by Tina Rose
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At Becky’s car, Dusty had already called shotgun and was sitting in the front seat next to Becky. He was leaning over the gearshift pretending he was looking for something down her cleavage. She smacked his hands away and laughed.
“What am I going do with you?” she squealed.
“I bet I can figure something out pretty lady,” he said, pulling her head closer and sliding his tongue in her mouth. Becky seemed enthralled with him. Alana never thought she would see that from Becky Harris. Becky was recently divorced from a marriage of ten years, and had sworn off men. But the look she was giving Dusty right now, made Alana think she was reconsidering that decision.
Alana slid through the door, blurting out a curse when her legs hit the hot leather seat. Logan seemed to think it was funny.
“Come here,” he laughed, pulling her over to his lap. Taking his towel, he laid it out for her to sit on. “That should help.”
“Thanks” she said, slightly embarrassed.
“Aww, what a gentleman,” Becky said sarcastically as she threw the car in drive and sped off.
Logan and Alana just smiled at each other. He put his hand on her knee. It was warm and sent a sensation straight to her inner thighs. He was trying to be a gentleman. The kind of man she had always hoped to meet. Why did it have to be here, at the Beach Hotel?
The Striped Cabana Beach Club had blue and white striped cabanas for rent set up on the beach. Dusty and Becky insisted they needed one to keep from burning. Alana and Logan knew what their true intentions were, and decided to take a walk on the beach to give them their privacy.
The beach was beautiful. It was close to sunset, and the orange, yellow and pink colors in the sky looked like a painted backdrop for a picture. The wind blew and the seagulls were calling and flying overhead. The sandpipers were running to and from the waves. It was a perfect time for a romantic walk.
“So, you’re a nurse? What made you decide to go into nursing?” Logan asked.
“Honestly? Becky. I went with a friend to see her mother, who was in the hospital. Becky was her nurse. She was nice and friendly. Seemed really happy with what she was doing. She was a great nurse,” she reiterated “is a great nurse. I started asking her questions about how long she had been in the field, how long school took, what the pay was, things like that. She had all the right answers I guess,” she laughed. “After a few visits to the hospital, she gave me her number and the number of her student advisor at the college. I knew as soon as I called the advisor that it was the right decision.” That wasn’t the entire story, but she didn’t feel the need to share her full story with him. “What about you? You mentioned you were in the army?”
“Me? Yeah, I’m a military man. Staff Sergeant Logan Montgomery of the United States Army Special Forces, at you service, Ma’am,” he saluted her.
She chuckled, “Army huh? Where are you stationed?”
“Right now? Fort Stewart.”
“Georgia?”
“Yeah, Georgia,” he laughed. “We’re from Alabama though, Birmingham. It was join the Army or work for my dad. Fighting a war sounded less tragic than working for my dad the rest of my life.”
“So you and Dusty have been friends for a while then?”
“Since before kindergarten. He hasn’t changed in the twenty-five years I’ve known him.”
“He doesn’t seem so bad,” she squinted up at him, the sun shining in her eyes.
“Bad? No, he’s not bad. He loves women. I hope your friend isn’t looking for anything serious, cause serious he’s not.”
“I gathered that much. No, I think a good weekend fling would do her good. She got divorced almost a year ago. She goes out on the weekends when she’s not working, but she’s never talked about meeting anyone. I think Dusty is just the right prescription to get her back in the saddle.”
“What about you? Is a good weekend fling what you need too?” He reached for her and pulled her in closer to search her eyes for the answer.
“Oh lord no!” she looked insulted, and pulled away. “Is that what you think of me?” She began tensing up.
“No! No, not at all.” He took her hand in his. “Please, don’t think that.” He smiled and squeezed her hand as he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. She began to loosen back up. He felt the tension leave and continued holding her hand and walking with her.
“I’m not a one-night stand kind of girl,” she grinned and squeezed his hand back. “I’m either at the hospital working or at my aunt and uncle’s hotel working. Not a lot of time in between. I dated a guy through high school, and I’ve gone out on a few dates with a guy from our surgical unit, but nothing too serious,” she stopped walking and looked up at him again. “What about you, is that why you came to Paradise Beach? For a fling?”
“I didn’t come looking for anything. A drunk driver hit me on my motorcycle. Beat me up pretty good too. I had to have surgery on my leg and go through physical therapy before I was released. I’m waiting on my final evaluation by my lieutenant. Dusty talked me in coming down here with him and the guys for the bike rally, so here I am.” He kissed her hand again. “I never thought I’d meet an angel in Sun City.”
She blushed as he pulled her closer to him, putting his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
“Maybe you should get to know me better before you convince yourself I’m an angel,” she said standing close enough to the edge of the water to splash the cold water on him with her foot. The surprised look on his face was priceless. She was laughing so hard she didn’t see him dashing for her. Before she knew it she was submerged in the icy cold water.
“You think that’s funny, huh? Come here you,” he said, picking her up swinging her around.
It was March, and the water hadn’t warmed yet. They were laughing and having a blast, until he felt her shivering in his arms.
“Shit,” he murmured with a shy smile.
“What’s wrong,” she said laughing.
“Your lips are blue. I’m sorry honey, I shouldn’t have pulled you in the water. I wasn’t thinking.” He scooped her up in his arms and began walking out of the water toward the cabana.
“Come on my little Smurf, let’s warm you up.” Even though they were climbing out of ice cold water, his body was hot, which made her shiver more.
“It’s okay Logan, it’s not the first time I’ve been in cold water. I do live in Florida you know.”
“Well, I’m only here a week, and you’re not getting sick on my watch.”
They passed Becky and Dusty on the way back. The two of them seemed intrigued with one another. Dusty had his arms wrapped around her shoulders, and they were watching the sun. It was the happiest Alana had seen her friend in a long time. She thought about the words Logan said earlier, about Dusty not being the serious kind. For Becky’s sake, she hoped her friend wasn’t in for another heartbreak. As a matter of fact, she hoped she wasn’t in for a heartbreak of her own.
Logan ducked his head as they entered the cabana. Setting her down, he grabbed her towel from a lounge chair and wrapped it around her. Pulling her close, he began rubbing his hands up and down her back and arms. A flurry of heat rushed over her when she felt the warmth of his body against the coolness of her skin. He rested his chin on top of her head for a moment, then pulled back from her, lifting her chin to see her face.
“Let me see if you’re still blue. You might have hypothermia, you may need mouth to mouth.”
She shook her head. “Seriously?” she chuckled.
“Seriously,” he leaned down and covered her mouth with his. Pushing his tongue between her lips, he met hers inside. His lips were demanding, and his arms surrounded her until he cupped his hands on her bottom. She felt him harden against her belly. Lifting her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer, moan
ing deeply in her throat. She never wanted someone so badly. Picking her up, he gently laid her on the lounge chair, and settled down beside her. He stroked her sun streaked hair from her face, while she ran her fingers through his damp hair. Her nipples were stiff, and he felt her shiver.
“Are you still cold?” he asked, slowly moving his hand down her skin to find her breast, trailing her nipple with the pad of his thumb, eyes never leaving hers. Untying her swimsuit in the front he exposed her breast for his pleasure.
“No,” her voice was unsteady. She didn’t want him to stop. The way he devoured her with his eyes made her insides tremor.
Caressing one of her breasts while kissing the side of her face, he worked his way down her neck, finding her other nipple and enveloping it with his mouth. Tracing it with the firm tip of his tongue, he teased it gently between his teeth before sucking it into his mouth.
Feeling the definition of each muscle beneath her fingertips, she moved her hands over his chest and biceps. She didn’t care if this was just a one-night stand or a weekend fling, she knew she just didn’t want it to end right now. She would worry about the ramifications later. Right now she was enjoying his touch on her skin.
His fingers wandered down past her navel and traveled between her thighs. Feeling the heat between her legs, she arched her body, nearly coming off the chair. He continued licking the hollow between her breasts while he trailed the sides of her bikini bottoms with his fingers, each time inching their way under the fabric. They were both breathless. Everything around them seemed to be spinning. So into the moment, they hadn’t heard Dusty and Becky returning to the little stripped cabana.
“Dammit…” Logan cursed out loud. He quickly turned as he heard them entering the tent. Alana turned in the opposite direction trying to re-tie her bikini top.
“You guys are missing the beautiful sunset! Come on horn dogs,” Becky grabbed Logan’s hand, pulling him through the door opening.
Turning to look at Alana, he thought he saw regret in her eyes. His heart ached a little and a nauseous feeling rolled through his stomach. He thought their moment in the tiny cabana had been something beautiful, but her face said something different all together.
Her head was spinning, she wasn’t thinking straight. What had almost happened? What was she thinking? She had to get a grip on the infatuation, and quickly before she did something she was going to regret.
CHAPTER FIVE
The sunset was breathtaking. They found two lounge chairs facing the sun. Becky and Dusty were snuggled up in one chair whispering sweet nothings in one another’s ear. Alana hesitated before she laid between Logan’s legs, her back against his warm chest. She could feel his heart beating against her back, the warmth of his body keeping her from getting chilled. His chin rested on her shoulder.
“I forgot how beautiful the sunset was here,” he said softly.
“I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Smiling, he kissed her shoulder as they watched the sun go down on the water’s horizon in silence. She had an innocence about her that he loved. So strong and independent, but at the same time, she seemed like a scared little girl. He wondered what it was that kept her so reluctant to claim what he so adamantly wanted to give her, himself.
Glancing at Dusty and Becky, he noticed something in Dusty’s expression he had never before seen. He was completely focused on Becky, not watching all the half naked girls running up and down the beach. Sincerity was written on his face as he listened intensely to every word she said. He wanted that with Alana, but no matter how close he thought he was getting to her, she always seemed to pull back.
The drive back to the hotel was quiet. Becky let Dusty drive her car. They held hands over the gearshift, frequently making eye contact, while Alana and Logan sat in the backseat. He felt her stiffen as he put his arm around her shoulder, but he couldn’t understand why. After sharing such an intimate afternoon, she was mentally and physically pulling away from him.
She knew her fairytale was about to come to an end. She would tell him goodnight and they would go their separate ways. Tomorrow she would go to work, hoping by the time she returned he would have turned his attention elsewhere. After all, there were plenty of other attractive women visiting the beach. Cringing, as that thought stung throughout her body, thinking of him with another woman. She wanted him for herself. Her mind and her heart were battling.
They reached the hotel after dark. There were bikers everywhere, half naked and half drunk. Several of the guys called to Alana and Becky with catcalls.
“They need to learn some respect,” Logan said coolly.
“I’m the man to show ’em,” Dusty glared. The statement caught Logan off guard. He smiled to himself at his friend’s possessiveness.
“Easy there, hero,” Becky put an arm around his waist, “they’re just a little drunk. You’d spend all your time teaching that lesson to those bastards.”
Dusty raised her chin with his finger to look at him, then kissing her he asked, “You wanna come curl up and watch a movie with me in the room?” Logan was completely shocked. Who was this man standing in front him and what the hell had he done with his womanizing friend?
“I thought you’d never ask,” she smiled at him. She looked at Alana, starting one of those silent conversations with her about joining them.
“Well,” Alana quickly said, breaking eye contact with her friend, “I, unlike my friend here, have to work tomorrow. I’ll have to catch you guys some other time.” She smiled up at Logan. His whole body tensed up. She could already see the hurt in his eyes, but she wasn’t changing her mind.
She would rather end this fairytale on her terms, not his. He thrilled every part of her body. She could still feel his lips, tongue and teeth tantalizing her skin. That’s the way she wanted to remember him. She didn’t want to be just another no-named girl he met up with, a girl he never thought of again after she had given herself to him. Wanting more than one night with him, she wasn’t willing to settle with anything less. No, she wasn’t going down that dark path of bad decisions like her mother and father. It would end for them tonight, before it ever really began.
Logan leaned in closer to her, “Can I at least walk you home?” He wasn’t ready to let her go that easy. He had to find out what he had done to make her push him away.
She looked up into his hazel eyes full of hurt and confusion. Her mind was screaming no, but out of her treacherous mouth came, “I’d like that.”
* * * * * * * *
They said goodbye to their friends and she led the way to her apartment door. Slowly walking behind her, he wondered what he was going to say to her. He felt like a stupid high school boy on his first date, not knowing what to expect. Hell, he was a thirty-three year old man, he had to shake this off. She was into him, he could feel it in his bones. He just had to figure out a way to convince her to trust him.
When they reached her door, she unlocked it and turned to him. He was standing so close she bumped into his chest. Placing one hand on her doorframe, he leaned closer to her.
“Can we go out tomorrow, just you and me?”
“Logan,” she said, placing her hand on the side of his face, rubbing his soft lips with the pad of her thumb, wanting to kiss them. “You know, I work twelve hour shifts.” She chuckled softly, “I’m usually so tired I come straight home and crash.”
“What about the next day?” he wasn’t giving up.
“Logan, I like you, I really do, but I live here. I’m not on vacation.”
“Then when?” he asked in a throaty voice, placing his hand over hers on his face and kissing the inner side of her wrist.
“I don’t think this is such a good idea.” She moved her hand and crossed her arms over her chest. She snorted, “There’s hot biker girls all over the place to occupy your time, looking for the
same thing you are.”
He glared at her for a moment. She could see the shock in his eyes.
“What is it that you think I’m looking for, Alana?” he asked defensively.
“I don’t know,” she shook her head, “but whatever it is, you won’t find it here, with me. I’ve already told you I don’t do one night stands. I want more. I deserve more.”
“What did I do? I thought we shared something special today? Who’s acting like they want a one night stand, Alana? You’re the one pushing me away.” He stepped even closer to her. “I don’t know what I want, or where this will lead, but I know there is something between us, you can’t deny that. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can.” He touched her face with the back of his knuckles.
“And then what?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Wouldn’t you rather leave this memory like it is? A beautiful moment in time?” she stared into his eyes. “Yesterday, I almost lost a patient. I didn’t know how to feel. Then, I saw you and I felt an electricity run through my soul. You awakened something in me I didn’t even know was there.” She finally dropped her eyes from his. “I don’t want to forget that feeling. I’d like to remember you the way we were today.”
“I can’t walk away from you, Alana, I can’t. I want more of you. I need more of you.” Suddenly entangling his fingers through her hair he pulled her into him. He engulfed her with a kiss that raised her off her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he parted her lips with his tongue, sweeping the inside of her mouth over and over until they were both left breathless.
Quickly splaying her hands over his chest, she felt his heartbeat and the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. She pushed away.
“I have to go.” She slipped into her room, shutting the door behind her, while he stood with one hand on each side of the doorframe
“Alana….” That was the last she heard. Her mind and heart struggled, hoping he would knock on the door, but praying he wouldn’t. She leaned against the door, fighting the desire to open it. Fighting every emotion, she closed her eyes and thought about her parents.
