In Too Deep: A Romantic Suspense Novel (5 page)

T
he remaining days
between the first time Melina and I made love and the Saturday luau were incredible. Thursday, rain showers kept us indoors almost all day, which was no problem for us as Melina happily accepted my invitation to my room. We ordered room service, watched On-Demand movies, and made love the entire day. I was sore and aching between my legs by the time I fell asleep that night, but still didn't want to stop.

Friday, Melina woke up in my arms, her head resting on my bicep and my fingers of my right hand tingling from the loss of blood to the extremity. I didn't mind, considering the treasure I held there. Melina's eyes fluttered open and she smiled at me. "I must still be dreaming. I wake up and you're still here."

"Then we must both be dreaming because I'm not going anywhere," I said. "Well, except to the bathroom.”

S
aturday morning
, I woke up again with Melina in my arms, this time in her room, which was identical to mine other than the direction the windows pointed. This time, I was spooned behind Melina instead of us facing each other, and her wonderful backside was pressed against me in ways that soon had my cock hard and wanting more than just warmth.

"Mmmm, that's a hell of a way to wake a woman up in the morning," she cooed, wiggling her tush.

We lay there in each other's arms, kissing and enjoying the intimacy, my heart swelling with each little peck of her lips on mine. “This is like a fantasy,” she added.

I sighed, my train of thoughts turning toward the next day, when reality would once again horn in on our fantasy. Melina had to fly back to Ohio, and the very next day I had to start my return trip to New Mexico. She smiled her magical little smile and kissed me again. "None of that, mister. We’re going to make memories today that last a lifetime. Let's get a shower and breakfast."

I was only able to resist making love to Melina in the shower by jumping out before my hair was actually wet, yanking on some shorts and doing pushups in the bedroom while she finished. Melina came out just as I was finishing up, grinning down at me. "It's things like that I love so much about you. You make me feel beautiful without even having to say a word. Come on, Rocky Balboa, get up and let's get some food.”

After a light breakfast, just enough to tide us over until the luau, we walked up the mountain again, taking our time while we talked. Invariably, our conversation turned to back home. "So do you really enjoy teaching High School?" Melina asked as we strolled. "Especially English?"

"It's a lot of remedial work," I said, "with many of the kids coming from either homes that speak only Spanish or aren't very well educated to begin with. Lots and lots of broken grammar and even sometimes working on basic handwriting skills. But for all of that drudgery, there are a few kids every year that really shine."

"What about the basketball team?"

"Not much going on there,” Cam replied with a laugh. "We're a small school, so the JV team isn't much, we don't even have enough kids to be a full five on five practice, so we work with the varsity team. They're short-handed too, so anytime one of my kids even shows a glimmer of promise, he's up on the varsity sitting the bench and filling up a backup slot. It's actually a little frustrating. It might help the varsity in the short run but I think Coach is doing the wrong thing in the long run."

Melina nodded thoughtfully. "I'd like to see you coach some time."

"Me too," I said, taking her hand. "It feels strange, I've only known you a week, but it feels a lot longer, in a good way of course."

"Of course."

The day passed, and as the sun touched the far horizon, the luau started. We grabbed one of the woven mats that were spread out on the beach while the staff did their thing, topping the birthday party with a huge show. There were dancers of both Caribbean and Hawaiian styles, steel drummers, bands, and performers. And that was before they brought out the food.

"You know, I wonder if they ever forget where they bury the pig," Melina commented as she took a platter of pit-roasted pork. "What do you think?"

"I think whoever does that probably spends the rest of their shift digging up the beach to find it," I said, laughing while trying not to burn my fingers with the hot pork. "Imagine how long that could take."

Melina chuckled, and we spent the next hour and a half being entertained by the acts. I was only semi-surprised when she reached over and took my hand, entwining her fingers with me. "Thank you, Cam."

The music stopped, and the emcee announced a thank you and good night to the crowd. A lot of people got up and left, but we stayed where we were. The full moon was out over the water, giving us plenty of light and a view that was unparalleled.

"This has been the best week of my life," Melina said, her voice catching at the end. "I'm sorry, I know I've been the one to say that we shouldn't think about when all this ends, but I can't help it."

"I know," I replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. I thought about it and decided I couldn't help but say what I had to say. "Melina, I have something to say. Uhm, I know this sounds strange because we've only known each other for a week, but, well . . .”

"Yes?" she said, turning her beautiful face to me. I could see the unspoken words in her eyes, the question she wanted to ask but was too afraid to.

Though every fiber in my body told me this could be a mistake, I couldn’t help myself. “I think I've fallen in love with you," I said softly, stroking her cheek. "You're amazing, kind, funny . . . you're everything I've ever looked for in a woman."

Melina turned her face away from me and looked out at the ocean. She sat forward, leaning her elbows on her knees. I sat next to her, saying nothing, letting her process what I'd just said. It's not the sort of thing you expect to hear from a vacation fling.

Finally, just when I thought she wouldn't say anything and I'd have to break the silence before it became uncomfortable, she spoke, her eyes still fixed on the low hanging moon.

"When I came here, I didn't know what was next in my life. I'd lost my job, I hated everything about where I lived, and to be honest, I was pretty hollow on the inside. I was hoping this vacation could allow me to escape, but I never expected this.”

“When you came up to me on the beach that day, and since then I've felt better, felt more beautiful, more alive than I have in my entire life. Wednesday, when we made love on that mountain, it was the most amazing experience,” she said, her voice quavering. "This whole time, you've been an amazing man. I guess what I'm saying is, I've fallen in love with you too."

I slid behind her, taking her in my arms. "Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is that Lima is exactly one thousand six hundred and four miles from Truth or Consequences," she said, her voice breaking. "I looked it up this morning after breakfast on the lobby computer. Sixteen hundred miles. And I can't imagine us surviving sixteen hundred miles. No matter how perfect you are for me, we've only known each other a week. How can love survive that?"

I thought about it for a moment. "It doesn't have to, you know. Did I ever tell you about my parents?"

Melina turned and looked at me, curious. "No.”

I laughed softly and laid back on the mat, staring up at the sky. "My Dad was in the Air Force. He was an F-15 pilot, an Eagle Driver back when the Eagle was the hottest shit in the sky. Anyway, this was back when Reagan and Gorbachev were just sitting down to talk, and they were trying to do a lot of public affairs stuff about peace and cooperation, so he was invited to be part of some sort of air show. He was stationed in West Germany at the time, and he thought it'd be a lot of fun. Anyway, the event was to take place over the course of three days, in what was East Germany. Dad flew in, and the first thing he says he saw when he got out of his Eagle was this beautiful East German Lieutenant."

"Your Mom is German?"

I nodded. "Yep. She was the assistant public affairs officer for the East German Air Force, picked because she had perfect English. Anyway, over the course of three days they got to know a lot about each other, and I think from the way they told me about it, they fell in love back then. They couldn't stay together then, of course, it was the height of the Cold War, but they traded letters, heavily censored of course since he was American military and she was East German military.

Later on, though, Mom took a chance. She’d been assigned to be part of the security detail for Katarina Witt for the 1984 World Championships, which were in Ottawa. On the second to last night, right after Witt had been checked on, Mom supposedly went on a security patrol with her partner. She rounded a corner and knocked out her partner, running away. Somehow she made it all the way to the US border without the Germans finding her. She had nothing but East German papers, her warm up suit that all the members of the athletic team were supposed to wear, and a phone number."

"Your dad?" Melina asked, and I shook my head.

"No, Dad knew that there'd be no way she could contact him there, he was in West Germany and would most likely have rotated back to the States. He’d given her his parent's phone number. The border patrol was willing to let her make the call, and Grandpa called Dad. The State Department got involved of course, but in the end, they agreed to give Mom refugee status, provided of course that she had family in the USA. So, Dad provided one and married her."

Melina sat there quietly for a moment, then turned and smiled. “That’s an amazing story. But you know, I’m not quite ready to get married yet. I mean, I haven't even met your parents."

"I know we’re not ready for all that yet, but what I am saying is that if my parents can get past the Iron Curtain, you and I can get past the Mississippi River."

Melina smiled and leaned over, kissing me. "Thank you. Now, I believe the proper thing to do now is to take me to your room and make love to me. Unless you want to right here on the beach."

"I think I'd prefer my room," I said. "Less sand in the butt crack."

D
espite the wonderful
night of lovemaking and tenderness, Cam and I were still down as we had breakfast. The weather didn't help any, as for only the second day of my vacation it was cloudy and threatened to rain. Dark gray rolling clouds filled the sky as Cam carried my bags over his shoulder. "So I fly out of here tomorrow, and I'll be back in New Mexico by Tuesday," he said. "What about you?"

"I drove to Columbus for the flight to Miami to catch the seaplane. By the time I get there, it's going to be late, I have a long layover in Miami on the flight back. So I should be getting back to Lima tomorrow. After that, I don't know."

Cam understood, and we walked hand in hand towards the dock. The seaplane was already waiting, a few of the passengers having loaded up their stuff. There weren't many though, most of the guests used the ferry that came by once a day. But my vacation package paid for the seaplane, so I used it. I checked my time and saw that I only had five minutes until we were supposed to climb aboard. The pilot was already checking his watch, anxious to get everyone inside. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you don’t mind coming aboard, the weather is looking like hell. If we can take off a few minutes early, I'd like to stay in front of the storm that's rolling in from the north."

"Well, you heard the man," I said to Cam, who handed over my bags to the pilot. "I guess this is goodbye."

"For now," Cam said. “You have my number. You better call me.”

I nodded, blinking. I wiped at my eyes and choked back tears. "Come on, give me a hug and a kiss before I break down. I don't want that."

Cam pulled me into his arms, and his kiss was sad and sweet at the same time. I laid my head on his chest for a moment, before my heart grew too painful in my chest for anything else. I stepped back and wiped my eyes again, forcing a smile. "I'll call you Tuesday."

"I'll be waiting for it."

I climbed on the plane, watching through the tiny little side window as Cam stepped back. Suddenly, his face changed, and he took off up the dock, heading for the main building. I thought he was running from the rain that was starting to fall, but he came back two minutes later. The pilot, who had checked his passenger list and was closing up, turned and waved his arms. Cam spoke to him urgently, pointing at the plane until the pilot nodded tiredly, throwing up his arms. Cam opened the door to the plane and stuck his head in. "Come to T or C."

I blinked, not understanding. "What?"

"You said you didn't have a job in Lima and were tired of it anyway. So come with me. It's hot and dry right now, but it has a lot of beauty too."

He took out a piece of paper and handed it to me. "This is the phone number for Jay Winters, he's the owner of the biggest pharmacy in town. There's not a lot, after all, it's a town of only eight thousand, but he'll know how to find you a job if he doesn't have one already. And my house has plenty of space if you’d stay with me. If not, I’ll help you find a place.”

I took the paper with slightly numb fingers and looked at the phone number. "Five seven five, huh? Glad I have free long distance on my cell phone."

"Think about it," Cam said.

The pilot tapped his shoulder. "Come on man, I gotta go."

"I love you, Melina."

"I love you too, Cam."

He stepped back and let the pilot close the door again.

He stepped back to the safe zone and waved as the rain began to fall harder, watching as we taxied out and took off, skipping the circling of the island in order to save time and stay ahead of the worst of the storm.

"So, are you going to go?"

I blinked and looked behind me, where a nice looking older man sat in one of the other seats. "What?"

"Are you going to go to New Mexico?" he repeated, smiling. "Any fella who’s willing to do the whole run down the dock bit and risk looking like a fool just to ask you has to be in love."

"We are," I said. I turned back around and looked out my window. "We are."

The man smiled and sat back, leaving me to my thoughts.

New Mexico.

There's a lot of sun in New Mexico. And for the past week, I'd loved the sun.