13
Kelly
The morning was already quite warm, and I was grateful for the cool air conditioning in Damian’s truck as he started down the street. I looked over at him as he drove and I could see the signs of some stubble on his face, giving him a rugged look I had not noticed in him before that made my stomach flutter a bit more. It was only after I was staring at him for a moment that I noticed we were stopped at a stop sign and he was asking me a question.
“What was that?” I said, breaking the spell that was on me.
“I said do you want to grab some breakfast first before we start out for the day?” Damian smiled at me, almost as if he was taking pride in the fact that I was staring at him.
“Sure, that would be great.” I regained my composure and turned my eyes straight ahead.
“Any recommendations about where to go?” he asked. “This is your town, you would know the best places to go.”
“I know just the spot,” I said to him with a smile.
I directed Damian over to where we could park and walk to the boardwalk and go to the Turtle Beach Café, my favorite spot for breakfast at the beach. Not that I got to go there much anymore since I was always at the bakery at breakfast time, but Turtle Beach was always a place I enjoyed in my younger days. Jodie and I went here often when we were teens during the summer, or after we went to church on Sundays and wanted to get out of the house for a bit.
Damian and I walked up to the café and entered. There was a crowd, just as there always was, but it was a bit less on Mondays, making it a little easier for us to get one of the tables and sit down.
“Are you sure this is where you want to go?” Damian said as he looked around. “You’re at the boardwalk every day. Maybe you want something a little…”
“A little nicer?” I said to him, staring back at him. “This place has been here for years, Damian. It’s a beach landmark, the people are great, and the food is awesome. Not everything has to be served on fine china with fancy silver and cost fifty dollars you know.”
“I’m sorry,” he said to me. “I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I just… I just want to make sure we have a nice day. If this is what you want, then it is perfect for me.”
After the waitress came over and took our orders for coffee, I put the menu down and looked over at Damian. I could see he was struggling to find something he might want to try. I reached over, pulled the menu from his hands, and put it on top of mine.
“How about this,” I stated. “We each get to choose different things we do today. It will give us a chance to get to know each other a little better and maybe try some new things. We’ll start with me choosing breakfast for us, and then you get the next choice.”
Damian seemed a little reluctant to go along with me, and I could see some concern on his face.
“Well I did make some plans for things to do today,” he told me.
“I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t change or cancel if we have to. Besides, if you’re planning to spend time living down here, don’t you want to know about the area you’re living in? Who better to show you around than someone local? Trust me, it will be a good day.”
“Fair enough,” he told me as the waitress arrived with our coffees.
“What can I get you?” the young waitress said, turning to me with a smile.
“We’ll both have the breakfast panini, bacon, egg, and cheese,” I said to her, handing her the menus.
Damian looked at me as he sipped his coffee. I think he was both taken by surprise that I was willing to take some control of the situation and impressed that I would say what was on mind.
“So,” I started, “I told you all about me last night. Let’s hear a little about more about you. Besides knowing that you own a big company, have a big house, lots of cars and a driver, I don’t really know much about you. I mean, I guess I could have Googled you, but I would rather hear it from you.”
“Okay.” Damian put his mug down and looked straight at me. His eyes felt like they were penetrating mine as he told me about his family, his brothers, and his life as the son of a congressman. He talked about how hard it was after his mother passed away when he was a teenager, and what life was like for him growing up.
“What made you want to start a business like yours?” I asked him.
“I’ve always loved the ocean, ever since I was little and we would go out on the boat with my father. I thought about becoming an oceanographer first, but I decided I could have an even stronger impact if I had a business that focused on helping to clean up the ocean waters, making things better for everyone globally and not just in my backyard. So, I went to work coming up with ideas, and when we came up with a system that would help reduce the plastic in the waters to get rid of the pollution, it was a real breakthrough. Once countries saw it could work, they started taking the issue to heart, and I was able to grow the company. We’ve come up with some great methods that can help get rid of the garbage islands in the Pacific, and we’re working on water bottles that are completely biodegradable and not made of plastic, which will be a big step towards eliminating trash in the oceans and in landfills. I feel like I’m really making a difference, and it’s fun to go to work each day feeling that way.”
“Wow, your family must be really proud of you,” I replied.
“I think they are, though I have butted heads more than once with my father as he does his work with the government. My brother Chris is a lawyer whose clients I have fought with a few times as well, so it makes for some spirited conversations at holiday dinners. Other than that, I think they are glad about what I have been able to accomplish.”
The waitress arrived and placed the plates down in front of us. Damian looked down at his sandwich, nicely toasted with layers of perfectly cooked egg, crisp bacon, and melted cheese. He watched me as I picked up a sandwich half and dove right into it, making a loud crunch. He followed suit, biting into his sandwich and leaving a long trail of cheese pulling from the sandwich and eventually clinging to his chin. After that first bite, Damian ate his sandwich with greater vigor as he realized just how tasty it was. Before we knew it, we had both polished off our breakfasts.
I glanced up at Damian and saw him licking the crumbs off his fingers and laughed out loud. I think he felt a little embarrassed at first, but within moments he went right back to finish what he was doing.
“That sandwich was awesome,” he said, taking the last bit off his index finger.
“See, I told you to trust me.” I reached to pick up the check the waitress had left on the table, but Damian snatched it up before I could get it.
“There’s no way I’m letting you pay for this,” he said to me, taking the check in his hand.
“Why not?” I said to him. “It was my idea to come here.”
“I was the one who asked you out for the day. I should be taking care of you.” Damian stood up from the table, took a ten out of his wallet, and left in on the table as a tip.
“I’ll let you take it this time, Damian,” I told him. “But you should know that I don’t expect you to pay my way, even if you did ask me out. I can take care of myself.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that for a minute, Kelly, not for one minute.”
Damian paid our check, and we began a leisurely walk along the boardwalk back towards where we parked the car. There were a lot more people out and about now, and the sun was beating down on us as we moved along. Even though we had just stepped outside, I could see that Damian was already starting to perspire a little.
“It’s a lot hotter out than I thought it might be,” he said as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand.
“August at the beach,” I said to him casually as we walked along. “Once September rolls around it will be a lot more comfortable. You’ll enjoy it more. It’s still sunny and nice, the ocean water is warm, and there are a lot fewer visitors around here.”
“That’s not great for your business,” Damian remarked.
“No, business slows down a lot once the summer ends, but we still manage to do well throughout the year. We cut back our hours some, close on Mondays and Tuesdays, don’t make quite as much of a variety of things to save money, things like that. I also do more cake decorating then to supplement the business. It’s worked out pretty well for us so far.”
“Sounds like you have things pretty well covered,” he said as we reached the staircase to lead us off the boardwalk.
Damian took my hand as we walked down the wooden steps, looking back to make sure I made it down okay. When we got to the bottom of the steps, he kept holding my hand as we walked along to the car.
“Now what?” I asked him as he opened the door for me and boosted me up so I could get in the truck. Damian walked around to the driver’s side and let himself in, starting up the truck.
“Now it’s my turn to do something,” he said as he looked at his watch. “I think we have plenty of time still to get there.”
“Get where?” Now I was curious as to what he had planned.
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” he told me as he hit some buttons on his phone to pull up the GPS to guide him where we were going. “Just sit back and relax for a little bit,” he told me.
I watched out the window as the truck made its way north up Route 1 for a while, before heading west to 14 and crossing into Maryland.
“Damian, where are we going?” I asked as we kept heading west.
“It’s not much longer. We’ll be there soon.”
Not much longer turned out to be almost another hour as we reached the Eastern Bay area. I was watching keenly out the window, hoping for some clue to see where we were going when I saw Damian turn left and start heading towards a large clearing. As we came up over the hill, I saw looming before us a hot air balloon. The balloon was a rainbow of colors and looking at it against the clear blue sky made the color formation pop even more to me like it was right off a calendar page.
Damian parked the truck on the grass about fifty yards away from the balloon, right next to a couple of other pickups in the area. Damian got out of the truck and walked over to my side, opening the door for me.
“We’re here,” he said with a smile, offering his hand to me to help me out.
I kept staring at the immense balloon over in the clearing and finally looked at Damian once I was on the ground. He was walking over to the back of the truck, grabbing a small knapsack and slinging it over his shoulder before walking back over to me.
“You mean we’re getting in that?” I said to him, still with the stunned look on my face.
“Sure, I thought it would be fun. They’re going to take us over the Eastern Shore and the Chesapeake Bay. It will be beautiful. Have you ever been in a balloon before?”
I gripped Damian’s arm tightly as he started to walk towards the balloon, bringing him to a halt.
“Damian, “I said quietly, “I’ve never even been on an airplane, never mind a balloon.”
“What are you talking about?” he questioned as if he didn’t believe me. “You lived in New York for a few years, you must have been on an airplane to get there or to travel.”
“I always drove to New York or Delaware when I went back and forth, and I’ve never traveled anywhere that I couldn’t drive to. I’ve never been west of West Virginia.” I was sure Damian could hear the tremble in my voice as I began to get more fearful with every stride we took that brought us closer to the balloon.
“Trust me, it’s perfectly safe,” Damian said, trying to reassure me as we got within about twenty feet of the balloon.
An older gentleman strode over to us, wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans, and firmly shook Damian’s hand. He introduced himself as Todd, owner of the company, and said he would be taking us up today as soon as we were ready.
“Damian, I don’t know if I can do this.” I felt more and more intimidated every time I looked at the immense balloon.
“Miss, you have nothing to worry about,” Todd told me calmly. “I’ve been flying for over twenty years, I’ve gone on thousands of flights, and I’ve never had a problem. The basket is nice and stable and comfortable, we only go up about a thousand feet or so, and I’ll be taking care of everything to make sure it is enjoyable for you.”
Only a thousand feet? Does this guy realize just how high that is? My inner voice was doing everything it could to convince me that this was a bad idea.
Damian turned to me and looked into my eyes. “Kelly, if you don’t want to do this, just say so. It won’t hurt my feelings if you’re scared to try it.”
As soon as Damian said the word “scared,” I started to get my back up and felt a surge of bravery move through me.
“I’m not scared,” I said defiantly. I stood up straight and looked at Todd. “Let’s go,” I stated calmly and started moving towards the balloon. I looked back as I reached the basket and I could see Damian chuckling to himself as he followed me.
Todd got us both settled into the basket. It was a lot more challenging to get into the basket than I ever thought it would be, and Damian gave me a helpful boost so I could bring myself aboard. The sides of the wicker basket were higher than I had imagined, and the basket seemed much stronger than what I had always envisioned when you see them on TV or in the movies. I even stamped my feet on the floor before takeoff just to see what it was like.
Todd could see I had some panic on my face as he and his crew were readying everything for us to take off.
“If you think you have a fear of heights, this is the perfect way for you to challenge that,” he told me. “The ride is much more stable than you think it will be, and we move with the wind, so it is very smooth for passengers. I want the ride to be enjoyable for you, so you just let me know if you have any questions or concerns.”
I did feel a little bit better, and Damian took my hand in his as soon as Todd fired up the propane burners to pump more hot air into the balloon so we could take off. I felt the lift start beneath us as the crew untied the balloon. Part of me wanted to bury my face into Damian’s chest as we ascended, but I wanted him to see I could overcome any fear and I turned to look as we started going up.
I could see the crew beneath us gradually get smaller as we climbed the sky and started to move along with the wind. I had worried about just how fast we would get moving, but Todd let us know the balloon rarely went beyond six or eight miles per hour.
“How… how far are we going to travel?” I croaked.
“It’s hard to say,” Todd answered as he looked at me. “We go as far as the wind will let us. We’re scheduled to fly for about an hour so it will be several miles, at least. Just relax and enjoy the view.” Todd pointed out towards the east, and I got a clear view of the coastline beneath us. Seeing the water and the shore from this view was truly breathtaking, and I moved closer to the edge of the basket so I saw out more clearly.
Damian must have sensed that I was getting more comfortable with my surroundings, and he stood next to me, putting an arm around my waist.
“What do you think?” he said as we looked out and saw the amazing views, the birds flying by, and even a few boats out in the water as we quietly soared through the area.
“It is beautiful,” I said to him as I gazed outward.
I went to take my phone out of my pocket to take some pictures and snapped off a couple as we went along.
“You don’t have to do that,” Damian told me. “There’s a photographer with the chase crew that will meet us when we land. He’s taking pictures of everything for us. We can just enjoy the view as we see it. It’s much nicer that way.”
We cruised along for quite a while, with Todd pointing out things for us to look at and watch. We were down low enough to skirt some treetops, which was a little intimidating, and Damian reached out and snagged a few leaves from one of them to present to me. At one point, we saw a few dolphins playing in the water off the coast. We even had kids wave to us from the beach as we went by.
The whole experience was much more exhilarating than ever imagined it could be, and by the time we were coming to an end and starting our descent, I was feeling disappointed that it was over. Todd guided the balloon gently down into an open field, and the chase crew was there to greet us to wrangle the balloon. We posed for a couple of pictures inside the basket and then celebrated with a champagne toast to our flight. I even received a certificate to mark my official first flight in a balloon.
The chase crew took us back to where our vehicle was located, and I still had a bit of a rush from the experience. I sat in the truck next to Damian as we headed out and back towards Bethany Beach, gazing out the window and at the sky and the view.
“Did you enjoy it?” Damian asked me as we drove along.
“It was incredible, Damian,” I told him. “Thank you so much for that. That was something I can honestly say I never would have done on my own.”
“Great,” he said, beaming back at me. I could see he glanced at the clock on the dashboard before turning his eyes back to the road.
“We probably won’t get back to Bethany until about four,” Damian added. “Maybe we can go grab an early dinner, and since I picked the balloon ride, that means the next stop is your choice.”
I knew immediately just where we should go, and I gave Damian directions, taking us back towards Bethany Beach and then out towards Ocean City. It was about four o’clock when I directed Damian to turn right into the parking lot, and we were lucky enough to find a spot easily.
“What’s this place?” Damian said, hopping out of the car and looking around.
“It’s Seacrets,” I told him. I grabbed my bag from the back of the truck to take it in with me. I could already get the salty smell of the ocean air mixing with whatever Caribbean grilled foods they had going on inside. “Did you bring a bathing suit?”
Damian looked at me like I was crazy. “I thought we were just getting an early dinner and some drinks. Why do I need a bathing suit?”
“Trust me, you need one,” I told him. Damian shrugged and then grabbed his bag from the truck, taking it with him.
I directed Damian over to the changing station located in the parking lot between the front entrance and the end of the street so we could change into our suits. I was hoping Jodie had been kind and packed a practical bathing suit for me, and lucky enough she had put two in there. One was a black bikini with a halter top, and the other was a simple sage green one-piece suit with a scoop neck to give me a little modesty. I decided on the one-piece and slid into it, tugging it in all the right places to get the best look. I slipped my sandals back on, took my towel from the bag, and walked out to see Damian was there waiting for me.
He was wearing a classic pair of red swim trunks and sandals, and it was now that I could get a better look at his body. He was more sculpted than the clothing I had seen him in let on. He clearly worked out a lot and had the ripped abs and strong pecs you expect to see on an athlete. Excitement raced in my body a bit from the way he looked and the way he was looking at me in my bathing suit.
“All set?” I asked him, trying not to let my voice quiver as I watched him.
“Sure, let’s go,” he replied.
We walked through the front entrance and made our way through some of the crowd indoors towards the outside where there was a beach bar. Damian started to walk towards the round tables located just beyond the bar under some palm trees, but I kept walking further. I turned and waved to him to follow me.
“What’s out here?” he asked, but he soon saw where I was going as we appeared on the beach. People were sitting in the sand and at some tables on the beach, but there were also tables out in the calf-deep water that you could sit on. Beyond the tables were inflatables where you could lounge in the water.
One of the staff members walked up to us, and I asked her if Susan was working today. Susan and I went way back, having gone to high school together, and I knew she was one of the managers here that might be able to help me. I had helped her out many times with pastries and cakes for parties held at the bar and restaurant, and she always told me to ask for her if I came out here, but I never really had occasion to until now.
Glancing at Damian, I could see him taking in the amazing view. The sky was still crystal clear, and there were some boats and jetskis making their way across the water just beyond the inflatables area.
Susan quickly appeared at my side and gave me a hug.
“You finally came out here!” she exclaimed.
“Yeah, Monday is my day off, and I thought this would be a great place to bring a friend,” I answered. Tugging on Damian, I pulled him over towards me.
“Susan Howard, this is Damian Woods. Damian, Susan is an old friend of mine and one of the managers here.”
“Nice to meet you,” Damian said, speaking loud enough to get his voice over the reggae music currently blaring from the outdoor sound system.
I could see Susan look Damian up and down, shaking his hand politely when she did. She turned to me and gave me a big smile, indicating her approval of the way Damian looked.
“What can I do for you, Kel?” she asked me.
“Do you have any floats still open we could use?”
I could see Susan scan the water and then look at the clipboard she had in her hand.
“I’ve got one out there on the left,” she pointed. “It’s all yours. Enjoy.”
“Thanks,” told her, leaning in to give her another hug.
“I want the whole story on where you snagged him from,” Susan whispered to me.
“I’ll call you during the week,” I said as we broke our hug.
Damian and I began to make our way out to the blue and white inflatable, working through the warm ocean water. I didn’t get much time to spend in the water anymore, and the reminder of the ocean floor squishing between my toes made me smile.
We reached the inflatable, and I worked to pull myself in, grabbing one of the handles for support. I felt Damian put his hand on my thigh to help me get my leg up and over, and I felt chills run up my body just from his touch. Once I was in and settled, Damian got right in easily, using his strong arms and legs. We settled into one side so that we could easily look out over the water by turning to the left or see the beach and the bar by turning to the right.
“This place looks great,” Damian remarked as he scanned the crowd. “But I should have got us a couple of drinks before we came out here.”
“Not a problem.” I pointed to a young man working his way out to our raft with a tray in his hand. He was well-bronzed from spending the summer in the sun and gave us a welcoming smile.
Hey guys, I’m Chris,” he told us, spinning his empty tray on his left index finger as he talked to us. “Welcome to Seacrets. Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’ll have a Dirty Banana,” I spoke up.
“A Red Stripe for me,” Damian stated.
“Perfect,” Chris told us. “Be back in a minute.” Chris waded his way back to shore to put in our drink order as Damian looked at me through his sunglasses.
“What?” I asked him.
“A Dirty Banana? Sounds kind of… well, dirty.” He smiled at me and waited for my response.
I could feel my cheeks blush a bit.
“It’s really good. It’s banana and coffee liqueurs, and cream, and fresh bananas. A perfect tropical taste.” I was trying to cover up my hint of embarrassment.
The gentle sway of the raft in the water, combined with the warmth of the sun, even at this hour of the day, made the setting perfect. I laid my head back on the edge, feeling the tip of my ponytail just brush the top of the warm water, and I could feel myself move my head slightly back and forth, running my hair over the top of the water just like I used to do when I was a child out on a raft in the water.
Chris arrived shortly with our drinks, and that first slurp of my frosty drink through the straw gave me a blast of banana flavor. I could see Damian watching me as I took a long sip to watch my reaction.
“Did you want a taste?” I offered, pointing the straw towards him.
“Are you asking me to have a taste of your dirty banana?”
I laughed strongly when I heard him say this.
“I guess I am,” I said boldly.
“I’ll pass this time and stick to my beer,” he said, holding up the sweating beer bottle.
“Your loss,” I said to him coyly.
We lounged on our raft for a while, finished our drinks, and then each had one more. By the time we were each into our second drink, I had moved closer to Damian, resting my head on the arm he had placed around me.
“How about we get something to eat?” Damian suggested.
“Sure. We can get changed and then grab a table outside or inside, whatever you want.”
“Let’s eat out here. I love the atmosphere,” Damian said.
He rolled himself out of the raft and then held his arms out to help me do the same. I slid over the side, and he caught me around the waist, letting his hands linger there for a moment before taking my hand in his and leading me out of the water. He caught up to our waiter, Chris, to pay the tab, but Chris let him know that Susan had taken care of the bill.
Now I really have to make sure to fill her in, I thought to myself.
Damian and I both walked off to our respective changing rooms to get out of our wet suits and dressed for dinner. I opened my locker, took my bag out and peeled out of my damp bathing suit. I saw the dress that Jodie had tucked into the bag, rolling it up nicely so that it had just the slightest of wrinkles. I slipped the yellow dress over my head and shimmied into it. The dress clung lightly to my damp body, but I liked the way it looked, and it made me feel more feminine than what I usually took the time to wear.
By the time I got out of the changing station, Damian was standing there waiting for me, wearing khaki shorts and a short sleeve button down shirt to go with his sandals. I watched him as his eyes locked onto me as I moved toward him, never breaking away. I took this as a good sign of him liking the way I looked.
Damian reached and took my bag for me as we walked them back to the truck.
“You look great,” he said as he slammed the truck door closed.
“Thanks.” I tossed my damp hair back a bit, feeling it curling from the water and the humidity.
We got back towards the outdoor dining area, and Susan greeted us there and seated us at a nice table out of the direct sun but also within view of the band that was set up. I took a glance over and saw the familiar shape of the lead singer and knew right away it was Captain Caraway and the Seeded Ryes. Within moments the band started playing, breaking into “Kokomo,” always a beach favorite. Damian looked over at the band and then back at me.
“Aren’t these the same guys that were at the bar the other night?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said loudly over the singing. “Captain Caraway and the Seeded Ryes. They play everywhere in the area.”
“Captain Caraway and the Seeded Ryes? That’s really the name of the band?”
I guess he has a fondness for rye bread,” I answered Damian. “I’m sure if I ever get around to bread making I’ll see him all the time in the bakery.”
“You want to grow the business then?”
“Of course. I think if I had more space I could do much more here. I would love to do bread, but what I really want is the space and the staff to do cakes and cake decorating. I always loved doing that when I was studying to be a pastry chef. I still make some cakes on the side, usually out of my house because we just don’t have the room in the shop, but someday we will.”
Damian grinned at me as he leaned back in his chair.
“What?” I asked. “I know I’ll get there. It’s just going to take some time.”
“I don’t doubt it for a minute. You have the talent, the strength, and the smarts. I can see you running a bakery empire one day.”
“I don’t need an empire.” I picked up the menu and started to look it over. “I just want a little piece to make me happy.”
Our waitress, a young blonde woman wearing the nametag of Wendy who I had seen in the bakery many times, came over and took our drink order. Damian and I went back to reading the menu, which was filled with some great choices of food with a Caribbean flair. I could already smell the crab cakes I planned to order, knowing that they were fresh and made perfectly here.
After we ordered food, Damian and I kicked back, mixing conversation and drink with listening to the band. The band mixed in a little of everything, with classic rock, country, oldies, and even a little reggae Captain Caraway style filled the room. I opened up to Damian and told him more about life than I ever expected to say to someone I had known for just a few days.
We had each ordered the crab cakes, and after devouring them and the perfectly-cooked fries that came with them, I pushed my chair away from the table a bit so I could breathe. Captain Caraway had just started up with his version of “My Girl” when Damian rose from the table and stood next to me.
“Come on,” he said, holding out his hand for me to take. “Let’s dance.”
Before I even had the chance to decline, he had whisked me off my feet and out onto the dance floor. Damian held my body close to his, putting one hand on my hip as we danced. I was no great dancer to start with, but in Damian’s arms, I suddenly felt like Ginger Rogers. He moved me around the dance floor with ease, leading perfectly. He was far from the men I had danced with before that did the typical box steps while looking at their feet.
“You know how to dance, don’t you?” I said to him as I looked up while trying not to trip over my own feet.
“Guilty as charged,” he answered. “My mother made me take dancing lessons when I was a teenager. She said boys need to know how to dance to impress a lady. I got made fun of mercilessly for it, but when it came to school dances, all the girls wanted to dance with me.”
“So, you were quite the ladies’ man even back then, huh?”
I laid my head against his chest as we kept dancing, listening to the beating of Damian’s heart as we moved. He had moved his hand up to the middle of my back, holding me tightly against him now. I relished being held in his arms this way and was disappointed when the song came to an end. The music stopped, and we stopped moving as people clapped, but Damian just looked down at me and stared right into my eyes.
“Are you ready to go?” he said softly.
I simply nodded up at him, and we walked back over to the table so he could pay the check and I could grab my purse. I was giddy when he took my hand to lead me through the crowded room now, and I caught a glimpse of Susan as we were headed for the door and gave her a smile. She gave me a thumbs up and then made an avid gesture to call her, letting me know she had to know more about my date.
We got in the truck, with Damian holding the door open for me as I climbed in.
“Well, it’s your choice where we go from here,” I said to him as I brushed the hair from my eyes.
“Okay,” he said to me.
The sun was just starting to set some as we drove along and back towards Bethany Beach. Within minutes we were turning towards his house and entering the driveway through the gate. The limo was still neatly parked where it had been the last time I had seen it, and Damian pulled the truck into the garage, giving me a glimpse of the other cars he had in there.
Damian took our bags from the truck and carried them into the house. We hopped in the small elevator on the first floor and began to ride up. I started feeling very warm in the elevator, with the combination of the closeness to Damian, the drinks of the day, the smallness of the room and the feelings I was having all driving up my body temperature. We stopped on the second floor and got out, walking over towards the pool.
“Want to go for a swim?” Damian asked me as he opened the door to enter the pool area.
“Sure, that sounds like fun.” We hadn’t really gone swimming today, but I knew my suit was probably still damp from going to Seacrets.
“I’m just going to run upstairs and change,” Damian said to me. “You can change in any of the rooms here, or out in the cabana if you like.”
“Thanks.”
I picked up my bag and walked passed the indoor area of the pool to the outside and entered the cabana. The cabana itself was quite large, maybe even bigger than my bedroom at home, and it held a couch, a closet filled with towels, a full sink and toilet, and even some lockers for storage.
I rifled through my bag and pulled out my damp bathing suit, taking a close look at it. I then remembered the bikini Jodie had packed in my bag also and decided to put it on. It might be more revealing than I had wanted it to be, but it was dry.
I stripped out of my dress and underwear and pulled the bikini bottoms on, making sure they fit nicely on my hips. I put the halter top on, tying it behind my neck, and then put my hair up into a ponytail, so it was out of the way. I looked at myself in the mirror on the back of the door to the cabana and adjusted the top, so it fit more comfortably and gave me a bit ampler cleavage than what I usually show.
I felt nervous for the first time in a long time and in a way I didn’t typically feel. I never cared much about the way people saw me or what they thought about my looks. They accepted me for who I am, and that was that. I wasn’t going out of my way to impress anyone. But now I found myself checking and double checking how I looked, something I never did, and I almost felt hypocritical about it.
I grabbed two towels from the cabana and walked out to the pool area. Even though it was still warm outside, I immediately felt a chill hit my exposed skin. I moved quickly to the indoor area of the pool and saw Damian wasn’t back yet. I sat on the edge of the pool, dangling my feet in the warm water, trying to play out in my head just what was going to happen the rest of the evening.
I heard the door open and saw Damian walking through. He was dressed in black swim trunks, showing off his body once again. My gaze followed him as he placed some items on the chairs where I had put the towels. He came over to me and sat next to me, handing me a glass bottle of water.
“I thought you might want something that wasn’t alcohol today,” he said with a smile.
“Good idea,” I told him. “Glass bottles by the pool? You’re living dangerously.”
“I know, but they are better than having those horrible plastic bottles of water around. At least these get recycled properly. My company is working on alternatives to plastic bottles for water, so hopefully, we can come up with something that is affordable and won’t pollute the earth. My scientists think…”
I put my hand up to Damian’s lips to quiet him.
“Let’s swim, Damian,” I said to him with a smile.
I stood up and walked over to the steps leading down into the pool. I watched as Damian eyed me as I moved along, getting his first view of me in the bikini. It felt incredible to know he was watching every step I took from the time I rose to when I gingerly went down the steps and into the cool water.
I moved over in front of where he was still sitting on the edge, ducking under the water to get my hair wet before popping back up.
“Are you getting in?” I asked him.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
“This was your idea, remember?” I said to him.
I playfully splashed at him a couple of times to get him wet and then I saw him jump up. I swam quickly over towards where the inside portion of the pool led to the outside, hoping to beat him to the area, but he had jumped in and caught up to me right away. I let out a slight yell as I felt Damian grab at my foot as I tried to swim from him, but he grabbed me and then pulled me towards him.
We were standing face to face, in that in-between area of the two sections of the pool. My heart was racing, and I was breathing a little harder as Damian stared at me with intensity in his eyes.
“That bikini…” he said quietly. “You look amazing.”
I placed my hands on his smooth chest, walking him back closer to the wall of the pool. When I felt his back bump the wall, Damian moved closer to me, bending down and kissing me lightly at first. Instinct took over, and I pushed against him, pressing my body to him closer than it had ever been.
Damian’s hands moved down from my shoulders, across my ribs and rested on my hips. We kept kissing, with greater and greater intensity. It wasn’t long before his hands were working back up my body and untying my bikini top. He let the laces fall, and the small triangles of fabric covering my breasts quickly fell with them. My nipples perked up right away as I felt the water hit them directly, and once Damian had placed his right hand on my breast, caressing it as he kissed my lips, the rest of my body reacted just as strongly to him.
Both of his hands traced my breasts, his thumbs gliding over my nipples deftly. My moans were stifled by the kissing that seemed relentless, and my hands were looking for places to go as they roamed his muscular back, chest, and abs. Every inch I touched was toned and strong, and when my hands worked inside his trunks, untying the drawstring so I could reach inside, I didn’t find anything different. I grasped his erection in my fist, moving my fist up slowly, and Damian growled hungrily, kissing my neck and shoulder while toying with my nipples. The more I stroked, the deeper his breathing was getting, and then I felt his hands slide down, tugging at my bikini bottoms to move them down my legs.
Damian had managed to get them down past my thighs before I could wiggle out of them myself, and his hand pressed tightly up against my sex as I kept stroking him. When that first finger slipped inside me, I groaned loudly and felt my knees get weak. I was more than ready for him before, and my body ached to have him.
Damian pulled his hand away from me and tugged down his swim trunks. I saw them bob up in the water next to us out of the corner of my eye before he placed his hands on my hips and pulled my wet, naked body to his. He spun me around, putting my back up against the wall of the pool, and his erection slid easily inside me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding onto his shoulders as he penetrated me time and again. The movements were slow and in rhythm at first, and soon I was moving up and down on him, my nipples hovering just above the water, electricity shooting through them and down with each movement he took inside me.
It had been so long since I experienced anything like this that I didn’t know how long I could make it last. My body started to feel hotter and hotter even though we were in the cool water, and my legs gripped Damian tightly. Each thrust Damian made brought me closer and closer to the edge, and I heard myself panting. Damian sensed how close I was and looked me in the eyes as he moved. My arms stretched out on the pool edge as he withdrew from me slowly and then just slowly pushed back in. My hands slid along the wet marble edge, and my fingernails scraped along as I gasped. When I felt I couldn’t hold out any longer as he thrust deeply into me, I reached over, grabbed Damian around the neck and kissed him hard, moaning into his mouth as the orgasm washed over me.
My pussy throbbed around him, my body held him tightly, and it was then I felt Damian tense up and push into me as he came. His fingers gripped my back, and he kissed me over and over before he rested his head on my shoulder as I lay against the wall of the pool. I eased my legs from around his waist as the muscles were on fire, and I gave him gentle kisses on the neck as my fingers pawed through his wet hair.
Damian started to pull away from me slowly, but my shaking hands reached out to hold him there.
“Don’t leave just yet,” I whispered to him. “My legs are like jelly. I might just sink to the bottom and stay there.”
Damian took me in his arms and walked me over to the steps so I could sit.
“We didn’t really do much swimming,” I said to him with a smile, still working on catching my breath.
“I guess we didn’t. I suppose that’s my fault. Being with you all day, seeing how beautiful you are, I just couldn’t help myself. I had hoped the day might end this way.”
“Well, it was your idea to go swimming. That last move was my decision. Those were the rules of the day.” I reached over and grabbed the pieces of my bikini as they floated near and bundled them up in my hands.
“So, I guess that means I get to decide what happens next,” Damian said with an impish grin.
“And what did you have in mind?”
Damian climbed out of the pool and walked his naked body over to where the towels were. I watched him move, marveling at his physique once again, and I started to stir inside again.
Damian offered his hand to me as he helped me stand up on my still wobbly legs. He wrapped a towel around my shoulders, slowly drying me off, and then handed me a fluffy white robe he had brought down with him. I slid the large robe on and let it envelop me, happy for the warmth it was bringing.
“Are your things in the cabana?” Damian asked me. I simply nodded and watched as he walked out to the cabana, still naked, to get my bag. On his way back, I saw him look up and move a little faster than he had been before as if someone had seen him.
“James is back,” he said with a laugh. “We might want to take the elevator up.”
Damian put a robe on, took my bag and we both hustled out of the pool area to the elevator. The elevator door closed and it moved slowly up to the top floor. Damian stood behind me, kissing my neck the whole ride up, his hands slipping around my waist and inside my robe to feel my bare flesh.
When the elevator doors opened, Damian peeked out first to make sure no one was upstairs. Nodding that it was clear, I dashed out of the elevator and over towards his room. Damian quickly followed, his robe swinging open as he got in the room and closed the door.
I sat back on the king-size bed, feeling the comfortable mattress beneath me. Damian tossed my bag on a chair in the room and sat next to me on the bed before pulling me back, so I was lying next to him. He started kissing me again, untying the front of my robe so he could pull the sides open and lightly run his fingers over my body.
“Spend the night with me,” Damian said softly as he started kissing my shoulder.
“Damian, I have to open the bakery tomorrow, I can’t…” My voice trailed off as his kissing had worked its way down to my breasts and he placed light kisses on each one.
“You can spend the night and still get to the bakery in time to open,” he said to me as he kept kissing my breasts. “You have plenty of clothes, and I’ll make sure to set the alarm, so you get up. Please, I really want you to stay. I want to wake up with you.”
“I don’t know,” I said, almost breathlessly as Damian’s kissing was now working its way lower, across my stomach to my waist.
“It’s my choice to decide what’s next, remember?” Damian was looking at me now from between my legs, kissing the inside of my left thigh. My body and will melted again.
“Okay, I’ll stay,” I said to him. “But that means I decide what happens now.”
“Oh? So, what happens next?”
I shot Damian a smile as I saw his face between my legs. I reached down, taking the back of his head, and guided his face towards me. When I felt his lips and tongue dart inside me, I knew I had made the right decision for the next step.