Page 104 of Rainstorm

Together forever.

Inseparable.

Undeniable.

I could not wait to feel our son or daughter growing inside her. I wanted to feel our child move, to see them come into this world kicking and screaming, and I was more than ready to welcome our baby with open arms.

Our child would have such a wonderful mother, while I would do everything in my power to be the best possible father too, always providing for them, protecting them and loving them.

I put my glass of wine down on the table behind us, then wrapped my arms around my wife’s waist, turning her back against my chest, spreading my hands over her flat belly where our child would hopefully soon be growing.

I was impatient to get started.

“Keep a tight hold of your glass, don’t move and don’t make any noise,” I ordered her. Yes, I was a bossy bastard, but I knew she loved it when I took control, we both did. “You don’t want the hotel staff knowing what we’re doing out here, right?”

She shook her head, as she murmured my name, already turned on as I tormented her hardening nipples with my fingers, which were visible through her thin silk robe, as her hips rocked against mine, seeking my hard erection.

But there was no hurry, we had all night.

And I was going to take advantage of every single moment.

As I let my hands trail down her body, Rose clung to the wineglass as if it were her lifeline. And, when my hands found the paradise between her legs, she gripped the stem with such force that it almost broke in two. I ran my lips down her bare neck, exposed by all her glorious dark hair being tied up in a messy bun, which worked for me.

My fingers continued their teasing and tempting until they found the spot they had been seeking.

My land in her paradise.

???

The next morning, when Roselyn shot me an excited grin as she binned her pills instead of following her usual morning ritual, I couldn’t help wondering how long it would be before this omission would show results. We would just have to wait and see, I guessed.

Then we headed to the beach, me in my wetsuit, carrying my favorite surfboard under my arm, Rose carrying her large canvas bag and a straw hat, wearing a small white bikini under Daisy Dukes that left little to the imagination.

It was quite windy, so the waves were pretty high. I’d never gone surfing on that particular beach before, but I’d done my research before booking the trip to make sure it’d be a good place to indulge my passion.

The hotel had a private area of the beach for guests, but we were early enough that no one had ventured there yet, meaning we had the place to ourselves. Even the lifeguard was just lounging around in the bar, flirting with the brunette barmaid.

I dragged a lounger down to the edge of the beach for Rose to sunbathe while I went surfing. It never ceased to amaze me how well Roselynn and I adapted to each other and could respect each other’s space. She was more than happy to come along with me to the beach, and then perfectly content to occupy herself, leaving me free to do my own thing. It was always great having her around but not nagging me to do only what she wanted.

Like the river flowing parallel to an elm tree.

Side by side but happily separate.

Lying on my stomach on my surfboard, I prepared myself to go further out. The water was blue as the sky above, the salty air caressing my face. I was in my element.

The only waves I liked more than these were the ones that Rose and I made between the sheets of our bed.

I loved the challenge, the need for concentration to keep my balance.

To be patient and wait for the perfect moment to ride the wave.

Once I found the right spot, I stood up on my board and then let the force of the wave drag me along, crouching low to keep my balance, my arms down, a little back...

And then I suddenly felt another sickening jolt of electricity shooting through me, throwing me off balance and into the water. I was paralyzed, I couldn’t move, and felt myself being pulled down into the ocean, with nothing I could do to stop it from happening. There was a deafening roar in my ears and a strange force squeezing my chest, preventing me from breathing, stealing what little air remained in my lungs.

The sun was still shining all around me, but its reflection was diluted in the water submerging me.

I tried to stay calm, knowing that panicking would be the worst thing to do, that my main enemy was fear. But I was afraid. Very afraid, and I felt real panic.

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