Back To You (Sweet, Safe, & Sexy AF Romances Book 2)

by Elena M. Reyes

  “Does he have a name?” I’m trying to distract myself, but he’s so close and his heat sears my skin.

  “Says it’s Evan.” Crissy’s dreamy sigh tells me all I need to know. This is bad. Neither of us is safe.

  “Mimi,” Nicholas drawls, testing the name. “I like it. Cute, just like the owner.” He takes a step toward me, then bends at the waist to pick up something near my feet. I watch him, watch as he picks up the lotion I dropped and then stands. He reaches out for my hand, brings it to his lips, and kisses my knuckles before turning me around.

  My back to his front, I stand in utter silence—eyes wide as I look at Crissy with shock. A shock that turns into utter bliss when his warm hand gathers my hair and sweeps it over my shoulder.

  There’s a moment where my best friend and I don’t blink, and it’s right before the top cap of the bottle is opened. A harsh shiver runs through me when I hear him squirt a bit onto his hand, I hear him spread it around his palm; lathering each before...

  “Oh God,” I gasp as he skims the pads of each fingertip across my collarbone, spreading his hand out before digging a bit into the flesh of my shoulders as he takes care of me. His touch is almost reverent, soft, yet underneath the caress lies a hunger that is palpable.

  “I’m going to enjoy getting to know you, Mila.” Slowly, those nimble fingers travel lower and down the center of my back. He explores every inch, massaging my muscles until I’m leaning back and almost completely on him. “Good girl,” he praises, and my body takes another step back without my permission.

  It’s instinctual.

  His words should piss me off, but they don’t. Any other man would have been given an earful or a slap across the face, but not him.

  From him, it’s a turn-on—makes me yearn for more contact. Skin on skin.

  To an outsider, we look like a regular couple on the beach enjoying a day out with friends. It’s hot, and he’s just being a good partner; he’s lathering my skin with sunscreen to protect me from what could be a nasty burn. To anyone sparing us a glance, we look like that couple you envy as they pay attention to only each other throughout the day.

  And all that would be fine, except I don’t know him.

  But I want to. Jesus, I do.

  How can someone that so easily consumes me be anything but important? It’s a feeling. An instinct in my gut, but it’s there and I plan to follow it.

  Closing my eyes, I savor the moment. Breathe him in and forget about everything else.

  That is, until a throat clears, and I snap back to the present. “Why don’t you two join us for lunch?” Evan suggests as I open my eyes. He’s smirking and standing very close to a blushing Crystal. Not touching, but I notice the way he extends his pinky out and wraps the finger around hers. “Crissy and Mila have to be hungry, bro.”

  When did they exchange pleasantries, much less have time for her to share her nickname?

  “Are you, Mimi?” His voice is gravelly in my ear. I can’t talk, just nod. I’m starving for him but need a bit of separation to calm me down. Help me think straight.

  None of this makes sense. Not one bit, but I like the way his eyes feel on me.

  Never, not once in my twenty-one years on this earth, have I reacted to a man so strongly. Yearned for the touch of a stranger—a man—like Nick.

  Did I fall asleep on the beach while reading—

  “Let’s pick up and get changed,” Crystal says, pulling me from my thoughts. She’s grabbing her bag and mine, trying to hide the blush on her face while avoiding Evan’s intense stare.

  It’s real. He’s real. This is happening and I…I like it. I’m attracted to him. “Sounds good.”

  “Bathrooms aren’t too far from here, chica.” There’s a hint of urgency in her tone; she wants to get me alone, and fast. Crissy looks up at me then, pleading with me to hurry.

  We need to talk. Find a logical explanation as to where these two walking gods came from?

  “Can we meet back at the pier in thirty?” I ask Nick while bending at the waist to pick up my towel and discarded items. His groan behind me is low, but I hear him and rush to stand. Arms full of my belongings, I turn to look at him while fighting a smile. “Does that work for you?”

  “No.” Even his grunt is sexy.

  “Come again?”

  Nicholas once again invades my space, close enough that his scent envelopes me. “No, that doesn’t work for me.” My lips part, a million and one questions sitting on my tongue, but they die when he cages my face in his hands. When he strokes my cheek with his thumb. “I’ll walk you over and hold whatever you need me to while you change. Then, whenever you are ready, we can walk together to grab a bite. Whatever you want. The where and what doesn’t matter to me.”

  three

  “Holy shit!” Crissy whisper yells the moment the bathroom door closes. She’s looking at me with wide, yet excited eyes, bouncing on the tip of her toes while fanning herself. “Did all that really just happen?”

  Walking over to the small bench inside, I plop down and close my eyes. My belongings fall to the floor near my feet, but I don’t reach to pick them up. Instead, I focus on calming my breathing.

  I’m very overwhelmed. Nick is overwhelming, but not in a bad way.

  In less than twenty minutes, that man has brought out a yearning in me that both confuses and thrills me.

  “It did.” Suddenly, I feel weak. My nerves have taken control once more, and I have no idea which way is up. “Where did he come from?” I ask her, my voice small. “He’s—”

  “Messing with your head?” she interjects, and I nod. For a few seconds we are both quiet, and then the faucet comes on. Crissy is saying something; it’s too low for me to make out, but it doesn’t matter as a minute later she is beside me and wiping my face with a moist towel.

  The cool water feels amazing, and I sigh. “Thank you.”

  “Feel better?”

  “Not really.” A giggle escapes, and I shake my head. I’m going insane. “This is all crazy.”

  “Word.” The wooden bench moves a tiny bit under her weight as she sits beside me, and then settles. Crystal takes my hand in hers and gives it a squeeze. “However, I—”

  “What?”

  “Look at me, dork.”

  Opening an eye, I raise a brow. “We don’t have long. I wouldn’t be surprised if they come in here looking for us.” And just as the last word leaves me, there is a hard knock on the door.

  “Are you okay, Mimi?” Nick yells out, and I bite down hard on my bottom lip to contain my amusement. “Need help?”

  Standing on shaky legs, I walk to the door and peer out. “Just a few more minutes.”

  “You have ten.” He’s standing across from the entrance, arms crossed over his chest while looking me up and down. And while he eats me with his eyes, Evan is trying hard to look over my head and catch a glimpse of my best friend. These two are going to kill us. “Nine and a quarter now.”

  I widen my eyes, pouting my bottom lip out just a smidge. “Going to need more than that, Nicholas. Twenty?”

  “Fourteen, and that’s my final offer. Take it or leave it.” Those hazel orbs are smoldering.

  “Fifteen starting once I close the door.”

  “Kiss on the cheek, and I’ll agree to your request.”

  “And if I do as I please anyways?”

  “Then I’ll come in and throw you over my shoulder and hide you away in my room.” He’s smiling, a dimple appearing on his right cheek that I failed to notice back on the sand. “And no makeup; I like you just like this. Fresh faced and sweet looking. Like innocent sin.”

  My cheeks heat up. “Thank you.”

  He nods and points to the bathroom behind me. “Hurry up and get ready for me. I’m starving, Mila.”

  Without another word or confirmation from me, I do as he says and close the door. Crystal is watching me, her smile as big as mine, and it takes exactly forty-three seconds for us to break and start giggling like a p
air of drunk hyenas.

  “He’s insane!” I laugh, wiping beneath my eyes as I tear up.

  “And gorgeous.”

  “And pushy.”

  “And have you seen those tattoos? Both are inked and delicious.”

  Nodding, I fan my face. “We’re in over our heads.”

  “Possibly and certifiably.”

  Sobering up, I take a deep breath and ask the question plaguing my mind. “Are we making the right decision by going with them, babe? Are we better off ignoring all this craziness—”

  “No.” Not a second of hesitation from her. “All great romances start off with a weird kismet encounter; this could be ours.” At my half smile, she winks and proceeds to throw her sundress on. “Besides, I’m starving, and free food sounds amazing right about now.”

  And just like that, the tension drops from my shoulders. She’s right. It’s just two cute guys offering to treat us to a meal while we get to know them. Moreover, we aren’t going alone.

  We have each other. My girl knows karate, and I can throw a decent right hook. Dad took his time teaching me well before moving to Spain early this year with Mom for work.

  “Shit! We have five minutes before they rush in to get us.” Frantic and almost falling over herself, Crissy slides into a pair of sandals and fluffs her hair while I roll my eyes.

  “Call down, chica.” A small snicker escapes me as I grab my frayed denim cutoffs and shimmy them up my hips. My bikini stays on as I’m not quite sure if we’re getting into the water later, and I grab the white, off-the-shoulder flowy crop top she bought me for this trip. It’s cute and leaves a strip of bare skin over my midsection that I hope Nick will enjoy.

  “Two minutes.” This time it’s Evan that gives the reminder.

  Rushing over to the sink, I take my hair and with a few flicks of my wrist place it into a messy bun at the top of my head. With no time for makeup, washing my face with a bit of water will have to do.

  Chapstick finishes my look, and with thirty seconds to spare, I open the door. “Ready?”

  Nicholas rushes forward and takes my face in his warm hands. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

  “Do you enjoy making me resemble a tomato?” Heat blooms, and he licks his lips. “Never mind, don’t answer that,” I grumble and walk past him with my bag thrown over my shoulder. Not that I get far; four steps and he’s on me, walking beside me with my bag in his possession and my hand safely encased in his.

  “What are you in the mood for?” he asks, pulling me just a bit closer. “There’s a few good places near the—”

  “The Pier House?”

  Tilting his head to the side, Nick stops to look at me. “Been there before?”

  “You can say that.” Looking back, I find Crystal and Evan not that far behind. They’re talking—well, more like she’s rambling, and he is smiling.

  Nick places a finger under my chin to turn me back around. “Your attention always stays on me, Mimi.” Between his honeyed voice and electric touch, my clit pulses with a foreign yearning. “Need those stunning greys on mine. Understood?” I nodded. “Good, now please answer my question. Been here before?”

  “I’m somewhat local-ish.”

  “You’re from Myrtle Beach? But I’ve never seen you before?”

  I mimic his pose, looking at him with wide innocent eyes. “Are you a local, Nick?”

  “You’re going to keep me on my toes, aren’t you?” A shrug is my response. He’s making comments that speak of a future we’ve yet to discuss. A future I find myself wanting. “I’m fucked,” he grumbles under his breath, and this time when he pulls me closer, I find my chest pressing against his. Nick’s soft lips skim my forehead before he takes in a deep inhale, filling his being with my scent. “Yup. I’m utterly fucked.”

  “Should I apologize?” I’m not one bit sorry. Having this effect on him is empowering. A turn-on.

  “Never.” Another inhale and kiss. “And I’m a transplant, babe. This is my home base between contracts with the organization I work for.”

  At once, I stiffen in his arms. “Like in the mafia?”

  “What the hell?” Nicholas releases his hold and gently pushes me back with his hands on my shoulders. His upper body is shaking, bottom lip caught between his teeth as he tries to hold in his laughter. “What gave you—why would you think that?”

  “You said organization, and I remembered a docu-series I watched on—”

  “Seriously, could you be any cuter?” His laughter is loud and boisterous. It comes from deep within his gut and shakes us both. “Woman, I am the furthest thing from someone in organized crime. I’m a doctor, sweetheart. I work with a charity that takes medical care to remote parts of the world—places where what we take for granted doesn’t exist.”

  “Really?” Jesus, that makes him sexier. A man that helps saves lives for a living is hot.

  “Yes.” His answering chuckle tells me that he sees what his confession does to me. My nipples stiffen under my top, and I not so subtly rub myself against his muscled form. Feels so good.

  “What area of expertise?” Again, I press closer, this time leaning on the tips of my toes to kiss his chin. “General, or do you specialize in something?”

  “General surgeon, Mimi.” His hands travel lower, fingers skimming the expanse of my back and then settling over the two dimples at the small of my back. They dig in a bit, flesh on flesh. Those hazel eyes are hungry, pupils dilated until the honey color almost disappears and what’s left causes my thighs to clench.

  “Tell me more,” I whimper, my response automatic and mirroring his own longing expression.

  “At this time, I’m working with a program that assists children...” His voice is gravelly, and he pauses to swallow. “Kids who need a cleft palate surgery to repair a birth defect. That, and emergency situations where a patient is in critical condition and far from a large city’s facility. We do what we can to stabilize, transport, and then preform once at the hospital.”

  “That doesn’t fully answer my question.”

  His lips curls at my sass. “I’m licensed to undertake any surgical need my patients have, Mila. Emergency or otherwise. That, and my bedside manner is impeccable, I’ve been told.”

  “You’re going to—”

  “Guys, can we go already?” Crissy says from somewhere behind me. There’s a hint of a giggle in her tone. “People are staring at the two of you while you’re oblivious and blocking part of the pier’s entrance.”

  “Tough shit. They can all walk around.” He chuckles, not giving a crap about the staring I can now feel.

  Me, on the other hand, I squeak and burrow further against his chest. “We should just keep walking.” How does he do this to me? Make me forget the world around us?

  I never thought I would be someone who enjoys PDA.

  “Quit moving like that, doll.” It’s a warning. “Not while we are in public at least.”

  I really want to ask or what? The question sits on my tongue a minute too long because on my next blink, I am out of his arms and being walked down the long wooden structure. Crystal is snickering beside me, her eyes flicking between my surprised ones and the now unhappy men.

  Nick is walking a few steps behind me and grumbling—an almost low growl that to me sounds adorkable. His displeasure is endearing.

  “Thank you,” I breathe out the closer to the restaurant we get. I’m taking in the fresh air, and the fog I’m under is starting to recede. Nick consumes me in a way that he is all I see. The world dissolves, and I forget my decorum the moment he gives me a smile.

  “We need to focus, Mimi.” Her fingers dig into my arm, and now that I take a better look at her, she is flustered, breathing a tiny bit hard while trying to regain her own composure. “Those men are dangerous, and I like it.”

  I nod, biting my lip. “Nick is an unstoppable force, and his sole attention is on me. It’s thrilling, to be honest…makes me feel sexy.”

  “Same as Evan. The mouth
on that man...” she trails off, shaking her head as if to rid herself of the thought.

  “Okay, so how do we get the upper hand here? Make them sweat a bit—discombobulate their swagger?”

  “Mimi…” she giggles low “…what is it with you and that word?”

  Shrugging, I cast another look back. Yup, his eyes are still on me. “I just like to say it.”

  “Dork.”

  “Bite me.” Flicking my eyes to the front, I look out toward the large structure overlooking the water, and an idea pops into my head. “What if we sit next to each other? They can take their place, across from us, while we play the role of interrogators. I’ve seen a few detective shows, and I’m confident we can make them crack.”

  “You think they’ll go for that?”

  Yeah, I’m incredulous myself. “Maybe. At the least we can try?”

  “Let’s make it our stipulation or we walk.” A snort behind us causes Crissy to squeak. “Quit eavesdropping!”

  “You’re adorable, babe,” Evan calls out as we march inside the building, ignoring them. For the next few minutes, we pretend to be alone as we make our way to the second story, and then as we are seated at a table for four outside.

  The view is spectacular.

  The breeze cools me as Nicholas takes his place to my right. Eyes on mine, he smiles and it’s devilishly sweet.

  If Nick touches me, I can’t think.

  If Nick continues to smirk at me, I will jump him in a crowded restaurant. He’s making me a hussy. His hussy.

  I’m screwed, and he knows this. He plans to make this lunch as painful as possible.

  four

  I find it adorable that she thinks putting space between us is an option. Cute little thing.

  Instead of telling her this, though, I just scoot my chair closer to hers and widen my legs so that my knee brushes hers underneath the table, something that brings that luscious pink to the apple of her cheeks.

  This slip of a girl has me in knots. She’s younger than me and inexperience shows, something that makes my cock swell and thrum with every smile she gifts me. My attention—focus—on her is something I can’t control. Much like a junkie feening for their next fix, I’m hopeless and need more.