Authors: Janet A. Mota
Chapter 20
Pool Time
Amber
I’m standing there in the middle of this beautiful bathroom and I’m astonished at the enormity of the house. I’m in love with it and there is nothing I would change about it. Dylan wasn’t kidding when he said he was preparing for the future. Clearly, he wants a family. I can see myself living here and having a family with him. I shake my head and clear that image from my mind. He loves me but I doubt he’s thinking of me as a wife. We went out on our first official date today after being together five months. I have too much baggage to be considered wife material.
Why would he want to take all that on?
But, he has put up with it so far. My stupid insecurities keep coming out plus I wonder when he’ll get tired of it all.
I go into the little toilet room and close the door. I change into the bathing suit and come out. I examine myself in the mirrors. It’s a perfect fit and not too revealing. He knew that I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a bikini. He’s extremely considerate and I am so in love with that man. I am going to enjoy him while I can because I know that he won’t want to put up with me much longer. I walk out to the patio and Dylan is standing by the grill with his back to me. He only has on his swim shorts and I decide to admire the view before I let him know that I am here. I knew he was built but seeing it in the flesh takes my breath away. All of my girly parts immediately make themselves known. He has broad shoulders with muscles bulges every time he moves. The shorts sit low on his hips and he has a great ass. Those shorts accentuate it perfectly. His calves are strong and well defined. He is so damn sexy.
“How’s the water?” I ask and he slowly turns around. He looks me up and down slowly.
“Fuck.” He runs a hand through his hair and turns away. He looks like he’s trying to catch his breath.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.” He turns to me and smiles. He looks away again. “Let’s go for a swim.”
I turn and sit on the edge of the pool. I put my feet in and turn my face up to the sun. I feel the water come up higher on my legs and open my eyes. Dylan is in the water and standing in front of me. He gray eyes are almost black. I stare back at him and he steps closer. He places his hands on either side of my hips and his face is millimeters from mine. His eyes wander down my body and I feel goosebumps travel down my body as his eyes take me in. His eyes reach mine again. “You are so beautiful and I want you so bad. Every part of my body is aching to touch yours.”
He has never said anything like that to me and I don’t know how to respond to it. I know my cheeks are every shade of red imaginable and I am so embarrassed. “You’re killing me baby.” He says and kisses me. His lips are possessive and his tongue brushes my bottom lip. I open for him and the kiss quickly intensifies. He pulls away abruptly.
I place my hand on his cheek and his eyes find mine. “Tell me.”
“I have kept my feelings for you in check for months. I want to devour you every time I see you. You turn me on like no one else ever has. All I want to do is strip you down and make love to you over and over.” He stops for a second and gathers his thoughts. “But, you need to know that I have fallen so in love with you and that physical attraction for you has intensified to levels that I can’t control.”
“I want you and I love you too but I must admit I have no idea what to do about any of it.” I give him a shy smile and he smiles back. “I’ve never had feelings these intense.”
“Me neither. I need you to know that I’m not going to push you. What I said before stands-you make the move. I won’t. When you’re ready then I will be too.” He leans over and places a kiss to my lips. He moves down to my neck. “You need to understand something though.”
“What’s that?” My eyes flutter closed when he kisses the sensitive spot just under my ear.
“I’m in this for the long haul. I want all of you.” He kisses my throat. “Your heart, your mind, your body and your soul.” He kisses my collar bone and then he whispers in my other ear. “You are my forever.”
He pulls back and looks in my eyes. “You are my everything.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him to me. I feel his arms come around me and, for the first time, I feel safe. “I love you.”
Chapter 21
The Gift
One Week Later
Amber
I am sitting at the kitchen table filling out a college application. I met with a student counselor and he seems to think that getting federal assistance is very likely. He’s hoping I will get some grants and so am I. I need all the help I can get. I will be taking half of the classes at the school and the other half online. I’m excited about going back to school but also extremely nervous. The fear of failure always seems to creep up. I have already done the essay and gotten all the preliminary paperwork so the application is the last thing left to complete.
I started my new job today. I went to the interview last Monday and John hired me on the spot. I gave my notice at the store that night. It was a good day. John is great and he’s very impressed with what I know and can do without a degree or a single class. I told him that I was going to go to school and he was extremely happy to hear it. He also told me that I had an architectural job when I graduate. So far so good and I love having an eight to four thirty work day with weekends off.
An hour later, I am clicking submit on the application when the doorbell rings. I answer the door and Dylan is standing there. He quickly kisses me and I step aside so he can come in.
“What are you up to?” he asks when he sees everything on the kitchen table. He puts down his briefcase down on the table.
“I just clicked submit on my college application.” I say and he smiles wide.
“Congratulations, baby.” He opens his arms and walk into them. I feel him kiss the top of my head. “I am so proud of you. You are going to be great.”
“Thank you, love.” I pull away and look up at him. “Now we need to pray that the federal assistance that comes through is more grants than loans.”
“Even if they don’t, it will be fine.” He pulls an envelope out of his back pocket and hands it to me. “My company has a scholarship program. It isn’t much but they only way someone is considered is if an employee nominates someone. I nominated you and you won it.”
My hands are shaking now and I open the envelope. I look at the check and then up at Dylan. “Ten thousand dollars.”
“Yep. All yours. I didn’t have to reveal too many details. I just told them that your parents passed and that you had to give up college to care for your siblings.” He smiles. “Like I said, it isn’t much but it is ten thousand you won’t have to worry about paying back.”
“Thank you so much. I can never repay you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“Gorgeous, I haven’t done anything for you. You do it all for yourself.”
She shakes her head. “That’s where you are wrong. When I met you, I was so lost in my own head and my life. I didn’t let anyone in. It took Miranda forever to convince me to go to Christmas Eve dinner. Then you walked into my life. Suddenly, there was sunlight. I wanted to be a part of someone’s life, other than my brother and sister’s. I actually look forward to getting up in the morning. You opened my heart when it was completely closed to the outside world. I fought it but you won. You opened my life up to so many possibilities and, for that, I can never repay you.”
He embraces me tight. “I love you so much. You did the same for me. My life has been so happy since you walked into it.” He kisses me so passionately. When he pulls away, it takes me a moment to catch my breath. “On that note, I have something for you.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s your birthday gift.”
“My birthday gift? My birthday isn’t for another two weeks.”
“I know.” He says and pulls a box out of his briefcase. It is a long box wrapped with a big bow on it. He hands it to me. “Open it.”
I do as he says. I lift the lid off the box and gasp. I look up at him and he smiles. I pull out two plane tickets. “You’re taking me to Jamaica for my birthday?”
“I am.”
“I can’t go. I just started this new job and I won’t be able to take time off so soon.”
“John called me before he hired you to tell me that he was going to do so. He said he was very impressed and wanted to thank me for recommending you. I told him that I was taking you to Jamaica for your birthday for a week. He agreed to give you the week off paid but you won’t be eligible for another week off for six months.”
“Seriously? He’s willing to do that for me?” I am dumbfounded by the generosity that I have seen in the last few months.
“Yes. Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry. Yes, I am super happy and thank you for my gift. I am so excited. I have never been on a vacation or a plane for that matter. Wait. Do I need a passport? There is no way we are going to get one in two weeks.”
He laughs. “Got that too.” He reaches into his briefcase again and hands it to me.
“How in the hell did you get that?”
“Mia helped me. She is so excited about it.”
“Is there anything you don’t think of?”
“Very little.” He smirks. “When I thought of Jamaica, I spoke to Mia and we worked on getting the passport first. Once I had it in hand, I booked the trip. Honestly, I am praying that you aren’t mad at me for doing all this behind your back. I wasn’t comfortable but it had to be done. Please forgive me.”
“I’m not mad. I’m shocked that you went through all the trouble. I am also honored that you wanted to go through all the trouble for me. Thank you so much.” I say and go to kiss him when he stops me and hands me the box again.
“I want you to go shopping and not at thrift stores. I want you to go to the mall and splurge a little.” He points to something underneath the tickets and there is a bunch of mall gift cards. I look through them and see that they total five hundred dollars.
“Dylan, this is way too much. You are spending enough on the trip.”
He put a finger to my lips. “I love splurging on you. Please have fun and enjoy it.” He kisses me and we get lost in that kiss.
Chapter 22
Airplane Ride
Dylan
The last couple of weeks have been crazy but we are finally sitting on the plane waiting to take off. Amber is nervous about her first plane ride. I look over at her and she has her hands in her lap and her eyes closed. I watch her for a moment. She’s so beautiful. I love all of her perfect imperfections. She is my everything. I place my hand over hers and she opens her eyes.
“I’m right here.” I whisper and she nods her understanding.
“You probably think I’m some sort of freak because I have never been on a plane.”
“No I don’t. I completely understand it. I will hold your hand the whole time if you need it.”
She slips her fingers through mine and grips tightly. I put my finger under her chin and bring her eyes to mine. I kiss her nose.
“I’m very excited about this week. How about you?”
“Oh yes. I have only been to the beach once as a little girl so I am looking forward to seeing it again.”
“Gorgeous, I am so sorry that you missed out on so much. It isn’t fair.”
“I had to live that way and so did Mia and Evan but my children will not. I want to show my children the world.”
“I agree with you. I think that kids should grow seeing the world if their parents can provide them with those experiences. I was lucky. My parents were able to and I have experienced many places in the states. I’ve never been to Europe and I’m dying to go but I was fortunate to be able to see most of the US.” She flashes me a big smile.
“Where in Europe do you want to go?” She asks.
“Italy, England, France. The list can go on and on. How about you?”
“Same as you. Italy would be a dream but just being able to go to Europe would be a dream come true.”
The plane began to move backwards as it makes its way to the runway. She grips my hand tighter. I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her fingers. The captain comes on and announces that we are ready to take off. The plane picks up speed and Amber looks like she’s going to jump out of her skin.
“Hey, look at me.” I say to her and she looks at me. I lean in and capture her lips. We are the only two in this row so we have some privacy. I kiss her passionately and she responds to me. We kiss for a few minutes. When we break apart, the plane is in the air and all is well.
She smiles at me. “That was a great takeoff.”
I chuckle. She pulls out her book and I do the same. She’s still grips my hand and it was a great flight.
****
We land in Jamaica at eleven in the morning. I made sure to have a car waiting for us to take us to the resort. We go to baggage claim and grab our bags and I see the car with my last name on it. We walk to the car and the chauffeur gets out, putting our bags in the trunk. We climb into the backseat and are off.
Twenty minutes later, he pulls into the resort and opens our door. We climb out while he removes our bags. I tip him and we walk into the lobby. Amber sits in one of the chairs while I check in. A few minutes later, I am walking toward her.
“Are you ready?” I ask her and she jumps out of her chair.
“Yes.” We grab our luggage and head outside. A staff member drives up with a golf cart and jumps out. He hands me the keys and helps me put the luggage into the cart. I jump into the driver’s seat and Amber is just standing there watching me.
“Jump in gorgeous?”
“Why are we going in a golf cart? We aren’t staying in this hotel?”
“Come on. I’ll show you.”
She gets in and I drive us to a separate little bungalow. I picked this resort because it has a main hotel and about fifteen bungalows. It’s completely all-inclusive and we have some privacy. I requested a bungalow closest to the beach. I find our bungalow and park the golf cart in its little parking spot. A golf cart is included with every bungalow rental. I jump out and grab the bags. I let Amber take in her surroundings. I open the bungalow door and set the bags inside. She comes in behind me and looks around. The bungalow has a tiny living room with a love seat and a television. There is a small kitchenette with a table. I head straight to the sliding glass door and open it. There is a small table and two chairs sitting on the little porch with an incredible view of the beach plus a small private pool for the two of us. We don’t have any neighbors and the pool is completely surrounded by bushes. She comes behind me and I hear her take a deep breath.
“That ocean air is so refreshing.” She says. “Holy shit! Is that a pool?”
I laugh. “It is. What do you think of the bungalow?”
“It’s perfect.” She says but doesn’t look at me. “Are we sharing a bed?”
“This is a two bedroom bungalow but we have to share a bathroom.”
“Oh.” She says and steps inside. She seems disappointed. I follow her and grab the bags.
“Which room do you want?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She says and walks into the bathroom. I walk into one of the bedrooms and place her bags on the bed. I put my bags in the other room and go back to the bathroom door. “This bathroom is amazing. You must have spent a fortune on this vacation.”
“Look at me.” When she looks back at me, I continue. “I don’t want you thinking about that. I want you to have fun and have the time of your life.”