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Garrett(50)

By:Sawyer Bennett


I open my eyes, which had been closed against the scorching Carolina sun, and turn my head to look at Garrett. He’s as dazzling as the bright sunlight as he lies back in his beach chair with his eyes closed and his face tilted upward. His skin, which is already tanned, shimmers like bronze under the suntan oil that I generously slathered on him, and his body is a reflective work of art. I still can’t believe I’m lying here…on a beach…with Garrett Samuelson.

More unbelievable is the fact that this man who doesn’t do relationships for some reason wants to continue to see me. For a brief moment, it crossed my mind that he was sticking around out of some sense of pity. But then I cast that aside, because Garrett just isn’t the type to stick with someone he barely knows out of a misplaced sense of obligation. No…I’m pretty sure he’s interested in me, and he’s willing to take me as I am…ugly cancer warts and all.

“Anyway, I was thinking—” I start again, but I’m cut off as Garrett suddenly lunges out of his chair and grabs me around the waist.

He hauls me out of my chair, across his body, and lies back down on his own chaise longue, snuggling his face against my neck. His skin is hot and moist from the suntan oil, and it makes me want to drag him back to the cottage and get naked with him. It’s the first time in three days I haven’t felt like my stomach was going to turn inside out, and now, lying across his massive frame, I’m feeling a little frisky.

“No talking,” he grumbles. “Just relaxing.”

“Let’s go back to the cottage and, um…relax up there…together…naked,” I murmur against his ear.

Garrett groans and hugs me to him a little tighter. “No sex. You’re still sick and weak.”

“I am not sick anymore…and barely weak. I feel much better.”

“You should be relaxing.”

“I am relaxed.”

“Relax some more,” he says with a chuckle.

Bringing my hands up to his chest, I push my upper body out of his embrace so I can look down at him. Holy Mother of God…the sun reflecting in those green eyes almost has me wanting to strip right out here in public.

“It’s me, isn’t it?” I say with a serious look on my face. “Sex with me is horrible, right? And you’re using the cancer as an excuse not to touch me.”

Garrett rolls his eyes at me then grins. “Jeez…enough with the dramatics. Sex with you is beyond amazing, and you know it, you little brat. I just don’t want you to overdo it. Just two days ago you were expelling your guts.”

“And yesterday I was only slightly nauseated, and today no nausea. See…I’m better, and ready for sex.”

Sitting up in the chair, Garrett anchors his legs on either side. This causes me to rise up and straddle his lap. His hands come up to rest on my thighs and his face is only inches away. “Have you ever wondered what it is that could cause a man like me to give up his philandering ways and only have eyes for one very hot and sexy woman?”

“Just to be clear…that woman we’re talking about is me, right?”

Garrett swoops in and gives me a swift kiss, pulling back just as quickly. “Yes…I’m talking about you, dork.”

I wrap my arms around Garrett’s neck and stare at him intently. My voice is utterly serious when I tell him, “Honestly, Garrett…I have no clue why you’d change your ways for me. I’m not exactly an easy woman to be with right now.”

“See…that’s just it,” Garrett says with annoyance. “You are an easy woman to be with right now. The easiest I’ve ever been with.”

“Hey, don’t hold it against me that I hopped in the sack with you on our first date,” I tease.

“No…I’m not talking about sex. I mean, everything with you is easy. Conversation, humor, silence. I don’t feel like I’m putting on a performance with you, and I know you don’t need me to. You like me for me, and I like you because of that. It’s just nice to be with someone that makes everything easy.”

“But you know everything about me isn’t easy. Nothing about dealing with my cancer is easy,” I say quietly.

“That’s true,” he says after a moment. “But it’s not a hardship for me either.”

My fingers play absently with the hair on the back of his head and I chew on my lip while I consider the magnitude of what he said. Raising my eyes to his, I say, “I think you’re a very special man. You took a chance…stepped out of your comfort zone and then stepped right into a hornet’s nest. Not many men have that type of strength or confidence.”