Dirty, Dark, & Dangerous: A Contemporary Romance Boxset

by Luciani, Kristen

  I snicker and snatch the shoe away from him. “Thanks. I’ll take it under consideration.”

  We walk in silence toward the beach, and I feel instantly at ease, like this is exactly where I should be right now. I stretch my arms overhead and take a deep breath, letting the salty sea air fill my lungs. “It’s so beautiful here. I wish I could stay forever.”

  “I love the beach, too.” Evan’s deep, gravelly voice rumbles through me as his lips brush against my hair. He’s standing so close, his faraway gaze fixed on the rolling waves. “It was always the one place I could go to clear my head. A few hours on those waves, and I’d be ready to conquer the world. Things always made sense when I was on my board.”

  I nod, watching his jaw clench. “Past tense?”

  “Things changed a few months ago. There was an accident…”

  “What happened?” I bite my lip, not sure if I should even ask. But he looks so lost right now. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry. You don’t have to tell me. We can just drop it.”

  He turns to look at me, and I recoil at the anguish in his eyes. It hurts my heart to even look at him, which shocks the hell out of me. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten close enough to people to find out more than their name and which of my movies is their favorite.

  “It’s okay.” Evan sighs and runs a hand through his dark hair. My fingers twitch to touch it, to brush it away from his eyes, to see if it’s as soft and smooth as it looks. “My brother was out surfing one morning. He’d been troubled for a long time, suffering from depression. He seemed to be getting better, but one day, he just snapped. We got into an argument, and he took off for the beach.” His shoulders slump. “The waves were really choppy because of a storm. I went after him, but…” Evan shakes his head, his voice trailing off along with the memory. “That was six months ago.”

  “I’m so sorry. That’s such a terrible tragedy.” I look down at the sand and draw a heart with my big toe. “I’ve been through it myself. My parents died in a car accident years ago. It still hurts like hell, and I never stop blaming myself for their death. They’d been rushing home to bring me to some stupid audition I just had to go on. It’s been me and my sister ever since.”

  “I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for you both.” His hand brushes against my arm, and goose bumps immediately pebble my bare skin. Weird. Kindred spirits with matching emotional baggage seek therapy in Hawaii. Talk about fodder for movie buffs.

  “Thanks, but I’m okay now. I still miss them every day, but it’s gotten easier. I had a really tough time when it first happened. I got messed up with drugs and alcohol, and I made a lot of bad choices.” I gaze out at the horizon that resembles an abstract painting of pink, orange, and purple streaks. I feel the familiar pang in my chest when I recall those days when I didn’t think I’d ever be able to recover from the loss. Everything I’d accomplished…they never got a chance to see any of it. They’d been my biggest fans, and I never got to thank them for always supporting me and my decision to become an actress. I almost lost it all when they died. If it hadn’t been for Jules kicking me in the ass, I’d probably be a used up, drugged out hooker on Hollywood Boulevard. Or worse. “My sister is the one who helped me get my head screwed on straight after everything happened.” A small smile lifts my lips. “I’d have never made it through without her. She’s the strongest person I know. The best person I know.”

  I turn my head, my breath catching as the glow of the horizon hits Evan’s face. His light eyes glitter, never moving from mine. I can’t breathe, my throat is so tight. It’s almost as if we’re both caught under the same spell, neither one of us able to break it, neither one willing to even try.

  Time stands still. I have no idea if minutes or hours pass. He clears his throat, his lips parting slightly. My body wills him to dip his head lower, so I can taste his lips on mine. He rubs the back of his neck and looks behind me at the surf boards piled next to one of the huts. “We, uh, should probably grab a couple of boards before it gets too dark.”

  My stomach drops. “Yeah, good idea.” The pull is almost too much for me to process. I’ve never been so captivated by a man before, especially one who I don’t know from my mailman. Although, I’m pretty sure if my mailman looked like Evan, I’d have met him a long time ago.

  He backs away, but I can still see the wistful look in his eye. My heart thrums under his penetrating stare. Butterflies in my belly awaken and swarm as the dimple in his left cheek deepens. It’s been so long, I didn’t think they’d even remember how to flutter their wings. Good God, talk about a panty-dropping smile. Actually, scratch that. Evan’s smile alone could melt them off my body. Maybe later. A girl can hope.

  I follow him over to the pile of boards. I’d much rather have him screw me on top of one of them instead of dealing with the embarrassment of a certain wipeout. I don’t know why I’m torturing myself like this…again. I’m pretty sure my body just isn’t made for surfing, a fact that had been proven again and again throughout the week.

  Evan grabs two boards and drags them down to the shore. He pulls off his shirt and I bite down on my lower lip. Holy fuck. How was it possible that his body was even more perfect than what I’d memorized earlier on the beach? When is perfect ever an understatement? If I weren’t standing in front of him, I’d swear those abs were airbrushed on his tanned skin. His inked biceps flex as he pulls the boards behind him, and holy crap, I just want to lick every last line and swirl.

  I take a few steps toward him, digging my toes into the cool, velvety sand. I reach down and pull the hem of my sundress over my head. It’s a slow, seductive movement that isn’t lost on Evan. The wistful look has gone full-fledged carnal as he waits for me to join him on the shore. I toss the dress onto the sand next to my discarded sandals and add a little swing to my hips, slinking toward him with a slow and sexy gait that makes his jaw twitch. Oh, yes.

  Maybe I should have been a little more careful about taking surfing lessons from some strange guy on a desolate beach, but something about Evan settles me. I saw him on the beach today. I mean, he’s impossible to miss, with the physique of a Greek god, but it was more than just his looks that lassoed me so tightly. The man oozes charm and charisma. People are naturally drawn to him. Hell, I’d experienced it first hand, watching…okay…ogling from a distance. Surfer wannabes buzzed around him all afternoon on the beach, asking for tips, getting his autograph, and posing for pictures. If he were looking for peace and quiet, he’d definitely come to the wrong place. But it never stopped him from flashing that magical smile and making anyone approaching him feel at ease. He was a natural – gorgeous, engaging, talented, and sexy as fuck.

  So I decided to gamble. I’ve been wrong about men before, blind to their motives, but this feels different. Not that I’d let on to Evan, but I already knew about the struggles he faced after his brother’s death, courtesy of Google. Once I’d spotted him on the beach, I immediately consulted with my search engine of choice. I found out that he’d all but hung up his board until he founded a youth surfing organization, called SurfsUp, for troubled teens in honor of his brother. Evan’s not only a surfing champion, but a huge philanthropist to boot. Exactly the kind of guy I need right now.

  I yelp when my feet hit the water. I grit my teeth as I wade farther in to meet him and the board. “C-cold!”

  He laughs, the sound reverberating through me. The low rumble ripples through my body like a slow crashing wave. How appropriate. “Maybe we should rethink that wetsuit.”

  I arch my back and inch closer, partly because I need to feel the warmth of his body against my frigid one, and partly because I’m just horny as hell. “You’re sure about that?”

  His smile fades and his voice drops. “I much prefer this view, but I want you to be comfortable.”

  I can think of a thousand things he can do to make me comfortable. My lips curl into a grin. “So chivalrous of you.”

  “I try.” He nods his head toward the
board. “Hop on.”

  Dammit. Was it so unrealistic of me to expect him to just throw me onto the board and devour me right here in the water? I fling a leg over the side and straddle it, my teeth chattering. I hug my arms around my chest and push out a deep breath. Okay, maybe night surfing wasn’t my greatest ever idea, but it’s too late to run back to shore and wrap myself in my dress. I’d much rather be wrapped in something else, something broad and muscular, something glistening with ocean water. I’d love to lick those salty drops away, one by one.

  “Are you sure you’re okay to do this?”

  I press my lips together, praying they aren’t blue. “Yes. I’m more than okay.” This is living, right? I’m getting exactly what I’d wanted. And then that nagging voice is back to torment me. Be careful what you wish for, Tatum.

  “Stretch yourself out on the board. I’ll hold onto it so you can practice jumping to a crouching position.”

  “Seriously? Isn’t that a little advanced? Shouldn’t we start with something simpler?”

  He grins and that dimple winks at me, almost erasing my anxiety about this little surfing lesson. Almost.

  “Just relax. You’re going to do just fine. I’d have never suggested it if I thought you’d get hurt. Besides, I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.” His light eyes darken in the dusky glow of the sky, a serious expression on his face.

  His words have an instant calming effect. Besides, if I do fall, what better place to land than in Evan’s arms? I follow his instructions and position myself, clutching the sides of the board.

  “Great.” His fingers brush against mine, and the electricity sizzles my clammy skin, heating me from the outside in. “Now, jump!”

  I tighten my core and release the board, doing a clumsy kind of burpee to land on my feet. My arms stretch out, giving me balance as the board wobbles slightly in the now choppy water. But I’m up. I’ll be damned. I did it.

  I peek at Evan and feel my skin warm in the glow of his megawatt smile. “Was that good?”

  “It was fantastic. You’ve got great balance. Let’s try it again.”

  Again turned into about ten more times, each leap better than the last under his instruction. Who knew I’d just been missing the right teacher? I thought I was doomed to be a boogie boarder for the rest of my life.

  “Are you sure you’ve never done this before?” He cocks an eyebrow in mock suspicion, but the twinkle in his eyes gives everything away.

  “Well, I’ve watched a lot of other people do it.” I giggle. “So, what’s your secret? How’d you get to become such a great teacher?”

  He looks down, trailing his fingers over the water gathered at his waist. “Just a desire to help others, I guess. I do a lot of teaching in my spare time….troubled kids that need to stay off the streets. It keeps them out of harm’s way, gives them something to look forward to. I’m always determined to get them standing on their boards by the end of each session.”

  “It’s really such a wonderful way to give back, Evan. You must have helped so many kids.”

  “Most of them.” He looks up with a sad smile. “But you can’t save everyone.”

  “Not unless they want to be saved,” I muse, tracing a finger on the top of the board.

  “Exactly.” The teasing glimmer in his eyes is now masked by pain and defeat. His shoulders square and his spine stiffens. I want so badly to rub my hand down his back. How did we even get here? Spilling emotions after less than an hour of meeting? What happened to the sexy banter? The drunken innuendoes? Since when do I crave depth?

  And why does it make me want him that much more?

  He lowers his gaze, a small smile lifting his lips. “What’s your story? Why’d you run?”

  My mouth falls open. Jesus, am I that transparent? “What makes you think I ran from something? Maybe I just needed a break.” Yep, a break from being me.

  “You’re alone in some remote resort in Hawaii, pretty far away from civilization, suffering with shitty cellular service. They don’t even have satellite television here. This isn’t the place you come for a luxury vacation with all the frills. This is the place to hide, not to be noticed.” He smirks. “Not that you could be invisible anywhere in the world, but you get what I mean.”

  I nod, tracing my finger over the grooves in the board. “Maybe I did need some space. I had an issue…some guy…” I wave my hand in the air. “It’s in the past, but I had to get away for a little while to figure out what I want and how I’m going to get it.”

  I’d always thought everything would be so cut and dried once I made it in Hollywood. But the pressure, the exposure, the demands…sometimes I feel like I’m suffocating. Sometimes, I just want to remember what it feels like to be regular old Tatum Atwood, the girl who loves singing even thought she can’t carry a tune, the one who loves to scarf Twizzlers, drink Swiss Miss hot chocolate by the boxful, and hates cilantro, not the Academy award nominee who drives a Maserati and always wears Valentino to awards shows. That’s the girl the world sees. It’s all glam and glitz because that’s what people want to aspire to. But it’s not really me. My Nikes would win over Jimmy Choo any day of the week. And if I could strut around town in Old Navy cutoffs and tank tops all day, every day, I’d be happy as a clam. But Tatum Atwood could never portray that kind of image. Who’d ever aspire to be …ordinary?

  Evan nods. “And how is that going? Did you get your answers?”

  I shrug. “Unfortunately, it’ll probably take me more than a week, and since I leave tomorrow…” My voice drifts off, a pang in my chest alerting me to the fact that while I’m required to jump back into the craziness that is my life, I’ll be leaving behind a man who, in the most unlikely of circumstances, has made me feel like I didn’t need to look so long and hard for meaning. That maybe all I needed was to keep my eyes and my heart open.

  In my reality, I’d have never been able to have this conversation with Evan. He’d have never be able to peel away my glittery layers because I would shut down, the way I’d learned to do after that whole mess with Luke. No way would I put my neck on the chopping block again. And stalkers come in all shapes and sizes. You can never be too careful.

  But nobody is stalking Lila Haywood out here. She’s as safe as can be.

  “Then we need to make the next few hours really count.” A teasing grin stretches across his chiseled face. I could stare at this guy forever and never tire of that smile. For all of the baggage he may be carrying, he can still manage to see the light through the murk. I like that. A lot.

  I pull myself upright and hug my knees. “That’s a loaded statement. Are we still talking about surfing?” My heart thrums as heat spreads throughout my insides, his smoldering gaze making my body forget the frigid water temperature.

  He reaches out to push a lock of my hair behind my ear. “If surfing is your pleasure, I’ll stay out here all night.” He leans closer. “Is that what you want, Lila? Because I’m not ready to say goodbye to you just yet.”

  Chapter Three

  EVAN

  I don’t play games. I know what I want, what I need. Lila’s hiding something…maybe from something…and that’s fine. But there’s something between us, something that has had my cock twitching since I first saw her on the beach earlier this week, something I’d very much like to explore further.

  I meant what I said. If all she wants to do is to surf, I’ll gladly shrivel up like a fucking prune out here all night for a chance to spend our last few hours together. But I won’t lie. The sight of her stretched out on that board in nothing but that glittery bikini makes my dick hard, even in this fucking icebox of an ocean. I want nothing more than to feel her naked body writhing beneath mine, to hear her screaming my name as I thrust deep inside of her. And the more I sit and stare, the more captivating she becomes.

  She has to feel it, too. Waist deep in that cool, crisp water, her glistening skin and insanely tight body, barely covered by a few scraps of fabric. I’ve never seen t
its so perfect and an ass so bangable. But it’s more than just physical. There’s an aura around her, like she’s on stage, acting out her starring role.

  I’d like to see her play a different type of role tonight.

  Fuck me, I’ve got it bad. I’m not sure how it happened, since I usually don’t give a fuck whether or not a woman so much as tells me her name. It’s forgotten by the time I get dressed and walk out of her life the next morning, anyway.

  With a look that sends a jolt straight to my cock, Lila steadies herself on the board and brings herself to a kneeling position. Pretty fucking impressive considering that, only half an hour ago, she could barely straddle the board without tipping over. Her hands settle on my shoulders, her lips mere inches away from mine. “I don’t want to surf anymore, Evan,” she murmurs. “You’re a great teacher, but I think I’m a little waterlogged. What do you think we should do about that?”

  My breath hitches. Fuck, I need this…her. “I have a few ideas.”

  Her hands move to the back of my neck and creep up to my hair. Christ, there has to be a fucking tent in my board shorts right about now. “Show me?”

  I get lost in her hazel-eyed gaze, mesmerized by the way her lips move, imagining them wrapped tightly around my rock-hard cock. This woman has turned me inside out. With the snap of a finger, I’d do just about anything she asks. That’s usually opposite of how I operate, and I’m not sure how to handle this change in direction.

  The scent of citrus hits my nostrils and I inhale, breathing her in. I snake a hand around the back of her neck, lightly fisting her hair. Her eyes glimmer in the soft moonlight settling over the water. My lips crash against hers with a carnal need that’s foreign to me. They’re so soft and warm and…cherry-flavored. My dick strains against my board shorts, aching to get into the action, but this kiss… I’m lost in her. Completely swept away by a stranger, and not just in the physical sense. I don’t usually care about connecting with women. Shit, I never share anything personal with them. I don’t even like talking because it just makes me remember the bad shit I keep buried. I’m not this guy.