by Ava Catori
I looked at her, taken back. She lied to me about being sick. She looked more like she was getting ready to go out.
“I’m going out with the girls. I didn’t want to say anything, because then you’d complain…”
“No complaining. You’re a free woman and I’m a free man.” There wasn’t much more to say.
She frowned and snapped, “What do you mean?”
“Tiffany, you didn’t have to lie. You and me, I don’t think it’s working anymore. Maybe we should take a break,” I started.
“What?” Only there wasn’t emotion tied to her response. “So, what, I’m not good enough now?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “I deserve honesty, but so do you. On that note, let me start by saying that I kissed someone else tonight. I’m sorry.” The last part came out of habit, maybe out of feeling guilty.
“You what?” Her shrill voice filled the room.
“Right, not sure what else to say. I didn’t realize until that very moment, but I think I’m in love with somebody else.” I lowered my head.
She stomped across the room toward the kitchen carrying the flowers. Dramatically, she threw them into the trashcan. “That’s what I think of your flowers,” she shot out. “And just for the record, I’ve had way better than you. In fact, I’ve got a date tonight. I’m not going out with the girls. I’m dating a real man.”
Strangely her lashing out made me feel better. It washed away the guilt I’d felt. I shook my head and turned to leave. “I’m sorry it turned out this way.” That much was true. There was nothing left to say.
“Wait, you’re supposed to flip out, yell, and beg me to choose you!”
I laughed. What annoyed her was that she wasn’t at the top of the list.
“Nope, enjoy your date.” I thought it would sting more. Instead it was like a weight dropped off my shoulders as I pulled the door shut behind me.
Sitting in my truck, I had one goal in mind… I needed to find Gia. I didn’t want her to be alone in the storm. They were predicting it might get pretty rough, and the little ocean front room she stayed in wouldn’t offer her a ton of protection, dunes or no dunes. Flooding was a real possibility with the bay and ocean only a few blocks apart.
I drove to her place. There was no sign of her car and all the lights were out. At least she knew to get to a safe place. Hopefully, she evacuated the island and had a hotel room lined up somewhere. I’d give her a call and check in with her. I pulled onto a side road and parked. Pulling out my phone, I dialed her number. She didn’t answer. I left a voicemail, trying to figure out where she would be. I needed to be with her, hold her near me, and taste her sweet lips one more time.
* * *
17
Gia
What just happened? What a stupid question! Safely parked on the second floor of the new building’s garage, I banged my forehead against the steering wheel.
I mocked myself as I did it. This was becoming a new habit of mine.
I damned well knew what had happened. Hunter kissed me.
Right. And he kissed me liked he meant it.
Oh god, that kiss melted my heart. I laughed at myself. Foolish me; Hunter wasn’t available. If he reunited with his high school sweetheart the very week he moved back into town, that bitch had to mean something to him. I sighed. Who was I to decide she wasn’t good enough for him?
Shaking my head to chase away the crazy fantasies playing, I emptied the car. The bottles kept the elevator doors opened while I dragged the rest in. I had food and water for two days; surely it would be more than enough. And if we were out of power for more than that, I’d be able to drive to the mainland or back to the family house.
It was probably the safest home on the coast. The bulletproof windows, which had been my dad’s only input in the entire house building process, had proven efficient against all sorts of flying objects. The full-house generator set up at my mother’s request made the place a haven, a cool one during the summer storms, and a warm one when heavy snow knocked down the power lines. Of course, her pantry was always stocked. The woman did love having a full house.
Yep, as far as my mother was concerned, storms were heaven sent opportunities for extended family reunions. Sorry, Mom, not for me. As far as I was concerned, they were a perfect times to curl up in bed with a book boyfriend, and that was precisely what I intended to do right after blowing up the inflatable bed and setting up camp in Barbara’s office.
The elevator played the usual Musak offered by the manufacturer as a gesture of good will. For once, riding all the way to the top floor, I appreciated the canned sound. It was a relief after the eerie silence of the garage floor. More attentive than usual to sounds, I noticed that the office floor softly hummed with the sound of electronic life. The server and the photocopier made little noises barely noticeable when people were around, but that night it was all I could hear.
After dragging everything out in the main office, I stood by the window and drank in the magnificent view. Barbara had been right to make us set up shop here. All those who visited our offices fell in love with the place. I too could have stayed there for hours to watch the huge waves roll in, but I wanted to plug in all my appliances just in case.
My phone buzzed just as I was sitting down on my bed in a comfy T-shirt. I smiled as the screen flashed, I had missed earlier calls but now all I could see was the picture of Barbara holding her baby that now identified her in my phone.
“Hello, Mommy,” I said cheerfully. “What’s up?”
She giggled. In the back I could hear Ryder’s voice making cooing sounds. “We got good news,” she said. “We can all go home tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s great!”
“Yep. I’ll be delighted to go home, but to tell you the truth, I’m happy to be spending one more night here.” I couldn’t blame her. The prospect of spending the night in a cottage facing the ocean in the middle of a storm was not one to look forward too. “But that’s not why I called you,” she said lowering her voice. “I wanted to give you a head’s up about a visit you could be getting.” Her voice was down to a whisper. “It’s Hunter, he just called me and asked if I knew where you were weathering the storm.”
“You told him?” The question was stupid, but I couldn’t help myself.
“Is that a problem?” Barbara asked, her voice almost back to business mode. We were friends but she was also my boss. I could hear something like annoyance creeping into her tone. She had told me time and time again how delighted she was that Hunter and I worked so well together. I was unsure what she was worrying about now…our no longer being friends or our becoming more than friends? Whatever the choice, it could indeed become bad for business.
“No, not at all,” I said. “It’s just that I find it weird that he called you, because I ran into him at the supermarket and he could have asked me directly.”
“I guess he didn’t think about it at the time. Anyway, I’ve got to go, baby’s calling,” she said.
I barely had the time to say goodbye. She was already gone. I put the phone on a table and sat on the bed. I’d listen to my messages later. It had been ages since I’d slept on an inflatable bed and it was more comfortable than in my memory.
Down on my back with my head on a pillow, I stared at the ceiling and thought about the mess I was in.
As soon as the storm passed, I would work on fixing it. I’d go to Barbara’s father and explain that I acted on my own, and then I’d give my resignation to Barbara.
The main building was almost completed and even though I would have loved to stay on and participate in the Ocean Crest revival project, I had to be realistic. There was no way I could keep the job. Working with Hunter would be too awkward for my sanity.
“Next week I will resign,” I said it out loud to make it official.
“Not if I have anything to say about it!”
I sat up on the bed and caught my breath. How long had Hunter been standing there, resting against the do
or frame, watching me?
“What are you doing here?” I asked realizing how stupid my question was.
“Can we talk now?” he asked. I nodded as he tossed away his shoes and removed his jacket. He took two steps forward and stood the edge of the bed. I got up and faced him. I wanted to look away but couldn’t. Now that we’d kissed, my eyes were riveted on his lips. God, how I wanted more of him. I was obsessed with the idea of a kiss that it didn’t register right away when he said, “Tiffany and I are over.”
But when he leaned over and took my head in his hands, his thumb rubbing on my lower lip, just like it had earlier, and the words began to make sense. The spark of hope burned brighter. Maybe if he wasn’t hers, he could be mine.
* * *
18
Hunter
Rain pelted the windows. The storm was rolling through and would only get worse. As soon as I tracked down Gia, I knew where I had to go. There was nowhere else I wanted to be.
I leaned against the doorway, watching her. She was oblivious to my presence until I spoke.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
I could only stare. How I’d denied my feelings, shut them down to do the right thing, I don’t know, because standing there looking at Gia everything in my body responded. I needed her. I’d known it all along, but fought the idea every step of the way. I was supposed to be with Tiffany, but I could only lie to myself for so long.
I told Gia we had to talk and that Tiffany and I were over.
The silence was deafening. Neither of us moved. I think we were afraid that if we got too close, the spark would engulf us in flames. I watched as she swallowed hard. She wanted to play it tough, play hardball. I could see her about to dig up some snide comment, but instead she stopped herself. Her usual tough girl shtick wasn’t going to buffer her this time.
I stepped in closer, moving slowly but deliberately. She watched my every move. Gia inched toward me. No words. As we stood toe to toe, she tipped her chin up and looked into my eyes. Time stood still.
I caressed her lip with my thumb and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, then leaned forward and kissed her.
She was about to spout off, so I stopped her train of thought. I pressed my mouth to hers. Our kiss grew hungry and desperate. Everything I wanted to say, everything I wanted to change, everything I needed to make right I put into that kiss. We embraced one another as we held tightly. I raked my fingers into her hair and she wrapped her arms tightly around me.
I stopped only for a second, but she whimpered not to let go. I knew in that moment she wanted me as much as I wanted her. We’d played games of denial long enough.
She tore at my shirt. I ripped it over my head and scooped her up. After carrying her to the air mattress she had on the floor, I placed her down and then covered her body with my own. Our lips brushed together gently once or twice, but all politeness went out the door. Hunger and passion were all that remained.
We were lost in kisses forever, and as much as I wanted to make love to her, I wanted to treasure and taste her kisses, memorize her mouth, her tongue, and linger in the yearning. If I was going to make love to Gia, it was going to be memorable. No way in hell would I let this opportunity slip by, instead I’d claim her and make her beg for more so that she could only see one possible solution at the end of the night, to spend her life with me.
I knew she was the one.
I had no doubt.
I’d known longer than I was willing to admit, but I refused to back down now. She’d be mine.
We didn’t speak, we only moved. The lights flickered in the storm. We were safe. There was nowhere to go, nothing we had to do. We had nothing but time.
I leaned up on an elbow and looked at her, making sure she was still with me. There was no doubt, the desire that welled in her eyes spoke to me.
Piece by piece our clothes littered the bed and floor around us until we were free of them. No longer restrained by fabric, I couldn’t hide what she did to me. My erection stood proud and tall, eager to penetrate my new lover. I needed to hold off, make sure she was taken care of first, no matter how badly I ached to be inside of her.
Gia’s body was soft and warm, curvy in all the right places, and padded to perfection. I loved that feminine detail, the one that spoke of her sensuality and had my body pushed to the limit with a need to devour her.
I stroked her skin, my fingers tracing the track of her curves, and reveled in the creamy smoothness. Her breasts were natural and free without a bra, and they fell softly. I wrapped my hand around one of her round breasts and leaned in to suckle her nipple. It was puckered and tinged a pink brown, begging me to taste and milk her sweet skin.
Gia’s back arched and a small moan escaped her lips. I nibbled and suckled harder, playing off of her reactions. Listening to her only turned me on more. I scooped her other breast in my other hand and kneaded her gently, then encircled her nipple with my fingers and rolled and pinched it gently. I took pleasure in making her moan and groan. I wanted to make her wiggle and jerk with spasms that left her breathless.
I trailed a path from her breast across her stomach and stopped to tease her soft nether lips.
She was damp and couldn’t hide the fact she wanted me as much as I wanted her. The urge to taste her overwhelmed me. I slid lower and parted her thighs, climbing between them, wanting to drink her in.
I inhaled deeply, pleasure filling me to the core. Her scent was laced with desire. “You smell so good,” I growled, unable to hide my passion.
I parted her lips and slid my tongue the length of her opening. The low groan she let out fed my obsession. Circling her nub with my tongue, I bathed her in soft, wet kisses. I drank her in, absorbing everything she offered.
She buckled up and her back arched. I slipped a finger inside her and then another. Sucking her nub, I moved within her, encased in warm velvet.
She was twitching lightly, and her legs tensed. I knew she was closing in on an orgasm. I pressed my face to her and pushed her limit. As she locked her thighs around me and tried to push back, I held tightly, letting her ride out of the wave of the orgasm, while flicking at her clit. Her body responded as she circled into a second orgasm. My face was wet with her juices. I was on top of the world as my lover came on my face.
I climbed over her and pressed the head of my cock to her wetness. As I pushed into her, I penetrated heaven. A loud moan filled the room. She wrapped her legs up around me as I thrust into her. Everything felt right. This was where I belonged. We moved in sync, a rhythmic dance taking us to the edge. As the orgasm hit, I quickly pulled out, realizing I’d forgotten a condom in my haste.
I rolled over next to her, catching my breath, and rode the high of the orgasm that washed through me. Gia turned up on her side to look at me and put her hand on my chest.
I smiled. She was everything I wanted.
“This doesn’t have to mean anything,” she started.
I placed my finger to her lips to stop that nonsense. “It means everything. You mean everything.”
* * *
19
Gia
“It means everything. You mean everything.”
Hunter’s words echoed in my mind and made my head spin. There was no reason not to believe him and yet I was holding back. He was so perfect and also so wrong.
Ocean Crest was Hunter’s home. The boy with a rebellious streak ran all the way to California, but when his family called, the loyal man he’d become flew back here and planted new roots. If I truly cared for him, I couldn’t possibly ask him to pack up and leave with me.
Funny, how parallel our lives had been. I too had fled the Jersey shore all the way to the Pacific Ocean, only to be drawn back here again. But there was a huge difference between us now. I had no future in Ocean Crest or anywhere along this shore for that matter.
For me, staying would mean fighting with my family every single day of my life, walking on eggshells to make sure I didn’t violate any of
their convoluted rules, or worse—surrendering and making those rules mine. I didn’t want to surrender and be smothered, but I knew I wasn’t strong enough to resist them if I stayed. The struggle would drain all my energy. One thing I was painfully aware of was that life was too short to waste in a war I couldn’t win.
Suddenly I had a better understanding of Barbara’s father. How difficult had it been for him to turn his back to his family? Italian men were expected to keep up with the traditions; this was even truer thirty years ago. I wondered if his choice had been dictated by faith or if he had seen the cloth as the only way out.
Had he been a happy priest? A content one? Did he even know he had a daughter?
Of course, he did. At some point, Barbara told me her cottage had been bought for her by her father with a life estate in her mother’s name.
Maybe the man had been forced to settle just as I would be.
“Talk to me, Gia,” Hunter said softly. “Come on, baby, I can feel you drifting away already.”
I looked down from his face to my hand resting on his chest. The fast beat of his strong heart was slowing down to a normal rhythm. Hunter’s passion took me by surprise and I was unsure what to say.
“Well…” I began not knowing what I was going to say and was saved from making a fool of myself with some lame answer by the power going out. First the lights flickered and then it got dark. All of the machines around us shut down. There was one long strident beep from the fire alarm system and then silence.
Hunter pulled me in until my head rested on his shoulder and then he wrapped the comforter around us. I sighed and let my body relax against his. It felt so right. I didn’t want to fight the feelings washing over me. I would savor them for now and make the best of the moment. I’d treasure the time the storm gave us, and forget about soul searching. There’d be plenty of time for that later.
