Chapter Fifteen

THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY, around one o'clock in the afternoon, Ridley and Dana sat in the kitchen at the shore house eating sandwiches they'd picked up at a local Deli. " Thanks a lot for helping me with my mother's list of chores, " Ridley said. " I hope I didn't wear you out by making you work so hard."

Dana shook her head. " I didn't mind helping you and it wasn't that much work." She picked up the last bite of her sandwich, popped it into her mouth and washed it down with the rest of her iced tea. " Are we done or do we have more to do? "

" No, that's everything. She'll come down once more before she shuts the house down for the winter and then we'll open it up again in the spring."

" No one comes here in the winter? "

" Not anymore. We used to years ago, but it's expensive to heat the house and we don't come down enough to make it worth the money. When my father and grandparents were alive, we used to come here for the holidays, but now my Mom prefers to be home with my aunt. Besides, it's cold and dead here during the winter."

" I guess it would be, although I can't say I've ever seen the shore in the winter." Dana got up, dumped her ice cubes in the sink and set her glass on the counter. She did the same with Ridley's glass and then she washed her hands in the sink. " What do you want to do now? "

" This might sound boring, but would you like to see some family pictures? "

" I'd love to, " Dana replied. " I like looking at photos and they're not boring if there's a story to go along with them."

" Let me wash my hands and we'll go into the living room."

Once in the living room, Ridley reached for a large photo album on the top shelf of one of the bookcases and sat on the sofa next to Dana. Tenderly, she brushed a fine layer of dust from the heavy album cover and pulled it open.

Dana covered a few of the photos on the first page with her hand. " Wait, before you start, is there a naked baby picture of you? Mother's have a thing about cute baby butts."

" Can you blame them? They are cute. I don't remember any, but I haven't seen these for a while so you might get lucky." Ridley's upper thigh pressed against Dana's and she felt the heat of it penetrate the fabric of her jeans. " This album has a lot of my baby pictures in it, but I also chose it because it has some nice pictures of my parents when they were younger and some of my grandparents."

" You just wanted me to see how cute you were."

" That might be part of it." Ridley said. " I'll bet you were cute when you were little, and I'll bet you were sweet."

" You'd win that bet."

Ridley explained the story behind each photo as she told the stories of her childhood. " This was my grandmother. Wasn't she pretty? She was such a nice lady and look at my grandfather. He was quite the dapper gentleman." Ridley brushed the tips of her fingers over their faces.

" I love this one." Dana pointed to a picture of Ridley as a baby. " Is that your father? "

" Yes, that's him." In the picture, he was holding Ridley's hands above her head as she tried to walk. " My mother said I had just started walking the day before."

" Look at your pudgy bottom and those short bowed legs."

" I'm wearing a diaper. What do you expect? "

" It's a wonder babies can walk at all in those, " Dana said.

They both laughed out loud at the same time when they turned the next page. There stood Ridley in her small plastic kiddy pool, naked as the day she'd entered the world.

" See, I knew I'd get to see you naked." Dana bent forward with laughter.

" I'm so happy I made your day, " Ridley said between breaths. After they stopped laughing, she showed Dana the rest of the pictures and when she reached the last page, she closed the album soundly. " That's enough of that. I don't want to put you in a coma. Next time, I'll show you some pictures of me when I was eleven and twelve years old. I call that my gawky period."

" Most of us were gawky at that age. You certainly didn't stay that way."

Ridley's eyes appraised Dana. " Neither did you."

" I can see why you grew into such an attractive woman. You look like your mother and she was striking. She still is. And your father was handsome. Sometimes two good-looking people produce a homely child but not in your case."

" Do you really think so? " Ridley's felt the heat creeping up her neck.

" Yes, I think you're very attractive. And I can see I'm making you blush."

" I can feel it." Ridley fanned her face. " Since I'm already blushing, I might as well confess that I think you're extremely attractive in every way."

" We sound like some kind of mutual admiration society."

" We do, don't we? " Ridley fell into Dana's eyes and when she felt the urge to let her eyes drop to Dana's mouth, she forced herself to look off in another direction. " What do you feel like doing for dinner? "

" I'd like to have some seafood. Is my favorite place still open? "

" It should be. Why don't we drive there and see if it is and if not, I know a couple of other places we can go to that are open all year. Would you mind if I go up and take a short nap before we get ready to go out? No more than an hour or so? "

" I think I'll do the same. That work made me tired." Dana stood and stretched.

" I'll meet you back here in the living room in a couple of hours."

" I'll be here, " Dana said.

After Dana left to go to her room, Ridley climbed the stairs to the master bedroom. She drew the blinds and kicked off her shoes and as soon as she laid her head on the pillow, she fell fast asleep.

AN HOUR AND a half later, Ridley stepped out of a hot shower and got dressed. The house was filled with silence when she tiptoed down the stairs. Halfway down, she saw Dana curled up in a chair by the window with a book in her hands. She wore faded jeans and a soft burgundy sweater. Since Dana seemed to be unaware that she was on the stairs, Ridley paused to savor the sight of her for a few stolen minutes.

Dana must have sensed she was being watched because she looked up. " Hi there, were you able to sleep at all? "

Ridley came down the rest of the stairs. " Yes, much to my surprise. I'm not one for taking naps, but I must have been tired." Tucked away in Dana's eyes, Ridley saw something she'd never seen there before and it took her breath away. Her throat felt constricted as she tried to speak. " Did you get any sleep? "

" I slept for about an hour and then I took a shower and got dressed. Now I feel rested and ready for an evening out. I came in here because it's so cozy and peaceful."

" It means a lot to me that you like it here, " Ridley said.

" I feel good in this house and you look nice, by the way. That sweater's a good color for you and I'm glad you wore jeans. I figured you would."

" We don't have to dress up around here." Ridley continued to stare. She didn't know what to say next because anything that came to mind seemed unimportant and what she wanted to say had no place in their relationship. In the end, she said the only thing that felt safe. " Are you ready to go? I just realized how hungry I am."

Dana put her book down and got up. " So am I. Let's go."

AFTER DINNER, RIDLEY drove south to the bay side of the island in the town of Beach Haven. The cloudless night sky was a dark blackish-blue and the night air carried autumn's sting upon its back. Above their heads, a bright white moon illuminated the entire bay. Ridley drove to an open area near the docks and parked facing the water.

" Dinner was great. I love that place." Dana released her seat belt and turned in her seat to face Ridley. " I can't believe I've been to the shore twice since I moved back to Philly."

Ridley just smiled. Nothing made her happier than to make Dana happy and so far, the evening couldn't have turned out better. If only she could make this night last forever. She held that wish in her mind knowing full well this night would slip away like every other night before it and just as quickly. Her senses were honed to a sharpness she'd never experienced and she was all vibrant with feeling and devoid of discretion. In this moment, her world consisted of the two of them and nothing else mattered.

" It's so beautiful here, " Dana breathed.

" This is my favorite view of the bay." Ridley spoke with a hushed voice as if they were in a sacred place. The windshield made it appear as if one long unbroken filament of light stretched all the way from the moon to the bay and when it touched the water it unraveled and spread over the waves like a ribbon of white light. Ridley's eyes remained engrossed by the strand of light, but inside she felt like screaming from the sexual tension that had seized control of her. It had become hard to pull in each breath and push it back out and the heat and energy emanating from Dana's body threatened to drive her insane. No longer able to tolerate it, she freed herself from the confines of her seat belt and shifted closer to Dana.

Dana fixed her eyes straight ahead and kept her hands securely in her lap as if she felt the tension and knew what Ridley was feeling. " Ridley, I..."

The way Dana clutched her hands together as if she was holding on for dear life was more than Ridley could bear. She reached out, separated Dana's left hand from her right and took it in her own. She was astonished when Dana didn't pull away and even more amazed when Dana rubbed her thumb across the back of her hand.

" It feels so good, " Dana whispered with her eyes now focused on their joined hands. " Being here with you and holding your hand like this."

" Do you remember when you held my hand that night on the beach? "

" I remember." Dana lifted her dark eyes and captured Ridley's.

" You were so kind, so gentle, " Ridley said.

Dana said nothing. She stared at the bay and took a deep breath.

" Do you remember kissing me? " Ridley hardly recognized her own voice.

Dana offered no reply. She shifted in her seat and their eyes met again. Slowly, she removed her hand from Ridley's grasp and returned it to her lap.

" I haven't upset you, have I? " Ridley asked. " That's the last thing I'd want to do. I respect you and care about your feelings and I want you to know that you're perfectly safe with me."

" I know what you're saying, but I feel anything but safe." Dana flashed a thin smile. " It's sweet of you to be concerned about my feelings and I'm not upset about anything. In fact, I feel better than I've felt in a very long time. It's a beautiful night and I love being here with you more than I can say."

" Do you know how beautiful you are tonight? " Ridley's eyes searched Dana's face for anything that might tell her she stood a chance. She wanted to be a part of Dana's life and she wanted to mean something to her. This time she let her eyes openly stare at Dana's mouth and she wanted to kiss her so bad she ached from it. Ridley stretched her hand out and rested it on Dana's shoulder. " I'm finding it hard to keep my hands off you."

Dana lifted Ridley's hand from her shoulder and brought it to her lips. " I remember kissing you, " she murmured, her breath caressing the back of Ridley's hand, her lips caressing as they moved. " God help me, I've thought about that kiss every single day."

Ridley failed to stop the moan that escaped from her. " So have I and I might go insane if I don't kiss you again."

With her eyes closed, Dana gently sucked the tip of one of Ridley's fingers into the warmth of her mouth. Then she let it go. " I want you to kiss me." She opened her eyes and turned toward Ridley. " Please kiss me."

Another moan escaped from Ridley as she leaned forward and cupped Dana's cheek in the palm of her hand. With deliberate slowness, she brought her mouth to Dana's. At first she kissed her tenderly, just to feel her mouth and experience the exquisite softness of her lips, but soon the kiss grew hungry and their mouths opened to each other. After that, there was only heat and the smoothness of warm silk.

After a few impassioned kisses, Dana gasped and tore her mouth away. With her forehead pressed against Ridley's, she struggled to breathe.

" Do you want me to stop? "

" No, I don't want you to stop, " Dana whispered as she tugged at the lapels of Ridley's jacket. " I should want you to stop, but I'm beyond caring at this point. I only know I can't get close enough to you, not in here."

" We need to go back to the house, " Ridley whispered.

" Why don't we? " Dana touched Ridley's cheek. " Let's go now."

" I'll go as fast as I can without breaking any laws." Ridley threw her vehicle into gear and turned around, her tires squealing as she headed back to the main road.

Dana let her head fall back on the headrest as she placed her hand on Ridley's thigh. She turned to watch Ridley drive. " You're awfully cute. The first time I saw you I thought you were so cute and sexy. You're incredibly sexy."

Ridley smiled, but kept her eyes on the road.

" Does it bother you if I look at you while you drive? " Dana asked.

" That's not bothering me, but your hand on my thigh is proving to be a problem." Dana's hand felt hot enough to burn a hole through her jeans and turn her insides into molten lava. Such a simple touch and yet it aroused her more than she'd ever been aroused. She placed her hand on top of Dana's and pressed their hands firmly against her thigh muscle. " Your hand is so hot."

" I thought the heat was coming from you." Dana spread her hand out and inched it a little higher up. " You feel so good."

Wetness seeped into Ridley's underwear and she shifted in her seat. She glanced at Dana and said the only thing on her mind. " I want to make love to you."

Dana squeezed Ridley's thigh. " I know you do. It's what I want, too."

In the back of her mind, Ridley questioned why Dana had changed toward her, but she didn't want to talk about the whys. She didn't want to ask questions or listen to warnings or spoil this perfect moment. She had cast aside the realm of caution the instant she'd touched Dana and she was out of the reach of reason. No longer did she possess the strength required to tame the wild craving that had tortured her for weeks. It was time to surrender, time to let actions and decisions be dictated solely by need and desire.

Tomorrow and for all the tomorrows to come, she would have to deal with the consequences of the choices she made tonight. But, tomorrow seemed like a remote and intangible threat whereas tonight the urgency to quench her desire for Dana was all she cared about. Just for tonight, just for one precious breathtaking night, she would have Dana and that was more important to her than anything.