Kiss of the Sun

"Affair...no, never! It never went beyond exchanging cards and small talk during his visits. Back in November, I was contacted by his lawyer and since then everything changed."

"How often did you see each other?"

"I don't know, not that often. I'd send him cards for every holiday and to wish him well on most trips after I stopped working at the clinic. We haven't seen each other for nearly five years."

"Why would he write you in the will if you hadn't seen him in so long?"

"Your guess is as good as mine and is something I don't think I'll ever find out, but I feel obligated to comply with his request."

"For what?"

"Making sure the house turns out perfectly. He traveled for his career and lived out of a suitcase, the shack was supposed to be a home. He would want it built and to see that the house was exactly as he dreamt."

"What's his name?" It was an honest question.

With a deep breath, Lilly spoke his name for the first time out loud with true emotion. "Charles Bowman." A tear rippled down her cheek at the thought of him, and she swiped it away with a finger. "I think deep down I loved him in some strange way, and maybe he was the same. I mean, he left this property to me of all people, when he had a family of his own."

"Lilly, you are an incredible woman. For whatever reason, you had something with this man that meant a lot. More than a lot if he gave you the property." She scoffed at him. "I mean it, when I give you a compliment, please accept it. Maybe with him giving you this, it was a compliment to your relationship with him."

She shook her head, giving up and still not knowing why she had received the inheritance. Jason pulled her close to him and hugged her as she cried quietly. He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head as she finally released the long awaited tears. When she was finally cried out, she raised her head to his and kissed his lips. The salt from her tears flavoring their kiss, made it all the more intimate. They shed their clothes silently, and rather than moving to the bedroom they stayed on the large couch. The intensity of the conversation and the emotions lingering in the air made it sweeter. Instead of moving fast and rough as they normally did, together they were slowed by deep thrusts that moved their bodies, but made them clutch each other tighter.

As he sank deeper into her silken core, her nails ran along his backside. Clinging, and holding him in place so he hit her in just the right place. Cries filled the main room as he thrust in and out of her as if in a trance. His knee found a groove in the couch that gave him stability to keep his plunges centered. With his lips to her neck, she cried out for a third time, one of her legs balancing on the floor while the other wrapped around his hip. Thrashing harder inside her, Jason moved in a rhythm that he knew her body would react to. Within minutes, her muscles pulled him in tight as he eased out. The way she squeezed him was too much and he groaned. The sound penetrated through her own excitement and as she felt him explode, she gave in to another explosive orgasm.

****

"You know you could have hired someone to do all of this, instead of hustling everyone you know," Dana said as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Pushing fashion aside in the overwhelming heat, her slick skin was barely covered by a bikini top and cut-off jean shorts. More suitable for the beach, which she fully planned on going to afterwards.

"I know, but if I remember you are the one who volunteered yourself when I talked about it the other day."

Lilly smiled to herself as she rolled more paint onto the walls. Several of the crew members were working in other rooms on the electrical units, while she and Dana stood on benches. Unlike Dana's scantily clad outfit, she donned too large coveralls. On that Saturday, they were in the main room listening to dance music while painting separate walls. Trying to keep the house in a beach theme, Lilly stuck with the coral whites and soft browns to accent. Even though it was the weekend, the crew had a few mechanical issues and stopped by first thing to work them out.

"Okay, fine, so I did. I didn't think you'd take up on the offer. Where is the fine specimen that is Cole Construction?"

"Hanging out at home today and working on another set of house plans. He said he'd stop by later."

"And how is that apartment doing?" Lilly gave Dana a pointed look and laughed at the one she gave back. "No sense in paying rent in a place you don't stay in. You should have just slept in the back of the shop."

In the back of her mind, Lilly smiled at the thought of the carport. The place that was equally as small as the back of Dana's shop and just as nice as a luxury apartment. It was true, the small studio was barely getting much use, and felt like it was a waste of money. But she had strong values and Jason respected them. While she did spend many nights at his house, she always left in the morning to get ready at her own home.

Rick walked past the opening to the main room and paused, looking over the women. As his eyes lingered on Dana stretched high, he failed to notice Lilly watching him gazing openly and appreciating her extended form. Something occurred to Lilly just then, but she kept the idea to herself. In all of the time that Rick had been onsite, he never talked about his personal life and it was Lilly who felt ashamed for now realizing that he was not a married man and appeared interested in someone close to her.

"It's hard to believe that the house is about done."

"Hardly, there's still a lot left to do. The floors haven't been set and there's no furniture."

"Still, aren't you excited to move in once everything is all said and done?"

The thought of moving in felt so far away, even though it was maybe a month, if that. On a night with too much wine and a lot of talk about men, Lilly confided into Dana about Charles and Jason. Her feelings about both men kept her on the island and pushed her to look forward for the next day. The farther the house got toward completion, the more she thought of Charles and how proud he would be. Those same days brought nights where she would turn to Jason, a man she couldn't imagine not seeing day in or out. Through their time together, he opened up to her about his work and daily stresses as she did to him about her worry over the house and what to do with it.

"I guess, it doesn't feel real yet."

"Look around, Lilly. This house is perfect for a vacation, and plenty big to live in if it's only you. I'd want you to so feel free to will it to me."

The women laughed and continued painting the main rooms. Hours later, Dana's words set something off inside of her, interrupting her perch against Jason on the couch. Perfect for a vacation. When Lilly cleared the small shed in the carport, she had found two boxes filled with pictures and clippings. Each of the boxes was labeled 'Bowman' with a set of years. She had been meaning to send the boxes to Charles' lawyer, but kept putting it off. Now she understood why.

"That sneak!"

Jason unhooked his legs from the coffee table and looked over at Lilly as she turned to face him, her own legs curled under her body. "What are you talking about?"

"Charles. I figured it out." Lilly blew out a deep breath and shook her head, the wild locks swaying. "How did I not see it? Even dead, he can work a person."

"Sweetheart, I don't get it."

"You will. He left me the property, to give back to his family. I can't believe it took this long to figure out. The house was never meant to be mine; he knew I would never accept it."

"But you did."

"Only under his conditions. While I was waiting for the paperwork to go through for the permit, I stayed in the carport." Jason tried to interrupt her, but she silenced him with a finger on his lips. "I wanted to. There were some random boxes out there he had left behind, and since finding them I've been meaning to send them back to his family. Now I get it. My gut tells me that they were left on purpose."

"What does your heart say?"

It took her a minute to respond, and when she did twin tears cascaded down her cheeks. "He wanted this house for them."

Jason leaned forward and kissed the corner of her eyes. "That doesn't explain why he left it up to you."

"He knew I would do it. Without hesitating, I would get on a plane and travel to a state I'd never been because at the end of the day if I had asked him—he would do the same for me."

"So he leaves property for you to build only to give it away? That's a harebrained idea."

"Yes it is. The house wasn't why he put me in the will, Jason. He gave me a way to live my own adventure and see where it took me."

"But you could have done that in Chicago."

"Yes, but he was always over the top. He knew I wouldn't see the meaning unless I went somewhere."

"And where is that?"

Lilly traced the hard line of his jaw and spoke affectionately. "I'm still figuring that one out, but so far there's been nice dinner dates."

****

The final three weeks of construction were the hardest. With each passing day, temperatures went above the average, making some days more difficult than the other. Crew members were coming and going, inspectors were checking the progress and Lilly was looking for relatives. Right after that night at Jason's, she called Charles' lawyer and told him what she intended to do. She needed his help to get contact information for each of Charles' children, including his ex-wife. The lawyer questioned her, and when she tried to explain—she couldn't. He hadn't understood her the first time she explained so she stopped. Jason had been occupied with a project that was just starting up, so their nightly dinners had turned to every few days. He was tied up with a draftsman that day and wasn't able to do the final walk-through with her.

Even though he wasn't there, Lilly hated to admit that she was glad. As much as she wanted him, she wanted to do this one thing alone. She needed to make sure it was perfect. Rick met her at the base of the driveway with a clipboard in hand. Several of the crewmembers had come back and were loitering around the carport. Seeing all of the people brought a heartwarming tightness in her chest. That tightness tugged emotions that had always been welled up quietly inside, and right then spilled over into the warm summer breeze. They wanted to be part of the final walk-through with her. With each phase of the house getting built, she made friends with every single person that worked on it. They got to know each other during breaks, her daily visits and when she dropped off more flowers for the mug that started as one and turned into eight.

"Ready to see what you created?" That hard voice still hadn't been broken, but the sound was tender.

"I'm so anxious right now, I could scream."

True to the contract, the house was completed by the third of August, a date she would never forget. Together they walked up to where she saw the stone pillars at each side of the drive, the sea-green glass ball attracting the sun's bright rays. The thin path leading to the front door was lined with fresh jasmine and tuberose. Rick pushed open the double doors that weren't locked at the bottom and allowed them to open up. Lilly stood in absolute awe at the presentation in front of her. Despite being in the house several times that same week, seeing it now cleared of any debris, plastic or wandering men—it was a sight she'd longed for.

The back windows lining the main wall were open, exposing the lanai. The sounds of the ocean filled the air and was better than any music. The soft coloring on the walls only accented the sun as it cast rays through the windows. Each piece of furniture was perfectly placed, and she had calluses on her hands to prove it. Inside the two bedrooms were smaller beds with fluffy comforters, bright pillows and small vases of fresh flowers. Off from the main bedroom, she stepped out to the lanai and absentmindedly straightened a chair, ran her finger along the smooth railing. The house was everything she had imagined and then more. Every wall stood with purpose while every window provided a view to escape to. Up until then, she hadn't really seen the beauty behind the house and as she walked through the sliding doors from the main room and out onto the patio, tears poured from her face.

Six months before she was working herself into the ground. Now she stood at the base of the ocean in a completed house that was perfect to live in. In such a short time, Lilly had grown more than she could account for. Friends became her family on the island, an understanding that work wasn't everything expanded her heart, which seemed to be wrapped around Jason and this newfound outlook.

"All you have to do is sign this sheet that we did the walk-through, and the house is yours."

With a shaky hand, Lilly signed the paper and looked up at Rick. "Thank you for everything. It's perfect, in every way." The man stood several inches taller than she. Rearing on her toes, she brushed his rough cheek with a kiss. A twinkle glittered in his eyes, and to her astonishment his mouth began to move until it formed a full smile flashing a set of white teeth.

"Anytime, Lilly." As he turned to walk back outside, she followed him and hugged several of the other workers. She thanked them for all of their hard work, fully knowing that she would miss every single one of them deep in her heart. Not seeing each person every day would take a while to get used to. Seeing his truck, Lilly walked down to the cove to find Jason looking out at the ocean. He seemed so at peace even though she knew he was busier than she'd ever seen since they met.

"How long have you been out here?" Lilly asked as she raked her nails along the small of his back.

"Not too long, you were looking around with Rick. You did it, Lilly."

"It's really done. Now what?"

Jason lifted a hand and held her face within his palms, lowering his lips to hers he spoke quietly. The breath warm against the soft flesh. "You'll figure it out." Sealing their lips together, their tongues melded as if they knew nothing better.

That night she drove behind Jason to his house and fed off of his ardent kisses as they traveled from the insides of her knees up to her chin. When his mouth found her most sensitive of areas, she cried out and begged for him to stop teasing her. As gentle as she'd come to expect him, he eased himself inside her with a solid thrust and they began moving as one. Each thrust brought them closer together, and each time he pushed deeper into her she clung harder. With her hips lifted high, held tightly by his hand, Jason increased his pace and kissed Lilly hungrily. She broke the kiss as a ripple of pure bliss exploded in her belly, racing through her veins.

Her muscles were clenching him as Jason kept moving within her. Lilly mumbled quietly to him, urging him on, pushing his patience. When he felt the onset of another one of her orgasms, he knew he wouldn't send her alone and shifted so that both of her legs would wrap around his waist. Lilly was panting beneath and crying out as he pressed deeper. The pressure built, and with a roar his body shook uncontrollably as his own release washed over. Lilly held on tightly, kissing into his neck until the aftershocks subsided. Needing to catch his breath, Jason rolled over and pulled her with him. She stroked his chest with a finger and dropped little love bites to the dampened skin.

Utterly sated, the warmth from her breath tickled the hairs by his nipple. "I see a lot of dinner dates in the future."

****

Lilly paced nervously at the front entrance to the summer house as she waited for everyone to arrive. Throughout the past couple of weeks, she worked diligently with Charles' lawyer to finish a few odds and ends as well as utilized her own evenings to stock up the house for specific accommodations that were due any minute. As two long white vans pulled into the paved driveway, her breath stopped. One by one, the passengers stepped out of the vehicle and made their way to the door with their luggage. From Chicago to Baltimore, they all had traveled far and wide. Each of them looked at Lilly with lively curiosity. It was Charles Jr. who came up to her first.

"Ms Hammond, you've managed to get us all here. Do you mind explaining everything now?"

"Please, come inside and then I will explain everything." Slowly she opened the door and allowed each one of Charles' children, their children and even his ex-wife and her husband inside. The bags were left in the entranceway as everyone began to wander around the house. A sudden silence filled the high ceiling rooms the further anyone got. The final furniture delivery was dropped off the day before, and she was so thankful that each piece was placed and appeared ready for anyone to take a seat.

Each wall was filled with family portraits of Charles and his ex-wife when they were younger and just starting out. Years of their children's lives scattered from room to room as they grew up. Nervously, Lilly stood back and watched as fingers caressed the frames. A cough erupted from the side, a sniffle from behind and even a light indrawn breath next to her as she saw Charles' ex-wife looking at pictures of her and her present husband as they vacationed with the children.

Everyone began to gather in the front room and seat themselves on the massive off-white couch that dominated the room. It was a couch to hold everyone comfortably. Taking their break as her cue to speak, Lilly moved forward and smiled warmly at everyone.

"You see, this house was meant for all of you. Charles bought it some time ago, when you were all still so young, and had always wanted to refurbish it to make it a vacation home. For the last few months, it was my greatest pleasure to work on it. This house belongs to all of you." She began to explain her shock when the lawyer contacted her and her decision to do as she was asked.

One of Charles' daughters looked up at Lilly with tears pooling in her eyes. "Where did all of these pictures come from?"

Again, Lilly smiled. "Your father had some boxes filled with pictures and little clippings left here. You'll see that everything is up on the walls, in every room there is a little bit from those boxes around. He always mentioned that he missed out on the world with each of you, but in the pictures the world was right with all of you."

Tears ached to fall from her eyes, but Lilly managed to keep hold with all of her strength. As she sat there in the middle of Charles' family, an incredible light of tenderness crept into her that could not ever be extinguished. With such outpouring of affection hovering in the room, she knew without a doubt that she loved Jason with that same amount of love. In the short amount of time that they had known each other, he had become her whole world and she couldn't picture her life without him. Not only him, but she loved the journey Charles' will had allowed for her to follow that got her to open her eyes and appreciate the people in her life and all of the work that goes along with it. Once everyone passed the last of the tissues around and shared their treasured memories of their father, Lilly passed over the keys to the house. Earlier that morning, she had packed her car with the last of her belongings that she kept while working on the final touches and would take it to her apartment later. She had already arranged the gift deed for the family and as she walked out to her car, each of Charles' children hugged her, thanking her for such an incredible gift. All Lilly could think was, if it were her, she would want the same.

Much later that evening, Lilly sat on the soft sand watching the sun as it began to set. Off to the side she could hear children running along the beach chasing after each wave that crept closer to the shore. Jason walked up from behind and sat down next to her, placing his arm around her shoulder. For a while they sat in silence with her head resting lightly against his shoulder. As the sun dropped lower, she looked up at him with a somewhat sad gaze. Brushing a few strands of hair away from her face, he kissed her soft lips lightly. "What is it, sweetheart?"