“Shiri, wake up,” Daniel whispered as he hovered over her two weeks
later as she slept. She groaned, but didn’t open her eyes. He placed his hand
on her stomach and gently began to rub it. “Come on, I’ve got a surprise for
you.”
“Surprise?” she asked, opening her eyes and staring at him.
“Uh-huh,” he nodded. Daniel reached behind his back and pulled out an
envelope. He handed it to her and let her open it.
“Oh, my God!” Shiri gasped as she pulled out two tickets to Miami.
“What’s this for?”
“Well, Darren owed me for all the things I’ve done for him, so he’s
sending us on a honeymoon,” Daniel explained.
“Ah!” she shrieked. “When are we leaving?”
“Tomorrow. It’s a two-week trip to the Keys. We’re staying on
Little Palm Island, the most secluded place on earth.”
“Isn’t that were Darren booked his own honeymoon?”
“Yes, which is why we’re going out there first to check it out and
tell him how it is. If we don’t like it, then he’s changing plans and
heading to the Bahamas.”
“I can’t believe we’re actually going on our honeymoon. This is so
wonderful. I have to call him up and thank him. Darren is the most wonderful
person in the world besides you.” Shiri climbed out of bed and headed for the
bathroom to change and get ready for the day. She had a lot of packing to do for
this two-week trip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel and Shiri arrived in Florida early the next day through Key West
International. They had a limo drop them off at the Shore Station where they
waited a few minutes for the yacht to show up.
“This is so nice!” Shiri squeaked as she waited outside in the warm
midday sun. “We’re getting picked up by a yacht! I’ve never been on a
yacht. This is so exciting!”
Daniel laughed at her enthusiasm. “I should take you out some time. I
love boats and the ocean. It’s so romantic,” he replied.
Seconds later, their boat arrived and they hopped in for a short trip to
the island. “I wonder where we’re staying. Darren didn’t tell me anything
about this place except for the fact that it was absolutely secluded and
beautiful,” Daniel said as he sat back on his chair and watched the sky above
float past him.
“I really don’t care. It’s a secluded island. Everything has to be
nice,” Shiri replied as they floated to the dock. Together they walked off the
boat and onto the pier that led them to the shore. They stared at wide eyes at
the scene that unfolded in front of them. It was the picture of perfection,
better than either one of them had expected. There were people sitting outside
eating at the beachfront restaurant and lounging around in hammocks. It was so
quiet there, not even the whispers carried through the wind.
“This is so beautiful,” Shiri whispered as she and Daniel walked down
the beach into the hotel’s foyer. The bellhop quickly took their luggage and
took them to their room, the largest honeymoon suite the hotel had. Darren
definitely hadn’t skipped on the accommodations when he reserved this place
for them.
“Remind me to call Darren and thank him from the bottom of my heart,”
Daniel said when they reached the room. The bellhop opened the door and led them
inside. Inside was a king sized bed with a beautiful canopy made of silky white
mosquito netting and a bedspread made of white lace and velour. The bed itself
had an 18th century feel to it with its high posts and beautifully
carved headboard. To the left of the picturesque bed were the bathrooms, one his
and one hers. Shiri wandered through the room and out onto the verandah. Outside
was the most majestic ocean view she had ever seen. She could feel the breeze
gently fly through her hair as she closed her eyes and let the images slowly
burn into her mind. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her and opened them.
Daniel stood behind Shiri and lightly placed his chin on her shoulder to look
out towards the ocean.
“I’m never going to forget this,” she whispered into his ear.
Daniel only nodded as he stared out across the deep blue horizon. “I can’t
believe I’m here with you, my soul mate. I love you, Daniel. I love you so
much.” They held each other for who knows how long and just stared at the
ocean together until the sun began to set on the far horizon.
“Come on, let’s go inside. I want to take another look around this
place before we go to dinner,” Daniel said as he took Shiri’s hand and led
her into the room.
~~~~~~~~~~
Day 1:
This has to be the most beautiful place on earth. I’ve never seen
anything like it. Even in California the beaches aren’t this pure white. I’m
in heaven. I’ve never been to suck a majestic place before. It’s only the
first day, and already I’m dreading the day we leave. Darren has to be the
most wonderful person to send us here on out long awaited honeymoon. Dan loves
it here too. He can’t believe how wonderful it is. We just had a splendid
dinner at the restaurant, baked swordfish and potatoes with this strange little
dessert which I don’t remember the name of, but it was delicious. Anyway, the
sun just set and I’m sitting here on the king size bed waiting for Dan to come
out of the bathroom. I never knew how vain he was until today. I swear, he’s
been in there for nearly half an hour. And Chance thinks Darren is bad. Wait
until I tell her this story. I’ve been sitting here with my CD player
listening to some of my favorite songs, which include “I Knew I Loved You,”
“Love Of My Life,” and “Everything.” I should have known that I’d fall
in love with a Savage Garden song. It just happened to be that one. You know
what, we don’t even had a song of our own. We’ve never really danced to one
except for maybe “I Do,” but that doesn’t really count. It doesn’t mean
anything special to us. Then there’s also “Have You Ever Really Love A
Woman,” the only song that Dan has ever sung. Oh, I don’t know! I really
don’t wanna think about this right now. You know what I’m really wondering?
I’m wondering what that notebook Dan’s always carrying around has in it. I
know he’s writing something in there because every time I walk into the room,
he hides it from me. I wonder if he’s writing me a love song. That would be so
sweet if he was. Yeah, okay, quite daydreaming, Shiri. You know he’s probably
writing some new stuff for his band. That’s probably all it is, and he
doesn’t want me seeing it because he thinks its crap. That boy is so
confusing. I’ll never completely understand him, but I won’t mind spending
the rest of my life trying. Okay, it’s time for me to get going. I think
Dan’s finally coming out of the bathroom. Night.
~~~~~~~~~~
The next day passed slowly just the way Shiri and Daniel both wanted it
to. They spent most of their time in one of the hammocks by the beach and just
cuddled for a greater part of the day. The rest of it was spent in the
restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was then off to the room where
they hopped into the hot tub for a relaxing end of the night.
“How do you like it so far?” Daniel asked as he gently massaged
Shiri’s back.
“I love it,” she answered. “It’s so nice here.”
“I know,” he replied, softly kissing the back of her neck.
“You know what I miss?” Shiri questioned.
“What?”
“Those beautiful nights with you. And I know you know what I’m
talking about.”
Daniel smiled. Shiri turned around and smiled back at him. He kissed her
lips then slowly went down her cheek to the nape of her neck. His hands began to
untie the laces of her bikini. Shiri pressed herself closer to his body. She
loved the feeling of his strong muscles on her skin. She shuddered as a cool
breeze blew across her back. Goosebumps appeared all over her skin.
“Maybe we should go inside,” Daniel suggested, feeling her shiver
even in the warm water. He picked her up and carried her inside then delicately
set her down on the bed. “So, how would you like it?” he asked.
“Soft and slow. Anything but rushed,” Shiri answered.
Daniel smiled as he began to pull off her soaking bikini. He flicked the
wet garments onto the floor and bent down to kiss her. Shiri held him closer,
her hands floating to the small of his back and pulling him into her pouting
lips. She ran them up his back and to his arms as he kissed her cheeks and neck.
“You know exactly what turns me on,” Daniel whispered into her ear.
Shiri smiled as she stroked his chest. Her hands made their way down his
abdomen and to the waistline of his boxers. Ever so slowly she began to pull
them off. She bit down on her lip to keep the excitement flowing. Shiri knew
exactly what was on his mind, and the only way to keep him under control was to
use these kinds of tactics. She had to have a handle on everything that happened
in the bedroom otherwise everything would go wrong in her mind. She had the
perfect picture in her mind as to how she wanted to make love, and he wasn’t
about to screw it up.
Daniel watched her as she pulled his shorts off. He hated the way she
always seemed to keep her cool while having sex and he could barely contain
himself. That devious little smile on her face told him as much as he wanted to
know, and never more. Everything was up to her in the bedroom. He didn’t mind,
though. Once in a while he’d get his way. This time, he knew she wanted
something special, so he let her have the control she so desperately desired.
Shiri finally pulled off his pants and threw them to the floor. Daniel
began to explore her body with his tongue, tracing circles around each and every
part he felt was important, her navel, her breasts, and her abdomen. He could
feel her tense up as he made his way down between her legs. He gently kissed her
inner thighs for a few minutes before moving any deeper. Foreplay was a key role
in keeping her satisfied.
Daniel pulled himself up and watched her as she stroked the soft,
delicate skin between her legs. Shiri could feel her body become putty in his
hands. There was noting more intoxicating that having him touch her that way.
“Oh!” Shiri nearly wailed. Daniel smiled at how her face twisted and
contorted when she was in the midst of having an orgasm. He pulled away just
before she could go through with it. She panted and stared at him for a little
while as he bent down and kissed her. She pushed him off of her and flipped the
position. Shiri was now the one on top and Daniel lay beneath her.
“I know your game,” she said. “Lets see if you can still play it
with your hands tied to the bedposts.” Shiri pulled a rope out of the
nightstand drawer beside the bed and tied each one of his hands to a bedpost.
“Ohh, kinky,” Daniel replied. “I never knew you could be so
demanding.”
Shiri smiled one of her devilish smiles. “There are a lot of things
that you still don’t know about me,” she answered. Before he had a chance to
say anything, her lips came down hard on his as she kissed him with the pent up
passion she had been dying to release. Shiri kissed every square inch of his
body from the top of his forehead to the tips of his toes. Daniel groaned as he
felt the heat level of the room go up about ten notches. He definitely hadn’t
expected to be tied up, but if this were how it felt, he’d gladly do it again.
Finishing up the last of her kisses, Shiri gently straddled him. Their
bodies slowly moved into their sacred rhythm as they felt a new state of
ecstasy. Shiri began to pant harder and harder as Daniel made his way deeper
into her body. She could hardly contain the moans that escaped from her lips
once she reached her climax. It was then that she fell onto his chest and kissed
his waiting lips. “Your turn,” she breathe. She untied him and gently
massaged his wrists to make sure no damage was done from the ropes.
Daniel tied her up just the was she had tie him. He took his time
nibbling on the nape of Shiri’s neck and sucking on her nipples. She groaned
louder and longer as he caressed her breasts with his warm, gentle hands. He
found his way into her and began the rhythm of their bodies once again. It
lasted much longer this time and nearly wore both of them out. Daniel fell onto
Shiri’s chest after both had reached their peak. He sluggishly untied her and
lay back down only to fall asleep once his head touched her soft skin. Shiri
gently pulled the blanket over their glistening bodies and wrapped her arms
around Daniel’s neck. She held him close and kissed his forehead until she too
fell asleep beneath him.
~~~~~~~~~~
Day 11:
They last few days passed like a blur. I can’t believe our time here is
almost over. All I remember is that second night when Dan and I had the best sex
ever. I never knew how beautiful it could be until that night. Oh, Dan is just
the most wonderful man in the world. I can’t believe I married him. He’s so
perfect. And I know he’s my soul mate. There’s no doubt about it. He can
feel me, and I know I can feel him. I can feel how his heart flutters when he
sees me laying in bed at night with my clothes off and only a sheet covering me.
It almost makes me giggle. I can also feel his pain when he departs on one of
his long trips to Australia. I know he hates leaving me behind, but neither one
of us can help it. We both have demanding jobs. As soon as “Roswell” is over
for the season, I’m going to Australia with him. He’s been dying to take me
out there. I know I’m gonna love it. I can’t wait. I’ll also have a chance
to meet his parents. That’ll be really cool. Anyway, I’ve been sitting here
for the last twenty minutes waiting for Dan to come back from the bar. I’m
dying for a drink. It’s so hot today. I’ve been rocking in my hammock for
the last hour with him. It’s so nice to just sit in the sun and not have to do
anything the entire day. I love cuddling. Dan’s so good at it. He wraps his
arms around me and holds me tight then gently kisses my neck and my ear. It
sends shivers down my spine. It’s so funny. I’m looking back at what I’ve
written and I’m beginning to sound like a schoolgirl again. I’m head over
heels in love, goose bumps and all. Is it just me or have I really changed now
that Dan is in my life? Well, whatever it is, I can definitely feel something
different. And it’s so wonderful. Okay, I can see Dan coming back with drinks
in his hands. I’m gonna wrap this up. Later.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Here’s your daiquiri,” Daniel said, handing the ice-cold pink
drink to Shiri.
“Thank you,” she replied, quickly taking a sip and closing her
notebook. She let it fall to the ground below the hammock.
“What’s that?” he asked, pointing to it.
“Oh, nothing,” Shiri replied.
“Can I see it?” Daniel politely asked.
“No,” she said with a goofy smile. “I want to see your notebook
first.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Why?”
“Because then I’d have to kill you.”
Shiri laughed at Daniel’s stupid attempt at cracking a joke. “Well,
then. I guess I’d have to do the same if I showed you mine,” she said.
“But really, what’s in there? Something private? Something extremely
girly? Or something that can potentially be the end of my career?” Daniel
questioned.
“It’s something extremely private and something extremely girly. You
really wouldn’t wanna know,” Shiri answered. “Trust me, it’s not worth
reading.”
“Okay, whatever you say, but when I find it one of these days laying
around, I’m gonna read it.”
“Oh, no you’re not.”
“Oh, yes I am.”
“No you’re not.”
“Yes I am!”
They both exploded into laughter at their stupid fight. “This is so
gay!” Shiri exclaimed.
“I know. I think we’d better quit before people start thinking
something is wrong with us,” Daniel replied as he slid beside her in the
hammock and wrapped his arms around her body. She pressed herself against him
and closed her eyes. “Don’t go falling asleep on me,” he said.
“I won’t” Shiri answered. ‘Just watch me,’ her mind yelled. A
smile appeared across her lips as she drifted off into the land of nod. Daniel
could hear her soft snores and rolled his eyes. He should have known better.
“Sweet dreams,” he whispered into her ear. He took the drink out of
her hand and placed it on the table beside the hammock. He cured into her and
fell asleep also.
It wasn’t until nightfall that they woke up again. Shiri was the first
one to realize that the sun was setting. She rolled out of the hammock and
rubbed her eyes open. She gently nudged Daniel and woke him up also.
“Come on,” Shiri said as she picked up her notebook and pulled him
through the dense foliage of the tropical garden to the bar.
“How long have we been asleep?” Daniel asked, rubbing his eyes with
the back of his hands.
“I don’t know, but I’m getting really hungry,” she replied as she
took a seat at the bar. He sat down beside her and ordered a drink for both of
them.
“Why don’t we hang out here for a little while then go to dinner?”
Daniel suggested. He stood up before Shiri could reply and headed for the
jukebox to find a song fitting for the occasion. He dropped a quarter into the
machine, pressed a few buttons, then headed back towards Shiri. Daniel took her
hand and led her to the big, open dance floor.
“My I have this dance?” he politely asked. Shiri nodded her head as
the music began to play. Daniel wrapped his arm around her waist and took her
hand into his. They stood alone at the center of the dance floor as the first
few lyrics began.
“Maybe
it’s intuition
Some things you just don’t question
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant
And there it goes, I think I’ve found my best friend
I know that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe...
I knew
I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
There's
just no rhyme or reason
Only a sense of completion
And in your eyes, I see the missing pieces
I’m searching for, I think I’ve found my way home
I know
that it might sound
More than a little crazy
But I believe
I knew
I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life”
“How did you know?” Shiri whispered as she leaned closer to him.
“Did you read my notebook?”
Daniel hesitated for a moment. “Yeah,” he finally admitted. “But
only the last entry. Nothing else. I swear.”
“That’s okay,” she said in a low voice. “I wanted you to know
that much.” Shiri’s hand slipped from his grasp as her head rested on his
chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes.
“I love you,” Daniel whispered into her ear. She smiled, holding
closer and tighter. He hummed the last bit of the song softly to her. As they
pulled away from each over when it ended, the crowd, now watching in a circle
around them, burst into fits of clapping. Shiri blushed as Daniel gave a little
bow. They headed back to their seats at the bar. Daniel excused himself to go to
the bathroom while she waited alone.
Shiri had her head turned in the direction Daniel had left, but the
moment she swiveled around to take a sip of her drink, she found an ugly old man
sitting beside her and staring in her direction. “May I help you?” she
asked, unimpressed by the stupid grin on his face.
“You sure are pretty,” he said in a strong southern back roads
accent.
“Thank you,” Shiri replied without any expression. She turned away to
take a sip of her drink, but her grabbed her by the arm.
“Don’t you have any manners?” the man rudely asked as he pulled her
around to face him. “A woman is supposed to look at a man when he’s talking
to her.”
Shiri gasped. She was ready to punch the man when Daniel walked up to
them and angrily asked, “What’s going on here? Get your hands off my
wife!”
The man let go of Shiri’s arm by throwing it back at her. “Maybe you
should teach her some manners,” he replied, standing up.
It was then that Daniel saw he easily towered over the man by almost a
foot. “Excuse me?” he hissed.
“Maybe you should teach that little whore to respect the opposite
sex,” the man spat back.
“Maybe someone should teach you how to respect the opposite sex,”
Daniel retorted.
“Ain’t you one of them prissy city boys?” the man almost laughed as
he pushed Daniel with all his might.
Daniel hit the chair behind him and immediately lunged for the man who
had pushed him. His fist slammed into the guy’s jawbone and he immediately
fell back. He got up, dusted himself off, and went back to the fight. He blindly
hit Daniel in the mouth and tore open his lip. Daniel reached up to feel the
blood gushing out of his wound. This only gave him more motivation to kick this
guy’s ass. He began to beat up on him, throwing punches left and right,
hitting him with the best counterattack he could come up with.
By now the crowd had gathered and formed a tight circle around them.
Shiri could barely make out which mangled body was Daniel’s. The two men
finally pulled apart, each one retreating to a corner and sizing up the
opponent. They lunged at each other once more without warning. Shiri watched in
horror as the man slipped a small knife out of his pocket.
“Daniel!” Shiri screamed at the top of her lungs. His eyes made
contact with the sharp metal edge of the blade just before it plunged into his
side. Daniel felt the knife rip open his shirt and tear into his flesh. He
nearly fell to his knees in pain, but kept his cool for the final confrontation.
His fist smashed into the guys face knocking him to the floor, unconscious.
Daniel’s knees buckled the moment he realized the fight was over. He
fell to the floor, landing unconsciously into Shiri’s outstretched arms.
“Danny!” she loudly wept, her fingers gently ruffling through his hair as
she held his head close to her chest.
~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel woke up in a darkened room lit by only a few candles. For a couple
of moments, he couldn’t remember where he was. He felt Shiri’s gentle touch
as she placed a cool, damp cloth over his lip. It was then he remembered the
fight.
“Hey, you’re awake,” Shiri sniffled as she leaned over him. She
appeared to be upside down. Daniel soon realized that he was lying in her lap
and looking up at her. “Don’t move,” she added as he tried to stir only to
feel the shooting pain in his side. “You’re still bleeding from your side. I
patched it up, but I think you might need stitches.” He moaned as she slipped
a fresh pack of ice over his fist.
“He nearly killed me, didn’t he?” Daniel’s raspy voice asked.
Shiri nodded as tears welled up in her eyes again. “You saved my life. Thank
you.”
“I just returned the favor,” she began to cry. Shiri placed her hand
on his cheek and stroked it. “You’re welcome.” She wanted to bend down and
kiss him but feared that it would only hurt him more.
A knock came at the door. “Who’s there?” Shiri called.
“I’m a doctor. I saw the fight. I just wanted to make sure everyone
was all right,” said the man on the other side.
“It’s open,” she yelled. The door slowly swung inward to reveal a
man in his late thirties, maybe early forties with dark brown hair and hazel
eyes. A woman followed him in holding a bag in her arms.
“How is he?” the woman asked.
“He’s okay,” Shiri answered.
“I want to apologize for my husband’s behavior earlier today. My name
is Sue. I didn’t know Hal was so drunk, and I can’t believe he tried to hit
on you. I’m so very sorry for all the trouble he has caused you and your
husband,” she said in her thick Tennessee accent. “I’m just glad he got
what was coming to him. I’ve waited years to see him get his ass kicked. Who
would have thought that it would happen on our second honeymoon? Thank you so
much for teaching him such a meaningful lesson. Maybe now he’ll have enough
sense to not go out drinking and hitting on someone else’s woman.”
“You’re welcome,” Daniel replied still in a daze.
Sue and Shiri laughed. The doctor stared at them for a few moments then
proceeded to take a look at the job Shiri did patching up Daniel’s wounded
side. “Nice job,” he commented. “Where did you learn to do that?”
“I had some previous experience in animal hospitals. The staff taught
me how to do that. I just applied it differently than I would to an animal,”
she answered. The doctor peeled away the bandage to expose the gaping hole left
by the knife. Sue cringed when she saw what he husband had done.
“I don’t think any important organs were punctured. There doesn’t
appear to be any sign of internal bleeding. He’s very lucky to have survived
this kind of stabbing,” the doctor replied. “It’s a good thing you knew
what you were doing when you patched this up.”
“Thank you, Dr…” Shiri began. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Masterson. And you’re welcome,” he said. He patched up Daniel’s
side once more before he left with Sue.
“Thanks again,” Shiri hollered as they closed the door to the room.
She looked down at Daniel and asked, “So, how do you feel?”
“A little better,” he replied in a groggy tone of voice.
“Good,” she said. “Get some rest. I’ve arranged for us to leave
paradise tomorrow afternoon. I gave Darren a call and told him what happened. It
scared the shit out of him, but he said that he’d have a private plane waiting
for us in Miami tomorrow.”
“Great. I don’t think I’d be able to stand it here anymore with
this kind of injury,” Daniel responded. He closed his eyes and snuggled closer
to her. Shiri blew out the candles and adjusted her position before she fell
asleep.