7. Just One Day
Just One Day
I spent entirely too much time deciding what to wear, finally ending up with a sundress.
A sharp knock sounded at the hotel room door, and Claire immediately sat upright on her bed. "Oh my God, he's here."
I groaned, smoothing down my clothes. "Please act normal."
She laughed so hard she nearly fell backward off the mattress. "Have we met?"
I took a breath and opened the door, and I immediately forgot whatever I was about to say. Tyler stood there wearing a navy t-shirt, board shorts, and a smile that should probably be illegal.
"Hey," he said.
The smile appeared on my face before I could stop it. "Hey."
His gaze lingered on me for half a second. It was just long enough to make my pulse speed up, which somehow made it worse. Behind me, Claire made a highly suspicious clearing-of-the-throat noise. I ignored her, mostly because murder was illegal.
The day started with coffee, which turned into a walk along the beach, which bled into lunch, and then more walking, a bit of shopping, and then somehow even more talking.
The strange thing wasn't that I enjoyed being around Tyler; the strange thing was how quickly time completely disappeared when I was.
Hours vanished into thin air. Entire conversations blurred together.
At one point, we sat beneath a beach umbrella talking about books for nearly an hour.
An hour. Who spends an hour talking about books?
Apparently, we did, and somehow it wasn't boring. Not even close.
"You've never done that," Tyler said, looking genuinely horrified. "You're telling me you've never skipped to the last page of a book?"
My expression became genuinely offended. "That's psychotic behavior." I laughed so hard that nearby tourists actually turned to look. For a moment, Tyler stared at me. The amused smile slowly faded from his face.
"What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.
His expression remained soft. "You laugh with your whole face."
My breath caught. The statement was simple and innocent, yet somehow it landed harder than any compliment I'd received in years.
Dinner happened almost by accident. The sun was already beginning to set when Tyler glanced toward the horizon, then turned back to me. "You hungry?"
I laughed. "Again?"
"You ask that like eating is optional."
"It should be after the amount of food we've consumed today."
His grin widened. "No regrets."
I should have said goodbye. Instead, I followed him to a small restaurant overlooking the water, because apparently common sense had completely abandoned me.
This was becoming very dangerous. Because sometime during dinner, I realized something terrifying: I wasn't thinking about tomorrow.
Or next week. Or going home. I was thinking about right now.
About this exact moment. About him. And that scared me. A lot.
Night settled slowly over the coast. By the time we left the restaurant, the stars had appeared, thousands of them against the dark sky.
We walked with no destination or real plan. There was just the rhythmic sound of the waves and the cool evening air. At some point, our shoulders brushed, and neither of us moved away.
"Can I ask you something?" his voice broke the silence.
I glanced over at him. "That depends."
He laughed, the sound low and easy. "Why do you always say that?"
"Self-preservation."
"Fair." The smile lingered on his lips for a moment, then faded slightly. "Are you happy?"
The question stopped me cold. Not because it was inappropriate, but because nobody ever asked that. Not really. People asked how you were, how work was, or how life was. Nobody asked if you were happy, because happiness required honesty, and honesty was complicated.
I stared out at the ocean. The moonlight reflected across the water, looking beautiful and peaceful, nothing like the sudden storm brewing inside me.
"I think so," I said quietly.
Tyler was quiet for a moment. Then, he murmured, "That's not a yes."
I let out a soft, sad laugh. Because he wasn't wrong.
No, it wasn't a yes. The realization lingered between us, heavy, uncomfortable, and real.
Neither of us spoke, and the silence stretched out.
It wasn't awkward; it was just thoughtful, the kind of silence that existed between people who understood more about each other than they wanted to admit.
Eventually, we reached a much quieter section of the beach. It was almost entirely empty. There were just waves, sand, moonlight, and the two of us.
I kicked off my sandals, enjoying the feel of the cool sand beneath my bare feet.
Tyler did the same, slinging his shoes by the straps.
For several minutes, we walked right near the water's edge, neither speaking, neither needing to.
The moon hung low over the ocean, and the entire world seemed suspended, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl.
I glanced toward him at the same moment he looked at me. Neither of us looked away.
Neither of us moved. Neither of us spoke. Because both of us understood that something fundamental had changed. And standing there beneath the moonlight, alone on a nearly empty beach, I realized one terrifying truth.
I didn't want this day to end. And judging by the look in Tyler's eyes... neither did he.
"Jennifer..." The way he said my name made my pulse stumble. Low. Rough. Like a prayer and a warning all at once.
I should have stepped back. I knew that. Instead, I stood there looking up at him, close enough to see the flecks of gold in his eyes, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body. His gaze dropped to my lips, then back to mine. The air between us crackled, thick and electric.
"Just say no." His voice was quieter now, strained with restraint.
I couldn't. God help me, I didn't want to.
My silence was the only answer he needed.
Tyler's hand slid to the nape of my neck, thumb stroking the sensitive skin there, and he pulled me in.
The kiss started slow, his lips soft and warm against mine, tasting faintly of wine and salt air.
But hunger built fast. My fingers curled into his shirt as I pressed closer, and he groaned low in his throat, the sound vibrating through me.
When we finally broke apart, both of us breathing hard, his forehead rested against mine. "Come with me," he murmured, voice husky.
We barely made it off the main path. A secluded stretch of beach, shielded by dunes and sea grass, welcomed us like it had been waiting.
Tyler spread his shirt on the still-warm sand and pulled me down with him.
The moment my back met the fabric, his mouth was on mine again, this time deeper, hotter, tongues tangling as his hands roamed.
One slid under the hem of my sundress, fingers tracing up my thigh, igniting sparks everywhere he touched.
"Tyler..." I gasped his name as his lips moved to my neck, sucking gently at the pulse point that made my back arch. His hand slipped higher, brushing the lace edge of my panties, and I shivered hard.
"Tell me what you want, Jennifer." His breath was hot against my ear, fingers teasing but not quite giving me everything.
"You," I whispered, pulling his mouth back to mine. "All of you. Now."
Clothes came off in a heated rush, my dress tugged over my head, his shirt yanked away, revealing the hard planes of his chest and the trail of dark hair disappearing into his shorts.
I explored him with eager hands, mapping the ridges of muscle, the flex of his shoulders as he hovered over me.
When he finally freed himself, thick and hard and pulsing, I wrapped my fingers around him and stroked until he cursed under his breath.
He took his time with me first, though. Kneeling between my thighs, he kissed down my body, breasts, stomach, the dip of my hips, until his mouth settled between my legs.
His tongue was relentless, licking and sucking at my clit while two fingers curled inside me, stroking that perfect spot.
I came fast and sharp, crying out his name into the night as pleasure crashed over me like the waves nearby.
Only then did he rise up, settling between my thighs. His eyes locked on mine as he pushed in, slow at first, letting me feel every thick inch stretching me open. The fullness was exquisite. I wrapped my legs around his waist, heels digging into his back, urging him deeper.
"Fuck, you feel perfect," he growled, starting to move.
His thrusts built from deep and deliberate to hard and urgent, hips snapping against mine.
Skin slapped against skin. My nails raked down his back as another orgasm built fast, coiling tight in my core.
He reached between us, thumb circling my clit, and I shattered again, clenching around him so intensely that he followed right after, burying himself deep with a guttural groan, pulsing hot inside me as we rode the waves together.
We stayed like that for long moments afterward, tangled and breathless, his weight a welcome anchor as the ocean whispered nearby.
Sweat cooled on our skin. His fingers traced lazy patterns on my hip.
When he finally lifted his head to look at me, the tenderness in his eyes stole what little breath I had left.
Neither of us spoke. Because some moments were too important to ruin with words, and both of us knew one thing, nothing about this weekend was simple anymore.