Five Dates Only

by R. L. Kenderson

  I’d then considered “accidentally” leaving the ring home, but after everything Ted and Mary had done, I’d felt bad, so I’d thrown it in my suitcase right before we left for the airport.

  “You’d better get on that. You don’t have much time.”

  “I know. Maybe I just want it to be perfect.” And for the woman I ask to not freak out.

  “You’ve gone horseback riding, to a luau, sat on the beach. What more could you ask for?”

  “I know,” I said lamely.

  Ted snapped his fingers. “I know what’s wrong.”

  “You do?”

  “You’re afraid she’s going to say no.”

  I chuckled. Something like that. “Maybe.”

  Ted shook his head. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’ve seen the way she looks at you.”

  “Really. How’s that?” I asked, intrigued now.

  “The same way you look at her.”

  I looked away as my cheeks heated. It was true that I was becoming more and more infatuated with Sloan, the longer we spent time together. I figured it was just because of all the good sex. We’d certainly never discussed feelings with each other. I’d had no idea I was looking at her in a certain way.

  “Where’s the ring?” Ted asked.

  I turned back to him. “In my suitcase.”

  “Go and get it.”

  My eyes widened. “What? Now?”

  We were in the hotel’s restaurant. It would only take me minutes to get to my room and back, but now hardly seemed like the time.

  “Yes. You’re never going to do it unless someone gives you a good kick in the butt.”

  “I-I—”

  “Just go and get the damn ring, Caleb.”

  I could see this was not an argument I was going to win, so I got up and headed to my room, pulling out my phone as I went.

  Me: Don’t freak out.

  Sloan: Starting a text like that only means that I’m probably going to freak out.

  Me: You haven’t so far.

  Sloan: Just tell me what’s wrong.

  Me: I don’t want to.

  Sloan: LOL. Spill it.

  Me: Okay. Brace yourself.

  Sloan: I’m braced.

  Me: I’m going up to my room to grab an engagement ring that Ted helped me buy.

  Me: And then I’m going to come back down to breakfast and propose.

  I waited for Sloan to reply, but nothing came up. I unlocked our hotel room and went to my suitcase. The ring was still in the exact pocket where I’d packed it.

  I looked at my phone again. Nothing.

  Me: I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I’ve been trying to find a way to get out of it. I know this is not what you signed up for, but Ted and Mary thought Hawaii would be the perfect place to propose. It didn’t seem plausible to say no. I mean, it is Hawaii.

  I left the hotel room, staring at my phone. The closer I got to the restaurant, the more I began to panic. I had no idea what she was thinking.

  Me: You can tell me no. My ego will take a hit because, I mean, who wouldn’t want to marry this?

  I hoped a joke would lighten the seriousness of the situation.

  Me: But you don’t have to say yes.

  Finally, I could see that Sloan was typing something.

  Sloan: Go ahead and ask. I’ll say yes.

  No way. I couldn’t believe she was going to go along with it.

  Me: Really?

  Sloan: Yes. It’s just an engagement. It’s not like we’re actually getting married.

  Me: If I haven’t told you yet how amazing you are, I’m telling you now.

  Sloan: You told me last night in bed.

  Me: But that’s when I was inside you. That was sexually motivated. I didn’t want you to kick me out.

  Sloan: Kick you out of my vagina?

  Me: Yeah, I really like it there.

  Sloan: I’ve noticed.

  Me: You like me there, too. Anyway, this time, it’s coming purely from the heart. You. Are. Amazing.

  Sloan: Thank you. Now, hurry up before I change my mind.

  I walked back into the restaurant, feeling more confident than I had fifteen minutes ago. I considered sitting down next to her and dragging out the proposal, maybe even getting out of it altogether even though she had given me the go-ahead.

  But, when I saw Sloan throw her head back and laugh at something either Mary or Ted had said, a part of me—a part way deep, deep down inside—wanted to see her laugh like that for as long as I could. I wanted to be the one who made her laugh like that.

  And, when she looked forward again and her eyes made contact with mine, she smiled. It was a smile I was coming to love.

  I didn’t realize I had paused on my way to the table until that moment. I’d been so caught up in watching her.

  With a new sense of determination, I zeroed in on Sloan and made my way to the table. When I reached her, I pulled out the ring from my pocket and got down on one knee.

  “Sloan McCarthy, will you marry me?”

  Twenty-Eight

  Sloan

  Caleb had warned me that he was going to propose, but he hadn’t warned me that the engagement ring was exactly what I wanted. And he hadn’t said that the look on his face would look like he was really asking.

  My hands flew to my mouth, and tears threatened to spill down my face.

  I’m not supposed to be crying. This wasn’t a real proposal.

  Except I realized that a part of me wanted it to be.

  When the hell did I start liking this guy so much? Maybe I should say no.

  I wish I could know what Caleb was thinking. Is he panicking inside or just secretly rolling his eyes? I had no way of knowing.

  But, when I met his eyes, the look there was one I had never seen before. It was the way my dad looked at my mom. It was the way Ted looked at Mary.

  So, when I opened my mouth and said, “Yes,” I discovered I’d actually meant it.

  But, before my own panic could set in, Caleb slipped the ring on my finger and kissed me. Not a peck, but a full-blown kiss, and the crowd went wild. They clapped and whistled, which was good, because I’d almost forgotten the two of us weren’t alone.

  Caleb slipped into the booth next to me and put his arm around my shoulders as I looked down at the ring. It was perfect.

  “I like looking at you with my ring on your finger,” he whispered in my ear.

  I liked it, too. Maybe too much, but we were in paradise right now. I could let myself enjoy it.

  I kissed him on the jaw. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

  “I think you should get married here,” Mary said.

  Caleb and I both looked at the couple across the booth from us. It’d almost slipped my mind they were there.

  “Excuse me?” I said.

  “I think you should elope. It’s so romantic to get engaged in such a beautiful place. Why not get married now?”

  “Uh …” Caleb said.

  “We don’t have a marriage license.”

  Mary held up her phone. “You can go online and fill it out. You don’t have to wait to get married in Hawaii either. You can get married the same day.”

  Caleb visibly swallowed.

  “But I can’t get married without my family,” I said.

  “You can have a party when you get back,” Ted offered.

  “How about we think about it?” Caleb said.

  That’s a great idea.

  “Yes, let us talk about it,” I agreed.

  I pulled my phone from the table.

  Me: Getting married would be totally crazy, right?

  Caleb: Yes, totally crazy.

  I looked up into his face. Maybe it was just me who was crazy because, for some reason, I didn’t believe either of us really felt that way.

  After breakfast, Caleb and I went snorkeling. It was pretty hard to talk about weddings when both our heads were underwater. And, thankfully, the beautiful blue of the water a
nd incredible animals swimming by us caused us both to forget all about the marriage talk.

  “What’s your favorite thing we’ve done here so far?” I asked him as we drove back to our hotel.

  “I don’t know. I really liked today.”

  “Me, too. The water was beautiful. But I really liked the horseback riding. The scenery was gorgeous.” I sighed and stared out the window. “I can see why people live here.”

  “Maybe we should move here,” he joked.

  “I could get my Hawaii real estate license, but you might have a hard time moving the store.” I rubbed my thumb against my fingers. “I imagine it would cost a pretty penny.”

  Caleb lost his smile. “Yeah, if he even sells it to me.”

  I sat up. “Has he said more about Rick buying it?”

  In the beginning, Caleb had only seemed mad about the prospect of losing the store to Rick, but now that I knew him better, I knew he was also hurt. Rick might be Ted’s nephew, but Caleb was much closer to Ted.

  “No,” Caleb answered.

  “That’s good, right?”

  He shrugged. “I guess.”

  I wrapped my arm around his and laid my head on his bicep. “Don’t lose hope. After all, you’re the one he brought to Hawaii.”

  “Maybe it’s just a consolation prize.”

  I looked up at him. I wanted to turn his face, so I could meet his eyes, but he was driving. “Hey.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t give up yet. Okay?”

  He glanced at me. “Okay.” He turned back to the road and smiled. “And, no matter what happens, I got to spend the best vacation with you.”

  I laid my head back down and grinned. I felt the same way.

  “What are our plans for the rest of the afternoon?” I asked.

  “How about make love and then lie on the beach? In the shade,” he added, knowing my tendency to burn easily. “And then we’re having dinner at that restaurant Mary and Ted suggested.”

  “That sounds like a plan,” I said with a grin.

  Caleb had never called having sex lovemaking before.

  I tilted my head up. “But I think we should shower first.”

  The ocean was beautiful, but salt water was drying on the skin.

  He smiled down at me. “How about we shower together? And then, after, I’ll rub lotion all over your body.”

  “Ooh. Even better. How about a shower together and then a couples massage?”

  Caleb groaned. “You got yourself a deal.”

  Twenty-Nine

  Caleb

  After our couples massage, Sloan and I napped in each other’s arms for a little too long. By the time we woke up, I was starving, and the sun was already starting to set.

  I knocked on the bathroom door. “You almost ready?” I asked.

  The door swung open, and Sloan stood on the other side with an impatient look on her face.

  “Damn. You look good enough to eat,” I said as I scanned her body.

  Her red hair was down around her shoulders, and she was wearing a white dress that was perfect for a casual dinner on the beach.

  “But that could be my stomach talking,” I told her when I reached her eyes.

  She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the smile that broke out across her face. Gotta love a woman who laughed at your jokes even when she thought they were lame.

  “I have my lipstick left, and then I’m done.”

  I sighed. “Who cares? It’s going to come off when you eat, and if for some reason it’s still there, it’s going to come off when I kiss you later.”

  She raised her eyebrows and slowly unscrewed her lipstick just to torture me. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re crabby when you’re hungry?”

  “Duh,” I said, not bothering to deny it. “You already know this about me. Remember the night you denied me food for hours and hours?”

  Sloan smiled as she put on her lipstick. “It was an hour, an hour and a half tops. And I had to work.” She looked at me. “You lived, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, but not happily.”

  She set her lipstick down. “I’m ready now,” she said, stepping out of the bathroom. “Let’s get you fed, grumpy.”

  I leaned back and patted my stomach. “I am going to miss the fresh seafood something fierce when we go back home.”

  Sloan picked up her glass. “I agree. It’s so much better when it’s fresh.” She took a long drink and finished off her wine. She looked into the glass as if there might be more hiding. “I’m not ready for the night to end,” she said when she looked up at me.

  “So, let’s go do something. After our nap this afternoon, I’m good to go for a few more hours.” I pulled out my phone and used Google Search. “There’s a nightclub not too far from here.”

  “That sounds like fun.”

  “Wow. It says they don’t close until four in the morning.” I looked up at Sloan. “What do you think? It’s our last full night here.” Our flight would leave at eight thirty the following night. “If we’re going to go out, we need to do it tonight.”

  She grinned. “Let’s do it. After all, I’ve never been to a Hawaiian nightclub.” She shook her glass. “And I could also use some more wine.”

  I laughed and signaled our server to come over, so I could pay the bill. Ten minutes later, Sloan and I were off for some nightlife fun.

  I moved up close behind Sloan and wrapped an arm around her waist while I took a long pull of my beer. I had needed something with less alcohol after Sloan and I did three shots in a row.

  Sloan rotated her hips back against me, making me hard. She’d done something similar last night when I put her on all fours and took her from behind.

  My tough Sloan, who put up a wall against men, loved sex. Some days, I didn’t know how I had gotten to be the lucky fucker who got to make her come every night.

  Sloan draped her arm over the back of my neck and kissed my jaw. I pulled her tighter against me, so she could feel my erection.

  She smiled and turned in my arms. Her hand slid in between our bodies, and she cupped me over my shorts. My cock jumped against her palm, and she sucked on my neck.

  “Baby, you are going to be the death of me,” I told her, trying to keep my eyes off her sexy body.

  I looked at my watch. It was getting close to closing time. I couldn’t wait to take this woman back to our hotel and do dirty things to her. For now, I glided my arm up her waist and brushed my thumb over her nipple.

  She pushed her chest out to get closer to my hand, not caring that we were on the dance floor.

  The irony was that the club was crowded, but even though there were so many people here, we were all packed in so much that no one noticed or cared what the people next to them were doing. Fifty feet away, another couple was making out. Of course, the copious amounts of alcohol could also be the reason people didn’t care what was happening by them.

  “I want you to fuck me,” Sloan said in my ear.

  I groaned. “God, I want that, too.” I took another sip of my beer. The sooner I finished it, the sooner I could put both hands all over Sloan.

  I handed it to her, and she put her head back and took a long drink.

  Her pale throat looked enticing under the lights of the dance floor.

  Who knew just her throat would do it for me?

  My eyes looked to her hand where my ring sat, and it only made me want her more.

  I leaned down next to her ear. “Is it horrible of me to tell you that blackmailing you was the best decision I ever made?”

  Sloan nudged the guy next to her. He turned around with a questioning look on his face. “Here, you can have this,” she said, pushing the beer toward him.

  The guy shrugged, took the bottle, and turned back around to his dance partner.

  Sloan shook out her hair and looked up at me. “I’m glad you blackmailed me, too,” she said.

  I kissed her long and deep. Her slick tongue brushed against mine, and I immediately w
anted more. I had no idea how long we would have kissed, but someone bumped into us, knocking us away from each other.

  We were both breathing heavy.

  “I should’ve held out for more dates,” I said in a low voice.

  “What?”

  I leaned down to her ear. “I should’ve held out for more dates.” I kissed and sucked on her neck. “I’m not ready to be done with you yet.”

  She nuzzled me with her nose. “You know, if we got married, we definitely wouldn’t be done with each other.”

  I froze in her arms and slowly pulled back to look at her face.

  She tried to smile. “I was joking. I didn’t mean to freak—”

  “Let’s do it.”

  She laughed in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

  “Unless you don’t want to.”

  She bit her lip.

  “Fuck that. I don’t care if you were joking. Let’s do it. I want to marry you.”

  “Are you for real?”

  “Yeah, baby.” Because I knew that I didn’t want just one more date with this woman. I wanted a hundred more.

  Thirty

  Sloan

  Caleb and I left the club right before they kicked everyone out for the night and used his phone to fill out our wedding license. As we hit the Submit button, my head began to spin. Maybe a little from alcohol and maybe a little from our crazy decision.

  But then Caleb leaned over and kissed me, and I didn’t care how insane our decision was. I wanted to kiss this man forever.

  While there was no waiting period to get married in Hawaii, it also wasn’t Vegas where they had drive-up wedding chapels. Also, we had to meet with a license agent before we could get married.

  With a quick search on the internet, we discovered that our hotel had its own agent, and after some convincing, we got the person to come to work early. I would have never been that bold or demanding, and I didn’t think Caleb would have been either, but the two of us were still full of liquid courage.