Connected by the Tide (8 page)

12

“Yeah—that was—wow.”

She continued to smile at him.

He turned on his side to face her. “I’ve never had such a sexual experience in my life.”

“Are you a virgin?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No, definitely not.
But I’ve never felt that way before. That was hot.”

He moved closer to her
, but she pressed her hand against his chest. “I have homework for you.”

“Really?”

“Every night I want you to think about me when you give yourself a treat.”

“That won’t be difficult.”

“And if you have any problems, call me.”

“I will.”

She rested her hand on the pillow between them while she lay there. Her hair cascaded around the bed, making her look like a goddess. Her smile was perfect, wide and white. Her thin lips stretched apart, making her look beautiful and happy.

Henry grabbed her hand and held it in his own, caressing her fingertips. “If we put on some clothes, can I hold you?”

“I guess we can do that.”

Henry pulled his boxers on while she pulled a pair of pajama bottoms from her drawer. He moved closer to her and placed his hand on her back, feeling her warm skin. His face was close to hers, and he stared into her eyes. Her hand was hook
ed around his waist, pulling him close to her.

When Henry looked at her lips
, he wanted to kiss her, feel her wet mouth against his own. His hand cupped her cheek as he looked at her, wanting to lean in. When she realized what he was doing, she pulled away.

“Not tonight.”

He leaned away. “I really want to kiss you.”

“It’ll have to wait until we are on a date.”

“Can I take you out now?”

“I like lying here with you.”

“I do, too.” He grabbed her leg and hooked it over his waist, pulling her even closer to him. The touch of her breasts against his chest made him feel excited again. Ren was sexy and confident, drawing him to her immediately.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

She ran her hand down his chest. “Is that because I just made you come?”

“No. You are beautiful anyway.” His hand glided through her hair before it rested on her neck. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead, letting his lips linger on her skin for a long moment. She took a deep breath when he touched her, like the feeling excited her. “I can’t wait until I get to kiss you.”

She stared at him, her eyes bright even in the darkness. “You’ll get your chance.”

“I look forward to it.” He stared at her mouth, wanting to do it in that moment. That sexua
l experience with her had brought him to a new place. When he thought about sex, he thought about Ren, not Sydney. Now it was just her. It was the greatest gift anyone had ever given him. He felt free.

She ran her hand down his arm, trickling her fingertips across the skin. The touch made him relax. He continued to stare at her face, memorizing every feature as he felt his eyes grow heavy. The last thing he thought about before he fell uncons
cious was Ren. She was the first thing he thought about when he woke up.

“We have to get to class,” she said as she shook him.

“Oh, yeah,” he said sleepily.

She grabbed a change of clothes then walked into the bathroom. When she came out, she looked fresh and ready for the day. She wore jean shorts and a pink top. It complemented her skin tone perfectly. Henry changed then fixed himself in the mirror.

She looked at him. “I wish I could just roll out of bed and look gorgeous.”

He smiled. “You look gorgeous all the time.”

She turned away and grabbed her bag. “Let’s get going.”

They got inside their separate cars and drove to school. Henry kept thinking about what they
’d done the night before, and it set his body on fire. She was too sexy, too beautiful, for him not to think about it. He wished he knew what she looked like under her clothes. It was all hills and mounds. When he walked to class with her, he wanted to hold her hand, but he realized he couldn’t do that. Technically, they weren’t there yet.

After their c
lasses were over, Henry made his move. “Can I take you to lunch?”

“Sure.”

“Do you want to go somewhere off campus?”

“I don’t have enough time before my next class.”

“Okay.” Henry didn’t want to go to the cafeteria, but he didn’t have any other option. “To the cafeteria, then?”

“Yeah.”

They walked toward the building side by side.

“So, do you have plans tonight?” he asked.

“Not that I know of.”

“Would you like to have plans?”

“It depends. Would they be with you?”

“Yeah.
Let me take you out to dinner.”

“I like food.”

He laughed. “Is there a specific kind of food you like?”

“No. I’m not picky at all.”

“Excellent. I like it when girls aren’t picky. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

They walked inside the cafeteria, then got their food before they sat down. Henry didn’t look at the table where his friends were sitting. The last thing he wanted to do was see Sydney. He hadn’t thought about her in a while and he wanted to keep it that way.

“Hey.”

Henry looked up and saw Nancy standing there. “Hey.”

“I haven’t seen you in a while.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been busy.”

She smiled. “I bet.”
Nancy looked at Ren. “Hi. I’m Nancy.”

“Hello,” she said with a smile.

Henry shook his head. “Sorry. I forgot to introduce you. This is Ren.”

Nancy nodded then stared at Henry, waiting for him to elaborate.

“Yes, she and I are together.”

Nancy clapped her hands together happily.

Derek came up a moment later. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Busy
,” Henry answered.

Derek looked at Ren, eyeing her i
n approval. “She’s cute. Keep her around.”

“
Thanks,” Ren said with a smile.

Henry waved them away. “Thank you for thoroughly embarrassing me in front of my date. I can take it from here.”

They turned around and walked away. “See you later, Henry,” Nancy said as they left.

Ren drank from her water. “Your friends miss you.”

“Yeah.”

“Why haven’t you seen them lately?”

He sighed. “They are mutual friends of Sydney.”

“Sydney is the girl you’re in love with?”

“Yeah.”

She nodded. “That’s some hard luck.”

“I can’t think of a way to see them without cutting Sydney out. I thought it would be fair if I just took a step back. It’s my fault that I feel this way, not hers.”

“I doubt that.”

“What do you mean?”

“She probably led you on in some way.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Girls tend to do that without thinking about it. Guys
couldn’t separate friendship from love if their lives depended on it. Did you ever think she might feel the same way?”

“I guess a part of me did.”

“And she was totally ignorant of it?”

“I suppose.”

She finished her water then looked at the time. “I should get to class.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tonight.”

“’Bye,” she said as she walked out.

After she was gone from his sight, he stared straight ahead, not letting himself glance over to see Sydney and Coen, making out in the cafeteria.
His curiosity got the better of him and he glanced over, seeing Sydney meet his gaze with a saddened expression. Their eyes locked, and an entire conversation happened between them. She missed him, and he missed her, too.

13

H
enry bought a gift, then drove to her house near the base of the mountains. He wore jeans and a tight shirt that showed the muscles of his chest. He wanted her to notice his physique and catch her attention. The idea of kissing her kept playing in his mind. It was obvious that she was experienced in the bedroom, and he was excited just to touch her.

He arrived at the house then knocked on the door. When she opened it, Perry stood next to her, staring at him suspiciously.

“Hey, man,” he said as he patted him on the head.

The dog didn’t respond at all.

“He gets a little jealous,” she said with a laugh.

Henry looked at the dog again. “He wants to eat me.”

“He probably does, but he won’t. Come in.”

He walked inside then handed her the coffee beans. “You seem more like
a chocolate girl than a flower girl, but you seem like you like caffeine more than both, so I decided to bring you this.”

She smiled as she looked down at the
whole-bean coffee. “That was very sweet, Henry.” She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. The feel of her lips against his skin made him tingle. Her mouth was slightly wet, and he felt the moisture. He wished she had given him a kiss on the mouth.

“You’re welcome.”

She walked into the kitchen and placed the bag on the counter. “So, now it’s time for a homework check.”

“What?”

“So, did you rub one out last night?”

“I like how blunt you
are. You never beat around the bush.”

“Some people would deem that trashy.”

“I don’t.” He stepped closer to her, feeling her chest against his. “Yes, I did.”

“And how was it?”

“Really good.”

“And what did you think about?”

“Fucking you from behind.”

“And you liked it?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you think about anything else?”

“Just you.”

“It’s a go
od start.” She grabbed her purse from the counter. “I’m ready to go.”

“Okay.” He opened the door for her then let her walk out. He looked at Perry. “I’ll have her home by midnight.
” The dog still stared at him, his lips hanging in a frown. Henry closed the door and walked away.

Henry opened the car door for her and
helped her get inside.

When he got into the driver’s seat
, he made sure her safety belt was on before he drove down the road.

“So where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

“A surprise—I like it.”

He turned on the music. “What do you like to listen to?”

“Anything.”

“You are the least high-maintenance girl I’ve ever met.”

She shrugged. “I’m easy to please.”

“Do you have a favorite band?”

“Mumford and Sons.”

His eyes widened. “I’m liking you even more.”

“You like them?”

“Absolutely. They are amazing. I want to see them if they ever come to Hawaii.”

“That’s one of the drawbacks about living on the island. We don’t get to see everything.”

“And priority shipping through Amazon is impossible,” he said with a laugh.

“And milk is
, like, five bucks a gallon.”

“My roommates and I just use water in our cereal.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“It is. But we got used to it.”

“Even powdered milk would be better than that.”

“The kind they use to make cheese?” he asked with a disgusted face.

“It’s still better than water.”

“I really don’t think it would be.”

“Maybe you should try it.”

“Maybe I will.” He pulled into the parking lot then parked the car.

Ren looked around, not seeing a restaurant in sight. The beach was deserted. No one was around. “What are we doing?”

“Having dinner,” he said as he got out. He opened the back door and grabbed the picnic basket. “I made it for you.”

Her eyes softened as she looked at him, touched by the gesture. “That’s so cute.”

He grabbed her hand, feeling the electricity course through him as soon as he touched her,
then led her down to the beach below. Sand moved between her toes and covered her white sandals. She wore a toe ring that glittered in the light.

“I have
a weird fetish with your feet,” he said.

“I’m surprised that’s my most noticeable attribute.”

“It’s not your most noticeable one,” he said with a smile. “Something else comes to mind.” He placed the basket on the ground then pulled out a blanket, laying it on the sand. He took out a few candles and lit them, spacing them around them.

She watched him, a smile on her face. “And what did you make?”

He opened the basket and pulled out a bottle of wine, sticking it in the sand, then removed two glasses. “I hope you like red.”

“I like alcohol in any form.”

He laughed. “That works for me.” He pulled out two sandwiches, wrapped in napkins. “Is turkey okay?”

“Yum.”

He handed it to her. “And I have some Oreos.”

“I love Oreos! They’re my favorite cookie.”

“Too bad I don’t have any powdered milk to dip them in.”

She laughed. “That would be gross.”

Henry ate his sandwich while he glanced at her every few seconds, hoping she enjoyed the food he brought. He didn’t eat at home very often because he usually ate out, but he thought he could make a sandwich. “Is your family from the island?”

“My dad is. He works in real estate. My mom lives in New York.”

“Your parents are divorced?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s the best thing that happened to me and my brothers.”

“How many brothers do you have?”

“Four.”

“Damn.”

She laughed. “What?”

“That’s a lot of men I have to get along with.”

She rolled her eyes. “Two of them live on the mainland
, so you don’t have to worry about them. All my brothers are cool. You would get along just fine.”

“And your dad?”

“He’s a different story.”

“I don’t like the s
ound of that. You’re the only girl in the family.”

“I’m definitely his little princess, which is why he spoils me.”

“You don’t act spoiled.”

“My brother
s always kept me in line.”

“That’s cool.”

“What about you?”

“I have a younger sister.”

“How old?”

“Five
years younger.”

“Are you close?”

“For the most part. We don’t see each other every day.”

“Are your parents still together?”

He didn’t know how to respond to that question. “No.”

“So your parents are divorced
, too?”

“Uh, no.”

“Oh.”

It was quiet for a long time. Henry had never told anyone about his family. It was a dark secret he kept to himself. Wanting to change the subject, he threw out the first thing that came to mind.
“I hate my apartment. It’s like a brothel there. All my roommates are always bringing home girls to fuck. They couldn’t care less if I hear them.”

“That’s distracting.
You should do it back.”

He shook his head. “I don’t like to sleep around.”

“You’ve never done it before?”

“A few times
, but I didn’t enjoy it that much. I would much rather be monogamous with someone, enjoying sex on a deeper level. To be honest, I would rather just jerk off than have sex with a girl I met at a party.”

“I prefer to masturbate
, too. It’s just easier that way.”

“You sleep around?”

“I’ve hooked up with a few guys.”

He didn’t like that at all. He had no right to be upset
, but he couldn’t fight the jealousy he felt.

“Are you kidding right now?”

“What?”

“I saw that look.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I don’t judge you for beating off to a girl who’s engaged to someone else, you can’t judge me.”

“I wasn’t judging you.”

“I really hate liars. It’s such a
turn-off.”

“I’m not lying,” he said quickly. “I—just got a little jealous
is all.”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Well, there’s nothing to be jealous about. I haven’t done it in a while.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get that way.”

“I
t’s okay.” She opened the Oreo package and split the cookie in half. “You wanna share?”

“Yeah.”

“Open your mouth.”

He did.

She placed the cookie in his mouth and he ate it, kissing her fingers as he went. He grabbed the other half from her hand and placed it on her tongue. She chewed it then swallowed it.

“Every t
ime we are in finals week, I go through a whole pack of Oreos.”

“Stress eating?”

“To the extreme.”

“Well, it doesn’t show.”

“Hula dancing takes it out of you.”

“I bet.
”

“I can teach you.”

“I’ll pass.”

“Guys
hula dance, too.”

“Well, I don’t have any rhythm.”

“You are just moving your hips.”

“It looks more complicated than that.” He poured himself another glance of wine then handed her another. The waves crashed on the shore as the sun set beyond the horizon. Splashes of color touched the sky.

“So why did you pick zoology to begin with? You are amazing at English.”

“Uh, it’s a long story. I would rather not say.”

“You can tell me anything, Henry. I don’t know what more I can say to convince you.”

“You’re right,” he said with a sigh. “I just don’t want to lose you—chase you away.”

“You won’t. Like I already said, as long as you’re honest with me, you never have to worry about it. Go ahead.”

“Sydney is
a zoology major.”

She nodded. “So you did it to spend more time with her?”

“Yeah. We’ve had all our classes together every semester. I don’t even like the subject.”

“That’s—intense. Why did you change your major?”

“It’s time to move on.”

“You really love her.”

“I wish I didn’t.”

“What is it about her?”

“I don’t even know.” He looked at Ren. “But I know I’ve made a lot of progress since the other day. When we—fooled around—it really took the edge off. Now when I’m in the mood, I think about you. It’s refreshing.”

She took a drink of her wine. “I’m glad I could help.”

“And I think about you in other ways.”

“Like that?”

“Like what you’re going to wear to school. What you’re doing when I try to fall asleep. How your hair feels between my fingers. What you’re thinking about when we’re sitting in class. How you feel about me. Stuff like that. I really like you.”

“You want to know how I feel about
you?”