I met him on the Shore[Marree]

Here to stay
Walk along
Eyes in front
Never look back

---

The ocean pushes and pulls so gently in front of me. The seas are somewhat calm, but that doesn't help with the wind. The salty water shoves itself against my legs. The current wanting to either push me away or take me out into the water. I stand still. My feet deep within the mixture of the water and sand. My toes completely covered by the debris that washes up. The many different shells that come up broken and in halves. Most of the creatures that lived in them are long gone by now. Taken up residence in something a bit more sturdy. More permanent. These shells that I look at are the rejects. The vomit from the sea that wants to expell what isn't suppose to be there. I take a deep breath of the ocean air, letting my lungs fill to the brim with the ocean spray.

"What a day..." I say to myself. I'm totally at ease today, despite everything that had happened in the last month. The ocean waves to me in so many ways, that at one point I bring my hand up just to hold it in front of me, for a period of no more than five seconds, before bringing it back down to my side. I take a few steps further into the water, letting the water come up to my shins, then my knees. Once again, the current becomes stronger. Feeling the pull on my legs. It want's me to join it. To dive deep within it's watery depth. As much as I want to, the chill that radiates up my feet is enough to make me want to back away quickly, but the pins and needles on my skin is refreshing. Soothing. I'm alive and well. I am here in my district, staring at the one thing that is so unpredictable that I can barely stand to fathom how it took one of the strongest people I know. Another sigh comes from my lips and I turn around away from the ocean. My back facing an enemy. My back facing my friend. I have no querrel with the ocean now. I just wish to have it back the way it was suppose to be. Life goes on. Life has it's ups and downs. Now, I find myself, with my hands in my swim trunk pockets, walking through the debris that the ocean coughed up.

Step after step, I take my time. My feet pulling against the suction of the soaked sand until I make it to the dryer part. My eyes constantly on the ground the entire time. I feel so calm right now. So like myself. I kick a bit of sand away from in front of me as I reach up behind my head to scratch an itch, and then my eyes lay on someone walking towards me. She closer than I had thought as I realize the proximity is with a good ten feet. I never even noticed her, and how that happened, I'll never know. I finish scratching the spot on the back of my head, but my hand rests there anyways. My elbow outstretched above my neckline.

I see the pale blonde haired beauty that suddenly graces me with her presence. Her figure is shaped out perfectly that all I can do is stare at her in awe. I'm shocked in silence for some reason, but I grab ahold of myself quickly when she starts to talk. Her voice lingers but only a mere second before my mouth opens up and probably ruins it all for me.

"Hey sweetheart... what brings you down here?" I say so quickly. My mind doesn't cope well around beautiful women like some of my smoother companions do. My voice comes out somewhat cocky, yet smooth. I bring my hand down from my neck and instantly fold my arms in toward my chest.

Here to stay
Walk along
Eyes in front
Never look back

---

My words expell like a flowing creek full of rocks. Almost like a babbling idiot for just a split second, then I close my mouth and wait to hear her voice again. My arms tense in the way I've got them wrapped, like I'm waiting to hear some excuse I'll never believe, but as I look her up and down, I like what I see. Something about her sillouette is pleasing to my eyes cause I just can't seem to tear my eyes off her. Then I meet with her eyes for the briefest of moments, and with a gentle raised eyebrow, I get to hear her voice again.

"Never seen the ocean? Babe... I've never met anyone who has never seen the ocean before. You're kidding me right?" I say, without hesitation. "Where you come from?"

I wait to hear her speak again, but I keep feeling the ocean spray on the back of my legs. It sends chills up my back but it's nothing I've never experienced before. Cold water or not, I remember a few years back when me and my brother made a bet to swim out so far in the middle of december. That was cold. Right now, though, the water begins to warm up just with the company that I have suddenly incurred. It sets my mouth to start a grin. My eyes play over her body yet again. Something about her seems familiar. Something unique, but I can't put my finger on it, so for now, I watch as she gently places a hand to her blushing cheeks. I begin to wonder if she's cold, but not much that I can do, since I'm wearing swim trunks and an old wifebeater top. No amount of warmth there. I stay quiet though. She eyes me as well, I can tell which makes me think that she's probaby either lost, or probably thinking I was about to swim in that cold water. I shudder for no reason.

Her glorious voice graces my ears yet again, and I find that her next few words comes out in a question for me. My name. I look up to the sky for the quickest moment. My name?

Have we met before, because I swear...?

The last syllable lingers on my tongue for longer than I wanted. I guess I was trying to get her to answer the question my heart was trying to ask without assuming something and then thinking I have the wrong woman. There are so many women that I come into contact with daily that it just seems weird to have this kind of feeling about just one of them. Especially one that I've never, I don't think, met before. There is this aura about her though. The pale hair is what gets me. It's so uncommon here where I live in four. Most of the women have dark to blonde but pale? It's just something else about her that has me feeling somewhat turned on and curious about. I MUST have met her somewhere, but where? Maybe it was all just some kind of weird dream I had. Maybe I'm having a dejavu moment. Perhaps, in the recesses of my mind, I knew this day would happen, but just simply had forgotten until I saw her face.

The ocean water sprays my leg heavily with the salty freeze and I find myself shuddering in more ways then one. One from the cold, and two from the coincidence that I'm experiencing. I keep my stance though. My, I'm too cool to move, stance that has me with my arms wrapped up in front of me and my legs spread apart, completely submerged into the sand. I wait for an eternity for her to answer my question because it looks as though she's caught in a fantasy world for what seemed like she had gone into a trance. Her voice and step comes closer to me, and I'm momentarily stunned. To be advanced by the woman was unsual. Usually, I'm the one doing it which only confirms my 'must be a dejavu' theory.

"Babe, I don't think so, cause I'd never forget your lovely face or voice. I was thinking more along the lines of it must be fate or destiny or something like that." I say, my cocky tone still there. My voice seeming to be somewhat seductive as she gets closer to me by every step she takes. It's my turn now, if she'll allow it. There's this gravitational pull on me that I can't help but go with. I can't resist this unnatural feeling. I close the distance between us slowly and come to a rest within a few inches of her. My eyes stare in to hers. My gaze falling all over her as I try to figure out this weird connection I have with her. The next thing I know, I am doing something I know better than to do with someone I just met, but I let fate be my soul decider. I bring my hand up to touch the fair skin of her youth. My hand lingers on her cheek and I know for a fact, that it will either get slapped away, or allowed to stay.

"This is no dream...." I say to myself for some reason.

The moment my hand touches her face, I feel the cool, sensitive skin. The fair beauty that I touch only seems to send this weird sensation through my body. A twist in my stomach. How much I want to take this further. How I want to wrap my arms around her body and pull her close, but for now, just this mere skin to skin contact is enough to get me excited, especially when she doesn't immediately slap my hand away. I take that as a good sign, and still let my hand linger as long as she'll allow. I want to rub my thumb on her cheek or let my thumb rub against her sweet, suculent lips. They are inviting at best for me to fight the urge to test the waters, so-ta-speak.

She then brings her hand up to mine, and I feel this twinge someone deep within me. She's teasing me. Taunting me already, but I've already advanced to much on her as it was just by touching her cheek without permission. But, I had to see where my boundaries lie. She must allow this, which means that surely she'd allow more later on. Before I know it, she shys away from my touch, pulling away this connection. She pulls her body away from mine, making my hand now a sole companion to the moist ocean air. I let my hand drop almost in a slow motioned form, and then my hands back into my pockets of the swimtrunks. She turns away from me suddenly after moving away.

Shit... I've offended her. I've taken it too far. It must have been me. Asshole... you should have gotten to know her more before you did something stupid like that. Touching a woman's face... that's something either a jerk would do or her boyfriend. She must think you're a jerk... DAMNIT

I scream at myself while displaying a soft confused look on my face. I hate that she's turned away from me. Away from my view of her eyes. I want to see them again. I want to be able to read her like a book, but with this angle, I settle for looking her up and down again. Dreaming. Wondering. Then she looks back at me, and I feel this cold chill run down my back as though she just speared me through the heart like I would a fish. That look! It's paralyzing. What's worse, is that she brings her hand up and lays it on my chest. A double paralyzing chill runs through me. I grin a coy smile at her and take one hand from out of my pocket, and place it over her hand that is on my chest. I feel her skin. I feel her fingers sandwiched between my chest and hand and I want to take my other hand to pull her into an embrace, but don't. I let her hand linger there for as long as she wants to feel comfortable. I won't force anything on her. Even her words seem to dance within my head.

"Sweetheart, the tide has brought in more than it's fair share of jewels, but non that can compare to you." I tell her. Cheezy as it may have been, I have no clue where that came from. What is it about her sudden appearance has me spouting off these ridiculous lines, even if they are true? I can only hope that she don't laugh at me because of the phrase. Instead, I want to see her cheeks flush like they had been since we met. I want to see the color in her face as I talk. The longer we are connected just by the touch, I am really able control myself, almost. I take my hand off of her hand, and once again bring it back up to meet with her cheeks and the first thing I feel is the heat. Is she embarressed of something? Of me? Is my proximity to her that close that it is making her uncomfortable. Get control, Jax. Relax. Step away and let her have her space.

I follow my instincts and let my hand drop from her face and it goes back to the hand on my chest. "Sorry... I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..." I say, wondering if she'll allow more or less. If she wants me to back off or move forward. We only just met, and this is crazy. This little thing between us that I can't figure out. I stare at her. My eyes darting back and forth between her soft brown eyes. I feel lost.

Actions
Thoughts
Words

---

I apologize for reasons that I can't fathom. I can't help but feel as thought I've made her uncomfortable with my touch. With my hand on her face, but she deems it okay. How her words shock my ears, I know that whatever happens now, I don't need to worry. That as long as I follow a gentleman like code with this woman, then It will acceptable. I still can't help but keep peering deep within her eyes. It's amazing how they have captivated my soul. How she seems to have lured me in. A fisherman to a siren. She's slowly luring me to my death.

It doesn't seem to be much longer after her words of saying that she doesn't mind, for me to come up with my next move. My next motion to get more skin to skin contact with her. I bite my bottom lip just a little, then release it. I want to kiss her. I want for our lips to meet. I want to see if that kind of contact will blow me out of the water. If, by any chance, that will be more electrifying then just having her hand touching my chest. Feeling my heartbeat beneath my skin go crazy with the touch. Can she tell? Can she feel what she's doing to me just by the mere hand on my chest. It drives me crazy. My hand moves to touch her arm. I can feel the soaking wet jacket. It doesn't matter that I am just as drenched as her, but she doesn't seem to like it. She acts cold. Then her words confirm and I take a look back at the ocean, then to her again.

"Maybe I should take you to higher ground. I would rather not have my pearl lost at sea." I say, rather comically. A smile appearing on my lips. Within the blink of my eyes, she puts her arms around me, hugging me. This new feeling is so overwhelming that I feel like I lose control. Easy Jax... Easy. Don't take it too far. Control!

You're definitely warm though.

You bet I'm warm... how can I not be. You're so absolutely close to me. I mentally flush my thoughts down the drain. I know what I'm thinking, but not now. There's still so much to learn about her that I must force myself to keep a gentleman appearance.

"I am? Hmm... never would have guessed that. Let me see what services I can offer the lady." I say, liking how my words are coming out. With her arms around me, I move out of her grasp just enough that she only has one arm around me and instantly she's up in my arms. Her feet no longer being captured by the sand or the water. Her body, nestled up next to mine as I carry her away from the water. It's nothing like I ever expected. How easily she is carried. My arms take no slack for they are pure muscle. Strong. Away from the lapping waves, I sit her in the sand, and grab my towel and place it around her. I stand in front of her for only a moment, unsure of my next move. Only then, do I bend down and sit close to her.

Actions
Thoughts
Words
Other

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The moment I pull her into my arms, I feel her press herself against my body. As if my heart was about to explode, I suddenly feel as though my heart just stopped. With each step I get closer and closer to the spot near where I left my towel and sit her down, wrapping her in it's dry warmth. I stand there for a few seconds before sitting next to her. I had watched so intensely as she removed her jacket. The way the naked part of her flesh is exposed before she wraps the towel back around her body sends me over the edge. I sit next to her and wait.

Not for long. She moves closer to my body. The wind around her tickling my flesh and then her leg touches next to mine. Waves of something sending chills up my body then her head is the next to grace my body with her presence. She leans her head against my shoulder and without even thining, my arms reaches around her shoulders, pulling her closer to me. I can feel that she's freezing even underneath the towel. The naked part of her arm that the towel isn't covering I see the bumps.

"Do you come to the beach every day?"

I dont' know why that question has me grinning, but it does. I let out this little soft laugh that lasts but a second before I let my fingers run up and down her arm that's being protected by the dryness of the towel. The sand beneath my toes gets stuck to my wet skin. Everywhere that the ocean spray was on my legs is now coated in the stuff. I know better than to try to dust if off cause it'll do no good at all. Instead, I keep my hands free from the stuff. I don't want to get Ebony covered in the stuff if I am to touch her face again. I take another moment to take a deep breath, letting my lungs fill with the salty, moist air. I look at her and nod.

"Every single day. Night. Morning. The ocean is my life. My salvation. My sorrow. The beach has this way of connecting worlds... people..."I move my face closer to her, letting my nose barely graze the cheek that's closest to mine, but move back. Good boy, Jax. Leave her wanting more. You great fisherman. Keep reeling her in... hold her there just a little longer. Don't jump ahead. Make her laugh. Smile. Warm her cheeks a bit more again. I pause a minute to make the situation a bit more lighter. "even my job. Fishing. Though, I'm dam well sure that I didn't expect to get this kind of catch today. It's my best yet."

I let the cheezy line once again play with her. They all have worked so far with the phrases and I can't just allow her to hear me stop spouting them off to her. I want to see her blush again. The redness on her cheeks is wanting. I turn my body just a little bit, my chest so much closer to her now as I look to her. "What about you, my jewel? I know you can't be from around here. How did you end up here... where are you from?"

I ask her and in the position I'm in, I bring my other arm around in front of my and connect it to my other hands. Encircling her. Closing her between me and the outside world. This day has become weightless. Timeless. I don't even notice the lapping ocean waves or the seafoam that brushes up against the line of the shore where we just was standing. It seems to be only me and her.

Actions
Thoughts
Words
Other

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To feel her within my arms, I can't imagine a better way to spend my day free from my daily tasks. My arms pull her in tighter to me, enough that the space between us is no more. I love this feeling. Never before have I had this kind of contact with a woman that has made me feel this way. The way my heart seems to beat against my chest like a caged animal. How I take in her scent of the woods she just came from. It drives my senses wild. Her flawless looking skin is so pleasing to touch. I am in awe of what she's doing to me. The wind is doing things that bring her scent into my nose faster and I close my eyes to listen to her mesmorizing voice.

So, she's from district two... and how she ended up here, I'll never know. Good ripred, she's so hot! I swear Jax, if you let her out of your arms without putting any kind of moves on her... If you don't touch her the way you want...

I feel myself hold completely still for a moment when she quit talking and turned to me. Then fireworks.

Her lips brush up against mine. I'm not sure if it's on accident or not, but immediately, without hesitating, I push against her lips softly then she turned away. I see the redness in her cheeks. I feel the heat radiating off her skin and it warms me even more. Sends so many messages through my body that I simply cannot resist my next moves. She has teased me with the mere lip contact. She has teased me since she walked on the beach. No more.

Her face is turned away from me, but I raise a hand up gently to her face, letting my thumb rub her chin. I pull her face gently back to face me as massage the area below her lip before I touch the fullness of her lip with my thumb. I make an outline with my digit, following the curves of the bottom and then the top lip, and then circle back down to part her bottom lip just enough before I bring my awaiting lips to hers. I go hesitantly toward her, letting my breath linger on her skin before I let our lips touch.

It's soft. Sweet. Slow. How my lips touch hers. I gently nibble on the bottom part before releasing my grip and deepening the kiss just enough to show her my eagerness for more from her. I want her to fight for the dominence between the union of this kiss. My left hand goes behind her neck, my thumb rubbing tiny circles on her skin. I express a light moan into this new feeling, one that I hope she'll return.

Oh, dear heavens... what on earth is this woman doing to me? So much for learning more about her. I guess that will just have to come later.