by Lisa Shelby
“Maybe we should finish the tour?” I suggest.
“Oh, sure. I kinda forgot there was more to see,” she says sheepishly.
“Well, not much more but still, if we don’t press pause I can’t promise that I will remain the gentleman that I promised you I would be a couple of days ago.”
“Ok, well I wouldn’t want you to lose the title of gentleman because of me.”
Against everything I want in this moment, I release that fine ass of hers and let her drop her legs back down to the floor. I pick up her bags and try to pull myself together. I think she intentionally slid her body down mine as slow as she possibly could, and she certainly left quite an impression.
“So, as you can see just over here we have the kitchen, complete with stainless steel appliances,” I say in my best Real Estate Agent voice. “And over here, ma’am, we have the bathroom. It’s not big but should have everything you need. And through this door we have the master bedroom. Correction, through this door we have the one and only bedroom.”
“So, is this where the magic happens?”
I put her bags on the floor next to the bed, and step towards her, where she’s leaning against the door frame of the bedroom. I bend down so that we’re eye to eye with my hands on her waist and say with all sincerity, “Emily, I have no problem sleeping on the couch. I do not want you to think that I have any expectations. I just want to spend as much time with you as possible before Monday gets here. If the ‘magic’ as you say, happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I just want you to be comfortable and to have some fun before your vacation is over.”
“I have to say, that your status as a gentleman is still very well intact.”
I kiss her forehead and let her know that I’m going to give her a few minutes to get settled and unpack, and that I will be waiting for her out on the patio when she’s ready. I would really love for the ‘magic’ to happen but I meant what I said, just being with her is truly enough. Even if that means walking around with God damned blue balls.
Emily
He leaves me with a kiss on the forehead and then shuts the door behind him. I stand frozen in the spot where he left me, unable to move. I can still feel his lips on my forehead and I’m afraid to move for fear that the feeling will leave me too soon.
Is this really happening? He is just too good to be true. Should I be scared? Should I call Cami to come get me? She does have the keys to my Jetta. I don’t think he’s a serial killer because he made sure to tell Cami where I was going to be and Devon and Matt know as well. No, I think I’m safe. Well, physically. I’m not sure my heart will survive when this is all said and done.
I pick up my bags and place them on the bed, and start to unload all of my things. I check all of the drawers in the little dresser against the wall across from the bed and all the drawers are empty. I check the closet and that’s empty as well. I wonder where his stuff is? I try not to think about it too much and put my things away.
I can hear him moving around in the kitchen and wonder what he’s up to. We just had a bunch of appetizers at Ole’s so I don’t think he’s making us dinner. I know I should just open the door and find out for myself what he’s doing, but I’m suddenly nervous. I’m not sure why but I can’t seem to get myself to leave the room just yet. I need to settle my nerves first.
I find my toiletries and clean up a bit, and then realize that there’s nothing left for me to do alone in this bedroom. I take a couple of deep breaths and put my hand on the door knob.
You can do this Emily. You deserve some fun, and you need to just live in the moment and enjoy this man. This man that is doing everything in his power to make sure you have the best week of your life.
I mean the book! Did he really get me the latest Diana Gabaldon book? I can’t even believe he remembered me commenting on it. He seems to hear every word I say. I have to be careful because I feel like if I said I wanted a unicorn he would find a way to make that happen too. Hell, he would probably put himself into a freaking unicorn costume to make it happen.
With that thought I apply pressure, turn the door knob, and walk down the tiny hall to the kitchen where he seems to be keeping himself very busy.
“Hey, there you are! Sorry I didn’t have this all ready. Were you able to find room for everything? Do you think you’ll be comfortable?” He asks nervously. He seems to be just as anxious as I am, but that can’t be true. He always seems so confident. Well, he did until the moment he was wiping his sweaty palms on his shorts as he asked me to come spend the week with him. It’s kinda cute, I must say.
I lean against the counter where he seems to be scooping ice cream and I try to ease his mind and my nerves as best I can by saying, “Jonathan, it’s perfect. You’ve done way too much. Thank you. In fact, I’m sure this place wasn’t cheap. I’d love to pitch in and help pay for it.”
“Oh, sweet Emily, you really are adorable. Let’s just get this out in the open now,” he says as he points an ice cream covered spoon my way. “I’m not sure what guys are like where you come from, or down here in California, but where I come from, the woman never pays. I know you don’t do relationships and you don’t want to label whatever this is that we have going, but for the time I have with you, you are mine and I take care of what’s mine. It might sound archaic but I don’t care,” he says to me as he walks over and holds the spoon up to my mouth and I open at his silent command.
I take the bite of delicious vanilla ice cream and watch as he licks the spoon after he takes it back from me.
“Let me take care of you Emily, and if that means paying for things then that’s what it means. Can you handle that? Do I have to explain myself again?”
“Can I have more ice cream?”
“Only if you promise not to ask to pay for anything else the rest of the week.”
“Jonathan, that just doesn’t seem fair,” I say as Devon’s words about breaking his heart whirl through my head. The thought of him spending money on me all week for me to just leave after all is said and done feels so wrong.
“Emily, I’m not really giving you the option about me paying. I am, however, giving you the option to accept it and earn yourself some ice cream.”
It goes against my better judgement, and I really don’t like to rely on anybody but myself, but I need to live today like it’s my last. Cami and I have always had our little mantra and today is the day I finally put it to the test. Besides, I really want more ice cream.
“Okay,” I agree reluctantly.
“That’s my girl! Now, how about a root beer float?” He asks me as he lifts his eyebrows up and down a couple of times like it’s the best idea anybody has ever had.
“That sounds amazing! Where did you get supplies for root beer floats?”
“Well, I had hoped you would agree to coming here so I sorda went and did some grocery shopping to set us up for the rest of the week. I hope you don’t mind that I went without you? I just wanted to get it done and out of the way,” he says as he walks back to the kitchen counter where I see the two pint glasses of fluffy foam goodness!
“You went grocery shopping?” I ask suspiciously.
Leaning one hip on the counter next to the root beer floats he crosses his arms over his chest and says, “I sure did. Feel free to check out the fridge and the cupboards, thee who haveth little faith in my shopping abilities.”
I walk to the fridge and glance at his handsome, cocky face as I pull the door open and sure enough he went shopping! There is fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, along with eggs, chicken, bacon, soda, juice, milk, what looks like a plethora of fresh ingredients for meals and two rolls of cookie dough.
“So, you know how to cook all of these ingredients in here?” I ask with skepticism in my voice.
“As a matter of fact I do. I love to cook. I grew up with my mom teaching me everything she knew and it stayed with me. Impressed much?”
He still hasn’t moved from his spot against the counter and his arms are still crossed ov
er his broad chest.
“Don’t forget the freezer and the cupboards,” he reminds me.
I pull open the freezer and there are two tubs of ice cream. One tub of chocolate with a big J written on the lid and a tub of vanilla, caramel swirl with an E on it. There are also random frozen foods from pizza to mozzarella sticks.
“Now this is more my speed. I can use the microwave or bake something frozen in the oven, but I’m afraid the hard stuff will be left to you, Chef Kelly.”
As I look at the root beer floats sitting next to him I think of how soft the ice cream must be getting and ask, “Do you think we could have a couple of bites before I continue my look around the kitchen?”
“If you must,” he says handing me one of the large spoons he had waiting on the counter.
“I must!”
We both pick up our floats, and as if on the same brain wave, we both lean our glasses to the others and clank them together and say, “Cheers!”
We just look at each other smile and then take our first bites of memories, pure memories.
“Shit, I forgot how good these are.” He says on a moan that sounds so freaking sexy, even if it’s over the float and not me.
“I know. I feel like I am eating a glass of childhood memories right now. Cami and I always had these at our sleep overs when we were little and now I remember why. So. Freaking. Good!”
“When we were talking the other night and you were telling me all those stories about you and Cami growing up I realized it had been a long time since I’d had something like this. We don’t exactly have this stuff over in the barracks on the regular so I had to get us some.”
Again, I’m shocked that he actually hears what I say. No guy I’ve ever dated actually gave a shit what I had to say. Is this guy for real? He just seems too good to be true I can’t help but think to myself again.
“And . . . now I remember the worst part about a root beer float.”
“Is there a worst part?” I say like he is out of his mind.
“Oh yes there is, my sweet girl,” he says as he gives me a cold and slightly sticky kiss to the nose. “The ice cream is always gone way too soon and then you’re left with too much root beer. But . . . the great part about being an adult is I can just scoop up more and add to it. I think that’s just what I am gonna do!” He says as he lifts his spoon up in the air as if he is now the victor in some competition only he’s a part of.
If he wasn’t so freaking hot I would say he was cute, but the unadulterated sexiness that is Jonathan Kelly beats out the cute. It’s a really tight race, though.
“Well, I like my ice creamy root beer just the way it is, so you get on with your bad self and get more ice cream, you big old adult, you. I have cupboards to check out while I continue to drink my frothy goodness.”
I turn my back to him and open the cupboard in front of me but only find glasses. I move to the next and find plates, and then in the cupboard next to the fridge I strike gold. What I find may just change my last thought about the hotness overriding the cuteness.
The thing that catches my eye first off is that there are two jars of peanut butter. The jar with the creamy has a pink sticky note on it that says Gracie, and the jar with the crunchy has a blue sticky note on it that says, Georgia. There are many other items in the cupboard, including what look to me to be ingredients to make s’mores. The s’more ingredients would normally win out, but at the moment I’m standing here with unshed tears in my eyes that I refuse to let fall. I don’t even know why they’re there. I’m not sad. I’m happy. I mean he got me my own peanut butter, and then there’s the sticky notes. Freaking sticky notes! I feel so special in this moment but I can’t tell him that. It’s not like my mom and my brother or even Cami don’t love me and treat me great, but I’ve never had a guy treat me like this. It’s a bit overwhelming with all that I have going on and it’s happening so damn fast.
I feel two strong arms circle around my middle from behind.
“You haven’t moved. You okay, Gracie?” He whispers in my ear.
Praying to everything holy that my voice doesn’t quiver when I answer I say, “You remembered? You actually hear what I say and remember it? Are you for real?”
He rests his chin on my shoulder and lets out a big breath and says in a low whisper into my ear, “Sweetheart, I told you I remember everything about you. There is something about you that has crawled under my skin, and to be honest I want it to stay there. Just being near you makes me so happy that all I can think about is making you feel just as happy as I am. I know that this is fast, and I know we’re on borrowed time, but shit, Em, I have spent the last three nights with you just talking. Just talking all night, okay not just talking. There have been the best kisses of my life thrown in here and there. But for the most part I never would have thought that the girl I had always dreamed of would show up and I would stay up every night talking to her, if you know what I mean?”
He turns me so I’m facing him and a tear escapes against my will to trap it in. He wipes it away and continues . . .
“Would I like more than talking? Of course. But am I okay just spending every night this week hanging out? You bet your sweet ass I am,” he says as he gives me a tiny little pat to what is apparently my ‘sweet ass’.
“So, yes, I remember all the little things you say because you are all I think about. I can’t fall asleep at night because these fucking beautiful blue eyes of yours are all I can see as I replay our conversations over and over in my head. It’s like deep down I know I’m not going to be able to use my southern charm to get you to make this last longer than the time you’ve promised me. I’m trying to bottle it all up so that I can keep these memories forever.”
“Jonathan, I don’t want to hurt you if I can’t promise more than this time we have right now. My life is up in the air and I have so much going on. Everything you’re doing means the world to me and I feel the same way. The last few days and nights have been amazing, but I need to know that I’m not leading you on and that you know that now is all I can give you. Please tell me you know that and you still want me to stay,” I almost beg as more tears start to pile up in my eyes.
“I want you to stay more than anything I have ever wanted. I understand what you’re offering and even if it kills me on Monday, I will let you say goodbye.”
He brushes my rogue tears away and kisses, each of my tear-stained checks and says, “Now, no more tears sweetheart. Let’s have some fun.”
We decide to take a walk on the beach after finishing our floats on the patio. We grab some towels to leave out on the deck chairs so when we come back we can clean up before we go inside. We lock things up, and head off in the sand holding hands. Up closer to the water each cottage has a little table, two chairs and tiki themed umbrella. We both agree we will have to get some use out of those while we’re here.
We’re walking in silence for quite some time when I remember that I didn’t see any of his clothes in the one and only bedroom back at the cottage.
“Jonathan, I noticed when I was putting my clothes away that you didn’t have any of yours hanging up or in the drawers. Where are all of your things?”
“Oh, I just have my sea bag (These Marines and their fancy names for all of their bags. Again, who knew?) over by the couch with everything in it I need. I did put some stuff in the bathroom, but I’m fine with my things in my bag. That reminds me, I had some sunblock in the bathroom that we don’t want to forget when we’re out and about. Especially in the jeep, that sun can be deadly.”
“Jonathan?”
“Emily?”
“Please don’t sleep on the couch tonight.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, more than sure.”
“Emily, I would love to sleep with you tonight, but please know that if I do there are no expectations. Just having you in my arms is more than enough.”
He stops walking and turns us so we are facing each other and says, “Em, I’m going to kiss you no
w, okay?”
“O . . .” is all I get out before his lips are on mine and his hands are in my hair.
My hands are slowly rubbing small tracks up and down his back as we kiss for what feels like seconds and hours all at the same time. It’s heaven. This place, right here, right now, is heaven on earth and I don’t ever want it to end. Reality is a bitch though because come Monday, it will all end.
“We should head back, the sun is setting and I don’t think there are many lights out here at night.”
With one more light kiss to my lips we turn and head back.
Standing on the patio and cleaning the sand off our feet I take a moment to look out to what is now the dark ocean and the moon reflected off of it. I can’t help but move to his side and wrap myself in his strong arms that engulf me the moment I reach for him.
“Thanks again, Jonathan.”
“My pleasure, baby.”
“So, what’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” I ask from my new favorite place, which just happens to be tucked under his arm.
“Well, that’s up to you. Come inside and I’ll show you.”
He takes me by the hand and through the sliding glass door. He tells me to have a seat, and then goes to get something out of his bag that I now see tucked away on the side of the couch, just like he said it was. I use this moment to follow him as he moves across the room. I love his tan skin, his perfectly sculpted arms, his ass always looks amazing in whatever he’s wearing but there is something about his calves. I don’t know what it is, but his legs are my favorite part of his body.
I don’t realize how obvious my stare is until he clears his throat and gets my attention.
“Can I help you, Gracie? See something you like?” He says as he turns in a circle and then stops in a super model stance, complete with his hand on his hip.
“You are such a dork!” I can’t help but laugh out loud at his silliness.
God, I love that he is this big bad-ass Marine but he has no problem saying how he feels and isn’t afraid to be silly. He’s kinda perfect aaaannnnd I am so screwed.
