Beach Thing

by DL White

  “You’re saying I know how to kiss?”

  She nodded, vigorously. “I’m saying you know how to kiss. Which makes me wonder…”

  “I know how to do that too. Did you need a demonstration?”

  “Actually…” She inhaled, then exhaled a deep breath. “I am so flattered. And a little drunk. And… I need to go home before I do something stupid. Can I think about… the beach thing for a bit?”

  “I would be okay with you doing something stupid… but I’m cool with you taking your time. No matter what you decide, I’m still going to come by for my Frozen Sunshines. And I better see some muffins now and then.”

  She cackled, and I felt her mood and uneasiness lift considerably. I hoped it was enough to eventually tide her over.

  And if not? I didn’t need to be dating, anyway. I was supposed to be distraction-free.

  I walked her back to her house and waited at the front door for her to get her keys out. I gave her a hug, during which she squeezed me extra tight. And then… I couldn’t help it. I lowered my head and caught her lips in a kiss that she didn’t protest. Her hands slid up my chest and her arms drew around my neck.

  We must have kissed for a good five minutes before she pulled back, blinking and breathing hard. “I… need to go inside,” she said, her voice so airy and sexy.

  The whole evening had been doing things to my body but this last blow with the way her voice sounded told me I would be spending some time in a cold shower when I got back to the house.

  I stepped back when she unlocked the door and swung it open. “Hey, sleep good, Ameenah. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  7

  Ameenah

  The last customer of my daily lunch rush walked out of the shop, already slurping down his blueberry and green tea smoothie. Wade passed him on the way in, his eyes on the lavender tinted beverage in the plastic cup.

  “Was that guy drinking something purple?”

  “Blueberries do that to a drink.”

  He approached the counter, then leaned over it drop a kiss on my lips. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” I whispered, biting my bottom lip. I did not want to be this silly, awestruck girl but… he just made me so giggly and swoony. I made myself sick the way I’d tossed and turned the night before, reliving every second of the evening from the time I walked in the house until he kissed me at the door.

  “Can I get my usual? And uh….”

  He stepped back to peruse the selection of muffins and breads that I’d put out for the day. “Shark Bites,” he said, pointing to the sign hung above the baskets. “Cute. Would these Danish things happen to be orange flavored?”

  “They would be. You’re very perceptive.” I grabbed a napkin and selected the best looking one, then set it on a paper plate and turned to make his drink.

  “You spoil me, that’s all that is.” He took his pastry and headed to his regular seat against the wall.

  “How was spin class?”

  “Oh, it’s SoulCycle. I spoke to Roderick this morning and made the mistake of telling him how much I was enjoying his spin classes. I think half my ass is missing.”

  The blender whirred, spinning the orange, ice cream, and juice into a frothy substance. I poured it into a cup, then grabbed my can of whipped cream and topped it off with a flourish. I finished it with a straw, then walked around the edge of the front counter to deliver it to his table.

  “I don’t believe I just burned a ton of calories and then I came here to eat them back.” Then he slid the rest of the pastry into his mouth and brushed the crumbs from his fingers. “Oh well. They taste good coming back on.”

  “How are those abs doing?”

  As if by reflex, he lifted his shirt, showing off a chest covered in a fine layer of hair, molded pecs and a very… defined set of abdominals. As in, brother had more than a six-pack going on and shouldn’t have to worry… ever… about his abs. A breath hitched at the back of my throat and I almost choked on my tongue. I reached out to touch him, but I heard a customer enter the shop behind me. Fuck!

  I snatched my hand back, and he dropped his shirt, then stuck the straw in his mouth like he’d done nothing wrong. I playfully scowled at him and mouthed, “don’t move,” before I turned around to help the next customer.

  Wade wandered the shop with his hands in his pockets while I helped the next customer. And then the next. And the next. I apologized with my eyes — it seemed I was getting another rush and business came first. He shrugged, mouthed that he would see me later, and ducked out of the shop.

  * * *

  I had wiped down tables, swept and mopped the floor and was emptying the garbage when Wade strolled through the door, as casually as if it hadn’t been hours since he walked out. He slipped off his shades and, without a word, grabbed the garbage can from my hands, pulling the bag out and tying the ends in a knot.

  “Where does this go?”

  “There’s a dumpster back there, behind the building. But you don’t have to—”

  “Be right back,” he said, carrying the bag out of the door like it only weighed four pounds. I pulled down the metal shade, grabbed my bag and my bank deposit, and pulled the door shut. I was locking the door when Wade came back around the building.

  “Thank you for doing that. It wasn’t necessary, but thank you.”

  “I like to make myself useful. So… what are you doing right now?”

  “Bank run. Then heading home. You?”

  “Going with you to the bank. And then home.”

  “Home? Like… my home?”

  He shrugged. I laughed, then stepped in close to him, tipping my lips up to his. He gave me the sweetest, softest kiss. If I was being honest, I had been thinking about him kissing me all day and I was expecting a little more. When I angled up to him again, he pulled back.

  “I just emptied garbage. It’s gross back there. And I’m still sweaty from my workout. I’d like to get somewhere I can wash my hands before we get uh… started.”

  “Fine,” I whined, rolling my eyes, grabbing him by the crook of his arm and pulling him with me down the sidewalk.

  A short time later, Wade had my propane grill smoking with seasoned chicken on one side and vegetables roasting on the other. I was at the bar, being imaginative with what I had on hand.

  “Okay, try this.” I handed him a mason jar full of ice and a fruity cocktail.

  He took it and sipped. Then sipped again. “Bourbon. And… orange. Hm.” He took another sip, then licked his lips. “That right there is a hit, baby.”

  “Yeah?” I beamed, impressed with myself. “You like it? You’re not just saying it because I’m pretty and you’re hoping to sleep with me?”

  He choked on his next sip and had to cough it out. “I’m not just saying it. Although…” He coughed, then took another sip from the mason jar. “You are beautiful. And no pressure, but I am very much hoping to sleep with you.”

  He bent toward me, and I knew he meant for it to be light and sweet, but it had been almost a full day since he’d kissed me and I was obsessed with him doing it again. I hooked my arm around his neck landed a long, strong kiss on his lips. He picked up the hint and tipped his head, opening his mouth.

  The taste of bourbon and orange, coupled with the sensation of his tongue swirling with mine, heightened all of my senses. I rose up onto my toes and sank into him, feeling very much protected by the muscular arms that drew around me.

  “Mmmmm,” he hummed when the kiss ended. “That was nice.”

  “I thought so. You taste good.”

  “Does that kiss mean what I think it means?”

  I shrugged, pulling back. I tried to get away, but he hooked a thick arm around my waist. “Ameenah—”

  “Wade, the chicken is probably—”

  “Fuck the chicken,” he said, grinning. “So... Beach Thing?”

  I tipped my head side to side and tried to stop smiling. It was impossible. I had no idea what the fuck I was doing… but some cobwebs were
about to be swept out.

  “Beach Thing,” I finally answered.

  Wade gave me the widest, sexiest smile I think I have ever seen. “Beach Thing!” he bellowed, then leaned in to kiss me.

  “But seriously, the chicken—”

  “Oh.” He whipped around, tongs in hand, ready to turn the seared breasts.

  * * *

  “We make a good team,” I said with a sigh as I collapsed onto the couch. Dinner had been devoured and drinks enjoyed in view of the setting sun over the Bay. I couldn’t have asked for a more romantic setting if I tried. Before the mosquitos started feasting again, Wade suggested we move inside.

  “You mean me on the grill, you on the drinks?”

  “Exactly,” I mumbled, my eyelids halfway open.

  “I guess we make a good team in that regard.” He glanced over at me, sprawled unladylike across the couch. “Hey. You’re not falling asleep on me, are you?”

  “Hmm-mmm. I’m up.”

  “I’m not convinced, Ameenah. You have to be tired. You’ve been up since… when?”

  “Five am. But I’m up,” I muttered, from behind closed eyes. “You know what I need?”

  “Uh…” He snickered. “Yeah, actually, I do.”

  One eye opened. “Besides that. Some ice cream. I eat ice cream every night. That’s where these glorious hips come from.”

  “Oh yeah?” I felt him move across the couch, settling beside me so he could lean over and kiss me. One hand gripped my side and slid down my body from hip to knee and back up. “I happen to like these glorious hips.”

  My other eye opened at the sensation of him touching me. “You do? After all those twiggy chicks that must hang all over you?’

  “Nothing against thin women at all, really. But uh…” His hand coursed my body again, this time creeping up under my t-shirt on the way back up. I felt the pad of his thumb slowly rub across my nipple, which sent a volt of electricity through me. “I do really… really like the hips. I like everything, actually.”

  “Been a long time since I met a man that liked everything.”

  He laughed. “What does that mean?”

  “Oh, you know. I’m a boob guy, Ameenah. Or I’m an ass man. Or I like feet. Will you show me your feet? I don’t care about nothin’ else, just the feet.”

  My imitation of the last three men I’d gone out on dates with had Wade laughing hard. “That’s crazy. How do you not just… feel like a body part?”

  “That’s why they ain’t get none. But you like everything. And why you’re about to get it all.”

  His eyebrows shot up, and his jaw dropped open. “I’m about to get it all?”

  “If you want it,” I whispered.

  He nodded, suddenly serious. “Hell yeah, I want it.”

  I sat up, swinging my legs to the floor and drew him to me, taking him by surprise when my other hand sought and gripped a thick, warm muscle through his shorts.

  “Ay! I mean… ayyyy…”

  He leaned into me, resting his forehead on mine. I massaged him, catching his eye and holding his gaze. His eyes were half open, and glossy, either from the bourbon or… me.

  I hoped it was me.

  My fingers flitted to the button closure on his waistband and popped it open, then pulled the zipper down as slowly as I could handle it. Considering I wanted to rip his shorts off, I commended myself for my self-control.

  Wade reached behind his neck to pull his t-shirt over his head. “There are those abs again.” I smiled, reaching out to run the tips of my fingers down and then up the well-formed muscle.

  “I’m sucking in my Frozen Sunshine gut,” he said, laughing. It died down quickly when I pulled the band of his boxer shorts away from his body and dipped my hand into the opening. He was erect, like his dick was just waiting to be unwrapped. I closed a palm around him and swiped my thumb across the head.

  He throbbed. And moaned. And licked his lips. “What are you doing to me, Meenah?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” I smiled up at him, squeezing him gently. “Seizing the dick.”

  I could tell by his smile and quiet laughter that he was amused, but he was way more interested in my hand action. He chewed on his bottom lip as I danced my fingers down his shaft, then up one side and back down again.

  “That feels good,” he mumbled into my ear, between nibbles. Then he cradled my head in one of his big hands, holding me close while he kissed me and I stroked him, pulling and twisting. Under my t-shirt, his thumb alternately circled my nipples, then flicked the tips through the flimsy lace fabric of my bra. The shocks that rolled through my body made me moan and squeal, even though my tongue was heavily occupied.

  Sooner than I wanted him to, Wade brought his head up and pulled my hand out of his shorts.

  “You’re not trying to cut me off, are you?”

  “Nope.” He pushed himself up from the couch and reached for my hand to help me up. “Just hoping we can get a little more comfortable.”

  I led him down the hall to the largest of the two bedrooms. I flipped the wall switch, which turned on the bedside lamps and lit the spacious room in a soft glow.

  He made a full turn, taking in every nuance of the space from the vintage curtains sewn by my grandmother to the restored knobby wood pine floors covered by hand-woven rugs. “Wow. I like this room. It’s so… authentic. That must be great in the winter,” he said, pointing to the fireplace.

  “It cools down just enough to use the fireplace. It’s cozy.”

  “Mmm hm.” He gripped my hips and pulled me close, up against him. “I know what else is cozy.”

  “Oh. Can I take a guess?”

  “Yeah. But I’m going to show you, anyway.”

  Wade moved, sliding his shorts and boxers from his hips while shuffling us backward until the backs of my knees hit the mattress. I pulled my t-shirt and shorts off and climbed up onto the bed in bra and panties, scooting back against the pillows.

  He followed, pulling me down and then rolling on top of me. He growled, his mouth claiming mine, his hips gyrating and my hips matching him thrust for thrust.

  “Wade...”

  He stopped, angling to catch my eye. “You need to stop?”

  “No… I just don’t want you think I’m looking for candlelit romance and slow dancing or anything. I’m ready. I’ve been ready.”

  “You been ready, huh?” Wade grinned, showing off that sexy smile that sent tingles to every edge of my body. “What happened to, ‘Wade, I just need to think about it….’ Huh?”

  I giggled. “I was drunk. And horny.”

  “So now you’re just horny. And seizing dick.”

  I shrugged. “Carpe dickem, as my friend Paige would say.”

  “If you don’t mind, I want to check out that ‘ready’ situation myself.”

  I answered by opening my legs wider and pushing his shoulders down. “By all means, Mr. Marshall… don’t let me stop you.”

  Wade scooted down in the bed, all the while emitting the cutest, but most evil-sounding snicker. He nipped at the inside of one thigh and then the other, working his way toward the center.

  He hooked his fingers into the waistband of my panties and pulled at them until I lifted my legs so he could pull them off. “Stay right there,” he said, holding my legs up in the air and tossing the thin fabric to the side… then burying his face in my pussy.

  At the first flick of his tongue on my clit, I clenched. “Oh, shit!”

  “Relax,” he said, his lips so close to me they brushed my clit. Then I felt his lips on me, licking and sucking, almost to the rhythm of my repeated grunts of “yes, yes, oh my God, yes” and “Holy shit, I’m about to come!”

  “Nuh uh. Not yet.” He released my legs, which felt like lead. Or Jell-O. They fell wide open, in perfect position. Wade sat up and reached for his shorts on the floor. “Do not move. I mean it. Don’t move.”

  “You expect me to follow your directions when you don’t follow mine?”

  “W
hat? What do you mean?”

  “Earlier today. I told you not to move. You left.”

  “I had to go—”

  I laughed. “I really wanted to experience those abs up close and personal. You took them away.”

  “I had to go home and get these.” He pulled two square foil packages out of his pocket and tossed the shorts aside. “Now you’re about to experience everything up close and personal.”

  “Everything?”

  Wade climbed back onto the bed, ripped one of the condom packages open and rolled it on. He maneuvered himself into prime position between my legs, gripping the underside of a thigh with one hand, and balancing himself with the other.

  “Everything,” he confirmed, sliding into me with a firm but gentle thrust. “Just relax. I won’t hurt you.”

  “Oh, my… fuck.” I was full… so full… the fullest I had ever been. It felt… so fucking good. “I’m not... unnnfff… worried about you hurting me.”

  “So you say. You aight?”

  “Hmmm,” I hummed, nodding vigorously. Deliriously. “I’m… so good. Oh, my God. Keep going.”

  “Okay. Let me know if—”

  “Wade! Shut up and fuck me!”

  I laughed, mostly out of delirium, then cupped his chin with both hands and brought his face to mine. I kissed him, sucking on his tongue in long, languid strokes in a rhythm I hoped he would pick up.

  I opened my legs wider and rested my arms across his shoulders. His head dipped to my neck, where his hot breath puffed against my skin. He varied his strokes from a pounding thrustthrustthrust to a sensuous grinding against my clit, then changing it up again.

  “Unnhhhh…. fuck!” He moaned, softly at first, then louder. “Wade, baby? You comin’?”

  “About to.” He panted, lifting his head. He wiped a sheen of sweat from his brow. “Waiting on you.”

  “You go, I go. Come for me.”

  His thrusts became longer, harder, joined by deep, guttural grunts. I hunched my hips so he rubbed against my clit with every stroke. I felt him pulse, then release a long, loud groan as he plunged deep into me.