perfectly covering her chest. One perky nipple peaks out the strands of her hair. A hand goes to her chest when she catches my gaze. She reaches over to the lounge. I get there before she does and move to hand her the towel she was laying on. The red bikini top she must have been wearing earlier floats to the ground.
“JT, you scared me!” I wrap the towel around her then step away so she can adjust it to her body.
“You fell asleep. I didn’t want you to keeping burning that beautiful skin of yours.” Pink flushes her cheeks. She pulls her hair up and pins it. The sight of Lily in only a bikini bottom is enough to make my heart skip a beat but Lily in a towel, like she has nothing underneath, stops my heart.
“Um, are those flowers for me?” She picks up the flowers. Her voice is shy and sweet. I smile.
“Yeah, Sugar, they’re for you.” I reach over and put my arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go inside so I can put some aloe on your sunburn.” She nods her head while I lead her to the kitchen. It’s a country kitchen with a large chopping block in the middle. One side has a large white basin sink under a window and surrounded by white washed cabinets. The counter tops are tiled, some chipped. The appliances are pretty old but floor is hardwood. “When’s the last time you had your kitchen done?” She puts the flowers on the counter then walks over to the adjoining half bath. When she returns with a bottle of aloe she jumps up on the counter.
“I don’t know. It’s always been like this.” I walk over, grab the aloe and squirt a small amount into my hands. With her on the counter she is almost eye level with me. I look down into her eyes and show her my hands, silently asking her if it’s okay to rub her shoulders. She nods. Her legs slightly part and I take the invitation by wiggling my way in between her thighs. There’s space between our bodies. I want to move forward, closing the space between us, letting her feel the effect she has on me. It takes everything I have not to play that scenario out. Not yet.
“I was thinking, you should come over and see my kitchen next time. I’ll make you dinner. I just redid ours last year. I think you’ll like it.” My hands begin to rub her shoulders in a circular motion. Her eyes close as she bits her bottom lip. I want to be the one doing that. “Lily.”
“Hmm?”
“Dinner? My house?”
“When?” I can feel her breathe on my face.
“Turkey?”
“What?!” She punches like a girl but she could do some damage if she wanted to. I rub my arm and smirk. “You think I’m scared of you?” Her eyes light up with challenge. Man, she’s beautiful when she gets riled up. No, she’s beautiful all the time. More beautiful.
“Lily, what did you eat earlier?”
“What?”
“Turkey? I smell turkey on your breathe. And it’s chicken, by the way. I did not call you chicken.”
“Oh my god!” Like a bat out of hell she runs out of the kitchen with her hand over her mouth. I didn’t mean to embarrass her about her breathe. I needed something to distract me from taking that bottom lip into my mouth. I can hear her footstep running around, doors opening, closing, water running, and shuffling around. She’s probably taking a shower and putting some clothes on. Too bad. I like half-naked Lily.
I might as well make myself at home. We didn’t really talk about dinner other than dessert. Dessert. I lick my lips and go for the fridge. Maybe I can surprise by starting dinner. The first thing I notice is a plated sandwich with the word “Kenny” and a smiley face written on the plastic cellophane. Who the hell is Kenny? Is she seeing someone I don’t know about? She’s mine. What the hell? I reach past it and grab the chicken and salad fixings. This dinner was supposed to be an extension of ‘the talk’ we still haven’t had but turned into friends having dinner. Are we friends? I need to clarify what’s going on between us before we go any further.
By the time she comes back down I’ve got the chicken cooking, salad made, and the table set. She’s changed into a pair of tight jeans and a flimsy spaghetti