Page 20 of Passions & Peonies

“I want you alone, but somewhere that there’s a little bit of light. I want to see you, not the darkness, when we talk. Too bad we missed the sunset.”

“I have an idea. Come with me.” We walk to the end of the path. “Stay here for a second. Would you like a drink?”

“Just water, please.”

I kiss her cheek before I head to the bar. The bartender shakes my hand when he sees me. I ask him for a couple of things. He nods and walks away.

Lacey looks out at the ocean with her hands clasped in front of her. Wisps of her hair blow gently in the breeze. Her black capris hug her backside, exposing her sexy curves. The shade of pink from her shirt blends with the rosiness of her skin. This beautiful woman wants to be alone with me tonight. How did I get so lucky for the second time?

The bartender comes back with a bag and hands it to me.

“Thanks, man. You’re the best. I’ll bring this stuff back later.”

“No problem. I know where you live.” He laughs and turns away to help a customer.

I walk back to Lacey. “Okay. I’ve got what we need.”

“What are you up to?” She tries to peek in the bag, but I hold it behind my back.

“You have to wait and see. Let’s go out on the beach where the sun loungers are.”

She laces her fingers with mine. “Lead the way.”

We walk along the boardwalk that leads to the hotel’s private beach. Loungers line up in pairs, each with a wooden table and a straw sun umbrella between them. We remove our shoes before we step onto the sand.

“There’s nothing better than the feeling of sand on your feet or between your toes.” She sighs. “You get to do this every day. I’m envious.”

“Definitely one of the perks of living here.” I stop next to two chairs. “How about here?”

“Sure, but it’s dark. I’d rather see your handsome face since you’re not hiding behind your sunglasses now.”

“Luckily I thought ahead. Give me a few seconds to set up.”

I remove two water bottles and three table lanterns from the bag. I place the lanterns strategically on the table. The breeze is calm so they’re easy to light.

“Can you see me now?”

“This is perfect, and the chairs even have cushions. I hope my sunburn doesn’t show as much. My skin hasn’t been exposed to this kind of sun in a long time.”

“Does it hurt?”

“A little bit. It’s mostly on my back. But who cares.”

We sit down sideways on the chairs, facing each other instead of lying back. She rubs her hands between her legs and then looks up to the sky.

“The stars are amazing here. So far, everything has been. Much better than I could’ve imagined.”

I rub her knee to get her attention. “Even after this morning?”

“After my ego cooled off, I couldn’t get my mind around the fact that you were at this hotel too. I’m surprised you were at the dance club. That doesn’t seem like your scene.”

“It’s not, and it wasn’t a coincidence. A little birdy told me you’d be there. Since you walked away from me this morning, I knew I had to go after you. She gave me the perfect opening.”

She shakes her head. “Sky! She’s such a sneak. But I love her for it.”

“I heard you’re an awesome water-skier.”

She laughs. “Not awesome, but I ski okay. I only wiped out once. It’s been years since I’ve done it, but it came right back, just like riding a bike. I love anything water or beach related. I think I was a beach bum in a prior life.”

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