BLURRED LINE

by Justice, A. D.

  “Deal.” I raise my eyes to meet his. “I can’t wait to see you in a bikini.”

  His responding smile is immediate and reaches from ear to ear. “Play your cards right, and you just might.”

  The rest of the two-and-a-half-hour flight flew by in the blink of an eye. Silas and I spent every moment talking about everyday, normal topics. For a short time, we didn’t live in a world entrenched in treachery, buried in lies, or corrupted by enemies. We were just a man and a woman, getting to know each other on a profoundly personal level. We dropped the façade of our cover personalities and let our real selves step out into the sunlight.

  There may have even been some harmless flirting, a couple not-so-subtle sexual innuendos thrown around the cabin, and more than a few heated glances.

  I’ve never been so anxious to be seen in a bikini in my entire life. We’re wheels down and making a landing now, but my thoughts are already several steps ahead. Silas had an epiphany about rectifying the mistakes of his past. Mine is a little more selfish, but this is the only time I have left. No matter how short or long this Miami trip lasts, I’ll live every minute to the fullest. If that means making a complete fool of myself by trying to initiate a short-term relationship with Silas while we’re here, so be it.

  At least I won’t die without checking that item off my new Why Not list. If I don’t have much time left, why not do what I want to do—right now? No time like the present.

  Chapter 12

  Silas

  We step out of the jet directly into the warm Miami sun, even when it’s the dead of winter everywhere else in the country. Kira stops for a moment and soaks it in, with her face tilting upward, her eyes closing of their own accord, and her lips curling into a beautiful smile. The serene expression on her face captivates me, halting my feet and seizing my breath. The slight breeze blows her long black hair away from her face and makes her shirt cling to her curves, leaving me to openly ogle her natural beauty. I’m using all my willpower to avoid pulling her into my arms and crushing my lips against hers before disappearing into the Caribbean with her for the foreseeable future.

  “You’ll get more sun with your bikini on, you know.” I purposely brush my lips across the shell of her ear and murmur the words. A shiver runs through her that has nothing to do with the wind blowing around us.

  “I just needed a moment to soak it all in. Now I’m ready.” She smiles up at me, her face beaming with bliss.

  We cruise away from the private airstrip with the top down on our rental car, heading to my brother’s secure estate for some much-needed rest and relaxation. Kira’s enthusiasm is contagious as she takes in the sights and sounds of the vibrant city, not having been here in many years. Today is about giving her what she needs, but the selfish part of me hopes she opts for avoiding the crowds in lieu of more private locales.

  Now that I have her here alone, I’m not too interested in sharing her with anyone else.

  When I pull into Noah’s gated driveway, she pulls her sunglasses off her face and openly gapes at our surroundings. He’s done exceptionally well for himself with his security business, and his enormous home set behind tall brick fences only reveals part of the picture. With the code keyed in, the gates swing open—and our day of being a South Beach tourist begins.

  Kira starts to jump out of the car the second I put it into Park, but I grab her arm to halt her momentum. She whips her head around, looking at me as if I’ve lost my mind—her excitement is barely contained as it is. Keeping my face passive is nearly impossible.

  “Remember my rule.”

  Her brows draw down, and confusion mars her beautiful face. “What rule is that?”

  “You’re only allowed to have fun today. Whatever you want to do is fine by me. All you have to do is say the word.”

  Her face softens, and her lips part on a contented sigh. “Thank you, Silas. Underneath all that hard-as-steel-CIA-badass outer shell, you really are a sweetheart.”

  I smile in return…then finish my thought. “As I was saying, whatever you want to do is fine by me, as long as you’re wearing a bikini the entire time.”

  She laughs out loud, and I can literally see the tension dissipating in the warm air surrounding her. “Well, okay. There go my plans for skinny-dipping in your brother’s pool, though. But you’re absolutely right. Rules are rules, after all.”

  She shrugs her shoulders as she hops out of the car without waiting for my reply—and I eventually would’ve thought of something to say—once I reeled my tongue back into my mouth and the blood flow to my brain resumed. I swear I hear her evil little giggle as she rushes out of the garage to examine the exterior of the house and yard.

  When I catch up with her, she’s rounding the corner of the house and heading to the backyard. I know exactly what she’ll find back there—heaven on earth. A heated pool for year-round use, complete with a waterfall flowing into the attached hot tub, and an outdoor kitchen that would make any professional chef envious. She stops and lets out an excited squeal.

  “Are you sure he doesn’t mind us staying here? I’m afraid to touch anything—I don’t want to be the one to break it.”

  Her modesty is like a rare gem, one I wonder if I’ll ever find again. “I’m positive—he doesn’t mind at all. As far as breaking anything, don’t even think twice about that. If his three rambunctious kids haven’t broken it by now, it’s completely indestructible.”

  “Are they here with us?”

  “Not for a few days. They’ll be back later in the week, along with their rug rats.”

  “You don’t like being an uncle?”

  “Are you kidding? I love it. They’re awesome kids. We play football in the house. We play cops and robbers, hiding behind furniture and shooting each other with Nerf guns. I get to spoil them, give them all the sugar their little bodies can take, then walk out the door and leave them with their dad. It’s the perfect arrangement. Bull and I have our own competitions—to decide who their favorite uncle is.”

  “Oh yeah? Who usually wins that game?” Kira’s shocked expression tells me she never saw me as a family man.

  Up until just a few years ago, she would’ve been correct. But since I’ve been back in my brother’s and sister’s lives, my priorities have shifted.

  “Who usually wins?” I hesitate to answer for a second. “Shadow does. Which isn’t fair, because he’s not even related to them. I’m their uncle by blood, and Bull is their uncle by marriage. But Shadow—who’s a great guy, but he’s technically a friend of the family—always cheats his way in.”

  She lifts one eyebrow, amused beyond measure over my sulking and irrational jealousy. “This, I must know. How does Shadow cheat to win the title of favorite uncle?”

  “He comes up with the best pranks for the kids to play on the family. They get us every fucking time. It’s humiliating, really.”

  “Give me an example.” She’s trying very hard not to laugh in my face. She’s not succeeding, but at least she’s trying.

  “During the last game, he had them decorate two round pieces of foam with real cake icing, flowers, sprinkles, the whole works. Then they put it on a cake display stand in the kitchen and hid while we each tried to cut a piece without getting caught by Brianna. They even changed the fake cake out so neither of us would figure it out. He videoed us then played the videos for the whole family after dinner. On the big screen.”

  When she bends over, gasping for breath and wiping tears from her eyes after laughing so hard, I point out the obvious. “You’re not even trying to take my side right now. Just so we’re clear.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just picturing you, trying to sneak a piece of cake from your sister-in-law’s kitchen, only to find out it’s not really cake. Then, as if that’s not bad enough, your entire family watches you hard at work, trying to cut a piece of foam.” Then she breaks out into a laughing fit once again.

  “Yeah, yeah. It was so fucking funny. Shadow and all my nieces and nephews thought so
, too. Now, get your ass inside and get your bikini on. We’re late for our appointment at the beach.” I unlock the door with the extra key Noah gave me in case I ever wanted to crash at his place and shoo her inside. “Feel free to look around while I grab our bags.”

  When I join her inside, she’s finally managed to control herself.

  “This house is amazing. There’s absolutely nothing I would change about it. They must love it here.”

  “It is a great place. Come on upstairs and pick a bedroom. With a record-high temperature, the weather is perfect for a swim in the ocean today.”

  “How about a swim in the pool and a soak in the hot tub tonight?”

  “If you twist my arm really hard, you might be able to talk me into that too.” I waggle my eyebrows at her and show her to the available guest bedrooms upstairs. “I’ll be back in thirty seconds. You’d better be changed and ready to go by then.”

  “Yes, sir. So bossy.” Her insults are meant in jest from the smile on her face and the twinkle in her eye. “It won’t take me long to change—there’s very little fabric to worry about.”

  There she goes again, giving me the best mental images but leaving me speechless in the process.

  As promised, she’s changed and ready in no time. The only hitch is she’s wearing a cover-up over her bathing suit, so I can’t confirm she’s wearing the required apparel underneath. But since we’re burning daylight, I opt to take her at her word and wait for the big reveal when we get to where we’re going.

  Once we pull into the parking lot at Lummus Park, I’m surprised to find it mostly deserted, but then, it is late January, so it’s not exactly high season. We haul our gear out of the car and walk to the beach and set up our spot, and then she grabs the hem of her cover-up and pulls it over her head. If I thought I was speechless before, I was wrong, beyond a shadow of a doubt. The minuscule triangles of fabric on the top and bottom barely cover her luscious body. Her taut, firm stomach muscles perfectly accentuate her perfectly round, perky breasts. Then she turns around, and I nearly groan out loud.

  The bottom is a thong, and somehow, the tiny strings of fabric only make the sexy globes of her ass even more appealing.

  “I’ll race you to water. Loser buys lunch. Go!”

  She takes off running toward the water, leaving me standing rooted to the same spot, still panting after her like a man lost in the desert with no water in sight.

  Then she rushes into the water, dives into the waves, and comes up on the other side with a huge smile on her face…and now she’s wet. Every inch of her luscious body is dripping wet.

  Fuck me.

  This is going to be a long day.

  “Silas, get your ass in here right now,” she yells and motions for me to join her.

  I jerk my shirt off and drop it onto my outstretched towel, then jog the few feet to the water’s edge. It’s cooler than I thought it would be, but obviously not too cold for Kira to enjoy it to the fullest. She’s swimming and playing in the waves as if she’s the sexiest mermaid in the Atlantic, and I have no doubt she’d win that competition.

  When I reach her, she surprises me by jumping into my arms and wrapping hers around my neck. I’m acutely aware of her barely covered breasts pushing against my bare chest, the water serving as a lubricant and a stimulant simultaneously.

  “Thank you so much for bringing me here with you and for making this day happen. It’s so beautiful here—the turquoise water, the beautiful beach, and the bright blue sky. Every single part of this is magical and wonderful and more than I ever expected. I also want you to know, I can’t imagine experiencing this for the first time with anyone else.”

  With little effort, she wraps her legs around my waist and locks them behind my back. I automatically move my hands under her bare ass, holding her in place as the waves slightly jostle us in the waist-deep water. Our eyes lock, and the desire blazing in hers is brighter than the sun above us. Beads of water run down her gorgeous face, some disappearing when she runs her tongue over her lips.

  Her gaze drops to my mouth just before she closes the gap and presses her lips to mine. Soft and tentative turns to hungry and demanding in a millisecond. I knead the firm flesh of her behind with my fingers when her tongue glides across mine. She lifts her torso, pulling closer to me, and grazes across my already hard cock. When she releases a needy moan in my mouth, any restraint I had a second ago evaporates into thin air. My fingers dig into her skin, holding her tightly against my body. Her hips undulate, gliding against me—over these fucking swim shorts.

  Though I never expected to hear her say those words to me, they affect me more than I want to admit. Relationships have never been my specialty. I’ve never wanted one for longer than a night or two, and I’m still not looking for one at this moment. Something tells me she isn’t either, though, so hopefully, we’re on the same page. Because with the sun, water, and a beautiful woman in my arms, there’s no fucking way I can resist what she’s offering.

  Especially when she skims one hand down my chest and stops at the band of my shorts. She drags her nails across the sensitive skin of my lower stomach, teasing and tempting me more than I can resist. Her courage surges again. She slips her hand inside, wraps her fingers around me, and caresses me with soft strokes. I was already hard enough to smash boulders before her soft hand found its mark. Now it’s becoming painful in the best way.

  While holding her up with one hand, I slide the fingers on my other one along the thin G-string fabric until I reach her core. Her fingers dig into my shoulders, and she presses into my hand, wordlessly urging me on.

  But I have to be sure. There’s no way to undo what we’re about to do.

  After I break our kiss, she peers up at me hesitantly. “Are you sure this is what you want, Kira? For the record, I don’t expect sex from you. You don’t owe me anything.”

  “I know that—and I completely agree. If knowing what I want makes me a terrible person, then I guess I’m the worst person who ever lived. Because the truth is, I want you more than I can bear, and I can’t wait one more minute. But if you tell me you don’t want this, that you don’t want me, I’ll stop right now, and we’ll go build a sand castle instead.”

  “Does what’s in your hand feel like I don’t want you?”

  She crashes her lips into mine again, our tongues clashing like the waves on the shore. She pushes the front of my shorts down at the same time I move the small triangle of fabric to the side and plunge my finger deep inside her, stroking her inner walls and increasing her yearning. She digs her fingernails on one hand into my skin as the other aligns our bodies.

  “Now, Silas.”

  With both hands gripping her ass and the strength of my arms holding her up, I push inside her to the hilt while my hands pull her down on me. Then she takes control, rolling her hips front to back then side to side. The more she grinds her hips, the harder it is for me to hold back. She feels like a tight-fitting velvet glove, made exclusively to mold to and match me. The waves help to hide our movements, but anyone with eyes knows better. Somehow, that makes her desire for me even sexier.

  Her inner muscles clutch around me, holding tighter and tighter every time she reaches climax, but she’s greedy for more. I’m more than willing to accommodate her, until she screams into my neck the final time, urging me to join her. When her loud cries diminish to breathy whimpers, I pull out of her for my own release. Every muscle in her entire body relaxes at once, turning into a quivering, beautiful mess in my arms.

  What the fuck do we do now?

  Welcome back to reality, Silas.

  Chapter 13

  Kira

  Now that the exhilarating high has subsided, the mortification of what I just did starts to set in. It’s time to untangle our limbs and climb down from the large tree of a man I just scaled out of the blue. What I’m feeling isn’t regret over actually showing my real desire for Silas, but rather the timing. We only just arrived in Miami, and I’d feel less awkward if
I’d allowed a little more time to pass before jumping headfirst into a physical relationship.

  Relationship? Is that even the correct word for what this is between us?

  Association?

  Connection?

  Frenemies with benefits?

  Silas helps steady me when the waves crash into my back as I find my footing. He wraps his hands around my biceps, keeping me upright in the water…but he’s also holding me just far enough away from him to avoid our bodies coming into contact again. The flash of pain through my chest is foreign and unexpected. I was never under the delusion of instant love and marriage proposals from him. I’m not that naïve. But then, I didn’t expect him to make me feel like a contagious leper immediately afterward either.

  “How about that drink I promised you?” His voice is low and intimate, making me question if I’m overreacting to everything and nothing.

  Now I realize I’ve brought feelings into a situation that was only meant to be for fun—a short fling while we’re already crossing the blurred line between us. Today wasn’t supposed to mean anything. He wasn’t supposed to mean anything. My plan was so simple, but I had to complicate it with feelings and insecurities and doubts.

  “Right now, a drink sounds perfect.”

  He releases me so we can work our way through the waves and onto the beach. After I throw on my cover-up, we make our way to the oceanfront bar and slide up onto the stools. He orders our drinks and a couple of appetizers before looking at me for the first time since I forced myself on him.

  “Well, it’s official. This is now my favorite beach of all time.”

  When I glance up at him, he’s smiling, and the same warm, friendly, yet mischievous glint is there. In his own way, he’s letting me know he won’t let our frolic in the water make working together feel weird. We’re back to business as usual—teasing, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.