Free Passionate Ink by Jan Springer

led her to the question of where was he anyway?
    A flowery scent sifted beneath her nostrils and she turned her head to find a beautiful, yellow daffodil with a pretty, sky-blue ribbon wrapped around its green stem. A small note hung off one end of the ribbon. Turning onto her side, she reached out and held the note between her fingers.
    Follow the petals. Love, Calder
    The petals? What in the world? She sat up and gazed around. There, on his side of the bed, strewn all over the rumpled sheets, were yellow daffodil petals. When she rolled over, she spied a row of petals on the floor. They led to the sliding doors at the back of the bedroom.
    Huh. She hadn’t even noticed those doors earlier when she’d come in. They were frosted white glass just like the walls.
    Cool. She pushed herself out of bed and slid open one of the doors. Hot air blew against her naked body as she looked out onto the sparkling, blue-green ocean. So beautiful. When she gazed to her right, she noticed the shadow of a boat anchored in the slip beside Calder’s houseboat. To her left floated a row of colorful boats of all varieties. Her cheeks grew warm, wondering if his neighbors had heard any of her cries as she’d climaxed. She shook her head in disbelief.
    She’d just had sex with a man she’d known for barely twenty-four hours. Come to think of it, since meeting him yesterday she really hadn’t been herself. She’d fantasized about him to the point where she’d actually lost blocks of time.
    Sex, good. Memory loss, not good.
    He wanted her to follow the daffodil petals and she would, but just long enough to tell him she needed a shower. Maybe he’d join her? Her cheeks flamed at that thought. Sex with a man in a shower. Nope, definitely never done that before.
    She discovered a light-blue, terrycloth robe neatly folded on a chair. She grabbed it, put it on and slipped onto the back deck into the hot sunshine.
    Immediately she wished for a swimsuit so she could dive right off the boat and into the cool, blue waters. From nearby, seemingly from the roof area of Calder’s houseboat, sounds of nature music saturated the air. It was low, but she could make out the lapping of water and birds singing. It had a calming effect on her.
    Gazing at the petals, she followed the line of yellow to the narrow side until it went up some metal stairs that led to the roof area. Smiling, she padded quietly up the stairs, and as she came toward the top, amazement splashed through her in exciting waves.
    He had a miniature swimming pool up here on his freaking roof! On one of the several patio chairs sat the culprit of the music, a radio. And doing the breaststroke in the crystal clear water of the swimming pool was Calder.
    Oh my. He was naked.
    When he spied her, he smiled and did a quick wave. “Come on in. The water is fantastic,” he shouted.
    “I don’t have a swimsuit,” she called back, clutching the robe tighter around her as she gazed at the nearby assembly of houseboats, yachts and sailboats.
    “Skinny dip!” He laughed.
    She couldn’t do that! Could she? Tremors of excitement hummed through her.
    “Don’t worry. It’s a nudist area. It’s okay!”
    Nudist area? Oh my gosh!
    Getting naked with a man in his bedroom was one thing. Getting naked out in the open where anyone and everyone could be watching? It wasn’t her style. But then, she’d never been to a nudist beach or nudist area. Now if everyone else was naked…oh! Why not? He’d already seen her in her birthday-bathing suit, so to speak. So yeah, why not?
    In a rush of courage, she dropped the security of the robe and cannonballed into the water. The earsplitting splash hit her at the same time the cool water embraced her hot body.
    Breathtaking. Beautiful. So refreshing.
    She swam beneath the surface, her arms and legs wonderfully light and fluid. She could stay down here in this refreshment forever. But too soon, she needed to come up for air. Inhaling the fresh, salty, ocean