Chapter 24 - Niall - Bumping into You
Chapter 24
Niall
Growing up near Revere Beach, I’m no stranger to sand. But it’s been a very long time since I’ve been buried in it, and I completely forgot how uncomfortable sand is when it gets under the clothes. After taking a long shower, making sure I removed all the sand, I dry myself off and throw on a pair of shorts. We haven’t left port yet, but it won’t be long now.
The view from the balcony room looks out toward the ocean. Sliding the door open I step out to enjoy the breeze. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Gwen on the balcony with a book.
“What are you reading?” I ask Gwen.
She shrieks and drops her book. “Now look what you’ve done. You’ve gone and made me lose my place,” she says as she picks her book up.
Chuckling, I try to see what it is she’s reading.
“Don’t you know that snooping isn’t nice and—” she says, looking over at me before freezing mid-sentence.
Her eyes slowly roam over me, and it causes my pulse to race. Being a fireman, I’m used to the occasional ogling from women when my house brothers and I go for our runs and when we’re cleaning the fire engine. I know I look good, but I’ve never felt like this before from just a look.
Or ever, really.
I’ve always been dedicated to the job and taking care of Mam that I’d never really gotten serious about dating someone. My firehouse brothers tease me constantly, saying I’m a player, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Do I take the occasional beore out on a date? Sure, I’m not dead inside.
But I always let them down easy and typically stay on good terms as friends, or I set them up with someone I think would be good for them. A couple of the pairings started to turn serious. But it wasn’t something I’d been looking for.
Not, that is, until Gwen. She makes me want to throw my reservations overboard and jump headfirst into a real relationship with her. That thought scared me at first, but the more time I spend with her, the less scary it seems, and the less alone I feel. Is this what Mam meant when she said I’d find the right person if I just open myself up to it? Because Gwen is definitely someone I am starting to think could be the right person. . . . And Mam would have loved her.
Gwen finally glances up and meets my eyes, her cheeks going that delicious flushed color. A darker shade of pink that tells me she’s not upset by my lack of shirt.
“Like what you see?”
“No,” she narrows her eyes at me. “Just wondering why you don’t have a shirt on. You’ll get a sunburn.”
“Oh, I’m feeling the heat alright, but it’s not from the sun.” I step closer to her, and she sighs.
“Can’t a girl read her book in peace?”
“Didn’t mean to stop you. I honestly had no clue you were out here. Lucky coincidence.” I shrug. “But now that I do have your attention, I’m cashing in on one of our dates.”
She stares at me blankly, just blinking.
“Rose.” I wave my hands in front of her. “Did you hear me?”
“Uh, yeah, I . . .” She clears her throat, shaking her head before adding, “I mean, yes, I heard you. I just didn’t think you were serious about that rule.”
“I was definitely serious about it. Deal-breaker, remember?”
“Right.”
“I was thinking mini golf.”
“I’m good with that.”
“Grand! Leave in five minutes?” I ask.
“Five minutes?” she says, her eyes wide.
I nod.
“Okay,” she says, and she grabs her things and heads into her room.
Walking back into mine, I put on some sandals and throw on a shirt. Slipping my glasses on my collar, I head out to the hallway. When Gwen walks out, I freeze.
She’s sexy in short jean shorts, a tight, white tank top, and a flowy top over it.
I resist the urge to pick her up and carry her back into her room. That’s not part of our agreed-upon rules , I scold myself.
“You look amazing,” I say hoarsely.
“Oh, thanks,” she says.
When I make no motion to leave, she asks, “You ready?”
I clear my throat and say, “Erm, I am. Let’s go.”
The mini golf is at the back of the boat on the top floor. By the time we get up there, the boat has started moving out of port, and, thankfully, there are only a few people on the course.
“Not too crowded,” I say.
“Well, that’s good for you,” says Gwen.
“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?
“Less people to see you lose horribly,” she says, laughing.
“We’ll see about that!”
I’ve played mini golf before many times, but playing against Gwen makes me feel like an amateur.
She’s a sexy, competitive bombshell, and I love watching as she lines up the swing, swaying her hips slightly from side to side. Needless to say, I’m a bit distracted, and my game is off.
The course is fairly simple. There are only nine holes, but with Gwen’s competitiveness, we treat it like we are on a professional golf tour. She’s currently a couple swings ahead of me.
We’re at the seventh hole, and she aims. The ball bounces slightly off one of the walls, curves around the side of the hill, and drops into the hole with a soft plunk. Gwen jumps up and down, doing a little victory dance. “Oh, that feels amazing. I needed a win lately,” she admits.
I lean down and pick up her ball. “Fair play, Gwen! That was a terrific shot.”
Reaching my hand out to give her the ball, I’m taken by surprise as she jumps into my arms, wrapping hers around my neck.
Feeling like the luckiest man in the world, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her in to me. I pick her up for a little celebratory spin. As I set her down, she doesn’t let go. Instead, she pulls my face toward hers and kisses me. It’s just a little peck, but time freezes. Hope races through me like a dam bursting.
A look of shock appears on her face as she realizes she’s kissed me. “I . . . I know that was against the rules.”
Not giving her another second, I lean back in and kiss her back.
But not just a peck. No, I let that all-consuming hope continue to weave its way through my soul and act on instinct.
Sliding one hand into her hair and the other around her waist, I pull her even closer to me. She doesn’t resist but kisses me back eagerly. Dropping her club, she puts her hands on my neck. I groan against her mouth as her hands play in my hair at the base of my neck.
Her strawberries-and-cream scent envelopes me as the wind rustles lightly. She tastes like a dream, and I never want to wake up. I’ve never been so attracted to someone in my life, and this firecracker is going to ruin me for anyone else.
Our tongues dance as our mouths meld together, and everything else fades away. I feel her chest rising and falling in quick breaths in rhythm to mine. The feel of her soft skin at her waist as her shirt raises slightly up drives me insane. She shivers at my touch, and I can feel myself growing more needy.
A voice clears behind us, and we slowly pull apart. I remember that we are standing in the middle of the Putt-Putt course. Looking over, I see Bradley looking at the ground embarrassed and Tammy with her hand covering her mouth, trying to suppress a giggle.