by Krista Lakes
“I buy one thing and they all go crazy,” he said, looking back at the tents like they might follow us out into the ocean.
“That’s because you paid full price,” I said with a giggle. He looked at me and furrowed his brows. “I willingly admit that I am not the best haggler, but I could have gotten him down to at least $30. You flashed your money and now they know you don’t haggle.”
“Oh, come on, $85 isn’t that much! It isn’t something to justify the feeding frenzy of salesmen. Now I know how chum feels when the sharks gather.” He glanced back over his shoulder like they still might be chasing us.
“$85 is a lot of money to spend on a necklace, no matter how pretty it is.” I couldn’t help but smile at the look on his face, his head tilted slightly as though I had said the sky was made of chocolate.
“It isn’t that much,” he said. If I didn’t know better, I would have said a pout crossed his handsome mouth.
“It is to them. It certainly is to me. $85 is almost a full day’s pay.” I shrugged like it was nothing, but he stopped walking and dropped my hand in surprise. I fiddled with the silver charm, sliding it up and down on its simple chain. I hadn’t meant to bring up how different our economic situations were. He stayed quiet for a moment and then cleared his throat. I had a horrible feeling that he was thinking of bolting. “Thank you for the necklace though. I really do like it, even if it is a little extravagant.”
Jack’s face relaxed and he smiled at me. His shoulders dropped from his ears and he reached out a hand to me again.
“You deserve even more. The charm suits you. I like it on you,” he said waiting for me to take his hand. I played with the cool silver charm in my fingers for a moment before grinning at him.
“It does look good, doesn’t it?” I reached for his hand. A spark of energy flowed through his fingers into mine. It made my heart speed up and my stomach do happy flips. He smiled and squeezed my hand and we continued down the beach and away from the shops. I felt like a princess wearing something sparkly, hand in hand with her knight in shining armor. A girl could get used to extravagance.
Chapter 6
The afternoon sun shone down on the two of us and we walked alongside the waves and giggled at stupid jokes. I felt more comfortable with him than I had with anyone in my life. He seemed to relax the longer we walked. I wished I could have more days like this, but both our vacations were going to have to end soon. I pushed the thought as far from my mind as I could.
“What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?” Jack asked as I bent down to pick up a seashell. I studied the shell for a moment before casting it out into the ocean.
“You are going to make fun of me,” I said, squinting out at the horizon before looking at him. He grinned mischievously.
“I’m going to make more fun of you if you don’t tell me,” he said, his eyes sparkling. I glared at him before answering.
“I went skinny dipping in Old Man Smith’s fishing pond. A bunch of us did it one night,” I said finally, a blush creeping into my cheeks.
“That doesn’t sound that crazy,” he scoffed gently.
“Well, it wasn’t... until he came out with a shotgun and threatened to shoot us all for scaring his fish,” I giggled. “I nearly ran the whole way home before I realized I was naked and had forgotten my clothes by the pond. To top it off, my parents had dinner guests that night. I had to sneak in, naked, past three different sets of dentists.”
“Did any of them see you?” he asked, his sides quivering as he tried not to laugh.
“I hid in the garage until I found a winter coat. One of the guests saw me and gave me this weird look as I dashed up the stairs with bare legs and a heavy overcoat, but I made it,” I said shaking my head and laughing at the memory. Jack let his laughter mix with mine as he teased me about forgetting my clothes as we walked hand in hand down the beach.
Up ahead, white gauze streamers caught my attention. Jack followed my gaze to the small arbor decorated with pretty white fabric and tropical flowers. A bored looking attendant in a white dress shirt and pants sat next to it playing on his phone.
“You ever think you’ll get married?” Jack asked nodding towards the awning.
“At the rate I’m going? No. You don’t even want to know the last time I went on a date. I want to, but, no one seems interested. I’ve kind of come to accept that I will be a crazy old cat lady someday.” The admission hurt, but it was freeing to say it out loud. Jack squeezed my hand. “What about you? You think you’ll ever marry?” I asked him as we approached the small wedding area. The attendant fanned himself with a brochure packet as he slid his phone into the pocket of his shirt and watched us disinterestedly.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I would love a family. I want a wife and kids with a dog in a white picket fenced yard, but I don’t think that will ever happen because of my work and the obligations that come with it. The fact that I have money complicates things. If I were to get married, it would have to be to someone who could see past my job and the income. Someone who wanted to be with me,” he said it like it didn’t bother him, but the edges of his voice held a deep pain. I wondered who had hurt him over money to make him so distrustful.
“I’d marry you. Even if you didn’t have any money,” I blurted out. He stopped and looked at me, his eyes dark. I bit my lip and looked up at him. “I mean, I don’t know how much money you have, but I know that I like being around you. I think I like you more than anyone I have ever met.”
Jack pulled me so I was facing him. I could feel the blush on my cheeks increasing as he searched my face.
“You’re serious,” he said slowly, a smile blossoming on his face. I nodded and blushed harder. “You want to get married?” he asked, tipping his head towards the white arbor.
“Sure, why not?” I answered with a smile. I wasn’t about to back out of this conversation now. I already said I would marry him and I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to tease him later when he was the one who backed out.
“Let’s do it then,” he said with a wicked smile. I felt my mouth open and I couldn’t quite close it; he wasn’t supposed to take me seriously.
“Are you serious?”
“Sure, why not?” he mimicked me with a grin. He pulled me by the hand towards the awning like he was very serious.
“Wait a second,” I gasped.
“Oh, so you’re backing out?” Jack’s eyes twinkled with amusement.
“No, I am not backing out. I said I would marry you and I will,” I responded feeling full of sass. “I want to... ummm... clarify a couple of things.”
“Okay, Ms. Worrywart, go on — clarify,” he said with a laugh.
“It is soon to be Mrs. Worrywort. You realize that we are in a foreign country right?” I asked. He nodded and I felt a surge of relief that I hoped would be enough to satisfy the rational part of my brain. We were both foreign here and didn’t have the right paperwork, so this would never be considered legal. There would be no consequence for this. A giddy surge of excitement went through me. This was what an adventure was supposed to feel like. “Good. You realize that you never asked my dad’s permission?”
“You want me to call him right now?” Jack asked innocently as he began reaching for his phone. “Or are you just thinking up excuses not to marry me?”
I laughed and pushed his hand away from his pocket. There was no way I was going to let him win this game. “Oh, I’ll marry the hell out of you. Besides, then we can tell everyone we are on our honeymoon and get free drinks.”
“You are staying on an all-inclusive resort,” he snorted and I pushed him playfully.
“Before we do this though, you should at least propose properly,” I said trying to keep a straight face. Jack looked thoughtful for a moment before taking my hand and dropping to one knee.
“My dearest, loveliest Emma,” he began looking up at me with his hazel eyes full of laughter. I couldn’t have wiped the goofy smile off my face if he had paid me.
“Will you do me the biggest honor of this vacation, and marry me?”
“Yes,” I giggled. He stood up and kissed me. He kissed me back with a passion I wasn’t expecting. It was like the wind was sucked out of my lungs and replaced with desire. He pulled away slowly after a moment, our eyes connecting. My breath came in small gasps.
“Come on!” Jack recovered first and grabbed my hand with a smile, pulling me towards the pretty awning. I nearly tripped over my own feet, but I wasn’t about to be late for my own wedding.
***
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the man in the white shirt said in a thick accent. I barely understood any of the words he said during the ceremony, simply repeating “I do” whenever he paused. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Jack smiled at me. I would have married him ten times over for that smile. My insides felt mushy and happy in a way I couldn’t describe or understand, but when he kissed me, everything felt perfect. His lips were soft against mine, his tongue slipping in at the last second. This is what a vacation should feel like, I thought to myself. I was truly having an adventure. No one at home would ever believe that I had married a stranger, let alone one as handsome as Jack. This was something that I would treasure forever.
“Smile for the camera,” the minister said holding up a digital camera. Jack’s hand went up and covered the lens before he could snap a picture.
“No pictures,” he growled at the man. The minister paled slightly but then smiled as he glanced back and forth between us.
“No pictures?” I asked, turning towards Jack. “Not even one, just for us?”
Jack frowned for a moment, then lowered his hand and reached in his pocket. “No pictures except this one. This one is for us,” he said as he pulled out his phone and handed it to the minister. Jack and I posed under the white awning, looking for all the world like newlyweds as the camera phone clicked.
The minister nodded happily as he handed back the phone to Jack. Jack grinned as he saw the screen and handed it to me. I gasped. I looked beautiful. Jack looked so handsome and we both looked genuinely happy. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought this was an actual wedding photo.
“I better get a copy,” I said as I handed him his phone. Jack laughed, and caught me up in his arms, pulling me in for another kiss. My head spun as he kissed me and nipped gently at my bottom lip with his teeth. I lost myself in his kiss.
“You’ll get the only copy,” he whispered. “This is ours and ours alone. No one can ever take this from us. This is our secret, one only we share.” His breath tickled my ear and made a heat surge between my thighs. I wondered how he could make my body react so quickly without even trying. His chest was strong beneath me and I could feel something hardening against my hip. I couldn’t wait to get him back to the hotel room.
“We should head back and start our honeymoon,” I whispered, pushing my hips against his. His hand tightened on my back and I wished I could have him right there on the sand.
“Ahem,” the man who married us coughed and raised his eyebrows. I felt the blush surge back onto my cheeks as Jack released me. I wondered if the minister could feel the energy between us, but he rolled his eyes and waited for us to leave his awning.
Jack grabbed my hand, his fingers entwining with mine. I wanted our legs to entwine like that, and together we hurried along the beach to begin our time as man and wife.
Chapter 7
I could hear him snoring gently in the bedroom through the open window. His breathing was slow and even, the soft rumbles of his sleep soothing. I sat with my feet curled up under me on the wicker porch chair looking out at the rolling waves and listening to my husband sleep.
I found myself smiling. I had this wonderful serene sense of calm and perfection. I could get used to this marriage thing. The world finally felt perfect. I knew it was all a lie, that in two days I would leave the ocean and this marriage would just be another page in my scrapbook, but today, I didn’t care. Today was perfect.
Last night had been amazing. Yesterday had been amazing. I still couldn’t believe I was a married woman, if only for a little bit. Jack had taken me back to my cabana and showed me what a husband should do for his wife. Thinking about the pleasure his hands and tongue could create made my temperature rise.
This sense of happiness held a danger though. I was falling for him — falling for him hard. He was wonderful, sexy, and could make me laugh. He was my perfect man,... and I was going to have to leave him forever in three days. I wanted more of him and I had a sinking feeling that I always would. This love was like our marriage—a happy illusion.
A gull flew overhead, squawking loudly about a lost supper as he searched for more. The ocean was almost green today with clouds blocking the brightness of the sun. The sky threatened rain in the evening, but for now, the world was hot and sticky. It made everything more dreamlike. I closed my eyes and listened to ocean, feeling the warm breeze glide across my skin and ruffle my sundress.
The front door creaked and I kept my eyes shut, lost in my happy moment. “Good morning.”
“Good morning to you too, sleepy head,” I said with a grin. I opened my eyes and wanted to gasp. Jack stood admiring the view, and I couldn’t help but admire mine. He stood wearing only a pair of blue swim trunks, bare-chested and hair still rumpled from sleep. He stretched and my eyes followed the play of muscles down his chest and abs, feeling my insides go mushy.
“I haven’t slept like that in years.” Jack ran a hand through his perfect bedhead hair. I wanted to put my fingers in it again, to pull his face close to mine and kiss him thoroughly. “What did you do to me?”
“Just my wifely duties,” I said, stretching my legs out from under me. Jack’s eyes followed my legs with obvious interest. His hand dropped from his sandy hair and he grinned as his eyes met mine. I stood up slowly, feeling stiff. I was sore all over, but in a good way. My body had never seen this much sex, let alone this much good sex. Muscles I didn’t even know I had were letting me know I was using them. It was great.
“I thought I would go for a morning swim before breakfast. You interested?” The glimmer in his eye made me hope there was more than swimming. Those muscles needed more exercise.
“Breakfast was a couple of hours ago, Sleepy Head, but I’ll join you for one before lunch,” I quipped. I stood and rose to my toes, giving him a quick peck before turning to change into my swim suit
“Hold it right there, Beautiful,” Jack growled catching my arm and pulling me back to him. He leaned down and pressed his soft lips against mine, flooding my brain with sensation and desire. When he finally released me from his kiss, I staggered to the door gasping for breath.
“How do you kiss so good?” I asked as I opened the door. He grinned cockily at me. I hurried in and found a dry suit, a bright pink bikini that I never thought I would actually wear. I had bought it because I loved the color, but today I felt like I could wear it. Jack would love it.
Jack whistled as I stepped out. He was off the steps in the sand, looking up as I came out on the porch. The bikini felt tiny and exposing, but the way it made Jack’s eyes light up took away any self-consciousness that I had. Jack liked it and that was all that mattered.
Jack’s hand felt warm in mine, his fingers grasping mine tightly as we headed towards the green waves. Jack walked into the water as though it wasn’t there. He sloshed effortlessly through the waves, pulling me along behind him. The water was cool, but it felt good after the tropical heat.
Jack dived under the water, releasing my hand. I stood still, letting the waves bump against me in the waist high water as I waited patiently for him to surface. A moment passed, and then another, and he didn’t surface. A thread of worry began to creep into my chest as I turned in the water, searching for him.
Something grabbed my ankle and pulled me under. I yelped and felt salt water pour into my open mouth as my head dipped beneath the surface. I scrambled to the surface, spitting out the salty wat
er. Jack rose laughing, water sluicing off his muscles and catching the light as I wiped the water out of my eyes.
“Gotcha.”
I turned in an instant and tackled him, my arms wrapping around his solid middle and throwing all my weight into his hips. This time I was the one prepared to go under and he wasn’t. Jack came up spluttering and laughing as he pulled me close to him. He held me effortlessly against him, our faces just above the surface and almost touching as he knelt in the water.
“You trying to drown me?” His voice had a thrilling gruffness to it.
“You started it,” I whispered. His fingers splayed against my back, pushing my chest into his. He felt so solid and warm in the water. I wrapped my legs around him, feeling his excitement growing.
His mouth covered mine, his lips soft and wet with the ocean. The salt water flavored his kisses, giving him a new taste that I could never hope to get enough of. I licked my lips, tasting his salt water kisses. This is what heaven was like.
He pulled me closer, our skin pressing together so that not even a single drop of water could fit between us. He was so warm and strong, my insides melting with fresh want. I would have taken him right there. I would have let him fill me and let my body sing his praise, but an old married couple was walking down the beach.
I bit my lip as I watched them walk slowly past us, and Jack made a deep masculine noise of appreciation before kissing the offended lip. “I think we should head back in and rinse off before lunch, what do you think?”
I arched my hips into his, feeling a growing hardness that made my body ache with desire. I nodded and grinned as I unhooked my legs and stood. He stood behind me, using me as his shield against the eyes of the beach walking couple once we reached shallow water.