Page 25 of Hiding Rose
Chapter Seven
The ocean rolled and tossed itself against the shore. As we sat looking out over the water, our hands still connected, I noticed no one else was on the beach. I hadn’t seen another soul since we started our walk.
“It’s quiet out here tonight,” I said nervously as I shifted my position. The hip didn’t spasm again, which was a good sign.
“They’re probably all down at the other side of the beach. Guests tend to gravitate there because of the tiki bar. It’s the reason I always walk this way. It’s quieter.”
“I hadn’t thought of the bar, but it makes sense.” I looked down at myself in the sand and had a sudden realization. “I don’t know how to get up.”
He crawled around in front of me. “The same way I helped you at the daycare. Out of curiosity, how do you get up when you fall and you’re alone?” he asked, holding my hand.
I stared over his shoulder to watch the waves undulate rhythmically. “I’ve had to call Gideon to come help me up more than once.”
He stood and brushed his hands and pants off. “Have no fear, I’ll stand in for Gideon tonight.”
“Grab me under my arms and help me up. Once I get my feet under me I’ll be okay,” I assured him.
He took a moment to brush away the sand from my thigh. His hands worked purposefully, but they teased my skin with their warmth and made me moan from pleasure. His head snapped up and his hands froze.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked quickly.
I waved my hand. “No, sorry. Your hands are warm and they felt good,” I said, then dumped my head in my hand. “Why did I tell you that?”
He finished his work and rested his hand on my leg, running it up and down the outside of my skirt. He used his other hand to tilt my chin up. “You don’t have to be embarrassed to tell me the truth, or to enjoy the touch of a man. I’ll help you up if you’re ready.” I nodded and he put his arm around my waist, lifting me more than helping me. Once I was standing again, I brushed my dress off as he held me upright. “I think it works easier to lift you from the waist. I’m always afraid I’ll hurt you grabbing you under your arms,” he explained.
I let my head tip up to look into his eyes. “I liked it better, too. It keeps me closer to you and makes me feel safe.”
He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose. “Good, because you are safe. Know I’ll always be there to pick you up when you need me. Ready to hit the ocean?” he asked, moving us forward a couple steps.
“I can walk,” I promised as I put weight on the left leg to test it out. When it held we took several more steps until we stood on the shore where the waves broke against the sand.
He put my hands on his shoulders and knelt, unhooking my shoes and tossing them into the sand before he did the same with his. “Ready?” he asked. “We’ll take it slow.”
He put his arm around my waist and tugged me against him. My mind understood he did it to make me feel steady and safe, but my heart was pounding a mile a minute. Before I was ready, he lifted me the few steps until our feet touched the water. My toes curled into the sand unconsciously and I giggled a little when the water tickled them. There was a huge grin on my face, but I didn’t care.
“You’re right, this is life-changing,” I said loud enough to be heard over the surf. “I never want to leave.”
He squeezed my waist, holding me close to his side, this time making sure he was on my right, so he didn’t irritate my already sore hip. “We can walk a little farther out if you want to, but your dress might get a bit wet.”
I glanced down at it and back to him. “This old thing?” I asked, teasing and he laughed. “You only live once. I learned the old saying is true, the hard way. Let’s go,” I said, stepping forward.
The water licked against my calves, washing away the stress of the day and centering me where I stood for the first time in a long time. “I’m alive,” I whispered, staring into the black water, broken only by the frothiness of the white waves.
He held my shoulders and rested his forehead on mine. “What does that mean?” he asked, as if he knew there was more to the meaning than a simple two words.
I swallowed and stared into his eyes, black from the angle of the moon and my head against his. “It means I have to stop pretending I died that night. I have to live or when I do take my final breath it will be filled with regret. I see how true those words are tonight. I have to learn how to live again.”
His left hand slid behind my neck and held it loosely while his right hand went to my waist. “Let me help you,” he whispered, and his lips lowered to mine.
I savored the touch of his lips and focused all my thoughts on us. We stood in the surf, the night dark around us, stealing a kiss. There was no better way to learn how to live than in this moment. My arms went around his neck while my head fell to the right slightly, enough for him to advance the kiss to more than a closed mouth, tender joining. His tongue stroked my lips, running the length of them, teasing and heating them until a sigh opened them enough for his tongue to dart through. My own tongue, confined inside, pushed against his and he moaned, his body shaking with the pure pleasure of the kiss, and the willpower it took not to overpower me. I relented and let him in the rest of the way, so he could stroke the inside of my cheeks like a feather. I moaned again as his hand pulled me against him. I was pressed the full length of him, and he was the only thing holding me up. I pushed back with my own tongue until his retreated and gave me the same free reign in his mouth as he had in mine.
He bit down on my tongue and held it for only an instant before he let it go again and whispered, “You, beautiful lady, already know more about how to bring me to life than you understand.”
Before I could answer he dove back in for more and when we came up for air again we were both panting and wet, clear up to our thighs. I glanced down and laughed at him softly. “I think we better take a moment before heading back to the resort. We need to give your pants time to dry,”
“Among other things,” he moaned, shifting uncomfortably. “You have some kind of bewitching power over me no woman ever has before,” he admitted. “That alone should be a good first lesson in being alive.”
The last seventy-two hours since our date had been filled with paperwork, babies, interviews, and building plans. In a few hours, the new recruit for the assistant teacher position would be here from the technical college. I planned to show her around and then get her started on the orientation and paperwork required by the state. Once she was working it would free Winifred up to be with her kids, and me to finally start on the room remodels. I had one thing to do first and I hurried across the reception area as fast as my twisted leg and crutches would allow.
