Chapter 30 Not Going Anywhere
NOT GOING ANYWHERE
“Here we are,” Matt said, sliding the key card into the slot of their hotel room on the top floor.
The two of them walked into the room on the Isle of Palms.
“Not really Charleston,” she said. “But even better. That view!”
She was running toward the glass doors that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean.
“We are only thirty minutes from Charleston,” he said. “We can check the city out tomorrow.”
“On July Fourth?” she asked. “It will be slammed.”
“It’s going to be on the beach too. But this is your weekend.”
She twirled around the room, her sun-kissed hair floating in the air around her, then rushed to hug him. “Our weekend. I can’t tell you how much I need this.”
“I think we needed it together,” he said, tucking her hair behind her ears. “I’d planned on telling you how I felt here. If I could get the words out of my mouth.”
She put a big smacking kiss on his lips. “You got them out easily enough in the car on the drive.”
“It felt as if it was the right time. And we know my timing of things hasn’t always been that great.”
She let out a quiet giggle. “It hasn’t, but it’s gotten so much better. I can’t wait to have some fun.”
He looked at his watch. “I had something I thought we could do. Tonight will be a good time to do it since it might rain later. I’m hoping the rain stays away and we’ll be able to see the fireworks from our balcony tomorrow night.”
“That’s perfect. What was it you wanted to do?”
“The fun park,” he said.
She pointed her finger. “Look at your face. You want to go back there so bad. You and whoever you brought with you that year kicked mine and Phoebe’s butt in everything. Every time I feel an ache in my neck I swear it was from you hitting me in the bumper cars.”
He laughed and picked her up. Her legs went around his waist for the tight hug.
“I remember that about this trip. It was Lonnie that came with us.”
“He was nice,” she said. “Much nicer to me than you were, but that’s because he had a crush on Phoebe.”
“What?! No, he didn’t.”
“Yes,” she said, “he did. You couldn’t see it, but Phoebe and I did. He was treating her the same way you were me. But he was nicer about it.”
“Phoebe has a good man in her life.”
He expected his sister might have found her match. He hoped for her that was the case.
“Elias seemed like a great guy,” she said. “I’m glad I found out after the fact who his brother was. That’s a bit hard to get around.”
“He’s just a guy. West is his brother who I’m sure I won’t cross paths with much.”
“Unless they get married,” she said. “Then you will for that. Or any other family things they might do.”
“True. But West lives in New York and though Elias’s mother lives in Fayetteville, I don’t believe he’s in this area much. Or not enough that his family would be part of it.”
She wiggled to get down. “It’s still intimidating if I’m with you and that happens.”
“You’ll be with me,” he said confidently. “You’re not going anywhere.”
She turned and squinted one eye at him.
Maybe his words came out a little harsh, but that hadn’t been the intent.
It was more about the two of them being in love and he’d be damned if he let something come between them.
“We can unpack later. I want to beat you at something today. Even if it’s only mini golf.”
“I might let you win there,” he said. “But Go-Karts are mine.”
“No bumper cars,” she said, her hand going to her neck. “I’m serious. It still hurts.”
His hands went to her shoulders and rubbed. “I’ll take care of it for you later.”
“I’m going to let you.”
She grabbed her purse, threw it over her head so it went across her body, then walked toward the door, pulled it open and held it for him.
“I take it you’re ready?”
“I am. I’m hungry too. Don’t suppose we can get some food on the way?”
“Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
“Don’t you know to never say that to a woman?” she said when they walked to the elevator.
“I’ve only ever said it to you and I’m not the least bit worried you’ll take advantage of it.”
She gazed up at him with those serious words.
It was the truth.
He’d never voiced them before. Never wanted to.
The fear that he was only wanted for his name and money had been too great.
But Anya was too stubborn for her own damn good to take advantage of anyone or anything.
“I wouldn’t. Ever. I hope you believe me.”
“I do,” he said, his hand sliding down the side of her cheek. “Just like you trust me, I believe and trust you.”
“Then believe this,” she said, stepping back when the elevator doors opened. “I’m going to trounce you. Victory will be mine.”
Any time they had a moment of tenderness, she backed away.
He didn’t know why. If she was uncomfortable with something so foreign, or she didn’t feel as deeply as he did.
The last thing he needed or wanted to do was overthink this though.
They were in a good spot and he’d keep reminding himself he could stick.
“Yes!” he said two hours later when he’d beat her at mini golf. He got right in her face and puffed his chest out, then pounded on it with his fist. “That’s how you do it.”
“Oh, my God, Matt. You thought I was competitive.”
“Hey,” he said, laughing. “You’ve been rubbing my face in every hole that you beat me and I haven’t done it once.”
They went back and forth the whole eighteen holes. First her, then him. It came down to the last hole and he was lucky enough to get his first and only hole in one.
She’d gotten three, but steady had won the race for him where she’d had a few bad holes.
“You’re right,” she said. “You’ve been a better sport than me. Until the end. Maybe I’ve missed the Mighty Matt too.”
He rolled his eyes. “Shhh. No one needs to see that here.”
He looked around at the teens and younger kids surrounding them.
“Really?” she asked. “You can put a show on like that over your win, but now you’re embarrassed by the nickname you gave yourself?”
His parents always said he’d need someone to put him in his place.
He was getting it and though it might be uncomfortable or embarrassing, he knew he wanted it as much as it was needed.
“Ahhhhhh.” He shook his arms out foolishly and had her laughing even harder. It wasn’t his intent. “Fine. You win.”
“We both did,” she said. “And now let’s see if I can at least beat you in something else.”
“You finished eating before me,” he said. “Doesn’t that count?”
The lines were crazy long when they got here, so they went to find food, got some sandwiches and sat down to fill up.
She devoured it as if she hadn’t eaten in days rather than almost five hours prior at his parents’ house.
“It might be the only victory I get, but I’m holding onto some hope.”
“Where to next?” he asked.
“The shortest line,” she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him along.
When he was seventeen, he would have loved for her to do this. Experiencing it fifteen years later was good enough.
“I’m exhausted,” he said when they finally returned to the hotel room close to ten. “You’ve got so much energy.”
They’d left at eight thirty, got a late dinner and drove back here.
It’d been nonstop since he rolled out of bed and picked her up at her apartment, then drove to his parents.
They had a pleasant conversation in the car, but not much about their future.
He supposed it was too much to ask for that.
Normally he took things slow and if he was learning one thing from all his mistakes, it was not to push Anya.
“I think the excitement of my first vacation in so long fed it. I want to do and see as much as I can, but honestly, a beach day sounds good too.”
“I’m glad you think that,” he said, flopping on his back on the bed with his arms out wide. “I need a shower but have to get off my feet.”
“There is a nice big shower in there. How about we take one together?”
She grabbed his arm and pulled him to a sitting position.
“I could be persuaded,” he said. “As long as you ask nothing else of me.”
“Boy,” she said, using both her arms to get him to stand. “I didn’t know I was going to get a boring dud on my vacation.”
“I’ll make you pay for that later. When I’ve got more energy.”
“You better.”
They walked to the bathroom, she turned the shower on and they both undressed, then stepped in.
She’d piled her hair in a messy bun when they got in his car to drive back.
He dunked his head and let the water wash over him, blocking the spray from her.
She slipped in front of him, got wet, then lathered up, and handed him the soap behind her.
Once she was rinsed off, they swapped positions for him to do the same.
“Want to wash my back?” he asked.
She laughed but grabbed the soap and ran her hands over his back, his ass and down the back of his legs.
When he turned to rinse off, his dick was standing firm.
“Guess you’re not as tired as you complained you were,” she said.
“I’m in a shower with a naked woman who was rubbing her hands all over my body. I’m tired but not dead.”
“Let’s see if I can wear you out then,” she said, dropping to her knees in front of him.
He wasn’t given much more of a warning before her mouth closed over him, her hands moving to his balls to massage.
She was doing more licking than sucking and he found the light feather touch more arousing than anything they’d done in the past.
Her tongue had the barest of contact on the tip of his dick. If he wasn’t watching her motions, he might not be aware it was happening with the water and the heat in the shower.
But there she was, on her knees, lapping him up as if she was catching a fragile drop from him she wanted to savor all night long.
She glanced up. “Are you enjoying this?”
“Very much,” he said.
“Hang on then.”
“What?”
She went down deep and sucked hard.
Jesus!
It was as if she found another gear and hit the gas as she was passing every other step to get to the end.
Her head was bobbing up and down, the messy bun on her head wobbling side to side, stray strands falling everywhere.
He wanted to tell her to slow down, but he was positive she wouldn’t listen.
When her fist wrapped around his cock to match the rhythm of her mouth, he knew he was done.
“Anya,” he said. His voice was harsh in his ears. “You need to stop soon.”
She shook her head as he expected she would.
He gave her a warning and it was the best he could do.
His legs were shaking. He was on the verge of something major. Something deep.
Whatever energy he’d built cooling off in the shower was going to be sapped.
Her other hand cupped his balls. He was done. He shot straight into her mouth, his jaw tight, his fist clenched.
She didn’t slow down. Didn’t stop. Didn’t spit anything out.
She swallowed and then swallowed some more, sucking the entire time.
He actually slumped against the wall to gather himself.
Anya let go of him and sat back on her heels.
Her arms went up in the air, a smile filled her face. “Victory is mine!”