13. Aida
I can’t even believeI’ve agreed to hang out with Ben again tonight. I have no idea who I am. This is so not like me, but I also told myself this would be a relaxing and lowkey summer. Spending time with a party boy who I’ll never see again does seem pretty lowkey. No strings attached.
Can I even do a no-strings-attached thing?
I nod to myself as I slip on a sundress, my bikini still on underneath since Ben didn’t really give me an idea of what we’ll be doing.
It’s not like we’ve ever been on a date, and it doesn’t seem like he’s the type of guy to plan one anyway. I guess we did have just one date if you count the date Miriam cooked up without our knowledge. And I have to say, it was a great date until Ben puked in the parking lot. I’m never going to let him live that down.
Thinking about that fake date and what happened in the parking lot after, and I don’t mean the puking, but Ben’s admittance that he wanted to kiss me has my heart fluttering like a teenage girl. I wanted to kiss him too, and as gross as it sounds now, I probably would have. I was drunk.
Shrugging it off, I take one last look at myself in the mirror, admiring the way the sun has tanned my skin and lightened my hair. Summer looks good on me.
I head over to Ben’s, his house is still quiet with all his friends missing and his partying dying down, but I’m sure as soon as the Fourth comes, it will be packed. I can’t even imagine the epic party he’s going to throw since it’s been a while since he’s had the chance.
But that gives me an idea to settle up our little competition we’ve had going since I got here. I’m going to throw an epic Fourth of July party too and totally win this war.
I might not know many people on the island. Okay, I really don’t know anyone, but I have Miriam, and while she’s Ben’s grandma, she’s also like the mayor of this town. She loves me, and I can see her wanting to help me out with this, especially if it means that I’ll be spending time with Ben. She’s keen to get him a girlfriend, and I can roll with that if it means winning.
“Hey,” Ben says, pulling open the door before I can even knock. “Thought we could watch the sunset with some drinks and snacks.”
He holds up a basket which I assume is holding the snacks, and it doesn’t surprise me that he’s offering drinks too, although, after the shrimp incident, I’d think he’d have sworn off drinking.
“You sure you want to drink again?” I ask teasingly as we make our way through the house and out to the back deck that overlooks the water.
“I blame the shrimp for that incident, not the alcohol,” Ben says, looking over his shoulder at me, a perfect smile on his face, his eyes nearly shining in the low sunlight.
“You did eat fifty-one pieces, but just to remind you, I ate fifty and didn’t puke, so maybe it was you,” I joke, and he lets out a hearty laugh, shaking his head.
“I still claim victory on that one, and I’m getting better at yoga every time we go,” Ben replies, making his way down the steps and out toward the water.
“I think…” I start, but my thoughts are interrupted when I see that Ben has set up a blanket and some pillows on the sand just a few steps from his house. “Did you do this?” I furrow my brows, looking at him, a cheeky smile on his face.
“What? Did you think my grandma came over and set this up?” he asks, winking at me. “I thought it might be nice to do something that wasn’t organized by a lady in her seventies. Don’t get me wrong, dinner was great last night, but this will be better.”
“Oh my god, Ben, are you trying to one-up your grandma now too?” I ask, laughing. “You really can’t lose, can you?”
With that cheeky, handsome smile on his face, he motions for me to sit down, and I do, waiting for him to sit next to me.
We both settle in, the sun just beginning to settle itself low in the sky. We probably have at least another fifteen minutes before it’s fully set, timing this perfectly. The beach looks beautiful, basked in the glow of the setting sun, and the blanket and pillows Ben has out couldn’t be more comfortable.
I lean back, resting against the pillows, enjoying the warm night air as Ben crosses his arms behind his head, leaning back and getting comfortable too.
“She needs to be knocked down a few pegs,” Ben eventually replies, laughing. “After that set up at the restaurant, she deserves some payback.”
“You didn’t have a good time? I thought you said you did?” I question, turning so I can look at him, propped up on my elbow.
“I had a great time, Aida,” Ben murmurs, his words quietly lost in the sounds of the waves lapping at the shore. He leans in closer, my heartbeat kicking up a few notches as I feel the warmth of his body radiating between us. “I have to ask you something,” he now says, and I can feel the vibration of his words within my body, humming softly, calling to me.
“Yes?” I whisper, my word a quiet plea. Swallowing hard, I shift so our bodies are practically touching. Ben’s shirt shifts, exposing his tanned stomach, his ab muscles calling out for me to run my fingers over them.
He makes me nervous and excited and desperate, and I can’t remember the last time I felt this way in the presence of a guy.
I wet my lips, taking in a ragged breath, our bodies so close together, and I close my eyes, taking in the smell of the ocean mixed with Ben’s intoxicating smell of fruit and sea salt. How the hell does he smell this damn good, and how the hell have I been able to turn him down?
Without thinking about it, my hands reach out, taking hold of Ben’s shirt, my fingers run along his warm taut skin, savoring the exhilaration of this moment that’s passing between us.
“Can I kiss you now?” he asks, and my eyes fall to his mouth, his tongue slipping out, wetting his lips.
My words are caught in my throat, desperate to moan out a “yes” just as Ben’s hand slides over my hip, his fingers making their way down to the hem of my dress.
“I want to kiss you, Aida, so fucking badly,” His nose trails along my jaw and I let out a breathy, desperate sigh. But it’s when his tongue, warm and wet, drags lightly along my neck, that I nearly lose it. The moan that falls from my mouth is almost embarrassing, but Ben doesn’t stop there, and I can feel my body warming from the inside, my cheeks on fire.
Nipping gently, Ben’s mouth begins to suck on the hard beat of my pulse, like he’s savoring the taste of my skin.
My eyes flutter open when he pulls away, leaving me bereft and wanting to pull him to me and kiss him with all the desperation I feel pooling between my legs. His eyes are two deep pools of blue and I want to drown in them, let them take me under as the ocean in front of us would.
“Aida,” Ben whispers, his eyes focused on my lips, the warmth of his breath peppering my skin.
“Yes?” I question again, wondering if he’s playing with me. Is this some kind of game, a competition to see who caves first?
Newsflash…it’s going to be me.
I’ll lose this one if it means kissing Ben right here, right now.
Ben’s hand cradles my cheek, pulling me closer to him. He brushes his thumb over my already swollen lips. He hasn’t even kissed me, and my lips feel like they’ve been mauled and maimed, and in this moment, I would do anything to have him kiss me.
I want to lean in and kiss him, but my body is frozen, hostage to the hold he has on me, and I hold my breath as Ben’s hands slide into my hair.
Here we are, on this gorgeous beach, the sunset glowing the most amazing shades of red and pink and orange, and Ben is about to kiss me. It’s going to be something I remember for the rest of my life.
As soon as our lips touch, we both let out a groan that I swear could be heard for at least a mile down the beach. The tip of Ben’s tongue traces my bottom lip and I open, letting his tongue tangle with mine. I’m desperate for air, but I don’t dare stop this kiss between us.
It’s the kind of kiss you read about in romance novels, the kind of kiss girls long for, the kind of kiss that will go down in history as the best I’ve ever been kissed.
Holy shit, Ben’s lips are soft, but firm, desperate, but gentle, and out here on the beach, they could make a fucking movie about this damn kiss. It would be the main character.
Ben pulls me closer, his arms wrapping around my waist, falling back, he takes me with him so my body is resting on top of his. I can feel his hard-on pressing into my hip, and I move against him, all desire pooling between my legs.
Things are about to get really interesting and I’m all for it.
“Mommy, eww!” Suddenly someone screams, startling both Ben and me, and we pull away from each other, my heart slamming into my chest so hard I can hear it in my ears. “Those people were kissing!”
This little girl is standing ridiculously close to the blanket, her chubby little finger pointing at us with a disgusted look painted on her face. She can’t be more than five and she has really nailed that judgmental look. Not only does she not understand personal space, but she also doesn’t understand that she’s not my mother. Judgy little shit.
My body is still lying across Ben’s, his hands resting on my ass, and if I move, this grossed out kid and her mom will get a view of Ben’s hard-on pitching a tent in his boardshorts.
“This is a public beach!” a woman’s voice shouts, and when Ben and I look over, she’s standing a few feet from us, her hands on her hips, her daughter now standing by her side covering her eyes. “How dare you!”
I’m trying to think of something to say, but before I do, Ben is yanking me up off the blanket, running back toward the house, practically dragging me behind him.
“Ben, that woman was so pissed. I hope she doesn’t know your grandma,” I lament, embarrassed by that kid catching us making out on the beach. Honestly though, that kid would be lucky if she gets a kiss like that in her life.
“Everyone knows my grandma,” Ben replies, shaking his head as he starts laughing. “Damn that kid. I was about to—” His words are cut off just like our kiss was when someone says, “There you are!”
It’s a voice I know way too well, and my head whips around to look at where it’s coming from. “Amanda?” I question, confused as to why my sister would be here, but I’m certain it’s her voice.
“Yes Amanda!” she calls back and that’s when I see her standing outside of the house I’m staying in. She’s waving to me, the lights of the deck glowing.
“Oh my god! What are you doing here?” I scream, way too excited to see her.
“Surprise!” she yells. “I wanted to surprise you and come visit for a couple of days. I don’t have long, but I’m here!”
I run to her, giving her a hug, totally forgetting that I’ve left Ben standing there. Hopefully, his hard-on has settled down or introducing him to my sister is going to be awkward.
But when I turn around, Ben is heading into his house.
“Ben,” I call, and he turns to look at me. “I want you to meet my sister.”
“Go ahead and catch up with your sister,” he says, smiling at me, and I don’t push it, figuring he is still nursing that hard-on or at least some blue balls. “I’ll meet her tomorrow.”
Squealing as I return to where Amanda is standing, we go up the deck stairs and into the house. I can’t believe she’s here. It feels like a dream and even if she only has a couple of days, it’ll be good to catch up with her.
“This house,” Amanda groans out, spinning around in the oversized living room that’s off the back deck. “I can’t believe you get to stay here for the summer.” She looks around a little more, going back out onto the deck to take in the ocean view.
“Yeah, it’s pretty damn amazing,” I say, joining her. “The island is so cute, and everyone is so friendly. It’s like Gilmore Girls on the beach. All small town, coffee shops and ice cream.”
“And who was that?” Amanda asks, tossing a thumb in the direction of Ben’s house. Her brows go up as she waits for me to answer.
“That was Ben.”
“Wait, is that the guy you called the police on? The one I told you to stay away from?” she wails, covering her face with her hands.
“Yes, but…” I stop talking when Amanda begins playing around with the telescope on the deck. “What are you doing? I think that’s just for looking at boats… Amanda!”
I watch her turn the telescope so it’s now facing Ben’s house, right into the massive windows that face my side of the house.
“I just want to get a little sneaky look at him,” she whispers, trying to make some adjustments to the telescope as if she knows what she’s doing.
“Oh my god, you’re a Peeping Tom,” I whisper-shout. “What is a girl peeping tom called?” I ask, sounding like an idiot, but it’s a legit question.
Amanda looks over her shoulder at me, shrugging, she responds with, “I don’t know. Peeping Thomasina?” She turns back to the telescope, pressing her eye to it, and then she gasps out loud.
She reaches out behind her, grabbing onto me, she tugs me down until we’re both lying flat on our stomachs on the deck.
“He’s right there,” she whispers, her voice holding back the laugh I know is coming. This is so typical of my sister. “He was looking right at me.”
Shit.