Anna soon returned to the family room wearing an extremely tight solid black with metallic graphic top, revealing her very perky large breasts. Her pants, also tight, were her new pair of faded blue jeans her mother gave her for Christmas. Her makeup was precisely placed on and perfect. Her hair was straightened, revealing its long and luscious strands that hung just over her shoulders. Luke began feeling that his mouth was going to salivate at the sight of this stunning woman standing in front of him. He got up from the couch and walked up to her. He took another look and said,
“Oh my God… you look amazing. Are you sure you are my girlfriend? I mean, you didn’t happen to pass her on the way down from upstairs… did you? Or is this one of those ‘Invasion of the Body Snatcher’ scenes. You aren’t going to eat me, are you?”
Anna began to blush, targeting her hand to her right cheek and responding with a deeper southern accent, “Oh, dahling… you are too much. Yes, I am yours and yours alone. Now please, dahling, take my hand and escort me down to the first floor. I must get my outside fix.”
Luke took Anna’s hand, leading her to the first floor of the building. They stepped outside and were immediately greeted by the cool air. Anna began feeling a slight chill and held onto Luke for warmth. Luke continued leading her to a bench that was placed on the edge of the concrete, just a foot from where the sand started. He embraced Anna and began rubbing her shoulders.
“Don’t get me wrong, babe, but why are you wearing all that? You look amazing, but you have got to be freezing your ass off in that tight shirt. You are going to get sick if you don’t put on a jacket or something.”
“Jackets aren’t sexy… I want to be sexy for my man. I want you to always be attracted to me. I don’t want to feel like I’ve lost my touch with you.”
Luke laughed while continuing to rub Anna’s shoulders, “Babe, wearing a jacket isn’t about looking sexy. It’s about staying alive! Here, take mine… this long sleeve I have on will do me fine for now.”
The two soon made their way back upstairs to ask Dana what was planned for the day. She informed them that they would get groceries and then find fireworks for New Year’s Eve. Stuart stepped out of the master bedroom and reached for another beer just as Dana finished the itinerary. He pulled open the tab and took a sip. While wiping the liquid from his mouth, he said, “Let’s get going then.”
The group began driving towards town, Stuart taking the wheel and Dana riding in the passenger seat while Luke, Anna, and Becca shared the back seat. It wasn’t long before Dana asked Luke what he thought of the trip so far. Luke thought for a moment.
“Well, Dana, I’m having a lot of fun. This is the first time that I’ve come down since the storm and stayed in a house on the beach. It’s really relaxing.”
“Good,’ Dana responded. 'I’m so glad you came. We used to bring Jason on trips like these… he complained about everything! It drove me crazy! I just wanted to seize his neck and squeeze it!”
Luke, feeling slightly uncomfortable with Dana putting down Anna's former boyfriend, decided to go along with the remarks.
“Well, I don’t think we have to worry about that with Luke, Mother.’ Anna said. “There are a lot of differences between Jason and Luke. Jason did always complain like the spoiled kid that he is. Luke is way different.”
Luke continued to sit in silence. He would look at either Anna or Dana and smile while nodding his head, but was quick to place his focus outside the window on his left side.
The old SUV finally pulled into the grocery store parking lot. Stuart parked next to a large red pick-up truck and instructed everyone before exiting, “Okay guys, I don’t want to spend all day in here. I’m going to assign each of you something from the list. You will have five minutes to get it and meet me back at the counter.”
Stuart exited the vehicle, pulled out a cart, and headed inside the store. Luke was assigned to pick up the coffee. He made his way to the designated aisle and began searching. He knew that the Winchcombs liked a certain type of coffee and began searching each and every one of the multiple selections until he found the one labeled “Community Delight.” Luke began feeling proud of himself and started searching the rest of the store to see if anyone else needed help finding their items.
As Luke walks past the frozen foods aisle, he feels his pocket start vibrating. He slid his hand in and pulled out his cellular telephone. He unlocks the device and discovered that he had received a message from Enzo.
“Luke, you son of a bitch, what cha up to man?”
Luke chuckled and texted back,
“Hey dude, what cha up to?”
“Not much cuz, just eating some turkey at my parent’s place. When are you coming back?”
“Not soon enough.”
Luke breaks for a moment to see if anyone else was around before finishing his message.
“This trip is already getting crazy!”
A minute passed before Enzo sends his last response,
“Alright, bud. Just let me know when you are on your way. I’ll have a beer cracked open for ya.”
Luke put his phone back his pocket, just as Anna walks up behind him. “Who were you talking to, hun?” she asked.
“No one, babe, just Enzo,” Luke responded, throwing his arm around Anna. He continued walking with Anna until they reached the counter, where Stuart, Dana and Becca were waiting for them so they could check out.
The group got back to the house and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. Their conversations didn’t get any easier for Luke. In the middle of Stuart and Dana’s conversation about the first time they had sex with one another, Luke and Anna decided to go for another walk. This time, they were smart and took a blanket to sit on.
They walked to a spot far away from any of the houses but close enough to the waves, allowing the moonlight to guide them on their way. They found a place near the water, over a mile away from the tall white building. They unfolded the colorful blanket and eagerly put themselves in the middle, using the unused sides to wrap around their legs.
Luke was the first to get comfortable and once Anna was able to keep her side of the blanket from blowing in the wind, she began to cuddle next to him. He held her in his arms as she placed one arm over his chest and the other under his backside. The temperature dropped as the night continued to settle in. Anna’s body began to shiver and she moved closer to Luke.
Over an hour passed and the two continued to lie upon the white sand and listen to the waves make their way to shore. Luke softly kissed Anna’s forehead and eventually her cheek. She returned affection by rubbing his smooth chest and kissing his neck. Anna could feel Luke’s body reacting to her touch and slowed down her pace. She soon began to moan as Luke reached under her pink hooded sweater and massaged her shoulders, the cold touch from his hands creating goose bumps all over Anna’s soft delicate skin.
Soon, Anna’s moans changed from discomfort to relaxation as Luke’s hands adjusted to Anna’s warm body. Her hands began rubbing deeper into his pecks. Luke felt her right hand lightly scratching the center of his back. He stopped kissing her neck for a moment and stated, “I love you, Anna. I still can’t believe I could love this way again.”
She looked back at him and said, “I know you do, baby.”
Luke kissed her on the tip of her nose and made his way down her cheek and to the side of her neck. He began nibbling while slightly licking the cold flesh. He made his way to her chest. Finally, he began slowly kissing her breasts through her thick sweater. His hands started massaging and gently pinching areas of her body. He lifted up her sweater and kissed her toned, tanned stomach. His hands made their way under her brassier. He felt the warmth of her breasts as they removed the last remaining chill from his fingertips.
Anna began moaning and reaching for Luke’s legs. She began massaging his erection, knowing her cold hands would soon heat up from the friction. It wasn’t long before the freezing air found its way through the unsealed cracks around the blanket. They decid
ed to call it a night and make their way back to the house, shivering in each other’s arms the whole way back.
Luke was awakened the next morning with another kiss from Anna, his eyes opening once more to the comfort of Anna’s beautiful hazel eyes. His mind was still on the night before, realizing that the two had taken another step in their relationship. He felt the fear that love has left him with, ever since Marion decided to end their relationship. He has truly fallen in love with Anna and he wasn’t allowing the fear of loss to stop him from the possibility of spending the rest of his life with her.
Anna pulled Luke out of the bed and hugged him tight. She kisses him on the lips and says,
“Let’s go to the beach today, baby! I saw some dunes where we were last night and I’m pretty sure they have some exciting sights behind them.”
“Ok, sweetie,’ Luke smiled, ‘let me just get a shower first. I feel a little dirty from the thoughts I had last night while I was sleeping… you sure do leave a man wanting more.’
Anna shook her head and smiled while exiting the room. As she closed the door, Luke told her one more thing.
“Good morning beautiful!” With a wink, he said, “You thought I forgot, didn’t you?”
Anna smiled as she left the room. Luke grabbed for his day clothes and all his toiletries and headed for the bathroom across the hall. He took his time to shave and brush his teeth. After his shower, he marched down the stairs. He walked into the family room to the whole group sitting at the table. Becca, Dana, and Stuart discussed their intentions to stay around the house and relax. Anna declared that she and Luke were planning to explore the beach and try to find some artifacts to take home. Dana looked at Anna and with a slight hung-over tone said,
“You guys be careful and remember to take your phones. You don’t know how many crazy people there are around this time of year. I don’t want to have to save y’all if some nut job decides to use you as a lamp shade in their billiards room.”
The two began to walk out the door shortly after breakfast. They reached for their coats and descended from the tall white building. They marched down the wooden stairs and landed on the concrete slab that provided the solid foundation. They walked past the bench, passing the sandy barrier and out from under the house. They decided to walk west towards the location they found the night before.
It took them an hour and a half to reach the dunes that they were so convinced was much closer the night before. Once there, the two explored the various creatures and random ecosystems. The towering grass and wet areas gave life to beings they had never seen before. Anna prepared her camera and began snapping pictures of the mini beasts. She soon pointed the camera towards Luke and said,
“Hey, honey, won’t you pick up that crab looking thing and take a picture with it?”
“Um… I don’t think I should. The little guy seems pretty freaked out already. I don’t want to make it have to start defending its self and start snapping.”
“But it will make me laugh.’ Anna continued, ‘Plus, don’t you want to remember this moment, us on the beach with this little guy? I mean… we may never get a moment like this ever again!”
Luke looked at the crab as she walked further and further away. Luke approached the crab and began leaning over. He picked the crustacean up and looked at Anna and said, ‘Okay, I’ll do it… but you have to jump in that crater and let me take a picture.”
Anna thought for a moment. “Deal!” Anna snapped the camera and immediately examined the photo. She looked back at Luke and said, “Perfect! You look like one with nature.”
Luke walked to Anna’s left side and looked at the photo. He directed his attention to her face and began starring at her. He reached his hand out and started tugging on the camera’s loop. Anna felt the device slightly move in her hand and looked at Luke.
“Oh wait, I have to get into the hole now?
“Yup!” Luke responds.
“But what if I get dirty? You don’t want me to get dirty, do you baby?”
Luke noticed Anna’s face began to sag and form a less appealing image. He thought for a moment and said, “Rules are rules, babe. You have got to get in that hole. A deal is a deal.”
“But sweetie… I don’t want to get my new pants dirty. I want to stay looking cute for you.”
Anna pushed her bottom lip out and lowered her cheeks. She began making a sound that reminded Luke of a noise that a wounded animal would make. He realized that Anna wasn’t backing down from her plea. He finally gave her the camera back and said, “No, baby… I don’t want you to get dirty. Last thing I need is for your mom to think that I was ‘that guy’ that ruined a perfectly good pair of jeans.”
Anna smiled and kissed Luke on the cheek.
It took the couple just over two and a half hours to walk back to the beach house. By the time they got back, everyone was asleep. They decided to put on a movie and warm up under a blanket on the large couch in the family room. After careful consideration, they decided to watch an animated movie.
Anna narrated throughout the movie, claiming that it was her favorite cartoon film. During a scene between the two main characters, Anna confessed, “You do realize that these characters are us… right?”
Luke looked at Anna confused and responded, “How did you come up with that?”
“Well, I’m like her because of my eyes and blond hair and light skin. You are like him because of your dark hair, eyes and skin… also because you rescued me from a life that wasn’t what I wanted.”
“A life you didn’t want?” Luke says.
“Yeah, because I wasn’t really happy with school or my family or even in my past relationships… it wasn’t until we started dating when I realized that I could be this happy.”
Luke reached his hand over Anna’s shoulder and pulled her closer to him, kissing her on the nose once she reached the proper distance. The two then directed their attention back to the movie.
Anna soon turned off the television halfway through the film and began kissing Luke. She slowly laid him vertical and sat on top of his belly. Luke could feel drops of moisture as she placed her face close to his. He quickly realized that her eyes were filled with tears. Nervous, he pulled himself forward and asked Anna, “What’s wrong, baby? Are you okay? You look like you are crying.”
Anna wiped the tears from her cheeks and answered, “Nothing is wrong, honey; I just realize how much I really love you. It’s making my heart feel scared and excited. I want to be in love with you, but at the same time… I feel like I’m going to lose you somehow.”
Luke wiped the last remaining tear from the edge of Anna’s chin and kissed her soft lips. He placed her head on his shoulder and whispered in her ear, “You aren’t going to lose me, sweetheart. You are exactly what I’ve been looking for... I’ve been out in open water on a little boat, thinking that I was all alone. I just had to turn around and there you were, on the other side.”
Anna smiled and admitted that Luke’s words were comforting. They decided to make a promise to one another: no matter what happens, they would stay together.
It was New Year’s Eve. Luke had volunteered to cook for the family as a way of showing appreciation for inviting him on the trip. He decided to cook something that he knew very well, his family recipe of ratatouille. Anna volunteered to be the sous chef, while the rest stayed in the living room and prepared for midnight.
Once they ate, they started making their way outside to celebrate the New Year. They watched as other guests and residents lit up the sky with a miraculous fireworks display. Different colors and random sounds and explosions filled the air while the family stood in awe on the back porch.
Luke wrapped his arms around Anna, gently squeezing her delicate body. While resting his lips on the crown of her head, he whispered, “I love you, Anna,” just loud enough for her to hear. He felt Anna pulling his arms to her mouth and softly kissing them, whispering back, “I love you, too, Luke.”
The last day had arrived a
nd it was time to go home. Stuart and Luke loaded up the vehicles while the women cleaned the house. Stuart and Becca sat in the old SUV and waited for Dana. She had stepped away for a moment and asked Luke to walk with her. She led him around to the south side of the beach house and says,
“We are all happy that you came this weekend. I’m sorry if it got a little crazy. I hope I didn’t offend you or anything.”
Luke shook his head. “You didn’t. I actually thought you guys were really cool to hang out with.”
“So,’ Dana continued, ‘you would actually go with us on another trip? Wow, you got guts young man. Well, welcome to the family.”
Luke smiled as Dana hugged him tight. They walked back to the vehicles and hugged once more. Luke entered his car where Anna was waiting patiently. They had decided to have lunch and then Luke was to drop her off on his way back to Hattiesburg.
Luke began to back out of the driveway while Anna exchanged a few words with Dana.
“Bye, Mom! I love you! I’ll see you guys when I get home!”
Luke placed his vehicle in drive and began making his way to town. Anna briefly turned down the radio and turned towards Luke to say, “I do really love you, Luke, and I can tell that my family feels the same way.”
Luke glanced at Anna and responded, “I love you too, baby. I’m glad you invited me this weekend. Your family is a real trip, and I can totally dig hanging out with them more.”
“Good, because you are definitely going to be seeing a lot of them.”
She winked at Luke and reached for his hand. She squeezed it and placed it to her lips, kissing each finger. Luke looked on, then leaned towards her and kissed her on the cheek.
Chapter 6
The next few weeks brought plenty of changes to Luke’s life. He moved into his new apartment; he found a new job at the local community center; and he and Anna started the spring semester and were able to see more of each other. Anna was only working Friday through Monday at a local seafood restaurant in Bay St. Louis, and while in Hattiesburg for her classes on Tuesday through Thursday, she often stayed with Luke.
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