When he'd touched me I could barely talk, and when he'd kissed me I went all weak in the knees. My heart had pounded and my palms had covered in sweat. I don't remember ever being this nervous... At least not as a grown ass adult. Wait. I'd been pretty beside myself the day I'd signed the mortgage papers to my townhouse but that had been a thirty-year commitment. A person should be nervous, I think, when signing their life away.
Hopefully, Shelby's book had some answers because I had more than a few questions. I skipped the finding a man part that I had been skimming and went straight to the dating section.
Chapter Six. Don't be too into him until he's into you.
Words to live by.
I settled back onto a stack of pillows, ready to plow through several chapters. I needed some wisdom and I needed it now.
Owen Campbell could be dangerous for my equilibrium.
Chapter 10
Emmy
I had a date with Owen this morning, and by the way I was acting, an innocent bystander might think it was my first date ever in my entire life. I was as giddy as a schoolgirl, changing my clothes several times and doing my hair in different styles until I finally settled on a simple ponytail.
The outfit, however, was still up in the air.
He'd mentioned spending time on the beach but he'd also said that we would have lunch, too. With that sketchy information I was currently wearing shorts and a tank top over my swimsuit but five minutes ago I'd been wearing a sundress and before that capris and a striped cotton shirt.
Damn. I stripped off the tank top, tossing it on the bed, and replaced it with the cotton shirt. Much better.
I'd been awake until after midnight reading Shelby's "trap a man" book. If this was how Shelby acted in her dating life before she was engaged, then I was officially impressed. She'd been a total bad ass. A take no prisoners, suffer no fools female that kicked ass and didn't bother to take any names later. She took chances in a bold and courageous way that I could only admire.
The advice that had stuck with me was that I needed to take my time when entering into any sort of relationship. Don't rush it. Savor the journey. Enjoy the romance. Revel in the act of getting to know a person.
That's what I was going to do. Savor. Enjoy. Too often when I'd dated in the past, I'd been sizing up a guy on the first date as to whether he was the kind of person I could have any sort of future with. Shelby said that was a common mistake and it created complications where there didn't need to be any, especially as women get to be thirty and over. We think that we should only be dating "appropriate" men.
Believe me, I never cared about that when I was younger. When had it all changed?
A knock on the door had me shoving my feet into a pair of flip flops and throwing my beach bag over my shoulder. One last look in the mirror told me that my lip balm was still shiny and pink right along with my cheeks.
I opened the door and was once again reminded just how good-looking Owen was. Today he was wearing a faded pair of cargo shorts and a forest green t-shirt that molded to his muscled chest and flat abs. Yummy.
"Hi."
That's right. I'm a grown woman, respected in my field, and when confronted with a sexy male I suddenly cannot form two-word sentences. Actually, it was only with this particular male animal. I usually had it pretty together with everyone else.
"Hi, you look lovely. Are you ready to go?"
"Thank you, and yes, I'm ready to go."
Although I didn't know exactly where we were heading.
He slipped his hand into mine, tangling our fingers together as he led me out of the hotel. The day was perfect for the beach, and I could feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and smell the salt in the air. What was the temperature back home?
Cold as hell.
"Where are we going?" I asked when we didn't take the path to the beach.
"I can tell you or you can be surprised," he replied with a grin. "I don't know you well enough to know if you even like surprises. Many people don't. It's up to you."
A surprise. Shelby hated them and Ashlyn wasn't too fond of them, either. Mia loved them. What about me? Hmmm...
I think that I liked them. For the most part. Of course, I'd had a few that really sucked but what were the chances today? Owen wasn't going to take me somewhere that he thought was unpleasant.
Relax. Savor. Enjoy. Don't have an agenda.
"Surprise me."
His expression lit up like a little kid. "That's great. Just follow me."
I did follow him all the way to a marina - about a ten-minute walk - that I didn't know existed on this island and I thought I'd known everything about this resort. Stopping beside a shiny boat with red stripes, Owen held out his hand to me.
"Are you ready to take a little ride?"
"I think I'd love that." I let him help me over the side of the small craft and into the bow section where there were seats. We weren't alone, however. There was a captain manning the wheel. "Thank you."
Owen settled into the seat next to me, his arm around my shoulders. "You are welcome. Now Hal here is going to drive and all we have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride."
The engine growled and then roared to life, vibrating under our seat. The boat might not be large but it was clearly powerful. A fact that became evident when we exited the no wake zone and were in open water. This would be no leisurely meandering to our destination. Hal was driving the hell out of this boat.
I loved it.
The rush of wind on my cheeks, lifting my ponytail straight up into the air. The intermittent spray of water that came over the side, landing cool droplets on my skin. My heart raced along with my adrenaline as the boat sliced cleanly through the waves. Where we were going didn't matter in the least. For the first time in a long time, I was simply loving the journey which was over far too soon.
Before I knew it, we were pulling up to a deserted strip of beach, the boat bobbing with the tide as Owen lifted me over the side. The captain handed him a large cooler with a blanket on the top and we walked through the surf to the dry sand.
Hal tapped his watch. "Two o'clock. I'll be back. Have fun."
With another growl of the engine he zipped away, leaving me and Owen. All alone. Despite the heat, a shiver ran up my spine.
"Where are we?"
A nice neutral question when what I really wanted to ask him was what he had in mind bringing me here.
"A tiny little island a few miles from the main. It's owned by the resort and they plan to develop it eventually with bungalows but right now it's deserted." Owen lifted up the blanket. "How about we spread this out?"
"How did you know about this? I didn't know."
"I only knew because I specifically asked the concierge last night about a quiet location to have a picnic. She suggested this place."
"No one said anything to me when I was discussing wedding and reception venues."
"Maybe I was more charming?"
Snorting, I reached for the blanket, spreading out my two corners while he did his side. We settled on top of it and I shrugged off my shirt and shorts, anxious to get into the water and cool off. I'd worn a sapphire blue two piece under my clothes that was actually rather modest but I suddenly felt way too naked. Owen, to his credit, wasn't staring at me or being creepy but I could feel his gaze like a physical caress as it swept me from head to toe.
I wanted him to like what he saw. Because I sure as hell was enjoying what I was looking at.
Owen had stood and slipped his cargo shorts down his legs before tugging his t-shirt over his head, revealing a deliciously muscular torso with ridged abs. I had a sudden urge to run my tongue over them one by one.
Hey, I was supposed to be savoring this, right? Was it wrong to admire the male form? Was I objectifying him? That would be wrong, but I couldn't seem to rip my gaze from his well-formed physique.
"Did you want to go for a swim?"
He'd asked me a question and now I had to make my mouth form words.
/>
"Yes." Okay, one word. I could do better, though. "I need to put on some sunscreen first."
I hadn't completely lost my common sense. I didn't want to turn into a sunburned mess. Digging into my bag, I pulled out a bottle of sunscreen, keeping my eyes trained on the blanket. Anywhere but on him. Giving myself a mental smack in the forehead, I smeared some of the white cream into my arms, legs, and chest. I was about to tuck the bottle away when I felt him sitting behind me, his hand held out. For what?
"We don't want you to burn. Why don't you let me put some of that on your back?"
Yes, please. I couldn't lie to myself. I'd kind of been hoping he would offer to do it.
"Thank you."
My voice sounded huskier than normal but not high or squeaky, which was an accomplishment considering how quivery I was on the inside. My stomach was tied and twisted into a series of intricate knots that would have earned a Boy Scout his badge. Holding my breath, I waited for the first touch of his fingers.
Heat. That was my first impression. His digits left a trail of warmth everywhere he touched. Long magical strokes, first on my shoulders and then slowly and deliberately down my spine until I was drifting on a cloud, ignoring the world and reality. So it was a sharp drop to earth when he pulled his hands away.
"That should keep you from burning."
The practical side of me should have been thrilled. No sunburns. At the moment, I didn't give a rat's ass about skin cancer or wrinkles. My brain was taken up with steamy images of Owen and I making out on the beach...
Like the couple in that old black and white movie From Here to Eternity. I'd watched it one night with Shelby, Ashlyn, and Mia while we ate pizza and drank too much wine. They'd all thought it was incredibly romantic but I, of course, had questioned whether their ass cracks would be full of sand the next day. I stand by that too, but this man might just be worth it.
"Thank you."
I accepted the bottle from him but didn't put it back into my bag, my mind already working on those images.
"What about you? Do you need some sunscreen?"
To my disappointment, he shook his head. "I guess I was just born lucky because I never burn. Ready to take a swim?"
As if I could even stand on my Jell-O knees. But I accepted his hand up and we walked to the edge, letting the waves lap at our feet. The water was cold in contrast to the hot sun and that gave me an idea. A really awful, terrible, but wonderful idea. Owen had been such a good sport up to now, and I desperately needed to break the tension that had built up at his first touch.
Without alerting him to my diabolic plan, I brought my foot back and kicked out hard, sending a spray of water in Owen's direction. Success.
It landed on his leg and he looked shocked for a moment but then he gave an evil laugh and waggled his brows. Shit, I was in trouble. Reaching down with those gigantic hands into the pool at our feet, he tossed that cold water back at me, hitting me square in the stomach. Squealing, I danced around in the surf indignantly but I'd taken the first shot in the battle and now it was war.
Game on.
We played for a little while, splashing and chasing each other in the surf, and acting like a couple of kids. By the time I gave up - that's right, I surrendered first - we were both soaked but laughing so hard our ribs hurt. At least mine did, and he was holding his side so I assumed he felt the same.
"Okay, you won," I said again, panting and giggling while trying to drag oxygen into my aching lungs. I'd fallen to my knees in pure exhaustion. "I give up."
"You started this," Owen replied, kneeling down next to me, his own chest rising and falling rapidly. At least I wasn't the only person sucking wind. "Did you actually think you'd win? I run five miles a day."
"I do yoga," I gasped, my hands braced on my thighs. "That's exercise."
"Yoga?" Owen didn't sound impressed. "Does that help your endurance?"
It probably would if I went to class with any regularity. Lifting my head to reply to his question, I was instead caught up in his heated gaze. Our eyes locked and suddenly I wasn't laughing anymore. That tension that I sought desperately to dispel was back but this time on steroids. I could feel the heat from Owen's body, far hotter than the sun overhead, and see the desire in his eyes that he didn't bother to hide. It ratcheted up my own arousal to be so blatantly wanted.
Passion zipped through my veins and the blood roared in my ears like a freight train. We were all alone and already half naked. It didn't take much for our imaginations to take it the rest of the way.
We fell into each other’s arms, our lips crashing together. I don't know which one of us moved first but it didn't really matter. We were both enthusiastic participants in the current activity.
Linking my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer, trailing my lips along his stubbly jaw before running my tongue right at the spot below his ear. His skin had the tang of salt and sweat.
Owen gave a purely masculine growl and the next thing I knew I was flat on my back in the sand, his large frame hovering above me. Bending his head, he dropped baby kisses all over my face, as soft as the fluttering of butterfly wings. It was such a dichotomy - this powerful man ever so tender and gentle.
My nails dug into the muscles of his shoulders as his lips traveled down my neck to the spot where my pulse beat madly. He nipped at the skin and then soothed it with his tongue, drawing lazy circles in a path down to the curve of my breast before creating a damp trail straight to my belly button. My torso arched up off of the sand and my eyes drifted closed as he pressed openmouthed kisses to my abdomen.
If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up.
Owen
We needed to slow the hell down before we did something that Emmy might regret afterward. I sure as hell wouldn't be sorry but I couldn't stand to see it in her eyes if we rushed into a physical relationship too quickly. On a sandy beach, no less.
It might look incredibly romantic like in a movie, but I'd been down this road before and was left with a butt crack full of sand. I wanted far more for my first time with Emmy. Some soft music, low lights, good food, and a damn comfortable mattress.
Easing away, I pressed one last kiss to her swollen lips before resting back on my heels. Stretched out beneath me she was gorgeous as hell and my cock was painfully protesting my chivalry. I was hard and ready but at my age I wasn't under the false delusion that I was going to perish from a case of blue balls. I was mighty uncomfortable and I had the sudden urge to dive straight into the cool water.
Later, Romeo.
"I think we should slow down, honey."
Her lips fluttered open at my words and at first she didn't say anything, but then she slowly nodded in agreement. She sat up and brushed the sand from her legs, a futile task. We were covered in it.
"I guess you're right."
I had assumed she'd sound relieved, but no. She actually sounded perturbed. Was she angry that I'd stopped? I was trying to be a fucking gentleman, dammit.
That's when I tried to explain.
"I didn't want you to regret anything later," I said, my words coming out in a rush. "I wanted us both to be sure."
"Yes, I agree."
That's what her words said, but her expression didn't match. She looked angry and I opened my mouth to confront her about it, but then it occurred to my addled brain what was going on. I snapped my mouth shut and jumped to my feet, holding out a hand to help her up.
Emmy wasn't angry. She was frustrated. In a sexual sense. We both were and it didn't do anything to enhance our moods. Her mind might agree that we needed to slow down but her body hadn't received the message yet.
One glance down told me that my body also hadn't gotten the memo. If she pushed me down into the sand and mounted me, I'd be as ready as I'd ever been in my life.
Cold water was the only answer.
"We should rinse off this sand," I suggested. "We don't want it to get on the blanket. Are you getting hungry? I had the resort pack us a lunch in t
he cooler."
Maybe if we concentrated on food, we'd forget about sex.
I know...not likely, but it was worth a shot.
"That sounds good," she replied. "Food, I mean."
It was going to be a long afternoon. Why did I stop again?
Chapter 11
Emmy
I'd made a fool of myself this afternoon and I was of two minds about spending the evening with Owen. I'd agreed to have a casual dinner with him in his suite and then watch a movie, but after my behavior on the beach earlier I wasn't sure that I could face him.
Mortified. That's what I was.
Because while Owen had been pretty calm, cool, and collected about stopping our tryst midway I'd been much less on board with it. In fact, I'd been rather miffed about the whole situation.
He certainly knew his way around a woman, and he'd known what to do to get my motor revving. I'd been primed and ready for more when he'd abruptly put the brakes on. Coitus interruptus makes me cranky.
There. I'd admitted it.
As we'd rinsed the sand off of our bodies, I could clearly see that Owen wasn't...disinterested. At least his cock wasn't. He'd been hard and long and it had taken some willpower not to reach across to stroke the outline through his bathing suit.
I'm not a horn dog. It's just that it had been a long time - too long, frankly - since I had been that aroused by a man. I'd been considering having sex on a beach, for heaven's sake. That's how turned on I was. Luckily for both of us, Owen had had the presence of mind to call a halt because if we'd gone through with it...
Complications and questions.
Had he been carrying condoms? I wasn't.
If we had sex, what did it mean? If anything.
I'd been okay so far with the whole idea of a casual relationship with Owen. A sort of vacation romance. Enjoy and savor it, and then when the time came, say goodbye with no regrets or sadness. What did Owen have in mind? I didn't have a clue.
Touch Him (ManTrap Book 3) Page 7
