Pure Attraction

by Rebecca Hunter

  “One more chance,” she called. It was a warning to him, too. You better give me your best.

  He didn’t wait for her this time. He paddled out like he usually did, shutting out everything else and just reading the ocean. He watched, waiting, until the perfect wave was coming right for him. It was moments like this that he’d dreamed of when he moved here. Moments when all that mattered was the water in front of him. He paddled, checked over his shoulder and paddled harder until his board was racing again. Byron jumped up to standing as the green face of the wave stretched out in front of him, guiding him forward. He was pretty sure he could beat her distance on this one.

  But his mind wandered away from Jessie as the wave subsided, back to his father. The memories came just about every time he surfed. So many details had faded over the years, but not these. Building the Kalani Resort in Hawaii had been his path back to these memories, and he was untangling one of them each time he was on his board, waiting for the waves or riding them in.

  The wave died, and Byron jumped off into the shallow water, looking up at the land to check how far he’d made it. About as far as Jessie, maybe farther? He stood in place and turned to see her come in. It was exhilarating to watch her, every ounce of focus on the wave in front of her, the board, the water. And coming off his own amazing ride...

  His chest tightened. The feeling was powerful, something different than just sexual interest. If Sheila were here, standing next to him, she would undoubtedly tell him to be careful, to not get so caught up in a woman he’d just met. Which meant that he should be glad he was leaving tomorrow. Before it got...complicated.

  The timer on Byron’s watch went off. Jessie’s wave had died a little farther out, and she was wading toward him.

  “This is where I ended,” he called to her. “What do you think?”

  She shrugged. “Not sure. You’re pretty much in the same spot as I was the last time. And that ride was spectacular.”

  Her smile was warm and easy, and it hit him in the chest again, this time harder.

  “You’re fantastic,” he said. “And this isn’t even your home turf.”

  “And that isn’t your favorite board,” she said, glancing down at his longboard. “It’s a nice one, but you’re really a short-boarder, aren’t you?”

  He nodded. If he reached out, he could touch her, rest his hand on her hip, make that sharp, assessing gaze of hers soften. He’d love to try.

  “But I wanted to surf with you, catch the same waves.”

  She didn’t answer right away, and he couldn’t read her expression. The warm water splashed at his knees, and the sun sparkled in her hair.

  “You really think a lot about the details, don’t you?” she asked after a while.

  He nodded. “I like to get things just right.”

  He didn’t bother to hide the sexual overtones in his words, and he was sure she could see signs of the desire licking his body.

  But she frowned. “I’m sure that makes you an exemplary businessman.”

  She was needling him, reminding him of the line between them. Byron didn’t know if this was a warning that they were reaching her limits or a hint that she’d found herself wanting more. Either way, he wasn’t taking her bait.

  “Maybe it does,” he said. “But I find it helps me tune into what’s important, business or otherwise.”

  Her smile grew slowly, first just at the corners of her mouth, and then it took over, wiping away the assessment and replacing it with the joy he had caught glimpses of the night before. It looked like...freedom. And he had put that smile on her face. God, it felt good.

  “I bet a lot of people underestimate you, Byron.”

  He had never quite thought of it like that, but in a way she was right. He wasn’t the kind of CFO that demanded loyalty or governed by being the loudest in the room. He was a big man, so he supposed that had a kind of power in itself, but he didn’t lead by talking over others or asserting his dominance. It was, in his stepfather’s eyes, his greatest failing, and yet, Byron was almost sure that the opposite was true. After years of Robert Hayden running his empire into the ground with his shortsighted buyouts and lavish expenses, Byron had succeeded in picking up the pieces because he paid attention to the details, took the time to really understand something before he moved. He was not an impulsive man.

  Though how Jessie was reading this from their interactions, he didn’t know.

  “So who won?” she asked, and there was a challenge in her eyes. She looked from the shore to him and back to the shore, trying to measure the distance, he assumed.

  He smiled a little. “I think it was a draw.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Is that your way of saying you won? But you’re too humble to hurt my feelings?”

  Byron tipped back his head and started to laugh. She seemed to be reading him with the same attention he was reading her. So he decided to come clean.

  “That’s my way of saying I want a rematch. Someday.”

  * * *

  Jessie took a drink of guava juice and set the bottle in the sand. Her arms were enough of a Jello-y mess that she needed to put it down after each sip. She’d already eaten one of the boxes of fruit, nuts and cheese that Byron had packed for them, and she was about to start on the second. More surfers had arrived by the time Jessie had dragged her board to shore, and they bobbed in the waves like buoys, tilting as the water moved them up and down. Out in the middle of them was Byron, the wide expanse of his back to her as he looked out to sea.

  The waiting was one of her favorite parts of surfing. On a quiet day, she could be alone on the ocean, with only the sounds of the wind and the waves and the splash of paddling. Except she so rarely was alone on the water. Though the Pleasure Point break back in Santa Cruz was incredible, she’d be willing to trade it for the peaceful Hawaii vibe any day.

  Plus, Byron was there.

  The whole morning had been spectacular, despite the revelation that he was the kind of man she’d never knowingly let her guard down with. Her first reaction had been shock—Byron didn’t seem the type to be at the top of a real estate empire. But now that she’d had time to let the idea sink in, she was seeing the details she’d missed. Yes, he had that go-with-the-flow attitude, but there was nothing uncertain about him. This man had confidence, a lot of it, but he didn’t seem inclined to show it off.

  He also had the body of a god, which didn’t often go along with leadership positions, especially not in Silicon Valley. With sixty-hour workweeks as the norm, who had time for the gym? But Byron also didn’t do any of the preening she was used to from men who knew they looked good. Byron was full of unassuming strength, comfortable in his skin. And the more she was around him, the more she liked it.

  Byron caught one last wave and then headed to shore. He was walking out of the water and toward her now, his golden brown skin glistening with trails of water, and her eyes followed the droplets over hard muscles, over biceps that flexed under the weight of his surfboard. She watched his tattoos move, mesmerized. What would they look like if he was holding himself over her?

  I want this man.

  Jessie found the hem of her rash guard and pulled it up. She wrestled with it a bit, tugging it over her breasts before she took a break. If she had known this morning would involve seduction, she would have worn a looser rash guard...and maybe a bikini, though common sense told her that this wasn’t a good idea when surfing. The bottom would probably fall off the first time she tried to catch a wave. Not a problem she’d had to think of back in Northern California, where wet suits were necessary all year round.

  But Byron didn’t seem to care what kind of suit she was wearing. From the moment she lifted her rash guard his steps slowed, and the hunger in his expression came back in full force. Time to finish stripping. Slowly, she pulled the rash guard over her head. It wasn’t the sexiest process, and she had to pry the
neck over her head, but he seemed preoccupied by her breasts. His gaze traveled down, over her legs, then back up, pausing again at her breasts before he looked straight into her eyes. A rush of heat traveled through her. Byron definitely wasn’t hiding his desire. He was standing over her now, with the same stance she found him in early this morning, as if to say, I’m ready for whatever you’d like. More pulses of heat flooded her as she took him in.

  It was almost as if Byron was offering to serve her. But a man with enough drive to become CFO of a multinational real estate empire liked to tell people what to do, didn’t he? Or...maybe every executive didn’t fit her stereotype.

  Jessie thought back to the night before by the pool, as he waited to serve her. His entire focus had been on her pleasure.

  “Are you going out for another session?” she asked, gesturing to the waves breaking across the horizon, line after line.

  “Not unless you are.” His gaze dipped back down to her breasts, now heavy, her nipples hard and showing through her swimsuit. “You want to go back out in a bit, or are you satisfied?”

  His words hung between them, laden with meaning, so sexual. Any other guy who put that much innuendo in a sentence would’ve earned scorn from her. But there was nothing cocky in his voice. She was almost sure he was asking how to satisfy her. And her body was one hundred percent into it.

  Jessie stood up, brushing the sand off her legs. Her hair was wet and dripping, but here in the languid Hawaiian heat, she was warm. Byron was watching her every move, and before she knew it, her own mind was weaving fantasies. Fantasies about being served. Until last night, she had never had an encounter with a man where she was truly at the center. Until Byron.

  That shift was a door, and now that he had opened it, all sorts of new ideas were coming in. She took a few more steps toward him until they were almost touching. She had barely touched him today, and right now, she realized just how badly she’d wanted to, ever since she found him standing in the drive of the Kalani. Why hold back? Water dripped from his hair, down to his chin, and Jessie reached out her finger and caught a drip. She brought her finger to her mouth and sucked the saltwater off. Byron’s dark eyes narrowed with lust, but he didn’t move.

  “I’m done surfing for the day, but I’m not sure I’m satisfied yet.”

  “Is that right?” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a new wave of desire through her.

  His gaze traveled over her face, pausing at her lips, then wandering once again to her breasts. Damn, this guy really had a thing about her chest, and she could think of some ways she could taunt him with it...and then satisfy them both. Byron was so close, and his pulse was ticking at the base of his neck, fast, hard. Could he see hers, too?

  Lord, she wanted to kiss him. She could feel with every inch of her skin how much she wanted to. In the past, kissing would’ve been her way of making her intentions clear, but it didn’t feel quite right now. She wanted to make this beautiful man want, need. Even beg. He would do the work, and she would enjoy it...and so would he. So she resisted the kiss, just to play a little bit, just to see if he’d give in to temptation. Instead, she licked her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. Lust flared in his gaze. Yes. He looked like he was on the cusp of closing the last distance between them.

  Byron drew in a shaky breath, then let it out. “Can I carry your board for you back to the van?”

  Now she was a little irritated for real. He was going to leave her hanging like that? What the hell?

  “Yes, please,” she said, that annoyance seeping into her voice.

  When she looked back up at Byron, he was biting back a smile. Wait—was he setting her off purposely? Again her mind strayed back to the night before. He hadn’t been put off at all by her impatience. In fact, he’d seemed to enjoy it.

  Byron knelt down at her feet and toweled off her board, then slipped it in its case. His board was next. He gathered the rest of their belongings and stuffed them in the backpack while she waited, watching him work. Even these acts felt sexual. He wasn’t hurried, and there was nothing demeaning about his position. Instead, he was giving her a very deliberate message.

  As you wish.

  More heat flooded through her body. Byron stood up and lifted the backpack over his shoulders, then picked up both boards, his biceps straining under the weight. He nodded toward the path, gesturing for her to go first.

  She shook her head, trying not to smile. “I’ll follow you.”

  He started along the trail through the lush tangle of trees and vines, and she went after him. Her swimsuit rubbed and chafed against her nipples, making her restless in the sultry heat of the forest. They walked along a stream that took them back to the dirt turnoff, where they had parked. Byron checked back a couple of times to make sure she was okay, holding branches to the side so she didn’t get hit. Each time he did it, her stomach fluttered as the anticipation built. How would this play out?

  Jessie took advantage of her position behind him to ogle Byron a little more. He was gorgeous, really. Of course he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and around the backpack, she saw hints of his intricate muscles. By the time they reached the van, she was a mess of hormones and desire.

  Byron opened the back of the vehicle and lifted the boards onto the rack. Jessie stood next to the van, hand on her hip, just watching. If he was into serving her, then he was there for her enjoyment. She was ready to test this theory a little further. Byron closed the back doors, and then his attention was on her. Completely. Her pulse kicked up at the intense focus of his gaze. Step. Step. Step. He was right in front of her now, and he rested one hand on the van next to her, so close.

  “Can I do anything else for you?” His voice slid through her, awakening new parts of her body.

  “Open my door.” The impatience of her order mingled with the huskiness in her voice.

  Byron leaned forward, his hand brushing against her skin has he reached the handle. A rush of goose bumps spread over her skin. His mouth was so close, his full lips parted.

  Give in. Kiss me. She sent the silent order.

  “You sure there’s nothing else you want me to do for you, ma’am?”

  Ma’am. The word told her everything. That she was in charge. That no matter how badly he wanted to kiss her right now, he wouldn’t unless she told him to. And that he’d give her anything she asked for.

  Jessie lifted her hand and let it glide over the taut muscles of his bare stomach. He shuddered, but he still didn’t move. She reached for his hand and placed it on her hip. “I told you before I wasn’t satisfied.”

  A groan escaped his lips as his big, warm palm slid down over her ass. He cupped it and squeezed. Then his mouth came down on hers, giving her another taste of what she had craved from the moment she saw him this morning. More. His tongue slid over hers in hungry, tempting strokes, letting her know that this was all for her pleasure. Her mouth, her breasts, between her legs—her body pulsed with decadent hunger for more of this. More of him. He pulled her closer, against the hard ridges of his body, and oh, he felt good. She let herself go, kissing him back. His skin was hot, and his muscles moved under her hands. She explored lower, reaching between them, until she found his cock.

  His breath hitched. Yes. She did it again, and he let out a hiss. Jessie pulled back, and his eyes were on fire. Oh, the way he looked at her was melting her insides, but she stepped away, just to explore this new, delicious power. He clenched his jaw but made no move to approach her. Jessie wasn’t sure whether she wanted to laugh or jump him right here, on the side of the road. Could she stop here, or did she give in to the temptation that had been building all morning? She swallowed, getting her breath under control, trying not to melt into a puddle of lust and frustration as they stared at each other.

  Finally, he reached for the passenger door and opened it.

  “Thank you,” she said sweetly and climbed into the car.


  By the time he settled into the driver’s seat, Jessie couldn’t hold back her laughter. She was breaking the spell of their encounter, but she didn’t care. The whole morning was fun, frustrating and a little crazy.

  “I can’t believe that just happened,” she said between breaths.

  Byron’s mouth curved into a smile, but he didn’t say anything.

  “You like it when I make you suffer a little, don’t you?”

  His smile widened. “Yes, I do.”

  “Does it...” She hesitated. “Does it turn you on to satisfy me, especially when I’m a little demanding?”

  “A lot.” Byron raised an eyebrow. “Are you into it?”

  “I am. Though I’m not sure I want to end this without a finish like last night’s.”

  Byron chuckled. “The day’s not over yet if you don’t want it to be. I can come back tonight. Maybe waiting can make it even better.”

  “Better than last night?”

  Her challenge was clear, and his eyes sparkled. “You’ll have to find out yourself.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “JUST MAKE SURE the sushi doesn’t move around on this plate,” said Alana, rolling up the sleeves of her Kalani chef jacket. She placed the plate in the food carton, then picked up a thermos. “The miso soup should stay warm, so pour it into the bowl as late as possible. And carefully. Half the success of this meal is presentation.”

  Byron nodded, committing the last of Alana’s directions to memory. “Should I pour the wine when I take out the meal, or should I wait until she’s seated?”

  She glanced down at his Kalani staff shirt and raised an eyebrow. “Depends on how long you’re staying.” Alana immediately clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. “Oh my God. I can’t believe I just said that to the owner of the resort. I’m really sorry.”