“I don’t see any clothes hitting the sand,” he shouted, in between strokes.
“Maybe I don’t want to get sunburnt.”
“Bullshit,” he said.
She knew somewhere in her bag she’d put the sunscreen lotion she bought at the lobby. Damn, woman. Move.
She licked her dry lips, and pulled the hem of her dress, then in one clumsy move, removed it over her head all at once, and threw it where he’d put his clothes. Without looking at him, and inwardly hoping he wasn’t looking at her, she peeled off the bra and underwear, her lingerie soon joining the mass of clothes sprawling on the rock.
She braced herself, expecting the water to be cold, but to her delight it was warm, welcoming, inviting. She emerged until her breasts were conveniently hidden, and swam up to him.
She gathered her strength and her gaze collided with his. He’d been watching her, somehow she sensed it, goose bumps raising her skin that had nothing to do with her nakedness. She parted her lips, wanting to say something to dispel the tension but didn’t manage anything other than a small groan.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
“You aren’t too bad yourself, you know, what with the gigantic cock, twelve pack and smooth ass.”
He threw his head in a manly, hearty laugh, then angled closer to her. Too close. “Why do I have the feeling you haven’t been complimented a lot in life?” he asked, his expression growing serious, the contours of his face tightening.
She cleared her throat. Shit. She had always feared the type of compliments that made most women swoon. Davey didn’t give her over-the-top praise, which was why their relationship had been so comfortable and safe. He didn’t make her feel safe per say, but being with him and knowing she didn’t need fluffy words to believe in made her feel grounded. “I never needed them.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
She slid her eyes away from him. In the spirit of doing things that were uncharacteristic to her while on this trip, why not share a part of her she didn’t enjoy talking about? “I never met my father. My mother isn’t a bad person,” she added quickly, hating herself for how defensive she sounded.
The muscle in his jaw nodded. “Tell me about her.”
She played with the water, making soft waves ripple around her. As if she was talking about a character from a movie she’d seen too many times, Crystal said, “She’s in love with the idea of being cherished, wanted. From a young age, I remember being introduced to various men she dated. Every month she had someone she crushed on, but she was too eager. Too needy, and eventually, scared them all away.”
Lucas caught her wrist, to keep her from moving. She motioned to protest and swim away from him, but he pulled her to him, making her face him. “She made it all about her,” he said in a low voice.
Her heart pulsed at her throat. She didn’t mean to victimize herself. “That’s not what I said.”
“Isn’t it obvious? Forcing a young child to witness that kind of reckless lifestyle?” he said, anger lacing his voice. “Sorry. My father wasn’t up for any parenting awards either.”
“Your mother seems nice,” she said, remembering the few times she’d visited him in New York City and dropped by the office. Ofelia Grande made the sixties look good, with her radiant smile and witty sense of humor.
He loosened his grip on her, but she didn’t move, continued close to him, even if pretty soon she’d probably have to tread water. The misleading calm ocean had enough of a current to sway them away from the shore. “She’s a saint. She should have divorced my father a long time ago.”
“At least you had a dad,” she said. She hadn’t met his father, who had died from a heart attack three years prior. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sour this otherwise sexy skinny dipping experience.”
“You’re not. I like getting to know you better, Crystal. You’ve always been straight with me,” he said, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“That much is true. Probably one of the few,” she said honestly. A couple of times in the past she’d wondered how far she could go not to warrant a work dismissal. She had never wished for him to send her packing, but she hadn’t been able to bite her tongue from snarky comments or unsolicited advice. Her interactions with him had always given her a boost. What if their unorthodox employee/boss relationship had always carried the undertones of a lurking attraction?
“Certainly, the only one who’s not a part of my family.”
A strange sensation squeezed her throat. “Right. Well, this is my first time naked in the Atlantic Ocean, so I’d love to make this a happy event,” she said, trying a little bit too hard to change the subject, or at least avoid the intrusive thoughts flooding her mind. Thoughts that questioned their fling. What if, once they returned home, they kept seeing each other? The idea was like a far away lighthouse, blinking in the darkness. She swallowed hard.
“You’re making it a real event. That’s better.”
She smiled. “Keeping it real is definitely a compliment I can handle.”
“Thought so. Now come here.” He lowered his head, his lips capturing hers in an intense, passionate kiss. The absence of clothes sent a surge of arousal through her. “Being with you is a happy event for me.”
“Only because I’m not giving you a hard time.”
He grabbed her hand and placed it over his cock. “I beg to differ.”
