by Eden Davis
“What about your friends?”
“They’ll understand.”
“How about we have dinner together on Friday and see how it goes?” Livia said, buying both her injury and her indecision a little more time.
“I’ll call you then. Where are you staying?”
“I’m at the…” Livia stopped in mid-sentence when she realized that Mitchell would not find Quincy registered at the Christopher. “Why don’t I call you?” she suggested.
“Not a problem,” he replied, misinterpreting her secretiveness for security, and in fact, deciding to follow her lead. The woman was gorgeous and based on the contents of her purse, seemed quite interesting, but there were plenty of beautiful crazies in the world.
“I’ll tell you what, there is a small hotel in Pointe Milou called the Christopher,” Mitchell said. “It’s about fifteen minutes from here. Why don’t we arrange right now to meet on Friday at five-thirty.”
“For dinner? Isn’t that a bit early?”
“Not if you want to see the sunset, which I promise you, you do.”
Livia tried to keep a straight face as her brain raced. She didn’t want to tell him that she’d spent the past few evenings watching the sun go down in the very spot he was speaking of. More important than that were her questions. Did he know she was staying there or was this another coincidence, a sign from the universe that she and Mitchell were in the right place at the right time for a racy reason? “Okay, I’ll find it,” she told him.
“And I’ll find you.”
“You’re very sure of yourself, Mitchell,” Livia said, giving him a small grin of her own.
“Only when I see something I want. It’s a nasty habit I picked up from childhood.”
Livia smiled, happy to have someone flirting with her after so long. “My cab’s here,” she said, acknowledging the gesturing attendant. “Thanks again, Mitchell.”
Livia picked up all of her belongings and stood up to head for the taxi. Putting weight on her ankle sent a searing pain shooting up her leg and radiating through her body. Without a word, Mitchell gathered Livi up again into his arms, and carried her across the sand. Not quite sure what to do with her arms, Livia wrapped them loosely around his neck, lightly resting them on his sturdy, muscular shoulders. This time, Livi was uncomfortably aware that the only thing between her naked, and his half-naked body was a thin cotton sarong. It confused her that before he’d shown up, she was feeling risqué and ready to find a stranger and fuck him. But now, face-to-face with a real possibility, her shy old ways were reemerging.
Dagnabit! Livia thought as Mitchell helped her into the cab, Love may be complicated, but damn if lust isn’t just as confusing.
Guess Who’s Coming at Dinner?
Friday, promptly at 5:15, Livia left her suite and headed down to the lobby of the Christopher Hotel. Nestled into Pointe Milou, on the quiet northeast side of St. Bart’s, it was an intimate and sensual hideaway, a perfect spot for whatever this vacation brought. Surrounded by both luxurious, fragrant gardens and the romantic lull of the nearby surf, it was hard not to be seduced into wanting to experience pleasure in this paradise.
Did Mitchell know this, too? Is that why he’d picked this as their rendezvous spot?
She wandered into the gift store, which provided a perfect view of the lobby comings and goings. She was to meet Mitchell at five-thirty, but didn’t want to risk getting caught coming down from her room. Besides, this spot gave her the perfect opportunity to catch a first glance and, if necessary, adjust her assessment of the man, who on the Saline Beach had become her hero. But between the sun, stinging pain, and embarrassing nudity, Livia didn’t quite trust her judgment. What if he was nothing like she remembered?
Livia passed a tanned gentleman of European decent, who stopped in his tracks to shower her with an appreciative smile.
“De toute beauté.”
Livia wasn’t quite sure, but it sounded like he’d called her beautiful in French. His compliment made her decision to wear the slinky orange sundress that highlighted her strengths and camouflaged her weaknesses, the right choice. She was especially happy she’d put on the stiletto sandals Aleesa had forced her to buy and bring. Always tall, Livi never understood the need for wearing heels. At this moment, she totally recognized their appeal. The sex was in the heel.
“Go Livi; go Livi,” she sang under her breath, enjoying the fact that another man in the shop was checking her out as she inspected the swimsuits near the front window. She had to admit that she was really enjoying this mini whirl of attention.
Ten minutes later, Livia’s initial assessment was solidified and bolstered when a cool breeze came through the lobby doors in the person of Mitchell the Marvelous. He was dressed in well-fitting tan slacks and a collarless, white linen shirt. His gorgeous eyes were hidden by the golden lenses of aviator sunglasses, but his smile, framed by succulent lips bearing just the slightest sheen of ChapStick, was on public display.
Livi watched with admiring eyes as he strode further into the lobby looking for her. A metallic flash of gold glinted from his wrist as he lifted his arm to remove his sunglasses. Mitchell was the epitome of superman, supermodel, masculine chic.
Her vagina tweeted in agreement.
“Game on, Quincy. Game on,” Livia murmured to herself as she stepped out of the gift shop and into the lobby so he could see her. In the wash of the lobby’s white décor, her pumpkin-colored halter sundress was an immediate beacon.
Livia watched with silent thrill as Mitchell stopped a couch length away, and let his eyes take her in. He’d obviously left his emotion filter with his boys, as his expressions translated every positive thought racing through his head. Mitchell started at the top of her sexy mass of unruly golden curls, loving the way they blended so well with her honey-tanned face. She saw his eyes pause at the round tops of her spectacular breasts while his lips puckered slightly, allowing a nearly undetectable exhale of excited breath. Moments later, they were on the move again, taking in the nip of her waist, the flair of her hips and the length and curves of her toned and tanned legs. Approval was etched all over his face.
In Mitchell’s mind, he’d hit the cougar jackpot! Guessing her to be about six to eight years older than him, Quincy, on the surface, looked like a beautiful, classy woman. While her appearance definitely did not read conservative, neither did it reek of wild woman. But it was obvious that there was a rip tide bubbling under her cool and sophisticated exterior. Any woman who would vacation and visit a nude beach alone, sporting a purse full of condoms, no less, was looking for the kind of action he was ready and able to provide. Not to mention that crazy-ass sexual wish list of hers that had fallen out of her bag. He hadn’t intended to invade her privacy, but when a document entitled, Fuck-It List, belonging to a fine and naked sister, falls open, any red-blooded man with a working dick is going to check it out. He’d only gotten a quick glance, but it was enough to confirm that Quincy was obviously a freak on the make. You had to love that in a woman.
“Quincy, you look beautiful.”
“Thank you. You look great yourself.”
“How’s your ankle?” Mitchell asked, taking the opportunity to look down and admire her legs once again. The vision of those long legs and stiletto-clad feet wrapped around his waist caused him to shift his weight.
“It’s okay. The Tylenol is managing the pain and the hotel doctor gave me something for the itching, so it’s all good.”
“Glad to hear that. I hope you don’t mind eating here at the hotel. They do have a great restaurant, but I also figured after traveling here, you might want to stay put.”
“That was very thoughtful of you,” Livia said, smiling. It was clear to her that he didn’t know she was a guest.
Mitchell took her arm and led her outside to the Mango Bar. They were greeted by the hostess, who took them to a small table for two on the far tip of the bar area. It was the perfect spot for a couple of lovers, or a couple contemplating becomin
g lovers, to watch the sun go down on their inhibitions and welcome the moon’s silver lust.
“This is really quite incredible,” Livia said, looking out on the sea as Mitchell helped her into her chair. “How did you find this place?”
“We thought about staying here, but decided to rent a villa instead,” he confessed.
“Probably for the best. You know, boys will be boys and all,” Livi teased.
“Okay, you can lose the visions of The Hangover,” Mitchell replied, referencing the now classic bachelor party movie. “Nobody’s trying to trash hotel suites or kidnap a tiger.”
“Ah, I see, you and your friends are a party of gentlemen.”
“Your usual, Ms. Charles?” the waiter interrupted their conversation to ask.
BUSTED! Livia thought, grateful that the server didn’t know her first name.
“Yes, please,” she said, avoiding Mitchell’s eye as the waiter wrote down her green teani and Mitchell’s rum on the rocks order.
“Your usual?” he said, both confused and amused.
“I have to confess. I’m a guest here,” Livia said. “I mean, we were strangers…and I wasn’t sure it was a good idea you knowing where I was staying.” Livia felt a self-conscious blush heat her face and accompany her laugh. “You know, you are the first man who’s literally picked me up on the beach.”
“Sounds like the naked truth,” Mitchell said with a flirtatious lift to his lips. “But this revelation begs the question: what other secrets are you keeping from me?”
“Well, I’m probably older than you think,” Livia revealed, wanting to address that whale in the fish tank. It was such an obvious fact, but one she felt needed tackling before the night moved forward. “And if you don’t mind me asking, just how old are you?”
“I don’t really care how old you are. I’m hoping you feel the same way, but to answer your question, I am thirty-three.”
Sixteen years! Livia’s shocked mind did the math. It wasn’t that she was really surprised; she’d guessed as much, but still hearing it confirmed—sixteen years! What was it about her and younger men? She’d taken herself out of the disastrous online dating pool for the very reason that the only men who contacted her were either grandpa or grandson, and she had little in common with either. What was she doing wrong that she could not for the life of her attract age appropriate men?
Well, we’re not trying to date this honey. We’re trying to fuck him! Quincy reminded her.
“What?” Mitchell asked, confused by the look on her face.
“Let’s just say, I was throwing my sweet sixteen party the year you were born.”
“So 1979 was a very good year for many reasons,” Mitchell said, not buying into her passive aggressive argument about their age difference. “I meant it when I said you are beautiful. Trust me, your face, that body, you put the young girls to shame, Ms. Charles, is it?”
Trust me. His words hit her ears at the same time her own left her lips. “Yes, but just then you sounded like you were talking to your biology teacher. Quincy is fine,” Livia said, feeling more and more at home with her alter ego.
“Quincy Charles. It fits you,” Mitchell said, letting his fingers tiptoe closer to a spring of curls near her chin. “Very hot and happening.”
“Thank you.” Livia had to smile, not only because even though Quincy was no more real than the bling in her ear, she was enjoying sporting Q’s attitude.
The arrival of their cocktails, accompanied by the dip of light in the sky, made for a natural pause in the conversation. Within a few awesome minutes, the blue sky over St. Bart’s turned fire red with streaks of pink and a burst of orange dropping below the horizon.
“A toast,” Mitchell offered, raising his glass. “To jellyfish.”
“Jellyfish? Really?”
“Absolutely. First of all, that jellyfish obviously knew fine and delicious when he saw it, and if not for him finding that sexy ankle of yours irresistible, I would not be sitting here right now enjoying the sunset and trying my damndest not to get caught up in the romance of it all, and lean over and kiss you.”
Livia was both taken aback and intrigued by Mitchell’s very direct flirting style. It teetered on the line between polite and presumptuous. It made her feel desired and delightfully off balance.
“So, what idiot let you come here to this gorgeous paradise alone?” Mitchell asked, careful not to reveal what he’d already seen on the beach.
“I wanted to regroup. Sometimes when you travel with someone else it becomes a trip, instead of a vacation, if you know what I mean.”
“For sure, trying to synchronize schedules and interests and incomes, it can get to be a bit much.”
“Exactly, so I decided to treat myself to a real vacation. No worries, no one else’s timeline but my own.”
“What do you do back in the States?” he asked, curious but really more interested in establishing a comfortable vibe between them.
“I’m um…I’m a chef.”
“Oh, a foodie. You apparently don’t eat much of what you cook,” he said, with an admiring glance. “Do you work in a restaurant?”
“No. I’m more on the catering side.” Livia really didn’t want to be any more specific about her personal information or the miracle of fashionable camouflage. “What’s your favorite dessert?” she asked, turning the questions back on him.
“Peaches and cream,” he answered, looking her straight in the eyes before taking a swig of his rum and Coke.
Livia lowered her eyes to avoid broadcasting her emotions. Okay, perhaps she should be insulted by his bold, and some might think, nasty insinuation, but she wasn’t. This sexy stranger was getting to her, but she wasn’t quite sure if she was ready for him to know how much.
Flirt back, Quincy demanded. DO NOT pussy out on me this time. Clearly, her vagina wasn’t about to stand for Livia letting this yummy dick get away.
“Peaches and cream—a simple but tasty treat,” Livia replied, with a Quincy wink in her voice.
“Yes, and it’s amazing how every recipe is different.”
“That’s because every chef has her own secret ingredient,” Livia said, giving him a sideways glance.
Mitchell’s response was a deep exhale and seat adjustment. Clearly, she had upped the ante and Livia could tell that he was enjoying every moment. She bit her lower lip as she contemplated her own feelings. Maybe this wasn’t what she was used to, but wasn’t that why she was here? Not to be courted or charmed, at least not this time. Liv was here to be open and sexually spontaneous, and Mr. Opportunity was staring her in the face, and knocking at her coochie’s door.
“Don’t do that,” Mitchell said, his request wrapped in an enticing whine.
“Do what?” Livia asked, confused but curious.
“Bite your lip like that. I find it sexy and damn near irresistible. You have beautiful lips. Very kissable lips.”
Livia smiled into her glass while looking at him over the rim. “Thank you,” she said, after taking a nerve-quenching sip from her drink. And so, hot damn, do you!
The two sat in companionable silence, enjoying their cocktails and the twinkling night sky as they each deliberated their next move. Mitchell was reluctant to push much harder, afraid of going too far and putting a damper on Livia’s smoldering interest. He’d made his desires known. It was time to sit back and let her make the next move.
“Mitchell, did I thank you for rescuing me on the beach?” Livia asked, making a decision and putting the rest of the evening in motion.
“Yes, between the oohs and ouches, I believe you did.”
“But you deserve more,” Livi said, before leaning in and surprising him with a quick touch of her lips. “Remind me to properly thank you when I get back from the ladies’ room.”
An intrigued Mitchell stood and pulled out Livia’s chair. As she turned to exit, her body brushed up against his. “I can’t wait that long.”
Livia felt her entire body tingle as he moved i
n and kissed her. The moment their lips met, Livia’s ego kicked into overdrive. She may have had only one lover in her life, but she was a gold medal kisser. She immediately took control, determined to lead with her strengths and give Marvelous Mitchell a taste of her own brand of sweetness.
Head-to-head, with only a breath separating them, Livia slipped her hand between their faces and lightly explored the soft cushiness of his lips, first the top and then the bottom, with her fingertip. This simple action briefly prolonged the inevitable, allowing him to experience the delicious, split-second thrill of anticipation. In one smooth motion, she lifted her other arm and placed it behind his neck, applying gentle pressure as she tilted his lips to hers. Livia momentarily touched her mouth to his before allowing the tip of her tongue to penetrate and circle the edges of his lips. Mitchell released a throaty moan as Livi retracted her tongue and gave his lips a warm, sensuous stroke.
Slowly, she began to disengage but was stopped by the force of Mitchell’s full-on kiss. His body pressed against hers as he slid his tongue between her lips and lingered as if asking for permission. Receiving no resistance, he searched her mouth until their tongues collided and began a frenetic dance.
The sound of a disapproving throat being cleared broke the spell and separated the couple. Livia giggled, a nervous response to both her usual embarrassment and uncommon audacity.
“That was quite a check you just wrote,” Mitchell said with a new huskiness to his voice.
“When I get back, I’ll let you know if you can deposit it,” she replied, proud of her flirty, return quip.
Livia smiled broadly as she walked away. She could feel Mitchell’s eyes on her moving tail as she floated toward the bathroom. Omigod! He was such a turn-on in every way frickin’ way possible. As he’d shown on the beach, Mitchell could be a chivalrous white knight, ready and able to come to the rescue of any damsel in distress. And as he was steadily proving tonight, he was also a thoroughly desirable boy toy. Age be damned, Mitchell was turning out to be the perfect combination for a no-strings, vacation lover.
