Love's Last Chance by Jean C. Joachim Page A

and went inside. After
washing out her dish plus her beer bottle, she grabbed a big towel
and headed outside again. Mary was sitting near Johnny. He appeared
to be listening closely to her.
    “And there just aren’t any guys like you in
Texas, Johnny…”
    He looked up when Dorrie pushed by them and
strode up the narrow walk to the wood path. She turned right,
headed for the beach.
    “Dorrie, wait—” Johnny pushed to his
feet.
    “Don’t let me interrupt anything.” She
raised her hand in response then continued walking briskly on her
way.
    “That’s okay. Let her go,” Mary said. “So,
what have you been up to? Got a girlfriend?”
    Their conversation, so loud in contrast to
the quiet of the island, began to fade as she neared the ocean and
the roar of the waves crashing into shore drowned out Mary’s nasal
voice. She hauled herself up the steps then spread the towel out on
the dunes. Sitting with her knees against her chest, Dorrie rested
her arms there and took a breath. Wish I’d brought a
sweater.
    “Shit.” Yeah, he’s still in my blood. Some deep breathing returned her heart rate to normal. He looked
so gorgeous sitting there. And listening. God, I wanted to jump
him. It’s so sexy when a man listens. Then Mary comes out, and it
starts all over again. Still, I want him. He doesn’t have a clue
about what happened. I have to tell him, or this is a total waste
of time.
    “Still the loner?” A deep voice startled
Dorrie. She jumped.
    “Crap! You scared the shit out of me.”
    “Sorry,” Johnny said, lowering himself next
to her.
    “Where’s Mary?”
    “The music is on, and they’re dancing. Come
back and dance.” He pushed to his feet.
    Dorrie shook her head. And watch you bump
and grind with every girl in the joint? I don’t think so.
    “You’re the best dancer in the group.” He
held out his hand.
    “Ya think?”
    Johnny took her hand. “Come on. You didn’t
come here to be gloomy and alone. You came to have fun. No
sulking.”
    “We’ve got to talk.”
    “Not tonight. Tonight is…hell, it’s
T.G.I.F . , ya know?”
    She stood. “Yeah, I know.”
    “How about we make a date to meet here
tomorrow night, say ten?”
    “Perfect. The house will be rocking.”
    “Until then, can we put all this shit aside
and just have a good time?”
    “Guess so.”
    The rhythm of a favorite song drifted toward
them as they descended the stairs. Johnny went first then lifted
her down the steep last two steps. She fell against his chest,
where he held her until he recovered his footing.
    “Damn stairs,” he mumbled.
    His body was warm, chasing away the chill
making her shiver a moment ago. She longed to stay in his arms,
maybe forever. He smelled of a fresh shower, soap, and a slight
aroma of beer. He stroked her hair as his mouth lowered to hers.
The beat of the music seeped into her blood, along with runaway
desire, unleashed by his lips. John Flanagan can still
kiss.
    Her fingers dug into his shoulders as his
hand slipped down to squeeze her behind. His tongue gained entrance
almost immediately and danced with hers. His fingers glided up to
her hips and slowly eased them away from his.
    “If we don’t stop…”he said, pausing to catch
his breath.
    “Yeah.” She stepped back half a step, but
still the heat from him warmed her. He reached out and cupped her
cheek. Alarm bells went off in her head. Don’t! Don’t be tender
with me. Don’t. I can’t fight that. That’s what happened before. I
can’t, I can’t. She eased his hand down off her face and moved
toward the path. He followed behind.
    Mary, Maureen, and Alice were waiting on the
steps when they arrived.
    “Where the hell have you been? Doing it on
the beach?”
    Dorrie rolled her eyes at John as he opened
the door. “Calm down, Mary. We’re back.”
    “Dance with me, Johnny.”
    “Sure, sure. Just let me get a beer.”
    “I’m next,” Maureen, a redhead from next
door, piped up.
    “Take a number, ladies. The night