“You playing paparazzi?” Lucas asks as I set my phone back on the chair.
“Just capturing some memories,” I tell him.
“Hmmm… I can think of some other memories we can make.” He smirks, leaning over to press a kiss to my lips. I cup his cheek, loving the feel of his beard on my palm. He’s allowed it to grow out a little longer than he usually keeps it during the hotter summer months, and I have to say, it is quite sexy on him. Feels good between my thighs, that’s for sure. “You keep moaning like that and I’ll be scooping you up and hauling ass to the room so I can make you moan even louder,” he says against my lips.
“And I’m out.” Matt groans, standing from his chair. We both turn and watch him walk down to the water, and I can’t help but wonder what is up with him lately. He’s always been the easy-going kind, but lately it seems like things aren’t that way.
“Do you know what’s going on with him?” I ask Lucas as he settles himself back on his chair.
“He hasn’t said anything specific, but from the few comments he has made, I think he’s tired of the single life. He’s one of those guys that really wants to settle down and have a family, but it just hasn’t happened for him yet.”
“Poor guy,” I pout on his behalf. “He’s such a nice guy and deserves to find a woman that will make him happy.”
“Yeah,” Lucas agrees. “Maybe it will happen on this trip,” he says, pointing to where Matt is down at the water, talking to a woman and what looks to be her young son. From this distance, I’d say he’s probably five or so, based on his size, if I had to guess. I watch as Matt crouches down to the kid’s level, the smile that instantly fills his face is noticeable, even from this distance. The kid hands him his ball and Matt steps back some to toss it back to him. We both watch the interaction for a while longer. I almost feel like I’m snooping, so I pull my e-reader out of my beach bag. I get lost in my current smutty read for the next hour or so.
“Want to take a walk?” Lucas asks, pulling me from my book.
“Sure, let me just finish this chapter,” I tell him, wanting to know what happens.
It only takes me a couple minutes to finish. I slide my device back into my bag, then slip into my sandals that I’d kicked off earlier. I put my cover up in my bag and sling it over my shoulder. “Can we stop at the room so I can go to the bathroom, first, and so I can drop this off? I don’t really want to carry it on our walk.”
“Of course,” he says, leaning over to kiss me, then takes the bag from my shoulder and carries it for me. We walk up the beach hand-in-hand and straight to our room. After we both use the restroom quickly, I grab two of the water bottles from the mini fridge, downing one before we’re even walking back outside.
We walk along the sand, away from the main part of the resort, allowing us to walk where there are less and less people the further down the beach we go. I’d never have imagined, six months ago, that I’d be walking along a beach like this with a man that I’m quickly falling in love with. “Stop here,” Lucas says, pulling me to be in front of him, the water and sun behind us. Being late in the afternoon, the sun has started to set and the colors it is creating are just breathtaking. He angles us just perfectly and snaps a picture of us.
“Let me see,” I tell him as he turns the phone so I can see the image. I love it. The background, the way he’s holding me, the way he’s looking at me like I’m the most important thing around. It makes this growing connection feel so real and like it might be something.
He kisses my cheek as we stay in this spot, turned now so we can look out over the water and watch the sun as it slowly sinks closer and closer to the water. “I could get used to watching this every night we’re here,” he tells me, tightening his hold on me as his chin rests on my shoulder.
“Me too, it is just so peaceful.”
We slowly start to head back towards the resort, stopping once we reach the beach area to look for Matt. We don’t see him, so we head back for our room to change and get ready for dinner.
The resort has multiple options with both indoor and outdoor restaurants. Since it’s been such a laid-back day, we decide to just grab food at the outside bar again. They’ve got a live band setting up to play, so we snag a table and settle in for the evening.
“Can I get you something to drink?” one of the servers asks as she stops at our table.
“I’ll take a Corona,” Lucas tells her. “And I’ll have the raspberry cosmopolitan,” I tell her.
“Right away,” she says before returning to the bar top to put in our order.
As soon as she sets them down on our table, I snatch mine, taking a sip of the fruity drink. “All good?” she asks, watching me.
“So good,” I tell her, taking another one before I set the glass down.
“Just flag me down if you need anything else.”
“Thanks, will do.”
“You going to let me get you drunk tonight?” Lucas asks, his hand finding my exposed thigh.
“Maybe, are you going to sex me up tonight if I’m drunk?” I ask, batting my eyelashes at him.
“Red, I’ll sex you up anytime you want, all you’ve got to do is ask.” He smirks.
“Hmmm, I like the sound of that,” I tell him as the music starts up.
We finish off our dinner and two more rounds of drinks before we join the growing crowd as they dance around while the band plays cover hit after cover hit. A little bit of everything that’s on the radio, to please everyone’s tastes.
We take a seat back at the table when the band takes a short break. Lucas had flagged down the server on our way over, so she takes our order for another round, plus two bottles of water. With the sun down, it is no longer hot, but still warm out, but add in the alcohol and it is still easy to get dehydrated.
“I wonder where Matt wandered off to this evening,” I state, we haven’t seen him since we left the beach this afternoon.
“No clue, but he’s a big boy and can take care of himself,” Lucas replies.
“I know, I just hope he isn’t regretting coming with the two of us. We can be a bit nauseating,” I tease him. I love the fact that he’s comfortable being open with his feelings towards me around his friends and teammates. It makes me feel like that is how things would be if our relationship became public.
The band strikes back up about ten minutes later, and we head back out onto the dance floor for a handful of songs.
“You ready to turn in?” Lucas asks as we sway along to a slow song. He holds me tight, and I love this feeling of being in his arms.
“Yeah, take me to bed,” I tell him before pushing up on my toes and kissing him.
I follow behind him as he leads the way back to our room. Once inside, he makes sure the doors are locked and then his attention is on me where I’m sitting on the edge of the large bed.
I track his every move as he closes the distance between the sliding glass door and the bed. He stops just inches in front of me, his button up shirt open and his abs exposed to me. The sun-kissed skin has my mouth watering as I think about the pleasure his glorious body can bring mine.
“What do you want tonight?” he asks, hooking a finger under my chin and lifting my face up to look at him. “Slow and tender or fast and hard?” he asks, his eyes lighting up at his question.