14. Jeremiah
Chapter 14
Jeremiah
I almost blew it earlier, letting it slip in front of Ryan that I noticed Amberlee’s body. I could see the steam coming out of his ears. He was pissed. If looks could kill, I’d be dead right now.
His anger blew over quickly, though. No police had to be called. It does make me worry about when I do confess to him how I feel about his sister. Will it ruin the friendship we’ve had since meeting in basic training? God, I hope not.
I make my way out of the water with Ryan and head in Maddy’s direction. She’s lying on one of those beach loungers under a large ass umbrella. Ryan spent over a hundred dollars to rent it for the day because he didn’t want her getting overheated or worse, sunburned.
He drops down beside her and shakes his hair. The cool water sprays her stomach and she shrieks but quickly starts laughing. Ryan leans down, pressing his lips to her bare stomach, and I have to look away, feeling as if I’m intruding on a private moment.
Shifting my gaze, look for Angel and RJ, knowing they should be nearby since Maddy was keeping an eye on them. I find them just a little way down the beach, excitedly running in and out of the waves as they hold Amberlee’s hands.
My mind runs wild, thoughts of what it would be like if we were married with her belly swollen with my child—her natural curves accentuated by the glow of motherhood. I’m so caught up in my fantasy, I don’t see the volleyball flying at my face until it hits me right in the nose, causing me to stumble back a little.
A young, attractive, dark-haired girl with copper skin jogs in my direction. Her average sized breasts bounce heavily and I'm afraid one of them is going to break free from the tiny pieces of rectangular fabric covering them. I can already hear the Karen’s squawking.
“I’m so sorry.” She bats her eyes quickly. “I’m Katie.”
“It’s okay.”
“Are you sure? What’s your name?” She pushes her chest out as she flips her hair. Does this really work on men? Did I fall for antics like this before?
“Positive. If you’ll excuse me.” I didn’t want to give my name because I’ll never see her again.
She steps in front of me, causing me to stop.
“Why are you rushing off?” Her voice begins to grate on my nerves.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Amberlee staring in my direction, the smile that was once on her face now gone. Why is she mad all of a sudden? She can’t possibly think I’m interested in this girl, right?
A small spark of hope springs within me at that realization. If she is pissed at me for talking to this woman, that means that maybe she’s interested in me. This is exactly what I needed to solidify my suspicions and push me forward in my plan to pursue her. Now I know the truth, even if she thinks she can keep it hidden from me.
Amberlee Michaels will be mine.
She looks away, and it’s then I feel the tips of the woman’s fingers gliding down my chest as her voice pulls me back to the here and now.
“Sorry, but I’m not interested,” I say as I pull away from her and head to the woman of my dreams. Why would I want an apple, when the whole pie is right in front of me and I know it’ll taste so much sweeter?
My mouth salivates, dreaming of how sweet she’ll taste on my tongue.
“Hey, Daddy! Look at our castle,” Angel shrieks as she rushes toward me, kicking up the wet sand right into RJ and Amberlee’s faces before leaping into my arms.
I catch her mid jump, her laughter tickling my ear.
“It’s the best castle I’ve ever seen. I think we should take a picture. Why don’t you run over to the blanket and get my phone for me, please?”
“Okay,” she answers as I set her back down on the ground and she takes off with a jolt.
“She has a lot of energy.” Amberlee laughs, brushing the sand off as best she can.
“Too much sometimes.” I turn my head back to Angel, checking on what she’s doing and that she’s okay, before looking back to Amberlee.
Her eyes are roaming my body as she bites her lip and I want to fist pump the air. She’s just given me more confirmation without realizing it.
It’s then she looks up and notices me watching, realizing I’ve caught her. Her cheeks pinken as she drops her eyes to the ground.
“RJ does too. It’s the one thing I’ve noticed since being around him more,” she says softly.
“These days all I do is wish for her to take a nap so I can. My mom laughs at me now when I tell her she was right about what she said when I was younger and fought nap time. She would always say when I got older, I’d love to take naps. And I do.” I chuckle and shake my head.
Amberlee bursts into laughter.
“If it makes you feel better, you’re not the only one to say that. You should’ve heard how many of my students' parents felt the same way.” She drops to her knees, kneeling by the sand castle, her hands placed limply on her thighs, the placement of her arms pressing her breasts together. The image of her in my bedroom, sitting like that, peering up at me through her eyelashes, has my cock twitching.
“It does actually, knowing that I’m not alone. So, can I help with the castle?”
“Sure,” she whispers hesitantly. “If you want some time alone with the kids, I can go join Maddy and Ryan.”
Absolutely not. That’s the last thing I want.
“No, stay, have fun with us. It’ll be like we’re a little family.” At my words, her face blushes and I love it. It seems I affect Amberlee just as much as she does me. However, unlike me, she just needs a little pushing, and I plan to be just the person to do it.
Angel chooses that moment to come bouncing back, phone in hand, eager to take a picture to remember the castle they made.
“Here you go, Daddy.” She says gleefully, handing it to me.
Taking it out of the plastic baggy I put it in earlier. I take a couple pictures of just the castle itself.
“How about one with the creators of the castle?”
“Yes!” RJ and Angel squeal at the same time as each of them takes a spot on either side of Amberlee.
I take the photo, taking a moment to look at it. Beautiful doesn’t do her justice. Her breathtaking looks are far more exceptional in person than in a picture. Just for good measure, I take a couple more before the kids are back to eagerly working on their creation. Before I put my phone back in my bag, I take a moment to crop one of the pictures, making her and Angel my new screensaver.
I can’t wait to see her expression when I show her.
“Aunt Lee Lee, can you help me?” RJ tugs on her arm, pulling her gaze from the ocean.
We spend the next thirty minutes constructing the most magnificent castle anyone has ever laid eyes on. It's a comfortable conversation, mostly with the kids than with each other, but it’s slow progress. She didn’t run away when she could have.
Angel and RJ soon get bored with the castle building and run toward the ocean.
“No going in alone!” I shout.
“We won’t!” Angel yells.
Amberlee sits there, biting on her bottom lip and all I want to do is kiss her. To taste her lips on mine, replacing the vision I imagined with the real thing. She pulls her knees to her chest, letting her toes dig into the wet sand, and picks up a shell near her, looking at it.
“It’s beautiful, but doesn’t hold a candle to you.”
“Huh,” she coughs, clearing her throat.
“You heard me, I said, you’re beautiful, Amberlee. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that? If not, they're idiots.”
“Thank you.” She drops the shell to the ground and wraps her arms around her legs, softly humming.
Is it a tic? Am I making her nervous? Uncomfortable?
Turning my head, I check on the kids and find them splashing in the water. Maddy and Ryan have now joined them. I want to push Amberlee harder, see if I can get her to loosen up and confess her feelings, but I can’t. Not with Ryan so close.
“I’m going to go join them.” She jumps and jogs toward them, leaving me sitting alone with the castle and my dreams. The only bright side is the view of her amazing ass as she walks away.
I watch them all play together. Ryan and Amberlee, taking turns swinging the kids into the water, all of them laughing. A family. Complete.
That’s what I want. A wife and mother for Angel, and more children. I don’t want it with just anyone, though. Amberlee is the only one I see a future with. All my visions of what I want, include her.
Standing up, I swat the sand off my ass and legs and head toward them.
“Hey man, we were just talking about heading back to the hotel and getting cleaned up. Maybe hit the strip before the kids need to go to bed,” Ryan says as he swings RJ back and forth into the water.
“Daddy, swing me.” Angel takes hold of my hands, pulling me further into the water.
“Okay, sweetheart, but just a couple of times,” I tell her. I guess I should have reprimanded her for cutting in when adults were talking, but she’s excited and I’m a big softie with her. I turn back to Ryan.
“Yeah, sounds good. I’ve worked up an appetite. What do you say we give them ten more minutes to play, then we go?”
“Hear that, kids? Ten minutes, then no complaining. I’m talking to you, RJ.” I can’t help but laugh at how RJ rolls his eyes at his father’s words. Ryan sets him down, letting go of his hands so he can run along the beach.
“You know, I’m tired. I might just order in some food and go to bed,” Amberlee steps up beside Ryan and whispers.
His jaw drops, and he looks at her in disbelief.
“Sleep? No way sister, the night is young and we’re hitting the strip. We’re going to Ripley’s, buy some ridiculously priced trinkets, take some old-timey photos, and then, and only then, can you go to sleep.”
That’s right, Ryan, tell her how it’s going to be. There’s no way she’s dipping out tonight. I want every chance I can to get close to her. By the end of this weekend, I want to go to Ryan, confess how I feel for his sister, and ask for permission to date her. I would rather say marry but, not yet. That’s my end game.