One and Done

by Melynda Price

  Autumn left her clothes on the passenger seat and closed the door before coming around the back of the Jeep wearing those ridiculous gaudy sunglasses that, for some reason, totally worked on her. She gave him her back with the instructions, “Get me good. I might be a day-walker, but I’ll fry to a crisp out here all afternoon without my SPF one-million.”

  He chuckled as he globbed a bunch of the white lotion into his hand. After rubbing his palms together, he placed his them on Autumn’s shoulders and slowly ran them over her back. Damn, she was tiny. Past her slender shoulders, his fingers slipped beneath the tie of her string bikini, and the temptation to tug the end of that bow free was almost too much to resist, especially when she began to melt in his hands. The initial tension in her muscles slowly dissolved with his massaging touch. The cream didn’t rub in without repeated effort, and Balen was definitely a fan of her SPF. By the time he reached her lower back, he was so worked up it was all he could do not to grind his hard cock against her sweet little ass and release the pressure building inside him like a bomb ready to detonate.

  Maybe he wasn’t the only one, because Autumn’s hand shot out to the roof of the Jeep, bracing her weight, which angled her ass in perfect position for him to—

  “Balen?”

  His name never sounded so good on a woman’s lips. He could come just remembering the way she’d cried it out as her release took hold of her the other night. Balen pressed in behind her, his hand slipping to her side and gliding down her hip. He dipped his head, about to kiss the delicate curve where her neck met her shoulder when she said, “Are you almost done?”

  Oh, he was so far from being finished with her. She sounded short of air. Her little shoulders rose and fell with the effort of her breaths. Dropping his forehead to the place he’d nearly kissed, Balen closed his eyes and stood there a moment, wrangling with his desire. Autumn didn’t move, didn’t speak. She just stood there waiting, as if she knew he needed a moment to get himself back under control and was doing him the courtesy of not pressing the issue.

  Maybe she needed a minute as well.

  Autumn lay stretched out on the oversized surfboard with a sail. The waves gently lulled her as she watched Balen paddle. She wasn’t sure where they were going, but she was having a lot more fun getting there than she’d expected. Maybe it was the introduction he’d given her to the water earlier that helped calm her fears, or maybe it was just Balen, because she knew he would keep her safe.

  Either way, she was having a fabulous time relaxing on her end of the board and enjoying the incredible view in front of her. She was grateful for the dark tint of her sunglasses that hid the direction of her stare, allowing her to gawk at Balen’s finely muscled form without notice. Not that he would have noticed, anyway. He seemed lost in his own thoughts as he methodically dipped his paddle into the water and propelled them along. His muscles flexed and strained beneath his smooth, tanned flesh.

  “Where are we going?”

  “There’s a private beach up ahead I think you’ll enjoy. You should get off the board for a little while. I don’t want you getting motion sickness. You want to paddle a little bit? Get the full experience?”

  “Nah. I’m good here.” She tucked her hands behind her head, propping them on the life vest she was using as a pillow.

  He smiled, giving her a glimpse of those dimples she adored. “Enjoying the view?”

  “Absolutely. It’s a gorgeous day.”

  Balen dug his cell from his pocket and snapped a picture of her.

  “What are you doing? I can’t believe you have a cell phone out here on the water.”

  “It’s a life-proof case. And the picture is for your scrapbook. You’re supposed to put one on every page, remember?”

  “I don’t want a bunch of pictures of myself. How pathetic is that?”

  His brow arched. “Is this your way of asking me for a dick pic?”

  Autumn busted out laughing. “If you stuck a dick pic in my Best Friends Guide Book to Having Fun...”

  “What, you don’t want something to remember me by? Autumn, I’m crushed.” He dramatically placed his hand over his heart.

  “You’ll survive,” she teased, ignoring the unexpected pinch in her chest at the reminder of how fast this vacation was already flying by. In four short days, she’d be on a plane, drinking her way back to the States, and this week would be nothing but a memory.

  “All right.” The board wobbled as she got to her hands and knees and slowly made her way toward Balen, praying she wouldn’t dump them in the sea. If she didn’t know better, she’d have sworn his feet were glued to the board because he did not lose his balance even once. “Don’t let me fall.” Autumn used Balen to balance against as she slowly climbed to her feet. He steadied her with an arm around her waist, tucking her into his side.

  “Look at you, all adventurous and stuff.”

  “I know. I can’t believe I’m standing up on this thing.” Autumn took his phone, shook it to activate the camera, and took a selfie of her and Balen standing together on the paddleboard. “There, that’s better. At least now Summer will believe me when I tell her I went paddle boarding with a hot guy.”

  “Well, in that case…” Balen grabbed his phone and kissed her cheek as he took another picture of them. He pocketed his cell then positioned Autumn in front of him. “As long as you’re standing, you might as well paddle us to shore.”

  Autumn numbly took the paddle, a little caught off guard that Balen just selfie-kissed her. What was that?

  He gripped the paddle next to her hands, caging her in his arms. She didn’t think she would have been able to keep her balance any other way. As it was, Autumn swayed with the waves, bumping into Balen like a drunken sailor. She paddled with him as he led them to shore, trying to ignore the nearness of his body behind her and the deep throaty rumble of his voice in her ear as he explained the technique of proper paddle boarding. By the time they reached the beach, Autumn’s nerve-endings were on fire.

  At the first opportunity, she skittered off the board. Balen pulled the little raft onto the sand and unclipped the dry bag from the metal loop. He spread a large beach towel onto the sand then tossed her a water bottle. Autumn glanced at the beautiful house behind them. The whole front was made of glass. There was no way someone inside wouldn’t see them out here.

  “Umm…are you sure we should be here? You said the beach was private. It obviously belongs to the people who live in that house up there.”

  Balen slid his shades to the top of his head, using them to pull his dark, unruly hair out of his face, and sprawled out on the blanket. Tucking his arms beneath his head, he closed his eyes to the sun and said, “Don’t worry about it, Autumn. I know the owner. Come here and relax.” He patted the space beside him, not bothering to open his eyes. “You’re going to need your strength for the paddle back.”

  “What?” Surely he was joking. Just paddling the short distance to shore, she’d broken a sweat, though that might have had more to do with Balen’s proximity than actual exertion.

  He chuckled at his joke. She loved the sound of that deep, throaty rumble. It rolled right over her like warm honey.

  “So, why Cyprus?” she asked, settling in beside him.

  He shrugged. “Why not? Who doesn’t want to live on the Island of Love?”

  Autumn rolled to the side and propped her hand beneath her chin, admiring the view and watching the sun evaporate the droplets of water clinging to his bronze skin. “Is that why you moved here? To find love?”

  He grunted a sarcastic chuff. “If it was, then I got screwed.” He looked like a Greek god lying there, basking in all his glory. Lifting his head, Balen opened his eyes and pinned Autumn with his golden-flecked stare. “You can’t find something that doesn’t exist. You’d have better luck finding the Fountain of Youth.”

  Wow, and she thought she was cynical. “If not love, then what do you believe in?”

  Balen rolled to his side to face her, mirror
ing her pose. “What do I believe in?” he repeated her question contemplatively as he studied her, reaching over and tucking a chunk of dark red hair behind her ear. “I believe in living for the moment, and in treating each day like it’s your last. That way you’ll be less likely to come to the end of your life with regrets.”

  “So, that’s your goal? No regrets?” she asked the man who obviously had more depth than she’d given him credit for. A philosophizing beach-bum…who would have thought?

  He shrugged. “Among others. Regret is as wasted an emotion as love. Giving someone your heart is giving them the ability to break you. It’s not only negligent, it’s foolish.”

  Autumn couldn’t help herself. Reaching over, she cupped his jaw, her thumb gently brushing over the sharp angle of his cheek. “Who broke you, Balen?”

  He studied her, and for a moment, she actually thought he might answer. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers.

  Guess that subject was closed. His kiss was different from the one he’d given her in the kitchen. This was soft and exploring, as opposed to the plundering, demanding invasion of her mouth earlier. Both were intoxicating and utterly irresistible. His tongue danced over her bottom lip—teasing, tasting. Heat swept through her in a rush that woke her nerve endings and reignited that ache deep inside her. A little moan escaped her throat, a soft helpless sound. And she was helpless—helpless to the desire this man stirred in her at the simplest touch.

  He answered her with a low growl and shifted his weight, pulling her beneath him as he rolled on top of her, deepening the kiss. The skin-on-skin contact of his bare chest rubbing against her bikini-clad body was like striking flint to stone. Sparks ignited, and it wasn’t long before Balen’s easy kisses grew reckless and frenzied. His hips rocked against her and she could feel his hard length pressing against her sensitive folds. The only barrier between them was his thin pair of board shorts and her string-bikini bottoms. One strategic tug of the bow at her hip, and she’d be bare. His hand slid up her side and covered her breast, his thumb teasing over her pebbled nipple, trapping it between his thumb and index finger. White-hot need raced through her like an electrical current shooting directly into her core.

  The jolt startled her and she flinched. Balen froze, seeming surprised himself by what they were doing and how quickly it had escalated. He stopped kissing her—his body growing stone still. A few heartbeats passed and then he slowly lifted his head and studied her with an intensity she could feel in every fiber of her being.

  “Balen, I—” She was about to apologize for being so skittish when someone interrupted her.

  “That is you out here. Holy shit, Bay! I saw the red hair and I thought—”

  Balen cursed, cutting off whatever the guy was about to say, and shot to his feet. He pulled Autumn up to stand beside him. When the man’s gaze made an unapologetic sweep over her and his brow arched appreciatively, she became acutely aware of how little she was wearing.

  “What are you doing here?” Balen must have noticed the guy’s slow perusal, because he grabbed the dry bag, pulled out his t-shirt, and handed it to her.

  She shot Balen a grateful smile and slipped it on. His shirt hung on her like a sack, the v of the neck doing little to cover her cleavage, but at least the hem covered most of her thighs.

  “What do you mean ‘what am I doing here?’” the man shot back. “I live here. What are you doing here?”

  This was so embarrassing. She couldn’t believe they were getting busted for trespassing on this guy’s beach. And that wouldn’t have even been half as bad if they hadn’t been making out when it happened. She shot Balen an accusatory glare. He’d told her it was all right for them to be here when clearly, it wasn’t. What if this guy called the police? Did they have the same trespassing laws in Cyprus as they did in the States? Getting arrested was not on her list of things to do while on the Island of Love.

  “I’m sorry we’ve trespassed onto your property.” Autumn told the man, taking matters into her own hands. “We were paddle boarding and the waves were starting to rock my stomach. We stopped for a few minutes so I could get my bearings before heading back.”

  The shit-eating grin he gave Autumn told her he knew that wasn’t all they’d been doing.

  “Autumn, it’s fine,” Balen told her. “You don’t need to apologize. Connor, this is Autumn. Autumn, this is my brother, Connor.”

  His brother? They were at his brother’s house? Autumn wasn’t sure if this was better or worse. Though they were unlikely to be arrested for trespassing, this was not the first impression she would have chosen to make on a member of Balen’s family. Not that it should matter. It wasn’t like she’d ever see the guy again. She and Balen were just friends, and this…whatever they were doing, didn’t mean a thing.

  As Balen made introductions, his brother held out his hand and took hers in a firm grip. “Damn, dude. You’re forgiven for bailing on me the other night. I’d throw me over for a date with her too.”

  “All right, time for you to go,” Balen interceded, slinging his arm around his brother’s neck and turning to march him back toward the house. “I’ll be right back.”

  Autumn stifled a grin, watching him muscle his brother away from her. While they walked up the beach, bits and pieces of their conversation carried over to her, floating on the wings of the sea breeze.

  “—gonna get you a shock collar, you know that?”

  Laughter followed. “Dude, she’s hotter than hell, man. When I saw that red hair, I thought—”

  “Yeah, I know what you thought. You don’t have to fucking say it.”

  “Better hope Monica doesn’t find out about her. Does Autumn think— Why wouldn’t you tell her you—?”

  It was like listening to a radio frequency on a static channel. The rest of it was lost as they walked out of range. But she’d heard more than enough. Her gut soured as her mind filled in the blanks of their conversation and it had nothing to do with motion sickness. Who was Monica? Did Balen have a girlfriend? The idea that he could be using Autumn for some side action made her nauseous. She knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of someone’s infidelity and she would not be the other woman. Nor would she spend time with someone who was so loose-moraled they would cheat on their girlfriend. Just because they hadn’t had sex, it didn’t make any of this all right. Cheating was still cheating and this was a mistake.

  While Balen and his brother entered the house, Autumn quickly packed up their things and stuffed them into the dry bag. She would have taken off his shirt, but she no longer felt comfortable being around him in her bikini. She cursed herself a fool for assuming he was single. Perhaps she should have point blank asked him if he was seeing anyone, but then what would’ve kept him from lying? Apparently, love wasn’t the only thing he didn’t believe in. The asshole should have added monogamy to that list.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Something was bothering Autumn, and Balen feared he knew what it was. She hadn’t been herself since he’d kissed her on the beach. The whole trip back she’d been quiet and reserved. At first he thought it might have been motion sickness getting to her after all. The wind had picked up, making the paddle back a bit rough, but she’d refused the ginger drops he’d offered her, insisting she was fine when he knew she wasn’t.

  He knew without a doubt that something was wrong when she ignored his hand to help her off the board. She hadn’t hesitated to take it earlier. Instead, she’d jumped into the knee-deep water and trudged up the beach like she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. She didn’t stop until she’d reached the Jeep, where she stood waiting for him while he returned the rental.

  As they headed back to the villa, his efforts at conversation were mostly met with silence. And by the time they arrived, her walls were up in full force. Shit, he shouldn’t have kissed her back on the beach. This was his fault. He shouldn’t have let things get out of hand. It was the only explanation
he could think of that would cause her to pull this one-eighty on him. God as his witness, he hadn’t meant to touch her like that, but she just felt so damn good beneath him, tasted so delicious he’d lost control of himself.

  He hadn’t meant to scare her, but obviously he had. Autumn was pretty easy to read, it was one of the many things he liked about her. What you saw was what you got, and after dealing with opportunistic wave runners and his manipulative shrew of an ex, Autumn Harris was a breath of fresh air—and he’d possibly just fucked it all up.

  But damn it, something about this woman severed his control. Every. Goddamn. Time. Whenever he touched her, it was like getting caught in an undertow. He lost all sense of direction.

  He would have apologized for touching her right then and there, but his brother had shown up, ending the opportunity. He should probably apologize and reassure her it wouldn’t happen again. And it couldn’t, because he didn’t trust himself to stop. He’d made her a promise and, come hell or high water, he intended to keep it.

  No sex...

  What the hell had he been thinking?

  Balen pulled into the parking lot and before he got the brake engaged, Autumn was out the door and heading toward the villa. “Shit.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat there a moment, collecting his thoughts. He was going to have to do some serious damage control.

  Getting out of the SUV, Balen followed her up the stone path. As he stepped inside the villa, her bedroom door was just closing. She came out a few minutes later, fully dressed with his t-shirt in hand. “Thanks,” he told her, taking it and stuffing it into the dry bag. She turned, presumably to head back to her room, but he caught her wrist before she could leave. “Autumn, are you all right?”

  She exhaled a sigh and pulled a binder off her wrist. Gathering her hair up, she fastened it in one of those a messy buns that totally worked on her. Most of the women he hung around would never dare let him see them with a strand out of place. They were too busy trying to impress him. And maybe that was what impressed him the most about her. She didn’t care. She wasn’t trying to get his attention by pretending to be something she wasn’t.