Page 11 of Father Figure

“From a distance, it looked like soft sand. Like clouds of cotton candy.”

I laughed. Around Nicky, I was always laughing. “The sand is a mix of coral, shells, and calcium carbonate. It’s a bit rough, but it won’t cut your feet. The pink hue comes from tiny microscopic organisms that wash ashore several times a year. Their crustaceous shells have tiny holes in them so their little creepy crawlies can reach out and anchor themselves in the sand.”

The look on his face was fucking priceless. Nicky looked repulsed, disgusted. His body moved in a fluid shiver, like he was doing the pee-pee dance.

“Too bad I don’t have my waterproof camera with me. You could get down, and roll around in the sand while I take your picture.”

Nicky made a fake retching sound that had me laughing out loud. “Is something going to bite me?”

“Yeah.” I lunged forward and grabbed his hips. “Me!” He squealed and giggled as I pretended to chew on his neck, and we fell in a twisted pile of arms and legs, rolling over the pink sand. I tickled him until he begged for mercy.

“Quit, Cass, please! Don’t make me piss myself.”

When I finally let him up, he was breathless, pink-cheeked, and eyes shining. I didn’t know what it was, some impulse, but I rubbed my nose against his, an Eskimo kiss. I pulled back to look into his eyes, and he giggled.

“Can we swim?”

It was just like him to be onto the next thing already, the next adventure, while I was still stuck in my head about my unwarranted affection. Had I gone too far?

“S-sure.”

He popped to his feet, stripped off his tank top and shorts, and ran into the water. I only caught a glimpse of his tiny white Speedo before he dove under the waves.

When he surfaced, laughing and splashing, his dark curls dangled in his eyes.

It was a moment frozen in time that I knew would stay with me forever. I would always remember the crystal-blue water and the way the sun glinted off the glassy surface, making it glitter like aquamarines. It was a world of pastel colors—aquas and baby blues, pale pink sand, and his joy, the sound of his laughter, his smiling lips. I was alone with my boy in paradise. It felt so real, like a dream I dreamt many times, when I was lonely and missing him and wished he were here with me.

I dove in after him. Nicky was more concerned with what was happening below the water. He repeatedly held his breath, disappearing beneath the surface, and then he would pop back up to tell me about the brightly colored fish and the coral. I swam back to the shore and reached over the side of the dinghy, grabbing a mask and snorkel for him.

“Here, put this on. To save your eyes from burning.”

“Thanks, Cass!”

I was content to just watch him, not realizing that an hour had passed. “Nicky, come here.”

He swam close and when the water became too shallow, he straightened to his full height and walked out. Leaning against the side of the boat, my jaw hanging slack, eyes wide, Nicky approached me slowly, giving me ample time to take in the view. The thin white spandex of his Speedo had become nearly invisible when wet, and I could clearly make out the outline of his dick, not to mention the bulge of his balls beneath that. My eyes were stuck on it as if I'd never seen one before. At least, not his.

That was the moment I realized my little boy wasn't so little anymore. Nicky was a fully grown young man, and he looked fucking spectacular in that wet bathing suit.

“What's up?”

“You need sunscreen. You'll burn out here before you know it.”

I reached into my backpack and pulled out a tube of sunblock, squirting a fat dollop in my palm. Nicky stood still as I smeared it across his freckled nose and cheeks, down his neck, and across his chest and shoulders. The scent of coconut wafted into my nose. My fingers slid easily over his greased skin. He felt warm and soft, and I felt increasingly uncomfortable. I could actually feel my heartbeat. It pounded in my ears. Louder than the crashing waves. My tongue felt thick in my dry mouth.

I swallowed hard. “Having fun?”

“You bet. Are you going to swim with me?”

“I could, or we could go find some lunch.”

His eyes lit up. “I'm starving! But I don't want to leave,” he pouted, his expression falling.

“I promise you, Nicky, this won't be the last time I bring you here.” I knew in my heart it was a promise I would keep. How could I not bring him back when it made him so happy?

“Then I vote we go eat.”

We climbed back into the boat and motored past the eight-mile stretch of beach until we reached the other side of the island. The wind tousled his hair, and he looked absolutely carefree.

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