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"Otters," she said, pointing up ahead.
Sure enough, three sea otters were floating on their backs, rolling in the water, and then diving for food. They stopped paddling and just watched them, playing and preening, from a distance.
"The otter population is having a resurgence," he said. "They're not sure why."
After about an hour and a half of exploring, he pointed to a small, isolated cove.
"Let's go in," he said.
They paddled towards shore, jumping off to drag their boards onto the beach.
The cove had a small, crescent-shaped beach backed by steep sandstone cliffs. The sound of the surf echoed off the rocks creating a magical ambiance.
They found a sunny spot at the edge of the water and sat in the sand.
"God, that was fun!" she said, beaming.
"Perfect conditions. Hey, you're really good. You didn't fall once."
"I just didn't want to get cold," she laughed.
"You handle the paddle really well."
"Thanks, I've been doing it for a while now. You're really good too. I can tell you're a waterman."
"I grew up playing in the ocean," he said, looking out at the water. "Surfing. Diving. I love it out here."
She looked up and down the beach.
"This is an awesome spot. And we have it all to ourselves. You been here before?"
"Not to this cove. I may be wrong but I think the only way to get to this beach is from the water."
"That's so cool," she smiled.
"Wanna explore the cove a bit? Walk down to the end and back?"
"Sure."
They hopped up and ambled south, along the waterline. It was low tide and the beach was dotted with shells and rocks. The sun sparkled on the water.
He picked up a rock, looked at it, and tossed it into the sea.
"I love how all this is right in our backyard," she said. "Drive fifteen minutes and you're in paradise."
"Heck, where I live, I don't even have to drive. The ocean's a minute away by foot. Even less."
"You're so lucky to live right on the ocean."
"You're lucky to live in the woods."
She looked out at the ocean, thinking.
"You know what we should do? We should do a house swap. Every other week. I can live at the beach for a while. You can live in the woods. Then we can switch. The best of both worlds."
"Or better yet, we should just get married and live in both houses all the time."
"Can you imagine? 'Where do you feel like hanging out today, dear? On the beach? No problem. Oh, you'd rather live in the forest? Easy peasy."
"Our kids would be these amazing nature children. Swimming in the ocean one day. Exploring the forest the next."
"Probably be incredibly happy too. And well-adjusted."
"Smart. Good looking. Perfect in every way."
They thought for a moment, then both shook their heads.
"People would hate our guts."
"Terrible idea, it'd never work."
They both laughed. Still, he was struck by how their dreams were so similar.
This smart, beautiful woman shares the same values as me. Amazing.
He reached over with his hand, touching hers.
She responded, taking his hand in hers.
They walked together in silence, holding hands.
When they got to the end of the cove, they were greeted with a beautiful view looking south. They hadn't spoken, or even looked at each other, since holding hands.
The moment seemed totally charged.
"I do love it here," she said softly.
"Me too," he said, standing next to her.
She turned and looked at him. They were standing close, just a foot apart.
He moved closer to her, and slowly leaned in to kiss her.
She tilted her head and closed her eyes.
They kissed. Softly at first, and then more deeply.
Her arms went around his neck. He pulled her body close.
They were kissing deeply now, their lips parting, their tongues meeting.
Their bodies pressed against each other, their kiss became more passionate.
When their kiss ended, she kept her eyes closed, as if she wanted it to last forever.
Walking back, Paul's mind was racing.
Maybe this is the perfect time to make my move. After the day we've had? On this gorgeous beach? What better place for us to make love for the first time.
He led her to a protected spot next to the sandstone cliffs. We'll start here, he thought, standing up. Get her good and hot and then lay down in the sand.
He held her by the arms and leaned in to kiss her, more aggressively than before.
He was about to start feeling her up when she pushed him back a bit.
"Whoa, we're moving kinda fast. Can we just slow down a little bit?"
He felt the flush of embarrassment in his face.
"Sorry, I thought you were into it."
"I am into it. It's just... look, Paul, I like you a lot, and I'm really attracted to you..."
"I sense a but coming..."
"I just don't want to rush into getting all physical and then have it end up being awkward and everything."
Paul knew what she was saying.
A part of him was really enjoying the innocence of the moment. Holding hands and all. It was nice spending time talking and getting to know her. Before actually hooking up.
He reached out and gently touched her hand.
"Of course. I was kinda thinking the same thing. I'm really attracted to you too, but I want it to be right. I want us both to feel like it's the right time. The right place. Thanks for letting me how you're feeling."
She appreciated how understanding he was, how he seemed to get where she was coming from. It wasn't because she didn't like him, it was because she liked him a lot.
And the fact that he got that made her like him even more.
After paddling back to Wilder, they loaded the car and headed back towards Santa Cruz. They decided to stop at a coffee shop on Swift to get some food.
Standing in line to order, they both felt more relaxed, even relieved, after their little heart-to-heart. Despite their physical attraction for each other, they were both determined to handle their burgeoning relationship with care.
They ordered and sat at an outside table in the sun. The table was a tiny deuce with bench seating which put them face to face.
That seemed to suit them in their current mood.
A waitress brought out their order -- avocado toast and overnight oats with fruit and honey which they planned to share.
The avocado toast was topped with pickled onions, sliced watermelon radish, olive oil, and a balsamic glaze. The oats were made with oat milk, peanut butter, chia seeds, local honey, and fresh fruit.
They sat in the sun, enjoying the delicious food, and enjoying each other's company. It was the ideal capper to a perfect day.
When they were done, she got a faraway look in her eyes.
"What're you thinking?" he asked.
"I was just remembering our kiss. On the beach. And that amazing view. The sun sparkling on the water. The sound of the waves against the cliffs. The breeze caressing our skin."
"It was beautiful."
"Yeah, it was. And I'm pretty certain, maybe even positive, that was the single greatest kiss I ever had in my life. And I was just wondering.... was it the setting? Or was it you?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"There's one way to find out."
He slowly leaned in and kissed her again.
Once again, their tongues danced together, as if they were picking up where the last kiss left off.
When they finally separated, her eyes were still closed, as if she was savoring the moment.
She opened her eyes.
"Well?" he asked.
"It's you," she smiled.
As they were driving back to Pleasure Point, resting her hand on his thigh, she asked him about his plans for the upcoming Christmas holiday.
"Just staying local. Hopefully, there'll be some big winter swells. I'd love to get some surfing in before school starts again."
"I was wondering, if you don't already have plans, if you want to come up to the house and have Christmas dinner with me."
He turned and looked at her, smiling.
"Yeah, I'd like that a lot. Definitely."
"I was planning on grilling some salmon. Maybe make a little pasta. Salad. You like all that stuff?"
"They're, like, my favorites."
"Really? Me too."
"Can I bring some wine?"
"Yeah. That'd be great. Say, five o'clock?"
"Five o'clock. Christmas Day. I'll be there."
They both looked out at the road ahead, smiling.
Later that night, after showering at Ally's, Paul knocked on Maddie's door.
She invited him in and made him a spot of tea.
"So, how'd it go? You guys have fun?"
"We had the best time. We paddled to this gorgeous little cove. Saw sea otters. Sea lions. She's a really good paddle boarder."
"Sounds romantic."
"It was. I mean, we didn't do anything except kiss. But it was very romantic."
"You kissed?"
"Yeah, we talked about doing more but decided not to."
"Really."
"Well, she said she wanted to take it slow. She didn't want things to get awkward. She said she's really attracted to me though."
"Are you attracted to her?"
"Oh yeah. Big time."
"Well, she has a point. Sometimes it's better to wait."
"I mean, it would've been a great place to make love for the first time. Secluded beach. No one around. I could've made her cum so hard she could scream her lungs out and no one would hear a thing."
Maddie looked at him over her tea cup.
"You know, Paul, it's not just about making your partner cum."
He cocked his head.
"What do you mean?"
"Sex is about more than that."
He shrugged.
"I know that. It's about the whole process. The anticipation. The building of pleasure. Keeping it varied so you create an unforgettable experience."
"Yes, but what makes sex unforgettable isn't just the mechanics of sex. It's part of it, of course. But, ultimately, the best sex is about something deeper than the techniques you use, or how many times you make your partner cum."
He furrowed his brow.
"But I thought a great lover always lets his partner finish first. And gives her multiple orgasms before he even thinks about cumming."
"That's true, but I don't want you to miss the larger point. Bringing your partner to orgasm is a wonderful side effect, but it's not necessarily the goal."
"It's not?"
"No. You see, Paul, it's not a performance. It's about human connection. It's about opening your heart and accepting another person inside. It's about being real. Being vulnerable. When you realize that, and really live that, then you'll be able to earn what lovers own."
"Which is?"
"Intimacy. Trust. Love."
Paul took all of this in. He knew, deep in his heart, that she was right.
This was a deep and enduring truth. The most important love lesson of all.
In the days that followed, Paul tried to find the right balance between pursuing Meredith and not overdoing it.
He called her that first night to tell her how much he'd enjoyed their day together. He said he was thinking about their kiss and that it put a smile on his face.
The next weekend, he took her down to Point Lobos in Big Sur. They hiked along the craggy coast, taking photos and luxuriating in its pristine beauty.
The weekend after that, they met at the Farmer's Market near Twin Lakes, strolling among the fruit and vegetable stands and listening to a local bluegrass band.
And one morning, when the waves were breaking, he invited her down to The Point while he was surfing with his buddies. She watched from the cliff as he shredded the waves with impressive skill.
Afterwards, they got breakfast burritos at The Point Market and walked along East Cliff Drive.
"You're really good!" she told him as he walked beside her, carrying his board.
"It's definitely my happy place," he smiled, modestly.
He always greeted her, and said goodbye, with a warm kiss on the lips. He didn't push it. No grabbing or fondling. He wanted to respect her desire to take things slow.
And then, on Christmas Day at five o'clock, four weeks after their first meeting, he was standing at her front door ringing her doorbell.
He was wearing a dress shirt and black jeans. holding a bottle of white wine in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. A wrapped present was tucked under his arm.
Meredith opened the door. She wore an apron over a cute blouse and slacks.
"Hey you, come on in!" she said, giving him a kiss.
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas to you, too."
He handed her the flowers and wine.
"You look great," he said, softly.
"Aw, thanks. You look nice too. Though, I must say, I miss your lumberjack outfit."
He nodded.
"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"
"Not if I can help it."
Dinner preparations were well under way. She was serving grilled salmon, gnocchi, a green salad, and garlic bread.
He brought a sauvignon blanc to pair with the salmon. He got help from the guy at the wine shop.
He opened the bottle right away, poured two glasses, and stood at the counter with her, chatting. She gave him little chores to help. He did his best.
When the dinner was ready, they sat at the kitchen table, eating, drinking, and talking. Not once did the conversation lapse.
And it was a great conversation.
They didn't waste time on trivial things. They dove right in and talked about personal stuff.
He told her about what it was like growing up in a foster family and how difficult it was dealing with an alcoholic parent.
She told him about her divorce and the effect it had on her, how she retreated into herself for a long time afterwards.
When the topic turned to current relationships, he told the story of his year-long relationship with Siobhan. How they tried to make a long distance relationship work to no avail.
"So, when you guys decided to call it quits, what'd you do? Did you go out with other people? Or become a recluse like me?"
"You know, I was sorta bouncing around from house to house, sleeping on couches. It wasn't really conducive to having a relationship."
"I get it. When Rob and I split, I was a total celibate for a while. I just needed to regroup and figure out where my life was going."
"Well, I wasn't exactly celibate."
"Wait. So, did you see other people or not?"
Paul had made a personal pact to always be honest with her. He felt an obligation to come clean about his relationship with Maddie. This seemed like the right time to do it.
"That was when Maddie took me in. I lived at her place for a while."
"Right. You fixed up her studio above the garage."
"Well, that came a little later. For a while, I stayed with Maddie."
"In her little cottage? There's barely enough room for... Oh, you stayed WITH Maddie!"
"That's right."
Her eyes got big.
"Aunt Maddie?"
Paul nodded.
"Whoa! Well... good for Aunt Maddie!"
He looked up, surprised.
"I didn't know the old girl had it in her. But, hey! You go, girl!"
Paul shrugged his shoulders. Inside, he felt relieved to have this last truth finally told.
After dinner, they took the remaining wine and their glasses to the couch.
"You wanna watch a Christmas movie or something?" she asked.
"Actually, I'm enjoying talking."
"You know, me too."
She curled up her legs on the couch and faced him.
"What shall we talk about?"
Paul looked at her and smiled.
"I've been wanting to ask you a question. You don't have to answer, if you don't want to."
"This sounds like it's going to be interesting."
"When you said you wanted to take things slow, between us, what exactly were you concerned about? What were you afraid might happen."
She looked at the ceiling, thinking.
"Well, let's see. Actually, I don't think it was something I was afraid would happen. It was something that just seems to happen to me all the time."
"And what's that?"
"I meet a guy. We get to liking each other. We start fooling around. We go in the bedroom and get all sexual. And it tuns out, I'm such an amazing lover, he can't help but fall head over heels in love with me. And everything goes to hell."
"Hah! Seriously though..."
"No, I just... I find it changes things. I don't know if they have second thoughts. Or they're embarrassed or what it is. I just know that after we have sex, guys start acting different. They act like they owe me money or something. I don't know."
"So it's not the sex itself, it's the whole after sex part. The neurotic stuff."
"Yeah, it's like they're afraid of being tied down. Losing their freedom."
"I get it. But the sex part is okay. I mean, you enjoy sex."
"I love sex. I'm a very sensual person. I don't like mechanical sex, mind you. Wham bam, thank you ma'am. I like slow, sensual sex with lots of kissing and cuddling and all that stuff."
"I like that too."
"But that whole aftermath stuff. Hot one day, cold the next. It just makes me crazy."
He thought about what she was saying. And what Maddie had told him.
"You know, I don't know if this is a solution to that or not. But I can think of a way to maybe deal with it, or prevent it from happening in the first place."
"And what's that?"
He shrugged.
"Communicate. Just talk. Straight up. Before, during, after. Hey, here's what's going on in my head. What's going on in yours? I mean there's bound to be shit that's stirred up. We're human, right? Everyone's got baggage. But if you can at least make the other person aware, what it is, why it is, that should help make it less toxic."
She looked at him, smiling.
"How old are you?"
"I'll be 22 in October."
"How the heck did you get to be so smart?"
"I have no idea. I'm not even sure that was very smart. How old are you?"
"I'll be 25 in June. I'm three years older and I'm supposed to be three years smarter."
"Age is just a number."
"Yes, it is."
She got up on her knees and leaned into him.
She planted a warm, wet kiss on his full lips.
He wrapped his strong arm around her torso and cuddled her to him.
Their kiss lasted for a long, long time.
When they finally separated, she looked at him.
"I think it's time we open our presents."
"OK," he said.
He reached over, picked up the present he brought, and handed it to her. It was shaped a lot like a book.
"Three guesses what it is."
She gave him a sly smile and started to unwrap it.
It was indeed a book. It was entitled "California Paddleboarding Paradise".
"Whoa, this is awesome! Forty spectacular places to paddle in Northern California. I can't wait to try these."
"And I wanna try them with you. Tick 'em off, one by one."
"Forty locations. That's a pretty big commitment you're making there, lover boy. You sure you're ready for that?"
"With you? I'd do 400. 4000. Absolutely."
She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips.
"OK, now I have a gift for you but I haven't wrapped it yet. Gimme a sec."
She got up, gave him sexy smile, and retreated to her bedroom. A few minutes later, she came back out.
Dressed in a silk robe.
She knelt on the couch, next to him.
"So, where's the present?"
She opened her arms.
"It's right here. Unwrap it."
He slowly loosened the tie and opened her robe.
She was completely naked, except for a big red bow and ribbon wrapped across her breasts. A smaller bow covered her pussy.
"You're my present," he said.
"Aren't you gonna open it?"
He started to gently remove the ribbon and bow.
"Hope you like it," she smiled.
Under the bow and ribbon, two luscious breasts with pert, pink nipples awaited him. They were so beautiful, so perfectly shaped, it made his heart ache.
"You forgot the other bow."
He reached down and gently removed the smaller bow. Underneath was her pussy, cleanly shaven, and delicious looking.
"It's the best gift ever," he smiled, rakishly. "If you feel like it, let's take this to the bedroom. What do you think? You ready?"
She sighed, her eyelids closing halfway.
"I'm so ready. Readier than I've been in a long time. Maybe ever."
He stood up and lifted her off the couch, holding her in his strong arms.
