Seaside Seduction (7 page)

“His body was all rigid muscle—a warm solid wall. His aftershave smelled like a mix of mint and rubbing alcohol.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Okay, I’ve heard enough about how he looks and smells. Is he your boyfriend?” I was shocked to hear jealousy in my voice.

“No, I don’t think so. I don’t think I knew him well. But that attraction I felt when I first saw him was staggering.” She blinked dreamily, her long lashes brushing over the soft skin below her eyes. “It almost reminded me of… Oh, I’m talking without thinking.”

“It reminded you of what?” I immediately wished I hadn’t asked that question. The last thing I wanted to hear about was another man she found sexy. The guy she’d described sounded like a cross between Count Dracula and a serial killer, the next one might be a werewolf who preyed on old women. I ground my teeth, having never felt more like committing murder in my life. “Did he say anything or were you too busy kissing and fondling his pectorals?”

“You’re jealous, aren’t you?” One side of her rosy mouth curled up in a smile. The possibility clearly pleased her.

My arms still crossed, I angled my body away from her and frowned. “Nonsense, I’m merely trying to help you figure out if this dream has significance. Tell me what he said?”

“When his facial expression changed, he said he wished it could have ended differently, but that I knew too much. And that he was going to have to kill me.” Her voice trembled and then trailed off to a whisper.

“Do you remember anything else?”

“Yes. We were on the beach near where you found me today. But I’m not sure how much of this was a dream and how much of it really happened.”

“Did he say what you weren’t supposed to know about?”
Maybe calling the police wasn’t such a good idea. It sounds as if she’s involved in something messy.

“Not that I remember.” She reached for her forehead. “I think I better stop talking about this. My head is throbbing again.”

“All right. I’m sure you’ll feel better if you have a bite to eat. Felicita has dinner ready if you’d like to join me.”

She pushed herself into a more upright position than before. Noticing for the first time her strap had slid all the way down her shoulder, revealing the top of a breast, she pulled the covers up higher as her face and the skin on her neck and chest reddened. “Yes, I’m starving. Please just let me freshen up and I’ll join you.”

“You might want to grab a sweater or a light jacket. Winter evenings here can be chilly.”

A smile crept over my face as I left the room.
I won’t be alone at the table after all.
I tried not to analyze how ridiculous it was to feel this thrill of anticipation over spending an evening with someone possibly associated with thugs. When Felicita raised an eyebrow as I passed, I turned toward her. “Selena is awake now and will join me for dinner. And I think I will take you up on that margarita offer.”

Before stepping out on the patio, I grabbed the key to the gun safe and strode down the hallway. Looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching, I unlocked the case and pulled out my Glock, loaded it with bullets and stuffed it into my pocket.

We sat out on the porch and devoured fresh grouper filets with a leafy green salad and sipped our margaritas. It had rained intermittently throughout the day, and the scattered clouds contributed to the drama of the sunset. Streaks of pink, orange and red wove their way through the sky. A pelican skimmed over the water, floating, waiting and then suddenly plunging like an arrow toward a watery bulls-eye to scoop a fish into its gullet.

“It’s a beautiful evening,” Selena remarked after Felicita had cleared our plates. The breeze blew strands of her long dark hair away from her face.

“Yes, it is. Are you feeling better now?”

She looked at me without blinking, the golden color of her exotic eyes entrancing me. “Oh, yes much. That delicious meal and margarita really helped. I know I’m feeling normal when I crave another adventure. Oh, look.” She pointed to a group of people horseback riding on the beach. “That looks like fun. But I’d much rather gallop than walk.” A mischievous smile pulled up the corners of her lips.

I laughed. “Would you like to take a ride?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Then let’s do it. Less than a mile down the beach, a bunch of vendors gathers to rent out jet skis, kayaks, and sailboats. And at night they bring horses and take people on sunset rides. Come on.” I stood and reached for her hand.

“Are you serious?” Her smile broadened, revealing her brilliant white teeth.

“Sure, let’s go. We better hurry before it gets dark.”

I poked my head in the house to grab a set of keys and to ask Felicita to lock up the house before she left. Then Selena and I walked hand-in-hand down the beach to where a man stood near several horses tethered to a fence.

I greeted the merchant in Spanish, gave him some instructions on how we wanted our ride to go and handed him a wad of bills.

Understanding our conversation, Selena laughed. “I can’t believe he’s going to let us go without a guide.”

“It’s amazing what people will do for you if you give them enough money.”

After we had selected horses, we mounted and walked our horses side-by-side down the beach. The setting sun had transformed the feathery fabric of clouds to brilliant pink, and most of the sky was a deep purple.

“This was a great idea, Nick. This is a perfect night for a ride. The sky is such a pretty color.”

We walked over a stretch of hilly dunes. The sand was wet from the earlier rain, but I didn’t want to run the horses until the beach smoothed out. Once we approached a flat stretch of wet, firm sand, I said, “Are you ready for a real ride?”

Selena raised a brow “What did you have in mind?”

“Catch me if you can.”

Selena’s head tipped back in another laugh as she clicked her heels against the horse’s sides.

I kicked my horse, and he stretched his legs out into a gallop. Selena quickly caught up with me. Sand flew in every direction as we galloped down the beach. The rhythm of the horse’s movements, the rush of adrenaline in my veins, and the whine of the wind in my ears thrilled me.

The last bit of orange light had drained from the sky by the time we turned the horses around and walked slowly back to where we started. I pointed out over the water when I saw a whale jump. “Oh, look. You can see a pod of whales out there at two o’clock.”

She gazed toward the ocean, shrieking with delight when she saw a misty spout shoot up in the air. “That’s amazing. This is such a lovely beach.”

“It really is the best. I find it so peaceful, and there is so much nature to be seen here. I see so many colors and varieties of fish whenever I swim and in the summertime, the female sea turtles flop up on the beach to lay their eggs. Nearby hatcheries protect the eggs and release the tiny turtles into the sea once they break out of their shells. They’re only about this big.” I stretched my hand out to show a few inches in length.

“Have you ever seen any barracudas?”

“I’ve seen a few—some several feet long—and they give you a mean stare but never bite. I guess I’m not shiny enough.”

Selena laughed.

We dismounted once we reached the vendor area. The man and the others with him all held cans of Mexican beer in their hands. “Did you enjoy the ride?”

“It was fabulous,” I said. “Thank you.”

“It really was great,” said Selena.

We turned and walked along the beach back toward my house. The sea breeze felt chilly without the sun warming our skin.

Selena pulled the white cardigan tighter around her body and shivered. “That was great of you to take me out on that ride, Nick. It was awesome. Almost as fun as bungee jumping.” She pushed a tangled mass of hair from her eyes.

“Bungee jumping? When did you do that?”

“Oh a couple of times in San Diego. Just when you think you’re going to hit the ground with a
splat
, you bounce back up in the air. It’s great.”

“Where do I sign up?”

“Anywhere in California. It’s so much fun. I think danger makes my heart stronger.”

That sounds like something I would say.
I grinned. “I’m almost sure you’re right.” Selena was so different from the women I’d dated who avoided thrill-seeker activities out of fear they might break a nail, or suffer some other trauma such as running mascara or a speck of dirt on a white blouse.

Selena was such a natural beauty—she didn’t have to make any effort at all to look lovely. And she thrived on adventure. She’d looked so hot straddling that horse. I imagined how she’d sweat and her face would flush when her hips arched over mine.

“Nick. Nick. Are you in there somewhere?”

“What?”

“I just asked you what kinds of adventure sports you like and you didn’t answer.”

“Oh, sorry. I haven’t had much time to venture out much lately, but taking a dune buggy out for a rough ride is a good time and I also like scuba diving.”

“Hmm. Diving’s one thing I haven’t done. It would require overcoming my fear of sharks. The idea of seeing a great white’s teeth rising up underneath me…” She shivered and leaned into me. “It’s hard to wipe that image from my mind when I’m in the ocean.”

Her shoulder’s warmth against my arm made me imagine what her naked body would feel like stretched over mine. Her plump fleshy breasts, her muscular thighs, the smooth, slightly rounded curves of her belly. I let out a long breath, trying to clear my head.

“It’s such a beautiful night.” Selena’s voice came out in a sensual whisper. “Do you want to sit down for a while and watch the stars? I want to listen to the waves and enjoy the evening out here with you.”

I wanted to pull her down into the sand and devour her inch by inch. “Sure. I would like that a lot. Over there’s a good place.” I pointed toward a cove of rocks that surrounded a circle of sand.

We dropped down into the sand beside each other, facing the ocean. A waning crescent moon hung over the sea and waves crashed against the rocks and sand. Selena’s face, smooth as a rounded river stone, glowed pale blue in the moonlight. The shadows on her face changed as her gaze wandered over my body. “I’m glad we’re finally alone together.”

This isn’t a good idea. Not a good idea at all.
I knew once we gave into our desires, there’d be no turning back. “We’re going to be alone a lot now—Felicita will be gone by the time we get back. I always give her Saturday night and Sunday off. I hope that’s okay with you.”

Powerful sensations ripped through me as her fingers brushed over my arm. “Hmm. Staying alone in the house with you sounds dangerous. I barely know you.”

The energy exchange between our bodies became overpowering. My cock ached, and I choked on the air I tried to breathe. “Who knows—it might just be the kind of danger you like.”

“I’m almost sure of it.” Her face moved in closer and the nerve endings on my cheeks and lips hummed with anticipation.

My eyes had adjusted to the scant light the moon provided, and I could see every delicate feature of her face. Her succulent lips were less than an inch from mine.
She’s a goddess.

Her lips curled up in a smile and she reached out and traced a finger across my cheek before bringing it to her lips. “If my memory doesn’t come back, that doctor friend of yours might not let me travel and you might end up stuck with me for a long time.”

The possibility struck me as more appealing than problematic.
I can familiarize myself with every inch of her naked body until she’s so relaxed in my company, she walks around the house naked or in silky underwear.
“Hmm.” As my heart drummed a frenetic pulse inside my chest, I imagined the sensation of our lips meeting. I wanted her to be the one to break through that tiny barrier of space that remained between us. Selena wasn’t another one-night stand—she was more like a dream.

She leaned into me until our lips met. She gently brushed her mouth over mine. Her voice came out in a raspy whisper. Her kiss sent a shockwave of sensation racing through my veins. It felt as if every minute since I first pulled her from the ocean had been leading up to this moment. As the cardigan she had draped around her shoulders slid down her back and onto the sand, I gripped her bare shoulders and leaned in to taste her ripe lips, which pressed wet and eager against mine. As she nibbled and nipped at my lips, she leaned back further and I followed her downward progression onto the sand. I stretched out alongside her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her in closer, fully aroused by the press of her soft yet subtly firm contours against my chest.

"When did you know I wanted you?" Her voice was a breezy whisper in my ear.

I smiled. "Not when I pulled you from the water. You thought I was a thug then.”

“I awoke to see a gorgeous man leaning over me. That’s not something that happens every day. You turned me on so much, I wished I was dreaming so I could do whatever I wanted without consequences.”

Her warm breath on my neck sent a hot jolt of fire straight to my cock. “Hmm. I sure didn’t read that when you were carving out shapes in my arms with your fingernails.”

An ebullient laugh escaped from her lips. “Well, seeing you crouched over me made me wet in a way that had nothing to do with the ocean. I felt so embarrassed, I pretended to be angry.”

Holy hell. I’m going to come in my pants right now.
I wanted her to feel safe with me, but I couldn’t control my instincts any longer after hearing that. I kissed her lips hungrily from every angle in between our exchanged words and then flicked my tongue over her earlobe and the nape of her neck. Her skin felt soft and sensual.

Her lips met mine, wet and eager, and she tugged me in closer, nibbling and licking until a lusty haze permeated my mind. “Are you sure about this? I don't want you to feel like I'm taking advant—”

She cut off my speech with a kiss and a tug at my zipper. “Oh, I’m sure all right. You’re the man that I want and I want every inch of you now,” she said breathlessly.

Blood surged to my cock from every direction. “Are you sure you don’t mind the sand? We can go inside if you want.”