Page 39 of Between the Paragraphs

“He makes me burn from the inside out. He knows how to bring me pleasure, and I love making him squirm. I’ve never enjoyed playing with a man so much. I want to touch him nonstop and lick every inch of him.”

She waives her hand over her face as we both chuckle and look around to make sure no one’s listening to us. We rarely ever get this graphic in public. We’re aware our reputations matter. Our philosophy is that there’s always someone with a camera phone that can record us. It seems though that Mason’s fried my mind enough not to care.

After getting a bit too hot in the sun we rise and head out to the water. It’s cold, but also refreshing. We swim, splash, and let the cool waves crash over us as the sun beams down. This really is what everyone should experience at least once a year. There’s so much to see all around the world, but for those who might not want to fly somewhere, there’s so many climates within driving distance in the US. It’s great.

Washington has a lot to see and do, but I really love visiting Oregon. You can be on the beach in the morning, and then in the desert in the evening all within the same state. There are so many trails to hike, lakes to fish and swim, and areas to explore. The West has everything I could ever need or want, and I love it.

After our swim, we dry off and head back to our cozy place on the beach. We have another drink, soak in the sun for a bit, and then Nikki pulls out a frisbee from her bag. I laugh, never knowing what to expect on these weekends.

“I haven’t thrown frisbee since college,” I tell her.

“Good, then I’ll be better,” she says as we spread out. We spend the next hour throwing it back and forth. We even manage to get some other people to join in, making it even more fun as our laughter echoes across the sand.

“You two are pretty good at this,” another woman says as she misses the frisbee again and has to chase it down into the water as the tide tries to take our fun away.

“I guess throwing is like riding a bike. Once you’ve done it, you pick it back up pretty quickly,” I tell her.

“Yep, years of practice,” Nikki agrees.

“I wonder if the guys are as good at frisbee as they are at football,” I say.

“I think we could smoke them,” she says.

“We might just be able to. We’ll have to challenge them to a game of frisbee golf.”

“I think that would be amazing. Let’s do it,” she quickly agrees. Nikki’s quite competitive, and if she thinks she has a chance of winning, it really makes her want to play. She’s a good sport though when she loses.

We take a break from throwing for a while as our stomachs rumble. We head to the beachside café and grab some more drinks and snacks. We munch away as we watch the sun begin to lower in the sky. There’s nothing I like more than West Coast sunsets. They’re spectacular, colorful, and raw magic.

We decide to watch the sunset with an evening stroll on the sand. The sun continues its descent, casting a warm golden glow all around us. We move up to the water, letting the gently lapping waves wash our feet as we move along together.

“Evenings are my favorite. I love having the sunshine on me all day, but there’s something magical about a great sunset. I honestly could live here,” Nikki says. “I understand work is in the city, but getting out of the fake lights for a few days is truly refreshing.”

“Me too,” I agree. “Nothing else in the world seems to matter when you’re standing in the ocean. Maybe it’s all water that does this to me, but it seems to melt the stress away. The ocean’s the best, but I’ll take any water, whether it’s the ocean, lakes, or rivers, and the calming waves to wash all of my cares away.”

The sun finally sinks beneath the horizon, and we turn to appreciate the dancing colors splashed across the sky. Shades of orange, pink, blue, and purple reflect off the calm ocean. It’s not only magical, but absolutely breathtaking.

As the last rays of sunlight disappear below the horizon, we finally turn and make our way back to the beach house, grateful to be together, and content, our hearts full. It was a spectacular night last evening, and today has been icing on the cake. I’m grateful for each moment I have with all of the people I love.

We sit out on the deck chairs as we gaze up at the stars twinkling in the sky above. It’s cooler now, but still refreshing. Without crowds of people on the beach, it’s even more peaceful. It’s hard to come back inside when it’s so wonderful right where we are.

“What should we do tomorrow?” she asks.

“I’ve been really wanting to give paddleboarding a try. People look like they’re having so much fun while doing it,” I tell her.

“Perfect. Let’s do it. If we love it, we can buy our own instead of renting them which really adds up.”

“I agree,” I tell her. I hold up my glass. “To new adventures and life-long friendships,” I say.

She quickly clinks her glass against mine. “I fully agree.”

We don’t get to bed until nearly midnight, and though it kills me to do so, I leave my phone off. I only have one more full day with Nikki. The real world can come after that. For now, my time’s about friendship and relaxing, and nothing else.

Chapter fifteen

Maria

I drop my bags on my living room floor and let out a sigh. It was an incredible weekend with my best friend. I love coming home and getting back into my routine, but I also hate leaving when I’ve had such an incredible time with my friend. The weekend with Nikki was everything I needed, a perfect blend of laughter, relaxation, and epic adventures. My home is peaceful and welcoming, always an oasis after a whirlwind of activity.

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