We said our goodbyes. It was hard to close the screen… I apparently missed their faces.
“They seem very nice,” Frankie said. “And a bit protective.”
“You can blame my ex for that,” I explained.
“Understandable,” Frankie said. “I’ll have my work cut out trying to prove to them this is real.”
My phone rang and I didn’t have to look to know that it would be Hope or Tori on the other end. Possibly both of them.
“Is that your friends?” Frankie asked.
I glanced down to verify. “Yep.”
“Go on, take it,” Frankie said.
“I’ll call them later,” I said. “I want to say goodbye to my man before he heads off to work.”
“Are you planning to hang out at the beach?” Frankie asked. “Maybe you need someone to rub some lotion all over that sexy body of yours.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his lips. “Do you have to leave?”
“No, unless we want to keep the cabin next door,” Frankie said. “I can’t afford anything nicer.”
“We will,” I said. “Someday.”
“I like how you think,” Frankie said dragging his hands hard down my body.
I raised a brow. “How much time before you have to go in?”
“Fifteen minutes,” he said.
“That’s more than enough time,” I said turning my back to him. I leaned my backside into him.
“We’ll have to make it quick,” Frankie said.
I cocked my head to the side. “Can you do quick?”
“I can do it all, baby,” Frankie said.
His hand pressed down on my back and I bent at the waist. He raised my skirt and didn’t hesitate to slide himself into me.
“Oh, dear God,” I said placing my palms on the wall to brace myself.
“So ready,” Frankie said.
“Always ready for you,” I said my words between each thrust.
My body felt completely under his control. It didn’t take long before I was screaming his name.
He grabbed my hips hard as he released himself inside me. The room spun around us as we came at the same time.
Frankie turned me toward him and kissed me hard. He pulled back and breathed heavily.
“I can’t leave you,” he said. “I’ll call in sick.”
I smiled at the idea but I shook my head. I didn’t want to be the reason he got in trouble.
“Go to work,” I said. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
“I need to make sure of that,” Frankie said dropping to one knee. “This is about the craziest thing I’ve ever done but, Olivia, will you marry me?”
“Oh, get up,” I said with a giggle.
Frankie grew serious and shook his head. “Don’t break my heart, baby. Say yes.”
“Frankie,” I said. “We can’t get married.”
“We can,” Frankie said. “And we should.”
“There is so much we don’t know about each other,” I said.
Frankie squeezed my hand. “If you say yes, we’ll have all the time in the world.”
“Well, sure someday, in the future, we can get married.”
“No, not someday in the future. Someday soon.” Frankie placed his hand over his heart. “Baby, will you make me the happiest man on the planet?”
I wanted to come up with more excuses. I knew I should. But I couldn’t. There were reasons why I should say no but the reason I wanted to say yes, was too powerful.
I was falling for Frankie. Or really, I had already fallen and I didn’t see a way out. I didn’t want to find a way out.
I swallowed hard. A smile crept onto my face. “Yes. Yes, I will.”
Epilogue – Olivia
Six months ago, Frankie and I were married. It was the best day of my life. It was just Frankie and me and that was how we wanted it.
In two hours, Hope and Tori would arrive and I couldn’t wait to see them.
A month after Frankie and I were married, his father passed away. I had only been able to meet him once. It was shortly after that, Mr. Castro changed his will.
Frankie had inherited everything. We had more money than either of us knew what to do with and still, we stayed in our little beach-side cabin.
Frankie worked less at the resort but he still worked at the cabin. Many mornings he spent sitting on the porch drinking his coffee staring at his screen.
I’d taken up painting. And even sold a few paintings to tourists although I didn’t do it for money.
When Frankie’s ex-wife heard what had happened to Frankie’s father and of the inheritance, she arranged for Frankie to see his daughter again. At first, it was just weekends but after she asked Frankie for more child support, he managed to get three days a week and two full weeks in the summer.
It turned out that Maria was able to live with her family but they didn’t give her money. Frankie was smart enough to get their new arrangement in writing.
Half the time Maria didn’t come back on time. She’d found a new life. One full of men and parties.