12 comments/ 42582 views/ 33 favorites Summer Ice By: MugsyB Hello all, Here is the sequel to "Trading Ice." You don't have to have read that one first to enjoy this one, but it is where the romance started, after all. Please read, enjoy and comment. Happy Reading! M. ;) *** Even though he spent his life living a dream and doing what he loved, Max's favorite part of the day fast became the time when he left the arena behind. He would skip having a shower at the arena following some games or practices, when he knew Mary would be at home. In spite of her half-hearted protests, she'd join him in the shower every time. Sometimes he would be too tired to do much besides wash. Other times, they'd merely tease each other and then race stark naked across her apartment to the bed. Still other times, they would make love under the hot spray of water and Max would cradle Mary close as he carried her to bed. Those were Max's favorite days. It was one of those days when Mary commented on the amount of time he was spending at her place. "I mean, the playoffs are starting next week and you spend more time here than at your own house," Mary said. "Your house that you bought. You've spent barely three nights at home in the past two weeks!" "Are you complaining?" Max asked as he stroked his palm from her naked hip to her rib cage. "Not at all," she breathed as he gave her a light squeeze. "But don't you want to get some use out of your house?" Max pretended to consider, letting his mind run through the possibilities. Then he grinned and leaned close to Mary. "We could go there now. I have almost no furniture, so we'd just be doing this on bare floors." Mary rolled her eyes and smacked him on the shoulder. "Seriously. You spent all that money on your house and you're hardly ever there. Don't you want to be?" He shrugged one shoulder and ran his fingertips along her arm. He paused at the crook of her elbow, stroking the soft and sensitive skin there, grinning when goosebumps appeared on her arm. "I'd rather be here, doing this," he told her, and meant it. She blushed and buried her face in her pillow, drawing a laugh from Max. He still loved how flustered she'd get around him and he loved to watch the color rise in her cheeks. Now that he could look at her naked all he wanted, he loved the way the color would spread down her neck and across her pale chest. At the moment, she was hiding from him so he couldn't see any of the sweet color, anywhere on her body. Reaching out, he turned her and pressed her onto her back. He smiled down at her and winked. She laughed and shook her head at him. Grinning now, Max relaxed, letting his weight press her into the bed. "God, you weigh a ton," she complained and laughed at his mock wounded expression. "I can fix that," he assured her a second later and rolled, hauling her over him as he went. She sat upright, grinning down at him with a dark look in her eyes that got him excited all over again. This woman, he thought in wonder, spreading his fingers over her waist and running his hands up her sides. She is... she's... He couldn't complete the thought, but he knew that Mary was everything to him at this moment, as she moved over him. For a long while after, he forgot even what his own name was. *** Mary whistled as she walked from the train station to Beans & Steam. It was unlike her to whistle but she just couldn't seem to help herself. She couldn't contain her mirth and it was spilling out of her. Her friend and co-worker, Rebecca, looked up as she walked into the coffee shop, giving her a funny look. Mary grinned and waved a hand. "Good morning!" Mary chirped as she walked behind the counter. "Isn't it an amazing day out there?" "God, you know I never thought I'd be the one to say this," Rebecca said with a smile. "But you're positivity is starting to worry me." Mary laughed and gave her friend a light shove before disappearing to tuck her belongings away in the staff room. "Seriously, Mary," Rebecca continued as Mary returned. "You're kind of freaking me out." "Am I?" Mary asked, winking at her friend. "Well, you just might have to get used to the new me." Rebecca rolled her eyes and tossed a wet rag at Mary. "The new you. You've been seeing Max for two weeks." "Yup," Mary agreed as she caught the rag from Rebecca. She turned to start wiping the counter down. "It's been the best two weeks of my life." "What happens when the playoffs start? Are you going to cut him off?" Mary whipped around to stare at her friend. Rebecca was grinning mischievously at her. "Cut him off? Why?" "Because obviously he can't be distracted when the Flames are trying to win the game, right?" Now it was Mary's turn to roll her eyes. "OK, one; it's not just one game, it's several, and two; so far, being with me hasn't distracted him, so why would we stop now?" A new thought occurred to her and she grinned at Rebecca. "Besides, most hockey players are pretty superstitious. We can't stop now or it might ruin everything." Rebecca laughed as Mary moved out from behind the counter to clean the tables. The rest of the day passed by uneventfully. The crowd into, and out, of the coffee shop ebbed and flowed like the tide and before she knew it, Mary was rushing down the street to catch the bus to her night class. She was waiting at an intersection, hopping from foot-to-foot in her impatience, when a familiar vehicle rolled to a stop in front of her. "Hey, sexy," Max's gravelly voice greeted her as the window rolled down. "Hi there," she replied, ducking her head to look in at him. "You need a ride somewhere?" "I don't accept rides from strange men," Mary replied with a grin. "Well, that's good. I might have to kick some ass if you did." "Not my ass!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "Of course not. Now get your fine ass in here before I change my mind." Mary laughed and pulled the door open. She hopped in just as the light changed. Max pulled away from the curb, sliding back into traffic and taking them towards Mount Royal College. It was a familiar route, since he'd been driving her occasionally to her evening classes for longer than they'd been together. "How was practice this afternoon?" Mary asked. "The usual," Max replied with a shrug. "Skate, shoot, don't hurt each other by checking the wimps into the boards." Mary laughed as he said this with a tone meant to imitate his coach. "Are they all wimps? I like some of them." Max lifted his dark brows at her in a serious expression but Mary could see the sparkle in his deep blue eyes. "They aren't always wimps. Just when I check them into the boards." She punched him in the arm and told him to play nice with his own teammates. He scowled playfully at her and rubbed his arm where she'd hit him. "I've been their fan for longer than I've known you, mister," she said, wagging a finger at him. "If I find out you've injured them, days before the playoffs begin..." "You'll what?" Max asked, facing her with a cheeky grin as they reached a red light. "Stop giving me blow jobs until I say I'm sorry?" Mary's mouth dropped open as a fiery blush spread across her face. Max just winked at her and reached for her hand as the light changed to green. "Did I embarrass you, Mary?" She snorted and gave him a look. "Every day, Max. Every day." "I don't know how you put up with me." "Believe me, it's a challenge." "I guess I'm lucky that you love a challenge." "Maybe you're just plain lucky," Mary replied and smiled at him. He grinned in response and lifted her hand to his lips. He dropped light kisses on her knuckles that made Mary clamp her legs together to stave off the instant desire that rose up. They chatted for the rest of the drive across town to the college and too soon, Max was pulling up beside one of the student entrances. Mary turned to him with a smile and he pulled her close, sealing his lips over hers in a demanding and hungry kiss. She moaned and clung to his shoulders, trying to keep her head from turning to complete and utter mush. At last, Max drew back, kissing her on the nose and then he sat back. "Will I see you later?" "I'll call you when I'm home," she answered and reached for the door handle. "No, call me when your class is over. I'll come pick you up." She laughed at him. "You don't have to do that. I don't mind taking the bus." "I know. I thought we'd go back to my place after. You're right about not spending any time there." "Oh yeah? Am I just supposed to go naked tomorrow or wear dirty clothes?" Mary asked with raised eyebrows. "Oh, and I won't be able to brush my teeth or wash my hair, either. You don't mind me that way?" Max laughed but tugged on her hand until she was forced to face him again. He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek in his warm palm. "I don't mind anything about you. Naked or with clothes on, brushed hair and teeth or smelly breath and tangles." Mary blushed and looked down. She watched through lowered lashes as Max moved his hand, tilting her chin back up. She met his blue eyes and smiled at him. "If you want those things, we'll go to your place first and then to mine." "Don't you have a morning practice?" Mary asked. She desperately wanted to spend all the time with him that she could, but she knew how much playoffs with his new team meant to him. "I do, but you can still sleep in if you want to." Her eyes widened. "You'd leave me alone in your house?" "Sure, why not? Besides, I like knowing that you might be there waiting for me," he said with a grin. "Naked," he added, bringing the color instantly back to Mary's face. "You're impossible," she muttered, shaking her head and trying to will the heat from her face. "Challenging," he corrected and leaned forward to give her another kiss. After several minutes, he released her and she wandered to class in a fog, her mind already leaping to the evening ahead. She was happy to see Max as often as he seemed to want to see her, so she was excited to go to his place. Even though it meant she'd get very little sleep and end up dragging her ass through her shift later the following day. Oh well, she thought with a shrug as she settled into her seat in class. You only live once. *** Max eagerly awaited his girlfriend's call that evening. The thought that she was his girlfriend brought a smile to his lips. He stared off into space for a minute, grinning like an idiot as he called her face to mind. He was forever glad that he'd taken that chance two weeks ago and thrilled that Mary still hadn't told him to take a hike. As he flipped through channels on TV that evening, his phone rang. "Hello?" he answered without looking at the caller display. "Hey Max, how's it going?" his old friend, Charlie, cried on the other end. "Charlie, how are you man?" Max exclaimed, shutting the television off. He hadn't spoken to his friends in Montreal in a long time. The last time he'd talked to them, was just a brief conversation to let them know he was moving to Calgary. "Drunk!" Charlie replied and laughed. Max laughed too, hearing more noise through the line that made him think his high school chum was in a bar. "What's up? Why are you calling me?" "We were just all together here wondering when you were going to come home," Charlie told him. Laughing again, Max shook his head. "I don't know. Not for a couple months, if I'm lucky." "Lucky? Dude, you don't need luck," Charlie said. "You're a superstar!" he added and laughed at his own joke. Man, he is tanked! Max thought with a grin. He heard a familiar voice in the background and felt an actual tug of longing to see his hometown again. "Is that Guy?" "Yeah, you want to talk to him?" Charlie asked and didn't wait for a response before passing the phone on with more drunken words. "Max?" Guy's familiar voice greeted him. "How are you?" "I'm great," Max replied honestly. I've got a great job and a great girl, what else do I need? "We miss you out here. You coming home this summer?" "I might be able to." "What do you mean, 'might?'" Guy scoffed. "Well, I don't want to jinx it, but the playoffs start in two days. It could be a while before I can even plan to leave." "Make a plan," Guy ordered. There was a shriek and a boom of laughter from the background. "Geezus, Charlie, sit down before you hurt someone!" Max hooted with laughter. "I'm glad nothing has changed." "Maybe they should," Guy replied with a sigh. "So what else is going on with you? Besides hockey, of course." Chuckling, Max told him about his house and spending time with the guys. "There's this girl I've been seeing," he concluded with that grin he had every time he thought about Mary. "A girl?" Guy repeated and Max could almost hear his smile through the phone and across the country. "Is she real or imagined?" "Real, you jerk. I met her a few months ago." "You've been together that long? Wow, I'm impressed." "Well, we've been dating for two weeks. We were friends before that." A brief silence greeted his announcement. "Guy? You still there?" "Yeah," Guy replied. "You're dating a friend?" "Sure. Why is that so strange?" "Max, you wouldn't make any kind of commitment with Rachel when she brought it up two years ago," Guy replied, "and you've been friends with her since junior high school." "What the hell does that have to do with Mary?" Max demanded with a frown. He hadn't even thought about Rachel in months. Sure, they'd been close for years, and she'd hinted more than once that she'd like to be even closer, but Max had never felt that way about her. He also hadn't wanted to risk his friendship with her by dating. "Her name is Mary?" Guy said instead, skirting Max's question altogether. "Tell me more about her." Max did, just because he loved talking about her. By Guy's intermittent comments, he thought his friend understood his enthusiasm. "Is she going to come home with you?" Guy asked after he was done singing Mary's praises. "I don't know if she could," Max replied. "She takes classes at the local college. I don't know yet if she's taking summer courses or not." "Well, bring her with you if she's free," Guy said and there was another loud sound in the background. "Whoa, I'd better go before Charlie breaks something." "All right. Say 'hi' to everyone and tell them I'll see them all soon." "Not too soon, I hope" Guy added and they hung up a few seconds later. Max wandered through his house after hanging up the phone. He thought about Guy's comments about Rachel and wondered why his friend even cared. Sure, he'd known Guy, Charlie and Rachel for years and they all talked about everything, but they'd never been the types of friends who had real heart-to-heart conversations. He shrugged it off and paced back towards the kitchen when the phone rang again. "Mary, I was beginning to think you were blowing me off," Max said instead of a simple hello. A heavy sigh greeted him and instantly he went on alert. "Hi, Max," she replied in a tired voice. "What's wrong?" "Nothing." Yeah right, Max thought and rolled his eyes as he walked down the hall to the front door. "Then why do you sound like you just found out your dog died?" Another sigh, sharper than the last. "You know, what if my dog had died, Max?" Mary demanded, her voice still tired, but now with a distinctive edge to it. "And you just made some stupid joke? How do you think that would make me feel? How would you like making me feel that much worse?" Max blinked, staring at the keys in his hand. He swallowed and tried again. "I'm sorry, Mary. Did your dog just die?" "I don't have a dog, you jackass," she replied sharply. "Then why the hell are you ripping me a new one for making a joke?" he demanded with a light laugh. "I had a hard night, that's all." "OK. Well, it'll take me fifteen minutes to pick you up and then you won't have to think about school again." "Max, I don't think I feel up for doing anything tonight," she said with another heavy sigh. "I think I'll just catch a bus home." "No way are you taking a bus now," Max replied firmly. "I'm coming to pick you up." "Max..." Mary tried again but he wasn't having it. "I'm on my way. Don't go anywhere." "Fine," she agreed at last. They hung up after agreeing which entrance to meet at and Max was in his car minutes later. He whistled along with the radio as he drove the short distance from his neighborhood to Mount Royal College, contemplating all manner of ways to improve Mary's mood once he got her home. So when he pulled up in front of the doors where Mary was waiting, it was with a broad, wicked grin on his face. She took one look at him before lifting her eyebrows and pulling the seatbelt across her chest. As he pulled away from the curb, she didn't say anything. Starting a conversation fell to Max. "So, now that I know your dog is all right..." he started, breaking the silence a few blocks away from the college. "I don't have a dog," she snapped, turning her face towards him. "Even better!" Max replied with a smile. "No dog to worry about dying!" Mary was glaring at him but, when he glanced in her direction, he could see her fighting a smile. "Do you want a dog?" he asked, trying a different tack.
"What, to cheer me up?" Mary scoffed. "Why stop at a dog? Why not buy me a Mercedes? Some fancy jewelry? You know, I've always wanted a small island. How about that?" "Wow, how about I buy you a better mood and me a new head since you seem to enjoy biting mine off," Max retorted, exhaling noisily. "How about you stop trying to make jokes when I'm tired?" "Oh, so I can only make jokes if you're not tired?" Max replied with a crooked smile. He looked over at her as he rolled to a stop at a red light. "What other times am I allowed to make jokes?" "When I'm asleep?" Max blinked at her and then started to laugh. A moment later, he heard her light giggles join in and he reached over for her hand. The light turned green but he didn't take his foot off the brake pedal. He drew Mary's fingers to his lips and kissed them. "I'm sorry that your dog died," Max murmured to her, his eyes on her face. She tried valiantly to glare at him but she just couldn't hold it. With a sigh and smile, Mary leaned forward, meeting his lips briefly with her own. "I'm sorry for snapping. I just had a tough class." "Tell me about it." She smiled and glanced sideways out the windshield. "Shouldn't we get moving again?" Just as he looked up, the light turned yellow and then back to red. He looked back at her and his smile widened to a grin. "Looks like we've got time now." She grinned back at him and shook her head. "You're impossible." "Challenging," he corrected automatically. "Tell me what happened." With a sigh, she did. It had been something to do with the last paper she'd turned in. They'd all taken turns that night reading passages aloud and someone in the class accused her of plagiarizing her paper. The resulting arguments had not exactly resolved the issue and she'd left the class with a few glares from fellow classmates. At least the professor had offered her some reassurance, not believing that she'd cheated. "I didn't know what to think," she said and rubbed her forehead. "I can't believe he'd say those things to me." She was referring to the student who'd thrown out the accusation. "He's an idiot," Max replied right away. "No, he isn't." "And an asshole," Max added, ignoring her. "What's his name? I'll get the team together and we'll kick his ass all over campus." Mary laughed and leaned towards him again for another kiss. He obliged, letting his anger over her wrongful accusation fade into the background. Summer Ice "Thanks, Max, but it isn't necessary," Mary told him. "I think this guy needs to be taught a lesson," Max protested, letting her go and facing forward in his seat again. The light changed green for the fourth time since they'd stopped, and he pressed his foot on the gas pedal. "Oh, he will be," Mary replied and Max glanced over in time to catch her playful wink. He hardened in an instant. "I don't intend to let him get away with that," Mary told him, unaware of what she did to him. "I've already got an idea for next week's class." "That's my girl," Max replied and tapped her on the shoulder with his fist. She laughed and hit him back. A few minutes later, he was pulling into the garage of his house. "Uh, I thought you were going to take me back to my place so I could get some clothes and stuff," Mary reminded him as they climbed out of the car. "Well, that was before I knew what a foul mood you'd be in tonight," Max replied and led the way inside. "Hey!" Mary cried indignantly and shoved him from behind. Max laughed and tossed his keys on the counter before turning and grabbing hold of his girlfriend. "I meant it in a nice way." She scowled at him, leaning away from his kiss as he bent down to her. "Oh, come on," Max whined with a laugh. "Your dog didn't die. Don't I deserve at least one kiss?" "I don't even have a d-" she started to shout, but he cut her off by sealing his lips firmly over hers. In seconds, she relented with a sigh, sliding her hands up his arms and looping them behind his neck. He pulled her close, drawing her body against his and savoring the taste of her on his lips. With teasing strokes, he ran his tongue over her lips and she parted beneath him. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth and stroked hers. She moaned and he swallowed his groan of pleasure at hearing it. After some time, he released her and leaned back against the kitchen counter. She smiled as she leaned against his front, her cheeks pink and her lips swollen. "You know," she said, resting her cheek against his chest. "If I did have a dog, and he had died, that maybe would have cheered me up." "Maybe?" Max repeated indignantly. He tipped her head up and looked down into her face with his eyebrows raised. "Maybe?" Laughing, Mary stepped back, out of his embrace. "Yeah, maybe." She took another few steps away and grinned at Max as she managed to wriggle her feet out of her shoes. "You can do better." With that, she was gone, running across the kitchen. Max took off after her, not even bothering to remove his own shoes. Mary shrieked and batted him with her hands when he caught up with her down the hall from his bedroom. He fended off her weak blows and trapped her wrists behind her back. Then he leaned down and licked her exposed neck from the shoulder joint all the way up to the sensitive skin below her ear lobe. He felt a shudder rock through her and groaned at the heat it added to his already aching erection. "Max," she murmured his name, going limp in his arms. "I can't feel my legs." Chuckling, he pressed a hot kiss to her throat before lifting her into his arms. A minute later, he had her lying half-naked on his bed. She laughed at the swiftness with which he removed her shirt. Her bra quickly followed and then she was gasping for air as he closed his lips around one taut nipple. Stroking her stomach, he sucked her nipple into his mouth and flicked his tongue over the tip, delighting in all the sounds she made. While she was distracted with that, he toed his shoes off and undid the button of his jeans. He lifted his head and kissed his way back up to her mouth, sliding his tongue between her lips and growling low in his throat when Mary rose to meet his kiss. She pressed her chest against his and reached down his back, pulling at his shirt. He broke the kiss and moved back long enough to pull the shirt off over his head. Then he was back over her, their bare skin rubbing together, creating still more heat between them. "Mmm, Max," she breathed and kissed his throat, her teeth scraping his skin. "Hmm?" He lifted his head just enough to look down into her flushed face. As he waited for her response, his fingertips danced across her body, teasing the soft skin of her breasts before moving over her abdomen. "I don't know why..." her sentence trailed off as Max pushed his hand below the waist of her jeans. "Why... I... why..." "Yes?" he prompted, watching her eyes slide shut and her body lift to meet his questing fingers. "...Why I put up with you," she finished in a hurried breath. "Hmm," he mused and pushed aside her panties so he could play with her moist core. "Because I make you feel like this?" he suggested and slipped two fingers inside of her. "Oh God!" she gasped and dug her nails into his shoulder. He hissed at the sting but didn't stop. He bent his head and kissed her throat. She pressed her head back against the pillows, as he pushed his fingers inside of her again. She clung to him, her mouth opening and closing on every gasping breath and finally, finally she came apart on his hand. God, how he loved to watch her come. Her face relaxed and her mouth formed a perfect little 'O' of surprise, as though she can't quite believe how it feels. Every time he saw her this way, he fell a little bit more in love with her. With that thought and more swimming through his already addled mind, he relieved them both of their pants and settled himself between her soft thighs. He couldn't wait any longer. He sealed his lips over hers and sank into all her wet heat. "Oh Max," Mary moaned his name and kissed him back. Her arms went around his shoulders and she held on as he rocked back and thrust in again. She was so snug and hot around him. He could die a happy man in this exact place, in her arms, inside her body. Then she moaned and he tensed, holding back his own climax. He wanted this to last a little bit longer. So he slanted his mouth over hers, sliding his tongue alongside hers, sweetly teasing. She teased him with hers in turn, and lifted her hips to thrust against him as he sank into her again. "You're killing me," he groaned and felt her lips curl into a smile. "I know," she murmured and lifted her hips again. He moaned and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth as he closed his hand on her hip to keep her from moving. She slipped her hands down his back to cup his butt and he jerked against her when he felt her fingers sliding over the skin. Reaching back, he grabbed her hands and threw them down to the bed, trapping them wide out on either side of her body. "Stop it," he growled. She grinned impishly at him, biting her lower lip and then he felt her muscles squeeze him below. "Oh God," he moaned and dropped his head to rest his forehead against hers. After that, he couldn't control himself. He held her down and thrust into her over and over again, feeling his temperature soar along with his heart rate. Mary moaned in his ear, licking his ear lobe and gently biting down. He came then, rocking hard inside of her and moaning. She held him close, licking the side of his neck and drawing out the sensations with each touch. After a long moment, he lay down beside her, their legs and arms still tangled together. Mary turned her head and smiled weakly at him before opening her mouth wide on a yawn. Max mimicked her and smiled back before leaning down to kiss her soundly once more. "Do you think you can sleep without nightmares about your dead dog now?" he asked around another yawn. She laughed and smacked his chest with an open palm. He winced and caught her fingers in his hand. Her bright eyes followed the movement as he drew her hand to his mouth and kissed each fingertip. When he felt the shiver slide through her, he grinned and pulled her close to his body. He drew the covers up over both of them and they yawned in unison. "Have a good sleep, friend," Max whispered as Mary's eyes closed. She murmured something that he didn't catch moments before her breathing lengthened into a deep, even pattern. Max watched her for a long while after she'd fallen asleep, his chest feeling tight. I think I love you, he told her silently and pressed his lips to her hair. He mouthed the words again, his heart hammering hard against his ribcage. *** By the end of her course at Mount Royal in another couple weeks, Mary was ready to give up on school altogether. "I'm almost 25, for crying out loud," she griped to Rebecca during their work one evening. "Shouldn't I have a degree or something by now?" Rebecca smiled encouragingly at her. "You are exactly where you knew you'd be now," she reminded Mary. "You only started taking a couple classes a week less than two years ago." Mary huffed out a breath and chucked her dirty rag in the sink behind the counter. "I know. Maybe it's time for me to take a break." "There's nothing wrong with that. Why don't you take the fall semester off and think about another class in the new year?" "Why wait until fall for a break?" Mary asked with a frown. "I thought you'd already enrolled for that summer course." Swearing again, Mary covered her face with her hands. "Mary!" Max's familiar voice cried as he walked into Beans & Steam. Mary didn't even have to pretend to be glad to see him. Her entire body relaxed and a smile spread across her face. She dropped her hands from her face and walked out from behind the counter. Her boyfriend - that still made her feel giddy to think about him that way - swept her up in a hug and he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Mary shuddered and felt moisture pool between her legs. Would she ever not be turned on by this man? "Are you all right?" she asked when he breathed her in deeply a second time, not letting her go. He didn't usually cling to her this long. "Max?" she tried again after another moment. He released her and stepped back. His blue eyes were dim and Mary felt her smile slip. "We've got the top seeded team in the conference for round two," he told her. She bit her lip and nodded. Yes, she'd heard. "That's no big deal. You and the team have come up against some pretty big challenges this season, and look how far you've come." Max nodded, moving to an empty table and sitting down. "I know. I just have a bad feeling." Mary frowned and punched him in the shoulder. "Ow!" he cried, scowling up at her. "What the hell was that for?" "For being so negative," she answered and stood in front of him with a finger pointed at his nose. "If you jinx my team with this attitude, I will personally do damage to you. On a personal level." Max met her gaze steadily, a scowl on his face. Then his lips parted on a sigh and he smiled up at her. Before she could move away, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. He pressed his face against the joint between her neck and shoulder again and inhaled. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't trying to jinx your team." "I know," she said, swinging one leg back and forth over the floor and smiling at him as he lifted his head to look at her. "All you can do is try, Max." She felt more than a little like she was giving him a pep talk. "So far, your effort has paid off." "Thanks, Mary," he murmured and cupped her face for a kiss. "When are you off?" Rebecca, who had been giving them as much privacy as the small coffee shop would allow, strolled over. "You guys can go." "What? My shift isn't over for another hour and a half," Mary replied as she smiled up at her friend. "Oh please," Rebecca said as she waved a dismissive hand. "We haven't had a customer for over an hour. Go. I'll close up." "You're the best, Rebecca!" Mary jumped up and hugged her friend. "Let me just grab my coat," she added as she dashed around the corner to the staff room. A few minutes later, they were in Max's car and he was driving to her place so she could pack an overnight bag. Shortly after that, they were all but flying through the city to Max's house and Mary was shrieking at him to slow down. Laughing like a wild man, Max continued to speed and they made it safely - and quickly - to his house; where Mary promptly turned to him and punched him in the shoulder. "Would you please stop trying to kill me!" she cried and hit him again for good measure. Laughing, Max fended off her blows and managed to close his hands around her wrists. He pulled her close and kissed her cheek, sliding his lips across to hers when she stopped struggling. "You suck," she muttered against his lips and he smiled. "I don't know," Max said as he sat back and reached for the door handle. "I think you must like me some." She shrugged as she hopped out of the car. "You're tolerable, most of the time." Laughing, Max slung an arm around her shoulder as they walked into the house. Mary went to the bedroom to drop off her bag and change into her comfortable pajamas. Max did the same and soon they were cuddled together on the couch, watching a movie. "So what are your plans for the summer?" Max asked when they reached a lull in the movie. "Work," Mary replied and angled her head back to look up at him. "Why?" "Well, I heard from one of my old friends the other day and I'm thinking I'll head home to Montreal for the summer." She nodded and faced the movie again, wondering why he was bringing this up out of the blue. Breathing in deeply, she smiled at the scent of him; man mixed with the faint remnants of the ice. Nothing so alluring as that to Mary. "You should come with me!" Max exclaimed after another minute. Startled, Mary sat up and looked into his face. He was grinning and she couldn't help but smile back. That seemed to be the effect this man had on her. "Come where?" "To Montreal! It'll be great. We can spend some time at my parent's place and then you can meet all my friends." Mary laughed, caught up in his excitement. Then her conversation with Rebecca flooded back into her mind and she stopped. "Oh, crap," she muttered. "I can't. I signed up for a summer course." Max's face fell and it instantly made Mary feel better. Then she felt guilty for spoiling his good mood, no matter how unintentionally she'd meant it. "I'm sorry," she said as she laid a hand on his arm. "I'd love to see Montreal. I've never been there, and I would definitely love to meet your family and friends." "It's all right," Max said and smiled again. "Just cancel the course and come with me." Mary smiled, though she didn't feel pleased by his words. It would be the logical choice but she didn't want to pull out of the class. She wanted to complete it and move on with her degree. "I can't, Max." "Why not? I'll pay for it if you get a charge for canceling." Mary frowned, definitely not liking where this conversation was going. She didn't want to take anything from anyone, least of all a man she'd been dating for two weeks. "I don't want you to pay for it, Max," she replied, sitting up and moving a little further away from him. "What's wrong? Why don't you want to come to Montreal?" he asked, still smiling, but Mary could see the hurt behind his sparkling blue eyes. "I do want to come to Montreal, Max. I just can't this summer, all right?" A moment of awkward silence spread between them until Max exhaled and pulled her close for a hug. He pressed his lips to her forehead and she shivered at the soft contact. His hand slid up her neck and cupped her chin, tipping her head up. He smiled and kissed her on the mouth. "I wish you could," he told her with a lopsided smile. Then he brightened. "Hey! I know, you can house-sit for me!" She blinked, taken by surprise. "What?"
"Well, I can't leave the new house alone all summer." Mary honestly didn't know what to think. She sat back for a minute, nodding but saying nothing. Her mind was spinning. So this is the alternative? she thought. Sitting in his empty house and wishing he was around? Meanwhile he's off in Montreal partying with his friends and laughing and having a good time with other women... She cut herself off, hating herself even as her mind took that awful turn. No. I can't compare him to anyone else, she told herself. He's nothing like Bohdan. He wouldn't deceive me like that. Still, now that she'd thought of it, it wouldn't leave her mind. The movie ended and they migrated to Max's bedroom. Mary lay on her back while Max was in the bathroom, brushing his teeth. She stared at the ceiling and told herself over and over that she was being foolish. There was no reason for her to think this way about Max when he'd been nothing but an good friend and an amazing boyfriend. But it was there in her mind, and she couldn't erase it. "I think this is a good thing," Max said as he walked into the bedroom, still talking about the summer. "You... hey, what are you doing?" he asked with a laugh. Mary had rolled onto her stomach and was holding a pillow over her head. She didn't even look up as Max climbed into bed and slipped his hands under the covers. "Mary, I can see you," he said. "If this is you trying to play hide and seek, you suck at it." Sighing, Mary rolled back over and smiled weakly at him. "Are you all right?" Max asked, leaning close and kissing her. Instead of answering, Mary grabbed his head and pulled him down on top of her. He surrendered and for a while, Mary was able to forget her worries and insecurities under the warm stroke of Max's fingers. *** "Well, they lost," Mary grumbled to Rebecca when her friend asked her how she was one morning a couple weeks later. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Mary," Rebecca said in such a genuinely remorseful voice that Mary had to smile. "It's fine, Rebecca," Mary said and reached over to pat her friend on the arm as she passed by on her way to the staff room. The taller woman followed her in there and stood by as Mary changed for work. "I know how excited you were about the game." Again, Mary smiled. "It was more than one game, but it's fine. I'm just sad that it's already over." Max and the team had fought hard in this series, going the full seven games, but in the end, they just couldn't make it happen. So their run for the Stanley Cup this year was over. And Max would be leaving for Montreal in a day. Mary still wasn't sure what she felt about that. She hadn't told Rebecca about it and didn't even want to talk about it with Max. He was upset about the game and the series, but he was also excited to get home to see his friends. For now, Mary decided she could focus on her work and forget at least for one shift about Max leaving. "Mary!" Max's voice called from the front end and Mary met Rebecca's eyes with a weak smile. So much for that, Mary thought as she walked out of the staff room with her friend. There was Max standing near the end of the counter with a smile on his face. Pete was over by the till, counting something, and shaking his head but Mary didn't spare him another thought. "Come on, let's go," Max said with a little wave at Mary. She blinked as she walked up to him. "What are you talking about? I just got here." "I know and I asked Pete if you could have the rest of the day off so we can hang out," Max replied as he reached for her hand. "I leave tomorrow, you know." This he said with a hangdog expression that often had Mary melting in a puddle. Today, however, Mary was tired, and confused about what was happening, and she didn't feel like indulging her desires - or his - at the moment. "I can't leave, Max," she told him with a frown. "I have to work. I've already missed so many shifts because of the games, I don't even know what groceries I can buy this week." Summer Ice Max drew back, startled. "I'm sorry, Mary. I didn't know." Mary shook her head, feeling the color creep into her cheeks. She glanced up at Rebecca and Pete, who weren't looking at them, but she didn't want to have this sort of conversation with them in earshot. She took hold of Max's hand and led him outside. It was warm but cloudy and there were a few people moving along the sidewalk on the way to their jobs. "I didn't mean to sound bitchy, Max," Mary said. "I'm just tired and I can't afford to keep missing work." Max nodded but she could see the hurt in his blue eyes. "It's all right. I just wanted to spend the day with you. I'm going to miss you when I go." Nodding, Mary had to agree. Whatever she might be feeling, she was going to miss Max, her friend, more than anything else. "I think I have an idea," Max said after another minute. "Why don't you move into my place tonight?" "What?" Mary exclaimed. "I haven't even decided that I'm going to stay there." "Well, why not? I need someone to take care of the place while I'm gone and you need somewhere that has food." He looked so pleased by this that Mary almost couldn't get upset with him. Almost. "Max, I don't want you to do that," Mary said, trying to keep from saying something worse. "Do what? The food is already there, I just haven't eaten it all," Max replied with a grin. Mary shook her head, all her feelings of confusion and hurt rising up to the surface. She felt tears sting her eyes and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Mary, babe, what's wrong?" Max asked and cupped her chin in his hand, drawing her face up. He frowned when he saw the tears in her eyes. "I don't want your charity Max." He drew back as though she'd hit him. "I'm not... that's not what I-" "Then what?" Mary asked, jerking her chin out of his hand and taking a step back. "You're just trying to make yourself feel less guilty about leaving?" Max said nothing, just stared at her with his mouth hanging open. Mary could see the confusion in his eyes but couldn't stop herself. All her insecurities and feelings of inadequacy came roaring to the forefront. "I know we've had a good time these past few months and that's great," Mary said, wiping angrily at the tears that slipped free of her eyes. "But don't try to give me a house or groceries and think that that will make it all right." "Make what all right, Mary?" Max asked, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand." Mary gave a short, harsh laugh and clapped a hand over her mouth to stop it. Neither do I, she thought but didn't say it out loud. "You're mad because I'm going?" Max tried again, still frowning. "I asked if you wanted to come with me but you'd signed up for a class already. I offered to pay so you could get out of it but you didn't want to." His scowl deepened as he looked over at her. "Maybe I should be mad that you don't want to come." "Are you?" Mary asked, her heart in her throat. She wanted to know. When she'd first said she couldn't go, he'd been so excited to have her house-sit instead that she'd been hurt. He shrugged. "I guess I'm sort of disappointed, but I still don't know why you're so mad." Mary shook her head and turned away. "I should go back to work." "Mary, wait. We need to talk about this. Do you want to come to Montreal with me?" "I do, more than anything," Mary answered in a low voice. "Then let me pay for your course and come with me." Max took hold of her arm and tried to turn her around. At his words she spun around to face him, shaking his hand off. "Stop trying to throw money at me!" "You're mad because I've got money?" Max asked after a second of bewildered silence. Mary shook her head, knowing if she said much more, she'd burst into tears. "Mary, don't you want to be with me?" he asked in a soft voice. Nodding, Mary managed to choke back the tears that flooded her eyes again at his low question. "Then why won't you come to Montreal?" he asked as he moved closer. Mary lifted her head and met his gaze. The tears spilled over her cheeks but she couldn't stop them now. "Why do I have to be with you in Montreal?" she asked, instead of answering his question. Max didn't have anything to say to that, and Mary used the opportunity to pull out of his arms. "I have to go inside," she murmured and walked into the coffee shop, leaving him standing on the sidewalk. She hurried past a worried looking Rebecca and shut herself in the staff room until she could get control of herself again. After a short while, she heard a knock. Pulling herself together, Mary stood up and walked to the door. Rebecca stood on the other side with a kind smile on her face. "Are you all right?" she asked. Mary nodded and said she just wanted to work. Rebecca nodded and together, they went back to the front end. Pete said nothing and soon, Mary was able to disappear into her shift, serving customers and cleaning tables until the end of the day. Afraid that she'd have to face Max if she went home, she asked if she could spend the night with Rebecca. Her friend agreed and they left together after dark, not speaking, something Mary was grateful for. She hardly knew what she was thinking, let alone how she could articulate it to her friend. *** When the time came to catch his flight the day after his argument with Mary, Max didn't even know what he was supposed to pack. He hurriedly threw his clothes into a suitcase, grabbed his wallet and headed out the door, deciding that anything he'd forgotten, he could pick up along the way. All night he'd tried to call Mary, calling her apartment and driving around her block. She didn't answer and it certainly didn't look like she'd come home. He should have seen her at some point. He wished he had her friend Rebecca's phone number because if he had to guess, he'd say she'd gone there instead. He didn't understand what had happened. He thought she'd be all right with his leaving. He never dreamt that she'd be angry with him for offering to take her along. The words she'd said replayed like a broken record in his head until he didn't know what he thought anymore. At last, he boarded the plane and flew to his hometown. On the other end, his parents picked him up and he was able to forget about Mary for a while. Until his friends took him out for drinks that night and Guy asked him where this gorgeous girlfriend of his was. "She takes classes at the local college and had a summer course starting in a couple weeks," Max replied and chugged his beer. "That sucks," Guy replied, watching his friend drink with raised eyebrows. "I was looking forward to meeting her." Max nodded. He'd been looking forward to showing her off to his friends and family. He didn't miss the implications of it either, having never brought a woman home before. Plus, he just missed his friend. "Well, I guess we'll just have to come see you in Calgary," Guy said with a smile. "Then we can meet her." Max snorted. "If she's speaking to me again by then," he said before he could stop himself. Guy's eyebrows shot up to his hairline and he leaned closer as Max flushed. Thankfully the rest of the group didn't seem to have heard. "What did you do to tick her off?" Guy asked with a smile. Max rolled his eyes at his friend and punched him in the arm. "You can't blame me for asking," Guy said with a shrug, still smiling. Max knew he wasn't trying to be hurtful. He was just trying to make Max smile, which is what his friend had always done. "You can be a dumbass most of the time." "I know but I don't know what I did this time, Guy," Max replied and ordered another beer. For now, he wanted to stop talking about Mary and just have fun with his friends. Guy let it go and, together with the rest of the group, they drank, laughed and reminisced about the 'old days.' Max succeeded in putting Mary out of his mind. Until he dreamt of her soft and responsive body, groaning at the aching need that gripped him when he woke up in the middle of the night. As he lay there staring at the dark ceiling, he let his thoughts run wild, recalling her sparkling smile and bright laughter. That more than anything had him biting his lip with desire. It hurt not having her close. He didn't get a lot of sleep that night, or in any of the following nights. *** "What happened between the two of you, Mary?" Rebecca asked four days after Max had left. Mary looked over at her friend and shrugged, turning her attention back to the television. They were in Mary's apartment, trying to decide on a movie to watch and apparently Rebecca had decided to quiz Mary on her argument with Max. "I saw you fighting outside the coffee shop the other day," Rebecca went on, setting her glass of water down on the table and facing her friend. "Then he left for Montreal the next day and I know you two haven't spoken since then. So what happened?" "We argued about me going to Montreal with him," Mary said, which was true. It wasn't the real reason she'd been so upset with him but now, four days later, she was having trouble understanding what she'd been upset about. "So why didn't you go with him?" "I have my summer class," Mary replied, not meeting her friend's gaze. In truth, after her argument with Max, she'd contacted the college and found out there'd be no penalty for dropping the class now. If she'd waited another week, there would have been a charge but she'd met the deadline, so she was free of the class, with no charge. "That's not a reason," Rebecca scoffed and tossed her dark hair over her shoulder. "You could have missed one or two classes to at least go with him for even a couple weeks." Mary said nothing. She hoped that Rebecca would drop the subject and they could pretend that everything was all right. No such luck. "When does your class start?" Rebecca asked after another couple minutes of silence. Flushing, Mary glanced at her friend before looking away again. She hopped up from the couch and hurried to the kitchen. "You want some popcorn?" "Mary," Rebecca said her name with a warning tone. "What is going on?" With a sigh, Mary faced her friend with a sheepish smile. She explained about her class and Rebecca smiled. "You know what this means, don't you?" Rebecca asked. "What?" "You can go to Montreal now!" Mary laughed and shook her head. "I can't afford to go to Montreal. I could barely afford to pay my phone bill this month." Rebecca didn't seem to be listening to her. She walked away from the kitchen waving her hands in the air excitedly. "This is perfect!" "What are you talking about?" Mary demanded, following her friend. "I wasn't going to tell you until later, but it's a sure thing now," Rebecca said and grinned. "I've been accepted to a school near Pittsburgh and I have to leave this summer sometime to get all set up." Mary's mouth dropped open and tears filled her eyes. "You're leaving Calgary?" she asked quietly. "You're leaving the country?" The smile left Rebecca's face and she hurried to her friend to give her a hug. Mary accepted it and struggled to keep from crying. "It's a temporary thing, just one year, but I've been trying to get into this place for two years," Rebecca told her. "Don't you see how this is perfect for you?" "Not really," Mary mumbled as she pulled away. "We can drive to Montreal and you can see Max. Then I'll drive on to my school from there." "Rebecca, I can't drive to Montreal," Mary replied once she got over her shock. "Why not? You just told me you have no classes. I was going to drive east anyway and you have some holiday time saved at work that you can use. We'll split the costs along the way and you'll get to see Max." "Rebecca, I don't even know where I'd find him," Mary replied with a laugh. "I don't know his phone number or where his family lives or anything." Now Rebecca blushed and walked over to her purse. "Max came into the coffee shop the day he left and wanted to talk to you," she told Mary as she fished around in her purse, producing a small slip of paper. "He left this with me and said it was the phone number of his parent's house in Montreal, where he'd be staying." "He came to the coffee shop?" Mary asked, taking the piece of paper from her friend and staring at it. "He wanted to talk to you but couldn't wait to see you before he had to catch his plane," Rebecca explained. "He was sorry he couldn't see you." "He told you that?" Mary lifted her eyes to her friend's face. "He didn't have to, Mary." For a long moment, Mary stared at the numbers on the paper and wondered if she could do what Rebecca was suggesting. She found herself nodding along before she knew it and then Rebecca was shrieking in excitement, grabbing her for another hug. After a minute, Mary laughed and hugged her back, feeling her heart pounding harshly within her chest. Am I going to do this? Mary wondered as she stood there. Can I really go to Montreal and surprise Max? A new thought occurred to her as Rebecca took off to her bedroom to start her packing. What if he doesn't want to see me? she thought. "Don't be ridiculous, Mary," Rebecca said when Mary repeated the question out loud. "He never would have suggested you go with him to Montreal if he didn't." Mary smiled weakly as she agreed and tried to convince herself it was the truth. What if I find him with someone else? she thought next and shuddered, every deep fear and anxiety coming up as she pondered the question. Try as she might, she just couldn't erase the memory of the hurt caused by Bohdan. She was terrified that Max had a woman waiting for him in Montreal and he'd never really wanted Mary after all. *** As it turned out, the trip was a load of fun for the two women. Rebecca drove most of the way, with Mary relieving occasionally. They stopped at motels along the way whenever they got too tired, eventually reaching Montreal after three very long days. Mary didn't feel up to locating Max their first evening in Montreal, so they found a hotel and checked in, falling asleep early. In the morning, Mary showered, dressed and screwed up the courage to call the phone number Max had left with Rebecca. Her French was very rusty but the woman on the other end of the line - Mary assumed it was Max's mother - began speaking English as soon as she realized Mary wasn't French. "I'm a friend of Max's," Mary said. "Can I speak with him?" "He's not here right now," the other woman replied. "I think he went to the deli with his friends." Mary politely asked for the name of the place and got directions as well. Rebecca waited with an impatient look on her face as Mary listened, taking notes on the hotel paper pad. Mary hung up and relayed the information to Rebecca. "Well, let's get going," Rebecca said in a very matter-of-fact tone that made Mary smile, in spite of her erratic rapid heartbeat. "I don't know, Rebecca," she murmured as her friend bustled around the hotel room gathering their things. "Oh please, we're here now," Rebecca replied with a grin. "We're going and you'll see him and it's going to be fine." Mary didn't know if she agreed but she followed her friend outside and dutifully got in the car beside her. They got a little lost on their way to the neighborhood deli where Max's mother had said he was having lunch with some friends. Rebecca said she'd wait in the car until Mary had a chance to speak to Max alone. So Mary got out and walked up to the little restaurant, her heart beating so hard she thought it might come right out of her mouth. Then she spotted Max through the window inside and felt some of her tension ease. She opened the glass front door and walked in. Just in time to see Max put his arms around a beautiful blonde woman and embrace her. *** Max hadn't wanted to go out for lunch, but Guy and Charlie wouldn't let him say no. So he went and they met up with a few other friends from his school days, including Rachel. "Guy told me that you've got a girlfriend back in Calgary," Rachel said from one side of Max when the rest of the group was engrossed in a discussion about soccer. Max smiled at his old friend and nodded. "She's great." "Why isn't she here?" Max patiently explained that she had school and that he'd wanted her to come, but she couldn't give up the class. "That's too bad," Rachel replied. "I would have loved to have met the girl who made you settle down." Max rolled his eyes at her. "I'm hardly settling down, Rachel." "Well, commit, be exclusive, or whatever you want to call it," Rachel said with a grin. "I'm happy for you, Max." "Are you?" Max asked, eyeing her. He recalled his conversation with Guy before he'd finished the playoffs and he wondered if Rachel was still thinking there was a chance to start something between them. "I know what you're thinking," Rachel said with a lopsided smile. "I've been seeing a guy named Henry for months now. I don't think I've ever been happier." Max relaxed at her words. He was happy for her and told her as much. "Thanks, Max. So now you understand that I can be happy for you? I honestly wish your girl was here so I could give her a big hug and thank her for making my friend so happy." "I wish she was here too," Max replied with a sigh and he sipped his drink. He started to tell Rachel about their fight the day before he'd left Calgary and his friend listened with a kind smile on her face. "Wow, sounds like you screwed up bad, Max," Rachel said when he was finished. He scowled at her. "How did I screw up?" "Mary sounds like a very independent woman, Max. Yet you offered to pay for something every time she mentioned it. She wasn't asking for that from you, she was just venting. I bet she was hurt that you'd rather come to Montreal than spend time with her, now that your season is over." Max nodded at her words. He'd guessed that Mary was hurt about his leaving but he'd never considered that his offers of paying for her class or groceries would offend her. He thought of what his reaction would be if someone did the same thing to him and he flushed in embarrassment. Rachel noticed his expression and grinned. "It's not all your fault, Max." Rachel reached over to pat his arm. "She should have told you what she was feeling." Pausing, Rachel considered something for a moment before speaking again. "You know, there's got to be something else bothering her too. Maybe something you didn't even think about." "Like what?" Max was becoming more and more baffled at the way women's minds seemed to work. He thought he'd known so much about Mary but he was beginning to wonder after talking to Rachel. "Well, has she ever been badly hurt in a past relationship?" Oh crap Max thought, his mouth falling open. Rachel nodded when she saw his expression. "Thought so. You leaving probably brought up all those memories. Maybe she's afraid you're doing the same thing to her." "Jeez, I never even thought of that," he murmured. There he'd been, all excited to get to Montreal to see everyone, never once considering that the last time a guy had left Mary, it had been to return to a fiance. "Well, don't worry," Rachel said with another broad smile. "You'll go back to Calgary and make it up to her." "I will," Max replied firmly and then he grinned at his friend. Reaching out, he pulled her close for a hug, barely hearing the bell over the front door of the deli ring at that moment. "Thanks Rachel. You're a great friend." "Yeah, yeah," Rachel replied with a pat on his back. "I know." Max pulled back with a laugh and saw Rachel looking over his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw someone standing just inside the restaurant entrance. Summer in Greece Athens, Greece is a large, busy city. I want to tell the story of my vacation to the more relaxed island of Naxos. English is not my first language, so bear with me as I try to tell you about this wonderful vacation spot! Apolafste! That means "Enjoy"! ***** When I landed on the Island of Naxos I was sure that this would be the worst summer vacation ever. On the ship from Piraeus I was the only woman sitting alone buried in a book while everyone else around me was in a company of friends having a great time. This wasn't what I wanted but all my friends were stuck at work and I couldn't bear to spent my vacation in the city of Athens. Having to suffer the city for a year of work was enough. I was not only on the Island alone, but with a tighter budget than ever before. I had to bargain for everything, and I hate bargaining. At the beach of Agios Prokopios I was trying to bargain the price on a sun-bed, but the old lady that was renting would have none of that. She turned her back on me and left. I felt so ridiculous for arguing for a two-euro discount on a sun-bed in view of so many people. I was certain they just wanted me to shut up and move on so I picked my stuff and I was ready to leave the beach. The man next to me had heard everything. As I was about to leave he asked me if I wanted to use the second sun-bed that he had rented. He told me that I fought the price a lot stronger than he did and agreed with me that the sun-beds were overpriced. A young lady a little further away agreed that the old lady was nonsensical. I saw a knight in shining armor in this man that saved me from a huge embarrassment, from all those eyes looking at me. I felt obliged to take him up on his offer. Who was I kidding? I wanted his company. He was quite a good-looking man and a gentleman from the beginning and afterwards. That's how he won my trust. He introduced himself as Adrien. I thought that was a lovely name. He gave me the bed shaded by the umbrella. We began talking and I told him that I couldn't swim, so he offered to help me. He knew what he was doing and for once I enjoyed being in the sea. I felt safe with him. He wasn't throwing water on my face or pushing me under like my friends did. Of course he was more mature than my friends. I learned that he was 35 at the time, and I was 23. He bought lunch and invited me for dinner, which he paid for without even giving me the chance to argue. I was beyond words for his friendly and caring behavior, and we arranged to meet again the following day. I woke early the next morning to get ready. After finishing my bath I perfumed my body from head to toe with Jasmine Rouge, not planning to seduce Adrien but trying to be good company for him since I was so much obliged from his behavior the previous day. Then I set about finding the right swimsuit to wear. I looked at my naked body in front of the mirror. I liked how sexy the tan lines I had acquired in the beaches near Athens looked on my firm boobs and my tight ass. The mobile phone on the bed started ringing reminding me that in half an hour I had meet with Adrien. I decided to go with a yellow bikini that highlighted my tanned skin. I met Adrien at the bus stop in front of the beach where we first met, and he suggested we go farther down the beach so we could have more privacy. Before I had a chance to say anything about it he looked me straight in my eyes, smiled and said, "Before I met you, I preferred being in the crowd. Now that I have your company I don't mind the quiet." No one had praised my presence in his life so much before and with these words he made me want to spend more time with him. We left and walked a good kilometer to get to the more secluded part of the beach. Adrien found the spot we stopped and to my surprise we found couples and singles sunbathing nude. I didn't know that Naxos was an island for nudists, but it was true. No one walked around naked but it seemed that no one minded if you stayed flat on your stomach or your back. "Do you mind the nudity, Areti?" Adrien asked me. I knew French people had a tradition in nudism, and I didn't want to appear backwards so, I said that I didn't mind. That was not the whole truth but not for reasons of shame. I had seen three colleagues from Athens that were also vacationing in Naxos, and I didn't want to risk being seen as too promiscuous. Adrien got naked and laid on the sun-bed, but I was a bit slower. He was amused watching me getting naked in stages. I first removed my top, waited for my shyness to subside while at the same time I was looking around for familiar faces. When I was certain that I was among strangers and Adrien I removed my bottom and lay back. As the day progressed I realized that following Adrien was the right thing to do. The nudist part of the beach was more quiet and the people more discreet. Above all the feeling of the sun and air kissing every part of my body was something I had never experienced. Up to that point it hadn't crossed my mind what others might think of us. Then a woman asked if my boyfriend or I had a lighter. She spoke in Greek, and he didn't understand anything but unwittingly thoughts of how people saw us popped in my mind. Could they be thinking of us having sex? The well-built man in his mid-thirties giving his 20-something girlfriend the screwing she deserved? The idea that such a rumor could reach my work in Athens crept in my mind again. I was stuck between my adventurous side that wanted to keep doing what it was doing, and the more conservative that was constantly thinking about what people had to say. I lay back and I saw the sea between my boobs, through my open legs and over the wild hair of my pussy that moved to the breeze. Then I looked to Adrien, who was lying next to me, and I decided to continue with my adventure. At the end of the day I was a tech support representative and not a judge or politician. Later that day we had lunch at the Coliseum restaurant and he proposed that we rent a single house and share that cost as well. I knew he had money but being a conscious spender made me admire him even more. I accepted his offer and moved to his apartment. Us staying together didn't change much in our relationship. But as we were together continuously, we starting becoming closer, and I shared a lot of his stuff, especially the iPad and his novels. With that, my attention about covering also slipped to the point I wouldn't cover a lot when he was around at the beach or at the house. A few days after moving in together, a heat wave reached our island. We went to the beach in the morning, but I was so affected by the heat that I got back to the room almost in a state of confusion. I had a bath, turned on the air conditioner, and slipped naked under the sheets where I fell asleep reading one of his books about the adventures of a medieval knight. What happened next was the most vivid wet dream in my life. I found myself in the Middle Ages in a snow-covered plateau in front of the walls of a castle. I was a prisoner of some kind, because I was inside a cage dragged behind horses and escorted by knights armed to the teeth. I could feel the cold on my fingers and my face, the only parts that were not covered by the thick wool cloak I was wearing. The carriage came to a halt and the door of my cage opened. I came down a few steps and as I did I was sure that my cloak gave way and the Master Knight in front of me and the others knights behind him saw my bare pussy or at least the thick brown bush that hid it. I stood in front of him and just by looking at the Master Knight's eyes and lips, the only parts of his face that the helmets did not hide, I could tell that he wanted me. I had the same desire, apart from the cold palms and feet, the rest of my body was burning from lust. As if he could read my mind, he answered my desires. He said something I couldn't understand, but I took it to be French and pulled my cloak open revealing my left breast and my pussy. I felt ashamed and scared but even more erotic knowing that he would take me in front of his fellow knights. He cared nothing about my shame and crouched to take my nipple in his mouth and cup my hot pussy with his cold hand. Before I had to feel his lips on my nipple, I heard a loud bang. I woke up in my room in Naxos with one hand on my left tit and the other feeling my wet pussy. The air in the room was very cold from the air conditioner working overtime. As I looked around still confused and helplessly horny, I saw Adrien standing by the bedroom door with an erection that made his cock head almost poke out over the top his bathing suit. I didn't know for how much time he was there or care to explain the awkward situation we found ourselves in. I desperately needed his attention and that thing that he was sticking out of his bathing suit. I pulled down the sheets revealing my ass and asked him to come to me. He didn't waste any time. He let his bathing suit fall on the floor and grabbed a condom from the drawer under the mirror and put it on his member. For the first time I saw his cock fully erect. I had seen it semi-hard several times but that time it was so hard and upright that it almost touched his belly. I mustn't be fully awake when he jumped on the bed and landed on me. I was in a dreamy situation and I could feel his strong hairy legs moving over my silky ones, his bearded cheek that was scratching my neck and the scent of the sea that he brought with him made me raise my head and look for his lips to kiss and taste the salt. His hairy balls rested on my legs, then he moved upward and pushed his cock inside my wet pussy. With one loud moan I let all the air of my lungs and buried my head on the pillow as he continued to fuck my pussy harder and harder. I care a lot about my lovers but that time it was all me. I just needed his cock for two minutes to get me off and then I pulled him out not being able to continue any more. Adrien, always a gentleman and knowing the right thing to do he withdrew and let me sleep. I woke up early in the afternoon and he made me coffee and we didn't discuss what happened. We both were unusually tight lipped that afternoon. Outside it was still warm but nothing compared to the heat of the morning. We sat in the balcony by the pool and started planning our night. He suggested we go see a movie. There was one that we both liked and it was the last night that was on but I dismissed the idea. I was too bored to do my hair and makeup or choose clothes. I told him that I would rather go for dinner in the Coliseum Restaurant by the beach that we both liked and then come back to the apartment and watch some TV. Adrien never watched TV, so he didn't seem to go crazy on the idea, but he agreed anyway and got up to get dressed. I got up and closed the balcony door and took off the t-shirt I had on when I was sleeping to put something more elegant. I thought that going to the restaurant was not a good idea. We would eat too much as we always did and then would not perform well in bed, which was at I really wanted for the night. I never had a friend with benefits situation before, and I was ashamed to say out loud that I liked it. That didn't change the fact that the restaurant was a bad idea. Without a shirt, I went to find Adrien in the kitchen. "Don't get dressed too much," I told him, "I changed my mind again; we should get the food to-go and then buy more condoms." He was tying his shoes when I told him that and he looked up at me smiling. He came up to me and kissed me on the mouth and his hands grabbed my ass and lifted me up. He would fuck me right there, if I let him, but I had taken a liking to teasing him and making him work for it. For the next week my French lover and I fucked like crazy, and before separating at the Athens Airport he invited me to France for more. I took the trip to France the next year. I was alone once again and that trip changed my mind forever. I became a nudist, a tourist's slut and changed my outlook on vacations all together. ***** I want to thank SexyGeek and blondebella91 for editing the text.