Nude Beach

Why oh why hadn't she heeded their warnings. Maybe if she had listened, she wouldn't be in this predicament. Trish slammed the office door shut behind her and with excruciating pain, slid off her light summer jacket and sunglasses. A whole day in the sun with no sunscreen had left her pale skin blistering and red. Dante warned her not to go in the sun that long. But as usual, she didn't give a shit what he was warning her about.

Now every inch of her was scorched from the day at the beach. She untied her cover skirt and let it fall to the ground as she carefully inched her way up the stairs. It hurt to walk. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. Damn the sun and its disregard for those who aren't used to its curse.

Trish made it to the top of the staircase and then into the bathroom. She flicked the light and hobbled her way to turn the cold-water lever on the bathtub all the way to the left. She felt a little better just looking at the cooling comfort. She carefully peeled off her sandy black bikini. She cringed as each grain of sand scraped against her damaged skin.

With the bathtub full of frigid water, Trish stepped into the chilling liquid. A little uncomfortable, but refreshing, she sat into the deep water with sharp gasps at the cold. Settled in, she let out a sigh and closed her eyes. The water caressed her sore burns and red skin, but her face still burned like a stove. With a deep inhale; she fell face first into the water.

Dante walked into the Devil Never Cry with a bounce in his step, flipping carelessly through their mail. Something soft was beneath his feet. He hadn't remembered getting a carpet. He looked down to see that he was stepping on Trish's coat. "Shit." He cringed as he picked it up and shook it out, whistling and glancing around the office. No sign of her. He breathed a sigh of relief as he tossed the coat back onto the floor.

He walked around to his desk and laid out the mail. He opened a bill and concentrated on the amount shown. Something pulled at his eyes. Somehow knowing it was there, Dante looked over to the small skirt lying at the base of the stairs. A small chuckle crept from his throat. He let the bills fall and smiled as he hopped up the steps two at a time.

"Oh Trish!" He called. He peeked his head into her bedroom. "Hope I'm not interrupting you—" An empty room. His smirk turned to a scowl. "Hmm." He looked down the hall and saw the bathroom door open a crack. "Heh heh heh. Mind if I join you?" He whispered barely touching his knuckles to the door. "Guess she can't hear me." He pushed open the door with a wide grin on his face.

His eyes suddenly widened with fear at seeing Trish face down in the bathtub, hair floating on the surface. "Christ!" In his haste to rush to her, he slipped on the wet items of clothes on the tiled floor and went skidding into the rim of the bathtub. He recovered and in one swift movement, grabbed a hold of her arms and pulled her upright.

Trish whipped her head back out of the water. "MotherofGoddonttouchme!" She wrenched her arms free, instantly feeling the sting vibrating through her fragile arms. "Christ! What the hell!" She tried to steady her breathing and move her dripping hair out of her face.

Dante sat there stunned, half soaking himself. "I thought—I thought you were drowning." He shook his stupor.

"And so you pry my arms off!"

"I thought you were unconscious!" He defended.

"Well I'm obviously not!" She took a deep breath. There was an awkward silence. Trish looked around the room, they both looked down at her small frame half submerged in the water. "Kinda naked." She stated.

Dante half smiled. "Well it looks like I got my clothes wet for nothing." He looked down at his black shirt and pants.

"Well I wouldn't say for nothing." Trish reached out, grabbing a hold of him and pulled him into the large bathtub with her. Water went splashing everywhere.

"Shit that's cold!" He tried to wriggle away.

Trish pushed Dante further down and straddled him. "Don't be such a baby." She leaned in, giving him a wet kiss. "Thank you." She smiled.

Dante settled into the water, feet hanging over the edge. "For what?"

"Getting your clothes wet."

He grinned. "Thank you for being wet." He ran a hand down her thigh.

She tensed painfully and sharply inhaled. "Just don't touch me." She squeaked.

"Well that's going to make this difficult then." He raised an eyebrow.

Trish shook her head. "No difficulty needed." She gave him a quick kiss and jumped off of him, standing back on dry land.

"Wha—what are you doing?" Dante asked with a dumbstruck expression on his face.

"I'm in too much pain. And you're not known for a 'gentle touch'."

He smiled smugly. "And what did I say about the sun and sunscreen?"

Trish smiled coyly. "Enjoy your cold bath." She grabbed a towel and sauntered out.

"Trish!" Dante sighed to himself in the newly vacant bathroom. "If only she'd listened to me…" He looked down. "We'd all the happy."

End