Meet Me at the Beach (Seashell Bay)

by V. K. Sykes

  Now though, late at night, it couldn’t have been more tranquil and perfect. The sliver of a moon threw only the faintest of lights, but it didn’t matter. Lily could have navigated this area blind and so, obviously, could Aiden. Even though they’d slowed to a stroll, he led her confidently down to the beach.

  Lily took off her shoes and left them at the path. Aiden did the same, then took her hand again as they wandered along the edge of the water. Although he seemed comfortable with the silence—and with holding her hand in his warm clasp—Lily’s anxieties finally got the better of her.

  “You know this isn’t your fault, Aiden. Don’t you? None of this is your fault.”

  He gave an absent nod, almost as if he wasn’t really listening. “A big part of me just wants to sell my land and head back home. That way Bram will get the money he needs, and I’ll never have to lay eyes on the old man again.”

  She tugged on his hand, exerting just enough pressure to let him know she wanted him to turn and face her. Some instinct whispered that he wasn’t yet ready to give up on Seashell Bay and that he needed her to help him work it through.

  “But what about the other part of you?” she asked softly.

  Though Aiden didn’t say anything, he did turn to look at her.

  Lily rested her other hand on his chest, just for a moment, before dropping it to her side. “I hope you don’t go. I really, really hope you don’t.”

  There, I’ve said it.

  Aiden’s gaze roamed over her face. Even though it was so dark, her vision had adjusted, and she thought she saw yearning in his expression and a hunger that hadn’t diminished over the years.

  Then he gently released her hand. “But you know I have to,” he said in a low voice.

  That short, brutal exchange summed up everything. Impulsively, she’d taken the risk and put her feelings out there, but his answer hadn’t changed.

  Clearly she was an idiot because instead of stepping away from him, instead of taking her cue from the gentle rejection, she moved closer and slipped her arms around his waist. It was the dumbest thing she could imagine doing, but she did it anyway.

  Because it was Aiden, and it was a beautiful, summer night in Seashell Bay. It was their past and their present all coming together in a tangled web of starlight, pushing her to claim the moment they’d been too afraid to grasp that long-ago night.

  “Stay for a little while anyway,” she whispered.

  For several agonizing seconds, it seemed that fate held them in the balance. Then Aiden let out a huge breath and folded his arms around her, holding her tight. “For a while,” he murmured, brushing his lips across her temple. His masculine stubble softly chafed her skin, making her shiver.

  Torn between heartache and relief, Lily turned her face up. Aiden captured her lips in a kiss that went from tentative and sweet to hot and passionate in the space of a few heartbeats, as she’d known it would. The feel of his mouth on hers, his tongue sliding inside to claim her with a fierce, almost desperate possession, transported her back to that night when they’d finally said yes to each other. It felt wild and new and yet so familiar in the best possible way. The years between them dropped away, almost as if he’d never left.

  Just like riding a bike.

  That crazy thought made her giggle.

  Aiden nuzzled her lips, sweeping his tongue across them with a hot lick before he eased back a bit. “What’s so funny, Lily-girl?” he asked with a mock growl as he let his big hands drift down to cup her butt.

  She smiled at his old nickname for her, even as she shivered at the feel of his hands stroking her. He nudged her hips tight against his oh-so-muscular body. That did delicious things to her insides, making her grow soft and damp.

  “Nothing,” she whispered. “Well, maybe I’m just a little nervous.”

  “There’s nothing to be nervous about, babe,” he said in a husky voice. He gently squeezed her ass. “It’s just me.”

  Easy for him to say.

  But she knew it wasn’t easy. The dark, almost brooding expression on his handsome features seemed to war with the hot desire she saw there too. The last thing she wanted him to do was start thinking again, to second-guess himself. If Aiden pulled back this time, Lily was sure she would die from a combination of frustrated lust and heartfelt disappointment.

  She slid her hands around his neck and pulled him back down to her mouth, desperate to taste him. Energy sparked between them, hot and wanton, as his tongue surged into her. In a nanosecond, the kiss turned raw, openmouthed, and delicious. Lily sucked his tongue into her mouth, greedily making up for the years apart. She’d had a thousand dreams like this—she and Aiden in each other’s arms, finally leaping over all the stupid fences they’d let their families and Seashell Bay put up between them.

  Aiden’s hands slid to her waist and lifted her onto the tips of her toes, pulling her even closer. The feel of his erection nudging her, right in that perfect spot, felt like a long, cold drink of water after a punishing drought. Lily whimpered into his mouth and plastered her body to his, loving the wet slide of their tongues, the heat rising between them. She wound her arms tightly around him and slid one leg up to curl along his muscled thigh. Her skirt slid up, and the crisp cotton of his pants brushing against her bare inner thigh pulsed a hard shiver of sensation through her body.

  He growled deep in his throat then clamped a hand on the back of her thigh, his long fingers tangled in the flimsy fabric of her skirt. Every touch sparked a delicious fire. Lily wanted to rip her clothes off and rub every part of herself against his wicked-hard body. She squirmed just thinking about it and went from damp to wet in an instant. God, she needed him to touch her there—and soon—or she’d probably lose what little control she had left.

  As if sensing her need, he clamped his hands on her ass and lifted her another inch to bring the rock-hard bulge in his pants into direct contact with her sex. A sweet little contraction pulsed deep inside her, a delicious harbinger of things to come. Wanting more—so much more—she angled her body into him, pleasure and need pulling a soft moan from between her lips.

  The next thing she knew, the world seemed to tilt on its axis. Her eyes popped open—she didn’t even know she’d closed them—to see Aiden bringing her down to the sand, one strong arm behind her back, the other sweeping under her thighs in a powerful move that had her flat on her back a second later. She lay sprawled on the sand with Aiden straddling her hips as he tugged a few buttons loose on his shirt before he impatiently yanked it over his head.

  One of his big hands wrapped around her shoulder. “Lift up, babe,” he ordered in a darkly sensual voice.

  He helped her lift as he shoved his shirt underneath her upper body and head. She couldn’t help smiling. Lily didn’t mind getting a little sandy—okay, a lot sandy—as long as she did it with him. Still, the unconsciously thoughtful gesture made her melt. It was just so typically Aiden.

  With a happy sigh, Lily greedily ran her hands over his broad chest, tracing the outline of his pecs and then trailing her fingers over his six-pack and down to his belt. Her hands shook as she went for his buckle, fumbling to get it open.

  “None of that,” he rasped, gently pushing her hands away.

  Lily’s heart stuttered, afraid he was having second thoughts. But he simply came down onto the sand, stretching alongside her. A cool breeze blew in from the cove but she felt only warmth—from the heat of his body and from his hands as they started to move over her.

  “I want to see you, Lily-girl,” he whispered as he slowly pulled her flimsy skirt up over her hips. He took in her tiny, black lace panties and once more growled low and deliciously deep in his throat. “Man, that’s the prettiest damn thing I’ve seen in a long time.”

  When he dragged his fingers right over her happy spot, a bolt of sensation zinged deep in her core. Gasping, she arched up, stunned how close she was to the edge.

  He let out a husky, teasing laugh as he cupped her sex. “Not yet, babe. I’
m not anywhere close to being finished with you.”

  Lily could only let out a whimper, her heart already racing like an engine at full throttle. She clutched his shoulders and stared up at him, trying to imprint both his face and the moment in her memory. It was as good as she’d ever imagined, as good as all those long years ago. Better, because they were no longer a pair of dumb, hormonally addled teenagers, half drunk on beer and each other, rushing toward the finish line.

  And because tonight they would truly finish it, not holding anything back from each other. Now they knew exactly what they were doing, and the slow, sexy movement of Aiden’s hand on her body suggested he had no intention of rushing anything.

  With his big hand possessively spanning the width of her belly, he leaned down and took her mouth in a raw, hot kiss that stunned her with its intensity. It was openmouthed, wet, and hot, and he kissed her like a man who’d been holding himself back for a long time. Lily moaned into his mouth, her body starting to shake with a barely controlled sexual need that had her dragging him down on top of her, his übermasculine body crushing her into the sand.

  It still wasn’t enough.

  With a trembling hand, she fumbled for the side zipper on the bodice of her dress. She needed to be out of it, needed to feel his hands on her breasts.

  With a soothing murmur, Aiden pulled back slightly from the kiss. His fingers brushed hers away and eased the zipper down. When he rolled off her, Lily immediately missed the heat and weight of his body, but then he slipped the dress straps from her shoulders and worked down the top low enough to expose her breasts. With the fitted bodice, she hadn’t bothered to wear a bra.

  She clutched his biceps and stared up at him. His gaze roamed over her, drinking her in. Suddenly, she wished it wasn’t so damn dark. Did Aiden like what he saw? With his face obscured by shadows, she couldn’t tell. Lily wasn’t exactly a lingerie model, especially when it came to her boobs. Since Aiden had actually dated lingerie models—and, yes, she’d read about them in the gossip rags—she couldn’t help but wonder if he might be disappointed with her less-than-ample assets.

  “God, Lily,” he rasped. “You are so fucking beautiful.”

  Her heart twisted. “Really?” she whispered.

  He jerked a bit, as if startled. “Of course you are.” Then he laughed—low, soft, and sexy. “But maybe I should just show you.”

  One hand slid up to cup her breast. Her nipple instantly pulled into a tight point. He gently squeezed, pushing her up that much more, and then he leaned over and sucked her into his mouth.

  She gasped as a deep, sexual hunger rolled through her body in response to the play of his lips. Within seconds she felt ready—so ready that she wriggled desperately against him, trying to ease the growing ache between her thighs. But Aiden, damn him, took his sweet time. He licked, sucked, and nibbled at his leisure, while his hand played with her other breast.

  Moaning, Lily gave herself up to it. She wrapped her shaking hands around his head, holding him tight against her. He wound her up as tight as a spring, making her so wet and oh-so-ready for him to be inside her. She’d been waiting forever for this moment. She needed it, needed him, right now.

  “Aiden,” she moaned. She clutched his shoulders, pushing against them. It was like trying to push a rock wall. “I need more,” she gasped in desperation. “Please.”

  After a last nuzzle, he finally pulled back, almost reluctantly, she thought. He braced himself, leaning over her, his dark hair mussed from her wandering hands.

  When he didn’t move, staying there gazing down at her, Lily’s heart sank and every muscle in her body went tight with frustration.

  Please, God, don’t let him be having second thoughts.

  Not again, not like their last time together, the night before he’d left for good. That time they’d both called a halt to the proceedings just before they reached the point of no return, too worried about what would happen if they crossed that final barrier. But that was then and this was now. She was so ready—more than ready to be with him in every way, regardless of the consequences.

  But if he wasn’t, if he pulled back, she just might kill him.

  “Aiden, please,” she whispered again, her voice raw with yearning. She should hate that she sounded so needy, but right now she didn’t care. All she cared about was Aiden. “What—”

  He swooped down and planted another hot lick of a kiss across her lips. “Hush, Lily,” he murmured. “I’ll take care of you.”

  When his hand slid down across her belly and slipped between her thighs, she whimpered out her relief. His fingers nudged under the lace of her panties to move skilfully over her wet flesh.

  “Oh, oh,” she panted. “That’s so good.”

  “Open your legs for me, babe,” he said, his voice so deep it seemed to vibrate through her. “I want to feel all of you.”

  God, she could practically come from that hot, sexy voice alone.

  She did what he wanted, letting her legs fall wide open. He slid his hand into her panties and pressed two fingers into her while his palm nudged up against her sweet spot.

  As she started to rock against him, he leaned down to her again, capturing her mouth in a kiss so bone-meltingly raw that she could feel tears start to prickle her eyes. In this moment, nothing stood between them—not family, not the island, not the opposing choices that had pulled them away from each other. There was only the sea and the beach and a sky full of stars overhead.

  Lily started to shake, her body pulling tight, right on the brink. His fingers slid through her moisture with the perfect rhythm, then he pushed his fingers back inside. Arching up, she moaned against his lips.

  “That’s it, Lily-girl,” he murmured against her mouth. “Come for me now. Come hard.”

  Her eyes flew open, and she stared up into his gorgeous face. Then he twisted his hand, just a little, just right, and she crested the wave. It flowed over her, tumbling her to the edge of pleasure. She grabbed his arms and dug in, curling her body up to him as she choked out a cry.

  “Jesus, Lily, you’re so beautiful.”

  His voice vibrated with emotion—with need, she thought, maybe even sadness. It brought the tears stinging back to her eyes, and she had to blink them away even as she struggled to bring her trembling body under control.

  Tentatively, she brought her hands to his chest then slipped them down to his belt. When she started to undo it, he covered her hand with his.

  “Don’t,” he said.

  Lily froze. They stared at each other, and she read his decision in the grim set to his mouth. She had no doubt that he wanted her. She could feel the evidence of that desire pressing huge and hot against her thigh, and she sensed his frustration in the way he rigidly held himself above her.

  It wasn’t much consolation.

  She should feel stunned by his decision. But somehow, she didn’t. She should have known he’d pull away, because that was what Aiden did.

  It was what he always did. He did it to protect himself, and she’d always understood and accepted that. But not now, because this time he’d stripped all her protection away, leaving her open and vulnerable.

  And alone. Again.

  With a heavy sigh, he lowered himself to the sand and rolled onto his back. They were only inches apart but it might as well have been miles.

  Burning with embarrassment, Lily sat up and flipped her skirt down over her thighs. Then she started to pull up her bodice. When he reached over to help her, she flicked his hand away.

  “Don’t,” she said, echoing him.

  “Lily, I’m sorry,” he said.

  The regret in his voice made her want to cringe, cry, or bash him over the head. None of those options were particularly appealing—well, except possibly for the head bashing—so she decided that the almost-silent treatment was probably best. That way she wouldn’t be tempted to blurt out something she might regret later.

  “Forget it,” she said in a brisk tone as she zipped up. She t
hought it was a miracle that she could force the words past her tight vocal cords.

  Once she got her dress sorted out, she pushed herself to her feet and started brushing the sand off the back of her skirt. Aiden silently rose and picked up his crumpled shirt. He gave it a quick shake then pulled it on without bothering to do up the rest of the buttons, leaving his muscular chest and abs exposed. In the dim light of the moon, he looked frustrated, sorry, and so totally hot and sexy that she wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all.

  She turned away to head back to the parking lot. Aiden stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Hold up a minute, Lily. Isn’t it about time you told me what you want for winning the bet?”

  She whipped around and stared at him. “Un-freaking-believable. Really? That’s what you want to talk about right now?”

  He shoved his hands into his pockets and gave a fair attempt at a casual shrug. But the tense line of his mouth—a mouth still damp from her kisses—told her another story.

  “For the moment, yeah,” he said. “Besides, it’s probably not a good time to talk about what just happened. There’s already been too much drama for one night.”

  Okay, now she was really getting pissed. It amazed her how stupid guys could be, even smart ones like Aiden. “Drama? That’s what you call what just happened between us?”

  He winced. “Well, maybe that wasn’t the best way to describe it—”

  “Ya think?” she said, propping her hands on her hips. She was probably coming off as a first-class bitch, but right now that was her only defense.

  Aiden sighed. “Lily—”

  She waved a dismissive hand. “Never mind. And don’t worry about the bet. You’ve got enough on your plate, what with your father and all the drama.” Somehow, the bet didn’t seem as important now. In fact, it struck her as downright insane, which she probably should have realized from the start. Holly and Morgan had certainly tried to warn her. “Let’s just call it square.”