Free Champagne Kisses: A Timeless Love Story by Krista Lakes Page A

thought of the movie Top Gun .
    "You and me? One on one? I'm tall, but I don't think I'd stand a chance against you," I said.
    "Well, bring your friends. Maybe we'll do guys versus girls; maybe we'll do couple against couple. We'll have to see how they feel about it," Dean said.
    I smiled. "I'll head over to the condo to get the two lovebirds while you go find a ball and let Matt and Jenny know."
    "Oh, so you're going to make me brave the crazy sex room. Thanks ." Dean made a face at me and we both laughed. Despite the heavy walls, we could hear the two of them going at it like sex-crazed monkeys. I shuddered to think of what he might find in their room.
    We both got out of bed and dressed in the same room. I liked how comfortable we were together, even naked. It made me feel like it might last.
    I tried to banish that thought from my head as I walked in the sunshine to the tiny rental. This is just a summer romance , I thought. I sighed. I wanted it to be so much more.
    When I walked into the condo, I began to laugh. There were Kim and Tony, in their pajamas, a steaming mug of coffee next to each of them as they played checkers on the kitchen table. "Here we are, on a tropical vacation, and you two are indoors playing a board game. You look like an old married couple," I said.
    Kim blushed, and Tony grinned unabashedly at me. I could practically read their thoughts. We wish we were a married couple. I wondered if he had proposed to her already. I heard guys often did that before a deployment. I'd have to get the info from Kim later.
    "So, what's up?" Tony asked.
    "We're about to start a game of sand volleyball at your place. Are you in?"
    I could practically see the competitive side of him as he smiled. He looked over at Kim. "Can we pause this game?"
    She smiled. "I'd love to." Her eyes sparkled. I didn't think that I had seen that smile leave her face since this vacation started.
    "Okay! I'm going to go ahead and grab my stuff so that it's all over at my place," Tony said.
    Kim was silent. Finally, something that made the smile fade from her face. She, too, realized that the vacation was coming to an end, and that it was time to disentangle themselves and their things. Soon, there would be no casual mornings full of checkers and coffee.
    My heart hurt for her for a moment. All three of us girls would soon be wishing this summer never ended.
    ***
    "A ll right, we're playing Shirts and Skins, right? Guy team will be shirts," Matt said, smiling at each of us.
    "Matt!" Jenny cried out.
    "Okay, okay... I guess we'll be Skins, then," he said. He smiled at the other guys as he pulled the t-shirt off his head. The other two quickly followed suit, throwing their shirts to the side of the sand volleyball court.
    My jaw dropped. I thought I saw Jenny swoon a little bit. I hadn't seen them all together in nothing but their bathing suits since that first day on the beach. Their bodies were all tight and muscular and their matching tattoos gleamed in the sun. I had to check my mouth to make sure I wasn't drooling. The men began to preen and flex for us a little bit. Matt even kissed his huge bicep and pointed at Jenny, winking. She rolled her eyes, but I knew that she was thinking what I was thinking. We couldn't pay for a better show than this.
    The girls and I were looking good too. Jenny had opted for just her bathing suit. Kim and I had come in jean shorts and tank-tops, but I had taken my mine off and thrown it to the side, revealing my bikini top.
    "I don't know, guys," Dean said. "Should we go easy on them?"
    "I haven't gone easy on Jenny since we got here," Matt said.
    A chorus of oohs sounded around the court while Jenny blushed, but she quickly regained her composure. "I guess if that's the best you've got, I should have no problem beating you at volleyball."
    Both guys cracked up, and it was Matt's turn to look flabbergasted. "I'm going to make you eat those words, both on this volleyball court and later tonight."
    "Bring it,