Five days, three hours, and twenty-three minutes since I left New York. I had been cooped up in the hotel room for five days, and I was ready to kill. Dean brought me whatever kind of food I wanted, and I had free reign of room service and the coffee cart in the library, provided I wore the blonde wig whenever I opened the door. I hated it. The weather outside was slowly getting warmer, the sunshine teasing me with happiness. I went out in the hotel courtyard several times, but there was always a businessman on his phone, or a family planning their drive back through Nebraska. I wanted to be alone, not silently sharing strangers’ lives, so I tended to stay in my room and pull the drapes. I watched more TV in those few days than I had in my whole life. I suddenly understood the allure of reality TV, or at least the mind-numbing time-killing ability of it. It was at least a way to pass time while I waited for my world to settle enough that I could go back into it. Dean kept his dista
I stepped off the plane. A wave of humid air hit me, the smell of salt and flowers blowing through my hair and ruffling my clothes. I took a deep breath, memorizing the smell. It was the smell of the start of a great vacation. I stepped carefully down the stair ramp, feeling like a movie star as I exited the small plane and followed a red carpet off the runway and to the small terminal. I couldn‘t wipe the grin off my face to save my life. The airport terminal was open to the Caribbean air. It seemed strange to me at first, until I realized that the weather was always nice enough here that they wouldn’t need to have double-paned windows. It was a foreign concept to someone like me who had always lived in a place that required heating and cooling throughout the year. My windows in Iowa were only open in the late spring and early fall due to the weather outside which was either too hot or too cold. I loved the idea of having windows open year round, the weather always nice. My bags w
I stretched out on my towel, and then sat up, digging my feet into the sand at the edge of my towel. The sand burned a little, but the heat felt so good on my skin. I couldn’t believe how much I was enjoying being on the beach. The ocean sparkled in the tropical sun, the sand glowed with sunlight. Gulls called in the distance, but the constant breathing of the ocean was all I wanted to hear. I never wanted to stop hearing it. I was almost alone on the beach. A single figure walked along the waterline to my right, and the couple staying in the cabana next to mine played in the water to my left. Other than that, the beach was empty as most of the resort guests preferred the pool with the swim up bar. I didn’t quite understand why they all preferred being on display in a crowded pool when the ocean was right here, but I was happy to have the beach to myself. I smoothed the front of my swimsuit self-consciously. It was expensive, but the 1940s style cut flattered my curves. “You just h
I ran a brush through my long dark hair and grimaced in the mirror at the sand creature looking back. I looked like I had spent the day on the beach, but I didn’t have time to clean up. Besides, I told myself, he’s been looking at you all day. He doesn’t care that you look like a beach-bum. I grabbed a sundress hanging in my closet and a pair of flip-flop sandals before heading back out. Jack was waiting patiently by the porch step, staring out at the ocean and the setting sun. Jack turned at the sound of the door and smiled his brilliant smile as I walked towards him. My knees felt weak; a girl could get hurt by that smile. “You look great,” he said honestly. I bit my lip and blushed again. “Thanks,” I said as he offered his elbow to me. I wrapped my arm around his, feeling like a princess in a story book. I liked the way he felt, his arm strong and solid under mine as we walked out of the sand and into the resort. Twilight was slowly taking over the resort, the sun’s rays quickl
The porch creaked slightly as I stepped up and unlocked the door. I could feel him move in behind me, resting his weight on an arm against the door frame. I turned slowly, captured against the door and his body. His masculine scent made my knees feel weak, and my throat felt dry as he leaned over me, his eyes searching mine. His expression was intense, almost threatening; I looked up into those hazel eyes, the moonlight making them shine with something I wanted. Desire. He wanted me. The thought alone made me shiver with anticipation, as he brought his hand to my neck and pulled my lips towards his. His mouth was hot against mine, his tongue probing gently at my lips, asking to taste me. I opened my mouth and he shifted his weight to kiss me fully. He explored me in a slow and thorough manner before pulling back. His eyes gleamed with an aching hunger that held me captive. I wanted him more than anything. He pushed me back until I bumped against the door. His mouth skimmed my jaw, d
The sun shone directly into my eyes, waking me from a dead sleep. With a groan, I threw my arm over my face, rolling into my pillow. It smelled like Jack, masculine and intoxicating. I moved my arm and could feel the cool linen next to me; Jack was long gone from my bed. I kept my face buried in the pillow, my eyes shut tight. Maybe if I didn’t open them, I wouldn’t have to wake up and find him truly gone. My bladder, however, had a different idea. I lay still trying to convince myself to go back to sleep, but I finally couldn’t fight it any longer. I stood up and let the sheets fall from my naked body as I hurried to the bathroom, the tile cold on my bare feet. The face in the mirror watched me as I washed my hands and ran a brush through my hair, trying to coax the tangles into some sort of pony tail. I felt pleasantly sore all over, and the memory of the night before made me smile before I realized he had left without even waking me. “Of course he left. He saw me in the morning
The afternoon sun shone down on the two of us and we walked alongside the waves and giggled at stupid jokes. I felt more comfortable with him than I had with anyone in my life. He seemed to relax the longer we walked. I wished I could have more days like this, but both our vacations were going to have to end soon. I pushed the thought as far from my mind as I could. “What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?” Jack asked as I bent down to pick up a seashell. I studied the shell for a moment before casting it out into the ocean. “You are going to make fun of me,” I said, squinting out at the horizon before looking at him. He grinned mischievously. “I’m going to make more fun of you if you don’t tell me,” he said, his eyes sparkling. I glared at him before answering. “I went skinny dipping in Old Man Smith’s fishing pond. A bunch of us did it one night,” I said finally, a blush creeping into my cheeks. “That doesn’t sound that crazy,” he scoffed gently. “Well, it wasn’t... until
I could hear him snoring gently in the bedroom through the open window. His breathing was slow and even, the soft rumbles of his sleep soothing. I sat with my feet curled up under me on the wicker porch chair looking out at the rolling waves and listening to my husband sleep. I found myself smiling. I had this wonderful serene sense of calm and perfection. I could get used to this marriage thing. The world finally felt perfect. I knew it was all a lie, that in two days I would leave the ocean and this marriage would just be another page in my scrapbook, but today, I didn’t care. Today was perfect. Last night had been amazing. Yesterday had been amazing. I still couldn’t believe I was a married woman, if only for a little bit. Jack had taken me back to my cabana and showed me what a husband should do for his wife. Thinking about the pleasure his hands and tongue could create made my temperature rise. This sense of happiness held a danger though. I was falling for him — falling for h