by Karen Booth
“You’re pretty when you’re wet.”
Something in her chest fluttered—the physical manifestation of years of wanting to hear words like the ones he’d just uttered. “Thank you. You don’t look bad yourself.”
He cleared his throat, and a blush crossed his face. He looked down at the water. “Your brother would kill me for what I’m thinking right now.”
Her heart galloped to a full sprint. “And he’s not here.”
Zane returned his sights to her and tapped his finger against his temple. “Unfortunately, he’s here.” He then pointed to the vicinity of his heart. “And in here.”
“That’s so sweet. And I get it. I do.” She shuffled her feet ahead on the sandy bottom.
“Do you? Really?”
“I do. You love my brother. He loves you. I admire the hell out of your friendship.” She sucked in a deep breath, hoping that she could summon the courage to say what she would always regret if she didn’t let it out. “But I also know that I’m incredibly attracted to you, Zane. And judging by what you just said about the thoughts going through your head, I’m reasonably sure you’re attracted to me. If I’m wrong, you could save us both a lot of time by saying it. Then we can go on with the rest of our vacation as nothing more than friends.”
“I’m attracted to you. A lot.”
She was thankful for the forward progress, but she wanted more. She needed to seize this moment. “I’m glad. Relieved, actually.”
“You had to know that.”
She shrugged. “A girl likes to hear that she’s pretty. That a guy is attracted to her. It’s not rocket science, Zane. I’m glad you confessed what you’re thinking.”
“Do you want to know what I’m really thinking?”
Words seemed impossible. All she could do was nod enthusiastically.
Zane then did the thing she’d been waiting a decade for. He gave her a sign that he wanted this, too, by taking a single step closer. “You’re so beautiful. I just want to see you. All of you.”
Goose bumps blanketed her arms and chest, even in the warm breeze. She swallowed hard. Without a word, she reached back and pulled the string on her bikini top. As the knot fell loose, she lifted the garment over her head and tossed it up onto the sand. “Like this?”
It was his turn to move closer again, his eyes first scanning her face, then shifting to travel all over her body, looking hungry, but he would likely never know that whatever lust he was feeling for her wasn’t even a fraction of what she felt for him. “Yes. Like that.”
She took another step. Mere inches separated their feet. Their legs and stomachs. Her breasts were only a whisper away from his unbelievable chest. “Do you want to know what’s going through my head?” She loved the way his lips twitched at the question.
“It would make my life so much easier if you told me.”
A tiny laugh escaped her lips, but there was no mistaking the gravity of this moment. “I want you to touch me.” The words came out with little effort. She’d been practicing them in her head for eons.
He raised his hand slowly, his palm facing her breast. Her nipples gathered tight in anticipation. He breached the sliver of space between them, his warm and slightly rough hand covering her breast. This was not sex, not even close, but it caused such a rush of heat in her body that she gasped.
“Like this?” he asked, gently squeezing.
“Yes.” Allison’s need for Zane made her breasts full and heavy. Electricity was buzzing between her legs. Now that the floodgates had been opened, she didn’t merely want him anymore.
She needed him.
Five
What in the world was he doing? Zane’s hands were on both of Allison’s magnificent breasts, and he knew the logical next steps—kissing, trunks off, bikini bottoms gone and what he could only imagine would be the hottest sex of his life. Up against a palm tree. Rolling around in the warm sand. As amazing as that sounded, there was part of him that was terrified to go there. The temptation of forbidden fruit was no joke—he already had an erection that was not going to go away without some effort on somebody’s part. He never should’ve started this by touching her, but the look on Allison’s face right now, eyes half-closed in absolute pleasure, was such a turn-on, he wanted to get lost in it.
“Allison, I want to kiss you.”
“I want you to kiss me.” Her reply was swift and resolute.
He sucked in a deep breath as the ocean breezes blew his hair from his forehead. He dipped his head lower and closed his eyes, not thinking about anything other than doing what felt good. His lips met hers, and it was like tossing a match on a pile of tinder—her mouth was so soft and sexy. So giving and perfect. It was everything he could ever want from a kiss as her tongue swept along his lower lip. She popped up onto her tiptoes and leaned into him, telling him with a simple shifting of weight how badly she wanted him. But to punctuate the gesture, she reached around and grabbed his backside with both hands, pulling his hips sharply into hers. His body responded with a tightening between his legs that left him dizzy.
Allison flattened both hands on his pecs and spread her fingers wide, curling the tips into his muscles while peering up at him. “I want you, Zane. I want every inch of you.”
“Here? Now?”
She slid her hands across his chest away from each other and turned her attention to points south. His swim trunks were fully tented. “I hate to make either of us wait, but I don’t want to do this in the sand. The beach is beautiful, but one of our beds would be even better.”
Zane didn’t want to put anything on pause now that he’d made his decision. Everything between his legs was screaming at him to argue her point. But it might be wise to hold off until they could get back. It would give Allison a chance to change her mind. Zane could endure his inner tug-of-war some more. Then, if he and Allison still ended up in bed, he’d know in his heart that it hadn’t been a rash decision.
She grabbed his hand. “Come on. We can get back to my cottage in a half hour if we hurry.”
Disappointingly, while Zane collected their gear, Allison put her bikini top back on. They sat together in the shallow water, donning their fins. As he stood, something in the view of Rose Cove caught his eye—a sprawling white house atop the big hill rising from the beach where they’d embarked on their snorkeling trip. “Who stays up there?” he asked as they walked through the shallower depths. “I thought Hubert and Angelique lived in the main house, where the office is.”
“That’s the honeymoon cottage. It’s undergoing renovations. They’re giving it a serious face-lift. It’ll probably run five grand a night when they’re done.”
“Wow.”
“I know. I’m hoping to see the progress before we leave.”
“I’d like to see it, too.”
“For now, you and I need to swim.” Allison pulled down her mask, adjusted the straps, plugged the snorkel end into her mouth and, like a frogman, dived into the deeper waters.
Zane followed, and this time they swam at a far less leisurely pace. Now the fish were dots of color as they zoomed past. Zane was focused on their destination until Allison came to a stop, treading water and pointing ahead. Zane scanned the depths, only to see a sea turtle come into his frame of vision. They floated in place, masks in the water as the massive creature glided toward them, then turned when it got too close, graceful, beautiful and all alone. Zane had never spent any time at all thinking about what it might be like to be a sea turtle, but he was struck by how apt the phrase “just keep swimming” was. To survive, all one could do was keep moving forward. His breaths came slow and even as he realized that he might be better served to get out of his own head every now and then and actually enjoy his life.
He and Allison watched as the turtle skated away, waiting until he was well out of sight before resuming their trek. It took very little time before they r
eached the beach and scooped up the rest of their belongings, including Allison’s hat. She urged him ahead with a wave. “Come on. I know a shortcut through the forest.”
He hustled behind her. It wasn’t long before he saw her cottage through the trees. “Why didn’t we go this way before? This is so much shorter.”
“I wasn’t in a hurry then.”
When they arrived at Allison’s cottage and they stepped through the door, Allison wasted no time, rising up on her tiptoes and kissing him deeply, digging her fingers into the hair at his nape. That kiss swept aside the doubts and questions he had about whether or not this was a good idea. That erection from before? It sprang to life in seconds flat as he returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around her naked waist. It felt impetuous. And dangerous. And for once in his life, he was ready to take caution and run it into the ground. Nobody had to know. This moment was all about Allison and him.
She wrenched her mouth from his, gazing up at him, her eyes wild and scanning. She probably thought he was about to bail on her like he had at Scott’s birthday, but he would not do that. Not this time. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her off to the bedroom.
“How chivalrous of you,” she said.
“I try,” he quipped back.
He set her on her feet, and she turned her back to him, lifting her hair and letting him do what he’d wanted to do so badly before—tug on the strings of her top. With the garment gone, he reached around and cupped her breasts, which fit so perfectly in his hands. A breathless sigh left her lips, and he knew he was on the right track. He wanted to please her so much that she had no choice but to make that sound over and over again. Allison pressed her bottom against his groin, wagging her hips back and forth, cranking up the pressure already raging in his hips and belly. She craned her neck to kiss him. Their tongues teased each other, wet lips skimming and playing.
“You’re so damn sexy,” he whispered, moving to her glorious neck. It wasn’t merely a nice thing to say. It was the truth. Every soft curve of her body had him turned on.
She hummed her approval, dropping her head to one side. He ran his lips over every available inch, exploring the delicate skin beneath her ear and the graceful slope down to her shoulder. Her unbelievable smell, sweet jasmine and citrus, mixed with the salt of sea air, filling his nose and leaving him a little drunk, although everything about Allison was intoxicating. Her voice, her words, her touch...
He shifted his hands to her hips and with a single tug at both strings, undid her bikini bottoms. She wriggled a bit and they dropped to the floor. He pressed his hand against her silky smooth belly, inching lower until he reached her center. She was slick with heat, and Allison gasped when he touched her, reaching up and back to wrap her fingers around his neck. With his other hand he caressed her breast lightly, loving the velvety texture of her skin against his palm, teasing her pert nipple, as he returned his lips to her neck. Her breaths were labored and short and, judging by the sound, she was close to her peak, but he wanted to savor this time with her. He didn’t want to rush. There had been so much buildup to this moment, and he was certain it could never happen again. He wanted to appreciate this time with sweet and sinfully sexy Allison.
As if she knew what he was thinking, she turned in his arms and grabbed both sides of his head, pulling him closer in a kiss that put every other one to shame. Mouths open and hungry, wet and hurried, it was as if she was acknowledging that they could only travel this path once, and they had to make it count. She let go of her grip on him and moved to the drawstring of his trunks, making quick work and pushing them to the floor. As soon as she wrapped her hand around his length, he knew there was a good chance he wouldn’t last long. He clamped his eyes shut and walked that delicate line between relishing every firm stroke she took and trying to think about anything other than how damn hot she was. Unfortunately, his best friend popped into his mind, but he quickly banished the thought. He would not disappoint her. Not today.
Again he scooped her up in his arms, but this time, he laid her out on the bed. The vision of her soft and sumptuous naked body, his for the taking, reminded him that he was a fool for wanting anything less than hours of getting lost in her. One time didn’t have to mean a short time. They could make memories in this room.
She grinned as he allowed himself the luxury of her beauty. “Coming to bed?” She swished her hands across the crisp white sheets.
All he could think about was that this was the exact fantasy he’d had the other day. And now he got to live it. He was a ridiculously lucky man right now. “Just try to stop me.”
* * *
Allison could hardly believe this was happening, except that it was. Her body was buzzing with appreciation for Zane and the glee of finally having a taste of what she’d wanted for so long. Judging by his opening act, she was in for an unbelievable afternoon...and, hopefully, evening. She wondered if she could convince him to never get out of bed, or if they did, to switch to the sofa in the living room. Or the kitchen counter. Or the plunge pool. Ooh, yes. She wanted Zane everywhere.
But she couldn’t let her silly brain get so far ahead. Go with it. Enjoy him.
“Scoot back, darling.” Zane gestured for her to move, then set his knee on the bed. Even now, when they still hadn’t done the actual deed, she knew that this had been so worth the wait. All those years of pining were about to pay off. It made her heart swell, her lips tingle and her entire body reverberate.
She did as he asked and slid herself back until her head was on the pillow. Zane was now on both knees at her feet, dragging his fingers along the insides of her calves and down to the arches of her feet. Being totally naked and exposed to him like this was so exhilarating that the goose bumps came back. She liked being vulnerable with him. It made her realize exactly how much she trusted him. Not knowing what he would do next added another level of thrill. It would be so easy to chalk all of these feelings up to this being the first time, except that this was the first time with Zane, the one guy she’d always wanted.
He gripped her ankles with both hands and spread her legs wider. His eyelids were heavy, like he was drunk on appreciation for her body, and that was such a boost to her ego she could hardly wrap her head around it. She lapped up every nanosecond of the image. He leaned down and kissed the inside of her knee, then began to move his way up her thigh, in absolutely no rush, holding his lips against her skin for a heartbeat or two each time. She arched her back in anticipation of where he was going. She had not banked on him wanting to take on the oral exam, but she should’ve known all along that he would not only want to please her, but that he would know exactly how to do it.
She squirmed when his fingers grazed her center again and he urged her thighs apart with his forearms. She watched for a moment in awe as he used his mouth, but the pleasure became too much. She had to shut her eyes. Her head drifted back onto the pillow, and all she could do was express her appreciation with moans and single-syllable words like yes and more. She’d never imagined he had such an artistic side, but the man was playing her perfectly, with firm pressure from his lips and steady circles from his tongue. The tension had already been building when he drove a finger inside her and curled it against her most sensitive spot. Three or four passes and she felt the dam break, and warm contentment washed over her. She combed her fingers into his hair, massaging his scalp to show her appreciation.
“That was unbelievable,” she said, knowing that the words didn’t come close to telling him how she truly felt. She would need time to process what had just happened. For now, her brain was in frothy, happy disarray.
He raised his head and smiled with smug satisfaction, then kissed her upper thigh. “I enjoyed it, too.”
“Hopefully you’ll enjoy the next part even more. I need you, Zane. I need you inside me.”
He planted both hands on the bed and raised himself above her, dipping his head down and kissing
her softly. She wrapped her legs around his hips, waiting for the moment when he would finally drive inside. He was hesitating, and she could sense it. She truly admired the thoughtful side of him that felt that hesitation, but she needed him to know that it was okay. They could do this together, and it would be nothing short of amazing.
“All these years I’ve known you and I had no idea what talents you were hiding,” she said. “You’ve been holding out on me, haven’t you?”
He laughed quietly, but it felt forced. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose. She lowered her legs a bit and stroked the back of his thighs with her ankles. Come on, Zane. Don’t let me down.
“I, uh...” His voice faltered.
“What is it?” She was careful to keep her voice warm and soothing. She did not want to witness another of his panics.
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t know what?”
“I’m so sorry. So incredibly sorry.” He turned away, avoiding eye contact. “I can’t do this.” Seeming defeated, he climbed off the bed and plucked his swim trunks from the floor.
Meanwhile, Allison was knee-deep in confusion. “Zane. What’s wrong? I thought we were good.”
“I thought we were, too. But I can’t do it. I can’t betray my best friend.”
Naked on the bed and reeling from the pleasure Zane had just given her, the rejection still landed on Allison like the proverbial ton of bricks. Zane, the man she’d dreamed of for years, had just told her no. Logic said she should be incredibly hurt. Devastated. But right now, with this beautiful man still standing in her bedroom with an obvious erection, she was nothing but flat-out mad. It didn’t have to be this way. And he knew it.
“Please don’t do this,” she said. “Don’t leave.”
“I have to. I’m sorry, but I do. I shouldn’t be here in the first place.”
