Shane shrugged. “So, you have any other tiny scars? Maybe in places only a boyfriend would know about?” He reached for the hem of her dress like he wanted to take a peek underneath.
She swatted his hand away. “No! But I do have…”
His eyes widened. “Yeah?”
What was she doing? Danger, Kagan Owens! Flirting with Shane when her fortitude was already caught in his too-likeable presence like a bear’s paw in honey meant trouble deeper than the sea.
“Kay?” he said when she hadn’t continued.
“Nothing.” She popped to her feet. “So what’s this surprise you have for me? It must be something really big since you’ve got nothing on you.” She stretched her neck in a gesture to look around him.
He took hold of her waist, brought her close. She loved that he liked to touch her, that he couldn’t seem to help himself. It was foolish, but true. His muscled chest brushed her soft one and her legs went a little limp. Good thing he held her.
“I’m going to discover that nothing before this week is over,” he said, his voice husky.
Oh my. Zings of pleasure wove a maze through her body. You should go for it, Charlotte had said. And more and more Kagan could see the value of benefits to their friendship. For one, it would ease the growing ache between her legs whenever he stood near. For two, she hadn’t had sex in way too long and who better to help her get back in the game than the sexiest guy she’d ever met? And third, if they really wanted to sell this relationship, the afterglow she was sure would flare like the North Star for days ought to do the trick.
“Umm…” Her brain cells had taken a vacation.
“You are damn cute when you’re flustered, Jelly Belly.”
She twisted out of his arms. “You’re infuriating.”
“And good-looking.”
“Maddening.”
“Hot.” He smirked.
Oh my God. How was it he could be so full of himself and humble at the same time? His teasing voice wiped out any ego.
“The surprise?” she asked, hands on her hips.
“Pack a bag. We’re going camping.”
Chapter Eight
Shane had camped a dozen or so times in his life, but this time he had a brand new challenge: surviving Kagan. He hadn’t exactly thought this plan through when he decided to head to Sandpiper today so they could camp overnight and then join Erin’s group tomorrow.
He hadn’t thought about how her blond hair smelled like heaven, how her long tan legs made him want to take her to heaven, or how her smile might be that of an angel, but on the tip of her shoulder sat a tantalizing devil.
He did know he’d thought about taking them away from prying eyes—from Brett’s specifically. He couldn’t explain why, but he wanted to get Kagan alone and keep pretending. Maybe act on his attraction because he wanted to, not because he had to. The little island a half-mile from shore offered privacy and escapism—a chance to swim, hike, and forget about real life for a little while.
Forget about his screw-ups, his boss, and her innuendo that he remain single if he wanted that promotion.
“This is harder than it looks,” Kagan called over her shoulder, paddling their inflatable kayak like a pro.
He’d watched her every paddle stroke as they’d rowed in perfect sync. The tiring sun bathed her in the perfect light from the get-go. “We’re almost there, but if you’re worn out, I can get us the rest of the way.”
“Who said anything about being worn out?” she tossed back.
Shane grinned. The woman wasn’t a quitter. When he’d told her he wanted to take her to Sandpiper, that they’d kayak and hike and swim and catch the biggest sand crabs she’d ever laid eyes on, her face had lit up with eagerness.
She’d never camped or kayaked before, and now that she knew how to swim she said she couldn’t think of anything more perfect.
“See that stretch of sand there, that’s where we’ll land,” he said. Despite the strong current, the kayak’s solid floor structure made it responsive to their paddle strokes and they hit their mark with relative ease moments later.
Ten minutes after that Shane had pulled the boat out of the water and unloaded their bags from the storage area underneath the stern. Kagan had grabbed the two tightly wound sleeping bags tucked under the rim at the bow. They unzipped their life vests and he secured them inside the kayak.
Saltwater coated his lips, sweat trickled down his back, and a sea goddess stood before him. In tiny, hot pink board shorts and a black tank top, Kagan stretched his already taut muscles even further. And once again Shane was reminded of his idiocy.
“Are we the only ones here?” she asked, surprised.
“Probably not. The current on this side of the island is a little more difficult to navigate so most visitors go ashore on the other side.”
Kagan used her hand as a visor and searched the beach area. Vegetation grew about fifty yards away behind them, but the sand hung on longer looking left and right. “How big is Sandpiper?”
“Two square miles. The highest peak is something like fifteen hundred feet.”
“You’ve stayed overnight before?”
“Yep.” He toed their belongings a little further away from the water’s edge.
“Are there any animals?”
He tugged her hand away from her forehead and brought her close. “None more dangerous than me.”
“So the sand crabs, that’s it?”
He threw his head back and laughed. She wiggled out of his hold. Good thing, because he seriously wanted to kiss those sharp lips of hers all the way until tomorrow.
“For real, though, Shane. Are there?” Worry crept into her voice and he immediately brushed aside his mirth.
Guess a city girl from New York didn’t spend a lot of time in the wild.
“Lizards, salamanders, sparrows, meadowlarks, jackrabbits, skunks, and I think that’s it.” He put his arm around her shoulder, and they sat facing the ocean in the soft, pale sand. “Nothing to worry about. Occasionally a sea lion will wander onto shore, but they keep their distance.”
“Thank you.” She bumped his knee with hers. “I thought maybe there were wild boar or something.”
“You don’t like pigs?”
“Not even Mrs. Witt’s. Stupid, I know. But when I was seven my mom took me to the county fair and we were watching one of those pig races. You know, the one with the little pigs that weigh like twenty pounds? I guess maybe they were babies? We were standing right near the finish line and one of the pigs veered completely off track. It circled around my legs and squealed and wouldn’t stop until I fell and cut open the underside of my chin. It scared me. Then I was embarrassed because everyone was staring and kids were laughing. I had nightmares for weeks after that and woke up hearing the squealing in my ears.” She rested her cheek on her bent knees and looked up at him. “I needed six stitches too.”
“That’s not the—”
“No.” The corner of her mouth lifted.
Not the nothing, but something different. Something more. Another piece of her that she’d blessed him with.
“Let me see,” his said, gently pushing her shoulder until she fell back against the sand. He lay down beside her on his side, arm bent, head in his hand, and tilted her chin up.
“There’s only a faint tiny white line there now,” she breathed.
Shane angled his head for a closer look. He slid the tips of his fingers down her long, slim neck. Her eyelids closed.
He couldn’t help himself. He moved closer until his lips grazed the tiny reminder. To let her know he was grateful she’d shared the story with him? He didn’t have a clue. All he knew was that she had some sort of pull on him he couldn’t fight.
Her head fell to the side, an invitation, he decided, to keep going. He brushed his lips along her jaw. She tasted like coconut sunscreen and woman and his head spun in heady response.
“Every new thing you tell me makes me…” He reached that little spot just unde
r her earlobe, and she shivered.
“Makes you…”
Want you more. “Wonder what else I don’t know about you.”
“I think you know it all now.”
“We both know that’s not true.” He ran his finger over the curve of her shoulder and down her arm while his mouth moved back under her chin. Cashmere. Her skin felt as soft as cashmere.
She turned her head. He caught her lashes lifting. “Shane?” she whispered.
“Yeah?” he said from the base of her throat.
“What are we doing?”
He lifted up. Flushed cheeks and dewy-eyed, his Kagan gave new meaning to innocently sexy. And what a prick he’d be to take advantage of that.
His Kagan?
Sense hit him upside the head. The very last thing he wanted was to hurt her and if they had a fling or he let himself get too close, he would. Somehow he would. And that would kill him. She deserved more than he had to offer.
“We are going on a hike.” He jumped to his feet and put out a hand to help her up. “We’ve got about an hour of daylight left so let’s not waste it.”
She gripped his hand and yanked him back down. He straddled her hips, bracing his hands in the sand on either side of her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer. “I’ve got a better idea,” she murmured.
“Kagan,” he warned. What little self-control he had left was about to snap.
Moving both hands to his face now, she cradled his cheeks with more tenderness than he deserved. Girls looked at him all the time. But not like this. Not like she saw him as human, faults and all, and still liked him. Most women didn’t see much beyond the exterior. They wanted the spot next to him for bragging rights more than anything else. But Kagan pulled his legs out from under him and all the confidence and swagger he used to keep his heart safe was replaced by fear and humility.
“Shane,” she cooed back.
Then she kissed him.
And he was lost.
Lips sweeter than anything he’d ever tasted. Delicate but unyielding. Also trouble with a capital T.
He felt the kiss everywhere in the most hellish good way imaginable. He kissed her back, the thrill of connecting like this rousing his greed. He’d been aching for this moment since the second he’d met her and the fact that she took the initiative set his blood on fire.
The kiss started like they had all the time in the world. Slow. Sensual. Sincere. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he teased her lips open with his tongue. She let out a moan and allowed him inside.
The sexy sound, her surrender, took his pleasure and magnified it times a thousand. Better than his daydreams, better than his fantasies.
Her hands moved to his shoulder blades, stroked his back. He sank against her, careful to keep the majority of his weight on his arms. He licked and nibbled, their tongues mated, and he deepened the kiss. Tingles—he didn’t get tingles—went off where her fingers touched through his shirt. He’d never wanted someone more than he wanted Kagan, but he had to slow things back down. Savor this—whatever this was.
She groaned when he let up on the pressure. He echoed her sentiment and moved his lips against hers in careful abandon to take the edge off the strain in his shorts. He concentrated on her ripe mouth, on bringing her to the edge. It must have worked because she wanted no part of slow after he’d lingered for maybe half a minute. She squeezed his shoulders, curled her tongue around his and kissed him so thoroughly stars winked behind his eyelids.
Had he ever had a kiss this good? This mind-blowing?
No. And no.
The sound of birds chirping reminded him where they were. He opened his eyes and found her beautiful green gaze looking up at him. The high-pitched bird sounds must have caught her attention, too.
He straightened his arms, hating to break apart. Her swollen, well-kissed lips curved into a smile. He was pretty sure the corners of his mouth would remain upward until next year.
“Thank you,” she said.
Thank you? What did that mean? A guy didn’t want to be thanked for pouring his heart and soul into a kiss. He wanted to continue until they were both naked and shouting each other’s names.
“It’s just been a really long time since I’ve kissed someone like that and I wanted to break my dry spell with you.” She shifted up onto her elbows so he had no choice but to back away. “I mean, what are friends for, right?”
Jesus. Put a clamp on his heart why didn’t she? He got comfortable on his ass and dug his heels into the sand. Tried to ignore the tightness in his chest.
“Right,” he said.
“I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“I didn’t.”
“Want to take that hike now?” She wiped her hands of sand like she’d just finished building a sand castle, not almost kissed the pants off him.
“How about a quick swim first?” He needed to cool down. A dip in the Pacific might do the trick.
“Okay.” She jumped to her feet and went to one of the waterproof duffle bags. “The water looks a little calmer now,” she said over her shoulder as she retrieved their towels.
Shane wished the same could be said for him. He pulled his shirt over his head, slid off his old sneakers, and jogged down to the water. Small, even-tempered waves washed onto shore, making it easy to enter.
He ducked under for a moment before turning to look for Kagan.
Aw, hell. He’d forgotten swimming entailed getting undressed. She walked toward the water in a strapless pink and white striped bikini. The top did a twisty thing and the bottoms were barely there. He almost asked her to do a three-sixty, but thought better of it and gobbled up every inch of her instead, ending on the sparkle in her belly button.
She dove right in, coming up beside him a beat later. “Hey.”
“I like the piercing.”
“Now you know everything there is to know about me.” She bobbed up and down even though they weren’t that deep in the water.
“It would take a guy a lifetime to get to know all of you.” He clenched his fists thinking it would be some other guy. “I never would’ve thought you the kind of girl for a body piercing.”
“I’m not really. It was an act of rebellion.” She splashed him in the face. “Catch me and I’ll tell you the story.”
Fish swam slower than Kagan. She moved like one with water, and he damn near drowned trying to reach her. When he snatched her foot and tugged her close, she giggled and squirmed like a young girl. A wave of compassion rushed through him at the thought of her missing out on this growing up.
“Bet you a dollar I can beat you to shore,” she said.
“You’re on. But first you owe me an explanation.”
She put her hands on his shoulders, but otherwise kept her distance. “A few summers ago my dad insisted on us taking a cruise with some other business associates to the Mediterranean. My dad is all about appearances and keeping things proper. I know that sounds funny considering he was a big Hollywood actor, but that was thirty years ago.” Her fingers pressed into his back. “The weeks leading up to the trip were not fun. My dad was all over me about everything. Charlotte took me shopping one day and said I needed to do something to ruffle his feathers. I got the piercing, wore a bikini on the cruise, and he was appalled.
“Now race me back.” She pushed off and kicked her legs so water splashed in his face.
He didn’t move right away, stuck on the scrap of material that covered her very fine rear-end. He owed her a dollar when they got to shore.
…
Something was poking Kagan in the back. No, not poking, crawling. Something was crawling down her back! Two somethings, now that she’d waken enough to realize morning had sprung and sunshine welcomed her to a new day.
She kicked out of her sleeping bag and jumped to her feet, shimmying, and okay, squealing like a scaredy-cat. She slapped at her back, then pulled at the hem of her T-shirt. God, she hoped it wasn’t spiders. Shane hadn’t said anyt
hing about spiders, but they lived everywhere, didn’t they?
Two giant sand crabs fell at her feet. One sexy man smirked from his sleeping bag.
“You…” She didn’t know what he was. With his hair mussed, eyes laughing, and stubble along his square jawline, she needed to catch her breath.
He raised his eyebrows in challenge.
“You put sand crabs down my shirt.” At least it wasn’t her shorts. But even then, she really wouldn’t have minded. His teasing and prank had her wanting to play hooky with him again and again. He was so different from the men she’d dated in New York. So much more engaging.
“It was time to wake up.” One side of his mouth lifted in that really appealing way of his. The way that slayed any female within a hundred yards.
“I’m going to get you back.”
“Have at it.” Now he was just plain mean because he stood and pulled his shirt off.
After yesterday’s bone-melting kiss, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t think about him—much. She’d been so stupid to kiss him. It went against her bad idea rule, but she thought maybe if she got it over with, she’d get it out of her system and she’d be a-ok with keeping things platonic. But then he’d kissed her like she’d never been kissed before. Her toes had curled. Every erogenous zone had ached. And her heart? It had reached for him.
“Since we never got to take that hike last night, I thought I’d show you around this morning,” he said, pulling on a long-sleeved shirt.
Shame. She could stare at his muscled shoulders and arms, cut abs and well-defined chest all day. She wanted to run her tongue over every line and groove and press against him, flesh-to-flesh. Find the spots that made him shudder.
Not going to happen, she told herself. She might like the way he looked. And she liked the side of him that he didn’t let a lot of others see. But the person who mattered the most right now was her. You can be whatever you want to be. That meant being independent. Making her own decisions and not getting involved with anyone else. Especially the town’s biggest heartthrob. And heartbreaker. This was only pretend.
Why did he bring you here early then?
“Sounds good.” Last night after they’d dried off from their swim, Shane had started a fire on the beach. He’d cooked them hot dogs and baked beans, told stories about being a Boy Scout until he’d turned twelve and decided girls were more fun than campouts. Girl plus campout, he’d said, his eyes raking over her, were pretty exceptional, though.
Her Accidental Boyfriend: A Secret Wishes Novel (Entangled Bliss) Page 10
