Choices (17 page)

“
Pinch me.” I sighed.

“What?”
He looked up from the dough.

“Pinch me.”
You heard me.

“Pinch you? Why?”
He stopped what he was doing to concentrate his full attention on me.

“Because I need to know that I’m not dreaming that I’m right here with you, enjoying the beach and feeling taken care of and not neglected.” I sighed and fought back an onslaught of tears
; tears that were trying desperately to make an unwelcome appearance.

“I’ll do better than that.” He dropped everything on the fold away table and
zeroed in on me like a scud missile.

Brandon’s expression was fierce, his walk sleek like a feline’s,
and his crystal blue eyes were blazing. He wrapped his hands around the nape of my neck and ever so gently traced the outline of my lips with his tongue and then placed his lips ever so softly to mine before he went in for the kill. His tongue thrusting in and out of my mouth, his one hand knotted in my hair his other hand on my backside pressing his erection into my lower abdomen. He wasn’t even giving me a chance to breathe. His kisses were smothering and full of life. Without moving his lips from mine he spoke, “Isn’t this better than just pinching you?” “Yes,” I moaned as yet again for the second time this weekend he scooped me up, kicked sand on the fire, picked up the blanket and moved me to the dunes behind the tent far out of view. The grass was high, the scent was heavenly and the feel of his body perfect. He stood me on my feet and spread out the blanket behind the dunes were there was more sand and just patches of tall grass. He laid down first pulling me on top of him as he moved. I laid my body on his and created a trail of my kisses down his well sculpted chest and shredded stomach to the most delectable part of a male’s body –the juncture were his hip begins and his abdomen ends. I slowly slid his board shorts slightly off his hips. I flicked my tongue right into that delicious groove of his until I almost had my own orgasm right then and there. I ran my tongue along the waistband of his board shorts until he cried out almost in pain to take them off completely. I’m a good girl and I did as I was told. The sight of him made me want to weep. “Brandon, you are so beautiful.”  My hands traveled up his well muscled legs and I watched as his erection jabbed and pulsed while my hands tickled the hair on his legs. I gave him tiny butterfly kisses around his stomach and finally placed my lips around every inch of his manhood. I released him and blew cool air on the tip of his penis and he moaned that moan again that tightened the muscles in my abdomen and sent my shockwaves roaring.

“Now Laurel! I’m not going to be able to hold on much longer.”
A crystal tear escaped the tip of his shaft.

“Oh yes you can. I’m not finished with you yet.” I placed my lips around him again and put my mouth to work. His hands were flailing trying to place them on my skin but I grabbed them and entwined my fingers with his and he seemed to calm slightly. I increased the pressure and he tried to sit up to change our positions but I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him back down. His moan said it all and the
orgasm I had just from hearing that deep, guttural growl alone splintered my insides and shattered my soul. I took him all the way in, increased the pressure of my tongue and checks. He groaned even deeper. I could smell his musk of salt water and earth, feel his balls tighten. He tried to sit up again.

“Laurel, I can’t…I can’t…not too much lo…” He growled and I looked up at him with everything he owned in my mouth. “Jesus, Laurel, that’s a sight I’ll always remember and want to see again and again.” He choked out. “Now,” He choked out again and tried to sit up to move me back and away. I placed my hands on his sculpted chest and pushed him back down and shook my head no and took everything he gave me.

Sunday. All good things must come to an end. I woke up alone. Man, I didn’t like that one stinking bit! Where was he? I opened up the tent and saw him surfing in the waves. I wiggled into my suit and ran to the water’s edge. He waved me in. I ran into the water and dove under the waves and swam out to meet him.

“Hey, have you ever surfed before?”

“No.”

“Wanna try it?”

“Sure. But I
don’t think I’ll be very good.”

“Oh, Laurel, you are very good.”
He smirked and stroked me. I extricated myself and cleared my throat.

“Um, not that, I mean about the surfing.” I hesitated.

“Well, let’s try.” He flashed that sexy lopsided grin that I noticed came out when he wanted something.

“Is there anything you can’t do?”
I sighed.

“Um, hmm, let’s see. I can’t give birth, how’s that?”

“Always with the jokes.”

“Yeah, that’s what you find so attractive about me.”
He winked.

“No
, seriously, are you afraid of anything? Is there anything you can’t do or won’t try?”

“Listen, I’ll tell you a story.”

“Oh, stories, I love stories.” I looked at him expectantly, urging him to continue.

“Well, I don’t know if you’ll love this one but it’s mine.”

He was serious now, I could tell, his eyes darkened. They seem to do that when he’s concentrating or loving or angry, I was figuring that much out.

“Go ahead, I’m listening.” We stood there in the water drifting, holding onto the surfboard.

“You know, my mom is really protective of me. Overbearing is more like it. I have something wrong with my heart. Gosh, I can’t even tell you exactly what it is. She won’t even tell me.”

I continued drifting with him and swam underneath the surfboard so I could hold him while he finished his story instead of just looking at him across the surfboard.

“She won’t tell you? What, that’s ridiculous? How are you expected to take care of yourself if you don’t know what you have?” I was astonished.

“Exactly; s
he doesn’t want me taking care of myself. She wants to be in charge. She was always on my back - be careful, no basketball too aerobic, don’t swim it’s too rough, no football out of the question, lacrosse - over my dead body. You get my point.”

I nodded for him to continue.

“She went totally overboard after I turned eight. I was simply playing in the park when my legs started to tingle and I was feeling a little dizzy and then I had trouble breathing and passed out for a few seconds.”

“Oh my gosh, you must have been so scared.”

“Yeah, I was scared but what scared me more was how nuts my mother got. She went ballistic.”

“Well, that’s understandable. I think I would too, if I saw one of my kids pass out for no reason at all.
”

“It was just for a few seconds and when I came too, I actually felt much better. Well, my mother rushed me to the hospital and the doctor said something about a defect, nothing to panic about, just something to keep an eye on as I got older. My mother asked the doctor if I should be more careful.
I asked the doctor if I could play sports. The doctor said that I should wear protective gear and be careful and not push myself, listen to my body and I should be fine. Well, Jo didn’t like that answer but me? I was thrilled.”

“A defect? What kind of defect?”

“That I don’t know. She never told me, still won’t tell me, and just is always watching and supervising. Drives me crazy and is part of the reason that I do everything I can and refuse to have any fear about it. Just do it because you’ll never know when you can’t so grab the bull with your hands and ride, baby, ride.”

I laughed and he pulled me closer still for a long, sweet kiss.  Oh, his scent mixed with my second favorite scent of the ocean was intoxicating and overwhelming. I was thankful I had the surfboard and him to hold onto. I love his zest and zeal for life. Now, I understand why he is so confident and such a risk taker. Born with something that can be debilitating and yet so unsure of exactly what it is can be so crippling. Not for Brandon, though, he is the exact opposite. That is so damned attractive i
n a man, confidence and passion even in the face of uncertainty.

“You are amazing, do you know that?”

“Who, me? Yeah, I know, like I said that’s why you’re so into me.”

“Hmm, I thought it was because you were so modest and humble.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m that too.” He laughed and released me from his hug. I felt cold and I didn’t like it one single bit.

“C’mon show me what that
little body of yours can do.”

“I thought I already did that.”

“Well, yeah, I know about your skill on land but let’s see your extracurricular activities of the water variety.”

“Oh, you have no idea what I can do in the water.”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll get us thrown off this beach.”

I swam while Brandon paddled
the surfboard to shallower water. He picked me up yet again and placed me on the board. Brandon held the board while I listened to his instructions.

He was ver
y patient with me, like a teacher with a student. Brandon gave me all the particulars and suggestions and before you knew it I was standing on the thing without falling. Riding out a wave well, that was another story. I never laughed so hard in a really long time.

“You have a beautiful laugh Laurel and I want to hear more of it. I don’t want to take you home.”

“I don’t want to go home either but I have other people who depend on me and a life that I can’t run away from anymore. But right now, I don’t want to talk about that. I want to watch and hear you laugh. C’mon teach me some more Big Kahuna.”

“Just a little bit longer because right now I’m starving
. Ever since you attacked me last night and we missed dinner I need to eat or there won’t be anything left to give you.”

“Oh, something tells me I might be able to squeeze something out.”

“Yeah, I think you just might be able to.” He leaned over to kiss me. “But first, I have to eat and I need to feed my woman too. Let’s go.”

“Wow,
your woman? Brandon…I don’t…” I gulped and pulled away from him and started to make my way out of the ocean. He caught up to me and placed a cool hand on my shoulder.

“Laurel, stop, please, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…I know I made you uncomfortable” He sighed
but I just kept walking toward the shoreline. Eventually I stopped and I turned tear filled eyes upon him.

“Brandon, please, don’t say things like that, like we’re a couple, or committed, or together. It’s not right, none of this is, none of it. I had a wonderful time. I tested myself and lived in the moment, but Brandon, honestly me and you…” I gestured between the two of us. “I’m sorry there is no you and me. I’m not your woman. Just let’s…” I gulped more air and hugged myself close. He tried to reach for me but I stepped away from his grasp. “We need to remember and cherish this weekend for what it was and know that there’s nothing more.” I was crying now and walking out of the ocean. He grabbed my waist, hoisted me up and turned me to face him.

“That’s all I am…a test. A test for what? What was this weekend to you Laurel, just a pleasant fuck, a chance for you to test your spontaneity wings out on me. This was just a weekend to walk on the wild side, just a…” He would have continued but I shoved him away from me. My eyes were blazing.

“How dare you! How dare you! I…” He cut me off before I had a chance to finish. “How dare me? Are you flipping kidding me? I have real feelings for you , Laurel, real…” It was my turn to cut him off. “Real feelings?” I sputtered and pulled my own hair. “Real feelings, Brandon, don’t be ridiculous! It’s only been three days! That’s stupid, that’s insane. Jesus, you really are so young, aren’t you?” I stopped because the smolder in his eyes now wasn’t one of passion or desire. He was furious.
“Okay, number one you’ve already established our age difference. I get it! News flash for the umpteenth this this weekend I. DON’T. GIVE. A. FUCK! Number two don’t ever tell me what I should be feeling or what I am feeling. EVER! Number three  DON’T EVER CALL ME STUPID. He took a deep breath to calm himself and gazed out toward the sea, regained his composure and looked me dead in the eye. “Laurel, I know you’re uncomfortable and scared. I won’t push. I won’t make possessive comments anymore and I’ll wait until you’re ready to believe me. But know this…” He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to him and kissed me, kissed me so hard so there was no question about his intentions. “I’m not going anywhere and I’ll wait for you.” He turned and walked out of the water up to the tent leaving me there to think about his words and his kiss.

Sadly we packed everything up and loaded it into the truck. Once we finished we decided to leave a few of the necessities out for a shower before heading home. Not everyone was gone yet. They were still enjoying the end of a beautiful weekend such as we were. We trudged up to the bath houses and as I was going to enter the ladies room bathhouse, Brandon pulled me into the men’s room.

“Brandon, what the hell are you doing?
If you haven’t noticed, this
is
the men’s room?”

“I don’t want to be without you for a second, not even to shower.”
He smiled and pulled my arm and led me into the bath stall. He hoisted me up into his arms and turned the water on.