I tear my gaze away from Tamia. “Huh?” I ask, not hearing a word my mom asked.
“Son, are you not listening? I asked if you wanted to go to the store with us.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.” I rub the back of my head. “I’ll just stay here and help Dad when he gets back.”
“Okay. Well, ladies, I’m going to grab my purse and keys then we can get going. Katie, go and ask Tasha and Jay if they need anything.”
“No, prob,” Katie replies and disappears through the kitchen’s French doors.
When they are gone, it’s so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. That is until the sound of Tamia’s stool scraping against the floor breaks the silence. She’s leaving. I stand and lunge in her direction before she can leave the kitchen.
“Kellen, let me go.” She keeps her focus on my chest.
“I wish it was that easy, but I can’t.” I lift her chin.
“Tamia, are you ready?” Mom asks, walking back into the kitchen and looking inside her purse, oblivious to what’s going on between Tamia and me.
Tamia pulls away. “Yes, I’m ready.” She refuses to even look at me now.
My mom grabs her grocery list off the counter, and Tamia follows behind her.
Tamia
After enjoying a delicious steak dinner, thanks to Gary’s grilling skills, we all sit around the bonfire, listening to him tell us how he and his wife met. While listening to their storybook romance, I instinctively look over at Kellen staring at the bonfire. This morning when Katie and I were at the store, I asked why Ashley wasn’t there, and she informed me that they broke up two weeks ago and that she swore she had already mentioned it to me.
I direct my attention back to the storytelling and smile at the way Gary is looking at his wife. You can tell that they really love each other.
“What are you smiling about?”
I look up at the sound of Jay’s voice, and he takes that as his cue to sit close beside me.
“Katie and Kellen’s parents are the epitome of love.” I stare at the crackling flames of the bonfire. “I think it’s sweet that they remember every little detail of their relationship.”
“I’ve been told that I’m sweet, too.” He nudges me.
“I bet,” I laugh then nudge him back.
“I’m glad you decided to spend Thanksgiving with us.”
“I’m glad, too. This place is beautiful, and their family is amazing.”
“Yeah, they are.” Jay gathers some sand in his hands and tosses it inside the small bonfire burning in a small tin bath, causing the flames to simmer down. “So what’s going on between you and my boy?”
We suddenly grow quiet when I see Kellen stand and glance my way before walking along the beach. Where is he going? “What do you mean?”
“So you gonna act as if nothing went on between you and Kellen?”
I remain silent, still watching Kellen’s retreating form.
“You know he dropped Ashley, right?”
“I heard,” I exhale.
“Then what are you waiting for?”
I stare at Jay as if he’s got a third eye plastered in the middle of his forehead.
“I’ve been watching the two of you mope around for the past couple weeks, and I’m sick of it. You both want each other, so why not kiss and make up?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Who said love is supposed to be simple?”
“Wait a minute.” I hold my hands up, not believing the words that are coming out of his mouth. “Who are you and what the fuck did you do with my friend?”
He laughs. “I’m serious. Under all this sexiness is a hopeless romantic.”
I roll my eyes.
“I don’t know all the details about how you two came to be, but I can tell you that the moment he first saw you, I knew just from the look in his eyes that he was going to do anything in his power to get him some of Tamia. I had to tell my boy to stop eye fuckin’ you in public when his girl was standing right there. Now, he probably should’ve waited until things were finally over with Ashley before he spat game on you. Word on the street is she fucked up too, though it doesn’t make it right. But they are over and if you want him, you better get your man before someone else does.” Jay stands. “Think about what I said.”
I remain on the beach alone moments later with the dying fire and my thoughts. I close my green floral beach kimono that’s covering up my matching string bikini when I feel a breeze. In the corner of my eye, I see movement. I shift and see Kellen making his way over to me.
Kellen stops in front of me. His blue swim trunks match his eyes, and his cutoff white shirt accentuates his strong, lean, arms. God, he’s so sexy.
“Take a walk with me.” He holds his hand down to me.
I grab his hand and allow him to pull me to my feet. He quickly puts out the fire, reclaims my hand, and we begin strolling down the beach.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask curiously.
“You’ll see.” He shocks me when he brings my hand to his mouth to kiss it.
We continue walking until I realize we are heading to the boat dock. “Make sure you watch your step,” he advises, leading me across the boardwalk’s wooden planks and over a small bridge until we reach the entrance to the yacht. We walk aboard, then down a set of stairs and a small hallway until we reach a door. He releases my hand and pulls out a key and unlocks and pushes open the door. We step inside and it’s dark, but the moon illuminates the room enough for me to see that we’re in a bedroom.
“Wow!” is all I can say. “This view is amazing!”
“Yes, it is.” His eyes trail over me, and I know we’re not talking about the same thing. “My dad bought this yacht two years ago, and of all the rooms on this boat, this is my favorite one because of all the windows and the view it affords of the ocean and the moon and stars at night.”
I am in awe. All I can do is stare at the water and the stars in the sky.
“I’ve missed you.” His heat envelops me. Chills surge through my spine when his lips touch the back of my neck. I lean into him, molding myself against his hard frame, his erection nestled against my ass.
“Kellen.” I wiggle my ass against his dick.
A low, guttural moan rumbles in his throat.
“I need you so fuckin’ bad, Tamia.” He slowly slides my kimono from my shoulders. “Do you forgive me for putting you through my own selfish bullshit?” He tangles his fingers through my curls and, causing my head to bend back. “The first time I laid eyes on you, I wanted to make you mine, so forgive me for going after what’s mine, even though I ended up hurting you. I need to hear you say that you forgive me. Kellen licks a trail down my back, pausing to untie my bikini. My bottoms come next. The temperature in the room, plus his touch, causes my nipples to pucker into tight buds. He swings me around until I’m facing him, eyes searing over my skin before he attacks my mouth with a punishing kiss.
We begin moving across the room until our legs hit the bed and we collapse onto it. Never breaking our kiss, we scoot up until we reach the headboard. He tears his lips away, straddles my hips, and removes his shirt. Then lies on top of me, our naked chests pressed together and resumes kissing me.