The better part of the morning Lexi noticed that if she went in the house, Steve would go out, if she went out, he would find something to occupy his time rather than with her. She couldn't find anything to do, so she cleaned the inside from top to bottom and when that was done she sat on the picnic table out front and looked at the ocean, trying not to get in his way.
Sometime around noon, he came out with a spear gun that Keha had left for him. "I'm going to go down and see if I can catch something. You should come with me."
She noticed his gun handle sticking out of the blanket he was carrying, "Ok," she agreed, "can I change really quick?"
He nodded and sat on the picnic table waiting for her. After speaking with Danny the day before and the message earlier, he was hoping this thing could get cleared up. He hated avoiding her and he hated more that she had begun to walk on eggshells around him, it made him feel like shit. She came out of the house in one of Malia's T-shirts and red bikini bottoms. He had too take a second glance. Her appearance reminded him of a model on the cover of a brochure for some exotic vacation resort.
He pushed off the table and started toward the beach.
She followed behind him and was hoping the invitation was going to be for some conversation as well, but like the rest of the day he was silent. The gesture was only because he wanted to keep her close, just incase.
When they got to the beach he set the blanket down by the rocks, "I won't be very long or very far out. It gets deep pretty quick and the fish will be hanging around these boulders and the reef."
She nodded her understanding, making eye contact with him, hoping she would see the same kindness she did the night before. He turned away too quickly for her to see anything.
She leaned against the rock wall and watched as he assembled the spear gun. It was obvious he had used one before because the materials were assembled in seconds.
"I'm sorry about last night," she blurted out.
He looked up at her, confused. "What did you do last night?"
She in turn looked at him bewildered. "Waking you up, falling asleep in your bed."
"You were scared, there's nothing wrong with that."
"Then why have you been so quite all day?" she asked, "You seem like you're angry at me about something."
The anguish in her voice stung him. "I'm not mad at you, Lexi." He fired the spear into the sand to test it out, but wanted to shoot himself in the foot for making her feel this way.
"Then why won't you look at me?" she asked, forcing the situation.
He stopped what he was doing and let the comment sit there for several seconds before he finally looked up at her. He felt his chest tighten from the way she looked back at him, with her beautiful, innocent green eyes searching his for an explanation. He had been in situations with guns pointed at him, bombs being dropped around him, bullets missing him by inches, but he could never remember a moment where he felt so afraid of what might happen. He sighed heavily and looked away, "God Lexi, I can't look at you and still keep a thought in my head," he tried to look anywhere but at her, "it's dangerous."
His heartfelt confession was a relief, it wasn't near what she had expected him to say, but nonetheless; she was happy to know she was wrong when she thought her feelings were one sided.
"Dangers my middle name," she smiled playfully, bending to see his smile.
He looked up at her, less than amused, "You think this is funny?"
Her smile slowly faded, "No, Steve, I don't think it's funny," she took a step closer to him, "I feel the same way you do. I think our feelings and curiosity for each other has got the upper hand."
His pondering question of whether she was feeling the same was finally answered, but knowing she was attracted to him as well, was not flattering, it only made the problem more difficult. "We're not here for a date," he proclaimed, "I have a job to do. There's no room for interference."
"You're so strict," she ginned, "I'm sorry to tell you but it's already interfered, so we might as well deal with it."
He pushed the spearhead into the arrow reloading it, "I don't know why you think this is so amusing."
"Amusing?" she questioned, "No, not amusing, but I do think it's silly to pretend like it doesn't exist. So far, that's just caused tension between us." She made a face, "That's probably worse."
He fired the arrow into the sand again, "How should we deal with it then?"
Lexi smiled at his obvious uneasiness with the conversation. "Maybe we should just get the whole curiosity thing out of the way."
He looked up at her sharply, "What do you mean?"
She reached down and took the spear from his hand and set it against the rock, "I'm curious about you, you're curious about me. We should kiss, just once, and then the whole thing will be over." She put her hands behind her back, "We won't even touch, just kiss." She leaned in so they were only inches apart. She had never been one to make the first move on a man, but there was something about him that made her hormones act out in a way that even surprised her. Even as attractive as he was, she didn't feel nervous or unsure of herself around him that she would normally. She wanted this and was pretty sure he did to.
He couldn't help but smile at her playfulness, she made his whole argument seem overreacted. He stared at her lips that were moist and inviting. He thought of the night before and how bad he wanted to kiss them, and here he was again, being dared. He looked up into her eyes and she was staring at his mouth, she was so close now he could feel her warm breath. "What could it hurt," he argued with himself, "it's just one kiss and you know you want it." The ocean breeze blew her hair into her face and he reached up gently removing the strand. "Just one." he agreed quietly, abandoning all his reasoning. "Just one and then walk away."
Lexi closed her eyes as they leaned into each other at the same time. Thank god he hadn't taken the no touching part to heart she thought, because when he kissed her, if he hadn't wrapped his arm around her waist, she was sure she would have crumbled. It was slow at first, just lips against lips, soft and gentle, letting go of any awkwardness, but within seconds it was apparent that neither one felt awkward. They both took the initiative at the same time and tilted positions, going deeper. Her hand slid up his arm, over his shoulder and into his hair, pulling him closer. He teased her mercilessly with his tongue, showing no sign of restraint. She wanted to scream it felt so good.
He let himself enjoy the first few seconds, thinking it would end quickly, but the second he let his guard down there was no going back, and once he felt her hand pulling him closer, all reasoning was history. She tasted so good, and all he think was that she felt so good. His hold around her waist tightened and his other hand disappeared into her thick mass of hair. He felt her body relax in his arms as a quiet moan escaped from her throat. It sent him over the edge. He slowly sank to his knees, taking her with him, laying her down on the beach, never breaking rhythm from the kiss, they only got one and had to make it last.
The sand was cool, but his body against her was warm. They finally broke apart and looked at each other, each one out of breath. The same thought pouring over and over through their mind. "More! Again!"
"One more," she demanded, reaching up towards him.
He smiled and dove into her again. She wrapped a leg around his and felt the weight of his body rest on her. His hand began at her shoulder and moved down the course of her body and then back up. On the second trip she bent her knee and he went slowly up and down the outside of her thigh, recalling that incredible tan line. Her arms embraced him tightly, one around his waist, pulling him closer and the other clutching his shoulder, assuring he couldn't escape.
Lexi moaned as he moved from her lips to her neck and then back up to her mouth, kissing her again. His last bit of restraint pleaded with her, "Lexi, we should stop," he panted, brushing his lips along her cheek and whispering in her ear, "You have to tell me to stop," he begged.
She wrapped her legs around him and began kissing his neck, moving her hips in an intimate motion against him. "Ok," she stared up into his eyes; holding him securely, "stop," at the same time her hand drifted down his back and over his shorts. The last thing she wanted was for him to stop. She just wanted to be closer to him, as close as she could possibly get.
He had no more excuses for holding back. He had never felt that aching need for another person so much so as he did at that moment. Everything about her was exciting and new to him. Somewhere deep inside he just knew his life was never going to be the same again. It scared him to want someone else this badly but at the same time that bond he wanted with her, was anything but scary.
He rose up on one hand, lifting her shirt over her head, exposing her beautifully sculpted body. She in turn, reached down and pulled the string on his shorts. He did the same on her bikini bottom. She literally felt like she had no more control and braced herself on her elbow, reaching up, cupping the back of his neck, gently pulling him back down on her, meeting his lips halfway. His arm slid under her waist and lifted her hips off the beach, pulling her into him. He was mesmerized, completely under her spell. Everywhere her hands touched and every kiss sent him reeling out of control, begging for more. Nothing could have prepared him for this, and the fact that she wanted him just as bad, made it feel even better than he had imagined. They connected perfectly as if their two bodies had just been waiting to find each other. The sun could have exploded at that moment and neither one of them would have noticed.
The bond between them was sealed.
Steve walked backwards into the ocean, facing Lexi, holding her hand. Their eyes locked on each other. She followed him freely, smiling from every pore in her body. He laid back in the crystal blue water, pulling her down with him. She held onto his shoulders as he swam backwards. He stood up in the chest high water and pulled her close, kissing her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him tightly, which only made him want her again. He carried her back toward the beach and kneeled down in the shallow water, keeping her straddled, within seconds he was deep inside her again, both physically and emotionally.