Part 15 (1/2)

She finally finished and stood, wrapping the towel around her chest and tucking it under her armpits. She frowned down at our feet.

”What's wrong?” I asked, glancing down as well.

”I didn't get to teach you how to build a real sandcastle!”

I laughed and used a finger to gently lift her chin until her eyes met mine.

”I guess that means I get another date.”

She didn't flush, but I saw her eyes flick down to my lips as she swallowed hard. I ran a thumb over her mouth before dropping my hand and wrapping my fingers around hers.

”Let's go eat.”

I slipped my feet into my flip-flops and grabbed our sand buckets before pulling her with me across the beach toward the car.

”You change first,” I handed her the neatly folded clothes from the bottom of the bag and opened the pa.s.senger side door for her.

”Turn around, you creeper!”

I pouted out my bottom lip in mock disappointment, ”You never let me have any fun!”

I turned and looked back across the beach while she changed. The sun was inching slowly downward toward the western horizon, casting a blinding reflection off the water. In a couple more hours, with any luck, I'd have her wrapped in my arms over the tide pools watching it set.

”Your turn!” she announced ”That was fast!” I held out a hand to help her out of her car.

”I just put my clothes on over my bathing suit. My days of getting naked on the side of the street ended with college.”

Well that left a lot to the imagination. She had probably just spent a lot of days sunbathing on the beach in between cla.s.ses, but I couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever had to get dressed in a car after a day of more... Entertaining activities.

It was gonna be a b.i.t.c.h to get the d.a.m.n Speedo off over the hard-on that had reappeared.

”You made me turn around for that?” I asked, incredulous I sank into the front seat and leaned back, not bothering to wait for her to avert her gaze. When my d.i.c.k sprang free of the tight swimsuit, she squeaked, threw her hands over her eyes, and turned away from the car screaming swear words into her palms.

”Oh stop,” I chastised, ”It's not like you've never seen a p.e.n.i.s before. We're both adults here.”

”Of course I've seen a p.e.n.i.s!” she shouted, ”I've just never seen your p.e.n.i.s. In all its rigid glory, even! I have a hard enough time...” She cut herself off.

”A hard enough time, what, Holly?” I whispered into her ear. I had managed to get my underwear on and I stood close to her, pressing my hips into her a.s.s. She let out a tiny whimper and involuntarily leaned into me just a tiny bit.

”A hard...” she swallowed, ”A hard enough time...”

I wrapped my hands around her hips and pulled her into me. I could feel the s.h.i.+ver that ran through her body.

”Do you have a hard time keeping my naked body out of your head, Holly?” I grinded my shaft against her, ”Christ knows I think about yours often enough.”

Another moan and her hips swiveled ever so slightly.

”Just one night, Holly. Let's get it out of our systems.”

I felt her body go rigid and, after a brief moment of indecision, she stepped forward and turned.

”Food, Porter. We need food. And a table. There needs to be more s.p.a.ce. I need a buffer.” Her eyes trailed down my chest and stomach to the outline of my erection, ”Now!”

She turned and walked off in the wrong direction, forcing me to grab my jeans and tee s.h.i.+rt off the front seat. ”Holly!” I called after her as I struggled to get my legs into my pants, ”Wrong way!”

She turned and came back toward me, not even bothering to laugh as I hopped around on one foot trying to get myself dressed.

I finally got my life together and managed to b.u.t.ton my pants. I tugged my s.h.i.+rt down over my head as I power-walked after her.

”Slow down!” I yelled, ”We're not in a rush and you're about to sprint past the crosswalk we need!”

She came to an abrupt halt next to the traffic signal pole and mashed the b.u.t.ton to cross. I caught up with her right as the light changed and she was off again.

”Holly!” I grabbed her wrist as we hit the opposite corner, ”Jesus Christ, woman! I was just flirting! Take a few deep breaths and calm down! If you don't want to sleep with me, I can just jerk off until it turns blue and falls off. It's not a big deal!”

She furrowed her brow at my joke, glaring scarily.

”I'm sorry,” I tried, hoping she'd lighten up some, ”It was wrong of me to invade your s.p.a.ce like that.”

”Porter,” she sighed, frustrated, ”me not wanting to sleep with you is definitely not the problem.”

”I'm lost then,” I held my hands out to the side, ”What the h.e.l.l was that all about?”

”It's the fact that I do want to sleep with you that has me a little freaked out. I haven't wanted someone the way I want you in a very long time. I'm just not sure how to deal with it. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. I don't even know if it's the right thing to do. Or not do for that matter. I'm out of my league here and I don't like being out of control. I've been there before and it's not something I ever plan on experiencing again.”

”Wait a minute,” I put my hands to the sides of my head to keep it from spinning, ”Let me get this straight: The reason you won't sleep with me is because you want to sleep with me?”

”Yes!” she yelled, ”Well, no. It's not that. It's.... It's complicated, Porter.”

”I'm gathering that.”

”Can we just reset and go get food? I don't want to ruin such a good day with my relations.h.i.+p issues.”

I sure as h.e.l.l wasn't going to let the issue drop, but for the time being, I'd put it on the back burner. It could wait.

”Sure,” I said with a gentle smile, ”but only if you'll hold my hand again.”

She looked down at my open palm like it was a snake, but slowly slipped her hand into mine.

”See? Not so bad, right?”

”Don't make fun of me, Porter.”

”I'm not,” I placated, ”I'm just saying that we can enjoy each other's company and touch without spontaneously combusting.”

I wasn't so sure about the last part, but figured I'd throw it in there for good measure. If I did burst into flames from the heat I felt when I touched her, at least I could say I died a happy man.

Halfway down the block, I pulled open the gla.s.s door to the restaurant and held her hand as she stepped up the single stair. We sat down at a two-top near the door and waited for our server to bring us menus.

”So, what got you into the industry?” I hoped that the topic was a safe one that could lead us back to having a good time together.