Between Us: Sex on the Beach

by Jen McLaughlin

  After a few seconds she turned to me, her green eyes pinning me in place, and a smile playing at those luscious pink lips of hers. She had freckles on her nose. I’d never seen those in any videos. She must hide them with makeup. I had no idea why. They were endearing. The smile faded. “Um, hi.” She gave a tiny wave. “So, why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Like what?” I asked quickly, not sure what I’d done.

  She thought about it. “I don’t know. It’s almost as if you can’t figure me out or something.”

  I laughed. “That’s because I can’t. That’s not a bad thing. I find you intriguing.”

  She tapped her fingers on her thigh. She was only wearing a bikini. Her skirt thing she’d been wearing was draped across her arm. “There’s nothing to figure out. I’m just a girl.”

  “And I’m just a guy. Right?”

  She nodded. “A special one, but yeah.”

  Before I could ask her what she meant by that, the elevator dinged. She headed into the hallway and marched up to her door, swiping her keycard through the slot again. I was glad to be the hell out of that box. I scanned the hallway, taking in the layout. There was only one other room up here, and the floor was fucking huge. This was the only hotel I knew of that actually had a penthouse suite, but I’d never been in it. How big was her room, anyway?

  I had a feeling it might be bigger than my whole house.

  Once the lock flashed green and beeped, I pushed it open for her. With a quick search of the living room area, it was confirmed. It was definitely bigger than my house. After she tossed her key, hat, and skirt on the table by the door, she turned on me, looking nervous.

  “Okay.” She wrung her hands. “So…there will be some rules.”

  I shut the door behind me and crossed my arms. “Rules?”

  “Yeah.” She tilted her chin up. “I’ve heard horrible stories about people taking pictures and videos without girls knowing, so I have some ground rules. No cameras or phones in the bedroom.”

  I was impressed she’d thought this through so thoroughly. I held my phone up and tossed it next to hers. “All right. Done.”

  “Empty your pockets.”

  I cocked a brow. “Is this your idea of foreplay? If so, you need a few lessons.”

  “It’s just how it has to be.” She wrung her hands again and nibbled on her lower lip. “I’ve seen too many friends get screwed over by guys, so I always play it safe. Something else my daddy taught me before he died.”

  I wanted to know more, but I already knew enough. I’d Googled it last night. He’d been killed in a car accident a couple of years ago. Mackenzie was alone now. I knew how that felt all too well, in some ways. “He taught you to strip search men before sex? That was quite the liberal father you had.”

  “No.” She gave me a small smile. “But he taught me to always be smart and never get caught in compromising situations. It’s a lesson I’ll never forget.”

  “Fair enough.” I emptied my pockets, turning them inside out to show her I wasn’t hiding anything. I couldn’t help but be grateful I hadn’t shoved much in my swim trunks. Just my keys, phone, and some cash. “See? All gone.”

  She nodded. “Thank you for your understanding. Now follow me.”

  “As you wish, milady,” I said, bowing to her playfully. “I’m at your service.”

  She shot me a weird look and I laughed. She was so delightfully paranoid that it was cute. I got that she wanted to be in control of the situation. I even understood it, considering her position in life. For now, I would let her have her way. I would let her boss me around. But once we were behind closed doors, I would be the one in control.

  After all, it’s how she liked it. She’d told me as much.

  She led me in to the bedroom, motioning me inside. Then she shut the door behind her and leaned against it, her cheeks pink. She gripped the knob behind her, seeming torn. “There’s something you should know. I’m…I’m a…”

  I didn’t want her to tell me who she was. She didn’t need to tell me a thing about herself, because I didn’t plan on telling her anything about me. Fair was fair. I cupped her cheek, meeting her eyes. “I don’t need to know whatever it is you’re afraid to say. All I need to know is where you keep the condoms, because I’ve got empty pockets.”

  Her lips twitched into a small smile. “I bought a few boxes and put them by the bed.” Her hand lifted then fell, and her cheeks went even redder. “I wasn’t sure what type you’d prefer…”

  I smiled and backed her toward the bed. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she had never done this before, but I knew otherwise. She’d been found with a guy a few months ago, naked and in the throes of passion inside some club. I’d read the story. She was no young miss who hadn’t seen a man naked.

  Maybe she was just nervous. I could fix that. I tipped her head back with my thumbs under her chin. “Mackenzie?”

  “Yeah?” she breathed, her voice soft.

  “Close your eyes. Let me take control.”

  She swallowed hard and did as I asked, her hands balled into tight little fists. “Okay. What now?”

  I looked at her for a second, simply enjoying her beauty. Then I did what I’d been dying to do ever since I walked away last night. I kissed her, and this time I didn’t hold myself back. As soon as our lips met, I slipped my tongue inside her mouth and pressed her back against the bed.

  We fell on to it, her arms tight around me, and I deepened the kiss. Her tongue touched mine, hesitantly at first, but then she groaned and swirled it around mine. She tasted so fucking good. I’d kissed plenty of girls. I’d had plenty of spring break flings. But this? This one girl?

  She felt different.

  And it wasn’t because she was famous. Hell, I didn’t give a shit about that. If anything, it made me want to avoid her. The attention being at her side could bring to me wasn’t welcome. I had lots of reasons to avoid cameras, lots of darkness in my past that I didn’t want shared with the world, but I didn’t want to avoid her. I don’t think I could have even if I knew it would end badly.

  Her nails dug into the back of my neck, stinging, and she wrapped her legs around my waist. There was no more hesitance or nervousness.

  There was just us.

  HOLY CRAP.

  This was what I’d been waiting for all this time. Austin was the man I’d needed all along to be my first. I’d never felt this way. I’d never felt so irreparably turned on and needy and hungry all at once. He pulled me closer to his erection, pressing against me where I ached for his touch.

  And oh my God, what an erection it was. I could feel his hard length against me, burning me through the flimsy bikini I’d worn for him. I rolled my hips against him, my body quivering at the pleasure the motion shot through me.

  He broke off the kiss, his lips moving down my jaw and over my shoulder blade. I moaned and arched my neck, granting him better access. Anything to make him keep going. I wanted to feel his lips all over my skin, burning through me. Claiming me. His hand skimmed down my thigh, then crept up the inside.

  I had a feeling that this could be more than sex, if either of us allowed it to be. The hold he had over me was strong. Stronger than I’d expected or even thought was possible. “Austin…” I breathed. I didn’t even recognize my own voice. “Please. I need you.”

  “Are you sure you want this?” he asked, his lips pressed to my pulse. “Tell me to stop now if you’re not.”

  I buried my hands in his hair and yanked his head back up to mine. “Yes, I’m sure. Just do it already.”

  His mouth smashed down on mine, claiming me without another word. His fingers brushed over my core, and even through the fabric I could feel his touch searing me. When he brushed against my clit, his finger moving in a circular motion, I whimpered in to his mouth and skimmed my fingers down his back. I curved my hands around his butt, holding him in place.

  He wasn’t going anywhere.

  His other hand cupped my breast, squeez
ing the aching nipple as he moved his fingers over me. I was strung so tightly I knew, I just knew, I could come with only a few more touches from him. I could feel myself tightening and growing more and more desperate for what he could give me. I arched my back. “Austin.”

  He slid his fingers inside the bikini bottoms, his mouth moving over mine insistently as his finger traced my opening. “You’re so fucking hot,” he said, his voice gruff. “So fucking perfect.”

  “M-More,” I begged, my legs opening even wider. “God, I need more.”

  He grunted and rubbed his thumb over me, fast and hard. I cried out and raked my nails over his back, my head tossing back and forth as the pleasure crashed over me, taking me higher and higher until I wasn’t even sure if I was still on this planet. My stomach tightened, and my legs shook and then…

  Oh my God, then it all came apart with startling intensity. I let out a cry that sounded half prayer and half plea, clinging to him and burying my face in his shoulder. His fingers froze over me, applying a slight pressure, and I let out a choked sigh.

  So that was an orgasm. Holy freaking crap.

  “Fuck, Mackenzie.” He moved lower down my body, kissing his way down my shoulder and toward my breasts. “That was hot.”

  I let out a sound of agreement, my whole body feeling completely limp from the orgasm he’d just given me…and yet somehow, still wanting more. I might not have firsthand experience, but I knew what I wanted. And it involved his swim trunks going away.

  I grabbed a hold of them and yanked. “Lose these.”

  He nipped at the top of my breast and pushed off the bed with one smooth motion. Geez, everything he did was so freaking hot and sexy and he wasn’t even trying. His hands hovered at the waistband, and he ran his gaze up my body. He looked so irresistible, standing there staring at me as if I was his reward for good behavior or something. I took a deep breath and memorized the way he looked.

  I needed to write a song about this moment.

  He stood beside me, his eyes hot and burning.

  It filled me with so much—

  “If I’m taking mine off, you need to take something off too,” he said, interrupting my composing. That’s okay. I could do it later. He played with the strings on his trunks. “The top or the bottom. You can pick.”

  My heart rate increased. Last time I’d tried to do this, I’d been caught naked inside Heaven—oh, the irony of that—with the asshole who’d sold me out. What if Austin didn’t like what he saw? What if I wasn’t ready? Hell no. I wasn’t backing down now. The only way to continue this was to push through without hesitation.

  I forced a smile and lifted my hips. “I choose both.”

  His hands fisted on his trunks. “Do it,” he rasped.

  I reached down and shimmied out of my bottoms, not letting myself hesitate or wimp out. He wanted to see me naked, and I wanted him to see me. It was as simple as that. After I kicked off the bottoms, I reached behind me and undid the strings at my neck, then my back. The whole time I did this, he stood there watching me, his jaw ticking.

  I looked at him. Really looked at him. His body was hard and toned and freaking perfect. I’d seen lots of men over the years. Some with six-packs, some with paunchy bellies, and everything in between. But I’d never seen him. His tattoos ran over his pecs and his muscular arms, but I’d already seen that. His brown hair was as soft as it looked—I knew that now—and his blue eyes were hot for me. His bare thighs were rock hard and devoid of any ink, and his erection jutted out from a small patch of curls, begging to be touched and stroked.

  “Take it off,” he demanded, still holding the waistband of his trunks, probably ready to pull them back up if I didn’t follow his instructions. I held the scraps of fabric to my breasts with one hand, the other flailing uselessly at my side. “I need to see you. All of you.”

  I dropped it. He took a shaky breath, his eyes narrow, and he yanked his trunks the rest of the way off. He was naked. Perfectly, startlingly naked. “Fuck. Who knew America’s Sweetheart was hiding the body of a pinup model under those cute dresses?”

  I stiffened. “What did you just call me?”

  “Huh?” He climbed onto the bed, his eyes latched with mine. Then he stopped, his own going wide. “Mackenzie…”

  “You know? Oh my God. No, no, no.” I scrambled away from him, ripping the robe off the chair by my bed. I shrugged into it and hugged it tight, searching the room for cameras. But then I remembered there couldn’t be any. He’d taken everything out of his pockets. I squeezed my eyes shut, closing out the world—and him, too. “God, not again.”

  I couldn’t be betrayed again. Couldn’t see it blasted all over the tabloids again.

  Finally, I opened my eyes and looked at him. He sat there, naked in the middle of my bed, looking perfectly calm about it, and lifted a hand. “Mackenzie, calm down. This isn’t what it looks like.”

  What would the headline read now? Probably: America’s Sweetheart Is An Idiot! That’s what it should say, because once again, a guy who I was trying to get intimate with had lied to me. Maybe I was destined to be single and alone, and I just had to accept that. “How long have you known?”

  He flinched. “Since the second you took off your hat.”

  “Of course you did,” I said woodenly. I’d never learn my lesson, would I? “I should call the cops on you right now.”

  He stiffened. “I didn’t do anything wrong, so calling the cops is a waste of time.”

  “You know who I am,” I accused. “But you didn’t tell me.”

  He rolled off the opposite side of the bed and sighed. “Yeah, and that’s totally a punishable crime. Lock me up for not admitting I knew you were famous.”

  Well, when he put it that way, of course it sounded stupid. Because it was. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

  He put his hands on his hips. He was still naked. “I didn’t tell you because you didn’t tell me. You obviously didn’t want to. Why should I ruin the mood by admitting I knew? What good would it serve?”

  “It’s called honesty,” I snapped. I wanted to believe him, but if he’d been hiding that from me, then what else could he be hiding? For all I knew he was a freaking reporter for TMZ or something. “You should try it sometime.”

  “Seriously?” He raised a brow. He was so freaking distracting in his nakedness. I mean, how was I not supposed to look at him? “You’re going to preach honesty with me when you hid your identity from me?”

  “I did it for a reason,” I said, my cheeks heating.

  “Maybe I did, too.” He picked up his trunks and stepped into them. “Ever think of that? Or do you have to be a celebrity to be entitled to lie?”

  He stepped toward me. When I stumbled back from him, my heart racing, he stopped and glowered at me. I flushed at the sign of weakness I’d given him. “Just…stay there. I can’t think when you touch me.”

  He dragged a hand through his hair. “Fine. But knowing who you are doesn’t change anything. I’m still here, and I still want you. You can trust me not to tell anyone or sell the story, just like you could have if you never found out I knew who you were.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t trust you anymore. You lied to me.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sakes,” he gritted out. Then he crossed the room and grabbed my arms, his grip firm but not painful. “I’m not going to sell you out, but I’m not going to fucking beg you either. Like I said, in my world, you’re in or you’re out.”

  I wanted to be in, but he’d already lied to me once. That was a warning sign if I’d ever seen one. I put a hand to his chest, but didn’t shove him away. I could have, but I didn’t. “Well, I’m out.”

  He kissed me hard, his tongue dueling for dominance with mine. By the time he was done, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to send him away or throw him back onto my bed. “You know how to find me if you come to your fucking senses. I’d like to finish what we started, but if you refuse to trust me, I can’t force you. Believe it or not, I don
’t usually have to swear to honesty to get in a girl’s bed. And I damn well don’t have to beg.” His fingers smoothed over my skin, and then he let go of me. “Goodbye, Mackenzie Forbes.”

  He gave me one last heated look and turned on his heel. I stood there, watching him leave, and bit my lip. Damned if I didn’t want to call him back to my room.

  But I stayed silent.

  LATER THAT night, I swiped the rag across the surface of the bar, pressing a little harder than necessary, even though the surface was pretty damn clean already. There were only a handful of locals sitting there, and it had been slow all night. Normally I’d be bummed, but tonight I welcomed it.

  Ever since Mackenzie had kicked me out of her room, I’d been in a bad mood.

  I tossed the rag over my shoulder and scanned the crowd. At first I passed right over her, completely missing her. But then I caught sight of her oversized hat and I did a double take. Yep, that was definitely her. And she was staring at me.

  I wanted to go up to her and ask if she was here to finish what we’d started earlier, but I refused to give in to the urge. She was the one who’d told me to leave, so I had. If she wanted to talk again, she could damn well come up to me. The last hour of my shift passed slowly, and she spent most of it on her phone, her fingers sweeping over the screen without fail.

  The rest of the time, she watched me.

  I could feel her eyes burning into me as I chatted up the customers and laughed. Every time I talked to one of the female regulars, Mackenzie grew tense and her fingers would hover over the screen instead of touching it. I might not be an expert at relationships and all the shit that came with them, but I was pretty damn positive that she was actually jealous. Of a woman who, more often than not, required help into a cab at the end of the night because she’d be that fucked up.