Wishful Kisses: A Fountain of Love Novella (2 page)

"Where are you staying?" I asked, speaking now that my hearing had finally returned to normal.

"My aunt has a place just up the beach from here," he answered, his gaze flitting toward a spot ahead of us where the house would be.

"That's funny," I said with a nervous giggle. I wasn't sure how he managed to make me feel giddy just walking next to him, but my mind couldn't seem to focus on anything except how close his hand was to mine. "I'm staying at my aunt's place, too!"

"This must be the beach for aunts," Tony replied, the grin on his face evident in his voice. "I wonder if they know one another."

"Wouldn't that be a funny, small-world story?" I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I sounded so boring to myself, but my brain wasn't functioning well enough to come up with something more clever. I could feel the heat of his hand just inches from mine.

"So," he said, clearing his throat. I wondered if he was as suddenly nervous as I was. "You're staying at your aunt's place. This just a vacation for you girls?"

"Yeah," I answered, nodding. "We just graduated from college and we needed a way to celebrate. My aunt is renting the place to us for basically nothing, and we all pitched in on gas."

I was rambling, but I couldn't help it. It was just so hard to think of anything besides how close he was to me. How much I would like to kiss those perfectly-shaped lips. How much I would like to trace his tattooed shoulder with my fingers.

"So far it's been very relaxing and wonderful," I summarized. "What about you? Vacation? Visiting your aunt?"

His hand brushed mine, his heat searing straight into my soul. Instead of pulling away, he took my hand in his, finally putting an end to my agony. His hand was warm and strong around mine.

"I used to spend summers here with my aunt when I was a kid," he answered smoothly, as if nothing had happened and he wasn't holding my hand. "Her house is my favorite place in the world. She's up in New York until July, so she's letting us stay here."

"Any reason for the vacation?" I loved the sound of his voice. It was smooth and low and incredibly sexy. Especially while walking hand in hand on a moonlit beach.

"The three of us are on leave." He shrugged, tugging my hand gently upward with the motion. "This was the perfect spot to catch some R&R before our next mission."

The military terms, the eagle tattoo, and the response to Jenny's "soldiers" greeting confirmed it for me. "What branch of the military are you in?"

He laughed, the rich sound mingling with the deep night air. "I guess I gave myself away. So much for appearing mysterious." He turned and smiled at me, his dark eyes catching the moonlight. "Army."

"I've always liked those uniforms," I confessed. "The dress greens are especially nice."

"If I had known that, I would have brought them for you," he replied, responding as if we had known we were going to meet tonight.

"This may sound strange," I said before I could think of the consequences, "But I feel as though I've known you forever. I mean, I know it's only been, what, fifteen minutes? But..."

I fell silent. Jenny was always telling me I was too artsy and into feelings for my own good.

"No, it's not just you," he said quietly. "I feel the same."

My heart jumped. I looked down at my feet and smiled. He felt the same!

"This is my place," he said, stopping at the back porch of a big, beautiful beach house. It was easily worth a million dollars. He dropped my hand and hopped up the back porch steps.

"Whoa." My eyes widened a little. "I'm going to guess our aunts do not run in the same social circles. Our condo is about a mile inland and not nearly this big."

"Would you like a tour?" He grinned and offered me his hand. I took it and stepped up on the wooden porch.

"I would love one." I beamed at him. He went to the door and twisted the knob. Nothing happened.

"Well, this is embarrassing," he said, turning around with a sheepish look on his face. "Matt has the house keys."

"The blonde guy back at the bar, right?" I asked. Tony nodded and tried the door one more time.

I bit my lip. I didn't want to be too bold, but I didn't want to go back to the bar, and I most certainly did not want the night to end yet. I smiled wryly.

"If your friends do as well as you have, that would mean that they're all going to come back here. We can have my place all to ourselves." I was surprised at how easy the words came out. I wasn't the hop-in-the-sack-with-anyone kind of girl. I had one serious boyfriend since high school, and I was very selective when it came to choosing a partner. I always had to feel a serious connection with them.

But there was just something about Tony that did that for me. Something that made me trust him, want him, instinctively. I hadn't been kidding when I said I felt like I had known him forever. I wouldn't have been surprised if I had been able to list off his favorite color, music, and foods without ever having heard them. Being near him just felt right.

He turned to me and smiled. God, I already loved that smile. "Okay," Tony said. He offered me his arm, and together we walked down the street, arm in arm like royalty. I was just glad I got to touch him.

"So what do you do in the Army?" I asked. I felt a little silly, but I wanted to know everything about him. I wanted to stay up all night learning everything there was to no about him.

"Lots of things." He shrugged. "Our team specializes in protecting things."

"You protect things? Then I feel very safe." I stepped closer to him, hugging his arm. "You know, because this is a very dangerous neighborhood and all."

Tony glanced around at the bright streetlights, the well manicured lawns, and nice cars sitting in driveways. Several homes even had their windows open on the ground floor.

"Don't you worry, ma'am. No one will harm a hair on your head," he promised gravely, puffing his chest out and frowning at a sinister-looking bush. "What about you? You said you're a student?"

"I just graduated with my degree in art." I loved the way his arm felt under mine. He was strong. "I'm supposed to go to LA when we get back and intern with a film company. I'm going to help make movie sets. It's what I've always wanted to do."

"Any plans to become an actress?" he asked. I laughed.

"Actress? Me?" I shook my head fervently. "No. Besides a complete inability to act, I'm not exactly what Hollywood actresses look like."

"Bullshit."

I turned to look at him, surprised at the sudden language.

"You're gorgeous," he explained. He dropped my arm and stepped back, looking me up and down. Appraising me. I blushed, knowing his eyes were undressing me. I was pale, heavier than I wanted to be, and yet thin in my arms. My friends always said I was petite and tiny, but I never felt that way. I had never seen myself as beautiful. My best feature was my hair, but I was far from gorgeous. His face said he wasn't lying, though. I didn't know what to do with him looking at me like this, so I tucked my hands in my pockets and blushed.

"Pose for me," he commanded, frowning at my hands hiding in my jeans. "Like an actress would."

My blush deepened, but I struck my best model pose, throwing one hand up in the air and thrusting out a hip. He brought his hands up like he was holding a camera and took an imaginary picture.

"Yup," he said nodding at the invisible camera shot. "Gorgeous. You'd take them all by storm."

I dropped my arms and glared at him. "You have a silver tongue, sir," I teased him.

"So I've been told," he said nonchalantly and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Well, not really, but I like to think so."

His almost shy smile took hold of my heart as he offered me his arm again and we continued to walk toward the condo.

"So what do you think Dean and Matt's chances are with your friends?" he asked. I frowned, pulling back slightly. He smiled reassuringly at me. "I mean, I just want to know so I can buy them the appropriate ice cream when they get their hearts dashed to pieces."

The idea of the big, muscled Matt crying into a container of ice cream was rather amusing. It wasn't something I could ever see happening.

"Well, Jenny will go home with any guy who smiles and buys her a drink.," I answered honestly. "Rachel's fairly picky, but that Dean guy looks like just her type. She has a thing for blue eyes."

"So, Dean has a shot with Rachel. That's good. He liked her, and Matt..."

"Matt has a sure thing with Jenny," I interrupted. He raised his eyebrows at me. I shrugged. "I love my friends, but I do know their habits."

I pulled out the keys from my pocket as we approached the front door of the condo. It looked small after the luxury of Tony's aunt's palace, but it was cozy and I liked it.

"What about me?" Tony asked, leaning against the door frame as I unlocked the door and pushed it open. "What are my chances?"

"Play your cards right, and you'll see," I teased. grinning at him. The guy was two steps from being inside my condo. He pretty much had a sure thing as well.

"You mean like this?" He caught my arm, pulling me back onto the porch in a spin that landed me in his arms. He then palmed the back of my neck and pulled me into him, connecting our mouths in a kiss that took my breath away. His tongue traced the curve of my lips, begging for entry. I opened my mouth and let him kiss me more deeply, and holy cow, did he rock my world. The man could kiss. I hooked my fingers in the belt loops of his jeans, pressing myself into him. My world was spinning out of control with that perfect kiss, and he was the only solid thing I had to hold on to.

He slowly released me from his kiss, leaving me gasping for more.

"You're definitely on the right track," I whispered. He grinned, illuminating the night with his beaming smile. I stepped into the condo, my heart fluttering in my chest, glad that he was right behind me. This was going to be the best night of my vacation.

Present Day

––––––––

T
here was a small grocery store on the corner of the street by my apartment on my way to the coffee shop. I stood in front of it for a good minute, trying to decide if I should buy some coffee for tomorrow now, or on my way back. I decided on "now" because on my way back, I would have my hands full of delicious mocha latte.

"Hi, Kim," a happy voice greeted me from across the quiet store. Penny, one of the employees waved at me. She was a cute, little college student that had worked in the store for the past few years. Since it was the only place I shopped, the two of us had become casual friends. I waved back and headed in her direction. She was restocking the coffee.

"Anything new I should try?" I asked, trying to start a conversation. I thought that maybe a little human contact might make me feel better. Less lost in the world.

"Nah, just same old same old," she said with a shrug. "Well, unless you count
this
as new..."

She thrust out her left hand. A small, sparkly diamond glittered on her ring finger.

"It's beautiful," I said, taking her hand and peering at the stone. I hoped I sounded excited, because I certainly didn't feel it. It wasn't that I wasn't happy for her, I really was, but someone else's wedding was the last thing I wanted to think about with Tony on my mind.

"It was Jeremy's grandmother's," she cooed, grinning at the ring. "He proposed last night. It was super romantic."

"That's wonderful!" I let go of her ring and forced my face into a happy smile. I really
was
happy for her, just jealous. Incredibly jealous.

"I thought we were going out because he just got this big promotion. He got a dozen red roses, because they're my favorite, and made reservations at Le Chez..." Penny continued, launching into a complete retelling of the entire night. I stood there, nodding and making the appropriate noises, but my heart wasn't in it. Sweet little Penny was getting everything I had wanted in life.

"And then, my mom and dad showed up and I knew something was going on..."

My family was gone. I didn't have any siblings, and all my older relatives had died off as the years passed. Since I had never married, I didn't have any other family. I had some good work friends, but many of them had their own families. I spent most of my evenings alone. As Penny gave every wonderful detail of the proposal, I couldn't help but compare our two lives. I felt I was coming up short. She was telling me all the things I had dreamed of having, but never would.

"The whole restaurant was full of our friends and family, and he just stood up in front of all of them to propose. It was so sweet of him to think of all of it," Penny finished. She had a happy, wistful look on her face. I could see wedding dresses and flowers already floating through her mind.

"I'm so happy for you, Penny." I picked out a bag of coffee and held it in the crook of my arm. "Congratulations."

"Thank you! I think we're going to have a June wedding. My niece will be just old enough to be the flower girl. I'll be sure to get you an invitation!"

"That is incredibly kind of you, thank you. I wish you all the best," I said, my voice cracking a little at the end. Penny was a sweet girl. I had even met her Jeremy once or twice, and the two of them seemed incredibly in love; it was my own lack of love and future that pained me. Penny had nowhere to go but up, and I had nowhere but down. I didn't want to hear any more of her perfect life. I was envious enough as it was.

"We'll have dancing, so be sure to bring a date," Penny added. I managed a smile and a nod. I knew I wouldn't have a date. I could try, but I knew my heart wouldn't be in it. If my dreams of Tony recently were any indication, my heart had been given away a long time ago.

"Congratulations again, Penny," I said, patting her shoulder and then bolting to the checkout line. I just wanted to get home and put my coffee away. I thought about just staying in, making the coffee in my single-serve pot, but the idea of a specialty coffee with whipped cream sounded so much better. I needed the treat. I needed something to look forward to, even if it was just a cup of coffee.