When forever isn't enough

Game on captain.

He smiles a full-on smile, one that reaches his eyes and shows his teeth. It sends this shiver down my spine and makes my blood feel warm. It's so infectious it even makes me smile a genuine smile. He stares at me for a moment, and it makes me squirm. I'm wondering what he's thinking of when he is looking at me the way he is.

"Ethan Torrez."

He whispers loud enough for me to hear.

But I'm lost in his features: his beautiful blonde hair that falls on his forehead, those sparkling white teeth, his dimples, his eyes, even his eyebrows are pulling me in, his still smiling. There is no doubt he knows the effect he has on me, and I'm not shying away from it. I feel alive. I feel like I'm finally being seen or that might just be my imagination.

"I doubt I'm famous at all."

I whispered back, not sure if I whispered it loud enough.

"Ryan wouldn't shut up about you. You know that guy has his heart set on you, right?"

So he heard.

"I doubt that, he ditched me 30 minutes after getting here."

"So that means if I play my cards right I might stand a chance?"

My head spins and it has nothing to do with alcohol.

"Maybe you should have a seat so we can talk?"

He takes the beach chair beside mine and relaxes, looking up at the stars just like I am.

"I'm Lexi's friend, which means I'm about the same age as she is."

I say, looking at him, but he's still looking at the stars.

"If I was worried about your age I wouldn't be here talking to you."

"I'm divorced."

"Well, then he f****d up right, his loss, my gain."

"Do you have a comeback for everything?"

I asked, laughing.

"Only when I'm interested."

"Well, you shouldn't be."

"What are you going to say to try and scare me off? You have stretch marks. You hate how thick your thighs are, you're a bit chubby. Your ex left you with inside scares, trauma maybe, heartbreak, mental instability, insecurity, trust issues? I love stretch marks... your thighs only tell me that I'll have plenty of place to sink my teeth into... A chubby woman just has more skin for me to touch and explore... inside scares can disappear when a woman is treated right... I'll help you work through those traumas, insecurity and trust issues and fix that broken heart of yours... Honestly, I love my woman to be a bit unstable, so that wouldn't be a problem either..."

I stare at him open-mouthed. I'm flabbergasted at how crude he is. My heart is pounding in my chest, I'm flushed, I'm swooning, but I can't let him get to me. His what, 20 years old? All they look for is a good time. Wam bam, thank you ma'am, hit-and-run. I can't do that if I do end up having something with someone. I want a relationship, not a situationship.

"Until you get tired of being with an older woman, right?"

I say, get up from the beach chair and start walking off, but he grabs my hand and pulls me to his chest.

"I'll be honest, I have never been with a woman older than myself, but I'm willing to give it a shot if you are."

"Shoot your shot somewhere else. This train is taking off."

I'm about to turn out of his hold, but he holds tighter and lifts my chin with his finger, so I'm looking up at him again.

"One date, if you don't like it, I'll never bother you again."

"You don't back down, do you?"

"I'm the captain of a hockey team. It's not in my nature to back down from something I really want."

"One date"

I say, shaking my head.

He leans down, and I'm so f*****g nervous I can feel my insides shaking. His lips brush mine, then pass to my jaw, my cheek and up to my ear... I shudder, and he feels it... he breathes, and I inhale his scent. The hair on the side of my neck stands on end my heart is in my stomach now...

"Walk away before I throw you over my shoulder and take you up to my room."

There's a full-on butterfly frenzy in my belly... and I don't move. I can't. My feet are rooted to the ground. I want him to throw me over his shoulder. I want him to smack my ass while he walks off with me. I want him to take me to his room. I want him to sink his teeth in my thighs.

I feel his breath against my ear and neck again as he laughs. It's the sexy, seductive kind of laugh. If he can play this game, I can play too... I used to be freakishly wild before Max broke me and I haven't had this much fun in a long f*****g time... game on captain... I hook my finger in the front of his jeans and pull him a bit closer.

He moves from my ear to look at me, and he takes a sharp breath in and that encourages me to go further... his skin against my finger is warm... I can feel his soft hair. I didn't mean to skip the underwear, but oh well, there's no turning back now... I rub my finger from side to side and bite down on my bottom lip.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you that when you play with fire there's a very high possibility that you could get burned?"

He didn't answer. I took him by surprise. I could see it, but then he smiled...

"She did, but then again, I like getting my fingers burned from time to time."

He leans down, brushing his lips against mine and when he moves in to kiss me, I pull away and out of his hold when I'm a few feet from him, I turn around and whisper...

"Tomorrow at 6, I'll pick you up."

He smiles and shakes his head.