Kim stared out over the ocean, watching the sunset and toying with her trident pendant as the balmy, still air made a thin sheen of sweat pop out and coat her skin.
The Caribbean was beautiful, and she had enjoyed the first three days here. But despite the excitement of vacationing alone for the first time, she'd run out of ideas to keep herself amused. Sure, the white, sandy beaches and the crystal clear water attracted her, and they always made a great option. But there had to be something more, something she'd overlooked. After all, why come to Punta Cana for a week if you only had three days' worth of adventures to fill your time?
This hadn't originally been a solo trip. In fact, Kim was supposed to be here with her fiancé, her maid of honor, and her fiancé's brother. But somewhere along the way, during her frantic planning and addressing of all the details for the wedding, she and Eddy had grown apart, and he'd taken a job in Europe, leaving her behind. The sad part was, Kim had been relieved rather than sad. She hadn't actually been in love with Eddy. She'd merely felt the need to settle down and start a family.
A slight breeze blew her long, dark hair around her, and she brushed it out of her face with a sigh. She still had Bridget, her maid of honor, and Eddy's brother, Billy, would have come, too. But apparently, the real love connection had drawn the two of them together, and they had exchanged their tickets to go to Las Vegas and elope.
Kim considered cancelling the vacation, adding the refunds to what she could recuperate from her wedding expenses so she could buy a house. But she'd let Bridget and a couple of friends from work talk her into this sabbatical. They all said it would be good for her, that she would have a chance to explore herself and find out what she really wanted in life. It sounded like a good plan at the time, and she'd looked forward to it. She felt powerful, independent, and validated.
But now, with the dolphins and the deep sea adventure, the tour of Santo Domingo and the party on the uninhabited island all behind her, Kim felt somewhat like there was nothing else to look forward to except all the food she could eat and all the alcohol she could drink. After all, all-inclusive was the only way to go at the Spanish resorts on the island, if you wanted to live in the lap of luxury.
"Una mas?" One of the tuxedoed waiters from the hotel asked quietly, sidling up close to her. The staff here was very aware of how to address the tourists' needs without seeming to invade their private space. Kim definitely appreciated the careful care and attention without aggressiveness.
She smiled at the young man, who was gesturing to her empty margarita. "Gracias, pero, no." Her Spanish wasn't great, and her accent didn't even marginally achieve the same lovely lilt as the waiter's, but he smiled appreciatively and gave a short bow before walking away.
With the sun finally below the horizon and the stars twinkling on the surface of the immense ocean, Kim turned toward the hotel, meaning to head to her room but deciding to do so by way of the pool. She liked the vibe, becoming reminiscent of a party or club after dark, and the vigorous Latin music thrummed in her chest and through her veins as she sidled along between people.
Someone grabbed her hand and twirled her unexpected, and Kim nearly fell in the pool, but the same person grabbed her other hand and drew her forward, until her body was pressed against another one, from which bubbling laughter erupted. "Didn't mean to scare you," came a sweet voice with a slight French lilt.
Kim had danced with girls at clubs, safety in numbers, but she'd never been skin to skin with one, and this one had incredible curves that pressed against her in a way she wasn't used to. But something about her eyes held Kim's attention, and she let the woman dance with her, even starting to move herself. "There you go. Loosen up a bit. You're on vacation, are you not?"
With a sigh, Kim realized she was right. This was a vacation, and after three days alone, it just felt good to be with people. And maybe it was the light amount of alcohol streaming through her veins, but this woman was somehow enticing, and Kim found that intriguing.
"You're a good dancer," the woman said, leaning in to whisper in her ear. It sent chills down Kim's spine, and she couldn't understand her reaction. It was almost as though she was aroused by this woman. But that wasn't possible, was it?
"Thank you," she replied as the music shifted again. The DJ kept it mixed up, and for some reason, Kim's head spun at the swift change. "I'm feeling a little lightheaded. I should probably go to my room."
"I'll walk you there," the woman said, leaving no room for Kim to decline as she threaded their fingers tightly together and started walking. "What room are you in?" she asked as they finally moved far enough from the commotion to speak at a normal volume.
"347." She glanced sideways at the woman, trying to study her more closely in the bright lights around the hotel. They were about the same height, but the lean muscle of her legs and the dark tan of her skin made the woman look taller. Her blond streaked hair was pulled into a messy tail behind her head, and though she didn't seem to be wearing any makeup, her skin glowed around pale green eyes. "I'm Kim," she introduced herself awkwardly.
"I'm Autumn," the woman responded. "I've seen you around the last couple of days. You're here alone, no?"
Kim hesitated. Rules of travel in foreign places ran through her head, but this wasn't some lecherous man. It was just a woman who was being kind. Or maybe more than kind, but that didn't make sense. "Yes, I came alone. I had an entourage, but they all bailed."
Autumn laughed, that tinkling sound crawling over Kim's skin like some sort of delicious oil being spread and massaged in. "It sounds like your entourage is full of flaky friends. Who doesn't want to come to the Caribbean and have a wonderful time?" They reached the room, and Kim pulled out her key card to open the door. She turned to thank
Autumn, but the woman caught her off guard, moving into her and pushing her back into the room until she was against the wall, and Autumn's lips were on hers.
Having never kissed a girl, Kim didn't know what to do at first. But Autumn's lips were soft and pliant, yet questioning and demanding at the same time. And the feel of Autumn's soft body against her own, with the scent of hibiscus and orange floating off her skin to surround Kim, had her reeling and, at some point, kissing her back. She let the door fall closed and tentatively placed a palm on Autumn's cheek as she opened to the experience.
Autumn's tongue found its way into her mouth, and Kim moaned at the gentle but firm caresses it made. When Autumn's hand found purchase on her breast, a thumb brushing over her nipple and making it harden and push against the material of her bikini top, Kim gasped and broke the kiss, arching her back. She didn't know if she was begging for more or pulling away, confusion filling her with both desire and doubt simultaneously.
"What's wrong?" Autumn asked, her voice husky with arousal. "You don't like it?" As if to punctuate the question, she brushed her thumb over the achingly taut nipple again, and Kim swallowed a strangled sound.
Kim shook her head. "I...yes. No. I mean, I don't know what I'm doing here." Her breathlessness sounded strange to her own ears. She'd never felt or sounded like this with Eddy. Or anyone else, for that matter. What was wrong with her?
Autumn narrowed her eyes and gave her an amused smile. "You've never been with a woman before." It was a statement, not a question.
Blushing at the intensity of that gaze, Kim shook her head again. With a cocky grin and confident movements, Autumn reached lower, stroking between Kim's legs, and Kim nearly collapsed as her knees buckled at the intimate touch and the erotic sensation. "You are very wet. You've soaked your bathing suit. Something tells me we should change that tonight. That you've wanted to be with a woman for a very long time."
Kim would have protested, but as Autumn stroked her again, she almost choked. She had never consciously even thought about being with a woman. And yet, her body reacted like this was the only thing it had ever craved. And she couldn't deny that she found Autumn attractive. Oh, screw that, she was aroused by the exotic beauty.
And she was going to do something about it. Hadn't she been thinking she was bored and needed an adventure? The universe had thrown Autumn in her path, and she couldn't help but think maybe this was the opportunity she'd been looking for.
Rather than answering Autumn's taunting statement, Kim arched harder into the other woman's body, pulled Autumn tighter against her, and leaned in to reignite the kiss. She dived in and explored, thinking how different it was kissing a woman. Autumn's lips were soft and smooth, full and pliant while still demanding.
And she tasted so sweet. Like candy.
