“Sorry, Luke, not tonight.” I drink down the last of my beverage and stand up shaking my empty cup. My body cools with the loss of his touch. “I’m going to go get a refill. With our luck, I’ll see you around though.”
I smile and force myself to walk away. I pause when he says, “See you around.” But I don’t let myself turn around. I don’t think that I could say no to that face twice.
Chapter 4
The next morning, the sun is hot. Beating down, scorching-my-skin kind of hot. I’m laying on a reclining beach chair trying to read the novel I brought along but I can’t stop thinking about how good it would feel to dunk myself in the cool ocean water.
The girls are still passed out back in our room but here I sit. A little groggy from being out so late, but otherwise feeling relaxed and ready for the day. I stopped after two drinks. I have no idea how many drinks they had but I got them all back to the room safe and sound. The promise that I made to Jason is still fresh in my mind and after he was so cool about finding me here, I plan to keep my promise.
I set my book down on my chest and look around me. There aren’t a lot of people here, though it is only ten o’clock in the morning. I’m sure things pick up as the day goes on. From the research I did before we came here for vacation, this beach is one of the best snorkeling spots in our area. The small building where guests can rent snorkeling equipment is behind me but I don’t know if I have the courage to tackle that adventure on my own. I’m dying to see some of the ocean creatures but I’m squeamish about anything touching my legs in the water. If I’m going to freak out, I think it’s best to have a swimming buddy with me.
Already worried that my fair skin is taking a beating from the sun, I sit up and dig around in my bag for my sunscreen. While I spread the lotion into my skin, I look around at the other people enjoying the beach. There’s a woman not far from me who’s laying on her stomach, reading a book. I can tell she’s not wearing anything on top.
A thrill of excitement courses through me as I get the very rebellious idea to try topless sunbathing myself. It’s just little old me and I don’t know anyone else on this beach. I’ll never see anyone again and it’s something that I know I’ll find exhilarating. It’s out of my comfort zone but one of my goals in coming here is to be more free and open-minded.
Besides, I’m pretty proud of my girls. They’re nicely proportioned to the rest of my body. I’ve always had generous curves. I resigned myself years ago that I would never be a size six, but I’m okay with it. Even if the size of my thighs is something that makes me feel self-conscious, at least I have voluptuous breasts to distract from them.
Peeking around the beach to make sure no one is watching me, I take a deep breath and reach up and slip the straps of my bikini top off my shoulders. My heart rate picks up and I almost smile to myself. Instead I take some more sunscreen and rub it into my shoulders where the straps used to be.
Before I lose my nerve, I count to three in my head and reach around to unclasp my top. It falls into my lap where I force myself to leave it and lie back in my chair. This is incredibly bold for me, lying here with my twins out for everyone to see. I’m uncomfortable but I make myself try it out for just a few minutes. Then if I need to flip over onto my stomach, I will.
Closing my eyes, listening to the waves of the water and the sound of seagulls in the air, I almost forget my discomfort. The calming effects of the ocean have taken over which is why I jump a foot when a playful, masculine voice says, “You missed a spot with that sunscreen, I’d be happy to help you out if you’d like.”
I grab my towel from next to my chair and cover myself quickly, instantly recognizing that voice. “Oh my God, Luke…what are you doing here?” I look around him frantically, “And please tell me my brother isn’t with you.”
“Nope, just me. And I sure am glad I came.” He’s standing above me in board shorts and a white T-shirt, not nearly as naked as I am, but it’s his smile that tells me he saw everything.
“Are you a fucking ninja or what? Sneaking up on me?”
“No. I came from up there,” he says, pointing behind me to the building with all of the snorkeling gear. I look closer and, sure enough, he’s holding flippers and a snorkeling mask in one hand. “Looks like we both had the same idea.”
“I guess so.” He starts looking around. A second later he drops his snorkeling gear next to my chair and jogs over to another beach chair. He picks it up and carries it back to where I’m sitting, setting it right next to me. “Well if you’re staying,” I say, “Could you please turn around for a minute so I can get my top back on?”
“I will because I’m a gentleman,” he says. “But I saw everything and it’ll be burned into my mind for the rest of eternity.” He gives me a shitty grin and turns so his back is to me. I quickly grab my top and work myself back into it. He dives right back into the conversation. “Are you going to try snorkeling today?”
“I definitely want to, but not by myself. The girls are all back at the room, still passed out from last night so I figured for today I’d just enjoy the beach and sunshine. I didn’t want to waste a perfectly beautiful day, ya know?”
I run my fingers under my straps, straightening them out. Satisfied that I’m sufficiently covered I say, “Okay, you can turn around again.”
He flips his legs up on his chair and lies back, putting his hands behind his head. His eyes are closed so I let myself enjoy the sight of his huge biceps bulging out of the sleeves of his shirt. Before I can stop myself, I sigh. I’m very aware of our proximity and how scantily clad I am. Not to mention I feel like I just did something really naughty.
“We can go out together if you want.” I have to think for a second before I realize he’s talking about snorkeling. “I know you didn’t like the water when you were younger. You don’t mind it now?”
I’m flattered that he would remember something so trivial about me. “I’m not a good swimmer by any means, but I can swim now…so that’s a huge improvement. I don’t want to go out too deep though.”
“Is that a yes?”
Before I can chicken out, I answer. “Yes.”
“Okay! I’ll run back and get snorkeling gear for you. Be back in a few.” He looks genuinely excited and I smile while watching him jog back to the building. He has a body that was made for walking on a beach, getting wet in the ocean, or soaking up the sun. I, for one, would enjoy watching him do any of those things as would any other woman on the beach.
He’s back a few minutes later with another set of flippers and mask in hand. I know I agreed to go snorkeling but this takes me out of my comfort zone. I’d feel much better being able to stand in the shallow end and just stick my face in the water for a while. Now that Luke is here, though, I want to impress him and for me that means taking a chance and throwing myself into this experience.
He sets the extra set by his and pulls his shirt over his head. My fingers tingle with the desire to trace his skin, following the bulges and ridges of his impressive muscles. For a moment I’m lost in imagining what it would feel like to have his body on mine, holding me intimately. I feel my nipples start to pebble under the thin fabric of my swimming suit.
“Ready?” He asks, snapping me back to reality. He’s standing in front of me, holding out his hand waiting for me to take it. I think he’s mistaken my hesitation with my past fear of the water. He doesn’t realize that touching him right now might make me spontaneously combust.
“I’ll hold your hand the whole time if you want me to,” he says to coax me forward. He’s smiling and it’s his way of making it seem like he’s teasing me even when I know he’s being sincere. He doesn’t like to come off as being too sweet, though.
“Okay, let’s go.” I take his hand and he links his fingers through mine as we walk side by side to the edge of the water. If someone were watching us I’m sure they would assume we are a couple with the way we’re walking together. I like that feeling. It’s just holding hands and yet it
still feels so intimate.
Once we’re standing with our toes in the water, he helps me put on my gear. The flippers are awkward and make it hard to walk with any sense of grace while the mask seems too small. Hopefully I’ll figure out how to keep the water from going in my nose or my mouth.
He takes my hand again when we have everything on and starts walking into deeper water. The water is at my chest when he stops.
“Try putting your face in the water to get used to the feeling before we go any deeper.”
I take the mouthpiece and adjust it so it’s comfortable in my mouth and then I tentatively lean forward and put my face in the water. I’m amazed at the sight below the surface. There are some decent-sized fish swimming right around us, thankfully avoiding touching our legs. I look around for a minute and get used to breathing with the tube while I’m underwater.
“That’s amazing!” I say as soon as I stand up again.
“I bet we’ll see even more if we go deeper. You up for it?”
“Yes, for sure. Just not too far out.”
“Okay, just let me know when you want to turn around and we’ll head back in.”
I’m already adjusting my mask again and putting the mouth piece back in so I give him a thumbs up to show my agreement. He gives me a huge smile that transforms his face and makes his eyes sparkle. It’s that smile of his that makes my stomach do flips while I go weak in the knees.
Then it’s gone. His mask is in place and he’s turning to do a forward dive into the water. Not wanting to be left behind, I quickly swim after him. As we go deeper, the ocean life becomes more impressive. The fish get bigger and bigger the further out we go. We’ve about reached my limit when a huge sea turtle swims by, just underneath us. I use my hand to get Luke’s attention but he spotted it already, too.
I watch the sea turtle swim by, almost in a trance. There’s something so peaceful and serene about this experience. It’s so quiet, like we’ve entered another world. And I guess in most ways, we have. I’m floating in place while the waves rock me when I feel Luke’s hand take mine. I pull my head up and he says, “Go back or keep going?”
The rocking is starting to make my stomach feel queasy so I say, “Let's head back. The waves are getting stronger out here.”
He nods and starts swimming toward the shore while I follow closely behind. When I’m able to touch the bottom again, I set down my feet and stand in the water, pulling the mask off of my face. True to his word, Luke is standing right next to me, making sure I have my footing.
“That was fun!” I say, smiling but embarrassingly out of breath. I look up at Luke and he’s staring down at me. There’s a trace of a smile on his lips and I’m about to ask him if everything’s okay when he takes my hands in his and pulls me into his chest. I’m startled but before I can think, his lips are on mine.
Our mouths are soft and moist from the water and I can taste the saltiness of the ocean on his lips. Somewhere in the back of my head the responsible part of me knows I should pull away and end this, but everything that makes me a passionate woman won’t allow it. I’m ready to lose myself in his kiss when he pulls away.
“Shit,” he says under his breath. “I shouldn’t have done that. Sorry, Mel, I don’t know what came over me.”
Somehow I feel like I’m to blame, that I made the first move, not him. When he turns to walk back to the beach, I follow. The fun, carefree feeling I’ve had all morning has quickly dissipated and I’m left feeling confused and even more queasy in my stomach.
When we get back to our chairs, he starts gathering his things. “I’m supposed to meet the guys in a little while for an excursion so I better head back. I’m sure I’ll see you around, yeah?” He’s already slowly moving backward away from me.
“I’ll be around,” I say, wondering where the fire is. I can’t help being angry as he takes off, leaving me alone on the beach feeling like I just experienced a bad case of whiplash. I guess I was right to want to stay away from him and now I have more than one reason why I should.
Determined not to let him ruin my day, I settle back on the beach chair and let the sun melt all of the hurt away. I came on this trip to have a good time and I’m not going to let Luke Frazier ruin that for me.
Chapter 5
“I’m going to go grab some ice,” I say to the girls, one foot already out the door. I hear their mumbled responses from the hallway as it closes behind me. I’m instantly regretting my choice. As soon as I leave the air-conditioned room, the humidity surrounds me and chases away the clean, fresh feeling I had from my shower.
I opted to bring sundresses instead of shorts, I find them to be more flattering for my body type. I have a small waist but curvy hips so shorts just make me feel self-conscious. I like the airiness I get from wearing flowy dresses in this type of climate.
This resort is huge so I always have to check to make sure I’m going in the correct direction when I leave the room. Walking down the stairs in front of me, I round the corner and find the small room off the hallway where the ice machines are located. I’ve filled the bucket and have just turned around to head back upstairs when I run into someone standing right behind me.
“Sorry,” I say. Whatever other words I was going to say die at my tongue when I look up into Luke’s chiseled, handsome face. We’re way too close, I’m actually in his arms from colliding with him the way I did. He smells fresh like he just took a shower as well and my body instantly responds to him. It makes me angry because of how he acted on the beach so I give him my best glare and say, “Excuse me.”
I’ve just stepped around him to walk out of the room when his hand grasps my arm to keep me from leaving.
“Give me one minute to explain myself,” he says. I want to walk away, make him feel how I felt on the beach this morning. Abandon him and leave him to wonder what the hell is going on in my head. Instead, I hear the regret in his voice and, though I’m ashamed, I become putty in his hands. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself as much as I did at the beach this morning. And I know there hasn’t been a kiss in the history of my sad, short list that compares to that kiss this morning.
“You don’t have to explain, I get it,” I say without bothering to look at him. If I look at him I’ll lose my strong resolve and he has already made me feel like a silly little girl.
“You don’t get it, that’s the thing,” he says, turning me and putting both of his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. He takes a deep breath while looking into my eyes and it touches my heart knowing that I mean enough to him that he wants to fix what happened between us. “I acted impulsively this morning but it doesn’t mean I regret doing it or that I didn’t want to do it.”
“You sure acted like you regretted it.” As soon as it’s out of my mouth I realize how much I sound like a pouty child. I hate coming across as young and immature when I’m around Luke. Trying to smooth things over I say, “It’s a complicated situation, I know. My brother complicates things.”
“Exactly. I honestly think your brother would kill me if he found out I made a move on you today.”
“He wouldn’t kill you, but I understand what you mean. He’s been really protective of me when he fell into more of a parent role instead of a brother role with me. So it’s okay, we’re good.”
He takes his hands off of my shoulders and stands up to his full six-foot-two-inch height, dwarfing me in the process. He runs his hands through his hair and over his face.
“That’s just the thing, though…” He hesitates and it makes me really damn curious what he’s trying to confess right now. The normal fluttering of butterflies that I feel when he’s around me is back with a vengeance. “I can’t stop thinking about that kiss.” He crosses his arms in front of his chest and looks down at me with a hint of a smile touching his lips.
He has taken my breath away. If not from his confession, from his sexy smile. The way it curves his lips shyly but exposes his dimples sends shivers through my body.
“I can’t help thinking about how I want to kiss you again. And how I’d like to kiss every inch of your body.” He reaches his finger out and brushes the tip across my lower lip, making me tremble.
“Do you want that too?” he asks.
My eyes are closed while I enjoy every sensation that his finger on my mouth brings to my body. He slips the tip inside my mouth and I let my tongue circle it while my lips gently suck.
He breathes out with a ragged gasp, making my eyes snap open and find his. His eyes are a caramel brown but as the color moves to the outside of his iris it becomes much darker. He pulls his finger out of my mouth but we’re both already panting from arousal.
“Yes, I want that too,” I finally answer. I know Luke is off-limits because of his relationship with my brother, but that makes him even more appealing. Besides, I don’t want to keep denying myself all of the fun things in life.
He smiles at me again and I return it this time with a shy smile of my own. “So just for vacation, we’ll do what we want together. Jason never needs to know. Life can go back to how it was when we leave.”
“Okay. Whatever we want, just between us. No one else needs to know.” It can’t hurt messing around with each other if Jason will never find out.
He laughs and when I look at his curiously he says, “I almost went for the handshake. It doesn’t seem appropriate in this situation.”
I laugh too, feeling free and full of excitement. It’s a naughty excitement, knowing I can have the opportunity to explore things I’ve never had the chance to before. I was excited to come on a vacation before, but now I can’t wait for our next encounter.
Sun's Out Guns Out: A Spring Break Novella Page 3
