Breaking Waves
Page 3
to scold him with a discerning glare, but discovered his face closer than she expected. His mouth was mere inches from hers and she could almost taste the spice of his lips. Despite herself, it beckoned a butterfly or two inside her stomach.
Instinctively, she tried to pull away, but found his grip to be too strong. It was as if he knew it unnerved her to hold on and he enjoyed it. Her body pressed against his and her hands planted against his solid chest, Amy couldn’t help but notice how their closeness affected her in ways she never expected.
Caught off guard, her eyes grew wide with shock. “What are you doing?”
The corners of Chris’s mouth turned up. He seemed to be enjoying how hard she fought against each step he took toward the water. “You said you would leave after you went swimming,” he reminded her. “And since you didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get in, I thought I’d help you out.”
Amy gasped, her eyes turning toward the cold ocean waves. “Oh you wouldn’t!”
“Oh, I would,” he argued playfully, tightening his grip.
Great! Just what she needed—a man to pick her up and pluck her in the ocean against her will on the one day she wanted to relax—alone. Amy quickly realized Chris wasn’t letting up and started to squirm.
“Chris, you wouldn’t,” she pleaded, looking down to see his khakis darkening as they got wetter and wetter.
“I can,” he teased, “and I will.”
The next wave splashed against Amy’s body, sending a chill across her skin. She screamed and instinctively wrapped her arms around Chris’s neck, pulling herself up and even closer than before. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t help but notice he had the most handsome features, that square jaw and cute dimple in his chin. Nope. In fact, she hardly noticed them at all.
Okay, get it together. Of course he was a handsome man. It was the reason all the ladies loved him. But despite the sultry way his emerald green eyes played off the dark contrast of his thick brows and made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, he was still just Chris to her. She wanted nothing more to do with him. Or any man. Because she hated them all, she reminded herself.
Confusion. It was all that Amy could feel. It wasn’t enough that Chris had showed up and ruined her alone time, but now he was making her feel self-conscious as she tried to recall the last time she’d really even looked at him. Dang it, why did the sun have to flicker off the top of the water and light his eyes that way. She’d never seen this side of him before and his sultry stare and warm breath were drawing her in.
He leaned in so close they were almost touching and she instinctively lifted her mouth to his. Amy swallowed and licked her lips. Soon, his mouth danced along the edge of her lips; sampling, nibbling. Her mouth parted involuntarily and he darted in, his sensuous motions sending thrills through her as he brought his body flush against hers. And for a moment, every nerve in her body was taut with attention.
When he finally released his hold on her, Amy was breathless. She felt alive and on fire, his lips still so close that she could feel his breath tickle her skin. A warmth snaked down her body and she had to fight the urge to keep kissing him. All she wanted to do was feel him again, his mouth against hers, his lips devouring her.
But just as quickly as he’d surprised her with his kiss, Amy realized it could be a mistake. A big mistake. This was her best friend, not some rebound hunk of muscle that miraculously showed up to take her worries away. His friendship meant so much to her and it was just too dangerous to cross this line. No matter how he made her feel in this moment, she needed to keep her head and heart intact.
Abruptly, she pulled away, trying to put some distance between them so she could catch her breath. “Sorry,” she said, feeling her cheeks flush again. “I…uh…we shouldn’t have done that. I think that was a mistake.”
Amy stared at him with purpose. Okay, so she’d been mildly turned on by his kiss, and maybe, just maybe, she wanted more. But it was wrong. I mean, friends were supposed to remain in the friend zone, right? They weren’t supposed to be all handsome and knight-in-shining-armor-ish and show up at exactly the right time to rescue her and make her feel all crazy flustered and tingly inside. That stuff was reserved for fairy tales. Nope. She wasn’t falling for that again.
I hate men, she reminded herself.
But one more look into Chris’s bedroom eyes and she did feel herself fall. In a splash, the cold wetness of the ocean covered every inch of her skin and the waves rushed over her head. Soaked, she managed to get to her feet and come up for air, the taste of salt lingering on her lips.
She found Chris hovering above, a victorious smile across his lips. “No,” he laughed. “That was a mistake!”
Amy gathered herself together, hands planted firmly on her hips once again. She was definitely going to yell at him for that. Definitely. But as much as she really wanted to curse him, she couldn’t help but notice the way the water splashed over his pants and shirt, and how they clung so perfectly to his muscular form. Her mind instantly wandered as her gaze fell upon his strong chest, his powerful arms, his thick legs. And, how his pants were just tight enough in all the right places to make a girl wonder.
Biting her lip, she shook off the embarrassment of being caught staring at the fit of Chris’s khakis. She forced her eyes back to his amusing gaze, trying to ignore the way he was suddenly making her feel. Besides, she was done with men – especially the ones that claimed to be her friend, then kissed her and dunked her in the water. Who did he think he was? Amy didn’t care. Instead, she plotted a way to get even.
A wave came toward them, and, seizing the opportunity for revenge, she pretended to stumble. Instinctively, Chris reached for her and she swept out her leg just in time to throw him off balance. With a big splash, he went down into the water. But Amy hadn’t expected him to go down with her in tow.
By the time they both surfaced, the only thing she felt pressed against her body was strong and muscular. Wet, warm and firm. Amy felt the air rush out of her lungs, leaving her breathless and overheated.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice low and sexy.
Amy swallowed down the heat quickly filling her entire body. “Yeah,” she managed to say under her breath.
He grinned, his mouth hitching at the corners as he stared into her eyes. His piercing green gaze seemed to make her aware of how her hips were pressed against his body, and her hands were suggestively around his neck for the second time in only a matter of moments.
“Good,” he whispered, his words so close to her mouth she could almost taste them. Amy couldn’t help but notice the few drops of salt water still hanging from his lips as he spoke.
Lucky water, she thought.
As much as she wanted to turn away, she wasn’t quite ready to leave his embrace. His arms were wrapped around her tightly and it was obvious the heat was mutual. Involuntarily, she licked her lips at the thought of tasting him again.
Almost instinctively, his strong hands snaked down her back, settling gently on her hips. It was an intimate move that sent goose bumps shooting over her skin as she indulged in thoughts of those hands sliding all over her body. Part of her wanted to stop him, but her breath caught in her throat as his fingers slid along her bare skin and found the ruffled fringe of her panties.
The look in his eyes was so primal. She heard him catch his breath as his gaze fell upon the rise and fall of her breasts. Amy bit her lip, feeling the way his eyes devoured her. She licked her lips again and felt her longing multiply as his eyes moved to her mouth and followed the motion of her tongue. A soft groan emanated from somewhere deep in his throat that sent a shiver right down to her toes.
The heavy scent of his breath was sweet, mingled with the salty ocean air. Gone was the concerned friend who’d come down to the beach to save her, and in his place stood a tall, lean stack of muscles with an unmistakably sexy smile, and whose physical proof of his desires was firmly pressed against her thigh. Amy found it impossible to hold in the small sigh that es
caped her.
His fingers ran down along the curve of her hip and Amy’s pulse quickened. Her heart pounded in her ears as his hands moved lower and lower until his fingers snaked over her thighs lightly. She felt his touch tease the edge of her panties, sending thrilling sensations coursing through her body.
“Maybe one more mistake,” he growled as he brought her closer.
She bucked against him, brushing her breasts against the hard planes of his chest. His fingers sunk into her skin, exploring until they found a spot that made her squeal. She opened her mouth, beckoning him inside. His tongue expertly traced the ridge of her lips just before pressing against hers once again with unquenchable urgency.
She moaned into his kiss as he slowly teased her tongue with soft gentle laps of his own. She gasped, conjuring up images of just what a mouth like that could do to a woman. His breath whispered over her lips, sending all rational thought straight out to sea.
His lips left hers momentarily, his stare dark, intent and dangerous. “I want you,” he growled.
Amy bit her lip.
It was just the sea air, she tried to convince herself. Or maybe it was Lover’s Cove. It did things to people like them. Two people who found themselves alone on the beach. No one else in sight. Nothing in the world to prevent them from crossing that line she knew was so dangerous