Booked for 2

Chapter Four

Hazel's pov

We finally made it back to the house and I went to rinse off in the shower. I was so embarrassed by how I acted out on the ocean today but Forrest never made me feel bad.

When I got out of the shower I caught a whiff of delicious steak cooking. I quickly threw on a knee length dress and my hair up into a messy bun and followed the smell to where Forrest was preparing two steaks on the grill on the balcony out back.

"Mmm. Smells amazing out here!

Forrest chuckled as he removed the steaks from the grill and we both came into the kitchen where he plopped some butter on the steaks and covered them with foil to let them rest. Just then the oven beeped and Forrest turned and removed a pan of garlic bread and placed it on top, turning the alarm off. He opened the fridge and removed fixings for a salad and started to prep that.

"Wow, look at you go! Can I help you make the salad?

"Sure, would you like a glass of wine while you work?

"Wine, too??"

"Yes." He opened the fridge and retrieved my favorite bottle of wine. He remembered.

I hadn't drank much before yesterday but I quickly agreed to a glass of wine which Forrest poured for me while I chopped some salad and put it into a big bowl.

We chatted a bit while we added some cucumbers and cherry tomatoes and tossed it all in zesty Italian.

Forrest sliced the steaks which were cooked to perfection.

"Wow, Forrest I have to say I'm very impressed with you. When did you learn how to cook??"

"I started a few years ago when I decided to take my health a little more seriously. I began food prepping on the weekends so I had meals to take to work with me instead of surviving off the vending machine."

"Well this all smells amazing. I can't wait to try it.

"Well, grab yourself a plate and let's eat!"

We each filled our plates and went out to the little bistro table set on the balcony looking out over the ocean. Once I was seated, Forrest followed behind with the bottle of wine and his plate. He topped my glass off before he sat down and we dug in.

"Mmmm oh my god, this is so good!" I said savoring my first bite of steak. It was so tender and juicy.

Forrest chuckled and took a bite himself. "Not bad."

"Not bad?? Forrest, it's so good! Thank you for cooking us dinner. And thank you for not judging me on the beach today. I really appreciate it."

"Ah, you know I'd never let anything happen to ya, Hazel."

I peeked up at him as I sipped at my glass. "Yeah, I know."

I finished my dinner in no time along with two glasses of wine and was definitely feeling a buzz.

Forest poured me another glass and asked if I wanted to go walk on the beach. The sun had set but the beach was well lit by a full moon.

I agreed and we walked down stairs together and up on to the beach. The sound of the waves crashing into the shore was so peaceful as we walked silently along.

Forrest cleared his throat. "So, you happy you're finally a free woman now?" He took a swig directly from the wine bottle he was carrying and passed it to me.

"What do you mean?"

"I got the divorce paperwork just before I left for vacation. You must be relieved to have that all over with now."

"Oh...um, happy and relieved wouldn't be my choice of words."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I was actually incredibly saddened by the whole thing."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that, Hazel. I felt the same. I knew it was inevitable, but it still hurt...the finality of it all, ya know?"

"Yeah, I totally get that."

Forrest grabbed me by the hand and stopped me, forcing me to look at him.

"Hazel, I never got the chance to tell you that I was sorry for the way things went down. I never meant to hurt you. Im sorry for abandoning you when you needed me the most."

I tried to brush him off. "Forrest, we were so young and dumb...you had important things going on..."

"Not more important than my wife, I ran away from you when you needed me selfishly and that was wrong. I shouldn't have volunteered for that deployment. I should have stayed and fought you...for us."

I didn't know if it was my brain, or the wine talking. But every fiber of my being was drawn to Forrest in that moment. I looked at the pain in Forrest's eyes and could tell he was genuinely hurt by it all. I'd always thought he was happy to be out of our marriage. I'd imagined him partying with his military buddies on the weekends and living his best single life, but I could see now that none of that was the case. He's been hurting just as I had been.

His eyes drifted down to my lips and the hand that was holding mine moved to the small of my back, pulling me in close to him so that our torsos were touching. Before I could register what I was thinking, I reached for the back of Forrest's neck and pulled him to me. His lips crashed into mine with urgency. The sensation of Forrest's lips on mine was overwhelming. I moaned as he sucked on my bottom lip and nipped it gently.

Forrest pulled away just enough to rest his forehead on mine and stare into my eyes.

"You have no idea how long I've hoped and prayed for this moment, Hazel..."

He kissed me again as he scooped me up effortlessly and I wrapped my legs around his torso, straddling him. I dropped the wine bottle at some point along the way. He nearly jogged us back to the beach house and crashed through the front door.

I buried my hands in Forrest's curls as he hobbled down the hallway to the master bedroom, resting his knees at the bottom of the bed and gently lowering me down onto it.

"What are we doing, Forrest?" I asked out of breath between kisses.

"Something we should have done long ago..." he whispered, pulling his shirt up over his head and unzipping and dropping his cargo shorts to the floor.

'Good God...' I don't remember Forrest looking like this, ever. He'd grown in so many ways over the years. When we'd married we were still only kids ourselves. Forrest was a man now, with the body to show for it. I reached up and ran my hands over his toned abdomen and chest and watched as Forrest shivered in response, enjoying the sensation of my hands on him.

"Undress me..." I whispered seductively.

"Shit..." I heard Forrest whisper as he began pulling my sun dress up and off of my body. I wasn't wearing a bra underneath. Just a pair of white lace panties.

There was no hiding Forrest's arousal. His thick member was fighting against his briefs, begging to be freed.

"I'll be right back, baby.

He ran out of the room leaving me in nothing but my panties, laying in the bed. He reentered the bedroom pulling a foil packet open he paused at the bottom of the bed, removing his briefs and sliding the condom down his thick shaft.

Forrest hooked his thumbs on both sides of my panties and paused as if asking for permission to continue. He peered into my eyes hungrily. I nibbled at my bottom lip and nodded, giving him permission to have his way with me.

"You have no idea how long I've imagined this moment...

I moaned at the thought of Forrest daydreaming about us together.

"I'm going to fuck you until you can't feel your legs anymore..."Forrest whispered seductively as he drug my panties down and tossed them to the floor. "But not before I make you make you come quite a few times..."