by Jill Patten
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
His lips spread wide, showing what I know to be a pearly white set of perfect teeth. “No, just lost myself for a second.”
“Well, I’m glad you found yourself,” I say oddly.
“I’m not,” he deadpans. His smile falters, and he lifts a dark blond eyebrow as if he’s challenging me.
“You’re not?”
He shakes his head. “No, I want to get lost again,” he says, then lowers his lips to mine before I have a chance to protest. They brush across mine briefly, and I’m shocked still for a moment.
His breath is damp on my lips. He goes in to deepen the kiss, but I stop him.
“What are you doing?” I mumble against his soft lips. They’re full and they mold perfectly with mine, but I’m not in the right state of mind to be making out with a near stranger, in the dark, on the beach, in public.
His bright blues stare at me with an intense force. They are so close. I can almost feel his eyelashes brush against mine. “I’m kissing you,” he says with no reserve.
And so he does.
And I allow him.
My lips part with acceptance. His tongue first licks across the inside of my top lip as if he’s sampling me before he enters my awaiting mouth. I then close my eyes and use only my sense of taste and touch to savor the kiss. It’s exhilarating and familiar, and before I can place a finger on my occurrence with déjà vu, Blue ends the kiss.
“Holy shit!” he says with a heavy breath. “I should apologize, but that was so damn good, I feel like I would insult you if I did.”
He remains in my personal space, and I don’t know if I like it or not. I do know I loved that stupid kiss, though. One hook-up was all I made plans for this week. And my sloppy efforts last night turned out to be a flop.
Maybe he can be my one-night stand. I’d do him.
Shouldn’t I at least have a memorable night of sex before I go back home? Hell, I’m getting ahead of myself. He might not have any interest in sex. He might be one of those rare guys who still have morals and not fuck the girl until the second date.
He pushes up on his arms, giving me room to breathe. “Please don’t tell me you’re mad. My feelings will be hurt if you didn’t enjoy that as much as I did.” He smiles and it’s infectious.
I shake my head. “No, I’m not mad. A little surprised. And you’ve left me wondering what your intentions are now,” I state, challenging him to spill his guts.
“Does there have to be an agenda?” he asks. “Can’t a hot guy such as myself kiss a beautiful girl like you all because he wants to see if her succulent lips taste as good as they look?”
I narrow my eyes at him then bust out in laughter. “That has to be the corniest pick-up line I’ve ever heard. Do you say that to all the girls?”
“No. Just the ones I want. Just you,” he says with a blank expression. His clear, blue eyes burn into mine with too much seriousness for my liking. Whatever it is he sees in me, he needs to erase the vision quick. I’m not one to settle into a serious relationship, especially a long distance one. And I’m definitely not one for a good lay whenever he sees fit, if that’s what he’s going for. If sex is involved, it’s because I want it.
My mouth suddenly goes dry. I don’t know how to take his declaration. “Well, okay then.”
He rolls away from me, resting his body on his elbows. “Sorry.” He looks up at the starry sky. “Molly gets pissed at me when I don’t use my filter.” He turns his head and looks my way. “I’m kind of straight-forward. I don’t see any sense in pussy-footing around with what I want to say—or do.”
“Nothing wrong with that, I guess,” I say with a shrug. “I prefer someone to be honest with me rather than feed me a line of bullshit. But as for doing what you want…that can get you in a lot of trouble. You’re lucky I didn’t haul off and punch you in the face.” I chuckle. “But, you’re Molly’s brother and I like her, so I don’t want to screw things up with her because of you. Besides, you’re not bad-looking either. And you’re a pretty good kisser, too,” I say as nonchalantly as I can.
Catching me off guard as I’m staring into the same sky as him, he’s back in my personal space. This time his pretty eyes are hidden in the depths of the night.
“Perfect. Because I’m ready for another round of your tongue,” he says as he goes in for the kill.
I shove my arm in between his body and mine before our lips touch and push him off of me. “Don’t press your luck, lover boy.”
Dramatically, he falls on his back, holds his hands over his heart, and throws in a few faux sniffles. “Wounded.”
Tilting my head in his direction, I give him an apathetic glare. “Tuck your lip back in before you get sand in it.”
He shakes his head. “Damn, girl, you’re harsh. You reject me then pour salt in my wounds.”
I can see him looking at me from the corner of his eye, and he’s trying to contain the smirk on his face. I hope he never attends acting classes because he’ll fail miserably.
He quickly flips over to his side and props himself up on his elbow. “So, you wanna go out later tonight?”
“Wasn’t one rejection enough?”
“Psshhh…I’m secure enough with my game to allow a little refusal here and there. It obviously hasn’t stopped me.”
“So I’m a game to you?”
“No, baby cakes, you’re definitely not a game. I can already see that you don’t like to play,” he adds, protruding his bottom lip.
Would I be a bad person if I admit I want to suck on that lip? Of course, I won’t tell him, but his lips are mighty tasty. And they felt amazing against mine. Maybe I could have a little fun with him while I’m here. Stick to one guy for the week instead of taking my chances with some random freak. I sort of know him, and I sort of know his sister. They seem like good people, so he would be perfect. Plus, he carries a love ‘em and leave ‘em vibe, and that is, after all, what I need. No strings attached.
Propping myself up on an elbow, I turn to face him. “Because I feel sorry for you and your enormous ego, I’ll hang out with you tonight. Let me text my besties one more time to see how they are.”
BLUE
You don’t have three different encounters with a person coincidentally. Meeting Phoebe is a sign. What that sign is, I don’t know yet.
What I do know is I’m slightly infatuated with her. There’s something I really like about her. Aside from being a great kisser, having a banging body, and eyes I can’t seem to stop staring at, I appreciate the easygoing person she seems to be. Maybe it’s because I instantly pegged her to be a snobby, rich bitch and, so far, she’s the polar opposite of it. Maybe it’s because those are the type of girls who always throw themselves at me, and I eagerly oblige. Maybe it’s because, for once in my life, I’m chasing the girl.
After Phoebe agrees to hang out with me tonight, she goes back up to her room to check on her sick friends and prepare for the night.
Thad walks toward the entrance of the Surf Shack just as I round the corner.
“Hey, man, where’re you going in such a hurry?” he asks, turning away from the door and stepping closer to the steps that lead up to my apartment.
“Nowhere. Just heading in for a shower and then to the clubs later.”
He shakes his head. “Scoping out pussy, I take it?”
I chuckle. “Believe it or not, I’m not.” I hesitate for a second or two. “Matter of fact, I’m meeting up with someone. A girl. A cute one too who came onto me and I turned her down.” I raise my eyebrow and stare at him, waiting for a reaction.
Thad’s eyelids disappear as the whites of his eyes glow.
“No shit!” His mouth is open, and he shakes his head. “I’m not fucking believing this.”
Before I can say anything, he starts up again. “Damn, I never thought I’d live to see the day that Lance King finally listens to his barely older and much wiser friend. Feels good, doesn’t it?”
Shru
gging my shoulders, I say, “I guess. I mean, it’s weird. It’s almost as if I had an out-of-body experience. I’m still questioning myself about it.”
He gives me a congratulatory slap on the back. “Welcome to the world of real men. You might finally lose that douchebag asshole title you’ve been carrying around for nearly a decade.”
“Fuck you, dude.”
Thad laughs. “Just keeping it real, brotha. So, how long is she here for?”
My hand curls around the rusted railing leading up to my apartment. “I think a week. At least I hope, anyway.” My eyes squeeze shut when I think about what just fell out of my mouth. “Damn! See what I mean? When have you ever known me to want to spend more than a day with a girl?”
He scrunches his nose in thought. “Um, never? But maybe it’s because you haven’t had sex yet. I guess after you fuck her you’ll know then.”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think that’s it because she was ready and willing that first night she arrived. All I had to do was slide it in. Literally.”
Thad glances down at his watch. “Dude, I wish I could stick around and help you, but I’ve got to get in here before Mom kicks my ass.” He walks away then abruptly turns around. “Hey!” he shouts. “I expect a full report after you—”
I wave him off then take the steps up two at a time.
****
Phoebe and I made plans to hang out tonight, but I failed to get her number. I find myself sitting outside her hotel feeling like a creeper because I can’t go inside and ask for her. Looking around me, I locate a spot far up in the sand where I can wait for her.
The yellow glow from the moon peeks out from the thin clouds, and a slow trickle of partygoers begin to find their way to the loudest music and best flow of drinks. It’s still early in the night for the party animals. The majority of the college crowd hasn’t even begun to crawl into the shower to prepare for a fresh night of debauchery.
Tonight is a new scene for me. I’m not used to waiting on a girl, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Sure, my guilt for what I did plays a small role in what I’m doing, but if I’m being honest with myself, I want her and not just in the context of sex either, but it would be a bonus.
I want to know her, to find out who the girl from Pennsylvania is. People are not themselves when they step out from reality. Being here in Panama City during spring break makes people believe they can become someone else. It’s true. I witness it every year. Sometimes I wish I could be them for just a week.
A pair of tan, silky legs stands in front of me, disturbing my thoughts. Petite feet with perfectly manicured toes wiggle in the sand. Feet, especially ugly feet, freak me the fuck out, so to see a set that isn’t disgustingly mutilated puts my mind at ease. Petty? Maybe, but it’s just one of those crazy quirks I can’t control.
“How long have you been waiting?” Phoebe asks, walking in front of me to sit down by my side.
I try not to gawk at her too much, but she’s painstakingly beautiful. God was especially good to her when she was created.
Propping my arms over my bent knees, I turn toward her. “Not long.” I glance at my watch and notice I’ve been sitting here for over an hour.
She sees me look at the time and winces.
“I’ve been too busy people watching to pay attention to the time.” I smile.
“Hey, that’s a favorite pastime of mine, too.” She leans over to bump my shoulder with hers. “The airport and the mall are the best locations,” she adds.
“You haven’t sat on the beach during peak season.” I chuckle. “You’d be amazed the balls some people have. Between what they think is appropriate to wear to what they do openly in public sometimes has me blushing. And I don’t get embarrassed easily.”
Her lips turn up in a smile while she gazes out at the ocean. Faint boat lights blink out in the distance. The sound of the waves lapping up onto the shore keeps you aware of the tide coming in. Memories of her taking control under the pier have my dick pushing up against my zipper. I scoot back an inch in hopes of loosening my shorts so I can find some relief.
Her smile doesn’t falter, and I wonder if there’s any way she remembers at least a small detail of the night before. If she does, she most likely wouldn’t be sitting here beside me right now. “It must be a dream to live here,” she says softly.
If she only knew how much of a nightmare it is. “Don’t be fooled. Living in a popular vacation spot can be miserable. Especially in the summer.” Her hair gently dances around her shoulders as the wind from the ocean greets our faces. I resist the urge to touch it. “But on the flip side, I can’t imagine myself living anywhere but here. If I can’t surf, I might as well move to the mountains and become a hermit.”
“You don’t strike me as a mountain man.” She chuckles.
Her laughter makes me smile; she makes me smile. What is it about her that keeps a damn goofy grin on my face whenever she’s around?
“So what do I strike you as?” I ask, hoping she gives me some sort of insight into what she thinks about me.
She chuckles before answering me. “To be honest, my first thought when I saw you was ‘oh boy, here we go with the typical dumb blond surfer guy’.”
Her hair whips around again in her face and this time I don’t think twice about touching it. It sticks to her lipstick, and I easily glide it across her lips until it falls away. I faintly hear her breathe in deep as if she’s ready to hold her breath. It makes me wonder if my gesture has an effect on her. I can only hope so.
I wait for her to look at me, but she doesn’t. I’m hoping she’s scared to look at me at this moment. Scared she might feel the same attraction I feel.
“So were you right or have I proven you wrong?”
She pooches her mouth out, turning it into the infamous duck lips as she muses over my question. It’s not an attractive look. At all. But she’s able to pull it off. She looks ridiculously adorable, and I have to look away before I move on impulse and taste those lips again. I’m due for another reminder.
“So far, I guess you’ve proven me wrong.” She finally turns to look at me. “Don’t screw it up,” she says jokingly.
She’s flirting with me. I know flirting when I see it. She’s subtle about it, but it’s enough for me to pick up on.
“Just so you know, I graduated with a GPA of 4.2 and ranked third in my class.”
“Holy shit! You’re pretty damn smart.” She pauses a moment in thought. “Wait. Are you one of those who are book smart but dumb as a rock when it comes to common sense?”
I lower my gaze at her. “No. I’m not the dumbass surfer who fried his last brain cell by staying high all day and night,” I say, doing my best Spicoli impersonation from Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
She giggles and her body leans my way. Her arm brushes against mine, and the urge to kiss her knocks at me again. I shuffle in the sand so I can put a little distance between us. The closer she gets to me, touching me, the harder it is for me to resist her.
Her laugh diminishes when she prods for more information. “So, what do you do with all that brilliancy in your head?” She wiggles her fingers while waving her hand around in the air. “Are you still in school or do you have one of those six-figure jobs already?”
Shit. I don’t like the direction this conversation is heading.
I shift my sitting position in the sand again and sidle up to her so close our arms and legs are touching. The lights from the hotel and pool illuminate the side of her face. Her eyes are wide as she watches me, engaging my next move.
“Phoebe. What would you say if I asked if I could kiss you?” My voice is low, and I stare at her, challenging her to look away. If she knows better, she’ll avoid me. She should avoid me, but I don’t want her to.
She sucks in a quick breath of air. She accepts my challenging stare, and I fight the smile trying to form in the corner of my lips.
“I would say…for just this one week I want to have the time of my life�
�whatever that entails.” She smiles then leans in so close our noses are touching. Taken by surprise by her forwardness, I watch the light in her blue eyes glow as her lips, warm and soft, press against mine. But then I remember the way she took control that first night. Our lips linger in place for a second before I go in for more.
She pulls away, just as I part my mouth, leaving me yearning for more.
“I wasn’t finished,” I murmur against her lips as I place my hand on the back of her head and pull her in for a deep kiss.
She sharply inhales for air as I fill her mouth with fiery lust. She willingly accepts this crazy desire I have for her. Without breaking our kiss, she climbs onto my lap, straddles me, and then wraps both arms around my neck to bring us so close we nearly become one. If one of us doesn’t stop soon, we will become one.
Next thing I know, she’s making a wet trail down along my jaw line then onto my neck. She focuses on nipping and sucking on the area below my ear before leaving subtle kisses behind.
Taking both of her upper arms in my hands, I push her away from my neck. “Are you marking me?”
A sly grin spreads on her face, and she nods. I want to be pissed about it, but I’m not. I hate hickeys. My automatic response when I see people with them is that they’re trash. But something about her leaving love marks on me kind of turns me on.
Get a fucking grip, Blue. You can’t allow her to hold any power over you. Weakness is for the weary, and you’re not weak.
“Shit!” I say, rubbing my hand over the marks I’m assuming are there.
She grabs my wrist and pulls it down. “I’m sorry. It’s just you kind of give off this vibe that you’re down for some fun, and after what I’ve gone through—well, I came here with my girlfriends to have a week full of good times and no regrets, so…”
“So you want to fuck with no strings attached? Is that what you’re trying to say?” I ask point blank.
Without saying a word, she pops up from my lap and saunters away.
Does she want me to follow? Is this where I’m supposed to chase her?
