A blender.
“Let’s put this puppy to use!” He pulled it out and set it up on the counter.
“I’m not going to argue with you. But we need to decide what to eat first,” I said, referencing the menu in my hand.
“Hey, give me some chips, salsa, and guac and I’ll be a happy man.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. “Helpful.”
I shuffled through and found the menu for the hotel restaurant and tapped my finger down the left side, stopping as I committed the order to memory before picking up the phone. As it rang, I listened to the sounds around me, and realized it had been a while since I’d seen—or heard—Jackson.
Too long.
My heart thudded into my ribs and I elbowed Chase to get his attention. “Where’s Jackson?”
Chase dropped the piece of the blender he’d been fussing with back to the counter and set off to look for him. I waited, slightly holding my breath, and didn’t realize someone had answered my call on the other line.
“Buenos Noches, how can I help you today?”
I sputtered back into action and rattled off the order and heaved a sigh of relief as I set the phone down just as Chase and Jackson came marching back into the room. Jackson was wearing his swim trunks and had found a pair of water wings that were each nearly as big as his head. He’d attached one to both of his thin arms. The result was precious but also a little hilarious.
“Look, Mom! I’m all ready to go swimming!” He puffed out his chest with pride.
Chase pressed his lips together to hold back a chuckle and went back to messing with the blender.
I smiled at my son. “Okay, buddy. First though, we’re going to have some dinner. What do you think about that?”
He considered my offer and then shrugged. “Okay, but I’m staying in these.” He flapped his arms.
I laughed. “All right, honey.”
Room service arrived quickly and Chase was the one to answer the door. He hauled the box of food into the dining room and set it on the table and distributed the food to each of us in turn. The dining room had a floor to ceiling window and we watched the ocean tide roll in as we ate.
Afterward, Jackson and I went out to play in the surf while Chase whipped up some drinks. He joined me on the patio and pressed an ice cold, frothed to perfection, strawberry margarita into my hand.
“Nice touch,” I said, smiling down at the strawberry garnish he’d put in the middle of the icy beverage. “I feel so special.”
“You deserve to feel special, Melissa,” Chase said, his tone taking a turn for the serious. Our eyes met over the glass and I plucked the strawberry from the center and wrapped my lips around the plump berry. My eyes fluttered closed as the sweet juices hit my tongue, followed by a slight sharpness from the drink itself as the tequila tingled my taste buds. “Mmmm.”
When my eyes opened, Chase was still staring at me, his eyes dark and locked on my lips. I licked the corner of my mouth and he stepped in closer, leaving inches between our bodies.
The sun was setting over the ocean, bathing us in a soft orange and pink glow, and I wanted to trace the lines of Chase’s face with my fingertip and then with my lips. I wanted to know what he’d feel like surrounding me with his warmth and sweet comfort. What would he think…what would he do…if he got to see me? All of me?
The idea was intoxicating and made me hotter than the afternoon sun. I wanted Chase. How could I not want him? It had been such a long, long time since I’d shared my bed—or myself—with a man. The last two years of my marriage, Henry ignored me while he was out with Talia or some other high-paid prostitute who wanted a quick thrill. Henry. He was such an asshole to me. Why was I so stupid watching him out with his whores while he ignored his wife? Hell, I didn’t even know if he was attracted to me anymore. Not that it mattered. I was never going back.
Chase though…I could see it in his eyes, in his smile, in the way his hands brushed against mine when we worked in the kitchen or on the boat. He always stood closer than necessary and made sure to save a place beside him when we sat down for meals or to share a drink.
He wanted me too. I was sure of it.
And I was ready to act on those feelings.
I needed the tenderness—the release—the strong hands on my body.
I tipped my head to one side, waiting for him to bring his lips to mine, when a small, shrill voice cried out above the soft lapping of the waves and the distant music from the patio around the other side of the building. “Mama! Something pinched me!”