Page 33 of The Prince and the Double Shot
“I… I…” I gulped.
“Don’t worry, it happens all the time.” He brought up his right arm and flexed, making his bicep explode into a very large bump. “I work very hard to look like this.”
“You are quite…”
“Yes?”
“You are quite a... What do Americans say? Himbo? I heard that recently on an episode of the Housewives.”
“Himbo? I think you might mean stud. Or, maybe you meant to say that I was beautiful? You are, too, you know. I find it hard to take my eyes off you, too. Now, don’t just stand there catching flies with your mouth. I think you meant to go swimming, andyou don’t need to worry – I give excellent mouth-to-mouth when needed. Do you think you may require my services today?”
“I hope not. I’d hate to make the news as a drowning victim.”
He walked the few steps between us and put his hand on my chest. “But part of you hopes so too, doesn’t it?” He let his fingers slide down until they were at the bottom of my t-shirt, and he slowly started pulling it up. His hot, large finger left trails of heat against my skin. His hand under my shirt was making my legs weak. His hot breath on my face – the room tilted.
His other hand steadied me. “If this is the reaction I get in a Speedo, I can’t wait to see what happens when we’re nude,” he whispered.
“You really are coming on strong. I thought that…” I looked up, and our eyes met.
“What do I have to lose? I’m tired of playing cat and mouse. I’m tired of… Let’s just be happy for whatever time we have, alright? No expectations, no thoughts of what it means – just us enjoying the moments that we have. The last couple of weeks have been killing me.”
I nodded. “Me too. Alright.”
“Now, let’s get these clothes off of you. I’ve been waiting. Are those your trunks? They look like they belong to a midwestern father.” He chuckled as he looked down at my baggy shorts.
“This was what they had in the shop. I didn’t think to pack a… Stop teasing me.” I shook my head and grinned. “Are you sure?”
“Like I said – I have nothing to lose.”
“I’m afraid that I might,” I said lowly.
“Life needs to be lived.” His finger brushed across my nipple. “I’m tired of being in the shadows. Aren’t you?”
“What happened to you?” I chuckled. “And stop that! I’m already starting to sprout.”
He let his fingers trail down to my waistband, and my shirt fell back down.
“Someone sparked something, I guess.” He took a step back. “Now, as the lifeguard on duty, I demand that you get half-naked. As soon as my shift ends, I want the full monty. I plan on following you to your room. Understand?”
I swallowed and chuckled. “I’m afraid that you’ll be sorely disappointed. I have nothing for us to…”
“Then you get to see how the other half lives. My place is a disaster. You’ll love it.”
I swam. I gawked. I watched him every time he moved. I went upstairs and got myself ready, and met him back down by the pool. He held my hand as we walked to his car, and we barely spoke. It was as if there was something between us that we couldn’t put words to – an expectation of what was about to happen, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over our head. One misstep and it could lead to our doom.
I was as hard as a rock. Just the thought of what we were going to do was making my blood boil with lust.
If it were just lust, then why did I also feel? I barely knew him – not the real him, anyway. Secrets, we all had them. Maybe it was time to pull the curtain open? Should I show him who I truly was? Would he do the same? I mean, he had to know who I was. Anyone could Google it and find my photo, even if it had been a few years since I made many public appearances. But…
I don’t think he had. He didn’t seem to care. He just enjoyed the moment, and I could learn from him. I was always worried about the next step before I completed the first one. My past and status made living in the present complicated. The future scared me, and it filled the space with its ominous portents of doom and failure.
Zane slowed his car, and we turned into a nondescript tan building with metal bars on the windows. He parked in the small parking lot and laughed.
“Sorry, it’s not the Ritz Carlton, but it’s been home for a while.”
“It looks lovely. The roses look like they're thriving.”
He reached over and took my hand. “I’m going to do very dirty things to you. I’ve wanted to since the moment you first annoyed me.”
