Keeping Mr. Right Now: A Kisses in the Sand Novel (Entangled Bliss) (8 page)

She uncrossed her arms and placed her hand carefully on top of his. He cupped it between his, enjoying how damn soft her skin felt. “A guy in Hong Kong taught me that rubbing your
hoku
relieves stress.” Zane couldn’t help it; with a very light touch, he rubbed his thumb across her palm. She shivered.

“Your
hoku
is the flap of skin that connects your pointer finger to your thumb.” He moved his thumb there and applied pressure. “It’s an acupressure spot that alleviates upper body tension, and when you squeeze it, it minimizes stress.”

Rubbing his thumb in circular motions in the sensitive spot, he watched Sophie’s shoulders relax. Her eyes close.

Holy hell. If she responded to his touch so easily and hypnotically here, he could only imagine how she’d respond if he touched her in more sensitive spots.

His gaze fell to her smooth, creamy legs. Her skirt had lifted some, giving him a peek at her pretty thighs. How he wanted to stroke her there and move higher.

A tiny moan escaped her lush mouth, and her eyes jerked open. She whipped her hand back and sat taller. “Sorry,” she said. “I guess I had a little stress to relieve.”

He was damn tempted to offer his services on other parts of her body, but he refrained. “Works like a charm, right? So if I get stressed when I’m out in public, I just rub my
hoku
.”

She sucked in her bottom lip and then burst out laughing.

“Sounds a little dirty, doesn’t it?” he said.

“Uh-huh.” She pushed her glasses back into place and turned her head to look into the room. He followed her gaze to a stack of papers on the bed.

“How about that swim in the ocean?” he asked, remembering his reason for being there. And needing to cool off. To his surprise, Sophie pressed his hot buttons.

“I can’t. I’ve got a bunch of little things to take care of. Besides, you’ve got another surf lesson this afternoon,” she pointed out.

“How do you know that?” He’d forgotten about it.

“Bryce sent over your schedule so I’d know when you were available for some meet-and-greets.” She furrowed her brows. “What?”

He scraped a hand over his head and through his hair. “Nothing.” Seemed Bryce was as comfortable with Sophie as he was. “So how long have you been an event planner?”

“Umm…not very long. Almost a year.”

“First job out of college?” She looked a few years younger than him.

Moving her legs out from under her, she crossed them at her ankles and sat taller. “No, actually. I graduated four years ago. I was twenty.”

“Wow.” Zane gulped. His dad’s hurtful words about his intelligence rang in his ears. The fact that he didn’t even graduate from high school clenched every muscle in his body. He and Sophie might have connected on surfing, but she was otherwise out of his league.

“I studied neurobiology and used to do research for the university in Montana I graduated from, but I decided I wasn’t really happy doing that.”

He watched her pulse tremble in her throat. Why was
she
nervous? Did she think he’d like her less knowing she was smart? If anything, he was even more intrigued and impressed. He’d sensed she was special, and he wanted to know more.

“What made you pick event planning?”

Her gaze went somewhere over his shoulder. “There was an event at the university for the chancellor’s retirement, and for the first time I got to dress up and go to a party and I loved everything about it. I thought it would be nice to be part of something where everyone had fun.

“I know it’s silly.” She waved her arm in the air. “But then in the ladies’ room I met the party planner and we got to talking and she was hiring. I gave notice the next day.”

As inadequate as he’d often felt without a high school diploma, he’d seen how people could be cruel to someone who was smarter than everyone else and didn’t fit the “norm.” In a different way, he guessed Sophie might have felt like an outsider, too, given her accomplishments at such a young age.

“It’s not silly. I admire your courage to change professions and go after something different.”

“I wish my family felt the same way.”

“They think party planning is beneath you?”

“As my mother likes to say, ‘Intelligence without strong purpose is a waste of your IQ.’ She means well, but I wish she’d let it go.”

Zane wasn’t sure what to say. When would Sophie figure out he wasn’t all that smart? And once she did, would she still want to have these conversations? He’d talked more with her than he had any other girl since longer than he could remember. He needed to get up and walk out the door before she figured him out.

His brain didn’t get the memo to his mouth, though, and he found himself saying, “Have you got some free time tomorrow?”

She searched his eyes for a long, torturous moment. “I might.”

What the hell was he doing? Hoping her smarts would rub off on him, maybe? “Good.” He got to his feet. “I’ll pick you up at ten. Plan on being out for a few hours.”

“Where are we going?” She rose and followed him toward the door.

“The beach.”

“For hours?” She bumped into him when he stopped to open the door. He inwardly smiled.

“I didn’t say which beach.” He stepped into the hallway.

“Should I bring anything special?” Excitement sounded in her voice.

“Just your smile,” he said over his shoulder. And then he hauled ass before something else stupid came out of his mouth. What had just come over him?

He was headed north tomorrow to visit his mom and sister. They’d planned to come down for the festival, but Julia had a doctor’s appointment in the morning and wasn’t up for a few days away from home and her fiancé.

And now he was bringing Sophie along with him when there would be no one with prying eyes. Huh.

Chapter Five

The drive up the coast dazzled Sophie, and she let her astonishment at Zane’s taking her home with him disappear. She sat in the front seat of his rented convertible with the wind blowing her already-unruly hair into complete disarray, and she loved it. The warm sun caused sweat to trickle down the middle of her back, and she loved it. The sea sparkled like a thousand daytime stars shone down on it, and she loved it.

The impossibly handsome man in the driver’s seat kept glancing at her—her!—and she loved it.

They’d been mostly quiet on the drive, letting the scenery do all the talking. Sophie chewed the inside of her cheek—because of nerves, but also because she didn’t know what to say.

Were she and Zane friends now? They’d had some wonderful talks like they were, and if not, why the heck would he take her with him? She knew he felt bad about the surf lesson. She could see it in his tempestuous eyes when he brought it up. But this went way beyond making it up to her. And it went beyond helping his image, because they’d left the festival and inquisitive eyes behind them.

Her heart beat a little harder inside her chest at the thought that Zane might genuinely like her. She settled back into the leather seat, closed her eyes, and imagined him pulling off the side of the road to somewhere secluded and showing her that he
really
liked her.

Strip and put your hands on the hood, Sophie.

A shiver raced through her. And then, oh my heavens, Zane made a sharp left turn and her eyes flew open. Her pulse quickened. Her fingernails dug into the seat as she sat taller. They bounced down a deserted one-lane road, trees blocking the sun’s rays.

“Sorry about that,” he said, taking note of her open jaw. She clamped it shut. “I’m always a second behind that turn-off.”

“Wh-where we going?”

“My beach.”

“
Your
beach?”

“It’s not really mine, just a favorite. Not a whole lot of people come here. We’re only twenty minutes from my mom’s house but…”

“But what?”

The road narrowed and the bumpy pavement turned to dirt. Then the trees gave way and they came to an abrupt stop. White sand and a blue sea lay before them. It looked like a postcard, and Sophie couldn’t help herself. She let her question slide, undid her seat belt, and stood up to get a better look over the windshield. Zane turned off the ignition and rose beside her.

“I can see why it’s your favorite,” she said. Devoid of people, the unspoiled stretch of bleached sand and aquamarine waves rolling gently onto shore calmed and excited her at the same time. She could almost hear the water calling her name, beckoning her to slip into its vastness.

“Yeah?” He sounded pleased, but with a hint of doubt.

She studied him out of the corner of her eye. Even in profile, he was magnificent. And he had some seriously sexy hair growth above his mouth and on his chin, caramel-colored stubble streaking the blond. How scratchy would it feel on her skin?

“Yeah. It’s not only beautiful but secluded. You’ve probably brought lots of girls here.” She took a second to glance around.

Zane’s gaze stayed on the beach. “Actually, you’re the first person I’ve brought here.”

Her stomach flipped, like a fish out of water. He turned and their eyes met. She swore she saw the sea rippling in the depths of opaque blue that kept captivating her.

He was hurting. Deep down, something troubled him, and if he let her, she’d help him. She might have little experience in the way of men, but she’d always been good with strays, and that, she realized, was how he looked. Like he had no home.

Except for maybe this beach.

She waited. If he didn’t want to tell her what was up, she’d let it go. She had no right to ask him. She had a feeling it stemmed from his father, though. Last night she’d done some more research and read about their strained relationship.

He cupped her cheek and she leaned into his touch. Nerves skittered down the back of her neck. A swallow worked its way down his throat.

Oh, how she wanted him to kiss her so she could kiss him back.

“Come on,” he finally said, dropping his hand and jumping out of the car.

Disappointment swamped her. She put her hands on top of the passenger door so she could push off and jump over and out. If he didn’t need to open the door, neither did she.

Only her flip-flop got stuck on the windowsill and—“Oh snap!” Her knee hit the side of the car
hard
, her arms flailed. She reached for something to gain purchase on before she landed in an embarrassing heap on the ground.

Oomph
. She landed against something solid. Warm. And delicious smelling.

“I’ve got you,” Zane said, pulling her body against his before she smacked the dirt.

She clambered up his body until her arms went around his neck, and he held her so her feet were off the ground. She looked up, and the top of her head hit his chin.

“Ow,” he said, his hands loosening their hold on her waist as he gently put her down.

“I’m sorry!” She took a step back. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

He rubbed his jaw and then he laughed. “I may have to rethink my klutz remark.”

The one about his sister being worse. Sophie sighed. Even with all her understanding of neurobiology, her limbs still didn’t always get the right message. “Sorry again.”

“No worries. I’m glad I was here to catch you.” He grabbed the towels out of the backseat and started toward the sand. His steps ate up the pathway, and she had to hurry to keep up.

Which alerted her to pain in her knee. She stopped and bent at the waist to check it out. Bright red, but nothing more.

“You okay?” Zane knelt so they were eye level.

“Yes.” She straightened.

Zane’s fingers pressed along the top of her kneecap left to right, moved down, then continued right to left, leaving no spot untouched. His gentle manner made her legs shake. “It feels okay. Probably just bruised.” He stood.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Turning, he looked over his shoulder and said, “Hop on.”

“On?” Her heart stuttered. He didn’t mean—

“My back. Come on, the water’s calling.”

Her feet didn’t move, a funny thing considering every cell in her body moved at warp speed, making her skin buzz.

“Piggyback? Let’s go, sweetness.”

She blinked herself back down to earth. Wrap her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck? Press her front to his back?
Sweetness?
This was not her reality.

So she’d better hurry up and take advantage. She put her hand on his shoulder. He dropped a little lower and stretched his arm behind him to help her latch on. Once her bottom sat atop his forearm, he started walking.

Since his other arm was carrying the towels, she held on tight, thinking to help him with her weight.

“You can relax the death grip,” he said. “I’ve got you. You weigh, like, nothing.”

“Sorry.” She eased up and let herself enjoy the ride. His waist narrow, his shoulders broad, she felt the solid muscles in his back working and wondered how he felt about her soft front flattened against him.

Then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she put her chin in the crook of his neck so she could watch where they were going. He smelled like soap and man and she wanted to bottle the scent to take home with her.

Driftwood logs and curlicue tree limbs lined the short silt path until they reached the wide expanse of pale sand. The open beauty seemed otherworldly, like the backdrop to a one-of-a-kind painting. Up ahead, two giant rocks loomed in the water like creatures from another planet. Light danced off them, yellow kaleidoscopic swirls drawing a delighted smile from her.

“Is that common here?” She lifted her chin toward the rocks.

“The rocks? Not really. The one on the right is Lady Face, named because the protrusions resemble a forehead, deep-set eyes, and a nose.”

She bounced a little. “Oh, I can see that. And the other one? It looks like a spire.”

“Yeah, centuries of waves have carved it to look like that. It doesn’t have a name.”

“That’s sad.”

“I don’t think it minds.”

Sophie rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see her and slid her gaze down the beach. A handful of seagulls squawked and coasted along the shoreline. A woman wearing a big floppy hat, her white pants rolled up to her knees, strolled away from them at the water’s edge.

A slight breeze rippled the back of Sophie’s shirt just as Zane stopped where the sand turned hard and tossed the towels behind him. She relaxed her hold and he let her down.

“Thanks for the lift,” she said, bending her leg with the sore knee back and forth.

“Anytime.”

He was such a good fibber. She knew he’d only done it to be considerate. Which was very nice, but for a guy who was endlessly on display, she wondered what was for show and what wasn’t, even with no one watching. Muscle memory and all that.

“You ready to get your feet wet?” he said, breaking into her thoughts.

She nodded and kicked off her flip-flops. She loved that he wasn’t planning to rush her into the water full steam ahead.

He toed off his black flip-flops and pulled his T-shirt over his head. That left him in a pair of yellow board shorts that hung low on his trim waist. Her eyes went to those sexy indentations at his hips that disappeared under the trunks. She had no idea what they were called but they overwhelmed her. Not to mention his golden glow and incredibly hot abs. Muscled chest. Nice neck. Tan, strong arms. He took her hand and towed her down to the water.

They waded into the surf with care. The first wave that approached froze her ankles and shivers raced across her shoulder blades and down her arms. When the water foamed away, she looked down at her feet, lifting her toes to see the imprint welled in the wet sand.

After the fourth wave, she let go of Zane’s hand and backed up to slide her shorts off and lift her shirt over her head. She wore the same modest black one-piece she’d worn for their surf lesson, but a thrill sped through her at Zane’s undisguised perusal.

He reclaimed her hand and they moved deeper into the water. Each step they took started with her. She giggled when the waves reached her waist. “This is the best day ever.”

“I’m glad,” he said, almost knocking her off-balance with his unerring smile.

“I want to go as far as Lady Face so I can touch her.”

“I’m stoked you want to do that. You’ll have to swim some, since we won’t be able to touch the bottom, but the surf is pretty mellow today, so it should be easy.”

“You’re looking at Lake Myrtle’s water-treading champion.”

The corners of Zane’s eyes crinkled. “Oh yeah?”

“Two years in a row. My mom and dad took me to the lake every summer growing up. We met my cousins there and rented a cabin for a week. Over the Fourth of July there were always lots of games and competitions for kids.”

“Sounds nice.” He let go of her hand, the sea at her shoulders, but stayed close.

“It was.” She used her arms and kicked her feet to keep afloat now. Those weeks at the lake were the only times she felt somewhat accepted growing up. Her cousin Emma—popular, pretty, and outspoken—saw to it. “I had my first…” She pressed her lips together. She really needed to stop talking, but around Zane she couldn’t help herself. Something about him made her comfortable and willing to open up.

Zane swam beside her with ease. “Your first what?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on. It’s not nothing.” He paddled in front of her and floated backward, his foot tapping hers with one of his kicks. Blue eyes trained on her, he waited for an answer.

“I had my first kiss there.” Again, thanks to her cousin who had set her up with one of the boys for outdoor movie night.

“Was it any good?”

Her mouth dropped open at the ease with which he asked that question and water poured in. She spit and sputtered. Zane chuckled, so she splashed him.

“That’s none of your business,” she said, rubbing her lips together to rid them of the salty sensation.

“That means no.”

“It was fine.”

“Fine isn’t good. Fine isn’t even decent. Was it sloppy? All tongue and no finesse?”

Despite her embarrassment at his questions, Sophie found her pressed lips lifting at the corners. She liked that he didn’t hold back and was curious.

She’d never told anyone but Emma about the kiss and the awful way it had made her feel afterward. “He…he shoved his tongue down my throat, and yes, it was sloppy and too aggressive and I hated every second of it.”

“I guess he didn’t get a second kiss, then.”

She smiled, happy that Zane didn’t pity her. And the way he spoke, like the guy was a bonehead for kissing her like that, made her light-headed. “He most definitely did not. What about you? How was your first kiss?”

The water ebbed and flowed, the current moving toward Lady Face, bringing them closer to the massive rock with minimal effort. She wished they could stay out here forever.

He cocked an eyebrow and pursed his mouth in a far too self-satisfied smirk.

Figured. He probably knocked some girl into another orbit with his first kiss.

“Awesome,” he said. “But then I kissed an older woman, so she knew what to do with me.”

“You were nervous?”

“Isn’t everyone?”

“I just thought—”

“You thought because I’m Zane Hollander I don’t get anxious or worry like everyone else? I’m not that special, Sophie. Just good on a surfboard.”