Animalistic

 

The nurse sharks and dolphins were a delight to meet, seeming to thrive in the frolicking sea more than the humans did. Salt water burned her eyes as Kelly dove and bobbed, but she didn’t even mind the sting as the dolphins engaged with her, bumping against her hand and showing off.

Bianca and her friends took a bit more time to warm up to the sharks, but eventually, they dove headfirst into the swarm and took a million pictures with the fancy waterproof camera that Benjamin had brought along.

For all his manly bluster, Benjamin was the only person in their group who did not warm up to the animals.

“Bianca, be careful!” the big brother yelled as his sister disappeared beneath the huddle of sharks. Benjamin swam forward and, when she didn’t immediately resurface, grew frantic. “Bianca!”

The young lady burst up from the depths, water sprinkling down her eyes and sparkling on her pale skin. She had abandoned the wig long ago, but Kelly thought that Bianca was extremely beautiful even without the long locks.

“My gosh, Benji! I’m fine! I’m fine! Chill, would you? It’s embarrassing.”

“The sharks won’t bite,” Alejandro, their guide, explained to the overprotective big brother. He pulled at his lips, the wrinkles around his dark eyes deepening with the movement. “They have no teeth and are carnivores.”

“What if one of them has a lifestyle change?” Benjamin grumbled.

Kelly laughed out loud and waded toward her boss. “Come on, sir. You haven’t even touched one of the dolphins.”

“Nature and I… we have our differences.”

“He’s a pansy when it comes to things like this, Kel,” Bianca yelled, her hands parting the water. “You won’t get him to come near the sharks. He’s only here right now because of me.”

“When does our session end again?” Benjamin asked the guide.

“You’re being ridiculous!” Kelly grabbed his hand and pulled.

Benjamin responded by digging his toes into the sand at the bottom of the crystal clear water. “You go ahead.”

“Come on, Benjamin!”

“No!”

Courtney and Jenna giggled at their tug-of-war, cheering Kelly on. She was sure that Benjamin was holding back—his large arms exposed in the short-sleeved swim shirt were twice the size of hers—but Kelly figured she could outlast him.

Benjamin refused to budge. She was about to give up when a sudden gust of wind tossed a giant wave at her back. They all bobbed closer to shore, the girls cackling as the dolphins took cover.

Kelly squealed, the force of the surge slamming her against Benjamin’s chest. Her face pressed against the fabric of his swim shirt and her chest brushed against his. The contact lit her body like a Christmas tree. 

Kelly’s blood began to boil. The embers of attraction that she’d thought were under her control flared so fiercely that—if the girls had not been present—she would have flung her legs around Benjamin and acted out on the feelings zipping through her middle.

Benjamin gazed down at her, his bright eyes mirroring the hue of the Caribbean Sea. A drip of water kissed his forehead, stroking the surface of his temple to his right ear. Her lips parted and a rushing sound filled her head.

He was clutching her around her waist, keeping her steady and upright—just as he had the first day they’d met. She couldn’t look away. Couldn’t hide how much she wanted him.

His Adam’s apple bobbed and he ducked his head closer to hers. For a brilliant, gravity-defying moment, Kelly thought that he would kiss her. She arched up, eager to receive the taste of his permission before she abandoned her promise to play nice for the weekend and consumed him the way she’d been longing to.

Instead of a kiss, however, his lips shifted to her ear. Her heart shuttered when he said. “That expression of yours is… very dangerous.” The slight growl at the end of the word nearly drove her mad. Was he teasing her? Did he know the strength of the fire he was playing with?

Kelly froze—hesitating between kissing him anyway and backing off—when a spray of cold water stung her face. She whipped around and got bombarded with another shower.

“Water fight!” Bianca yelled.

Benjamin set her away from him and walked until he was slightly in front of her. “That wasn’t nice, Bee,” he teased his sister before swiping his palm through the water and delivering an impressive arc her way.

The splash war that ensued dragged Kelly out of her half-crazed state and gave her something to pour her energy into. By the time they were through, everyone—even Alejandro—looked like a wet rat.

The sharks and dolphins had long scattered and the sun baked the top of their heads. Their fingers were pruning the more they tried to hide out in the refreshing sea. Eventually, Bianca pressed a hand to her stomach.

“Is anyone else hungry?” she asked.

“I could eat,” Jenna said, her dark eyes twinkling. “I heard Belizean rice and beans are the best.”

“You heard right,” Kelly said with a wink.

“Let’s head back to the villa.” Benjamin ran a hand through his hair. “We can push the barrier reef tour until later this afternoon.”

“Works for me!”

“I’m in!”

The chorus of agreement chimed from the girls and they made a game of running to the shore.

When Kelly arrived on the beach, she regretfully grabbed a towel and covered herself up. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Benjamin drying his hair with his towel.

Her heart sighed in disappointment. She was sure her crop top bikini was doing her figure right. Maybe if Benjamin had gotten a good look at her in the water earlier, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kiss her.

“Let’s go, Kel!” Bianca crooked an arm through her elbow and dragged her to the showers set up along the beach.

Kelly had never had a large group of girl friends. Whenever she went out on school trips or events, she eventually wandered off to a dark corner with the boy she had her eye on.

Bianca and her friends never allowed that to happen and, strangely, Kelly enjoyed spending time with them. They were all sweet, funny, and mature for their age. If anything, Kelly was the more reserved addition to the group of cheerful musketeers.

 Her appreciation for the rated-PG company didn’t negate the fact that she had tasted more ‘adult’ fun. There would be a time and place for that. In this case, however, laughing and horsing around with the trio of college students was like diving into an ocean of sweet nostalgia.

The day continued in the same, light-hearted vein. The barrier reef was fantastic, the coral formations too breathtaking for words, and the schools of fish that passed by paid them little heed. It was a fantastic experience, and Kelly was proud to live in a country that hosted such devastating beauty.

When the group finally returned to the villa that evening, they were tan and tuckered-out but content. The girls changed off and locked themselves in their room while Kelly wandered the villa that Benjamin had rented for the weekend.

The lavish setting boasted a crystal chandelier, a large, sweeping staircase, and tiled floors. A huge television was bracketed on the living room wall and the kitchen held the latest appliances.

She wandered to the cupboards and found the shelves fully stocked. Kelly chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if Benjamin and the girls would mind if she cooked dinner. It would be an honor to even touch the stainless steel stove with its handmade cooktop range, lava rock grill, electric plates and natural convection gas oven.

“Hey.” Benjamin appeared then, his hands in the pockets of his faded jeans. His sun-kissed skin emphasized the blue of his eyes. “What do you feel like eating? I researched a few restaurants online.”

Kelly cast her eyes to the floor. “I was actually wondering if I could cook.”

“Really?” His eyebrows shot up. “You cook?”

“Why did you say it like that? Do I not look like I can cook?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. You didn’t strike me as the kitchen type.”

“Oh, so there’s a ‘kitchen type’? I’m insulted.”

“Forgive my assumption. I’d love to taste your cooking. Do you need some help?”

“How hungry do you think the girls are?”

He scrunched his nose. “Bianca eats every four hours. Like clockwork, but I can give her a snack to tide her over.”

“Give me two hours.” She slapped her hands together. “I’m thinking of making steak.”

“Well, put me to work.”

Kelly gave Benjamin the vegetables and instructed him to dice. He did so, striking up a conversation about the highlights of their day. In the middle of his recount of Bianca’s encounter with a huge stingray, Kelly froze, her hand absently clutching the pot on the stove.

This unassuming moment with Benjamin was nothing close to sexual and yet the peaceful, intelligent chatter and gentle atmosphere was as satisfying as her wildest night with Clayton.

Have mercy. If a simple conversation with Benjamin Levy was enough to arouse her, Kelly was in big trouble.