begged, unsure of what it was that she was asking of him.
“This may be the only time we get to sneak out,” he said against her skin. “I want to enjoy it. Remember every detail.” He ran his mouth down her neck and tugged her shirt open, exposing her breasts to the warm night air.
She pushed and tugged until he leaned up and pulled off his T-shirt. Then she explored every muscle along his arms and back with her fingers as his mouth trailed over her skin, sending goosebumps along the pathway.
His fingers ran along the skin above her shorts, then she moved slightly and helped him pull them down her legs.
“Beautiful,” he said softly, looking down at her. “Bathed in moonlight.” He smiled down at her. “It makes your skin glow.”
She chuckled and fought the urge to cover herself. Corey had never taken this much time or care. Shaking that thought away, she reached for his shorts.
“I… forgot… In the Jeep...” He glanced around, and cursed under his breath.
“I didn’t.” She smiled. “My back pocket.”
He placed a soft kiss on her lips and sighed. “Thank god.”
She chuckled and closed her eyes as he continued kissing a path down to the apex of her legs.
When his mouth covered her panties, she arched and moaned as her fingers dug into his hair, holding him, guiding him.
“Yes,” he said as he pulled her silk panties aside. “Come for me,” he groaned next to her skin.
She’d never experienced anything as wonderful as his tongue on her heated skin. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as she cried out his name.
When she resurfaced, he was hovering above her. “Beautiful.” He sighed as he slid slowly into her. “Mine,” she thought he said as he began to move over her, in her.
Wrapping her legs around his narrow hips, she held on and marveled at how good it felt to have sex with a man other than the one she’d believed she would be with her entire life.
“You okay?” he asked once her heart rate had settled back in her chest. His body had cooled over hers. Her hands were still running over his back, enjoying the feel of some of the finest muscles she’d ever seen.
Corey was tall and built like a skinny teenage boy. He had never believed in lifting weights and most of his exercise came through running.
Alan was the first man she’d ever been with. Sighing, she nodded. “You?”
“Never better.” He smiled down at her. “Cold?”
“No.” She tried to pull him back down for a kiss, but he leaned back and looked down at her.
“What?” she asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious. After all, they were on the beach, in the middle of the night, completely naked.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this. With anyone else before.”
She smiled. “There’s a first time for everything,” she said, mimicking his words from earlier.
He shook his head lightly, causing her to laugh.
“Alan, I’d like to experience it again, soon.” She leaned up, then rolled with him until she was straddling him. Her hair fell over her shoulders, covering her breasts as she looked down at him.
Even though he was a darker tan than she was, his skin still glowed in the moonlight.
She ran her fingers over his chest and smiled when his muscles jumped under her fingertips.
“If you keep that up, it’s going to happen sooner rather than later,” he joked, but she could feel him growing hard again between her legs.
“Good.” She leaned down and ran her mouth over the path that her fingers had just taken. “I don’t care if we spend the entire night out here,” she said between kisses along his collarbone. When she placed a kiss directly under his earlobe, he spun her around so she was once again lying on the blanket with him between her legs.
“God,” he groaned as he entered her slowly again. “I could spend a lifetime here, with you.” He covered her mouth with his.
* * *
He hadn’t meant to fall asleep after spending several hours making love to Grace, but he must have dozed off. When he woke, the sun was just coming up in the horizon.
He shifted, knowing they had to wake before the beachgoers.
“Morning.” He leaned over and kissed her. He’d pulled the blanket over them last night. He shifted and found his shorts, shook the sand from them, and pulled them on quickly. “I’d hate to give the joggers a shock.” He glanced down the beach and noticed a few specks heading their way.
She sat up and blinked a few times, then covered her breasts.
He handed her his shirt, which she quickly tossed over her head. “Thanks.” She glanced around, found her shorts, and pulled them on.
He helped her up and, seeing her underwear sitting in the sand, bent down and tucked them into his pocket. She picked up the blanket and shook it off.
“I never knew sleeping on sand could be so comfortable.” She stretched her arms over her head. The smile on her face told him that she’d enjoyed herself last night.
“I’d better get in there. They’re both early risers.” She glanced towards the house and bit her bottom lip.
“Will I see you again tonight?” he asked, pulling her closer.
Her eyes sparkled, and he smiled when she nodded her head. “If I can manage it.”
They kissed at the bottom of the steps and she headed up the stairs. She turned and waved.
All the way back to the Jeep, he felt like he was floating on air. He couldn’t wait to get to work that night, to see her again.
To bide his time, he showered, then took Ralph to the dog park for an hour. He met his roommate for lunch, did some laundry, then dressed for work.
By the end of his shift, his neck hurt from glancing at the door so much.
“If she couldn’t make it today, she’ll be here tomorrow,” Wendy said, patting him on the shoulder.
“Her parents showed up,” he said. “What if she can’t convince them to come back?”
“If she wants to see you, she’ll find a way.”
“Thanks.” He sighed and thought about heading to the big house as he cleaned up and clocked out.
He decided he would drive by the house on his way home. Just to check. If the lights were on, he’d chalk it up to her not being able to convince them. If they were off, he’d believe that they went somewher
e else to eat and that he’d see her tomorrow.
The lights were off. The house sat dark. He sat in front of the place for a full minute before turning around and heading home.
The next night, however, he was disappointed again. This time, when he drove by, he’d ring the doorbell at the place no matter what.
The house was lit up, and when he climbed the stairs, he knew instantly something was off. There was a van from Texas sitting in the driveway.
He rang the bell and heard a bunch of kids rushing towards the door.
“I’ve got it,” they all yelled at the same time.
“Hey,” he said to the group of what appeared to be ten-year-olds. He could tell they were all related because of their red hair.
The oldest asked. “Where’s our pizza?”
“I’m not a pizza delivery. Is Grace here?” He glanced around and noticed the stack of suitcases by the front door.
Instantly, his heart sank.
“Grace who?” the kid asked.
“Did you guys just get here? Today?” he asked.
“Yeah,” the kid said, then turned and screamed at the top of his lungs. “Mom, some guy’s here for Grace.”
He waited until a very pregnant woman showed up. “Can I help you?”
“Yeah, my friend Grace was staying here. She was supposed to have the place for another week.”
The woman smiled and nodded. “We got this place discounted because the people who had it booked left early. I’m sorry, we got in about an hour ago.”
“Sorry to bother you.” He turned to go and then sat in his car for a full five minutes before driving home.
He’d never felt emptier than he had at that moment. He should have gotten her phone number, her last name, something.
Maybe he could find her online? After all, how many Graces could there be in Kentucky, right?
8
Over a year later…
Grace stood just outside the small airport once more. This time, when the heat hit her, she took a deep breath and felt her stomach roll. Her bag was bigger this time, maybe because she knew she’d be here longer or maybe because she’d packed every scrap of clothing she had left to her name.
There wasn’t a big limo waiting for her this time. Instead, she’d rented an economy car. She walked clear out to the end of the parking lot in the hot sun and used the keys to unlock the small compact that would be hers for the next month.
Tossing her two large bags into the trunk of the car, she punched the address of the rental into her phone. The house she’d be staying at wasn’t going to be as big and grandiose as before either.
So much had changed in the past year and a half.
She glanced into the mirror and could still see an additional five pounds she needed to shed. She’d cut her long hair to just below her shoulders. She’d had to, since most of it had fallen out after…
She took a deep breath and put the car into drive. It took her half an hour to get to the town of Surf Breeze.
Everything looked the same. She wanted to swing by the Boardwalk, but instead, hit the small grocery store on the way to her rental.
She knew she had to keep the spending to a minimum, so she stocked up on the basics. This time, the trip and expenses were all on her. Without the open pockets of her parents benefiting her, she’d had to work hard for each penny she spent.
The store was less than a mile to her rental and when she pulled into the small gravel parking area, she smiled at the cute cottage in front of her.
One bedroom, one bathroom, four hundred square feet, and it was all hers for an entire month. She turned the car off and smiled at the bright purple shutters and front door. There were a lot of trees between the building and the main road to the beach, which she hoped would help with some privacy and shade.
This time there was no pool, no beach view, no cleaning crew that would come in, no parents to bother her if something went wrong.
It took three trips to haul everything in from the car to the small closed-in front porch.
She lifted the key box and punched in the code she’d been texted and let herself into the house.
It was small, but cute.
Three rooms total. The kitchen and living room area included a small table for dining, and the bedroom off the back had a very small bathroom including a shower only, no bathtub.
That didn’t bother her since she’d been living for the last year in a place roughly this size. Actually, this place was nicer than the one she’d been staying at.
Dumping her luggage into the room, she pulled out a sundress and her toiletries and flipped on the shower.
She’d talked herself into not procrastinating when she arrived and was determined to head directly to the Boardwalk Bar and Grill.
She took her time applying her makeup and made sure every hair was perfectly in place before heading out.
She sat in the car for almost a full half an hour while her stomach rolled, and she tried to talk herself out of going inside.
Finally, she jumped from the car and made her way down the long boardwalk.
When she pulled open the doors, she had to blink a few times before her eyes could adjust to the darkness within.
Her eyes zeroed in on the bar, and she felt her heart kick when she saw Alan staring back at her, a look on his face like he’d seen a ghost.
Before she could move, his smile grew and she smiled back at him.
He set down the glass he was holding and made his way towards her. She was caught up in a hug and laughed when he spun her around in circles.
“You’re here!” he chuckled. “God! I’ve missed you.” He kissed her right there in the doorway to the Boardwalk Bar and Grill, like no time had passed at all.
Her heart jumped and broke all at once as he tugged her towards the bar and nudged her to sit down on the end stool.
“Want something to drink?” he asked, moving behind the bar again.
“Sure,” she nodded, knowing alcohol would help her nerves. “Surprise me.”
Alan smiled and got to work, his eyes jumping between her and the drink. “How are you?”
“Good.” She glanced around and realized that the bar wasn’t busy just yet. She’d arrived pre-dinner rush on purpose. “You?”
“Great.” He stopped and looked at her. “I was worried, when I found out you’d left. I figured your folks had…”
“Yeah.” She sighed. “They saw… us.” She took a deep breath. “Long story.”
“I can have someone fill in for me, if you want to grab some food?” He set a drink in front of her. She reached for her purse, but he stopped her. “This drink’s on me.” He took her hand and leaned against the bar. “I was so worried about you. Are you okay?”
She nodded and for some reason, felt tears threaten behind her eyes. “I…” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’d like to grab some food. I just got in about an hour ago.”
He nodded. “Give me a minute.”
He disappeared behind the bar through swinging doors. When he returned, she smiled at Wendy, who followed him out.
“Hey.” Wendy walked over and hugged her. “Alan told me you were back.”
“Just got in.” She smiled. The woman looked the same, but different somehow.
“Go, have some food. I’ll cover for you.” Wendy pushed Alan towards her.
“Ever since you had that kid you’ve become bossy,” Alan joked.
Grace felt all the blood leave her face and quickly turned away.
She followed him to a booth near the back wall of windows that overlooked the boardwalk and the water.
“Wendy had a baby?” she asked after several sips of her drink.
“Yeah, a boy. Kaden, or Kade for short.” Alan chuckled. “Cassey and Luke had a girl shortly after you left, Elizabeth. They call her Lizzy. That was the Graytons’ mother’s name. Well, their adopted mother. Long story.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, the Grayton clan tends to adopt anyone that gets near
them.” He glanced towards the bar. “Wendy and the Grayton brothers adopted you that night…”
She nodded, remembering all too well meeting them briefly at the clinic.
“Anyway.” He stopped talking when a waitress walked over to take their order. Once she walked away, he leaned back. “So, lay it on me.”
“What?” she asked, taking another sip of her drink.
“Grace, obviously it’s been a year, but I’d like to think I can tell when you have something you want to say.” She was silent for a moment. “What have you been up to? What’s happened in the last year?”
* * *
Alan could see Grace’s internal struggle. He knew she wanted to tell him something, but instead, she began filling him in on small things. Things like moving out of her parents’ house, getting her own apartment, a job, paying for her own car, which broke down constantly.
“I’m glad you finally stood up to them,” he said after their food was delivered.
“What about you?” she asked, cutting her burger in half before digging in.
“Same old.” He shrugged. “Since Wendy had the baby, I’ve taken over most of the management duties. I can’t wait until she hires someone else to take over the position full time.” He rolled his eyes.
“Don’t like responsibility?” she asked.
He chuckled. “I don’t like filling out the time schedules.”
They chatted about what else he’d been doing in the past year. She asked about Ralph and he told her all about him not appreciating his new roommate. He was looking for another one because he trusted his dog’s opinion far more than his own.
For the first time since she’d walked through the door, he saw laughter fill her eyes. Seeing her laugh and smile as she sat across the table from him caused his stomach to do those little flips, the same ones he’d gotten every time he’d thought about her over the past year.
“How long are you down here for?” he asked, pushing his almost-empty plate aside.
“Well, that depends.” She bit her bottom lip.