Promises Pt. 02

"Good night," I say, fighting the sudden urge to give her the kiss that usually accompanies saying those words to the woman in your bed. But then I have a question for her.

"Kira, why do you trust me? You don't even know me. I could be a serial rapist for all you know."

"You promised me you'd behave."

"Promises are easily broken."

"Not for you," she says with finality.

I lie awake for a while, considering that.

I have strange dreams that night, but the last one before waking has me holding Destinee in my arms in bed. It doesn't feel right though, because even in my sleep I remember that she doesn't allow that. She always jerks awake if I touch her, even inadvertently. Now, though, she's spooned to my chest, not too hot, not too cold, but just right. If only this wasn't a dream, I think to myself. It really would be nice to hold someone while I slept.

I open my eyes and realize that it's no dream. I really do have a woman in my arms, but of course it's Kira, not Destinee. I don't move a muscle. She's still asleep, snoring lightly and peacefully. I know I should move away from her, but my back is already up against the edge of the bed. She obviously came to me in her sleep, probably assuming I was her husband.

The back of her head is inches away, sharing my pillow, and her long hair smells of henna and lemons. Her butt is pressed to the upper part of my stomach. My elbow is resting on her waist and I can feel how incredibly narrow it is.

The morning light shows a little around the edges of the heavy drapes, but the gentle red glow of the bedside clock says that it's only been four hours since we went to bed. I'm not planning to get up just yet. I continue to hold her, waiting to fall back asleep, but enjoying this little intimate interlude in the meantime. I just hope she doesn't wake up and get upset with me. In my defense, she is on my side of the bed.

Ten minutes later, Kira's steady snoring suddenly stops, and I can feel that she's woken. I keep my breathing steady, as if I'm still asleep. To my relief, she doesn't freak out at being in my arms.

Eventually I feel her relax back into sleep and her light snoring resumes. I smile, but then after a few minutes, fall back into sleep myself.

I wake to the sound of the shower running. For a moment, I wonder if sleeping with Kira in my arms was just a dream, but my pillow smells of henna and lemons. It really did happen.

Twenty minutes later, she walks out into the room. Her long brown hair is damp and loose, hanging down her back. She's dressed in a cute, but still kind of baggy pair of shorts and a rock and roll concert T-shirt.

"You're a Styx fan?"

"Big time. My dad used to listen to 70's and 80's music incessantly when I was a kid. I guess I kind of imprinted on it."

"That's cool. I started listening to KIRA back in junior high because I hated all the crap the other kids were listening to. Pop, country, hip-hop, rap, I just can't get into that stuff. It's either rock or the classical Russian composers for me."

"Amen to that," she says. Then, her brow crinkles endearingly. "I hope I didn't crowd you during the night." Her question appears to be completely innocent. Maybe she doesn't remember waking in my arms, or perhaps she thinks it was a dream.

"Not at all, and I don't remember the last time I slept so well."

"Yeah, I slept unusually well too. Look, Peter, since neither of us has had a chance to get to know anyone here yet, you wanna come with me to get some breakfast?"

"Sure. Give me fifteen minutes."

I'm in the shower when the phone rings. A few seconds later, I hear Kira's voice from the bathroom doorway. I'm tall enough to see her over the shower curtain, which, luckily for propriety, is a solid fabric.

"It's the front desk," she says. "They say they can set us up with separate beds today. You want me to tell them to do that?"

"Well..."

After last night, I really want to keep sharing a bed with her. It's honestly nothing to do with any expectation of sex, especially since I'm quite sure that our size difference would make that awkward, if not actually impossible. I just really liked holding her.

When she'd woken in my arms, she'd gone right back to sleep, so I figure she hadn't minded either. On the other hand, she doesn't know that I know that she slept in my arms, and it might be a bit presumptuous of me to turn down separate beds. For just a moment, I'm in a bit of a quandary.

Kira speaks again quickly. "You know, Peter, you were indeed a perfect gentleman last night and I guess I don't mind our current arrangement. I'm all for sharing unless you want your own bed."

I calculate that, since she's put it that way, it would be almost rude of me to request separate beds. "No, that's fine. If you're good with it, I don't see any reason to change."

"Great, I'll tell them."

Hidden Springs offers a choice of inclusive dining options, and we hit the casual place just off the lobby. It turns out they serve breakfast all day, so I'm able to get my standard eggs, over easy, with lots of bacon. I somehow expect Kira to do something vegetarian, but she gets just what I do, the only difference being her choice of having her eggs scrambled.

She immediately notices that the spa is right across the lobby from us. "Ooh, I've gotta try that out tomorrow," she says. "I haven't been to a spa in a long time."

"Sounds like fun," I say. "What are you planning to do today?"

"There are some ancient Mayan ruins over on the mainland, near Tulum. I'm signed up for a tour to go check them out. How about you?"

"I think I'm going to try parasailing."

"Wow, that sounds exciting. I may have to do that tomorrow."

As we talk, I suddenly realize that I'm not having to work at it nearly as hard as I normally do. I'm not calculating every response or concentrating on deciphering every expression. Somehow, with Kira, conversation is relatively easy. I'm still keeping my head in the game, but it's fun this time.

We walk out together, and I have the sudden urge to take her hand. Of course, I would have to bend way down to grab it and I don't think she would welcome that familiarity anyway. I do notice that we're getting glances. I'm used to it because of my size, but most of these are at Kira. I suppose people are trying to figure out if she's my wife, girlfriend or daughter. It's weird.

We go back to the room to get ready for our respective activities, then head out for the day.

I do indeed walk over to the parasailing place and put my name on the list. There are quite a few people waiting to fly today. Even with two boats doing runs, it's going to be at least an hour. In the meantime, I practice socializing by talking with a group who've come down from South Carolina together on vacation. There are three couples, and then two girls who appear to be unattached.

The first is plain, stocky, has a couple of sleeves of frankly dreadful tattoos, and is only a head taller than Kira. She's the only member of the group that doesn't seem to like the idea of my hanging out with them. Even so, this might have been enough to make me move on, if not for the second girl.

She's got long, blond hair, a pretty, girl-next-door sort of face, a nice hourglass figure, and an endearing number of freckles. She introduces herself as Anna, and I quickly find that she's got a very down-to-earth personality, a quick wit, and a bright, ready smile. And she's tall. At a guess, somewhere between six-two and six-three. Even better, she seems to be as interested in talking to me as I am in talking to her.

The South Carolina group is just ahead of me on the waiting list, but Anna says they'll stick around and watch my flight if I want to hang with them. I quickly agree.

One by one, the group is yanked off the beach and sent skyward by the crews in the speedboats, but at the last minute, Anna chickens out. I walk over to see if I can encourage her. "It looks like a lot of fun," I say.

"I guess so, but I get scared of thrill stuff, especially if it involves heights."

"Sometimes you just need to put yourself out there and try new things that may be outside of your comfort zone. You never know what you'll find out about yourself." I realize as I say it, that it's kind of the story of my life.

"Maybe so, but I think I'll take my new experiences with both feet on the ground." Her mind is made up, so the next person in line is me.

I find parasailing as exhilarating as I'd imagined. It's nice to be able to turn off the analytic social computer for a few minutes and just enjoy the experience. The group is indeed waiting for me when I'm done, and Anna even gives me a chaste hug. I've never embraced (and don't think I've ever met) a girl as tall as she is. Her body feels really nice against mine

"How was it?" she asks.

"Completely awesome."

She sighs. "I really should have done it." She looks back at the entrance wistfully.

"There's always tomorrow," I suggest.

Anna and I get to talking as the group heads for our next activity. I quickly find out that she's a graphic designer. She uses the same software that I use to put together the presentations I do for my industrial clients. It gives us something interesting to launch our conversation.

It turns out that we have quite a few things in common and I really enjoy talking to her. We stay with her group, but more and more often during the afternoon, Anna and I pair off at times. Our conversation takes some concentration on my part, of course, but nothing like as much as I always had to use with Destinee or my other girlfriends. Amazingly, it's a lot like talking to Kira.

Maybe it's the tropical climate and attitude that's allowing this free and easy(er) exchange. In any case, my careful analysis tells me that she's displaying all the signs of enjoying being with me.

At the same time, there's something subtly different about the way she responds to me compared to any of the women I've pursued in the past. From her reactions, I know she's definitely a sexual being, yet with me she's very reserved in that way. Sensing it, though not knowing what the issue is, I modify my responses a bit in a way that seems to put her more at ease.

We rejoin her friends for dinner, but while we sit with the rest of the group, we're pretty much in our own little world. Anna orders a Mai Tai and I ask for an unsweetened iced tea, finding that I'm not at all worried that she'll ask me why I'm not drinking.

Anna has evidently noticed though, because after her one glass, she switches to water, even though the rest of the group is imbibing at a pretty good clip. I make no comment on it, just like she made no comment on my drink selection.

After dinner, Anna and I split off and go to one of the resort's clubs. I discover that she's an enthusiastic, if not particularly skilled, dancer. I find that refreshing. Most of what the DJ is playing are dance tunes, but every now and then he throws in a slow song.

The first time, Anna seems a bit reluctant to get that close, but then smiles shyly and comes into my proffered arms. We fit together amazingly well, and I know that I would normally be sporting an erection by now, but somehow this just doesn't feel as sexual as I would have expected, and Mister Happy continues his nap.

We dance for a couple more hours, interspersed with visits to a relatively quiet booth near the back to catch our breath and talk some more. Our conversation is all over the place, touching on college experiences, pros and cons of our respective cities, and even the normally taboo subject of religion and politics. Again I notice that talking with her is a remarkably low-stress activity.

Finally, though, and without either of us having to say so, we decide we've had enough. I lead her off the dance floor and we head toward her place, which, like mine, is in the main high-rise building.

We're walking down the long hall to her room. I've got an arm around her waist and she's leaning into me companionably. I've had a lot of fun and it's been amazing to be with a woman with whom I share so much and can talk so easily. Now we've come to that moment when I'd usually be trying to get the girl to invite me in. The only thing is, I know that's not going to happen. Neither of us seems to have any desire to seal the deal in that way. Besides, I'm already sharing a bed with... Kira.

With a shock, I realize that I haven't so much as given a thought to my pint-sized bedmate for hours. After having such a magical night with Kira, I know I should feel guilty about spending the whole day with Anna. On the other hand, I know I should feel guilty about dropping wonderful Anna off at her door, then going to spend the night with another woman. The strange thing is, I don't feel guilty in either case, and even stranger, I'm idly thinking about ways to introduce them to each other. Jesus, am I stupid? This is all very confusing.

"Peter?" A soft voice brings me back into the moment.

Oops. "Sorry, Anna." We're standing in front of her door.

"You looked like you were about a thousand miles away," she says, seemingly more amused than annoyed.

I smile. "Yeah, but I'm back now."

She slips her card into the door, but before she can turn the handle, it opens from the inside. The other single girl from Anna's group scowls way up at the two of us. "I wondered if I was going to have to call security," she grumbles.

Anna rolls her eyes. "It's only eleven, Mom." She ignores her roomie's glare and tips her head up to kiss my cheek. Said roomie turns and stalks back into the room.

"Thanks for a wonderful day, Peter," Anna says.

I kiss her cheek in return. "I had fun too. Would you like to get together again some time?"

"I would. I'm here until Friday. You know where to find me."

She winks, then, without another word, slips into her room. The door closes behind her.

I note her room number, then ride the elevator up to my floor. This thing with Kira and Anna has got me mightily confused. I step into our hallway, but then take a detour into the little vestibule with the ice and vending machines. I grab a diet soda and lean back into the privacy of the corner, out of sight of the hall, so I can think things over.

Just what is it that I feel for Kira, a girl who still wants me to refer to her by the call letters of a classic rock radio station? Lord knows I'm attracted to her, despite our ridiculous size difference and the fact that she's married to a guy who's evidently going to make her divorce a long and nasty process.

And what about Anna? Amazingly, she's equally easy to be around, but I don't ever recall having such a good time around a woman with whom I shared so little sexual chemistry. I think she's gorgeous and I want to get to know her better, but I honestly have no desire to bed her.

I realize that I just don't have a clue where to go with this, but I do know where I'm supposed to be next. Tossing my still mostly full can in the trash, I walk down the hall and key my way into our room. Kira's still out. Sighing, I decide to get ready for bed. I pull the drapes closed and start to change into my long pajamas, then stop and decide that since Kira and I are a lot more comfortable with each other now, I can probably get away with a T-shirt and boxers.

As I slip into what I now consider my side of the bed, I notice that her laptop is missing from the table. So she's probably not out dancing like I was. I turn out the light and lie in bed, wide awake. Twenty minutes later, I hear a key card in the lock.

Kira slips into the darkened room quietly. Seeing me in bed and logically assuming I'm asleep, she tiptoes over to the table to set her laptop down, then pads into the bathroom. Minutes later, she's back, wearing a long T-shirt and, I assume, panties. I congratulate myself on making the right decision on my nightclothes. It's dark enough that I'm quite sure she can't see that I'm watching her through my eye slits.

I'm on my side, facing the middle, and Kira slips gently into bed. Then, over the next ten minutes or so, the little minx works her way over to me, butt first, until she's very lightly spooned against me. I moan sleepily, like I'm dead to the world. I wrap an arm around her, pulling her tiny body tight to my chest in my supposed sleep.

Less than a minute later, she begins to snore. A minute after that, I'm in dreamland myself.

When I wake, I feel weight. I'm on my back and Kira is wedged in against my ribs, an ankle hooked over my thigh, her arm over my chest, and her head on my shoulder. My arm is wrapped around her back and my hand is cupping both of her little panty-clad butt cheeks. I remain relaxed and don't open my eyes, hoping this moment will last.

"Good morning," she murmurs. How she knows I just woke, I don't know. I've been consistently told that I'm an unusually quiet sleeper.

"Good morning," I rumble back.

"In case you were wondering, I woke up this way. I didn't want to disturb you by moving. I hope it's not freaking you out."

It's just barely plausible that she awakened in this position, but I have my doubts.

"No, I don't mind at all. We all do interesting things in our sleep."

"That we do."

I note that even though I'm awake now, Kira stays right where she is. So does my hand on her bottom.

"Did you sleep well?" I ask.

"Like a rock. You?"

I can't see the clock in this position, but from the angle of a couple of sunbeams that have made it past the drapes, I calculate that it's been about nine hours since we went to bed. At home I can never sleep more than six.

"Better than I knew I could."

"Good. So what are you doing today?"

"I think I'm gonna hit the beach." I fight the urge to ask her to come with me. Even as close as we are right now, I don't want to be the one to step over the line on the agreement we made.

"Cool. I'm scheduled for the spa today."

"Sounds like fun." Or not. The idea of spending a day being poked and prodded by strangers doesn't hold a lot of attraction for me.

"You gonna do the Full Monty out there?" she asks.

"Uh, depends on what everyone else is doing. I've never been to a nude beach."

"I admire your willingness to try. I'm kind of shy myself."

"Yeah, I can see that," I say, with perhaps a touch of mirth.

She tickles my ribs for a second in retribution and I squirm. I'm not usually all that susceptible to tickling, but she's caught me by surprise. "I should say I'm shy with everyone but you."

"Really? What's so different about me?"

"You're just a great big teddy bear and I know I can trust you."

"Teddy bear, huh?" I've certainly never been called that before.

"Yeah, everyone else looks at you like you're the toughest bad-ass motherfucker they've ever seen, but I can see the real you. You're gentle as can be, even when you massage my butt."

Oops! I realize that I'm absently doing exactly that. I guess I couldn't help myself. It feels so nicely rounded and the whole thing fits neatly in my hand. I desist in the kneading, but continue cupping her.

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be. It felt nice."

I now realize that I've got an erection building. Kira does that to me in a way that Anna didn't. Under other circumstances I might see if my bedmate and I could do something about that, but Kira isn't my lover. Besides, I like my women tall, blonde, busty, and single. Kira is none of those things. If I don't do something quick, though, she's bound to notice my stiffy.

I give her butt a friendly slap. "Okay, it's time to hit the showers. You first."

"Slave driver," she mutters with a smile. She slowly slides off me. My body cries out at the loss, and I only barely subdue a sudden and powerful urge to pull her back. She hops out of bed and heads for the bathroom. Just as she's going around the corner, she begins to pull her T-shirt off. She's out of sight just a little too quickly for me to see her bare chest, but I do get a glimpse of her very taut midsection and hot pink panties.