“You're going to regret that,” he sighed as he reached down and pulled off his shoes.

“Probably, but it was so worth it,” she assured him.

“We'll see if you still feel that way in a couple minutes.”

When he began striding into the water, she realized he was serious. She shrieked again and waded deeper, reaching down to grab more ammo. Before she could turn to throw it at him, she got a handful of sand chucked at her ass.

Oh, it's on.

They flung sand and water back and forth, laughing and shouting as they circled each other. Tal kept warning her to stop, and she kept throwing more gunk at him. But when she finally chucked a huge pile of sand directly in his face, she pushed him too far.

“Okay, play time is over,” he said in a steely voice as he wiped sand out of his eyes.

Misch turned and ran. Well, ran as well as she could in hip deep water. He was deeper than her, and she figured that would slow him down. But she was wrong. She hadn't made it very far when he tackled her. Full on tackled her. Arms around her waist, throwing all of his weight on top of her. She screamed as they went down and he pulled her under the water.

“Oh my god,” she hacked and coughed when she broke the surface. Her hair was plastered across her face and she couldn't see anything. She went to move forward when her leg was yanked out from under her. She squawked and face planted in the ocean.

“I warned you,” Tal was laughing as he dragged her upright, helping her to stand on her feet.

“You have no mercy,” she coughed, trying to clear the salt water from her lungs while she pushed her hair out of her face.

“Never forget that, baby,” she heard him say, then he smacked her on the ass and brushed past her, heading back to the beach.

Misch chuckled and followed him, straightening out her dress as she went – the same black sun dress she'd been wearing when they'd met. She got right to the edge of the water and stopped to adjust her sandal, which was hanging halfway off her foot.

“You could've drowned me, you know. How do you know I can't -,”

“Babe, look, look, look,” he urged, and when she glanced at him, he was pointing to the sky over her shoulder.

Misch turned around just in time to see a huge firework explode. She gasped as a boom rattled across the beach, followed by a billion little red fires, flying through the air. Another light streaked across the sky, and then a green flower was blossoming within the explosion. She laughed and clapped her hands. She hadn't known there would be fireworks, what a treat. What a way to end the night.

As lights exploded all around them, she looked over her shoulder, smiling at Tal. He wasn't looking at her, he had his head tilted towards the sky, his arms folded across his chest. The different colors washed over his face. Red, green, blue, blue, red. He was in technicolor.

Misch stared at him, then turned to fully face him. Slowly walked towards him as she took in his height. His broad shoulders and black hair. His strong features and long legs. His kindness and caring. His thoughts and his words. So many words unsaid.

He didn't notice her till she was right in front of him, then he did a double take at her. He smiled and went to say something, then stopped. Just stared right back at her, with his heavy black eyes.

I want this night to last forever.

“Why did you come here, Tal?” she asked plainly. Such a simple question. Such a loaded question. He took a deep breath.

“I had to see you, Mischa.”

“What happened to your job?” she pressed.

“I decided you were more important.”

Warmth spread across her chest.

“What am I gonna do with you?” she chuckled.

“I can think of a few things.”

“How long do you have?” her voice was soft.

“Not long,” his voice was equally as soft.

“I only have two days,” she whispered.

“Any time. I want any time with you.”

The fireworks exploded, and her heart pounded, and she knew it was a bad idea. All the decisions she'd made in the last eight years had been bad ones, apparently.

So why not just roll with it?

She ran her fingers across his forehead as green light rained down on them. Down the side of his face while blue light washed over him. Pressed her hand flat against his chest as red light surrounded them.

“Okay.”

She all but leapt on him, pressing her mouth to his. His hands immediately went to her hips, his fingers squeezing. They were in fast forward, flying through time, trying to reach a speed where it wouldn't matter any more. He wrapped an arm around her waist and twisted her around, laid her on the sand. She yanked and pulled at his shirt, ripping it open, all while he pulled her panties over her hips and down her legs. She kicked them away while he undid his belt.

Words were still a danger zone, so they didn't speak. She just wrapped her legs around his waist and he put his hands under her ass, lifting her hips into the air, forcing her back to arch. She worked her hands between them, holding the base of his dick as he invaded her space. Conquered her body.

He kept one hand on her ass and moved the other to her breast. She put her hand over his and squeezed. Cried out as he thrust into her, over and over again. His hand slid out from underneath hers and worked its way over her throat, up her chin, two of his fingers sliding into her mouth. She moaned and wrapped her lips around them, ran her tongue over his skin.

He pulled his hand away abruptly, and before Misch could say anything, they were moving. She yelped as he swung her around, moving them so he was sitting flat, and she was sitting on his lap, her legs still around his waist. She was so impaled on him, she couldn't even think. Couldn't make a sound.