She tugged off her shoes and felt the cool sand under her feet.
“Time for what? You haven’t told me what you have in mind, but if it’s swimming I’m going to stop you.”
“It’s not swimming.” Everything was a little hazy. A little blurry. His face, her feelings, their surroundings. “I’m going to kiss you. Because that’s another thing I don’t do.”
“You don’t kiss men?”
“I don’t kiss men I don’t know well. I definitely don’t kiss men who don’t like me.”
“Who said I didn’t like you?”
She undid the shirt that she’d knotted at her waist when she’d started playing. “You took a dislike to me the moment I walked through the door.”
“I’m liking you a lot more after this evening.”
“Because I’m drunk?”
“No. Because you’re finally human. I’m seeing the real you. No more robot girl.”
“Robot girl?”
“No emotions.”
Was that what he thought? Well, she probably couldn’t blame him for that. It was how she felt a lot of the time. She was someone who behaved the way she was expected to. The way she was programmed to.
Except not tonight.
“Just because I don’t show my emotions doesn’t mean I don’t feel them.”
“Is that right?”
“It is right—” she might have slurred her words a little “—and I’m going to prove it to you.”
“Okay.” He stood still, legs spread, solid and strong whichwas a good thing because she needed someone to lean on. “Prove it.”
She put her hands on his shoulders. Felt the hard swell of muscle under her fingers and the slow heat spread through her body. “I have never kissed someone after three glasses of wine before.”
“It’s here—” he pointed to his mouth “—in case you need help orientating yourself.”
“I don’t need any help.” She rose on her toes and brushed her lips against his, gently at first, exploring the shape and taste of him. Then he slanted his mouth over hers and excitement rushed over her.
She felt his hands slide down her back and wrap around her, hauling her close. Desire slammed into her, the intensity of it almost knocking her off her feet, but he held her firmly, his hands steadying her against the force they created together.
Her mind emptied and all she could do was feel. The gentle skim of his fingers over her skin, the erotic slide of his tongue, the heat of her own body.
When she finally eased her mouth from his her breathing was shallow and so was his.
They stared at each other for a long moment, both acknowledging the unexpected.
The next step seemed entirely natural to her and she stripped off her shirt and let it drop to the sand.
His gaze slid from her face to the swell of her breasts pressing against her lace bra.
“Abby—”
“I’ve never done a striptease on a beach before.” She dropped her hands to the button at the front of her jeans. “And I’ve never had a one-night stand.”
“That’s a lot of first times for one evening, maybe we should—”
