Vacation (19 page)

"Why was it a mistake?" She
reached out and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ears.

"Because, I'm falling in love with
him." I swatted her hand away.

"Falling or have fallen?" She
swatted back at me playfully.

"I don't know. I just want to enjoy
the rest of the vacation and not think too much about it. I need to get my ass
in gear when we get back home. I graduate in a few months. I need to get
serious about a job." I rolled onto my back before sitting up. "Get
dressed and let's go shopping. It's already two. I would think we need to meet
up with handsome around seven or so to head out for the night."

"Text him about the extra
ticket." Casey sat up beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"You know if it's meant to be, that it will be."

"I guess so." I got up and
stretched. "And if not, fuck it."

"Yeah right." She rolled her
eyes, knowing me far too well to let me bullshit her with my pseudo
lackadaisical attitude.

"Shut it." I picked up a pillow
and started what turned out to be the longest pillow fight in our history. We
needed it, or at least I did.

Chapter
20

Easton

I woke to her having left sometime during
my nap. I missed her warmth the minute I realized that I didn't have her next
to me anymore. My phone was ringing from somewhere in the kitchen, but it took
me a few minute to register what the noise was. I got up and half-stumbled
toward the sound.

"This is Easton." I cleared my
throat, and hoped like hell that it wasn't my boss. I had a million things to
do, and the day was virtually shot for getting any of them done.

"Hi, baby. Your dad and I just wanted
to check up on you. How's Florida? Have you taken any time for yourself?"
My mother's voice was upbeat and filled with warmth.

I glanced at the clock through squinted
eyes and walked back to the living room as I stretched. "Yeah, I'm having
a good time. I just took a day off to enjoy the beach and stuff. I guess I
passed out on the couch."

"Did I wake you? I'm sorry," my
mother cooed.

"No she's not. She does that shit to
me all the time." My father's voice was muted, but his response caused my
lips to lift in a smile.

"Shut it, Carl." There was humor
in her voice just before she broke out into giggles. My father had to be
tickling her. If there was one relationship I treasured more than all others,
it was the one between my mom and dad. I wanted a love like that, but it seemed
impossible. Or was it? Vivian and I experienced something very similar right
before we fell asleep.

"I should be home by Sunday if
everything goes according to plan. Let's plan on breakfast Monday morning,
though. There's a girl I met here, and I'm pretty sure she's
gonna
want to go to dinner Sunday night. She flies out
tomorrow."

"Oh my goodness! Carl, he's found a
girl," my mother screamed into the phone as she lost her mind with
excitement.

I rolled my eyes and leaned back, sinking
into the couch. She acted quite similar every time I talked about taking a girl
out or having even the slightest interest in a woman. She was baby crazy, and
in all honesty, I wished that one of my brothers would marry young and divert
the pressure off of me.

"Mom. We're just friends." I
glanced around the room and thought of Vivian, knowing that there was truth in
my words but longing for a lot more than a friends with benefits arrangement.
Some man was going to sweep my beautiful woman off her feet if I didn't soon.
She wouldn't be on the market for long at all.

"Friends is a great starting place.
It's the foundation of a good, solid relationship, Easton. Tell me all about
her."

"I will when I get back home. I'm
going to shower and take her to a concert that I got us tickets for." I
sat up. "I'm honestly a little freaked out about whether to take the
friendship to the next level."

"Do you care about–” My mom was cut
off and my dad's voice filled up the phone. I swear the two of them were my
free counseling session on steroids.

"Will you miss her when you part
ways?" My dad's voice was gruff.

"Yeah, like crazy."

"Have you had sex with her?"

"Dad, really?" I stood up, and
waited for him to give me an out, but as per usual, he didn't. "That’s
none of your business dad. Shit."

"Whatever. You're in love with her.
Take the next step. Stop being a puss. Love hurts. You win, you lose,
you
grow up and get over it."

"Give me that phone," my
mother's voice was shrill. "Don't listen to that gorilla, Easton. Take
your time and court the girl. If she's the one, then don't rush into anything.
She'd not appreciate that, and you won't either."

"And if she's not the one?" I
walked to the bedroom, knowing very much that Vivian could be the one.

"Then it's okay to let her go. Until
you figure that out, you need to protect your heart. Okay, baby?"

"Mom. You're the one waiting with
baited breath for me to marry and have kids. Are you telling me to back off
now?" I chuckled and started the shower, wishing Vivian would have stayed
to take one with me. There was nothing more that I wanted to do than lather up
my hands and run them all over her body, worshiping every inch of her until she
begged me to stop.

"No. Yes. I don't know. I just hear
something in your voice I haven't heard before. Just be careful. Your dad and I
will see you on Sunday or Monday. Your brothers should be home for the weekend
too. They're not headed back to school until later in the week."

"Okay. I love you." I pulled a
towel from the cabinet and slung it over the shower door.

"We love you too. Good luck."
She kissed the phone a few times, and I released the call before stripping down
and getting into the shower. My mom and dad meant the world to me. If they
could hear in my voice how much I'd fallen for the beautiful vixen that had
stolen my breath, then I'd fallen for her.

She was going to push back against me,
though. She had much more stock in protecting herself after what Jackson had
put her through. I couldn't blame her, and I wouldn't push at all, but I did
want to let her know that I wanted more. I could carefully tread through the
waters of what that might look like.

I turned and lifted my face to the hot
spray, letting everything else go. Vivian and I would have a great night
tonight. And if sex was part of the deal, then I would lavish her generously in
pleasure just to remind her of how good we could be together when she left me
the next day.

*****

             
She was wearing a tight skirt that
stopped about mid-thigh and a series of tank tops that make her look all of
nineteen, but with her hair down and makeup dark and smoky in appearance, she
was every bit twenty-one. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as I approached
her, and something inside of me snapped as I reached for her, pulling her
against me and lowering my face to hers.

"You look incredible." I let my
eyes move from her lips to her gaze, which was wide and filled with curiosity.
"I'm highly considering giving these tickets to anyone who wants them and
inviting you back up to finish last night properly."

"Don't make promises you don't intend
to keep." She brushed her lips by mine and moved out of my hold as Casey
stared at us wide-eyed.

"Um. Wow. I'm gone for one night and
you two are a thing all of a sudden?" She smiled and tugged a tall,
Hispanic guy toward us. "This is Paul."

I ignored her probing and extended my
hand, shaking the guy’s firmly. "I'm Easton. Nice to meet you man."

"Alright. This party train is
leaving. I got us a cab." Casey moved in front of me and Vivian, before
linking her arm with her date's arm. "That okay?"

I slipped one hand into my pocket,
checking for the tickets and reached for Viv's hand with the other.
"Perfect."

She squeezed my hand and let out a squeal
as her beautiful face filled with excitement. "I love this band. They're
one of my favorites, but it's always so damn hard to get tickets. Not to
mention how expensive they are."

"Well, these were free, but I'd have
bought you tickets if I'd known." I lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed
her fingers softly as I glanced over at her. My mother's words washed through
my mind, but it was my father's that stuck with me. I was being a puss. This
woman was everything I wanted in my life, and yet the fear of losing her at the
first turn in the road left me pulling back more than I should have.

"Stop being sweet. You'll have me
regretting our time together." She gave me a cheeky grin and walked toward
the cab, getting into the back with Paul. Casey was up front, already giving
the poor cabbie full instructions on how to get to the amphitheater, as if the
guy hadn't been there a million times.

I got in beside Viv and slid my hand down
her thigh, gripping her possessively as my body woke up and desire riddled my
insides.

"Are we eating somewhere or just
grabbing a hot dog at the event?" Casey turned back to pin us with an
inquisitive stare.

"The hot dogs are actually pretty
good there," Paul spoke, his voice raspy like he had been chewing on glass
half the night.

"I'm good with eating there.
You?" Vivian turned to me.

"I'm down with whatever. I just want
to be with you and enjoy the show." I moved my arm to wrap around Viv's
shoulders and tugged her a little closer to me so that I could press a kiss
just below her ear. "You're leaving me tomorrow, aren't you?"

She turned to face me, her mouth so close
to mine that I could smell the subtle hint of peppermint on her tongue.
"Yeah, but like you said, we can have lunch or dinner some time back in
New York. You'll just have to hit me up when you're in town."

I didn't know her well enough to know if
the idea of our parting hurt her at all, but the slight flinch along the edge
of her eyes told me that perhaps it did.

"I'll be calling all the time
then." I ran my fingers over her shoulder and smiled at her. "You
look incredible. Did I say that already?"

Casey turned from the front seat and
laughed. "Only ten times."

"Well, I want to say it a million
more." I sat back, releasing Viv as we pulled up to the event. Opening the
door, I got out and helped Viv out before giving the cabbie my card.

"I got this." Casey moved around
the car with Paul in tow.

"
Naw
, I got
it. It's all good." I smiled at her, liking the girl more and more each
time we hung out. She and Viv were almost polar opposites, but I could see why
they made such good friends. They complimented each other well.

"Let's go. I'm excited." Viv
pulled at my arm as I finished paying the cab driver.

I laughed and turned, taking her hand and
half jogging with her to the gate. I handed everyone their ticket and got in
line behind my girl. The breeze picked up and the smell of her perfume washed
over me, causing my stomach to tighten as I reached for her.

She pressed back against me, turning her
head a little to give me a great view of her profile. "What's up?"

"You’re up." I brushed my
erection by her rear. "And you're causing me to get up. I swear you're the
hottest woman I've ever seen in my short life."

She smiled, reached back and stroked me
over my jeans, squeezing my balls softly before tugging on them a little.
"You're just horny."

"Yeah. For you." I ran my hands
down the top of her outer thigh and nudged her forward. "Stop playing with
me, or I'll find an empty stall and see if you're wearing panties under that
dress."

She handed her ticket to the attendant and
turned, a smile lifting her beautiful face. "You'd like to know..."

"Fucking right I would." I
handed my ticket to the guy and moved toward her as she turned and jogged
toward a series of stairs.

"Come on. Casey and Paul can catch up
later. I want to see everything." Her hair billowed behind her as she took
the stairs, and I couldn't force myself to move another inch. I wanted to watch
her, though there was almost too much irony in letting her rush from me.

"You waiting on an invitation?"
Casey popped my butt as she jogged by me. "You're cordially invited to
come the fuck on."

I laughed and took the stairs two at a
time, buzzing past Casey and catching up to Viv in time to wrap my arms around
her and spin her once at the top of the staircase. She yelped and the sound
delighted me, warming my entire body from the center out. We could have what my
parents had. I could feel it.

"Let's go." She moved from me
and reached back, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward our seats.

I didn't care at all about the music or
the experience; I just wanted to be around her while she enjoyed herself. As
the band started to play, we all took to our feet and I shuffled in behind her,
sliding my hands over her hips and breathing her in deeply. Tonight was it, but
it didn't seem like an ending for some reason.

Maybe there was hope.

Maybe I could force it.

*****

           
"That was kick ass awesome!" She bounced on the balls of her
feet as we stopped in the cab-line at the amphitheater. Casey had taken an
earlier ride home after getting sick on something she ate, but she wouldn't let
anyone go with her but her new guy. Paul said he would take care of her, and
once Viv agreed to it, I did as well.

"I know, right? I loved every minute
of it." I opened the door for her as she got into the cab and scooted over
for me.

"What now? Want to try for ice cream
again or are you tired?" She moved toward me the minute I shut my door,
her actions lighting my heart on fire.

"I just want to be with you. I'd
rather the night not end." I wrapped my arm around her and turned, pulling
her into a long kiss.

She worked my tongue with her long draws
on it, leaving my mind doused in depravity and my body aching for the rest of
the night to be played out in the nude. I kissed her once more and pulled back
as warmth raced up my chest and coated my neck and cheeks.