Matchplay Read online

  “It’s yours,” I said and smiled.

  The tension melted from his face. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

  “I wanted to. Besides, you got me a trip to Florida.”

  “Sit down,” I commanded and Aaron sat on the bed. I handed him the package.

  When I saw his eyes were filled with anticipation, I knew getting him something was a good idea.

  He tore open the wrapping and examined the gift. “This is amazing.”

  I had ordered a reproduction print of Mary Cassatt’s Ellen Mary Cassatt with a Large Bow in Her Hair and got it custom framed for him. The framing stretched my budget a bit and I ended up eating mac and cheese all through exam week but it was worth it to see the look of joy in his eyes.

  Aaron ran his hands along the wooden frame. “This was expensive. It’s too much.”

  “You said this painting looked just like me. I wanted you to have it.”

  “I love it.”

  I sat down next to him. “You’re not an easy person to shop for,” I said. “And not just because your family is super wealthy.”

  “Then what makes me hard to shop for?”

  “You know how much I love art but you’ve never really told me what you’re passionate about.”

  He frowned. “Of course I have.”

  I thought about the many conversations we’d had. He’d never mentioned anything about interests or hobbies.

  “I’m passionate about you.”

  “Me?” I stammered in disbelief.

  He looked at me like I was crazy. “You’re my passion,” he repeated.

  That was not what I was expecting him to say at all.

  He grabbed my legs and swung them so that they were on his lap. “Everything I’ve ever done in my life was something that was expected, something that my parents wanted me to do or something that my brothers had done and I had to do because I was the next in line. Nothing excited me or really interested me. I just did it because it was what I was supposed to do. The first thing I ever did that I really cared about doing, that I actually felt excited about, was building the Mary Cassatt Museum.”

  I was speechless. I didn’t have any words that were adequate for the immensity of feelings I had for Aaron. I moved my legs and hips so that I was in his lap straddling him and we were face to face. We both stared into each other’s eyes. The feelings he brought out in me nearly consumed me and it was difficult to even breathe.

  I stroked his face with my hand and his breath caught. We continued staring deep into each other’s eyes. Then he grabbed my hips and pulled me even closer to him. He attacked my mouth with his. It was as if we couldn’t get enough of each other’s lips and tongues and tastes. He let out a slight moan and my body quivered in response.

  The only thought I had, the only desire I had at that moment, was to get as close to him as I could. I wanted to feel our naked bodies together. I wanted to feel him inside of me. I wanted to feel the ultimate connection between our bodies and souls.

  “Make love to me,” I whispered into his ear.

  “When we’re in Florida. I want it to be perfect.”

  I nodded. I knew he was right and we should wait. I wanted it to be special, too. But at that moment, our trip seemed like an eternity away.

  Eleven

  Grand Slam

  A lovely limo picked us up at the airport. It was my first time riding in one and I could feel the excitement rising in my chest. The driver took our bags then opened the back door for us. Aaron slid in then helped me in after him.

  It was just like I had seen in the movies.

  Aaron took my hand in his and gave me a grin. “I know you don’t usually drink but the limo is stocked with a pretty good bar. And we’ve got Champagne.”

  “Well, I’ve never ridden in a limo before and I’ve never had Champagne,” I admitted.

  Aaron got a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “They’ll be a lot of firsts for you on this trip,” he promised.

  I couldn’t help my smile at the thought of us finally having sex.

  “You must be hungry. Please tell me you like fish.”

  I shrugged. “My parents weren’t big fish eaters, so I never had much of it. Really just some school lunch fish sticks.”

  Aaron shook his head. “You have no idea what you’re missing. I have reservations at this hole-in-the-wall place. Don’t be shocked when we pull up. It doesn’t look like much on the outside but the food is amazing.”

  “Okay, I’m game.”

  Aaron was right. The seafood place, Cliff’s Fish Shack, was little more than a shack. I was almost afraid to go in for fear the roof might fall in on us.

  “You can’t always judge a book by its cover,” Aaron reminded me and I hoped it was true in this case. “Still game?”

  I nodded.

  “Okay, then, let’s go.”

  I let Aaron do the ordering. He selected snapper, which he insisted was the best fish to eat in Florida. It was still pretty early and the place had only a few other patrons scattered amongst the large dining area. Aaron assured me in another hour or so, the place would be bursting at the seams with clientele.

  “How did you know about this place?”

  “My uncle, the one who owns the condo where we’re staying loves to come here. It’s one of his favorite places in St. Pete.”

  We were seated right next to an open window with a lovely view of Tampa Bay. A slight breeze blew in and I got a faint whiff of the sea air.

  “I’m looking forward to taking you for a walk on the beach.”

  I smiled. “Are you sure you’re not just looking forward to seeing me in my swimsuit,” I joked.

  “That, too,” he admitted.

  I was a little nervous about the food. I always hated passing cheap seafood places that seemed to smell like rotting fish.

  When the food came, I let out a sigh of relief that everything looked and smelled divine.

  Aaron insisted on feeding me my first bite of snapper. He scooped a small piece on his fork and put it in my open mouth.

  It was delicious. And I had to admit that being fed was quite erotic.

  Aaron raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

  “It’s wonderful.”

  He let out a small breathe. “I’m glad you like it. Now dig in.”

  ***

  The ride to the condo was quiet. It was probably because of all the food we devoured. I hadn’t even realized I was so hungry. I snuggled up close to Aaron and placed my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead and I closed my eyes intending just to rest them for a minute. I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep until I heard Aaron’s voice say, “Wake up, Sunshine. We’re here.”

  ***

  Aaron neglected to mention that the condo was a penthouse with a panoramic view of the city and the bay. It was breathtaking. Candles were already lit all over the apartment when we got there. Aaron must have noticed me staring at the candles because he said, “The condo manager came up and got the place ready.”

  I also noticed that several vases of sunflowers had been strategically placed around the living area as well.

  “The flowers are lovely. And all the candles.”

  Aaron took both of my hands in his. “I told you I wanted this night to be perfect.”

  I swallowed. This was really it. The night I would give myself completely to a man for the first time.

  Aaron looked at me with concern in his eyes. “You still want to do this, don’t you? You’ll tell me if you don’t. I can wait. It’s not a big deal. Just let me know.”

  I leaned up to kiss Aaron. I wanted him to know I was ready, willing and wanting.

  He didn’t hesitate to scoop me up and carry me into the bedroom. The entire room was illuminated with flickering candles. Aaron carefully placed me on the immense four poster bed.

  “I’ll be right back. I want to put all the candles out in the other room.”

  He returned seconds later and joined me on the bed. We were both l
ying next to each other. He leaned up on one elbow so he was looking down at me. He kissed me gently on the lips then kissed both of my eye lids. It tickled and excited me. Then he kissed my nose and my chin.

  He looked at me a long moment before he ran his thumb along the part of my breastbone that was exposed by the few open buttons at the top of my shirt. His thumb made its way down toward my first closed button and Aaron unbuttoned it. He managed to continue unbuttoning the rest of my shirt without taking his eyes from mine. The pure desire in his eyes sent shivers through my entire body.

  He carefully slid my shirt from my shoulders then removed my arms from the garment, and let it fall to the floor. He stared at my black lace bra for a moment then ran a finger all along the top edge of my bra. He leaned down and placed a kiss right between my breasts.

  I suddenly felt nervous. I was getting very close to being naked in front of a man for the first time and I felt insecure. What if I didn’t measure up to the other girls he had been with?

  Aaron leaned over and unsnapped my bra then removed it from my body. I could see him swallow hard as he looked at my breasts. He slowly stoked each of my nipples with his thumbs until they were erect.

  I was beginning to think Aaron had magical thumbs. He certainly knew how to use them.

  Then he took my right nipple in his mouth and alternated between sucking on it and lightly biting it. I moaned with pleasure. Then he gave my other nipple the same treatment.

  Aaron then kissed his way down my stomach stopping right above the line where my jeans were. He unsnapped the button then slowly unzipped my pants. He grabbed either side of the top of my jeans and pulled them down. He let my jeans drop to the floor with the rest of my clothing.

  Starting at my ankles, he kissed all the way up the inside of my right leg then back down my left leg. I let out another moan and Aaron gave me a devilish grin. He took his two first fingers and very slowly ran them under the top of my underwear. A wave of heat and desire coursed through my body and I could feel my underwear getting wet between my legs.

  Aaron eased my underwear down my body and tossed them on the floor. He scanned my entire naked body. “Do you have any idea how absolutely beautiful and fucking hot you are?”

  I didn’t. But I was going to find out.

  Aaron stood up on the side of the bed and removed his shirt. His chest was muscular and toned. I knew he was athletic and it showed. He removed his pants and underwear in what seemed like one fluid motion. I gulped when I saw his erection. There was no longer any doubt in my mind just how sexy he found me. He bent down and removed a small packet from his pants pocket and tossed it on the side of the bed.

  Aaron slid back on the bed and bent on his knees between my legs. He stared at me for another long moment. Then he bent down and put his tongue between my legs.

  Oh. My. God.

  I lifted my hips to meet his mouth and he skillfully used his tongue to make me cry out in sheer delight. What I had read about in romance novels didn’t come close to describing how his tongue felt inside me. Just before I was about to explode in ecstasy, he withdrew his tongue and gave me an impish grin. “Not yet.”

  He reached for the packet he had laid beside me and opened it with his teeth. He removed the condom and rolled it on. He moved so he was between my legs hovering over me. “Are you ready?”

  I nodded.

  “Tell me to stop whenever you want. It might hurt.”

  I gulped as he lowered himself down and pushed himself inside of me. He was right. The first push did hurt. A lot. I gasped and he leaned in and kissed me. Hard. As he continued to thrust himself inside me, he continued to invade my mouth with his tongue.

  Very soon, the pain was gone, and his thrusts began to feel wonderful. I loved the way he completely filled me and how close our bodies were to each other. I felt like we belonged together and belonged to each other.

  As he quickened his pace, I started to feel a tightening between my legs. I cried out as I completely lost control of my body.

  “Come with me, Baby,” he whispered into my ear as we both exploded in each other’s arms.

  When his body stopped shuddering, he looked at me. “I love you, Sunshine,” he said then kissed my forehead.

  I felt a bit of sadness prick my heart when he withdrew himself from me. It felt silly because I knew he couldn’t stay inside me forever. He got up and went into the bathroom.

  I suddenly felt chilled and wanted to get under the covers but when I looked down at the bed where I had been laying, I felt sick. There was a blood stain in the middle of the bed.

  “Aaron,” I called out.

  He ran back into the room. “What’s wrong?” He had a bit of fear in his eyes. “Are you hurt?’

  I shook my head and pointed to the stain on the bed. I was mortified and he just laughed. “Well, I guess that’s proof I did my job and you’re not a virgin anymore.”

  I rolled my eyes at him and he grabbed me into his arms and gave me a hug.

  ***

  The next day, Aaron took me to the Dali Museum. It was even better than I remembered it. It could have been because I was more mature and had done even more studies on art, in general, as well as on Dali.

  That afternoon, he booked me for several spa treatments and then we both got massages. It was more than I ever expected, or had ever experienced. I felt like a princess.

  Aaron took me to a lovely restaurant in downtown St. Petersburg and when we got back to the condo, he told me he had a surprise for me. As if the Dali museum, the spa and the fancy dinner were not enough. He told me to close my eyes and then he placed a box in my hands.

  When I opened my eyes, I noted the size and shape of the precious looking box. I swallowed. I could already tell it was going to be too much.

  “You can open it,” he said excitedly. He was like a kid getting a present only he was the one giving it.

  I slowly opened the box and gasped. It was a gleaming gold necklace with a sunflower pendent. The sunflower was filled with large diamonds. It was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen and probably the most expensive as well.

  “I had it custom made. Do you like it?”

  I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know that much about jewelry but the piece was probably the value of a fairly nice car.

  I blinked back tears. “This is stunning. It’s easily one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. But I can’t accept it. It’s too much.”

  I tried to hand the box back to Aaron but he wouldn’t take it.

  “I love you, Rainy, and I want you to have it. Every day, I want you to look down at the sunflower around your neck and remember how much you mean to me. I want you to remember that you’re my sunshine.”

  I removed the pendant from the box and put it on. Aaron helped me secure the clasp in the back.

  “Come on.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me into the bathroom.

  We both stood in front of the mirror admiring the pendent around my neck.

  “Will you wear it every day?” Aaron asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And will you think of me when you wear it?”

  I turned to face him. “I think of you nearly every second of every day whether I’m wearing a necklace or not.”

  He smiled then kissed me.

  ***

  On the plane ride home Sunday evening, I thought about the relaxing day we had spent at Clearwater beach. It was nice to hang out and have fun on our final day, even if I got a touch of sunburn.

  Part of me was a bit sad it had to end. Having Aaron all to myself without school or The Clubhouse or any other diversions was like heaven. Now it was back to the real world again.

  When my dad picked me up at the airport, I could sense something was amiss. I wondered if he was mad about me going away with Aaron for the weekend. Because I had never had a boyfriend before, he and I had never had an occasion to actually talk about all the things that go with having a serious relationship. I knew the conver
sation would have to take place at some point, though, because I was planning on visiting our family physician over break so I could go on birth control pills.

  Finally, when we got in the car and began the long drive to the suburbs, dad said, “I don’t want you do be mad…”

  Oh, no, I thought. It’s never a good sign when someone says, “I don’t want you to be mad.”

  “What is it, Dad?” I could hear the hesitation in my voice.

  “I want you to know that your mother was the love of my life. No one could even replace her.”

  I breathed a small sigh of relief. The conversation was not going to be about me and Aaron. Dad was going to start dating again.

  “It’s okay, Dad. I know you’re still young. I figured at some point you would start dating again.”

  Now he breathed a sigh of relief. “You don’t think it’s too soon?”

  Mom had been gone eight months. In some ways, it felt like just yesterday that I was taking care of her and in other ways, it seemed like she’d been gone a long time.

  “I don’t think it’s too soon,” I said and I meant it.

  Twelve

  The Back Nine

  I thought about Aaron a lot over Christmas Break. I was a bit upset that he hadn’t phoned more than a few times. I wanted to hear his voice every day. But I knew he was busy. A nagging part of me, however, thought about him being in Aspen and Keira being there with him. I still had some lingering doubts thanks to Evan and his big mouth.

  When my dad dropped me off at the dorms after break, Aaron was waiting right on the curb with a small bouquet of sunflowers. My dad shook Aaron’s hand.

  “Rainy told me she had a great time in Florida,” my dad said. “That was quite an extravagant gift.”

  “Your daughter is worth it. I was just lucky that she agreed to go with me.”

  “Don’t ever take Rainy for granted,” my dad warned.