White Orchids

Steams of sunlight and beautiful bird songs coaxed Nicki from her sleep. After her habitual yawn, she took a long, deep breath. If that wasn’t paradise, she didn’t want to know what was. They’d left the balcony doors open, and the salty ocean air and sweet scents from the flowers and trees around them drifted subtly through the room, creating an aroma better than any Fabreeze associate could conjure up.

As if her senses weren’t being entertained enough, Tyler’s arms had stayed wrapped securely around her the entire night, from the moment he carried her to bed. She turned her head to leave a soft kiss on his chest and pressed herself closer to him, doing her best not to wake him. Nicki knew that she’d exhausted him the night before and wanted to find a way to make it up to him, and letting him sleep in seemed like a good start.

She briefly considered getting out of bed so that he could sleep better, but didn’t want to risk waking him up in the process. So she gave in to the temptation and kept her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as he slept. There was no place in the world she’d rather be than wrapped up in his arms. Being in an enormous, comfy bed in Hawaii was simply a bonus.

Nicki was having a hard time staying still. She was left rejuvenated after the night they’d had, and was dying to get out and see the resort. It was unbelievable to her that just a day ago, she’d gotten married. She lifted her hand carefully to examine the newest addition to her ring finger. They’d chosen plain silver, something small and simple so that it wouldn’t take away from the splendor of her engagement ring. Whenever she was bored, she would just stare at it, counting the diamonds and watching in awe as the light reflected off of them, throwing countless tiny specks on the walls around her.

Four years had still not been enough time for Nicki to fully comprehend her situation. To that day, it still felt as though she could wake up at any moment, depressed and alone. A while back, she’d decided to stop worrying about it. If it was a dream, she wanted to enjoy every blissful second of it. Not a moment went by that she didn’t thank God that Tyler had fallen into her life. As time went on, she began to believe more and more in fate. Could it have been completely by chance that her lifelong best friend had accidentally introduced her to the love of her life?

The more she thought the answer to that question was no, the more her life began to feel like a fairy tale. She was a less than average girl, who’d managed to make a better than average boy fall in love with her, and she wouldn’t soon forget it. Tyler didn’t seem to notice, but often she felt like their relationship was extremely unbalanced. He brought so much to the table; he paid all of the bills, took care of her when she needed it, made her feel better when she was upset, even cooked for her when he could. All Nicki had going for her were her massages and her pancakes. It would forever be a mystery to her why he was so infatuated with her in the first place.

But none of that mattered now. As long as he wore her ring on his finger, and she wore his, nothing could stand in their way. Not her insecurity or his fame, not her constant bad luck or his long road trips. It seemed much too good to be true. But there she was, lying in bed with her new husband on the first day of their honeymoon, happier than she’d ever been in her life.

One of Tyler’s arms released its grasp on her and fell to his side, followed soon after by the other one. Nicki tilted her head up, trying to see if he was awake. She couldn’t see his face, but could tell by the change in his breathing that he had at least stirred. Slowly, his limbs stretched in every direction and she heard a low rumble from his throat. The same low rumble he made every morning when he woke up. The same low rumble that she had sometimes waited hours just to hear.

“Morning,” he said, voice deep and raspy.

Unable to help herself, Nicki propelled herself on top of him and slid her arms behind his neck. She squeezed her legs around his so that he couldn’t move, and began to shower his face with quick, light kisses, the same way he’d done on her last birthday. He laughed and squirmed underneath her, trying to break her grip.

“You’re tickling me!” he cried between breaths.

To Tyler’s relief, she stopped. She waited until he relaxed slightly before creeping her hands down his sides and really tickling him. He threw out his arms to stop her, but was laughing too hard to put any force behind his actions. Normally, Nicki would have withdrawn when he asked. But the face he was making was too good to give up. The face he made when he laughed was priceless. The face he made when he was tickled was precious.

Somehow, he managed to roll over underneath her and get on his stomach. Unfortunately for him, his sides were still very much exposed. Her fingers continued to torture him, but the effect wasn’t the same. She wanted to see his face.

“Please,” he begged, completely out of breath. “I’ll do anything! Just stop!”

Nicki retreated and lied down on top of him, aligning her head with his and sliding her arms underneath him.

“Anything?” she asked suggestively into his ear.

Tyler turned his head to look at her. His face was so close to hers, all she had to do to get a kiss out of him was stick out her lips. She did just that, and he buried his face back into the pillow.

“I hate you,” he said, his voice muffled by the fluffy, feather pillow.

“Aw, Ty! I love you too!” she exclaimed, leaving dozens of kisses on the side of his exposed face. “What? You don’t want to kiss me?”

He turned his head to face her again, and she giggled when she noticed how red his face was. His persistently rosy cheeks always managed to make her smile. No matter how old or mature he became, his cheeks would never fail to give tell to his boyishness. It was one of the things she loved most about him. A small part of him would never grow up, and Nicki found it excruciatingly adorable.

“Are you done?”

Nicki left a last, long kiss on his cheek before nodding her head. Tyler flipped onto his back, throwing her off of him.

“Hey!” she whined, sticking out her lower lip in a pout.

Before she could complain any further, Tyler had grabbed her and pulled her on top of him again. She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. If she could stare at his face for the rest of her life without being creepy, she would have. His face was void of all expression, making Nicki giggle again. He looked like he was attempting a poker face.

“What the hell did I do to you to deserve that?” he asked, expression still blank.

Nicki stretched her arms out, locking her fingers behind his neck. “What? You didn’t like it?”

For a moment, Tyler didn’t respond at all. She wondered if she’d actually bothered him, and began to regret not stopping when he’d asked her to.

“I’m beginning to rethink this whole marriage thing…”

She glared at him, trying to figure out whether or not he was joking. His lack of emotion and flat tone of voice gave her no hints. As her eyes began to water, a smile broke out onto his face. His hands gripped her sides and pulled her up his body, trapping her lips in a kiss once they were face to face. He was so gentle that it dizzied her. The muscles she had been flexing loosened, and her body sank onto his as her mouth moved against him. Nicki cupped his jaw in her hands and became entirely lost in his soft kiss.

Without any warning, he flipped over her and pinned her down. His eyes stared menacingly into hers.

“Just remember, you started this,” he said, lips pulling up into half of a smile.

His fingers dug into her skin; he poked and prodded and stroked and tickled as Nicki squirmed underneath him, unable to move or fight back. Giggles exploded from her and tears ran freely down her face.

“Okay, okay, okay!”she shrieked, trying to throw her arms up in retreat.

He ignored her, the same way she’d done to him. She kicked her legs, hoping to avoid hitting him in the crotch and have them strike an inner thigh. Her aim was dead on and he rolled off of her, groaning.

“Well that kind of hurt” he said, grasping his leg.

Nicki instantly felt terrible when she noticed the red mark she’d left on his terrifyingly white thigh.

“Aw, babe I’m so sorry,” she said, gently rubbing a hand over it.

Tyler flinched when she did, making her feel even worse. She sat up and leaned forward to press her lips lightly to his irritated skin. A soothed sigh came from above her and Tyler’s hand brushed over her hair, smoothing it over her head and down her back.

“That feels a little better,” he mumbled, keeping his hand between her shoulder blades as she left kiss after kiss on his inner leg.

She began to move dangerously up his thigh. Just as she was about to reach her target, hands clenched around her and dragged her up his body.

“I was just gonna try to make it up to you,” she said innocently, looking directly into his gorgeous brown eyes.

Tyler smiled and sat up to plant a kiss on the top of her head, before reclining back into the pillows. His fingers slipped into her hair, sending a chill from the top of her head down her spine. Nicki melted into his touch.

“Why don’t we save it for tonight? Honestly, I think I need a break,” he admitted. He began to massage her head with his fingertips, and laughed as her head dropped heavily onto his chest. “You just reminded me of Marshall. Are you gonna start kicking your leg, too?”

“Shut up,” she groaned, enjoying it way too much to fight back.

“You were so energetic a minute ago,” he teased, continuing to run his fingers through her hair and across her scalp.

“I still am.”

Another laugh escaped his lips and his heaving chest propelled her up and down. She stayed perfectly still. Nothing was going to make her move.

“Yeah, you sound it.”

Tyler continued the way he was, slowly but surely sending her to the brink of consciousness. She tried to think of a time in her life when she’d been more relaxed, and came up dry. Suddenly, two weeks didn’t seem long enough. She wanted to stay for months, doing nothing shy of whatever they wanted. Nicki felt her breathing fall into time with Tyler’s heartbeat against her ear, and was nearly asleep when a foreign noise made itself present in the room.

She smiled against his chest. Nicki was very familiar with that noise.

“Wanna get breakfast?” she asked, tilting her head up to look at him.

He gave one last run through her hair before dropping his hands. The sedation she’d felt instantly wore off, leaving her feeling renewed and ready to go. Another growl came from his stomach, making her giggle. She’d always thought her stomach made loud noises. They were nothing compared to his. Sometimes, she even thought he was trying to talk to her.

“Probably should,” he said, sighing. “I wouldn’t mind staying in bed all day though.”

Nicki pushed herself up and straddled his stomach, running her hands up and down his chest. It was still warm from her lying there, and his skin was inconceivably smooth.

“Come on, Ty, don’t be lazy. We have a whole island to explore. Aren’t you excited? We can lie in bed at home.”

He groaned and threw his arms across his face, exposing the miniscule bit of hair underneath his arms. Besides his legs, there was more or less no hair on his entire body, and his team loved to give him shit for it. Nicki always stood up for him when she could; she constantly told them that she loved her ‘ken doll’, and that all of their wives were probably jealous. She would conclude her argument by asking how many of them had watched a woman pull a black, stringy hair from their teeth, and walked away proudly with their expressions glued in her mind.

She shook his chest and pried at his arms, which had locked together over his face. When all else failed, she resorted to meaner tactics. She shot her fingers underneath his arms. He was caught off guard, and instinctively dropped his arms from his face to push her away. When he did, Nicki leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. He fought back at first, but eventually gave in, and his mouth began to move against hers.

A satisfied smile formed on her face and she went to pull away, only to have Tyler grasp the back of her head and pull her back to him. A moan pushed its way from her throat as he kissed her the way she loved to be kissed. Knowing that she’d be able to kiss him that way for the rest of her life just made things that much sweeter. The security that marriage provided somehow made her love him even more.

Tyler’s arms wrapped around her back as he deepened the kiss further, just for a moment. When he pulled back, he looked up at her with clouded eyes.

“This is perfect,” he whispered, giving her a gentle squeeze.

Nicki nodded in agreement. There was no other way to describe it.

“Alright,” he said, glancing around the room before connecting his eyes with hers again. “Let’s go do something fun.”

As she climbed off of him she asked, “Like what?”

“First, breakfast,” he said, gripping his stomach. “I think there’s a restaurant near the golf club. It’s only like a five minute walk.”

“Oh! Let’s go golfing!”

Tyler raised an eyebrow at her.

“What?”

“You want to go golfing?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you… know how to golf?” he asked cautiously.

“Nope!” she exclaimed, grinning.

“Sometimes you scare me,” he said, finally getting out of bed.

Nicki walked over to him and threw her arms around his waist, looking up at him with her best pleading expression plastered on her face.

“I was hoping you’d teach me.”

His composure disintegrated. She knew how much he liked golf, and noticed he was a little more than disappointed that she never showed any interest in it. She still could care less for it, but thought it might be nice to do something he wanted for once. And the idea of him standing behind her and guiding her hands on the club was perfectly okay with her. In fact, she looked forward to it.

Tyler cupped her face in his hands and leaned back, pressing his hips against her stomach. It was going to be a long day. She was already recharged and anxious to continue their activities from the previous night. Nicki tried to ignore her desires and looked up at him.

“I love you. You know that?”

“Uh huh,” she said, giggling as she backed away from him and grabbed his hands. “Let’s get dressed. I want to learn golfing.”

“Oh, Jesus.”

** * * * *

“This one… or this one?”

Nicki held up a skirt in either hand, not very keen on either of them.

“The one on the left.”

“Are you sure?”

Tyler leaned back against the wall and laughed. “I’m pretty God damn sure.”

She took a moment to look him over, appreciating how good he looked in his new clothes. He hadn’t packed anything that was golf course acceptable, thinking that they wouldn’t go anywhere near it. Luckily, the club had a pro shop. He’d picked out his things and paid for it in a matter of minutes. A half hour had passed, and Nicki was still trying to decide which skirt was less hideous.

“This one it is,” she said, tossing the one in her right hand back on the rack.

A quiet Hallelujah escaped Tyler’s lips, and Nicki whipped a polo shirt at him.

“Don’t get short with me,” she warned, holding up a finger.

Tyler shook his head and approached her, hanging his arms over her shoulders.

“I swear if you start getting all naggy on me just because we’re married now, I’m leaving you.”

“Fine. I don’t like you all that much anyways,” she snapped back.

“This was a huge mistake.”

“A terrible mistake.”

Nicki waited for a smile to cross his face. When one didn’t come, she asked, “Hug it out?”

Finally, he grinned and pulled her to him, leaving a soft kiss on the top of her head.

“I hope we never really fight,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “I don’t know if I could take it.”

“Me either,” he said, rubbing her back.

She couldn’t help but think back to the day she’d found out Jason died. She had been so horrible to him, it still ate away at her. Tyler didn’t deserve to be treated that way, not after everything he’d done for her. He made a mistake, and she had shoved it in his face.

“Ty… that time with Jason. I’m so sorry.”

Tyler’s hand stopped moving across her back. She could tell he was looking at her, but couldn’t bring herself to face him.

“Are you ever going to stop apologizing for that?”

“I can’t believe I did that to you,” she said, on the verge of tears. Why could she never control her emotions?

He pushed her back so that she was forced to look at him and he kept a firm grip on her arms.

“Nicki, that was just as much my fault as it was yours. Come on, don’t you want to learn golfing?” he mocked, trying to make her feel better.

And it worked. It always worked. She sniffled and dragged a finger underneath her eye to collect any moisture that had escaped.

“Thanks, Ty.”

“Anytime,” he said, grinning. He left a sweet peck on her lips before taking the clothing out of her arms. “I’m gonna go pay for this, okay?”

Nicki nodded and sat down on an oversized ottoman, designated for people like Tyler who had to wait hours for their wife or girlfriend or mother or sister to shop. She watched him walk up to the counter, and watched the woman at the register swoon as he flashed her that smile of his. He glanced over at her and the smile lingered. She felt the all too familiar butterflies return to her stomach, and could think of nothing besides the fact that he was all hers. The pretty woman behind the counter, the constant flow of young, gorgeous girls hitting on him, as much as they thought they might, they didn’t stand a chance.

Tyler thanked her and made his way back to Nicki. She drank in all six feet and one inch of him, unable to hold back a smile.

“What?” he asked, handing her the bag with her new clothes.

She stood up and placed a hand on his hip, enjoying the shudder that shot through him when she did.

“Oh, nothing. Just admiring the fact that I’m married to the best looking man who’s ever walked the face of the Earth,” she said passively.

“Can I get that in writing?”

Nicki giggled and nodded. “Course you can. I’ll be right back,” she said, giving his hip a pat before turning to reenter the dressing room.

When she stepped out, she could feel the horrified look on her face. Golf clothes did not suit her. Tyler tilted his head and crossed his arms. She didn’t want to know what he was about to say.

“You look – “

She cut him off. “Please don’t.”

Tyler grinned and stepped towards her, looking her up and down.

“Really cute,” he finished.

“You’re crazy.”

“You’re pretty.”

He’d finally won her over. His stare pulled all of her blood to her cheeks, like a magnet on metal. His hand reached up to brush against her rosy face, and out of the corner of her eye, noticed the woman at the counter staring at them.

“I’m lucky,” she stated, not sure if she could even comprehend how much.

“Yeah, me too.”

Tyler’s lips hit hers, and all she could think about was dragging him back to their room. To save herself the embarrassment of losing it in the middle of the store, Nicki backed away from him.

“You ready to get your ass kicked, Seguin?” she asked playfully, jabbing an elbow into his side.

He threw his arm around her and led her out of the store towards the course.

“Are you ready to get your ass kicked, Seguin?”

Momentarily, Nicki had managed to forget her recent change of last name. The sound of it rang like a bell through her head. She leaned into him as she put on her sunglasses, the ones he’d bought her for her birthday. They were her favorite pair, mainly because they were from him.

“You’re so on. I have this gut feeling that golf is my true calling in life.”

“Yeah,” he said, chuckling. “I’m sure you’re the next Tiger Woods.”

“It hurts when you doubt me, Ty.”

He laughed again and pressed his lips to the side of her head before saying, “Sorry, babe. I’m sure you’re gonna be really good at it. Is that better?”

“Much.”

They walked in a delightful silence to the small building that rented clubs and equipment. Tyler only took his arm off of her to open the door, and as she stepped in a refreshing blast of AC whipped against her face. Until then, Nicki hadn’t noticed just how hot the day had become.

She stayed back as Tyler took care of everything they needed. The only thing Nicki knew about golf was that it was boring to watch and difficult to play. Sure, she’d mastered the art of mini golf. But she got the sense that this would be much different. Tyler had offered to bring her before when he went with his team, but she always declined. Getting her nails done with Tammy and some of the other girls always sounded more appealing to her.

A pair of keys jingled in front of her face, startling her. She hadn’t realized that Tyler came back.

“You wanna drive the cart?”

** * * * *

“Can you do that one more time?”

Tyler sighed, and readied himself to show her another swing. He was going on his fifth time, and obviously was beginning to doubt Nicki’s mental capacity. Little did he know, she’d picked it up the first time. She just liked watching him do it. It hadn’t occurred to her that professional athletes aren’t just good at the sport they play, they are good at every sport known to mankind. She couldn’t help but admire him.

“Are you ready to try it yet?” he asked when he finished, holding out a club for her.

“I guess.”

She grabbed it and set herself up in front of the tee. They’d ventured over to the practice course, so that Nicki wouldn’t make a total fool of herself right away. With a wide open space in front of her, she prepared herself for the worst. She wound up to take a swing at the ball, but Tyler tossed his hands in the air and stopped her.

“Please do not swing that,” he urged, trying not to laugh. “All I can see is the club flying into a tree somewhere.”

Again, he was oblivious to the fact that she was purposely doing things the wrong way. He just couldn’t take the hint. Did he really think she was that incapable?

“Here,” he said, coming up behind her.

Finally. She’d been waiting for this moment all day. So, maybe she had a fantasy of him teaching her how to swing a golf club. So, maybe it was a little cheesy. It was adorable, and she was going to enjoy it if it was the last damn thing she ever did.

Nicki smiled as he placed his feet outside of hers and leaned his body forward, copying her stance. His sculpted arms aligned perfectly over hers, and his hands molded over hers. His concentrated breath on her neck nearly made her legs give out underneath her. It was a little humorous; Tyler was serious and intent on teaching her how to swing, and all she cared about was how great it felt to have him wrapped around her.

“Like this,” he said softly into her ear.

She was certain he could feel the shiver that ran down her spine. Nicki let him guide her hands and arms as he wound up, and nearly died as his hips pushed hers forward when he followed through. Dizzied and weak, she asked him if he’d do it again. She began to wonder if she really did have issues.

“Nicki, are you even paying attention?”

“Huh?”

It was then she realized that she’d let her head fall back against his chest, and her arms were limp under his.

“Is the heat getting to you?” he asked.

“Yeah, maybe that’s it.”

Or maybe you’re just intoxicating.

Tyler left her to grab a bottle of water from the cart. He twisted off the cap and raised it to her lips, tipping it slightly so that it would flow into her mouth. The cool liquid did end up clearing her thoughts a bit.

“I’m not handicapped,” she said, trying to ignore how much she loved what he just did. “I can drink by myself.”

“You know you liked it.”

Nicki bit down on her lip, trying to fight the smile edging its way onto her face. Was she that obvious?

“You feel better?” She nodded. “Try it on your own now, okay?”

“Okay,” she said, hesitantly gripping her club, positioning her hands where his had been a moment ago.

She tried to recall the way it had felt, the way he’d moved her. Keeping her eye on the ball and her concentration on her movements, she swung, following through with her hips as he had.

“No fucking way.”

Nicki watched as the ball soared across the bright blue sky, and fist pumped as it passed Tyler’s by about twenty yards. She did a small victory dance before sprinting to Tyler to rub it in his face. He always beat her at everything. It was about time she could compete with him.

“Oh, what’s that Tyler? What’s that? I am the next Tiger Woods? Why, thank you,” she teased, getting right in his face.

He scoffed at her. “I was taking it easy that time. If you’re gonna be cocky, I won’t hold back.”

“Bring it,” she said, attempting to be sassier than normal.

Her shot had probably been beginner’s luck, which would soon deteriorate the second they stepped foot on the actual course. Should that be the case, she was going to have a hell of a lot of fun teasing him.

“Fine. But if you cry when I beat you, don’t expect me to feel bad for you.”

“That’s harsh. I’ll feel pretty bad when you cry when I beat you.” She paused, waiting to see if he would quip back. “We should make this more interesting.”

“You wanna make bets?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

Nicki nodded and stuck a hand on her hip, thinking over what hers should be.

“If I win,” she started, “You have to take me to a nice, romantic dinner tonight.”

“Well I sure don’t want to do that. If I win, you have to… uh… hula dance,” he said, nodding in satisfaction with his rebuff. “Grass skirt and all. And you have to get up on stage.”

“You just love watching me make a fool out of myself, don’t you?”

Tyler planted a kiss on her forehead and laughed. “Yup. And I get the feeling you’re gonna start right about now.”

“In the cart,” she ordered, pointing him to it.

“Uh uh. No way. I’m driving this time. You almost killed that poor chipmunk.”

Nicki tossed him the keys in defeat. She didn’t want to be ending any small animals’ lives that day.

** * * *

Their chirping continued through each and every hole. Tyler had gone Happy Gilmore style on her and attempted to screw her up by shouting profanities at her as she tried to swing. They had made it to the final hole when he finally got the best of her.

“Marshall likes Freddy better than you,” he shouted as she pulled the club back.

Nicki chuckled at his stupidity. He should know better than to say something like that to her while she had a hard, blunt object in her hands. She spun around assaulted him with the golf club, prodding him in uncomfortable places as he tried to retreat. He lost his footing on a small hill and ended up on his butt.

“You’re such a bitch!” he exclaimed, brushing the grass off of his shorts.

She fell on top of him and pushed him so that he was lying flat on the ground, straddling her legs around him.

“Yeah well you’re an ass.”

Nicki let her face hover just above his and locked eyes with him.

“Come on, not here,” he groaned.

His hands deceived him as they moved anxiously up and down her thighs. She bit her lip as she leaned in to kiss him. A soft moan entered her mouth from his, only egging her on. She kissed him without restraint, without a care in the world. So what if people saw? She wanted them to see.

“We should finish this and go back to the room,” Tyler suggested, nearly out of breath from her efforts.

Nicki hopped off of him and held out her hands to help him up.

“Sorry I made you fall. And attacked you with a golf club.”

Tyler chuckled and wrapped an arm around her. “It’s okay. Now let’s settle this. We’re tied, so whoever gets the ball in first wins.”

** * * * *

“You know, I was going to take you to a nice dinner anyways,” Tyler said, grabbing her hand as they walked out of their building. “I can’t believe you fucking beat me.”

Nicki flashed him a triumphant grin. “You should have a little faith in me, love.”

Apparently, Tyler’s playful side had called it quits for the day, and was replaced with his sweet, romantic one.

“I always have faith in you,” he said, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand.

“So where are we going to eat?” she asked, unsure if she was ready for all of the heavy emotionality that was sure to surface if he kept being affectionate with her.

“We’re staying on the resort. We can go somewhere else tomorrow if you want. There’s supposed to be a really cool beach somewhere around here.”

“Sounds perfect to me. I don’t know if I can handle another day of golf. That was exhausting.”

“I’m really glad you came with me,” he said. “I know you don’t really like it that much.”

Nicki turned her head to look at him. His expression was sincere and grateful.

“It was the least I could do for you, Ty. Besides, it was actually really fun,” she admitted.

“It’s always fun when you win,” he said, laughing.

The walk to the mystery dinner location was filled with chatter, mostly about their day and the days to come. There were so many things to do on the island, they were having a hard time choosing which to do. After about fifteen minutes of walking, Tyler stopped her.

“Close your eyes, okay?”

She did as he asked, and gasped as he picked her up. She hadn’t been expecting it. It only took a moment for her to become comfortable in his hold, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to enjoy the brief ride.

When he set her down, her heels hit wood. She opened her eyes and looked around. At first, she was frightened. They were surrounded on all four sides by the ocean. Then she realized that they were on a dock of sorts, and that there was a long bridge leading back to the shore. A single table was set up underneath a canopy, and small lights illuminated the ground by their feet and the neatly set table.

“Tyler! This is beautiful,” she said, snaking her arms around his waist.

“I thought you’d like it. I already ordered the food, I hope you don’t mind.”

“What’d you get?” she asked, curious about what meal could accompany such a romantic setting.

“You’ll see,” he said, leading her to her chair.

Once she’d become situated, Nicki truly appreciated the sights and sounds around her. The sun was just starting to set, and the sky was a deep, blazing orange. The calm waves rippling against the beams of the dock created a soothing rhythm, one that was much better than the songs played in restaurants.

“How did you do this?”’ She didn’t even know that kind of thing existed.

Tyler shrugged and reached for the bottle of wine that stood in the middle of the table. Nicki noticed that it was the same kind they’d had in California, the first night they’d spent together as a couple. Suddenly, she knew exactly what they were having for dinner.

“I saw it in the brochure and I signed up for it when we checked in,” he explained, popping out the cork.

“Tyler, this is amazing. Thank you.”

He smiled at her as he grabbed the glass from in front of her, filling it more than halfway. Since neither of them had to worry about driving, they could drink as much as they wanted. She took a sip, planning on getting slightly more than tipsy. There was something about drunk sex that she absolutely loved.

As she swallowed the first sip, it hit her.

“I probably shouldn’t be drinking,” she said, putting down her glass.

“Why not?” Seconds later, it clicked for him, too. “Oh, shit.”

“I mean, I don’t want to be overly worried, but what if by some crazy chance it happened yesterday? Would it… hurt it?”

Tyler subconsciously stuck out his tongue as he thought it over.

“Fuck. I really have no idea. We probably should have looked into that,” he said, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck.

Nicki shrugged, assuming that it wasn’t too big of a deal. “There’s always Google. I’ll look it up when we get back to the room.”

Before Tyler could respond, a heavyset Hawaiian man came waddling over the bridge towards them, hands full with plates. Nicki found it slightly amusing that they were being served spaghetti and chocolate cake from a Hawaii native. She’d supposed they would be eating mainly things that were Hawaiian, figuring the culture would be surrounding them constantly.

They thanked him as he trudged away, shaking the wooden dock with his thundering footsteps.

“Ty, this is so sweet,” she said, spreading a napkin across her lap. “I can’t believe you even remembered the kind of wine we drank.”

His arm stretched across the table and he gingerly placed his hand on top of hers.

“I remember everything about that night. That was the night everything started,” he reminded her.

Nicki smiled at him before removing her hand from his. She was starving, and the plate in front of her was extremely appetizing. As she picked up her fork, she thought of one last question.

“Do you ever regret kissing me?”

Tyler looked at her like she was insane and shook his head.

“I only regret not doing it sooner.”

** * * * *

As soon as they got back to their room, Nicki tackled Tyler onto the bed. All day, her hormones had been building up and going wild. She ached for more of what he’d given her last night. She wanted it so badly, she was feeling physical pains in her chest.

Her lips crashed down onto his, and her hands tugged at his hair. She felt him slide her dress up her legs and back, and his hands as they eagerly moved across her skin. Nicki stripped him of his shirt, and he pulled her dress over her head and flung it to the floor. They hadn’t even been in the room two minutes and she was already half naked.

She had decided to drink the wine after all, and as a result became giggly and feisty. She moved down his body, leaving short licks and kisses on his chest and abs. With her teeth, she unbuttoned his shorts and pulled at the hem of his boxers, just enough to get him out. Nicki didn’t procrastinate and quickly began to tease him, lightly flicking her tongue in the places she knew that he couldn’t handle.

Tyler gripped fistfuls of her hair, making loud, pleased noises above her. The one thing about him when he drank wine; he became exceedingly vocal. As she went to take him into her mouth, she decided against it. She was still feeling playful, and wanted to get him that way, too.

Nicki inched up and sat on his stomach, keeping him pinned to the bed.

“What are you doing?” he asked, reaching for her various body parts.

Instead of answering, she dropped her hands to his stomach and began to tickle him again. She laughed hysterically as his expression returned and ignoring his pleas for her to stop. It was hard to take him seriously when his face looked that way.

The alcohol had made her forget what happened earlier, and history repeated itself as Tyler overpowered her once more and flipped her onto her back.

“You think it’s funny, huh?” he asked, obviously looking for a challenge.

Nicki nodded her head and giggled some more.

“Wanna know what I think is funny?”

She locked her eyes on him, going along with whatever he was daring her to accept. She thought of a quick retort, and opened her mouth to shoot it at him. The only thing that came out, however, was a shocked yelp. A smug grin rested on Tyler’s face as he shoved himself into her, pleased to finally get a response from her.

Nicki submitted quickly and willingly, permitting him to take over her body. His hands still clenched her sides, keeping her from moving underneath him. She was still having trouble figuring out how exactly he’d managed to be so stealthy; he’d caught her completely off guard. Her head lolled back onto the pillows and she closed her eyes, only to open them seconds later to hold Tyler’s gaze. His eyes pierced through her and tied tangled knots in her stomach.

He looked at her the way every girl wants to be looked at, with devotion and passion and adoration. She could see it in his face, and she could feel it deep within her bones. Nicki watched him move, tantalized by his refined power and confidence. He could tear her apart if he wanted to, but he remained gentle, as if concerned for her fragility.

Whatever it was that he did, he had her under his spell. She tried to conceal it, to patch up the cracks in her exterior so that he couldn’t see. Nicki would never forget the day he’d admitted to feeling weak around her, the day he’d told her he could never say no to her. That he would crumble for her, if she only asked. As much as she wanted to tell him she would do the same, she wasn’t ready to show that kind of vulnerability. It was just better that way.

Her emotions got the best of her, and the ever present tears made their way to the corners of her eyes. A sad smile crossed Tyler’s face and he released his grip on her to brush away a fallen tear. He left his hand on her cheek and leaned forward, resting another hand on the other side of her face. His forehead dropped to hers and she allowed her eyes to shut. Lips reached out to touch hers, for a second or two at a time. His nose pressed against hers, their shallow breaths perfectly in sync.

Underneath his loving embrace, she began to unravel. Low whimpers arose from her throat, stopped at the barrier of her closed lips. His thumbs stroked her cheeks, causing the rest of her tears to fall. She felt so whole, so complete in every way. Her heart ached from the love that flowed between them, their bodies connected at a single point. He would always be a part of her, even when he wasn’t with her. His presence surrounded her constantly, and she would never try to escape it, even if she could.

His movements became more commanding, more urgent. But never once did he take his forehead from hers, nor did his hands fall from her face. Her hands ran up his sides and she felt him suck in a sharp breath at her touch. His breath seemed to ignite something within him, and soft groans began to come from his mouth.

The noises rattled through her, tightening the knots in her gut. Her attention became dedicated purely to the hips that rocked her body, and the way it felt as he dove into her, gently but passionately. A familiar sensation filled her, snapping the last string that held her together. Her hands found his face, keeping him close as she lost herself under him.

Without a word, he climbed off of her and pulled her to him. Nicki needed no further direction. She curled up against him and sighed as he molded his body to hers. A soft kiss on the back of her neck told her that this was goodnight.

Tyler’s hand, which usually rested by her chest, slid to cover her stomach. His palm left a warm indentation in her core, and his outstretched fingers caressed her skin. When he didn’t move his hand away, Nicki understood what was on his mind.

At that very moment, there could be something growing there. Something that would forever change their lives.