lake. The soap from the dispenser smelled like white gardenias. I felt a twinge of regret for using it to wash my clothes. The shampoo lathered into a rich, fragrant treat and the conditioner left my hair soft and silky.
Take that, Medusa, I thought, adding a second round in case she dared to rear her unruly head again.
I hesitated a second before slipping into a fluffy, white bathrobe and matching slippers. Skipping over the elegant selection of toiletries, I reached for the hair dryer. The faster I got out of here, the better.
Feeling more like myself with my hair hanging in graceful curves around my shoulders, I tip-toed down the stairs and put my clothes in the dryer. As I crossed the foyer, I caught sight of Troy in the kitchen.
He was chugging down a carton of orange juice, head thrown back, wearing nothing but a towel and the rosary around his neck. I squirmed, feeling like a voyeur, watching something primal and very, very intimate. I watched his adam’s apple spasm as he drank greedily, not stopping to breath. His skin glistened, still wet from the shower, as beads of water ran down the flat planes of his abs and disappeared into the V barely covered by his towel. He drained the box, sated, and sighed with a satisfaction that sent a jolt of excitement through me.
“Why didn’t you call?” Carol came into view.
He wasn’t alone.
“I was at Ryan’s.”
“The nights too?” She pouted.
He turned to face her. “I didn’t know we were still doing this.”
“You’re the reason I came home this summer. I haven’t stopped thinking about you.” Her voice dropped. “You were my first.”
“And you regret that?”
“God, no.” She ran her fingers over his chest. “I was hoping we could pick up where we left off.” Her hands paused at the top of his towel.
“Carol.” He lifted her chin so she was looking straight at him. “I’m incredibly lucky to have spent that time with you.”
“But...?”
“But nothing. I thought we were clear about what it was.”
“So I’m not your type?”
“You’re not listening to me.”
Carol walked to the other side of the island in the kitchen. All I saw now were her hands, clasped tightly on the counter.
“Life is just a bowl full of cherries for you, isn’t it?” she said. “And you intend to taste every single one of them.”
“Why not?” replied Troy, his muscles taut with restless energy. “You should too. You’re young. Intelligent. Beautiful. There’s so much of life waiting for the both of us.” He leaned back against the fridge and regarded her.
“You really believe that.” It was a half laugh, half sob.
“Carol—”
“Don’t.”
She was almost at the front door when he grabbed her.
“That’s not how you say goodbye to a lover,” he said.
And then he kissed her, like she was the most special thing in the world. She melted and clung to him. Who wouldn’t? A kiss like that filled you up and left you with more than you had.
“Oh Troy.” Carol cupped his face. Then she shook her head and let herself out.
He stared at the door after she’d gone.
“Was that Carol I just saw leaving?” Jayne burst in through the back.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Finally!” She marched into the kitchen and pulled out a stool. “With Ryan and Ellen kissy-facing on the deck and you and Carol cozying up in here, I’m bored. And hungry.”
“Don’t look at me,” said Troy. “I’m clueless in the kitchen.”
“Fine.” Jayne sauntered over to the fridge. “I’ll just help myself.”
It wasn’t until she leaned over that I noticed she had undone the top two buttons of her blouse. She stuck her bum out before getting some pitas and cheese.
“Would you like something, Troy?”
He didn’t miss the dramatic batting of teen eyelashes as she sidled past him, brushing against his bare, firm stomach.
His eyes followed her. “Come to think of it, I am kind of hungry,” he growled.
He took the food from her and set it on the
Take that, Medusa, I thought, adding a second round in case she dared to rear her unruly head again.
I hesitated a second before slipping into a fluffy, white bathrobe and matching slippers. Skipping over the elegant selection of toiletries, I reached for the hair dryer. The faster I got out of here, the better.
Feeling more like myself with my hair hanging in graceful curves around my shoulders, I tip-toed down the stairs and put my clothes in the dryer. As I crossed the foyer, I caught sight of Troy in the kitchen.
He was chugging down a carton of orange juice, head thrown back, wearing nothing but a towel and the rosary around his neck. I squirmed, feeling like a voyeur, watching something primal and very, very intimate. I watched his adam’s apple spasm as he drank greedily, not stopping to breath. His skin glistened, still wet from the shower, as beads of water ran down the flat planes of his abs and disappeared into the V barely covered by his towel. He drained the box, sated, and sighed with a satisfaction that sent a jolt of excitement through me.
“Why didn’t you call?” Carol came into view.
He wasn’t alone.
“I was at Ryan’s.”
“The nights too?” She pouted.
He turned to face her. “I didn’t know we were still doing this.”
“You’re the reason I came home this summer. I haven’t stopped thinking about you.” Her voice dropped. “You were my first.”
“And you regret that?”
“God, no.” She ran her fingers over his chest. “I was hoping we could pick up where we left off.” Her hands paused at the top of his towel.
“Carol.” He lifted her chin so she was looking straight at him. “I’m incredibly lucky to have spent that time with you.”
“But...?”
“But nothing. I thought we were clear about what it was.”
“So I’m not your type?”
“You’re not listening to me.”
Carol walked to the other side of the island in the kitchen. All I saw now were her hands, clasped tightly on the counter.
“Life is just a bowl full of cherries for you, isn’t it?” she said. “And you intend to taste every single one of them.”
“Why not?” replied Troy, his muscles taut with restless energy. “You should too. You’re young. Intelligent. Beautiful. There’s so much of life waiting for the both of us.” He leaned back against the fridge and regarded her.
“You really believe that.” It was a half laugh, half sob.
“Carol—”
“Don’t.”
She was almost at the front door when he grabbed her.
“That’s not how you say goodbye to a lover,” he said.
And then he kissed her, like she was the most special thing in the world. She melted and clung to him. Who wouldn’t? A kiss like that filled you up and left you with more than you had.
“Oh Troy.” Carol cupped his face. Then she shook her head and let herself out.
He stared at the door after she’d gone.
“Was that Carol I just saw leaving?” Jayne burst in through the back.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Finally!” She marched into the kitchen and pulled out a stool. “With Ryan and Ellen kissy-facing on the deck and you and Carol cozying up in here, I’m bored. And hungry.”
“Don’t look at me,” said Troy. “I’m clueless in the kitchen.”
“Fine.” Jayne sauntered over to the fridge. “I’ll just help myself.”
It wasn’t until she leaned over that I noticed she had undone the top two buttons of her blouse. She stuck her bum out before getting some pitas and cheese.
“Would you like something, Troy?”
He didn’t miss the dramatic batting of teen eyelashes as she sidled past him, brushing against his bare, firm stomach.
His eyes followed her. “Come to think of it, I am kind of hungry,” he growled.
He took the food from her and set it on the
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