White Orchids

“They totally know who you are,” Nicki said, eyeing the posse of girls that walked by them every five minutes to take a prolonged look at Tyler.

“Maybe they’re just appreciating my radiant tan,” he said, running a hand down his chest to showcase his bleached skin.

Nicki giggled and leaned back on her towel. “I think it has less to do with your skin and a lot more to do with your abs. You should really start covering up babe, I can’t bring you anywhere.”

“Oh, ya, says the girl who’s basically wearing panties and half of a bra. Don’t think I haven’t noticed guys checking you out, too.”

She sat up again to look at him. “How does it not bother you?”

“How does it not – pff,” he scoffed. “It doesn’t bother me because I’m Tyler fucking Seguin.”

“You arrogant bastard,” she said, giving his chest a shove as she laughed.

Whatever had gotten into him over the last two weeks, she hoped it never changed. Every day she had more fun with him than the last. Nicki always knew he had a sense of humor, but over the years it had diminished. Now, it was back full force, and she had the strained side muscles to prove it.

When their conversation ceased, she found herself looking out across the clear, turquoise blue sea.

“I can’t believe this is our last day here.”

Tyler turned to look at her through his sunglasses. She had to admit, she couldn’t blame those girls for gawking. His unattended scruff, messy hair, and chiseled body should have earned him a spot on the cover of People. Even she found herself staring a half second too long.

“I know. I don’t want to go back,” he said, tilting his head back to let the sun reach his neck, nearly making Nicki choke. If he hadn’t looked like a god before, he most certainly did now.

She had the overwhelming urge to touch him, to be with him. To let everyone on that beach know that he was hers.

The only thing she could come up with was, “Do you need more sun block?”

He shrugged. “Probably not, but if you feel like running your hands all over me, be my guest.”

Nicki grinned and pushed herself up, walking over to the bag she’d packed with snacks, water, tanning oil, and sun block. She felt Tyler’s eyes on her, and made the extra effort to stick out her butt as she bent over to look for the SPF 50 she’d brought for him.

“Can you not do that?”

She spun around to find him eyeing her oiled body with the hunger of someone who hadn’t eaten in months.

“Do what?” she asked, bending over again in search of the sun block that she already found. Tyler didn’t need to know.

“If you’re gonna be a tease,” he said slowly, “I’m hauling you back to the room and locking you in there until we leave. Understood?”

Nicki grinned to herself before turning around, sun block in hand. Her feet sunk through the sand as she walked to him, and watched in entertainment as his lips parted slightly at the sight of her muscles working to dig her out. Her legs were her best asset, and she used them to her advantage ever since Freddy texted her and told her he caught Tyler checking them out. It never seemed to fail.

She sat cautiously on his lap, grinding her hips just enough for him to feel. She answered his frustrated expression with a proud one of her own and snapped the cover of the sun block, drizzling the white cream into the palm of her hands. Tyler observed her every movement, like he would miss something important if he looked away.

He had himself propped up on his arms behind him, and as Nicki began to spread the lotion across his chest, they began to shake.

“Aw, you’re so cute,” she said as she continued to seduce him with the application of sun block.

“Shove it. You’re the one that wanted to come to the beach, I wanted to stay in the room. So whatever you’re trying to pull, just stop.”

“You’re so intimidating,” she teased, sneakily running a finger along the band of his bathing suit.

Tyler let out a laugh and finally gave in to her. “Well, I tried.”

Nicki leaned forward and rubbed her nose against his before giving him a quick kiss.

“Yes you did. We can go back soon. I just wanted to see this one more time before we left.”

His hands snaked around her slippery back, and she felt something move underneath her. A strained groan rumbled in Tyler’s throat.

“You can’t shower until I say so,” he mumbled, trying to sound authoritative, but failing miserably.

“You like me all oiled up, huh?”

Another groan.

Nicki giggled. “Lie on your stomach so I can get your back. And so you can tame that thing.”

She pushed herself off of him and waited for him to roll over before taking a seat on his butt. Whenever she did, she had a flashback to the first time she gave him a massage, and how nervous and excited she had been. Nicki would never forget the shaking fingers and the nausea that formed in her stomach every time she touched him. The touch that she’d once been afraid of, she now needed to breathe.

Her hands moved up and down his back slowly so that both of them could enjoy it. When you’re constantly craving another person, there are certainly ways to satisfy yourself when in public. They’d figured out nearly every one of them.

When she finished, she gave him a pat on the back and hopped off of him, back onto her towel.

“You’re actually getting kinda tan, babe.”

Tyler propped himself up again and looked at her.

“Yeah, it’s just hard to notice when I’m standing next to a beach goddess. How do you tan so well? Aren’t you Irish?”

The only words Nicki heard were beach goddess. She launched herself onto his lap again and threw her arms around his neck. Her legs folded underneath her, and she twisted her ankles so that her feet rested on his legs. She reached up with both hands to removed his sunglasses, and giggled as he scrunched his face against the brutal sunlight. He did the same to her, and her eyes lingered on his for a moment before she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him to her.

Between the heat of the sun and the heat of their kiss, Nicki’s head was left spinning. She was about to tell him that going back to the room didn’t seem like such a bad idea when they heard someone calling his name.

“Is that… Is that fucking Tyler Seguin?”

Nicki whipped her head to the left. She was already relieved to hear a man’s voice rather than a woman’s. A group of about a dozen boys, who couldn’t have been much younger than her, were approaching them, half of them looking star struck. She climbed off of Tyler and returned his sunglasses to him before putting her own back on her face. Once they got close enough, Tyler stood up to greet them. Nicki wasn’t sure what to do and stayed put on her towel, looking up against the rays of the sun at the group who, judging by the accented voices, were from Boston.

“This is so fuckin’ weird,” one of them said. “We were just talking about next season.”

As they chatted about all things hockey, Nicki stood up, figuring they might be there a while. She hoped Tyler wouldn’t bother introducing her, but knew better than that. Sometimes, she’d rather be the nameless girl that went everywhere with him. The repercussions of public attention rarely sat well with her.

“So what are you, just on vacation?” the one closest to Tyler asked.

“Actually,” he said, slinging an arm around Nicki’s back, “We’re on our honeymoon.”

“Oh, shit man. I’m sorry. We wouldn’t have bothered you – “

Tyler cut him off. “Don’t worry about it.”

Another one spoke up. “Well, we were gonna start a game of volleyball… do you want in?”

“Dude, if he’s on his fucking honeymoon he obviously isn’t going to want to play volleyball.”

“What do you think?” Tyler asked, turning to Nicki.

She looked into the crowd of boys. She knew it would make their day, possibly their entire vacation, if he said yes.

“Only if I can play, too,” she said, grinning.

“Yeah, absolutely.”

“And Tyler and I have to be on the same team. I don’t know if our marriage can handle that kind of competition.”

“Sure, whatever you want.”

“Alright, looks like I’m in,” Tyler said, flashing a smile at her.

Every boy in the group seemed to die a little. Nicki remembered exactly what it felt like to be a fan; she still was one. Besides, volleyball was one of the only sports she played in high school. It was something she actually managed to be pretty good at.

“Sick,” the tallest one said. “The net is down there to the left. Just keep walking straight and you’ll find it.”

Tyler nodded and told them he’d see them in a minute. When they left, he turned to Nicki.

“Are you sure you don’t mind? We don’t have to. I know it’s our last day.”

She glided her hands along his stomach, coaxing a small sigh out of him.

“Of course I’m sure. I was the one that said yes, wasn’t I? It’ll be fun.”

He smiled at her again. “You’re fucking awesome. But you really don’t think we could handle being on separate teams?”

“Um, do you remember what happened when we golfed? Enough said.”

Tyler chuckled and pulled her against him. “Do you have any idea how happy you make me?”

She tilted her head up to kiss the bottom of his scruff covered chin. “Hopefully half as happy as you make me.”

His lips touched down on the top of her head and lingered long enough to form a warm smile on her face. Nicki had to wonder if things would ever stop feeling so perfect, and wasn’t sure if she was ready to know the answer. She knew all about the honeymoon stage. She went through it with Mark. But so far, their entire relationship had been that way. There had been speed bumps, sure. But they were few and far between. At the end of the day, it just made them stronger.

“Wanna pack up and head over?” he asked, letting go of her.

She nodded and began to gather their things, shoving them into her oversized beach bag. She slung the strap over her shoulder and dug her flip flops out of the sand. As she walked towards where the boys had told them to go, a hand grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what Tyler was talking about. When he slid the bag off of her shoulder and onto his, she understood.

“You are so sweet,” she said, wrapping an arm around his back.

Tyler looked down at her and grinned. “I know.”

They walked hand in hand across the beach, drawing stares from nearly every direction. She guessed some people recognized Tyler, and guessed others were doing exactly what she had done her entire life. Even when she was with Mark, she would scan the beach for couples and think ‘they look so happy together’ or ‘they must be so in love’, and a small part of her had been envious. Now, she was walking in those shoes. And it felt fantastic.

** * * * *

Tyler slung an arm across Nicki’s back as they entered a team huddle. Not surprisingly, the team with the professional athlete was kicking ass. However, Tyler wasn’t expecting Nicki to carry the team. She’d somehow forgotten to mention to him that she played in high school, and was better than him and half of the other guys combined.

And he thought he couldn’t possibly be more attracted to her. He had been so wrong.

She moved so lithely through the sand, Tyler caught himself staring at her on more than one occasion. Since he was so much stronger than her, he’d never realized just how powerful her muscles could be. Watching them flex underneath her tanned, shiny skin was driving him insane. For once, he wanted her to take advantage of him. He wanted to give himself over to her and let her do what she may. Tyler planned on doing just that as soon as they got back to the room, which only added to his motivation to win and end the game as quickly as possible.

He listened attentively as their ‘captain’, Derek, explained the game plan. Nicki would serve, then run up front and switch places with a less able teammate, joining Tyler underneath the net. If they got this point, they would win. Not only would Tyler finally be able to take Nicki back to their room, but the other team would have to streak down to the water and back. It almost seemed too ironic that this random group of people had the same standards as he and his friends did; there was never a game without a bet.

Tyler glanced over his shoulder to watch Nicki set up and serve, and wondered if the day would ever come when she ceased to amaze him. Somehow, he didn’t think it would ever happen. He’d never been so proud to call anything his, not even his two championship rings.

The volleyball flew over his head, and dropped between two of the people on the other side of the net. Just as it was about to hit the ground, one of them dove and got it airborne. As they struggled to get it over the net, Nicki came up beside him, and in an instant of curiosity, grabbed her by the hips and picked her up. The ball went right to her, and she whacked it down to the ground.

Everyone around them went wild, and he could feel her muscles clenching in his hands as she laughed. He lowered her down, but kept her in his grip.

“How the hell did you know to do that?!” she asked, face bright and shining.

“I wanted to see you spike it,” he joked, “And you’re too short to do it on your own.”

Nicki giggled and put her hands on his shoulders, the rough sand on her hands transferring onto his sunburned skin nearly made him flinch. He didn’t mention it, afraid she might take them away.

“I feel so cool right now,” she said with an enormous smile on her face.

“I don’t know if cool is the right temperature I’d use to describe you right now,” he mumbled, his hands moving enticingly across her back.

“That was so cheesy,” she said, laughing harder now. “And I loved it. Wanna say goodbye and head back?”

Tyler nodded anxiously. The entire two weeks they’d been there, he had never felt as ready as he did just then. He wanted to take her through the afternoon, the night, and the morning until they had to leave.

They laughed with the rest of their new friends as the losing team ran, bare ass naked, across the beach towards the ocean. The looks they drew from the other beach goers ranged from disgust to entertainment to enjoyment.

High fives and fist pounds were exchanged in congratulations, and most of the attention had been turned to Nicki.

“Will you guys sign the volleyball?” Derek asked, holding out a black sharpie.

“You want me to sign it?” she asked in disbelief.

“Obviously. You basically one the game by yourself. And how many people have something signed by both Seguins? My bros back home are gonna be so fucking jealous.”

Nicki laughed and accepted the sharpie, passing it along to Tyler.

“You’ll actually be the first,” she said.

He could feel her watching him sign his messy half signature on the dirtied white ball. Tyler knew exactly what she was thinking. This would be the first time she’d signed her new last name, and he was sure she was freaking out a little in her mind, the way she always did.

Once he finished, he handed her the sharpie and held the ball up for her to sign. He chuckled as she stuck out her tongue in concentration, and gave himself a mental pat on the shoulder for rubbing off on her. Being with each other so often had its positives, but it had its negatives, too. They began to pick up each other’s bad habits. Luckily, she looked a lot cuter than he did when she stuck her tongue out.

“There it is,” she said, taking a step away from her work. “My first official signature as a Seguin.”

Tyler rolled the ball in his hands to take a look at it. He’d been signing that name his entire life, and her first try came out better than he could ever do himself. It was perfectly scrolled in her neat writing, and looked as natural as his did next to it. Seeing their signatures side by side gave him a funny feeling in his stomach. He looked up from the ball at Nicki, and knew she was feeling the exact same way.

“It’s been solid,” he said, handing the ball to Derek.

“Hey, one last thing. Would you mind if we got a picture?”

He shook his head. “Not at all.”

“Great!”

Derek ran over to get everyone together, apparently it was going to be a group photo. Tyler still couldn’t believe how easy it could be sometimes to make someone’s day. It was a feeling like nothing else; having hundreds of thousands of people who are insanely happy just to meet you. Sure, there were the weirdos and the fan girls and the haters, but then there were the people like Derek and his buddies, who probably would never stop talking about this day.

“Come on,” he called from where they’d gotten situated in front of the volleyball net. “Get in the middle!”

Tyler grabbed Nicki’s hand and led her over, standing front and center. They’d asked a stranger to take the picture, and after rifling off a few, Derek asked for just one more.

“Just the winners!” he said, taking a jab at the team that had lost.

Some of the guys sifted out and along the sides, out of the camera shot.

“Too bad we don’t have a cup to raise or some shit,” Derek said, laughing.

Someone to Tyler’s left, Kevin, maybe, spoke up. “What about Nicki?”

“Fuck yes!”

Tyler laughed and glanced at her to gauge her reaction. She shrugged and smiled at him. He knew she would go along with it. He tried to find the best way to lift her. She was heavier than the cup, and much more awkward to hold above his head. Once he got her up, he felt her squirming as she giggled. Her muscles firmed underneath his hands, attempting a sideways plank to make it easier on him.

He felt a few hands pat his back as they readied for the picture. Tyler was sure it would be all over the internet, and for once, looked forward to seeing it. Let the press try to turn that one into something negative.

Finally, they said their goodbyes and nice to meets yous. He hung an arm around Nicki’s shoulder as they walked back to the parking lot where they’d left the rental. He’d indulged a bit and got a decked out Range Rover. It still didn’t compare to his Maserati, but sometimes he missed driving an SUV. He tossed Nicki’s bag in the backseat before opening her door for her. She’d fallen a few paces behind and he could tell her legs were tired from the effort she put out.

“Thanks, babe,” she said, standing on her tip toes to kiss his reddened cheek. Her lips were outrageously soothing against his charred skin.

Tyler nodded and gave her a tired smile. Suddenly, he was feeling worn out himself. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to last all night, after all. It still didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.

The short ride back to the resort was spent enjoying the rush of the AC from the powerful vents in the Range Rover. He swore the air conditioning in Hawaii was better than it was in Boston, and for good reason. If it got that hot in Boston, he wouldn’t survive.

By the time they reached their room, they were both ready for a nap. The sun had drained most of their energy without them noticing, and volleyball had sucked out the last of it. Tyler collapsed on his back onto the bed, letting the soft comforter and cushiony mattress relax him. He lifted his head when he heard Nicki shuffling around, and found the drive to get himself up as he watched her bikini top fall to the ground.

She hadn’t noticed that he was watching her, and his hands on her chest made her jump. It didn’t take long for her to lean into him, nearly purring at his touch. Once he’d had his fun, he slid a hand down her slick stomach and underneath the band of her remaining bathing suit bottom. A groan came from her and she slumped back, now depending on him to hold her up.

Tyler brushed his lips by her ear, placing gentle kisses around it.

“I want you to attack me,” he whispered, making sure that his lips touched her as he spoke.

Nicki turned around, forcing his hand away from her. She pushed him back onto the shag rug that was strewn along the floor at the end of the bed and ordered him down. He sat, enjoying the soft rug underneath him. It surprised him that they hadn’t made it onto the rug before; it seemed like such a good idea, and much more comfortable than the hardwood that they’d ended up on more than once.

She let her bottoms slide down her legs, giving Tyler the thrill he needed to get ready for her. He gulped when he noticed Nicki watching his bathing suit rise, looking at it like an animal looks at its prey before it pounces. Her teeth pulled at her bottom lip as she lowered herself onto him, making sure to grind against him in the most unbearable way that she could. He shut his eyes, trying to spare himself the torture, but found himself too interested in what she was doing. Sometimes, the torture was the best part.

A finger slipped underneath his shorts, followed soon after by the rest of her hand. Tyler had to grip a tuft of the rug to keep from yelling out as she wrapped a hand around him. Without releasing her hold on him, she removed the last bit of clothing keeping them apart. Nicki sat by his side, stroking away. Every so often, she would break her gaze from her work to look at him, to watch him breaking down under her control.

Heavy breaths began to exit his mouth. The buildup had begun, and Nicki seemed to know it. She stopped abruptly, leaving him to plead for her to finish. He knew it would do no good. He’d asked for it, and she was going to make damn sure he got it.

Without a word, she got between his legs and covered him with her mouth. His hands reflexively gripped her hair, trying to assert any kind of control. It failed, and he loosened his grip, letting the strands of her salty hair slip through his fingers. He propped himself up on his elbows, figuring he would probably die anyways, and might as well watch. She seemed to like it when he watched, as she always went out of her way to make it even better when he did.

There were very few things he found sexier than the sight of himself in her mouth, possibly due to the fact that he knew exactly what kinds of things that mouth was capable of. She worked on him for nearly a half an hour, bringing him to the edge and pulling him back more times than he could count. As exhausting as it was, he would have been lying if he said he wasn’t loving it.

When she finally stopped, she didn’t give him a chance to breathe before inching up and sitting on him, taking him in his entirety. Tyler sank back into the luscious rug, fighting the urge to rock his hips. Nicki put her hands on his chest to steady herself, and he stared up at her. Her neck was arched slightly, her eyes were closed and her mouth was open, letting out quick, concentrated breaths. As if her moving on top of him wasn’t enough to stop his heart, seeing how much she enjoyed it was like driving a knife through him.

In an attempt to make up for not helping her, Tyler ran his hands up and down her thighs, trying to soothe them. If she’d been tired when they got back, there was a good chance he’d have to carry her to the airport in the morning. Tiny whines escaped her lips above him, and her eyes remained closed. She squeezed herself around him, and he knew that she was nearly there. Her hips started to buck wildly against him, making him throw his head back onto the rug. He heard a strange noise come from his mouth, very aware that he was on the brink of entirely losing his mind.

At a loss for what to do, he grabbed her hands on his chest, gripping them tightly. Normally, he’d be afraid of hurting her, but there wasn’t anything on his mind other than Nicki on top of him. He wasn’t sure which one of them went first, but in a matter of seconds they’d collapsed together, satisfied and fatigued. Tyler wrapped his arms around her shaking frame, hoping it was from the physical exertion and not something emotional. He was spent, and didn’t know if he had the energy to cheer her up.

Her trembling stopped after a moment, and he let out a sigh of relief. He picked up his head to kiss whatever part of her was available to him, when he realized she’d already fallen asleep. It hadn’t even been five minutes, and she was absolutely passed out. He considered bringing her right to bed, but she was covered in sand and oil still.

If he could just get out from underneath her without waking her up…

Somehow, he did it, and left her face down on the fluffy rug. Tyler wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen her so wiped out. A smile crossed his face as he took one last glance at her before walking into the bathroom. He loved taking care of her. To him, it was the most rewarding thing in the world. He knew that she didn’t like to depend on people, even him. But he was the single person that she’d allow herself to lean on, the only one she would go to for help. It made him feel extraordinarily special.

Tyler turned the golden faucet on the bathtub and let the warm water run. He made sure not to have it too hot, as it would sear their already burned skin. He waited by the side of the tub until it filled, then turned off the water and went to get Nicki.

She’d stayed exactly how he left her, sprawled out on her stomach, arms bent above her head. Tyler bent down and reached his arms underneath her, trying his best to be careful as he lifted her off of the floor. Even with all of the eating they’d been doing the past two weeks, he could tell just by picking her up that she’d lost weight. If he had to guess, he thought it would be pretty safe to assume it had something to do with their heightened level of activity. He would have loved to know how many calories they’d burned from having sex alone.

As he got into the bathroom, he had a change of heart. His original plan was to put her in the bath alone, to get the oil off so that it wouldn’t stain the sheets, but holding her in his arms convinced him otherwise. Tyler cautiously stepped one foot in, knowing that if he slipped, it would end terribly for both of them.

He set Nicki down gently before sitting, to ensure that he would have a hand free incase he fell. Once he lowered himself in, he grabbed her around the waist, and propped her up with a leg. He chuckled quietly to himself when he thought of how badly he would tease her for this. It was as if someone had knocked her out; her body was limp and weighed down, and trip from the floor to the bathtub hadn’t even stirred her.

Tyler pressed his lips to the side of her head, which was lying heavily against his shoulder. For someone who was utterly passed out, her face was still so peaceful. He grabbed the washcloth that was neatly folded and awaiting use on the edge of the tub and dipped it in the water before dragging it across her shoulders and chest. He rested his cheek atop her head as he continued like that over the rest of her body, doing his best to wipe away the remnants of the oil without soap.

A yawn took over Tyler’s face. He was ready for bed. It wasn’t even dark out yet, and he could already feel sleep creeping up on him. After another yawn, he tossed the washcloth aside and inched his hands underneath Nicki’s arms, lifting her as he stood. He draped her over an arm as he reached for the towels that were stacked on the counter and threw one over her.

It was a challenge, but Tyler successfully dried the both of them off and got Nicki into bed. He was amazed that through all of it, she’d never made a peep. It was a bit worrisome, but he knew that when she was tired, she was tired. He climbed under the covers and pulled her against his chest. She finally moved to wrap an arm around his stomach and snuggle up to him.

Tyler grasped the hand that was on his stomach and settled back into the pillows. Finally they sun was beginning to set, and it cast a glowing light through the open balcony doors and onto the bed. The last thing he wanted to do was leave the paradise they’d found there. It had been the most perfect two weeks of his entire life, and he didn’t want it to end.

He was comforted only by the thought of what the day to come had in store for them.