There’s quiet, apart from the waves crashing on the shore, andour eyes are locked together. My hands move to his chest. It’s firm and warm underneath the fabric of his shirt and he smells of his familiar aftershave and there’s a hint of smoke there too. His thumb runs down my face and comes to settle in the hollow of my neck, his touch burning into my skin. His eyes sweep down my face and settle for a second on my mouth and I’m drawn to reach up and lay my hand on him. I trace his cheekbone, my fingers skimming across his skin, and his intake of breath hisses. My insides are melting and I’m thrown by how badly I want him.
We move at the same time and his lips press into mine. It’s slow at first, as if both of us have forgotten how it works. His tongue touches mine gently, almost as if he’s asking permission. I moan and my tongue responds to his as our kiss becomes urgent. His hand moves through my hair and cradles my head as I grip his shirt and pull him tight to me.
Any doubt I had has disappeared and my mind is full of his heat, his scent and his touch, which is searing a path across my body. We break apart, our breath coming hard and fast.
He runs his fingertips along my collarbone and then traces the line of my cleavage. I push forwards, aching for his touch. I want to feel his skin against mine, and his hands still as I find the buttons of his shirt. I undo them one by one, and he watches me as I work. His shirt falls open, revealing his taut abs and an almost concave stomach. The firelight dances across his smooth golden skin and I push his shirt off his shoulders and it drops to the floor. Not for the first time, I think how beautiful he is. I move to touch his chest, but he’s too quick for me and he holds my hand away, his fingers encircling my wrist, and heat fizzes through me.
‘I want to touch you first.’ His voice is low and I’m desperate for his touch.
He dips his head and his lips and teeth trail a path up my neck until he stops short of my lips. He stares down at me, his eyesdark and searching, and I lean into him. There’s still too much space between us, but he still has my wrist and he’s keeping us fractionally apart and it’s driving me crazy.
His breath is hot as he hovers his mouth tantalisingly close and my lips part wanting his kiss.
‘Kiss me.’ My voice is hoarse. ‘I want you to kiss you.’
He comes closer and I think I’m going to get my wish, but he doesn’t comply. Instead, his teeth nip at my bottom lip and I ache with desire.
‘God, Ellie.’ His voice is breathless and the way he says my name makes my heart stutter and my whole body aches to touch him. He releases my hand and I wrap it around his neck, pulling his mouth to mine roughly. My fingers tangle in his hair and our tongues dance against each other’s as our lips move. His fingers dig into my hip and he pulls me to him until we’re touching. His body is hard and lean against me and I rake my hands across his back, finally getting to feel his skin. It’s smooth and taut under my fingers.
My hands exploring his body still him, and he pulls back, uncertainty flickering across his face.
‘What is it?’ My chest cramps at the distance he’s put back between us. Doubts dash though my head. Did I read the signals wrong? Did I overstep the mark and take advantage of him while he was upset? Does he not want me?
‘Is this, OK?’ he asks hesitantly. He sounds as uncertain as I feel. ‘I don’t want to do anything you don’t want.’
‘You’re not. I want this.’ I find his hand and curl my fingers against his and tug him towards me. ‘I want you. Is that OK?’
‘That’s not something you have to ask, Ellie.’ His voice is deep and husky and his fingers tighten around mine.
I half look towards the building. ‘Are you coming in? It would stop us getting sand everywhere.’ My mouth tilts up into a tiny smile. ‘And it would get … everywhere.’
He reaches across and hooks his finger into the waistband of my jeans and pulls me the half step towards him. His fingers move slowly as he brushes a strand of hair away from my face. ‘I want you so badly.’
My breath catches in the back of my throat as he says the one thing I’ve wanted to hear him say.
I lead him through the café and front room and into my bedroom. The only light is the moonlight streaming in through the window and I kick my shoes off and get on the bed. He does the same and lies next to me, on his side, propped up on his elbow.
I reach over and run my fingers across his jaw. His stubble is soft, but at the same time spiky to touch, and I can feel him studying me. I avoid his eye contact and keep my focus on his face. I move upwards and trail my fingertips across his skin, around his eye and up again. His breathing is shallow and he’s impossibly still as my fingertips discover his face.
‘Has anyone told you how sexy this is?’ I circle the gold hoop in his eyebrow.
‘No.’
‘Well, it is.’ I slide my hand around his neck and tug him gently towards me. ‘Very sexy.’
He resists my pressure to pull him forwards and ducks his head out from my grasp.
‘My turn,’ he says, his face breaking into a suggestive smile.
His fingers slowly circle my nipple through my T-shirt fabric. I stiffen, pushing myself into his hand. His fingers dance across my skin and he pulls down the V-neck of my T-shirt together with the edge of my lacy bra and runs his tongue across my nipple, nipping it gently with his teeth.
I moan and grab at his forearm, tilting myself to get closer to him. He pushes my T-shirt up and trails kisses down my body. Lips and teeth setting fire to my skin as he makes his way as faras the top of my jeans. I grab hold of the hem and pull my T-shirt over my head. He straddles me and his arms wrap around to unhook my bra and slide the straps down my arms. I pull it off and drop it to the side then take advantage of him being directly in front of me and run my tongue down the side of his torso, mirroring the way he nipped and sucked at my skin. He smells of fresh shower gel and his breath hitches as I kiss the hollow below his rib cage. He pulls my face up and our mouths clash, our kiss heated.
‘You are perfect.’ His voice is hoarse with emotion and my chest tightens.
He pushes me back and his mouth moves back down my body, giving me butterfly kisses all the way to the top of my jeans. He undoes them and I lift my hips to help him wiggle them off me. His finger runs along the inside of the lacy top to my underwear and his mouth kisses me all the way down the inside of my thigh to my knee. I press into the duvet, my fingers digging into the fabric as he makes his way back up the other leg. I’m wet and aching for him to touch me there.
As if he can read my mind, his fingers skim across my knickers. The only barrier between us. His touch is unhurried and deliberate, and I move myself to reposition him and gasp as his fingers circle exactly the right spot.
