wet when she finally slept.
* * *
S HE MEANT TO AVOID B EN , so that she could avoid his father, but the boy was waiting for her in the restaurant the next morning. He stood up, beaming, when she and Nan came in.
“I’ve already ordered coffee for both of you,” he said with a flourish. “Do sit down.”
Shelly and Nan chuckled involuntarily as they took their seats.
“What am I going to do with you?” Shelly asked softly.
“Adopt me,” he said. “She saved my life,” he told Nan. “Now she has to take care of me for as long as I live.” He frowned. “She’s sort of reluctant, but I’m working on her. I really do need a mother, you know. And don’t say I’ll have one when Dad marries Marie,” he added gruffly when Shelly started to speak.
“Where’s your dad?” Nan asked, because she knew Shelly wouldn’t. Something had happened the night before, and it must have been something major for Shelly to be so tightlipped about it.
“Dad’s gone to a meeting,” Ben said. “He sure was upset. He didn’t even want breakfast. I guess he’s missing her, ” he added miserably. “He said something about us going home earlier than expected.”
Shelly felt her pulse leap. So he was that anxious to be rid of her. Did he think she’d make trouble? Embarrass him with confessions of undying love? He needn’t have worried. She wasn’t that sort.
“I’ll miss you, Ben,” she replied, smiling. “But life goes on.”
“You look sick,” Ben remarked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just fine. No more hangovers,” she promised.
* * *
B UT SHE WASN ’ T FINE . She went through the motions of having a good time, joining in a volleyball game on the beach and sunbathing and swimming. But her heart wasn’t in it. Nan had paired off with a nice student from New York she’d met on the sailing trip, and Shelly wished she had someone, if only to keep Pete at bay.
“We could go back to my room and have a drink or two,” he suggested. “Come on, Shelly, loosen up!”
She looked straight at him. Courtesy wasn’t working. Perhaps stark honesty would. “I don’t want to have sex with you.”
He actually flushed. “Shelly!”
“That’s what you’re after,” she said flatly. “Well, it isn’t what I’m after. I came down here to have a good time. I’m managing it, barely, in spite of you! ”
He got up, looking embarrassed, and shrugged. “Okay. You don’t have to get upset. No hard feelings.” He walked off, and very soon he was talking up another girl. Thank goodness, she thought. One complication resolved.
She felt tired and drowsy, and she began to doze. A sudden sharp movement brought her awake.
“This is stupid,” Faulkner said roughly. “You’re baking yourself. Haven’t you put on any sunscreen at all?”
“Of course I have.”
“Not on your back.”
“Well, I can’t reach it, can I?” she asked angrily. She sat up. “And don’t offer to do it for me, because I don’t want you touching me. Go away.”
He searched her eyes slowly. “I apologized, but you didn’t hear me, did you?”
Her eyes dropped. She didn’t like looking at him in swimming trunks. He was disturbing enough fully clothed.
“I have to go back to the room,” she said stiffly. “Nan and I are going shopping with some other—Faulkner!”
He had her up in his big arms and he was carrying her lazily down the beach to the water.
“Listen, you…!”
He put his mouth softly over hers, closing the words inside it, while he waded far out into the ocean until they were up to their shoulders in it. Only then did he release her, just enough so that he could bring her body completely against his and deepen the long, slow kiss that locked them into intimacy.
“Oh, don’t,” she pleaded, but her arms were already holding him, her mouth searching for his.
He gave it to her. His big hands slid down to her hips andhis fingers teased under the brief yellow bikini bottom as he pulled her to the hard
* * *
S HE MEANT TO AVOID B EN , so that she could avoid his father, but the boy was waiting for her in the restaurant the next morning. He stood up, beaming, when she and Nan came in.
“I’ve already ordered coffee for both of you,” he said with a flourish. “Do sit down.”
Shelly and Nan chuckled involuntarily as they took their seats.
“What am I going to do with you?” Shelly asked softly.
“Adopt me,” he said. “She saved my life,” he told Nan. “Now she has to take care of me for as long as I live.” He frowned. “She’s sort of reluctant, but I’m working on her. I really do need a mother, you know. And don’t say I’ll have one when Dad marries Marie,” he added gruffly when Shelly started to speak.
“Where’s your dad?” Nan asked, because she knew Shelly wouldn’t. Something had happened the night before, and it must have been something major for Shelly to be so tightlipped about it.
“Dad’s gone to a meeting,” Ben said. “He sure was upset. He didn’t even want breakfast. I guess he’s missing her, ” he added miserably. “He said something about us going home earlier than expected.”
Shelly felt her pulse leap. So he was that anxious to be rid of her. Did he think she’d make trouble? Embarrass him with confessions of undying love? He needn’t have worried. She wasn’t that sort.
“I’ll miss you, Ben,” she replied, smiling. “But life goes on.”
“You look sick,” Ben remarked. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just fine. No more hangovers,” she promised.
* * *
B UT SHE WASN ’ T FINE . She went through the motions of having a good time, joining in a volleyball game on the beach and sunbathing and swimming. But her heart wasn’t in it. Nan had paired off with a nice student from New York she’d met on the sailing trip, and Shelly wished she had someone, if only to keep Pete at bay.
“We could go back to my room and have a drink or two,” he suggested. “Come on, Shelly, loosen up!”
She looked straight at him. Courtesy wasn’t working. Perhaps stark honesty would. “I don’t want to have sex with you.”
He actually flushed. “Shelly!”
“That’s what you’re after,” she said flatly. “Well, it isn’t what I’m after. I came down here to have a good time. I’m managing it, barely, in spite of you! ”
He got up, looking embarrassed, and shrugged. “Okay. You don’t have to get upset. No hard feelings.” He walked off, and very soon he was talking up another girl. Thank goodness, she thought. One complication resolved.
She felt tired and drowsy, and she began to doze. A sudden sharp movement brought her awake.
“This is stupid,” Faulkner said roughly. “You’re baking yourself. Haven’t you put on any sunscreen at all?”
“Of course I have.”
“Not on your back.”
“Well, I can’t reach it, can I?” she asked angrily. She sat up. “And don’t offer to do it for me, because I don’t want you touching me. Go away.”
He searched her eyes slowly. “I apologized, but you didn’t hear me, did you?”
Her eyes dropped. She didn’t like looking at him in swimming trunks. He was disturbing enough fully clothed.
“I have to go back to the room,” she said stiffly. “Nan and I are going shopping with some other—Faulkner!”
He had her up in his big arms and he was carrying her lazily down the beach to the water.
“Listen, you…!”
He put his mouth softly over hers, closing the words inside it, while he waded far out into the ocean until they were up to their shoulders in it. Only then did he release her, just enough so that he could bring her body completely against his and deepen the long, slow kiss that locked them into intimacy.
“Oh, don’t,” she pleaded, but her arms were already holding him, her mouth searching for his.
He gave it to her. His big hands slid down to her hips andhis fingers teased under the brief yellow bikini bottom as he pulled her to the hard
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