Hunt Quest

Tracy poured herself a mug of coffee and strolled over to join them. The smell of the coffee did wonders for her stomach and she breathed in the scent, enjoying the reprieve. “Whatcha watching?” she asked idly, rolling her neck from one side to the other to work out the kinks left from her restless night. “Him,” Amber pointed with her mug, her voice unusually breathless. Tracy followed her finger and gaped. The houses in this area all had long docks that reached out towards the ocean. Most of them ended in a deck of sorts overlooking the beach area. Their neighbor’s dock was currently occupied, and Tracy could see immediately why Sarat and Amber were mesmerized. He was gorgeous. The kind of drop dead gorgeous that made women swoon and men jealous. And that was from the back. He was wearing a pair of baggy workout pants, riding low over lean hips. His skin was tan and stretched over muscles that were, to say the least, amazing; sweaty, but perfect, each line and striation delineated with masculine grace. He was wearing a loose white tank top that contrasted with the expanse of sun-kissed skin stretching across his upper back. Trailing out from beneath the edges of the tank was ink, so clearly he had some sort of tattoo, or possibly two. His tush looked as hard as granite, and Tracy’s palm actually itched in anticipation of testing that theory out. Defined and detailed arms were moving in intricate, deliberate motions, curving and scooping as he went through an obviously choreographed routine. A mop of unruly dark hair curled and swayed as he continued his morning program. The sunlight displayed burnished coppery highlights in the dark curling mass. Periodically, a hint of his profile would come into view as he moved through the different steps of his routine, his eyes wrapped in sunglasses that reflected the morning sun. “You gotta love T’ai Chi,” Amber murmured. “You betcha,” Sarat added fervently. “Who is he?” Tracy asked, feeling slightly breathless, absently wondering if it was her stomach or that man that caused her voice to sound so weak. Her left hand reached up to toy with the necklace she always wore, the cool metal of her Protector pendant brushing against her fingers. “Dunno, don’t care,” Amber declared emphatically. “He’s just…just…wow,” said Tracy. Amber and Sarat nodded, Sarat absently hanging her coffee cup in midair while she used both her hands to scoop back her long, fine hair. Tracy shook her head. Seeing Sarat using her mind-bending techniques was becoming commonplace, however, Sarat had to learn to be more discreet in flashing her unique powers. “What are you guys ogling?” Katie asked from behind them, having just sauntered into the room, Sasha stumbling behind her in search of a jolt of caffeine. “Neighbor,” Sarat said with awe. After filling their mugs, Katie and Sasha strolled over to take a gander, the latter bleary eyed. Sasha never did well before her first cup of coffee. “Oh, my,” Katie said as she took in the view, adding in a weak voice, “Hubba hubba.” “Huh? What? Holy shit, who the hell is that?” exclaimed Sasha, her mind finally catching up to what was before her eyes. “Neighbor,” Sarat, Tracy and Amber recited at the same time. “Can I be on the welcome wagon?” Katie asked in a low voice. “You’re a married woman,” Sasha reminded her, nudging her with an elbow. “Darlin’, I’m married, not blind,” Katie clarified. “I second that,” Tracy said, raising her arm. “Me too,” Sarat chimed in. “That, ladies, is prime, just prime.” “Prime what?” yawned Ben Harm from behind them, his deep male voice startling a jump out of the women. “What are you ladies doing this fine morning?” “Bird watching,” Tracy said, her eyebrows winging up as the muscles under the tank top moved in very interesting ways. “Bird?” Ben muttered, peering out the window as he pushed his black-framed glasses up onto his nose more firmly. “Where? What kind?” “Clueless,” Sasha mouthed to Katie, who nodded, rolling her eyes in agreement. “Oh, are you staring at the guy?” Ben said, finally comprehending. “Geesh, you guys are nuts, you know that?” He left the group by the back slider and went to grab a drink of water before heading out for his morning swim. The women pushed him out of the way, their eyes glued to the man on the neighboring deck. “Do you think he’ll do this every day?” Katie asked, her voice dreamy. “He better,” Amber replied, shaking her head as his muscles contorted in yet another intriguing and fascinating way. “I know I’ll be checking it out tomorrow,” Tracy commented. “Same bat time, same bat channel,” agreed Sasha.