"I did, but he's so young."
"He might be young, but he sure seemed interested in Celeste," Sarah piped in. "And damn, if a man who looked like that even glanced my way, I would be all over him in a heartbeat."
Celeste glanced back over her shoulder to the shop. "He was damn sexy, wasn't he? Mmm."
Nancy shook her head. "Just don't make a fool of yourself."
"Oh, relax, Mom, I'm not going to do anything stupid."
Sarah hip bumped Nancy. "Drop it, let's just move on. We're here to relax and have fun. Think of it like Vegas. What happens in Sayulita stays in Sayulita."
"Sounds good to me," Celeste said. "Let's go explore the beach."
A shell caught her eye and she bent down to pick it up. Celeste trailed her finger over the beautiful pink swirls before sticking the shell in her purse. Glancing down the beach, she spotted a cute little restaurant.
"Let's get some drinks," she said to her friends and plopped down onto a lounge chair in front of one of the many beachfront restaurants. This vacation was all about relaxation and enjoyment and if she stood a chance with Ben, she planned to make the most of it.
CHAPTER TWO
At one p.m., the three women, ready for their lessons, strolled up to the surf shop. Nancy continued to grumble about being too old for this kind of shit. Celeste and Sarah continued to ignore her.
They had all been friends for so long, Celeste had no doubt Nancy would have as much fun as anyone once she started. She just took a little more persuading than most people.
She glanced up and her breath caught in her throat. Ben, looking like lunch, jogged across the beach toward them.
"Afternoon, ladies. I'm just wrapping up another lesson, so why don't you grab a drink and I'll come find you when I'm done."
In typical Nancy fashion, her friend made a grumbling sound which had Ben laughing. "I thought you were going to be all relaxed when you came down today. Remember you're on Mexican time now. Much slower pace, more laid back." He rubbed Nancy's shoulder. "Relax, Chica."
Celeste spread her towel out on the beach and took off her wrap. Lying down on her stomach, she propped herself up on her elbows to watch Ben's lesson. He had his hands full with a group of young women in their early twenties. The women were clearly throwing themselves at their sexy instructor. Celeste winced. God, was that what she looked like? Shit, she hoped not. Women in their forties weren't supposed to act like giggly college coeds.
Several minutes later Ben and his group walked back up the beach toward the surf shop. A leggy blonde trailed her hand along his arm, her breasts barely contained by her tiny striped bikini top. "So what are you doing tonight? Maybe we could hook up with you after you're done with work?"
"Thanks, but I already have plans." He smiled politely and stepped out of her grasp.
She moved closer and ran her hand along his chest. "Well, maybe you want to just come by our room when you're done."
Ben took her hand off his chest. "Sorry, but I'm involved with someone." He gathered up the surfboards under his arms.
Celeste's mouth went dry. Holy cow, muscles much? Like the college girls, Celeste couldn't take her eyes off him. She had definitely picked the right person to teach her to surf. There's nothing like a little eye candy to brighten your day.
"You ladies enjoy the rest of your day."
Blondie huffed when Ben walked away.
Oblivious to the blonde's pouting, Ben stuck the boards in the sand beside Celeste and her friends. His muscles flexed as he dug the boards in to make sure they stayed put. "All right. The easiest way to learn to paddleboard on these kinds of waves is with someone else on the board with you. So let me grab a couple more guys and we'll head out."
All three women watched him walk away. "Nice ass," Sarah muttered.
"Oh yeah," Celeste agreed.
Moments later Ben rejoined the women with two other men each carrying a board and paddle. "Celeste, I'm sorry, I don't know your friends' names."
"Oh. This is Sarah and Nancy," she said, indicating each woman in turn.
"Ladies." Ben tilted his head and smiled. "Sarah, this is Daniel, he's going to help you out and Nancy, this is Carlos, he's going to be your instructor."
His eyes swept over Celeste's body, heating her insides with his sexy look. "Celeste, you get me."
I wish. "Sounds good."
She crossed her arms over her chest to cover the tightening in her breasts. Okay it was official. She was as pathetic as the coeds.
They broke off into their respective pairings. "I didn't realize you needed to be on the board with us to learn."
Ben shrugged. "It depends on what you want to learn. Plus, this way I get you all to myself." He winked at her.
Heat ran across her cheeks and she just knew she was blushing like a school girl.
He chuckled. "Your friend didn't seem all that into surfing, so I thought it would be easier with someone on the board with her." He placed the board on the sand a little way down the beach from her friends. "You seemed like you wouldn't be happy unless you were carving the waves and that's pretty hard to do by yourself at first, so this way everyone should be happy."
Ben motioned for her to come closer to him. "First thing you need to learn is to get your balance. Hop on."
She eyed the board on the ground skeptically. "I know I've never done this, but I thought the board was supposed to go in the water."
"We'll get to that. First you just need to get a feel for the board and where your feet should be."
He placed his hand on her hip. The heat from his palm seared her skin, making her gasp. Instead of removing his hand, his fingers caressed her hip. So this was the magic he used to make the girls swoon at his feet. Oh, he was good. She could see why all the girls fell under his spell.
Screw it, she was on vacation. What was the harm in a little flirtation? "So you have a girlfriend?" she asked.
"What? No, I'm single. What about you? You don't have a ring and I'm assuming since you're in Mexico with the girls, you're unattached."
"I'm single. But I thought you told your last lesson you were taken."
He looked at the ground and wrinkled his nose before looking back at her. "Umm..." He cleared his throat. "I lied. I didn't want to hurt her feelings and tell her I just wasn't interested."
"But she was gorgeous." Where she came from guys didn't disregard the advances of a hot chick. God, she was out of practice. If he wasn't interested in that girl there was no way she stood a chance.
He shrugged. "She was all right." He stepped closer to Celeste. "I was kind of hoping to get to know you a little bit better though."
"Me?" She gulped, unable to get air into her lungs. Holy shit.
"Celeste, why do you think I'm doing a solo lesson?"
"Wow." She stumbled off the edge of the board and laughed nervously. "Good thing we're ground locked." Geez, the man was potent.
Celeste glanced at her friends and snorted as Nancy tumbled off the board into the water. Sarah started laughing so hard she soon followed suit.
He laughed. "Honestly, it's much easier than your friend made it seem."
Celeste stepped onto the board. Testing the way it moved against the sand, she began to get a feel for the balance of the board. "Okay, I think I've got this part."
Hopping off the board, she waited for Ben to put it into the shallow water. "Straddle the board. When you feel like you are seated safely then get onto your knees, get your balance and stand up."
Squeals off to the right drew her attention as Sarah tumbled off her board into the water again. Celeste bit her lip. She was so going to make an ass of herself. Having the sexy surf instructor to ogle didn't seem like such a good idea now as she watched her friends make complete fools of themselves with their lack of coordination. She didn't want to lose the flirtatious mood they'd built and making an ass of herself was definitely going to kill it.
He touched her elbow. "Hop on. You'll be fine."
She took a
deep breath and eased her way onto the board. Seating it between her legs, she raised her body up then back down, getting a feel for the board and how it moved in the water. When she finally felt as if she was ready, she looked at Ben for her next instruction.
The look on his face made her mouth go dry. Moisture pooled in her core and she shifted on the board. The movements immediately made her think about being in the same position but with her surf instructor between her thighs. A groan rumbled from his chest. Her nipples beaded tightly at the raw, animalistic sound.
Never before had she had such an instant reaction to someone. Her entire body went on alert, begging to be taken. She didn't even care that he was a stranger and this was a crowded beach. The pull was so strong.
Not knowing what else to do, she flipped off the board into the cold water. The shock of the water surrounding her brought her out of her sensual fog. She stood, pushed her hair back from her face and glanced at Ben with a shy smile.
How pathetic. She was forty-one years old and practically had an orgasm from him looking at her. It had definitely been too long since she'd had sex. Clearly the toys just weren't cutting it.
He smiled back at her with an amused smirk. "Better?"
"Yep, I think so."
He laughed and gripped the edge of the board. "Let's try that again but maybe try to get up on your knees quicker this time."
Heat slid across her neck and face. God, she really was pathetic. "Right."
Celeste grabbed the board, threw her leg over the edge and quickly got up onto her knees. When she had a good hold, she shifted her weight. Ben groaned beside her. She glanced back over her shoulder to where he stood behind the board. "What?"
"That's not any better." His eyes were almost black, his jaw clenched, and he shifted his body in the water. "Try to stand up."
Wow. She swallowed. He wanted her. Holy shit.
She pushed herself upright. When she started to lose her balance, she instinctively spread her feet wider. Finally she felt steady. The waves rocked the board beneath her, but she managed to stay on. Delighted by her victory, she squealed.
Ben laughed. "Good job." He handed her the paddle. "Use this for balance if you need to." A bigger wave came toward them, and he let go of the board. When it rocked her, she stuck the paddle in the water to stay upright.
"Did you see that? I didn't fall off."
He grinned. "I saw. Now see if you can start to paddle yourself."
She glided through the water, staying away from the area of the beach with the larger swells.
"All right, let's go deeper," Ben said, gripping the edge of the board.
Her nipples tightened again at the double meaning of his words. Damn, she was like a sex-starved fiend around this man. He grinned at her with a wicked smile that told her he knew exactly what effect he had on her.
"You ready to take a ride with me?" he asked her.
Anytime.
"Definitely." She fought the urge to rub her legs together to ease the ache.
Ben smiled his sexy-as-sin grin at her again and straddled the back of her board. He jumped upright in a move so practiced and smooth it had her sighing as she imagined all the things a man with that kind of coordination could do in bed.
He paddled them out into the deeper waves. Turning the board around, he handed her the paddle and stepped toward her on the board. "I need to be in the front," he said.
Clasping her arms, he moved up close to her and eased his body against hers. "Hi," he said with a grin as he pressed up tightly to her to keep them both from falling off the board as he moved by.
"Hi." Her response came out in a wispy breath that didn't even sound like her.
"Hold on. You are going to love this." He squeezed her arm and stepped to the front of the board and turned to her with his back facing the shore. "Hold the paddle behind the board a bit to keep us upright. I'll keep the board moving where we want it to go."
Ben watched the waves coming up behind her. "Ready, here comes your wave."
When the wave rocked up behind them, grabbing hold of the board and propelling them toward the beach, she stumbled. He quickly moved toward her to hold her steady. As the board shifted beneath them, he moved to the front, stabilizing the movement. Ben moved his body up and down the board in perfect synchronization with the waves. With his guidance, they rode the wave all the way in.
Her cheeks hurt from smiling, but she couldn't seem to wipe the grin from her face. Ben jumped off the board and turned to her. "So what did you think? Judging from your face you liked it."
"Wow. That was unreal." She dropped her body down so she was closer to eye level with him. "Let's go again."
"Let's do it." He spun the board back around. It took several more tries before she was able to time her paddling without Ben telling her when. Just as she was starting to get a feel for it, her friends came toward her.
"Wow, look at you," Sarah called out.
"Good job, Cel. Sarah and I are done," Nancy told her.
Celeste glanced around. Sarah and Nancy were alone. Damn it.
Their instructors walked across the beach with the boards and paddles. There was no way she could change their minds. She wasn't ready to be done learning to do this, and she certainly wasn't ready for her time with Ben to be over. "Really?"
"Yeah." Sarah smiled up at her. "You looked amazing out there. I couldn't even get upright without Daniel pulling me up and the second he let go of my hand, I canned out. Nancy was no better. We just do not have what it takes to do this."
"Damn," Celeste mumbled.
"Why don't you stay and finish your lesson? We'll grab some drinks on the beach and wait for you," Sarah continued.
Celeste looked at Ben then at her friends then back at Ben. His amused smile dared her to continue with her lesson. She stood up straighter on her board, her hand shifting the paddle instinctively to remain steady. She really wanted to continue. "If you guys are sure?"
Nancy looked warily between Celeste and Ben. Sarah smacked her on the arm then grinned at Celeste. "We're sure."
Turning in the water, they made their way to the beach. Just before they reached it, Sarah glanced back. "Have fun."
Watching her friends go, Celeste sighed. She'd really hoped her friends would like surfing because this was exactly how she wanted to spend her vacation. Not shopping, or getting drunk on the beach, but this. The physical exertion of gliding through the waves was like nothing she'd ever felt before. And spending time with a hot guy was the icing on the cake of an already amazing day.
"You ready to head back out?" Ben's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Absolutely."
CHAPTER THREE
Celeste flopped down onto the beach. "God, that was amazing, but I don't think I can do anymore. I thought I was in better shape than I am."
Ben trailed his eyes over her body. From where he was standing, she looked as if she were in damn good shape. "You did great."
She peeked her eyes open. Placing her hand across her eyebrow, she squinted up at him. "You think so?" A slow smile spread across her full lips. "Thanks. Paddle boarding was amazing, now I really can't wait to try surfing." She glanced up the beach in the direction of the restaurant her friends had gone to. "I don't think I'll be able to convince the girls to try it though."
Ben snorted a laugh. "I doubt it. Just let me know when you want to go out, and I'd be more than happy to teach you." He kind of hoped her friends didn't want to come along. The idea of spending time alone with Celeste was incredibly appealing.
She propped herself up on her elbows while she lay on the sand. "I'd like that." Her gaze travelled from his feet, slowly up his body. The slow sensual perusal of his body had his cock hardening instantly. He shifted, angling the board slightly in front of him to cover his obvious arousal.
"So, what do you ladies have planned for the rest of the day?"
Celeste looked down the beach again. When she turned back to him, her nose wrinkled up in a look
of disappointment. "I don't know, probably dinner out and some drinks. Is there someplace good to go?"
"The restaurant next door to the surf shop has live music and a dance floor, so it can be a lot of fun. It gets pretty wild some nights."
She grimaced. "I don't think that's what my friends had in mind. Is there something that would appeal a little more to my generation?"
Ben burst out laughing. "You make it sound as if you're ready for a home."
"Your coworkers seemed to think we were."
"They're idiots." He was going to have to have a talk with them when he got back to the shop.
His eyes lingered on her breasts, how her nipples protruded through her bikini, and she shivered beneath his scrutiny, goose bumps pooling on her skin. Nice. She was just as affected by him as he was by her. "I'd say you have a lot of good years left on you."
She laughed. "Geez, thanks."
He winked at her. "You should come tonight. That's where I'll be. I think you'd have a lot of fun."
She nibbled her bottom lip between her teeth. Letting it go, she took a deep breath. He crouched down in front of her and ran his thumb across her bottom lip. Her eyes flared with heat at the contact. Lust surged through him. He typically tried to avoid hooking up with vacationers, there was just no point since it couldn't go anywhere. But there was something about Celeste that made him want to throw that idea out the window. He couldn't remember the last time he'd wanted a woman this badly. "Come tonight. I promise I'll make sure you're glad you did."
She tilted her head and studied him then sighed. "Ben, as tempting as that is. I'm considerably older than you."
He shrugged. "And?"
"Are you even legal?" Avoiding eye contact, she fidgeted with the tie of her wrap.
He laughed loudly. "I'm twenty-seven, Celeste. I've been legal for quite some time. Definitely old enough. Does the age thing really matter?" He eased closer to her, invading her space. "You're on vacation. Why not enjoy all it has to offer?" Man, he hoped she'd take him up on his offer.
Sex, Sin and Surf Page 2
