by P. J. Mellor
Hands on hips, she stared for a minute. “You’re kidding, right?” She pointed. “The Gulf is right there. I could probably find it by myself.”
In reply, he turned over, flashing a breathtaking set of buns. “If that’s what you want. Before you go, though, would you rub some sunscreen on me? Wouldn’t want to burn anything…important.”
The sight of his firm buttocks and the opportunity to touch them again, up close and personal, pushed imminent thoughts of snorkeling from her mind.
“Okay,” she said in a resigned tone, “where’s the sunscreen?”
His hand stopped her from dropping to her knees on the blanket beside him. “This is a no-sand zone.”
“Excuse me?”
“No-sand zone,” he repeated. “You just schlepped through the sand. You’ll contaminate the tanning area.”
“Oh, for pity’s sake. How do you expect me to rub sunscreen on you if I’m not allowed on the blanket?”
“Only one way. Naked.” He raised his sunglasses and looked up at her. “Strip off the contamination—in this case, your bikini—before you step onto the blanket. And make sure you dust off your feet first.”
Her nipples began tingling at the thought of what might occur if she followed his instructions. But she didn’t want to make it too easy for him. “What do I get out of it?” she asked, slipping the straps from her shoulders.
“I’d be happy to apply suntan oil to you, too, of course. We wouldn’t want you to burn anything important, either.”
“So this is all strictly for preventive measure?” She stepped out of her bottoms, relishing the soft feel of the Gulf breeze on her bikini area.
“Absolutely. The sunscreen is in the side pocket of my bag.” He turned his face into his folded arms.
Beth glanced around the deserted beach and squinted up into the trees and underbrush. “You’re sure this place is uninhabited?”
“Yep. And if you get the oil for us, I can make it downright uninhibited, too.” He grinned over at her.
Squirting a liberal amount of oil onto his broad back, she smoothed it down in long strokes. Strokes that slid over the firm swells of his buttocks.
He jumped when she stuck her hand between his legs, her oiled fingertips brushing his sack. “That’s not my back.”
“I know, but I figured you’d consider that some of the important things you wouldn’t want burned. Now relax.”
“Good point.” He settled his head in his folded arms and tried to relax, but it was difficult knowing Beth knelt, naked, close enough to touch.
And he really wanted to touch.
“Maybe I should turn over and let you do my front,” he suggested after trying not to squirm when she insisted on doing a thorough massage of his butt. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take. Plus, the idea of applying oil to every inch of Beth’s delectable body was exciting him. A lot.
“Not yet.”
More sunscreen puddled on his back. Followed immediately by what felt like Beth’s breasts, slipping and sliding on his oiled skin.
He held perfectly still, naming off standard dive gear, specialty dive gear, and qualifications for every dive certification in his mind. It didn’t take his mind off the fact that a naked woman was rolling around in oil on his equally naked back.
Or the fact that they were naked on a deserted beach. Or the fact that he had a zipper compartment full of condoms.
When her smooth mound rubbed against the lower swell of his butt cheek, he could take no more.
With a growl, he flipped over, catching her before she toppled to the blanket, pinning her well-oiled nudity to his primed-for-action body.
“Kiss me,” he said against her laughing mouth, the distinctive smell of coconut oil swirling with her gardenia-scented skin.
“I thought you wanted me to oil your front. Or I could always share.” Executing a little shimmy to demonstrate, she rubbed her slick breasts against his chest, exciting every nerve ending in his body in the process.
“Or you could shut up and kiss me.” Before she made another smart-assed reply, he covered her mouth in the deepest, most carnal kiss he could muster, given his overwhelming need to claim her body.
His excitement ratcheted up another notch when she sighed and noticeably relaxed against him, as though she were melting into his skin.
Oh, yeah, he liked that idea.
Slapping around on the blanket, he finally closed his hand over the edge of his gear bag and groped until he found the zip pocket.
Sheathed and ready for action, he paused, looking down at her smiling face. He could easily imagine spending the rest of his life looking at her smile.
Any doubt or reservation he may have had floated away on the ocean breeze.
He loved her.
Of course, he couldn’t tell her that. Not yet. First he had to tell her about Nick’s and the dive shop. And tell her he was an Aggie. To anyone other than a Texan, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But to a Texan, especially one who went to UT, it could very well be a deal breaker. And when you added in her personal history, it was doubly dubious. But he had to be completely honest with her, show her what she was getting into if she returned his love.
He glanced down at the tiny Texas A&M tattoo. She’d loved an Aggie once who had betrayed her.
Would she be willing to take a chance on this one?
9
Beth dodged a jellyfish, then tapped a warning hand on Will’s leg as they made their way to shore.
“Tide’s going back out,” Will pointed out as they took slogging, fin-covered steps toward the beach. “We need to get packed up and back to the boat or we’ll be stranded in the shallow water.”
She nodded, watching where she stepped, since jellyfish corpses were already beginning to wash up on the edge of the shore, a sure sign the tide was going out.
The romantic part of her would love being stranded on the beach overnight with Will. But the realistic part knew the reality would be far from romantic.
“Or we could wait it out, camp on the beach.” He leaned close as they walked to the blanket. “Make love under the stars.”
“We ate all the food, remember? All we have are some olives and a couple cans of beer.” Lifting her bag, she began stuffing her gear inside.
“We can always fish for our dinner and breakfast.”
Pausing, she turned to him. “Okay, I have a confession to make. I love the water, and I love diving, but I’m really a girly-girl. I don’t do well with roughing it.”
He watched Beth’s expressive face. Of course she didn’t do well with roughing it. She’d had everything done for her all her life.
Life with him could be a real culture shock.
He picked up the cooler and tossed her shirt to her. “Then we’d better get a move on,” he said, trudging out into the water.
He noticed she followed several paces behind. Was she thinking about their differences, too?
Beth made a face at Will’s back, the increased current dragging her steps. He’d had a real mood change after she’d announced being a girly-girl. He could have at least tried to change her mind.
Then again, she totally understood why he couldn’t waste too much time if he didn’t want his boat to be grounded for a while.
But now what? Would he just drop her off and zip back to Crystal Key and his swinging bachelor life there? Sure, she knew Crystal Key wasn’t exactly a hot singles spot, but she’d been with Will. She’d seen the way women looked at him. Even the hostess at the restaurant had looked at him differently than she’d looked at other male patrons.
“Hey,” she called as they climbed into the boat. “Do you think the dive shop will still be open? I need another regulator. Is it full service, or will I have to order one?”
He paused and looked at his watch. “It should still be open. If not, I know the owner. We can pick up a regulator for you.”
“I guess that’s one of the perks of living on an island, knowing everyone.” With a gru
nt, she threw her bag into the boat, then hoisted her leg and climbed aboard.
She’d scarcely taken her seat when Will roared the motor and banked the boat starboard, leaving their little secluded beach obscured by a plume of water when she looked back to say good-bye.
“How about dinner and a movie tonight?” Will gripped her hand tightly as he helped her from the boat at the slip by his house.
She looked down and said, “I don’t think I’m dressed for it. Or did you mean later, after I’ve had a chance to go back and clean up?”
His laughter startled some pigeons from a nearby flowerbed. “I saw a media room at your place. I thought I’d pick up a DVD and some food and we could eat there, then watch a movie.”
The media room. She’d only been in it once and had totally forgotten its existence. “Oh. Right. The media room.” She gave a little laugh. “I assumed you meant an actual theater.”
“That’s a good idea, but Crystal Key doesn’t have one.”
She nodded, falling in step beside him as they made their way to his house.
“You don’t have a DVD player?” she asked when he’d unlocked the door and motioned for her to enter before picking up the cooler. It would be easier to just stay there and grab something to eat when they went to the dive shop.
“Sure, I have one.” He disappeared through a door to the left, leaving her standing on the marble entry tile. “But I don’t have a media room. It would be better at your place.”
Of course it would. What could compare to a tricked-out media room on a frigging yacht? Her good mood evaporated. Was Will using her for the yacht? Could at least part of his attraction to her be because he thought she was rich? How would he feel when he found out she had no more money than him? She glanced around. Though small, the house was richly decorated, with good-quality furniture. Mental photos of her meagerly furnished apartment flashed through her mind. Will probably had more money.
How would the reality of her financial status impact their relationship? And, she realized, she desperately wanted a relationship with Will.
Of course, the problem with that was her living in Austin. It was too late to register for summer school at UT, but if she doubled up on her classes, she could easily graduate in December. If she found a job on Crystal Key, she could work and explore her feelings for Will, go back to school in September, then come back for good after the holidays. Assuming things worked out the way she hoped. Assuming Will wanted her in his life.
And all those assumptions hinged on how he would react when she told him the truth about the yacht.
Maybe later that night, after they’d watched the movie, she’d find the right time to break the news.
Maybe.
Or she could just let nature take its course and tell him the following day, after she turned the boat over to the next occupants. Yes, that was a better idea. There would be more time then.
“Beth?” Will stood before her, dressed in cargo shorts and a blue tank top beneath an unbuttoned, brightly printed shirt. “I asked if you’re ready to go?”
“Oh! Ah, yeah, sure.” They stepped out into the sunset. “Are we driving?”
He grinned and turned her to the right, following the stone path away from the marina. “I don’t own a car. There’s no need. Everything here is within walking distance.”
She laughed. “Everything’s in walking distance, if you have the time.”
“True.” He chuckled. “I hadn’t thought about it like that, but you’re right.”
They made a right onto a store-lined street. “How about some ice cream?” He pointed to an ice-cream shop a few doors down. “Hooper has the best on the island. Handmade every morning.”
“Sounds like a plan. But…do you know what time the dive shop closes? If we’re going wreck diving tomorrow, I’d really like a new spare regulator.”
“Plenty of time,” he assured her, holding the door for her to enter the ice-cream parlor.
“Agh.” Beth held her stomach and leaned back in the red vinyl booth. “I can’t believe I polished off that whole thing.” She groaned. “It was huge! Why didn’t you warn me?”
After wiping his mouth with the paper napkin, he shook his head and smiled. “What did you think something called the Sampler Trough would be?”
“I dunno. I couldn’t make up my mind, and when I saw I could get a sampler with every flavor, it seemed like a good idea. The word sampler was a misnomer. Those were not sample-size scoops!”
“And yet you managed to scarf it all down,” he noted as she waddled from the store.
“How kind of you to point that out.” She struggled to keep up with him, hoping the exercise would negate the megacalorie trough of ice cream she’d ingested. “Darn!” The dive shop was dark, obviously closed for the night. “I knew we should have come here first.”
“Hey, I said I knew the owner.” He pulled her back toward the street and pointed to the sign above the shop.
KING’S DIVING CASTLE.
“A relative?”
His smile flashed in the burgeoning darkness. “You could say that.” He dangled a keyring in front of her face, then unlocked the door and punched in a code on the alarm pad. “It’s mine.”
“You own your own dive shop?” How cool was that? “That has to be the best job in the world.” She lovingly ran her hand over a display of wet suits. “I’d love to own a dive shop.”
“Buy one.” He strode to a cabinet and pulled out a few regulators. “Take these and try them out.”
Buy one. Her heart sank. He thought she could just go out and buy anything she pleased, including a business.
She needed to tell him the truth.
“Crap,” she said instead. “I forgot my debit card. I have some cash, though, um, back at the boat.” In my locker.
“You mean your yacht. It’s okay to call it that. It’s what it is. You can’t help it if you’re loaded.” He winked. “I kind of dig it.”
“Can I just pay for the regulator when we go back to watch the movie?” She did not want to discuss her perceived wealth. Or lack thereof. Not yet, anyway.
“I meant what I said when I told you to take them. If you decide you want one, keep it. On me.” When she started to argue, he said, “Or pay me then, how’s that?” Before she could answer, he swept the store with his outstretched arm. “So, what do you think of my place?”
“It’s fabulous,” she finally choked out. “I can’t believe how much stock you have.” She peered into the glass case next to the cash register and couldn’t prevent a little gasp. “I used to have a ring just like that.”
“Oh? Probably not just like that. It’s fairly cheap, sterling silver and enamel. I’ve seen them in platinum with pearl inlays and rubies.”
“No, mine was just like that. For ten years, it never left my finger.”
He glanced at her bare hand, and she stopped rubbing the spot where the ring had resided. “How did you lose it?”
“I didn’t. I gave it away.” She shrugged. “It’s a long story.” And to tell it meant she had to tell him about her summer job.
He shoved the regulators in a King’s Diving Castle reusable bag and jerked the drawstring shut. “Let’s go find a DVD before they’re all rented.”
Ernie’s Barbershop and Video Rental was a few doors down from the dive shop.
“That’s an odd combination,” she commented, looking up at the sign.
Will smirked. “That’s small-town life. Especially on an island. We also have Russell’s Law Firm and Car Stereo Installation as well as Consuela’s Optical and Plumbing.” He held up his hand as they walked through the automatic door. “I kid you not.”
“I’ve never been in a video place with an automatic door.” She glanced at the darkened side where the barber chairs stood as they proceeded down the well-lit aisle lined with DVDs.
“It used to be a Piggly Wiggly supermarket.”
“Where is the market now?” She picked up a DVD and read the back of th
e case.
“Gone. If we need more than what we can get at the two convenience stores, we have to go to the mainland.” He picked up a copy of Fool’s Gold. “How about this? Or have you seen it?”
“I saw it, but I love it. I wouldn’t mind seeing it again. I have to confess, when I was snooping around the wrecked fishing boat, I thought about how the characters in this movie had devoted so many years to their quest of finding a sunken treasure ship.”
He laughed. “Yeah, well, don’t expect to find anything on The Tarpin. It sank about fifty years ago and was picked clean of anything before we were born.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Shoot. I wasn’t looking for treasure, just to find something that hadn’t been touched since it sank. When I first started diving, I found an old corroded coin. I imagined all kinds of scenarios, from lost pirate booty to the sinking of a Titanic-type ocean liner. Just the idea of touching something that had last been held years, if not centuries, ago was thrilling. I was hooked from that point on.”
“A lot of divers feel that way.”
“Don’t you?” She skipped along next to him as they made their way down the street.
“Well, I guess. But what pulled me into it from the beginning was the sense of peace I get underwater. I can’t describe it. Yeah, it’s pretty with all the tropical fish and underwater vegetation. But it’s not even that.” He shrugged. “I think it’s just the absolute quiet that gets to me.” Holding the door for her at the Clucky Chicken takeout, he said, “Having grown up with four rowdy brothers, quiet was a scarce commodity around our house. Maybe that was the attraction of diving. It was my escape.”
“Wow. It was just my sister and me. I can’t even imagine what it was like to have a brother, much less four of them.”
He brushed a kiss on her forehead as she walked past him. “Boys run in my family.” So you’d better get used to the idea.
A busty blonde behind the counter flashed a megawatt smile at Will. The smile slid away when she spotted Beth.
Will draped his arm around Beth’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Play along. I’ll explain later.”
