Tonight

 

The waves crashing against the sand were interrupted by Frank’s velvet voice telling me to fly away with him.  I fish through my beach bag for my phone and bring it to my ear before checking the caller ID.

                “Hello?”

                “Mako! Whatcha doin’?!” The giddy voice just as soothing to me as Frank’s.

                I laugh at the nickname.  Only one person calls me that.  I don’t understand why he thinks my Shark Week obsession is so “cute”.

                “Ivan!  I’m—“

                “I know what you’re doing.” 

                I hear the smile in his voice, but that doesn’t help the confusion.  Looking around, I see no one.  The sun had already set and the tourists and beach bums alike had headed home.  Not hearing any more from the other end of the line, I glance at the phone.  He hung up on me!  It’s almost midnight anyway and I needed to get back to the hotel.

                I stand and begin putting my Nook, towel, and water bottle back in my bag when the sound of a horse galloping my way brings me to attention.  I take a stand and see a dark figure running my way.  The sudden burst of adrenaline jolts my lazy system and I take off.  I hear the footsteps getting closer and know there is no way I can out run the stranger.  My ragged breathing complimenting the horror I feel.  I don’t live here, I have nowhere to go and my only life line just hung up on me.

                I felt an arm wrap around me as I was pulled to the ground.  I couldn’t hold in my scream.  But, the laugh I heard as I fell with the stranger didn’t seem so..stranger-like.

                “Gotcha!”

                I jumped to my feet and stomped to where Ivan lay laughing in the sand.  Not just laughing, he was holding his stomach and shaking over run with a gut healthy seizure of joy.

                “Are you kidding me!” I couldn’t help kicking sand at him.  “You realize you just gave me a mini heart attack?!  Who does that?!”

                I huffed as I crossed my arms and plopped down beside him.  His roaring amusement, which under normal circumstances would have brought a smile to my face, now resembled nails on a chalkboard.  He pulled me in and squeezed me, giving me one of the best hugs I’ve ever had.  For just a brief moment, I savored the rumble in his chest and the wall of muscle I was surrounded by.  I pushed away and cocked my arm back, releasing all the fear that was built up in one punch to his pec.

                “Don’t you do that again!”

                “Aww, I’m sorry, Mako.  Just excited to see you s’all.”

                “Yea, yea.  How’d dinner go?  Did she fall for your crazy antics and agree to a date?”  I asked wagging my eyebrows.  Ivan called me after some fancy dinner party talking about a woman he had met and apparently taken home.  I can’t stop the bitter twinge of jealousy that spikes when he tells me about his lady friends.  But he’s my best friend, it’s my duty to listen and give advice and occasionally beat him up when he scares the shit out of me.

                “Actually..” He starts, pinching the tender spot under my arm, “it went very well.  She’s an amazing chef.  Impressed everyone there, aaannnddd she did agree on a date!”

                “That’s awesome!”  I gave him the best smile I could muster.  Damn it, I love actually spending time with him and seeing that twinkle in his eyes.  But, this is so much easier to tolerate when I’m back home.  Miles and miles away. 

                “What?  And if you say nothing, so help me God Kayla, I will pick you up and throw you in the ocean!” 

                I felt the wicked grin creep across my face as I looked him in the eye at the challenge and leaned in so we were nose-to-nose.

                “Nothing.”  I whispered in the breath between us.

                Quicker than I could blink, he jerked towards me.  Squealing, I made a feeble attempt to crawl away, but to no avail as I felt his arms wrap under my stomach and was twisted and thrown over his shoulder.

                My threats drowned out by his boyish laughter as I balled my hands into fists and started hitting his ass.  His arm locked my body to his behind my knees and the last thing heard was an ‘I warned you’ before I was tossed into the cool waves.

                The salt water burned my throat and nose as I was caught under the current.  Finding the sandy bottom, I planted my feet and sky rocketed up breaking the surface.  Coughing and gasping for air, I kept my eyes squeezed shut and started swimming towards the hysterical laughter.  Once I was able to stand without worrying about the water attacking me even more, I wiped my eyes and sent a death glare to Ivan.

                “You are so dead.”  I hissed as I attempted a don’t-you-even-look-at-me-I’m-so-pissed walk from the ocean.  Again, to no avail.  I was fighting waves and an uneven bottom, so stumbling my way back to dry land kept me from looking angry.

                I looked down at my sundress, clinging to me like a second skin.  Huffing, I pinched a piece of it to pry it off me but it snapped right back in place.  Thank God I had on a bikini under it or I’d be in serious trouble.  White dress plus water does not leave anything to the imagination if you’re naked underneath.

                “Aww, come on.  You’re alright.”  His arms wrapped me in another hug.  “Besides we never see each other.  You can’t be mad.”  Ok, he had a point.  We lived separate lives, busy ones at that.  “And I have a treat.”  He shook the keys to his Ducati in front of my face.

                My stomach instantly flooded with butterflies.  Another favorite, bike riding. 

                “You’re just trying to get out of that hole you dug, big guy.”

                “No.” I knew he was smiling without having to look.  Wait for it..  “Fine.  Maybe.”  He tugged my ponytail.  “But if you don’t hurry up, I’ll make you follow me back home anyway.  And I know you want to ride.  Especially, since we would get back to the brownies and milk faster that way.”

                I turned around and faced him, a wily grin on my face.  “Did you say..brownies and milk?”  I broke free of his arms and grabbed my bag.  When I turned back, he was already headed to the parking lot.  I raced to him as quick as I could in my confining dress. 

                Reaching my car, I unlocked it and threw my bag inside keeping my phone and keys with me.  I skipped to the beautiful set of wheels before me and blindly held out the items to Ivan to put in his pockets as we rode.  Tracing my fingertips over the seat, I looked back, his smile always catching me off guard.  I looked away quickly as heat rushed in my cheeks.

                Ivan saddled the bike and held out his hand to help me.  I hiked up my dress and giggled, throwing my leg over and sliding into place behind him as he shook his head.  He started the bike and I gasped as the vibration hit me in a very delicious way.

                “Ready?”  He called out over the growl.  I nodded against his back and held him tighter as we pulled out on the road.

                We would be breaking all kinds of laws on the ride home, and I was 100% A-Okay with that.  I closed my eyes, leaning with him in the weaves between traffic.  We didn’t stop once.  Just kept going faster with an occasional deceleration.  The wind whipping my hair into a tangled mess.   I just kept my eyes closed.  He was right, we never see each other.  So I would enjoy every moment I got.

                A squeeze on my arm made me open my eyes.  We must be getting close.  I lifted my head and set my chin on his shoulder as we pulled into the parking garage.  He whipped the bike into a spot beside his Jeep and cut the engine.  The lovely pulsations from the bike coming to a stop, but the aftershocks still making me quiver.

                “What the hell is making you smile like that?”

                I snapped my attention to Ivan as he chuckled.  I blushed again and ungracefully dismounted.  Strutting back up to him and again resumed the same challenging position I did not so long ago.

                “Nothing.”  I dropped my head back and laughed.  He just took my hand and led me to the elevator.

                “You’re something else, you know that, Mako?”

                “I know.” 

                The doors open and we stepped inside.  I look down at our hands.  I’ve got to separate myself from him.  He’s my friend, and now he’s got Jaden.  I’ll be heading back home tomorrow.  He gave a gentle squeeze, as the doors opened to the floor of his fancy apartment.

                “Don’t.”  I looked up as he said the word.  “Don’t think about it.  Not right now.”

                Okay, so I’m going to pretend he didn’t read my mind.  Nodding, he unlocked the door and led us inside.  My nerves instantly calmed as the smell of freshly baked brownies slammed into me.

                “You cut the brownies, I’ll get the milk.”

                “Deal!” I shouted over my shoulder as I raced to the kitchen and grabbed a couple plates and set them beside the dish of brownies.  I inhaled deeply through my nose, instantly salivating like Pavlov’s dogs.

                “Oh God!  Ivan these smell soooo gooood!!”

                He carried over our glasses, chuckling, and set them on the counter across from me.  I watched as he winked and disappeared down the hall.  Oh well, I have a plate of still warm brownies in front of me and cold milk.  I could die a happy woman right now.

                I washed my hands and dried them leaving the paper towels on the countertop and decided then and there that cutting the brownies was completely out of the question.  I pinched off the corner and popped it in my mouth.  Moaning, I closed my eyes and chewed slowly.  Blindly reaching for my glass of milk, I found it easier than expected and washed the bite down.  Absolutely scrumptious.  I opened my eyes to find an amused Ivan staring at me. 

                Laughing, I pinched off more brownie and held it out for him to take.  He smiled and stepped forward, taking the bite in fingers and popping it in his mouth.  I turned back to the counter and broke off another bite, handing it to him.  He took it, but this time turned me to face him again and offered me the chocolatey treat.  Holding it to my lips.  This could not be happening.

                I looked at the bite, then by chance to his other hand and saw one of his tees.  I grabbed the shirt from his hand and smiled.  Taking a step back before hopping as I turned, I began lifting my dress again and pulled it over my head.  I opened the door to his balcony and laid the dress across the back of a chair to dry out as I slipped the shirt over my head and shimmied out of my bikini, tossing the two pieces on the chair with my dress.

                Placing my hands against the railing, I was thankful his shirt covered me mid-thigh.  My thoughts began racing through the past week.  We had spent as much time together as possible between his get togethers, meetings and everything else; Ivan and I had become inseparable.  Sure, there were always those moments of sexual tension for me, I mean hello!  Any woman in their right mind would throw themselves at him.  So naturally, add in the comfort level we had with each other and of course my mind goes to those dark places.  I sighed hard as I looked at the twinkling stars above me.  They aren’t as bright here as they are at home, and I made a mental note to make sure to take Ivan to World’s Edge when he comes to visit me.

                “Kayla?”

                I turned and placed my elbows on the railing.  He looked confused.  Just as confused as I, if being honest, was feeling.

                “Uh oh.  You used my name.  That’s never a good sign.” I teased.

                He rubbed the back of his neck and gave a half-hearted laugh as he looked down.  Damn, stumping Ivan meant something was really bothering him.  I walked up to him and gave him a playful poke in the stomach.

                “Hey, what’s wrong babe?  You’re not allowed to get all weird on me.  I mean, we do have brownies screaming to be eaten.”  The heated look he gave me added gasoline to the fire already burning inside me.  Oh, I could have worded that differently.

                “Give me tonight.”

                “W-what?”  I breathed out.

                “Tonight.  That’s it.”  His sudden sincerity ripped away the joking and airy atmosphere I had thought I laid out with the brownie comment.  What was he asking?  He couldn’t mean what I thought he meant.  But, as he took another step towards me and gripped my arms I knew; he meant exactly what I assumed.

                We stood there for what seemed like an eternity.  His eyes boring into my soul, the breeze teasing his shirt around my legs and playing up my thighs.  The cool night kissing my nipples into hardened peaks and my voice completely gone.  Who would give in first?  Or better yet, what was going to happen?  I would never jeopardize my friendship for one night of what I could only imagine would be insurmountable bliss with Ivan.  But, at the same time, every cell in my body was screeching to take advantage of the situation.  After all, to err is human, true?

                I didn’t have to think on it much longer.  He pulled me to him, our bodies flush, as he slanted his lips over mine.  He tasted just like I imagined he would, raw and male with a hint of chocolate.  And it was unadulterated heaven.  With that simple act, the inferno already inside me tore through my body and he swallowed the moan that left my lips. 

                “Give me tonight.”  He said again.  This time it was husky and demanding.  Who am I to deny that?  “We can sort it all out tomorrow.  Just.  Enough is enough.”

                So, I’m not the only one that’s felt whatever it was this week.  Before I could answer, I felt his fingertips between my thighs.  I knew what he would find.  I was wet.  His kiss sent me over the edge.  But, what I didn’t realize was my cream had begun dripping down my leg.  I felt the difference in his touch the second his fingers began sliding through it.  His hard swallow and fierce look did nothing but validate it.

                He took a step back and pulled his shirt over his head.  Revealing a body I’d seen time and time again this week, but still just as breathtaking as ever.  When he dropped his pants and freed his breathtaking erection, I knew I was screwed.  Grinning at my own play on words in my head, I jerked his shirt over my head.

                “Tonight.”  Whether it was a promise to myself that nothing would change between us after this, or just a simple acceptance of what was about to happen, I didn’t care.  Tonight he was mine, and I was his.  Tomorrow I would be back home, living my life and he would be living his.  I would get my phone call from him at exactly 10:30pm and we would talk about the day’s events and whatever else we wanted to. 

But tonight…tonight he was mine.  And with that last thought, I ran and jumped in his arms.  Locking lips with a fever that would only be broken by the morning’s sun.  He lifted my hips as I slipped my arm between our bodies and positioned him at my entrance.  Crying out as he slid inside and my body accommodated to his size. 

I’ll give him tonight, because I can’t keep a promise for tomorrow.