He runs his hands over my breasts, taking one nipple in his mouth. He starts sucking and has me even more turned on. I’m so aroused that I need to keep pressing myself against his erection to get any sense of relief.
“Oh God,” I say, arching my back.
As his fingers run down my backside, he releases my nipple and I grab his face. I kiss him with all my being. I can still taste the mix of strawberries and whipped cream on his tongue. I gently push him down on the grass. We keep kissing until I roll onto my back, bringing him on top of me. I tug at his shirt and he takes it off.
I love the feel of his body on top of mine, his skin against mine.
“If I need to be naked all the time, you should be as well. Your body is something to be seen. I love every inch of it,” I say, running my fingers on his chest.
He kisses me softly on my lips, his eyes full of something I haven’t seen before. He gets up, takes off his shorts and underwear at once, while I take off mine. He is about to get a condom out and position himself between my legs when I realize there’s something I want to do.
“Wait,” I say.
“Wait? What is it?” he says playfully. “Don’t tell me you’re not ready?” he says, inserting a finger inside of me.
I’m so freaking ready, I was wet when we were eating cake.
“Nope, you’re ready, so what is it, love?”
“There is something I want to do,” I say shyly.
“What?”
“I want to taste you,” I say, biting my lip. “Stand up.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says with a smug smile.
I kneel in front of him and wrap my fingers around his erection. A small bead of cum comes out of the head. I lick it and run my tongue around the tip of his cock. I hear him groan and his hips jerk instinctively. I take him in my mouth, as far as I can, sucking and licking the length of him. I stroke him with my hand while I keep working him with my tongue. I take him all in, then I draw back.
“Fuck. You feel amazing,” he says as he cradles my head with his hand. He tastes salty, and it’s partly him, partly his skin that still smells like beach and salt water. I keep going and caress his balls gently, while running my tongue along the length of him.
“Babe . . . I’m so close,” he says, his voice shaky. I try to speed things up then, stroking him up and down and sucking faster. He gets even harder in my mouth and I know his release is close. He grunts when he comes in my mouth and I swallow it fast. Breathing raggedly, he drops right in front of me, trying to catch his breath. He takes me in his arms, rolling me in the grass and covering me with kisses.
Later, we make love on the beachfront lawn again and yes, it’s another corny moment, but fuck it, I don’t care. I can hear Hozier’s “Work Song” in the background, playing through the stereo in the house. It sounds so perfect for this moment. Our clothes are scattered around us, we are naked on the grass, moving rhythmically in a way that feels more intimate than it’s ever been. When we come together, he presses his forehead against mine, holding me tight. I run my fingers through his hair and I look into his eyes, before kissing him softly. He loves me. I can see it. I don’t need any words to confirm it. But he says it anyway.
“I love you,” he whispers softly before kissing and nuzzling my neck.
“I love you too,” I murmur against his ear.
There is no doubt that if something shall end what this is between us, it will leave me shattered. I have never felt such a deep connection with anyone. I pray this man will not break my heart, because if he does, there is no telling how I will recover from it.
We lie in the grass for a while under a blanket. It’s a little cold, even with a blanket, but not as cold as it probably is on the beach. All the plants and bushes in the garden create a nice barrier from the breeze. The sky has cleared up, and we look at the stars. I reminisce about my childhood in Florida, the days spent on the beach and the nights looking at the stars from the shore.
I sigh, and Ben looks at me curiously.
“You made me realize how much I miss the ocean and the place where I grew up. When I was a kid, Florida was still wild, in a way. Sure, there were a bunch of cities, houses, and developments, but everywhere you looked, it was still so green. The stores were few and far between and everywhere I looked I saw trees. The natural beauty of it is the part I miss the most. Behind our house there used to be all this open land and this small patch of trees right on the edge of our property. My mom would let my brother and I play there. During my senior year it was sold, and now there’s another cookie-cutter housing development in its place. That beauty, the mystery, is forever gone.”
He kisses me on my forehead, holding my hand.
“Thank you for taking me here. This place is perfect.”
He caresses my face. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.”
“I meant to ask you something earlier, but I forgot,” I say, raising myself up on one arm.
“What does it feel like when you’re out there, riding the waves?”
He exhales and it takes him a moment to start talking.
“It’s a mix of different things. I have never tried to explain it to anybody. You feel free, for sure. On one side you feel so in sync with nature. You feel you are part of the elements. When you are standing up on your board and get lifted by the water, it almost feels like you’re flying. But at the same time, one minute you are part of the elements, and the next you feel like the elements are against you and you’re in the middle of the perfect storm. But the feeling of riding the waves overpowers anything else, and you always crave that rush of adrenaline. What you feel when you’re out there, is so unique, so special, it doesn’t matter how dangerous or physically hard it is. You’re always ready to go at it again,” he says with a small smile.
He rolls over me, covering me with his body and gently pressing his weight on me.
“In a way, I could say the same about you. It doesn’t matter that I have just been inside of you. The feeling is so great that I have to go back and do it all over again.”
Waking up the next morning is not easy. I don’t even remember getting to bed. He must have carried me because I have on the same dress from last night. The spot next to me is empty and I smell coffee, indicating Ben must already be up.
The door opens quietly and he enters the room, coming to sit by me on the bed.
“Come on, sleeping beauty, it’s time to get up. It’s a beautiful day outside.”
“Hmmm, it’s a beautiful day in this bed too. You should lie back and give me a different type of good morning,” I say, reaching out for him.
He chuckles and kisses my hand. “Later. Come on, let’s go.”
I drag my ass out of the bed and get dressed as quickly as I can. I feel tons better after a cup of coffee, and when we walk to the beach, the ocean breeze completely wakes me up. It’s a beautiful day, indeed. The waves are much smaller than yesterday and I have the feeling my instructor is going to kick my ass. He spends more than an hour teaching me the basics. However ridiculous I might look practicing on the beach, I would rather keep doing this on the ground all day long. I know it will be ten times harder on the water.
But he does make me go in eventually and what do you know, I fall as soon as I try to stand up. It goes on for what feels like hours. Finally, after what feels like my millionth attempt, I can keep my balance on the board for maybe four seconds, and it feels fucking fantastic. I smile and scream out Ben’s name, but sadly I lose it and am down in the water again.
“See! You did it!” he yells as he paddles over to me, just as I’m getting my head out from under the water.
I blink my eyes, trying to get the water out of them and shout, “I want to do it again!”
I can’t see his face, since I still have water in my eyes, but I can hear him laughing. I crawl back on the board and go at it again and again, but I can never stand back up. The wind picks up, causing the waves get rougher, and I cannot keep up with them. Ben
decides it’s best for us to stop.
“You should go in again,” I tell him. “Have some fun without having to watch over me. I’ll wait for you at the cottage,” I say, giving his ass a squeeze.
I take a shower and I barely have time to get dressed before I hear a knock on the door.
I wonder who it is? Ben would come in from the beach and use the key to get in. This is not my place, and I don’t even know if I should answer the door or not.
I decide to open it and come face-to-face with a tall, muscular dude in a tank top and swim trunks. He vaguely reminds me of Ben in a way. His hair is blond and short. Are all surfers blond? I can’t see his eyes, which are hiding behind some Wayfarers, but he looks down at me in my black tank and shorts, and a playful grin appears on his face. His stare linger a little bit too long on my boobs and travels all the way down to my legs. He doesn’t look like the guy whose pictures I have seen in this house, so it’s safe to say he is not the owner. So, who is he?
“Can I help you?” I ask him, in a not-so-friendly tone.
“I was just looking for Mark, I’m a friend of his. Are you Mark’s friend?”
“Yes. No. Indirectly. My boyfriend is a friend of Mark’s.”
“Who’s your boyfriend?” he asks curiously.
“Ben. Ben Hallstrom,” I say, folding my arms.
“That’s right. That’s his car out there, isn’t it? I didn’t think about it, I thought Mark was home. Wait a minute, did you say boyfriend? Ben has a girlfriend?” he says, chuckling. “What’s your name?” he asks, getting closer, the smirk never leaving his face.
I take two steps back. He seems to be harmless, but his childish behavior is bothering me.
“My name is Prudence,” I say, still dubious about him. “Look, if you are a friend of Ben’s, you should just come back later when he is here.”
He doesn’t even hear what I tell him, he just extends his hand and repeats my name.
“Prudence? Nice to meet you, I’m Chris.”
I shake his hand and he walks right past me and proceeds to go sit on the couch. He nods his head, going along with the music.
“You’re playing some Hendrix? Nice! Looks like Ben got a cool chick,” he says, winking, and suddenly I have a feeling I’m not getting rid of this guy easily.
“Maybe you should just go down to the beach and look for Ben. He is still out there.”
“Nah, I’ll just wait for him here, if that’s okay.”
It’s not okay. I don’t want him here. It’s not my place and I don’t know him, but apparently he is a friend of both Mark and Ben.
I debate if I should go and get Ben or lock myself in the bathroom. Maybe staying in the kitchen with a knife close by would be a better idea? Opening the door and letting him in was a rookie mistake. Certainly not one a New Yorker would make. Before I can decide what to do with myself and with my unwanted guest, I hear a noise outside, and after a few seconds, the sliding door opens up and Ben walks in, wearing his swim trunks. He looks shocked for a moment and then grins, shaking his head, when he sees Chris on the couch.
“What are you doing here, you bastard?” he says, laughing.
Chris gets up and they give each other a man hug.
Huh? I guess they must be good friends then. Maybe Chris is part of the surfer crew he hangs out with. Maybe he is one of the sleaze balls Ben was trying to keep me away from just a few weeks ago?
“I guess you two have met,” he says, looking over to me.
“Yeah, I let him in, which I regret now. He just marched right in and made himself right at home just a little too soon,” I say jokingly, and they both laugh.
Chapter 19
IT TURNS out that Ben and Chris go way back. Ben says they grew up together, but are not super close. Chris is part of the crew he hangs out with when he is out here, but he is more a friend of Mark’s than his.
Chris invited us to a bonfire on the beach, and he wouldn’t leave until we both swore we would be there. Ben told him we had plans, but we would make an appearance.
“Sorry,” he says, “I thought this place was secluded enough and we wouldn’t be bothered by anyone. Guess I was wrong. Next time I’m taking you to a deserted island.”
“It’s okay, really. Maybe I’ll get some dirt on you tonight,” I say mischievously, rubbing my hands together. He makes a face.
“Is that your attempt at pretending to be a villain? You make a terrible villain,” he says, teasing me.
My shoulders sink.
“Gahhh, you are so hard to please,” I say, rolling my head backwards.
“Not true. Come here,” he says, pulling me to him.
We look at each other in the mirror while we get ready to go out. I pause for a moment, while applying my make-up. I guess this is a first, since we are usually undoing each other after a date. I have only seen him getting ready once, when I was in his bed. He is so beautiful to look at, masculine yet elegant at the same time. He shoots me a quizzical look and I blow him a kiss. We smile at each other in the mirror. I go back to applying my make-up.
“I was wondering . . . would you like to meet my mother?”
I wasn’t expecting the question. I blink while I still have the mascara wand against my eyelashes and end up making a huge mess under my eye.
“Damn it!” I say out loud.
“Prudence?” he asks, glancing over and seeing that I’m preoccupied with the gigantic smudges of mascara.
“Yeah?” I reply without even looking at him, busy trying to clean up under my eye.
“It’s not that big of a deal, there’s no need to be nervous. If you don’t feel ready, it’s okay, but I have met your mom and thought that maybe you wanted to meet mine too. Plus, I have been pretty busy and I haven’t seen her in over a month,” he says apologetically.
He seemed to be bothered by Chris’ intrusion and wanted this weekend to be just about us, but now he wants us to go meet his mother? And what, have dinner with her? I am not opposed to it, but I thought he wanted to have “alone time.” What happened to that?
Then again, he wants me to meet his mom. That’s a pretty big thing. I’m used to guys who don’t want to commit to more than a friends-with-benefits type of arrangement, and here is this beautiful, smart guy who wants to introduce me to his mom. I am acting like a complete fool. I’m acting like I’m the one trying to run away from commitment in a relationship.
Stupid. You’re acting so, so stupid, Prudence.
“Give me a sec, Ben,” I make sure I clean up my eyes before turning to him. I take his face in my hands, take a good look at him, and kiss him briefly.
“I would love to. Let’s go meet the badass woman who made you.”
I need to stop ogling Ben’s mom, because she is going to think I’m a total weirdo. But good gawd! If I thought her son was one of the most beautiful men I ever met, she definitely is the most attractive and gracious woman I have ever encountered. I just cannot stop staring at her face, kind of like with her son. Yes, I do realize this is creepy.
She is fifty-one, and looks almost ten years younger than that. Man, the Swedish must have good genes. Her hair is a pale blonde and falls right past her shoulders, and her skin is tanned but not too wrinkled. She doesn’t look like one of those people who have aged due to sun damage. She is wearing a simple white maxi-dress, paired with a turquoise necklace that enhances her blue eyes. She looks elegant and distinguished.
I’m wearing a simple black scoop-neck maxi dress with some sparkly drop earrings.
Ben told me she never had a boyfriend when he was a kid, but about ten years ago, she met a photographer named Phillip who was doing some work in the area. They fell in love, and have been married for eight years now. Philip is away for some photo shoot, so it’s only the three of us. After drinks at her house, we decide to go out to dinner together. We are sitting at a square table, Ben on my left, Iris, his mom, sitting across from me.
She grabs Ben’s arm and says jokingly, “Now I can s
ee why you haven’t been around in more than a month! This girl is a delight!”
“Well, I have also been gone for two weeks, Mom. You know I went to California and Oregon, right?” He looks over at me and smiles, holding my hand. “But you’re right, she is a delight. It’s hard to stay away from her.”
I feel like my heart could burst. It’s hard not to smile like an idiot, but I can't help but blush and bite my lower lip. I feel all eyes on me, so I lower mine and look at our hands joined together. I sheepishly look up at him through my eyelashes, but I feel so giddy inside I want to stand up and do a happy dance.
Iris laughs, but she changes the subject.
“When are you going to London?” she asks Ben.
I feel his hand instantly stiffen and retract from mine within seconds. I see him give an imperceptible shake of his head in his mom’s direction, and she makes a face like she knows she said something wrong. This is the first time I’ve heard about London.
“When are you going to London?” I ask him.
He turns to me and says, “In about a month. It’s just going to be a weeklong trip. I was going to mention it sooner, but, you know, we have both been busy. You have been in the middle of writing your book, your mom came to visit, and we were trying to find Matt . . .”
“Right!” I say, trying to keep a straight face. Sure it’s not a big deal, it’s not like he is leaving tomorrow. He was going to tell me, right? But he could have mentioned it already. Instead, he never did, even though we have spent almost every night together for the last couple weeks.
“So, are you going to see a potential client over there, like you did in California?” I ask him, trying to sound interested and unfazed.
“Something like that,” he says hesitantly. “The agency wants me to meet with a few potential clients.”
“Sounds fun.”
After a moment of awkwardness, we end up having a lovely evening. Iris is easy to talk to, and we end up chatting about everything from her life in Sweden to her modeling days. We discuss traveling, writing, and all other things we love to do. She also sheds some light about how hard it was raising such a little daredevil. I think she embarrassed Ben a couple of times with her stories because I actually see him blush, and it’s quite adorable.
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