Page 46 of After Care

“You are so damn hot, lady, do you know that?” He exhaled as he rubbed up and down my sides while I sat astride him. I shook my head, feeling too replete to even speak.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t do it again for you,” I said, finding words as I slinked a finger down his broad chest.

“Darlin’, after having an erection for four hours, there was no way I could repeat so quickly.”

“Four hours,” I giggled, and then horror struck. “Oh, my God, did you—”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” he warned, his voice dropping. “I’ve been stiff for four hours thinking of you. No other enhancement needed.”

“Oh,” I laughed, jiggling him underneath me. He held up a hand, and I reached out to smack it. He cupped mine in his when we connected. “What’s that for?” I said.

“A high five. Three times. I knew I could do it.”

I gasped, swatting at his chest with my free hand. “Did you just high five me for three orgasms in a few hours?”

“That I did, darlin’,” he chuckled under me, jiggling me up and down before tugging me with our clasped hands to fall on his chest and kiss him again.

9

Risky Adventures

Let’s take an adventure, he texted me the next day. Masie was too hungover to move, and Caleb went to the bar to watch football bowl games. Tommy hadn’t stayed the night, although we both wanted him to. He understood. I wasn’t ready to subject my children to this kind of a thing—a man in my bed, especially a man who was only a vacation fling. I felt sick to my stomach with the thought.

Let’s do it, I replied, and he asked me to meet him in the lobby. We drove the coastline, stopping occasionally at designated viewing points to watch for whales or stare at the ocean. After a stop or two, I’d had enough. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but from how many vantage points could you see the same thing? Tommy seemed to sense my feelings.

“You’re bored.”

“I’m not,” I whined. “It’s just…it all looks the same to me.”

He nodded and reached for my hand. Tugging it up to his mouth, he kissed my palm.

“Okay, then. More adventure.” We stopped at a public beach and walked until we came to the ancient ruins of a Hawaiian fort. The ocean roared at the sharp, jagged edges of boulders and rock.

“Rumor has it, once upon a time a Hawaiian princess had fallen in love with an explorer,” Tommy said, still holding my hand. “Her father denied his request for marriage, claiming she was betrothed to another. She refused to acknowledge this truth and promised the explorer she’d run away with him. Something happened the night they planned to escape, and the explorer set sail without her. When she returned to her room in the castle tower, she found a message in a bottle, saying he’d return for her.” I stared at Tommy, wondering how he knew such island lore.

“She waited for him. Year after year. She married the other man as promised by her father, but she never gave up hope that the explorer would return for her. He’d see the world and discovered new things, but he’d always want what he once had and desperately missed.”

He waited a beat, and I squeezed his hand to continue.

“So, what happened?”

“Story says, she saw him coming one night when the sun was setting, and the outline of the ship crossed the horizon. She raced for the water’s edge, calling his name. “Accomandohulacoola,” Tommy called out to the waves.

“And?” I encouraged.

“He saw her on the shore, thinking he could swim to her. Diving into the ocean, he didn’t resurface. She raced into the water, thinking she could save him, and she drowned.”

I stared at him and then looked out over the rolling water.

“That’s a terrible story.”

“The moral of that story is never dive, but jump in feet first. And don’t race to save a drowning man.”

“Those are awful morals.” My eyes focused on the ocean waves a moment. “Wait a minute—Accomandohulacoola? You made all that up.” I turned to punch his shoulder, and he tucked forward to avoid my fist, laughing hysterically.

“Okay, okay, I did. You should have seen your face.” He continued to chuckle.

“You’re mean,” I whimpered, pouting my lips.