by Fiona Starr
Chapter Four
BRIDGET
“Oh shit!” The bartender shouts.
I look up and watch as his feet fly out in front of him and my lunch spills all over the floor. The plate smashes and the metal plate cover clangs on the tiles like a cymbal. The round black tray rolls away toward the beach like an escaped bicycle tire.
“Oh, my god!” I hurry over to him. He’s flat on his back, blinking up at the ceiling. “Are you all right?” I look him over, but there isn’t anything obvious that’s injured.
He squeezes his eyes shut. “Did that really just happen?”
“Yeah,” I say. I notice a puddle on the floor, seeping from under the bar. “Are you hurt? You hit the ground pretty hard.”
He tries to sit up, puts his hand down for balance, and hisses in pain. “Damn. I thought I had that leak fixed last night.”
I move his arm toward me so I can get a better look. I turn it gently to inspect it. His wrist is swelling and the hint of a bruise is already forming.
Years of ski slope injuries appear in my mind. “I don’t think it’s broken.”
He cradles his arm against his belly and winces as he reaches for his cell phone in his back pocket. The screen is smashed and slivers of glass spill onto the floor. “Wow.”
“You did hit pretty hard,” I say. “Sit there. I’ll get ice.” I go behind the bar and find a towel and some ice. When I return he’s smiling.
“We haven’t properly met. I’m Ash. I’d shake your hand but…” He smiles that quirk again and my belly flutters.
I hand him the ice and cradle his wrist into place on the towel and hold it there. “I’m Bridget.”
“Sorry about your lunch, Bridget.” He’s watching me like I might disappear. He smiles again and there’s a dimple on the one side that I didn’t notice before.
I bite my lip. “I was really hungry, too.”
“Yeah?” he whispers, watching my mouth. He bites his lip as if mirroring me.
I nod and look into his eyes. “Starving, actually.”
“That’s too bad.” He leans toward me and stops, his lips inches from mine. He smells of aftershave and coconut sunscreen.
I nod again. “Yeah. Too bad.” Then I lean in and close the gap.
ASH
Her mouth is warm and tentative as she kisses me. First she nips my lower lip, then she presses her mouth fully to mine. I lift my hand to her cheek and wince in pain as I try to lift my wrist.
She pulls away, panting. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah.” I nod and lean in and urge her to return to me. I lift my good arm and let the towel of ice fall to the floor.
Her tongue moves with mine. She tastes faintly of peppermint with a hint of beer. She pulls away again, looking over her shoulder. “We shouldn’t… Your customers…”
I shake my head and put my good hand on her hip. “We don’t open until four.” I kiss her chin.
She stands up straight, her eyebrows arched in a question. “Do you always serve people lunch when you’re not open?”
I shrug. “I didn’t want you to leave.”
She smiles. “Oh yeah?”
“Oh yeah.”
BRIDGET
The voice in my head is beyond confused, but thankfully it’s also fading fast. I know nothing about this guy and I only kind of care about that. Wait, that’s not true. I do know something. I know his name.
“Ash?” I say.
“Hmm?” He groans into my neck.
“What’s your last name?” I ask as if knowing this additional detail will make him less of a stranger and excuse what I know I am about to do.
“Griffin.”
“What’s yours?”
“Blaze.”
“Blaze… like a fire?”
I nod and lick the corner of his mouth as it curls upward. “Like a fire.”
“I like it.” He’s on his feet and he’s got his good arm wrapped around me, his hand on the small of my back. We turn and he presses me against the bar. My dress is sheer and underneath I’m wearing only a string bikini. I spread my legs and let him move closer. He grinds his cock against me, sending a thrill through my body that makes delicious heat gush between my legs.
I moan, wrap one leg around him, and pull him closer.
ASH
The pain in my wrist is all but forgotten. She’s sending me all the signals and there is no denying the heat between us. Our bodies fit together perfectly, and we move as though we’ve done this together before.
“Come with me.” I take her by the hand and lead her around the back of the bar to the small cabana office my sister added to the building last year. Inside, there’s a small desk and chair, filing cabinets, and a sofa.
I open the door and Bridget pulls me inside. Then she’s got me against the wall and her hands are at my waist, opening my shorts.
Her dress is made of the thinnest material. I untie the laces at her neck and let it slide open, revealing her shoulder and one breast inside a black, string bikini. I kiss her neck and move down to her breast. Her heart is racing against my mouth as I suck the soft skin.
She shrugs the dress down over her other shoulder and it pools at her feet. I get down on my knees and kiss my way along her abdomen to her navel, then I untie the strings of her little bikini bottom and let it fall to the floor.
Her scent is intoxicating. I move my mouth over the narrow strip of dark hair, kissing her mound. I part her lips with my tongue and she whimpers, grabbing my hair with both of her hands. She’s so wet, so ready. I let my tongue explore her slick opening until it flicks the tiny pearl of her clitoris.
She gasps and thrusts forward, parting her thighs, inviting me in.
BRIDGET
Oh. My. God. The things he does with his mouth are amazing. I feel like I could fall into oblivion, if only my legs would hold me long enough to get there. I use the wall for leverage but I can’t keep my knees from buckling as he goes down on me.
When my legs turn to jelly again, he shifts and urges me toward the couch. I throw myself on the cushions and he’s there, hands on my knees, pushing them apart.
I reach down and undo his shorts and take his cock into my hands, stroking the shaft and letting the heat of his skin fill my palms.
He bends down and moves his tongue between my legs again. His cock slips from my fingers. I bend around to reach for him again, pull him toward me.
Ash shakes his head. “I don’t have a condom,” he says.
Who is this guy? I’m about to tell him that it’s okay, that I am on the pill, but he’s back at it again, sucking and probing and when I come it’s as if there’s a burst of electricity shooting through my entire body, making every hair stand on end.
I collapse into the couch, heaving. “Not bad for a one-armed man,” I say between breaths.
“What can I say? I was overcome by you.” He smiles and moves to pull his shorts up.
I stop him with my hand. “Oh, I don’t think so.”
ASH
She grabs me by the waist and moves me to sit on the sofa. I ease back into the soft fabric as she kneels in front of me and pulls off my shorts. My cock is standing straight and hard, waiting. She takes me in both hands and squeezes gently, rubbing one hand over the head as the other moves down to my balls.
Her hands are like velvet on my skin. When she takes me into her mouth, she moans with pleasure. Her hair has fallen from the knot, and it obscures her face. I gather her long locks in my hands and pull them gently aside.
“I want to watch you,” I whisper.
She smiles and looks up at me, holding eye contact while she takes my entire length into her mouth.
Holy shit.
Chapter Five
BRIDGET
I’m back at Tortuga House, showered and dressed, when the girls return from their party boat cruise. My laptop sits open in front of me and I’ve managed exactly zero work on my thesis. Instead, I have been daydreaming about Ash Griffin and the unexpected
magic that took place this afternoon.
I’m surprised at myself; I have never in my life had a one-night or one-afternoon stand like that. I’ve never even had sex on the first date. I can’t believe what I just did and yet, I want to see him again.
I can’t go back to the bar—that is absolutely not happening. But damn, I can’t get him out of my head. I’ve never had a man put me first like that. Holding back because he didn’t have a condom as well as taking care of my business before his own? No way.
So much for my vow to make this a working vacation. What does it mean that I broke my promise to myself on the very first day? Present me is very disappointed in past me—disappointed, yes, but only a little because present me is also one hundred percent relaxed and completely satisfied.
By the time I made him come, Ash’s wrist had ballooned and turned dark purple. Neither one of us wanted to leave, but he had to see a doctor and it made it easier for both of us to slip away without it getting too awkward.
“Hey, girl! Dinner reservation is in thirty minutes.” Susannah drops into the chair next to me, “So, you’re all smiles, did you have a productive afternoon?”
I am at a loss for words. She leans into her compact mirror and applies her lipstick, then realizes I haven’t responded. I can feel my face flush.
She pretends to look stern. “Uh huh. So you skipped out on the party cruise with us and instead you…”
I close my eyes and swallow, trying to find the words. “So, after you guys left I went to find someplace to grab a burger and get some work done.” I can’t look at her. I concentrate on pulling at a thread on the woven tablecloth.
“And?”
My words come out in a rush. “And then I met a guy, and he fell and hurt his wrist, and I had to get him ice, and then we kissed, and then one thing led to another and…” I cover my face with my hands, thrilled, emboldened, and embarrassed all at the same time.
Susannah’s mouth hangs open. “You? Get out!”
Our waiter takes our dinner plates away and we sit around the table, enjoying the night air and the sunset.
Lizzy looks at me over the top of her dessert menu. “So, we have shared our party cruise down to the tiniest yacht-y detail. What else is there to know about this guy, Bridge?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve told you everything.”
“You’ve told us his name and that he is a bartender, and that he’s apparently quite skilled in the fine arts… Girl, that’s hardly everything.”
Rosa sips her wine. “It’s usually Tina who picks up the players… you surprise me, Bridge!”
Tina tosses her napkin at Rosa. “Thanks a lot! I do not!”
Rosa’s not having any of it. “Um, excuse me? Sister, please. Let’s see. There was that time in New York with that dancer guy? The one with the fantastic afro, remember? And then the deejay at that club in Miami…”
Dionne nods. “Yeah, and how about the time in Puerto Rico when you hooked up with that tall dude from the hotel? What was his name?”
Tina smiles and we all say it together, “Tall Brian!”
Everyone laughs.
Rosa rubs my arm. “No judgement, Bridge. It’s just so unexpected.”
I will myself not to blush. I am a grown woman; there is nothing to be ashamed of.
Dionne claps her hand on the table. “Well, I’m proud of you, Bridget. Not just for taking my advice. Face it, all work and no play is no fun for anybody.” She raises her glass. “Here’s to more hard work tomorrow!” She winks at me.
We all raise our glasses. “To more hard work tomorrow!”
Dionne downs the rest of her wine and stands up. “Let’s go dancing!”
Noctámbulo—The Night Owl dance club is an adults-only, after-hours party spot that all of us love. The deejay tonight is playing techno music and the dance floor is crowded with hoards of people bouncing and swaying to the beat.
I follow Susannah, Tina, and Lizzy to the dance floor, bopping our way through the throng. I pick up the rhythm and dance-walk, feeling free and light. Dionne and Rosa squeeze in behind me and we let the music take us.
ASH
After the hospital, I stop by the bank to make the bar’s deposit. Luis usually takes care of the money, but it’s right down the street and I figure I’ll do my part.
My wrist is in a soft cast. Bridget was right; it isn’t broken, but it’s pretty badly sprained. I head back to the bar to check in with Luis before I head out for the night.
Bridget mentioned that she and her friends were going dancing after dinner. I’ve decided to take advantage of my night off to be in the right place at the right time so I can bump into her accidentally-on-purpose.
When I get to Griffin’s, the bar has about a dozen customers and Luis is nowhere to be found. The phone is ringing. Something about the scene raises my hackles.
I step behind the bar and do a lap to check on everyone. Most of the customers had recently been served, but two people had been left waiting while Luis was gone. I get them sorted and head back to the cabana office. When I get to the door, Luis is coming out and another guy is walking off toward the beach. Luis seems surprised to see me.
“Hey. We’ve got customers,” I say.
He claps me on the back and walks back to the bar. “Ash. How the arm?”
“Just a sprain. I’ll live.”
He keeps walking. “That’s good news. Good news.”
“Who was that guy?” I ask, following him around the building.
“Hmm? Oh, him?” He waves the thought away. “He’s nobody. Don’t worry about it.” He lifts the flip counter and steps behind the bar, then makes his way to the phone. He picks it up and speaks for a moment before holding it out for me. “It’s Annie.”
I take the phone from him. “Hi, Annie.”
“Ash, oh, I am so glad I caught you.” She sounds breathless and worried.
“What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
“What? Yeah. I got nervous when nobody answered the phone. I called your cell.”
“I smashed the screen today. Like, obliterated it on the tile. I’m going to have to get a new one. What did you want to talk to me about?” I watch Luis do the rounds at the bar.
Everything seems normal. I hear the baby squealing close to the phone. “How’s my nephew doing?”
“He’s great. Amazing. Exhausting.” She soothes the baby with a murmur. “All right, Ash. I have my hands full here. Talk to you tomorrow, ok?”
“Yup.” I hang up and drop the phone into the charger base. “Luis!” I call across the bar. “I’m out.”
He waves goodbye. “Adiós! See you tomorrow.”
Whatever weird vibe I got when I first arrived is gone. I take the steps two at a time and hop off the deck onto the beach. The path toward Bridget’s resort is dotted with small lamps on low stakes sticking out of the sand. I look over my shoulder in the direction I saw the guy with Luis heading. There’s nothing in that direction but a stand of palm trees and then darkness until the low lamps pick up the path heading in the other direction to the pier.
I shrug off the questions and continue ahead, toward the resort and the possibility of seeing Miss Bridget Blaze again.
Chapter Six
BRIDGET
Music fills the air. I can feel the bass thrumming through my chest. We’ve been dancing for an hour at least and I don’t want this night to end. It’s still before midnight and I’m afraid that when tomorrow comes, everything that happened today with Ash will fade.
I think about this afternoon and the electricity I had with him… it seems almost unreal now, so strange to have just added that on to an otherwise ordinary day. It’s not like I wake up and go out and hook up with random people on a regular basis.
I stop myself. Rewind my thoughts.
I’m not being entirely honest about what happened today. It wasn’t just a hookup—calling it that demeans it. We had something more between us than just the most amazing sex ever, didn�
�t we? It felt deeper than that, more solid, a flash connection…
Thinking of him brings a smile to my face. I definitely want to see him again, but I can’t just show up at his bar like a needy puppy. As much as spontaneous sex is not me, chasing a man is even further away from who I am. No, if I am meant to see Ash Griffin again, it’s going to happen without me going back to his bar.
Tina touches my shoulder and shouts over the music. “I need a drink!”
I nod and watch as she walks off. The song changes and the beat shifts, and my body responds as if on its own. I throw my arms up, twisting to the music. Closing my eyes, I imagine Ash’s hands on my body. I run my hands over my belly, down my hips, and pretend he’s here as I get lost in the music.
In my mind his hands are on me, holding me to him as we move to the beat. He squeezes me with his fingers and presses my body against him, pushing his leg between mine. Dear Lord. Just thinking about him sends a rush of heat between my legs. I’m having a wet fantasy in the middle of the dance floor just thinking about him.
Affinity. That’s what we had. The word pops into my head. Ash and I shared an instant spark that brought us together. I bend my knees and lower myself down and let my hands caress my legs, my thighs, over my waist and breasts and up to my throat. My skin is alive under my touch. I wish Ash were here so I could explore more of this thing—this affinity that drew me to him.
