25 - My Sundown

ASHLEY

"Ashley!" Kyla slammed the door behind her and leaned against it, breathing heavily.

"What?" I jumped and peered around the bathroom wall to get a better glimpse of her. "What's wrong?"

"I," she cleared her throat, "I forgot to call Julian."

"Oh," I frowned and waved my hand towards the phone, "well call him." I finished tying up the back of my bikini top and started to put lotion on myself.

"I can't!" Kyla hissed and moved to the bathroom doorway.

"Why? Is he at work late?" I asked, looking at her.

"Well, no." She pouted and moved back to sit on the bed. "I just, it feels weird."

"What does?" I laughed and shook my head.

"Knowing that I have a husband to go home too!" Kyla whined and threw herself back on the bed.

"I knew you were too young for marriage!" I hissed and threw a pillow at her. "What is going on anyway?"

"I licahrmon." She muffled through the pillows.

"You what?" I started to get annoyed.

"I like Carmen." She breathed, her face red.

"And?" I raised an eyebrow. "She's sweet, sexy, very likable." I nodded and went back to applying my lotion.

"You don't get it," Kyla said seriously, "I really wanted to grab her today and kiss the fuck out of her."

The plastic bottle dropped from my hands and onto the hollow floor. I stared at her and shook my head. "You want to reword that sentence?"

"No!" Kyla screeched. "I did! I really wanted to grab her in that shop and just, I really really like her."

"Maybe you're just feeling bad? You know, wanting to console her."

"No," Kyla shook her head and wrung her hands nervously, "this is different. This is like that time I really wanted to kiss Spencer that one morning she brought you coffee in high school."

I smirked. I knew it.

"And if Spencer hadn't walked in at the shop earlier, I'm sure I would've," she looked at my confused face, "she's closing for Carmen by the way."

I nodded and sat beside her on the bed. "So you like Carmen?"

"Yeah. She's a really great person with a big heart. She's Carmen, you know? I haven't known her for as long as Spencer has but I bet I'm feeling more than Spencer ever will." Kyla looked scared. "I think I want to go home."

"Kyla…" I frowned.

"No, seriously. You can stay here, but I think I need to go home and be with the guy I married months ago." Kyla hopped off the bed and started to pack her clothes in a panicked state.

"Wait," I grabbed her wrist softly, "does Carmen know how you feel?"

"No!" She gasped. "And she never will."

--

I played with the stem, rolling it between my fingers as I watched her close the last shop window. She finally noticed me and smiled, making her way over to where I was standing.

I handed her the rose and kissed her on the cheek. "I've missed you today."

Spencer smelled the rose and grinned even wider. "I've missed you too." She waved the rose in front of me and raised an eyebrow. "Do friends usually give friends, roses?"

"You're a special friend." I crinkled my nose in a smile and she blushed, looking away. "I can wait while you finish closing up."

Spencer nodded and made her way back to the shop. Instead of locking the door, she went in and came out a few minutes later with two surfboards under her arms.

"Oh no no." I shook my head while she rolled her eyes.

"Come on, you leave the day after tomorrow and I've yet to show you how to surf!" Spencer pleaded, locking up the shop behind her, handing me a smaller surfboard. "I'm not saying I'm the best teacher or surfer, but still."

How could I refuse that pout?

"Fine." I smiled and shook my head, laughing, "but if I drown, I'm coming back to haunt you."

"Oh please do." Spencer teased and placed her board in the sand before stripping out of her clothes. I felt my eyes darken as more of her skin was exposed and I noticed she wasn't wearing board shorts for once. I inhaled deeply and looked away. "Ash?" She chuckled and pointed to my tank top and skirt, "you may want to lose the clothing unless you plan on surfing in your clothes."

"What if I was naked underneath?" I mocked and she raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, whatever you're comfortable with," Spencer smirked and moved closer, "just strip."

Oh. Yea… okay. I could do that.

I quickly discarded my clothes and stood there openly in my own bikini.

"Great," Spencer's eyes openly roamed up and down my body, "now let's get wet!"

Way ahead of you, babe.

--

"This is the last time I let you teach me to surf." I gasped, spitting water out of my mouth as Spencer sat on her board, laughing at me.

"That was a pretty sick wipe out." She chuckled and smirked as I scowled at her. "Oh don't be like that," she jumped off her board and held mine steady as I hoisted myself onto it.

Spencer steadied herself and jumped up, landing on my board as well. She ran her fingers through her wet hair and basked in the sunlight as it gazed down upon her with golden rays.

How could I let her go?

Ever.

"Had enough of me yet?" I asked, watching the water drops bead up and roll down her skin.

"Never." Spencer said as she opened her eyes, blinking to focus.

"I meant my wipeouts." I chuckled.

"Nah," she giggled and swung a leg over, straddling the board with me, "I had fun."

"Me too." I said in all honesty.

"Good." She grinned and it felt good to know that I was getting know another side of Spencer that was new and exciting.

"The sun is setting." I whispered, squinting as the orange colour of the planet began to slowly dip lower in the sky.

"It's beautiful." Spencer commented, not budging. I felt her fingers thread through mine as she scooted closer. "I remember that one time when we watched the sun set in silence. It was amazing, wasn't it?" She looked at me and I felt my breath catch in my throat. She was so gorgeous.

"It was." I agreed quietly and licked my lips. "Hey, thank you for the surf lessons."

"There will be more," Spencer teased and sighed, blinking slowly, "but for now I think we're done."

"Did you want to head in?" I asked gently, motioning towards the shore.

Spencer shook her head and squeezed my fingers. "Not yet."

Our heads turned in the direction of the setting sun, feeling the warmth of it slowly start to dissipate. Goosebumps were evident on our skin but we remained still.

"Ashley?" Spencer finally whispered through the soft breeze, breaking our silence and stillness.

"Hmm?" I looked at her and noticed she was closer then she was before. Her face was lined up against mine and then I felt fingers on my cheek, warming my whole body instantly.

"I still think about this," she whispered before her lips were on mine gently. I welcomed the feeling with a surprised yet pleasurable sigh. Her bottom lip moved between my own as my top lip rested between hers. My heart slammed hard in my chest, wanting to believe that it was real.

That she was really kissing me in the ocean on a surfboard at sunset.

We scooted closer together as lips caressed softly, getting reacquainted and I knew Spencer's taste would never change and it never faded.

I dreamed of tasting her again for the longest time. Not in a kiss that was goodbye, but in a kiss that was full of surprises and promises of a better future.

The board swayed in the waves that surrounded us but lips never parted. Soft fingertips pressed into the muscles on the back of my neck as she slanted her lips, deepening the kiss slightly.

Our tongues touched briefly before shyly pulling away but lips remained sealed. Pushing, pulling, caressing and needing. The wind picked up and only when I felt Spencer shiver, I pulled back, gasping for air. Not because I was out of breath but because I was starved for so long without her taste and touch. I wanted more.

Spencer seemed to have felt the same way as she pulled me back in the slow, wet and deep sensual kiss. Fingertips grazed every inch of exposed skin, pulling moans and sighs from bodies that rocked in the ocean softly.

Finally she pulled back, her forehead pressed against mine. "Wow," she breathed and licked her swollen lips, her eyes glancing back down to mine.

"Wow." I copied and closed my eyes, trying to conceal the deep feelings inside that were threatening to spill.

"I imagined what it would be like," she whispered hotly against my lips, "what it'd feel like when we shared our first new kiss." She bit her lip. "Nothing could ever measure up to that."

"I know the feeling." I whispered back, sliding my hands over her back and feeling the goosebumps rise even further. "We should head in and warm up."

"It's dark." Spencer observed the sun that had now set and was replaced by a moon that was gracing its presence in the sky above, along with the million stars that surrounded it.

"I'll keep you safe," I offered, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"I know." Spencer smiled and bit her lip. "But let's head in anyway, it's a little chilly."

Even though my insides were on fire, I had to admit on the outside I was a little cold as well.

Once we reached the shore, Spencer grabbed my hand as we ran to the direction of her condo.

I saw her in the corner of my eye. She was standing by her shop and I knew she saw the whole thing. But then I saw another figure and I knew who it was. Kyla grabbed Carmen's hand and lead her away from the shop into the opposite direction.

"Do friends kiss like that?" Spencer asked as she opened the door to her condo, grabbing a towel and handing it to me. "Cause," she bit her lip, "I really want to do that again."

I cupped the back of her neck and pressed her against the island of the counter, my lips covering her own in a deep, short kiss. "God your lips are addictive," I groaned and Spencer echoed the groan, her hands clutching my hips when I started to trail light kisses down her jaw.

"We need to stop," she gasped when my lips hit the sensitive spot behind her ear, "Ashley…"

"I know." I allowed my head to fall against her shoulder, holding her tight against me. "It's just been so long, I'm afraid this is a dream."

"Me too," Spencer whispered, her hands in my hair, stroking the salty tangles away, "but it's not. You know how I know?"

"How?" I blinked.

"Because for the first time in years," she whispered against my ear, "I feel alive."

--