Passion, Vows & Babies_Lust, Lies, & Leis

by Kristen Luciani

  I yelp when my feet hit the water. I grit my teeth as I wade farther in to meet him and the board. “C-cold!”

  He laughs, the sound reverberating through me. The low rumble ripples through my body like a slow crashing wave. How appropriate. “Maybe we should rethink that wetsuit.”

  I arch my back and inch closer, partly because I need to feel the warmth of his body against my frigid one, and partly because I’m just horny as hell. “You’re sure about that?”

  His smile fades and his voice drops. “I much prefer this view, but I want you to be comfortable.”

  I can think of a thousand things he can do to make me comfortable. My lips curl into a grin. “So chivalrous of you.”

  “I try.” He nods his head toward the board. “Hop on.”

  Dammit. Was it so unrealistic of me to expect him to just throw me onto the board and devour me right here in the water? I fling a leg over the side and straddle it, my teeth chattering. I hug my arms around my chest and push out a deep breath. Okay, maybe night surfing wasn’t my greatest ever idea, but it’s too late to run back to shore and wrap myself in my dress. I’d much rather be wrapped in something else, something broad and muscular, something glistening with ocean water. I’d love to lick those salty drops away, one by one.

  “Are you sure you’re okay to do this?”

  I press my lips together, praying they aren’t blue. “Yes. I’m more than okay.” This is living, right? I’m getting exactly what I’d wanted. And then that nagging voice is back to torment me. Be careful what you wish for, Tatum.

  “Stretch yourself out on the board. I’ll hold onto it so you can practice jumping to a crouching position.”

  “Seriously? Isn’t that a little advanced? Shouldn’t we start with something simpler?”

  He grins and that dimple winks at me, almost erasing my anxiety about this little surfing lesson. Almost.

  “Just relax. You’re going to do just fine. I’d have never suggested it if I thought you’d get hurt. Besides, I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” His light eyes darken in the dusky glow of the sky, a serious expression on his face.

  His words have an instant calming effect. Besides, if I do fall, what better place to land than in Evan’s arms? I follow his instructions and position myself, clutching the sides of the board.

  “Great.” His fingers brush against mine, and the electricity sizzles my clammy skin, heating me from the outside in. “Now, jump!”

  I tighten my core and release the board, doing a clumsy kind of burpee to land on my feet. My arms stretch out, giving me balance as the board wobbles slightly in the now choppy water. But I’m up. I’ll be damned. I did it.

  I peek at Evan and feel my skin warm in the glow of his megawatt smile. “Was that good?”

  “It was fantastic. You’ve got great balance. Let’s try it again.”

  Again turned into about ten more times, each leap better than the last under his instruction. Who knew I’d just been missing the right teacher? I thought I was doomed to be a boogie boarder for the rest of my life.

  “Are you sure you’ve never done this before?” He cocks an eyebrow in mock suspicion, but the twinkle in his eyes gives everything away.

  “Well, I’ve watched a lot of other people do it.” I giggle. “So, what’s your secret? How’d you get to become such a great teacher?”

  He looks down, trailing his fingers over the water gathered at his waist. “Just a desire to help others, I guess. I do a lot of teaching in my spare time….troubled kids that need to stay off the streets. It keeps them out of harm’s way, gives them something to look forward to. I’m always determined to get them standing on their boards by the end of each session.”

  “It’s really such a wonderful way to give back, Evan. You must have helped so many kids.”

  “Most of them.” He looks up with a sad smile. “But you can’t save everyone.”

  “Not unless they want to be saved,” I muse, tracing a finger on the top of the board.

  “Exactly.” The teasing glimmer in his eyes is now masked by pain and defeat. His shoulders square and his spine stiffens. I want so badly to rub my hand down his back. How did we even get here? Spilling emotions after less than an hour of meeting? What happened to the sexy banter? The drunken innuendoes? Since when do I crave depth?

  And why does it make me want him that much more?

  He lowers his gaze, a small smile lifting his lips. “What’s your story? Why’d you run?”

  My mouth falls open. Jesus, am I that transparent? “What makes you think I ran from something? Maybe I just needed a break.” Yep, a break from being me.

  “You’re alone in some remote resort in Hawaii, pretty far away from civilization, suffering with shitty cellular service. They don’t even have satellite television here. This isn’t the place you come for a luxury vacation with all the frills. This is the place to hide, not to be noticed.” He smirks. “Not that you could be invisible anywhere in the world, but you get what I mean.”

  I nod, tracing my finger over the grooves in the board. “Maybe I did need some space. I had an issue…some guy…” I wave my hand in the air. “It’s in the past, but I had to get away for a little while to figure out what I want and how I’m going to get it.”

  I’d always thought everything would be so cut and dried once I made it in Hollywood. But the pressure, the exposure, the demands…sometimes I feel like I’m suffocating. Sometimes, I just want to remember what it feels like to be regular old Tatum Atwood, the girl who loves singing even thought she can’t carry a tune, the one who loves to scarf Twizzlers, drink Swiss Miss hot chocolate by the boxful, and hates cilantro, not the Academy award nominee who drives a Maserati and always wears Valentino to awards shows. That’s the girl the world sees. It’s all glam and glitz because that’s what people want to aspire to. But it’s not really me. My Nikes would win over Jimmy Choo any day of the week. And if I could strut around town in Old Navy cutoffs and tank tops all day, every day, I’d be happy as a clam. But Tatum Atwood could never portray that kind of image. Who’d ever aspire to be …ordinary?

  Evan nods. “And how is that going? Did you get your answers?”

  I shrug. “Unfortunately, it’ll probably take me more than a week, and since I leave tomorrow…” My voice drifts off, a pang in my chest alerting me to the fact that while I’m required to jump back into the craziness that is my life, I’ll be leaving behind a man who, in the most unlikely of circumstances, has made me feel like I didn’t need to look so long and hard for meaning. That maybe all I needed was to keep my eyes and my heart open.

  In my reality, I’d have never been able to have this conversation with Evan. He’d have never be able to peel away my glittery layers because I would shut down, the way I’d learned to do after that whole mess with Luke. No way would I put my neck on the chopping block again. And stalkers come in all shapes and sizes. You can never be too careful.

  But nobody is stalking Lila Haywood out here. She’s as safe as can be.

  “Then we need to make the next few hours really count.” A teasing grin stretches across his chiseled face. I could stare at this guy forever and never tire of that smile. For all of the baggage he may be carrying, he can still manage to see the light through the murk. I like that. A lot.

  I pull myself upright and hug my knees. “That’s a loaded statement. Are we still talking about surfing?” My heart thrums as heat spreads throughout my insides, his smoldering gaze making my body forget the frigid water temperature.

  He reaches out to push a lock of my hair behind my ear. “If surfing is your pleasure, I’ll stay out here all night.” He leans closer. “Is that what you want, Lila? Because I’m not ready to say goodbye to you just yet.”

  3

  Evan

  I don’t play games. I know what I want, what I need. Lila’s hiding something…maybe from something…and that’s fine. But there’s something between us, something that has had my cock twitching sinc
e I first saw her on the beach earlier this week, something I’d very much like to explore further.

  I meant what I said. If all she wants to do is to surf, I’ll gladly shrivel up like a fucking prune out here all night for a chance to spend our few last hours together. But I won’t lie. The sight of her stretched out on that board in nothing but that glittery bikini makes my dick hard, even in this fucking icebox of an ocean. I want nothing more than to feel her naked body writhing beneath mine, to hear her screaming my name as I thrust deep inside of her. And the more I sit and stare, the more captivating she becomes.

  She has to feel it, too. Waist deep in that cool, crisp water, her glistening skin and insanely tight body, barely covered by a few scraps of fabric. I’ve never seen tits so perfect and an ass so bangable. But it’s more than just physical. There’s an aura around her, like she’s on stage, acting out her starring role.

  I’d like to see her play a different type of role tonight.

  Fuck me, I’ve got it bad. I’m not sure how it happened, since I usually don’t give a fuck whether or not a woman so much as tells me her name. It’s forgotten by the time I get dressed and walk out of her life the next morning, anyway.

  With a look that sends a jolt straight to my cock, Lila steadies herself on the board and brings herself to a kneeling position. Pretty fucking impressive considering that, only half an hour ago, she could barely straddle the board without tipping over. Her hands settle on my shoulders, her lips mere inches away from mine. “I don’t want to surf anymore, Evan,” she murmurs. “You’re a great teacher, but I think I’m a little waterlogged. What do you think we should do about that?”

  My breath hitches. Fuck, I need this…her. “I have a few ideas.”

  Her hands move to the back of my neck and creep up to my hair. Christ, there has to be a fucking tent in my board shorts right about now. “Show me?”

  I get lost in her hazel-eyed gaze, mesmerized by the way her lips move, imagining them wrapped tightly around my rock-hard cock. This woman has turned me inside out. With the snap of a finger, I’d do just about anything she asks. That’s usually opposite of how I operate, and I’m not sure how to handle this change in direction.

  The scent of citrus hits my nostrils and I inhale, breathing her in. I snake a hand around the back of her neck, lightly fisting her hair. Her eyes glimmer in the soft moonlight settling over the water. My lips crash against hers with a carnal need that’s foreign to me. They’re so soft and warm and…cherry-flavored. My dick strains against my board shorts, aching to get into the action, but this kiss… I’m lost in her. Completely swept away by a stranger, and not just in the physical sense. I don’t usually care about connecting with women. Shit, I never share anything personal with them. I don’t even like talking because it just makes me remember the bad shit I keep buried. I’m not this guy.

  Or am I?

  Her tongue coils around mine – hot, wet, and hungry for anything and everything I have to offer. And trust me, there’s plenty waiting for her. A sharp pang reminds me that these are the final few hours I have to escape. Real life kicks in as soon as I get back on that plane tomorrow, but at this second, I’d give it all up for one more day with Lila.

  Her skin pebbles under my greedy fingertips. I can’t stop touching her. I don’t want to lose the feelings she’s stirred up within me. For once, I just want to let go, to be in the moment, instead of using it as a way to hide from everything plaguing me. I slide one hand down her spine, underneath the knotted string bikini top, and with a flick of my fingers, the top is undone and sitting at her waist. Her large breasts press against my chest and her lips devour with a voracity I’ve never experienced, as if stripping her of the fabric unleashed some crazed sex goddess. Fuck me sideways. I can’t wait to find out what’ll happen once I untie the bottoms.

  “Evan,” she breathes against my mouth. “I want you so badly. I’ve wanted you since I saw you on the beach this morning.” She dips a hand into my shorts and palms my dick, working the shaft with long, hard strokes. My breath hitches as her movements increase in speed, and for the first time in my life, I’m not the one in control. This woman owns me right now. And I’m not resisting. Not one fucking bit.

  I pull her head back so my mouth has full access to the smooth skin of her neck. I won’t rest until I taste every inch of her. Her breasts heave under my kneading fingertips. I feast on each one, teasing her pink nipples with a little tongue and tooth action, and it drives her fucking crazy. She squirms in my arms, little cries escaping her lips, but never once does she let go of my cock. My God, I need to be inside of this woman. Now.

  I lift her off the board, her toned legs wrap tightly around my waist. I run my hands down the bare skin of her back and squeeze the perfect globes of her ass.

  She lets out a squeal. “Mm, now we’re getting to the good part.”

  I wade through the water, dragging the board with one arm, holding Lila in the other. A ferocious burn assaults my muscles, but I don’t stop. Each staggering step toward the sand gets me closer to plunging into Lila’s tight, wet pussy. My feet finally reach the shore, but I don’t stop there. I look around and the beach is desolate. Still, we shouldn’t take any chances. I pull the board farther up the beach, my heart thudding with each step, and I drop it in a secluded dune. The small area is covered by palm trees and leafy green plants. It’s as private as we need it to be for the foreseeable future. I sink to my knees with Lila still pressed against my chest. I gently lay her back on the board, stroking the sides of her face. Fuck, she’s gorgeous. There’s something about her that’s so familiar, too. I can’t place it. Maybe it’s my mind’s way of letting me know I’ve found something that’s been missing for too long.

  Her eyes flutter open, her pink lips swollen from my assault on her mouth. I trace a finger down her abdomen and hook it into one side of her bikini bottom, untying the string holding the pieces together. I undo the other side and slide it out from under her, exposing her perfect, smooth pussy. “I need to taste you, Lila.”

  An odd look shadows her face, but seconds later, it’s gone. At least, I thought I saw it. I’m so fucking strung out right now, so blinded by lust, the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred.

  I push open her legs, running my hands down her inner thighs, feeling them quiver against my touch. I flick my tongue against her clit, slow and deliberate at first, then faster as I plunge two fingers into her pussy. She writhes on the board, her loud moans making my dick swell. I replace my fingers with my tongue, lapping up every drop of desire coursing through her. She arches her back, thrusting her pussy against my mouth, her body beckoning me. I grip her hips, digging my fingers deeper as my mouth fucks her.

  “Evan! Oh my God, I…I can’t take it! It’s so fucking good!” She squeezes her hands around my head, forcing me deeper, and then fisting my hair to stop me from moving. I don’t stop. I keep going.

  “Scream as loud as you want, baby. Nobody will hear.” Like she needs an invitation. And I fucking love hearing her scream my name. That’s the beauty of this resort. There’s only one villa on the private beach, and it’s mine. Secluded doesn’t begin to describe this place.

  I nibble at her nub, pushing my tongue into her dripping wet pussy. I can’t get enough of this woman. Everything about her is perfect…for me.

  Her walls clamp my tongue as another orgasm tears through her. Her moans morph into full-fledged pleas for release. “You’re teasing me with that magical tongue, Evan, but get those shorts off and fuck me now. I want to feel your hard cock inside of me.”

  She doesn’t need to ask twice.

  I pull away and force my shorts to my ankles, kicking them onto the sand. I hover over her, blinded by her beauty, not thinking about anything but having her soft, wet pussy blanketing my cock. She presses her fingers into my hips as her legs open wide.

  “What are you waiting for?” she murmurs, running her fingers through my hair.

  I sink into her warmth, filling her
inch-by-inch, her velvety walls swallowing my cock. Every drop of blood in my body seems to have gravitated toward my groin, leaving me pretty much brain dead. Not that I give a fuck. I can’t even remember my own damn name right now. I plunge deeper then pull out, slowly, deliberately, enough to drive her crazy and suck me back in. Which she does, again and again. I fuck her with long, deep strokes that keep her moaning and lancing my back with her long fingernails. I can do this all night long…on a surfboard or on a fucking picket fence.

  My lips crush against hers, forcing them open with my tongue. Christ, since this afternoon, all I could think about was being inside of her, but now that I am, it’s still not enough. I need more. Always more.

  This connection between us…it’s so strong, so powerful, so unlike anything I’ve experienced. I think she feels it, too. When she deepens the kiss, attacking my tongue with deep-rooted lust that matches mine, I know for sure. My cock throbs inside of her with each thrust, aching to fill her, but I need to hold out a little longer. I could have fucking shot my load once she pulled off that dress. Christ, I’ve been so pent-up, but I’m not fucking rushing this.

  Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her to a seated position on top of me. I dig my knees into the sand on either side of the board, and she straddles me, her legs on top of mine. I press my hand into the small of her back and thrust hard and deep. Her pussy tightens as she rides my cock. I trail my hands farther down to her ass, gripping each cheek. Her nails dig into my skin, and I wince as the searing pain explodes across my back. She probably broke skin, but I don’t give a flying fuck.

  A scream pierces the air and she bounces harder and harder on my dick, her juices dripping over my lower belly. “Oh, fuck! I’m coming, Evan!”